Dedicated to Raidriar93

Drew and Sarah worked long into the night, pulling together all the information they could remember from various sources back home. Sarah even had the foresight to bring a couple of books on Warcraft too. Together they cooked up a plan that would hopefully bring them closer to locating the Betrayer.

Most of it of course, was based purely on supposition as Sarah reminded Drew that the Azeroth they now inhabited was already removed from Blizzard's plot. It had, in effect, become an alternate universe. The trick would be balancing the recognisable with the utterly new. They just hoped the path they were going to travel would prove fruitful.

Sarah also stressed to Drew, that bloodshed here was very real indeed. She was trying her best to prepare him for what he would see. In order to do that she had to remember and describe the sheer magnitude of tragic losses at the battle in Goldshire. On one hand it was still all so surreal to him, but on the other, he had his friend passionately telling him about the horrors that may await them. He listened respectfully. Her sincerity and categorical account of what she had bore witness to started to sink in. The realisation of which also heralded a perspicuous indication of what lay ahead.

Without coming across as patronising she also made him aware of some subtle differences to the game. There was no Mass Res or even singular res. Once someone passed, they were gone. Period. Only the dark art of necromancy could create regenerated semblences of those who had once lived. The druidic, shamanistic and priestly abilities for healing were, thankfully, pretty accurate and an absolute necessity in battle.

Demon hunters were indescribably strong and fast and they could actually fly considerable distances. She suppressed a smirk as she remembered her first experience of that particular method of travel. Druids could shapeshift, though she warned him, it was not exactly as fluid nor painless as portrayed in-game or in the film. If you stood near them, you would hear their bones breaking and muscles tearing as they went through the transformation. That also went for worgens, she informed him. He flinched at the very thought of them all writhing in agony.

Eventually, they decided they had put off enough time delaying the inevitable. Telling Erik of their plan. They would however need a few hours shut-eye, and after bidding each other goodnight with a hug, Drew vacated Sarah's room and headed back along the hall to the one Erik had assigned him. The dwarf was already snoring in the living room in an armchair, feet perched on the foot stool.

Morning, and the early autumn air was filled with birdsong. Sarah pushed back the curtains on her bedroom window and looked out. She sighed. It was hard to think she was back in Azeroth again having assumed it would simply become a distant memory as she aged in her own time and space.

A grunt outside her window had her pressing her face close to the glass. A boar was snuffling around a crop of peacebloom growing close to the cottage wall. She opened the window and tried to shoo the beast away. "If Erik comes round, he'll stick an arrow in you." She whispered. The hog just lifted its giant head at the sound of her voice then went back to demolishing the herb. She clapped her hands once, really loudly. The beast was startled and took off down the hill in a steady trot.

Closing the window again, she shook out her hands. That clap had stung her palms. She waited for the nip to cease then tying her hair back in a loose ponytail, she sluiced water over her face and neck from the bowl and pitcher provided. Once dried, she ran some fresh water over her toothbrush, added her paste and brushed her teeth.

She knew Drew did not have anything with him other than the clothes he had come through with, so once she dressed she moved through to his room. Lightly knocking on his door she listened against the wood until she heard a muffled "Yeah?"

"Can I come in?"

"Sure."

She opened the door to find him still in his bed. He lay, one arm behind his head the other across his chest, staring at the door as she stepped over the threshold. He looked tired.

"I don't have a spare brush but I thought you could still use the toothpaste," she said tossing the tube on the bed beside him.

He stretched and yawned. "Thanks." He threw the covers back and Sarah quickly turned away. She heard him laugh. "It's okay, I'm decent."

She slowly faced him again. He was as he said - just. The briefs did not leave much to the imagination. She blushed and turned her attention to the wall as Drew pulled on the britches Erik had bought him the day before. He used the pitcher and bowl but also poured water over his head. He flicked his hair back, spraying Sarah as he did so. "Sorry," he grinned.

She laughed. "Don't mind me, it's the furniture I'm worried about." She picked up a towel and threw it at him.

Drew roughly dried his hair and combed it with his fingers. Turning back to the bowl, he squeezed some toothpaste on his forefinger and started cleaning his teeth. He finished off by pouring some more water from the pitcher into his palm, slurping it, rinsing thoroughly, and finally spitting it out in the bowl. Quickly he dabbed his mouth with the towel then threw it on the end of the bed.

"You ready for what he's likely to say?" Drew asked, pulling on his shirt.

Sarah smiled. "Oh yes. He's feisty, but he's a sweetheart, and he will help. Just let me do the talking."

Drew straightened his collar, then moved to the door and opened it for her. With a flourish, he bowed and she nudged him on the way past.

