Chapter 23: Payback

*

"You should have reported to me much earlier," shouted a reproachful voice. Exadius turned his head, letting his gaze wander around. The walls of the gigantic room, he had just entered, were fel green. There were numerous statues scattered all over the room. Statues which portrayed creatures of different races. Each of these statues portrayed one of the most powerful creatures the owner of the castle had slain. Angels, demons, beasts, humanoid creatures and members of various other races. Exadius counted at least fifty statues.

He let his gaze wander again as he followed the path that was covered by a red carpet. His footsteps echoed through the room and that annoyed him but there was nothing he could about it. He ignored the sounds as best as he could and followed the path until he came to the stairs that led to the top of the small plateau on which middle a throne stood.

He walked to the throne and bowed to the person who was sitting on it. His left knee rested on the ground, the other pointed to the ceiling. He was squatting only a few feet away from the fel green throne on which the demon, who had summoned him to her castle, was sitting.

She sat casually on her throne, her left elbow was propped up on the armrest and her chin rested on her fist as she regarded the tall demon in front of her. "I'm at your command, Lady Felspeaker," Exadius said.

"You didn't answer me yet. That's very rude."

Exadius lowered his head, signalizing his mistress how sorry he was. "I apologize for my behaviour, mistress. I didn't mean to upset you and disrespect you."

"You are forgiven if you have good news for me."

The demon swallowed. "Well...," he stopped as he saw that Alyssa's eyes narrowed. She sat upright and leaned forward, regarding him strictly. "Don't you dare to tell me you achieved nothing over the past months."

"I would lie if I would say that I achieved nothing. My plan is working out... just slower than I've expected. I need more time. I set him on the path that will lead him to me. He will join us soon and destroy the Lich King for us, " Exadius explained.

"Do you just need more time or is there anything else you need?" Alyssa asked and stood up from her throne. She stepped in front of the demon who was still bowing in front of her. His head was on the same height as her's. She put her hands on his face, staring into his eyes as he caressed his cheeks. Her facial expression didn't change nor did his.

Alyssa removed her hands and returned to her throne, sitting down. "I will give you a few more months. Tichondrius failed to keep the death knight and his army in the Burning Legion, then he was killed by Illidan Stormrage. Varimathras, Balnazzar and Detheroc failed to regain control over the Scourge. Only Varimathras survived but I already gave him a new task. The Scourge has become too powerful. You have to destroy the Lich King and kill Arthas Menethil."

"I will, mistress."

The corners of Alyssa's lips formed a smile. "I hope so. Your former subjects disappointed me, so I hope for you that you are more useful than them and complete your mission successfully."

"I will."

Alyssa didn't respond to him. She just made a gesture, telling him to go. Exadius got up and lowered his head in respect, saying goodbye to her before he turned around and walked away.

*

Kelrian woke up with a start, noticing that his head was hurting. He sat up and checked his surroundings. It was too dark to recognize anything, so he created a small flame which enlightened the surroundings good enough that he was able to recognize where he was. He was sitting on his bed in the tent he shared with Elena. The pink-haired woman was still lying in her bed and snoring softly in her sleep. Kelrian got up from his bed, got dressed and walked over to Elena, making sure that she was really sleeping.

He left the tent to get some fresh air and make his head clear. He still remembered almost everything he had seen in the weird dream he had just experienced. He was not sure if it was just a dream but or sort of a vision. Visions... It didn't make sense to him that he could have visions. He was not a medium who could foresee events. He was just a ranger who was able to use magic. Nothing more.

Nevertheless, he was concerned. He was wondering why he was seeing such things. He was wondering who the creatures he had seen were. Their races didn't seem to belong to the mortal races that lived on Azeroth. One of them had reminded him of night elf but she had huge horns sticking out of her head, and her skin had been greenish. He only vaguely remembered how the other guy had looked like. Somehow, he had reminded him of a giant bat. He even remembered his name. Exadius. But he didn't remember the name of the horned night elf.

He remembered what they had talked about. About a plan to destroy the Lich King. Kelrian didn't know who they were but they had the same goal as him. He wanted nothing more than Arthas' death and the destruction of the Lich King who had made Arthas do all these horrible things. He believed that these two strange creatures were on his side.

