Chapter 19: The Corrupted Sunwell

A pleased smile appeared on his lips as the fire spread out quickly, consuming the bodies of half a dozen ghouls within a few moments. Nothing but ashes was left of their bodies when the flames were done with them. Fire was the most effective weapon against the undead. It killed them quickly and prevented them from being brought back again. The defenders' efforts would be meaningless if the necromancers would raise them again. Kael'thas had ordered his fellow mages to mainly use fire techniques and only use arcane and frost techniques to slow down the undead or to throw them away.

The Farstriders were firing fiery arrows at the undead while paladins consecrated areas of the ground and lured the undead into them. The weapons of the melee fighters had been blessed by paladins and priests, making them more effective against the undead.

Kael'thas and his men were fighting for days to reclaim Quel'Danas. They had needed an entire day to reach the Sunwell Plateau because lots of creatures had held them up but they had killed all of them in the end. Those who hadn't been killed and burned by fire techniques had been piled on a pyre and burned together.

At the moment, Kael'thas and his men were still trying to get in the palace but there were still too many undead creatures who didn't allow them to get close to the entrance. His scouts had reported to him that not too many undead were patrolling around the palace but they hadn't been able to get into the palace to find out how many undead creatures were there. It seemed several hundred of undead had hidden in the palace and were coming out over time.

Each creature they slew or burned was replaced by another. At least, all necromancers had been killed so no creature or fallen comrade could be brought back. Kael'thas had lost eight of his men since the beginning of the campaign and he was sure that more would fall. He just hoped their sacrifices wouldn't be in vain. As long as they would reclaim the Sunwell and later the rest of Quel'Thalas, their sacrifices would be meaningful.

Kael'thas was thankful for every fighter who joined him. He may have less than a hundred fighters but they fought fiercely and killed lots of undead. There were still lots of fighters who were either wounded or still shocked by the events of the past weeks. They will recover sooner or later and join them. But for now, he only had less than one hundred.

Kael'thas was sure more will join sooner or later just like his secret son. Kelrian had come out of a portal near the Sunwell Plateau a day ago and was fighting fiercely ever since. Kael'thas was proud of him. Kelrian had managed to pull himself together and was now fighting by his side. Kael'thas was glad he was there because he was one of the most promising students he ever had. He had killed lots of undead so far and he would kill more and more. Kael'thas was sure of that.

Kelrian was more careful with his spells and saved as much mana as possible. He knew he would need every portion of his mana, so he didn't waste it unnecessarily. Instead of killing only two or three undead at the same time, he always made sure that at least five or six creatures were hit by his fire techniques.

Pillars of fire, exploding fireballs and fire spheres that jumped from creature to creature were pretty useful in killing lots of undead creatures at the same time. The mages had also conjured mana food the spellcasters could consume to refresh their mana. Mana food and mana potions were very important in this campaign. Without them, the mages, priests and other spellcasters wouldn't be able to fight for days because they would run out of mana rather quickly.

The high elves needed every advantage they could get. Their number was not large enough for the prince's likingand all elves felt weakened for some reason. Kael'thas still had no idea why they felt that way.

He could only assume that it had something to do with the Sunwell. Their current goal was to reach the fount of energy and find out what was wrong with it. They had to find out why the Sunwell was not providing them with enough power. They needed the power of the Sunwell more than ever in these dark times.

Kael'thas drew power from his spellblade and the amulet around his neck, igniting the creatures that stood in front of him. He threw them away with a shock wave, preventing that they could reach him and ignite him as well. They burned to death before they were able to do anything, but they were replaced quickly. There was even an abomination among those who had just stepped out of the palace.

The abomination looked much more dangerous than any other abomination the high elves had fought against. It was a lot larger and had four arms instead of just three. It carried four different weapons in its hands. A cleaver, a mace, an axe and a large column it had torn out. The creature roared out loudly and sprinted in the prince's direction but its feet were frozen to the ground by Kelrian and Magister Rommath.

