Second Chances

[Malakim]

Everyone has seen one at one point or another, the spirit healers, mostly on the battlefield watching over those that become wounded and injured. Choosing to heal those they find worthy while escorting those whose lives have extinguished to the afterlife. How is a being to know if they are worthy of that second chance at life until that moment the spirit healer comes for them? Some people pray, some people delude themselves into thinking they will just live forever, so people just sink into depression, other people challenge the guardians of life and death for a second chance...



Malakim walked across the sand of Tanaris, ever since his demon was destroyed his body had slowly been dying as if without that part of himself his body could not sustain life. He tried to hide it from Kiva, he tried to hide it from everyone. However, he knew what was happening. Everything was getting harder to do, he had fallen several times just getting out of bed the past few days, and even now he couldn't move his right arm any longer.

He wandered the desert looking for peace, he knew there wasn't much time left but he had to find one last flower for Kiva, one last token to give to her before his life gave out.

At the end of the beach he spotted the flower he was looking for, with the finesse of an old man he bent down to one knee picked up the flower and forced his body to stand back up.

"Well, that wasn't too hard."

Turning around the troll was greeted by the presence of an angelic being hovering slightly above the ground. She stuck out her ghostly hand to accept the troll.

Malakim stared at her momentarily, "I don't have time for this now spirit, I have one last thing I must do first."

The hooded woman spoke softly, "I am afraid that I must insist Malakim."

Malakim stared down the beach where he could see the roof of his home, "It isn't far, I will be back in a few minutes."

Again the spirit was adamant, "I am sorry, but you must come with me."

Malakim blinked and forced his body to stand up straight, "Then tell me spirit what is it I must do to go on living past today."

A kind hearted tone came over the spirit, "Every being has the right to challenge their taker for their own soul, if this is what you have your heart set on. You should know, you will have to run a maze full of the souls of those that have failed before you. Many have failed, but if this is your choice then I wish you luck Malakim."

The hunter stood there thinking, even walking hurt so much he had to will his body to do just about anything anymore, how could he possibly run through a maze?

The hunter's mind drifted over the thoughts of the people he cared about, Kiva, Kiwi, the silly warpstalker, Wocket... Vengeance. He was in this whole mess because he wasn't strong enough in the first place. He made a promise though, that he would never let anything like that happen ever again. That if it was up to him, nothing would stop him from what he really wanted... a second chance to make everything right.

"I accept your challenge spirit, and I do not need your luck. I will win because I must."

[Malakim]

"Needless to say you will need every advantage you can recieve Malakim, there are a lot of trapped souls inside the maze and they won't be friendly."

Malakim smiled, "I wouldn't want this to be too easy, just tell me where I have to go."

"If this is truly your desire then take my hand."

The hunter held out his hand which the spirit healer lightly touched, the color of the world faded and the spirit wrapped her wings around the hunter's body. When she removed them the world had changed completely. There was nothing but darkness surrounding them with a giant maze standing before them.

"Well this should be fun." Malakim muttered.

"If you can make it to the end of the maze and touch the goal before the other souls kill you or your body compeletely gives out then you will be restored, and feel right as rain again."

"And just what is this goal at the end?"

"You will know it when you see it Malakim, are you ready to begin?"

Malakim shrugged, "The sooner I start the sooner I can finish."

The spirit nodded, "Take care, for your sake I hope you do finish."

Malakim waved at the spirit as he stared at the entrance, "This is my chance, this is what I have been wanting."

He sighed heavily as he walked through the opening of the maze only to hear the way behind him slam shut.

"Of course."

Malakim started to walk as best he could into the maze and towards whatever goal the spirit had set for him.

[Malakim]

Malakim walked onwards into the maze each step sending bolts of pain up his legs, "Just wonderful, just what I always wanted, to walk into a dark maze while I am dying, it's just a dream come true."

The pathway diverged into two paths one leading along the troll's right and the other down his left.

Malakim stood there for a moment sniffing down both directions then scratching his head, "It would be better if I knew what I was smelling for." He continued on his way taking the path that went to the right, but after about five minutes of walking the troll came upon a dead end. "Great, looks like at least my luck is holding up."

Down the corridor could be heard a scream and footsteps, "Yup, good luck indeed."

The hunter unslung the bow from his back holding it tightly in his left hand, he tried to force his right arm to move, to grab and arrow from his quiver. However, his arm still would not move it would not even twitch. The sound changed as it got closer it went from a scream to a low echoing growl. It was a familiar sound that a person heard in the Plaguelands if they stayed alive long enough.

The walls echoed as the monster growled and an abomination stepped into view, it's large body jiggled as it moved towards the hunter. Again Malakim tried to force his arm to move, to save himself from being crushed by the large creature. Still, it would not move, his arm would not respond to his desires.

