Life and Death

"Did you see that?" Victoria asked, looking back to Thal'ena. "That pulse of Holy Light up there? That has to be them."

Thal'ena shook her head. "I didn't see anything, my Lady."

"I'm telling you, there was a wave or something up there. It was golden like from a holy spell." Victoria looked back to the Spire. "I want to check it out." She said, looking back to Thal'ena once more who was looking at her. "Come with me. My rangers will remain here, I just need to make sure whatever happened up there has something to do with my family."

Thal'ena was conflicted but knew that it was impossible to change her Queen's mind when she had a plan. "Okay. I'll go with you." She looked back to one of the rangers and pointed at them. "Stay here, protect our backs."

The ranger bowed their head to the Royal Magister. "I will."

Thal'ena followed Victoria towards the Spire, being stopped by Vol'jin who spotted the Queen walking through their lines. "Where ya goin'?" He asked.

"To that spire. I think my parents are up there and could use my help." Victoria looked back to Thal'ena who smiled a little and gave her a slight nod. "My rangers are still protecting our rear, so you don't have to worry about that."

"I can spare some hunters. Ya be needin' some back up if ya goin' over dere." Vol'jin beckoned a few of his hunters over. "Take dem."

Victoria smiled at the Warchief. "Thank you."

Now with some reinforcements, Victoria made her way towards the spire and stopped when she saw a body at the foot of it. "No..." She muttered under her breath, walking closer to it and falling to her knees. "Thal..."

The Royal Magister looked up to the top of the Spire. "It looks like she fell. Maybe the explosion?" She looked over to Victoria who was shattered at the death of another friend. "My Lady?"

"I.. I can't do this anymore." Victoria said quietly. "I just keep losing friends, loved ones." She shook her head and collapsed down to her knees, looking over Thalina's broken body. "My sister has lost her mother, grandmother, and close friends. I have lost my lover, my Snow, my grandmother and now a family friend."

Thal'ena signaled for the Troll Hunters Vol'jin gifted them to spread out and keep Victoria protected whilst she went over to her Queen and sat down beside her, moving an arm around her. "Let's go inside and find your parents." She whispered to her Queen who leaned against the Royal Magister whilst looking at Thalina.

"No... They'll be coming down here to see her. We're going to wait." Victoria closed her eyes and let herself go as she cried against her Royal Magister.

"Okay." Thal'ena whispered in her ear, planting a kiss on her temple. "We'll wait."

And so they did, hearing fighting coming from inside the spire on the floors closer to them which was closely followed Elaria walking out the spire first. "Vic?" She asked, tilting her head when she saw the Queen. "Damn... You found her." She muttered, looking down at Thalina.

The next to walk through was Athrodar who couldn't even look at Thalina's body. "Papa.." Victoria muttered, standing up and running to him. "I'm sorry."

Athrodar held onto his daughter tightly, closing his eyes as they both melted into the hug. "Don't be sorry." He told her, kissing her on the cheek. "We're the ones who should be sorry."

"Victoria?" Sylvanas asked, feeling her legs weaken when she locked eyes with her daughter. "My baby." She said, hugging her daughter who jumped at her, breaking down into tears of joy that she had her daughter back. "I'm so sorry. I should have spoken to you first."

Tanadia was the next out the spire, but she didn't have the same reaction as Athrodar or Sylvanas, instead she collapsed down beside her mother's body and placed her hands on her face, looking over her broken body and letting out screams of anguish as the loss of her mother had finally sunk in. This brought everyone back to reality as the normally cheerful, happy and ray of light in their lives had been shattered into this cloud of darkness. Though she knew it wouldn't work, Tanadia began to muster what was left of her energy and began to pour holy light into her mother's body.

"Tanadia." Athrodar said, trying to pull her away. "It's not going to work." He told her, ignoring the pain in his chest as he saw how broken his daughter was. "She's gone."

"No!" Tanadia cried, breaking free from her grasp and going back to her mother to try and heal her again. "I'm not leaving her."

Athrodar looked over to Thal'ena who had already read his mind, conjuring a portal to Stormwind. "We have to leave." He said, looking back to Illidan who left the Spire last. "Elaria will take you to your demon hunters."

"Good." Illidan looked down at the broken body of Thalina. "She is just one of the many casualties that the Burning Legion will pay for. I will make sure of it."

Thal'ena took hold of Tanadia and practically dragged her through the portal, followed by Sylvanas and Victoria and finally Athrodar who picked up Thalina's body. "Keep me updated on the siege here." He said, looking at Elaria who nodded at him. "I want to know where they're going next. I want to kill every last demon on this planet."

