#solandis

"Soon, my power will break and corrupt you, Solandis. You will be the harbinger of destruction in Quel'thalas, and you will obey the legions command."

"No, I refuse to submit to you, Xaradun. I w-will contain you within once again." Solandis could barely find the strength to argue with the demon within, his mind slowly slipped away into darkness as he rushed to tattoo himself. His body shook violently as he attempted to jab at his skin with a blade soaked in ink and demon blood. Deep within his mind, he knew his attempts at containing Xaradun would prove fruitless.

The storm had finally reached land and reared its ugly face as rain had began to batter Solandis's scaled hide. The wind had grown even stronger, but the weight of his body was enough to keep him grounded. He knew that he couldn't keep this mental fight up for much longer. Lightning had struck at the peak of the mountain, making Solandis loose his focus and his grip on the blade.

Suddenly, a feeling that could only be described as a thousand blades jabbing at his brain placed his whole body in shock, sending him toppling over to the ground. He knew he was done for, his torment was finally over. For once since his ritual, he had felt worry for others, he had worried for Aeleara and all the innocent's in Quel'thalas.

"I have won Solandis, you were truly a fool to believe you could contain such reckless power, and now you and your people will suffer for your mistake." Everything around him turned to darkness, his sense of feelings had also been lost. He slowly started to turn when in the endless darkness, a light had began to glow in the distance. It grew in brightness and strength as it had grew closer towards him, and he strangely felt familiar with the energy that surrounded his broken body.

Suddenly, his mind was free of worry and doubt as he felt a burst of light shoot through his entire body, freeing his mind and weakening Xaradun. Solandis found the strength to get back up onto his feet and cancel out the dark whispers of the demon. The sound of unrelenting rain and thunder was soon broken by a soft and familiar voice.

"I see you have broken from your prison Solandis, and I see your powers were getting to your head again." Aeleara chirped, her angelic voice piercing through the storm's fury.

"Aeleara?! I... I am sorry. My will was not my own when I had broken free from that damned cage. The demon inside of me was gaining control over me, and I would of lost myself had you not come at this exact moment."

For once Solandis has felt his empathy returning to him, something he had not felt ever since completing his ritual. His body gave off steam as the rain soaked him. He towered over his sister and looked down at her, the storms strength still grew in power, lightning struck all around the peak of the mountain.

The moon had began creeping above the mountaintops as they had met face to face for the second time, both had swore to be non aggressive during the meeting. Solandis’s skin gave off a sickly glow in the pale moonlight as Aeleara’s blue eyes radiated in the darkness.

“I am glad you and me could have this talk, sister. I had expected better hospitality from you when we had first met in the Plaguelands.” Solandis said with a sheepish grin, his voice sounding hoarse and raspy.

“Had you honestly expected me to let something that looks the way you do live? Look at yourself, you have let yourself become an abomination in your quest for “power”. What reason do I have to trust you? You are a traitor and you had let your very own family suffer in your absence!” Aeleara shouted with a shrill voice, echoing throughout the trees.

“You think your own once beloved brother speaks the truth? I am done with the Illidari, are you so foolish to believe that enough members still exist to make the group powerful? Most of them are either dead or imprisoned, and me, well, I was one of the more lucky ones. Believe me when I tell you this; a storm is coming, one this world has not seen the likes of. Would you not want more help on your side or would you rather cling to old beliefs that all of my kind are evil at heart?” Solandis said, his face still retaining the shoddy grin.

“Enough! We had agreed to a civil discussion, yet here we are throwing our words like knives.

I knew this discussion would prove fruitless, you are not the man I once remembered! You have lost your mind, and with it, the only family you’ve had left. I can only do one thing now, and that is free you from your suffering! Your skin is scaled and smouldered, your eye sockets burn with the fel! I am sorry it had to come to this, brother.” Aeleara said with a tear flowing down her eye as she had drawn her fathers sword, Shodabease.

Solandis had unsheathed his monstrous warglaives from his back and the two circled around each other as if they were vultures descending upon their prey. Each step they took they grew closer until their blades were pointed at each other's necks, yet neither of them could bring themselves to strike first. Just as the tension had reached its peak, the sound of the rustling of feet treading across leaves and broken glass interrupted the intense moment. Both of their heads snapped around only to notice their father's grave had been dug up, the dirt had been laying there for quite a time.

A very chill wind swept across the two as two glowing blue eyes stared daggers into their very souls. The figure had advanced onto them until the moonlight had lit up the strangers form. Aeleara’s ears wilted and tears began to stream down her face as she had noticed the figure. It was her own father, Lord Aerthaen Starwhisper, risen from undeath as a mindless death knight.

“F...father! W-who did this to you?!” She yelled, tears still streaming down her face.

“Lord Sithid Darkmantle sends his regards in death, my once beloved!” Aerthaen had shrieked as he advanced, sending sharpened shards of ice hurdling towards Aeleara and Solandis.

Solandis charged forward at his own father, silent and tense.

Aeleara had blacked out from her own despair at that moment, the stress of seeing her once beloved father raised as something she had hated the most by her own mortal enemy was too much for her to take in. The sound of blades meeting reverberated in her head as she faded in and out of consciousness.

Silence dawned upon her as she suddenly snapped awake, her limp body now jumping up off the ground, wielding her sword in hand. The first thing she noticed was Aerthaen holding her brother by his horn, his other one broke off during their short conflict.

“S-sister...I tried to protect you...but I’ve failed.. It is up to you now.” Solandis said as he fell unconscious in his father's frozen grip.

“Dearest Aeleara, I hope you are not as weak as your fledgling brother, he was fast, but not fast enough to outwit me!” Aerthaen snarled as he dropped Solandis’s limp body to the ground and brandished his fearsome axe. Aeleara’s sadness had then turned to ferocious anger in that moment as she charged forth fearlessly at her father and drove his own sword through his rotten heart, light seeping from his eyes as the evil in his soul was vanquished.