Prelude
Hermione had just arrived in the Veil Room, bent over and grimacing in pain as she held her damaged chest, when the unthinkable occurred. Bellatrix let out a triumphant screech, briefly drawing the attention of the entire room, and watched with maniacal glee on her face as her simple disarming spell knocked Sirius backward through the wispy, rippling cloth hanging beneath the giant stone arch. One moment Sirius was there; the next moment, he was gone.
With a roar of primal fury, Harry disengaged from the Death Eater with whom he had been exchanging spells and turned toward the Veil. As he started moving toward it, he fired a bright blue Reductor curse toward Bellatrix. The hair on Hermione's arms stood on end due to the power of the curse, and she was at least 5 meters from Harry. Bellatrix tried to raise a shield but failed to do so in time, and was summarily reduced to an awful bloody mess speeding toward the wall behind her. Harry didn't even seem to register the murderous destruction he had wrought on the crazy witch as he continued sprinting toward the Veil.
"Harry—no!" Hermione shouted, understanding his intention too late to stop him. He sprinted straight through the Veil with no fanfare and disappeared. Suddenly, the room came back to full speed and sound came rushing back in. Many of the Death Eaters were staring horrified at where Bellatrix had become a bloody smear on the wall, and many of the Order members were staring equally as horrified at where both Sirius and Harry had gone through the Veil.
Without much thought beyond, 'I don't want Harry to be alone and I don't want to be alone,' Hermione shuffled forward as quickly as she could considering her grievous injury from Dolohov. Someone from the Order shouted at her to stop but no one was close enough to actually stop her. As she neared within a meter of the Veil, she could hear excited, almost rabid whispers that unnerved her but didn't halt her forward progress. The arch and the fluttering cloth loomed large and then she pushed through the diaphanous cloth. She met no resistance and suddenly her vision went completely dark.
She stopped walking and looked behind her, seeing nothing but endless blackness. There was nothing else – no noise, no motion, no light. Just nothing. Apparently, the Veil was a one-way trip.
"Harry?" she asked, quite loudly in the oppressive, black silence. She couldn't even see her hands in front of her face. No noise—not even an echo—returned to her ears. With little else to do and to prevent a mounting sense of crushing dread, Hermione started walking forward. She didn't know how long she had been walking but eventually she thought she saw something that was not just utter void an interminable distance in front of her. She sped up to a trot, which was as fast as her injury would allow, and ever-so-slowly the vaguely not-black area resolved into a circular area of white space, something that wasn't quite two- or three-dimensional in the weird space around her.
As Hermione moved closer, the light—if it could be called that—became brighter and brighter and soon enough drowned out everything else around. There was a brief rushing noise as she finally crashed into and through another cloth-like material and then the world came back into full focus.
Chapter 1 – The Fourth War
Orgrimmar was baking under the midday summer sun. Durotar was notorious for blinding heat during any season, but this particular summer had been extraordinarily hot with little relief in sight. The area and in particular the Horde capital city was in the midst of an extreme heat wave, and it was starting to tax the citizens and the resources. Night didn't even bring much relief right now, which was rare for the desert, and the city's population was miserable and restless. On top of all of that was the looming threat of a fourth war with the Alliance due to the burgeoning Azerite arms race; a fourth war that would follow much too closely to the devastation the Burning Legion had brought to Azeroth.
Grommash Hold had little natural ventilation, so the conditions inside were even more stifling. In undeath, Sylvanas Windrunner—Warchief of the Horde, Banshee Queen, and Dark Lady—was rarely uncomfortable due to temperature, and she didn't sweat or shiver, but even she had to admit (to herself) that the air was thick and annoying. The other current (living) occupants of the Hold were obviously wilting in the conditions. She was attending to matters of state but would likely soon ask them all to reconvene later that evening when there might be some relief.
Just as she was about to cut off one of Baine's executive assistants and suggest a meeting time of dusk, she felt a rush of magical power along her skin coming from the left side. She immediately tensed and reached for her daggers, and noticed that everyone else in the Hold did similar things. As all eyes turned toward that direction, a black tear in reality opened unlike any portal Sylvanas had ever seen. There was a rushing noise and the magical intensity peaked for a moment, crushing in its power; before anyone could react further, a figure dropped from the portal bonelessly to the floor. The portal winked out and the magical pressure was gone.
Notwithstanding the fact that Grommash Hold was one of the most magically protected places on Azeroth—indeed, perhaps only Jaina Proudmoore could teleport inside—the suddenness of it all caused a startled silence to descend on the Hold. True to form, though, Nathanos was the first to move toward the body on the ground. The Kor'Kron Elite closed in around Sylvanas, facing outward, weapons drawn. Sylvanas chafed internally because she knew she could protect herself against almost anything, but she didn't comment as she needed to maintain her Warchief image.
The body groaned and rolled over, causing another wave of tension to pass through the room. From what Sylvanas could see, it looked like a male human with shaggy gray hair and a somewhat gaunt face.
"Do not move," Nathanos said. His voice was a low growl. He used Common instead of Gutterspeak.
The man turned his head toward Nathanos's voice. "Huh?" the person articulated, likely also in Common, but regardless they all would have understood since it was a universal noise of confusion. Since Nathanos was a few steps away with an arrow pointed at his face, Sylvanas could understand the man's confusion. She had no pity, however, since the man had materialized directly inside her throne room.
"Who are you? How did you get here? What do you want?" Nathanos asked.
The man raised his hands, going even more slowly when Nathanos tensed and pulled his arrow back further, to show that he was unarmed. He gently sat up, glancing around, confusion showing in his wild gaze. Finally, he made eye contact with Nathanos again.
"Who are you? Where is here?" he asked. Nathanos briefly glanced back at Sylvanas and his eyes indicated he thought this was a ruse. They also sent a clear message to Sylvanas that he would prefer if she vacated the Hold while they figured this out. She simply inclined her head for him to continue.
"I am Nathanos Blightcaller, Champion of the Banshee Queen, and you are in Grommash Hold, Orgrimmar—the capital city of the Horde." Every word was dripping with insincerity as Nathanos clearly believed the human on the ground would have already known that information.
The human's confusion only deepened. "I, uh, have no idea what any of that means. The last I knew I was fighting a running battle in the Ministry for Magic, beneath London."
Nathanos audibly sighed. "Then we appear to be at an impasse. Give me a reason why I shouldn't kill you where you lie for trespassing." This alarmed the human and his eyes widened; he tried to back away from Nathanos, looking around wildly for help that wouldn't come.
Another ripple of magical energy sliced through the Hold, coming from the same place. Nathanos had the good sense to back up a step or two, now splitting his attention between the human and the space in front of him. Another black tear opened, depositing another body onto the floor, disappearing afterward. The body was clearly human as well, this time with black hair and smaller in stature. Several Champions of the Horde moved forward to help Nathanos with this confrontation. Sylvanas just watched with interest. Nothing so exciting had happened in the Hold for ages.
"Serious!" the newcomer shouted, also in Common. He had embraced the first human before Nathanos could stop him.