Somehow, the creature managed to get free and started running again. It was pretty fast for an abomination and reached the prince who jumped to the side and avoided getting hit by the cleaver at the last moment. The abomination tried to hit him again, Kael'thas dodged three of its weapons but he got hit by the column. The barrier, a priest had wrapped around his body, was shattered but absorbed the damage that would have been done. Kael'thas was just thrown away and landed on the ground, a painful hiss escaped his lips as he got up and rubbed his aching back with one hand.

The abomination ran towards him once again but a thick wall of ice was created between it and the elven prince. The creature started to hack at the wall, shattering it within less than thirty seconds. The surrounding mages cast frost techniques to slow it down, the Farstriders fired fiery arrows at the creature's head. A massive pyroblast hit the creature and burned a huge hole in its back. The abomination stopped immediately and turned around, a loud scream escaped its ugly mouth. Its bloodshot eyes fell on the man who had created the pyroblast.

Kelrian's eyes widened as he realized that he had drawn the creature's focus on him. It was coming for him but that meant that Kael'thas was no longer forced to run away from the creature. He could focus on his spellwork and hurt the creature as much as possible. He and the other mages fired their most powerful spells at the creature, rangers like Elena and Alleria fired hails of arrows at the creature's head.

Kelrian ran away from the creature, slowed it down and even teleported away when it had come too close to him. He ran away from it until it was no longer able to move. Its badly wounded legs were no longer able to carry its weight. It collapsed and landed on its back, squashing a few ghouls beneath it. It was not dead. Not yet, but it will be dead soon. Flames started to consume its body. The flames spread out too slowly for the liking of the high elves who held it on the ground with the help of magic. The creature was much tougher than it looked like but its body was turned to ashes eventually.

The elves had no time to cheer or take a break because there were still too many undead creatures out there. Three days had passed and Kael'thas had lost seven more men but at least they had finally gotten rid of the forces that had guarded the entrance of the palace. His brave mount Al'ar had flown over the undead and set them on fire with its fiery breath. The phoenix was the main reason why they had managed to kill the remaining undead without losing more than seven men.

Kael'thas hoped that there weren't too many undead in the palace. His men were exhausted and would need a break soon. He knew they wouldn't hold out for too long, so he could only hope that the remaining undead inside the palace would fall quickly.

Kael'thas and his forces entered the palace and walked through the main corridor. They met more than twenty undead but they managed to kill them quickly and burn their bodies. They continued to walk through the corridor. As the prince had hoped for, not many undead remained in the palace. His unit managed to take them out quickly and reached the Sunwell eventually.

Kael'thas eyes widened as he spotted a familiar body next to the Sunwell. He didn't hesitate to rush over to it and kneel down next to it. He had known that his father was dead but it still shocked him to see his defiled corpse. His right leg was separated and laid next to his body. Dried blood stuck on the floor beneath him. Kael'thas was sure that it was his father's blood. Anasterian's eyes were closed, his skin was pale and his armour was heavily damaged and covered by the blood of his enemies.

The corpse had already started to decay because Arthas had left it there untouched. Kael'thas was glad that Arthas hadn't raised his father. He could have done it and sullied his father's name and reputation by forcing him to murder the people he had sworn to protect but he hadn't.

Kael'thas was glad about that but that was just a little consolation. Kael'thas would never forget that Arthas murdered his father, his step-mother, Sylvanas and most high elves. He will never forgive him for leaving Quel'Thalas in ruins and killed so many people. Kael'thas had sworn revenge and he would do anything to get it. He had made it his mission to kill Arthas Menethil personally. He wouldn't stop until Arthas would be dead. He will bring him down no matter what it would cost.

Kael'thas was grieving as he stared at his father's corpse. Anasterian looked so peaceful while lying there. He had done nothing wrong do deserve this fate. He had always been a good king and always thought of his people and his kingdom first. He had always put the interests of his people above his own. He had been the best king Quel'Thalas ever had since Dath'Remar Sunstrider, the first king of the high elves who was Anasterian's great-grandfather.

