Kael'thas had been meditating in his tent when he was suddenly struck by a powerful surge of magical energy.
In truth, he had detected a faint, terrifying ripple of Fel magic even before arriving at Dalaran. It had been too weak to pinpoint then, but after settling into Rhodes's military camp, the sensation had become disturbingly clear. Without hesitation, Kael'thas headed straight to Rhodes's command tent to report the anomaly.
The Alliance and Horde had only recently defeated the Burning Legion at Mount Hyjal. Such a horrific Fel signature, coupled with the fact that nearby undead were falling into a mindless frenzy, suggested a new Legion plot that demanded immediate attention.
"I'm aware of it, Kael. I'll handle this," Rhodes said, setting aside his documents.
Rhodes didn't need to guess; he knew this was Illidan's doing. It was time to intervene—the Lich King had been weakened enough. If Illidan continued to bombard the North with the Eye of Sargeras, the entire continent of Northrend would sink. While that would certainly kill the Lich King, it would also release the Old Gods. At this stage, Rhodes wasn't ready to face the Old Gods, nor the maddened Titan Watchers of Ulduar.
In the original timeline, Malfurion and Tyrande had traveled to the Eastern Kingdoms to support Maiev Shadowsong. By chance, they encountered Kael'thas en route to the front lines, and the three of them joined forces to thwart Illidan and shatter the Eye of Sargeras. Now, however, Maiev was Rhodes's prisoner, and Tyrande and Malfurion remained at Moonglade. If Rhodes didn't act, Illidan would succeed.
"You know exactly what's happening, don't you, Rhodes?" Kael'thas asked, eyeing him with suspicion.
"I do, Kael. During the battle for Mount Hyjal, I formed an alliance with a Demon Hunter named Illidan. After the Legion's defeat, he was exiled by the Night Elves and eventually made his way to the Broken Isles, where we entered the Tomb of Sargeras together.
Inside, we recovered a powerful Fel artifact called the Eye of Sargeras. Illidan is currently using it to assault the Lich King on the Frozen Throne." Rhodes saw no reason to hide the truth from Kael'thas; he considered the Prince a friend, and he still needed Illidan's help regarding the waters of the Well of Eternity.
"A Fel artifact of Sargeras... no wonder the fluctuations are so intense," Kael'thas murmured. "Capurnia mentioned this Demon Hunter to me. This is good news, isn't it? If he's attacking the Lich King, we should be helping him."
To the Blood Elves, the Lich King was the ultimate target of their vengeance. Arthas had invaded Quel'Thalas on the Lich King's orders. If someone could destroy the source, their revenge would be complete. Kael'thas was even willing to assist Illidan in the ritual.
"We will have our revenge, Kael, but not like this," Rhodes said with a grim smile. "The power of Sargeras's artifact is too immense. Besides destroying the Frozen Throne, it will sink the entire continent of Northrend into the sea. Do you realize what that means?"
"Sink the entire continent? That... that is a staggering price," Kael'thas said, the excitement draining from his face. "If he succeeds, it would be a global catastrophe. A continent sinking would cause massive sea-level rises. Quel'Danas and even Silvermoon City would be flooded. Every island in the Great Sea would be affected."
"Exactly," Rhodes agreed. "And Northrend hides ancient powers you can't even imagine—including Ulduar, the city of the Titans. Imagine the fallout if a Titan stronghold were destroyed."
"Then why didn't you stop him sooner?" Kael'thas asked, puzzled. "If you knew the risks, why let him use the artifact at all?"
"Because the Lich King needed to be weakened," Rhodes explained. "I let Illidan use the Eye to crack the Frozen Throne and bleed Ner'zhul's power. It benefits us. But now, we must put a stop to it. The Lich King can be diminished, but Northrend must remain."
Rhodes also knew that his mole, Drak'thul, had completed his training and it was time to extract him. With the Lich King under attack, it was the perfect opportunity for the Forsaken faction to break away. Even now, the "idiot" Arthas would be feeling his power drain away, and the Dreadlords would soon move against him, forcing him to flee to Northrend to protect his master.
"I see. Then I will go with you," Kael'thas said. "I wish to meet this Illidan. Shall I mobilize the army?"
"Just the two of us. An army would only cause unnecessary trouble," Rhodes replied. He wasn't going there to wage war, but to persuade Illidan to stop. And if things turned sour, Rhodes was an army in his own right.
Rhodes briefed Jaina on the situation, leaving her in command of the human forces and the Phoenixes he had summoned. Kael'thas delegated command of the Blood Elves to Capurnia.
"You're not taking me this time, Rhodes?" Jaina asked.
"Not this time, dear. Stay here and lead the troops. If the undead attack again, use the Phoenixes to burn them. I'll be back shortly," Rhodes said.
"Very well. Be careful. I'll keep things stable here," Jaina nodded.
"If you're going after Illidan, you should take me," Maiev interjected. "I know him better than anyone, and he cannot best me in close quarters." She saw this as a golden opportunity—Illidan was using Fel magic to threaten the very life of Azeroth, proving her right about him all along.
Rhodes considered it. He knew Maiev's track record—she had captured Illidan in Outland shortly after he saved Tyrande. While a fully transformed Illidan should technically be stronger, Maiev was his perfect counter. Moreover, leaving her in the camp was a security risk.
"Fine. You're coming with us," Rhodes decided.
"A wise choice. I will be of use," Maiev said.
The trio left the camp and headed toward a hidden underground cavern east of Dalaran. Thanks to his warlock mole, Rhodes knew Illidan's exact location. After a few hours, they reached the cave entrance, which was guarded by a squad of Naga. Upon seeing the intruders, the Naga immediately raised their weapons in a defensive stance.