But maybe this had just been a dream and these creatures didn't exist. He hoped that they were real because they wanted to achieve the same thing as him. They had looked pretty powerful and he and his people could need every help to destroy the Lich King and make Arthas pay for his crimes. He had no idea if they were real or not. If they were real, he had no idea where to find them.

Kelrian walked through the base while thinking about the scene he had seen. It was dark outside but the numerous large torches that stuck in the ground enlightened the camp. He walked for a while and enjoyed the cold night. He was about to turn around and walk back to his tent as he spotted a familiar person. Kael'thas stood near the secured supply carriagesthey had escorted, an opened chest stood next to him. Kelrian walked over to him and regarded the chest's content curiously.

There were lots of artefacts that stored arcane energies. The blood elves could drain power from them and restore their powers and satisfy their hunger for a while. But these artefacts were not a permanent solution. They will be empty sooner or later and then the blood elves will have nothing left to sustain themselves. It was only a temporary solution but the king had no other solution at the moment. All he could do was to find the hidden supply chests in Pyrewood Village and figure out a better solution in the meantime.

"How long will these artefacts sustain us?" Kelrian asked.

Kael'thas turned his head and looked at his son who still didn't know that he was the prince of Quel'Thalas. He noticed that Kelrian looked paler than usual. His eyes glowed weaker than usual, thick veins could be seen on his neck. He didn't look healthy at all.

"Maybe a few weeks, I don't know," Kael'thas responded. He fished an amulet out of the chest and handed it to Kelrian. "There is a small amount of energy left in it. It will satisfy you for a few hours."

Kelrian took it and gave his king a thankful nod. He held it in both hands, regarded it for a few moments before he closed his eyes and focused on the energy stored in the amulet. He could feel the power, noticing that his desire to absorb it grew with each passing second. He could no longer hold back. He needed that power so badly. He didn't hesitate to drain the stored power, feeling a lot better when he was done.

He didn't feel as good as he had felt before Arthas had corrupted the Sunwell but he felt a lot better than he had felt in the previous days. Since the Sunwell's destruction, he felt a lot weaker. He felt sick, his head was hurting from time to time and sometimes his skin itched unpleasantly. Absorbing arcane energy was the only way to make him feel better.

Since the destruction of the Sunwell, he had realized how dependent his people were on its power. The Sunwell had sustained the blood elves their entire lives. They had gotten used the constant supplying of arcane energy. And now that they were no longer provided with the necessary energy, they often felt very uncomfortable. Uncomfortable and weak. Withdrawal symptoms were occurring as well. The blood elves were addicted to arcane power. They couldn't go without it and that was a big problem. A big problem for which the king hadn't found a solution yet.

"What are you doing out here at this late hour?" Kael'thas asked.

"I woke up. I had a bad...dream."

Kael'thas raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. Curiosity was reflected by his eyes.

"I don't know if it was just a dream or more than that."

"More like a dream? Do you mean like a vision? Are you having visions?" Kael'thas asked surprised.

Kelrian shrugged. "I don't know, to be honest."

"Tell me about it," demanded Kael'thas.

Kelrian hesitated but then he started to explain what he remembered. Kael'thas listened carefully, a frown was visible on his forehead when Kelrian had told him everything. "That's weird," Kael'thas said after his son was done explaining.

"What do you mean, my king?"

Kael'thas turned around and stared at the moon in the sky. "I had the same dream." He looked at Kelrian again, noticing that his face reflected surprise. "That is weird indeed. Do you have any idea why we saw the same scene?"

Kael'thas hesitated at first but then he shook his head. "I have no idea." He couldn't explain to himself why he had seen the same scene as his son. He had to find out if others hadseen the same or if Kelrian and he were the only ones. "Tell me whenever you have a vision. Maybe we can figure out the reason for our visions."

"Are you sure that what we witnessed are visions and not just dreams?"

"Dreams are individual. It's very unlikely that we dream the same. It has to be a vision or something similar. We will find an explanation sooner or later but for now, we can just accept it and live with it."

"I hope so."

"We have other things to worry about. We will think about it once we salvaged the supplies in Pyrewood Village."

"So, we will speak about it another day?"

The king nodded.