"Move you worthless arm, move so that this journey isn't for nothing. Move so that I can go home when this is all done."

Still his arm would not move it just lay lifelessly at his side. "Move you stupid arm, I did not come here to die at the first obstacle and I will not let a broken arm stop me."

Malakim stepped back lifting his bow high into the air and slamming it down hard into the floor, embedding the bow into the ground. Malakim smiled for a brief moment and took his left hand to draw his arrow, kneeling to the ground he notched the arrow to the bow still stuck into the ground and took aim at the closing abomination.

The first arrow landed in the creature's eye making it lash out in pain, the second volley took out the being's legs and the last wave silenced him forever.

As Malakim stood up and dislodged his bow he yelled out, "You see, even broken I will not lose. I will reach the end of this maze, I will have my life and the happiness I am entitled!"

The wall behind the hunter shook for a moment then opened like a door, "Well now, now I am getting somewhere."

The hunter smiled and walked through the new doorway, "I will be home in time for dinner."

[Solenev]

(("I will be home in time for dinner." Sounds like foreshadowing...))

[Malakim]

Upon stepping through the new doorway the wall behind him slid over covering the opening that it had just created, Malakim tapped the wall with his usable hand. "This is starting to be familiar, at least that takes away the need for me to backtrack."

Malakim continued to walk down the long corridor for what seemed like hours, it just stretched onward forever, unfortunately the hunter didn't notice the endless pairs of eyes that were watching him from the ceiling as he walked by. Eventually the sounds of the tiny creatures whispering to each other drew the hunter's attention, "Alright who is it now?"

As his eyes drifted upwards he could see the glowing eyes staring back at him, "It's always something isn't it, it couldn't just be a nice calm relaxing walk through a maze of death oh no. That would be kind of easy and not irritating at all."

The dozens of eyes began dropping from the ceiling to revel it was hundreds of imps each staring at Malakim each one mumbling something incoherent, "Maybe they just want to help?"

Almost in unison the imps' hands began to be encircled with fire, "Or maybe not."

Malakim ran as fast as he could manage down the hallway trying to run out of range of the fireballs, as the hunter ran he saw a small hiding spot that was merely a section of the wall that must have fallen however long ago. "Whew, now let me guess I have to outrun these things for a few hours then there will be some kind of wall in the way and I will have to somehow come up with some plan to destroy them all? Well might as well get started."

The hunter reached out to the side of the wall to aid him in standing up, however his hand seemed to brush something, something that moved creating a loud grinding noise. "Oh, that has to be good."

The imps stopped for a moment chattering to each other then began hopping and running as fast as they could towards the hunter and right past him without caring to attack him.

Malakim stood up from his hiding spot scratching his head, "Well maybe it was some kind of play nice switch, I could go for more of those." Malakim smiled and continued walking along the path, but it wasn't long before something caught his attention. Something was coming and by the sound of it, something large.

"Okay it's probably another abomination and I know I can take that so this should be over quick." Malakim readied himself against the coming monster. When it came into view Malakim blinked to make sure what he saw was really coming, "Or maybe it was a rolling death switch."

The hunter took off running again, as from down the hallway a giant boulder was coming down the tunnel towards him. Malakim ran as fast as he could but still the boulder was catching up to him. The hunter thought about his options, and most likely it would end with himself becoming a lot thinner. "You know if Kiwi were here I am sure he would do something silly at least like squawk at the boulder to make it go away, perhaps he would do something with pie such as throw it at the rock till it stopped, or maybe he would even just run on top of it for awhile just for a laugh."

Malakim made a stupid look to himself thinking that couldn't possibly work, "What other options do you have?" With a halfhearted sigh the hunter picked up his pace running towards the wall jumping against it and thrusting himself off the wall backwards on top of the rolling boulder. He almost lost his balance immediately, having to sprint to the top of the boulder. There was never a stranger sight than seeing a troll on top of the rolling rock.

"Now, if I can just keep it up and there aren't any walls in they way." As the troll finished his sentence the end of the hallway was finally in sight a large wall stood in the way. The hunter groaned as he did what he could to run off the boulder he ran as hard as he could but barely moved anywhere with whatever he could muster of himself he jumped from the boulder as it crashed into the wall shattering both itself and the wall in one mighty crash.

Malakim forced himself up as the dust settled, trying to push with his good arm he found that now neither of his arms wanted to work anymore, "I suppose my time is drawing closer to an end, I guess I need to pick up the pace."

[Malakim]

Malakim walked slowly through the new pathway, careful to look all over wherever he stepped, it was likely that something else was waiting for him in this death maze and without the use of his arms any longer the next challenge would be a bit of a struggle.

