Cambrian
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A Savage Nature Ch. 22 (Warcraft Insert)
🕑 Added 2023-05-09 22:00:02 +0000 UTCA/N: Quick note about last chapter. If you read this story solely via email and not through the Patreon Website, you likely missed the Edit that I chose to make to Chapter 21 after receiving some early feedback on it.
Basically, the new version of Chapter 21 no longer features Illidan trying to kiss Tyrande, but it does still end the same way, with Tyrande suspecting Illidan of wanting to get with her now that Malfurion is lost. Anyways... on with this chapter.
*whistles innocently as he sets up a pitchfork and torches emporium to make a little extra profit off of this chapter.*
-x-X-x-
The second-hand embarrassment Jaina feels on Tyrande’s behalf as they make their way back up from the Barrow Deeps into a place that the Night Elves have taken to calling the Felwood is incredibly intense. But… truth be told, Jaina actually welcomes it all things considered. Better to focus on everything she just bore witness to, rather than the fact that she’d been caught watching Rognak and Shandris fornicate in the woods all those days ago.
… Yeah, she hadn’t spoken to either of them about it since, and if possible, she would continue not to speak about it with either of them. Her behavior in that moment had been mortifying to say the least.
Then again, at least she could fall back on the excuse of being a mortal or something. Seriously, from what Jaina had learned since this alliance of theirs began, the Night Elf people were ancient and immortal. Pretty much all of them had been alive for over ten-thousand years now. Certainly, at the very least all the ones Jaina had met personally had been.
And yet… the incident she’d just witnessed take place between Illidan Stormrage and Tyrande Whisperwind had all the trademark signs of a romantic snafu of epic proportions. In that moment, these ancient Night Elves hadn’t reminded her of some immortal, ineffable beings beyond her mortal comprehension. No, they’d reminded her of her own fumbled, failed romance with one Arthas Menethil as a teenager.
As previously mentioned, the second-hand embarrassment was quite strong. Jaina’s heart went out to Tyrande, truly it did. Not only was she dealing with the grief from losing her husband, but she was also stuck with his idiot of a brother who apparently hadn’t matured in ten millennia of imprisonment.
That all said, Jaina silently swears to support the other woman however she possibly can. And right now that seems to entail following Illidan through the Felwood with Cenarius, Lord of the Forest leading the way. Their party is a small one by this point at least. There’s Cenarius, Tyrande, and Shandris. And then there’s Rognak and Thrall. And finally, there’s her.
As they creep along however, Jaina hears the sound of fighting up ahead and wonders if they might have been better off with back-up. When Cenarius holds up one of those branch-like hands of his, Jaina stops and so does everyone else… until they see what’s going on in the clearing beyond their temporary hiding place.
Jaina’s eyes widen at the sight of their quarry, the recently freed Illidan Stormrage, doing battle with a hooded figure wielding a Runeblade atop an undead steed. Immediately, she begins to gather magic. But Tyrande proves faster than her and already has a glowing arrow nocked when Rognak suddenly raises his hand, silently bidding the Priestess of Elune to hold on for a second.
Frankly, Jaina doesn’t think Rognak’s effort would have amounted to much… if the battle in the clearing beyond had actually continued from there. However, at the same moment Rognak stops Tyrande, the fighting between Illidan and this dark, hooded figure comes to a halt as well. The blindfolded Night Elf growls as he darts back out of range of the hooded man’s Runeblade.
“Tch. We could go on fighting like this forever. What do you want, human?”
“Hm. I did say we were evenly matched, did I not?”
Jaina blinks. The voice of the hooded figure strikes her as strangely familiar, even as it reverberates through the clearing. It is double toned, as though there are two voices speaking as one atop one another. And yet, she can’t help but twitch a little bit, a frown spreading across her features as she tilts her head to the side, thoroughly confused.
Illidan, meanwhile, just snarls and shakes his head, flicking his long ears in irritation.
“Get to the point!”
“Heh, very well. There is a dreadlord in these woods called Tichondrius. He perverts these forests with a powerful artifact known as the Skull of Gul’dan.”
