Hatred and Fear

"Which one do you want to face next?" Xuen asked Athrodar as he stood in the middle of the arena.

Looking over his shoulder, Athrodar's gaze fell on his Queen to get an idea on what he should face. Although he thought it would have helped, Sylvanas couldn't read minds or talk to him in his, so she just smiled at him and wished him luck. "Hatred." He told the Wild God, turning his attention back to him. "I know who I am going to face, so I want to do it whilst I'm still strong."

Xuen smiled and bowed his head. "Very well." He said, summoning the smoke from the nearby brazier once more and sending it towards Athrodar, watching it envelope him before slowly coalescing into an image in front of the King. "This will be a tougher test." He told him. "Hatred is more powerful than anger, you will see that doing the same thing as last time doesn't defeat the image."

As predicted, the image of Hatred appeared in front of Athrodar who instinctively went to the sword on his hip that he took from Sylvanas, unsheathing it and spinning the blade around in his hand. "Arthas..." He muttered, sidestepping in a circle as the Lich King smirked at his former Prince. "I am no longer the man you made into a killer."

Arthas let out a dark chuckle, slamming Frostmourne into the ground and pulling up one of his armoured gloves. "You will always be the killer I molded in Northrend. You may try to hide from it, but it is in your nature to kill."

"My hatred for you runs deep, Arthas." Athrodar said through gritted teeth. "Even after we killed you, there has always been that pit of hatred in my stomach."

Arthas let out another dark chuckle, picking up Frostmourne and pointing it at his former Prince. "Your hatred burns deep inside you because that is the last remnants of me. You may be rid of my gift, but you will never be rid of me."

Sylvanas was being held back by Viraleth who held onto her Queen's arm tightly. "I should have known he would be the image of hatred!" She began to fight against Viraleth's hold to try and fight Arthas herself, never really getting closure for what he did to her and wanting to sieze this opportunity now. "I want my revenge, Viraleth. Let go of me!"

"My lady, you can't." Viraleth told her, doubling down her efforts to hold her Queen in place. "This is his trial, he has to clear the hatred he feels for Arthas. You can't help him even if you wanted to, remember?"

The Queen stopped her struggling, though she was becoming more and more agitated with the mocking laughs and taunts Arthas was throwing Athrodar's way. "Why did it have to be him..." She muttered, keeping her fist clenched as she watched the trial go on before her.

"You couldn't defeat me with your powers." Arthas told him, watching his former Prince side step around him, trying to get a good feel on how to defeat the Lich King. "How do you think this will go with your weaker, living form?" Arthas opened up his free hand and the clenched it shut, freezing Athrodar's feet in place. "Especially since I can still do this?" The Lich King looked to where Sylvanas was watching the confrontation, grinning under his helmet at her as she watched on.

"You are just an image in my head." Athrodar said quietly, hearing Arthas laugh at him. "You are tied to my hatred, I just have to clear my head of that feeling when I look at you."

Arthas continued to laugh, walking towards Athrodar who was still frozen in place by the ice around his legs, feeling the break free for a split second before having Arthas' hand grip him around the throat and lift him up. "You will always feel hatred when you look at me. It is the one emotion that makes us who we are, two birds of a feather."

Athrodar opened his eyes and looked at Arthas who grinned at him, placing his hands on the hand around his throat and fighting to pull it off him. "I... I..."

Arthas laughed at him, squeezing his throat a little harder and watching as his former Prince began to struggle with the simple task of breathing. "You what? Want to pledge yourself to my Scourge once more?" Arthas continued to laugh at him. "You will be nothing more than a mindless drone." He gave Athrodar dark smile when something crossed him mind. "Maybe I should visit Silvermoon and bring the Blood Queen back? After all, I haven't finished with her yet and I have so much more experimenting to do on your first love."

Sylvanas closed her eyes and sighed. "Damn it... So close."

Athrodar's eyes were filled with a fury that had overcome his senses and took over his entire body, removing one hand from Arthas' hand and taking hold of the knife attatched to his boot and plunging it into the Lich King's abdomen. Falling to the ground the moment Arthas let go of his throat, he began to rub his neck and coughing whilst trying to take in as much air as possible. "You leave... her... alone!" He yelled with such ferocity that it not only empowered Arthas greatly, it made the one way smoke dome that surrounded them more intense, closing in on the King and the image in front of him. "You will never touch Lana'thel again!" He roared, launching himself at the Lich King and stabbing in serveral times in quick succession, only getting a dark, throaty chuckle from Arthas in return.

"Pathetic." Arthas said, swatting Athrodar back to the edge of the smoke dome. "Your hatred has only made me more powerful. As usual, you are nothing but second best to me."

