Trapped
The magical ward around the Tomb of Sargeras took almost two hours to come down, but when it did, it was quickly met with a loud roar echoing through its halls out almost sending a small shock wave out towards those waiting to get inside. "That's a big demon." Tanadia muttered, looking up at her father as she made her way over to him. "It sounds like a big demon, right?"
"It does." Athrodar agreed, taking hold of her hand when she practically hid behind him. "We'll be fine, trust me."
"I hope so." Tanadia muttered, holding onto her staff tightly and looking over to Victoria. "Do you think we will be okay, sis?"
Victoria nodded her head. "Without a doubt. If my parents are so confident, I am too."
"Let's get going." Illidan said, being the first into the Tomb of Sargeras.
By the time Athrodar entered the Tomb, the sound of clashing steel and magic was already echoing throughout the halls as many demons attacked the first wave of demon hunters.
"This is going to be a long siege." Athrodar said, parrying a demonic bat claw the moment it swooped down to attack him.
Both Victoria and Sylvanas stayed close to Athrodar, letting loose arrows into more demons that came towards them. "Never said it would be easy." Sylvanas said, dodging a felfire ball and letting loose another arrow, this time into the demon that dared attack her. "But it will be fun."
"Without a doubt." Athrodar said with a laugh, cleanly cutting off the head of a second demon. "Being stuck in bed for over a week has made me miss this."
"Weren't you the ones who were staying away from this life for five years to be at home with family?" Victoria said, letting loose more arrows of her own. "Or am I remembering that wrong?"
Sylvanas rolled her eyes. "That was us, yes. But we are still better than you, sweet daughter of mine. So watch yourself."
Victoria chuckled. "Yes, mother."
Fighting at the entrance of the Tomb went on for almost half an hour before the demon that shook the very ground with its roar made itself known. It was a giant, four legged green monstrosity, standing at least a hundred feet tall in front of everyone. "Intruders! Killing you will regain my Master's favor!"
"That's a big demon..." Tanadia muttered, holding onto her staff tightly as Khadgar and Illidan made their way to the front.
"I have faced tougher enemies." Illidan said with such confidence that it caught the attention of the demon.
"Illidan Stormrage." The demon cackled at the demon hunter. "You and your rabble will find nothing but death in these halls."
"Goroth." Illidan held out his warglaives. "You'll be the only one facing death."
The demon roared at them all. "Come face your doom!"
The ground shook as Goroth slammed his feet down, making several spikes form in and around the ground, sending a handful of soldiers back whilst an unfortunate few were impaled by the spikes. "That was close." Elaria breathed, standing directly in front of one.
As soon as Goroth engaged in combat, several infernals were summoned into the fight, distracting a good portion of the fighters from the main fight, including Athrodar, Sylvanas and their group.
"The last time I fought an infernal, it crashed my air ship." Victoria said, letting loose a couple of arrows towards the stone demon, watching the projectiles bounce off its body.
Tanadia cast a Holy spell at the infernal, watching it stumble back a little. "We will kill this one then." She said, glancing over to her sister. "The same as last time. I'll cast a spell just to knock it off balance and then you all attack it?"
Athrodar, Sylvanas and Victoria all nodded, informing the rest of their group on the plan and waiting for the perfect time to attack, when Tanadia cast a spell to stun the demon.
The moment the priestess blasted the infernal with holy magic, Hroki swung his hammer around at one of its legs and knocking two of the boulders away from its body, forcing the infernal to collapse as it was missing one leg. Liadrin and Arator cast two holy spells of their own on the infernal shortly after, forcing out a roar from the demon that laid on its back.
"Again!" Victoria commanded, having Thal'ena join them the moment she took out Felo'melorne and cast a fire spell, one that took on the shape of a phoenix and hit the infernal square on the chest. It was shortly bombarded by some holy spells too, killing the infernal when Liadrin swung Ashbringer across its chest.
"Burn! Burn in the fires of my torment!" Goroth yelled, conjuring fire around his body.
"Hide!" Khadgar yelled, having most of the mages put up a magical barrier, though those who were close enough, hid behind the spikes the demon had erected.
