Thrall stood on the hillside, gazing at the black fortress in the distance, which resembled a terrifying behemoth, as well as the scattered houses and vast fields of crops nearby.
"This is Blackmist Fortress? It doesn't look like much. Durnholde Keep, which imprisoned me back then, was far more magnificent than this fortress, yet I still managed to escape. I even personally killed Blackmoore. The mighty Warsong Clan was stuck in the Blackmist Wilderness for ten years because of this tiny fortress?"
Thrall burst into laughter. To Thrall, killing the human who had raised this body was a great honor.
Saurfang followed behind Thrall, carefully maintaining his distance, and said respectfully:
"How can Grom Hellscream, a mere mortal, compare to the glory of the great Savior?"
Well said.
Thrall was pleased; his subordinates were used to flattering him, which proved that his authority was secure.
The area around the fortress was completely empty; not a single person could be seen.
Arthas's visit made Baron Rivendare fully realize that the situation was extremely dire. The few thousand people remaining in Blackmist Fortress had already moved to Silverpine Forest via mountain roads, and the King of Gilneas was willing to accept them.
"Let me show you how the Savior conquers this fortress without shedding a drop of blood, Saurfang. Rivendare out in the name of a fair duel."
Saurfang hesitated for a moment, a troubled look on his face.
"What, you self-proclaimed Orcs Warrior, are you scared?" Thrall mocked.
"Baron Rivendare is a brave Paladin; our battle is far from over."
Saurfang tried to be as tactful as possible.
"I don't expect you to kill Rivendare. You just need to lure him out, and my new ally will take care of the baron for you." Thrall clapped his hands, and with a pattering sound, a group of Elf rangers emerged from the woods.
The leader was a tall female Elf with long, sun-kissed golden hair, azure eyes, and a complexion as delicate as a peach, possessing a charming beauty. She wore a leather armor dyed leaf green, which accentuated her slender and curvaceous figure, and was followed by nine loyal followers.
The female Elf, carrying a golden longbow, glanced at the two Orcs, her beautiful face as cold as ice, and said Pride:
"Remember your promise, Thrall. Stratholme and the lands surrounding it belong to us, Quel'Thalas."
With Lordaeron on the verge of falling, the High Elves had no choice but to prepare in advance, hoping to secure a sufficient buffer zone to prevent the Orcs' attack. Now was the perfect time to carve up Lordaeron.
"Sylvanas Windrunner, as long as Baron Rivendare dies here, Stratholme will be an undefended city. All you need to do is find your target and fire your arrows. Remember, we are doing the Justice thing; our goal is to save Azeroth."
Sylvanas made no attempt to hide her sarcasm, saying rather irritably:
"Orcs, I have absolutely no interest in your Savior rhetoric. If it weren't for the fact that the King of Lordaeron was incredibly foolish and didn't kill you all in the Internment Camp, I would never have cooperated with you filthy Orcs."
"Sylvanas, I hope you remember what you said today. One day you will know what true despair is, and only I, Thrall, can bring true salvation to this world."
Sylvanas snorted coldly, turned and left without looking back; the rangers needed to prepare.
"Look at this bunch of pathetic Elf rangers, they don't even realize what power they're facing." Thrall never took these allies seriously. "Saurfang, it's your turn to shine."
Saurfang, wielding his Battle Axe, shouted challenges outside the fortress.
Upon hearing the news Baron Rivendare climbed the city wall and saw the lone Saurfang, which puzzled him somewhat.
"Saurfang has challenged me twice."
Baron Rivendare sensed a conspiracy and asked suspiciously:
"Saurfang is someone that the Guardian Medivh protects. Whenever his life is in danger, the Guardian will immediately appear. That's why he dared to come alone to challenge me, to prove the Orcs' fearless courage. But since I defeated him last time, he hasn't shown up again."
Arthas closed his eyes and listened to the whispers of the Restless Souls.
"A group of High Elf rangers are lying in ambush nearby. It's Windrunner Sylvanas. Some Restless Souls have recognized her. She's with Thrall. This is Orcs plot, a trap, Baron."
"In that case, just ignore him. He'll get tired of yelling and leave on his own."
Baron Rivendare found fighting such an enemy—one he could defeat but not kill—quite uninteresting. The unexpected involvement of the High Elves, however, gave him a real headache.
The walls of Blackmist Fortress were very high, but they proved insufficient against the long-range arrows of the Elf rangers.
"I request to accept the challenge."
Arthas suddenly spoke, the young Prince's voice trembling slightly, a hint of nervousness in his voice. "All along, I've been hiding myself, afraid to face the cruelty of Lordaeron. Now, I also want to face some things independently."
Robbie was surprised that Arthas was going to fight, and Baron Rivendare was even more shocked.
"Prince Highness, Saurfang is a dangerous Orcs; he possesses power that does not belong to this world."
Baron Rivendare removed his shirt, revealing a horrifying scar on his back. The long, frightening scar stretched from his shoulder to his waist, almost cutting the baron in two.
"When we first clashed, I cut off Saurfang's right arm, and he left me with this. I thought I wouldn't survive, but luckily a Mage Apprentice named Azazel happened to pass by. He used Arcane threads to stitch me up, and with the help of the Power of the Holy Light, I was fully restored."
"When Saurfang came to challenge me a second time, I was surprised to find that his arm had healed completely. However, I had already become familiar with his fighting techniques, and he was no longer my match. The second time, I saw him cut off his left arm. Look at him now, with both arms intact. Prince Highness, there is no point in you fighting."
Arthas gritted his teeth and said seriously:
"I only want to prove that there are no cowards in the House Menethil. Rest assured, when the Elf ranger draws her bow, the Restless Souls will warn me to dodge in time; they cannot harm me."
Seeing that His Prince insisted, Rivendare and Robbie knew they couldn't say anything more.
A Prince who dares to face difficulties can inspire fearlessness in his people; Arthas will have to face all of this sooner or later.
The fortress gates slowly opened, the drawbridge lowered, and Arthas, carrying the Justice of the Holy Light, walked ahead.
Robbie and Rivendare followed behind the Prince.
Seeing that the one who came out to challenge him was a young man he had never met before, Saurfang was slightly surprised. He looked Arthas up and down with a mocking expression. "Is there no one left in Lordaeron? They sent you out to die, blondie?"
Not far away, Thrall was hiding with the Elf ranger, showed a look of surprise.
"Arthas, the Prince of Lordaeron who was banished long ago? What's he doing here?"