Chapter 46: The Next Step

Sylvanas regarded the beautiful sun in the sky. In life, she had loved to regard it while feeling its warm embrace at the same time. She had loved to bathe in the sun and tan her skin. She had loved to go to the beach and take a sunbath or even swim in the ocean. She had loved to do all these things but she was no longer able to do them.

Since she had become undead, the sun hurt her if it shone on her for too long. The sun weakened her and gave her heavy headaches. She could only remain in the sun for a limited amount of time. With the help of spells, she could stay longer in the sun but still not for too long. She preferred dark places where no sunlight came in. Dark places like Undercity.

She missed Undercity and missed her people. She didn't like to let Varimathras alone in Undercity for too long. She knew she could trust him because he had proved his loyalty to her by killing his older brother. Nevertheless, she didn't like the idea of Varimathras ruling Undercity in her absence for too long. Sylvanas rarely left Undercity. She only left it for important meetings with the Alliance. Usually, she returned to Undercity at the end of each meeting but this time it was different.

This time she had decided to stay longer in Silvermoon. Not only because the other leaders of the Alliance decided to stay for a few more days to discuss more matters but also because a certain man had returned. She didn't want to leave him so soon now that she finally got him back. Their relationship was still not the same as it had once been but she had high hopes that they would become an item once again. Just like the good old times.

Both of them had changed in the past years. She was undead and he wasn't but he had changed too. Not only did he look different, but his character had also changed. In him, she recognized many characteristics of the man she had fallen in love was still brave, friendly, helpful and much had not changed for the worse. He was more self-confident and more determined to achieve his goals.

She had heard what fel magic could do to people. It could change them from good to bad or enhance their characteristics. It could also drive them insane as it had happened with Kael'thas Sunstrider. Fel magic was powerful and destructive but also very dangerous. Often, it damaged the mind of the user and changed them forever.

She was glad that it didn't affect Kelrian the same way it affected his father. He was not insane nor did he become a bad person. He was still the man she had fallen in love with. He was stronger and more self-confident than ever. He didn't seem like a man who would be too reserved. She had the impression he wouldn't shrink back from speaking out his opinion about anything as long as he wouldn't bring himself in a difficult situation.

Sylvanas was looking forward to finding out what was going on between them. Three days had passed since she had visited him and spoke privately to him. Three days in which she had spoken to him, but every time she had not been alone with him. The other leaders of the Alliance had been around them, so she had not been able to express her feelings to him. She had not been able to signalize him how important he was to her. She had not had any physical contact with him.

Their hands had accidentally touched when they had been standing next to each other but other than that, they hadn't had any physical contact. Her body desired physical contact. She had wanted to touch him and she had wanted him to kiss her again. Not only on the forehead or the cheeks but also on the mouth. But they had not been able to do that. All they had done had been exchanging looks and smiles. At least she knew he felt the same way as her. She had seen it in his eye that he had wanted to be near her and touch her.

Sylvanas was certain she still loved him but she had no idea if he still loved her. He had not said the L word yet nor had she. She was wondering when he would say it. If he would ever say it to her. She was wondering what he was thinking about her. She wanted to know what she was for him. She was certain that he felt something for her. He wouldn't have looked at her like that if he wouldn't feel anything for her. She could only hope that her assumption was true. She hoped that she was not just imagining that he had feelings for her.

Sylvanas was still lost in thoughts and regarded the sun and the beautiful weather outside as a person entered the room. The person didn't hesitate to walk over to her. Normally, she would have heard them as soon as the door would have been opened but because she was lost in thoughts, she didn't notice them approaching her.

Only when the person stepped to her and put their hands on her unprotected hips, she was brought out of her thoughts. Sylvanas startled as she felt warm hands on her cold skin. Someone was pressing their body against her back and leaning their head on her bare shoulder. She wore a lighter, traditional version of her usual outfit. She only wore it when she went to a meeting.

Her belly was mostly covered by armour, only the area between the navel and the waistband of her leggings was not covered. The scar left by Frostmourne was not visible. She wore no shoulder plates. The outfit also had a cape and a hood just like all of her outfits. The hood had already been pulled down by the person.

Sylvanas didn't need to turn her head to know who was standing right behind her. His scent was familiar. The sounds he made when breathing and exhaling were also familiar to her. It was no other than Kelrian who hugged her from behind, his hands caressed her hips softly. "Hello, my dear," he whispered into her ear.

Sylvanas pressed her body against his, tilting her head back. "I'm glad you are here."

