SOVEREIGN by J CAE

A/N: HAVING VOWED TO AVENGE HER COMPUTER THAT HAD BEEN VIOLATED BY HACKERS, J CAE IS BACK WITH A VENGEANCE!!!!!!!

Kael: Ignore the BIG meaningless heading. She doesn't know a damn thing about computers to save her life.

Syl: Nor that of her computer.

Kael: It's the second time in 6 months your system has been infected, J.

J Cae: By Arthas's socks, curse me not!! The computer that was screwed 6 months ago was my mom's!!

Kael: *gasp* That's worse than a curse. Mom did get mad, didn't she?

J Cae: Why'd you think she didn't?

Syl: There's no shame in getting an anti-virus program, or you'll never be able to finish writing up this story.

Kael: Actually, Syl, do you really want her to continue writing her messed-up fanfics.

Syl: No thanks. I wonder how she does it, pairing me up with you!! Can she think of something more absurd?

Kael: Excuse me??

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: THANKLESS

Caught between the lost worlds and suspended in cold void, the black warden shrieked and covered her eyes with her hands. The reflection in her mind's mirror no longer resembled anything elven, but an appalling and monstrous being of many eternities.

She wept, and wept on end until tear streaks turned into bloodied tracks on her pallid face. Every time her venom tears fell, they would sear her flesh and cause inhuman pain. She wanted to stop crying. She wanted to stop the pain. But she could not. In her hollow eggshell white eyes, there reflected was only horror and anguish beyond what any living being could comprehend.

Slowly, she slid a bladed finger to touch her burning scars. It was a futile gesture she was used to doing to try and ease her pain. But it did nothing. It never did anything.

She would never know peace until she finished her hunt.

*~*~*~*

"What makes you think Illidan would not turn against us after you've restored life in him?"

The Dark Lady pulled her midnight-blue hood over her strawberry blonde hair, picked up her bow and arrows from a corner of her room and attempted to pass Kael who stood in the doorway to block her path.

"Sylvanas?"

There was a frown on his face, a baffled expression of concern and uncertainty he always seemed to wear for the past few weeks. He just could not picture what kind of game she had enrolled herself into, nor the risks she was about to undertake--so she assumed. And if he did understand, he was refusing to admit it. Every word that came out from his mouth was to discourage her from venturing into territories where he would find it hard to catch up with her.

"In a way," she explained briefly, gently pushing him out of the way. "Illidan has already upheld the end of his bargain, and did more."

"What did he tell you?" he asked, refusing to drop the subject.

"Nothing that you want to know," a dark shadow crept across her face, but she restrained herself from saying more. Those shadowed matters discussed were best left a secret between Illidan and herself. "I have to go out and collect the ingredients for the spell."

He looked as though he was prepared to reason with her, "But you are not strong enough. Vashj..." he paused when the name slipped from his mouth. The wound would not heal, and the pain was still evident. "Vashj once spoke to the Naga Elders about bringing an undead back to life. It would take a very powerful sorcerer to be able to do that."

Her angry blue eyes flared, "I am powerful enough."

The mask of composure he tried to keep on began to crumble, replaced by hurt, "I worry for you."

"I know," she sighed. She had the sudden urge to slide her arms around him and hold him close to her chest.

But she did not.

She did not love him--how could she love anyone or anything when she could not even love herself? Perhaps she surrendered to his charms in gratitude of his forgiveness and acceptance. Perhaps it was only from lust. She despised herself for her own soft-heartedness and vulnerability when it came to him--but she hated herself even more to even think of using him.

He said he loved her, and she was sure it was true. He had no reason to lie to her. Kael was more naïve than calculated, and passion ruled him instead of gains. Even if he had been thinking in terms of advantages, she could not be of too much use to him as a ranger general--there were still many talents in his shattered kingdom and he could have found a replacement for her if need be.

But she failed to see what he loved about her. His affection bewildered her.

Did she want him with her? Did she want to be left alone? She had been alone for so long already. Why would it matter?

