Chapter 40 - Sacrifice

Five days.

That's how much time passed since the death of Grommash Hellscream. That was how long it took for Dalrus to be able to stand up on his own without moaning in pain again. His arms were still sore and sensitive, but at least now he could dress, feed and clean himself. His brother had given him yet another scolding before leaving with a cleanup crew towards Ashenvale forest to wipe out the remaining demons.

That was also how much time had passed since he last heard from his brother.

Word about the attacks on the outposts in Ashenvale travelled fast. Dalrus felt like he had been punched in the stomach when he heard the news that the Undead had been sighted building up bases in Felwood. He had been told Duke Lionheart was dead, and his company of humans and orcs had been annihilated.

"What the bloody hell are we waiting for!?" A very impatient Dalrus had said. "We need to go and help them, pronto!"

"It's not that simple." Lyafra had told him. "The undead presence changes everything. Reinforcements are being sent to fortify our presence in Ashenvale and Felwood, but we don't know what we will find there. And while you were in bed for five days, we did our jobs and gathered intel. We have discovered that the undead and the Legion are doing… Something to the forests. The trees are turning into undead monstrosities and the wildlife is being driven mad. We can't just waltz in there."

"But… But my brother is out there!" Dalrus practically shouted. "We gotta go look for him!"

To that, the elf captain simply launched him a curious glance, then said: "If you had any idea how many times your brother said the exact same thing to me while YOU were missing, maybe you wouldn't have gone off on your own so many times." She then shifted her focus back to the table filled with maps and documents before her. "We can't spare troops to go look for a single soldier in that damned place. The best we could do is keep an eye out for any survivors while performing our scouting missions. Not to mention, there's the matter of those weird horns we heard sounding throughout the entire forest. Either way, we need to build more bases and advance while pushing back the undead forces."

"Now, captain…" Thano spoke out as he approached them from the tent's entrance. "I'm sure he's just itching for action after being still for so long for five days. Maybe giving him something to do will help settle his restlessness. And I could use some company for my scouting mission tonight…"

The captain shifted her gaze from the elf to the human boy, then went back on focusing the maps. "Very well. I want you to investigate what's causing this vile corruption spreading through the forests."

Dalrus could have sighed in relief, but before he could say anything, he felt Thano's hand on his shoulder. The elven scout spoke once more: "Anything you'd like to say to us before we set out, captain?"

"Yes." Lyafra stood up straight, and pushed her parchments together before shoving them under her arm. She then turned to face Dalrus. "I shouldn't need to remind you of this, but I will in case you are seriously stupid enough to forget, child. This is your last chance. You step out of line one more time, disobey orders once more, walk out on your own yet again… And I promise no amount of begging from any of our leaders will prevent you from facing the consequences of insubordination. Understood?"

The boy clenched his fists, and looked away from her. "Yeah… I understand." He whispered, barely loud enough for her to hear him.

"Well, it doesn't really matter to me either way." She said with a shrug. "I never expected anything out of you in the first place."

Dalrus wanted to grab the nearest object and throw it at her head, but Thano's grip on his shoulder tightened, and he pulled the boy away. "Well, captain, I'm sure you have a dozen important things to tend to! We shall take our leave!" He declared, practically dragging Dalrus away.

The two rogues walked out of their tent, into the usual chaos of motion that was the human base. Thano continued to guide Dalrus through the sea of people running in all directions until they were just below one of the watchtowers at the edge of the camp. "Now, young Dalrus, I can understand your frustration…" Thano began to speak.

"THAT… BUGGERING MINGER-FACED, PILLOCK-BRAINED, CHAVY-NOSED BLOODY SLAG!" He cried out, kicking the ground so hard he dug out a chunk of the earth. "Who the bloody hells helped deal with those filthy bird brains? Who came to help when those giant hunks of armor were about to smash everyone in those bloody caves? Who does she think helped bring the horde on our side? Who helped capture Grom and save the orcs from the demons? And she still treats me like this! Like I'm a bloody dead weight! Like none of what I did was right!"