Kael'thas was certain he would never be as good as his father. He had never been interested in taking the crown and becoming the king of Quel'Thalas. But now that his father was dead, he had to be the king once Quel'Danas and Silvermoon City were back under their control.

He was the rightful heir of the throne. It was his duty to become the king and lead his people in these dark times. He didn't feel ready to become the king but he had no other choice. His people needed a leader. A man they could look up to. They need a leader who would give them hope and would promise them that everything will turn out well.

Kael'thas was not sure if that would be the case nor did he know if he would be a good king. But he would give his best and try to be the king his people needed. He wanted to make his ancestors proud of him by leading his people in these dark times.

He regarded his father's corpse a bit longer, then he lowered his head and placed a kiss on his father's forehead. He stood up, regarded the corpse for a few more moments before he ordered his men to bring it to Dalaran and preserve it as best as possible.

He didn't say anything else. His gaze wandered to his secret son who didn't know that they had just retrieved the body of his grandfather. Kelrian believed that his father was a random guy his mother had met in a pub. He couldn't know that his father was the prince of Quel'Thalas who would soon become king. He couldn't know that royal blood flowed through his veins and that he would become the prince of Quel'Thalas when his father would be crowned.

Kelrian came closer and stopped next to his father who was examining the Sunwell with narrowed eyes. The colour of the liquid inside the fount was no longer golden but dark purple, almost black. The aura that was radiated by it was not mighty but oppressive. Being near the Sunwell didn't feel good anymore. Looking at it and feeling its aura was unpleasant for every elf in the room. They felt sick and much weaker than before. The Sunwell was corrupted. It made them sick and stole their powers.

Kael'thas realized that the fount of energy, that had once made his people stronger and guaranteed them long lives, was now doing the entire opposite. It stole their powers and their life essence slowly. It made them weaker and shortened their lifespans. The corruption was the reason why Kael'thas and his men had become weaker over the past weeks. And they would become much weaker if they wouldn't do anything about it.

Kael'thas knew what he had to do. He didn't like it but there was nothing else he could do to guarantee the survival of the remaining high elves. If there would be another option, he would most likely choose it over the only option he had at the moment. He would like to do anything but to destroy the Sunwell. But he had no other choice. He had no other choice than destroying the fount of energy that had existed since the foundation of Quel'Thalas.

It was the oldest thing that stood in Quel'Thalas and had been the main source of power for the high elves for nearly seven thousand years. Kael'thas had no idea what they would do after its destruction but he didn't have the time to think about finding another source of energy at this moment. The Sunwell had to be destroyed as soon as possible if he wanted to protect his people. Then he could think about a replacement.

Kael'thas turned his head, looking at Kelrian and Magister Rommath. "The Sunwell is corrupted, isn't it?" asked his son.

A sad sigh escaped the prince's lips as he nodded. "We have to destroy it."

Kelrian's eyes widened in surprise. He couldn't believe what the prince had just said. Rommath, on the other hand, remained calm and didn't seem to be surprised. He had come to the same conclusion as the prince. He knew they had no other choice than to destroy it.

"The Sunwell is poisoning our people. It will kill them slowly if we don't destroy it."

"But what will sustain us if we destroy the mightiest source of power we have?" Kelrian asked. It was clearly visible that he was not convinced by the idea.

"We will find a solution later but now we have to destroy it as soon as we can. I don't want to destroy it either but we have no other choice," responded Kael'thas.

Rommath looked at Kelrian. "The prince is right. The Sunwell will kill us slowly if we don't do anything about it. It has to be destroyed."

Kelrian nodded hesitantly. "I see," he said quietly.

"Would you help me to destroy it?" Kael'thas asked Rommath and his son. Rommath nodded immediately. Kelrian hesitated for a few moments but then he nodded too. "I will do anything necessary to save our people and reclaim our home."

Kael'thas gave his secret son a small smile. "I'm glad to hear that."

