Tichondrius attempted to struggle, but he discovered to his horror that the other's Holy Light was powerful to a preposterous degree. The divine energy locked him down, even sealing the surrounding space; he was utterly unable to flee.
Although demons cannot be truly killed outside the Twisting Nether, being sent back there for such a reason would surely earn him a sanction from Sargeras—or worse, he might be handed over to the Shivarra Coven to be tortured into something neither man nor ghost.
"It's nothing; I just want you to be more respectful when you speak to me from now on. Otherwise, I'll personally send you back to the Nether," Rhodes said with a cold sneer.
What a joke. Rhodes had killed more than his share of Dreadlords. Before the Battle of Mount Hyjal, he had teamed up with Illidan to take down Tichondrius once. Back then, Illidan was the heavy hitter while Rhodes played support, and he had kept a low profile. Clearly, ten thousand years later, this wretch didn't recognize him.
In subsequent battles, Rhodes had repeatedly slain Dreadlords in Lordaeron and the Black Temple; he knew their weaknesses and escape routes like the back of his hand.
The giant hand of Holy Light gripped Tichondrius firmly. The golden radiance clashed violently with the shadow energy surging from the Dreadlord, creating a "sizzling" corrosive sound. The Dreadlord's body twisted in agony within the Light-cage, and for the first time, the face that always wore a mocking smirk showed genuine pain and terror.
"Lord Rhodes, please, stay calm! I believe there is a misunderstanding between us!" Tichondrius's voice was no longer composed, but laced with urgency as a fawning expression appeared on his face. "I admit my words earlier were offensive, but this is, after all, internal business under Lord Sargeras. Is it not a bit much to treat a Legion Commander this way?"
"A bit much? You think you're worthy of that title?" Rhodes sneered. The golden hand tightened further, making the Dreadlord's bones emit an overburdened "creak."
"When you were trying to sow discord between me and Her Majesty just now, why didn't the words 'a bit much' cross your mind? If your slander caused a rift in the portal's construction and delayed Lord Sargeras's arrival, could you—dare you—take responsibility for that? Furthermore, Lord Sargeras personally granted me an audience and promised that my future status would be second only to Queen Azshara. To put it accurately, I am your future superior. Yet you dare to mock me? Who gave you the courage?"
These words carried immense weight, directly linking Tichondrius's meddling to the potential failure of Sargeras's grand plan, while reinforcing Rhodes's new rank. The Dreadlord's face paled further—he truly could not shoulder such a responsibility.
Standing to the side, Azshara's eyes gleamed with triumph. Rhodes was powerful; without the Well of Eternity, even she might not be his match. Being protected by such a strong male was every woman's wish, and Queen Azshara was no exception. Perhaps after Sargeras arrived, Rhodes could become a Prince of the Empire—her husband in truth as well as name.
She looked down on ordinary Night Elves; every male of her race looked at her with nothing but awe and reverence. But in Rhodes's eyes, she saw none of that, and it was exhilarating! She almost felt like dragging him back to her chambers right then and there for a "vigorous battle."
She admired the dominance Rhodes displayed in defending her dignity as Queen. However, she also knew that if Rhodes seriously injured or killed a Dreadlord commander, it would catch Sargeras's attention and might make the Dark Titan doubt their loyalty. She had to intervene.
"Rhodes, that is enough," Azshara finally spoke. "Lord Tichondrius is an important member of the Legion, after all. Take this as a lesson and release him."
Her words were diplomatic—meaning he shouldn't be let off easy, but they shouldn't completely burn bridges yet. Rhodes turned and locked eyes with Azshara for a few seconds. He read the deeper meaning in her gaze: don't actually let him go unscathed, but handle it with enough "finesse" to establish dominance without causing an unfixable mess.
"As the Queen commands, I shall obey," Rhodes said slowly. At the same time, the hand of Light flared with a dazzling brilliance and began to sear the Dreadlord's body.
"Argh! Aaaagh! Rhodes, are you—do you intend to kill me? How dare you!" Tichondrius screamed in terror as he felt his very soul being scorched by divine flames. This was bad. Did this man truly intend to execute him?
