Chapter 63: Rebirth

He heard noises. Loud and quiet noises. Creatures were speaking, footsteps were hearable, armours were rattling. He felt a warm embrace, something surrounded his body. A liquid. He was surrounded by water but it was no ordinary water which flowed in rivers, lakes and oceans. It was holy water in which he was swimming. There was a powerful aura that surrounded him. A familiar aura.

Although he swam in holy water, he did not drown nor did the water get into his nose or mouth. He was not lacking oxygen either. He could stay there forever. He didn't feel hunger, thirst or tiredness. He felt much different than usual. Much better. He felt invincible.

The water was warm and he felt comfortable. He wished he could stay in the water forever but he knew he had to leave it. There was much which had to be done. He still didn't know what exactly he had to do nor did he know why the Sunwell chose him.

The Sunwell must have chosen him for a reason, he hoped that at least. There must be a purpose for him. Anveena had told him that he must protect the Sunwell. That seemed to be his purpose but he was sure that he would have to do more than that. He hoped that at least. He had no idea what he had to do to guarantee the Sunwell's protection. If only there would be someone who would tell him what to do and guide him. He was on his own for now.

He was worried. Worried about what the future will hold. He feared that he would not fulfil his purpose. He was afraid that he might fail and would not achieve what he was supposed to achieve. He was afraid that the burden the Sunwell imposed on him might be too much for him. That the weight on his shoulders would be too much for him.

There were also lots of other things which worried him. Illidan, the Burning Legion and the Scourge. They were still threatening his home planet. He would do anything necessary to protect Azeroth. He assumed that the Sunwell would want him to help the citizens of Azeroth to get rid of these threats. He would have to save as many lives as possible.

He heard a strange voice in his head saying his name.

He heard it again.

And again.

Kelrian opened his mouth to respond to the voice but no sounds came out. He opened his eyes, turning his head to check his surroundings. He looked for the owner of the voice but he saw no one. He was alone and surrounded by water. He lifted his head as he saw a bright light which dazzled him for a few moments. He had no idea where it came from nor did he know how it could dazzle him while he was underwater.

The heard the strange voice again. It was high-pitched and sounded peaceful and warm. It came from above, from the same direction where the bright light was coming. Kelrian began to move his arms and legs, swimming up. He swam and swam but he didn't get tired. He had the impression that time was moving much slower than usual.

He had no idea how much time had passed as the light started to become brighter. He covered his eyes with his hand but the light still shone through it and dazzled him. Even though he couldn't see much, he still did not close his eyes. The light just dazzled him a little. He could direct his gaze to the mysterious light source and his eyes didn't get hurt in the process.

The light source extended suddenly and fully dazzled him. His eyes closed automatically even though he had not wanted to close them. His body had acted on its own. Even though he had his eyes closed,he still noticed after a while that the blinding light had disappeared. That was not the only change he recognized within a short amount of time. The voices he had heard earlier were much louder and clearer than before. This time, he was able to recognize actual words and not just drowned out noises. Creatures were talking. The way they talked told him that they were surprised and excited about something.

The warmth which had surrounded him had disappeared, nevertheless, he didn't feel cold or uncomfortable. He felt quite comfortable and relaxed.

'Open your eyes.' The voice in his head said.

He didn't know why he was hearing this voice nor did he know who was speaking to him. If someone was speaking to him. It was also possible that he was just imagining this voice. Nevertheless, he listened to that voice and did as he was told. The first thing he caught sight of was a young sin'dorei priestess that was sitting near the Sunwell. Her eyes were widened, her mouth was wide open. The book she had held had fallen out of her hands and laid on the floor.

Kelrian's gaze rested on her for a few moments before he looked away and checked his surroundings. He was in the main hall of the Sunwell Plateau in which several sin'dorei were gathered. Several Silvermoon guards, blood knights, mages but also normal citizens were looking at him in a similar way to the young priestess. They were astounded by his sudden appearance. He saw similar faces but there were also lots of faces he didn't know.

Kelrian's gaze shifted again, his eyes widened a little as he regarded himself. He wore a pure golden armour but that was not the only thing that surprised him. He was standing in the middle of the Sunwell. In the middle of this mysterious fount of energy and the water reached to his hips. He knew that the Sunwell used to be a lot deeper, so he wondered how he was able to stand on even ground. He was not a giant, he was just a little taller than the average male blood elf.