Thano sighed and rubbed his head. "Well, yes, like I was saying, I can very well understand your frustration… But I do believe the two of us have far more important matters to focus on, yes? Who knows, young Dalrus." The elf squatted besides the human boy and placed a hand upon Dalrus' shoulder. "Could be we might find a lead to your brother's whereabouts as we scout, hmm?"

This actually made Dalrus stop his grumbling, followed by a deep sigh as he forced himself to calm down. "Better than just sitting around doing nothing, I suppose. Fine, we might as well get bloody going…"

And so, many hours later, Dalrus, alongside Thano, was making his way through the darkened trees of Felwood to gather intel, and maybe find out what happened to his brother. It wasn't a pretty sight.

Along their way, the two rogues witnessed some very dire things. The once lush and verdant trees were now withered, their leaves turning purple and dripping what Dalrus assumed had to be venom instead of sap.

The floor beneath their feet was dry and cracked, and the grass was dead. Dalrus could swear he saw little clouds of green smoke puff out every now and then. What few animals they saw had turned into ferocious, rabid beasts, who attacked them on sight. Worst of all, however, were the satyrs.

Dalrus remembered them from when Mannoroth corrupted the fountain with his blood. The satyrs truly resembled Night Elves in every sense, except they sported massive goat-like horns on their heads, and thick hooves for feet, much like their demonic masters. Dalrus also saw the colossal living trees that the night elves cared for - ancients, they were called. Except now they too looked withered and corrupted, their lifeless eyes staring blankly as they were put to work by the satyrs.

"This is a nightmare." Dalrus had whispered to Thano as they spied on a satyr base. "You're an elf, right? What do you know about those satyr guys?"

He saw Thano furrow his brows, then take a step back and sigh. "Not much, I'm afraid. Keep in mind, I'm rather young by my race's standards, so all I've learned was through the teachings of my elders. I do recall tales that long ago, a few of those favored by Queen Azshara were chosen to be corrupted by the Legion and transformed into those… Abominations. Traitors to our kind who embraced the demonic corruption."

'Who the bloody hell is Azshara?' Dalrus thought. "So, they are just demonic elves? What's next, fel murlocs?" He said, taking another view at the huge corrupted ancients.

"That's what we are here to find out." Thano replied. "I believe some more information is required… But if we continue to move together, we run the risk of being caught. I want you to check out that area to the south while I take a closer look to our north."

Dalrus lifted a brow at him. "Are you crazy? The further north we go, the worse this corruption gets."

To that, the elf simply winked at him. "That's why you're not coming with me, young Plaguefang. Head back south, the forests are much clearer there. Oh, and… If I'm not back by sunrise…" The elf then cracked his fingers and pulled his cloak over his head. "Go back to Captain Lyafra and inform her that it was worse than we thought. And please, be a good boy, and do as you're told this time, alright? I'd hate it if the reason we never go on a mission together was because you didn't follow orders… Again." And with that, Dalrus watched as Thano vanished through the woods, moving around the edges of the satyr camp as he headed northward.

Dalrus sighed. He wanted to go off on his own, to cut some satyr throats, and try to find out his brother's whereabouts… But he knew he couldn't. He knew he shouldn't. He was on too thin ice to be threading carelessly like that… And he didn't even know where to start searching.

And so, with a heavy heart, Dalrus did as he was told. Leaving the satyr camp behind, Dalrus began moving south, using the moons and stars above as guidance.

He didn't make it too far, however. Less than an hour before starting his journey, Dalrus saw someone, sitting on the edge of a hill overlooking the uncorrupted portion of the forest. The dark skin and pointy ears made what he was indistinguishable.

