Ill Warnings

Saltyne was in a land of waste. There was
nothing around her that was living. She turned around and saw vast emptiness.
She was in the Shadowlands. But it was different. Very different.

As if something bad happened.

Saltyne looked around once more. There was a
figure in the distance. Doing something.

She quickly ran there and saw…

Herself. With a wooden plank, digging
something.

- Hello? – she asked, confused.

- Yes? – the other her stopped digging. –
What do you want?

- Why are you… me? – Saltyne pointed at the
strange… something.

The thing looked over itself and smirked.

- Funny, you see yourself as me, fitting,
knowing your reputation.

- I don't understand.

- Ah, you see. – the thing stopped for a
moment and leaned onto the plank. – My name is Death. In your mind, you are me.
So I appear to you as you. I have many names, but Saltyne Moonpike is not mine.

- You are… personification of Death?

- Exactly!... Huff. – it took out a small
stopwatch and said. – Well break time is over, gotta keep digging graves.

- For whom?

- For everyone! – Death joyfully continued
digging. – I am not sure what this will be, but the forecast definitely says it
is going to be big, mon.

- Why am I here then?

- Let's see. One of the death knights from
back when Arthas ruled, regained her freedom… And then gradually strengthened
her ties to the Shadowlands. And now, as it gets ready for something big, you
were taken here, in your sleep.

- Sleep? – Saltyne was confused.

- Ya, mon. You are sleeping right now.
-  Death took a glance at her. – Maybe
you should go, find out more about it. Maybe you will get a glimpse at what is
coming? I don't know.

- And you will just… continue digging
graves?

- Why yes. Someone has to do it.

- Alright, then… Farewell.

- Good luck. You will need it. – Death threw
its last glance at her and went back to digging.

Saltyne slowly stepped back and walked
away, wandering the Shadowlands once again. It was strangely empty.

It felt like hours but all she could see was
white empty plain landscape. No sounds. No souls. Nothing.

Then she heard a loud scream. She ran
towards it, but there was nothing.

Another scream. And another. More, more…

Saltyne fell to the ground, covering her
ears. It was too much. Screaming souls were tearing the air asunder. Saltyne
opened her eyes.

Fire. Fire and souls. They combined forming
a horrifying amalgam of screams torture and death.

Saltyne was now on some shore all around her
was blurry. She saw red everywhere. Blood? Banners?

Both.

The screams were unbearable.
Their volume increased with each second. In all the blood and fire she could
see their faces. Their voices cried out for justice. Their voices cried out for
vengeance.

Soon the scene turned around Saltyne. She
looked at what was in front of her. She could not believe her eyes. Teldrassil
was…

In an instant it all disappeared. It was all
plain white again.

- What was that?

- What was, is none of your concern. – her
friend Lerdana spoke.

- Why?! – Saltyne yelled. She was terrified.

- You shouldn’t think about it.

- Why!?

- You… You just started living normally. –
her mother said. Her hands were on Saltyne’s shoulders. – You shouldn’t stop.

- Those were my people…

- Those people despise you for what you are!
– her father told. – They see you as a monster. We do not want you to be one.
We want you to live a happy life, even if it means living here. In solitude.

- I have an oath…

- Warden oath? You are not one…

- I WAS one! – Saltyne yelled.

- You shouldn’t go. Butterwing is finally
getting better, your wounds are healing.

- Giddy is in danger!

- He isn’t…

Saltyne gave the spirits a look full of
doubt and worry.

- I AM going to protect them. Want it or
not. – Saltyne turned around and left them.

- We demand you not to.

She stopped. Those words hit worse than
anything she ever felt on her skin. Even the light felt like a gentle sunlight.
She looked at the three souls with anger.

- You are a monster, Saltyne. They won’t
like you despite anything you ever do for them.

- You are right. – Saltyne slowly strolled
to them. – I am a monster… But only for you. – she snapped her fingers, her
spear appeared in her hand.

- What are you doing!? Killing us?! – her
father looked shocked at his daughter.

- No… - she struck the ground with her spear.
– But I will, if you ever come back to me.

- But Saltyne, we are your parents… we are
your family…

- My parents died in the War of the
Ancients. My only family… - she looked down. - …is Giddy… - she looked up, ghosts
in front of her disappeared in silence.

Saltyne stood there, alone. In the white
plain landscape. She continued walking through it. For minutes that felt like
hours nothing changed. Then she saw a coffin lying around. She walked up to it.
It was wooden, but not nailed in yet. She took off the roof. An urge to jump
into it overwhelmed her, and she did.

She woke up inside one instantly. She stood
up, sitting amidst a row of freshly dug graves. Death came over to her. It
still looked like her.

- Hey! Get out of it! That one is not yours.
– it smiled.

- Whose is it?

- Ah, a soldier. Dies from the upcoming
events.

- So many… - Saltyne looked all around,
seeing countless graves wherever she looked.

- Yes. I’m waiting for them.

- So you said this one isn’t mine. Where is…

- Yours? I can show you. – Death took her
arm and they immediately turned up at an undug grave. – This.

- This?... – she was looking at an
obliterated coffin.

- Yes. Actually, this is not the first one
you broke out. – Death pointed at a row of obliterated graves. – Your will is
strong. Even I cannot trap you for longer than a day. But… That is the curse of
most death knights. – it smiled widely.

- So this is every time I was… dead?

- Your soul is bound to your body. Destroy
it, and you are here forever.

- What about my nephew?

- Fate hasn’t woven its verdict on him. He
is okay… for now…

- That is good to hear…

- I guess…