Athrodar made to push himself up with his hands, only to have Arthas place his booted foot on his back and pin him down. "Now die." The Lich King told him, slowly putting more pressure into squashing his Prince under his boot.

Forgive him for his atrocities. A voice said in Athrodar's head that was quickly filling up with the sound of blood rushing around his body. Forgive him for being tempted into power he couldn't control. Forgive him.

Sylvanas looked away as Xuen showed no interest in stopping the trial, not wanting to look at the outcome that she feared would happen. "I can't look, Viraleth. Tell me the outcome."

"I forgive... you... Arthas." Athrodar strained, feeling the boot lift off him a little. "You were.. tempted by power... It corrupted you and... You couldn't control your actions." He looked up at the Lich King who stared down at him with emptiness in his eyes, his boot no longer pushing down on Athrodar and making it easier for him to speak. "You said as much to the spirit of your father as you were dying. I see that now." He stood up and looked at the Lich King, their heights leveled out now that his power was growing weaker. "I forgive you."

The image of Arthas returned to its smokey form, retreating back to Xuen who put it back into the brazier and stood in front of the King. "Forgiveness is always the best way to getting rid of great hatreds. The moment you forgive someone, you start building bridges to better your relationship with them." The blue haired human stepped towards Athrodar who was hugged by his Queen from behind the moment Viraleth told her the outcome. "You almost lost yourself to the hatred you had for him, but that voice in your head cleared your mind."

"What voice?" Sylvanas asked him, kissing his cheek as she continued to hug him from behind.

"Lana'thel. She has been my voice of reason and has spoken sense into me whenever I was doing something wrong." He turned back to Sylvanas who looked into his eyes. "Hers is the voice that convinced me into staying with you the first year I joined the Forsaken. The voice that has kept me with you all these years."

Sylvanas kissed him hard on the lips, stroking his cheek when she pulled away to look into his eyes again. "I can't say I'm not a little annoyed that the voice of reason in your head is your former lover. But if she is giving you perfect advice, like settling down with me, then I can look passed it."

"Are you ready for your final trial?" Xuen asked, interrupting both King and Queen who were whispering to each other in Thalassian. "Your image of fear will allow me to cleanse the Old God corruption from you. I can feel it weakening, it just needs that final push."

Athrodar took a deep breath and looked to his Queen who was now worried. "It's what I fear the most." He told her. "I don't know if there is an image for being alone."

Sylvanas stroked his cheek with her hand, gazing into his eyes. "Maybe that's not it." She told him, watching him frown. "Maybe that's not what you fear now. I am here, your family are at home and our daughter is here in camp. We will never leave you and deep down you know that."

"I know." Athrodar said quietly, kissing his Queen lightly before stepping back two steps. "I have to do this. It's going to take a lot out of me, if what you say happened to Thal'ena is true."

"Just be safe. And don't go taunting whatever image shows up. Arthas almost killed you again and I don't want to see that."

Athrodar smiled at his Queen and bowed his head to her. "I will play it safe for this one and keep my distance."

Sylvanas began to make her way back to Viraleth and the growing crowd who were watching the trials. "I am not looking forward to this one, Viraleth."

The Ranger-General placed her hand on her Queen's shoulder when she turned back around to look at her King. "He knows what he is doing, my Lady. Trust me, but most of all trust him."

Athrodar nodded to Xuen who was waiting for the King to be ready. "I must remind you," the blue haired human began, "this is your final task. Because of that, it will be the most challenging."

"I'm ready." He told the White Tiger, placing a hand over the pummel of his sword just in case the image was something he had to fight.

Just like the last two, Xuen summoned smoke from the brazier beside him and sent it towards Athrodar, enveloping him before expending outwards and creating a dome of smoke. Several tendrils began to move towards the middle of the dome in front of the King and quickly formed his image of fear. "No..." Xuen said under his breath, watching the Sha of Fear itself begin to grow in the middle of the dome of smoke as well as several images of the Horde and Alliance, most notably Sylvanas and Victoria on his left along with a handful of rangers.

Quickly coming to the realisation on what this image was, Athrodar's heart sank as it all became clear to him. "My vision..." He muttered, looking over to the image of Sylvanas who was standing beside him along with their rangers. "This is what I saw."

The image just gave him a confident smile and a single nod, holding onto her bow and looking up at the Sha of fear that stood before them. "Then let's slay this being and cleanse Pandaria for its natives."

The real Sylvanas looked on with shock as she too realised this was the vision her King saw. The one thing that gave him fear more than anything, his death. "Xuen!" She yelled, looking over to the Wild God who was watching the trial unfold before him. "Stop this! It's going to kill him!"

"I can't." He simply told her. "If I stop this before its conclusion, it could greatly damage our chances of cleansing your King. If I stop this now, he could be injured both mentally and physically as the smoke dome would turn against him."