"Hairy…?" the other one asked.
Now just about everyone in the Hold was very confused. While most folks that might find themselves in Grommash Hold could passably understand Common, the words these two humans were using were completely nonsensical within the context of what was happening.
"I am tiring of this," Nathanos said, drawing the attention of the two humans. They looked at him, the first to arrive with wariness and the second to arrive with confusion and a fair bit of defiance.
"Who are you?" the second asked. He let go of the first human and stood but did not move closer or appear to be ready to fight.
"As I told your friend there, I am Nathanos Blightcaller. And you two are trespassing in the sovereign territory of the Horde."
The second human glanced at the first human, eyebrows raised in deeper confusion. The first human shrugged, also slowly getting to his feet. Just as Sylvanas was about to step in, since this had gone on long enough, a third pulse of magical energy occurred and a third black portal opened. A third body dropped through it to the floor, this time clearly female and with a pained cry rather than simply a surprised grunt.
The other two humans turned to look. "Her my owe knee!" the second human shouted, dropping to the floor next to the young human woman. She was holding her chest tightly, eyes clenched shut in pain. Sylvanas noted her shirt was soaked in red human blood. The second human turned wild, desperate eyes to the crowd watching in Grommash Hold.
"Someone help her! She's hurt!"
Sylvanas, Nathanos, and the first human had retreated to the private meeting spaces of the Warchief of the Horde. Several Dark Rangers and Kor'Kron Elite accompanied them in order to ensure the human posed no threat, but so far all signs had led Sylvanas and—grudgingly—Nathanos to accept this human was not a threat to Orgrimmar or the Horde. They had at least learned the names of the three surprise guests before several shamans had whisked the two younger humans—Harry Potter and Hermione Granger—into a side chamber of Grommash Hold for healing. With assurances to the first human—Sirius Black—they would be unharmed for the time being, Sylvanas dismissed the Hold and led Nathanos and Sirius to where they now were.
Sirius had fallen into a chair set against a wall and dropped his face into his hands. He looked the epitome of misery and, truthfully, for a human, did not actually seem that healthy. He was very thin and he had large bags under his eyes. Since black portals were often either the work of Void or Death, Sylvanas wanted to unravel this mystery rapidly.
"Tell me again, Sirius. Where do you come from?" Sylvanas asked. Her red eyes bore down on him as he lifted his head to look at her.
"Ministry for Magic. London, England." He paused for a second. It seemed like he was really seeing Sylvanas, Nathanos, and the guards for the first time. "What are you?"
"Watch your tone, human! You are addressing Sylvanas Windrunner, Warchief of the Horde and the Banshee Queen," Nathanos snarled. Sylvanas was tempted to roll her eyes but did not. Luckily, Nathanos hadn't pulled his bow into his hands.
"Whoa," Sirius said, holding up his hands. "I mean no offense… your majesty," he continued.
Sylvanas waved it away. "What kingdom is London, England in?"
Sirius gave her a strange look. "…the United Kingdom."
Ok, now she was a little annoyed. "If that is supposed to be a joke, I will let Nathanos have his way with you."
"I'm serious!" he said, absolutely no humor in his voice. "England is part of the United Kingdom."
"I know of no such kingdom on Azeroth," Sylvanas returned, wondering not first the first time in the last thirty minutes just what on Azeroth was going on.
"Azeroth?" Sirius asked, slowly, as if speaking the word for the first time and getting a feel for it.
"Yes. The planet on which you currently reside," she said, dryly.
Sirius's eyes comically widened. "That's not possible," he whispered. "England is on Earth! I'm from Earth!"
Sylvanas and Nathanos glanced at each other. Interplanetary travel was of course possible but in the aftermath of the defeat of the Legion, it was the last thing they wanted to consider right now. Particularly because no one beyond perhaps some of Alleria's Void Elves had mapped any of the known universe. Sylvanas had no knowledge of this 'Earth.'
"Well you appear to have graced Azeroth with your presence," Sylvanas replied. "And I am most curious how you managed to arrive here, and into one of the most magically protected places on this planet."
Sirius was now looking around wildly—a bit madly, even—and she fully expected him to start blubbering shortly. But he suddenly pinched his own arm, and quite hard.
"Ow!" he exclaimed, rubbing where he pinched himself. "I guess I'm not dreaming," he muttered.
"Indeed you are not," Sylvanas said. "I'll admit, I expected a bit more hysterics from you. You just found out you are on a different planet than your own."
Sirius regarded her with a dry eye, seemingly mustering up some willpower to pull himself together. He ran a hand through his shaggy gray hair. "I'll note that you don't seem phased by the suggestion someone just dropped in from another planet, either. Is that a regular occurrence here on…Azeroth?"
"Yes, though unfortunately one usually laden with ill tidings," she responded, still staring at him with her red eyes. He understood the implication and sagged a bit more in his seat.
"I am not sure what happened or how I came here," he said. "Or Harry and Hermione for that matter. We were fighting a running battle with Death Eaters"—Sylvanas's long ears twitched at that name—"throughout the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry for Magic. We ended up in the Death room and somehow I was trading spells with Bellatrix. One second we were fighting and the next second I was in an endless dark. I did the only thing that seemed reasonable at that time and started walking. Eventually I saw a light and kept going toward it, and when I passed through it, I fell to the floor in the other room. And here we are."
Silence fell across the room as everyone absorbed the man's words. None of it really made sense to Sylvanas since so many of the words and places he described were unfamiliar, but one thing was certain—it was Death and not the Void that had brought him and the other two humans to Grommash Hold. On one hand, that was very good, since the Void was unpredictable at best; on the other hand, it could be very bad, since Death was the one force that could not really be controlled.
"Tyra," Sylvanas called, after a moment. One of the Dark Rangers moved to her and snapped to attention.
"Yes, Dark Lady?" she rasped. Sylvanas noted Sirius's face blanched a bit at the title.
"Nathanos and I will visit with the other two travelers to ensure the woman's wounds have been tended to. Until we return, fill Sirius in on the history of…the Horde," she said. "Make sure he knows about the races of the Horde and the precarious position he now finds himself in."
"As you command," Tyra said, turning away from Sylvanas toward Sirius. Sylvanas nodded toward two of the Kor'Kron Elite to remain as well and then swept out of the room with Nathanos and the rest of her entourage trailing behind. Once back in the main hall of the Hold, she was directed to the side chamber where the shamans had taken the two other humans. Upon entering, she saw the male pacing nervously near one of the shamans waving blue-glowing hands over the reclined body of the woman. Her eyes were closed in forced sleep. The male started upon seeing Sylvanas, Nathanos, and some of the guards.
"Par'lel said her wounds were quite grievous and that he would have to act fast to save her and that it would be better if she was asleep for the healing due to the pain she would be in." He was babbling. He was clearly frightened and confused but Sylvanas did notice a hard glint of steel in his gaze. Interestingly, he had a white-knuckled grip on an ornate stick that wasn't too dissimilar from some wands carried by Horde mages and warlocks. She would have to ask later why the possible weapon wasn't confiscated but let it go for the moment. She also noted he'd used the shaman's name, which he must have learned at some point.