Sylvanas pulled Tanadia towards her as the priestess was still out in the open, holding onto her tightly as they bow hid behind one of the spikes. "Stay here." She whispered, stroking the preistess' hair. "We'll be safe here until its over."
Athrodar stood opposite them by a different spike, only just making out both his wife and daughter through the green flames that roared between them. "What do we do now?" Elaria asked, standing beside him.
"Wait until the flames die down, I suppose."
Goroth saw many people were hiding behind the spikes, deciding to stop the flames and attack them instead. "I will flatten you!"
"Sylvanas, get everyone out of there!" Rhonin yelled, though it was too late.
By the time they could react to what was happening, the stone spikes were shattered and the debris was blasted towards everyone who stood behind them. Huge chunks and shards of rock blasted everyone behind them, back towards a nearby wall and burying most of them in the debris.
Goroth cackled and looked over to the rest of the army. "Easily broken!"
Athrodar coughed after waking up from unconsciousness, trying to look around his surroundings and finding it difficult as everything was black. "Tan... Tanadia!?" He yelled, or tried to. His voice was coated with dust which made him cough some more.
"Athrodar?" Hroki called out, his voice sounding distant.
"Hroki, is that you? Where are you?"
"I don't know." The Tauren said. "I just know it's dark and I'm trapped. I... I think those spikes that shattered have trapped us under their debris."
Athrodar moved his hand around the ground to try and find out where he was, realising he couldn't move much but he did have something weighing down on his legs. Once he put his hand in it, he realised it was someone else with him. "Tanadia?" He asked, shaking the body lightly.
There was the sound of coughing coming from the body, followed by a light groaning. "Wh...where are we?"
"Sylvanas?" Athrodar asked, a little confused on how she was here when she was with Tanadia. Thinking about it, he doesn't know why he was asking for her if she was with Sylvanas.
"Athrodar? I.. I can't see anything." She moved her hands to feel her way around, placing them on his face and letting out a sigh of relief. "At least you're here."
"Where is here?" He asked.
"Still in the Tomb... Just buried." Sylvanas said, the two of them having a small light source from their glowing eyes, just enough to make out their faces but nothing else.
"Athrodar." Hroki called out. "I don't think I'm alone in here. There's two bodies with me, but they're... Well I don't think they'll make it."
"Do you know who they are?" Athrodar asked, coughing once more as the dust in his throat continued to irritate him.
"It's.. It's not Tanadia." Sylvanas told him, moving a hand to the back of her head and feeling some liquid there. "I think I hit my head."
"How do you know its not her?" Athrodar asked her.
"I pushed her out the way a second before we were all hit by the knock back." Sylvanas' eyes felt heavy, trying to focus on the two green eyes in front of her. "I definitely have a headache... Once this initial shock has worn off, I'm going to feel it."
Athrodar sat up and tried to move his arm with the spear wound, wincing but managing to move it just enough to wrap both his arms around her. "She'll be safe. Worried, but safe."
Sylvanas chuckled and moved her arms around him, just happy that out of all the people to be trapped under debris with, it was her great love. "I should be telling you that."
"I saw you hold onto her tightly just before the fire raced passed us." Athrodar leaned forward and planted a kiss on Sylvanas' lips. "I love you more for that."
Sylvanas closed her eyes when her headache started to come through. "I see her as my daughter, so if course I'd protect her like she was." She held onto him a little tighter. "Now however, we have to wait for those outside this debris to rescue us."
"It's going to take some time, I think." Hroki yelled from where he was trapped. "I also think we have a limited supply for air. I can't see anything, so no light is coming through." Hroki looked around where he was trapped just to confirm he couldn't see light, sighing when everything was just dark. "At least you're near enough to have a conversation with." He said.
"If we have limited air, we should save it by talking as little as possible." Sylvanas told Hroki and Athrodar. "We don't know how long it will take them to get us out of here and whoever else is trapped."
"We have to get them out!" Tanadia cried, looking around at the few people listening to her. "My father is trapped under there, and so is Sylvanas and many others."
