AN: Sylvanas got power boost. I know, as if she wasn't cool enough. And naming an elf after a german chancellor (not that one)...
The battle was raging for a long time already and Alliance and Horde forces were getting weaker by the minute, while the demons just kept coming. It seemed that for every one they have slain another ten took his place. But not a single horde soldier thought about running. Everyone from the smallest goblins to the biggest orc and taurens knew, they will prevail at the end, as long as their trusted general was fighting with them in the front lines.
Sylvanas Windrunner has long since abandoned her arrows in the quiver strategy. No one had her kind of experience with facing overwhelming hordes of monsters and she already proved, that she would die for her people. Although some other leaders may not like it, Sylvanas was greatly popular among the Horde troops, as she was one of the most skilled warriors in Azeroth and she was always first to go into the battle. Although they considered her an abomination, even the Alliance leaders resected her, they knew, their chances were much better with her on their side.
Suddenly a call for retreat came. Somewhere on the battlefield, someone took off with their men. And other armies started to withdraw. Sylvanas knew, her army alone can not survive and to the surprise of her soldiers, decided to heed the call, ordering soldiers around her to help her cover escape of the rest of her soldiers.
The Burning Legion was catching up with the running Horde who was desperately watching as their fearless general is raining arrows on the enemy. Suddenly a giant explosion came from somewhere near to the place where Sylvanas was fighting the demons. Bright green light swallowed the demon army and the shock wave from the explosion annihilated everything in its' way and make the whole horde fall to the ground.
As they were getting back on their feet preparing for the fight, they saw no demons. The battle was won it seemed. Everyone was confused with the current situation.
"What happened?"
"Where did they go?"
"Did we win?"
Then someone yelled: "It must have been lady Windrunner! She saved us!"
The whole Horde started to chant "Sylvanas! Sylvanas!..." Waiting for the Banshee Queen to come, but they didn't know, that their queen was gone.
Xxx
"Some of our people watching the breach have been killed" Leliana said in the war room.
"Demons?" Cassandra asked.
"I don't think so" Leliana answered while placing a strange arrow on the table "I have never seen an arrow like this before. It was found in one of the bodies."
"I sense a strangely dark magic from it. We should let our templars look into it." Cullen suggested.
"We should take it with us to the Redcliffe, maybe the rebel mages could tell us something about it even if they won't join us." the Inquisitor said.
Xxx
Where is the Horde? Where am I? This is not Broken Isles she thought. There was nothing out of the ordinary around her. Grass under her feet and regular trees around her. The air smelled of smoke and blood, the regular smell of war she was so accustomed to. And then there was that green hole in the sky. That would be unusual, except there is a lot of green stuff in the sky that doesn't belong there lately, where she came from.
And voices - some laughter and somebody is crying. Let's take a look, maybe even ask for directions. Nicely of course… Sylvanas grinned to herself. There were 3 humans threatening some kind of elf. It was not a high elf, nor night elf, but his ears were definitely not human.
"You and your kind is responsible for the death of our divine, you filth!"
"Because of you, the peace talks are over! That's what you want? The humans to kill each other so you barbarians can destroy the rest of civilization?"
"There is nothing worse! Elf AND a mage!"
"Where are the others responsible?"
"Talk you piece of shit!"
The men were yelling at the young boy while beating him.
"I was here just visiting a conclave, I haven't done anything. Please, just let me go…"
The boy was crying on the ground.
There was no point in waiting for the final results of this confrontation. Sylvanas has an army waiting somewhere for her and an invasion to repel.
She stepped out with bow in her hand. "Hey you, Alliance thugs, where am I?" she said with commanding voice.
"What the hell is that?"
"Another elf?"
"No, she looks different, look… her eyes… she's a demon!"
"You elven filth are meddling with demons now? That's it!"
The men turned their attention to Sylvanas, while the young boy was crawling on the ground.
"How dare you human scum?!" Sylvanas raged.
"I am a Highborne, not to mention a general and queen, and I demand lowlives like you to address me accordingly!"
Dark black/purple clouds have appeared around the three men and lifted them from the ground and caused them to drop their weapons.
"What is this?" the thugs cried.
"I am asking you for the last time. Where am I?" Sylvanas said as she approached closer to the levitating men.
"What?" One of them said.
