Part 4: The Betrayer
Several days later...
Maeiv, Alleria and the Watcher's had continued their trek across Outland. Though Maeiv's new-found energy for the chase was still burning strong, the rest of the women were completely exhausted. The blaring sun of Draenor was more intense than anything they had ever experiened on Azeroth, and they were in dire need of a break. No one dared to say a thing, until Alleria finally stopped in her tracks. Maeiv noticed the High Elf had come to a stand-still and turned round in anger.
"Why are you stopping?" she growled.
"Maeiv, we must rest," replied Alleria.
"No!" cried Maiev. "We must not falter! Do you want him to get away? Do you want me to show you the way back from Outland?"
"Maeiv, please..." began the Ranger, taking extra care not to further enfuriate this woman who was her only chance of salvation. "Your women are completely exhausted. As am I. We need a short break if we are to catch him."
Maeiv stayed silent, her icy stare sending chills down her spine.
"Very well," she snarled, eventually. "But just for a few minutes."
She turned to the right and pointed to a small encampment of dead trees.
"We can get shelter over there."
As the party sat down, Maeiv turned to Alleria.
"How did you get here?" she asked.
"What?" said Alleria.
"You've been saying that you have been trapped here for a long time, correct? So how did you come to arrive in the first place?"
Alleria suddenly fell silent, and closed her eyes.
"The Dark Portal," she began, quietly, opening her eyes once more and staring out upon the ho "The Dark Portal of the Blasted Lands. The gateway which once led to Draenor."
"Once?" said Maeiv, inquisitively.
"Yes. That way... was destroyed," replied Alleria. "By myself and the others."
"There were others with you?"
"Indeed. I went along with the Archmage Khadgar, and Turalyon, the Paladin. We were part of the Alliance Expedition to Outland. But we soon realised..."
She turned her head and faced the Warden.
"The only way to save Azeroth, was to seal the Portal. And so we closed it shut. And in doing so, became trapped within this place."
"And what happened to your companions?"
Alleria suddenly fell silent.
"They..."
But before Alleria could utter another word there was a defeaning screetch which made the women's eyes dart to the sky in alarm. Soaring high above them, it's wings swaying back and forth at a rate which seemed to slice the air, was a collossal bird. It was far larger than any flying animal that Maeiv had ever been witness to. It appeared to be a kind of eagle, but there was one thing which set it apart. The bird was on fire.
"What on earth is that?" cried Maeiv.
They continued to watch it in fascination. The flame wreathed bird continued to fly upon it's course, seemingly unaffected by the blaze which was engulfing it's form. When it had disappeared from the horizon, Alleria spoke again.
"Another one..." she whispered.
Maeiv narrowed her eyebrows.
"You have seen a bird like that before?"
"Yes. Once I saw a similar creature circling the skies, but I had thought that I was seeing things. It wouldn't have been the first time..."
"Perhaps..." began Maeiv. "Perhaps it is a sign. Yes! Yes!" she cried, becoming more and more excited. "This is what we have been waiting for!"
"What do you mean?" asked Alleria.
"Perhaps it is guiding us! Perhaps it is taking us to Illidan! Let us follow it!"
It had now been two days since Malfurion had collapsed into the Emerald Dream. His unconscious body had been taken to the Nighthaven Inn, where it was now positioned on one of the beds on the second floor. Several Druids had attempted to use their powers of nature to awaken the slumbering Night Elf, but to no avail. He was gone from the mortal realm, in an almost comatose state of unconsciousness.
At this moment, Remulous and Fandral Staghelm were watching over him.
"I do not understand this..." murmered Remulous with a sigh. "Why is he still asleep?"
"He must still have business within the Dream. It is highly unusual, but he may not yet be permitted to leave."
There was a soft sounds of footsteps from the stairs of the Inn, and from the stairwell emerged Tyrande Whisperwind, the Priestess of the Moon.
"Tyrande, you made it!"
Remulos bowed deply before the blue-haired Priestess of the Moon.
"Greetings."
"Greetings, Remulous. And you too, Fandral."
"I rode my Nightsaber to the Glade as fast as I could when I received the news."
"Hold on one second!" shouted Fandral, suddenly. "What is she doing here?" pointing his finger accusingly at the Priestess of the Moon.
"Remulos, you know as well as I do that only Druids and Keepers of the Grove are permitted within Moonglade. Tyrande, you must leave!"
"That rule does not apply in times of crisis like this, Fandral. Tyrande may stay."
"No," replied Fandral. "She cannot."
"I have visited the Moonglade many times, Fandral, and there has been no quell," said Tyrande in bemusement.
"Perhaps, but that was when Malfurion was in charge. As he is currently unable to perform his duties, I take the position of Archdruid in his absence. And I will not have you here."
