Chapter 34: Trust

Guilt.

He felt guilty. But not because of what he had done. He felt guilty because of what he had thought while he had done it. He had thought of her. Thought of Sylvanas. Living Sylvanas, not the banshee she had been turned into. The Sylvanas he had once loved.

He had thought of her the entire time when he had done it with Elena. He had no idea why this made him feel guilty. He couldn't help it. He would never tell her of course. That would ruin his relationship with her. She would never speak to him again if he would tell her he had not been able to stop thinking about his dead wife when he had slept with her. He had thought he would be over Sylvanas' death but it seemed he wasn't. Otherwise, he wouldn't have imagined her.

He wouldn't have imagined her curvaceous D-cup breasts, her well-formed ass, her gorgeous face and so much more. He wouldn't have thought about her perfect body otherwise. He found it a little creepy that he had thought about his dead wife while having sex with another, a living, woman. But he couldn't help it. He had tried to stop thinking about her but it hadn't worked. It was not fair to Elena but there was nothing he could do about it. Nothing. Nothing but accepting it and trying to not think about Sylvanas the next time. If there was a next time.

Kelrian laid on his right side, his eyes rested on the sleeping woman next to him. Her body was pressed against his, one of her arms was wrapped around him. Only half of her nude form was covered by a blanket, the other half was uncovered. Her entire upper body was exposed, her breasts were slightly pressed against his chest.

He regarded her exposed upper body for a few moments before he wriggled himself out of her hug, making sure she didn't wake up in the process. He got up from the bed and went to the mirror, regarding himself in it. His gaze fell on the clock that hung on the wall. It was six o'clock in the morning. Four hours left until they would return to Outland. With Tyrande Whisperwind.

Kelrian went to the bathroom and took a shower, washing away all the lipstick prints Elena had left on his body. She had left them everywhere. He had to admit he was not dissatisfied. It had been a year and a few months since he last had sex. Before everything had gone down the tube, he had made love to Sylvanas at least twice a week. Not having sex for a year was new to him. Even before he had come together with Sylvanas, he had been intimate with a woman at least every two weeks. Finding a horny female woman in a tavern had never been a real challenge for him. There had been lots of women back then who had found him attractive and hadn't said no to a night with him.

But these times were over. He had found true love when he had come together with Sylvanas. Then she died over a year ago and now he was together with Elena. It was not the same as with Sylvanas but it was better than being alone for the rest of his life. He didn't feel guilty that he had slept with her. He felt guilty that he had thought about another woman while sleeping with her. He had begun his relationship with Elena as soon as he had been convinced that he was over Sylvanas' death and ready to move on. It seemed he had been wrong. Nevertheless, he wouldn't push Elena away from him. He would stay by her side and try to make a relationship with her work.

He left the shower eventually and dried his hair. Since it had been cut, it didn't take much time for him to dry it. But he preferred longer hair, so he couldn't wait until it would be longer again. He wrapped a towel around his waist and left the bathroom eventually, noticing that Elena was awake. She was sitting on the bed and her entire body was exposed. Kelrian's eyes wandered from head to toe, examining her beautiful form closely. Elena smirked as she caught him ogling her.

She got up from the bed and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around him. She stepped on her tiptoes and kissed his lips softly. "Good morning, my love."

"Good morning, Elena."

She kissed him again and he returned it. "Last night was wonderful."

Kelrian nodded, blushing a little. He still felt ashamed but he didn't show it. He pretended that he was alright and Elena bought that. Elena put her hand on his belly, caressing his muscles. "We have a few hours left, my dear. Do you have any idea what we will do in the meantime?" she asked in a low but erotically sounding voice.

"I'm hungry," Kelrian responded. He was not sure if he wanted to do it again after what had happened last night. He was satisfied for the moment and he feared he would imagine Sylvanas if he would sleep with Elena again. He had to think about everything first before he would get intimate with her again.

"I bet the night elf cooks would prepare something for us if we ask nicely. But what do we do in the meantime...," Elena responded and let her hand wander, reaching a certain spot. An irritated look appeared on her face. She frowned, doubt was visible in her eyes. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"I'm not in the mood, Elena."