Elaria bowed her head to him. "I will, Athrodar." She looked at Thalina and placed her hand on her cheek, leaning forward and kissing her forehead. "She deserved better than this. Her life was turning around with you, this was the last thing she would have wanted."

Athrodar looked at Thalina's face. "I know. I... I didn't let go, but she did. She knew you couldn't pull us both up."

Elaria sighed and brushed strands of her hair out from her face. "Bury her somewhere nice. She would want to be somewhere the sun always shined, looking out towards the ocean."

"I know just the place." Athrodar said, walking through the portal and landing in Stormwind Keep seconds later.

"I will write to her parents." Victoria said, looking up at Sylvanas who stood as close to her as possible. "But I will need some help. I don't even know what you were doing up there."

Sylvanas kissed her on the forehead. "I'll help you, don't worry."

Tanadia was nowhere to be seen in the Throne Room, along with Thal'ena, something Athrodar picked up on as he was making his way out Stormwind Keep. "Where is she?" He asked Sylvanas.

"Thal'ena took her to her room, she didn't want her to see any more." Sylvanas walked over to Athrodar and looked down at Thalina. "She won't be forgotten. Do you know where you're burying her?"

"Near the Park. There's a place she always used to visit and look out towards the ocean." Athrodar looked down at Thalina and felt his heart tighten. "I wanted more for you, Thal. We all did."

Sylvanas took hold of Victoria's hand as they watched Athrodar leave, looking down at her. "Let's go get that letter written up. Her parents need to know."


Athrodar stood over Thalina's grave, letting out a sigh and placing a rose down beside her gravestone. "You were always in my heart, Thal. I'm sorry I couldn't share the same love you had for me, but I wished you knew how much I cared for you." He smiled a little, placing a hand on her gravestone. "Maybe you did, which must have hurt a lot more."

Sylvanas walked over to Athrodar slowly, hugging him from behind as he continued to look down at Thalina's grave. "Victoria sent the letter, her parents should be here tomorrow." She walked around and stood beside Athrodar, looking down at the grave. "Tanadia had finally fallen asleep. I think she exhausted herself with her mourning."

Athrodar moved his arm around Sylvanas and pulled her in closely. "I want to go look for Dael'Thaelas." He said softly, keeping his voice low out of respect of Thalina. This was her burial site now, a place he promised himself he will visit often, more than Lana'thel who he still goes to see in Silvermoon every now and then. "I want to see what he wants with me."

"You know he wants you back under his thumb." Sylvanas told him in an equally soft voice, looking up at Athrodar and placing a kiss on his cheek when she got up onto her tiptoes. "Come back to the Keep with me. Get some rest before tomorrow by holding onto your beautiful wife."

Athrodar smiled a little, pressing his head against Sylvanas'. "Okay." He said quietly, kissing her on the lips. "I just want to get this over with."

Returning to Stormwind Keep, both Athrodar and Sylvanas went to their bedroom and slept in each others arms until the morning. They woke each other up and began to get ready to leave to find Dael'Thaelas when Tanadia interrupted them. "Papa?" She said softly, looking at her father.

"Morning, honey." Athrodar said in an equally soft tone, walking over to Tanadia and hugging her. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel like my world has ended." Tanadia said, keeping her voice low to try and hide the lump in her throat. "Where are you going?" She asked when she saw them carrying weapons.

"My great Grandfather. We believe he is alive and we're going to find him." Athrodar placed a hand on her cheek. "Do you want to come with us?"

Sylvanas frowned and looked at Athrodar from the other side of the room. "Are you sure about this? She just lost her mother."

"I know." Athrodar kept his attention on his daughter. "I wouldn't invite you if I didn't think you would be safe." He smiled at her and got a tiny smile back. A good first step considering how broken she was yesterday. "I don't want to leave you behind, I want to make sure you are okay."

Tanadia stepped forward and hugged her father. "You're all I have left. Liadrin and Victoria have been busy, Snow and Tirion are dead and now my mother too." Her hug tightened as she began to cry into his chest. "You're all I've got left Papa." She whispered.

"Then get ready to leave. I don't know how long we'll be, but as long as we're all together." Athrodar looked back to Sylvanas and walked over to them the moment their eyes met, having his wife hug Tanadia from behind. "We'll be fine."


Wandering through Eversong Woods, Athrodar looked around at the trees and tried to find something similar to what he saw in his dream. "Everywhere looks the same, yet different to what I saw." He said out loud, looking over to Sylvanas who stood several feet from him.

She was trying to remember something important about the Ranger-Lord, something that could help them find the eldest Sunblade member who could still possibly be alive.

"Maybe he's at your old home." Tanadia said, sitting on a tree stump of an old fallen tree. "If I was meeting a great grandchild of mine, I'd go there to wait for them."

