Chapter 74: Stormrage

*I'll always stand by your side, Illidan. No matter what will happen, I'll help you with your campaign against the Legion. You can count on me, Illidan. Always.*

Illidan clutched the skull in his fist so tightly that it burst into hundreds of little pieces. Demonic energy was radiated and immediately absorbed by his body without him having to do anything. The energy made him feel better but it didn't change his mood. He was still pissed, still mad because of the recent events. The memories that had just come back to his mind didn't make things better.

His influence over Outland was becoming weaker with each passing day, his forces mostly suffered defeats. He had thought that things would get better after Kael'thas' defeat, but it was the opposite. He might no longer have two enemies he had to take care of, but neither did the Alliance that could fully focus on him. They no longer had to split up their forces, they could send all men they could spare to Shadowmoon Valley to fight his forces.

The Illidari had suffered more and more losses over the past weeks and the skirmishes didn't stop. The Alliance even managed to rescue Akama, Illidan's most valuable prisoner. It was only a matter of time until the Alliance would come for him. They would have to come through the main entrance and Illidan was not sure if his forces could stop them.

There was not much he could do to prevent the upcoming battle. Surrendering was not an option and pledging his loyalty to Kil'jaeden again was not an option either. It was his destiny to stop the Burning Legion but he wouldn't be able to do that if the Alliance would defeat him. He wished he could show the leaders of the Alliance what he had seen and convince them that his way was the only way. But no one would understand that what he was doing was necessary. No one would understand him. Not even Tyrande.

Illidan clenched his fist again and bit his bottom lip hard as the name of the love of his life came back to his mind. The wounds of her betrayal had still not healed, even though more than seven years had passed. After all these years he still couldn't believe that Tyrande had left him although she had made him a promise. She had promised to stay with him no matter where his path would lead.

She hadn't kept that promise.

He had thought her to be different from all the others who had pledged their loyalty to him and then later abandoned him. Those who had made false promises and betrayed him. He had thought that of all people, Tyrande would be the one who would understand him best. He had been so wrong about her in that matter.

Most of his former allies were either dead or had betrayed him. Tyrande, his brother and their adoptive daughter were against him, Kael'thas had been defeated and imprisoned in Dalaran, Kelrian worked with the naaru, Akama had turned against him and Lady Vashj had been defeated too. He had no proof that the naga was dead but he hadn't heard of her for a while so he assumed the worst. Most of his former allies were gone.

Only his Illidari were left. They followed him blindly without asking questions. Their loyalty was true and they trusted him with their lives. He would not fail them and fulfil his mission. He just wished that the Alliance would finally understand what he was doing was necessary to defeat the Burning Legion. If only they would realize that he was neither evil nor their enemy. He would do anything necessary to defeat the Legion.

Anything.

Illidan stared out of the window. He was blind, so he couldn't see the creatures on the horizon. Nevertheless, he was aware that they were there. He could feel them even from so far away. He had no idea how many were coming but he was certain that the army was huge. The upcoming battle will be bloody and many creatures will die. He had no idea which side was in favour. He could only hope that he could hold the Black Temple and repel the attackers.

Illidan turned his head, looking at the opposite side of the room as he sensed one of his Illidari near the room's entrance. "What is it, Veras?"

"The forces of the Alliance are coming. They will arrive in three to four days."

"I already know that. Anything else I need to know?"

The blood elf nodded. "You have a visitor."

Illidan raised a brow. "A visitor? Who?"

"She introduced herself as Alyssa Felspeaker."

Illidan's eyes narrowed, he showed his teeth but said nothing.

"Do you know her?" the blood elf asked curiously.

"I do. Where is she?"

"She is waiting on top of the temple."

Illidan snarled. "Fine, I will go to her."

"Is there anything I can do for you, master?" Veras asked.

"Tell our best spies to find out how big the army of the Alliance is. I must know their numbers to plan my defence strategy" Illidan replied with a strict voice.