Vereesa looked back to the priestess and made her way over to her the moment she tried to move some of the debris out the way. "Stop, don't do anything yet." She told her, pulling Tanadia away from the rocks. "We're coming up with a plan, little one. We know who is under there, how many are under there. Your sister wanted to do exactly what you're doing, but is now coming up with a plan."
Tanadia rubbed the back of her head, having been hit by the blast and knocked out, but landing far enough away to not be buried by the debris. "What's the plan?" She asked, being pulled towards the group of leaders planning out how to deal with the debris by Vereesa.
"We're planning to use shamans to examine the debris to find everyone underneath it, then what rocks to move to make it safe for those still buried." Vereesa stood beside Victoria and the rest of the leaders there, except Illidan, Khadgar, Velen who had turned up shortly after Goroth was slain with some Draenei and priest reinforcements, along with Jaina and the humans following her.
"How long will it take? Li Li is also under there, Hroki, Elaria and Luna too." Tanadia looked over to her sister, her eyes pleading with the Queen for an answer. "I don't want to lose any of them, Vic... Your parents are trapped under there.. Our Papa."
Victoria placed her hands on Tanadia's shoulders. "I know, Tana... Thal'ena and I know the risks of rushing this too, which is why we've gathered everyone else." She looked over to Vol'jin and Baine who both stayed to help her parents. "And we need their help."
Vereesa nodded and smiled at her two nieces. "We all want your parents to be safe, especially since my sister is pregnant."
Everyone looked over to Vereesa, Tanadia and Victoria wide eyed with surprise. "My mother is pregnant?"
Vereesa rubbed the back of her neck, looking over to Rhonin who didn't even know. "Well... I seem to have let the cat out the bag."
Tanadia frowned and tilted her head at Vereesa. "Does Papa even know? He would have told us, right?"
Victoria let out a small laugh and shook her head. "Well done, auntie. You were told by your sister that she is pregnant and then told everyone her secret before her husband was told."
"How was I supposed to know he didn't know!?" Vereesa cried, sitting down and folding her arms, pouting to herself. "She didn't even tell me he didn't know and to keep it a secret... I think."
Victoria rolled her eyes and shook her head again. "You sit there and think about what you've done. We'll get the shamans ready and start finding those trapped under the debris."
Sylvanas woke up after a couple hours, resting her eyes to try and relieve the headache she had and was mildly successful. "I'm bored." She whispered, looking down at Athrodar and smiling at the green glow in his eyes looking back up at her.
"You've just woken up." He told her, having his wife sleep on him for those two hours just so she wasn't sleeping on the ground. Plus there wasn't much room for them to both be laying on the floor. "And we can't do what we're both clearly thinking, due to lack of room and limited air."
"I know..." Sylvanas sighed, pressing her ear to his chest. "That would be fun though."
Athrodar chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "I think they've killed the demon by now." He said, moving one hand up to her hair and stroking it softly. "They must be working on a way to get us out of here."
"I believe they are." Sylvanas agreed. "I don't think Vic got caught up in here. If she didn't, she would want to lead the efforts."
Athrodar placed his head down on the floor below them, closing his eyes and letting out a sigh. "I think I am going to rest my eyes a bit. Your turn to watch over me now."
"Deal." Sylvanas said, laughing lightly. "I'll watch over you while you sleep now."
And she did... For the first hour. It was only when she began to feel irritated about being trapped under debris and tried to wake him up. "Athrodar, we have to try to get out of here." She shook him for a couple of minutes before he eventually woke up, having worry begin to take over the back of her mind when he didn't wake up after the first few shakes but smiling at him when he did wake up. "You're a heavy sleeper when you're trapped."
Athrodar rubbed his eyes and then frowned at her. "I've never been a heavy sleeper. How long was I asleep for?"
"About an hour. Sorry it wasn't much, I just needed you to wake up to calm me down. I can't stand being stuck in here for any longer than necessary." Sylvanas looked him in the eyes and saw him rub one again. "You must still be tired though."
"I feel like I haven't slept at all, to be honest. I've even got a headache coming on." He looked up at her and placed his hands on her waist. I guess we both are staying awake now, just to keep each other company."