He stood there for a few moments before he decided to walk out of the Sunwell. He stepped on the dry floor, noticing that no drops of water were dripping from his body. His armour was as dry as his hair.

'How is that possible?' he asked himself.

But he didn't get an answer to his question. The mysterious voice didn't speak to him at this moment.

Kelrian let his gaze wander once again, noticing that some of the sin'dorei had gotten closer to him. They had formed a half-circle around him but they still kept a distance to him. Their green eyes didn't leave him while they were talking quietly. Kelrian didn't move for a while, allowing them to continue staring at him. None of them spoke to him or tried to get his attention. No one dared to say a word to him.

'There is no need for you to stay.'

Kelrian didn't hesitate to make the first step, setting one foot in front of the other until they reached the half-circle. The blood elves stepped away and allowed him to leave, their gazes followed him to the hall's exit. He stopped as soon as he left the hall. Something felt different. The warm feeling in his chest had vanished. He frowned and stepped back in the hall, noticing that the feeling returned. He felt much better inside the hall than outside. He assumed that the Sunwell was responsible for that. The nearer he was to the Sunwell, the better he felt.

Kelrian left the hall again and made a few steps, noticing that he didn't feel bad. No matter how many steps he took away from the Sunwell he didn't feel bad. He felt normal. His heart was beating at a normal pace, nothing hurt. Neither his head nor any other part of his body. Everything was normal. He just didn't feel as if he could crush mountains with his bare fists. He was not overloaded with power as he had been while he had stood near the Sunwell. He didn't feel invincible but not powerless either. He had no doubt he was strong but he didn't know how strong he was. He had no idea how powerful the Sunwell made him. Hopefully powerful enough to deal with stronger foes.

Kelrian went up the spiral path and came to the next higher level. The guards that stood along the bordering corridors or were patrolling through them were giving him the same surprised looks as the sin'dorei in the hall. Kelrian didn't say anything to them nor did he do anything except for walking. He was greeted by fresh air and the pleasant warmth of the Sun as he left the Sunwell Plateau eventually. He heard the twittering of birds that flew through the air or were sitting on tree branches or in treetops.

He noticed a familiar face not far away from him. He hadn't met her often but he still recognized her. He nodded at her, encouraging her to come closer. She did. "Kelrian? Is it...? Is that really you? I thought you died that day when... When your father summoned Kil'jaeden into our world."

Kelrian regarded the woman from head to toe. She had long blonde hair, light green eyes and her facial features showed some similarities to his. They were related but only distantly. Kelrian had no idea if she was a fourth-degree or fifth-degree relative to him but he knew for sure that the same blood ran through their veins. She was a Sunstrider just like him.

"It's a pleasure to see you again after such a long time, Lyandra." He regarded her from head to toe again, taking a closer look at the red robe she wore. His gaze fell on a certain object that hung on her belt. A familiar runeblade. "Where did you get this?" he asked and pointed at the sword.

Lyandra looked down at herself even though she knew what he meant. "Sylvanas gave it to me after the Alliance defeated your father in Tempest Keep."

"I was already wondering why he didn't have it with him when he and his minions invaded the Sunwell Plateau. I don't want to imagine what would have happened if he would have used it back then. He might have succeeded. He almost did, from what I heard," Kelrian responded.

"I was there when he summoned Kil'jaeden. It was a tough fight, many of us died but we won in the end. I doubt I would have survived that day without Felo'melorn. It's much stronger than my parents told me. It's much stronger than I would have ever imagined."

"My father defiled the sword by killing too many innocents. At least Felo'melorn is in the right hands now."

"You can have it if you want. You are the rightful heir of this legendary sword," replied Lyandra.

Kelrian's mind told him that he should not take Felo'melorn. He had a feeling. A feeling which told him to allow Lyandra to keep the sword. He listened to that feeling and shook his head. "You can keep it."

The female mage raised an eyebrow, surprise was reflected by her eyes. "Are you sure? What about your son? Doesn't he want to have it?"

Kelrian thought about it for a moment. "I cannot speak for him. I suggest you should ask him the next time you see him. I have no idea how he is behaving these days. He did not speak to me the last time I saw him. Did you meet him?"

