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31_days2012-02-20 11:00 pm
the--ivorytower.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2012-02-20 11:00 pm
[Feb 20] [Warcraft] Fire and Ice 20/29
Title: Fire and Ice 20/29
Day/Theme: February 20: Like fragile ice, anger passes away in time
Series: Warcraft
Character/Pairing: Kael'thas Sunstrider, Jaina Proudmoore (primarily); Illidan, Vashj, various minor characters. Thrall/Jaina, implied past Kael/Jaina, Arthas/Kael, and Arthas/Jaina
Rating: R
Previously: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Author's Note: These fics will be primarily unbetaed, and then reposted on my personal journal at the end of the month.
~ * ~
I'm sorry. I should have listened to you. I should have listened to my best friend. Jaina sighed. Her fingers brushed the cover of the volume on her desk, then lifted the front cover to read the title inside. Years ago, she'd borrowed the book from Kael, intending simply to copy what she needed and give it back. Somehow, she had never managed it, and somehow, the book had been packed up and brought to Kalimdor. For all I know, it could be one of the last books that's survived the fall of Dalaran. It's only a book on a specific branch of summoning rituals!
News from the Eastern Kingdoms was scarce, but what had come disturbed Jaina greatly: Kael and some of his people had survived Arthas' assault on Quel'thalas, and had reformed into the Sin'dorei, the Blood Elves. They had met up with one of the Alliance's surviving commanders, and then supposedly betrayed them. Garithos had sentenced Kael and the Sunfury Army to death, only to have them escape for parts unknown.
It doesn't make any sense, Jaina thought. Kael is loyal to the Alliance, he wouldn't do something like that. Tyrande said that he was heading towards the remaining Alliance strongholds... he saved her life! She helped him, and he helped her, and now... where are you, Kael? Where have you gone?
"Lady Proudmoore? You have a visitor."
Jaina let the book cover fall closed and turned. "Thank you, Ariana. Show him in."
The younger woman bowed, and gestured to a large figure looming in the doorway. Despite herself, Jaina smiled. Stepping into her office, Thrall seemed to fill it without intending to. "Hello, Jaina. Am I intruding?"
"Never," Jaina whispered, and as the door closed she crossed to him, to pull him into her arms. Their first kisses were needy, desperate. When weeks or months went by without being able to touch, their intimacy always edged on desperation. It took several minutes for them to calm, to pull away and smile. "It's good to see you again."
"It's good to see you, too," Thrall said, and kissed her again. "I've missed you so much."
"I've missed you too," Jaina replied. "We can have our meeting elsewhere, come." She took his hands in hers and led him out of her office and upstairs to her bedroom. The door barely had time to close before Jaina's robes were on the floor, joined shortly by Thrall's tunic. Fire burned within Jaina, fed by Thrall's gentle touch and urgent mouth. Her hands slipped down, stroking the hairs below his navel, undoing his trousers and then her hands dived into them, cupping him eagerly.
Thrall rumbled softly, then plucked Jaina off her feet, startling a laugh out of her as he carried her to bed. Fears melted away like ice before fire as she urged Thrall to join her.
Kael can wait, just a little longer.
~ * ~
Illidan lay on the bed, his wings folded under him. His chest barely moved as he breathed, and his skin, normally a rich shade of purple, was pale and sickly, as if washed in a terrible light. A grip that had once been strong felt weak and Kael had to hold both of Illidan's hands in his own.
"Has there been any change?" Vashj asked. Kael looked up at her blearily, blinking a few times to get the naga priestess back into focus.
"Not really. Sometimes, he... dreams. He calls out. I just do what I can to tell him that I'm here. That I'm listening."
"You need to sleep, Kael'thas," Vashj urged. "I will watch over him now. You will do him no good if you exhaust yourself."
"I'm fine," Kael insisted. "He needs me."
"Your people need you, Kael'thas," Vashj said, putting one of her hands on his shoulder. "You were injured too. They need to know that you are still there for them."
For all the good I've done them, Kael thought bitterly, but gently moved Illidan's hand so that it rested at his side before letting it go. "Very well, you are a healer. Let me know if there's any change at all?"
