Chapter 51: Undercity

elrian stepped out of the portal and checked his surroundings. He was in the middle of a room full of portals which led to other places. He could recognize Silvermoon, Stormwind, Ironforge, Outland and many other places on the blue slightly blurred surfaces of the portals. He spotted several Forsaken guards and mages in the room whose gazes rested on the portals.

The gazes of some of them fell on him, neutral or pejorative lookscould be seen on their faces. Some of the Forsaken didn't seem to be happy about his arrival. He could only assume that these Forsaken didn't like the living, otherwise, he had no idea why they were regarding him like this.

Kelrian didn't pay any attention to them and walked out of the portal room. He saw two abominations that stood in front of the entrance. They turned their heads and looked at him as soon as they noticed his presence. They stared at him but did nothing else. They might not be the smartest undead creatures but they were smart enough to know that Kelrian was a welcome guest in Undercity even though he had never visited the city before.

It was the first time he was there. The first time he smelled Undercity's foul stench. It was far worse than Sylvanas' stench. The spell that helped him bear the stench of death was not strong enough, so he had to cast a much stronger version of it on himself.

He took a deep breath as soon as the stench vanished. Kelrian followed the corridor and checked his surroundings as soon as he left it. He stood on a stone bridge which led to a platform on which a strange building stood. The platform was surrounded by a green glowing liquid which looked more like slime than water. He assumed it was best to not come in contact with this unknown substance.

He spotted an undead human in front of the building. It was a bald man whose skin was as pale as chalk. One of his eyes was yellow the other was white. It was a glass eye. The man's gaze didn't leave Kelrian, not even as he walked past him.

Kelrian walked around the building and crossed the next bridge, following the bordering path. He had never been in Undercity so he had no idea where he was going. Fortunately for him, Exadius guided him. He spoke to Kelrian, telling him where to go.

Kelrian came to the throne room eventually, spotting two dozen guards in front of it. He recognized one of them. It was Sylvanas' uncle Zelastor who nodded at him but didn't say anything. He gave his men an order by making a gesture. The dreadguards stepped aside and allowed Kelrian to enter the throne room.

The first creatures he caught sight off were Nathanos and Zetai who had belonged to his best friends in life. The two dark rangers looked at him but remained silent. Their expressions didn't change, their red eyes rested on him. Kelrian tilted his head a little, regarding them from head to toe. Their uniforms looked similar to the ranger uniforms they had worn in life. The only difference was the colour. Their uniforms were pitch-black instead of blue.

"It has been a long time," Kelrian said to his former friends.

"It has," was all Zetai said in return.

Nathanos remained silent and regarded Kelrian with narrowed eyes.

'This human doesn't seem to like you. I wonder why'. Exadius said to Kelrian.

Kelrian was about to say something to Zetai as he heard very quiet footsteps coming from behind. He turned around and spotted Sylvanas who stood barely more than three feet away from him. Her crimson eyes were widened in surprise, telling Kelrian that she had not expected to meet him in the throne room. Her eyes showed not only surprise but also joy. She was glad that he was here. She made a step closer to him and put her hand on his chest but she removed it a few seconds later and looked around insecurely.

She noticed that almost everyone in the room was looking at them. Mixed expressions could be seen on the faces of the Forsaken. Neutral, suspicious, curious but also grim looks could be seen on the faces of her subjects. It seemed that not everyone was happy about Kelrian's presence. She also noticed the sinister look on Nathanos' face.

She could only assume that he was jealous of Kelrian. Nathanos had loved her in life and he still loved her in death. She was aware that his feelings for her had not changed. She still remembered the many attempts he had made to win her over. After Kelrian had been declared as death, Nathanos had become more obtrusive. He had tried anything to win her favour but she had rejected all of his attempts. She had been loyal to Kelrian even though she had believed that he had died in Northrend.

