Chapter 27: Confrontations

Sylvanas stood on a hill and watched the scene in front of her. Her dark rangers were fighting bandits which were no match for them. The dark rangers had been high elven rangers in life, meaning they had been trained well. Death and rebirth had only made them stronger. They were faster, physically much stronger and were even able to use dark magic. Their aim was more precise than ever and their punches and sword blows were deadlier than ever. They also held out much longer and had more stamina. They were stronger and deadlier than ever.

They had not killed the bandits. They had just disarmed them and tied them up. Their leader had resisted longer than his men but he had been defeated too. Velonara and Verena had teamed up and brought him down from his high horse, literally. The human with the name Blackthorn was not tied up but he had been disarmed, leaving him defenceless. He was standing near his tent far away from his men, his brown eyes rested on Sylvanas as she came closer.

Sylvanas regarded him from head to toe. He was pretty tall for a human and very muscular. His torso was exposed, only his left shoulder, his forearms and his legs were protected by armour. He wore an iron helmet and had a long dark brown beard. She could see the hatred reflected in his eyes. But there was not only hatred. He was disgusted by her kind and he didn't hide that. Her appearance made him sick.

"You may as well surrender now, cretin. You'll be my slave one way or another," said Sylvanas, soundingindifferent.

"Never," Blackthorn spat out. "I will never serve an undead Scourge whore. Go back to your master and suck his small cock, you filthy undead elven whore."

Anger was reflected by Sylvanas' face as she lifted her hand and slapped him so hard that he spat blood and two teeth out. "You can be lucky that I need your body in a good condition, otherwise, I would tear out each of your limbs and torture you in the most painful way."

"Do whatever you want, bitch. I will never surrender."

Sylvanas didn't say anything in response. A mischievous smile could be seen on her lips as she regarded the human who was still not afraid of her. She had to admit she was a little impressed.

The ogre Mug'thol, who was the ruler of the Crushridge clan, the gnoll Snarlmane and a murloc tribe leader known as Puddle Lord, Sylvanas had met days ago, had been terrified of her after she and her army had defeated their minions. They had begged for their lives but Sylvanas had not let them go. She had ordered her banshees to possess them and she would do the same with Blackthorn.

She averted her gaze and looked at the banshee next to her. Janette gave her a nod and approached the bandit lord, putting her hands on his face. Blackthorn's eyes widened, his lips parted and a painful scream escaped his lips as Janette attacked his mind. Janette grabbed his chin and brought it closer to her face, a spectral ray came out of her mouth and shot in the human's open mouth.

Janette's spectral form started to dissolve quickly until nothing was left of her. Blackthorn still stood on the same spot and was not moving. His eyes were still widened but their colour was no longer brown. They were blue. As blue as the eyes of a banshee. That could only mean one thing. Janette had successfully taken control over the bandit lord. Sylvanas regarded him curiously, giving him his first order.

The possessed human did as he was ordered. He walked over to his men and ordered them to pick up their weapons. "Lady Sylvanas is our new master. From now on we fight for her, brothers." His men didn't know what happened to him but they knew better than disobeying him. They were still loyal to him and did everything that he wanted from them. They would obey each of Sylvanas' orders.

Sylvanas smirked. "Hmm... my own band of assassins. Intriguing," she said amused.

"I will do everything you want from me, Lady Sylvanas," said Blackthorn.

"Good. There is a camp of Forest trolls in the near. Your men will attack the camp with my forces and kill every troll there. Leave their leader to me. I will deal with him personally."

"As you wish, Lady Sylvanas."

---

Kelrian ran the tips of his fingers over his lips as he remembered the kiss he had just shared with Elena. He remembered the warmth and softness of her lips, her lovely perfume that had smelled after lavender, her soft hand on his cheek. The kiss had been good, not as good as the kisses he had shared with Sylvanas but good enough.

He was not sure if he was regretting that he had allowed her to kiss him. He was not sure if it had been right to return her didn't have to return the kiss, but he still did it. He still had no idea why he had done that. It had felt right for him to return the kiss at that moment.

He was asking himself if he had made the right decision. He was asking himself what consequences the kiss would have. He was asking himself if he had serious feelings for Elena. She had been there for him and helped him to get through the darkest phase of his life. She had helped him without having ulterior motives. She had become very important to him. She was one of the few friends he had left and it seemed that she had become more than just a friend to him.