Veras bowed to his master. "As you wish, Lord Illidan."

Illidan made a gesture with his hand, signalizing Veras that he was dismissed. The rogue didn't hesitate to leave the room as soon as possible, closing the door behind him. Illidan remained in the room for a few minutes but then left it and went to the top of the Black Temple.

He sensed an incredibly powerful aura once he set foot on the platform. The aura was unmistakable and proof enough to confirm Veras' statement. Illidan knew exactly who she was, the green glowing outlines he was able to see was just another proof he didn't need.

He may be able to see the demon's outlines but he was not able to see the wicked smile on her lips that were covered by fel green lipstick. Her fel green eyes regarded him curiously, taking a closer look. They rested on his muscular upper body longer than on the other parts of his body before they returned to his face. Illidan was aware of that but he said nothing about it.

"It has been a long time," Alyssa said and made a few steps forward, reducing the distance between her and Illidan.

Illidan was not in the mood for small talk. He got to the point directly. "What do you want?" His voice was loud and didn't reflect any positive emotions. It was pretty cold and reflected how annoyed he was.

"Is that how you greet an old friend after such a long time?" she asked the half-demon. "You had better manners the last time we met."

Illidan bit his bottom lip softly. "We were never friends, Alyssa. You were my overseer, not my friend. I never trusted you and that will never change. So, tell me what you want and I might spare your worthless life."

Dark laughter escaped Alyssa's lips. "You have not changed at all, Illidan. Not even in the slightest. You are still as arrogant as ever."

"Will you finally get to the point or waste more of my time? As you can see, an army is coming closer to my territory. I have other things to worry about than your prattle."

"Good that you addressed that. I want to address this matter too. In fact, I have a suggestion for you."

"YOU have a suggestion for ME?" Illidan snarled.

The smile on Alyssa's lips didn't vanish. "Well, Kil'jaeden is the one who makes that suggestion. I'm just the middleman. The bringer of his suggestion."

Illidan was silent for a few moments as he thought about her words. He had made bad experiences with Kil'jaeden in the past. He had once served him and gained power from him to defeat Arthas Menethil and stop him from merging with the Lich King. He had failed and Kil'jaeden had punished him for his failure. He had tried to kill the most important person in Illidan's life but he hadn't succeeded. Nevertheless, he had not made things easier for Illidan. Many of his followers had died because of Kil'jaeden's henchmen. Illidan had fought many battles to gain his independence and lost many good soldiers in the process.

He had not forgotten what Kil'jaeden had done and tried to do. He was wondering why the eredar overlord was approaching him once again after all these years. He was wondering why now and not much earlier. He could have sent Alyssa years ago but he didn't. He was sending her now and Illidan was wondering why. He had a suggestion but he didn't speak it out aloud yet. He wanted to hear what she had to say but he had a premotion of what Kil'jaeden could offer him and what he would have to give in return.

"Tell me what Kil'jaeden wants to offer me already and stop wasting any more of my time," Illidan hissed impatiently.

Alyssa chuckled. "Very well. As you already know, the Alliance is coming for you. You must be aware that the upcoming battle is one you will not win, Illidan."

"And how do you know that?" Illidan snarled. "You have no idea what my Illidari and I are capable of. You have no idea how many aces I still have up in my sleeves. You underestimate my power." He turned away from the former night elf and walked towards the left edge of the platform, stopping a few feet away from it.

"You underestimate your enemies, Illidan. They are much stronger than you think. They defeated Kael'thas and now they are coming for you."

"Kael'thas lost because he was weak but I'm not," Illidan shouted angrily.

"The Alliance have the Chosen One, not to mention that their forces have greater numbers than yours."

"Chosen One...I don't believe in this prophecy bullshit. The naaru are nothing more than false gods that think they are better than us. They believe that everything is predestined but that's wrong. Nothing is predestined. We are the ones who make our own destinies. We are the ones who have our fates in hand. Anyone who follows the naaru and their false Chosen is a fool. They are nothing but idols."