But she took him by the hand, "Come with me."

*~*~*~*

He followed her into the forest to help her find two kinds of flowers she needed for the spell.

Rain passed through the misty woodlands a while ago, and the air was chilly. The forest floor was left swampy, but she navigated through it quickly, moving down the damp slippery slopes as though she was walking on flat land.

"Sylvanas..."

She paused and waited for him who moved slowly and carefully towards her. He grimaced as he stepped into a puddle and saw his boots come out coated with marshy loam, but he bit his lip and carried on.

For a moment, she envisioned him crossing a vast plane into a different world.

She was a natural ranger who knew the forest intimately, but he was one who never wanted to stay for long. She could spend her entire life in the wilderness, while he would have much difficulty finding his way out of the woods. Perhaps he was truly making his steps into a different world, into her world. He wanted to join her, but there was so much he needed to learn about her first.

She did not realize her silence or the distant look on her face until he asked, "Was it something I said that upsets you so?"

"No," she drew her attention back to reality.

"Then, why..."

She interrupted him, "I just have a lot on my mind."

"Why won't you tell me what Illidan told you then?" he demanded. "You were so quiet after you returned from..."

She put her fingers on his lips.

And suddenly, they were down on the forest floor, arms around each other, all his queries abandoned, and her self-contempt forgotten. Her lips cupped against his, tasting him with urgent passion. His hands slipped inside her garments, touching her everywhere, eager to make her his.

It was all too confusing.

Somehow, she knew there was something she needed to be wary of, but she wanted to forget everything and stay forever in his strong embrace. Nothing should go wrong now, nothing...

Yet danger lingered still.

She forced herself to pull away from him and they stared breathlessly at each other. Then, she broke away from his gaze and muttered softly to herself as she scampered to her feet, "This can't go on."

She started to straighten her clothes when she gasped and moved herself protectively in front of Kael.

Ner'zhul chuckled, "My bad timing, I reckon." His boots made no sound as he appeared. His armour did not jingle. He had probably been standing there for a while without their knowing and seen everything.

"There is never such thing as a good time to see you," she snapped, flushing deeply in embarrassment. She realized he had probably foreseen this long ago, long before she even knew she and Kael would come to this. "What do you want?"

"I come to give you something--an ingredient you might need to use if you were to bring Illidan back to life."

She hissed in frustration, "Is there something that you do not know?"

"That," he smiled and shook his head, "I truly do not." He handed her a small blue pouch. "Here. Take this."

"What is it?" she stared at it doubtfully. It could be anything--a bad of deadly disease, poison, or flesh-eating bugs. If it was a trap she was not ready to put herself in it.

"Take it. I am more interested in killing you on the actual battlefield than here in the wilderness where no one would see, save your king."

True, she thought to herself, and took the pouch. Inside, there was a strand of dark blue hair. Without even having to ask, she knew it was Illidan's hair, collected before he was changed into undead, "How did you get this?"

"Remember who killed Illidan?"

"Right."

"It is not a necessary ingredient," Ner'zhul went on to say. "But this would restore his memories--even the very distant and trivial ones. Then, you will know where his weakness lies." He gazed meaningfully at Kael who glowered back at him. "Use it...if you dare."

"Thank you for giving me this," there was no gratitude in her tone. She thought she finally realized what he had done to her. He had to weaken her, to make her vulnerable, so that he could threaten her with her memories, her guilt and the people she cared for.

"And if you have no further questions, I shall take leave," the lich king prepared to turn.

"How is Elma?" Sylvanas asked him. "Have you started training her yet?"

Ner'zhul concealed a smile (A/N: so are we trying to keep a straight face), "Yes. We have begun training. Thank you for asking."

*~*~*~*

Life.

Sweet magic of life.

The sheer will to live could drive any man to extremities he never imagined himself going before. In order to safeguard that mystical force within his body, he would give up everything. As for those who lost it, they would, too, do anything to taste it again.

