Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own Official Characters.
Author' s Note: This is supposed to be a one shot. I don't know yet, I might continue it after Legion is officially released, and I have a better understanding of the Illidan quest line in its entirety. What I wrote so far, is based partly on the Burning Crusade expansion and the Illidan book. It is of course non canon and AU. Please enjoy and review. Let me know if you want me to continue with it, or leave it as a one shot.
Stolen Moments
Nefely Silvershade was not always an Alliance affiliated High Elven Sorceress. She used to be a Mage apprentice in Dalaran and part of Prince Kael'Thas Sunstrider's inner circle of friends. Which meant that she followed him to Outland after Quel'Thalas was destroyed by the Scourge, and that also meant that she became an Illidari and swore allegiance to Illidan Stormrage. When Kael moved to Netherstrom to harvest mana from the forges, he asked of her to remain behind and assist Illidan in his fight against the Legion. And so she did, and became very well acquainted with the Lord of Outland. And he was not at all the horrible and selfish monster his brother and the rest of his brethren have portrayed him to be. He may have been arrogant, brash and harsh in his methods at times, but he was also fair, honorable and selfless, considering that he sacrificed everything in order to save his people and the rest of the world from the Legion. Illidan was kind and polite with Nefely, just like he was with all who were truly loyal to him, and personally instructed the young Mage in advanced magical techniques, preparing her to become the latest Demon Hunter recruit. And he filled her with so many anecdotes about his past life with his brother and Tyrande, that Nefely couldn't help but feel disgust and contempt for the "golden" couple.
It was out of sheer dumb luck that she survived the Black Temple Massacre...er...Assault. When Illidan heard that Kael'thas has fallen, he sent her to assess the damage and then return to start her Demon Hunter training with him. But when she returned, devastated by what she had discovered at Tempest's Keep, and after laying the remains of her friends and brethren to rest, she stumbled upon the aftermath of another massacre. All around her were the bloated corpses of the Ashtongue Broken, the Fell Orcs, and the Illidari demons and Sindorei. So much death and devastation! She run up to the Temple Summit in a frantic state, but Illidan wasn't there anymore. Just a large pool of dried up purple blood. It didn't take a genius to realize that the blood was Illidan's and that he, and probably the rest of the Demon Hunters were dead.
'But where are they? Why have their bodies been carried away? Are they so afraid of them, that even in death they had to dispose of their remains completely? Did they incinerate all five hundred of them? I see no ashes.", the blood marks on the floor indicated that something large was dragged away from here, but not very far. She could detect the fading magic of a portal, and a quite large one. Someone transported a great number of items or people from here.
'Dead bodies? No, that makes no sense, why go into so much trouble to return the bodies of the Demon Hunters back to Azeroth? So they're alive, probably prisoners. Oh, Illidan would be so disappointed with them. They must have been ambushed by someone very powerful. Yeah, that makes more sense. At least they're alive, and that's a comfort. But Illidan is definitely dead. He lost too much blood. So who would want to return him, even in death, back to Azeroth? Who is crazy and desperate enough to do such a pointless thing? Who else of course, but Maiev Shadowsong!', Nefely concluded as she sobbed over Illidan's loss. Her feet couldn't hold her anyore, she collapsed on her knees at the floor and cried next to the pool of blood. But she knew that time was running out, she needed to discover the fate and location of the Demon Hunters and the place where Maiev took Illidan's body.
'He deserves a proper burial, and definitely not what Maiev's got in store for his already tormented soul', she tightened her jaw, and with a determined look on her face, she got back on her feet and used the faint magical trace to create a portal that took her straight to where Maiev had taken the Demon Hunters and Illidan's body. That was of course after she chanted a prayer, and casted a fire spell that incinerated all the bodies of her fallen comrades, so that they could rest in peace. Nefely stepped out into a large dark and cavernous place, she could not make out a single thing.
"WHO GOES THERE? NEFELY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? WARDENS, SIEZE HER!", the Mage recognized Maiev's roar, and promptly casted an "Ice Nova" towards the direction where she heard the voice and the footsteps. She then blinked as far away from them as possible and teleported out, her portal having collapsed the moment she stepped out of it since it was created in a place thousands of light years away from where she now stood.
