The Cathedral of Darkness

Athrodar rode to the front of the armies, meeting up with each of the commanders with Thalina still sitting in front of him. They began to draw up plans of attack, sending the Horde and Alliance in first with the Knights of the Ebon Blade and Argent Crusade on their flanks, charging through with Cavalry. Clea sat on a skeletal warhorse beside the pair of them, listening in to the quick war council going on. "We could do what we done in Aldur'thar, send me and my Dark Rangers to take out a high priority target in the Cathedral."

Athrodar nodded in agreement. "We left no survivors, so they wouldn't know we're repeating the same strategy. It's a sound plan if we wish to weaken their chain of command significantly."

Darion looked at Tirion, noticing the Grand Paladin was thinking about it. "Tirion if it worked so well last time, give them the chance to do it again. It's what they're good at."

Tirion weighed up the options, coming to the conclusion Athrodar hoped he would come up with. "Very well, unless anyone has any objections, you and your Dark Rangers will get behind them and take out their leader."

Clea and Athrodar began to ride back to the rest of the Dark Rangers, the Dark Ranger-General glancing over to him and Thalina, raising an eyebrow at the presence of the Magister. "Is it wise to bring her along with us? She doesn't exactly meet the... requirements... for such a task."

Athrodar remained focused on the group of Dark Rangers waiting for their return, not looking at Clea when he responded. "It wouldn't be wise to leave her behind. The last time we done this, you were all locked out by a spell, leaving me alone with that necromancer. I advise you to bring her along so she can counter the spell if it happens again."

Clea narrowed her eyes at the pair of them, sighing in exasperation. "Fine, but she is your responsibility. Make sure she is dressed for the mission, we can't have her running around with us in that eyesore of a uniform those Argent Crusader's wear."

Thalina watched Clea ride away and back to her Dark Rangers. "Well.. She seems like a handful."

Athrodar smirked at the retreating form of Clea. "Only when her second isn't here, otherwise I think you would get along with both of them like a house on fire." He glanced down to Thalina, noticing the Magister looking at her armour with a confused look. "Okay, what is it?"

"What's wrong with my armour? I thought it looked lovely." She began to inspect it, checking for holes or some sort of dirt smudge. "I just don't get it."

"Thal..."

She continued to look at her armour. "Yes?"

"Look at them and tell me what you see."

She moved her head up and looked at the Dark Rangers huddled around in a small group. "Dead Elves. A sisterhood." She grinned. "With a big brother who they love to annoy."

Athrodar pinched the bridge of his nose. "No, what are they wearing?"

"Black leather, along with a cloak to match it."

He nodded. "Exactly. Now, what am I wearing?"

She placed a hand on his arm that was around her waist. "Unfortunately, clothes." She muttered, looking up at his face and noticing he raised an eyebrow at her. Her face went red with embarrassment, only now realising she said that out loud. "Oh erm... You're wearing black leathers as well." She looked down at her armour, catching on to what he was saying. "Right.. I see what she means now."

Athrodar climbed off his Deathcharger, helping Thalina down after. "Do you have anything black and tight fitting? Nothing that could get caught on something sharp whilst allowing you to move freely?"

Thalina stepped forward, placing a hand on his chest and looking up into his eyes, grinning at his questions. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Thalina..."

"Right, sorry." She took off a necklace around her neck and handed it to him. "Here, hold this."

Athrodar frowned at it. "And why am I holding this?"

Thalina glanced over to him, looking back to a spot in front of her. "I need it as an anchor for when I create a portal back."

He nodded at her. "Right.. Okay. Wait, what do you mean a portal back?"

A portal appeared in front of Thalina, the Magister placing her hands on her hips and holding her head high, smiling when it materialised. "I'm heading home for a few minutes. I don't have anything black here with me, but I'm certain I do back home. So I need you to keep hold of that as I need it to pinpoint my return."

Athrodar held the necklace up by the chain, the main ornament of it catching his attention, pressing down on a button that opened it up. Inside was a picture of Tanadia, sleeping in her cot, the peacefulness of it all distracting Athrodar a little, snapping back to reality when Thalina placed a hand on his face. "So how does this work exactly? Some sort of spellwork I presume."

Thalina smiled at him. "To put it simply, yes. Now wait here until I return."