"Of course," Vashj said. "Go, see your people and rest."
Kael's vision swam as he stood. "I will. I did have just one question, though."
"Yes, what is it?"
"Did we ever have a choice?" The surprised sound from Vashj made Kael smile, even as his vision was darkening around the edges. "Did you think I wouldn't figure it out? How convenient your appearance was after the destruction of the boats? How that wasn't the first time that naga had destroyed boats at someone's behest to try and force them to a particular course of action?" Kael turned on Vashj, and even as parts of his soul felt empty, part of himself was lit by fire. "So did we ever have a choice, or have we been your tools all along?"
Vashj was silent for a long moment as the accusation rang in the air and her hair-snakes hissed softly. "The human Garithos would have turned on you regardless of what we did. He wanted your people dead. He did not have the excuse of soullessness or possession. He was simply a racist jackass." Her nose wrinkled, as if she hadn't expected to use that particular phrase. "We simply accelerated the process so that we could benefit from it. Lord Illidan wanted to pay you back for saving Tyrande's life."
"How generous of him."
"Your people would have died on Azeroth, Kael'thas. If it had not been that day, it would have been another, later day, a day when there would have been no escape for you."
I should have gone to Jaina, Kael thought. I would have begged her to take my people in, for their sake if not for mine. "What about what happened afterwards?"
"Your relationship with Lord Illidan is between yourself and him," Vashj said evenly. "He did not force you into his bed, as I recall. You were very enthusiastic about it."
"I was." Kael looked towards Illidan's still, barely-breathing form. "I think I still am."
"Illidan never wished to hurt you," Vashj said. She spread her hands. "He did what he felt was necessary to help you."
"Yes, help me," Kael murmured. "The magic addiction? You lied to me. You said he had a cure. He said that there was none."
"He provided you with everything you needed. Everything your people needed. I perhaps overstated things, but I did not lie. Illidan was the best hope you had. He still is."
"If he survives."
"When he wakes."
"What do you get out of all of this?" Kael asked. "You could go back to Azshara."
Vashj paused. "My task is not complete. I am required to remain with Illidan until it is."
"Our great plans are finished. We failed to stop Arthas, and Kil'jaedan may return at any time," Kael said bitterly. "I don't see what there is left, unless..." His eyes widened. "Do you care for Illidan? Is that what this is?"
"You speak too boldly, Kael'thas," Vashj warned, and then hissed out a sigh. "I knew Illidan in his youth. He was... clever, bold, ambitious. Very handsome. He was an enemy, an ally, a petitioner, a... pet. He is still all of those things and more. I believe him to be a greater person, a greater leader than Azshara. She has... lost her path, I believe, during her years within the Maelstrom. She is too obsessed with the past, with personal power. Perhaps one day she will understand. Perhaps Illidan can teach her as she once taught him. If Illidan dies..."
Kael sighed. "I don't want him to die either. Knowing what I do, I still love him. I still want him to be strong again, to feel his hands on me. I don't know what that says about me." Kael turned to go, and paused as Vashj called out to him.
"He loves you too, Kael'thas. I believe it's what causes him to continue to fight for his life."
Kael smiled thinly. "Good for him." He stepped out into the hallway, and swayed dizzily. Maybe I should be resting more, I... He looked down at one of his hands, noting it was shaking badly. Or maybe it's the withdrawal.
For a moment, Kael closed his eyes. Sparks illuminated the darkness, and his words to Vashj had been entirely true. He still wanted Illidan, both physically and arcanely. While he and his people had learned the magic draining techniques Illidan had taught them faithfully, just as Kael alone had once tapped into the Sunwell, so too was he the only Sin'dorei to draw magic from Illidan himself. Illidan had claimed that he had plenty of magic to spare, and Kael had always drawn from him greedily, usually after or during sex, and he couldn't decouple the longing for lips on his with the need for magic.
"There you are, Voren was right," said a soft voice. Kael opened his eyes. A gentle, concerned face swam into view and he smiled weakly. "Come, Kael'thas. We'll bring you to the drawing chamber."