Suddenly his neck was broken, and his dead body dropped to the ground.
"I'm not asking again…" Sylvanas said quietly.
"H-Haven, my lady, you are in Haven on the road to Redcliffe!" two remaining men stuttered.
"Never heard of those places." Sylvanas looked both men in the eyes.
"It's true! I swear, you are in Haven! Please spear us, my lady!" the men continued to cry in fear.
"Which way to the Broken Shore?" Sylvanas asked.
"What? I never heard of-" his neck was broken and his body fell to the ground next to his fallen comrade.
"Please! I swear I don't know of such place! You are in Haven, close to the Redliffe in western Ferelden, close to the border with Orlais on Thedas! I don't know what else to tell you, please just spare me my lady, I'm begging you!" the last man cried while pissing himself.
Tss Sylvanas looked away with disgust, she was used to people being scared from her, but no one that scared.
"Are you even with the Alliance?" she asked.
"No, no Alliance."
"Then I don't have any use for you…" Sylvanas said disappointed.
"PLEASE! I BEG!" the man cried out loud. And suddenly he fell to the ground.
"You are free to go." Sylvanas looked down at him "tell everyone from the Horde you will meet, where I am."
"Y-Yes! I'll do as you say! Thank you, my lady!"
"Go now! My people are waiting for me!" Sylvanas commanded and the man runed for his life.
Sylvanas continued few steps down the road to the Redcliffe, when the elven boy broke free from the shock of what he just witnessed and stand up as fast as he could in his condition.
"Ma melava halani, ma serannas." the boy said as he ran after Sylvanas.
"What was that?" Sylvanas stopped and asked without even looking at the boy.
"It means: Thank you for your help. You don't speak elven, my lady?
"I speak languages your mouth could not even form." Sylvanas looked at him over her shoulder.
"Are there that many of them?" the boy stopped next to Sylvanas and smiled at her.
It was a long time since someone smiled at her like that. A sincere, innocent smile. She could swear it did not happened since her first death. Subconsciously she smiled back. She remembered when this happened for the last time. When she learned that her older sister survived the death of Draenor. But just like that time, she immediately stopped smiling as soon as she realized the smile was there.
The boy noticed it. "Who are you? If I may ask…" the boy curiosity got the better of him. He knew he should approach the woman carefully after all, he witnessed her killing those men without moving a finger and she had a strange dark aura around her, it make him almost tremble in fear.
"Who do you think I am?" Sylvanas was surprised, everyone knew her, even if they have never seen her, her features were well known. At the very least, everyone recognized high elf when they saw one.
"Honestly?" the boy stopped like to look for Sylvanas' approval "a god…" and he looked to the ground as soon as he said that.
Sylvanas bursted into hysterical laughter.
"I have been called many things in my life and after…" she said between the laughs, when it started to fade out "but never a god…"
"I've never seen anyone wield such a power…" the boy said "what are you then, if not god of old, who came to save her people from centuries long suffering…" the boy looked at her with hope in his eyes.
"I am sorry to disappoint you, but I am really just a common high elf, whatever titles I may hold as a Highborne, that's far from god…"
"What is your name, then? I mean how should I call you?"
"My name is Sylvanas, although not many people call me that anymore…" Sylvanas said and started to walk down the road again.
"Where are you going, lady Sylvanas?" the boy walked alongside her.
"Home" she replied.
"From what I understand, you are lost, how do you know which way is it?" the boy asked.
"I don't, but it is not here, so I will go elsewhere…"
"I can't let you go alone, it's dangerous, demons and darkspawn are everywhere. Not to mention templars and mages fighting all over the world. You saved my life, let me repay you by helping you find your way home." the boy pleaded.
"I am not alone" Sylvanas replied and turned around.
The boy did too, just to see corpses of the two men Sylvanas killed before walking behind them.
"But you are right, I could use a guide with mind of his own." Sylvanas looked at the boy "If you are interested, I would welcome your help."
"It would be my pleasure" the boy said while still looking concerned on the two dead men.
"And your name is?" Sylvanas asked.
"Helmut, my lady" the boy said and bowed before the Dark Lady "will you teach me all your wisdom about magic on our way?"
"You are trying to make me laugh again don't you?" Sylvanas smiled "I am no mage, Helmut. The little magic I know has been forced on me unnaturally after my death. I am mainly a ranger."