What was she? A very close friend? His best friend? A possible lover?

More thoughts came in his mind.

*Would it be fair to Sylvanas if he would start something with Elena? What would Sylvanas say when she would find out that he kissed her? Did the Sylvanas he had known still exist in the creature Arthas had created? Or was she gone and would never return?

Was he still hoping he would get the Sylvanas he had known back one day? Would his wish come true one day or would he never get what he wanted the most? Was he having false hopes? Should he forget about Sylvanas and move on? Should he get involved with Elena?*

He knew she loved him but he was not sure about his feelings for her. He was not sure if he had romantic feelings for her but he was sure he considered her more than just a friend.

The Sylvanas he had loved was gone. She had died so their marriagewas no longer wouldn't cheat on her if he would start something with Elena. Sylvanas had even told him to move on. She had told him she wanted him to be happy and find love again. She wanted him to live his life and enjoy it as much as the situation would allow it. She wanted him to be happy.

He was not sure if it would be right to get involved with Elena. It didn't feel wrong to him but that didn't have to mean it was right. He believed that at least. The kiss had not felt wrong but he was not sure if it had felt had gotten carried away when Elena had surprised him with her kiss. His mind had been blank and he had listened to his instincts that had told him to return the kiss. He knew he had to think about everything once he had the time.

Maiev came to him and brought him out of his thoughts. "Are you ready?"

Kelrian nodded. "I am."

Maiev turned to those who stood behind her. "Now that everyone is ready, we can finally set off. Follow me."

---

The smell of burned flesh and wood stung in Sylvanas' nose. Her gaze fell on the destroyed buildings around her. Varimathras' base laid in ruins and most of his forces had been slain and either been raised by her or burned so that the dreadlord couldn't raise them himself. Two dozen of Sylvanas' mercenaries, a dozen undead, four of her dark rangers and two of her banshees had fallen but the majority of her forces had survived the assault on Varimathras' base.

Her men surrounded the remains of Varimathras' forces. Two dozen ghouls and a few nerubians were left of his army which had been pretty large before Sylvanas' assault. Sylvanas stood in front of her dark rangers and gave the dreadlord a wide grin. "Seems you are losing, Varimathras. How do we do it? Do you want to do it the old-fashioned way and let our forces clash until one army wins, or shall we solve our problem in a different way?"

The nathrezim raised an eyebrow and gave Sylvanas a curious look. "What do you have in mind?"

"A duel. The winner takes over the loser's forces."

Varimathras burst into laughter and needed nearly half a minute to pull himself together. "YOU want to fight ME, banshee? Are you tired of living your undead life? I can end it for you quickly if that's what you want. Otherwise, I don't understand why you are so foolish and make me this offer."

A wicked grin could be seen on Sylvanas' lips. "You shouldn't underestimate me, Varimathras."

"Hah. You are a fool if you think you, as a filthy undead elf, can beat me, a servant of the Burning Legion. We nathrezim don't lose against mortal weaklings like you."

Amused laughter escaped her lips. "So you want to tell me no mortal can defeat a nathrezim?"

A frown appeared on the dreadlord's forehead for a short moment. "I'm serious about this."

"What about Mal'Ganis? Didn't he die at the hands of a mortal?"

Varimathras' eyes narrowed. A dangerous look was reflected by his face. "Mal'Ganis is a shame for our race. He was weak and foolish but I'm not. You will learn first-hand how strong I am."

Sylvanas signalized her forces to hold back and not interfere, no matter what would happen. "Go ahead, Varimathras. I'm waiting."

The dreadlord snarled and charged forward. He had no weapon but sharp claws which could seriously hurt her if he would manage to hit her. Her plan was to not get hit by him. She made a large leap to the side and pulled her bow from her back, drew it and knocked an arrow. The arrow flew through the air and hit the dreadlord in the left hip, making him bit his bottom lip to prevent a painful scream from escaping his lips.

The arrow was not an ordinary one. It was a poisoned arrow. The same poison she had used for Arthas. She didn't expect that it would paralyze him but she hoped it would slow him down and weaken him at least. It did. Varimathras' movement slowed down but he didn't stop attacking her.