"I don't believe in them either," responded Alyssa and came closer to Illidan. "Nevertheless, it's foolish to underestimate Kelrian. He was a powerful mage who was turned into a powerful half-demon before the light changed him. Power runs in his family. Not to mention that the light is the greatest weakness of all demons. I wouldn't take him lightly if I were you."

"You are not wrong but I'm sure I can deal with him."

"Pride always comes before the fall, Illidan."

He turned to her again. "What does your master want me to offer anyway? Power? Wisdom? His forces?"

Alyssa nodded. "Everything you need to defeat the Alliance."

"And what does he want in return?"

"Everything. He wants you to become his servant again, but this time forever. He will even spare your beloved Tyrande and give her to you. That's a generous offer, don't you think?" The tall demon came even closer to him, stopping a few feet away from him. She regarded him curiously, noticing the thoughtful look on his face. He was thinking about her words in silence. Minutes passed in which he said nothing and made not a single sound. But the silence didn't last forever. It ended eventually.

"I cannot accept his offer."

Alyssa was much calmer than Illidan had expected. He had expected her to freak out or at least get mad a little but she didn't. She was very calm, her facial expression didn't change at all. "I understand. What a shame. We could have accomplished great things together. Normally, I would promise my interlocutors more things to convince them but I know you well enough. Once you set your mind, nothing can change it. I mean there is someone who could but I'm not that person and pretending to be her won't help me at all. You are too smart for that."

She turned around and began to walk away, stopping after a few seconds. She looked at him over her shoulder. "In the unlikely case that you change your mind, meet at the top of the Hand of Gul'dan."

Illidan said nothing as she disappeared the next moment. He went to the other side of the platform and headed through the door, nearly colliding with one of his most trustworthyservants. It was a demon hunter with the name Kayn Sunfury. Like him, his exposed torso was covered by green glowing tattoos and huge bent horns came out of his forehead. He also wore a blindfold through which his green glowing blinded eyes could be seen. He was not a full elf but a half-demon like his master.

"Oh...my goodness...Lord Illidan...I'm sorry"

"You are looking for me, aren't you?"

Kayn nodded and handed him a scroll. "A message just arrived."

"Who is the sender?"

"The High Priestess of Elune."

*Tyrande*

Illidan was wondering why his ex-lover would write to him and what she had written. Was she trying to convince him to surrender? Or was the letter about a completely different topic? Was there another purpose behind the scroll?

Illidan was looking forward to finding out what Tyrande wanted from him. He was not scared but a little nervous and he couldn't explain why. It had been a while since the last time he had spoken or written to Tyrande. The last time he had seen her in person had been over sixyears ago. Only a year after he had failed to stop Arthas from reaching the top of Icecrown Citadel.

His loyal followers had told him that Tyrande was not very fond of him these days and that she hated all demons. He had no doubt that she regarded him as a betrayer, just like everyone else.

His fingertips were tingling nervously. He was curious to find out what was written in the scroll. His patience was very thin, so he didn't hesitate to unroll the scroll. Despite his blindness, he was able to figure out what was written in the scroll. Magical symbols were carved in the paper and he was able to feel these symbols. To his surprise, only coordinates had been noted in the thin paper.

Illidan burned the scroll with green rays that came out of his eyes, leaving nothing but ashes behind. He couldn't see the questioning look on the other demon hunter's face but even if he could, he wouldn't care. He walked past Kayn, making his way to the other side of the corridor.

---

The air was abnormally warm, much warmer than in the other areas of Outland. It was very warm by Outland standards, which means it was also much warmer than most areas on Azeroth. Tyrande was not sure if she would be able to bear the temperature in the long run if one of her mages hadn't cast a spell on her and those who were accompanying her. The spell was the only reason why she was able to bear the heat.

She let her gaze wander and took a closer look at her surroundings. She stood in the middle of the ruin of a base that had once been controlled by the Burning Legion. Some of the buildings were still partly intact, lots of stones, wooden planks and other materials were scattered all over the burned ground. This place was by far the most miserable place of Shadowmoon Valley. She hadn't seen a single place worse than that. Topping that would be a real challenge.