"A sensible approach," she said, looking at the woman on the ground. In the false serenity of sleep, she was actually quite attractive for a young human. The deep red human blood marring her blouse was jarring, but the visible evidence of the deep wounds had faded with Par'lel's healing magic. From where she stood, Sylvanas could feel the cool ethereal grace of it flowing over her like a mountain stream.
"Healin' be mos'ly done," Par'lel breathed. His hands were slowing in their rapid pattern over her reclined form. "She be needin' a time o' convalescence." The blue glow died away and he got to his feet.
"Thank you, Par'lel." Sylvanas noted. He bowed toward her.
"O' course, m'lady." He took that as his cue to leave and soon enough it was just Harry, Hermione, Sylvanas, Nathanos, and the few Kor'Kron left in the room. Harry was staring down at the still—but clearly breathing—human woman.
"Do you know how you came to be here?" Sylvanas asked. Harry looked up at her and shook his head. "You were in the same battle Sirius spoke of?" she pressed.
"Yes, and I followed him through the Veil."
"The…Veil?" Sylvanas asked, cautiously.
"We were told it's called the Veil of Death," he responded, eyes returning to Hermione. "It's a stone archway in the Department of Mysteries with a curtain." He paused, remembering. "I heard voices when I got close to it."
"What kind of voices?" The world had gone silent, focused on the conversation.
"Whispers," he continued. "Mad whispers. I couldn't understand any of it."
"And you determined it would be beneficial to your health to go through the Veil?" Sylvanas asked, arching an eyebrow. She was steering entirely clear of any of the assumptions swinging wildly through her head. All of this sounded too eerily similar to not only her own plans but also the whispers and signs her sharpest scouts had seen throughout the world in recent years.
"I suppose I wasn't thinking at all," he said, a bit morosely.
The human woman had lain on the ground long enough. "Jem," Sylvanas called, and one of the hulking Orc Kor'Kron elite came to stand at attention next to her.
"Yes, my lady?" she grunted. Even though Jem was at least twice as tall as Harry, Sylvanas noticed he didn't shy away. He merely looked at them, and with none of the dawning curiosity Sirius had just exhibited. For a human from a different planet, Harry didn't seem all that fazed by unfamiliar sentient species. Sylvanas briefly wondered what "Earth" was like.
"Please bring Hermione and escort Harry to a suite in the Residence. We must show our unexpected visitors some hospitality if we have any hope to avoid the propaganda the Alliance will surely try to spew should they learn we had alien humans in our midst and simply threw them into the dungeons."
Jem bent and gently lifted Hermione into her arms. "Come, human," she said, to Harry.
Harry's eyes slid to Sylvanas. "Why are you doing this?"
"Doing what?" she responded.
"Helping us?" He suddenly had a wry grin. Similarly to Hermione, he was very attractive for a human, if a bit skinny. "It seems like we might have broken a fair number of rules on our way in."
"That's an understatement…" Nathanos muttered.
"I confess myself curious," Sylvanas eventually responded. "As the Warchief of the Horde, it is my duty to take responsibility for my people, which includes understanding unnatural phenomenon such as what occurred today. I could simply lock you away if I wanted, but the specific circumstances of your arrival are conspicuous enough to investigate with you three."
Sylvanas turned away from the group and started to walk away. She waved Nathanos off when he began to follow her.
"Come on," she heard Jem say, but then she was out of the room and heading toward the exit of Grommash Hold. As soon as she was out in the open air of Orgrimmar, she mounted her waiting undead steed and set off for the Warchief's Quarters in the Valley of Honor.
Sylvanas stood on her balcony in the fading light of the dying day shrouded in her Death magic, obscured from the world and hidden from all but the strongest magic users on Azeroth. And it was actually those mightiest wielders of the forces of the universe that were occupying her thoughts at the moment.
The arrival of the three humans through a Death portal had thrown her carefully laid plans into uncertainty. It meant there was possibly another player out there, unknown to her, who was as powerful or more powerful in the realm of Death than she was. And she wasn't entirely sure what that meant, whether it was good or bad, for the Horde or for the wider world. What she did know is that she needed to get to some understanding of what had occurred, but this was so far outside the realm of any known experience that she was contemplating doing something truly outrageous.
But before she did, she had to reach out to the one person of the five others that, sort of ironically at this point, might be the most receptive to what she had to say. Because without at least her support, the others certainly wouldn't give her the time of day.
With the black tendrils of Death still wrapped around her slightly incorporeal form, she moved from the balcony into her bedroom and over to her dresser. In a small box on top of the dresser, which she had to unlock with Death magic to open the lid, she pulled out a silver necklace with a silver anchor attached to it. She thought for only a brief moment before intentionally pulsing her magic into it. She set it down on the dresser, drew her magic back inside of her to become fully corporeal again, and then moved over to sit on the bed. It would be any moment now…
Ah, yes. There it was. The tingle of the Arcane along her Undead nerves. Normally it would be impossible for her to feel such a thing, since she had no real nerves, but this was one of the rare occasions where it did happen. Her personal quarters were warded even more tightly than Grommash Hold, but the Arcane kept building and she knew nothing on Azeroth could really stop this.
Suddenly there was a flash and a portal opened near her dresser, where she had been standing. She briefly saw a wide expanse of sand and a deep blue sea beyond. Then the Lord Admiral of Kul Tiras, Jaina Proudmoore, stepped through and into Sylvanas's bedroom. Her blue eyes were glowing with Arcane and there were wisps of bluish purple magic trailing off her skin. She wore her typical uniform with her braid firmly over one shoulder. As always, she was magnificently attractive but incredibly intimidating. Sylvanas considered Jaina the only person on Azeroth who was more dangerous than herself.
Those thoughts were swept away by the not-unfriendly greeting: "Sylvanas. I didn't expect to meet again so soon." Jaina moved fully into the room and the portal winked out behind; with it, most of the Arcane as well. A faint buzz remained, attributable simply to Jaina's presence.
"Jaina," Sylvanas responded. "Thank you for coming."
Jaina walked toward where Sylvanas was sitting on the bed, glanced around for a second, and then sat near her. She smooth her skirts down as she sat and turned to face Sylvanas. Undead red eyes met living blue eyes.
"I know you would call me with that particular signal only if something were truly urgent," Jaina responded.
Sylvanas inclined her head. "That is true, though I know there is no love lost between your people and mine, so I appreciate it nonetheless."
"You were the only leader of the Horde that had nothing to do with Theramore," Jaina reminded her. "And although I do not think highly of the Horde in the general, the endless conflict between the Alliance and the Horde will get us all nowhere. But I'm sure you didn't call me here so we could rehash all of that." Jaina folded her hands in her lap.
"You are correct," Sylvanas replied. And then she launched into the tale of what had happened in Grommash Hold, finishing her story when she left Harry and Hermione to return to her quarters. Throughout it all, Jaina carefully listened, but otherwise her face was unreadable.
