The Betrayer Returns

From a hill, Illidan watched his new creations attacking the night elves and draenei. Of course he couldn't truly watch them, but by the magical emanations everything gave off he could tell that the naga fel stalkers and doomguard acted like the normal demons of the burning legion. Through her meddling the creatures were loyal only to Azshara...and Illidan. A fact he hoped Azshara didn't know.

"Queen Azshara," Illidan grumbled. "She is almost as bad as Tyrande."

He frowned. "But I love Tyrande, don't I?" He shook his head in an attempt to get rid of the unending whispers. They had plagued him ever since he fought against Arthas. Or was it before? In the back of his head he remembered the first time the whispers had assailed him, long ago during the first invasion of the Burning Legion.

He ignored the whispers and set his eyes on the battle below him. The few draenei mages that had been with the night elves were already dry husks. The fel stalkers had made good work of them.

He laughed and stretched out his wings, swiping at the air with his glaives. The naga had made him weapons very much like the Blades of Azzinoth. They didn't perform quite as well as he had hoped, but they worked all the same.

Naga screams brought his mind back to the battle. Lightning flashed and more screams followed. It seemed that a powerful draenei shaman was causing havoc to the naga forces.

Illidan jumped of the hill and glided to the battle.

When he alighted in the glade a few night elves and draenei screamed in fear. With a snort Illidan shot demonic green flames into their forces.

The defender fled to the edge of the glade, but a few were caught by the flames and burnt to a crisp. Their dying screams left a sense terror in the air.

A laugh escaped his throat; the whispers only ceased when he was killing. With a nother swipe of his blades he summoned more demonic fire. The naga rushed in to make use of his attack. Illidan motioned for the them to stand down, and their leader, Lady Mera Silverfang, repeated the signal.

The dark blue-skinned draenei shaman he had sensed earlier stepped forward with his arms raised. The robes he wore flapped crazily in the twister that surrounded him. Lightning burst from the shaman's hands.

Illidan laughed at his defiance. As a demon and a night elf he towered over the brave draenei. He let the lightning hit him and the runes all over his body flared. In response, he summoned dark tendrils of energy.

The draenei dodged them, but they struck the defenders behind him. Those hit by the tendrils screamed as their very life force was stolen from them.

Again Illidan's runes flared.

"Fools!" he exclaimed. "It would all be much easier if you gave in to the great Queen Azshara!"

The shaman shook his head. "The Alliance will has survived against such threats before, and this will be no different." He shot another lightning bolt at Illidan, but Illidan dodged it. After the spell the shaman started to tire..

"Let me show you a spell I taught the blood elves," Illidan said. "It is quite useful." A light green glow appeared around the shaman. He tried to get rid of it with the wind and a flare of fire, but no matter what he tried it stayed.

A few of the defenders had regained their confidence and began to attack the naga. A night elf priestess fired an arrow at Illidan; he shrugged it off and concentrated on the shaman. The naga protected him from further attacks.

The draenei shaman screamed as the green glow flashed brilliantly. Illidan felt magical energy draining into him as the draenei's body fell to the ground, a dry husk. As powerful as the draenei had been, none could stand against the Lord of Outland!

The night elves and draenei tried to attack him, but Illidan just shrugged them off. "Kill them all! Leave none standing! The will of Azshara must be done!"

Rising from the clearing with a powerful flap of his wings, he then flew back to Nazjatar. Lady Mera was a capable enough naga to lead the rest, even if she was bothersome at times.

Queen Azshara rested in the center of her massive throne room. It didn't truly contain a throne, but if Azshara had legs it would have. She wandered the memories that had once been her life. Since her earliest childhood Azshara had been special. Her amber eyes marked her as someone who would win great renown; as the sole heir of a powerful night elf king, she was already destined to rule. At age twelve she began to show a natural talent with magic. As she blossomed into a beautiful woman Azshara became revered. When she was fifty years of age she ascended to the throne, and the next one-hundred years had been some of the best in her life.