It was obvious that no one had been there in the past years, thousands of weapons and armour pieces covered the ground. She spotted bones, innards, the remains of dead demons but also creatures that didn't serve the Legion. A huge battle had happened there and no one knew how many lives it had demanded.

Tyrande could only guess that the Illidari were responsible for the destruction of the Legion base. The marks on the ground spoke for the work of demon hunters. It's not the first time she had seen such marks. The first time she had seen such marks had been almost seven years ago shortly after she had visited Illidan on Outland and joined his cause.

A lot had changed since that time. Tyrande had changed but Illidan and his followers didn't. They still used the corrupted source of power known as fel to fight their enemies, mostly the Burning Legion. Illidan still followed his path of vengeance and did questionable choices to achieve his goals.

He had not changed at all. He would never change, not without help at least. Tyrande hoped she could help him if he would let her. But for that, he had to come first. He was nowhere to be seen and Tyrande was already waiting forhours. If only she would know where he was. She didn't even know if he would really come.

Maybe he had burned her scroll without unrolling and reading it or he read it but he didn't care. She could only hope that he would show up so that she could talk to him. The chances that she would succeed were pretty low but she wanted to try it at least. She wouldn't give up on him so easily.

She was one of the few who hadn't written him off yet. She still believed that there was a good side left in him. She refused to accept that he was completely gone. She could be stubborn if she wanted. Sometimes it was an advantage and sometimes it wasn't. She would soon find out if her stubbornness would pay off this time.

She ran her fingers over the amulet that hung on a necklace around her neck. It was a small light blue moon crystal which was neither expensive nor extremely rare. Nevertheless, it was very important to her for a certain reason. Illidan was the one who gifted it to her ten thousand years ago for her birthday. To her one-hundredth birthday to be exact. She still had it after all this time. It was everything she had left of material at least. There was something else he had left her. Something she was very proud of and very happy to have.

A sad smile could be seen on her lips as she brushed her fingertips over the glowing crystal. She always thought of him when she touched the crystal. She couldn't banish him from her mind, no matter how hard she tried. She will always remember him because he meant a lot to her. He may be her second choice but she had always loved him even though she had been together with his brother for ten thousand years. She had never stopped loving him, not even these days. Her feelings for him still existed after all these years and after everything he had done. She would never give up on him. Never.

The only thing she regretted was that she had abandoned him when he had needed her the most. She should have stayed with him, even after he had begun to use questionable methods to achieve his goals. She should have tried to drag him back on the right path. Lots of lives could have been spared that way. The Alliance could have had another ally who would fight with them against their common enemies. If only she wouldn't have broken her promise. Things would have turned out differently if she would have stayed by his side. On the other hand, it also could have been possible that Illidan could have influenced her badly. For example, convincing her to drink demon blood or worse.

Tyrande stopped thinking about the many possibilities when she realized that there was no point in reproaching herself. She couldn't change the past that way. All she could change was the future but that depended on Illidan. It was up to him if more blood would be spilt and more creatures would lose their lives in a pointless war. It was up to him how things will turn out.

She checked her surroundings once again, noticing that Illidan was still not there. She could neither see nor sense her best rangers, which meant they were successfully camouflaged and hiding. Now she only had to hope that Illidan wouldn't sense their presence.

After some time the High Priestess could finally see the outlines of a tall winged creature at the borders of the destroyed base. From the far it could be any demon hunter but the closer the creature came the more certain Tyrande was that it was indeed Illidan. His huge curved horns were unmistakable, as were the unique tattoos on his torso.

He was unarmed and not in company, unlike Tyrande who carried her bow and quiver on her back. She was wondering if he was really alone or if some of his warriors were following him in stealth. It would be foolish to come alone and she knew that Illidan was not foolish.

