Illidan and the Dragon Prince
Summary: Illidan is the next leader of the Moonshadow elf assassins and wants Rayla to be his future wife. Worried for her safety he follows her on the assassination mission and helps the group to bring the egg back to its mother. Pairing: Illidan x Rayla (xAmaya)
Disclaimer: I don't own warcraft or the dragon prince.
It is a stormy night with heavy rainfall and a guard, armed with a crossbow is patrolling the forest around the castle of the reigning King, King Harrow. He hears a rustling coming from one of the bushes close to him and aims his crossbow in the direction and takes a defensive position, asking loudly "Who is there in the name of King Harrow reveal yourself. ". As chance would have it in that moment a flash of lighting illuminates the area and he is able to make out 6 Moonshadow elves staring at him, ready to strike.
He fires his weapon but misses the elves and takes off running, being outnumbered and if the tales of these elves were true out skilled as well. The youngest of the elves follows him by hopping from tree to tree, closing the distance between them fast. Once she caught up to him, he turns around to fire another bolt at her, but she is quicker and kicks him away, causing him to fall down the small hill they were standing on. She jumps after him and quickly discards his now drawn sword and moves to cut him down, holding her twin blades crossed under his throat but seeing the fear in his eyes along with hearing his desperate plea the young elf freezes and allows him to escape thereby giving him the opportunity to inform his people back at the castle of the elves incoming attack.
Upon hearing the news Viren, the Kings advisor and local mage rushes to inform his close friend and King the next morning. After waking his King, he informs him about the situation and explains that the Moonshadow elf assassins are most likely seeking revenge for the death of the former Dragon King who ruled over Xadia and its unborn Prince.
The King added with the knowledge that that night there will be a full moon, empowering the Moonshadow elves and making them almost invisible to humans' orders for a party of knights to attack them by day and to send his sister in law, general Amaya to their winter lodge, where she'll meet their nephews and guard them. Viren being the mage sets this up and gives his son the command and telling him how to find the Moonshadow elves by using one of the Moon related magical beings he has and setting it free, following it to where it will be drawn to, which is the location of the Moonshadow elf assassins. After Viren left to inform his son of his task and sends word to the general The King calls for his sons who arrive maybe half an hour later. Once he sees them, he tells them that they have to go to the winter lodge and tries to not sound worried but his stepson Callum catches on, being the older one but doesn't say anything as to not worry his brother.
In the meantime, the young elf, who let the guard escape makes her way back to camp and smears berry juice over her blade to mimic blood, hiding the fact that she failed from the others.
When she gets back to camp, she sees that the others have already set up their tents while their leader is meditating. Walking by him he sees her red blades and tells her "Well done Rayla." Proudly, since this is her first kill.
"Yeah, I used both of them." She says relieved that he bought the trick.
"I can see that." He replies throwing her a cloth to wipe away the blood.
After cleaning her blades, she leaves to catch her breath in her tent, unknown to them there is a seventh Moonshadow elf watching them, though his focus lies on Rayla.
"So, she had her first kill, interesting. I wonder how this will influence her, hopefully not to much. I like her how she is after all." The lone elf murmurs to himself, laying on a branch from where he can see the camp and still stay hidden. He watches his clansmen for a while until they perform a ceremony.
"Four full moons past, on the eve of the winters turn the humans crossed into Xadia and murdered the King of the dragons. Then they destroyed his only egg, the dragon prince. Tonight, we bind our lives to justice." The leader says. Everyone then swears their conviction in their own way and hold out her arms while their leader binds them all together and then cuts the connections, giving each Moonshadow elf a band around their wrists while he wears his on his upper arms.
"When it is done, I will send a blood shadowhawk with a message for the Queen of the dragons. We fight when the moon is highest." The leader announces and everyone gets back to preparing themselves.
"Uhh Runan?" Rayla asks her leader.
"What is it Ralya?" He questions.
"I was wondering, what if they know we're coming?" She asks.
"We have the advantage of surprise. If we act fast, we will accomplish our goals without sacrifice." He tells her.
Soon after while they are preparing themselves the Moth released by Soren, Viren's son finds them and they hear the galloping of horses approach their position.
"They know we're here." Runan says and crushes his necklace, throwing the dust into the wind and casting an illusion magic over their camp.
"No one's here, not surprisingly a magical moth is still a moth." Soren says once they reach the clearing, where the moth is flying around. After looking around a few moments there is a loud crash coming from deeper within the forest. "What was that? Move out, we have to check out what caused that noise." Soren orders his men, leading them away from the clearing.
Unknown to the elves Illidan, the Moonshadow elf assassin following them rushed off after seeing the moth and attacked a tree a fair distance away from the elves camp in order to distract the knights, in case the illusion wouldn't last very long. After he knocked down the tree and made sure the knights stayed away from the camp, he makes his way back to his clansmen.
"You lied to me. You let him go!" Runan says angered once the knights left, having recognized one of the knights as the one Rayla has supposedly slain.
"Runan, I'm sorry. The human, he looked up at me and I saw the fear in his eyes." Rayla tries to explain herself.