"Y-You are dead?" Helmut asked with disbelief in his voice and poked Sylvanas to her shoulder, to find out whether she is a ghost.
"Tell me about this world. What was that you said about your people suffering for centuries?" Sylvanas said as they set on their way to Redcliffe.
Xxx
The boys' story felt so familiar. Empire of his people was destroyed by humans and they were driven out of their homes, no one wants them and they have to fight for their place in the world every day. They are… forsaken.
These people could be her solution. The forsaken can not procreate. She was still an elf in her heart. But she was also a leader. She immediately knew how to solve problems of her people. An army of elves from other world. Lordaeon is too big for her forsaken. She could give it to the elves from this world in exchange for their help in war against Burning Legion. The dead could finally rest and she would find a new purpose in caring for the newcomers to the world of Azeroth. They could be of use for her homeland the kingdom of Quel'Thalas as well.
"Your story is very similar to the story of my people. Your people would be welcome in my lands…" Sylvanas said.
"You mean you actually own enough land for all the elves?" Helmut sound surprised.
"And a little more. The kingdom of Lordaeon is vast and with recently taken Gilneas, I control pretty much half of the continent and the blood elves in Quel'Thalas would probably welcome you as well." Sylvanas answered.
"That sounds almost unbelievable…" the boy looked with hope at the Dark Lady.
"It is not all great. Humans from Stormwind are trying to reclaim our land even though it does not belong them and it never has. And as soon as I'm alive it never will!" Sylvanas said while clutching her fists "And our world is also being invaded by demos, just like yours'. "
"So there might be no hope after all…" Helmut looked sad to the ground.
"I do not know how about your world. But where you are divided in races, and kingdoms and religious believes, we stand united by the rule of enemy of my enemy is my friend." Sylvanas explained. "We will most likely go back to our war between the Horde and the Alliance as soon as the Legion is defeated. Your people could help make it happen and in return there would be place in the Horde for you. I will make sure of that."
"I'm no leader of elves, but I'm sure they will all jump after your offer as it's the only one we have…" Helmut said and stopped walking. "Welcome to the village of Redcliffe. Most of the rebel mages from Ferelden and Orlais is stationed here."
"Let us ask them how to get me back to Azeroth…" Sylvanas said.
"My lady" Helmut stopped her "at least half of them could be elves. Did you really mean what you have told me?"
"Alright, I may offer them to come with me."
"And one more thing." Helmut looked at the small group of walking dead behind them. It has grown in numbers significantly since they've met. "You may want to let your dead wait for you here."
"If you think it will make our interaction with the villagers easier…" Sylvanas order her small army of undead to wait for them and she along with her companion went to the gates of Redcliffe.
Helmut managed to set up a meeting with the leader of the rebel mages. In the tavern the mage leader alongside Tevinter magister approach cloaked banshee, unaware of her powers, offer and origin.
"I have been told, that you are seeking assistance of these mages, my lady. I am-" he was cut off by Sylvanas' hand gesture.
"I do not care about your name or your titles. In fact, I do not care about you at all. I have met many men like you in my life. I will be dealing with her. She is and elf and their true leader." Sylvanas said.
"I'm sorry, but these mages are under my control and it seems our business here is done." the magister stood up ready to leave, but was stopped again by Sylvanas' wave.
"I see." she said.
"In that case, I challenge you to the duel for them." Sylvanas said calmly.
"You dare to challenge me? I'm a Tevinter magister! I was a fool to think that I could do a civilized business with and elf!" the magister smashed his fist into the table, leaving blue glowing cracks in it. The force of the magic filled punch made everyone jump in surprise and everything not heavy enough in the room to fall.
But Sylvanas haven't moved by an inch. It only caused her golden hair to wave in the wind. Everyone was watching the two. Sylvanas stood up while taking off her cloak.
"This has nothing to do with me being an elf. This is the way of the Horde. You either accept the challenge and die a man, or lose by default." Sylvanas said while looking the magister straight in the eyes.
"You don't honestly think that you stand a chance against me with bow and arrows!" he said laughing while pointing at Sylvanas' signature bow.
"So do you accept the challenge, old man?" Sylvanas asked.
"You must have a death wish! I'll obliterate you!" the magister yelled in fury.