"I noticed that but..."

"Not now, Elena. I'm still satisfied from last night."

Elena sighed. "Fine, let's eat something first. Maybe that brightens up your mood.

"Having breakfast sounds fine to me."

---

She ran her hand over her smooth skin, although her body was cold she continued. She didn't mind the cold because her body was as cold as the body she was touching. The other woman's red eyes rested on her for a few moments before she rolled out of her reach.

"Why are you pulling away?" the woman asked.

"We are done here," responded Sylvanas.

"I'm not done yet."

"I don't care, Verena."

"You had your fun but what about me?"

"The deal was that you satisfy me not that we satisfying each other. If you want to be satisfied go to anyone else but I doubt they have the same needs as we do," replied the Banshee Queen.

Verena sighed. "Fine, then I have to do it myself."

"Do what you want but don't you dare to touch me unless I ask you. I'm satisfied for the next month," Sylvanas replied and picked up her underwear, putting it on.

"Anyway, I'm glad you came to me."

Sylvanas didn't look at her ex as she put on her chest plate. "I had no other choice than going to you. I may be dead but I still have needs."

"I have the same needs so I understand you, mistress. I just thought you prefer men."

"I do but going to Zetai, Nathanos or any other man wouldn't feel right. It wouldn't be fair to..."

"To HIM?"

Sylvanas didn't respond as she put her leggings on.

"You are dead and he is alive, mistress. If I were you, I would move on and satisfy your needs with anyone you want. Of course, I prefer that you come to me but... As your advisor and your best friend, I would suggest that you do what you want to do without thinking about what he would say. There is no way he would fall in love again with a corpse, no offence. If I were him, I would look out for a living woman and not for a corpse. He is probably already over you. You made him promise you to move on, so I assume he already did that. If I were you, I wouldn't cling to false hopes. What you had with him...died with you. There is no way for you to get back together. That's my personal opinion."

"You are probably right," said Sylvanas quietly. A thoughtful look appeared on her face but Verena couldn't see it because Sylvanas had turned away from her. "He would never want to touch me if he would see what I have become... Nevertheless, it wouldn't feel right to go to Zetai or Nathanos. That's why you are the lucky one who has the honour to satisfy my lower desires."

A grin appeared on the dark ranger's lips. "I would never refuse you."

Sylvanas didn't respond to her. She put her hand on her belly, running her fingers over the ugly scar. It was a constant reminder of Arthas piercing Frostmourne through her body and killing her unborn child that way. It reminded her of what she had lost. One of her children had never seen the daylight and the other was a member of the Scourge. Tortured and twisted by Arthas Menethil and the Cult of the Damned. Only her son was left. Kael'thas had told her that he was alright. At least he made it.

Sylvanas would never admit it but she still cared about her family. About her sisters, her father, her cousins and of course about Raesh and Kelrian. She knew it was very unlikely that she would see them again and spent time with them but she was glad they were alive. She was glad they wouldn't have to suffer the same way she suffered. They hadn't been murdered, mind-controlled and twisted by the Scourge. They had been spared of that horrible fate.

Sylvanas regarded herself in the mirror for a few minutes before she put the rest of her upper body armour on. Her entire upper body was covered by armour so were her legs. Her armour was mostly dark purple, her shoulder plates were decorated by small grey skulls. As usual, most of her pale blonde hair was hidden beneath a dark red hood.

She liked her appearance. She may not be as beautiful as she had been in life but she was still beautiful for an undead. Beautiful but also terrifying if she wanted. Allies and enemies knew it was best to not mess with her. She appeared very dominant and fearsome. She was a strong leader who knew what she wanted. And she usually got what she wanted. She had gotten almost everything she had wanted when she had been alive and her Forsaken knew better than contradicting or disappointing her, so they did everything she wanted from them.

Verena had gotten dressed in the meantime and walked over to the Dark Lady. She wore black leggings, high boots that almost reached to her knees and upper body armour that was also black. It was made out of leather but she wore a thin chain mail beneath it. Her hair was pitch-black and usually hidden beneath her black hood but she didn't wear it at the moment, meaning that her hair was exposed.