"Of course, he was afraid, but you had a job to do." Runan tells her disappointed.
"He didn't do anything to me, how could I take his life?" Rayla questions.
"You let him live, but you've killed us all!" Runan shouts angrily with everyone glaring at Rayla.
The elves get back to readying their weapons, determined to finish their mission now that they have bound themselves to it.
"Come with me." Runan orders Rayla, dropping out of a tree close to her, having checked if the knights retreated back to the castle.
Rayla looks down worried but follows her leader anyways.
Illidan arrives at the elves camp soon after Rayla and Runan left and upon not seeing Rayla with the rest he gets worried about her and reveals himself.
"So, quite the predicament you're in now huh?" Illidan says walking up to the group of four who immediately stand on guard upon hearing a stranger's voice, until they see Illidan approaching.
"Young master Illidan, why are you here?" One of the elves asks politely, greeting the next leader of the Moonshadow elves.
"Since my future wife is on this mission, I decided I'd follow you to make sure she stays safe. Where is Rayla anyways?" Illidan replies.
"Runan took her into the woods to talk and will probably remove her from the mission since she isn't ready to kill yet." Another elf says, pointing in the direction the two walked off to.
"I see." Illidan says and moves to follow them.
"Young master, may I ask why did the council want Rayla as your betrothed? Despite her skill she is of too kind character to be leading the Moonshadow assassins." The elf who first greeted him asks.
"The council had nothing to do with it. It was a request from me to arrange a marriage between us. I feel that her kinder nature will be beneficial to our clan's future and that she would be able to let me see my errors when I lose my temper." Illidan informs them before vanishing into the woods, going after Rayla and Runan.
"I thought you could do it Rayla, but I was wrong." Runan says saddened.
"You're not wrong. I can do it." Rayla disagrees.
"I know you've never taken one before, I brought you because you're talented. Maybe one of the fastest and strongest of any of us. But it takes more than that. There is an instinct, a moment of truth. And in that moment, you hesitated." Runan informs her.
"I won't hesitate again." Rayla says.
"You will. I see now that you're still just a child. Your heart isn't hard enough to do whatever it takes." Runan scolds her.
"I messed up, I know I did. Because I let that human go, we're all in danger. But that's why you have to let me make it right." Rayla pleads.
"No. It's too late for that." Runan tells her.
"I bound myself." Rayla protests.
"And you'll be unbound when the job is done. Your role now is to stay out of the way. You'll wait here now, quietly. If we're not back by sunrise, go home." Runan tells her, pointing at a large rock for her to sit on.
"You've lost the element of surprise and want to cut one of your members as well, risky move." Illidan says having caught up with them and overheard the last part of the conversation.
"Young master. You're not supposed to be here." Runan says surprised to see him.
"Yes, yes. Anyways since you're the captain of the squad it's your decision and I won't meddle in it, now if you could give us some privacy I'd like to talk to my betrothed." Illidan tells him.
"Of course." Runan says and leaves them alone.
"Betrothed, hah as if I'd ever accept the arranged marriage the council wants to force us into." Rayla says with a scoff.
"I think it's fair to let you know that the council actually had nothing to say in this. It was my desire to have them arrange a marriage between us." Illidan informs her, sitting down next to her on the stone.
"Why would you do that?" Rayla asks annoyed.
"Frankly, I like you and you're the only one of our clan who treats me like another person not some nobility because of my special powers." Illidan tells her, holding up his five fingers in comparison to her four.
"As if I'd accept you as nobility because you have that useless pinky finger and the ability to transform whenever you choose." Rayla scoffs.
"And I wouldn't want you to. And for the marriage, if you truly do not wish to be wed to me once we're of suitable age I will cancel the arrangement and there will be no repercussions to you." Illidan promises her.
"Thanks. Though I still don't quite understand why you'd want me as your wife in the first place. You've just witnessed that I'm a failure and not hard enough for this life." Rayla says dejectedly.
"Rayla it is true that you have a good and kind heart, but I don't think of this as a hindrance, in fact I'm hoping that this would allow you to be able to help me keep a clear head." Illidan tells her, taking her hands in his gently.
"I don't know, I mean we are the Moonshadow elf assassins. We're meant to assassinate people." Rayla says.
"Who says that keeping the clan as only assassins is my desire?" Illidan replies.
"Are you serious about this?" Rayla asks surprised.
"Yes. Watching you and knowing how others see me has taught me that our destinies do not have to be predetermined and that we can choose our own fate." He tells her.
"I see, choose my own fate huh? So, you think I can redeem myself even with the mistake I've made here?" Rayla asks, looking at the castle towering out of the forest.
"Yes, though I don't think this is necessarily a good idea." Illidan replies.
"I have to do this! Promise me one thing please. Don't tell the others and let me do this myself." Rayla asks of him.
"OK, I trust in you and to show you this, you have my word." Illidan agrees with a sigh after which Rayla is already running through the woods, headed for the cliff, the castle is build upon.
AN: let me know what you think.