She was not sure if he would think that she might lure him into a trap. He might have thought about it but she had the impression that he would not expect it. She might have her rangers with her but their only purpose was to protect her in case things would escalate. She didn't expect that but she wanted to be on the safe side.

Illidan finally approached her, stopping not far away from her. She could smell the stench of fel on him as she regarded him from close up. He hadn't changed at all over the past years. His muscular upper body was still exposed and not covered by any piece of armour. His massive wings showed little holes and thick veins, scars covered his upper body. Some were caused by fel magic, others were caused by non-corrupted weapons or magic. Illidan was still the fearless warrior who couldn't be stopped by any wound, no matter how serious it is.

Tyrande took a closer look at his scars, noticing a huge one that started beneath his chest andended above his right hip. It was a normal scar that hadn't fully healed yet, telling Tyrande that he had received it recently. She was wondering how he had received it and what had caused it. It must have been either a powerful spell or a strong weapon to cause such a wound on a powerful creature like Illidan. She could only guess that he had not become weaker over the years. Rather the opposite. She was sure he was a lot stronger than the last time she had seen him.

The High Priestess lifted her gaze eventually, looking at Illidan's face. He looked at her but he didn't take a closer look as she did. She knew he could only see her outlines. He couldn't see the details of her outfit nor the marks beneath her eyes. Her whole skin could be covered by tattoos and he wouldn't be able to recognize it as long as they weren't magical. The way she looked didn't change anything for him, not that it would matter at all.

The silence between them was awkward and unpleasant as they stared at each other for several minutes. Tyrande wanted to say something to her ex, she had thought about what she should say for days but her mind was blank. She thought up many phrases and good arguments but she didn't remember any of them at this very moment. She was speechless, her heart was hammering in her chest. She hadn't expected to be nervous and was therefore very surprised to find that she was.

It was obvious to Illidan that Tyrande wouldn't make the first move, so he decided to start the conversation before more time would be wasted. "You requested to see me," he said emotionlessly.

Tyrande nodded and gulped, commanding her head to order her thoughts and allow her to think clearly. "Yes, I did. I wanted to speak to you. In private."

Illidan turned his head and let his gaze wander. Tyrande felt her cheeks redden and her heartbeat becoming much faster. She could only hope that Illidan would not notice the soldiers that came with her. "Going to this place alone would be a foolish idea and you are not foolish so you brought your rangers with you as backup. Smart choice," Illidan said when his gaze fell back on her.

Tyrande's expression didn't reflect any emotion. It was neutral. "I suppose you brought your most trusted soldiers with you in that case."

"I did in case the Burning Legion shows up. You don't need to worry about my men, they won't do you any harm as long as you don't attack me and try to capture me."

"I won't. Promised."

Illidan frowned. "Your promises mean little to me after what you did in the past. But I believe you, this time. You wouldn't be able to defeat me anyway, not with so few warriors."

"Don't underestimate my power and the power of those who came with me," was everything Tyrande said in return.

Illidan sneered. "Whatever you say."

"I didn't ask you to meet me to demonstrate our powers. I came here to talk to you."

Illidan crossed his arms in front of his chest, tilting his head a little to the right side. "I'm listening."

Tyrande exhaled, a thoughtful look could be seen on her face before she opened her mouth. "We both know how things will end. One side will win, the other will lose and many creatures will die. The paths we are following will lead us to a bloodbath, a massacre. We can prevent thousands of creatures from losing their lives if we come to an agreement."

"An agreement? You mean that I surrender and you will spare my life in return?"

Tyrande gave him a small nod. She didn't believe he would agree but she still hoped for it despite the odds. Dark laughter escaped the half-demon's lips. "And I thought you didn't consider me an idiot...I would be very foolish if I would accept that offer."

"You have my word, Illidan. You and your followers will be spared."

"Your word means nothing," he spat back. He recognized the hurt and insecure look in her eyes for a small moment. "I once trusted your word but you betrayed me and broke the only promise you gave me."