Jaina’s breath hitches at that, and she notices Thrall shifting back and forth from the corner of her eye. Both of them recognize the name ‘Gul’dan’ it would seem. But… is it actually HIS skull? Surely not right? Then again, from the stories that Jaina heard of the leader of the Old Horde’s warlocks, his skull WOULD turn out to be a powerful artifact for demonic purposes she supposed. Fel had a way of seeping into everything and everyone that dared to touch it, enhancing but at the same time corrupting whatever it could get its grubby little claws into.
“If you remove the Skull of Gul’dan from Tichondrius, if you take it for yourself, you will not only gain the power to defeat the Legion, but you will also save these forests from further corruption.”
Standing there, Jaina can’t help but be confused. The hooded human that Illidan is talking to… he positively radiates death. From his undead horse to his vile-looking Runeblade, to the very armor he wears with skull-like motifs on his pauldrons. She can even see strands of white hair drifting out from under his hood. Whether he himself is alive, she does not know… but he is steeped in Death Magic, that much is for sure.
So then why? Aren’t the Scourge and the Burning Legion working together? That was the grand reveal that Jaina had only uncovered after she and her people had made it to Kalimdor. Everything they had been fighting back in Lordaeron, everything they struggled against… was the machinations of demons working behind the scenes. The Cult of the Damned and the Scourge were nothing but patsies for their demon masters.
And yet here this… creature was, strikingly familiar and trying to convince Illidan to save these woods from a demon called Tichondrius.
“Bah! Why should I care about these woods?! Do you think to sway me out of some love for my people’s inane nature pursuits, human? I care not for them! They who imprisoned me for ten thousand years! Tell me truly… why do you wish for me to REALLY steal the Skull of Gul’dan?”
There’s a moment of silence, and then a dark chuckle from the hooded figure.
“The truth? My Master seeks the downfall of the Legion. That is the truth, Demon Hunter. He is all-knowing and he has watched you all your life, Illidan Stormrage. He knows that you have sought power for a long, long time and he knows that you have the will to do what must be done when no one else does. Now… now that power lies within your grasp. If you do not seize this chance, then your enemies will and you will be lost.”
Now, Jaina doesn’t know Illidan very well… but from the way the Night Elf falls silent, she can tell that he’s being swayed by the hooded figure’s words. Meanwhile, Jaina’s sense of familiarity has only grown the more that the man speaks. Who is he? She has to know. She has to.
“I have told you what you must do. Now I will leave you to it.”
In that moment, the mounted figure turns. It just so happens that he turns in Jaina and the other’s direction, giving her a full unobstructed view of his face from beneath the hood. Of course, more than that… their eyes meet. And in that moment Jaina knows she looks upon the face of Arthas Menethil, Prince of Lordaeron.
“Arthas…”
The name slips out of her mouth unbidden and she regrets it a moment later… but it’s too late anyways. His eyes have already widened as he recognizes her and realizes that he and Illidan aren’t alone. In an instant, Illidan whips around as well, having heard Jaina’s voice with some seriously impressive hearing.
For a split second, time itself almost seems to stand still. Nobody moves. For a moment, Jaina meets Arthas’ eyes and thinks she sees the boy she once loved under the pallor skin, the stark-white hair, and the skull armor. But then his face twists into a rictus of hatred and anger as Rognak steps out from their hiding place and into the clearing, hefting his axe in both hands.
“Death Knight! Step away, Stormrage! That monster must be slain!”
“What?!”
At hearing the words ‘Death Knight’, Thrall bursts out as well, Doomhammer held in his hands. And a moment later, Tyrande, Shandris, and Cenarius join the two orcs. Entering the clearing last, Jaina sees the moment Arthas takes in the forces he’s up against and decides discretion is the better part of valor. However… when he looks around to find an escape route, it’s to discover that Rognak has acted swiftly. A thick wall of brambles surrounds every part of the clearing at this point, hemming Arthas in with them.
Jaina’s breath hitches as she sees something more familiar in her former beloved’s face. Resolve and determination spreads across Arthas Menethil’s countenance as he turns back to them all, eyes narrowing dangerously.