"There's a lot to unpack here," Jaina started. Her voice sounded thoughtful. "I take it from you calling me here that there is more to this than I might be considering right now?"
"How much do you know of Death? And of the Void?" Sylvanas asked by way of replying.
"What I know of Death is mostly through you, Sylvanas," Jaina responded. "And my interactions with the Void have been almost entirely through our conflicts with the Old Gods—and, more recently, Alleria. I think I understand their power, but it was never something I studied with the Kirin Tor."
Sylvanas took an unnecessary deep breath. "What I am about to tell you is known only to a few on Azeroth right now. If this information got into the wrong hands—if the enemy knew that we at least suspected, terrible things will occur."
Jaina narrowed her eyes. "I don't like the sound of this."
"And you shouldn't." Sylvanas paused, gathering her thoughts, long enough for Jaina to turn more fully toward her and arch an eyebrow.
"In the wider universe, Azeroth is but one tiny chess piece on a much larger board. I know you understood this before the Argus campaign but since then I think we've all had our eyes truly opened to what's out there. But even before Argus, there were whispers of something else stirring in the Twisting Nether—something that was keen on taking advantage of the chaos that Sargeras and his Burning Legion were sowing across all worlds.
"I caught what I believe was an unintentional glimpse of this in Icecrown, just prior to the Val'kyr bringing me back. Since I'm so closely connected to Death due to whatever Arthas may have corrupted in me to bind me as a Banshee, what I experienced beyond the veil of even Undeath was not something I would like to repeat anytime soon. But it also exposed me to something I hadn't considered—a malevolent force that was totally beyond anything we had experienced in our history here on Azeroth, and something for which I believed at the time we were wholly unprepared. And I still do think that, though the situation has grown increasingly more complicated since then."
"Are you speaking of the Void?" Jaina asked.
"Yes," Sylvanas affirmed. "And I have strong reason to believe they are moving against us all here on Azeroth… currently, their actions are hidden beyond the Veil that all living things cannot see past, but they are moving. And they now have a clear conduit by which to infiltrate this planet."
Sylvanas paused there, letting her words sink in for Jaina. She could see Jaina's thoughts had turned inward, considering what she had just been told as well as her own experiences over the last few years. The buzz of the Arcane was still present in the background, slightly more agitated now that Jaina herself was also. Jaina's eyes suddenly snapped to hers.
"It's already here, isn't it?" she queried.
"What makes you say that?"
"Your sister, Sylvanas," she answered. "The Void Elves."
"Ah, dear sweet Alleria. The Lady Sun. Although now more appropriately perhaps The Lady Void."
"But she's in control of it!" Jaina exclaimed.
Sylvanas raised her eyebrows back at Jaina. "Is she?"
"…what do you know?"
"I know that the Void is an ever-present temptation for Alleria and the rest of the Void Elves," Sylvanas said. "I know that—while they harness the power of the Void—they do not truly utilize it to its fullest potential. Because if they did, they would not be welcomed so readily into the Alliance."
"Why?"
"Simply because I suspect it is only a matter of time before they lose the eternal war against their corruptors. We've both seen it before, Jaina. Remember C'Thun? How he corrupted an entire race and bent them to his will? Or how about Yogg-Saron? Not even the Titans could resist him forever. And let us not forget the fate of Garrosh, sped along by Y'Shaarj."
"But we defeated them, Sylvanas. We stood as a bulwark against their insidious corruption and defeated them. Time and time again. Why should this be any different?" Jaina did look particularly unsettled now, to her credit. Sylvanas knew Jaina was just probing for more salient information. And if there was anyone on Azeroth that Sylvanas would confide in at this point, it was Jaina.
"We won those battles, Jaina. But we haven't won the war. Tell me—do you know where the Old Gods come from?"
She shook her head. "No, not really. They're some sort of eldritch horror of the Void."
"But where did they come from? How did they come to be on Azeroth?"
Jaina shrugged helplessly. "I really don't know. You do?"
Sylvanas nodded. "The Old Gods aren't the masters of the Void," she said. "If anything, they're pawns in a much larger game between the Void and the Light, which is itself just part of a cosmic war between the six forces of the universe."
"The Light…" Jaina said. "The Naaru?" Sylvanas nodded. "It would make sense that the Old Gods are not the equals of the Naaru. They're too…provincial. But what is?"
Sylvanas licked her lips, hoping that saying the words didn't invoke the old superstition of calling the named entity into being. "They're known as the Void Lords. And one in particular has its eyes on Azeroth—or, more specifically, our world's soul. A soul which has been spilling out of the Wound and at other points throughout Azeroth for months now."
"Azerite?" Sylvanas nodded. "What is its name?"
"Revanoth."
Suddenly, the Death that was intrinsic to Sylvanas and the Arcane that was equally as intrinsic to Jaina bubbled in consternation around them. It seemed to react quite negatively to the name that Sylvanas had just uttered. Jaina's eyes tracked around the room as if sensing something through the Arcane. After a moment, Jaina took a deep breath and refocused on Sylvanas.
"Ok, I suppose this is making sense. But I have a few questions." Sylvanas motioned her to continue. "If some terrible being of the Void is after our world's soul and that soul is manifested in Azerite, why are we and the other leaders of the Horde and Alliance so intent on pursuing Azerite as a weapon to wield in the seemingly inevitable coming war?"
"Let us return to that question shortly. What other questions do you have?"
"Why are you telling me all of this? It seems like you've had some inkling of these things for a while now," Jaina asked.
"You are the most powerful wielder of Arcane on Azeroth, Jaina," Sylvanas said. When Jaina looked to object, Sylvanas continued over her. "You cannot deny this—it is a fact. And I have reason to believe you may be one of the most powerful wielders of Arcane in the universe, which makes you vitally important in what is to come."
"Let's say for the sake of argument I believe you on that point. Why do you think I—as a wielder of Arcane, as you put it—would be able to help you unravel how or why those three humans suddenly appeared in Orgrimmar?"
"It wouldn't be you alone, Jaina," Sylvanas said. "But I'm starting with you because of our previous conversations and the fact that we do not attempt to kill each other on sight at this juncture. My goal in bringing this to you first is to get an assessment of the situation from your perspective as well as your help in convening a few others."
"Who?"
Sylvanas pointed at Jaina. "Arcane." She pointed at herself. "Death." She dropped her hand. "That leaves four other forces: Light, Fel, Life, and Void."
"I suppose I'm not fully understanding, Sylvanas," Jaina sighed. "You're implying you want to convene a meeting of the six forces, but how does that relate to what occurred today and what you've just told me of the Void?"
"Remember when I said the cosmic battle between Light and Void was just a part of a larger cosmic war? That war is actually between all six forces that make up our known universe. They have not been in true balance with each other for a very long time as far as I can tell, and I suspect that the Void led by Revanoth has been subtly influencing events in its favor for longer than I have been of this world.