He tried to hit her again but she dodged his attacks with ease, hitting him with two arrows in return. He wore no upper body armour, so nothing prevented the arrows from piercing his flesh. A loud cry escaped the dreadlord's lips, anger and fury appeared in his eyes. He was not amused. He was furious.

An insult left his lips but Sylvanas didn't care. She ignored every word that escaped his lips, shooting another arrow at him. The dreadlord was able to block it with his steel armguard. He avoided the next arrow too and created a shadow bolt, throwing it at Sylvanas.

The Dark Lady was almost hit by it. She had reacted fast enough and avoided it at the last moment by jumping to the side. It had flown faster than she had expected. She realized that Varimathras was stronger than she had thought but she was still convinced she had the upper hand, especially because the poison was weakening him.

She noticed that Varimathras had started to cast another spell. She reacted quickly and cast a spell which forced Varimathras to jump to the side to avoid it. He got angrier than he already was and jumped into the air, landing right in front of Sylvanas.

The undead elf predicted his attack and ducked beneath his claws, kicking him where he probably had not been touched for quite some time. Despite his armour, Varimathras had been hit pretty hard and howled out loudly. Sylvanas didn't hesitate to attack him again, ramming her sword in his stomach. Varimathras went on his knees and gave his best to not collapse in front of her. His head was on the same height as hers, his facial expression reflected nothing but pure pain.

Sylvanas grabbed him by his horns, pulled his head down and brought her knees to his face over and over again until it was nothing more than a bloody mess. She flung him to the ground with the help of dark magic and

put her heel on his throat as soon as he hit the ground. She regarded him with a satisfied smile on her lips.

"Seems I've won, Varimathras. And my price is your death."

Her smile became wider as she noticed the fear in his eyes. He was afraid of dying. "Please, Sylvanas. We can talk about everything. Please spare my life, I beg you. I can be of service to you... I swear it. Please, don't kill me."

His whiny voice made Sylvanas enjoy this even more. She enjoyed seeing the beaten dreadlord begging for his life after he had mocked and insulted her. He had bragged about his power and underestimated her. He had called her a fool but in fact, he was the fool. Sylvanas had remained calm and not underestimated Varimathras. She had watched his every move and avoided his attacks. She had taught him a lesson and proved that she was much stronger than him.

"No mocking words? No insults? What's wrong Varimathras? Does your laughter stick in your throat?"

"I underestimated you. I'm sorry for everything I said to you. I didn't mean it that way. I'm so sorry. Please, spare me. I will serve you and help you to find Detheroc and Balnazzar. I will make sure they serve you too. Promised," he pleaded.

An amused smile appeared on the Dark Lady's lips. "You would sell your brethren out just to save your own skin. You act like a coward." She paused for a moment. "I'm listening. Go ahead and tell me why I should spare you."

"I know what my brothers' plans are. I know where their forces are based. Just let me serve you and I'll help you defeat them."

Sylvanas thought about his offer, giving him an answer as soon as she had made a decision. "All right, Varimathras. I'll let you prove your loyalty to me. But be warned... I'm keeping you on a short leash. If you ever dare to betray me or withhold information from me, I will not hesitate to kill you. Is that clear?"

"It is. I won't disappoint you, Milady. I promise."

"I hope that for you. Now get up and tell me everything you know about your brothers and their plans."

---

Maiev let her gaze wander over the buildings of the base to the faerie dragons that flew through the air. These tiny peaceful creatures were minding their own business and didn't allow themselves to get distracted by the humanoid creatures on the ground. They flew from tree to tree and even communicated with the living trees which didn't mind their presence. Some faerie dragons lived in their crowns while others lived elsewhere.

Maiev continued to regard these beautiful creatures and only averted her gaze when she heard the loud footsteps of an animal with four legs. She turned around, spotting a stag with white fur and a huge set of antlers on which a familiar night elf was sitting.

The night elf also had a set of antlers on his head but it was not as huge as the stag's. He had a long green beard that reached to his waist and purple skin. His muscular upper body was exposed and decorated with blue tattoos. His lower body was covered by clothing made out of fur and leather. His shoeslooked like bear paws, which had three sharp claws. He carried a thick wooden wand his right hand, his other held the stag's reins.