Lyandra shook her head. "No. I didn't meet him since you went to Tempest Keep with these dreadlords."

"I should meet him as soon as I can."

"You should go to your wife first. She didn't take your presumed death very well."

Kelrian nodded. "You are right."

"I don't want to hold you up any longer. Go to your wife. We can speak another time."

"It was good to see you again, Lyandra. You haven't changed much since the last time I saw you."

"You, on the other hand, changed considerably. What happened? How did you survive and where have you been the past week?"

"I will tell you everything as soon as I feel ready. There is a lot I have not found out yet. I need to understand everything first and then I can tell you what exactly happened and what I am now."

A questionable look could be seen on Lyandra's face but she gave him an understanding nod nonetheless. "Take your time. I'm glad you are back."

Kelrian put a hand on Lyandra's shoulder and patted it. "See you soon, Lyandra.

"See you soon, Kelrian."

---

Gone. He was gone. Gone forever this time. Sylvanas still didn't want to believe it. But she had seen it with her own eyes, so she could not deny what had happened. She had seen him falling into the corrupted Sunwell. She had seen Kil'jaeden emerge from the Sunwell. If Kelrian had not died when Kil'jaeden had been summoned and attacked the Alliance, he would have been killed by the explosion of Kil'jaeden's body. There was no way he was still alive.

The first two times Kelrian had been assumed to be dead, she had not believed it. She still had hoped that he would still be alive and return to her one day. She had never lost hope and he had returned to her in the end. But it was different this time. This time she was certain that he was dead. There was no way he had survived the explosion.

If he would have survived the serious injury his father had inflicted to him, the summoning of Kil'jaeden and the explosion, he would have eventually come out of the Sunwell at least after a while. But he didn't show up. Not even a week later. No one had seen him ever since. None one had noticed his aura or spotted any hint that he might still be alive. He was presumed to be dead for the third time.

Sylvanas could not imagine a life without him. She missed him so much. She wanted him back. She would do anything to get him back. There was almost nothing she would not do to get him back. Joining the Burning Legion or the Scourge were one of the few things she would never do. There was no way she would ever join one of these evil formations. She was neither that desperate nor had she lost her mind. She still knew what was right and what was wrong. Joining the Legion or the Scourge was the worst thing she could do.

She didn't want to live without him. He had been her everything. Her world. Her light at the end of a very dark tunnel. His mere presence had comforted her and given her the strength to move on. She didn't want to imagine what she would have done without him. Seeing him again had motived her to keep going and hold out under any circumstances. She had gone through hell to see him again. She had gone through hell when he had disappeared for five years. These five years had been the worst time of her life. If her sisters and her son would have not been there, grief would have broken her. She had no doubt that she would have not recovered and survived these hard years without her family.

This time, she doubted her family will be enough to keep her sane. This time, Kelrian was dead for sure. This time, the grief will break her. She was sure of that. She couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't take more bad things. Too many bad things had happened. Her death, the deaths of her mother, her daughter, lots of her friends and family members, thousands of rangers that had served her and too many innocent citizens of Quel'Thalas. She was suffering since her death and she had the impression it had gotten worse and worse over the years.

Whenever she had thought she was happy, something bad had happened. Arthas had invaded Quel'Thalas a few weeks after she and Kelrian had decided to have another baby. She had not seen Kelrian for years and then he had disappeared after Illidan's and Kael'thas' attempt to stop Arthas and destroy the Lich King had failed. He had reappeared again and they had gotten together again but then he had been captured by his own father and turned into a monstrosity. He came back once again to stop his father but he lost his life in the process.

Sylvanas had the impression that life didn't want her to be happy. She had the impression that it was her destiny to end up alone and unhappy. There was no way it was not like that. Otherwise, all the bad things wouldn't have happened to her. Fate was cruel. Her life sucked without Kelrian. All she had left was her thirst for vengeance which had gotten much stronger since the day of Kelrian's death. She did not only want to avenge her dead lover by making those who were responsible for his deformation and the summoning of Kil'jaeden pay, but also Arthas who was the reason why their lives drifted away. If it would have not been for him, she and Kelrian would live with their family in Silvermoon and have a happy life. The Scourge and the Burning Legion were responsible for everything bad that happened in her life. She had sworn to make them pay for everything.

