The entrance to the maze was perfectly groomed into a complex geometrical pattern. Flower beds, statues, benches and fountains adorned the landscape to tastefully create a scenic, small park vibe.

The rain had halted due to a small parting of the clouds, allowing a faint stream of light through.

Bright yellow cascaded off the water, and made the statues of famous figures, and creatures seem to come to life. The magic in the marble made Varrus think that they would undergo a ‘Night in the Museum’ type of experience, and suddenly animate.

Furthermore, a centrally located sundial ticked along, using brightly glowing magical runes to indicate the hour of the day. As 12 o'clock drew near, the dial lit up, and began to play a soothing chime.

At the entrance, the two guards, Rho'dan and Dranarus stood idly by.

Rho'dan appeared to be in deep, emotional turmoil as his self-professed rival was spouting off a litany of rumors, factoids, and hearsay.

Varrus chuckled at his friend's plight. He could only imagine what it would be like to associate with an immortal chatterbox. Why, it might even drive one to suicide if they had to put up with nonstop babble.

Rho'dan gave him the stink eye, to which Varrus replied with a cheerful wave.

His chief protector was a stickler for decorum, and a silent guardian. A man who was stalwart in the face of lethal odds, and didn't so much as tremble in the face of a demigod was having his eye twitch from a mountain of compressed rage.

It was glorious.

Varrus almost admired Knight-Lord Dranarus for the ability to talk ad nauseum. He wondered if it was a craft he had developed to annoy the piss out of people, or if it was genuinely how he operated.

Whilst Rho'dan was getting his ear talked off, Varrus and company had changed into new outfits.

Decked out in trainee's gear, Varrus and Kael’Thas wore simple, sleeveless tunics, and shorts. The ladies opted for a more freeing approach, wearing loose fitting tank tops, and snug fitting bike shorts, their equipment evoked both Varrus and Kael's imagination, as the ladies revealed just enough skin that the men couldn't keep their eyes off of them.

“Like what you see?” Jan'alai flexed her biceps, and scrunched her abdomen, showing off her muscular midsection.

Syra for her part, held onto Varrus’ hand, and refused to let go.

Kael looked away towards a patch of perfectly manicured grass, ear tips glowing red.

Varrus squeezed Syra's hand, and met her eyes, acknowledging her, he then turned to address Kael.

“Is grass so interesting, your Majesty?” Varrus called out.

“Nonsense, I'm simply admiring the greenery, I've been stuck studying ancient tomes and maps the last few days, and need some fresh air.” Kael snapped his focus away from the ground, and looked Varrus in the eye.

“Oh, aye, the greenery I gotchu.” Varrus smiled, and gave a thumbs up. “Personally, I appreciate the gold of the light.” Varrus said, side-eying his wife. “But far be it for me to tell a man what attracts his gaze.”

“Are you all prepared, Highlord, Prince?” Rho'dan stepped forward at that moment, ruining Varrus’s teasing.

“Yes, yes, more than ready.” Kael said petulantly as he strode forward to enter the maze.

“Don't forget the mana restricting manacles Kael!” Varrus raised a hand to his mouth, and shouted.

Kael raised his index finger up in protest, then slowly let his arm fall down as Jan'alai came up behind him, and bound them together.

At the same time, Varrus felt the restricting effects of the manacles once Syra chained then together.

The mana in his body suddenly felt sluggish, and would not operate according to his wishes.

Checking his status, Varrus saw it had two effects.

[Mana Restricting Manacles: Drains 5 mana per second until recipient has 10 mana in total.

&

Limits internal flow of mana, increasing spell cost by 90%]

After looking at the status, Varrus determined that the manacles didn't completely halt his spell casting, but they did contain a sinister enchantment.

It was especially deadly for Elves if worn long term. Drained down to 10 mana, most any Elf would be too weak to do anything, or resist their captors.

As far as increasing the spell cost, Varrus theorized that there were very few if any devices that could 100% halt mana or the means to cast magic. Otherwise, such devices would have been employed by the Titans onto the Old Gods when they were imprisoned.

Like any fantasy world, there would always be those few super strong individuals that could break their bindings, and Varrus figured that if he or Kael truly tried, they could destroy the manacles. However, for 98% of humanoids, these cuffs were inescapable.

“Happy hunting!” Rho'dan clapped, ushering Varrus and Syra inside.

Varrus rolled his eyes at Rho'dan, then chose an entrance separate from Kael, branching left while the Prince went right.

Whilst he had agreed to Kael’s terms, he wasn't all too worried that he would lose.