Sylvanas frowned and looked at Athrodar who had no idea where it was. "The problem is, the entire village has been destroyed by the Scourge and the Amani."

"Doesn't mean they're still there." Tanadia told them. "If he's there, it would be cleared out. Right?"

Athrodar shrugged and looked over to Sylvanas. "It's worth a shot. We don't have to go into the village if it's overrun, but we could check it out."

"Do you know where it is?" Sylvanas asked with a smirk, seeing Athrodar look away from her. "Come on, I'll show you."

"Thanks..." Athrodar said, shaking his head when Sylvanas grabbed his arm and dragged him through the forest. "Stay close, Tana. I don't want to lose you too."

The young priestess smiled a little, running after them and hugging Athrodar's other arm. "I don't want to lose you either, Papa."

The three of them traveled for an hour before they reached the outskirts of Sunblade Village, on the river the passed between Eversong Woods and what is now known as the Ghostlands. "I don't see anything in there." Athrodar whispered, glancing over to Sylvanas who was standing beside him, all three of them hiding near some trees. "Can you?"

"I think I saw something." Sylvanas told him, narrowing her eyes at the destroyed village. "I'm not sure if it was a Troll, Scourge soldier or someone else entirely."

"Like a ranger?" Tanadia asked, standing between them both. "Maybe it was a ranger." She said when Sylvanas looked down at her.

"Maybe." Sylvanas said, smiling at her. "If it was a ranger, you will get to meet your Great Grandfather." She looked over to Athrodar who didn't look as happy as his daughter. "Though you may find out quickly why I bad mouth him."

"Let's go check this place out." Athrodar said, walking towards the village first, being quickly followed by Tanadia and then Sylvanas who brought up the rear.

Athrodar was the first to arrive in the middle of the village, finding it to be empty, destroyed and most of all pillaged. "This was a waste of time..." Tanadia muttered, taking hold of her father's hand.

"No it wasn't." A voice echoed throughout the village, quickly being followed by several rangers who surrounded Athrodar, Sylvanas and Tanadia. "So, you listened to my call."

Sylvanas looked over to Dael'Thaelas who looked the same after all these years. "You're supposed to be dead." She said.

"General." Dael'Thaelas smirked and walked towards them. "Well, not really a General any more, are you Sylvanas?" His gaze turned to Tanadia who was standing between them. "Even after recently losing her mother, she came here to meet her great, great Grandfather." He smiled at the young priestess who wasn't sure about him. "I don't bite, little one."

"What do you want with me?" Athrodar asked, stepping in front of his daughter.

"I know you don't remember me, but you could at least be respectful to the head of your family." Dael'Thaelas stopped in front of Athrodar, keeping his hands behind his back and grinning at him. "Though.. You no longer have my name now, do you?" He glanced over to Sylvanas. "You've taken her name instead."

"That's because your name was tainted with betrayal." Athrodar told him. "You never answered my question, what do you want with me?"

"Nothing. But you need something from me." Dael'Thaelas beckoned over his second in command, being offered a book with a red cover, gold trimming and the Sunblade logo on the cover. "This is our family history, all summed up in a very detailed book." He offered it to Athrodar who was reluctant to take it. "Just take it, boy. Read up on what we have done as a family before you make your decision."

Athrodar had the book pushed into his chest, looking down at the cover and brushing a hand across it. "Wait, decision about what?" He asked, looking up and over to Dael'Thaelas who took a glass of wine from one of his mages. "What do I have to decide?"

"If you want the many reserves and hidden cells of our family army." Dael'Thaelas took a sip of his wine and nodded. "That's good." He looked over to the three members of his family. "Want a glass?"

"No, thank you." Sylvanas said, placing a hand on Athrodar's arm. "Remember what I told you." She whispered to him.

"Let me guess, you told him to not trust me?" Dael'Thaelas chuckled and shook his head, taking another sip of his wine. "I can understand why. I sided with our Prince more than the rest of our people and paid the price by losing my son." He placed the wine down on a nearby table that had been placed next to him with the bottle of wine he was drinking. "As well as the many reserves and hidden cells we have in our family army, you will also never want for anything again. We have hidden riches that those damned looters never got to."

Sylvanas saw Athrodar was listening to Dael'Thaelas and felt sorry for him. It wasn't his fault he was born to an easily manipulated family. What made it worse was the fact Dael'Thaelas was the one who would manipulate their entire family and would do so with such ease, that it destroyed said family. "Don't listen to him." She pressed, looking down at the book in his hands. "He knows our daughter is Queen of Stormwind. If he gets to you, he will try to get to her and take control of the Capital."