Sylvanas looked back at Kelrian, noticing the curious look on his face. He was wondering why Sylvanas was hesitating. He assumed that she didn't feel secure enough to hug and kiss him in front of her people. He knew that she had days where she was very confident but she also had days where she was very insecure. Mood swings were not unusual in her case. He guessed that she wouldn't hesitate to kiss him if they would be alone. Sylvanas was so nervous that she had not even greeted him yet.

Kelrian looked at the Forsaken around them, looking back at Sylvanas once he had seen the impressions on the faces of every Forsaken. "It's good to see you, Sylvanas."

He had considered for a moment if he should be formal and not give the Forsaken the impression that they were close. But he had decided against it because he assumed that most of them already knew about them. The Forsaken who had joined them in the attack on Deatholme had witnessed how they had behaved around each other. It was very likely that most inhabitants of Undercity had heard of their close relationship.

Those around them seemed to have different opinions about them. Some didn't seem to care about their relationship while others weren't happy about it. He could only assume that they didn't like him because he was alive. He had heard that not all Forsaken like the living. It's not unlikely that these people don't want their queen to be together with a living creature.

Kelrian didn't care what these Forsaken thought about him and his relationship with Sylvanas. Nevertheless, he didn't want to give them more reasons to dislike him, so he decided against kissing Sylvanas in front of everyone. He thought that it was best if he would wait until they would be alone.

"It's good to see you too," she said eventually.

"I just came from Dalaran... The meeting with Whitemane didn't occur as we have expected...You need to know what happened. Can we talk in private?"

Sylvanas turned her head, looking at Verena and Varimathras who were regarding her curiously. She averted her gaze and looked at Nathanos and Zetai. Nathanos' eyes were still narrowed and rested on Kelrian while Zetai's expression was neutral. The arrival of his long-lost friend did not seem to interest him.

Sylvanas looked back at Kelrian, noticing that his expression hadn't changed at all. She gave him a nod and signalized him to follow her. Kelrian did as he was told and walked with her, ignoring the stares he got from Nathanos and other Forsaken.

Both of them didn't exchange a single word as they left the throne room and followed the course of the corridor that led them to a huge door in front of which five dreadguards were standing. They saluted to Sylvanas and stepped aside,mixed expressions could be seen on their faces as they looked at her companion. Kelrian was not surprised by their reactions. His gaze rested on the guards for a few moments before it fell back on Sylvanas who pushed the door open and pointed inside. Kelrian let his gaze wander as soon as he entered the room.

It looked similar to her private room in the headquarters of the Farstriders but its colour scheme was much darker. There were no blue or golden colours in the room. Grey, black and dark brown were the only colours which could be found there. Even the blanket and the pillows on her king-sized bed were dark brown.

Kelrian's gaze fell on Sylvanas who regarded him. He could see nervousness reflected in her eyes but also curiosity. She was biting her bottom lip nervously and wrapped strands of her hair around her fingers while she held his gaze. None of them said anything for nearly five minutes. The silence was unpleasant. Unpleasant and unbearable.

Kelrian parted his lips, wanting to say something but Sylvanas was one step ahead. The insecurity and nervousness had vanished out of her eyes and had been replaced by courage. She enclosed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his upper body, stepping on her tiptoes. She pressed her lips on his, closing her eyes in relief as she noticed that he returned her kiss. The kiss was not as passionate as the ones they usually shared but it was good enough to satisfy both of them for the moment.

"I missed you so much," the Banshee Queen said and put her head on her lover's chest, inhaling his lovely scent. Kelrian put his humanoid hand on her back, caressing it softly. "I missed you too, my love." He put a kiss on her forehead. "How are you?"

"Better now that you are here," she said quietly.

A small smile appeared on his lips. "How are things going in Undercity and Tirisfal Glades?"

"I'm busier than ever and more and more people are coming to seek my advice. Every day is a stressful day but I'm used to that. The Scarlet Crusade didn't attack us the last weeks but the Scourge did. They only sent smaller groups and scouts but we got rid of all of them. It's only a matter of time until something big happens. The Scourge and the Scarlet Crusade are planning something... Something tells me they do."

"About the Scarlet Crusade..."

