Dael'Thaelas

"What did your sister say?"

Sylvanas placed her bow and quiver down on a nearby table, taking off her cloak and dropping it onto the same table and looking over to Athrodar who was playing what looked to be poker with Tanadia, Victoria and Thal'ena, though the priestess looked lost and so did Victoria. "They believe Turalyon and Alleria are on that planet above us. Along with the Army of Light who are apparently fighting beside them."

Athrodar placed his cards down on the table and looked over to Sylvanas was who looking at herself in the mirror, fixing her hair. "You're thinking about going when they have a way up there, aren't you?"

Whilst everyone looked at Athrodar, Sylvanas looked at herself in the mirror and sighed. "If we've dealt with Dael'Thaelas by the time they come up with a plan, I want to go with them, to get my sister back."

There was a long pause after that with Athrodar picking up his cards again before he responded. "Okay."

Sylvanas looked over to the table they all sat around, noticing everyone there was staring at Athrodar and waiting for the inevitable retaliation of words outside of the one he just said. "Come on, out with it." Sylvanas said, folding her cloak neatly into a square.

"I think you going to another planet, to find someone who might not be there, is the stupidest idea you've ever had. And considering I agree with almost every plan you've had since we've been together, that says a lot." Athrodar placed his cards down again, ignoring the three women sitting around the same table as him who were looking back and forth between him and Sylvanas. "You've never been to the planet, it's a demon home world and who knows what will happen the moment you find a way to get onto it."

"Except I would risk all of that to find my sister who will most definitely be on that planet." Sylvanas also ignored the three women sitting around the table, even ignoring Alleria who returned to them after getting a drink and sitting in between both Thal'ena and Victoria. "I would do the same for you and I sure as hell know you would do the same for me. So don't you dare try to say you wouldn't do that for me."

"What about Cedani and the baby you are carrying right now?" Athrodar asked, not looking directly at her, but knowing Victoria was nodding her head in agreement from the corner of his eye. "You don't know how long you will be on that planet, if there's a way to come back before you're done. It could be years. Are you prepared to be without us for that long?"

Sylvanas remained silent this time, not taking that into account and cursing a little in her head as he had a very good point. "We don't know what it will be." She eventually said, though quieter than her tone had been earlier. "But if it looks to be a multi month, if not year long exhibition, I will stay away." She began to walk towards the table, dragging a chair with her to join them. "Look... I don't want to fight with you." She said softly, placing one hand over his. "I just want to make sure we're all safe. Which will only be easier when we deal with your great Grandfather."

"Well, good news then. Leotheis came by whilst you were out. I am meeting Dael'Thaelas tomorrow." Athrodar stood up and threw his cards into the middle of the table. "Just one less thing you'll have to worry about soon." He said, walking towards the balcony.

Sylvanas sighed and pressed her head to the table. "I hate that we've had this discussion before and it ended in a somewhat similar fashion."

Victoria looked at her mother and placed a hand on her head. "You know he's right, right? You had to be wrong, ever, but he is completely in the right whilst you're... I wouldn't say wrong? But you're not exactly doing yourself any favours."

"I know." Sylvanas mumbled into the table. "But knowing my sister, your second aunt, is out there waiting to be reunited with her sisters... I can't just sit here and do nothing. But I don't want to leave you all either."

"Then let Vereesa go." Victoria told her, removing her hand from the top of her mother's head and moving it around her sister, Alleria. "Stay here with your family, especially this little one and definitely for Cedani." She moved her sister onto her lap just as Sylvanas looked up at them. "And as for that baby in your belly right now, I think you going to another planet whilst you're carrying your fifth child would be the stupidest thing you could do. And I'm sorry for saying such a thing, but it's true."

Sylvanas looked over to the balcony and saw Athrodar leaning against the banister of the balcony through a window and slowly standing up herself. "I'll go talk to him and tell him I'm staying." She groaned when she was halfway towards the balcony. "I'm going to hate this, but I have to tell him he's right."

Thal'ena chuckled the moment Sylvanas walked out onto the balcony with her husband. "She does hate to be wrong, huh?"

"You have no idea..." Victoria muttered, kissing her sister's cheek. "Let's go get some lunch, okay?"

Tanadia smiled and stood up when she heard Alleria's excitement for lunch. "I could go for some lunch." She said, walking with her two sisters whilst Thal'ena went to get Cedani after Victoria asked her to.


Sylvanas stood beside Athrodar for almost an hour after walking out onto the balcony, looking out at the ocean before her and keeping silent after Athrodar had requested they say nothing. "Please talk to me." She said when she looked over to him.

"All we seem to do lately is argue when we talk. Unless we're going to sleep or spending time with our children, all we do is argue and I am getting tired of arguing about the same things so I don't want to do that any more." Athrodar continued to look out at the ocean, watching a couple of faithful followers spend time on the beach with their families. "I miss being like that."