"Damn it!" Sylvanas hissed, looking back to Viraleth who gave her a look of sympathy in return. "Gather our best healers. We both know how this is going to end and I want them here to prevent the worst from happening."

Viraleth bowed her head. "Right away, my Lady."


Liadrin sighed and rolled her eyes when she walked into the triarge tent and saw Tanadia healing Victoria with Sera standing over them. "Please don't tell me you injured yourself doing something innapropriate." The Paladin said, looking to where Tanadia was healing and letting out another sigh, though this one was of relief. "Oh thank the Titans."

Victoria chuckled and looked at her hand that had a long cut on it, watching her sister close the wound slowly. "No, I injured myself because I wasn't looking. I went to pick up my sword by the hilt, but I grabbed the blade and now I am here." She could feel Sera's permanent grin on the back of her head. "Stop laughing, it's not funny."

"I'm not laughing, my Lady." Sera said, glancing over to Liadrin who was also grinning at her accident. "I was earlier though."

Victoria groaned and focused on Tanadia who was too busy trying to heal her sister to have listened, just being happy she could both practice and show off what she has learnt. "You're doing really good, little one." She whispered to the priestess who smiled. "I know you are going to be a great priestess and healer."

"I know." Tanadia said with confidence. "I have the best teacher."

Liadrin poked her tongue out at Victoria who looked back at her. "She has the best teacher." The Paladin repeated.

"Why exactly are you trying to one up me? I'm not teaching her." Victoria looked back to the wound on her hand that was almost closed. "And if I was, I'd be the better teacher because you're not a ranger."

Before Liadrin could argue against that, Viraleth had entered the tent and interrupted the four of them when she said the Paladin's name. "Liadrin. I need you to gather all your healers and follow me."

"Why? What's going on?" She asked, tilting her head at the Ranger-General.

"Sylvanas requested the best healers we have and you're the last one on the list since the rest are already there." She looked over to Tanadia who stopped healing her sister and looked back at the Ranger-General, making her pull the Paladin in close so she was whispering to her. "Athrodar is going to need all the help we can give him. They have found a cure for the Old God corruption he has, but it comes with a huge price."

"His life?" Liadrin asked.

"It may well be, if we don't have the best healers around him in time." Viraleth looked over to Tanadia who couldn't help but get closer to hear what they were saying, seeing the worried look on her face. "I'm sorry, Princess, but this will help him out in the long run."

"I am coming with you." She told them. It wasn't a question and Liadrin knew it by just the look on her face. "He is my father and I will be there to heal him."

Liadrin smiled and looked back to Viraleth who wasn't certain. "You heard her. She is coming with us."

Viraleth held up her hands. "Fine. Though the Queen expects the best healers, so if you're serious about healing him, you need to keep your emotions in check which I know will be tough for you since he is your father and you've probably not had that training yet." She looked up to Liadrin who shook her head. "Come on."

Tanadia straightened her back as they began to leave, looking up at Victoria who was grabbing a nearby bandage and wrapping her hand with it to cover up the rest of the cut that wasn't yet healed. "I won't let the Queen down." She told her sister who smiled.

"I know you won't."


Athrodar held onto Sylvanas's sword and looked to the image of her on his left. "We need to push them off the cliff." The image said, pointing towards the cliff that appeared out of thin air behind the Sha of Fear. "We can win this war if we stick together and make an impenetrable wall of shields to push the Sha back."

Looking around at their army, Athrodar slowly nodded to his Queen's assessment and turned to face the images of his soldiers. "Men, women, soldiers of Azeroth!" He yelled, addressing them as they all looked up to their King and saluted. "This is our greatest foe as an army, but not the greatest foe this world has seen. We have been through worse with Deathwing and the Lich King. Even the Burning Legion has tried and failed to take us out." He looked over to the Sha who was growing in height. "We will force this ancient foe into the sea below and watch as it crashes into the rocks."

The real Sylvanas heard his small speech and then the rallying cry of the soldiers around him, getting goose bumps but then immediately feeling a pit form in her stomach as the Sha of Fear roared back at them. "Come on Viraleth..." She muttered, looking back to the entrance of their room. "I have a bad feeling this is going to end soon."

Athrodar looked around at his men who were suddenly frozen in place. "Hold steady. Dig deep and find your courage." He said, looking back to the Sha and feeling the courage he told them to find in his own heart. "If we are to meet our doom here, we will fight until our last breaths." He told them, not forgetting it was a trial he was in, but getting so caught up in the moment of leading that he had kept that piece of information in the back of his mind. "The fate of this planet lies on our shoulders and I'll be damned if I see it fall into darkness."