Until he had made himself known, Sargeras. Once Azshara had thought herself in love with him, but after the fall of glorious Zin-Azshari she realized she had been tricked. With the aid of her new masters she vowed vengeance. Of course Sargeras had been defeated and buried under the sea. And now Azshara was using his legion for herself. She laughed; he was surely turning in his grave.

Azshara.

A voice cut through Azshara's thoughts. It was one of her new masters, one of the Old Gods. "What is it now?" Azshara asked irritably.

Oh, great and beautiful Azshara. The voice was slow and quiet. You have been doing well.

Azshara smiled at the compliment. "Illidan is at the center of my plans," she said. "He has been very useful."

Ahh, the Betrayer. Do not trust him, Azshara. Do not trust anyone, but us.

"Of course," she said, "no one."

The conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Enter!" Azshara said.

The door opened to reveal a six-armed naga female. "My queen, Illidan has returned from the surface world."

"Delightful," Azshara purred. "Tell him to I am ready to greet him."

"As you wish, my queen," the naga said, as she slithered out of the door.

Illidan most likely brought news from the battlefront. Azshara hoped, for his sake, it would be good news.

Illidan stood outside of Azshara's palace. The bothersome naga had not let him enter until they had told Queen Azshara of his coming. He should have just entered. What did he care about the naga and their hierarchy? Of course it would be good for him to be on his best behavior around Azshara.

"You may enter, master Illidan," the sea witch who had attended to him before spoke to him from in front of the open door.

"Lead on," Illidan said with a smile. The naga nodded and began to move towards the throne room, Illidan following readily.

The naga opened the doors to the Azshara's chamber, and her spells once again assailed him. Even with his "eyes," Azshara's spells of attraction and beauty still affected him. The sea witch left as soon as Illidan was inside.

"My sweet Illidan," Azshara crooned, "the mighty harbinger of my wrath."

Illidan ignored her. "Your legion does well my queen. The doomguards truly surprised the defenders of all three outposts."

"We need more!" Azshara said. "Doomguards and fel stalkers cannot defeat both the Alliance and the Horde."

"What do you suggest?"

"Eredar," she said, "and strong ones."

"The eredar are too powerful," Illidan said frowning, "especially their leader, Kil'jaeden."

"Have your experiences with Kil'jaeden have frightened you, Illy," Azshara laughed. "Without Archimonde or Sargeras I could defeat him single-handedly!"

"If you truly believe you can, my queen," Illidan said carefully.

"Do you doubt me Illidan?"

Illidan knew he was on dangerous ground. "Of course not my queen. How could I believe that anyone could defeat you?"

Azshara waved one of her hands, "I will disregard that, comment, but behold my new creation!" From behind Azshara a naga appeared. It looked normal, at least the serpentine tail, but where the tail met torso it became an eredar.

"So you have already done it," Illidan grumbled. If Kil'jaeden found out where his eredar were disappearing to, Azshara would have a difficult fight on her hands.

"Kil'jaeden is distracted," Azshara explained. "All his attention is on the Sunwell, and the Old Gods hide my well from him."

Illidan wasn't so sure, but Azshara was always sure of herself. "So now we have warlocks in your legion, my queen."

"At this instant the last of the Highborne that worked with the first portal are organizing battalions of naga to invade," she said, "and you will lead my army Illidan."

"What of the eredar in your legion?" Illidan asked.

"The eredar will work on the portal," Azshara said pointing to the eredar "and Agarzu here will lead them."

"As you command my queen," Agarzu said. "The will of Queen Azshara be done!"

"You are dismissed," Azshara said with a wave of her hand. Agarzu left in a hurry.

"Great Queen Azshara, we need more allies. What of the blood elves?" Illidan told her. "They served me well in Outland."

"Yes, that will do nicely," Azshara said thoughtfully. "I will recruit them for our cause."

Illidan nodded and bowed. "Now I must see to our preparations."

Once Illidan had left Azshara was lost in thought. If the descendants of the Highborne were joined then the defenders of Azeroth would fall under her might.