They moved through to the living area, where Erik had already vacated his makeshift armchair bed. They found him in the kitchen, brewing up some coffee. "Mornin'" He beamed. "Ye sleep well the pair o' ye?"

Drew mumbled an affirmative . "Yes, thank you," Sarah replied. "How about you though, Erik?" she asked glancing at the armchair.

"Oh, ah've slept in fer worse than that lass, believe you me. Coffee?" He held up a couple of mugs. They thanked him and all went to sit at the table.

A look passed between Drew and Sarah before she proceeded to tell Erik her plan.

As expected, the red-haired dwarf took off on a tangent, kicking himself up off the chair. "Yer oot yer mind, wuman!" He stomped back and forth in front of the table where they still sat. He was obviously agitated by what he had just heard.

"Come on Erik, you know we have information from home about this which simply does not appear in any books or scrolls in Azeroth."

"Well, that may be, but ye've already telt me that yer game thing is no' reflecting reality here onymare. Oor King is alive, so whit's tae say yer right?"

"What's to say I'm wrong? I've been right on so many things so far have I not? And they are still searching for the Pillars of Creation, that much is true, so the rest will perhaps follow suit." She bit her lip knowing that was not strictly true.

"Perhaps? Is that the best ye can come up wi'?" He fumed, punching his fists on his hips and standing, glaring from under his bushy brows. He started mumbling about the insanity of such a plan, how foolhardy she was, how impossible the whole thing would be.

"Do you have anything better?" Sarah spouted defiantly.

Her question silenced the dwarf's ranting. "Well...no."

"Then take me to see Vindicator Ocel. I think he will be able to help us with the first part of the offensive," she said.

"Ocel? Are ye shair? He's gid freen's wi' Khadgar, lass."

"I know..." she replied, fully aware that this may end up with her confronting the Archmage a little earlier than she'd anticipated. "... but good friends are exactly what we will need."

Erik looked between them both, his eyes coming tae rest on Drew. "Huv ye no tried tae speak ony sense intae hur?" he said as a last ditch attempt.

"Well, you've seen how successful you were. What chance did I have?" Drew smirked behind his hand.

The dwarf sighed heavily. "Fair enough. C'mon then, let's git sterted."

Trade District in Stormwind was busy as usual, merchants buying and selling their wares either in auction or the variety of businesses dotted throughout the centre. Shopkeepers vocally spouted their wares, enticing people to come in and look around their premises. Leaflets thrust into the hands of passers-by for cheese and wine tasting opportunities along the canals. A Darkmoon Faire representative stood next to the auction house encouraging the good folks of Stormwind to unwind and have fun at the Faire.

Drew was in his element, spinning around many times, afraid of missing anything. Sarah allowed him his moments of awe this time, without reprimand. If the task ahead was going to be how she had it figured in her head, she could not deny him the delight and beauty of Stormwind.

They continued up over a bridge and into Cathedral Square. The last of the summer apples hung precariously from the apple trees. Most had already dropped, staining the stone slabs in blobs of crimson and making the ground sticky sweet for the occasional rodent or bird to pick at.

Erik led them through the square and up the steps to the cathedral. Drew looked at him questioningly. "He will be in here," Erik said gruffly as they reached the entrance.

"Thank god for that," Drew mumbled, "I thought for a minute he was taking us to confession. Don't think they want to hear what I'd have to say."

Sarah chuckled and gave him a playful nudge forward.

They followed Erik through the nave of the cathedral. He cut to the left along the transept where small confessional cubicles were lined against the wall. Off from them was another small corridor; it was windowless, cool and lit with torches. They reached a large wooden door. Erik knocked. A deep voice bid them enter.

Vindicator Ocel turned as the three of them crossed the threshold. "Erik!" he boomed. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" His eyes quickly gauged his visitors. "Ah! Your family?"

Sarah removed her hood. "Hello again, Ocel." She smiled a little nervously.

The draenei stopped cold. "By the Light. Sarah!"

Ocel stood for a few moments, visibly dumbstruck, a sight which, going by Erik's chortle, was a rare thing indeed.

The draenei inhaled and gathered his thoughts. "I didn't think they were really family, Erik," the draenei said looking down at the dwarf with something resembling a smile. 

Ocel glanced back at Sarah. "But I did not expect it to be you, either." He gestured towards a large desk behind him around which sat four chairs. "Please. Sit down. May I get you anything?"

"No, thank you," Sarah replied, taking the seat to the right.

Drew sat across from her, while Erik took the seat opposite Ocel.

"I did not expect to see you again," the draenei's deep accented voice resonated around the room even when he spoke softly.