Sylvanas went for the door without even looking at him: "Let's take it outside.
The two stand against each other surrounded by watching mages.
"We start when you are ready." Sylvanas said.
The magister raised his hands in the air and starting to cast some kind of spell. Sylvanas crouched and placed her hand on the ground. Suddenly some kind of dark tentacles emerged from the ground and disrupted the magisters' casting by catching his hand, feet and torso, not allowing him to move.
"What kind of magic is this?" the magister yelled.
He started to screaming and glowing with magical power. The glow made the tentacles disappear and caused the men to laugh.
"Is that all you got?"
"So you are more than talk after all…" Sylvanas grinned.
The magister started to throw bolts of lightning and fire after Sylvanas who started running and jumping to avoid them. Suddenly, spirits started to raise from the graves in the village cemetery people started screaming and running and mages were getting ready to fight. But the spirits were ignoring everyone and went straight for the magister. He started to focus on them. Sylvanas jumped high in the air and as she was flying over the crowd of spirits surrounding the enemy mage, she fired a purple glowing arrow right into the magisters' chest. He cried out in pain and fell to his knees. The spirits disappeared into the wind as Sylvanas approached her beaten opponent.
Black maps were spreading from the wound over the mans' body. Sylvanas came close to him and pulled out a knife.
"You fought well, old mage. You deserve a clean death."
She looked into his eyes, the man couldn't speak in shock, but his eyes were calling for help, begged her to end his suffering. And Sylvanas heeded their call as she slit his throat.
"Your master is gone, you are free to go as you please. But I have come here to make an offer to the elves but also to anyone else interested. Your world is divided, you are unwanted. I offer you to follow me, to the land of the forsaken. A place where everyone - mage or elf is equal. I will not lie to you. My home threatened by demos just as yours. However, we are facing the threat united, the whole world as one. I'm giving you a chance to fight for your place in the Horde. So who among you will join me?"
Sylvanas ender her speech and walked to the village gates. Hundreds of mages and elves and humans without magic alike followed the banshee queen out of the village, where they joined with her group of undead.
"I am new in this world and I have no intention to stay. Go to the world, spread my offer among the forsaken of this world. When the time comes we will meet for our departure right there!" Sylvanas commanded and pointed towards the breach in the sky. "Remember, everyone is welcomed. I will be waiting until the first full moon."
And so her new army spread in all directions, all over the continent, from the southern Dales to the northern coast of Tevinter and all the way to Rivain. Sylvanas took everyone who remained and all her undead and marched towards the breach, to make her stand until her people return.
Xxx
When the inquisition reached the Redcliffe, it seemed almost deserted. I was definitely nothing like it was described to them. No refugees, no fighting rebel mages and templars, no poor or homeless people.
"Where is everyone?" Cassandra asked.
"We should look for the leader of the rebel mages, perhaps they made the villagers leave." the Inquisitor suggested.
"If you are looking for a mage leader, that would me. At least the few that remain consider me their leader." a man approached the inquisition squad.
"What do you mean those who remain? Did the templars hit you hard?" Inquisitor asked.
"No templars, but a demon came to the village!" the man informed them.
"A demon?" Cassandra asked.
"It was a woman. She had pale blueish skin, golden long hair, long and pointy ears and red glowing eyes. She was carrying a bow unlike anything I've ever seen…"
"A bow? By any chance, you don't happen to posses some of her arrows?" the Inquisitor asked.
"Yes, one…Let me show you…" the man led them to the corpse of the magister, it was still rotting in the sun after few days. No one dared to touch it.
"There" he pointed on the body.
"Who is that?" Varric asked.
"It was a magister from Tevinter. We traded our freedom for his protection… Some of us were against it, but we knew we had to stay together, so we all went with his offer, though many unwillingly…" the man explained "and then she came, she performed magic the likes of which I've never seen before and took down the magister with the greatest of ease."
"We should head back to the Haven, we need to learn more about that woman." Cassandra suggested.
Back at Haven Leliana didn't have any good news either.
"Rumours about woman of that description are all over the world. I don't know whether it is related, but poor people, mages and templars alike are just disappearing. But what is most notable, whole alienages and clans of dalish are just leaving their homes and apparently, they are coming to the breach."
"You think they are coming to help us seal it?" the Inquisitor asked.
