Do the Forsaken have heartbeats?
Jaina became suspicious, guessing it must be some kind of magical core.
Sylvanas, as the Dark Lady and leader of the Forsaken reckoned with, and she must be hiding many secrets.
A voice came from outside the minecart, Taelan said ingratiatingly:
"Lord Garfrost, this is the ore destined for the Forge of Souls; it has been approved."
As expected of Tirion Fordring's son, Taelan is quite capable; he actually managed to obtain the permit. A rustling sound came from outside. Garfrost, having examined the permit, asked suspiciously:
Why didn't I know about this batch of ore?
Garfrost didn't make things difficult for Taelan and let her pass. Jaina breathed a sigh of relief, and the group started moving again. Garfrost caught up with a whooshing sound.
"No, something's wrong with this minecart; there's something hidden inside."
"It's over!" Jaina's heart sank. Garfrost was pointing to the minecart where the two women were hiding.
Sylvanas's gaze turned cold as she reached for the bow and arrows on her back, only to see Jaina shake her head.
"I need to see what's inside this minecart. Quick, empty the ore!" Garfrost shouted.
Taelan was terrified and at a loss for what to do. The Ghouls nearby stepped forward and forcefully pushed the minecart over.
Ore and planks fell out, revealing what was hidden inside the minecart: two Ghouls.
Even at the crucial moment, Jaina remained clear-headed and used magic to turn Sylvanas and herself into two Ghouls.
"Why are there two Ghouls inside the minecart?" Garfrost asked.
Taelan's mind raced, and he quickly devised a solution, calmly saying:
"Lord Garfrost, these two Ghouls have gone mad and can no longer mine ore. I plan to send them to the Forge of Souls to grind their souls. To prevent them from running away, I'll put them in a minecart."
"A stupid Ghoul?"
Lord Garfrost scratched his head. This Scourge lord was a tall Vrykul with a dignified expression, but unfortunately, he didn't know enough about magic to see through Jaina's spell.
"Don't try to fool me, you little laborer."
Garfrost grabbed Jaina, and a blast of Frost energy struck Jaina.
"It hurts!"
Jaina forced herself not to make a sound.
"Not feeling any magical damage, he must be out of his mind." Garfrost grabbed Sylvanas again and repeated the process, finally believing Taelan's lie.
"Let's go, let's go." Garfrost waved his hand. "Since they're just stupid Ghouls, they can only be sent to the Forge of Souls. Don't waste them."
Taelan directed the Ghouls to load the minecarts and leave as quickly as possible.
The group made their way forward without major incident. Jaina and Sylvanas were both injured and had to use magic to recover, but unfortunately, neither of them were healing classes, so their recovery was not very effective.
The team entered the Forge of Souls, a forge built above an abandoned mine. The enormous furnace was suspended in mid-air by chains, and its crimson Flames illuminated the sky.
In a corner near the Forge of Souls, Taelan released the two women and carefully instructed them:
"Your Majesties, after passing through the Forge of Souls and a long corridor, you'll reach the Halls of Reflections. It was originally a stronghold of the Scourge, guarded by Arthas's two most trusted captains. But recently, the Scourge has encountered problems; all the high-ranking generals have disappeared, and the Guards of the Halls of Reflections have been replaced with low-level Undead. With your strength, Your Majesties, infiltrating it shouldn't be difficult."
Jaina and Sylvanas both showed caution; they were already deep within the Scourge's territory, not far from Arthas's throne.
The two women proceeded cautiously, just as Taelan had described. Although they encountered countless patrolling guards along the way, they were all low-level Scourge soldiers. Jaina used her group invisibility magic to protect the two of them as they made their way.
They encountered difficulties in the Scourge's corridors, where large groups of soldiers patrolled back and forth, and numerous anti-stealth devices were installed.
Jaina simply transformed herself and Sylvanas into Scourge soldiers, and surprisingly, no one stopped them as they swaggered into the Halls of Reflections.
The Halls of Reflections was empty, the walls were filled with mirrors, and the sighs of ghosts echoed from it. At the far end of the Halls of Reflections, there was a long sword that gleamed coldly.
The Frostmourne.
Upon seeing Frostmourne, Sylvanas immediately became envious and was about to step forward and pick up this Legendary artifact.
Jaina grabbed Sylvanas and asked, "Where is the Helm of Domination?"
Sylvanas sneered, "Little girl, the Helm of Domination should have been kept with Frostmourne. It was probably taken away by Arthas. You're really unlucky."
Jaina frowned, thought for a moment, and said, "You're lying to me. There's no Helm of Domination in the Halls of Reflections, is that right?"
Sylvanas calmly replied, "Little girl, are you dissatisfied? Then let's have a duel here. If we alert the Scourge, none of us will escape."
Jaina then realized she had been tricked. Although she was trembling with anger, there was nothing she could do.
Sylvanas strode towards Frostmourne, her gaze burning, and murmured:
"Haha, Frostmourne, everyone says you're an ominous, cursed sword, but anyone with a brain knows you're a symbol of power and authority. To wield Frostmourne is to control the Scourge Army. Arthas was originally an exiled Prince of Lordaeron, but because of you he became the Lich King. Rest assured, Frostmourne, I will be a far superior leader of the Scourge than Arthas."
Sylvanas was about to grab Frostmourne when a loud shout rang in her ears:
"Stop, you rotten, foolish woman, this is a trap."
Sylvanas hated being called rotten more than anything. She looked angrily in the direction of the voice and saw the image of a Human Veteran reflected in a mirror.
"You are the Emissary Lorne!"
Jaina was both surprised and delighted. In fact, neither Sylvanas nor Jaina had intended to save this Emissary, but they unexpectedly encountered him by chance.
"Emissary, how can I get you out of here?" Jaina asked hurriedly.
The Human Veteran glared at the two women and snorted coldly:
"It's clear that none of you came for me. Frostmourne harbors the Lich King's curse; whoever wields it will have their soul harvested, becoming a sacrifice to Frostmourne. You cannot save me. My body is destroyed, and my soul is sealed within this mirror. With your abilities, none of you can break this mirror."
Sylvanas and Jaina exchanged a glance. Although they had failed to rescue the Emissary Lorne or obtain Frostmourne, seeing Lorne in person was enough to give them some closure with the Moon Goddess Emissary.
The Human Veteran whispered, "Rescuing me isn't difficult. All you need is courage and a willingness to sacrifice. The Scourge Army has been severely weakened. If the Alliance and the Horde unite, they could very well take Icecrown Citadel."
Sylvanas and Jaina were both skeptical when the Human Veteran suddenly reminded them:
"Quick, hide! Someone's coming!"
The two women quickly hid in a corner, Jaina used an invisibility spell.
The door to the Halls of Reflection opened, and an elderly man walked in.
Upon seeing this person's appearance, Jaina and Sylvanas were taken aback.
If I hadn't met Arthas before, I would never have believed that the old man with a wrinkled face, white hair and beard, and a faltering gait was the Lich King Arthas.