"Voren's always right, Ghlor," Kael replied. "You should know that." He leaned into her arms, and she stroked his hair. They walked together. "How are the others?"
"Worried," Ghlor said softly. "Mostly about you, but also about what we're going to do next."
"Is Kylian complaining about the dust?" Kael asked teasingly. Ghlor's expression darkened. "What is it?"
"Kylian has been... quiet. He's withdrawn to the makeshift library and hasn't come out."
"That's... totally unlike him," Kael said, frowning. "He was bad after Quel'thalas, but he was getting better."
"I don't think he's mourning, not this time," Ghlorine replied, sighing. "You remember that you asked him to research infernomancy more seriously?"
"Of course, I've been bad, but not so bad that I forget things. Why?"
"Well, he's... taking that seriously. Failing to master this will probably get us all killed, and no one knows that better than Kylian."
"I know he does, he was the one who yelled it at me repeatedly," Kael said, resting his head against his fiancée's shoulder. "I told him if he had the time to question my every order, he had the time to be useful."
"Kael'thas..."
"I know, I know. It's his job, now more than ever. I was... he was delaying me at the time, and now... he barely speaks to me." Kael closed his eyes, and the sparks -- and the desire -- returned. "What am I doing? What have I done to us?"
"You've given us a chance to live, Kael," Ghlorine said urgently, cupping his cheek. Kael opened his eyes, and green eyes met amethyst ones. "We would have died if we'd stayed in Dalaran. You did what was right."
Was it? I allowed myself to be led about by the nose. I let personal feelings get in the way of doing what made sense, and now I've bound the rest of you along with me. "You're too good to me."
"That's impossible," Ghlorine chided him. "There's no way to be 'too' good to you. We're nearly there."
There, in this case, was the Drawing Chamber. Modeled after the Sunwell Chamber in broken, fallen Quel'Danas, this place was not nearly so restricted or empty, mostly out of necessity. Flanking the door were two Sin'dorei demon hunters. Only a handful had been trained, and fewer still had survived the battle in Northrend. Only five remained, and these two had a solemn duty to guard the mages and their charge, while the other three were commanded to hunt. Kael nodded briefly to the demon hunters, and through instinct and magical vision rather than true sight, bowed their heads and saluted.
You have suffered for me, Kael thought helplessly. You suffer for us all. In the centre of the chamber was a demon. Bound in a circle and with chains of fel iron, the demon's power, its very magical nature, was being siphoned away. Raw fel magic crystallized under Voren'thal's watchful gaze, his forehead wrinkled in a frown. "Voren, thank you."
"You're welcome, Kael," the seer replied, his voice soft. "I wish I could tell you more, but... things are hazy and uncertain."
"I understand," Kael said. "Don't worry about it." He let go of Ghlorine and took the last few steps to one of the fel crystals. It was nearly as tall as Kael himself, and a pair of eyes, gold-red and angry, seemed to stare out at him. It was difficult to say if they were eyes at all, or merely nodules of power, or even an imperfection in the drawing process. Regardless, Kael put his hand on the crystal's surface. Immediately, his hand prickled. He took in a sharp breath and began.
It was both easier and harder than drawing from Illidan: with Illidan, there was a need for control. A living being could only stand to lose so much magic before it harmed them, and particularly with the demon hunter, Kael wanted to take care. On the other hand, the magic he took from Illidan was purer, better in some way. It had been refined, and was like drinking a fine, aged wine instead of new fruit squeezings. I can't afford to be picky. Kael began to draw slowly, the magic uncoiling and leaping into him. He cried out as he was set aflame from head to foot, burning with his renewal. He let some of his control slip and gorged on the magic, feeding until sated. His hand dropped away and he smiled, the tight, dryness of his lips tugging and cracking.
"Do you feel better now?" Ghlorine asked, glancing at the crystal. It was a third of its size, and she looked anxious. Kael straightened, taking in one deep breath, and then another.
"I'm on top of the world," Kael said firmly. "Let's get to work. We can't stay idle, even in times such as these."
"Your Majesty," Voren said, bowing, and those who weren't immediately busy did so as well.