Maiev noticed the worried look on Malfurion's face. She was wondering if he already knew what had happened to his wife. She assumed that he couldn't know it but she had no idea what else might concern the mighty druid. Something must have happened, otherwise, he wouldn't have a worried expression on his face.

"Maiev. We've got to move quickly. Illidan is weaving a spell that is splitting apart the roof of the world. We must...," he stopped suddenly as he noticed the absence of a certain person. A certain person who meant a lot to him. His beloved wife was missing. He let his gaze wander, checking every corner of the base. She was not there. A frown appeared on his forehead. "Where is Tyrande?" he asked and looked back at the warden who was shifting uncomfortably.

He didn't need to see her face to know that she knew something. She knew something of great importance, he was sure of that. He wanted to know what she knew but he didn't push her and just waited until she would tell him herself what she knew. He got more worried than he already was as he heard a sad sigh escaping her lips.

"I am sorry, Shan'do," she began, stepping closer to him. She put a hand on his left upper thigh and gave him a sad look. "Tyrande has fallen... We aided a band of Alliance warriors against the undead. She fought valiantly but I saw her torn apart with my own eyes..."

Malfurion's facial features derailed, a shocked expression appeared on his face. "Torn apart?" he cried out.

Another sad sigh escaped the warden's lips. "I was unable to save her. I'm sorry, Shan'do."

"Tyrande...My heart... I should have been there," he muttered and lowered his gaze, sadness was reflected by his eyes. He was grieving for the love of his life. Maiev patted his upper thigh softly. "You can still avenge her, Shan'do. Let us attack Illidan together. HE is the reason we even come to this forsaken place. HE is the reason for your loss."

Malfurion lifted his head and stared into Maiev's green eyes, noticing determination in them. Maiev turned her head and gave someone a signal. Malfurion's gaze followed hers and landed on three persons that were coming closer. The three sin'dorei stopped next to Maiev and lowered their heads in respect.

Maiev pointed at the blood elf in the middle. "Shan'do, this is King Kael'thas Sunstrider, the ally I spoke of." She pointed at the male ranger to Kael'thas' left and then to the female ranger to his right. "These are Ranger-Lieutenant Kelrian Sunsinger and Ranger-Captain Vara Sweetblossom. They are the king's bodyguards."

"Greetings, great druid," said Kael'thas and lowered his head again. "My scouts have confirmed that this Illidan and his vile snakes are based at the ruins of Dalaran. They are using a gem-like artefact to perform some strange ritual."

"They must be using the Eye of Sargeras. But why would they strike at the roof of the world?" Maiev asked and looked at Malfurion, hoping he would have answers.

Malfurion was still deeply dismayed about the news of his wife's death. Normally, he would find out first what Illidan was planning and then do something about it. But his emotions had overwhelmed him and didn't allow him to keep a cool head. He wanted nothing more than to catch Illidan and make sure he would receive his just punishment. He wouldn't let him go unpunished after being responsible for Tyrande's death.

"It doesn't matter why he wants to do that. The naga won't live long enough to finish their spell. Illidan must be stopped once and for all. He must answer for his crimes."

"We are ready when you are, archdruid," said Kael'thas. Malfurion looked at Maiev. "Mobilize your forces, we will attack as soon as we can."

Maiev nodded. "As you wish, Shan'do."

---

Nothing but ruins were left of the once glorious city of mages. Dalaran had been beautiful once. Thousands of inhabitants had lived there and thousands of creatures had travelled to the city every day. It had been known for its powerful mages that had been trained there from a young age. Most of the strongest mages of Azeroth had often come to the city to train or learn new spells. Dalaran had always been a meeting point for mages who wanted to share their knowledge with others or just wanted to train and become stronger.

Most of the buildings, that had been made out of marble, were heavily damaged or had been destroyed. There were a few which were still in good condition, while only the outlines of some other buildings existed. Most buildings were no longer habitable. The city was nothing more than a mere shadow of its former self.