Her red eyes fell on Sylvanas. "You can come to me whenever you want, mistress."

"I will consider that. Now go."

Verena did as she was told and left the room a few moments later. Sylvanas regarded herself in the mirror for nearly five minutes before she left her private chamber and followed the course of the corridor until she came into the new throne room. It was not the throne room above the ground where King Terenas Menethil II had been slain by his own son. The new throne room was in the most southern room of Undercity, the city beneath the ruins of Lordaeron.

It held the ancient crypts and catacombs of Lordaeron's royalty as well as the dungeon and sewers of Lordaeron. Now it was the home of the Forsaken who couldn't stand sunlight for too long. Undercity was a good choice as a place to live because no sunlight could get in there. It was a dark place that was mostly illuminated by torches and magic. It was subdivided into four quarters. The War Quarter in the north-west, the Magic Quarter in the north-east, the Apothecarium in the south-west and the Rogues' Quarter in the south-east.

The throne room was heavily guarded by the so-called deathguards, who belonged to the military of Undercity. Her army consisted of nearly two thousand deathguards and hundreds of spellcasters. The army was not large enough for Sylvanas' liking but it was better than nothing. Her men were either stationed in Undercity or roaming around in Lordaeron. They were patrolling and killing any member of the Scourge they could find.

Sylvanas greeted the leader of her army who was standing in front of the entrance. It was a person she had known in life and she still trusted in death. It was her uncle Zelastor. He had been a warrior in life and was so in death. He wore thick armour and a helmet in which his elven ears fit in. He carried a massive shield and a big axe in his hands. He saluted to his niece and queen, bowing to her. "Greetings, Lady Sylvanas."

A barely recognizable smile appeared on her lips. "Greetings, uncle. Did anything happen in my absence?"

"Nothing extraordinary. Some of our people are still waiting for an audience with you and some of our spies returned. Varimathras took over and listened to some inhabitants but there are still so many who are still waiting for someone to listen to them. And then there are those who don't trust the dreadlord and want to discuss their matters with you and not with him."

Sylvanas nodded to him and entered the throne room, spotting Varimathras who was sitting on her throne in the middle of the room. He looked bored while listening to what an undead male was telling him. He got up immediately as he noticed Sylvanas' presence and stepped aside when she approached. "I warmed your throne in the meantime, milady."

Sylvanas didn't say anything in return as she sat down, noticing that the throne was indeed a little warm. She waited until Varimathras had finished his discussion with the male, telling him what to do in his situation. The man thanked him and hurried away, not wanting to bother his queen any longer. Nathanos stood not far away from her and stared at her but didn't say anything.

Sylvanas looked at Varimathras expectantly. "What did our spies saw?"

Varimathras' gaze fell on her. "They told me that they have seen Arthas and his undead setting off by ship. It seems he returns to Northrend for some reason. It is unwise to follow him. The Lich King's main forces are there and outnumber ours heavily. Following them is suicide."

"I know. I'm not dumb."

"I never said that, milady."

"Is there anything else I need to know?" she asked and raised an eyebrow.

"It seems that the Lich King got weaker again."

Sylvanas gave him a curious look. "Are you sure?"

"I am. His controls over the undead weakened again. A group of undead reached Undercity an hour ago. They told me they broke free from the Scourge and want to join us. They are waiting in the courtyard. It is up to you if you allow them to join us."

"Can we be sure that they are really free?" Sylvanas asked. "What if this is one of Arthas' tricks? What if they pretend to be on our side but are still working for the Lich King?"

"We can never be sure of that, on the other hand, we cannot be sure if there are still some among us who are still working for the Scourge and just pretend to be on our side, milady. Everything is possible these days but as long as you don't tell them any important information, I don't see a way how they can betray us. All we can do is to watch over each of them until we can be sure they are on our side."

"Or we let them prove their loyalty."

The demon nodded. "That's another way, milady."