Illidan smiled a mocking smile and shook his head. He never thought he would have struck that deal with Sylvanas Windrunner.

Life? What did it mean to him but trouble, pain and disillusionment? He had lived his life through, distrusted, angry with everything, and in constant hunger for power. He had not seen the light of day for so many millenniums--the curse he brought upon himself in honour to the Code of the Demon Hunter. Then, he had been locked up in a bleak dungeon for ten thousand years, endlessly praying to any merciful deity above to strike him dead. But none answered. The closest thing they had ever bestowed upon him was Tyrande Whisperwind who came to spring him from his cell.

He thought he would be free to live out his life from then on out, but he was not. He had merely stolen time which was never meant to be his, a debt for which he must payback dearly. He lost his life under Frostmourne's blade and crumbled into nothing but a heap of bloodied flesh and bones. Then, he was given back all he had before--his sight, his power and even respect from his servitors. Except life itself. He feared neither pain nor his own non-existence. He longed for the sweet release of eternal rest to come relieve him of his anguish. He longed to live again so that he could die.

That was how ironic it was.

He raised a hand, and the satyr and naga warriors halted behind him immediately. Though along with his unlife he also regained his sight, he was still so much more accustomed to using his other senses. He could hear the low moan of an undead dragon, echoing through the rain-kissed rocky cliffs two days' west from Quel'dara. He could smell its grief in the air. But he felt no pity for the majestic creature.

Soulless, heartless, and without memories, Sapphiron would linger on in dreadful agony. He would never remember who took his life and threw him into such miserable torment. The only think he knew was that Ner'zhul saved him from nothingness and gave him a chance to get back at whoever that took his life--provided that he would one day remember it was the same person who killed him and saved him.

The undead night elf would have sympathized with him for his foolishness, but days of anguish were about to end for the frost wyrm.

Illidan closed his eyes and tried to think of nothing for a few seconds. He would need to concentrate in order to cast his spell. He could not afford any mistakes.

Then, when he felt confident enough, he raised both hands in the air and chanted arcane words. His voice, deep and booming, reverberated through the dark lonely dwelling of the undead dragon.

Sapphiron came rushing towards the scene at once to confront the intruder, opening his mouth to breathe oblivion onto the former demon hunter.

But the chanting voice suddenly seemed so intriguing to him. It captivated his every senses and he paused to regard Illidan with interest instead.

"Great blue dragon," Illidan lifted his head to converse with the frost wyrm. "Remember the Dark Lady? Remember Sylvanas Windrunner?"

Sylvanas Windrunner, the traitor who turned away from the lich king, the great dragon replied merely by thinking the words. Illidan could hear his voice inside his head.

"It is she," Illidan nodded. "She had spoken to you before, on the ice planes of the Northrend, a year ago."

I do not speak to traitors.

"But you did speak to her," Illidan reminded the great wyrm. "She and a Blood Mage were attempting to cross the Frozen Sea with their troops to hunt down the Lich, Kel'thuzad. You and the other frost wyrms arrived to drive them away when the ice plane beneath their feet broke apart and they fell into the water."

This I remember.

"Before Sylvanas sank into the ice sea, she said this to you," knowing that he successfully struck a cord, the demon hunter pressed on. "She told you that you both once had your free wills, yet Ner'zhul had taken your lives and forced you to become his slaves."

Ner'zhul? Sapphiron protested at once. It is impossible. Your petty mind tricks would not work on me, night elf. My soul is dedicated to the lich king, my saviour.

"I see that Ner'zhul has poisoned you deeply," Illidan shook his head, feigning sorrow as he half-turned away. "You are beyond remediation."

How dare you, you arrogant elf. I am an ancient dragon who...

"Ash Karath!" Illidan shouted words of command, and the naga shot sticky webs at the wings of the frost wyrm suddenly, forcing him to the ground. The satyrs then surrounded the skeletal dragon and stabbed their swords into his tortured body, attempting to disintegrate him with their weapons. Sapphiron could no longer feel pain, but he knew those irritating blades would do him no good.