Sylvanas followed his gaze, feeling a pang of guilt in her gut and a tightness in her chest when she saw one of the many loyal families to her family spend time on the beach, something they hadn't done for over two years. "So do I." She muttered, looking away from them and over to the forests nearby. "I miss riding side by side with you through the forests, with Tahnir sitting in front of me and Alleria in front of you, riding to wherever the path takes us and spending the entire day in the forests of our home."

"My mother following us too, setting up the picnic blanket and bringing all the food and drinks." Athrodar smiled at those distant times, but it was quickly dashed when he remembered all they had lost. "But war came, destroyed parts of our village and killed my mother, closest friends and those that mean a lot to our daughter." He sighed and closed his eyes. "And yet, you still want to go out there and fight. We were lucky to get through this war with most of our family intact. I can see they don't want to fight anymore either, yet..."

Sylvanas stepped closer to Athrodar, leaning on his arm and knowing he wouldn't push her away, even when he's in this mood. "I don't want to fight either. Victoria explained it to me and I think I needed a second opinion." She watched him turn his head to look at her. "I came out here to tell you, but you insisted that we stayed quiet. I didn't want to anger you."

Athrodar looked down at Sylvanas' hand on the banister, moving his hand over the top of it and squeezing it lightly. "You've never angered me. Upset me, sure, but never angered." He looked up to his wife's face, seeing the pain behind her eyes as he reminded her of the fight they had before going to the Tomb of Sargeras. "Like I said, I no longer want to fight. So if you do decide to go to Argus in the near future, I won't stop you."

"No, you probably wouldn't" Sylvanas agreed, picking up her hand and his that remained on top of it, hugging his arm tightly against her. "But I know it will upset you if I go and I don't want to do that." She tiptoed up and kissed Athrodar on the cheek. "I promised myself I would never upset you again. I mean to keep that promise as it hurt me to know how broken you were when I left."

"I thought I was losing you, that the walls were closing in and I was going to end up alone." Athrodar turned to face his wife completely. "I can't live without my Queen." He whispered, leaning forward and kissing her on the lips, having Sylvanas wrap her arms around his neck and deepen the kiss. "I don't want to live without my Queen."

"You won't, my love." She whispered to him. "Like I said, I don't want to hurt you anymore than I have. I'm staying here whilst Vereesa and Rhonin, along with anyone else going with them, fight on Argus." She took hold of his hand and placed it on her belly. "We have another child on the way. Our last for some time." She laughed lightly when his focus was fixed on her stomach. "I don't even have a name in mind. For boy or girl. This might be a tough one to come up with."

"What about after one of your parents?" Athrodar suggested, looking up to her eyes and seeing her eyebrow begin to furrow as she thought about it. "What was your mother called?"

"Lireesa." Sylvanas told him, only just realising she had never told him that piece of information as they had no real use for it. "I would love to call our new one Lireesa if it turns out to be another girl." She chuckled and pressed her head to his chest. "And with our track record, I wouldn't be surprised if it is." She held onto him tightly, moving her arms around in so he wouldn't move, but also to find comfort in his arms. "If it's a boy, then what?"

"That... I have no idea about."

Sylvanas smiled and had a rush of warmth flow through her when Athrodar hugged her back. "Then we will think of one between now and when this little one comes out... Or until Liadrin and Luna tell me what it is." Struck with a sudden feeling of sadness, Sylvanas pulled back and looked at a pained Athrodar. "I'm sorry... I forgot she..." She sighed and hugged him again. "I just didn't expect them to die as well, not Elaria and especially not Luna."

"Neither did I." Athrodar whispered to her, holding onto her a little tighter when he felt her shoulders begin to shake. "Nobody else is here, just let it all out."

"I'm staying here." Sylvanas told him, holding onto him tightly. "I am staying here with you forever. I don't want to leave if it means I lose you."

"You wouldn't lose me." Athrodar told her. "But I am happy you have chosen to stay with your family whilst your sister finds your other sister." He kissed the top of her head. "Let Vereesa take over as the family protector. You have done so much already, sacrificed so much."

"I will." Sylvanas told him, burying her head in his chest.


"Wait here with your sister." Athrodar whispered, cupping Tanadia's face in his hands. "Thal'ena will teleport the three of you to us once we have gone and you have counted to sixty, got it?"

Tanadia nodded her head profusely and smiled a little at her father. "I got it. Good luck, Papa."

Athrodar smiled at his daughter. "Just don't be late. We are counting on the three of you to make this work."

Victoria stepped forward and placed a hand on her father's arm. "Don't worry, we'll be there and ready."

Sylvanas kissed Victoria's forehead. "This is the last thing to do. I'll make sure of it."