Arthas Menethil and his undead army had stormed it to get the Book of Medivh. He had succeeded and slaughtered everyone who hadn't managed to escape. Even Archmage Antonidas, the leader of the Council of the Six, hadn't been able to survive the assault. He had given his best but he hadn't been strong enough to defeat Arthas. At least, the death knight hadn't raised him. In the end, the city had been left in ruins by the eredar Archimonde who had destroyed most of it in mere seconds with a powerful spell.

There were areas occupied by the Scourge but there were also areas occupied by the naga. Velsana had told Kelrian that these serpents had once been night elves who had changed when their traitor queen Azshara had made a pact with an old god. These creatures had no similarities to the night elves. They might be as tall as them but their entire bodies were covered by scales. The males had huge jaws and sharp teeth,their heads looked like the heads of sea monsters while the heads of the females looked more humanoid. At least their faces.

The females were mostly spellcasters or archers while the males carried tridents, spears or other melee weapons in their hands. They were more suited for close combat while the females prefer to stay far away from their enemies and bombard them with arrows and spells. They used chain lightning, frost spells and also water spells. The naga were pretty deadly, so were the undead.

Six night elves, three blood elves and two humans had already fallen. But they didn't die in vain. Dozens of undead and naga had been killed since Malfurion, Maiev, Kael'thas and their men had entered the remains of the once glorious city.

They had gotten far in the past hours. If it was up to them, they would clear the entire city starting with the sewers. But they wouldn't have enough time to do that. It was only a matter of time until the spell would be finished. They had to intervene and stop the naga before it would be too late.

They eventually reached a huge square where dozens of naga were gathered. Spellcasters, melees and brutes, which were at least thirty feet tall, were already awaiting them. Even flying beasts, which looked like twisted versions of manta rays, were flying in swarms through the air. The chimaeras under Malfurion's command took care of them while the ground forces focused the naga spellcasters, known as sirens, first.

The male naga, who were called myrmidons, tried to defend their sisters and buy them as much time as possible but they fell quickly. Malfurion had lots of archers and spellcasters by his side who dealt with the naga from afar. A few druids transformed into bears and joined their comrades.

Malfurion had summoned dozens of treants who mostly served as cannon fodder and protected the living creatures by blocking spells for them. It hurt Malfurion to see the walking trees die but it was okay for them. The treants had no problem giving their lives to protect any of Malfurion's comrades.

Malfurion summoned more treants and even rooted naga with thorn tendrils. He let moonfire rain down on the naga, healed wounded soldiers and even transformed into a bear whenever a group of enemies came too close to him. A precise hit with one of his massive paws was enough to end the life of one of these serpents. His sharp teeth were even worse. They pierced the flaky skin of the naga with ease.

Maiev used her umbra crescent to behead the naga or cut off their arms. Even though she wore thick armour, she was very fast and avoided most spells and attacks. She had been hit a few times but her armour had protected her. It was enchanted and the priestesses of Elune had put several blessings on her to protect her from their former race members.

Kael'thas and Kelrian used arcane and frost techniques, knowing that they were more effective against the Naga than their fire techniques. They froze the hands of the sirens and sea witches, making them unable to cast spells that way. They also cast shock waves to knock myrmidons away and let ice splinters rain down on groups of naga. They had to consume more arcane power stored in objects than they had expected but they managed to kill lots of these vile creatures.

More and more naga died and the group came closer and closer to the area where four tall sirens were feeding their power to a huge object in which several green glowing runes were engraved in it. A fel green visible aura was radiated by it. Malfurion identified it as a cursed object that did no good. The Eye of Sargeras.

Kelrian could sense the immense amount of energy stored in the gem-like object. The energy would sustain him for a few weeks, maybe even a month or two. He wished he could have it but he knew the energy wouldn't do him any good. He expected the corrupted energy to cause bad side effects which might last forever. The risk was too high.

Malfurion's men dispatched the last defending naga, so only the four spellcasters around the Eye of Sargeras were left. They didn't stop casting their spell even though the night elves and the members of the Alliance resistance were coming closer. Malfurion raised his hand suddenly and signalized the others to stop. They obeyed him and looked at him, wondering why he had given the order.

A loud and angry scream and the quick and heavy beats of massive wings could be heard. The ground trembled as a powerful creature landed not far away from the mysterious object. The creature was seven feet and two inches tall, its upper body was pretty muscular and its purple skin was covered by green glowing tattoos. Massive wings came out of the creature's back and curved horns came out of its forehead.