Kelrian put a kiss behind her left ear. "I missed you," he whispered into her ear, making Sylvanas' skin tingle in excitement.

He kissed her ear again and she allowed it. Of course she allowed it. She had no reason to push him away. A voice in her head told her that it was too soon. Another voice in her head told her to not listen to that voice. It felt right to her to allow him to hug her and press his body against hers. She wanted nothing more than being as close as possible to him. She enjoyed the close body contact with him. She enjoyed his presence.

"The past three days had been pure torture. No torture is worse than this... Being around each other but not being able to touch each other because the others were watching us..."

Kelrian remembered the torture Garithos had put him through. The pain he had caused him was nothing compared to the pain he had felt in his heart when he had not been able to be close to her. Sylvanas was right. No torture was worse than this.

He wondered what had happened to Garithos. He had not heard of him since he went to Outland with his father. He doubted that the racist was still alive. Either the Scourge got him or someone else got rid of him. No matter what had happened to him, Kelrian was sure he deserved it. That racist deserved to die in the slowest and most painful way possible. After everything he had put him and his people through, Kelrian hoped that the grand marshal's death had been slow and violent.

"I agree," Kelrian said quietly and moved one of his hands, putting it on her belly.

Sylvanas smiled at him but said nothing in return. She closed her eyes and enjoyed his warm and gentle touch. He kissed her neck, then her jawline and at last her left cheek and her left ear. Sylvanas' lips were slightly parted, her skin tingled in excitement. It felt good to be touched again by the man she loved more than anyone else. She had missed his touch so badly. She had missed him so much.

She had believed for four years that he had died. She had believed that she would never see him again. She had believed that she would never be touched by him again. She had believed no one would ever touch her again. She had thought she would remain alone forever.

Fortunately for her, she had been wrong. Kelrian was still alive and he touched her even though she was undead and he was still alive. She couldn't express in words how happy she was that Kelrian was not gone forever. She had lost so much because of Arthas but at least she didn't lose him. She had feared he would regard her as a monster and stay away from her. She had feared he would reject her and fall in love with another woman.

She was more than just glad that this had not been the case. He was neither afraid of her nor did he want to stay away from her. He wanted to be close to her. As close as possible. He wanted to touch her and kiss her. He had missed her so badly. He knew she no longer was the same woman he had fallen in love with. He knew she had changed but he didn't mind that.

He had changed as well. He no longer was the same man he had been before the invasion. The tragic events of the past, the fel and the demon blood had changed him. They had made a different man of him. A stronger, more confident man who would do anything to kill Arthas and destroy the Scourge.

Sylvanas' lips parted a little, a low moan escaped her lips as Kelrian started to bite her neck, knowing that he will leave marks. Sylvanas' eyes remained closed as Kelrian put kisses on her neck. She knew that others might see them but she didn't care. The marks wouldn't be visible before the upcoming meeting will end. Even if they would be visible, she had ways to cover them. Magic was the easiest way.

Kelrian didn't stop to kiss her, letting his right hand wander. It reached the waistband of her leggings. His left hand pulled on the waistband so that his right hand could sneak beneath it. As Kelrian had expected, Sylvanas wore panties. He stroked over the soft silk, running the tips of his finger over her southern lips. He was rubbing her through her panties, causing a quiet moan to escape her lips. Sylvanas' eyes remained shut, her head was tilted back and rested on Kelrian's muscular chest.

Another quiet moan escaped her lips as Kelrian pressed his thumb on her clit. He stimulated her a little and then sneaked his hand beneath her panties, caressing her wet folds with his fingers. Her moans became louder and more frequent, signalizing Kelrian that she really enjoyed what he was doing.

Kelrian knew how to use his fingers to make her feel good. If she would have been alive, her breaths would have become louder and faster. But she no longer needed to breathe so the only way to find out if he was doing things right was to listen to her moans. The better he made her feel, the louder her moans became. Sylvanas' moans were louder than before but not loud enough for his liking. He was sure he wouldn't have the time to make her moan as loud as he wanted but he could try it at least.

He continued to rub her slit and press his thumb on her clit, kissing the other side of her neck. He parted her vaginal lips and inserted one of his fingers in her cunt, feeling her walls tightening around it. She was so tight that he could barely move his finger at the beginning but the longer his finger was inside her, the loosener her inner walls became.

He was able to insert a second finger, moving both fingers slowly. Sylvanas' moans became louder and more frequent the longer he did that. He even added a third finger after a while, noticing that Sylvanas rocked her hips against his hand. She was really enjoying what he was doing and she didn't want him to stop. She knew they didn't have much time, so she was hoping he would manage to make her come in the short amount of time they had.

