A Destiny of Flame and Sorrow

Chapter 6 of the night elf campaign, Eternity's End.

Critters

 * 8 Vultures



The battle
Freed from the barrow deeps, Illidan journeyed into Felwood alone to brood, furious that his own brother believed him to be evil. While ranting that he was determined to prove his brother wrong, that he was free of the demons and powerful, a cold voice sneered at him. Illidan turned to face his taunter, and found himself facing a mysterious human clad in ornate armour and armed with a deadly runeblade. Illidan challenged the warrior to face him and they charged into battle. After an evenly matched duel, Illidan asked the human what he truly desired. Arthas explained that the leader of the undead in Felwood was the dreadlord, Tichondrius. The dreadlord possessed an artifact known as the Skull of Gul'dan, which was responsible for the corruption of the forests. Illidan surmised that Arthas wanted him to steal the artifact, which Arthas justified as serving a master who would benefit from the Legion's downfall. Illidan asked why he should believe a word of this, to which Arthas replied that his master knew of Illidan's hunger for power and that now so much was almost in his grasp. Tempted, Illidan agreed, and Arthas departed to return to Lordaeron.

Assembling an army of loyal elves, Illidan fell upon the demons guarding the skull and slaughtered them all. With the skull in his possession, the demons could no longer corrupt the forest, but Illidan surmised if he were to claim the skull's power for himself, he would become more powerful than any of Archimonde's lieutenants, Illidan 'consumed' the skull's power and became a monstrous beast, half night elf, half demon and imbued with terrible demonic powers. Reassembling his army, Illidan assaulted Tichondrius's compound. The dreadlord was caught offguard by this attack, and astounded when he came under attack from the demonic beast that was Illidan. Though powerful, Tichondrius was no match for Illidan's new-found powers, and he slew the dreadlord with ease.

In the aftermath of the battle, Tyrande and Furion arrived at the compound. Seeing only this monstrous creature before them, Furion demanded to know what the demon had done with his brother. When Illidan revealed his true identity, it was met with horror from Tyrande and disgust from Furion. Though Illidan justified his actions with the death of Tichondrius, robbing the undead of their leader, and assuring that the forests would heal in time, Furion was outraged that Illidan had sold his soul for such power, and told him to be gone from Ashenvale and never return. With a final sneer of "So be it...brother", Illidan departed without a backwards glance.