"So be it. I will go back to my tent and try to get some sleep, if that's okay for you, my king."

Kael'thas chuckled. He had still not gotten used to being called king. It was strange for him to be addressed as the King of Quel'Thalas. Whenever he had heard people talking about the king they had always meant his had always associated the title king with his father. But his father was dead and he had become king. His reign had startedweeks ago and he would do anything that will be necessary to protect his people.

He was sure he would never be as good as his father but he will give his best. He will lead his people in these dark times and do anything necessary to guarantee their survival. He wanted to prove himself worthy. He wanted to prove that his father taught him well. He wanted to be a good king. A strong leader his people could count on.

He was following his father's footsteps and would reign over the blood elves from now on. There were lots of things he had to do. He had to reconquer Quel'Thalas, rebuilt it and then he had to catch Arthas Menethil and make him pay for his crimes. But he would only achieve his goals with the support of his people. He knew they wanted vengeance as badly as he wanted. He was sure lots of people would follow him when he would hunt Arthas. They would help him to bring down that mass murderer.

But first, he had to make sure that they could return to their home and start their lives anew. He had to make sure that they were safe and weren't lacking anything. He had to find a solution to the insatiable hunger of his people. They needed arcane energy the same way they needed bread and other essential goods. He didn't want to imagine what would happen if his people wouldn't get enough arcane energy. There were lots of things he had to do but he was not alone. His people would follow him and help him to find a solution.

"You can go to your tent, Kelrian. Sleep tight," Kael'thas said eventually, not knowing how long he had been lost in thoughts.

"You too, my king."

---

Sylvanas had sensed the aura from afar. She knew this aura better than any other aura. 'He' was coming closer. Finally. Her plan had worked out. Arthas was coming and he will pay for his crimes. He will pay for everything he had done to her, her family and her people. She couldn't wait to meet him again. She knew that only a few hours and a few miles separated her from her well-deserved and long-awaited revenge.

She had planned everything carefully. Her trap was prepared so was the poisonous arrow that would paralyse the death knight. Arthas will be at her mercy. He wouldn't be able to defend himself when she would approach him and kill him slowly. Imagining the fear in his eyes brought a small smile on her lips. She was looking forward to making him pay for his crimes. She wanted to stare into his eyes when life would slowly leave him. She will be happy when witnessing his demise. His death wouldn't be a quick nor a painless one. She will make sure of that.

Arthas came closer and closer. She could smell the blood from afar. His blood. Sylvanas assumed that the dreadlords had managed to hurt him before he had escaped their trap. They had waited for him in the capital of Lordaeron and tried to kill him there. They had failed, much to Sylvanas' satisfaction. If they would have killed Arthas, she would have never gotten her revenge. But now that he was still alive, she could have it.

Sylvanas was hiding in the shadows as Arthas arrived at the clearing a few hours later. He was accompanied by several undead creatures. Twelve in total. They were the only survivors of the unit Arthas had taken to the capital. The dreadlords and their manipulated servants had gotten rid of most of them. Sylvanas knew that Arthas' main army was still out there somewhere but they wouldn't be able to reach the death knight in time. He will be dead before anyone could save him.

Sylvanas' red eyes fell on the man she hated more than anyone else. He sat on Invincible and pressed his hand on the wound in his left hip. His other hand held Invincible's reins. The cursed runeblade rested on his back.

Sylvanas was sure he wouldn't be able to draw the sword fast enough to block the arrow. The first time they had met, he had blocked one of her arrows with Frostmourne. He had seen her and had predicted that she would shoot an arrow at him.

But this time, he didn't see her. He couldn't know she was here, so he wouldn't expect any arrow coming out of nowhere. He wouldn't see it coming this time. Also, Sylvanas was a lot stronger than she had been in life. Arthas had given her lots of power. He had done that because he had never thought that she would rebel against him one day. He had not thought it possible that she would free herself and turn against him. He had been too arrogant when he had raised her. He was still too arrogant and Sylvanas will make sure that his arrogance will be his undoing.

Sylvanas pulled the special arrow from her quiver and regarded it for a few seconds. She drew her bow, which limbs were made out of spines of dangerous beasts. She knocked the arrow and aimed at Arthas. She didn't aim at his head because she didn't want to kill him immediately. She wanted to make him suffer, so he had to stay alive. She aimed at his left upper thigh. There was a hole in his armour, so a small area of his pale flesh was unprotected. That was her target.