"The universe craves balance. The natural state of things is balance. But when was the last time one force or another wasn't striving to supplant the others? A force by itself may naturally seek balance with the other forces, but as you know those forces are all wielded by beings—whether mortals, or "gods," or something even greater—and beings are nothing if not imperfect. That imperfection has led to a constant push-and-pull over the millennia between the higher powers, as it were. And lately Azeroth has seemed to be a focal point of some of these struggles.
"But all of this leads me to my point: the Void is moving, and both the Horde and the Alliance are not prepared. The Void by definition is the absence of everything. It seeks to eliminate all existence and replace it with the corruption inherent to the Void. Only balanced with the Light—with that dyad also balanced with the other two dyads—does the Void make sense. Even Sargeras's chaos was something, which was antithetical to the aims of the Void."
Jaina leaned back on her elbows, reclined in a pose on Sylvanas's bed that sparked other thoughts she did not need as a distraction at the moment.
"So the Azerite arms race," Jaina said, returning to her earlier question, "and the impending war between the Horde and the Alliance is an attempt to do what? Empower Death to fight the Void?"
Sylvanas knew she could count on Jaina's keen mind to make the connection. "Yes," she answered. "Every mortal death would have provided more power to Death and thus me in the coming battle against the Void."
"I notice you said 'would have.'"
"Indeed. I fear the arrival of those three humans may herald some heretofore unknown force of Death that cannot be discounted at this stage. It would be foolish to hasten a war that will bring untold misery to Azeroth if I am not assured of its purpose."
"But that still leaves Revanoth and the Void out there," Jaina responded. "Which is why you called me here today, right?"
"Yes, Lord Admiral," Sylvanas responded, smirking. "You are nothing if not consistent and I would rather have you as an ally in the coming conflict than a wary and only passing acquaintance."
Jaina sat up again. "Sylvanas… may I ask you a somewhat delicate question?"
She rolled her eyes at the Archmage sitting on her bed. "If I deferred?"
Jaina smirked this time. "I would ask anyway."
"Then by all means."
"What does Death feel like?"
Rather than answer or ask inane questions, Sylvanas simply held out her hand and let out the force within her. A small, cylindrical black-and-purple beam snaked its way from her hand through the air toward Jaina, coiling toward the Kul Tiran. It wasn't exactly threatening, but the small purple streaks of lightning arcing out from its center did indicate its latent power.
Jaina didn't recoil from it. Instead, she sat up even straighter, more attentive as this chance to experience a different form of magic presented itself to her. She glanced at Sylvanas.
"Will it hurt me?"
"I'm offended you would even think so," Sylvanas responded, friendly facetiousness coloring her voice. She watched as her magic curled around Jaina like a large snake. She could feel the Arcane presence within the Archmage responding to it. It wasn't an unwelcome feeling. Death and Arcane weren't antipodes in the grand scheme of things, but they did coexist.
Jaina reached out with a hand and touched the magic. Her eyes closed as it wrapped around her hand and up her arm. The Arcane spiked in the room and Sylvanas felt the pull of the other; in that moment, she thought she glimpsed the true depths of Jaina's power, and it was humbling.
Then the Arcane was mixing with her Death magic as Jaina let some of it out. It was a uniquely singular experience—it was almost as if their magics were testing each other, and neither was found wanting. Sylvanas briefly savored the moment but eventually pulled her magic back. She felt Jaina somewhat reluctantly let it go. Soon enough the ambient energy in the room had settled once again. Jaina inspected her hand and arm where it had come in contact with the Death magic.
"It was cold," she said. "But it was also so deep. Like an endless starry night sky beneath a new moon."
"I've never heard it described like that," Sylvanas replied. "But I suppose that makes some sense."
"I sort of expected my powers to recoil from it," Jaina said, sheepishly. She was also grinning. "However, I think the opposite happened." She chewed on what to say next for a moment and Sylvanas let her. "Where do we go from here, Sylvanas?" she eventually asked. Sylvanas was pleased to note the 'we' in her question.
"I want to convene the six pillars," she told Jaina. "I think only the six of us together will be able to unravel this mystery in the short amount of time we have."
"The 'six pillars?' I'm not familiar with that term, though 'us' makes me think we're two of them."
"You are correct, Jaina," Sylvanas answered. "The six pillars are the six most powerful beings on or from Azeroth at any given time, each one corresponding to one of the six known forces. You are the pillar of Arcane and I am the pillar of Death, thanks to that man-child Arthas." Jaina winced but didn't comment on the reference. They both had a bad history with the former prince of Lordaeron.
"Which leaves, as you said, Light, Fel, Life, and Void. Who do you think the other four pillars are?"
"I think we both know Void," Sylvanas responded.
"Alleria?"
"Yes, as loath as I am to admit it, my sister is currently the pillar of the Void."
"Life…" Jaina muttered. After a moment: "Malfurion?"
Sylvanas shook her head. "No, he is diminished."
"Why?"
"The Light of Elune has receded from Tyrande and, with it, his faith in his own powers. He questions when or if the magic of the Wild Gods might abandon him like Elune seems to be with Tyrande."
"I had no idea that was happening," Jaina breathed. She shook herself. "If not Malfurion, then I have no idea."
"It is Alexstrasza," Sylvanas supplied. "Even though the power of the Aspects has faded, she is still the most powerful wielder of Life on Azeroth."
"If not Malfurion, I can believe that. So Fel and Light… Wait." Her gaze zeroed in on Sylvanas's again. "Please tell me Fel is not Illidan!"
"I cannot lie to you, Jaina," Sylvanas replied, the corners of her lips upturned in a smirk. "Even though he is likely still chastising Sargeras in the Seat of the Pantheon, he is the pillar of Fel for Azeroth. We will need to call him back."
Jaina fell backward on the bed, chest rising and falling rapidly in frustration. "Ugh," she intoned. "I would rather not have to deal with that arrogant Night Elf again."
"Be that as it may, that brings us to the sixth and final pillar: Light. And it also brings us to one of the complications I mentioned before. I'm sure you don't need more than one guess as to the current pillar of the Light?"
Jaina turned her head from where she was on her back on Sylvanas's bed to look at her. "I assume Anduin," she said.
"Indeed," Sylvanas affirmed. "If only it were that simple, though. What do you know of the Mag'har Orcs, Jaina?"
"They're newly part of the Horde. They come from the alternate Draenor that Garrosh invoked. For some reason, they abandoned their whole home world to join the Horde on Azeroth, which is a planet besieged by endless conflict. To be honest, no one in the Alliance can fathom how that came to be."
Sylvanas stood from the bed and walked across the room out onto the balcony. It was full night now. She could hear Jaina following her. She leaned on the railing and looked out over Orgrimmar, the seat of her power and the basis for the modern Horde.
"None of the Mag'har Orcs will openly talk about it. But from what I've heard from the few champions that it made it back to Azeroth after their liberation, there was and perhaps still is a genocide happening on that planet."
Jaina tensed next to her. "Genocide?"
"Do you recall Yrel, Jaina," she asked. She turned her head to look at Jaina, and Jaina did the same. They were separated by only a foot.