The demon in the room began to twist with agony as the mages drawing from it began to unravel it, sucking out the last of the demon's power.
Kael's smile widened. You thought to make Azeroth your own. You thought to make my people suffer. See how you like it.
~ * ~
"I'm worried about Kael," Jaina said, stroking Thrall's hair lightly, and then made a soft noise as Thrall's tusks brushed the soft, stimulated skin of her breast. "The news from the latest refugees is disturbing, if true, and corroborated by Tyrande and Malfurion."
"Sylvanas can at least confirm that Garithos was in Dalaran and Lordaeron, but is now dead," Thrall murmured against Jaina's chest. "She has also confirmed... other things."
"The merging of Arthas and Ner'zhul into the Lich King," Jaina said, and shifted. Thrall's tongue swirled obligingly around her nipple and she moaned. "She knows nothing of Kael's fate after Northrend?"
Thrall made an affirming noise and stroked down her stomach before pausing. "She can only say that he does not number among the dead, because she would have... felt it, apparently."
"More feelings from the Banshee Queen," Jaina said, and gently encouraged Thrall downward.
Thrall went, nudging her legs apart gently. "If you fear for him so much, why don't you simply send him a message?" He kissed the inside of her thigh tenderly, careful of her soft skin and his tusks. "I believe mages can communicate that way."
Jaina's legs opened wide, and then hooked around Thrall's shoulders. He chuckled at her eagerness and bent to his task, flicking his tongue gently against her nub. Jaina's fingers buried deep in Thrall's coarse, dark hair and tugged a little. Ever-obliging, the orc Warchief pushed his tongue against her entrance, and his hands moved in to protect the tender insides of her thighs from his tusks. "We -- oh! -- can, but... we fought, the last time we spoke. I don't... oh..." Jaina's hips moved, and Thrall pushed in deeper. "...if he'd speak to me."
Thrall didn't reply, but his tongue worked eagerly, pushing deeply into her already sensitive entrance. Jaina groaned, and stroked and tugged at his hair, feeling the way his beard scraped at her thighs, and the strength of his hands as they protected her from injury.
[Feb 21]
Day/Theme: February 20: Like fragile ice, anger passes away in time
Series: Warcraft
Character/Pairing: Kael'thas Sunstrider, Jaina Proudmoore (primarily); Illidan, Vashj, various minor characters. Thrall/Jaina, implied past Kael/Jaina, Arthas/Kael, and Arthas/Jaina
Rating: R
Previously: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Author's Note: These fics will be primarily unbetaed, and then reposted on my personal journal at the end of the month.
~ * ~
I'm sorry. I should have listened to you. I should have listened to my best friend. Jaina sighed. Her fingers brushed the cover of the volume on her desk, then lifted the front cover to read the title inside. Years ago, she'd borrowed the book from Kael, intending simply to copy what she needed and give it back. Somehow, she had never managed it, and somehow, the book had been packed up and brought to Kalimdor. For all I know, it could be one of the last books that's survived the fall of Dalaran. It's only a book on a specific branch of summoning rituals!
News from the Eastern Kingdoms was scarce, but what had come disturbed Jaina greatly: Kael and some of his people had survived Arthas' assault on Quel'thalas, and had reformed into the Sin'dorei, the Blood Elves. They had met up with one of the Alliance's surviving commanders, and then supposedly betrayed them. Garithos had sentenced Kael and the Sunfury Army to death, only to have them escape for parts unknown.
It doesn't make any sense, Jaina thought. Kael is loyal to the Alliance, he wouldn't do something like that. Tyrande said that he was heading towards the remaining Alliance strongholds... he saved her life! She helped him, and he helped her, and now... where are you, Kael? Where have you gone?
"Lady Proudmoore? You have a visitor."
Jaina let the book cover fall closed and turned. "Thank you, Ariana. Show him in."
The younger woman bowed, and gestured to a large figure looming in the doorway. Despite herself, Jaina smiled. Stepping into her office, Thrall seemed to fill it without intending to. "Hello, Jaina. Am I intruding?"