Athrodar stood in the same place for close to ten minutes, most of the time looking at the picture of his daughter, feeling a little confused at what he was going to do after this was all over.

You'll be giving her up as well, do you really want to do this?

He shook his head to clear the thought, knowing he chose to go down this path, nobody needed to force him into it.

Would it really be so bad? You say you will never love her fully, but you've managed to stay by her side ever since she arrived at Ymirheim.

"Yes, it would." He muttered to himself. He glanced around, hoping nobody was nearby to hear his one person conversation. His gaze remained on the locket, closing it when he felt it was bringing up emotions he tried to hide away.

You said so yourself, you love her and you know she loves you.

"I know I did." Athrodar began to pace back and forth, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Then why are you leaving her after all of this?

"Because she will want to remain with her family, and I wouldn't be welcomed back with open arms by the Sin'dorei."

She will go wherever you go, you know this.

"Where I go is no place for a child, which is what she will bring if she wants to be with me, our child."

There are many remote locations in the world, go to one of them.

"I've made my choice."

You could always change it.

"Enough!" He swept his hand around in an arc, shooting ice in several directions. The voice in his head leaving instantly.

"Athrodar?"

He span around, instantly placing a hand on the hilt to one of his swords, unsheathing it and pointing it to the newcomer.

Thalina stared at him wide eyed, shocked that he had drawn his sword at her. "Baby it's me, I won't harm you, you know this." She slowly began to walk towards him, sheepishly extending out her hand, all the while eyeing the blade pointed at her. When her hand reached his face, he lowered the blade to the floor, resting his head against hers. "What happened? Talk to me."

Athrodar moved his hand up with the locket in, handing it over to her. "Nothing, I'm fine."

She knew he was lying, his outburst as well as the drawing of his sword at her were evidence enough to know something was up. She began to straighten out his belt and cloak, keeping her hands on his chest for a little longer than needed. "We both know that's not true." She snaked her hands around him. "Talk to me."

He put the locket back around her neck, ignoring her when she asked him to talk a couple more times. He looked down at what she was wearing, nodding slowly when he approved of what she had chosen. "It looks like we're ready to leave."

Thalina sighed, letting go of him. "We're not going to talk about what happened, are we?"

Athrodar walked over to his Deathcharger, unwrapping Thalina's sword that was strapped to the side of the saddle, covered in cloth. He walked back over to her and began strapping it to her waist. "We're not going to talk about what happened because nothing happened." Once he was done, he made sure it was strapped on tightly, pulling on it a couple of times before he was satisfied with it, looking back up to Thalina who was looking at him with an expression he hadn't seen before. "What's with the face?"

She had a mix between anger and sadness, making it difficult for him to place which one she was feeling. "Why won't you talk to me Athrodar, do you not trust me?"

He sighed, knowing better than to think she would drop it, her stubbornness known to him for decades. He took hold of both her hands, looking down at her. "Of course I trust you."

"But?"

"But we are not talking about it."

Thalina watched him walk over to the rest of the Dark Rangers, her head hung low as she made her way over to them as well, getting no sympathy from either one of them when they saw her. Clea, who was sitting atop her skeletal warhorse, told them all the plan, whilst Thalina glanced up towards Athrodar who wasn't paying much attention to either one of them, looking lost in thought.

"When we get inside the Cathedral, we will split off into four teams of five and search the whole place, thoroughly. Once we have cleared out every room, we will meet back at the front, the team who has found their leader will stay there until backup arrives. Only then can we be certain of victory." She looked at each and every one of their faces, noticing Athrodar was looking distant. "None of you will play hero, not today. We have come too far to lose here."

She dismissed them, watching everyone disperse and get ready to leave, stopping Athrodar when he began to move. He shifted his eyes down to her, the Dark Ranger-General watching him carefully. "Did you need something Clea? Or can I go?"

"Is your head in the game? Because I can't afford to have anyone not one hundred percent focused on the task at hand."

Athrodar pulled his arm away from her. "I'm fine. If you're worried about me however, I am more than happy to be moved to the front lines with the rest of the Horde."

Clea narrowed her eyes at him, shifting them towards the Cathedral in front of her. She grit her teeth in frustration, knowing he was more valuable with her than in the front lines. "You seem fine to me." She looked past him and towards Thalina who was watching their conversation. "Remember, that Magister of yours is your responsibility, she is not to slip up, got it?"