"Draenei. Strong in the Light," Jaina replied. Sylvanas could see the comprehension in her eyes.
"Yes. So strong that she apparently drew one of the most powerful Naaru to Draenor after we all left the planet following Archimonde's defeat. Time flows differently across worlds and across the dimensions of the Twisting Nether, so when our heroes returned there to bring the Mag'har Orcs into the Horde, approximately thirty years had passed where only one had passed on Azeroth. And Yrel ruled Draenor with an iron fist.
"Those that did not give themselves over to the Light were either tortured and eventually indoctrinated—which was saved for the most powerful—or summarily executed. By some accounts, seventy percent of the population of Draenor was killed by the time we arrived back there. The tyranny of the Light had focused on the final settlement of the Mag'har by that time, and those adult Mag'har you see in the Horde today survived a decades long holocaust at the hands of Yrel."
"That's horrific," Jaina said, shivering. Sylvanas laid a hand on her arm, which drew Jaina's eyes. She hoped she hadn't overstepped, but the story was a terrible one and Sylvanas thought Jaina might appreciate the gesture of comfort. Jaina eventually laid a hand over Sylvanas's. She could feel the beating warmth of the living human.
"Yes," Sylvanas agreed. "Which brings us to the sixth pillar. The pillar of Light."
"It can't be Yrel."
"I don't believe it is," Sylvanas said. "She is in another dimension, though it is still connected to ours. You could actually make a portal there, if you wished. I say all of this because she could challenge Anduin for the pillar of the Light, and we would all be worse off because of it."
"Does she know?" Jaina asked. "About Revanoth and the Void?"
"Since Void is the antithesis of Light, I have to assume she does," Sylvanas responded.
"Do you expect her to come here?"
"Not now," Sylvanas returned. "Maybe not even anytime soon. But I think we all have to acknowledge that it will happen. And when it does, there will be another player on the board, cloaked in benevolence, but with only supremacy in her eyes."
"So," Jaina said. "Death – you. Arcane – me. Life – Alexstrasza. Fel – Illidan. Light – Anduin. And Void – Alleria. You want to bring us all together to review the arrival of those three humans?" Sylvanas nodded. "Is that all, Sylvanas? I ask because convincing everyone to come together—or even finding Illidan in his case—will be very hard."
"Mainly, yes. There may be other eventualities that come from that meeting, though."
"How can I help?" Jaina asked.
Sylvanas led Jaina from her personal quarters through the Residence toward where Sirius, Harry, and Hermione had been given rooms. The few Dark Rangers they passed knew enough not to question the presence of one of the supposed arch-nemeses of the Horde, so they walked quietly through the halls. Soon enough, they came to a double door that led to a suite of rooms beyond. Two of her most trusted Dark Rangers, Tyra and Lora, stood guard. They bowed at their approach.
"Dark Lady," they murmured.
"At ease," she commanded, and they straightened. If they were surprised to see Jaina at her side, their faces did not show it and they did not comment.
"How are our guests?"
"Resting," Lora said. "The woman is still sleeping and the two men are restless but content for the moment."
"Thank you," she said. "The Lord Admiral and I will visit with them. No one is to enter without my express permission."
"Yes, Dark Lady," they said. Tyra opened one of the double doors and stepped out of the way, allowing Sylvanas and Jaina to pass. The door clicked shut behind them. They found themselves in the living area of a large, multi-bedroom suite. One of the doors to the other rooms was closed and the rest were open. Flickering candle light spilled forth from one of the other rooms.
"Sirius? Harry?" Sylvanas called. She glanced at Jaina as there was a noise of surprise from the room with the light and then shadows stirred and moved toward them. Sirius emerged from the room, followed closely by Harry. They were wearing the loose night clothing of Blood Elves, which were close enough to human physiology to be acceptable. Sirius stopped abruptly at seeing an unfamiliar human woman with Sylvanas; Harry almost walked right into him.
"Um, hello again," Sirius said.
Harry stepped around him. "Hello," he said. "Thank you again, your majesty, for healing Hermione," he continued. "Tyra told us she would probably sleep straight through until morning and then be as good as new."
Sylvanas noted again that Harry comfortably used the names of her people he had learned. He also had referred to her as 'your majesty' even though there had earlier been only a passing reference to her status as Warchief of the Horde in his presence. He seemed quite quick on the uptake.
"It is no problem, Harry," she said, moving more fully into the room. Jaina kept pace by her side. "And for the foreseeable future, when we are in private like this, you do not have to refer to me as 'your majesty.' If you're uncomfortable with my name, Dark Lady will do."
"Ok, Sylvanas," he said. Her eyes flicked to Sirius. He was staring at Harry with something like awe in his eyes.
"I would like to introduce you both to Lady Jaina Proudmore, Lord Admiral of Kul Tiras and Archmage of the Kirin Tor."
Harry bowed slightly at the waist. "It is a pleasure to meet you, my Lady," he said. Now Sirius was staring at Harry like he had never properly met him before. "And my lout of a godfather back there thinks the same."
Sirius started a bit. "Er, yes. What I mean to say is I agree with everything Harry has said. Thank you for your hospitality and it is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Jaina."
"Just Jaina will do," Jaina said. "Sylvanas here has a flair for theatrics, if you hadn't already noticed."
"Since it is quite late," Sylvanas interrupted, rolling her eyes at the Archmage standing next to her, "let us get to the point of this visit. Jaina and I would like to speak with both of you about your arrival here. And tomorrow if she is up to it, we'd like to speak to Hermione too."
"I think we've told you everything we know," Harry said, looking back at Sirius for confirmation.
"We're less interested in the mechanism of your arrival into Grommash Hold," Jaina replied. "It is clear at this point the force or magic involved was that of Death—"
"Wait, magic?" Sirius asked, looking immediately suspicious but quickly morphing into shocked understanding.
"Yes," Jaina said. "Magic. As in the six forces of the universe."
"You have magic here on Azeroth too? I mean, I guess it makes sense with what Par'lel was doing earlier, but I was too stressed out to really think about it. Healing magic is common for us." Harry said.
"We do," Sylvanas answered. "Your Earth does as well?"
"Yes," Harry said, "but only a small percentage of people on Earth can do magic. We call ourselves witches and wizards. The vast majority of the human population is not magical, though. Where we come from, they're called muggles. Most of the rest of the world calls them no-majs."
"Does that not engender conflict, even hatred?" Sylvanas asked.
"It probably would if the existence of magic weren't hidden behind an internationally agreed upon Statute of Secrecy," Sirius said.
"You said we arrived by Death magic?" Harry asked. He looked worried.
"Yes, given your story about the Veil of Death and what lay beyond—and even what the portal itself looked like—it is clear that Death brought you to Azeroth. And since I have an affinity with Death, I can verify this too," Sylvanas replied. Both Sirius and Harry now looked uncomfortable.
"On Earth, Death magic is known as necromancy. There is nothing good about that kind of magic where we come from," Sirius said. "My family was as Dark as they come and even they still hesitated to dabble too much into necromancy."