The creature wore a blindfold but its green glowing eyes shone through long hair was black and tied together on top of its head. The creature had hooves instead of feet and carried a pair of fel green warglaives. The Twin Blades of Azzinoth.

The creature was no other than Illidan Stormrage. The former night elf, who had become a demon when he had consumed the powers of the Skull of Gul'dan, regarded the newcomers angrily. He might be blind but due to his spectral vision, he was still able to see everyone.

"What are you doing here, brother," Illidan hissed and came a bit closer.

"We are here to stop you, Illidan," responded Malfurion. His face reflected determination.

"Stop me? From what? You have no idea what I am doing."

"You are tearing the roof of the world apart. I can't allow that."

"I'm doing this for the greater good, brother."

Malfurion's eyes narrowed. "I doubt that and I don't care about your selfish reasons. I don't want to hear any explanation from you, Illidan. You do nothing but telling lies to us to buy time for your wicked servants. It's time to put an end to this, brother."

Illidan gritted his teeth. "So be it, brother. Come face me if you are brave enough."

"Destroy the Eye while I keep him busy," shouted the druid.

An angry scream escaped the demon's lips as he charged forward but he didn't get very far. Thick tendrils came out of the ground and were wrapped around Illidan's body, keeping him in place. The demon struggled hard but he didn't manage to get free. The more tendrils he cut, the more came out of the ground. But these Tendrils were not only holding him in place. They were also stealing portions of his power, making him weaker over time.

"What is this foul magic?" Illidan roared out.

Malfurion chuckled. "Foul magic? That's the nature's wrath, Illidan. Nature is pretty angry at you for all the crimes you've committed. And today you will pay for everything."

"You have no idea about the consequences of your actions, brother. I'm doing this for the safety of Azeroth."

"Stop lying to me, Illidan. How can you guarantee the safety of Azeroth if you blow up a part of it? I'm sick of listening to your lies," Malfurion replied and cast a spell. One of the tendrils that were wrapped around Illidan's left arm grew and became longer. It was wrapped around the demon's mouth, gagging him. Illidan was unable to speak or move. He was defenceless.

Malfurion's gaze rested on his traitorous brother for a few moments before it shifted to his allies. Maiev, Kael'thas and Kelrian had reached the Eye of Sargeras and were currently fighting the naga that had stopped working on the spell to defend themselves. Two of the four naga had already been killed.

The hands of the third were frozen by Kelrian, she was hit in the chest by an arcane blast cast by Kael'thas and at last she was beheaded by Maiev who had shown little mercy to these vile snakes since they had arrived in Dalaran. Night elves, blood elves and humans kept the last naga busy while Kelrian and Kael'thas combined their power to destroy it. It took some time for them but eventually, the gem started to crack.

Waves of corrupted energies were set free as it exploded. Kelrian and Kael'thas had started running when the first crack had appeared but they were still unable to bring themselves out of the explosion range. A wave of corrupted energy hit them and threw them away. They landed hard on the ground but they were still conscious. Velsana and Vissia helped them up and two healers examined them quickly, finding out that they were fine.

Malfurion's gaze fell back on his brother, noticing that he had managed to get rid of his gag somehow. But he didn't say anything. He just stared at the spot where the gem-like object had been, disbelief was reflected by his face.

"It is over, brother. Your vile schemes end here."

Illidan didn't say anything in response. He just stared at the remains of the Eye of Sargeras.

Maiev took the floor. "Illidan Stormrage, for recklessly endangering countless lives and threatening the very balance of the world, I hereby sentence you to death."

Malfurion gave her an agreeing nod. "Too much blood has been spilled on your account, Illidan. Even now I can feel the lands of Northrend reeling from the spell you cast. Imprisonment will not be enough this time."

A satisfied smile appeared on Maiev's lips, anticipation was reflected by her face. She had waited so long for this moment. Ten thousand years. "I will execute him myself," she said and walked towards him.

Illidan gritted his teeth. "Fools," he hissed. "I can't believe that you are so blind. You have no idea what I could have accomplished if you wouldn't have destroyed The Eye. The spell we channelled was meant to strike at the undead. Our common enemy. My mission was to destroy the Lich King's stronghold of Icecrown. As I said, I was doing this for the greater good."