"She won't."

"She better not."

"She won't." He repeated, walking away from her afterwards.

Thalina followed him, seeing as he was the only friend she had amongst them all. "I couldn't help overhear, mostly because I was trying to, but that conversation sounded similar to the one you and Elaria had that time in Booty Bay, except she was the one defending me" She smiled a little. "Funny how times change."

Athrodar stopped walking, facing the Citadel that towered above everything, including the Scourge Stronghold they were about to assault. He felt Thalina's presence next to him without having to look, resting his hand on the hilt of his dagger that was sheathed at his waist. "Be careful out there, I can't have you dying on me when we've gotten this far."

She leaned up against him, moving her hand down to his and taking hold of it. She took a deep breath before asking a question she wasn't sure she wanted an answer to. "How good are you at reanimating the dead?"

Athrodar frowned at her, Thalina not looking up at him. "Why are you asking me this?"

Her eyes shifted down to the ground, tightening her grip on his hand. "If I do die..."

"No, I won't."

She did look up at him this time. "You didn't let me finish."

"I didn't have to, I know what you're going to ask me and the answer is no. I don't want you to go through what I went through. The realisation of this curse, the painful process of having your soul ripped away and having no chance on getting it back." He looked down at her hand that was intertwined with his. "The painful reality of knowing you can never return to the place you once called home."

Her head hung low at the realisation of his choice to disappear after all this was over. "You're leaving because you feel like you don't have a place with the living, aren't you?" Her voice was low, close to a whisper as she began to understand his reasoning.

"Yes,"

Her head shot up as she got an idea. "Then we will go somewhere you are welcome, just you, me and our daughter. It can work."

"Thal.."

She continued on her train of thought. "We can go to Booty Bay.. or some place remote and away from everyone. I have heard about this place called Winterspring, it's out of the way and from what I've been told, not many people travel there."

"Thal, listen to me."

She shook her head at him. "No, there must be somewhere. Thunder Bluff with the Tauren? They're a peaceful and loving people, they will greet us with welcome arms, I've also heard they're beginning to learn about the light as well."

"They won't welcome me with open arms."

"Why not? They've got the Forsaken living amongst them, you're a lot nicer to look at than they are."

"They won't welcome me with open arms because I have slaughtered countless of their Taunka cousins whilst I was a Scourge Prince on this continent. I wouldn't be surprised if they have gotten word about me by now."

"Then we find somewhere else.. Maybe -"

Athrodar placed both his hands on her arms. "Stop, there is nowhere, not now and maybe not for a long time. With the countless lives lost to this war, not many people will be welcoming to the Forsaken, or those like me, especially after the Wrath Gate. Only the Forsaken will take in those who are dead and that's no place to raise our daughter."

"So that's it? There's nothing we can do? We can't live somewhere away from everyone and everything, quietly for the rest of our days, as long as we have each other?"

Athrodar smirked, pulling her in to his embrace. "You and I both know you would hate that. Not the three of us living alone, but with how bored you would get, having no Liadrin or family around to talk to."

Clea blew on her war horn, followed up by the rest of the commanders of the Alliance, Horde, Argent Crusade and Ebon Blade. "Alright ladies let's get moving. We have our task and that's to cut the head off another snake. Stick to the plan, follow your group leader and all should be fine."

Thalina pulled away from him when they all began to move out, kissing him lightly on the lips. "Let's go, Lady Athrodar." She stuck her tongue out at him, catching up to the Dark Rangers who had already left the pair of them behind.

Cannon fire from the gunships above rocked the inside of the Cathedral, everyone remaining on their feet though a couple of them held themselves up against a nearby wall. "Do they have to fire on the fortress whilst were in it!?" Yelled Lyana, holding herself up against a wall.

Athrodar fired a frost arrow at an oncoming Darkfallen. "We need to get moving. The longer we stay here, the more Scourge will be alerted to our position."

Clea nodded at him, looking over to the rest of them. "This is it. Split up into your groups and search this place for their leader, meet back here once you've cleared out everything. Like I mentioned, the group that finds the bastard in charge will remain nearby but out of sight until everyone else catches up."

Three of the groups went their separate ways, one of them led by Lyana, the other two led by Dark Ranger's Marrah and Vorel. Athrodar and Thalina remained with Clea and two other dark rangers, the Dark Ranger-General using Athrodar for his ability to sense dark magic better than anyone else. "Whoever is in charge is close, but there seems to be more than one of them."