For one, he had insider information of the flag’s placement, thanks to Rho'dan. At the center of the maze was a big ass tree, at the top of which rested the object determining victory.

Secondly, thanks to the Alteration perk, Intuitive Magic every Novice/Apprentice spell from all schools of magic cost 0 mana to cast.

Paired with the vanilla Skyrim, novice Alteration spell, Clairvoyance, and he could find his way through this maze with his eyes closed.

Clairvoyance: Shows the path to the current goal.

Varrus leisurely held onto Syra with his right hand, whilst his left hand cast the spell. A faint blue stream of light spilled forth in front of him, and guided him towards the big tree at the center of the maze.

“My husband is so strong, not even the most feared of enchantments can hold him back.” Syra said in a bragging tone.

“I'm sure you could too.” Varrus said, slightly embarrassed the way she was clinging to his arm, and talking him up.

“Could I break the manacles? Yes, absolutely. However, could I reliably cast magic whilst chained up? I don't think you know how amazing you are at times.” Syra said as she concentrated some Light magic in her hand, only to have it sputter out a moment later.

Shaking her head, and laughing, Syra picked up the hand that Varrus was casting magic with, then poked it, lowered his arm, and even shook him like a tree in the wind to see what would happen.

Syra's actions were annoying at first, but the look of genuine curiosity, and wonder on her face melted Varrus’ heart. She was like a kid that had seen a magic trick for the first time, and was trying to reason with the unreasonable.

Chuckling softly at her antics, Varrus was reminded of a cat that could stare at, and swipe at a mouse toy all day long.

God, she was beautiful.

The sun piercing through the intermittent clouds brought out the color in her blonde hair, making it shine with health and luster.

Her skin was a healthy tan, and was smooth to the touch. The way her bust swayed with each step, and her hair fluttered in the wind made him feel an inexplicable urge.

Syra seemed to feel this pent up desire, and met his intense, lust filled gaze with a brilliant smile.

“Later, my love. For now, I wish to beat that two-timing Prince, and savor the look on his face as we crush his hopes and dreams. To think he could best my husband? I'll kill him.” Syra silently muttered to herself as she rubbed her face against Varrus’ side like some sort of cat.

Varrus settled for briefly kissing her on the cheek as he kept moving forward. He heard less than half of Syra’s mumbled talk, and the less he knew, the better.

Frankly, he was just happy to walk side by side with his wife, and enjoy the beauty of nature. No cars honking, no train flattering on the tracks, crowds of people, or sirens in the distance. Just him, and his wife.

Squeezing her hand, Varrus was reassured that he wasn't fighting all of Warcraft alone. That he had a support base, and something to go home to.

Varrus had a loving, supportive wife, and was planning to create a lasting peace that his children could enjoy. For that, holding the reins of power was necessary.

He had never imagined he would aim to become a father back on Earth, but now that the responsibility had presented itself, his entire ethos had shifted.

Actions like he had undertaken with Dakar once seemed unimaginable to him. And they still did. But everything was in service to his family, and to the people who relied upon his support.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

He was no longer a faceless member of society, one whose fate was subject to the whims of distant policy makers.

Now, he was a leader, his every action or inaction carrying consequences.

Consequences that affected her.

Varrus smiled, and let a tear drip down the side of his cheek as he beheld the perfect woman, and everything he fought for.

Syra was marveling at the nearby flowers, taking in unique arrangements, and occasionally mumbling the names and effects that they could produce.

Her knowledge of herbalism was endearing, and something Varrus eagerly supported.

There was nothing quite like seeing someone you loved, enjoy themselves in their hobby.

It was moments like this that made him firm his resolve, and to keep living.

Moments that were going to become fewer and fewer as the drums of war increased their tempo.

Just thinking of the multiple, world shattering conflicts slated for the future was enough to drive one to madness. All Varrus could do was prepare himself, and his people for that danger. If he was lucky, he could snuff out some of these problems in the cradle before they materialized.

He would start with Kael.

That boy was damaged, and the introduction of Fel magic into his system was doing no favors.

Once Varrus purged the substance out of his friend, he would have to set him straight, and warn him against the foul energy. From his POV, it was like watching a high-school friend get addicted to meth. Fel magic for an Elf was like skipping all the other illicit items, and going straight to the top of the totem pole.

While a game like capture the flag was a silly means to lower Kael’s defenses, and make the task of blasting him with Light magic easier, Varrus found that the best way to communicate with a troubled friend was a heart to heart talk.

He had made up with his best friend, and older brother on Earth by pouring his heart out. Considering his experience, Varrus firmly believed that the bonds of brotherhood grew stronger with open dialogue.