"This is completely ridiculous!" cried Remulos. "You are seriously denying Tyrande Whisperwind entry into Moonglade?"
"Yes. I am."
There was a silence.
"Fandral, I will not hear of this," said Remulos simply. "You may be the acting Archdruid, but as the son of Cenarius I order you to let her stay."
Fandral Staghelm sighed.
"Very well. If it will cause such utter commotion then she may stay. But you have not heard the end of this."
And with that, the Druid turned around and walked out of the inn, leaving Tyrane and Remulos alone with the slumbering Malfurion.
"Furion..." whispered Tyrande, kneeling before the bed and holding Malfurion's hand in hers. "Why did this happen?" she asked.
"I believe that he has fallen into the Emerald Dream," replied Remulos. "Why, or how, I do not know. But just before he collapsed, Malfurion uttered something about how he could hear the horn of Cenarius..."
"Your father summoned him into the Dream? How peculiar. And there is nothing we can do to bring him back with us?"
The Keeper of the Grove shook his head.
"No. And besides, I do not think that Cenarius would bring him into the Emerald Dream like that unless it was of some urgence. We can simply wait until he returns to us."
"Very well. Then I shall wait by his side until he awakens."
She turned back to Malfurion.
"You have already left me alone for a thousand years. Please, do not do it again. Be safe, my love."
And as Malfurion's living form remained almost completely still, only the slightest movements of his breathing indicating that he was still alive, his spirit fought a losing battle to regain entry to Azeroth. But he could not. Something was stopping him. He was trapped within the Dream.
"It's... it's gone," stuttered Maeiv in disbelief, having lost sight of the flaming bird.
"Nothing," confirmed Alleria. She sighed. "Maeiv, this chase is fruitless. He is long gone."
"Silence!" screamed Maeiv, withdrawing a dagger from its sheathe in a flash and holding the blade towards the High Elf. "I will hear no more of this! You shan't give up so easily, or else--"
"Maeiv, I do not know who this 'Illidan' is, but he is not here! We will never find him. And I beg of you, please show me the way back to Azeroth!"
"No! You wish to see your people again? Then you will do as I say! Do not make me kill you as I did Nordra!"
Alleria slumped to her knees, overwhelmed with grief. Her only chance of escaping this place was gone. The person she was looking for would never be found. Maeiv would never show her the way. She would never go home. It was just too much for her. She covered her face in her gloved hands and began to sob.
"Tears?"
"Please..." she moaned. "Just..."
Maiev opened her mouth seemingly to speak. Instead, she spat on the cowering Alleria.
"You
truly are pathetic," said Maeiv, without pity.
And then, a voice. It was the voice which she destested above all things. It was the voice that had haunted her for the past thousand years. It was the voice of Illidan Stormrage.
"Maeiv, how can you deceive this poor girl so?"
Maeiv turned around. Illidan's naked torso bore the patterns of his corruption from the Skull of Gul'dan, and two great hulking horns pertruded from his forehead. A pair of black wings flailed from his back, as if to bar the path of anyone that would dare to run from this menevolent being. His arms were muscular, the veins throbbing against his dark purple skin, and his hands were composed of a set of deadly claws. He was no longer a Night Elf. He was something else. Now... he was more akin to a demon.
"ILLIDAN!" screamed Maeiv.
"Correct."
"You were a fool for coming here alone, Illidan," relishing in the moment where she was soon to receive her final revenge. "Whatever happened to your precious Blood Elves and Naga?"
"Oh, they have more important matters to attend to than a silly little Night Elf who just didn't know when the game was over," smirked Illidan. "I don't exactly think you are reason to call for reinforcements, Maeiv. I could kill you with a wave of my hand if I wanted to. But they are not far away. In fact, it was one of my Blood Elf generals who alerted me as to your presence."
"What are you talking about, you bastard?" demanded the Warden.
Illidan sighed in mock frustration.
"The Phoenix," he stated, plainly. "You saw it, didn't you? Or are you even more stupid than I'm giving you credit for?"
"SILENCE!" she cried, one thousand years worth of hatred burning inside of her. "Save your breath. You will be need to save it for your last one."
She turned to the rest of the Watchers.
"ATTACK, MY SISTERS!"
Her troops leapt into action, firing their longbows towards Illidan in a state of frenzy, but each arrow was blocked by a single wave of Illidan's hand. Maeiv screamed in frustration and withdrew her knives from her sheathe, running towards the Demon Hunter in beseredly. She leapt into the air and span around, throwing the blades towards him at an alarming rate. But Illidan leapt into the air, avoiding the knifes easily, and began to eminate a thick black smoke. His wings began to beat, and his mouth began to form a dark grin. And then suddenly, a green beam of energy suddenly released itself from his form, hurtling towards the women as they stood on the ground. Alleria and Maeiv saw it coming and leapt out of the way just in time, but as it exploded, Maeiv's squad of archers were left scattered, devoid of all life. They were dead.