"Never," Jaina whispered, and as the door closed she crossed to him, to pull him into her arms. Their first kisses were needy, desperate. When weeks or months went by without being able to touch, their intimacy always edged on desperation. It took several minutes for them to calm, to pull away and smile. "It's good to see you again."
"It's good to see you, too," Thrall said, and kissed her again. "I've missed you so much."
"I've missed you too," Jaina replied. "We can have our meeting elsewhere, come." She took his hands in hers and led him out of her office and upstairs to her bedroom. The door barely had time to close before Jaina's robes were on the floor, joined shortly by Thrall's tunic. Fire burned within Jaina, fed by Thrall's gentle touch and urgent mouth. Her hands slipped down, stroking the hairs below his navel, undoing his trousers and then her hands dived into them, cupping him eagerly.
Thrall rumbled softly, then plucked Jaina off her feet, startling a laugh out of her as he carried her to bed. Fears melted away like ice before fire as she urged Thrall to join her.
Kael can wait, just a little longer.
~ * ~
Illidan lay on the bed, his wings folded under him. His chest barely moved as he breathed, and his skin, normally a rich shade of purple, was pale and sickly, as if washed in a terrible light. A grip that had once been strong felt weak and Kael had to hold both of Illidan's hands in his own.
"Has there been any change?" Vashj asked. Kael looked up at her blearily, blinking a few times to get the naga priestess back into focus.
"Not really. Sometimes, he... dreams. He calls out. I just do what I can to tell him that I'm here. That I'm listening."
"You need to sleep, Kael'thas," Vashj urged. "I will watch over him now. You will do him no good if you exhaust yourself."
"I'm fine," Kael insisted. "He needs me."
"Your people need you, Kael'thas," Vashj said, putting one of her hands on his shoulder. "You were injured too. They need to know that you are still there for them."
For all the good I've done them, Kael thought bitterly, but gently moved Illidan's hand so that it rested at his side before letting it go. "Very well, you are a healer. Let me know if there's any change at all?"
"Of course," Vashj said. "Go, see your people and rest."
Kael's vision swam as he stood. "I will. I did have just one question, though."
"Yes, what is it?"
"Did we ever have a choice?" The surprised sound from Vashj made Kael smile, even as his vision was darkening around the edges. "Did you think I wouldn't figure it out? How convenient your appearance was after the destruction of the boats? How that wasn't the first time that naga had destroyed boats at someone's behest to try and force them to a particular course of action?" Kael turned on Vashj, and even as parts of his soul felt empty, part of himself was lit by fire. "So did we ever have a choice, or have we been your tools all along?"
Vashj was silent for a long moment as the accusation rang in the air and her hair-snakes hissed softly. "The human Garithos would have turned on you regardless of what we did. He wanted your people dead. He did not have the excuse of soullessness or possession. He was simply a racist jackass." Her nose wrinkled, as if she hadn't expected to use that particular phrase. "We simply accelerated the process so that we could benefit from it. Lord Illidan wanted to pay you back for saving Tyrande's life."
"How generous of him."
"Your people would have died on Azeroth, Kael'thas. If it had not been that day, it would have been another, later day, a day when there would have been no escape for you."
I should have gone to Jaina, Kael thought. I would have begged her to take my people in, for their sake if not for mine. "What about what happened afterwards?"
"Your relationship with Lord Illidan is between yourself and him," Vashj said evenly. "He did not force you into his bed, as I recall. You were very enthusiastic about it."
"I was." Kael looked towards Illidan's still, barely-breathing form. "I think I still am."
"Illidan never wished to hurt you," Vashj said. She spread her hands. "He did what he felt was necessary to help you."
"Yes, help me," Kael murmured. "The magic addiction? You lied to me. You said he had a cure. He said that there was none."
"He provided you with everything you needed. Everything your people needed. I perhaps overstated things, but I did not lie. Illidan was the best hope you had. He still is."
"If he survives."
"When he wakes."
"What do you get out of all of this?" Kael asked. "You could go back to Azshara."
Vashj paused. "My task is not complete. I am required to remain with Illidan until it is."