Sylvanas made a few steps backwards and looked at him, noticing the small amount of worry in his eyes. He had not seen him worried since his return, so she was wondering what had wondered what had been decided during the meeting with the Scarlet Crusade. For some reason, she had a bad feeling about what he was about to tell her. Nevertheless, she was curious to find out what had been decided.

"Tell me everything."

Kelrian took a deep breath, considering where to start. "We expected Whitemane to be a reasonable person but it turned out that she's not. She arrived two hours late and the first thing she did was to insult our people. Except for insults and threats, she didn't say much else. She insulted our people, your sisters and you...She even insulted Lady Proudmoore. I thought that the asshole Garithos was the biggest racist I ever have seen but I realized that Whitemane is as bad as him, if not even worse..."

Sylvanas was silent, a thoughtful look could be seen on her face. She was angry but also worried at the same time. She didn't respond to him so he continued. "I have no idea why she even came to Dalaran. She had no intention to listen to our arguments. She just came to insult us and tell us that she won't stop until all undead creatures are extinguished."

"She won't stop attacking my people," Sylvanas said quietly and clenched her left fist.

Kelrian put a hand on her shoulder. "You and your people are her first target, then she will deal with the Scourge."

Sylvanas' narrowed eyes reflected pure anger. "This bitch will regret having chosen me as her enemy. I will kill her myself if I have to. I will smash her ugly face against a wall until nothing but a bloody mess will be left, then I will kill her slowly and painfully."

Kelrian put his other hand on her other shoulder, staring into her eyes. "Calm down, Sylvanas," he said in a soothing voice. Her eyes still reflected pure anger and hatred for quite some time but then it changed. The negative emotions vanished, her gaze softened and became neutral eventually. Looking at him had calmed Sylvanas. She was aware that she always felt a lot calmer when he was around. She felt better and much happier. She didn't feel lonely, sad or depressive. He had a positive effect on her. She didn't feel like a monster when he looked at her and smiled. She was happy when he touched her and kissed her.

Sometimes, she had the feeling that she didn't deserve him. Sometimes, she felt unworthy of him. She mostly felt that way when he was not around. When he was around, she rarely felt like that. She was wondering from time to time if she was good for him and if a living woman wouldn't be better for him. Kelrian was too handsome for a corpse like her. From time to time, she even doubted that she would have a positive effect on him in the long run.

At this very moment, she was conflicted. Hundreds of thoughts came in her mind. She even caught herself having inner conversations with herself. She was considering if she was a good choice as a partner for him. She had her doubts. Doubts about herself and her future with Kelrian. She wondered if it was possible that their relationship would last forever. She was having a wild conversation with herself, seeing things from different perspectives.

She wasn't able to finish the conversation. Her doubts were dispelled as Kelrian pressed her against himself and kissed her passionately. Feeling his warm lips against her cold ones stunned her and allowed Kelrian to part her lips and sneak his tongue in her mouth. He explored every reachable corner of her mouth, putting one hand on the back of her head while the other caressed her left hip.

Sylvanas didn't think about anything as she returned the kiss and inserted her tongue into his mouth. The worry, the doubt and all the other negative emotions had vanished in the meantime. She no longer knew why she had felt so sad a few moments ago. She had no idea why she had been so insecure. She felt more secure than ever, knowing that Kelrian loved her. Being loved by him was more important to her than anything else. As long as she had him, she was happy.

Sylvanas had no idea how much time had passed as Kelrian pulled away. He was breathing heavily, his green eye stared at her. His arms were still wrapped around her and their bodies were still pressed against each other. She noticed a slight tingling sensation between her legs but she ignored it, knowing they had important things to discuss. They had no time to do more than kissing. They had to discuss what they should do about the Scarlet Crusade.

Kelrian put his right hand on her cheek, caressing it softly. "Are you okay?"

Sylvanas nodded. "I am."

"You seem troubled."

Sylvanas sighed and averted her gaze for a few moments. "I was. There are things that worry me."

"Things?"

Sylvanas was silent for a few moments. "The Scarlet Crusade, the Lich King, our daughter and so much more... I'm worried about you and our family."