Sylvanas sat on her throne but she didn't move at all. She just stared at a certain spot on the left wall of the throne room, her fists were clenched. She had not moved for days. She had not spoken to anyone, not even to her family. Except for her son, all members of her family had tried to speak to her and comfort her. They had told her how sorry they were but she had ignored them. She had not responded to them or reacted to them in a different way. She had pretended that they were not there. They still came to her every day to check if she was still sitting on the throne, usually, they disappeared shortly after.

Sylvanas' uncle and Alleria stood not far away from her, worry was reflected by their faces. That was nothing new. Alleria looked worried every day she came to Undercity to look after her sister. Even though Alleria knew that she didn't achieve anything by visiting Sylvanas, she still did it.

Sylvanas had been there to comfort her when she had found out that Turalyon had been turned into a death knight. Sylvanas had comforted her and Alleria wanted to return the favour and be there for hoped that Sylvanas was aware of her presence and that it would comfort her a little at least. She hoped her presence was enough to make Sylvanas realize that she was not alone. She would never be alone, no matter what might happen. She hoped that Sylvanas had realized that.

Alleria regarded her little sister much longer but then decided to leave Undercity and return to Quel'Thalas. Lots of duties were waiting for her. There was much she had to do since Kael'thas' defeat. The mad king was not dead but imprisoned in the Violet Hold in Dalaran. Lots of soldiers had fallen and lots of buildings had been damaged and destroyed when Kael'thas had invaded Quel'Danas and Silvermoon with his forces.

These structures had to be rebuilt and the families of the fallen soldiers had to be compensated for their loses. They had to be taken care of just like the soldiers that had been badly wounded. It was her duty as the ruler of Quel'Thalas to ensure that all citizens were taken care of and provided with everything they needed. She had to do a lot to achieve that goal. There was much which needed to be done. Much she had to organise.

Alleria turned around and began to walk towards the throne room's exit as she spotted a creature. At first, she thought she had never seen the man before but after a few seconds, she recognized who he was. That handsome face was unmistakeable. It was a unique face Alleria knew every well.

Alleria's eyes widened in surprise, her lips parted but no words escaped her mouth. She was stunned and could only watch the man coming closer. Sylvanas noticed a powerful aura but she did not turn around to find out who the aura's owner was. Her gaze still rested on the same wall. Unlike her sister, she didn't know who had just entered the room and she didn't want to know it.

Someone cleared their throat but Sylvanas didn't move at all. She continued to stare at the wall, not caring what was happening around her. Besides her vengeance, she didn't care about anything, so she didn't care who was trying to get her attention. She had no intention to waste her time with that creature.

Only when Sylvanas heard a familiar voice say her name, she stopped thinking about all the terrible things that happened since Arthas' invasion. She turned her head, assuming that she had heard wrong. At first, she had thought she was hallucinating and that she had just imagined his voice in her head. When she caught sight of the man, she realized that her assumptions were wrong. He was not a hallucination. He was real.

If he would be a hallucination, Alleria, Zelastor, Nathanos and all the other Forsaken in the throne room would not stare at him in surprise. Everyone was as surprised about his appearance than Sylvanas was. She had not expected him to be alive. She had thought he had died in the battle against Kael'thas and his demonic master. She had thought she would never see him again. She had thought she would have to live without him from now on.

But there he was. Healthy, alive and good looking. Kelrian looked much different. His hair was golden just like his gorgeous eyes. There was a gentle look in them as he looked at her. He was smaller than the last time she had seen him but still slightly taller than he had been before he had made a pact with Exadius and drank his blood. His skin had a natural colour. The colour of peaches.

The longer Sylvanas stared at him the more she got convinced that he was real. Nevertheless, she decided to find out first hand if he was indeed real. She got up from her cold throne and walked over to him, putting a hand on his cheek. His skin was much warmer than she remembered and very smooth. The smile he gave her would have made her heart beat very fast if she would have still been alive. For a short moment, she had thought it would start beating again. Unfortunately, it hadn't. It was dead like the rest of her body but at least Kelrian was not dead. He was very much alive.

