Author's notes:
Hey, I'd love to present the short story in the WoW universe. I'd like to consider it as my gift to all of you - readers - for Christmas.
Please note that the story is set in the same AU as the other parts of the series. 'Sometimes it's just better not to know' is the story that will explain most threads in the future :)
I hope you'll end up liking it.
Merry Christmas :)
Changelog:
2020-12-24 - a preview posted
2020-12-30 - a whole chapter posted.
"Tyrande Whisperwind married again!" it was the header of Elune-knows which one newspaper. The high priestess of Elune decision to pursue another relationship and make it official lead to utter chaos. Dozens of people working for all know newspapers were coming in hot, seeking the chance to talk with the Tyrande personally. Of course, the timing of the leader of Night Elves could not have been worse. The corpses of Malfurion Stormrage – widely known as Tyrande's husband and lifetime partner - were buried not so long ago, and yet, to everyone's surprise, the marriage was announced. To say that it was a shock for Night Elves would be an understatement. Amongst the elves, there were still many followers of the very first druid known to their race. Even though the archdruid made sever and costly decisions throughout his lifespan, they were forgotten and forgiven for many. Truth be told if the new partner of Tyrande was not Illidan, the chaos would not extend beyond the elves' realms. However, the infamous for such a long time Malfurion's brother was certainly a hot topic for everyone. For many people all around Azeroth, it was not a secret that both of Stormrages' brothers shared love toward the hight priestess. It was said that Illidan committed numerous scandalous acts to prove his worth in the woman's eyes but to no avail. After his imprisonment that took place more than ten thousand years ago, high priestess Whisperwind tightened her relationship with Malfurion, marrying him. Only a few fools back then would have thought that Illidan and Tyrande would share the same fate somewhere in the future.
With a loud sigh, Illidan threw away the newspaper. He was tired, up to now, he has already read at least 10 or so articles covering the same topic. To be more specific, they covered his and Tyrande's marriage. The demon hunter was not surprised by that. After all, for a considerable part of his life, he was considered a betrayer. The truth came out relatively recently, but for many, it was still too little to forgive him for his deeds. The previous master of Outland could not be angry about that. It was so easy for people not involved in his grand plan to be fooled by the committed actions. Still, even though he knew that all too well, it was exhausting for him. But, for Tyrande and their family, he needed to endure everything that would be thrown at him. And to him, it was a sacrifice worth committing.
Thankfully, the Winter Veil was at the full swing. In the matter of mere few hours, he would sit beside the Christmas table with his family. That thought alone filled his mind with pleasure and happiness. Still, he had much to do before that. Some presents were yet to be purchased, the tree needed to be brought to the manor and decorated. And above all of these, the supper needed to be prepared.
The Stormrage sighed once more. He has already wasted too much time to delve about everything that was a nuisance to him. It was high time for him to get moving. Without a moment of hesitation, the demon hunter stood up, stretching out the muscles. Even though he usually did not feel the cold, he opted to put a long dark-grey coat on top of the black elegant long-sleeved shirt. It would be an utter shock for anyone whom Illidan came past to see him just in a shirt. The man chuckled to himself. It was so strange for him to care about others' opinions. Still, he just adjusted his outlook because of that minor detail.
The tall man continued to giggle silently while leaving the manor. With just a mere snap of his fingers, he teleported to the Feathermoon Stronghold. His people still mourned over the loss of Teldrasil, there was no point in denying it. What Windrunner did was unacceptable, and she would soon pay for her crimes. However, the faith of Night Elves is not so easily broken. Over time, the vast city was constructed beside the stronghold. It was meant to be used as a temporary capital, a beacon of hope. With the help of the mightiest of mages that could be fielded, the enormous bridge was created. The construction was connecting the stronghold with the island that was previously lost during the cataclysm events.
Illidan looked around. He must admit that deep inside, he was proud of what his people accomplished. Even though so many of them have perished during the War of Thorns, they still keep pushing forward. They endured, adapted, and overcame everything that was thrown at them. He would love to linger there a little longer, but the time was of the essence. With a low groan, he headed to the market area of the city.
The lights in some part of the capital were blinding him. There were many decorations already at their righteous places, with hundreds yet to be dealt with. The demon hunter smiled a little. It was so long since the last time he could be so careless. It was so refreshing, so new to him. Still, he enjoyed every single second of it.