"Our great plans are finished. We failed to stop Arthas, and Kil'jaedan may return at any time," Kael said bitterly. "I don't see what there is left, unless..." His eyes widened. "Do you care for Illidan? Is that what this is?"
"You speak too boldly, Kael'thas," Vashj warned, and then hissed out a sigh. "I knew Illidan in his youth. He was... clever, bold, ambitious. Very handsome. He was an enemy, an ally, a petitioner, a... pet. He is still all of those things and more. I believe him to be a greater person, a greater leader than Azshara. She has... lost her path, I believe, during her years within the Maelstrom. She is too obsessed with the past, with personal power. Perhaps one day she will understand. Perhaps Illidan can teach her as she once taught him. If Illidan dies..."
Kael sighed. "I don't want him to die either. Knowing what I do, I still love him. I still want him to be strong again, to feel his hands on me. I don't know what that says about me." Kael turned to go, and paused as Vashj called out to him.
"He loves you too, Kael'thas. I believe it's what causes him to continue to fight for his life."
Kael smiled thinly. "Good for him." He stepped out into the hallway, and swayed dizzily. Maybe I should be resting more, I... He looked down at one of his hands, noting it was shaking badly. Or maybe it's the withdrawal.
For a moment, Kael closed his eyes. Sparks illuminated the darkness, and his words to Vashj had been entirely true. He still wanted Illidan, both physically and arcanely. While he and his people had learned the magic draining techniques Illidan had taught them faithfully, just as Kael alone had once tapped into the Sunwell, so too was he the only Sin'dorei to draw magic from Illidan himself. Illidan had claimed that he had plenty of magic to spare, and Kael had always drawn from him greedily, usually after or during sex, and he couldn't decouple the longing for lips on his with the need for magic.
"There you are, Voren was right," said a soft voice. Kael opened his eyes. A gentle, concerned face swam into view and he smiled weakly. "Come, Kael'thas. We'll bring you to the drawing chamber."
"Voren's always right, Ghlor," Kael replied. "You should know that." He leaned into her arms, and she stroked his hair. They walked together. "How are the others?"
"Worried," Ghlor said softly. "Mostly about you, but also about what we're going to do next."
"Is Kylian complaining about the dust?" Kael asked teasingly. Ghlor's expression darkened. "What is it?"
"Kylian has been... quiet. He's withdrawn to the makeshift library and hasn't come out."
"That's... totally unlike him," Kael said, frowning. "He was bad after Quel'thalas, but he was getting better."
"I don't think he's mourning, not this time," Ghlorine replied, sighing. "You remember that you asked him to research infernomancy more seriously?"
"Of course, I've been bad, but not so bad that I forget things. Why?"
"Well, he's... taking that seriously. Failing to master this will probably get us all killed, and no one knows that better than Kylian."
"I know he does, he was the one who yelled it at me repeatedly," Kael said, resting his head against his fiancée's shoulder. "I told him if he had the time to question my every order, he had the time to be useful."
"Kael'thas..."
"I know, I know. It's his job, now more than ever. I was... he was delaying me at the time, and now... he barely speaks to me." Kael closed his eyes, and the sparks -- and the desire -- returned. "What am I doing? What have I done to us?"
"You've given us a chance to live, Kael," Ghlorine said urgently, cupping his cheek. Kael opened his eyes, and green eyes met amethyst ones. "We would have died if we'd stayed in Dalaran. You did what was right."
Was it? I allowed myself to be led about by the nose. I let personal feelings get in the way of doing what made sense, and now I've bound the rest of you along with me. "You're too good to me."
"That's impossible," Ghlorine chided him. "There's no way to be 'too' good to you. We're nearly there."
There, in this case, was the Drawing Chamber. Modeled after the Sunwell Chamber in broken, fallen Quel'Danas, this place was not nearly so restricted or empty, mostly out of necessity. Flanking the door were two Sin'dorei demon hunters. Only a handful had been trained, and fewer still had survived the battle in Northrend. Only five remained, and these two had a solemn duty to guard the mages and their charge, while the other three were commanded to hunt. Kael nodded briefly to the demon hunters, and through instinct and magical vision rather than true sight, bowed their heads and saluted.