"I know, Illidan. And I'm still sorry about it. I shouldn't have left you, but I couldn't follow you anymore back then. Not after everything you did...Not after you sacrificed the souls of Kelrian's younger siblings to that wicked creature. What was its name? Brutalus?"

"You are bringing this up now after all these years?" Illidan asked angrily.

"They didn't deserve what you did to them," Tyrande responded, trying to remain as calm as possible.

"Kelrian's younger siblings were as good as dead as I found them. Not even the best healers on Azeroth and Outland could have saved them. Their wounds were fatal, so I gave them my blood. That was the only way for them to survive. Unfortunately, the ritual didn't succeed and they turned into mindless creatures whose only purpose was to consume as much energy as they could. They were like the wretched in Silvermoon that were a threat to everyone. I did what everyone would have done and ended their misery before they could have harmed anyone."

"You allowed Brutalus to eat their souls. That's something completely different. Who knows in what kind of hell they are suffering now?" Tyrande snarled. "You could have at least given them a choice in the first place. Maybe they didn't want to be saved in the first place."

Illidan tilted his head in the other direction and raised both of his brows. "Are you serious about this? Name me a creature who wouldn't want to live."

"Not everyone wants to risk being turned into such a creature. You should have told them what could happen but instead, you gave them your blood without asking them first. And that's only the tip of the iceberg. There is much more you did wrong."

"Are you done reapproaching me? Please don't tell me you just wanted to see me to count up all of my faults. I did what I had to do for the greater good. I won't change my opinion about everything I did in the past, no matter what you say. I don't regret what I did," Illidan told. He was still not in the best mood, his left hand was shaking slightly. It was obvious that he was angry.

Tyrande was silent for a few moments, thinking about what she should respond to him. There were lots of things she wanted to say and she was not sure with which argument she should start. "So you have no regrets? You would do everything again?"

"I only regret that I didn't give you my blood and brought you on my side. The right side."

Tyrande's blue eyes narrowed, anger appeared in them. "You would have turned me into a mindless slave who follows all of your orders without questioning you?"

"You wouldn't have been mindless. You would still have been yourself. I would have just opened your eyes to the truth. I would have shown you everything I have seen and you would no longer have a reason to doubt me."

"With other words, you would have brainwashed me," Tyrande statemented.

Illidan shook his head. "You do not understand..."

"Then make me understand without taking my free will or corrupting me. Give me reasonable and logical arguments why you should be right in your opinion."

Illidan exhaled loudly and ran his fingers over his sweaty forehead. "It's very difficult to explain. Would be a lot easier if I would show you what I have seen. The Burning Legion will leave Azeroth in ruins if we do not stop them. And there is only one way to stop them. I am the only one who knows how to stop them, that's why you should stop fighting me and join me instead."

"That still doesn't explain why I should believe your words."

"You have no ideas what horrors I have seen. You have no idea what horrible visions I saw when Sargeras burned my eyes and blinded me. I saw a burned, ruined world that was not inhabited by its native creatures. I saw tens of thousands of demons wandering through the ruins of once-glorious kingdoms. I saw numerous corpses spread all over the burned, black ground on which no plant could ever grow.

The entire planet had been cleansed of all native life. Azeroth was nothing but a resource to the Burning Legion. They used it for their own selfish goals. They used it to become more powerful. Azeroth will suffer this gruesome fate if we do not stop the Burning Legion. I know how we can stop them and I won't shrink back from doing what is necessary, even if I have to do things others would consider as morally wrong."

"Even if what you have seen was a vision and not just a hallucination, how can you be so sure that there is no other way to defeat the Legion? How can you be certain that the way you have seen is the only way?" Tyrande asked. Her voice still reflected doubt and so did her eyes that were narrowed and didn't leave the demon hunter.

"We never managed to defeat the Burning Legion in ten thousand years. They invaded numerous times, killed a large portion of those who rose against them and left citizens and kingdoms in ruins."