For reasons unknown, she's been trying to figure them out till this very day, she materialized in Ratchet of all places. She didn't know Kalimdor at all. She knew that in her north lay Orgrimmar, the seat of Thrall's power, and in the South, was Theramore. Going to Orgrimmar was out of the question, she was an Elf, she didn't know how she will be received by them. She was not aware back then that the Sindorei had joined the Horde. Kael and the rest of the Sindorei Illidari believed that the Azerothian Blood Elves they saw fighting against them came as a neutral faction. Their intelligence network had collapsed during the last two years. Ever since Rommath never returned from Quel'Thalas, news became scarce and very confusing. They knew that Lor'themar had seceded Quel'Thalas from the old Alliance, but Kael was not surprised by that. On the contrary, he was pleased, since the Humans tried to kill him and his army. However, when Rommath failed to return, they had no means to discover what was happening in their homeland. Every emissary they sent back, never returned. Kael feared the worse, but he was now extremely busy harvesting mana from the forges. He decided that by harvesting enough mana, he would be able to make his army powerful enough to face whatever force was threatening his beloved homeland. Had he been in his right mind then, he would have teleported himself home and cleared things out, but his mana addiction and the fel magic had deemed him quite indecisive and incoherent most of the time. And Kil'Jaeden's influence and manipulation, made matters even worse for him and the Sindorei under his command.
Nefely didn't want to go to Theramore either, because Jaina would recognize her instantly and start with the questions. Questions she wasn't ready to answer yet. Like where her true loyalties lie. Quel'Thalas was not an option either. She was certain that she will not be accepted back, and Lor'themar will be forced to arrest her because she remained an Illidari to the bitter end. Staying in Kalimdor would be suicide, she was in the middle of the Northern Barrens, if the Orcs did not tear he apart, the Trolls would. Nefely was completely unfamiliar with the terrain, she would not survive here for very long. She needed to return to the Eastern Kingdoms and hide somewhere in the south. Stormwind was a good option. It was vast, and many different races ventured all around the kingdom at all she boarded the ship to Booty Bay and made her way to Stormwind via Stranglethorn, while battling with her withdrawal symptoms. By the time she arrived at the Capital, she was symptoms free. The young Sorceress would always feel the hunger gnawing at her at times, but now she was able to control it. Her eyes were blue again instead of fel green, and her hair was starting to regain the black luster it used to possess before the Scourge came.
Nefely took up residency in the Mage Quarter of Stormwind City, and continued her studies under an alias, Illiana Moonshadow, aka Shadowmoon or more correctly of Shadowmoon, to constantly remind her self where her true loyalties lay. It also reminded her that she needed to discover where Illidan and his Demon Hunters were hidden. The name Illiana was the closest she could get to the name Illidan, before someone noticed the similarity. She worked tirelessly with the Magi, while raising her's and Illidan's daughter, mourning for his loss day and night. She was very thankful that Nellia, as she named her daughter did not inherit her father's demonic features, but rather her own refined and elegant ones. Her eyes were blue, instead of golden, but her hair was just as black as both of her parents. Upon closer inspection, one could tell that Nellia was not entirely Quel'dorei, but rather a Kaldorei/Quel'dorei high breed. Though her skin was white just like her mother's, she did possess a lavender hue, reminiscent of her father. And her expressions, especially when she was frustrated or angry, those were all Illidan. She did however possess her mother's merry and laid back attitude.
Nefely harbored strong feelings for Illidan from the first day she laid her eyes upon him at the ruins of Dalaran. Though most people focused their attention on his demonic horns, hoofs and wings, the young Mage took his features in as a whole. She decided that his demonic attributes did not make him ugly but rather fierce and powerful. Everything else about him was Kaldorei, and it was beautiful. She did see illustrations of him both before and after his transformation by Sargeras in history books, and came to the conclusion that he was one of the most attractive Kaldorei males she had ever seen, his looks could only be compared to those of Dath'Remar Sunstrider's, the founder of her homeland. And he was definitely much more handsome than his brother despite his demonic transformation. She found Malfurion's attitude very hypocritical. Who was he to judge someone by his looks, when he himself had antlers and wings along his arms? While Illidan looked fierce and dangerous, Malfurion just looked ridiculous. Perhaps that was the reason why he banished Illidan from Kaldorei lands. Because even as a half demon, the younger of the Stormrage twins was the better looking one. She told the Demon Hunter so when he told her about the time he defeated Tichodrious and Malfurion banished him instead of thanking him, and Illidan roared with laughter and hugged her.