Sapphiron cried out to the lich king he served for help, but received no answers. Ner'zhul had already foretold that his servitors would leave him one by one. His prediction came true with Anub'arak. The Crypt Lord fought heroically in honour to the lich king, and he was granted eternal rest.

The frost wrym was convinced that this was the moment when he would have to leave his master as well, one way or the other.

"Ner'zhul did not answer you, did he?" Illidan taunted, while his warriors never stilled their blades. "You are of no more use to him. He is not your saviour. You are merely a pawn on his chessboard. Nothing more."

You babbling nonsense will have no effect upon me, Sapphiron hissed angrily under his breath, unable to move. He could have breathed his freezing air on the satyrs, but his plan was shattered when another web was thrown over his snout.

"Ner'zhul killed you and raised you from your death," Illidan repeated. "The same way he had killed Sylvanas and used her. She knew it, and she had broken away from his control. Now she is free."

She is still a traitor.

"She belongs to no one in the first place," the demon hunter reminded him with some bitterness in his tone. "You were once free as well. You were once the guardian of the Northrend Mountains."

And the frost wyrm was silent.

Free...it had been so long since he remembered that word. To be free...

Yet when had he lost freedom? He could not remember. Who took his freedom? Who chained him there between life and death, in constant torture and pain? Who was it? Who?

Then, it became so clear to him.

Perhaps that damned demon hunter was right. It was Ner'zhul.

Sapphiron struggled to raise a bloodied and broken wing. The webs still stuck to the membranes and he tried, irritably, to free himself. Illidan raised a hand, and the satyrs stayed their blades.

"I am offering to make a deal with you," the undead night elf said. "Come with us, and you would avenge yourself. If not, you could remain eternally enthralled to Ner'zhul for all we care."

*~*~*~*

The black warden gripped the frame of the portal with a bladed claw.

She pushed her hands through to the world on the other side first, and then her head. Although she longed for freedom on the other plane, she must be patient. Every move she made was carried out in agonizing slowness, for the wild energies racing around her would crush her into oblivion if she was not careful.

Her dark green hair fell all over her face, dripping with an unholy mixture of sweat and the gunk of death. Her eggshell white eyes fell on the foreign world she once knew, but she felt as though she was discovering her home for the first time, reliving that joy, that peace, and also that tormenting nostalgia. But not for long. The vision shifted before her eyes, and the paradise vanished, replaced by a planet cold and uninhabited.

Her accursed eyes would stare forever forward into the distant future. She would always only see things in the form of what they would become at the end of days. She did so with dispassion--the only way she could keep her insanity intact was to remove herself from the world.

With some effort, she managed to drag her tortured existence forth and entered the otherworld--now a golem of horror on the loose, a soulless being who vowed to defeat her enemy.

She knew who it was who transformed her with dark and evil powers. She knew who it was that she must kill. But before that, she would complete the task she pledged to achieve.

With a spell, she slammed the portal shut and collapsed upon the blighted ground, drained of energy. But she was safe now from those who sought to hunt her. She slept until she had rested enough, and then quickly moved through the great deserts to track down the one she sought.

The time she had, she reminded herself sternly, was borrowed. She knew she should have chosen to die instead of living like this, in this monstrous shell. But she had not. As much as she hated to admit it, she did not have enough courage to take her own life--and yet no one gave the slightest hint of pity.

The first sign of life she came across after travelling for three days was a Naga--the servitor of the one whom she must hunt down.

For ten thousand years the Naga hated, but those ten thousand years did not make the poor creature wise. It was nothing compared to her eternal violation. Nothing compared to the suffering she had endured and survived. She had regained freedom and true wisdom.

The hapless creature did not happen to notice her presence. Inch by inch, she crept closer, taking one small step at a time until she was just a breath away, until she could hear its heartbeat...no more.