Sylvanas was ready but she didn't let her arrow lose yet. She waited for the signal. Fortunately, she didn't have to wait for too long. Six of her banshees appeared out of nowhere and attacked Arthas' bodyguards, taking them out before they were able to react.

Arthas' eyes were widened in surprise but the surprise was quickly replaced by annoyance. He drew his Frostmourne from his back but Sylvanas' arrow hit him before he was able to kill any of her banshees. The corners of her lips formed a small smile as a painful scream escaped the death knight's lips. He fell off his horse and landed on the hard, dead ground. Her smile became wider as she noticed the strain on his face. He was trying to get up but he was unable to do that because his body was paralysed.

Sylvanas' smile became wider as she realized that her poison had worked. Arthas couldn't get up and nobody was there to save him. He was alone and defenceless. He was at her mercy but she would show him no mercy. He had shown her no mercy when she had asked him for a clean death. He had denied her a peaceful death and raised her as a banshee. He had turned her into a monstrosity and now she will show him what she was capable of. She will show him what she had become.

She stepped out of the shadows and revealed herself to Arthas. His eyes widened but then narrowed. "Sylvanas." The sound of his voice told her that he was shocked to see her. He had not expected her to ambush him.

She managed to hold back evil laughter. The corners of her lips formed a satisfied smile as she regarded the death knight. She had waited so long for this moment. "You walked right into this one, Arthas. It's time to even the scales. Death is knocking at your door."

She didn't show the death knight how she felt. If she would still be alive, her heart would hammer in her chest and her skin would tingle in excitement. But she was no longer alive because of that man who was now lying right in front of her feet.

He was the reason why she had become an undead creature that wanted nothing more than vengeance. A creature who only lived for vengeance... A creature who had nothing but vengeance left. Vengeance was all Sylvanas had left after Arthas had taken her life and doomed the kingdom she had tried to protect by every means.

And she will enjoy her vengeance. She will enjoy what she was about to do with Arthas. She will enjoy making him suffer, making him pay for his crimes. She will enjoy hearing his painful cries. She will enjoy seeing his facial expression distort. She will enjoy watching him bleed. She will make him beg to end his life and then she will do what he had done to her. Deny him a clean death.

"Traitor. What have you done to me?" he asked. His voice reflected anger but also disbelief.

"You got hit by a special poisoned arrow I made just for you, Arthas. The paralysis you're experiencing now is only a fraction of the agony you've caused me. You will suffer for everything you did to me and then you will die a slow and painful death," she announced.

"I am death. You can't kill me," Arthas hissed. Hatred was reflected by his piercing blue eyes.

Sylvanas chuckled amused. "No, you are just a madman who thinks he's the harbinger of death. But you are not. You are just a sadistic monster who butchers innocent people. You destroyed numerous lives and doomed two kingdoms. But your evil crusade will end now. You will die and I will live."

"And then what, Sylvanas?"

Sylvanas tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. A small amount of irritation was reflected by her crimson eyes. "What do you mean?"

Soft laughter escaped his lips. Despite his hopeless situation, he still dared to mock her. "What will you do then after you killed me? Take your own life? Find your daughter and free her from the Lich King's control? Will you return to your family after you found her and pretend that nothing happened? Do you seriously think that your sisters will forgive you for killing your mother?

Do you think Kelrian will take you back? Do you really think he will love a corpse? No. He will realize that nothing is left of the woman he once loved. He will push you away and seek comfort in Elena's arms who wouldn't mind taking advantage of his grief. You are wrong if you think your life would become normal again if you kill me. You can't undo the damage I have done. You cannot revoke what I did to you. You are a lost soul and you will never be whole again. You..."

"SHUT UP, BASTARD!" screamed Sylvanas and kicked him in the face. Her kick had been so hard that his head had snapped back. Blood flowed out of his broken nose.

Arthas was still grinning at her. "Did I hit a nerve?"

Sylvanas' eyes were still narrowed. A frown was visible on her forehead and pure anger was reflected by her red eyes. She was anything but amused but she didn't answer him. She just stared at him, considering how she should hurt him next.