As he walked down the tunnels the troll let his thoughts drift to the reason he was here, the reason that he was always willing to fight on to live. There were still things he had to do in life, and people he wanted to be with. In all honesty it wasn't because Malakim was any stronger than any other being, it was that he was too stubborn to give up, and too foolish to stop moving.

As the tunnel ended the troll saw a something unusual, but for today it was something to be expected. A two headed ogre mage sat floating in the air reading a book. "Ah, I have been expecting you troll. You got here faster than I thought though I thought I would have had enough time for another chapter at least."

Malakim sighed, "Sorry to interrupt your reading, perhaps you could direct me towards the end of this maze?"

The ogre stood up stretching for a moment, "Unfortunately, I cannot just let you know where to go. I rarely get company and I refuse to let that go so easily."

The hunter shook his head, "What so now you want to grind my bones and rip me in half?"

The ogre laughed, "No, I am no brute I just want to ask you some questions."

"Ask away then, if all you want are answers I can do this easily."

"If only it were that easy, you see as with everything in this place, if you screw up then you will die."

Malakim groaned, "Of course, of course that's how it works right. Then ask away I have places to go."

The ogre smiled, "Of course you do troll, I don't feel you have much time left. So let's make this quick. Hunter of the world, I am sure you have seen several forests in your day, but how far can you go walk into a forest?"

Malakim blinked, "Riddles, wonderful." The hunter scratched his head thinking How big is this forest, which forest is it, and does it matter where it is located? The hunter contorted his face thinking hard. If all that mattered wouldn't it be included in the riddle?

"Halfway..."

The ogre perked up his head, "What was that?"

Malakim chuckled slightly, "Halfway, you can only walk into a forest halfway, after that you are walking out of it."

The ogre laughed with the troll, "Excellent, most people don't have that kind of mind they just give up and try to make something up. You thought about what was important in the information I gave you and came up with an appropriate answer, great job."

A section of wall opened up behind the ogre and Malakim walked by him heading towards the opening when the ogre stopped him, "Be sure that this is what you want troll, you are almost at the end. However, there is a price to pay to be made well again. I can see you have had a hard time in life as it is, and I know why this is. Just be sure this is what you want before you give yourself entirely to the idea. You can always stay here and we will talk of stories, I have lots of things I can teach you."

"There is a reason I am here, there is a reason I want to have my life back. There is a reason I am willing to fight so hard for this chance."

The ogre smiled at the troll, "And what is your reason?"

Malakim laughed, "I suppose that is my riddle for you friend."

[Malakim]

Malakim walked through the new opening waving goodbye to the ogre, as the wall closed up behind the hunter he could hear the ogre say, "Make sure this is what you want troll, there is no going back when you reach the end of the journey."

"I will not fail, I have gone this far I cannot give up now."

In front of the hunter stood a large open room in the center was a large temple, much like the ones in his old home in Zul'Farrak. The steps of the temple seemed to extend on forever.

"Let me guess I have to climb up all those stairs and at the top will be some large monster I have to wrestle with and then the entire place will burst into flames?"

Silently the hunter hoped he was wrong, he hoped at the top would be a large bench for him to relax upon.

"I guess I should get walking."

Malakim started walking up the large set of stairs that seemed to extend upwards forever, at what seemed to be about halfway up the stairs the hunter's right leg buckled and gave out causing Malakim to tumble most of the way back down the stairs.

The troll groaned, "Well, that sure was a lot of fun." he tried to stand back up to get back to his feet, but his leg wouldn't respond any longer either. "So it would seem as though I am crawling up the remaining steps, just what I always wanted."

Malakim rolled onto his chest and began pushing with his last working limb slowly working his way up the temple, one step at a time. Time went by as he made his way up the stairs minutes quickly turned to hours. When Malakim made it close to the top of the temple he wanted to rest his body was aching it was sore beyond all belief.

What you can't make it a few more steps, since when did you give up? Don't tell me your mind is drifting to your woman, you always were a fool for her.

Those words echoed in his mind, but they did not come because Malakim willed it, it was not himself it was... Someone familiar it was the voice of...

Malakim pushed himself up harder to roll over the last step of the temple to see what was really up at the top. He was breathing heavy and still his body ached but he was sure that what he saw was real. There in the center of the temple bound in chains was the goal for Malakim, the light at the end of the tunnel so to speak.

Vengeance spoke to Malakim, "It's about time you got up here, I thought I was going to be here forever."

Malakim laughed, "You are one to talk always having me do all the work."

Malakim began to crawl over towards his other half, pushing himself with everything he had left. As he was getting closer blood started flowing out his mouth and his leg stopped moving.