The young Sorceress was very reluctant to reveal her true feelings to Illidan, since everyone knew that he was hopelessly in love with Tyrande, and always in lust for Maiev, who he bedded nightly while she was incarcerated at the Warden's cage. It was a curious affair, that one. Though both swore that they hated each other, Illidan always ordered the Ashtongue to bring Maiev bound and chained in his chambers every night and have a bath ready for her. Their moans and howls of passion could be heard throughout the Temple Summit, and brought smiles of amusement on the faces of Sindorei inhabitants. In the mornings, Maiev was taken back to her cell bound and chained again, but with a huge smile of satisfaction plastered on her beautiful face. She didn't seem to mind at all that she always spent the day in her cell, while she satisfied her captor's carnal desires every night. When Nefely asked Illidan why he didn't have Maiev settled in the Den of Mortal Delights along with the rest of the courtesans, he laughed and said that Maiev was way too dangerous to be left outside her cage without his constant supervision. Besides, they wouldn't have it any other way. He used to be her captive for ten thousand years and she visited him every day in his cell to satisfy their lust. Now their roles were reversed, but the result is still the same. They loved their little arrangement and wished that they had more time to play it out for another ten thousand years. But with the constant Legion threat, and Kil'Jaeden breathing down their necks, they knew that their time together was short.
"But that's more reason to keep her closer to you, and in a much more comfortable setting, my Lord.", Nefely believed that Maiev deserved a better treatment from Illidan, since it would seem that his ten thousand years of imprisonment were not as agonizing as he let others believed to be. Illidan smiled and patted her head.
"Nonsense, young one. Maiev was never one who delighted in creature comforts. She's a soldier first and a female second. She prefers the simple and the austere, even a bed is a luxury for her. When she was not guarding me in at Mt. Hyjal, she hunted criminals all over Kalimdor, and slept on dirt, rocks and leaves. So a pile of soft hay, is a treat for her. Go, ask her yourself. She'll tell you the same thing she told me, when I offered to have her moved at the Den under very heavy guard. She really likes it rough.", he winked at his last words and laughed when Nefely blushed. She did go and ask Maiev herself. And the Warden confirmed it. She preferred those arrangements, and went into great detail as to what "liking it rough" meant, and what Illidan and her did every night. Nefely left the Warden's Cage with a bigger blush in her face, while Maiev laughed merrily at her reaction.
'I wonder, what does she feel so guilty about to prefer this sort of arrangement? Was it something she did to Lord Illidan during those ten thousand years? Does she feel that it's his turn to keep her locked up? Is she hiding something from him? I have to ask her next time I visit her, though I'm positive that she'll deny it. Oh well! If they love it that way, they can live like that till the end of days.", she shivered in disdain. As a Blood Elf, she hated discomforts and avoided them at all costs. Though she never understood what some people saw into such things, she was never one to judge. Especially Lord Illidan, whom she respected greatly.
Illidan was no fool. He noticed the way Nefely looked at him when she thought that he wasn't looking, and the way she addressed him. To others it would seem that she treated him with the reverence a master deserves from his or her apprentice, but there was more to that. He could sense her longing, he could hear the huskiness in her voice whenever she adressed him. He felt torn, he was millennia older than her, he was twisted and turned by the fel magic he dabbled with. But he was mostly affected by the way his loved ones and the rest of his kind treated him over the years. Deep down, he felt that the young, innocent and extremely beautiful Blood Elf deserved someone not tainted and darkened by life's injustices. But he found himself developing feelings for her, feelings that surpassed friendship and camaraderie. He spent months observing her as she practiced the spells he taught her, and marveled in her successes. He loved the way she smiled, squealed in delight, and cheered every time she mastered an extremely hard spell, how she bit her lip and furrowed her black eyebrows whenever she had trouble learning complex arcane construction spells.
One night he reached his limit. There she was, in her skimpy little red and gold Magister's two piece outfit, one that barely covered her ample bosom, leaving her flat abdomen exposed to the world. Her chest was heaving, droplets of sweat trailed down her forehead, to the neck and between her breasts. Her hip long black hair and long skirt were waving in the wind behind her from the force of the portal she had just created, exposing her long toned legs to him through the shamelesly high slits, as she casted a mana bomb in one of the pit lords' worlds through the portal. If her calculations were correct, that small moon would be torn apart, taking every single demon and their technology with it.
He had done the same thing to many of the Legion's worlds, either by invading them himself along with his Demon Hunters, spreading carnage in their wake, or by sending mana bombs via portals. It all depended whether they needed to find any artifacts from those worlds, slay a very powerful and important demon lord or just needed to cull the demon numbers. If the two first scenarios were the case, he led the Demon Hunters to those worlds and delt with the demon lords himself. If he just needed to wipe out a heavilly populated demon base, he casted mana bombs. And judging by their reaction, he was successful. And now, his young apprentice has just succeeded in destroying one of their base of operations as well. He was so proud of her. He had taught her well. Now she was prepared for the next part of her training. She will become his newest Demon Hunter recruit. The youngest of their kind. He had faith in her, he was confident that she will survive his training and pass the final test with flying colors. The portal collapsed as soon as she sent the bomb through it, and they both felt the impact it caused. Nefely cheered and turned towards him. She grinned and jumped up to hug him. He caught her in his arms and swirled her around him.