To his credit, Illidan doesn’t look as though he’s inclined to side with whatever this thing is that Arthas has become. However, it doesn’t mean much in the end. Coming to the conclusion that fighting is his only way out, Arthas starts things off by lunging forward on his mount and sinking his Runeblade right into Illidan Stormrage’s unprotected chest.
The Demon Hunter looks shocked, gazing down at the impalement in muted surprise. He doesn’t even get a word out before the etchings on Arthas’ Runeblade glow brightly and suck Illidan’s soul right from his body in a grotesque display that turns Jaina’s stomach. Rognak was right. Arthas has become something as awful as a Death Knight. And that sword of his is a reaper of souls.
“NO!”
To the side, Tyrande screams in anguish and despair as Illidan’s soulless, lifeless body slides off of Arthas’ blade. The Death Knight swings his undead steed around and spins the Runeblade for a moment before pointing it at them and charging forward. But Rognak, of course, is already there to meet him, glowing green axe in hand.
“Do not let his blade touch you! Keep your distance at all costs!”
Even as he tosses out those particular words of wisdom, Rognak closes the distance, not taking his own advice. He lets out a roar in response to Arthas’ cavalry charge, and for a moment Jaina’s heart leaps into her throat as she imagines her former love repeating his killing move on Rognak. However, just as they’re about to meet, Rognak transforms, changing into a hulking bear-like creature that damn nearly doubles his size. His axe swings up and knocks Arthas’ Runeblade away and at the same time he shoulder-checks the man’s mount, sending it rearing backwards and toppling over-end.
Arthas isn’t brought low by such a move so easily, however. What would have killed a mortal man as he was pinned beneath his steed is but a mere inconvenience for the monster that Arthas has become. He frees himself with ease, rising to his feet and sneering as Rognak keeps his distance. A few arrows from Shandris seek to pierce the Death Knight’s defenses, but he’s able to easily deflect them with his Runeblade, before sneering and lifting up his other hand in a clawing motion.
“Arise.”
Jaina jumps as she feels the earth beneath her feet suddenly shifting. The mage’s eyes widen when she watches skeletal hands begin clawing their way up out of the ground. And it’s not just the long-dead and buried that Arthas is bringing back either. As she dodges around grasping hands, Jaina watches in fresh horror as Illidan’s corpse jerks and spasms, beginning to lift off the ground and stand under its own power once more.
With that, the battle is truly joined in earnest as Thrall slams Doomhammer into the ground, calling a lightning bolt upon half a dozen of the undead Arthas has summoned. Jaina likewise calls upon her arcane magic, coalescing it into ice that freezes the undead solid, allowing them to be more easily shattered.
However, she can’t take her eyes off of Arthas and Rognak’s fight. The orc druid continues to stand as their frontline, and at any moment Arthas could slay him in the same way he slaughtered Illidan. Only Cenarius’ support protects Rognak from some of the blows that might have ended his life. Heart constricting painfully in her chest, Jaina steps forward, tears in her eyes.
“Arthas! What have you become?!”
His head twitches towards her, allowing Rognak to dodge the Fallen Prince’s latest blow and pull back to get some healing for a moment. Eyes filled with madness and hatred fall upon Jaina and she sees not a single ounce of the love he once held for her in that gaze.
“What have I become, Jaina? I became what I had to. What you and that old fool made me become.”
Rognak enters the fray a moment later, and Jaina is forced to return to keeping the shambling undead that Arthas has risen from catching up to her as they claw at the hems of her robes. But she still can’t quite contain herself or focus on the fight. Not when their enemy is a boy she’s known since childhood.
“Uther was your teacher, Arthas! Why couldn’t you just listen to him?!”
Arthas just laughs as his Runeblade and Rognak’s axe lock together for a moment, the orc druid’s green muscles positively bulging against the supernatural power packed into Arthas’ altered body. Rognak snarls, his face twisting in anger and concentration. Then, they’re forced apart again as Cenarius calls a beam of solar energy down where they were just stood and Arthas is forced to dance back out of its reach lest the deadly rays of light find him.
“Uther was old and let his age keep him from seeing the right path. If he had only done what needed to be done from the beginning, I wouldn’t have had to kill him and all the others! He was a failure and he died like a failure! Just as you and your pathetic allies will as well!”