Athrodar took hold of Sylvanas' hand, nodding over to the destroyed Sunblade village. "Let's go. Might as well get this over with."

"I'll be right behind you." Sylvanas told him, walking with him to the middle of the village and being greeted by several mages and Leotheis.

"I see you are joining us today, Sylvanas." The commander said, bowing his head to Athrodar. "Lord Sunblade."

The title made both Athrodar and Sylvanas raise their eyebrows. "Lord?" Sylvanas asked, glancing over to Athrodar who shrugged his shoulders. "Anyway, yes I am joining you. I don't want to leave his side and if that means I have to put up with your master, then so be it."

Leotheis chuckled at the use of the word master and beckoned the mages over. "Dael'Thaelas is waiting for us, let's not keep him waiting."

Just before they were all ported away, Athrodar dropped a necklace that was given to him by Dael'Thaelas. A necklace that would take him to Dael'Thaelas by his own free will, though he always opted to take the mages. "There it is." Victoria said, pointing at the necklace. "Let's get ready."

Landing in a strange forest, Sylvanas and Athrodar looked around at their surroundings to try and locate where they were. "My Great Grandson." Dael'Thaelas said, walking out of the forest and into the opening they all stood in. "And his beautiful wife."

"What do you want?" Sylvanas asked, cutting to the chase. "You called us here for a reason."

"No... I called him here for a reason. But seeing as you're also here, I will make this quick." Dael'Thaelas snapped his fingers and waved over one of his mages.

Both Athrodar and Sylvanas frowned at the mage who was pushing forward a young elf, no older than Tahnir by the looks of it, though the bag over their head made it difficult to know completely. ""Who is that?" Sylvanas asked, just as the young elf was placed in front of Dael'Thaelas. "Answer me!"

Dael'Thaelas took the bag off the young elf's head and revealed who they both feared it would be. "Tahnir..." Athrodar muttered, looking up at Dael'Thaelas. "Why is he here? What are you doing?"

"Athrodar, my dear boy. You should have listened to me when I spoke to you." He pushed Tahnir over to Leotheis who pulled out a knife and laid it across Tahnir's neck, holding onto his shoulder with his other hand to keep him still. "I hear everything. I see everything. Did you really think you two could both come in here and kill me without me knowing of your plan?"

"Baby, look at me." Sylvanas said softly, locking eyes with her son. "Nothing is going to happen to you, okay? I promise."

Dael'Thaelas grinned. "No, that's not entirely true. He will experience loss today, the loss of a close relative." He looked over to Athrodar who was glaring at him. "Maybe two."

"I'm going to kill you before this day is over." Athrodar told him.

"With both of your daughter's help and that Royal Magister they're with?" Dael'Thaelas asked, now smirking at Athrodar. "No, I don't think so. Like I said on our last meeting before I gave you my army. I will keep our family name alive just a little longer. I think that time has run out."

Both Athrodar and Sylvanas pulled out their blades, having Dael'Thaelas laugh and do the same. "For you, maybe." Sylvanas said, glaring at the Ranger Lord. "We are not leaving here without your head."

"Then you're not leaving here." Dael'Thaelas said, parrying both of Athrodar's attacks and then Sylvanas'. "You may have been my Ranger-General, but you were never my superior, Sylvanas. Your mother made a mistake promoting you to that title, you were not ready and there were several who were."

"My mother promoted me because she knew how corrupt you and your family were." Sylvanas told him, dodging Dael'Thaelas' attacks now and retaliating when she parried another, slicing her sword across his arm. "And how unprepared you really were. You're not a leader, you're a fearmonger."

"Leotheis, make sure you have him watch this." Dael'Thaelas said, commanding his second to force Tahnir to watch his parents fight him. "He will watch his parents burn before his eyes." He said, ordering the mages to attack them too.

The first couple of spells missed, but when one of them hit Athrodar on the stomach, another spell struck him shortly after and sent him tumbling back a couple feet. "Gah!" Athrodar held onto his stomach and felt a burn there, looking up at Dael'Thaelas who was distracted by Sylvanas.

Just as another spell came towards him, it was blocked by an arcane barrier erected by Thal'ena who came to his side. "We're here. A little late as the spell was difficult to undo, but Victoria and Tanadia are taking care of those mages."

"Help me up." Athrodar said, groaning and looking over to Sylvanas who had gotten a cut or two from Dael'Thaelas but gave him back double the amount. "Go take out the mages with them, I'll get Leotheis."

"Stay there kid, or I'm coming back for you." Leotheis said, pushing Tahnir to the ground. "Your father and I are going to have a little talk."

"It won't be long." Athrodar told him, spinning his blade around. "You dare place a knife across his throat? I'm going to make sure that's the last threat you or your master will ever do."