Sylvanas parted her lips to say something but she quickly noticed that she was at a loss of words. She was overwhelmed by emotions but she didn't cry. Her eyes didn't get watery even though she had the impression that she would burst into tears at any moment. Tears of joy. She didn't even care what the others would think about her if she would start crying. Nevertheless, she didn't cry. Not even tears of joy rolled down her cheeks.

She was happy. So happy that she didn't care about those around her when she threw her arms around her husband and put her head on his chest. His golden armour was as warm as his skin but not as soft as it. Nevertheless, she felt comfortable while leaning against him. She said nothing nor did Kelrian or anyone else. Sylvanas had her eyes closed as she snuggled up to Kelrian, not caring that her subjects were seeing her.

A hand was put on her back. She had expected to feel metal but instead, she felt soft flesh. Kelrian's uncovered left hand caressed her back, his other hand pulled down her hood. He ran his soft fingers through her hair, messaging her scalp and the back of her head before he toyed with her ears which twitched under his touch.

Her skin tingled in excitement as she felt his soft lips on her forehead. The warmth that was radiated by his body was really pleasant. She didn't want their tight embrace to stop. She wanted to lean against him and be held by him for all eternity but she knew that was not possible because there were still lots of things they had to do. There were still enough threats the Alliance had to take care of.

Sylvanas enjoyed their warm and tight embrace for a few more minutes before she opened her eyes and signalized him to let her go. Kelrian pulled away and allowed her to take a few steps backwards. Even though her gaze didn't leave him, she still noticed that they were no longer in the throne room. They were in Sylvanas' private chamber. She hadn't noticed until this moment that Kelrian had teleported them there.

He was still smiling at her, joy was reflected by his eyes. He put his left hand under her chin and caressed it. "You should smile more often, my love."

Sylvanas' lips formed a bright smile. Several questions poured out of her mouth. "You are really alive. I cannot believe it. How... How did you survive? What happened? Why do you look so different? Where have you been?"

"Not so fast, Sylvanas. I cannot answer all of your questions at the same time."

Sylvanas gave him an understanding nod. "Alright. Tell me what happened."

"Well, I don't know why things happened the way they happened but it seems it was the Sunwell that saved me. But it did not only heal my wounds, changed my appearance and made me stronger. It chose me to become its champion. Its avatar."

Sylvanas raised an eyebrow. "Avatar? You mean like Anveena Teague?"

Kelrian nodded. "I was in a strange place between life and death and saw her. I spoke to her and she answered some of my questions. At least she told me her assumptions. It was a different creature who confirmed her assumptions later. But I will talk about this creature later. I was chosen by the Sunwell to be its protector. It wants me to prevent anyone from corrupting it again. But not only that. I should also help the Alliance to get rid of those who want to destroy our world and kill its inhabitants."

Sylvanas nodded silently, not knowing what to say.

"I don't know why the Sunwell chose me. Not even the voice I hear since I left the Sunwell was able to answer that. It thinks that it has something to do with the fact that I'm a Sunstrider. It was my ancestor Dath'Remar Sunstrider who created the Sunwell. That could be one of the many reasons."

"I think it doesn't really matter why it chose you, for me at least. I'm just glad that it saved you. I don't want to imagine a world without you."

Kelrian lifted her chin as he noticed the small amount of sadness in her eyes. He didn't hesitate to do what he had wanted to the moment he had spotted her on the throne. He leaned in and pressed his lips on hers. Even though Sylvanas had seen it coming, she was still taken by surprise and stunned for a few moments. But finally, she returned his kiss and even parted her lips to allow his tongue to enter her mouth. Hers entered his mouth eventually, exploring every reachable corner.

Several months had passed since the last time she had kissed him. The kiss was much more passionate than any other kisses they had ever shared. She had missed this. She had missed kissing him. Missed the way he made her feel. She had missed him so much and she was more than just glad that she had him back.

Even though she had hoped that the kiss would never end, it ended eventually. It had been so good that it would have taken her breath away if she still had to breathe.

Kelrian was the only one who was breathless. Breathless and more than just happy to have the love of his life back. It made him happy to see her happy. He took her hand and guided her over to the made bed, sitting down. He pulled her onto his lap and put his hands on her hips, caressing them softly.