Malfurion was still not listening to his brother. The grief and the anger he felt, caused by the loss of Tyrande, made him unable to think clearly like a reasonable, intelligent living being. "At no heed to the cost?" the druid shouted angrily. "Because of you, Tyrande is dead."

Illidan's facial features derailed. The anger vanished and was replaced by disbelief and sadness. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Like his brother, he was dismayed by the bad news.

Kael'thas cleared his throat, catching everyone's attention. "Your pardon, Lord Stormrage, but the priestess may still be alive. She was swept downriver, but it's premature to simply assume that..."

"Silence, Kael," shouted Maiev angrily. Anger and fury were reflected by her eyes and her facial expression.

Malfurion turned to the warden, a mix of confusion and anger was reflected by his face. "You told me she was torn apart... You lied to me."

Maiev's voice sounded less angry and much softer now. She was hoping she could calm down the angry archdruid that way. "The Betrayer's capture was our primary concern, Shan'do. I needed your help. I knew you would go to her and we would lose our chance to capture Illidan. I..."

Malfurion interrupted her, disappointment and anger were reflected by his face. "Who is the betrayer now, warden?" He paused and allowed her to reflect on her actions. "I must go to her immediately."

Illidan looked at his brother. It was clearly visible that he wanted to apologize to him. "Believe me, brother. Despite all our differences, you know that I would never lead Tyrande to harm. Let me help you. My naga can scour the river for us. Let me do this, at least," he pleaded.

Malfurion closed his eyes as he thought about everything. Minutes had passed as he opened them again and looked back at his brother who regarded him curiously. He let his gaze wander, looking at Kael'thas and Kelrian who were also looking at him. It seemed that they were not on Maiev's side. Malfurion looked at Velsana, Vissia and all the other night elves who followed him. Some of them mistrusted Maiev while some still mistrusted Illidan. Velsana was one of those who didn't trust either of them.

Malfurion's gaze rested on his people for a few moments before he looked back at the man, he had known for over ten thousand years. "Very well, Illidan. I advise you not to disappoint me again. I still don't trust you, so do most of those who follow me. Don't do anything stupid."

Maiev was the only one whose facial expression told Malfurion that she couldn't understand his decision. "What?" Irritation and anger were reflected by her voice. "After all he has done, you would trust this traitor to..."

The tendrils around Illidan were pulled back in the earth, meaning he was free again. Instead of him, Maiev was rooted in place and unable to get free. The grip of the tendrils around her body was too strong.

"Silence. I will deal with you later." His gaze fell on Illidan. "Let's go, brother."

Exadius regarded the scene from afar, a grim look could be seen on his face. His gaze rested on the night elves as long as they were in Dalaran. When they left the ruins, he let an object appear out of nowhere. It was a transparent glass globe which was taller than his head. He murmured a few phrases in eredun and the glass globe started to glow, the glowing faded and the image of Alyssa Felspeaker was projected by it.

"What is it?" she asked. "Did Illidan succeed?"

"No. He didn't."

"That's unfortunate," replied the former night elf, disappointment was reflected by her voice.

"What shall we do now, mistress?"

"Let me think."

"Shall I kill him? Punish him for his failure? Shall I..."

"I said let me think," Alyssa shouted angrily.

Exadius muttered an apologize, lowering his head to show his mistress how sorry he was.

"I will inform Lord Kil'jaeden first and ask him what he wants to do with the betrayer. I will inform you as soon as I received new orders. Until then, follow and observe them. Don't forget about your mission, Exadius. I want her dead."

"Don't worry, mistress. I won't fail you. I'm not as stupid as Varimathras and Mal'Ganis who underestimated their enemies."

"I hope that for you, my dear. Now go and fulfil your mission."

The reflection of Alyssa disappeared and the glass globe became transparent again. Exadius let it disappear and stretched out his wings, rising in the air. His eyes found the night elves who had left Dalaran in search of the High Priestess of Elune. He followed them at a certain distance because he did not want them to notice him. As expected, no one noticed him. They brought him to closer and closer to his target. Soon he will find the creature his mistress had ordered him to kill.

Tyrande Whisperwind.