It was the first male Night Elf he had ever seen. The man had a bare upper half, and two very strange weapons were strapped to his back. They looked like disks with a pair of huge emerald blades sticking from the sides. The elf's hair was tied to a very long ponytail behind his head, and currently, his back was turned to Dalrus. Cautiously, Dalrus activated his stealth, covering himself in a thin veil of void energy to make himself scarce before approaching the unsuspecting elf…

Or so he thought. The moment Dalrus walked out of the woods and began climbing the hill, the elf turned around to look at him. Or at least, that's what it looked like at first glance, but Dalrus noticed the night elf had a thick black strap of cloth wrapped around his eyes. "Who goes there?" He asked, standing up straight and reaching back for his weapons. "Who dares sneak up on me?"

Dalrus froze. He thought about turning about and running… But, no, that could be a bad idea. If this elf could see… Or sense him? It might be best not to attempt any trickery. Taking in a deep breath, Dalrus turned off his stealth and raised his hands to show he was unarmed. "Woah, sorry! Didn't mean to frighten you! No need for weapons here!"

The elf snickered. "Frighten me? Foolish human… Nothing from this world could possibly frighten me." Dalrus could see him narrow his eyes behind the black cloth that covered them. "Now, this is curious… To think after ten thousand years of incarceration, I'd come across not one, but two humans in the same night. And yet, I doubt you are with the other one. Who are you? Why are you here?"

Dalrus had to think fast. The elf still had his hands on his weapons, and appeared ready to pounce him. "My name is Dalrus! And I'm an enemy of the demons and the undead!" Was all he could think of saying to try and deescalate the situation.

And, to his surprise, it worked. The elf leaned his head to the side, curious, and lowered his arms. "Is that so? Curious indeed…" He said, slowly walking forward. "I still remember that day, ten thousand years ago, when that human mage appeared out of nowhere to aid us in the battle against the Legion. His power proved invaluable to putting a stop to our enemies. Are you here to do the same, I wonder?"

His heart racing in his chest, Dalrus nodded vehemently. "Yep, that's right! Me, and everyone in the Human Alliance, we all hate the demons! We want them gone! You want the same, right? You want to save the forests, and stuff?"

The elf scoffed. "Save the forests… Once, I did… And yet…" The elf's expression turned sour. "Despite all my efforts… Despite all I did for my people… They turned their backs on me. Branded me a traitor, and trapped me deep underground… For ten… Thousand… Years…"

'Well, we got that in common, at least.' Dalrus thought. 'Well, sort of.' Cautiously, he walked forward. "So, uhm… Sorry. What's your name, friend?"

The elf stared at him. Or at least his face was turned to Dalrus. He watched the human boy warily, as if gauging him up. "My name… Is Illidan Stormrage." He finally said.

'Wow, was Chad Thunderrooster already taken?' Dalrus thought. "OK, ah… Illidan. I'm sorry about what happened. Trust me… I know what it's like when you go off on your own to try and help people, and they don't appreciate your methods. Some people are a real sticker for their rules and traditions."

A very curious expression ran through Illdan's face. Suddenly, the elf leapt high into the air, and graciously landed in front of Dalrus, his hand outstretched and mere inches from the surprised rogue's face, as if sensing something through his palm. "Yes… You… I see now…" He whispered.

Dalrus flinched, but didn't move further. "Uhmmm…"

"Indeed." Illidan continued. "It's true… You do understand, don't you? You know what it's like… To sacrifice yourself for the greater good. I can sense it… This power within you… The power of darkness."

Dalrus' eyes went wide. "Wait, what? You can sense it? How?"

Illidan snickered. "I'm blind, not deaf. The voices… I hear them too. You have been using the power of the Void, haven't you? But not like those filthy satyrs and demons do… You are not submitting to it. No… Much like myself, you are taking this dark, forbidden power, and turning it against them."

Dalrus blinked, trying to process what this brooding elf was telling him. "Yes… That's true. But what… What do you know about this power?" The young rogue asked, mesmerized.

