Into the Light

42 | THE FALL OF ELUNE

"That's better," Gul'dan said, his voice crackling with sadistic pleasure. "If you want to talk to Illidan, then you will talk to the one that belongs to me. You will--" Heavy footsteps approached. Tyrande heard the soft clacking of Gul'dan's necklace of skulls as he turned, slow. "What is it?"

The deep voice of an Eredar addressed Gul'dan. "Master, the armies of Azeroth have now completed their muster. Just over a thousand airships are moving toward the southern shoreline."

Gul'dan chuckled, pleased. "Fools. They are too late, even with ten thousand ships they will not be able to stop our Lord's arrival. Let them come. Send everything we have to meet them. Keep them busy. I do not wish to be disturbed"

"Shall I leave the contingent stationed on Hope's End?"

Again the chuckle, filled with malevolence. "No, let them join the fight. I wouldn't want them to miss it when I arrive with the Dark Lord and his Lady."

Tyrande felt something touch her back between her shoulder blades. It traced the path of her spine down to her hips. Tyrande shuddered as she realised it was Gul'dan's staff. A little fel energy left his staff and trickled into her tailbone, creeping up into her torso.

"Tyrande has put up a good fight, but it is over. She has lost and she knows it. As soon as she breaks, Illidan will follow, she is all he has left to fight for. It has been entertaining to watch their struggle, like flies caught in honey."

Tyrande felt a tear slip free. They were coming, a thousand airships full of them. Malfurion had rallied all of Azeroth, despite the factions being almost at war with each other. He had done the impossible, and he was going to be too late.

"As you command," the Eredar murmured. He turned and left. Gul'dan waited until the sound of the demon's hooves faded away before moving into Tyrande's view. He smiled, slow.

"It's time to finish this."

He pointed his staff at her, using her as a conduit to pull Elune's Light from the sphere. Held fast in the creature's fiery tethers, Tyrande screamed as the Light burned into her; corrupted, filthy, dark, enticing.

She could feel herself beginning to transform. Could hear Gul'dan's murmurs, encouraging her. The creature holding her gazed down at her, hungry, aroused. Deep in the throes of her agony, she snapped back to herself in the tattered sphere, in time to see Illidan breaking his way into the ruined thing and take what was left of her into his arms.

"Hold on my love, just a little longer. They are coming. Hold on."

He pressed his back against the jagged edges of the sphere, diverting Elune's tainted Light into him, bellowing as it seared into him, corrupting him. His eyes burned bright, but he didn't let her go. Tyrande clung to him, weeping, watching horrified as the Light of Elune drained into Illidan. Gul'dan increased the intensity, and Illidan roared, the Light pouring into him, corrupted. She could feel his muscles twitching, straining against the darkness entering him. The Light flickered, weakening. It pulsed as Gul'dan demanded more. It fell to a trickle, and finally extinguished.

Tyrande felt darkness spreading through her soul as Elune's presence faded away, the Goddess's existence becoming nothing more than a memory.

The sphere disintegrated. Illidan grunted, his muscles straining, as he fought the fel corruption within him. She feared he would let her go, but he didn't. He held on to her, despite his suffering, and carried her with him through the silent, vast reaches of the Nether.

The tethers came, hundreds of them, furious, and latched onto them, tearing at them. Still Illidan held her. The tethers tugged, and darkness called to her. Despite his cries of protest, she let go of him and let the tethers pull the last of her spirit into the Chamber of the Eye. Elune was dead. Gul'dan had destroyed the Goddess. He would pay.

She opened her eyes, and saw the creature looking down at her, watching her, intent. She smiled, her heart filled with hate. No more would she be a passive player in Gul'dan's sick game. She screamed, and broke free of his fiery grasp. A fel tether snapped around her neck, four more took hold of her wrists and ankles. She slammed against the wall opposite the creature, spread-eagled.

Beneath her, Gul'dan held up his staff, crackling with energy, using it to hold her in place until the tethers finished their work. Sweat beaded his brow. He wasn't chuckling anymore.

"Enough!" he shouted. "It is past time to bring the Master to Azeroth. I will finish with you later, once Illidan is out of the way."

He turned to the creature, and lifted his staff once more. Tethers snaked out of it into the portal, returning, their maws glowing with the last pieces of Illidan's soul, already corrupted. They rammed into the creature, hundreds of them. It threw back its head and roared, writhing with agony and ecstasy. The Chamber turned cold. Darkness encroached. Illidan transformed, the demon hunter's body morphing into a dread lord's. Its eyes locked on hers, possessive. She felt her flesh crawl. Nothing of Illidan was left in that thing. The last hope within Tyrande's breast died. Sargeras was coming. Azeroth was lost.