"Well done, young one! I am so proud of you!", he shouted as he continued to hug her, enjoying the feeling of her breasts pressing against his chest. She looked up at him with a look of pure adoration. That was it for him, he couldn't take it anymore, he crushed his lips on hers. Nefely was surprised, but she didn't let this opportunity slip through her fingers, she kissed him back with the same fervor, straddling his waist and linking her ankles behind his back, one hand caressing his stubble while the other wondered through his long hair. Illidan's hand slowly travelled up her spine and rested at the back of her head, feeling the silkiness of her hair despite the harshness of the Shadowmoon Valley climate, while his other hand tightened around her waist. Before Nefely knew what was happening she found her self in his chambers. She didn't even feel him casting them out of the Temple Summit. With a flick of his finger all of their cloths were casted on the floor, and he eased her on the large bed.
"Is this your first time, young one?", he whispered as he caressed her face.
"Yes, my lord. I promised my mother that I will wait until I was married to Astalor. But that's never going to happen, he's conceited and so full of himself. I broke off our betrothal before he was sent to Silvermoon and then failed to return to you. This is where I belong now and forever. With you!", she gave permission for him to continue.
"Good girl!", he growled and gave her a searing kiss. "I am Illidan to you for now on, Nefely.", he slowly kissed his way from her lips, down her body, tracing her toned curves with his clever hands until he reached between her legs. Nefely saw stars and felt fireworks going off in her head, as his lips met her nub. His mouth and tongue reduced the young Blood Elf into a puddle of whimpering jelly, she screamed her ecstasy to the the world. Illidan chuckled, and placed his length on her opening. With a single thrust he buried himself inside her all the way to the hilt. Nefely gasped, he was massive, but the waves of ecstasy that kept on coming prevented her from feeling anything but a mild ache. Illidan waited until she adjusted to his size and begun to move inside of her. Nefely moaned with each thrust and started moving with him, adjusting to his rhythm. They continued to move in wild abandon, the large chamber was echoing with moans, grunts and occasional screams of ecstasy, whenever Nefely climaxed. And in the end, with a bestial roar Illidan shot his load deep inside her loins while sinking his fangs in her neck, claiming her as his. Nefely was surprised by that, this was a very intimate thing to do in Kaldorei society, only life mates did that to each other, not simple lovers. She wondered what she should do. Illidan lifted his head and grinned at her, his fangs dripping with her blood.
"You're supposed to do the same thing, in case you're wondering, Dalah'surfal!", Nefely squealed in delight, making Illidan chuckle again at her reaction. He flipped them over, so that she was straddling him and exposed his neck to her. She lowered her head and sunk her fangs in his neck. She felt him growing hard again and starting to thrust inside her. She dislodged her mouth from his neck and looked straight into his blind fold covered "eyes". He smiled and stroke her hair, while his other hand squeezed her breast, his thumb tracing circles around her nipple.
"Dalah'surfal!", she whispered back at him and Illidan growled and captured her lips again thrusted even harder, lifting them off the bed and high up the domed ceiling. They made love suspended up in the air, Illidan's wings keeping them from crushing to the marbled floor. The night was far from over. Barely minutes after they climaxed and fell on the bed, Illidan flipped Nefely on her stomach and lifted her waist until she was on all fours. He traced his hands over her rear, marveling at its roundness and firmness. Grabbing both sides and squeezing them, he entered her again. Nefely was besides her self, she wasn't sure how much pleasure her small Elven body was made to endure, but she was more than willing to discover. She whimpered moaned and screamed with each thrust and asked for more, and Illidan was more than eager to oblige. He moved one of his hands under waist and lifted her against his torso. The same hand started to massage her left breast, teasing the nipple with his fingers, while the other hand traveled to her nether regions and begun to stroke her sensitive bundle of nerves. His mouth captured her right earlobe and nibbled it, and Nefely's right hand moved behind his head to grab his hair.
"Use your other hand to tease your right nipple, Dalah'surfal.", he whispered as he licked the base of her neck. She obliged and another powerful orgasm shook her to her very core. Before she recovered, Illidan pushed her down to the mattress and told her to rest on her elbows. As soon as she did, he traced her spine with his finger and rested each hand on her cheeks, squeezing and gently tapping them on occasion. She moaned louder and louder until she succumbed to her ecstasy once again.