Illidan pulled his hand away, and began slowly walking around the boy, examining him from all angles. "Long ago, during the first time the Legion entered our world… I was there. I fought in the War of the Ancients, alongside my brother… But his power, it was not enough. My brother believed that through the power of nature, and our unexpected allies from a distant land, we would prevail against the Legion. But I knew better… I knew that the only way to undo the demons was to use their own power against them."

Illidan stopped. Dalrus saw him place a hand upon his own chest, and the boy noticed that the tall elf was covered in long, twisted emerald green tattoos that resembled the energy Dalrus had seen coming from the demons. That's when he understood. "Wait… You took demonic essence into you? That's insane! You could have been killed, or worse!"

He saw the elf's thin lips curl into a bitter smirk. "The same could be said about you. Power is power, child. It is not good, nor evil. Those with a strong enough will can wield it for the right purposes. And had I not made the decisions that I made, we would have perished. It was thanks to my efforts that we were able to collapse the portal upon Sargeras, and restore our beloved Nightwell."

Upon hearing that, Dalrus finally understood who he was talking with. This man was seriously over ten millennia old, he was there fighting demons the first time they appeared. He had made choices and sacrifices to wield terrible powers in order to protect his people, his own brother. With a shock, Dalrus realized… Truly, him and this man were quite similar in more than a few aspects.

He wasn't very happy with that notion.

"And yet… Despite all you did… Your people caged you? But why? Why would they do that? If you saved everyone, didn't they understand that it was better this way?" Dalrus asked.

Illidan's expression grew darker. He turned his gaze to the moons above, as if reminiscing. "They saw my actions as… Going too far. They said I was wrong to use this power, that I was wrong to create a new source of magic for our people… They didn't understand!" He punched his own palm, frustrated. "But now… Now I have an opportunity to redeem myself… I can save these forests, and put an end to this corruption… If I do that… Then…"

His voice trailed off. Dalrus slowly approached him. "Then… We can fight them back?" He suggested. "We can push the demons off, and defeat them? If we all fight together?"

But the night elf was shaking his head. "No… It won't be enough. This… This will be nothing but a temporary victory." Illidan's gaze shifted towards the north, where Thano had gone earlier. "Even if I destroy the skull of Gul'dan, and save this forest, there will still be Archimonde to deal with… And beyond him, Sargeras himself… All that we accomplish here, it is nothing but a truce… Just like our previous victory. Unless we can destroy the source of the Legion's power, then it will all be for naught. They will inevitably return… Each time, stronger than before…"

Dalrus' heart was racing in his chest. "But… Then… What can we do? How do we stop them, once and for all?"

"That… I do not yet know." Illidan admitted. "But there must be something… There must be a way… And if I continue on this path…" His fingers curled into fists. "Then I will never find out how. The demons are cunning… They know they can never be truly destroyed. When a demon is slain, their essence returns to the twisting nether… And thanks to some sort of… Power source they possess… They will eventually reform in physical form. This I know, thanks to my attunement to the demonic energies. It was confirmed during my time among their forces during the War of the Ancients…"

Dalrus scratched his head. "Well, can't this demonic power within you give us a hint? Can't you, like, open a portal to where their leaders are, and take them out?"

But the elf was already shaking his head. "The powers I possess are great… But they are a mere shadow of the real thing. Despite the demonic energies that flow through my body, I am still… Incomplete."

Dalrus sighed. "So, short of blowing up this power source of theirs, I don't know what to do. But we can't very well go chasing it without dealing with the more immediate threat, now can we?"

The elf rubbed his chin pensively. "Indeed… Before looking towards the future, we must deal with the present." He then shifted his blind gaze towards Dalrus. "What would you do, then, young one? You who understand of sacrifice, you who have before paid the price for power, in order to achieve your goals. Tell me, what would you do?"