"Do you have any idea what they could do to prove their loyalty?"

"There is a Scourge base near Agamand Mills. Send the warriors among the newcomers and some of your forces to the mills and wipe out the Scourge base. There is one undead half-elf among the newcomers who has a great interest in bringing you the head of the Scourge commander who is in charge of the base."

Sylvanas raised an eyebrow, giving the demon a curious look. "Really?"

The nathrezim nodded. "It's your niece. Her name is Lydia, if I remember correctly."

"Lyndia," corrected the queen. "Her name is Lyndia. She is my brother's daughter. I heard her mother is still alive."

"She told me that she has a score to settle with the Scourge commander. She told me his name is Xenarion and that he killed her father and also her."

"Xenarion... Another traitorous elf... He let my brother die and I locked him in prison for that. As far as I know, he joined Arthas voluntarily when he freed him from his prison. I also have a certain interest in seeing him dead. Anyone who supports Arthas must die. Truly die."

"Do you want to speak to them? To those who want to fight for you?"

"How many are they?"

"One hundred and fifty-five. Over a hundred capable warriors."

"I could make use of over a hundred warriors. But I don't need to talk to them. Just bring my niece to me."

"As you wish, milady," replied Varimathras and bowed to her. He waited for her signal and then left the room, returning after fifteen minutes. A young undead woman accompanied him. She had been fourteen years old when she had died. She had medium-long black hair, yellow glowing eyes and light brown skin which was missing at some places. The outfit she wore was similar to the one she had worn the day she died. Dark blue leggings and a leather vest. A bow and a quiver, half full of arrows, hung around her right shoulder. There was also a sword that hung on her belt.

Sylvanas regarded the half-elf for a few moments. "It's good to see you again, Lyndia."

"Same counts for you, aunt."

"It's milady or mistress for you if you want to serve her," hissed Varimathras. Lyndia's gaze fell on the dreadlord. "I didn't speak to you, joke figure."

Varimathras' eyes narrowed and he parted his lips to say something but Sylvanas raised a hand, signalizing him to be quiet. Varimathras turned up his nose but obeyed. It was clearly visible in his green eyes that he was not pleased.

The corners of Sylvanas' lips formed a smile. "You can call me aunt if you want but only if you are here to serve me."

Lyndia's gaze fell back on Sylvanas. "I am. I want nothing more than the death of the man who did this to us. But I also want to kill the one who let my father die and killed me."

"Xenarion."

Hatred appeared in Lyndia's eyes for a short moment. "Yes, that bastard."

"Arthas made Xenarion pretty powerful and gave him a high rank. It won't be easy to kill him."

"If you give me enough men, I will bring you his head. I promise."

Sylvanas smiled. "I like your attitude and your determination. You remind me of myself."

"Your blood also runs through my veins. I think that's the reason for that similarity. We are related."

"I will allow you to prove your loyalty and those who came with you can do the same. I will give you two hundred of my men. You will attack the Scourge base and burn it and every Scourge minion you find. If you bring me Xenarion's head, I allow you to stay in Undercity permanently."

"Who will be in charge of this mission?" asked the half-elf.

Sylvanas' gaze fell on Zetai. The dark ranger noticed her starring and rushed over to her. He bowed to her. "What can I do for you, my queen?"

"Take two hundred men and those warriors who want to join us to Agamand Mills and assault the Scourge base there. Make sure Lyndia brings me Xenarion's head. Don't leave her side and protect her if necessary. Make sure she returns to me in one piece."

"Are you sure we can trust them, my queen?" the dark ranger asked.

"I am. I can sense who is ally and who is foe. Lyndia is no longer under Arthas' control."

"And the rest? What if they attack us suddenly in the middle of the battle?"

"It's a risk I have to take. We need to take more risks if we want to defeat the Scourge. We have to trust them for now and hope for the best. Tell your men to keep an eye on them."

"I will."

Sylvanas looked at Varimathras. "What is your opinion about my idea?"

"We are taking a risk but as you said we have no other choice than taking risks these days. Killing Scourge minions is a good way to prove their loyalty."