"Yes we are." Sylvanas muttered, leaning forward and kissing him. "I hate it in here, not being able to go further than a kiss."
"That's the nymphomaniac in you talking again." Athrodar joked, laughing when Sylvanas slapped his chest. "One of my favourite parts of you."
Sylvanas looked down at the chest, stroking circles into it with her finger. "What else are your favourite parts about me?"
"The love for our family is the best part." Athrodar told her, taking hold of her hand and kissing it. "Then when you focus your entire attention on me, I feel like the rest of the world doesn't matter when it's just us."
"Some good parts of me there..." Sylvanas muttered, smiling down at him and resting her head against his chest. "It's not cheating if I say we share the same favourite parts, right? Because I love that you care for our family as much as I do. And you make me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world when we're alone."
"That's because you are." Athrodar told her, watching the blue glow in her eyes disappear as she closed them. "My beautiful wife." He whispered.
"Guys, someone's moving the debris." Hroki told them, not wanting to interrupt their conversation until he heard the sound of rocks being moved nearby. "I think they're trying to free us."
Sylvanas opened her eyes and tried to listen out for what Hroki clearly had heard and smiling when she heard the sound of the debris being moved. "Thank the Titans... I thought we would be in here a lot longer."
Twenty minutes had passed since Hroki first heard the debris being moved and he was almost certain they had nearly found him. "They're close." He told Athrodar and Sylvanas.
"Did you hear that, baby? Hroki said they're close." Sylvanas looked down at Athrodar and saw his eyes were closed. "Hey, wake up."
Athrodar groaned and tried to roll away from her shaking him, only to find out he couldn't move as Sylvanas continued to lay on top of him. "I just want to sleep..." He muttered.
"I know, my love. I'm sorry." Sylvanas kissed his face several times, finishing with a long kiss on his lips and cupping his face in her hands. "We need to stay awake now to inform those trying to free us on where we are."
"If they find us." Athrodar said, feeling light headed and finding it difficult to stay awake. "I think... We're running out of air."
Sylvanas frowned at him, watching his eyes get heavy. "Wait, don't go back to sleep... Please."
"I'll... I'll try." Athrodar said quietly, feeling his head spin and trying to focus his gaze on her blue eyes. "We... We maybe shouldn't have... Talked so much."
Sylvanas began to tap Athrodar on the cheek when he began to drift off. "Athrodar don't... Please. Stay awake with me." She too began to feel light headed, maybe not as much as Athrodar but with no fresh air coming through anywhere, she knew their supply was running low. "Please... I don't know if you will wake up again if you sleep now."
Athrodar could hear her, in the back of his mind he could understand her completely and tried to stay awake. But it was a losing battle and he knew it. "I'll... I'll stay awake."
Sylvanas watched his eyes shut and began to shed a few tears. "No... Athrodar please... Stay with me. I can't do this on my own. I'm.. I'm pregnant, Athrodar. We're pregnant. I can't raise Cedani and this one on my own... Illana's gone, Thal isn't here... I need you, my husband." She closed her eyes tightly, pressing her forehead to his chest. "Please..."
Victoria and Vereesa pulled Hroki out of the debris, helping him up onto his feet and getting him a pouch of water. "Where are my parents?" The Queen asked when the Tauren caught his breath, having come close to running out.
"They were near me." Hroki told them. "I couldn't see them, but they were nearby, I was talking to them every now and then, but they went silent about twenty minutes ago."
Victoria looked over to the Shaman and Tauren searching the debris. "Hey! Look to the right of where we just pulled Hroki from. I think my parents are there."
Tanadia ran to help them, pulling some debris off the pile and chucking it to one side.
"There are also two bodies with me." Hroki told Victoria who nodded and began to make her way over to where they pulled the Tauren from.
Tanadia pulled another piece of debris off the pile with help from one of the Tauren, throwing it to one side and flinching when she heard her sister scream. "Victoria!? Is it Papa?"
Victoria shook her head and collapsed down to her knees, pushing a piece of debris off the two bodies and laying her eyes on Elaria and Luna, both women having been crushed by the piece of debris on them. If the blood wasn't enough, their lifeless eyes and bodies certainly were. "No... It's Elaria and Luna."