Illidan flew back down to the ground again. Alleria looked up to him from where she had landed on the ground.
"You are Illidan Stormrage," she began, "the one whom she has been hunting for?"
"What are you doing?" whailed Maeiv in fury.
Illidan turned towards the Ranger.
"Oh, Alleria my dear. I am sorry. I had forgotten you were here."
"How do you know my name?"
"The one who summoned the Phoenix knows of you. Kael'thas Sunstrider. You have you heard the name?"
"Kael'thas... Kael, yes, I remember him. I would very much like to know what Kael is doing serving you, but never mind that. What was it you said before? You say I am being deceived?"
"Indeed. I am afraid to say that Maeiv has been lying to you to fulfill your own selfish needs."
"I... do not understand."
Illidan smirked.
"There is no doorway back to Azeroth anymore, my dear," he stated, bluntly. "The Dark Portal is sealed, as I'm sure you are aware."
"Of course I am! It was myself and my comrades who shut it, for goodness sake! But if the Portal is still shut..." she began, turning towards the Warden who lay on the ground panting for breath, "how did you get here, Maeiv?"
"Be quiet, pink skin," said Maeiv, spitting on the ground. "Now that I have found Illidan my use for you has expired."
The Warden was sent flying in the air. A single wave of Illidan's hand had sent her soaring several feet upwards. She landed hard on the rocky outcrop, smashing her head open.
"You are a fool, Maeiv. Your obsession has gradually eaten away your judgement, and your sanity. You really think that your little knives can stop me?"
He pointed to Alleria.
"You say this High Elf who has sacrificed her freedom in exchange for protecting the world is pathetic? No. No. You are the pathetic one, little Warden."
Alleria stepped forward, and with no warning, kicked Maeiv squarely in the chest. She drew her bow and readied the string, pointing the arrow towards the Warden's heart.
"Deceive
me, will you, Night Elf?" she said, quietly.
"You could not kill me, Alleria," hissed Maeiv, licking the blood which now dripping down her face. "You are a High Elf. Your frail people couldn't even defend their own city."
"What?" said Alleria, confused. "You speak of Silvermoon?"
"Oh my. Of course. You... don't know," she replied, cackling widly.
Within an instant Alleria's fingers had reached for the bowstring once again.
"YOU HAD BETTER START TALKING SENSE OR I SWEAR I SHALL KILL YOU WHERE YOU STAND! HOW DID YOU GET HERE?"
"Stop it, Alleria," snapped Illidan, pushing her aside. "Maeiv followed me to Draenor through a portal that I summoned. But that way is closed now. I am afraid that Maeiv hid the truth from you so that you would join her on her little crusade."
Illidan beant down and picked up Maeiv by the collar, raising her into the air with such ease, as if she were nothing but a rag doll.
"You will kill me now, Illidan?" asked Maeiv in amusement.
"As much pleasure as the act would give me, no, Maeiv. I shall not. I will not allow you to die. Killing you would do nothing but free you from the torment you face in every second of my freedom."
"Go to Hell."
Illidan threw her, slamming her down onto the hard surface of the ground, knocking her out cold.
"Then what shall you do?" asked Alleria. "You cannot be suggesting that you are going to let her go?"
Illidan shook his head.
"No, Alleria. She shall not. But she will not die either. This locust who has been hounding me for millennia does not deserve an ending as comfortable and dignified as death. I will befall upon her the same fate which she did to me for one thousand years."
"And what fate is that?" asked the High Elf.
Illidan Stormrage grinned.
"I shall cage her."
And so the tables are well and truly turned! It was quite satisfying to foil Maeiv's plan (and in such a deliciously ironic way too). I swear, she is the single most annoying character of Warcraft 3 (except maybe Arthas, but we won't be seeing much of him for a while). Anyway, things are starting to get slightly more interesting now (at least I think they are). The next chapter will either be Sylvanas Windrunner or Jaina Proudmoore centred. Maybe both, if having those two threads going in the same chapter doesn't break up the pace too much (and yes, I do use brackets too much in these). Sorry that this chapter took a while to come online, I was busy with exams and some such, but this chapter is a lot longer than the others to make up for it!
Review Feedback
Anonymous: Thank you very much.
Gigawolf1: Haha, yes. I did hear that according to Blizzard, Maeiv did indeed simply die alone in Outland in her hunt for Illidan, but since we aren't told so in any of the games, and that is such a damn boring ending to give her story, I'm keeping her very much alive. ;-)
Flecher: Well, as you can see, Maeiv has not been turned into jerky. But I don't think what Illidan has in store for her is much of an alternative!
As always, Reviews means much love from moi.