She missed the smooth touch of her round blade, yet she would never miss it again. It had become a part of her, embedded in her flesh--a new arm. She would use it to end the vile serpent¡¦s existence...

She did not just kill the snakeman. She made sure he felt pain as she slowly but firmly pressed the poisoned blade into his heart. She made sure he felt his own heart puncture and the poison seeping into his body before letting him very slowly die away. The despicable brute deserved far worse than what she was giving him.

And as she let the lank form collapse, she laughed out mockingly to the winds, "Hear me! I am the hand of endless pain."

Treading over the lifeless corpse, she disappeared in the edgeless desert...

*~*~*~*

The spell components had all been collected. Sylvanas laid the ingredients on the teak desk before her and performed enchantments of cleansing. A spell book was opened beside the bundle of materials, and she had studied it already for so many times and consulted with her spell casters for the correct pronunciation of each arcane word. She was no sorceress, but the demonic power coursing through her veins could now aid her in channelling a spell.

Yet in her heart, she knew her limits. She had never done massive spell such as this, and she was uncertain about the outcome. She knew she could be placing her own life in danger, as well as Illidan's--well, forget about Illidan. He chose to undertake the risk for himself. If her spell killed him, it would not even make her grieve.

She was afraid, but she was not about to admit defeat to anyone by backing out now. Damn Ner'zhul.

No matter how hard she tried to escape him, he was still there in her life, watching her, controlling her, mocking...

"Give me three hours to finish the spell," she instructed Kael earlier. "Do not disturb me, no matter what happens. I cannot afford any distractions."

He agreed to seal off the east wing of his castle while she carried out her enchantment. However, he was still doubtful about the spell itself, "The ingredient that Ner'zhul gave you--don't use it. I fear it might be a trick of some sort."

She sighed, "I can't not use it. He is watching. I won't give him a chance to scorn me again."

"Damn him and forget about him," he argued. "Your safety should always come before pride."

"No," she snapped with an abrupt outburst of anger. "You don't understand anything!" She dragged herself away from him and headed straight into the chamber where she was to cast the spell. Her heart wept for the both of them. He could not visualize how powerful she had become. He could not see how significant this was to her.

Oh, how she wished she could just forget this revenge business and lounge forever in his love. How she wished she could live in this new home he built her and stay forever by his side. But she could not. It would be the death of her, if not her soul--her soul was in seeing Ner'zhul dead by her hands.

She thrust her head up as she heard the cries of frost wyrms and hurried to the window. Illidan was back. Standing on top of a dragon turtle, he glided across the freshwater lagoon in the heart of Quel'dara, his silvery undead hair flying in the wind. And he had brought with him Sapphiron's legion of terror.

Thirty pairs of black and blue wings filled the sky, blocking out the clouds. Dragon blood rained down on the city of Quel'dara, tainting the rows of white building with blotches of sludgy ink blue--Sapphiron's blood.

She smiled to herself, glad that there was something to take her mind off her argument with Kael. Very well. Illidan earns what he deserves.

She rubbed the strand of blue hair Ner'zhul gave her between her fingers and cast it into the pot of boiling herbal water. A puff of pungent steam rose from the concoction. She was ready for the spell.

*~*~*~*

Kael waited anxiously.

The east wing of the castle was closed off to even himself, as he promised Sylvanas. No one knew what she was up to, or if she was even all right. Illidan--that bastard could have done anything to her by then, and no one would know.

But he had to trust her judgement.

He heard arcane language being chanted by both Sylvanas and Illidan. They were both casting spells in a tensed and cautious way. It suddenly occurred to Kael that the enchantment was far too complex for Sylvanas--an amateur in magical skills, to channel alone.

He tried not to pay attention to the chanting and concentrate on his paperwork, but it was just impossible. There seemed to be far too much stress in the air. He kept on losing track of which line he was reading, and decided to give up altogether at the end of the second hour when the castle became so eerily quiet.

He dropped the file, and the loose sheets spread all over his floor. He bent under the reading desk to retrieve them. They were no longer in order.