Tanadia looked over to Liadrin who was one of their first recoveries, having her bottom lip wobble and quickly being hugged by the Paladin who made her way over to the priestess. "Hey... Come on." Liadrin whispered to her. "Your parents are still in here, remember? Come on, I'll help you."
Vereesa, Rhonin and Thal'ena all joined Tanadia and Liadrin with helping move the debris, along with Leotheis when he overheard they had located Athrodar and Sylvanas, they just had to get to them. "Sylvanas?" Vereesa called out, moving another piece of debris with her husband. "Sylvanas, are you in there?"
"Yes..." A hoarse voice called back, having the light from the room seep through a hole that was made. "We're... we're down here."
Two more pieces of debris was moved out the way, creating a big enough hole for Vereesa to climb down into, followed by Tanadia. The young priestess checked on Athrodar whilst Vereesa checked on her sister. "Papa?" Tanadia shook her father softly, already having tears in her eyes when he didn't react to her shaking. "Papa... Please."
"Liadrin, get down here." Vereesa called out, holding onto her sister and offering her a pouch of water. "Drink this, Lady Moon."
"He... I..."
"Shhh." Vereesa said, helping her drink the water from the pouch. "Drink some water, Sylvie. Tell us when you're ready."
Sylvanas pushed the water pouch away, coughing and looking over to Athrodar who still hadn't woken up, but was now being examined by Liadrin. "I couldn't keep him... awake." Her eyes began to water as she shook her head a little. "I tried... we tried. But we had no air coming through."
Vereesa hugged her sister. "You had no room to move either, so it wasn't going to be easy."
"Wake him up, please." Sylvanas begged, leaning on her sister but watching Liadrin and Tanadia try to wake him up.
"He's not dead." Liadrin confirmed. "I can feel a pulse, it's very weak but it's there. How you're not in the same boat is a miracle in itself."
"Then get him out...!" Sylvanas commanded, trying to stand up to climb out first but collapsing the moment she tried to put any pressure on her legs.
"Are you hurt?" Vereesa asked, watching her sister shake her head.
"No... Just weak." Sylvanas told her, being helped up by Rhonin who leaned down to help her out of the debris. "Thank you."
"Here, let me help." Rhonin then said, looking down at Liadrin who was trying lift Athrodar up along with Vereesa and Tanadia. "I got him."
Sylvanas sat by Hroki after being moved there by Victoria, having her daughter hug her and resting her head on her daughter's shoulder. "Mama..." The Queen whispered. "I got scared you and papa were gone."
Opting to only smile and lean against her daughter, Sylvanas said nothing but let Victoria calm herself and be comforted by just her presence.
"Place him over here." Leotheis demanded, pointing towards Sylvanas and Victoria. "I'll have our healers look over him."
"No offense, but I don't want any Sunblade healer looking after him." Liadrin told the Lieutenant, sitting down beside Athrodar and examining him. "He's my friend, not yours. I know him better than any of you ever will."
"Where's... Everyone... Else?" Sylvanas asked, coughing to clear her throat and being offered a pouch of water by her daughter.
"They're further in the Tomb." Victoria told her. "I sent Cyndia with Stormwind's army to help them and got a few messengers report back to us with updates. They're at these cursed Kaldorei called the Sisters of the Moon."
Sylvanas had no idea what or where they were in the Tomb, but opted to nod her head. "Okay."
"I do have some bad news..." Victoria muttered, catching a glimpse of Elaria and Luna being taken away. "Look over there." She nodded.
Sylvanas followed her gaze and felt her heart in her throat. "Is that...?"
Victoria nodded her head. "It is... They were trapped with Hroki, but I think they died instantly." She closed her eyes as just thinking about what happened made it difficult for the Queen. "They didn't need to die like that... They weren't even supposed to be with us in here."
"Your father is going... Going to kill everything." Sylvanas said, holding onto her daughter's arm. "Once he wakes up, we... We have to tell him."
"I'll tell him." Victoria offered, hugging her mother against her as they watched Liadrin work on Athrodar to wake him up.