"Likewise, I can assure you," she replied. "It's a fluke I'm here at all."

"No! That I do not believe. Your being here has a purpose; as it did last time."

She smiled coyly. "I was hoping you might think that way. That is why I have asked to meet with you."

"Ahem!" Drew cleared his throat just as a reminder to his companions that he did not know to whom they were speaking.

Sarah smiled. "I'm sorry." She spoke to Drew first. "This is Lukha's uncle, Vindicator Ocel." Drew beamed and offered his hand. "Ocel, this is Drew Stewart, my ..."

"Faithful puppy," Erik quickly injected.

Drew scowled at the dwarf, whose shoulders shook with quiet laughter. Sarah suppressed her own mirth; she knew Drew hated being referred to as that. Ocel accepted Drew's handshake.

The draenei's eyes darted between the company and he soon picked up on the camaraderie. "Welcome, Drew Stewart," he smiled. "You are in good hands." He said. Then, nodding at Erik, he added, "Small as they are."

It was Erik's turn to scowl, but the atmosphere in the room remained light and easy. Ocel seemed genuinely pleased to see Sarah, but she had come to request something which would begin a sequence of events that even she and Drew did not have absolute knowledge of the outcome. Still, it seemed the only way forward.

"I have come seeking your help Ocel." She began.

"Help? With what?" The draenei was clearly intrigued.

"I need to meet with the naaru and I thought perhaps with you and your people's connections with them, you may be able to arrange an audience?"

The draenei nodded. "That can be arranged, yes. But to what end?"

"I need to find out about an Elder naaru who communicated with Illidan Stormrage."

"The Betrayer? A naaru spoke with him?"

"Yes." She frowned at his objectionable tone when speaking of Illidan.

"Where do you come by such information? There is no account of this occurrence to my knowledge."

"It is based on lore written in my homeland. Once more we refer to the game Warcraft."

Ocel sat back in his chair, it creaked in protest under his enormous size. He did not doubt she had such information in her world but it seemed beyond belief that a naaru, a being of such purity, would commune with the likes of Illidan Stormrage. Ocel remembered Sarah fighting Illidan's case in court the first day she stood in front of the King, and she correctly forecast that the Illidari would fight for Azeroth, albeit in the Betrayer's name. But this?

He leaned forward, knitting his fingers together on the desk. "And tell me, Sarah, what do you hope to do if you speak with the naaru?"

She hesitated, glancing between Drew and Erik before settling a steady gaze on the draenei once more. "I will ask them to help me restore Illidan's soul from the Twisting Nether."

"Restore it?" Ocel laughed out loud. "To what?"

Sarah was resolute in her belief, and she pressed on with an unshakable determination. "I believe his body is still being kept in the Vault of the Wardens. I propose we go into the Vault to steal him back. We need to get him to Mardum, the demon's world, to reunite his body with his spirit which resides in the Twisting Nether."

At that Ocel roared with laughter again. Drew shrank in his chair, looking embarrassed, while Erik looked at Sarah wearing an "I told you so" expression.

Ocel's laughter started to wane as he looked at Sarah. Her eyes were like fire, her mouth taut. She was deadly serious. Without invitation, she rolled out her plan. Summon the demon hunters, including those who fought alongside the horde. Assemble an army to defend as they raid the Vault for Illidan's body.

With the help of Khadgar, hopefully, they would teleport Illidan out of the Vault to Mardum. There Illidan would be reborn, his spirit and body made whole. Then they all go to Suramar. With the construction of the Pillars of Creation near completion, the combined power from the assembled army and a revitalised Illidan, the Legion would be destroyed and the portal in Sargeras' Tomb closed forever.

Ocel leaned on his fist. "And you think a naaru, a very ancient one at that, would simply agree to all this?"

"It was the naaru who prophesied Illidan's rise to great things in the first place. It was the naaru who showed him the future and he saw himself laying waste to the demons as an army of followers looked on in awe. I don't know much about these beings of light, but I am certain they are a powerful race and have accomplished great things. I truly believe they play an integral part in the restoration of Illidan's soul. But, you're also right, I do not know if they will agree to it."

The draenei lowered his eyes and appeared deep in thought. After a few minutes, he looked back at Sarah.

"I will need to speak with Khadgar," he said, gauging her reaction. Sarah held fast, although he thought he saw her catch her breath.

"Do as you must," she replied. "I will wait to hear your decision."

"What if we decide against it, Sarah?" Ocel held her stare.

She took a deep breath. "Then, I will make my way to Shattrath and create holy hell if need be to speak with the naaru. Next, I will speak with the demon hunters directly, and I will, somehow, finish what Illidan started."

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