Sylvanas made eye contact with Jaina. The similarities between the forces on Earth and the forces on Azeroth were too numerous to discount, though it seemed Earth was quite a ways behind Azeroth in terms of them existing in the mainstream. Sylvanas felt a twinge of worry. Their descriptions were not unlike the zealotry of the Light.
"Be that as it may," Jaina said, "it appears like Earth and Azeroth may have different views on the various magical schools. Death is but one of six schools here on Azeroth; and while necromancy is frowned upon in certain circumstances, it is a valid branch of magic that some of our most benevolent beings do use from time to time."
Sylvanas was grateful that Jaina stepped in as she did. She could explain things in a way that Sylvanas could not, and there was also a certain authority that came with Jaina's words as one of the most powerful magical beings in the universe. Even if Harry and Sirius didn't know that, Sylvanas could see on their faces they implicitly understood it while Jaina was standing in front of them.
Harry shrugged. "I suppose that makes sense," he said. "I've often wondered about some of our 'darkest' spells."
"What do you mean?" Sirius asked, looking a bit confused.
"Well, what about the Killing Curse?" Harry asked, rhetorically. "Unless it was originally developed for truly evil means—and I sort of doubt that because evil rarely creates—I've wondered what its original purpose was? Was it to relieve the suffering of terminally ill patients? No books say anything about it because there is such a stigma associated with even its name."
"The Killing Curse?" Sylvanas asked.
"Well, no. Avada Kedavra," Harry said. Suddenly, similarly to what happened earlier when Sylvanas named the Void Lord, the Death and the Arcane magic surrounding Sylvanas and Jaina roiled around them as if startled or afraid. It was clear to Sylvanas that Harry and Sirius could also sense something as they both gripped their wands more tightly and looked around the room.
"What…" Sirius started, but was interrupted by a commotion out in the hall beyond the door to their apartment. Sylvanas's fingers flexed as she readied to deploy her Death magic; she could sense and see that Jaina was preparing to go on the offensive as well.
The door through which they came burst open and Tyra and Lora tumbled backward into the room, weapons out and tensed toward something Sylvanas couldn't see out in the hallway. A seeping cold fell over the room, so cold that even Sylvanas could feel it. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Harry and Sirius trade knowing glances. They raised their wands together—for that is surely what they were—and advanced to stand side-by-side with Sylvanas and Jaina. Tyra and Lora continued to back into the room.
"Report!" Sylvanas barked.
"Portal, my Lady," Tyra breathed. "Opened in the hallway and something came through."
"What?"
"Unknown, my Lady. All I saw was blackness and misery," Tyra said, uncharacteristic emotion coloring her voice. It was almost like something had actually hurt her.
"…Jaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiinaaaaaaaaaaa…" a slithering, insidious whisper said. It reached their ears with the cacophonous noise of a thousand mad voices and, impossibly, the seductive whisper of an entwined lover.
Jaina looked at Sylvanas with wide eyes. "What is this?" she asked.
Sylvanas's mouth set in a grim line. "The Void." She readied herself to face the one being she truly feared—Revanoth.
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Sirius and Harry both yelled. Sylvanas and Jaina both flinched away as shining beacons of Light manifested next to them and then rushed out into the hallway where the encroaching Void was crowding into the room.
There was an unholy screech—all Sylvanas saw was a brief glimpse of a hooded figure with a gaping maw of surreal madness and nightmares—and then the cold and the shadows receded from the room and the hallway. Soon all that was left was the low noise of the flickering flames and the sounds of heavy breathing, slowly settling back to normal.
Sylvanas took a moment to survey everyone around her. Jaina was still staring wide-eyed into the hallway, Arcane crackling at her clenched fingertips. Tyra and Lora were slowly reverting back to their guard positions, though they did frequently look back toward Sirius and Harry as they carefully moved toward the doorway. Sirius and Harry were looking at each other, having a silent conversation with their eyes, but keeping their wands trained on the doorway. Sylvanas realized her Death magic was seeping from her skin in her state of high alert; she relaxed and absorbed it back into her body.
The magic that Harry and Sirius shot out into the hallway returned, brightening the doorway and then the room with the warm, ambient magic of Light. Surprisingly, it didn't sting Sylvanas at all, unlike what normally occurred when she was just in the presence of Anduin. And possibly more astonishing was the fact that this Light took the form of two animals—a stag and a large canine. They came to a stop next to Harry and Sirius, who acknowledged them, and then faded from the room. Warm firelight suffused the space once again.
Jaina turned to Harry and Sirius. "What did you do?" she asked.
"We cast the Patronus charm," Sirius explained.
"That was a powerful Light spell," Sylvanas said. She didn't say it out loud but anything that could drive away what she could only assume was some kind of representation of a Void Lord was a boon to their world and needed to be learned, explored, and cherished.
Harry nodded. "It is powerful on Earth. It's the only thing that can repel Dementors."
"What are those?" Jaina questioned.
"Demons," Sirius said. He visibly shuddered. "Foul, soul-sucking demons that drain all of the happiness away."
Jaina made eye contact with Sylvanas. The situation with their unexpected visitors from another planet just became infinitely more complicated. Not only were they magic wielders, but they were apparently powerful and they had also encountered some sort of manifestation of Void on their Earth. Sylvanas didn't know what brought Sirius, Harry, and Hermione to them, but so far it was looking like a boon.
"Could you teach us to cast that?" Jaina asked.
"I don't know that Undeath will be amenable to it…" Sylvanas said.
Jaina waved her away. "We shall see," she said. "Harry, Sirius?"
"I don't see why not," Harry said. "All you really need to do is think about your happiest memories and use the incantation Expecto Patronum."
Tyra and Lora, standing in the doorway, looked at each other and then held out their hands. They had closed their eyes. Sylvanas thought she might feel the magic of their reincorporation rippling through the room; then, a bright light manifested from their palms. Once the initial flash faded, she could see a glowing tiger and glowing wyvern crouched on the floor, looking for threats.
"That's amazing!" Harry exclaimed. "First try! What did you think of?"
Tyra made a noise in her throat and Lora looked away. For the first time in Sylvanas's Forsaken memory, her Dark Rangers look slightly embarrassed. Now she was curious as well. Tyra made a motion to defer the question.
"No," Sylvanas. "I'm curious as well. What did you think of?" The tiger and the wyvern were still present in the room, perhaps a testament to the strength of their feeling.
"Belonging," Lora said. Her voice was raspier than usual, filed with emotion.
"Home," Tyra added. "A sense of people and place."
"The Forsaken and the Horde," Jaina said, nodding. She looked at Sylvanas again, some sort of soft understanding in her eyes that she both loved and hated.
"Yes, Lord Admiral," Tyra replied. She bowed her head. "Dark Lady, whatever punishment you see fit for failing to hold against the threat, we will accept. It was inexcusable."
Sylvanas prowled forward, calling forth her Death magic. Now would be the real test. She could feel the latent energies coursing through her Undead arteries. She had to set an example for her Dark Rangers, and for Jaina, and for the alien visitors from another world. Heavy lies the crown, indeed.