Vengeance stared at Malakim as he fell to the ground his body finally giving out mere feet from the final destination that was set for him by the spirit healer. The troll's body did not move it had been pushed beyond the limits that it should have ever been able to go to, and now it would not move anymore.

The spirit healer appeared upon the temple steps drifting towards the two, "It would seem the game is over, I am sorry Malakim, it seems you didn't have enough left."


Sometimes a second chance is merely that and nothing more another shot to get things right, but it is not a guarantee. It is not a given that you will succeed, you have to put more than everything that you are capable of in order to receive a second chance, if you are truly worthy of it.

[Vilmah]

((What!? No!!))

[Malakim]

Often times when we are confronted with a problem, a problem with overwhelming odds we fail. With everything stacked against us how else are we to do anything but lose?

The spirit healer leaned over to pick Malakim's lifeless body up from the ground and take it with her.

"You don't touch him, he isn't done yet!"

Vengeance stared at the ethereal being with contempt.

The spirit floated over towards where the demon was still chained, "I am afraid you are wrong, look at him he is finished, he belongs to the world of the dead now."
__________________________________________________ _______________

The world was dark and empty Malakim floated in silence, "Is this what it is to be dead, I suppose it's not all that bad."

The troll shook his head as he saw the faces of those people that had mattered the most in his life, Kiwi who he had met so long ago in Ashenvale when the hunter felt lost and confused about life. First Malakim saved Kiwi's life from a pack of wolves then it seemed Kiwi had returned the favor several times over. The pink plainstrider had been a common fixture in the troll's life that had kept his humor up and his spirits as well.

Then there was of course Kiva, the troll that had saved his soul. She had changed the troll's dark nature and had awakened the the kinder side of him. His memories had been played with so much in his life, but even now Malakim knew he could never forget her.

Vengeance, the demon in Malakim's soul the being that had caused him so much trouble throughout most of his life, was now the reason he was so confused, not too long ago the demon had given up his life to save Malakim's life. In doing so fracturing the troll's soul and causing him to slowly deteriorate into the state he was in now.

There had been so much change in the hunter's life, he had fought against everything, he had given up just about everything to try and be happy, and now he had nothing left to give. It was over...
__________________________________________________ ______________

Vengeance chuckled at the spirit, "That troll is more foolish than most people he will fight on and give all of himself just to make somebody smile for a brief moment. He has fought back against broken memories, he has fought to be with a troll he loves, and he has beaten every challenge I have ever seen him take on. So the difference is you think he is dead I know he is alive."

The spirit look at the demon, "It is kind of you to think that a part of you is still alive, but that troll will not move his mind is lost in the darkness and his body is broken."

The demon continued to smile, "No I think it is you who does not understand spirit he has been through darkness several times and manages to find his way through it every time. I shall prove it to you."

The spirit turned her head intrigued in the demon's statement.

Vengeance yelled at the prone troll, "Malakim! Malakim, what would you give. What would you give to make it right to go back to her, to see all you care about?"

Nothing happened, and the spirit eyes the demon, "It was too much for him."

"Malakim! I asked you a question."

A faint gruff and struggled noise came from the troll laying on the floor, "Everything."

The spirit healer turned suddenly towards Malakim as Vengeance smiled, "You have not given everything yet, show me what you are made of."

Slowly Malakim opened one eye then the other, forcing himself to move he ached and groaned but got to his feet.

The spirit floated in front of the troll as he stood up, "How? How did you come back from the darkness?"

"There was nothing for me there, everything I care about is in the world of the living, and I will not give up on that. I will fight to make things right, I will have my chance to make things right."

The spirit healer almost sounded happy, "Then go Malakim go back to the world you desire."

The hunter reached a hand out slowly and full of pain grabbing hold of Vengeance. "About time." chuckle the demon.

The maze faded as did the demon around the hunter was the sandy beach of Tanaris he had been in that morning. Malakim stretched rolling his shoulders and feeling better than he had in quite awhile. Looking in the nearby ocean Malakim smiled as he saw himself as he remember, the blue hues of darkness returned back to his skin and hair.

Malakim ran his hand through his hair and smiled, "Oh, I wonder what's for dinner? It seems fighting for your life builds quite the appetite."

The hunter ran back home happier and full of life again, his soul finally fixed and forged back into the person he was before. Back into the being he always wanted to be.

Sometimes to achieve what we really want out of life, we need more than just the chance. It takes the will to go on when everything around you is dark and unforgiving. It takes the desire to do what has to be done, and the will to push yourself beyond the pain that comes with it. Because nobody else can do it for you sometimes you just have to be willing to take that next step after when you don't think you can go any further. That is when you will know what you are truly made of.