Jaina’s heart clenches at the news that Uther is dead. She knew, of course. She’d already known. But even still, to hear it from Arthas’ lips… for a moment, Jaina feels lost. Adrift. In the end, she only manages to avoid ending up zombie chow because of Thrall, the Orc Warchief having her back as she stands there swaying from side to side for that brief instant. But then she remembers where they are and what this battle entails and she refocuses on what’s happening.
“Then… then you are truly lost, Arthas.”
The look of mad delight in his eyes and the wild and wicked grin on his lips makes it clear how little he cares about her opinion at this point. But before he can reply with some cutting comment sure to break her heart even further… a pure and primal scream echoes across the battlefield, drawing the attention of everybody.
Just in time too, because the large, glowing arrow of radiant moonlight that Tyrande Whisperwind shoots from her bow might have taken Arthas’ head clean off if he hadn’t seen it coming and moved his Runeblade into the way in time to deflect it. In fact, the only reason he’s able to respond in time, Jaina realizes, is because Tyrande fired a similarly sized bolt at the reanimated corpse of Illidan Stormrage first, obliterating it in a bright flash of light. Similar moonlight streams down into the clearing from above and Jaina watches as stars fall in a barrage that slaughters every undead still hounding and harassing them.
Arthas is able to defend himself… but the others, not so much. And stepping forward, Tyrande Whisperwind is WREATHED in that glowing moonlight as her eyes shine with a fury that Jaina feels to the depths of her very soul.
“Death Knight.”
The way Tyrande says the words is both a promise and a curse. The grief and sorrow that have characterized her since the loss of her husband in the Moonglade are gone, or at least buried deep enough to be meaningless at this point. Instead, all Jaina sees in the other woman… is pure, unadulterated rage.
-x-X-x-
A/N: I telegraphed Malfurion's death so hard lmao, but I don't think a single person saw this coming. I expect this to potentially be the most contentious chapter of the fic, so I'm going to answer the two questions I foresee being asked the most ahead of time.
Q: WHY did Arthas decide to kill Illidan here? Didn't he and the Lich King need Illidan to destabilize and ruin the Burning Legion's plans?
A: Yes, they did want Illidan to help them out. However, Arthas is a sociopathic monster at this point in the timeline. He's also not an idiot. He recognizes that he's been ambushed, cut off from a clear route of escape, and ultimately will have to fight his way out if he wants to have any chance to get away. Meanwhile, Illidan is likely to either stand aside or fight alongside his enemies against him. By killing Illidan first, Arthas gets a bonus power-up from Frostmourne devouring the Demon Hunter's soul and also an extra body for undead army shenanigans.
Q: HOW did Arthas just up and kill Illidan here? I thought they were evenly matched at this point in time.
A: While is it true that Arthas claims he and Illidan are 'evenly matched' during their first meeting, I have done extensive research and come to a simple conclusion. Arthas was employing a somewhat high-brow bit of strategy known as LYING.
Put simply, when Arthas and Illidan meet, it's before Illidan consumes the Skull of Gul'dan and years before Arthas starts feeling the Lich King dying because of the crack in the Frozen Throne. This means that during this first meeting, Arthas is at his strongest and Illidan is at his weakest, having just got out of prison after ten THOUSAND years.
And yet, later on in the Frozen Throne expansion, when Illidan is at his strongest after consuming the Skull of Gul'dan and Arthas is at his weakest because the Lich King is dying and constantly causing him to be wracked with painful seizures... Arthas wins. He beats Illidan at the Demon Hunter's absolute strongest in order to go on and become the Lich King.
Thus, my only possible conclusion is that when they first met, Arthas was sandbagging hard in order to spare Illidan's feelings and to manipulate him into doing his and the Lich King's bidding.
-x-x-
Alright, I've said my piece. Go ahead and let me know what you think of the chapter, I hope at least some people will have enjoyed it and will enjoy what is to come.
Comments
Arkhaan
Arthas, as much as I love the Mac daddy of death knights, was a brand new baby death knight still learning and adopting his powers. Arthas won’t hit his stride truly for a while yet. He probably could beat illidan but not with any kind of ease
Evilreadermaximum
Fair enough.