It could be considered a very gift from their Goddess – Elune – that he managed to regain his old form. He kept most of his musculature, heigh, yet the hoves, the horns were gone. The blindfold could be easily discarded because his golden orbs were back. It was so amusing to him that so many people did not know how he originally looked. By during his little stroll toward the market, a couple of beautiful elves were caught staring right at him. Without an ounce of hesitation, he replied with a smirk, every single time. He knew that he was attractive for women, there was no point in denying it.
Finally, after what felt like hours of marching, he reached the wast area entirely covered with stores and stalls or every possible kind. The difficult part was yet to begin. He needed to come up with ideas for the presents. And, oh… it would be a challenge. The very first thought that appeared inside his mind was jewellery. Luckily for him, it was not so difficult to spot the jewellery store.
A relatively small but thick tree was converted into a shop. To the decently-sized door of the store, the small label was pinned. In the middle of it, the word – most likely – in the common language of the Alliance was imprinted. Without wasting a moment more, Illidan came in. As it was to be expected, the interior was filled mostly with windowed shelves where the jewels could be found. At the back of the room, the small counter was located. A little silver bell was put on the very top of the furniture. Within a moment or so, the tall man covered the distance between him and the item. His used to magic eyes sensed a small fluctuation nearly instantly. The demon hunter smirked, the bell was slightly enchanted. If someone were to look closely, that person could spot the delicate lines engraved on top of the silver's fragile surface. The mage of old focused his will on the item, making it vibrating.
"Welcome, welcome!" the feminine voice could be heard a moment or so later. "How can I be of service today, handsome?" the woman asked as soon as she appeared from the door behind the counter.
Illidan looked at her with his eyes narrowed. The most likely owner of the store was relatively young short night elf of deep-purple hair. The markings – oh so common amongst their race – were shaped into leaves and covered most of her face. Her bright silver eyes seemed to be illuminating more than usual, the eyes of elves should.
"You've used some magic to boost the glow of your eyes, hmm?" the demon hunter asked, looking straight into the owner's eyes.
"Hmmm… it's a secret you know," she chuckled. "It wouldn't be anymore if I told you. So, please, forgive me, handsome, but I can't tell you," she added with a little giggle.
"Pff," Illidan scoffed. "Then, please, forgive me for what I must do," he added, snapping his finger nonchalantly.
Even before the snapping sound managed to fill the room, the glow of the silver was dimmed, reduced to the normality. The owner of the shop slightly opened her mouth, shocked.
"So…," she began, scratching her nape. "You're a mage, I assume."
"Oh, I'm more than a mare mage, about that I can assure you," the raven-haired man replied, flashing one of the smirks of his. "However, entertaining you isn't the reason I came here."
"I'd assume so," the woman replied with a small smile. "Let me repeat, how can I be of service, today?"
"I'm looking for two gifts," Illidan began in a low, rich tone. "These presents are meant for women that I hold dear. I think it's understandable to explain that situation that way."
"Should I ask in details, or you don't want to provide any additional details?" the purple-haired woman asked, cupping her chin.
"I think that it won't be needed," the raven-haired man replied with a shrug. "I'd like to emphasis the subtle difference between them. I'd describe one of them as the avatar of the Moon, strong, independent, wise. While, the other would be more like the Sun, warm, loving, caring," he provided additional intel.
"Oh, that's sounds beautiful out of your lips," the owner allowed herself to chuckle. "You must love both of them. Based on the tone and the passion you've used to describe them, I can tell that you love each out of the different reasons."
"Quite an accurate analytics, but I don't need it from you," Illidan replied in a slightly colder tone. "I'd like to know what would you suggest me to get for them. Then I'll compare it to my own initial ideas before I make a decision," he informed the woman.
"But, of course," the purple-haired woman said, lowering her head. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have delved into the topic. How much of a budget do I have for the use?" she asked.
"The cost is a mare detail to me," the demon hunter scoffed.
"As you wish, Sir," the elf female replied, thinking about what to offer the client.
During that process, the woman was slowly wandering around her shop. She was walking from one showcase to the another, shaking or nodding with her head from time to time. Illidan allowed her to solve the presented issue alone while trying to find something that he would like himself. The only problem was that throughout the entirety of his lifespan, he prefered practicality over appearance. In the case of the women that these presents were meant for, both aspects needed to be considered. He smiled, it was not going to be an easy task to find something for them.
Illidan seemed to lose a sense of time. He could swear that one moment he was looking over the showcases in search of some sort of a trinket, but in the very next, he felt that one of his sleeves was pulled gently. The demon hunter turned around to face the owner, who was most likely the one who touched his coat.