"I never liked you." Leotheis said. "All I heard from Dael'Thaelas was how impressed he was of your talent, yet you've died twice, been injured countless times and have become soft." He pointed his sword at Athrodar. "Those are some terrible traits for the leader of the Sunblades."

"I was never going to accept that role. I would have disbanded everything if it meant my family name died with it." Athrodar thrust his swords forward, having them dodged and ducking under Leotheis' blades, slicing his blades across the commander's abdomen and looking back at him. "There was a reason you were under my command the moment I was handed the army. You were just not good enough to lead, or fight."

Leotheis held onto his open stomach, looking up at Athrodar before collapsing down onto the forest floor.

"Dad?" Tahnir made his way over to Athrodar slowly who dropped his blades on the floor and hugged his son tightly. "He said he was family."

"He is... But he isn't..." Athrodar covered Tahnir's eyes when he looked over to Leotheis. "Don't look at him. Just keep your eyes closed and we'll be out of here soon." Athrodar looked over to Sylvanas who was still clashing steel with Dael'Thaelas. "I'm going to help your mother, just wait here."

Dael'Thaelas looked around at the dead elves around him, taking a few steps back and having all five of his attackers standing in front of him. "Well... It appears you bested some of my fighters. But I hope you do remember I have an entire army at my command."

"Had an entire army." Thal'ena corrected. "I blocked off the entrance with a spell, so nobody will be coming to rescue you."

Dael'Thaelas chuckled and shook his head. "Always thinking on your feet, just like your mother. Shame what happened to her, I always enjoyed giving her a go when I was bored." He looked over to Athrodar who looked just as angered by this as Thal'ena. "Though I suppose she found her favourite Sunblade in the end, even if it was for a couple of months."

Sylvanas placed her blade in front of Athrodar when she saw he was about to attack, knowing he was burnt by the spells that hit him and stopping him from attacking his great Grandfather. "Not yet." She told him, looking Dael'Thaelas up and down. "You've lost this fight. Just lay down your weapons and give up."

Dael'Thaelas continued to look around, knowing he had in fact lost and also knowing nobody would be coming to save him. "Fine." He said, dropping both his blades and placing his hands behind his head, interlocking his fingers. "Come on then, take me away from here and to the Stormwind Stockades or wherever it is you're going to take me. I'd prefer Lor'themar to be honest, I'd like to see his reaction."

Sylvanas looked over to Victoria and nodded once to her. "Keep your hands up behind your head." Victoria told him, walking towards Dael'Thaelas. "You're going to Stormwind, I trust my people to keep you locked up until your trial."

Dael'Thaelas grinned when Victoria took hold of one of his wrists. "That's where you're wrong, my Lady. I'm not going to get a trial." His grin widened into something sinister. "And neither are you!" He used his other hand to grab the knife on his belt behind him and slicing it across Victoria's neck before plunging it into her chest. "You shouldn't have come here, my Lady."

"No!" Sylvanas cried, almost instantly collapsing to her knees whilst Athrodar and Tanadia looked on in horror. Thal'ena however, was quickly overcome with rage at the swift action and burst into flames. She gripped onto Felo'melorn tightly and extending out a hand towards Dael'Thaelas whilst Victoria fell onto the floor, holding onto her throat to stop the blood from pouring out.

Almost instantly after she ignited herself in fire that seemed to not harm her a single bit, flames began to engulf Dael'Thaelas and burnt him alive within seconds, leaving nothing but a pile of ash in his stead. Not even a scream was heard as he was practically vaporized by the intense flames made by Thal'ena. Everyone covered their eyes and looked away as the brightness of the flames blinded them as well as the heat making them all feel uncomfortable.

"Victoria!" Tanadia yelled, running over to her sister and seeing the fear in her eyes at her approaching death. The priestess knew she couldn't do anything about this. Neither she or anyone else could stop this outcome. "Vic..." Tanadia's eyes watered immediately and her tears fell onto her sister's face. "I... I can't stop this."

Victoria tried to speak, but her throat was filled with blood that she was choking on. This wasn't how she wanted to go, not like this. She was surrounded by family and friends, but to die drowning in her own blood, in the middle of nowhere and so shortly after stopping the war on Azeroth. She looked over to Athrodar who was holding onto a banshee screaming Sylvanas, or at least that was the closest to a description of the sound her mother made she could think of in her last seconds... The woman she had fallen in love with, the woman who adopted her... Her Banshee Queen mother.

Thal'ena however, had remained engulfed in her own flames, burning the bodies of all the other fallen minus Victoria, leaving no bodies behind and only ash. It was not even close enough to feel satisfactory, but she knew it was a damn good start. "I... HATE... Your family..." She said with such venom through gritted teeth, that she wasn't even looking at them for everyone to know she was fueling that fire around her with just her rage alone.