Thalina was surprised with how well he could sense necromantic magic, not believing he could pinpoint them with such accuracy. "Are you sure? This whole fortress looks like it uses dark magic."

Athrodar nodded. "I'm certain. They're nearby, maybe in the room after next, but they are definitely closer to us than the other groups."

"Then let's get moving. We'll set up a defensive perimeter in the next room and wait for the other groups to catch up before we take them out." Without waiting, Clea ran towards the next room, the rest of the group catching up shortly after.

Thalina sat down on the floor once they cleared out the room, leaning up against a wall with Athrodar sitting next to her in silence. She had something on her mind that was troubling her, elbowing Athrodar next to her to get his attention.

"Yes?"

"Does this all seem a bit too... easy?"

Athrodar looked around the room, noticing a lack of Scourge bodies and realising he didn't have to use up many arrows so far. "You know, I think you're right. Something doesn't feel right." Athrodar's ear twitched seconds later, standing up when it twitched again, certain that he had heard something coming from the next room.

Thalina watched him slowly walk over towards the door connecting the two rooms together. "What is it?"

He glanced back at her and placed a finger up to his mouth, telling her to be quiet as he neared the door, resting his ear against it to hear inside. He could hear chatter on the other side of the door, quickly followed by silence. Clea began to walk over to him, catching his attention momentarily and making him pull away from the door. As he took two steps away from it, a blade pierced the door from the other side, sticking through the exact location his head was placed against seconds earlier.

All four rangers drew their bows and nocked arrows, Thalina standing up and conjuring fire in both hands, waiting for something to break through the door. The sword was slowly pulled out from the other side, leaving a hole in the middle of the door to which Athrodar fired an arrow through, piercing one of the Darkfallen in the eye. They heard a thud as he hit the floor, silence taking over in the room shortly after as he died almost instantly.

"Don't just stand there you fools! Kill them!"

Clea looked towards Athrodar who returned her stare. "It appears their leader is a woman."

Athrodar knew exactly who their leader was and was hoping she wouldn't be here, especially since the Court of Bones was surrounded by four armies. He fired another arrow through the small hole in the door, throwing his bow back over his shoulder and unsheathing his two swords, running into the next room.

"WAIT!" Commanded Clea though it was too late, he had already charged in recklessly, the door shutting behind him. She span around to Thalina. "Get this door open, NOW!"

Thalina snapped out of her shock as she watched him run in, quickly making her way to the door and getting to work on countering the spell that kept them locked behind. "It's going to take some time, I've never done this before and its user is really strong."

Athrodar engaged several Darkfallen in combat, parrying and disarming each and every one that came towards him, though not killing them. "Lana'thel." He parried another sword that was swung at him, knocking the wielder to the floor with a swift kick. "Lana'thel, you need to-" He parried another one, this time slamming his sword into the floor and freezing everyone in place around him. "Lana'thel you need to leave. The Alliance and Horde are at the gates, we have agents already infiltrated into this Cathedral."

She slowly walked towards him, ignoring her followers warnings of caution, stopping directly in front of her Prince. "Athrodar..." She placed a hand on his face, making sure it was really him. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because he's a traitor, even to his own people!" Spat one of the Darkfallen, Athrodar silencing him by throwing a knife into one of his eyes and sticking deep into his brain.

"I am telling you this because I want you to remain safe. Return back to the Citadel, you will be out of harms way there." He leaned forward and kissed her, reluctantly pulling away after a few seconds. "Go."

Lana'thel ignored his initial instructions, throwing herself at him for a long hug, breaking away when she felt her spell on the door weakening. "What will you tell them? They know I am here."

"I'll tell them you teleported away before I could get to you." He kissed her once more. "Now go, but leave your followers behind." He looked around the room, noticing their curious faces staring at him. "I need to show some sort of victory here if you've gone."

Lana'thel nodded, teleporting away seconds before the door opened, the Dark Rangers along with Thalina bursting through them, firing arrows and launching balls of fire at the frozen in place Darkfallen. Athrodar doing his part by cutting down the closest Darkfallen to him, all five of them clearing out the room quickly.