"I think… I found something that you might end up liking," the purple-haired woman said.
"Hmm, show me then," the man hummed.
"I'd like to offer you two trinkets. First of them is made of true silver and presents an owl. The second one is made of gold and shows a phoenix," the owner said while reaching out for the said jewellery.
"Hmmm," Illidan hummed loudly, cupping his jaw while inspecting presented items. "Are they enchantable?" he asked in a low tone.
"But, of course," the silver-haired woman replied. "All of my products are compatible with most of the common knows enchantments," she added with a pride heard in her voice.
"Fantastic," Illidan uttered calmly. "I'll take both of them, and… before I forget, please add the diamond ring in the shape of dragon's head to the order," he added.
"It'll be…"
"No need in saying what the price is," the demon hunter said, interrupting the woman. "It should be way more than enough," he added, sliding the heavy bag filled with gold coins toward the owner. "And that… consider as a gift from me for the Winter Veil finale," the man began to chuckle, giving a diamond ring to the shocked woman.
Without uttering a single word more, he turned around and exited the store just a moment later. The mage of old left the purple-haired night elf female utterly shocked. With just a quick glance over the bag's content, the woman could say that the golden-eyed man paid more than a double for the items. Not only that, but the most expensive jewellery purchased was returned to her as the gift. The woman was left completely shocked and speechless.
"Damn, Elune, forgive me, but I want him for myself only," she whispered under her breath before closing her eyes to memorise the face of the stranger.
The raven-haired man sighed for Elune-knows which time. Even though he managed to deal with one of the bullet points on his today's to-do list relatively quickly, he still had much to do. With a flick of his finger, the sheet of paper appeared right before his eyes. On the surface of the document, Illidan's to-do was written down. A couple of prolonged moments were sparred for him to read the list once again. Some of the points have already been crossed out, but sadly, they were only a small percentage of the entire plan.
"No one has told you that having family will be easy, Illidan," the ex-master of Outland reminded himself. "Still, for a single smile playing on their lips, it's the game worth playing," he added deep inside his mind.
A nonchalant hand gesture was all it was required for the parchment to disappear. There was still so much to do, so much presents to buy, but so little time left. With one more deep sigh, the man moved on. With millions of thoughts running through his mind, he seemed to be acting more like a robot than a man.
After what felt like ages, the presents were dealt with. The exhausted master of Illidari teleported back to the manor he got used to calling his home. A small pleasant smile appeared on his handsome face as soon as the massive hedge was spotted. The hedge covered the manor from all the sides. In that living wall, there was only one gap. In that exact place, the gate was located. The former master of Outland paid little to none attention to everything he came back. His goal, for now, was the main building of the manor.
Maybe a couple or so moments past before the tall man entered the construction and spotted the packed presents waiting where he anticipated. With his lips forming a slim line that could be considered as a parody of the smile, he cupped his jaw, thinking.
"Where can I get the perfect tree for today?" Illidan hummed inside his mind. "I could teleport to Winterspring and get one there, but I need to start preparing the supper, or it won't be ready on time," he continued with his thoughts-train. "However…," the man visibly jumped when the solution came up inside his mind.
Without wasting any more time, the mage focused, gathering the magical power all around him. The shadows began to appear, climbing his limbs a moment later. Over time, the shadows started taking a shape that resembled the master of Illidari. When the process was finally completed, besides the demon hunter, his clone was standing. The man allowed the corner of his lips to curve slightly upright. It was so long since the last time he was forced to use that power. Within a few seconds, the necessary instruction pieces were transferred to the clone, allowing it to fulfil its creator's will.
As soon as Illidan's mimic disappeared, the man smiled broadly.
"It's going to help," the raven-haired man admitted inside his mind.
A moment or so past before the master of Illidari turned around, stripped out of his coat. The next point on his list was the food, so he headed toward the kitchen. The two top buttons were undone, the sleeves were pulled up. He would most likely spend quite some time there, so the personal comfort would be wordlessly welcomed during the cooking. With yet another sigh, the raven-haired man disappeared at the end of the corridor.
Who would have thought that Illidan had a heart all that time? Who would have thought that all that was needed for him to be an ally, not enemy was a bit of love, interest?
Soon enough, the sweet smell of the cookies started to spread out from the kitchen, slowly filling the manor with the aroma of the holidays.