A wide grin was visible on Arthas' lips as he spoke again. "I understand him. If I would be him, I rather fuck a living, breathing elf with big breasts and a thick ass than an ugly corpse which voice sounds like a cracking crypt door. You would only hurt him with your unbearable voice if he would bring you over the edge. It's the best for him if he and this Elena come together and not you and him. I bet he is smashing that elven whore so badly at the moment. He lost one of his children so it would only make sense if he would make another to replace it. I'm pretty sure Elena is pretty good in b..."

He couldn't finish his sentence because Sylvanas had rammed a dagger in his right upper thigh and caused him to cry out loudly. Her lips formed a sadistic smile. She enjoyed making him suffer. She enjoyed punishing him for what he had done to her. In the last months, a lot of frustration and hatred had built up in her. She was glad she could finally let out her hatred on the person who deserved it the most. The man who turned her world upside down when he invaded Quel'Thalas and killed her. He took away all her feelings except anger, hate and sadness. He made a monster out of her and now he will pay for everything.

"Keep speaking bastard," Sylvanas snarled. "Your words mean nothing to me. You made sure that I'm no longer capable of love. All I want is your death. All I long for is to see the last signs of life leaving your body. I don't care about others. I don't care about my family. I will avenge the fallen members of my family but that's it. It's just you and me, Arthas. You will now get what you deserve."

"And then what? What will you do after you killed me? Will you find a new goal for your life, or what is left of it? Or will youseekthe clean death you've wanted from the beginning?"

Sylvanas didn't respond to him. She squatted down next to him and grabbed his throat, starting to strangle him without warning. Painful sounds escaped the death knight's lips, he tried to resist and free himself but he was still not able to move. The poison was still paralysing him, making him defenceless.

Sylvanas stared at him coldly as she lifted him up. His head was at the same height as hers, her crimson red orbs bored into his. Sylvanas wasn't showing it at the moment but she enjoyed being in this position. She enjoyed that Arthas was at her mercy. She enjoyed causing pain to him more than anything else. He had taken everything from her. Even the capability to feel love.

She had imagined this moment every day and every night. She had imagined how it must feel to torture him and kill him slowly. She had to admit that it felt much better than she had imagined. She wouldn't call herself a sadist but she really enjoyed seeing Arthas suffer. Her grip on his neck was strong, maybe a bit too strong. She had to be careful that she wouldn't accidentally strangle him to death.

His face turned blue, his eyes were widenedand but no fear was reflected by his face. Nevertheless, Sylvanas' smile was wide and mischievous. She had finally achieved what she wanted since he had raised her. She wanted to hurt him pretty badly and she was not done with torturing him yet. She had sworn in the names of her murdered unborn child, her mother and Sylvera that Arthas would suffer much longer.

Sylvanas dropped Arthas, smiling as he hit his head hard on the ground. The way his facial expression distorted in pain amused her. Seeing him suffering made her euphoric. It made her happy. She hadn't believed until this very moment that she could feel happiness. She had always believed she felt nothing but anger and hatred. She realized she had been wrong about this. She was able to feel happiness but only when seeing this bastard suffer. He deserved everything she was doing to him. Everything she will do to him. His death will be slow and painful. She had sworn that to herself and the ones she had lost because of him.

Sylvanas made a gesture with her hand, her eyes fell on the banshees around her. Her 'sisters' were looking forward to making him suffer too. She could see it on their ghostly facial features that they also enjoyed seeing the man, who had destroyed their lives, suffer. They were glad that their mistress allowed them to participate in giving Arthas what he deserved.

They were causing pain to him but not only physically. They physically hurt him with their loud shrieks but they also went in his mind and made him see things he didn't want to see. They made him see the ones who had been very close to him. His father, Uther the Lightbringer, his sister and at last Jaina Proudmoore. The ones Arthas had once loved reproached him, insulted him and accused him of all his mistakes.

Sylvanas' blue lips formed a wide grin. Arthas had often tormented her and set unwanted images in her head. He had made her see the ones she had loved die in various brutal ways. He had made her hallucinate things which weren't real. In these hallucinations, he had made her kill her entire family. Her cousins, her uncles and aunts, her sisters and their loved ones, her own children and at last Kelrian. He had made her hallucinate killing him thousands of times. It had been horrible to witness. It had been pure mental torture.

