~ The unforeseen ~

~ by Anne Shard (alias Odeena Skywalker) ~

Chapter eleven: The awakening

To Maiev's surprise, teleporting this time was not as bad as it had been before, and, although she staggered a little, she felt none of the nausea that had assaulted her on her previous trips.

"This is our main camp", said Lady Vashj, gesturing around her. "Most of our forces are rallied here. You will find prince Kael at the sanctuary of the healers, west from here. I shall go rally a strike force as you commanded."

Illidan nodded. The sea witch bowed her head, and then slithered away. Without a word, the demon motioned for Maiev to follow him and set off.

As they passed, Maiev could not help to look around, curiosity getting the best of her. This camp, she noticed, was much larger than the previous one, and there was a lot more activity going on despite the late hour. Once, as a small mur'gul slave went past them and his arm brushed lightly against her leg, Maiev gave a little gasp and instinctively pulled closer to Illidan. Looking up, she could have sworn that she had seem the faintest of smiles crossing Illidan's face for a moment. However, it was gone just as soon as it had appeared, and the demon's features became icy again.

It did not take them very long to reach the place that Vashj had spoken of - the sanctuary of the healers, a place where Blood Elves tended to their wounded ones. It was not a very large building, with only one floor, built out of stone and a strange crystal-like material Maiev had never seen before. A slim Blood Elf priest stood by the entrance, and he gave a surprised gasp as he saw who was the one approaching.

"My Lord..." he said, bowing hurriedly. "You have returned!"

"Indeed", said Illidan. "I was told that prince Kael'thas is here."

The priest's features darkened. "He is, but I am afraid that he is not fit to serve you at the moment", he said grimly.

"That is the reason why I came here", answered the demon. "Lead us to him at once."

"Us...?" Looking up, the priest saw Maiev and started lightly. "Very well", he said after a second, his surprise and confusion clearly registering in his voice. "But - you will have to relinquish your weapons", he said, pointing to the warden's circular dagger. "This is a sanctuary of peace."

Maiev opened her mouth to protest, but said nothing as she saw that Illidan too relinquished his warblades. Reluctantly, she did the same. The priest gestured to the door, and it opened, allowing all three of them in.

The inside was quiet; however, the presence of several unusually strong magical auras was almost palpable, and Maiev shuddered, clearly disliking the idea of such powerful spells at work. On the other hand though, she felt refreshed at once, her weariness completely gone. They passed by several groups of Blood Elves, who all regarded Maiev with a mixture of surprise and hatred.

"They do not seem to like me much", Maiev commented dryly as several sorceresses floated past them, whispering among themselves.

"And neither do you", the demon replied calmly.

"This makes me feel so much better..." the warden murmured, wishing more than ever that she were in a different place.

After what seemed to be a very long time, the trio reached a pair of massive wooden doors, which also glowed with magic. The priest raised his hand and said a few strange words; immediately, as though on their own account, the doors parted, admitting them in.

The inside of the room they had entered gave away even stronger auras than the rest of the sanctuary. Maiev looked around, and was at once startled by its rich decorations. Silken banners in red, gold and azure, bearing the crest of the Blood Elves, hanged about the walls, swishing slightly, animated by a light breeze that seemingly came from nowhere. In the center was a large bed, on which lay prince Kael. At his side, a young sorceress sat in a richly sculpted chair, having apparently dozed off. However, as she heard the doors close, she awoke, and, seeing who was it that had entered the room, jumped to her feet and bowed, murmuring, "My lord..."

"Wait outside", Illidan said, gesturing to both their guide and the sorceress.

The two bowed their heads and did as they had been told, although their surprise and displeasure at the presence a Night Elf so close to their leader clearly registered. Illidan paid no heed to this; instead, he approached the bed.

Prince Kael looked as if in deep sleep; however, his expression was far from being a peaceful or serene one. His features were contorted in a grimace of pain, and his skin had a pronounced greenish tint. Illidan sighed.

"What is it?" Maiev asked, coming next to him.

"He is not poisoned", the demon replied, sounding thoughtful.

"What is it then?" Maiev asked, intrigued.

"He is under some kind of a curse, but I have never seen anything like it before. I do not know if I can dispel it, especially with the magical energies of Draenor interfering..." He sighed again. "But, I will try."

Maiev took a few steps back and watched as Illidan raised one hand and placed it over Kael's forehead, murmuring words unknown to her. His hand began to glow, and soon the light spread, engulfing them both. It gradually grew in intensity, until Maiev had to shield her eyes. This lasted for several minutes; then, the light abruptly died out. Illidan staggered a little, and leaned against one of the bed poles for support.

Maiev approached him hurriedly. "Are you all right?" she asked concernedly.

The demon nodded, "I will be".

"Did it work?"

"I... do not know yet... this curse was more powerful than anything I had ever encountered... But Kael is strong, I know this..."

Illidan straightened up; then, raising his hand, he murmured the same strange words the Blood Elf priest had used before, and the doors opened, allowing the two anxious healers in. "The curse has been dispelled", he said, "but your prince will need yet more energy to awaken... an energy which I do not possess at the moment."

The two healers bowed their heads, and then approached the bed from either sides. Linking their hands above the inert body of their prince, they closed their eyes, concentrating. Their hands began to glow in a slightly different manner than Illidan's had, and again the light surrounded them. After several minutes, it ceased.

"This is the best we can do", said the sorceress, panting heavily, while the priest . "I believe..."

Her sentence was cut off by a gasp, as Kael's eyelids fluttered a little, and then his eyes opened slowly. "What... happened?" he murmured weakly. "Where... where am I?" As his eyes traveled across the room and he saw Illidan, he smiled. "My lord", he said. "Forgive me... I... we... failed you..."

"No, Kael. You did not." Illidan held up a hand to stop the prince from arguing. "You are weak still", he said. "Rest now. All shall be settled in due time."

"Yes..." Kael's eyes closed again, and he drifted away to a peaceful sleep, as he was severely weakened still. Without a word, Illidan gestured to Maiev, and the two quietly left the room.

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Author's Note: Okay - here's a new chapter ^_^ And I tried to make this one longer! Hope you like what came out! A small note: I know sorceresses don't heal, but it seems fit that some woman can be healers, and if they cast healing spells, then they are, after all, sorceresses, right? Thanks to reviewing go to:

tom: Don't worry, he's not going to die! :)

Destro1990: You got 'Legacy of Kain: Defiance', you say? So, you're a fellow LoK fan? Cool! As for hunting for Britney, I'm ready! *waves her Huge Laser Guns of Doom* Aaaaand I brought a few friends, too. *points behind her* Say hello guys.
Random orcs: Grr.
...eh, right. Aren't they cute? ^_^

darth: Umm... you reviewed thrice, y'know? ^_^ Anyway, I guess it could happen (the part about the hatred between the Night Elves and the Naga).

KawaiiNekoOfDoom: Well... y'see, I'm an adept of the 'Baby Steps' policy. I usually write humor (BTW, thanks for reviewing 'Legolas and the Really Messed-Up Fanfic'), so I find it a little difficult to pull myself together enough to write a longer serious chapter. I'm trying though...

Hell-Flame-Narf: Yes, I know that Illidan is dead - but the summary for the story mentions that this is an alternate storyline, and so Illidan can very well be alive. Thankyou for reviewing!