"Expecto Patronum," she said, allowing herself to feel more emotion in a few moments than she had in quite some time. The magic worked, though it was different from the other spells she'd seen. Instead of a brightly white and glowing animal, her spell manifested itself in a darkly glowing entity that oozed out of her Death magic and pooled onto the floor, slowly forming into a bird of prey that flexed its wings. The same happy feeling came from it as the other bright spell creations, though. Sylvanas attributed its difference to whatever corruption still resided in her from Arthas.
The tiger, wyvern, and falcon (eagle?) moved closer to each other. Harry and Sirius cast again and they were joined by the stag and the dog. All eyes in the room turned toward Jaina. The Archmage was inspecting the spell creations around her. Sylvanas noticed that Jaina's eyes were glowing a deeply arcane blue, deeper than her normal spell casting. She'd only seen that color in Jaina's eyes a few times, all of which were during some terrible battle where Jaina let her true powers out. The feeling she got from the Lord Admiral right now was not one of strife, however; it was one of awe.
Jaina closed those radiant eyes and whisper-shouted, "Expecto Patronum." Like thunder in their veins, Arcane rushed to do her bidding and surrounded them in a happy glow. It was a heady feeling—Jaina's power. When it wasn't used in opposition, it was humbling. When it was used in support, like now, it was uplifting.
Once the glow faded, a pulsing water elemental stood in its place. The other spell creations gravitated toward it. It was a good feeling. Rather than pulling at her magic, Sylvanas felt like there might actually be some resonance at play. Jaina's magic mixed with the other magic in the room, amplifying it and causing a feedback loop between all of them.
The moment passed and the magic faded.
"Wow!" Sirius exclaimed. "You all are some seriously badass women!"
"I think I should stay here tonight."
"Oh?" Sylvanas asked. She and Jaina were once again alone in her quarters. She had expected Jaina to teleport away already.
"Sylvanas, I need you to be straight with me," Jaina said, turning her blue human eyes toward her. Once again, Sylvanas was struck by the hard beauty of the Lord Admiral.
"I will not condescend with another 'Oh.' Speak plainly," Sylvanas said.
"Was that Revanoth?"
"Yes, I think so."
"How?"
Sylvanas hummed briefly, thinking. "It seems like Azeroth and Earth might be connected by more than that Death portal. Harry inadvertently called him into being with the name of that spell…"
"…Yes," Jaina agreed. "Which is why I'm staying here tonight. If Revanoth was able to come through one time, there is no guarantee he won't be able to again."
Sylvanas held up her hands. "Far be it from me to argue with you, Lord Admiral Proudmoore."
"Enough with the titles, Banshee Queen," Jaina said, scorn filling her voice. It had the desired effect, unwilling as Sylvanas was to admit it. She didn't like that tone coming from Jaina's voice.
"How will this work, Jaina?" she asked. She sat on her bed, mirroring her position from earlier in the day. "We're nothing more than acquaintances. You cannot pretend to actually do more than tolerate me."
Jaina sat down on the bed next to her, closer than before. Sylvanas could feel the human warmth and the Arcane magic wafting off of her. Her eyes were drawn to the Archmage's fingers as Jaina started to undo the various laces and ties that held her outer robe in place.
"I think," Jaina started, continuing to undo her robe, "that we are more alike than we want to admit."
"Arthas," Sylvanas said.
Jaina had undone enough to shrug out of the robe; it pooled on the bed under her, revealing tight trousers and a low-cut long-sleeved shirt that clung to her torso.
"Yes, and other things." She moved slightly and pulled the robe out from her under her, letting it drop on the floor.
"Such as?" Sylvanas asked, arching an eyebrow at Jaina. She didn't notice because she was in the process of unlacing her boots and had bent over. She got one off and started on the other before answering Sylvanas.
"Having the expectations of our peoples placed firmly on our shoulders," she said. She pulled the other boot off and sat up again. "Having to be the both marshal of our forces as well as the diplomat for our state." She paused for a moment there, grabbing her long sleeve shirt by the base and dragging it upward, revealing a small white tank top.
"And that we're women in a man's world," she finished, staring at Sylvanas with her ice chip eyes. Sylvanas did her best not to look at Jaina's chest in the tank top. It was short enough that some of her taut stomach was revealed too.
"I see," Sylvanas answered. "You've given this some thought."
Jaina leaned toward Sylvanas. Sylvanas fought the instinct to lean away. She also fought the instinct to lean forward and embrace whatever this was.
"Do I make you uncomfortable, Sylvanas?" Jaina asked.
"No."
"Good," Jaina said, and then leaned the rest of the way and pressed her warm red lips against Sylvanas's cold blue lips. Sylvanas did nothing for a moment, honestly a bit shocked but also analyzing the possible outcomes of this, before she gently kissed Jaina back. Jaina sighed against her lips after a moment and leaned back, opening her eyes and once again staring deeply into Sylvanas's. That is, until she laughed loudly, a noise Sylvanas couldn't say she had ever heard in such rich tones from Jaina.
"You should see yourself!" Jaina gasped, continuing to chuckle. "Rigid posture, wide eyes, heavy breathing, still in your armor."
"I can honestly say I was not expecting that," Sylvanas said.
Jaina stood. "I'm surprised," she said. Her hands went to the waistband of her trousers and began to push them down. Sylvanas's eyes followed their progress as they revealed a small undergarment that barely covered anything, toned thighs, and her lower legs and feet. Jaina stepped out of them and threw them to the side. She stood straight and looked at Sylvanas again.
Jaina was an incredibly beautiful and fit woman. Sylvanas had a natural and hard fitness that came from Undeath, but Jaina was merely human and nonetheless clearly took care of herself. Sylvanas couldn't help but lick her lips. Jaina smirked at her.
"How did this move from protecting me to seducing me so quickly?" Sylvanas wondered.
"Who said anything about seducing you?" Jaina asked, that damnable smirk still on her face.
"You are the one who undressed in my bedroom and kissed me while doing so," Sylvanas returned.
Jaina considered her for a moment and then plopped back down on the bed with a huff and a wry smile. Her tank top did very little to contain her body's motion.
"Oh, would you relax, Sylvanas?" Jaina asked. "Stop sitting there like a statue. Get ready for bed—slip into something more comfortable or nothing at all. It doesn't matter to me. If you think I haven't noticed you're attracted to me over the last few years, then you're being willfully blind. I hope you noticed that I'm also attracted to you," she finished, ending on an almost a shy note.
Sylvanas took the chance to rake her burning red eyes over Jaina's mostly revealed form.
"Definitely."
"Then what is the problem?"
Sylvanas considered for a moment. She didn't want to offend the mostly naked Archmage in her bedroom. "Revanoth is still a concern—"
"And we can face him together," Jaina interrupted.
After a short pause, rather than answer directly, Sylvanas stood and moved to her armor stand and began to unlace the various ties and buckles on her cuirass. She could feel Jaina's eyes on her back. It was shaping up to be a long night.