Once the room was cleared, Clea put away her bow and unsheathed a dagger, storming over towards Athrodar and grabbing him by the neck, dragging the former Prince towards the closest wall and laying her dagger across his throat. "Where is she!?"

Thalina ran towards them, only taking a couple of steps before the two other Dark Rangers held her down, drawing their swords and pointing them at her. Athrodar watched Thalina get thrown onto the floor with swords pointed at her throat just like the dagger held at his. "Let her go."

Clea pressed the dagger against his throat a little more, splitting the layers of flesh there and drawing some blood. "Where. Is. She?"

Athrodar slowly pulled out his dagger he kept sheathed at his waist, looking into Clea's deadly, crimson eyes the whole time. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He pulled his dagger up to Clea's and pushed it away from his throat, the Dark Ranger-General's reflexes coming into action as she pounced backwards, unhooking several poison-laced knives and throwing them at him, two of which sticking into his chest as the rest went into the wall behind him. He fell down onto his knees as the poison quickly went to work, weakening him significantly enough to no longer remain a threat to her. "Where's their leader? The one who distinctively sounded like a woman."

Athrodar pulled the knives out, dropping them onto the floor and looking up at Clea. "She teleported away... just as the door... opened." He collapsed on the floor, the poison doing its job and paralysing him temporarily.

Clea flipped him over with her foot, looking down at him, signs of distrust in her eyes. She knelt down, placing the dagger well within his line of sight, knowing he couldn't move anything but his eyes. "If I find out you're lying to me, I will make your death slow and painful. You may have my Queen fooled to the extent she shares a bed with you, but know that I will be watching you carefully."

Clea nodded towards her two rangers, both of them moving their swords away from the Magister and walking out the room with their Dark Ranger-General. Thalina got up from where she was held down, running over to him to make sure he was okay. "Out of all the people I would have thought would take you in, the Forsaken seemed the most likely, now I'm not so sure." She frowned at what Clea said moments ago. "What does she mean by you sharing a bed with her Queen?"

Athrodar looked up at her, Thalina moving his head to her lap, pulling his hood down and stroking his hair. He slowly closed his eyes when she asked him again, knowing it was enough to tell her exactly what she didn't want to know.

Thalina swallowed the lump in her throat, trying to keep her emotions out of the one way conversation. "How long has it been going on?" She continued to stroke his hair, realising he couldn't answer for himself at the moment. "After Aldur'thar?" She noticed his eyes move away from her, knowing she was correct. She gave him a weak smile, trying to act like she was okay with it all.

Minutes crept by with the pair of them in silence, Thalina still stroking his hair as he laid there, unable to move. Liadrin along with a group of Crusader's came storming into the room, slowing down when they came across the many Darkfallen bodies as well as Athrodar and Thalina. Liadrin quickly ran over to them, dropping her sword next to Athrodar whilst the crusaders with her set up a defensive position. "What happened to him?"

Thalina watched as Liadrin placed her hands on him, checking for any wounds he may have sustained, coming across two puncture wounds in his chest. "He's been poisoned, it's only temporary so there's no need to worry."

Liadrin glanced over to the Magister, smirking at her choice of words. "I should be saying that to you." Her focus went back to Athrodar. "I'm sorry, but this is going to hurt."

"What are you going to do?"

"I need to use the light on him, it will hurt like hell but it will also leech the poison out of his system."

Thalina held him down as Liadrin got to work, Athrodar gritting his teeth as the light began to cleanse the poison coursing through his system. He thrashed about as the light also began to burn him, heal him then burn him again, causing him an intense amount of pain in the process. Thalina tried to distract him the best she could, starting up a random conversation with him, but to no avail.

When Liadrin was finished and certain the poison was out of his system, she fell backwards, exhausted by her efforts. "He should.. be fine."

Athrodar laid still, conscious yet silent, looking up at the Magister the whole time. Thalina on the other hand had a couple tears fall from her eyes and down onto his face, not liking the idea of him being in pain and having no way to help him. She stroked his face lightly, watching him slowly fade in and out on consciousness. "It's okay, I'm here." She whispered to him before he slipped into darkness once more.

Liadrin stuck her hand up in the air, still laying down on the ground. "We've conquered the Court of Bones by the way."

Thalina looked over to her. "We have one objective left." Her face lit up briefly, knowing they were almost done. She looked back down to Athrodar, her smile fading away instantly. "He's almost completed his task."