As it turned out, when Nathanos had spoken of a planned strike on Boralus, he did not have a direct attack on Kul Tiras' well- fortified capital in mind.( And how could he? It would be nothing short of a suicide mission even with the help of the Zandalari fleet, and they didn't even have it yet. )

Instead, the extended crew of the Banshee's Wail- consisting of Lilian Voss, Thomas Zelling, Nathanos and Ylena herself- headed to Plunder Harbour, a pirate's nest at the east coast of Tiragarde Sound and the Horde's foothold there.

And aboard along with them was also Derek Proudmoore, still laying dead in his coffin like a good corpse.

He had sent the newly risen Marshal Valentine with an urgent message to Katherine Proudmoore, Nathanos explained to them once they had arrived, telling her they had her son and inviting her to come and get him.

"So we're really going to return Derek to his mother?" Ylena asked rather incredulously.

"No," Nathanos replied with a tight-lipped smile. "And it would be too much to hope for her to come in person to an enemy outpost. Instead, she will send some of her strongest guards to retrieve her son's body- which is exactly what we want."

Owings, the young captain of the Fogsail Freebooters frowned at these news. " I allowed your Horde to make base in my harbor." he complained. " I did not give you permission to lead the Proudmoore fleet to my very door."

Nathanos smile grew a tad strained. "We will pay you plenty for your- trouble." he replied sharply, at which the pirate captain snorted, but refrained from further objections from then on.

"Our mission here is to retrieve the Abyssal Scepter, located deep inside the Stormsong Monastery in Boralus." the Dark Ranger went on. "As Zelling assured me, it is is an artifact of immense power over the sea. One we can use to gain advantage over the Kul Tiran fleet."

He turned to the bald Nightborne next to him who had been silent until now. "As soon as we can be sure our diversionary tactic took effect, Chief Telemancer Oculeth here will open a portal for Ylena and Zelling to go through and retrieve the scepter. Meanwhile, we will take care of the Kul Tiran ships."

Zelling bowed his head. "As you wish, Nathanos."

Wordlessly, Ylena grabbed her bow and whistled up her pet.

Nathanos gave her a serious look. "Remember, you will arrive deep in Boralus." he warned. "Be on high alert."

Ylena just nodded and averted her gaze. She could not quite bear to look at him at the moment.

It didn't take long until two Kul Tiran ships arrived.

Nathanos gave Oculeth a sign, and he opened a portal into the Stormsong Monastery in the south of Boralus, the location where Tidesages were trained.

"The Scepter is locked away behind a ritual," Zelling explained when they had reached their destination." It needs three relics in order to retrieve it: The Compass of Clarity, the Curio of the Depths and the Key of the Sea. They will probably be guarded by other Tidesages, but many of them have given themselves to Dark Magic so- do not hesitate to kill them."

He didn't look at her when he spoke and sounded rather absent-minded.

Ylena raised a quizzical brow at him. "Are you quite okay?" she inquired.

It wasn't just sympathy that made her ask this- a distracted companion was an unreliable companion, and an unreliable companion could prove fatal in battle.

Zelling looked at her and sighed. "I'm not sure if- I still haven't-this isn't easy," he admitted. "Miss Voss says, proving my worth to the Blightcaller is the best way to keep my family safe. My family-"

Ylena nodded a little impatiently. " They are still in your thoughts. I understand that."

"They are EVERYTHING to me!" Zelling whispered fiercely. "I- I know they don't want me in their lives anymore. But that might change! Once they realize it's still me behind that mask of a monster, that I still love them, I know they will-they must-"

His voice cracked and he hung his head.

His evident grief tugged at Ylena's heartstrings, but this was neither the time nor the place for this.

"Lilian is right, Zelling," she said firmly. " If you want to keep your family safe, you'd better make sure this mission will be a success. Focus on the task at hand."

And I'd be well advised to do the same, she thought, when her companion nodded sadly and began to lead the way into the monastry.

Every time she looked at Nathanos now, she saw again the look on his face when he had watched Sylvanas leave.

She wondered, if they were really lovers like most of the Horde members suspected, or if this was just wishful thinking on Nathanos' part. His wistful expression seemed to indicate the latter- which would also explain his constant grumpy mood. But it didn't make a difference one way or another.

He would never look at her that way.

And that was fine.

After all, she had not been enlisted to catch the eye of one of her superiors- let alone the Banshee Queen's champion.

She was here because of her fighting skills, to prove her worth for the Horde's cause. She could not allow her feelings to get the better of her.

Her family might not be in immediate danger like Zelling's if she failed, but they relied on her all the same.

She was her parents' only child, all their hopes rested on her. Her mother had been sickly for quite some time, and with their daughter gone, it was left to her father alone to provide for her. Whatever money they'd had to spare had been spent for Ylena's training, it was her duty to repay them for it now.

To do her best to stand out and eventually be promoted and ensure a better life for all of them.

And this would only be possible if this war was won.

This was, this had to be, the ultimate goal. Nothing else mattered.

With that in mind, the mission proved to be a lot simpler than she would have thought.

The Tidesages who guarded the relics were mere scholars, and Ylena had the advantage of surprise on her side. She killed every single one of them before they could so much as call the aid of whatever dark powers Zelling suspected them to serve, and- although her enemies were hardly a match for a skilled huntress- without any hesitation or remorse. If only one of them escaped, that much was certain, they would immediately alarm the City Guards, and that would be the end of this little adventure.

And then, finally, she and Zelling stood in the basement of the Stormsong Monastry and he started the ritual to retrieve the Abyssal Scepter.

Tides that churn and ties that bind- he chanted in a shaky voice after placing the Key of the Sea in the bowl before them.