The image of Sylvanas placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a nod of confidence before nocking an arrow into her bow. "I am behind you, my love." She said, looking up at the Sha. "We can win this battle."

When Athrodar heard the Sha roar again, he breathed in deeply and took a couple steps towards it. "Show no fear." He muttered to himself, bringing the sword in his hand to his lips and kissing the blade. "And this enemy shall fall today."

Sylvanas watched as the vision her King had described to her in great detail began to take place. Athrodar charging towards the Sha, accompanied with several soldiers as they were the first into the fight. Then the one thing she was dreading happened.

The Sha of Fear brought down his massive fist and crushed Athrodar and several of the soldiers beneath it, watching the trial come to an end when Xuen called the smoke back. "His trials are complete." He said quietly as Sylvanas and several healers rushed to Athrodar.

"Athrodar, baby." The Queen whispered, helping flip him over and hearing his shallow breathing. "Baby it's me. It's your Sylvanas. Please wake up so I know you're okay."

Xuen watched as several different races helped heal the King and couldn't help but smile when he saw how they all worked together. "He has shown remarkable bravery and strength." He told Sylvanas who didn't want to hear this right now. "To charge into his greatest fear with such courage shows how strong he really is."

Sylvanas looked up to the Wild God who was standing close by. "Help him." She begged, a rarity for her and everyone around them knew it. "Please! He is my life and I can't lose him."

Xuen bowed his head to her desperate pleads. "I have cured him of his corruption. The crushing blow didn't do anything to him, this is just a side effect of the cure. He was more corrupted than the Mage, so it has taken more out of him." He looked down to Athrodar who had several hands and spells on him. "He will recover, he just needs constant watching over."

Sylvanas stepped back when Viraleth arrived with Liadrin and a handful of healers, standing beside her Ranger-General who saw them all get to work. "I tried to get here as quick as I could." She whispered to her Queen, feeling as if she had let her down. "I hope we got here in time."

The Queen just sighed, slowly growing to hate Pandaria as it has brought nothing but pain to her family since they arrived. "I hope so too." She told her Ranger-General, taking hold of Viraleth's hand and feeling her squeeze it. "I told him we are going home once he was cleansed." She looked back to Victoria who had walked into the room with Sera, smiling over to her daughter. "I just have to make a few changes before we go, but I am certain they will all work out nicely."

"I know they will." Viraleth told her, looking back to Victoria and feeling a small pang in her heart as she still had feelings for the Princess. "I am going to tell you this now, so there's no surprise in the future. Your daughter means to make Sera her new General, which will make things a little awkward for me in Stormwind, seeing as I am the General at the moment." She looked back to her Queen who was a little confused. "I am returning to Silvermoon and pledging myself to the Farstriders again. I don't know if they will take me, since I'm not a Blood Elf, I'm still a High Elf. But I can't be in Stormwind any more, so I thought I'd tell you first since we may run into each other a lot."

Sylvanas thought she would be upset that Viraleth was going to leave her daughter with less guidance than before, but couldn't help but smile at her friend who had come to her first. "That's okay. Honestly it is. I look forward to seeing you in your new uniform when you get in. I'll even send a good word to Lor'Themar, see if I can change anything from the top."

Viraleth smiled at her Queen. "Thank you." Her attention returned to Athrodar the second the Queen's did. "I hope he wakes up soon."

"He will. I know he will." Sylvanas told her, taking hold of Victoria's bandaged hand when she stood beside her. "What happened here?" She asked her daughter, bringing the hand up to their eyeline.

Victoria laughed lightly, finding it funny the more the day went on. "I went to pick up my sword, wasn't looking and picked it up by the blade." The Princess looked over to her sister who was keeping a cool head whilst healing her father with everyone else. "Tanadia is becoming a skilled healer already. She was patching me up until we were interrupted."

Sylvanas looked to the young priestess who was kneeling beside Liadrin and an Orc Shaman. "She will become an important part of this family in the future. I know she will."

"We have to take him back." Liadrin said, looking over to Sylvanas who stepped towards them. "He is stable for now, but I'd like to keep a close eye on him back at the camp."

Victoria looked up at Sylvanas who nodded her head in agreement. "I am going to the Isle of Thunder to help out Vareesa." She told her mother, making her look around at her. "I know you want to make me Queen soon, but since Athrodar has come back here, I thought I would go to keep an eye on things over there."

Sylvanas watched them take Athrodar out the temple in a stretcher, looking back down to her daughter with a smile. "You can go. I'll write up the documents that pass the throne to you and leave it to the council. Once you return, they will have you sign it and then you can have your coronation however you wish." She kissed her daughter on the top of her head after pulling her in for a hug, squeezing her lightly shortly after. "Now we have to make sure your father will be okay."