Sylvanas looked back at Zetai and Lyndia. "So be it. Move out and bring me Xenarion's head." Zetai bowed to her and left immediately. Lyndia remained there for a few moments, regarding her aunt closely before she turned around and left as well.

---

Kelrian and Elena left the building and walked down the stairs. They followed the street and came to a small area where Kelrian's group was waiting. But not only them. There were several night elf archers, warriors and priestesses. As Kelrian had expected, Tyrande was there too and looked determined. A portal had been created not far away from the elves. A portal to Outland.

Kelrian and Elena walked over to the High Priestess and greeted her, lowering their heads in respect. "It surprises me to see you here, High Priestess." It didn't surprise Kelrian at all because he had heard Tyrande's conversation with Malfurion but he pretended to be surprised so that Tyrande believed he hadn't expected her to come.

"I'm going with you to Outland. I need to speak to Illidan and find out what he is planning to do now," Tyrande explained.

"The portal is already open so there is nothing that holds us up. We should go now if you and your people are ready."

Tyrande let her eyes wander over her followers. "They are ready and so am I."

Kelrian smiled. "Let's go then."

Tyrande pointed at the portal. "After you, captain."

Kelrian ordered his group to follow him. He was the first who stepped through the portal, arriving in the same area where they had left the wasteland. He waited until the last kaldorei had stepped through the portal and closed it. His gaze fell on Tyrande and her people who were regarding their surroundings closely. They were surprised how miserable this place was.

"So this is Outland...," Tyrande said quietly.

"It's a miserable place. I have no idea what he is planning nor do I know why he went to this shattered world but I suppose we will find out soon," responded Kelrian.

"We will," said Tyrande. "But first we need to find him. Do you have any idea where he is?"

"No, but she has," replied Kelrian and pointed at Lady Vashj who was approaching them. She stopped not far away from Kelrian and greeted him, then she turned to Tyrande and greeted her too. "It has been a long time since we have last seen each other, Lady Whisperwind."

Tyrande raised an eyebrow, regarding the naga closely. "Who are you? Do I know you?"

Lady Vashj chuckled. "You knew me once, but I looked different then. Very different. I used to be a night elf ten thousand years ago but my close relationship to Queen Azshara made me what I am. I never left her side, not even when everything went down the tube. My loyalty to her was my undoing." She paused for a short moment. "I am Lady Vashj. Maybe you still remember that name, High Priestess."

"Lady Vashj... You were the queen's handmaiden, right?"

The naga nodded. "I was but now I serve Lord Illidan. I hope you come in peace, High Priestess. I won't allow you to take Lord Illidan captive or kill him."

"I have no intention to kill or capture him. I want to speak to him and support him in case he does the right thing."

The naga's gaze fell on Kelrian. "Can we trust her?"

Kelrian nodded. "I trust her. She's an honest person, she wouldn't lie to us."

Lady Vashj's gaze fell on Tyrande. "Very well, High Priestess. Follow us. I will lead you to our base."

They marched for hours through the miserable wasteland and finally came to a base which was surrounded by a wooden wall. The entrance was guarded by half a dozen naga and half a dozen sin'dorei. Fanomar was among the sin'dorei. He nodded to Kelrian, Elena and Tyrande but said nothing to them.

He remained in front of the entrance while Kelrian, Tyrande, Lady Vashj and their groups entered the base. They spotted lots of tents on the left and right sides of the base. The middle section was free of any tents, naga and sin'dorei stood there. They talked or did other things. Some of them even trained.

Kelrian saw a few of his brethren holding green glowing crystals in their hands. It seemed as if they were drawing power from them. He didn't know anything about these crystals but he had the impression that these crystals stored lots of energies which his people desperately needed. The king was near them and it seemed that he was teaching some blood elves how to drain power from these crystals.

They came to the elven king and greeted him properly. A smile appeared on Kael'thas' lips. "You are back and you even brought a special guest with you." Kael'thas took Tyrande's hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it. "It's good to see you again, Tyrande. It has been a long time since I saw you last."