"Unlikely, we are talking here elves from as far as Antiva and Tevinter, most of them do not possess any magical ability or have never held a sword in their lives…" Leliana answered.
"Alright, we will deal with them later. Right now, we take all the mages and templars we got and let's close the breach first."
Xxx
Sylvanas' ever growing army was moving slowly as at the moment it mostly consisted of children and weaker individuals, who could not walk long distances on their own to spread the world about their saviour, Lady Sylvanas. They were closing in, when suddenly, the breach closed it self.
"WHAT? How did this happened?" Sylvanas panicked a little bit, realizing, she might not be getting home at all.
"It must have been the Inquisition, they claimed they are going to close the breach, but no one actually believed it was possible…" Helmut informed her.
"Do you think that if they knew how to close it, they could know how to open it again?" Sylvanas wondered.
"It is certainly possible. I mean it is our best shot right now…" Helmut said.
"Right… When is the full moon?" Sylvanas asked.
"Tonight, my lady."
"Then we wait for the rest of our people and pay this Inquisition a visit…"
Xxx
The night came and full moon was shining bright on the hundreds of thousands of Sylvanas' new horde. Sylvanas was standing at the edge of the the mountain, looking down at Haven, where the inquisition was celebrating. How should I best approach this? She was planning her strategy, when something caught her attention. An army was coming to the Haven through the valley.
"Everyone stay here, I will investigate the situation." Sylvanas ordered and jumped down from the cliff.
She knew how to scout, she was a ranger after all. She ran directly towards the most interesting looking spot of the battle. The place with the catapult, some kind of unspecified creature and a dragon? If she won't learn everything she needs there, where else?
Sylvanas witnessed their conversation. The human had some kind of mark on his hand, that he used to close the breach, but he didn't know about its' origin or how it actually works… The creature on the other hand was the one responsible for its' creation it would seem. He was the one who opened the breach at the first place. But he reminded her of Kel'Thuzad or the dreadlords. But it was safe bet he was more likely to open that breach than the human. She jumped out of cover.
"You will open the breach again, creature?" Sylvanas came straight to Corypheus.
"You are that demon!" the Inquisitor said, but no one was paying attention to him.
"I have seen everything in this world and beyond, but never I have seen creature such as yourself…" Corypheus was definitely surprised by the presence of the Dark Lady.
"I am unique even back where I came from. But I am not used to asking twice!" Sylvanas came even closer to the Corypheus without any sign of emotion.
"I will open the breach again as it is a tool to fulfilling my plan to-" he was interrupted by Sylvanas.
"To become try to become a god, i heard that part…"
"You need to stop him! He's mad!" the Inquisitor pleaded to Sylvanas, but she was ignoring him.
"I just need the breach, it happens to fit to my plan as well. Do not worry, I do not plan to try to steal your dreamed godhood…"
"You don't seriously consider to let this creature become a god! The maker-" the Inquisitor was stopped.
"You believe that when you die, you will meet your maker? Your god? I have been on the other side many times. Let me tell you that there is nothing but pain and agony lurking in the infinite darkness. Afterlife, purgatory, hell or whatever is nothing but darkness to terrifying, that even the old gods prefer to inhabit our world…" Sylvanas described her experience to the Inquisitor.
"Maybe it would not be so bad to meet a god there by the time I ran out of valkyrs to bring me back…"
"You are both insane!" The Inquisitor yelled and fired the catapult and caused a landslide.
Corypheus flew away on his dragon, while Sylvanas stayed right at her place and just sighed and watched the Inquisitor desperately trying to run away. When the stones came in she did her best to jump over them as high as possible, but eventually she was buried under them.
She expected as much, she just wasn't strong enough to lift whole mountain, but the few boulders that were crushing her could be easily destroyed. She stood up and went back to her people. When she came back on top of the mountain where they were camping, everyone was bowing on the ground, praising the Banshee Queen. They have never seen anyone to survive a landslide with just a minor injuries. Sylvanas raised her bow in the air and called upon her army.
"The breach will be opened again, we must wait…"
The panic broke out among the people as Corypheus appeared behind Sylvanas. She turned to him.
"Shouldn't you be somewhere tearing the sky open?" she asked.
"I need a new army… banshee…" he said.
"Well it seems either one of us has something the other one needs…" Sylvanas grinned.