Rommath wanted to ask the prince if he had any idea how to destroy the Sunwell but the second leader of the scouts came to the prince at that moment and signalized him that he had important news. "What is it?" asked Kael'thas.

"We spotted a few dozen Amani trolls near the palace. They are currently fighting the undead but we have no doubt that they are coming for us once they dealt with them. I assume they want the Sunwell. They may think they could use it as a weapon against us."

Kael'thas' eyes narrowed and anger appeared in them. "We have enough problems with the undead already and now these degenerated creatures are interfering. That's all we needed." The sarcasm was clearly hearable in his voice.

"What should we do now?" asked the scout whose name was Mel'ron. He had belonged to Sylvanas' regiment and had been one of her most trusted scouts. Half of his left ear was missing but other than that he was uninjured.

Kael'thas made a thoughtful face. He turned to Alleria who had just approached them and stood next to her second-in-command. "You need to keep the Amani busy as long as possible. I will send someone to you when we are almost done. You need to lure the trolls in the room and then get as far away as possible. Let's hope the Sunwell's destruction will kill them all. These nasty creatures are causing problems to our people since the foundation of Quel'Thalas. I thought we defeated them fifteen years ago but it seems I was wrong. They are back and they won't hesitate to kill us. But we will make them understand that it was a mistake to attack us."

Alleria nodded. "I like that plan."

Kael'thas gave her a small smile. "I wish you good luck, Captain."

Alleria smirked. "I don't need any luck. I'm skilled enough to deal with these beasts. So are my rangers."

"I don't doubt you," responded Kael'thas. "We will meet again in front of Magisters' Terrace when this is over."

Alleria nodded. "See you soon, my prince."

"See you soon, Ranger-Captain."

Kael'thas' eyes rested on Alleria until something caught his attention. A certain object he had thought to be lost. Elena held a box in her hands in which two pieces of a certain runeblade laid. Kael'thas' eyes widened as he saw the remains of the legendary sword that had been forged by his great-great-grandfather.

He had never thought that Felo'melorn could be shattered. It belonged to his family for nearly seven millennia and had never been damaged or destroyed in a fight. It had served his family well and tasted the blood of thousands of enemies. But there it was. Shattered in two pieces.

Kael'thas regarded it for a few moments, then he looked up at the ranger. "Where did you find it?"

"In the dustbin at the end of the room."

Kael'thas' eyes narrowed, he gritted his teeth. "That bastard did not only kill my parents, left my family's legacy in ruins but also dishonoured the most powerful blade our people possess. But at least that arrogant piece of shit didn't take it with him. That way, we can restore it and use it again. It will be pretty useful against the undead."

"What shall I do with it?" the pink-haired woman asked.

Kael'thas' gaze fell on the portal through which the corpse of his father had been brought. He took the box and gave it to Mel'ron. "You will bring it to my room in Dalaran."

The scout nodded. "As you wish, my prince."

Kael'thas waited until the scout had stepped through the portal, then he looked at Elena. "You should join Ranger-Captain Alleria."

"I will," responded the woman. She looked at Kelrian, stared into his eyes for a few moments and gave him a small smile.

Kelrian returned the smile. "Be careful, Elena."

Her smile became wider and her heart began to beat faster than before. "I will. Stay safe, Kel."

Kelrian nodded and patted her shoulder while staring into her eyes. Elena stepped away after a few moments and ran to the exit, leaving the room quickly. Kael'thas waited until everyone who was not a mage had left the room.

He pulled three objects out of a small bag. Kelrian had no idea what these objects were, so he couldn't know what they were good for. Rommath knew about them but he chose to let the prince explain their purpose. "These are the three mooncrystals. Arthas used them to deactivate Ban'dinoriel but he didn't take them with him nor did he destroy them. Each of them still contained a large amount of power and we can use their powers to overcharge the Sunwell and destroy it that way."

"Will we have enough time to escape once we overcharged it?"

Kael'thas hesitated for a moment. "I hope so. I can't promise anything. We have to take that risk, otherwise, the Sunwell will continue to poison our people."

