Brothers?

"Tyrande... is that your voice?" Illidan's voice trembled slightly. He wasn't afraid of the Female Elf before him, but rather seemed very excited. "After so many dark years, your voice shines on my soul like clear moonlight."

This passage, which sounded like a poem, contained not a single lie. Nathanos found it hard to imagine that someone who had been imprisoned for tens of thousands of years could say such a thing, and he himself was also puzzled that Illidan's words seemed to have touched something deep within him, causing him to lower his bow and arrow aimed at the prisoner.

Despite Illidan's honest confession, the Elf leader seemed unconvinced. She made no response and instead changed the subject, beginning to tell Illidan about something else.

"The Burning Legion has returned, Illidan. Your people need your strength once again."

The people? Does that mean his fellow countrymen? Yet he's imprisoned. And why did the Female Elf say "again"? Does that mean Illidan once helped the Night Elf fight off the Burning Legion? He should be a hero, but a hero's fate is this prison cell.

Filled with questions, Nathanos continued eavesdropping, wanting to see Illidan's reaction. The other turned his back to Tyrande. Nathanos was curious whether he could even see his surroundings; he assumed Illidan would refuse Tyrande. But a few minutes later, Illidan knelt on one knee, his body turning black, and his black tattoos turning green. A powerful surge of energy erupted from within him, shattering the chains binding him and the surrounding iron bars.

"He could have broken free of his restraints on his own..." Nathanos murmured involuntarily in astonishment.

Illidan stepped forward, standing precisely beside Tyrande, and spoke in the same tone as before, as if the Elf he cared about truly were her lover. "Because I care about you, Tyrande. I will hunt down those demons. But I owe the Night Elf nothing!"

Tyrande nodded and said straightforwardly, "Then let's hurry back to land! Every second we waste, the demonic corruption intensifies."

They left together. Nathanos had a good impression of Illidan; at least so far, he hadn't revealed to his beloved that an Undead was eavesdropping on their conversation. And Tyrande didn't seem to ask Illidan about the corpses on the ground.

"Every second wasted intensifies the demonic corruption?" Nathanos repeated Tyrande's words. He remembered that when he first arrived in Ashenvale Forest, he hadn't found any trace of demons, except for Mannoroth and Tichondrius, whom he had seen not long ago. But now he felt uneasy, wondering if many things had happened in the past two weeks.

The Lich King's order was for him to rescue Illidan, but it seems someone else has done the job for him. Just in case, he cautiously followed.

They hadn't gone far when they stopped at the crossroads between the Druids and the prison where Illidan was held. An Elf blocked Tyrande and Illidan's path. He too had antlers and carried a wooden staff. Behind him stood a group of burly, broad-shouldered night elves. The group of Night Elf clearly appeared to have just awakened from their slumber.

'Who is this guy?' Nathanos wondered to himself.

Tyrande and Illidan had different attitudes towards the person blocking their way. Tyrande called out the other person's name in a gentle tone, just as Illidan had done to her earlier.

Malfurion?

Illidan seemed quite uncomfortable with Tyrande's behavior, and he also said, "I have reached eternity, brother. I have reached eternity in the darkness."

Brothers? Nathanos's eyes widened. These two elves, whose appearances bore no Elf whatsoever, were brothers! But why was one a leader while the other was a prisoner? And why did they act as if they were enemies the moment they met? Nathanos felt a strange sense of joy; at least he was certain he wouldn't encounter such a situation.

Why would I think that way?

He shook his head and continued watching.

"Illidan!" Malfurion spoke, his voice unusually deep as he uttered the name, but the rest of his words rose in a loud, clear voice, as if proclaiming the other's crimes. "You are judged for your crimes, and for no other reason than this!"

"And by what right do you judge me? You can recall that we fought the demons side by side," Illidan retorted without backing down.

The argument escalated until Tyrande interrupted them sharply, "Enough!" The two brothers simultaneously turned their attention to their loved ones.

"You two! You've done what you had to do! My love!" These two words were spoken to Malfurion. "With Illidan's power, we can once again drive out the demons and save our beloved land."

Malfurion wasn't buying it. He loved Tyrande, but this time he had to question her decision. "Have you considered the cost, Tyrande? This traitor's 'help' could very well destroy us before the demons even arrive. We should have no further contact with him."

These words were so heartless that even Nathanos felt sorry for Illidan, and it was even more heartbreaking that they came from the mouth of his brother.

Nathanos didn't hear a word they said after that. The thought of the word "brother" always stirred something strange within him. What was wrong with him? He had never felt this way before.

Madness! Utter madness! Sylvanas had entered Ashenvale with Jaina. Not long ago, they had rescued an Orcs leader with the Horde. And now they had to find a way to contact her ancestors, the Night Elf, with the Horde, of course! This was the hardest thing for her to accept; fighting alongside her former enemies was truly unbelievable. Miraculously, she accepted. The prophet, the elusive seer, had promised Sylvanas something the Female Elf simply couldn't refuse; even if it meant cooperating with the Orcs, she forced herself to agree.

The allied forces deep in Ashenvale were attacked, not only by demons but also by the local inhabitants. Although Jaina had repeatedly ordered everyone not to harm a single blade of grass or tree, the territorially-minded Night Elf still considered them enemies. Perhaps this was due to their cooperation with the Orcs, and Grom Grommash's killing of Cenarius, the demigod revered by the Night Elf, creating a misunderstanding that was difficult to clear up.

"Nathanos ..." Sylvanas sat in the camp, fiddling with the weeds in her hands to pass the time.

"You?"

A voice came from very close to her.

"I know you!"

She looked up and saw an old face. But she... didn't recognize him!