"I can take care of myself and I'm sure so does the rest of our family," he responded and caressed her other cheek.

Sylvanas wiped the hair out of his face, staring into both eyes. "I know but still... The Lich King is unpredictable. Only a fool underestimates him and his forces. Anything is possible in these dark times... I know you are strong but you are not invincible, are you?"

Kelrian shook his head. "I'm not. Even my power has limits. Fortunately, I know them. I know how far I can go."

Worry appeared in Sylvanas' eyes. "Promise me to stay safe and not to take any unnecessary risks."

Kelrian put his hand under her chin and lifted it a little. "I promise." He sealed this promise with a kiss which lasted longer than the previous ones.

"Good," said the Banshee Queen after the kiss had ended.

Kelrian cleared his throat. "I told the others to send troops to Tirisfal Glades. I told them that we will meet again. You should join the meeting and tell them where you need more soldiers."

"I have no idea when the Scarlet Crusade will attack but I doubt they will need much time to organise an attack. It's not unlikely that Whitemane has gathered her soldiers already. Our time is limited. We should meet the other leaders of the Alliance tomorrow. Until then, I will speak to my advisors. I would be grateful if you join me. Your knowledge and experience are always useful."

"I won't leave your side, Sylvanas. I will stay with you as long as you need me."

"I always need you by my side but we both know that it's only a matter of time until we are getting separated again." Kelrian noticed a small amount of sadness in her voice.

"In a perfect world, you would still be alive and I would never leave your side. But we are not in a perfect world. We live in a cruel world in which the strongest rule. The fittest survive. All we can do is to ally ourselves with others and become the fittest, otherwise, the Scourge will consume us. The world is dark and full of terrors and we have to find a way to survive and overcome these terrors."

"That sounds very pessimistic."

A weak smile could be seen on Kelrian's lips. "Realistic," he whispered.

Sylvanas put her hands on his cheeks, caressing them. "We will get through this. If we stand together and work with the other kingdoms, I'm sure we will overcome our enemy. We will defeat the Scourge one day and kill Arthas."

Kelrian nodded. "Arthas will pay for his crimes. He will pay for everything he did to us, to our family, our people and our kingdom. I will kill him with my own hands if I have to."

Sylvanas kissed his cheek. "I would love to see that."

They shared another passionate kiss, staring into each other's eyes when it ended.

"We should meet with my advisors," Sylvanas said after a while.

Kelrian nodded. "Lead the way."

---

A silence lied in the cold air. No birds could be heard. No deer, wild boars or lynxes were in the near. No animals lived in the dead forests in Tirisfal Glades. The soil was grey, hard and infertile. There was no way that anything could grow there. Tirisfal Glades was a very dull area.

Kelrian averted his gaze from the dead forest and looked at his hands. His gaze fell on his wedding finger on which Sylvanas' wedding ring stuck. He played with it absent-mindedly. They had agreed on exchanging their rings when he would return to Undercity but they hadn't done it yet. They hadn't had the time for that. They had not been alone the rest of the day when he had come to Undercity. They had discussed with Sylvanas' advisers where and how many soldiers should be deployed to which places in order to prevent the Scarlet Crusade from advancing too far into Tirisfal Glades.

They had discussed for over twelve hours and then they had travelled to Dalaran to meet up with the other leaders of the Alliance. After the meeting, Kelrian had travelled to Brill. They had not had any time for themselves since they met up with her advisors. They had not been able to exchange the rings as they had agreed but Kelrian was sure they would do that as soon as they would have time.

Nearly a week had passed since he had last seen Sylvanas. He missed her so badly. He wished he could travel to Undercity and see her. He could do that but he knew it was not right. The leaders of the Alliance had requested him to remain in Brill and wait for further instructions. It was his task to watch over the town and the nearest outpost. It was his task to defend Brill in case the Scarlet Crusade would attack.