"But we always managed to fight them off and banish them from our planet. All of their invasions failed. That's proof enough that we can stop them without following the twisted path you have been following for ten thousand years," Tyrande argued.

Illidan puffed in annoyance. "That might be true but you forget the fact that the forces of the inhabitants of Azeroth have been decimated every single time. We no longer have huge armies that can deal with tens of thousands of demons. The forces of the Alliance and the Horde are much smaller than the forces of our people during the first invasion. It's only a matter of time until the Burning Legion will send more forces to Azeroth. It's only a matter of time until they will defeat us. We are fighting a war we cannot win if we do not do what is necessary."

"If you would at least tell me what is necessary, I might be able to understand your point of view."

"I can only show you. If I would try to explain it to you... I don't know where to start, to be honest."

Tyrande shook her head. "I don't trust you, so I won't watch any of your corrupted visions. Who knows what they will do to me? I also don't believe that there is no other way to defeat the Burning Legion. You cannot tell me your way is the only way, the only choice we have. There is always a second choice. Always."

"I disagree with you, Tyrande. There is no other way to defeat the Burning Legion. My way is the only way." His voice was much louder and sounded much more determined than before. His posture and the expression on his face were enough for Tyrande to know that he would never change his opinion no matter what she would say.

Nevertheless, she didn't give up on him so easily. She wouldn't abandon him so easily. Not again. She had an ace up in her sleeve but she had no idea if it would change anything. She had no idea how Illidan would react to the information she had withheld for years.

She had not withheld him that information on purpose. She just hadn't seen him in years, so she hadn't had a chance to tell him. She hoped that this information would somehow bring the old Illidan back. She knew that the old Illidan, the one she had fallen in love with, was not gone. He was buried beneath thick layers of anger and hatred. He still existed, she was sure of that. The question Tyrande asked herself was whether she would manage to reach him. The information was her best chance to reach the man she had once loved.

She made a step forward, noticing that Illidan didn't move away nor react in an extraordinary way. On the contrary, he didn't react at all. He didn't move an inch as she came closer, not even when she stopped seven feet away from him.

His fearsome aura was much stronger from up close but it didn't affect the high priestess in the slightest. She didn't fear her former lover. She could stand right in front of him without panicking. Most creatures would not remain so calm when facing Illidan Stormrage so closely. She belonged to the minority of creatures who were not afraid of Illidan the Betrayer.

Illidan's green glowing blind eyes rested on her, his teeth were gritted and his eyebrows were raised. He regarded her but he had no idea what expression could be seen on her face. He had no idea that she was utterly calm. He couldn't feel her heartbeat but he could feel his own.

To his surprise, his heart was beating faster than usual. It was beating much faster than it had before she had closed the distance between them. He had no idea why it was beating so fast, neither did he know why his skin was suddenly tingling. His body was behaving strange and he had no idea why. He ignored the signals his body was giving him and continued to stare at the woman he still loved, appearing as cold and indifferent as possible.

"I don't know if it changes anything for you but there is something I need to tell you," she began, taking a few deep breaths before she continued with a voice that was so quiet that only Illidan could hear her. His followers and her rangers may have good hearing but they were still too far away from them to understand anything.

"I want you to know this just in case one of us is not surviving the upcoming battle. We have no intention to kill you, Illidan. But if we have no other choice..." She cleared her throat, giving her best to not sound sad. "A lot of unplanned things can happen during a battle, so I want you to know the truth."

Illidan raised an eyebrow, his voice reflected a small amount of curiosity. "The truth?"

"You once asked me about the reason why Malfurion and I never had children in ten thousand years. I told you that I sacrificed my fertility to Elune to gain the necessary power to defend our people from the Burning Legion. You remember?"

"I do. But why are you telling me this?"

Tyrande took a deep breath and chewed on her bottom lip for a few seconds before she gave Illidan the answer he desired. "The truth is that Elune gave me back what she took from me back then. I have no idea when she made me fertile again but it must have been at some point after Malfurion and I spoke about our feelings to each other and decided to split up and only remain together for the public."