You have suffered for me, Kael thought helplessly. You suffer for us all. In the centre of the chamber was a demon. Bound in a circle and with chains of fel iron, the demon's power, its very magical nature, was being siphoned away. Raw fel magic crystallized under Voren'thal's watchful gaze, his forehead wrinkled in a frown. "Voren, thank you."
"You're welcome, Kael," the seer replied, his voice soft. "I wish I could tell you more, but... things are hazy and uncertain."
"I understand," Kael said. "Don't worry about it." He let go of Ghlorine and took the last few steps to one of the fel crystals. It was nearly as tall as Kael himself, and a pair of eyes, gold-red and angry, seemed to stare out at him. It was difficult to say if they were eyes at all, or merely nodules of power, or even an imperfection in the drawing process. Regardless, Kael put his hand on the crystal's surface. Immediately, his hand prickled. He took in a sharp breath and began.
It was both easier and harder than drawing from Illidan: with Illidan, there was a need for control. A living being could only stand to lose so much magic before it harmed them, and particularly with the demon hunter, Kael wanted to take care. On the other hand, the magic he took from Illidan was purer, better in some way. It had been refined, and was like drinking a fine, aged wine instead of new fruit squeezings. I can't afford to be picky. Kael began to draw slowly, the magic uncoiling and leaping into him. He cried out as he was set aflame from head to foot, burning with his renewal. He let some of his control slip and gorged on the magic, feeding until sated. His hand dropped away and he smiled, the tight, dryness of his lips tugging and cracking.
"Do you feel better now?" Ghlorine asked, glancing at the crystal. It was a third of its size, and she looked anxious. Kael straightened, taking in one deep breath, and then another.
"I'm on top of the world," Kael said firmly. "Let's get to work. We can't stay idle, even in times such as these."
"Your Majesty," Voren said, bowing, and those who weren't immediately busy did so as well.
The demon in the room began to twist with agony as the mages drawing from it began to unravel it, sucking out the last of the demon's power.
Kael's smile widened. You thought to make Azeroth your own. You thought to make my people suffer. See how you like it.
~ * ~
"I'm worried about Kael," Jaina said, stroking Thrall's hair lightly, and then made a soft noise as Thrall's tusks brushed the soft, stimulated skin of her breast. "The news from the latest refugees is disturbing, if true, and corroborated by Tyrande and Malfurion."
"Sylvanas can at least confirm that Garithos was in Dalaran and Lordaeron, but is now dead," Thrall murmured against Jaina's chest. "She has also confirmed... other things."
"The merging of Arthas and Ner'zhul into the Lich King," Jaina said, and shifted. Thrall's tongue swirled obligingly around her nipple and she moaned. "She knows nothing of Kael's fate after Northrend?"
Thrall made an affirming noise and stroked down her stomach before pausing. "She can only say that he does not number among the dead, because she would have... felt it, apparently."
"More feelings from the Banshee Queen," Jaina said, and gently encouraged Thrall downward.
Thrall went, nudging her legs apart gently. "If you fear for him so much, why don't you simply send him a message?" He kissed the inside of her thigh tenderly, careful of her soft skin and his tusks. "I believe mages can communicate that way."
Jaina's legs opened wide, and then hooked around Thrall's shoulders. He chuckled at her eagerness and bent to his task, flicking his tongue gently against her nub. Jaina's fingers buried deep in Thrall's coarse, dark hair and tugged a little. Ever-obliging, the orc Warchief pushed his tongue against her entrance, and his hands moved in to protect the tender insides of her thighs from his tusks. "We -- oh! -- can, but... we fought, the last time we spoke. I don't... oh..." Jaina's hips moved, and Thrall pushed in deeper. "...if he'd speak to me."
Thrall didn't reply, but his tongue worked eagerly, pushing deeply into her already sensitive entrance. Jaina groaned, and stroked and tugged at his hair, feeling the way his beard scraped at her thighs, and the strength of his hands as they protected her from injury.
[Feb 21]