Kelrian nodded. "Seems we have no other choice. I'm in, your majesty."

Kael'thas turned his head and looked around. "Is everyone ready?"

The gathered mages nodded.

Kael'thas handed the first mooncrystal, an emerald, to Rommath and the second, an amethyst, to Kelrian. He kept the sapphire for himself.

"Gather around the Sunwell and repeat what I say," ordered Kael'thas. The mages didn't hesitate to do what he had said. They took positions and looked at him expectantly. Kael'thas took his spellblade in one hand and the crystal in the other. He closed his eyes and started to speak phrases in ancient thalassian, holding the crystal towards the Sunwell.

Kelrian and Rommath did the same with their crystals, repeating his words like every other mage. They drained power from the mooncrystals and gave it to the Sunwell, while the other mages drained power out of their bodies, their spellblades or other magical items they had with them.

The elves fed power to the Sunwell, loading it slowly. They gave more and more power, only stopping when they had spent all of their reserves. Kelrian noticed that the more time passed, the more mages stopped channelling. Those who had stopped looked pretty exhausted and struggled to stay on their feet. After quite some time, Kelrian, Rommath and Kael'thas were the only ones who were still feeding mana to the Sunwell.

Kelrian had no idea how much mana they would have to give to overcharge the Sunwell. He could only hope they would be finished soon because he had noticed that the Sunwell had started to drain mana from his body. It seemed that the Sunwell had consumed all power that had been stored in the mooncrystal he was holding.

The Sunwell was not only draining his mana but was also causing pain to him at the same time. But Kelrian was able to bear it. The pain became stronger, painful noises escaped his lips but he continued to feed his mana to the Sunwell.

Rommath and even Kael'thas had similar expressions on their faces. The Sunwell was hurting them too but that didn't stop them from giving everything they got. Kael'thas sent out one of the mages to inform the rangers outside the place as soon as he noticed that the Sunwell had become unstable.

The mage didn't hesitate to leave the room. Kael'thas could only hope that the explosion's radius wouldn't be too large. He hoped the others wouldn't be too close to the plateau when the Sunwell would explode.

A few more minutes passed in which nothing noteworthy happened. Kelrian got the impression that he wouldn't be able to hold out much longer but he kept channelling. Suddenly, a golden ray of light came out of the Sunwell, burned a hole through the ceiling and shot into the sky. "It will explode soon. Go through the portal NOW," Kael'thas shouted.

The mages didn't hesitate to sprint to the portal and walk through it. "We are so close...Just a bit more mana...," whispered the prince.

Kelrian turned his head as he heard footsteps. He spotted several troll berserkers in the entrance. The Amani were here and they wouldn't hesitate to attack them.

"We must go now," shouted Kelrian and stopped channelling.

"Just a bit more... I need more time," shouted Kael'thas. Kelrian's gaze fell on Rommath who had also stopped feeding the remains of his power to the Sunwell.

"We have to get out of there, Prince Kael'thas," shouted Rommath and started to run towards the prince. Kelrian did the same and pushed prince aside, preventing him from getting hit by an axe at the last moment. The connection between Kael'thas and the Sunwell ended as he landed on the floor.

He got up, anger was reflected by his face but it disappeared quickly when he realized how serious the situation was. The trolls were not far away from them. The quel'dorei mages had no other choice than to leave the room if they wanted to survive. Otherwise, the trolls would get them and do unspeakable things to them.

Kael'thas used the last remains of his power to create a barrier around the three of them which blocked spells, arrows, spears and axes the trolls threw at them. The elves managed to reach the portal and jump through it at the last moment before it was closed. They came out of the other side of the portal, that was closed a few seconds later, and landed on the ground. They remained there for a few minutes, allowing the priests to treat them.

Kelrian got up as soon as his body had stopped hurting and turned his gaze to the west, looking at the golden ray of pure energy that hit the sky. The ray became much brighter and thicker quickly, exploding after a few moments.

A small smile could be seen on Kael'thas' lips as he stared at the horizon. "We did it."