His fingers were larger than she remembered. He was larger than the last time she had seen him, his fingers were longer and thicker. She was wondering how large his manhood had become. It had been pretty large before the fel made him stronger and taller, so she was wondering how much larger it was.

His entire body had grown in size so it only made sense that his manhood had grown too. Sylvanas was looking forward to finding it out first hand. She was looking forward to feeling it inside her but she knew they wouldn't have the time to do that at this moment because the meeting would start soon. She was sure they will have the chance to have sex sooner or later. She just had to be patient.

His fingers reached deep inside her but not deep enough to hit her g-spot. Nevertheless, Kelrian made her feel good and made her reach her climax faster than expected. She cried out his name as she came, her entire body trembled and her legs gave away but Kelrian held her tightly and prevented her from falling to the ground. His arm was wrapped around her waist, his fingers were still inside her as she rode out her orgasm.

Her body stopped trembling eventually but Sylvanas didn't move for a few minutes. She enjoyed the pleasant silence and their close body contact. She opened her eyes eventually and tilted her head, looking at Kelrian who was looking down at her, a smile could be seen on his lips. Sylvanas returned his smile and stared into his eyes for a while.

Sylvanas' cum stuck on his fingers as he pulled them out. He brought them to Sylvanas' lips who parted them and allowed him to put his fingers in her mouth. It was weird for her to taste herself but she cleaned them nevertheless. She pulled away from Kelrian once she was done. She turned around and faced him, staring into his eyes. Kelrian returned her gaze and walked towards her. She took a step back for each step he made until her back hit a wall.

He stopped in front of her andput his hands near her head. He looked down at her, a happy smile could be seen on his lips. Sylvanas returned the smile. Nothing but love could be seen in their eyes as they stared at each other. They still loved each other but they hadn't admitted that to the other yet.

Kelrian put his gloved hand beneath her chin, lifted it a little before he leaned in. He was about to kiss her as they heard loud knocks at the door. He noticed the annoyed look on Sylvanas' face. She rolled her eyes and turned her head, looking at the door.

"Lady Sylvanas? Are you there?" Verena asked.

"What is it?" Sylvanas shouted. Anger was clearly hearable in her voice.

"The meeting will begin soon."

Sylvanas sighed. "Tell them that I will come soon."

"As you wish, milady."

Sylvanas waited for a few moments and then looked at Kelrian who was still pinning her against the wall. "We should go," he said quietly.

"There is something I want to do before we go."

Kelrian raised an eyebrow. "What is it?" he asked curiously.

Sylvanas didn't respond to him. Instead, she stepped on her tiptoes and sealed her lips on his, closing her eyes. Kelrian returned the kiss without hesitation, putting a hand on the back of her head as he deepened the kiss. Her cold lips on his lips felt weird at first but he got used to them quickly.

He felt Sylvanas biting his bottom lip. She begged him for entrance and he didn't hesitate to part his lips, allowing her tongue to enter his mouth. Her cold tongue felt strange in his mouth. Strange but good. He inserted his own tongue in her cold mouth, exploring it slowly.

The longer the kiss endured, the more he got used to everything and the more he enjoyed it. They held the kiss as long as Kelrian could hold his breath, which was much longer than Sylvanas had expected. They pulled away eventually, staring at each other. Kelrian took deep breaths, waiting until he had inhaled enough air. "That was a pretty awesome kiss."

Sylvanas gave him an agreeing nod. "The first we shared since the tragic events of the past. The first kiss I've had in five years."

"We should do that more often."

Sylvanas chuckled. "Yes, we should."

They stared at each other until Sylvanas cleared her throat. "We should go. The others are waiting for us."

Kelrian conjured a bucket of water and washed his right hand, then he covered the right half of his face with his hair. "I'm ready," he said once he was done. Sylvanas walked to the door and opened it, allowing Kelrian to leave the guest room. She left the room too and closed the door behind her.

They followed the course of the corridor, coming to the conference room. Alleria, Vereesa, Rhonin, Verena and Lady Liadrin were already in the room and stood around a table on which several maps and drawings were spread. Kelrian and Sylvanas greeted them and were greeted in return. Kelrian and Sylvanas looked at the table, noticing that there was a detailed drawing of Deatholme. "Where did you get this?" asked Sylvanas and pointed at the drawing.

"The person Kelrian smuggled into the base sent us this and a document that lists the exact number of Scourge minions in Deatholme. Dar'Khan Drathir confirmed these numbers too."