He was tempted to go and check on Sylvanas.

She seemed so uptight for the last few days. Maybe what Illidan said to her was to blame. Maybe it was her obsession to remove Ner'zhul--he could never quite understand the thing about the lich king mocking her. At times, she became so upset about it she was hardly herself. He feared for her. He felt she was pushing herself too far, but she would never listen to him.

But remembering her words of warning, he dared not disturb her. As a spell caster himself, he knew the dangers if a spell went awry. He sat squirming in his uncomfortable chair and waited for another slow hour to ooze by.

He was not going to delay for another minute.

Once the time limit was up, he brought a few trusted sorcerers to the enchanted room in the east wing. The door was locked, and when no one answered, he forced it open with a spell. The black velvet curtains had all been drawn and the chamber seemed to be shrouded in unnatural darkness. He could not see clearly even by the light of a torch. But he could hear rapid breathing--it belonged to Illidan, he supposed.

The spell succeeded.

But how come the room was so silent?

He brought the torch to the makeshift altar where Illidan laid, gasping hard.

"Illidan?"

The undead crust was gone, replaced by healthy purple-tinged skin. Long mane of midnight blue fell in tendrils over his face, matted with perspiration. The silvery eyes searched for the source of sound, but they, however, did not react even when the torch was brought close.

"Kael?" the night elf mouthed, recognizing the voice at once. "Light a torch. It is so dark here."

"I have a light," Kael sighed softly. "You are blind again."

And the night elf chuckled to himself, a smile spreading across his pale lips in relief, "I am myself again." He clenched his fists together, as though testing them out, "These feel like mine." He wriggled each finger, stretched his arms, and tried to rise to a sitting position when a terrible emptiness seized his breast. His hunger for magic burnt deep again. He clutched at his chest with his hands and sighed, "This feels like mine too."

This was life. This was his life.

"Where's Sylvanas?" Kael would be more interested to share with the demon hunter his joy of rediscovering life another time--but he looked around and saw no signs of the Dark Lady.

An icy, damp hand touched his arm. He turned to catch her as she collapsed.

One of the sorceresses managed to stumble her way across to the window and withdrew the curtains. Evening light fell upon the face of Sylvanas--it was covered in blood!

"Sylvanas!" Kael cried in dismay, handing the torch to a servant closest to him and held her tight in his arms. "You are hurt! What happened?" If it was Illidan who did this to her, he would kill that bastard before he drew his next breath...

"I overestimated...my strength," she admitted and smiled faintly. "But the spell succeeded. Ner'zhul...he...won't dare laugh..." and she went completely lank in his embrace.

Ner'zhul would not dare laugh? Look at her now, battered and unconscious from her effort. Where was the glory? It saddened Kael to see her so totally consumed in her contest with the lich king that she could disregard everything to achieve victory--she would even gamble with her own life! Perhaps Ner'zhul had every reason to fear her power and determination. But he had ever reason to ridicule her intelligence.

Kael knew he should have stopped her from casting that spell. He did not care how. But it was too late now...

He carried her to her bedroom and carefully cleaned the blood on her face with a wet towel. He made her as comfortable as could be.

Then, he laid beside her as she slept.

Physically so close together they were, but he felt the distance between them pull apart, and there was nothing to bridge the gap.

What did she see when she looked upon his face? What was she thinking when she gave herself to him? What was she dreaming about now? He'd like to think he was the one for her.

He knew he loved her more than she did him--if she would even love him at all. He did not mind making sacrifices as long as he could be with her. Call him a naïve fool. Say that a king could not afford to be a fool. King of Quel'dara. King of the Blood Elves. Damn that all!

He never asked to be king. It was just not in his place as his lord father's second youngest child to vie for the throne. His elder siblings stood fairer chances. He did not want to be responsible for an entire kingdom. He just wanted to go somewhere with this woman he loved.

He reached out to push back a strand of her hair that fell on her worn out face, only to withdraw his hand abruptly. He was suddenly horrified by the thought that he just could not reach her heart anymore.