Sylvanas smiled at him and pecked on his lips. She ran her fingers through his soft hair, noticing that it was pleasantly warm. Her gaze rested on his handsome face for a few moments before it wandered. Her eyes widened as she noticed that his outfit had changed. He no longer wore the shining golden armour. Instead, he wore a robe which looked like a mage robe but had the colours of a priest robe. It was made out of golden silk.

"How did you...?"

Kelrian smiled. "Magic."

Sylvanas nodded. "Of course."

"I thought a robe would be more comfortable for you than a firm and heavy armour. Snuggling against a firm armour doesn't sound very comfortable to me."

"You are right," Sylvanas replied. She felt the robe's soft silk against her skin as she put a hand on his muscular chest.

Kelrian kissed her temple. "I assume you have more questions, honey."

"You are right but I don't want to bother you now."

Kelrian smirked. "You are not bothering me. Ask me anything you want."

"You told me about a voice you are hearing."

Kelrian nodded. "I did. I'm hearing it since my rebirth. Since I came out of the Sunwell. Apparently, M'uru is speaking to me."

Sylvanas frowned as she heard that name. "But we destroyed M'uru. How is it possible that you are still hearing the naaru even though we destroyed it?"

"I asked M'uru the same question but it didn't give me an answer. I assume it has something to do with the fact that the spark of M'uru was used to reignite the Sunwell. It seems that M'uru continues to exist and its fate is tied to the Sunwell."

"How can you be sure that it's actual M'uru that is speaking to you and not something else? Has the voice proved that it is indeed M'uru?" "

"Well, I have no real proof that it is indeed M'uru but... I'm very certain it's M'uru that is speaking to me in my head. I don't see a reason why it would lie to me. The Sunwell brought me back, it saved me and it's M'uru's task to guide me and set me on the right path. I have no idea what I would do without her advices. I would be lost, I wouldn't know what to do and what my purpose is. The naaru just wants to help me."

"I still can't believe that the Sunwell chose you. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad it did but its hard to believe. This sounds so surreal."

Kelrian nodded. "I agree with you. From time to time, I can't even believe it myself. I would have never imagined that this would be possible. The Sunwell never had a guardian before, probably because our people had never been seriously threatened by anyone. Our people had always protected the Sunwell from all threats. But then Arthas came and corrupted the Sunwell. It was later corrupted again by my father.

I understand that the Sunwell needs a guardian. We cannot allow it to get corrupted again. The unholy rebirth of Kel'Thuzad led to the first corruption and the summoning of Kil'jaeden led to the second. I don't want to imagine what horrible things could happen next time. Anyway, I'm glad it chose me and saved my life. I will do anything in my power to protect the Sunwell because of the gift it made to me. It gifted me a second life, a second chance I will use to achieve that what I didn't achieve before. I will keep fighting and trying as long as the Burning Legion and the Scourge are still active. I will do everything in my power to stop them."

"So will I," responded Sylvanas and ran her fingers over his neck.

Kelrian smiled at her but said nothing in return. Sylvanas smiled too as she stared into his golden orbs. "What will you do next?" she asked after a while.

"I'm not sure yet. I'm waiting for M'uru to tell me what the Sunwell wants me to do but it has remained silent since I arrived in Tirisfal Glades. Until I get further instructions, I will do what seems right to me."

"And what would that be?"

"I will help the Alliance to stop Illidan. I'm sure he already has taken control over most of my father's territories on Outland."

"He did that. We have not been able to stop him from doing that but he didn't do anything else since. He doesn't attack our soldiers unless they step on his territory. He is passive. Too passive for my liking. I have no doubt he is planning something. Whatever it is, it will be nothing good."

Kelrian nodded in agreement. "We must stop him before he becomes too powerful."

"It won't be easy. Many creatures will die. I wonder how many soldiers we will have left to fight the Scourge once we defeated Illidan and saved Outland. Probably too few."

"Dark times lie ahead. The future looks grim but I have no doubt that we will get through this. We will get through these dark times and make Arthas pay for his crimes. One day, we will kill him. We will succeed in the end. All we have to do is stay together," he said and cupped Sylvanas' cheeks with his hands, bringing her face closer to his. The kiss they shared lasted long and was very passionate. Like most good things, it ended eventually.

"I love you," Sylvanas whispered.

"I love you too," Kelrian whispered in return.