"You managed to make him speak?" Sylvanas asked surprised.

Lady Liadrin nodded. "He couldn't bear the holy light any longer so he finally began to speak after days."

"What did you do with him after you got all the information we needed?"

"We let him live in case he has more information he wants to tell us," explained the matriarch of the blood knights."

"I hope you will kill him as soon as he told you everything he knows," said Kelrian.

Lady Liadrin gave her cousin a nod. "Of course we will. He might help us but we have still not forgotten what he did. He was the one who handed Arthas the keys to deactivate the barrier that protected our lands. He is responsible for the deaths of nine hundred thousand high elves. He will die. We may have promised him a quick death if he helps us but... I'm not sure yet if we should do him this favour. He deserves to suffer."

"I agree on that," said Sylvanas. "He deserves to suffer for his crimes. Make his death as painful as possible."

"I will consider that."

"In the end, it's my decision what happens to the prisoner," said Alleria. "But I get your point, sister. Torturing someone and making someone's death slow and painful is a no go but I think we can make an exception in Dar'Khan's case. He deserves to suffer for all the lives he has destroyed with his betrayal."

Sylvanas gave her older sister an appreciating nod, then she looked at the drawing of Deatholme. "Do you have a plan already?"

"Not yet but we are on it," responded Vereesa.

Kelrian took a closer look at the drawing. "It seems that the only way to enter the fortress is the main gate. It's very likely that the gate is heavily guarded by undead creatures. It won't be easy to enter the base that way. Fortunately, we have someone inside the base who could station some of these creatures elsewhere. Zenon can also make a portal inside the main building to a certain location. We could step through that portal and invade the base while our main army comes through the main entrance."

"I like your idea," said Rhonin. "We just have to take care of the flying creatures."

"Maybe Zenon could send some of them away. We just have to make sure that the orders Zenon will give are not too suspicious We can't risk blowing up his cover. Dar'Khan might be in charge of the base but I doubt he is allowed to send most of his troops away. It would be so much easier to take Deatholme if he could do that," said Kelrian.

Rhonin sighed. "That would be too easy. Too easy to be true."

"It would be great if Zenon could send some gargoyles and flying nerubians away. That way, the mages and archers have better chances against those flying creatures who remain. We are lucky that no frostwyrms are stationed there," replied Verena.

"Zenon could send out a few dozen gargoyles to scout some areas a few hours before we attack Deatholme. He could tell Dar'Khan's superior that this is necessary to plan the attack on Quel'Thalas. That way, Zenon might keep his cover and Dar'Khan's superior wouldn't wreck our plans by ordering the flying creatures to stay or do something else. These creatures are the biggest threat to our spellcasters and rangers. With dozens of them gone, our ranged men will have more freedom," told Kelrian.

"That's a good idea," praised Sylvanas.

"I agree," said Alleria.

"Now we have to discuss who will lead the attack on the main gate and who will teleport inside the main building," Rhonin said.

Kelrian's gaze fell on him. "I will go inside the base. Danara, Xertus and Xatorious will go with me."

"I will go with him too," announced Sylvanas.

Alleria gave her sister a small smile. "I expected that. I wish I could lead the attack on the main gate but I have to help the humans planning attacks on a few Scourge bases in the Eastern Plaguelands."

Sylvanas looked at her older sister. "Who will lead the attack then?" Her gaze fell on Lady Liadrin and Vereesa. "One of you?"

"We will lead it together," they said in unison. Rhonin put his arm around his wife. "I will come with them."

"When will we attack?" asked Kelrian.

"As soon as we receive the confirmation from Zenon that he can send away dozens of gargoyles and nerubian flyers," replied Alleria.

"So we meet again in a few days?" Kelrian asked.

"We will. It's best if you write the letter."

Kelrian nodded. "I will make it look like a message written by a member of the Scourge. A Forsaken should dress as a Scourge minion and deliver the message."

Sylvanas gave him a nod. "I will find someone who will go to the Scourge base and hand the message to Zenon."

"Is there anything else we have to discuss?" Kelrian asked.

Alleria looked at Rhonin who shook his head, then she looked at Kelrian. "I don't think so."

"Can we go then?" he asked.

Alleria nodded.

A smile appeared on Kelrian's lips. "Have a nice day," he said and turned to the door.

"You too," the others said. Kelrian looked at Sylvanas who gave him a small smile and pointed at the door. Kelrian walked over to it, opened it and allowed her to leave the conference room, then he followed her and closed the door behind him.