But now she was no longer forced to witness these hallucinations. She was no longer forced to be his pawn who only existed to slaughter in his name. She was no longer forced to kill the people she had once sworn to protect. She was free. Free from his control. Free to do whatever she wanted. It was up to her if she wanted to kill him immediately or if she would let him suffer as long as she wanted. She will kill him eventually. But first, she will cause more pain to him.

Her sisters continued to torture him. After quite some time, she signalized them to stop. The banshees obeyed her and regarded their mistress who was walking to Arthas. She pulled a dagger from her belt and squatted down next to him. She grabbed him by his hair, forcefully pulling his upper body up. His face was very close to hers so that he had no other choice than staring into her red eyes that reflected nothing but anger and hatred for him. He had turned her into this creature. He had made her suffer a lot. And he would die by her hands. Sylvanas found it amusing. Arthas was the creator who will be killed by his own creation.

Sylvanas was looking forward to ramming her blade through his heart. She wanted his death more than anything else in her undead life. The desire for revenge was all she had left. He had turned her into this monster, destroyed the kingdom she had sworn to protect and killed most of its inhabitants. Lots of members of her family were dead because of him. Her mother, her grandfather who had had no other choice than to kill his own son, who was heruncle, after he had been turned, her niece, her unborn child and her daughter were dead because of him. Two of her children were dead because of him.

She was dead because of him. She had only been one hundred and ninety years old when he had slain her. She hadn't even reached the age of two hundred. Two hundred years were nothing for a high elf. Most high elves got two to three thousand years old if they didn't die in battle. Compared to these elves she was nothing but a teenager.

She would have had at least two thousand years to live before she would have died of old age. Two thousand years in which she could have had a happy life with the man she loved. Had loved. She could no longer feel love or any other positive emotion except for happiness. But only seeing Arthas suffer made her happy. There was nothing else that made her happy these days.

She could have shared a happy life with Kelrian. She would have been Ranger-General until the end of her life while he would have risen through the ranks and would have become a Ranger-Captain one day. People would have looked up to him and chosen him as their role model. He would have become a glorious and popular Ranger-Captain. The people had loved him as much as they had loved her. She would have expanded their family with him. She would have given birth to more of his children. They would have been a happy family.

Arthas was the reason why this dream of hers could no longer be fulfilled. He had murdered her and turned her into a monster that was no longer capable of love. Kelrian would be disgusted by her appearance, by what she had become. He would never love her again and she was sure the rest of her family would also turn away from her. She will never be able to spend time her family again. Her life will never be the same. And it was all Arthas' fault.

He had destroyed her life and the lives of many others. She couldn't destroy his life because he had done that himself. She wished she could but there was nothing left she could destroy. She couldn't kill the woman Arthas had once loved in front of his eyes because she was out of her reach. She was on Kalimdor while she was in Lordaeron. She was on a different continent. It would only be fair if she would kill the people who had once meant something to him. He was responsible for the deaths of lots of members of her family. For her, it would be just to kill someone who had once been important to him.

She was not sure if it would matter to him if she would kill that human mage or not. She was not sure if anything or anyone mattered to him. All she could take from him was his own life. And that was enough for her. His death was everything she wanted.

Sylvanas pressed the tip of the dagger against the other cheek which wasn't marked by scars. She stared into his blue eyes as she cut his cheek slowly. Anger and hatred were still reflected by his eyes but no fear. He was not afraid of dying and that bothered Sylvanas. She wanted to see the fear in his eyes before she will finish him. But there was not the slightest amount of fear reflected by his face. He didn't want to give her that satisfaction.

Sylvanas was not amused. She wanted to make him afraid of her but he didn't fear death after all the torture he had suffered so far. Sylvanas had no other choice than causing more pain to him. She left more cuts in his face, making them deeper and deeper. Her dagger was dipped in poison, causing the pain he was feeling to become more intense over time. The pain will get worse and worse until he would no longer be able to bear it.

Sylvanas punched Arthas hard in the face several times with her fist, causing him to spit out two teeth. She stood up and regarded his bloody face with a mischievous grin on her face.