All too often it was easy to misconstrue someone else's words or intentions, leading to festering thoughts.

Varrus saw the hurt in Kael’s spirit, and not only for the good of their friendship, but the stability of all of Quel'Thalas, Varrus would have to set him straight.

“I think we’re here.” Syra quietly spoke up.

Emerging from the maze, Varrus and Syra stood in a large circular courtyard. There were benches aplenty, as well as an inoperable teleportation pad, indicating that this spot saw frequent use.

In the center of the courtyard was the massive tree that served as the hiding place of the flag. It was a white tree, tall as a 7 story building, wide like a double decker bus, and was flush with lovely orange leaves.

As soon as Varrus stepped into the clearing to admire the tree, he heard rustling coming from within the bushes, and prepared himself in the event that a wild animal, or heaven forbid, a Ghoul came springing forth.

The basic Flames spell rested in the palm of his hand, and he was ready to blast the varment to kingdom come!

Much to his surprise, Jan'alai and Kael’Thas came barreling out of the maze looking like they had spent 3 days with no food in the jungle.

Kael's shirt was missing, and wait, no, his shirt was wrapped around Jan'alai's chest, and was tied to her torn tank top to prevent her giant breasts from spilling out.

Furthermore, Kael had twigs in his hair, and was spitting out a fly.

Jan'alai was half carrying him, and being none too subtle when it came to sharing skin with the Prince.

“We made it!” Jan'alai cheered.

“Whether it was in one piece remains to be determined.” Kael muttered.

“Look, Goldilocks, they're here too, and the flag is at the top of the tree, we have no time to waste!” Jan'alai pointed out excitedly.

“Just let me catch my brea-eh-eath!” Kael said hunched over, only to lose himself as Jan'alai threw him over her shoulders like Donkey Kong kidnapping Princess Peach.

The Forest Troll then began to scale the tree at speed, like a monkey.

Varrus and Syra hadn't remained idle at this time, and were jumping up from branch to branch like a pair of ninjas.

Each and every one of their hops was nearly in sync, and they had surpassed Jan'alai.

“Oh no you don't!” Jan'alai grinned as she violently shook a branch, causing Varrus to slip just as his foot landed.

Varrus saw the sky upside down for a second before Syra pulled him up.

“Thanks, I-”

“No talk, win!” Syra rebuked Varrus’ thanks, then moved to jump.

Jan'alai had taken the lead, and it was looking close!

Varrus bit his lip. He really didn't want to let Kael’Thas go on his expedition!

For one second, Varrus cast the novice spell Longstride, increasing his speed by 20%.

At the same time, he cradled Syra, and with his enchanted strength due to his stats, flip kicked his way to the top of the tree right as Jan'alai was about to snatch it.

“Got it!” Varrus cheered.

As soon as they returned to the ground, Varrus was met by Rho'dan who unlocked the cuff binding him to Syra.

His wife looked slightly irate, but she didn't say a word.

“Why do you have to do this? Why don't you see that killing Arthas will cascade into ultimate victory?” Kael said angrily as he jumped off Jan'alai's shoulders.

“We will have our revenge, I promise you that. But you don't even know what you're up against. Rushing blindly head first into millions of Undead is suicide. We must re-conquer our land first, and scout out the enemy.” Varrus said as he prepared one of his Restoration spells whilst Kael was still chained to Jan'alai.

“Can't you see? If we don't slay this Lich King’s greatest general, then the zombies will be endless. We must act!” Kael’Thas said bitterly.

Varrus rubbed the bridge of his nose. Confronting an emotional friend was never fun.

“That is a good point Kael, but you as well as everyone else knows that the Scourge served the Lich King, they won't shut up about it! As we discussed earlier, Arthas is not the Lich King.” Varrus said, for the first time beginning to grow irate.

“Then you would have us sit still, do nothing? We can ally with the humans, make a concentrated push, then send out a strike team to take out their leader!” Kael took a step forward, coming almost eye to eye with Varrus.

“Will you uphold your end of the bargain, or not?” Varrus said tersely, holding his hand out for a shake to seal the deal.

Kael looked at his open palm for an uncomfortably long time, before he sighed, and grabbed on for a handshake.

Varrus felt Syra tighten up to him with a death grip straight out of a kung fu movie, but Varrus refused to give her any ground. He had to get over this hurdle for the betterment of his friend, and the security of Quel'Thalas.

“I do not like it, Varrus, but you won the wager. I am loath to return to the way of our fathers, but don’t think you can win every disagreement this way.” Kael said in exasperation.