*~*~*~*

J A/N: I MISSED YOU GUYS TERRIBLY!!! SO GLAD TO BE BACK!!! HOPE you're glad I'm back too...wah?! Nobody's glad?! Fine...

You've suffered through so many chapters already. Don't give up on me please?! You have to want to know who Syl would pick--Kael or Ner'zhul??? Love or vengeance??? And is another of our old friend back? Will Illidan be in mortal danger??? And if you want the next chapter, condemn all hackers and keep them away from me please. Thank you.

OH AND BY THE WAY, if you've asked me to r/r your story, and if I haven't already done so, please remind me again, and I'll do that as long as my computer doesn't give in. I remember I owe Eternity & ShadowedLight (hey you guys killed my favourite character and expect me to give you a good review??! Just kidding. I'll be as objective as humanly possible) and Jeremy (really good story ^_^) their reviews so far.

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Thank you, reviewers, for your support and patience. It's been so long since I could get on the net, and I might have forgotten what we were talking about already. Forgive me please ^_^.

Rowan Seven: I don't mind ^_^. I skimmed over your new story in the school library. Had a hard time trying not to laugh out loud. The girl sitting next to me acting all serious with those glasses of her, she kept on looking at me in a funny way whenever I cracked up.

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Touchpreacher: *runs around in circles* Bubbles bubbles bubbles!!! O_o...too much Finding Nemo can do that to the mind ^_^. Please don't kill me for not updating...please?!

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WingchumonZero: Thanks for reading all the same.

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DemonGod86: We'll see about that mysterious girl. As for the mental image, it was stolen from Rowan Seven. Go read Rowan's work. It's funny.

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Warp's Pilot: Thanks for telling me that. But now I'm kinda more confused than ever. O_o

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Ira Poon: Yeah, kinda updated two chapters cuz I thought it would be the last day last year I'd have the internet. Which turned out to be true...grrrrr. Syl's guilt...that doesn't necessarily lead to the right path sometimes, nor the wrong one either. When you know you're starting to trip, it's so hard to go back the other way. You might feel like falling all the way...my feeling anyway. (NOT a prediction of Syl's fate though...)

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ErifEhtRebme: I feel so honoured. I love Syl x Kael ^_^. Love em together so much. I'm a bit doubtful about Jaina x Thrall now. Well, as for another Syl x Kael fic, I don't wanna give it away too soon, but there will be two more fics with them in it. To Honour would definitely NOT a Syl x Kael, as it is a Jaina x Kael. As for the other one, who knows?! I'd be sad too when RG ends, but there will always be a new story I need to write down ^_^.

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San: Thanks. Kael says he's glad you like him. He personally would love to go live with you, but unfortunately, he can't cuz he's chained up in my room and allowed to enjoy the privilege of reading as I write about him for as long as I decide to. Mwahahaha...(*turns head to a grumbling Kael* Uh, what??? How could you compare your fate to Illidan's??? Maiev? She doesn't love him like I do you!! What do you mean she does??? Holy jeez!! She's been reading him her M x I fanfics for 10,000 years in the dungeon??? That's like torture!! Poor Illie!! Need a hug, Illie?)

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inaam07: I feel so much better already!! I'd love to see your other fanfics up on ff.net.

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Kam Islash: Thank you. Yup, they both survived, but for how long they are gonna stay that way is the question. Unfortunately, there will be no orcs in this story. I don't want to make things anymore complicated than they already are here. I do have another Orc story titled Listen, and I believe you've read it, so thanks for your support. ^_^

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M.T STYLES: Thanks for reading. I sure hope that Blizzard would hire me to make a campaign story for them. But they won't O_o. Or maybe it's just that I've never asked?!

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Ice Dragon XXI: Oh, don't worry. After my computer caught the virus, I haven't been able to reinstall War3 either. But when you get a new PC, you really should try it. Thanks for reviewing anyway ^_^.