Cambrian
Hm yeah, while the bit about the Lich King giving him a boost right before the Illidan fight in Northrend is something I didn't remember/take into account, I still feel like there's no way Illidan before the Skull of Gul'dan is 'evenly matched' with Arthas at this point in time. Like, Illidan just got done being imprisoned for ten THOUSAND years. Meanwhile, Arthas just got done being given a super sick set of Saronite Armor and power boost from the Lich King, becoming an uber Death Knight and then using his powers and honing his martial talent all over Lordaeron and Quel'Thalas. Of the two of them, not only do I think Arthas is more powerful than Illidan here since Illidan hasn't had the Skull power up yet, but also I think Arthas would just have more battle sense, since he's been fighting continuously for months while Illidan had been locked up for millennia. So I stand by my interpretation of things and the idea that Arthas was lying about their respective power levels in the Kalimdor fight. Because Arthas needed Illidan to be easily manipulated into going after Tichondrius and the Skull, so he massaged Illidan's ego by lying about how 'evenly matched' they were.
Evilreadermaximum
Well, during arthas's internal monoluge during the illidan fight he notes that "Arthas had been right. They were indeed evenly matched." And right after Ner'zhul gives him his power up at icecrown he notes in his internal monologue "The energy was so vast, so heady...it was more powerful even than what Arthas had known before. This, then, was why he had come. To drink deep of this icy draft, to take the cold strength of the Lich King into himself.. He opened his eyes, and his vision was clear. Frostmourne's runes blazed to new life, a chill mist seeping up from it." So yeah, I could buy illidan being distracted and overconfident, but *that* thourogly outclassed? Sorry, but it's a bit much.
Cambrian
lol you're fine. I'll be honest, it's been 14 years since I read the Arthas novel. Which bit do you mean in particular?
Evilreadermaximum
Not sure what I think about both the stormrage brothers biting it that quick. Also on the illidan power level thing, I take it the Arthas novel isn't canon for this story? .....that comes across "askshully" as hell, lol, sorry.
Cambrian
Lol that's me! I'm Urivial on Spacebattles so no worries! But thanks for looking out for me xD
Zugakun
Not sure if i just misread it but I think someone on spacebattles is posting your story as their own
Soap1673
Awesome chapter man! Love the twist at the end there. 😀
Cambrian
Illidan Stormrage is just... the Chosen One apparently. You know, nothing too special. No big deal. Lmao, he dies in canon anyways and then they have to bring him back to life to 'fulfill his Destiny', only for him to murderize the bitch who declares him the Chosen One and be all "I ain't compromising for NOBODY!"
SylverIron
Yeah, I never played WoW and I only know Jaina though NSFW... and that she likes Orcs a bit too much. Other than that, only watch a single Arthas Lore video... that's it
SylverIron
Me reading this chapter, who absolutely has no idea about these characters other than Jaina and Arthas; ...Who the fuck was that Night Elf? ....and are you hiring for the Pitchfork and Torches Emporium? (Mostly Sarcasm...)
HeirOfRohan
Hey, totally in character for Arthas at this time.
This is turning into Warcraft game of thrones.
SSs34TheElf
True. Also loved the way you described this fight lmao. Made it sound like a Wow raid with Rognak as bear tank at the front, Cenarius “helping” him like a healer safe at the back, then a bunch of DPSers who aren’t parsing properly and are in the chaos of boss mechanics xD. At least that was the image in my mind lol.
Hrathen
Well, that's certainly one way to head off the issue of the Illidan/Tyrande interaction, KILL HIM OFF
VaticToxic
Especially right now in the timeline. The roodest dood. I like him as a character, but this is 200% in character for him (literally) at this point. Didn't expect Illidan to run into Arthas but once I saw that there were only two ways this was ending. Arthas gets Merced or Illidan does.
Cambrian
I would go so far as to say Arthas is a very rood dood :V
VaticToxic
Bro, that was rude. Expected when trying to corner Arthas, but ruuuuude.