“I’m relieved that you believe me. I just have one more thing to say before I leave you to your greenery. When that rift opened up, a large amount of Fel magic poured into our atmosphere. I noticed that when a Highborn inhales, or absorbs any amount of Fel energy, their irises turn green, and their emotional faculties become warped.” Varrus said slowly, and deliberately, like he was softly letting someone know that yes, they were an alcoholic, and no, they weren't being judged.

Kael's eyes widened in surprise at the revelation.

Varrus saw Kael’s mind tick away as he interpreted Varrus’s words. The Prince was not a simpleton, and quickly came to a conclusion.

“Hmm. I had been feeling…different. More confident, more in control. I merely attributed that to me accepting my responsibilities. But I never imagined I would do something like this.” Kael stroked his chin, then pointed at his shirtless chest.

‘Okay, that was a worrying obsessive thing for Kael to say.’ Varrus thought to himself as he saw the greasy tentacles of Fel energy grip ahold of his friend.

This was still salvageable! Varrus could do this!

“That was with just a tiny fraction of Fel energy entering your system. Confidence becomes arrogance, and a minor disagreement with a friend turns into paranoia. There is an enclave of Elves in Eldre'Thalas on Kalimdor, now commonly known as Dire Maul. They kept in contact with Silvermoon until recently, their disappearance is due to the corruptive nature of Fel magic.” Varrus seriously intoned.

“I've heard about them, they were overrun by Ogres, were they not?” Kael questioned.

“That is incorrect. The truth is, that they went mad siphoning Fel magic and killed one another to hoard power. You, my friend, only have 5% of this energy in your system, and unlike the you of 2 days ago, you have acted with anger, disregarding compassion, and are simply not yourself.” Varrus cautioned.

“Is it wrong to be confident? Decisive? This new energy gives me passion, drive to see to the safety of our people like never before, can you not see that? I am nothing like those others.” Kael pressed back.

Varrus had to admit, he would like for his friend to be more confident, and less of a pushover, but not like this. He had seen what Kael became in Canon. The sniveling wretch in the Burning Crusade expansion that Kael transformed into was a character assassination of the highest order.

Varrus was loath to see his friend transform into the equivalent of a paranoid meth addict, and would do anything to keep him from going down that path.

“5% Kael, you are only tainted by a mere fraction of Fel energy. You are an intelligent Elf, one of the smartest I know. But to experiment with other, corruptive types of energy, we must wear enchantments that protect the mind. Otherwise, we are lost. I know that you enjoy this newfound confidence, but I must purge it from your system, for your health and sanity.” Varrus said, then without giving Kael another chance to get a word in edgewise, blasted him with Holy Light.

Dranarus drew his sword, but Rho'dan was ready, and intercepted him before anything could be done.

After a moment, Varrus let up on his spell, and took a gander at the Prince.

“You alright there, Goldilocks?” Jan'alai questioned, slapping him on the back.

Kael stared Varrus down, then sighed, and rubbed his now piercing blue eyes.

“It is quite the rush, the feeling of Fel coursing through your veins…thank you for freeing me from that state, my friend.” Kael said, seemingly with great reluctance.

“Glad to have you back, Kael. However, that doesn't mean I won't be checking you for Fel corruption periodically. I know how addictive it can be, I'm counting on you, Jan'alai to keep him on the straight and narrow.” Varrus said with some amusement.

“You want me to watch over Goldilocks? I think I can manage that.” Jan'alai said with a wide grin.

“Now see here, I don't require any baby sitting-” Kael bit out, but was interrupted by Jan'alai as she leaned down, and planted a wet kiss on his lips.

“D-did you just…” Kael stuttered, seemingly paralyzed in a stunlock.

“Want me to do it again?” Jan'alai said huskily.

Varrus turned to Rho'dan, and saw the same look in his eye.

And Syra had loosened her grip on him.

Mission accomplished!

Now that things were back on track, Varrus would have to find the time to use enchant a ring and amulet with some of his Greater Soul Gems, so that his best friend would never be in fear of running out of mana whilst he went on campaign to clear out Quel'Thalas.

Of course, he would have to hand them off to Rho'dan so that his wife didn't misconstrue this as something that it wasn't.

Things were looking up for Varrus. He had successfully prevented Kael’Thas from going down the route to Outland, and becoming corrupted by Illidan.

Now all he had to do was hash out the future direction of the entire kingdom with the rest of the Convocation. That was going to be a bureaucratic nightmare, but it had to be done.

There was a reason why the most intelligent people on the planet avoided politics. Unfortunately for Varrus, that wasn't really an option.

How fun.