The chronicles of Dalrus Plaguefang

Prologue - The shadow is born.

The city of Gilneas, surrounded as it was by the construction material of the soon to be started 'Greymane Wall', looked almost like a newly formed ruin amidst the raging storm. The tidy streets and alleys looked as if they were alive, as the flowing water poured down the roads, only to vanish within the sewer entrances.

The Plaguefang estate was rather close to said wall - the result of king Greymane's reluctance in remaining part of the Alliance after the end of the Second War - and, as a result, each time the lightning crackled outside, the pipes and foundations cast long shadows, looking like tendrils in the night. The rain fell upon the glass windows like bullets, and all covers had been closed, therefore, the only sound that could be heard was the howling of the wind, the help dashing from one room to another and the pained screams of a woman in labour.

"Breathe deeply, Dallys. Come now, this is not our first time." Said the master of the manor, Lord Kalthuz Plaguefang the Second. He was a very tall and broad man, with his moderately long hair stuck in a braid behind his head and a thick, yet short beard covering most of his jaw. His upper lip was completely covered by a very thick mustache, and despite the cold wind chilling the entire manor, the man was clearly sweating behind his gentle smile. His brows were high arched on his forehead, and every now and then he would launch worried glances at the priest on the other side of the bed. The man was old and wrinkly, his brows and mustache already a deep gray. One hand was gripping with surprising vigor at a long white staff, the other was upon Lady Dally's Plaguefang's exposed engorged belly, a soft light emanating from underneath his palm and providing most of the room's illumination.

"Father?" Came the low, frightened voice of a child from the doorway. Kalthuz didn't need to turn to know his son had been watching them the whole time. He could have given the order to take young Felrus to his room, but Dallys had decided against it. "Let him stay... He has the right to watch his little brother enter this world." Had been her words, soon before the struggle began.

And now, there she was, her face twisted in agony and her eyes snapped shut. The bed she and her husband had laid upon together so many nights was now an absolute mess, soaked from the many wet towels that had been applied to her as well as from her own sweat. Lord Kalthuz remembered how Felrus' own birth hadn't been a much prettier sight, but by now even he was growing worried. The fact the priest looked so deep in concentration without showing any hint of easing up only made him worry further. Still, he refused to give in to his emotions. Taking a deep breath, he looked over his shoulder and nodded at his son. "Felrus, it's getting late. You don't need to stay until the end if you don't want to. This is a sight no man should bear witness to, I grant you that much!" He tried to launch a reassuring smile towards the boy, but it ended up coming out as a worried scowl instead.

Shaking his head vigorously, the boy stepped inside the room with a determined look. "No! I want to stay... Mother said I could. Can I... Can I help? Is there anything I can do?"

Kalthuz hesitated for a moment, then he exhaled a long breath he hadn't realized he was holding. This time he managed to muster a genuine smile, taking warmth in how well his heir was taking this whole situation in, and said: "It's fine, son. Simply be by her side. Your presence alone will give her strength... Isn't that right, my love?" He said, once more turning to face his wife. Dallys half opened one eye, and meekly nodded at her son before her back arched and she let out a sharp shriek of pain. This made Kalthuz forget for a moment there was a child in the room as he turned his gaze towards the priest. "Blast it, man! Can you do nothing for her pain!? I've seen maimed orcs agonizing less on their deathbeds!"

It took longer than Kalthuz liked for the priest to reply, but when he did, his expression remained the exact same. "The child is in danger. I am doing what I can to save him. I can't focus on that and your wife's pain at the same time." And with that, he resumed his stoic stare into the woman's womb as his palm shone over her.

Kalthuz felt as if the floor had given way under him. "Speak to me, damn you! What is wrong? Will he survive? Will she!?" He shot a desperate glance towards Dallys, who in turn half opened one eye to look up at her husband.

