A sonnet to Death Knights

A bit of WoW roleplay

 A paladin. Yes, i was a paladin. I used to protect the innocent from these foul creatures known as the undead. The Light guided me in times, but today i feel very little of what i once felt.

 Let's take it back a few years, to a time of peace. My family was poor, but i had big dreams: to become a paladin. Follower of the Light, protector of the defenseless. I still remember the day my father took me to Lord Uther. He was the leader of the Silver Hand Knights. He looked at me as if i was special in some way. That filled me with joy. Ah! This feeling i cannot describe anymore. I started when i was as young as sixteen, but on that day i felt like a man. Mace, shield and a prayer book, these were the things Uther gave me on that day, and what glorious items i held. I started my studies in an old cathedral, but was quickly advancing in the ranks. Captain of the Fifth Battalion. This was my last rank as a paladin. The undead were numerous, but my will was unbreakable. I fought monster after monster in those plagued lands, and it was refreshing. I never felt so alive, to be able to lead forces alongside Lord Uther himself. At his side was always our prince, Arthas Menethil. He was older than me, but he seemed a bit less experienced in the Light. That didn't affect me, because i knew if i had reached this position so quickly, he could lead our paladins with ease. He had royal blood after all. Oh, i was so naive back then. If only i could feel his true nature.

 Later on, we were sent to fight the undead in a small town far from the capital. I took my men, and we were on our way there. On a small hill, i could only see smoke coming from over it. The sense of death was strong in those parts, but we pressed on. What we found was simply terrible. The town was in ashes, corpses were rising both from the graveyards and from the townsfolk, killed in the slaughter. I was filled with rage, how could this land be forsaken by such a fowl curse? I took my mace and i struck every undead minion roaming that town. My men were killed, one by one, rising as minions to fight against me. I had to kill them again, it had to be done. I stood there alone, tired, almost breathless, until he appeared. Arthas, wearing an armor forged by undeath magics. A runeblade was in his hand. I could hear the whispers of the dead coming from that blade. "Run!"; "Do not die by this blade!"; "You will be forsaken like I was!". What was all this, i wondered. What had happened to our prince? What was that look of anger and hatred in his eyes? I lifted my mace in one hand, and my book in the other, but my strength was no longer there. He just gazed upon me, and laughed. I will never forget that laughter. Mocking me. Insulting our Order, the Light. He was no longer Arthas, he was a shell of a man, controlled by some foul magics.

 He struck once. I fell to the ground. I felt the air escape from my throat, the light was no longer shining, my conciousness was fading. I thought i was dead. I wish i was.

 He lifted me again, i heard his voice: "I am going to see the king. He is no longer needed to rule this land, i am going to succeed him.". I had a thousand thoughts flowing through my mind. Why is he telling me this? He is going to kill his father, but why now? Why is he forsaking this land? I was put in a wagon, alongside other dead bodies, and was carried to the capital. Bells were ringing, i could hear the people cheering. They were so stupid. A few moments later, i could feel that a strong light faded from within the city. The king was dead. How could you have done this Arthas? You have changed, you are no longer the man i once thought was to become the leader of the paladins. You are a shadow of yourself. I fell unconscious.

 It felt like days had passed when i woke up in a city. I couldn't believe my eyes. Before me was Lord Uther, with some of my most trusted knights and captains alongside him. They were far, with a look of sadness upon their faces. Why were they like this? I tried to move. No use, i was in chains. Lord Uther spoke: "I am sorry lad, there is nothing we could do to help you...". His voice seemed distant. He really was. I looked at my right side, and there he was. The shadow of a man, runeblade in hand, talking to Uther: "Look at what i am about to do Uther. The Light couldn't save our land, and so couldn't you. I am about to turn one of the most powerful paladins into a minion of the Scourge. He shall become one of my finest captains.". Lord Uther said: "You truly are not the prince i once knew, boy. You have changed Arthas, you are no longer touched by the Light, it has left you.". "Silence paladin, and watch as the Death Knight rises!".

 One swift strike. He stuck me as he struck his father. The light had finally left me. I was no longer alive. But i felt this power, rushing through my body. I was no longer alive, but i felt my heart beat. What was this? It cannot be. I was by the side of the man that single handedly brought the fall of our kingdom. I was no longer myself, i was being controlled by him. But i had this feeling of anger towards those paladins, the ones that showed me the Light, the ones i respected and fought alongside for so many years. I had this hatred for them letting this happen to me. I was no longer in control of my emotions, i was a minion of him. He was my one true master now. I broke free from my chains. Arthas gave me a sword, and i took my newly forged armor. It fit me like a glove, this was my new calling, to forsake those that had forsaken me.

 I lifted my sword against Uther, he stood there looking at me, but did nothing. He knew he couldn't help me before, and he did nothing against me. I killed the other paladins, my brothers. Uther tried to help them, but i was so much more powerful. He kneeled down before me, it was the perfect opportunity to strike the leader of the paladins down and end their service, and forsake those lands forever. I couldn't do it. The least bit of humanity inside me couldn't do it. He smilled, as if i had still the least bit of regret inside. It wasn't a fraction of a second later, i saw the blade, Frostmourne, pierce his heart. That smile turned into a look of betrayal. He looked at Arthas, tears in his eyes. I just stood there, emotionless, as Uther got killed by one of his most trusted paladins, one of his best friends. Now i knew this man had no humanity left inside, not a single drop, but i was bound to him. I followed him as he went on a rampage throughout the world, killed all at sight. I was his captain, his loyal assassin of the living. I could not help it, he was the one that raised me as an undead minion. I was the first Death Knight raised by a man so blinded by vengeance. I had power over the minions of death, i had no power over him. Until the day.

 Acherus, this unholy place of training for the new recruits, i was leading the forces of death until the day Arthas, now known as the Lich King, decided to invade Light's Hope chappel, the only sacred place in our old land, which was now a place of death and decay, and put an end to the paladins once and for all. I was beside Koltira, Thassarian and Mograine when they attacked the chappel. I felt uneasy, i knew something was about to go down, but i wasn't sure what yet. We fought the paladins, their number was no match for the Scourge, until Tirion Fordring appeared. I knew he was a revered paladin back in the day, and i thought he was dead by now. Then i heard those words, spoken to our highlord Darion: "Your master knows what lies beneath the chappel. That is why he dares not show his face! He sent you and your Death Knights to meet their doom, Darion!". He showed himself, he who raised me as a Death Knight, he who controlled me into killing my brothers on the Light, he who i looked upon as a betrayer. He confirmed the words said by Tirion, that he sent us to die, that our lives were meaningless. My mind was exploding, i was filled with hatred, i wanted to see him fall. Darion tried to strike him down, but nearly got killed. Arthas then went for Tirion. We all jumped on the Lich King, but nothing could stop his grasp on the paladin. Darion took his sword, the legendary Ashbringer, and hurled it at Tirion. He then struck the Lich King with the Light. The coward fled with haste. We have a long journey ahead of us, but we are free from the tirany of the fallen prince. I will avenge my brothers which i struck down so long ago, i will avenge Uther, my former master. I will use Arthas' powers against him, for he trained me to be a great captain as a Death Knight, but i will watch him fall as a captain of righteousness.

Former paladin of the Silver Hand, former captain of the Death Knights

Ultimus

Author's Note

although i write mostly in english, it is not my native tongue, and there might be some grammar errors