The oceans will remain long after mankind.

Yet your power permit us to harness, to use-

Though punish us whilst against your will we abuse.

Grant me your might to put down our foes-

Then your boon I shall restore to the powers below!

Ylena watched him perform the ritual with ambivalent feelings.

As all Sin'dorei, she was naturally fascinated by magic, but as someone who had no talent for it whatsover, this fascination went along with a healthy scepticism.

A spell could be as deadly as an arrow, certainly, but magic was a much more dangerous weapon than a sword or a bow. If done wrong, it could get back to the caster and destroy them along with its target-not to speak of the effects on their mental health from excessive use. And who knew what powers really hid themselves behind an ancient magic item as this?

It looked plain enough though, she thought, once she held it in her hands. Nothing extraordinary really- just a simple wooden stick with a shiny blue crystal at its top.

How such a small thing should be able to destroy the Kul Tiran fleet and turn the tides of war in their favour was beyond her, but then again, that wasn't her concern. Her job was to retrieve it, not to use it.

Nathanos, for his part, seemed to have no doubts about the scepter's usefulness and was visibly excited when he took it from her hands.

"Good work, as always," he praised and inspected it with a satisfied smile, his red eyes glowing even more than usual.

Then he stowed it away in his cloak. "Time to leave these unfriendly shores."

"I fear it is slightly too late for that," came Lilian's croaky voice from the shadows. " We have a new visitor."

Another Kul Tiran Ship had just reached Plunder Harbor.

"Then we shouldn't let him wait," Nathanos nodded grimly. "Let's see who Proudmoore has sent now. "

He strode towards the docks and they followed him- Zelling rather hesitantly, Lilian with her hands on her daggers and Ylena with her bow drawn.

"Show us your face, Horde scum!" yelled the newcomer, a bulky man in heavy plate armor with Proudmoore admirality insignia on it. "We have a friend of yours. Return Derek Proudmoore to my hands, and you shall have your man back."

He held a man in his grip who Ylena only recognized at second glimpse as the newly risen Marshal M. Valentine.

Nathanos curled his lips into a dark smile. He walked closer and his unblinking gaze roamed over the Kul Tiran soldier and his captive.

"How rude," he said snidely. "Whatever happened to 'don't kill the messenger because you don't like the message'? "

He shook his head with a sigh. "And here I thought Lady Katherine would be sincerely interested in a reunion with her firstborn."

The man snorted."What did you expect, monster?" he spat back. "That she would turn over Boralus and the Kul Tiran fleet to the Horde? "

Nathanos' jaw clenched slightly at the anew insult but his voice betrayed nothing of his anger. "That would have been a start, yes." he replied calmly.

The soldier's face grew red with rage and he tightened his grip around Valentine's neck, choking him. "I have no time for your games, Blightcaller," he hissed through clenched teeth. "This is my last warning- give us Proudmoore or this one will die here and now."

"Ah, my good man. That is a tactic that I could see working on somebody other than myself-" The smile left Nathanos' face and his voice was cold as ice when he continued. "But frankly, you can do what you want with Valentine. He means nothing to us."

The Kul Tiran nodded grimly. " So be it, corpse. I will recover Derek's body over your dead one."

He drew his sword and Ylena could only watch helplessly how Valentine died for the second time.

She felt something akin to regret, athough, if she was completely honest to herself, it wasn't so much for the man himself- after all, she had hardly known him- but rather for all the effort it had taken to retrieve his body- only to lose him again on his very first mission.

She looked at Lilian and the assassin's grim expression spoke of a similar feeling. She had probably hoped for a different fate for her new protegé than to be used as mere cannon fodder.

Zelling, for his part, stood frozen in place. Evident terror was written all over his face and she could practically read his unspoken thoughts. Was this how the Forsaken treated their new members?

For a brief moment, Ylena couldn't help but wonder if Nathanos' reaction would have been the same if it was her, not Valentine, held hostage by the Alliance. Would he sacrifice her as well, just like that, in cold blood? Her heart wanted to tell her no, but listening to her heart had so far proven little reliable where her commander was concerned-

Nathanos turned around to them and raised a brow at their upset faces.

"Take care of this nuisance." he told Ylena and Lilian in a bored tone. "Zelling, you come with me."

After finishing the Kul Tiran General- who proved to be a slightly more challenging opponent than the Tidesages at the monastry- Ylena and Lilian returned to the Banshee's Wail where Nathanos awaited them.

"You took your time," he remarked dryly. "I hope that means his death was painful."

Lilian twisted her destroyed features into a gleeful grin. "That it was."

"Good," Nathanos nodded, satisfied. "He really was a rather rude fellow wasn't he?"

"A stubborn one, too," Ylena said. "Even with his last breath, he said Derek Proudmoore would be returned to them- one way or another."

Nathanos barked out a short laugh. "Well, he might be right. But now- to the entertaining part of the evening. Take a seat, ladies, and enjoy."

He looked at Zelling who stood in the middle of the ship's deck, the Abyssal Scepter in his hands.

At Nathanos' inviting wave, he raised it high over his head, and Ylena watched with bated breath how the Kul Tiran ships at the dock of Plunder Harbor went up in flames one by one.

The scepter, plain as it might have looked at first glance, was indeed a very mighty magic weapon.

Her gaze flew to her commander who stood tall and proud against the backdrop of destruction they had just unleashed, a beautiful and terrifying sight in the red glow of the burning fleet behind them.

His eyes met hers and he nodded at her with a triumphant smile. "Now," he said in that deep, dark voice that never failed to send shivers down her spine. "We're ready for war."