"Kalthuz... My love..." She whispered amongst pained moans. "If you must choose between me and our child... Save him. I beg you..." Her words were cut off by another howl of pain, and the priest's expression grew more stern. His eyes then moved to Felrus, then towards Lord Kalthuz who continued to hold his wife's hand as if it were his life line on a boat. "You should remove the boy. This will be painful to see." His words were practically a grunt, and sweat could be seen darting through his wrinkly brows. To that, Kalthuz shook his head vigorously. "No, he stays. He has the right... And my son is not weak. Neither of them." Upon those last words, his eyes shifted to her belly, where the warm glow of the healing Light almost made the baby underneath visible through her thick skin. Then, suddenly, Lady Dallys let out a sharper shriek than any before and pushed her back against the pillow pile behind her, her legs spreading as far as she could push them behind the blanket that offered her some modesty. Kalthuz didn't even need the priest to say 'He comes' to know what was happening.

The Light shone on even brighter than before, so much it cast deep shadows at everyone present in the room. The storm picked up outside, and at times it was difficult to make out whose noise it was; the howling wind, the striking thunder, or Lady Dallys' pained labour screams.

"Come on... You are a Plaguefang. FIght, young one..." Kalthuz found himself whispering, his son standing next to him with wide eyes and a hand over his mother's as his father almost possessively held her with both of his own. After what felt like an eternity, the Light from under the priest's palm suddenly gave out, and the only light in the room came from the dim candles around them. Absolute silence... Even Lady Dallys herself had stopped screaming. Until...

The sharp, high pitched shriek of a newborn baby echoed through the halls of the Plaguefang manor.

With an exhausted sigh, the priest enveloped his robes around the bloody newborn and hoisted him up in his arm, his staff now serving the purpose of a walking stick as he stood up. "It is a healthy boy." He proudly announced. "I managed to purge his weakness... But I'm afraid the burden on the mother was heavy." Finally, he seemed to show some emotion as his gaze shifted towards Lady Dallys' exhausted face, her long red hair disheveled and spread in all directions on the pillows around her head. Meekly, the woman lifted a hand as if reaching out for the boy. "Let me see him... My... Son..." Her voice was barely a whisper, and thick, dark bags could be seen under her eyes.

Lord Kalthuz and his son both stood motionless as the priest handed the baby to his mother, the woman immediately pulling him towards her chest and nuzzling his cheek tenderly with her nose. "My baby... I am so glad... Thank the Light for this miracle..." She whispers, her voice weak and fragile, yet so full of joy it brought tears to Kalthuz' eyes. "Yes..." He says, slowly leaning up beside her on the bed and gently wrapping his arm over and around her shoulder, his other hand reaching out for his newborn son's face and tenderly rubbing his soft cheek with his fingertip. "A healthy boy... Look, Felrus. This is your brother..." A bright smile was stretching his tired features, and tears really did stream from the corners of his eyes now.

"He is... So small." Was all the boy could think of saying as he tried to peek over his father's arm to get a glimpse of his baby brother. He then turned to look at his mother, his tiny brows furrowing highly in deep worry. "Mother... Are you alright? You should rest!"

Barely listening to her own child, Dallys simply continued to hug her son as his cries slowly died down and became moans and soft yelps as the confused baby blinked at his family. "He is so handsome... I bet he will grow up to be just like you... Again." Dallys let out a soft chuckle, then turned her face to her husband, who was biting on his lower lip to stop it from trembling. "Yes, my love. But now the question... What shall we name him?" Before that question, Dallys once more lowered her gaze towards her baby and smiled warmly at him as she watched him stretch his tiny arms outwards, his minuscle hands curled into fists and rubbing at his head. "As Felrus was named for your grandfather... So shall this boy be named after mine. "She planted a loving kiss upon his forehead. "He is... Dalrus of the House Plaguefang."

With a curt nod of his head, Kalthuz reached out with his finger once more, and felt his heart skip a beat as Dalrus grabbed it, squeezing with all his baby strength. "Yes... A fine name. Look, Felrus. Do you know what this means?" He then wrapped his other hand around his older son's waist and hoisted him up onto his thigh, allowing him to take a closer look at his brother. "You are the elder son, Felrus. That means you are the heir. But Dalrus here... He is to be your shadow. Your blade in the dark. Whatever you need in this world, you may count on this boy to help you. You two shall become inseparable, with a bond stronger than blood itself, as I had with my brother before you. Be proud, son. Today... We continue the legacy of our house!" Kalthuz would have continued with his little speech, but he was interrupted by a loud cough from the priest. "This is the limit. The mother needs her rest."