The young rogue placed his hands on his pockets, then he too raised his face to watch the moon above. "Well, the right answer to that question would be… I'd destroy whatever is messing up this forest, join with my allies and face our true enemy together." He said. His gaze then shifted to Illidan's covered eyes. "But if I'm to be honest with you… I'd probably do something stupid and reckless, like diving too deep into this dark power to try and destroy the demons on my own, before anyone else is endangered by them. This entire time, I've been on a steady ride down the dark path, mate. Each day that passes, I can feel the voices getting louder in my head. Won't be long before I can't hear my own thoughts anymore."

Illidan contemplated him. "Indeed… Though you may lose everything… The gains would outweigh the losses…" He raised his hand, and stared at his own palm, despite having earlier said he was blind. "Though you may lose yourself… Though you may be hated, and branded as a traitor to your own kin… One must be ready to take the step that others will not… To walk the path others fear… To take your destiny in your own hands, and do what you must to accomplish your goals…" His fingers curled into a fist yet again, and Dalrus saw the elf's face harden with determination. "You're right, young one. All that time I spent in darkness did not make my resolve falter. I will go to any lengths, and sacrifice everything in order to make my ambitions come true… I will destroy the Legion, no matter the cost. Even if I am ousted by my own people… My own brother… And… The one I love…" That last bit was almost too low for Dalrus to hear… But there was no mistake about what Illidan said. The elf turned around. "I now have no doubts about what I must do. As for you…" Illidan looked back at the young rogue over his shoulder. "You should leave, little human. The battle that I must face tonight… You are not prepared for it. But I have a feeling that our paths shall cross again. I feel that our destinies are intertwined… Destinies of sacrifice, and darkness. Perhaps one day, we shall fight together against the true enemy. But for now… You should go back to your people. I have much to do."

And with that, Dalrus watched as the night elf walked away. The boy wanted to go with him. He wanted to tell him to stop, tell him to turn around, tell him to follow a different path… But he knew it'd be no use. He didn't know what exactly Illidan would do, but he knew that whatever pits the demon hunter would dive into, it would not be that darker a fate than the one that awaited Dalrus.

'Poor, foolish, deluded Illidan… He thinks himself a master of darkness. But none can master the power of the void.'

These days, the voices were as clear as if someone was whispering them directly into Dalrus' ear. He could almost imagine a floating head just outside his field of vision talking to him.

'He thinks he can resist the call. He thinks his will can endure. He thinks his mind is stronger than us… But there is no such thing. Least of all, you. You have nothing left. Your brother is gone, the land beneath your feet dies, and soon your allies will die as well. There is no hope. There is only darkness.'

Dalrus sighed. "So you say. But even if that were true, I'd still rather die on my feet than just lowering my head like cattle to the slaughter."

'It matters not. You could end your own pathetic existence right now, or wait until your enemies do it for you. Either way, in the end, you are ours. You cannot escape your fate. None can. Not even that deluded Night Elf.'

"Well, he's been doing a fine job avoiding the darkness for TEEEEN THOUSAND YEARS" He said, dramatically emphasizing the last bit. "Who's to say I can't do the same?"

'Foolish child. Before our eyes, a millennium is but a blink of an eye. We are eternal, and we are patient. We will wait, for as long as we need. The prey must avoid its predator every moment of every day. But the beast need only catch you once… And it is all over.'

Dalrus sighed, and turned around, in order to continue his journey south as Thano had told him to. "Funny thing about hope, mate. It's the last thing that goes out, even when everything else is gone. Sure, the night is scary, and darkness is everywhere…" Dalrus looked over his shoulder one last time as he walked out. He could barely make out Illidan's figure vanishing through the trees, presumably heading towards his base, to do Light-knew-what. "But, you know… All it takes is a tiny light from the weakest candle, and that's already enough to keep it all at bay."

'All light eventually dies out. Nothing is eternal.'

And this time, Dalrus actually smiled. "And that applies to you too, buddy."

And this time, there was no reply.