"I don't intend to kill you, Tichondrius, but while the death penalty is waived, punishment is mandatory. I want you to pay the price." Rhodes spoke fiercely as he increased the intensity of the sear—using a "low heat" to slowly roast the Dreadlord. It only burned the skin and muscle tissue while leaving the internal organs intact. With a Legion Healthstone, he'd be fine eventually, but the agony was absolute.
"Aaargh! Curse you! You... you bastard, Rhodes! Aaaagh!" Tichondrius's screams sounded like a slaughtered pig. Being roasted alive on a spit was an indescribable pain, and the humiliation was even worse. Two Doomguards were watching the whole thing. Their job was to guard the altar, not a specific Dreadlord. This story would surely spread through the Legion ranks, making Tichondrius a laughingstock.
After an hour of torment, Tichondrius was more dead than alive. Seeing that any more would send him back to the Nether, Rhodes finally released him.
After letting the Dreadlord go, Rhodes followed up with a healing spell. A Holy Light heal wouldn't work on a demon, but a generic Heal spell could. The spell Rhodes cast restored at least 200 health, barely enough to pull the demon back from the brink of death.
As a green light flickered, Tichondrius went from "near-death" to "half-dead." Rhodes stepped forward and planted his foot firmly on the right side of the Dreadlord's face, then gave Azshara a meaningful look.
The Queen understood instantly. Smiling, she stepped forward and placed her own foot on the left side of the Dreadlord's face. To have a high-ranking Legion commander under her heel satisfied Azshara's vanity to the extreme.
This is it, she thought. The feeling of being protected by a powerful male is wonderful. Xavius was a fool who did nothing but fawn over the Legion soldiers, and her court mages were the same. Ever since the Legion started arriving, those mages who used to worship her had turned to brown-nosing the demons. This public humiliation of a Dreadlord reasserted her authority beautifully.
"Now, Tichondrius, do you know your mistake? You dared to try and come between me and Queen Azshara," Rhodes said smugly.
"I... I know my mistake, Lord Rhodes. Please... spare my life!" Tichondrius could only beg for mercy. Dreadlords were masters of being "flexible." As the saying goes, where there is life, there is hope. If he kept talking back, this man would definitely kill him. He'd just have to swallow his pride for now.
Once Lord Sargeras arrives, he thought, I will find a way to deal with this "power couple." I'll make them learn the price of offending me.
"And me, Tichondrius? You haven't apologized to me—apologize to Queen Azshara," Azshara added.
A flash of ruthlessness crossed Tichondrius's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a fawning smile as he apologized once more. Satisfied, Rhodes and Azshara lifted their feet, releasing him.
"Her Majesty's lesson was just... Lord Rhodes is correct... it was my big mouth," Tichondrius bowed slightly, keeping his posture low. But the cold glint in his downcast eyes indicated this was far from over. "The construction of the portal is paramount. I will ensure my demons cooperate fully. I wouldn't dream of any further insolence."
"Let us hope so," Azshara said dismissively with a wave of her hand. "Leave us. I have important matters to discuss with Rhodes."
"As you wish." Tichondrius bowed again and vanished into a swarm of bats in the shadows.
Once the Dreadlord's aura was completely gone, Azshara turned back to Rhodes. "That was incredibly satisfying, Rhodes. I've wanted to teach those fools a lesson for a long time, but never had the chance."
"If Your Majesty wishes, I can teach every demon in the Burning Legion a lesson one by one," Rhodes joked. "Mannoroth, Hakkar the Houndmaster—none of them are my match. The Holy Light counters them perfectly."
"Oh, that's a wonderful idea. But right now, I'd much rather you use that Light to soothe me. I find myself in need of... 'divine' comfort. Come with me, quickly!" The Queen appeared quite excited.
Rhodes pursed his lips, knowing exactly where this was going. "Your Majesty, that Dreadlord won't let this go. I think we can do this... and then this..."
"No problem, I'll leave the operation to you. Now, come comfort me. I'm in quite a hurry." Azshara took Rhodes by the hand and led him back to her chambers.