Illidan tilted his head a little, a thoughtful expression appeared on his face. "Elune told you about this or how did you find out?"

Despite all of her effort, Tyrande couldn't prevent soft laughter from escaping her lips. "I found it out first hand when I noticed that I was pregnant."

Illidan's facial features derailed, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped. He was suddenly silent because a lot of things went through his mind and he was unable to order his thoughts. He had no idea what to say in return and even if he would know what to say, she still wouldn't be able to answer her because he had no voice. For some reason, he was unable to produce any sound. His throat was dry and felt like it was constricted.

Despite his overstuffed mind, he knew why Tyrande was telling him this. There could only be one reason that made sense. If everything Tyrande had said was true then it couldn't be his brother who made Tyrande pregnant. It could only be one person. One person who had unprotected sex with her after the Third War.

Tyrande was not sure how to interpret Illidan's silence. She didn't know whether it was a good or a bad sign. He hadn't protested so far or told her that he didn't believe her, so she interpreted his reaction as a more or less good sign. "You are the only one I had sex with besides Malfurion and already know that we didn't do it for almost a century before you and I came together. I gave birth to a healthy girl six months after we went to Northrend to stop Arthas."

Silence. Unpleasant Silence. Neither Illidan nor Tyrande said a word. Illidan's face was frozen,his brain was overwhelmed by the information Tyrande had just given him. He couldn't believe what he had heard. He didn't want to believe it but he knew Tyrande well enough to know that she would never lie to him. Not even to win him for her cause.

Unlike him, she had always been honest with him. About everything. She had never lied to him. She had always been the person he had trusted the most, despite her betrayal. She may have left him when he had needed her the most but she had always told him the truth. She had also told him why she had left him.

Illidan finally managed to order his thoughts and think clearly again but he was conflicted. He believed Tyrande even though he had never seen or heard of her daughter. Their daughter. On one hand, he could have the life he had ever dreamed of. He could be together with the woman he loved for ten thousand years and raise a family with her. He could reignite their relationship and be finally there for the child he had never seen before. He could have what he had desired the most since he had realized his feelings for this fantastic woman. His greatest wish could come true.

On the other hand, he had a duty to fulfil. A very important duty. He had to defeat the Burning Legion by every means. He had to stop the mad titan Sargeras and protect Azeroth. There was no one else who could save the planet from the wrath of Sargeras.

To achieve this goal, he had to fully concentrate on it and plan everything carefully. He couldn't allow himself to get distracted by anyone and do mistakes. Any mistake could not only mean the deaths of thousands but also the extinction of all life on Azeroth. He wouldn't be able to achieve that goal if he would choose Tyrande and try to stop the Burning Legion her way.

He had a choice to make at this very moment. It was the hardest choice of his whole life. If he would choose a side, he could never reverse his choice. He could never go back and pick the other side.

Illidan thought about the options he had. He had no idea how much time had passed as he finally came to a conclusion.

He stretched his hand out, wanting to reach Tyrande's face but pulled it away at the last moment. "I'm sorry, Tyrande. I cannot defeat the Legion if I work with moralizers like my brother or Maiev. I have to do it my way, no matter the cost. I knew for ten thousand years that I would have to sacrifice everything to achieve my goal. Defeating the Burning Legion is my destiny, the goal of my life. I swore to do anything necessary to protect Azeroth, even if I have to reject the woman I love more than anyone else. I even love you more than my own brother but I can only save Azeroth if I follow my path. If I don't stop the Burning Legion, everyone will die including you. I cannot allow that. I cannot allow you to die. I hope you understand that."

Illidan turned around once he was done speaking and began to walk away. He couldn't see Tyrande's face, so he was not aware of the tears that formed in the corners of her eyes and ran down her cheeks a few moments later. He heard quiet sobbing but he didn't stop walking. He walked until he could no longer hear the sounds of sadness coming from the love of his life.