"Sylvanas Windrunner, always perceptive yet I'm afraid this time, you're over thinking things." Dael'Thaelas made his way back to Athrodar, placing his hand on top of the book to get his attention. "He's the last surviving heir to my family. All of your children, adopted or otherwise, have taken your family name. Athrodar may have as well, but he is still a Sunblade through and through."

Tanadia looked at her father who, just like when they were captured by Kil'Jaeden, was being seduced by every word coming out of Dael'Thaelas' mouth. "Papa." She whispered, placing a hand on his arm. "I'm not sure about this."

"What's not to be sure about, little one?" Dael'Thaelas asked, looking down to the young priestess. "You will have more money than you can imagine, people who will look after you and do whatever you want, within reason of course." He looked over to Sylvanas who was now the only one not thinking about it. "I could even get your son into a powerful position as soon as he leaves the Farstrider Academy. Into a squad that only takes the best of the best, he will be the second in command. Following in your footsteps, he may even become the youngest Ranger-General, just like his mother."

"I know what you're doing." Sylvanas said, walking towards Dael'Thaelas and standing directly in front of the smug looking Ranger-Lord. "You won't get me to believe whatever you have planned. You're lucky I'm no longer you General, otherwise I would strip you of your rank, imprison you and your band of rangers for treachery and make sure all of your wealth is distributed to those who need it most, those who suffered because of your betrayal."

Dael'Thaelas ignored her idle threats, looking over to Athrodar who was lost in thought. "It's tempting, isn't it? An army of your own to call upon to fight the Legion, endless wealth from our family assets that weren't seized by the Regent Lord and loyal followers that will do whatever you command. Followers who will help you with whatever plans you have, be it conquest or peace. To gain more wealth or to sabotage your enemies." He stood in front of Athrodar now, ignoring Sylvanas who was glaring at the back of his head. "Read the book, see what we have accomplished." He leaned forward and whispered in Athrodar's ear. "Be proud of our past."

Sylvanas grabbed Athrodar's arm and pulled him away from Dael'Thaelas who had a smirk back on his face, turning around and going back to his glass of wine. "Don't listen to him, my love." She told him, looking Athrodar in the eyes. "We don't need his army, his wealth. We don't need the so called followers or anything else he has to offer." She placed her hands on his face and made him look at her and only her. "Take the book if you want, find out what your family has done, but come home with me now. We are pushing the demons away without his help, he only wants to manipulate you."

Athrodar looked down at the book again, finding the Sunblade logo to be something he couldn't take his eyes off. "Maybe I can take his army and not have him control me. We could use the reinforcements."

Sylvanas shook her head, planting a kiss on his cheek. "Oh, my love. This is why I asked to come, he has a way of getting into people's heads." She took hold of his hand. "Let's just leave here and never return." She looked back to Tanadia who looked a little lost at the moment. "Go get your daughter, she's weak right now after her mother's death and will easily be manipulated."

"Tana." Athrodar called out, beckoning the little priestess over when she looked at him and hugging her when she practically ran into his arms. "We're leaving."

"Good." Dael'Thaelas said, overhearing them. "Think about my offer. Read the book. You will understand why I have called you here today." Sylvanas dragged Athrodar away from his family's old village, not noticing the grin on Dael'Thaelas' face as they left the village. "They will be back. At least, Athrodar will." He looked over to his second in command. "Maybe his daughter too. Sylvanas knows me too well to be swayed, but Athrodar and his daughter, they're not so close minded. They will want to know what true power tastes like."

"He never explained how he was still alive." Sylvanas thought out loud, looking over to Athrodar as they were waiting for a mage to summon a portal to Stormwind the moment they arrived in Silvermoon City. "Did he tell you in your dream?"

Athrodar shook his head. "I don't remember. I think he said he faked his death, but he never went into detail."

Sylvanas took hold of Athrodar's hand once the portal had appeared. "Come on, I want to be with Victoria for as long as possible before she has to go back to the front lines."

Athrodar offered out his hand to Tanadia who took it and walked through the portal with them, closing her eyes and smiling when she felt her father kiss her on the temple and hug her the moment they appeared in Stormwind Keep. "I love you, papa. I think we made the right choice leaving that village." And she did believe that, though she also had something in the back of her mind telling her to take up Dael'Thaelas' offer for the wealth. Maybe even the army, one she would lead against the Burning Legion to avenge her mother's death.

Though she chose to ignore that voice in the back of her head right now, knowing she wasn't thinking clearly, instead wanting to spend time with her sisters and feel comforted from being with loved ones more than surrounded by enemies. "I love you too, honey." She heard Athrodar say, being drawn back to reality and hugging him tightly at those five words.