Those were the happiest two weeks for Nefely, and perhaps for Illidan as well, as they explored each other's bodies, while Illidan taught Nefely the art of love making, stalling her Demon Hunter training for as long as he could. He knew that she would soon ask about it. But for now, all he wanted to do was make love to her and hold her in his arms, not subject her through the horrors of the Demon Hunter training. Because it was terifying and very painful to become a Demon Hunter. He should know, he was the first of their kind. He also wanted to spare her from the "Vision of Sargeras", as he named the vision Sargeras showed him when he burned out his eyes. He just wanted them to enjoy their time together. But the bliss didn't last for long. Illidan never called for Maiev during that time, and the Warden became restless. Akama took advantage of the situation and informed Maiev that Illidan had taken a new, much younger lover who he had claimed as his mate, and has completely forgotten about her. In her jealousy, Maiev agreed to help Akama and avenge Illidan's betrayal, and with the help of the Broken leader's mercenaries, she slew the last best hope of defeating the Legion, while Nefely was at Tempest's Keep.
Knowing that his and the Illidary's time was short since a vast army of Sha'tar, Horde and Alliance fighters has surrounded the Black Temple from all sides, Illidan made sure that his beloved one was not there when they finally broke through. She needed to survive, she needed to live. Both her and their child. She may have only been two weeks pregnant, but Illidan's demonic sight discovered the fertilized egg that was growing in her womb. Promising himself that he would anounce to her that they will be parents in nine months when she returned, provided that he lived to tell her, he kissed her for the last time and created a portal for her. He then summoned his Demon Hunters to anounce to them their new mission in the demon world of Mardum. He never got the chance to tell Nefelly about their child.
Over the years, Nefely became completely disillusioned with king Wrynn's rule over Stormwind and the rest of the Alliance, so she and her daughter never stayed in Stormwind for too long. Instead, she used the quests assigned to her to search for Illidan and his Demon Hunters. Those quests took them all over Azeroth, and it was a perfect opportunity for doing some side questing of her own. She searched every place she went thoroughly, looking for any sign of Maiev. But the Warden went missing for years, making only a brief appearance to murder some Highborn Elves after they were welcomed back into Kaldorei society, only to disappear again after she was discovered to be the culprit behind the murders.
After spending some time at Mt. Hyjal searching for Maiev and any trace of Illidan and the Demon Hunters, Nefely continued her search elsewhere. She searched the watery realm of Vashj'ir, the elemental plane of Deepholm, the mysterious kingdom of Uldum and the dangerous lands of the Twilight Highlands, but found no trace of her beloved one. She had already scoured through the Frozen wastes of Northrend several times during the Lich King campaign, and found nothing. The Pandaria campaign proved to be just as fruitless for Nefely, Maiev never set foot on the newly discovered continent. In her desperation, she returned to Outland with Nellia and scoured every province thoroughly. In the end she returned to Shadowmoon Valley and the Black Temple, leaving Nellia with the Scryers to learn more about her mother's culture, since Quel'Thalas was forbiden for her. And Akama and his Ashtongue Deathsworn payed dearly for their betrayal. She ripped their limbs apart and nailed their battered and burned members on posts around the very spot Illidan fell, their lifeless eyes "staring" at their savior's dried up blood forever. No matter how much they tried, Akama and the Deathsworn were never able to remove Illidan's blood from the stone floor of the Temple's Summit. It was as if Illidan with his dying breath cursed his blood to remain on the floor forever, a constant reminder of the Dethsworn's betrayal. On their headless torsos Nefely carved one word. "Betrayer.".
Nefely was not perturbed by her failure to find Illidan's body and the Demon Hunters. She felt confident that in time, she will be able to confide to her comrades and ask for their help in finding Illidan's body and the rest the Demon Hunters' location. She believed Illidan when he told her that the Legion will return to Azeroth again, and it was their job to take the fight to them and destroy their homeworld Argus, and whatever other hellish world they resided in. And there were very strong indications that the time when the Legion will strike again was near. Garosh Hellscream may have been the one who returned to the Draenor of the past and orchestrated the second Orcish invasion on Azeroth, but Nefely was confident that the Legion was behind him pulling the stringswithout him being the wiser. Garosh might not realize it, but wherever Gul'dan is involved, the Legion was nearby. She may not know how the Dark Portal was opened on the alternate Draenor, but the Mage was positive that it was somehow Gul'dan's doing. She just needed to bide her time and bring everyone to her way of thinking. After all, they were all fighting for the good of Azeroth. She owed it to the people of this tormented world, to protect them from annihilation. She owed it to Illidan to follow his plan and see it fulfilled. She owed it to their daughter to uphold her father's legacy. And she owed it to her self to honor the stolen moments she had with Azeroths's greatest unsung hero.