Cambrian
"and I'll do it again too, hyuk!" :P
Owl Face
Readers: Golly, this Cambrian fic has just been a delightful romp so far- *Cambrian getting ready to delete a fan-favorite from existence* YOU ARE NOT PREPARED!
Cambrian
TBF, beating Archimonde conventionally is still pretty far beyond even this squad. They're gonna have to resort to treachery to take the Defiler down lol
Cambrian
That's why there was a moment where Jaina and Arthas' eyes met that she thought she saw the man she once loved. But in the end, he has to shrug off what she's saying here, he's too outnumbered to focus on anything but the battle
Cambrian
He was distracted by Tyrande showing up out of nowhere, but also as I mentioned in the AN, Arthas was sandbagging against him heavily before. This was Arthas moving as fast as he possibly could to try and level an incredibly uneven playing field
Cambrian
Good catch, thanks! Fixt and glad you're excited for more!
SSs34TheElf
Another great chapter! I wonder if Arthas is going to be added to the list of main characters dying within a week 🤣🤣🤣. Hopefully he gets away so we have a final antagonist. Although, his horse Invincible probs should at least get a destroyed by Tyrande. She needs a little bit of a rage outlet, also I guess it wouldn’t make sense if Arthas got away unscathed from this squad of Cenarius, Rognak, Jaina, Thrall and Tyrande. This gona be the squad that beats Archimonde, and I’d say Archimonde > Arthas still.
Durrandon
It’s interesting to note that when Kael’thas and Arthas fought before the Frozen Throne, Kael’thas was able to gain the upper hand when he asked Arthas what would Jaina think of what he’s become. Arthas was thrown for a second and distracted himself thinking about Jaina so he clearly cared about Jaina to some degree (at least before he fully joined with Ner’Zul). I’m not sure he would just shrug off what she’s saying here.
Durrandon
Pitchfork and torch emporium? I mean… I’m not really angry, just kinda baffled and confused. It’s your story to take wherever you want but at the very least I would have hoped for Illidan to actually engage in some kind of combat before his death. He seriously didn’t keep his guard up to even the smallest degree?
Clint Thunder
Typo: horses are cavalry, and charge. Calvary is the hill near Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified. I really didn't see illidan snuffing it coming at all! It's nice to see an AU have big characters die off, I'm excited to see how things change up
Ullin
You really hate Night Elf men don't you? Honestly this is kinda disappointing. Not because he is dead but because he died like such a punk. You already had Malfurion die in his sleep, so having the other brother just get merced like a red shirt is not great. Just seems like you are killing off the male "in the way" characters without even giving them proper due. Feels like Garrosh killing Cairne with poison just so they could have him as Warchief.
Cambrian
Lmao, honestly her prospects look pretty bleak right now don't they? v.v
Sith2go
Oh noo, Will Tyrande ever find a strong reliable guy, who wont die infront of her?
Cambrian
ikr? Dude just got fucking ganked, not even fair. v.v
Cambrian
Heh, he died doing what he loved, staring into Tyrande's eyes while making bad decisions
Cambrian
Lol, well I'm glad you're enjoying the story at least :P
T4ndoris
Damn, wasn't expecting illidan to die so soon, you got me good. Poor guy just got out of jail
Cambrian
Two or three weeks at LEAST I think xD. But yeah, timeline is wonky. Still very fast-paced lmao. Glad it works for you, heh
KnightofMor
Actually... I am not too broken up about you offing Illidan here and now. Cause it was always just going to be a matter of when and what Artifact of Cursed Power that Illidan would use to gain more power. That has always been his problem of needing/wanting more power to achieve his goals.
Alith Anar
Thank God, illidan is dead! Besides Sylvannas, he is the most overrated character in the entire setting. He is whiny, he is pretentious. If he didn’t have ungodly amount of plot armor, he would’ve died a long time ago. All in all, he’s probably my least favorite character in all of Warcraft.
Cqys
So Malfurion, Illidan, Grom all dead in like... A week. That's uh... Lmao the entire storyline is just completely up in the air and I'm here for it. There is something poetic about Illidan just getting stabbed in the chest like an idiot while "trusting" a clearly scourge ridden being. The man even looks evil how are you going to trust that