Tyrande chuckled. "It's good to see you too, Kael. I heard you are working for Illidan now."

"We are. Lord Illidan promised us to show us how we can satisfy our hunger."

"How?" asked Kelrian curiously.

Kael'thas pointed at one of these crystals. "There are many of them on Outland. We even found a mine not far away from us but it is guarded by demons and orcs. Lord Illidan promised that we will claim the mine for us soon. Each of these crystals contains an abnormally large amount of energy. One crystal is enough to sustain one of us for an entire week."

Kael'thas handed a crystal to Kelrian who examined it closely. What the king had said was true. There was an enormous amount of energy stored in the crystal but it felt different to the arcane energy which had been stored in the artefacts they had collected in Lordaeron. The energy felt more powerful. Kelrian's desire to absorb the energy was strong. He wanted nothing more than to consume the stored energy to feel better but he didn't do it. He didn't give in and handed it over to Elena who regarded it for a few moments before she gave it to Tyrande.

A thoughtful look could be seen on the priestess' face. "I don't know why, but something feels strange. This crystal... Something's not quite right..."

"Lord Illidan assured me that there is nothing wrong with these crystals. He told us to consume the stored power to satisfy our hunger."

Tyrande hesitated for a few seconds but then she nodded. "I have to talk to him anyway so I can find out more about these crystals. I saw what the lack of arcane energy did to your people, so I guess you have no other choice than consuming the energies stored in them."

"You are right about that," responded Kael'thas. "We have no other choice."

"I will go to Illidan now. My people will remain here in the meantime."

Kael'thas pointed at the biggest tent which stood far away from the others. "He is right there."

Tyrande nodded and walked away. Kelrian watched her for a few moments before he looked at his group who were examining the crystal Tyrande had given them. He averted his gaze and looked at his king and mentor, noticing that he looked much better than the last time he had seen him. "You look a lot better, my king. So do our brethren." He pointed on those around him who drained energies from crystals or trained with other blood elves or naga.

"The energies stored in the crystals are responsible for my excellent condition. Try it, Kelrian. I bet it has been a long time since you absorbed enough energy."

"Are you sure I should do that, my king?" Kelrian asked insecurely.

The king nodded, a self-confident look could be seen on his face. "I am." Kael'thas looked at Kelrian's group pointed at a container full of these green crystals. "My brethren, take one of these crystals and drain their energy. It's the same as draining the energy out of amulets or other items that store energies. You don't need to worry, Lord Illidan promised us that these crystals will help us."

Like the other members of his group, Kelrian took one of these crystals and absorbed the stored energy, feeling a lot better when he was done. He felt much better than he usually felt when he absorbed arcane energy. He had the impression that a different form of energy was stored in the crystals. It was not arcane. It was better. Much better. He had no idea what it was but he didn't care. He didn't care as long as it sustained him.

"This is great," said Elena. "I feel like I could crush mountains with my bare hands."

Kael'thas smiled. "Don't get cocky, Elena. We are not immortal nor are we undefeatable."

"I know but still. It feels so great. The past year has been really hard...We went through a lot but now it feels as if a weight has been taken off my shoulders. I'm glad we no longer have to feel as miserable as we had felt in the past year.

"I'm happy to hear that," said the king. "It means a lot to me that my people no longer have to suffer because of the lack of these necessary energies. It means I haven't completely failed as king."

Kelrian stared into his mentor's eyes. "You are not failing us, my king. You do everything in your power to find a solution for our addiction to magic. You do everything in your power to sustain us and make us stronger than ever so that we can reconquer our lost territories and avenge the fallen. You are the king our people need in these dark times. There could be no better king for us."

Kael'thas smiled. "Thanks, Kelrian. Your words mean a lot to me."

"It's the truth."

"Would you walk with me a little? I need to tell you something... Something I wanted to tell you for quite some time but I never found the right moment to do that."

Kelrian tilted his head, giving the king a curious look. "I will follow you, my king."

"Let's go somewhere we can be alone," said the king and started walking, looking back at Kelrian to make sure he was following him. He was.