At the moment, he was not in Brill but in the outpost. He was checking if everything was alright there. Nearly two hundred Forsaken were stationed there but also a few dozen blood elves, night elves and humans. They got along with each other better than Kelrian had expected. Of course, there were always individuals who had a problem with the undead or the living in the case of the Forsaken, but overall, they got along with each other.

An unknown voice asked for him.

Kelrian turned around and looked at the owner of the voice. It was a young human man with short brown hair and a full beard. He wore armour made out of iron and a blue tabard which showed the crest of Stormwind. The head of a golden lion with a blue mane.

"What can I do for you, soldier..."

"Alexandros. My name is Alexandros Dius Woodpricker. But my friends call me Exandros Dius."

"Woodpricker...That's a very rare name. I never heard of your family before but that has nothing to say because I don't know many families from Stormwind. I only know the most popular ones."

"We are a small family without any relevance in politics or in public. My father is a farmer and my mother is a bard," Exandros told.

"I assume your parents are proud of you. Soldiers are needed more than ever in these dark times."

A sad smile appeared on the human's lips. "I haven't seen them since I became a soldier two years ago. I haven't visited Stormwind since my unit was sent to the Eastern Plaguelands. We have been fighting the undead all day and night before we were ordered to Tirisfal Glades."

A frown appeared on Kelrian's forehead. "Haven't you asked for vacation? As far as I know, every soldier of Stormwind has the right to return home for two weeks. Every soldier needs time to rest. You won't do yourself a favour if you overexert yourself."

Exandros nodded. "I will think about your words. Maybe I will ask my superior if I can go home after we dealt with these traitorous fanatics. I can't believe that they are sabotaging the Alliance. I can't believe that they are too stupid to realize that the Forsaken are not our enemies."

Kelrian shrugged. "There are enough dumb creatures in this brutal world. To be honest, I don't think that every member of the Scarlet Crusade is that dumb. They just follow their leaders blindly...It wouldn't surprise me if Whitemane's revealing outfit has something to do with their loyalty and obedience."

"Your assumption doesn't sound too bad," said Exandros.

"Anyway. What do you want to tell me, Exandros?"

"Oh, yeah... I almost forgot what I wanted to say. I wanted to inform you that I spotted the scouts you sent out. I saw them from afar. I have no doubt that they reached the outpost in the meantime."

Kelrian gave him a thankful nod. "Alright, let's find out what they have to say."

Kelrian headed to the outpost's entrance, spotting the five scouts he had sent out a few days ago. He walked over to them and greeted them.

"What did you see?" Kelrian asked.

"We saw thousands of soldiers leaving the Scarlet Monastery. They travelled together for a while but then they split up into three groups. We are certain that one of these groups marches towards Brill. One group went to the north while the last group went to the south," explained Mel'ron who was the highest-ranked scout among the sin'dorei.

"The second group will probably move to the base at Agamand Mills and the third group will either march to Balnir Farmstead or to the Bulwark. Seems they want to conquer our outposts. It wouldn't surprise me if they plan to retake the areas in Tirisfal Glades and then attack Undercity," replied Kelrian.

"Our brothers and sisters must be warned," said a Forsaken guard who stood not far away from Kelrian.

Kelrian looked at the female. "Don't worry, soldier. We will warn those who guard these places."

His gaze fell on Mel'ron and the other scouts. "How much time do we have?"

Mel'ron shrugged. "I'm not sure. The Scarlet Crusade is travelling on foot which means they are a lot slower than us. I think they will need at least four or five days to reach Brill and Balnir Farmstead. They will need more than a week to reach Agamand Mills."

"You need to inform the leaders of the bases and outposts. Ride as fast as you can and tell them what you saw."

Mel'ron nodded. "As you wish, Commander."

"Move out."

The scouts didn't hesitate and climbed on their horses, leaving the outpost as soon as possible.

"What will you do now, Commander?" asked Exandros.

"I need to go to Brill and work out a plan. You will stay here with the others and wait for further orders. I will tell your superior what to do as soon as I have a plan."

Exandros nodded. "See you soon, Commander."

Kelrian gave him a small smile. "See you soon, soldier."