Kalthuz hesitated, as did Dallys, but ultimately he nodded. "Yes, you are right. Worry not, my love... Our child shall be safe and healthy as you rest. Now recover your strength... For your sake, mine, and our son's."

It looked as if the woman was ready to argue about the matter, but suddenly her eyes fluttered close and she collapsed against the bed, her son falling against Kalthuz' arm. "Dallys? Dallys!? My love!?" The man almost screamed, his eyes going wide with shock. Then he felt the priest's soft hand patting him on the arm. "She is exhausted. Only her motherly instinct had her awake this long. Leave her now, she needs her rest. As does the boy." Kalthuz opened his mouth to protest, but then he felt Felrus tugging on his shirt. "Father, I think we should listen to him. Mother looks tired." His gaze darting between his son, the priest, and his unconscious wife, Kalthuz finally sighed heavily and nodded. "Very well. Felrus, go give word that Dalrus is coming. I will bring him to his room in a moment. " With a quick nod, the boy rushed out of the room. Wrapping some cloth around the baby, Kalthuz stood up and cradled the boy against his chest as he faced the priest. "And... My wife?" He finally said, his voice almost giving out for a moment.

The priest stood silent for a long moment, his face looking even older and more sinister under the flickering candle light. "I did what was within my reach." He said once more. "I had to focus most of my efforts on the baby. I believe she will live... But the price she paid was great. In any other case, it would have to be a choice between the baby or the mother. But, as for her..." He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "I'm afraid she will spend the rest of her days on this bed, or a chair. Her body may never fully recover. By her own will, much of her life force was transferred to the child. There is a limit to what even the Light can do."

Kalthuz' shoulders slumped over, his eyes wide with despair. "Curse you, priest! I've seen this damned Light stop boulders the size of this house, reattach limbs and even raise the dead! Don't give me this nonsense! There must be some way she can walk and carry her own son again!"

Despite the harsh words, the man did not look in the least offended or preoccupied. "The Light is not a tool to be used at will. It has a will of It's own. It was only because of her own ardent desire to save her child that It aided me as much as it did. You should be glad the Light chose to save her, as it did, rather than cursing it for not delivering better results." And with that, the priest turned away and slowly began to make his way towards the door. On the doorway, he stopped and turned his head over his shoulder to look at Dally's unconscious face. "Do not underestimate her efforts today. The sacrifice she made as a mother would make any proud of her love." And with that, the priest left the room, and not much later, the manor, his cowl doing it's best to protect him from the rain and the howling winds.

Kalthuz himself did not linger too long within the room, either - he only spared a moment to kiss his wife on the lips, and whisper: "You will make it, Dallys. I know it." Then, he brought his son to his new room, where a milk maid and two butlers were already waiting to help care for him until his mother woke up. Felrus was allowed to watch his brother for a few more minutes before his father sent him to bed, and soon Lord Kalthuz himself was lying wide awake on one of their guest rooms - the maids had told him it was best for Lady Dallys to be on her own for the time being, as any other presence could disturb her recovery.

His eyes were very open, staring at the dark ceiling above. The curtains did little to hide the powerful lightning bolts falling down around the house, their light illuminating the entire room. 'Blast'. He thought bitterly. 'To have survived two wars, only to succumb to something such as this... Be strong, my love. Do not give in.'

Hours later, exhaustion took over, and Lord Kalthuz Plaguefang fell asleep. One floor below, his newborn son, Dalrus Plaguefang, had also fallen into a deep slumber, his face laying on it's side over his pillow, not in the least troubled by the raging storm outside. The boy who would grow to become the shadow, the blade in the dark of House Plaguefang.