"What are you waiting for, Sylvanas? Finish me."

Sylvanas smile vanished, her expression became serious. She tilted her head a little and raised an eyebrow. "A quick death?" she asked, sounding irritated. "Like the one you gave me?"

She paused and shook her head. "No. You're going to suffer as I did. Thanks to the poison, you can't run or resist. You are at my mercy but I won't show you any mercy." Her voice became louder and angrier. "I asked you for a clean death but you refused, you sadistic bastard. You deserve to suffer as I did, Arthas."

"You're not better than me if you do to me what I did to you," Arthas spat out.

"I never said I'm better than you. You turned me into this monster. You made me what I am and now you will pay for that."

Sylvanas snapped with her fingers. Her banshees flew to Arthas, sat him upright and started to remove his upper body armour. It was tossed aside and he was leaned against a tree trunk. Sylvanas pulled her sword from her belt and pointed its tip at Arthas. "This is for Quel'Thalas," she said and rammed it through his left shoulder.

A loud painful scream escaped his lips. Sylvanas was sure that any undead near them had heard it but she didn't care. Arthas will be dead before anyone can reach him. Nobody will be able to save him.

She pulled the sword out and pointed its tip at his right shoulder. "This is for the Quel'dorei." She stabbed him.

Her grin became wider. "This is for Verena." She stabbed him in his left hip.

"This is for my mother." She stabbed him in the right hip.

"For my daughter." This time her sword pierced through his left ribcage.

The next stab was through the right ribcage. "For my unborn child."

"For Lyndia."

"For giving me the command to kill Alleria."

"For each Windrunner who died because of you."

Sylvanas paused and regarded the death knight. Blood was flowing out of his mouth and out of several wounds in his upper body. She stared into his eyes, noticing that he was still not afraid of dying. She had wished he would but she couldn't have everything. His death was all she wanted. All she needed.

She pointed her sword at his heart, piercing its tip in his flesh. "And this is for murdering me and turning me into a monstrosity that lost any positive feelings. Thanks to you, I'm only able to feel anger and hatred. You destroyed my life, Arthas."

She paused.

"Give my regards to hell, you son of a bitch."

She had waited so long for his moment. She had imagined this moment every single day since she had gotten free. She wanted this so badly. There was nothing she wanted more than ramming her sword through his heart and ending his worthless life. She had been looking forward to killing him since the day he killed her. His death was everything she desired. She had made him suffer enough. Now it was time to finish what he had started. It was time to end the butcher's life and avenge everyone who had died because of him. Her people, her rangers, her friends, her family and two of her children.

The day of reckoning had come.

Sylvanas was looking forward to witnessing the life leaving his body. She clasped the handle of the sword with both hands, making herself ready to deal the finishing blow. But she never got the chance to ram her sword through his chest.

She was hit by an arcane blast and thrown away. She got up, ignoring the waves of pain that rushed through her body. Her red eyes were widened and reflected anger. She looked around to find out what was going on. She bit her bottom lip hard, an angry hiss escaped her lips as she spotted a familiar person.

Kel'Thuzad. But he was not alone. Dozens of undead, most of them were skeletal mages and necromancers, stood behind him.

"Back, you mindless ones," he cried out and cast a shockwave, hitting several of Sylvanas' banshees. He cast several arcane missiles, hitting the banshees he had thrown away.

Sylvanas watched in horror as her banshees were taken out one by one by Kel'Thuzad and his sorcerers. Kel'Thuzad flew to the death knight and created a barrier around him. "You shall not fall today, my king," he said.

His gaze fell on Sylvanas. "Now to you, traitor."

Sylvanas was furious. Not only at Kel'Thuzad but also at herself. If she wouldn't have toyed with Arthas, he would be dead and all of her banshees that had accompanied her would still be alive. She should have killed him immediately when she had paralysed him but she hadn't. He was still alive and she was unable to kill him. Her 'sisters' died for nothing.

Sylvanas pulled herself together, knowing this was not the right moment to hate herself. She must get out of here before Kel'Thuzad would do to her what he did to her banshees. She had to survive and make another plan to kill Arthas. She had no other choice.

"This isn't over, Arthas! I'll never stop hunting you," she shouted angrily and hurried away.