Krasus's vision blurred, and he saw a ball of Black Flame. Within the Flame was the shadow of a monster, bound by chains, baring its fangs and claws as it lunged at him.
"No, this can't be true." Krasus refused to believe it. Ysera's words made it clear that the one possessed might be his beloved queen, Alexstrasza.
Ysera, deep within the Nightmare, lowered her gaze:
"Initially, we suspected Deathwing, but mounting evidence suggests Deathwing was innocent, our memories have been altered, the Titans are hiding something, and we know nothing about the Maw's power—it might not be a simple possession, but rather the use of magic we don't understand. In short, Ancient Evil lurks within us."
Krasus saw a glimmer of hope: perhaps Her Majesty the Queen had not completely fallen, but was being Pain Suppression or sealed away.
"We still have hope, don't we?" Krasus asked hopefully. "I can save my queen."
Ysera's nine heads all wore expressions of confusion:
"I don't know. The person who knows the most about the Maw is Deathwing. He once ventured deep into that terrible place and paid the price."
"Thank you, Queen of Dreams." Krasus expressed his heartfelt gratitude. "I will strive to understand everything, even at the cost of my life, for my beloved Alexstrasza."
Ysera sighed softly, and the eyes of all nine heads opened fully, displaying various colors: red, blue, green, black, gold... every color of eye was present.
"The Titans and Elune, are both trying their best to hide something. I know your secrets, Korialstrasz's. While I'm still lucid, I'll give you some guidance: go see Deathwing, and then find a way to rescue your queen. If you still can't find the answer, you'll have to make one last attempt."
After hesitating for a long time, Ysera made up her mind. "Vault of the Wardens, Illidan Stormrage."
"Illidan?" Krasus, puzzled.
Ysera whispered, "That Illidan isn't Malfurion's brother. When the Night Elf race face a crisis, they release Illidan. We've observed him secretly; the power he displays is incredible. I've speculated about his origins; he's likely connected to the Maw. You must be careful; only Elune, can Pain Suppression him."
"I'll be careful," Krasus replied.
Krasus and Robbie left the Emerald Dream, both lost in thought the entire way.
Robbie speculated about the relationship between the Ancient Evil of the Maw and the Titans. Both the Titans and Elune were protecting the Ancient Evil; was it a cooperative relationship or one of mutual exploitation?
Krasus was pondering how to meet Deathwing. While meeting the other Dragon King was difficult due to their difference in status, meeting Deathwing would be a matter of life and death.
"Let's go to Lordaeron and see Lord Prestor," Robbie suggested.
Krasus was startled; being from the future, he naturally knew that Lord Prestor was Deathwing.
"Does Deathwing owe you money?" Krasus asked expectantly.
Robbie paused for a moment, then said, "I've never dealt with Deathwing before. In Lordaeron, he shouldn't be too reckless."
Deathwing, as Lord Daval Prestor, was active in the high society of Lordaeron. Viewing this period of history from the future often raises many questions: What was his purpose?
It's absolutely impossible for him to do this for the mere territory of Alterac, or for a few Dragon Eggs. And if it were to destroy the Alliance, it wouldn't seem to fit his character.
The two arrived in the Lordaeron City, where Robbie wrote a secret letter and sent it to King Terenas through a courier.
In this era, Robbie, disguised as Alassel Sunwatcher, was a low-key tycoon. This identity brought him many advantages, such as being immediately summoned by the King.
Robbie declined the grand welcoming ceremony, citing a desire to keep a low profile, and only agreed to meet privately.
This put Krasus in a difficult position, as he couldn't appear in his true identity and had to disguise himself as Robbie's personal bodyguard.
Led by the palace guards, Robbie and Krasus arrived at King Terenas's private study, where someone was already waiting.
Directly opposite the long table stood the old man, King Terenas, ruler of Lordaeron, dressed in a golden and white royal robe. To his left was Uther the Lightbringer, clad in golden armor and exuding arrogance, with his weapon, Earthshaker, beside him. To his right was a tall, black-haired nobleman, Lord Daval Prestor, also known as Deathwing.
Thanks to the immense wealth of the Alassel Sunwatcher, Robbie was able to meet the most prominent figure in Lordaeron.
King Terenas rose to greet him, his broad hand reaching out to shake Robbie's, but Robbie was coldly refused.
His Majesty the King was not annoyed; many High Elf elves were fastidious about cleanliness. He chuckled and said, "Welcome, esteemed envoy of Silvermoon City."
Robbie frowned and said, "I'm not some special envoy, just a member of the Sacred Relics Society."
The Sacred Relics Society is an archaeological organization of the High Elves, locked in a fierce rivalry with the Explorers' League of Ironforge. Alassel Sunwatcher made a fortune by reselling relics through his noble status in Silvermoon City, though this was only a small fraction of his vast Wealth.
Lord Prestor raised his head, his sharp gaze sweeping across the visitor's face.
Robbie found a chair, sat down, and without regard for etiquette, said bluntly:
"I'm very busy and don't want to waste time. I'm mainly here because I'm interested in the Orcs in the Internment Camp. If I can kill them all and turn them into Tough Jerky, I'm willing to pay a lot of money."
Upon hearing this, Uther the Lightbringer glared angrily, slammed his fist on the table, and stood up. "Do you know what you're saying? Orcs are kind and benevolent, how could you have such a wicked thought?"
Robbie retorted sharply, "Silvermoon City made a great sacrifice to defeat the Orcs. The Orcs are even more detestable Amani Trolls. Perhaps you would love to see Lordaeron collapse because of the Orcs, with all its people becoming food for Orcs."
"Absurd! Unreasonable! To be an enemy of the Orcs is to be an enemy of me, an enemy of Azeroth!" Uther roared furiously.
King Terenas said as politely as possible, "Your Excellency, my intention is to ask you to donate some money to support the poor Orcs in the Internment Camp. To feed the Orcs, the staff of the Lordaeron court only eat one meal a day. In my eyes, the Orcs are my dearest children. Seeing them suffer breaks my heart; I feel unbearable pain and wish I could cut off my own flesh."
"Why not cut it?" Robbie countered. "Your and Uther's flesh is enough to feed two Orcs for a week."
This is incredibly rude! Krasus tried to signal to Robbie, Robbie remained unmoved, staring intently into the King's eyes.
King Terenas looked bewildered, seemingly at a loss, while an enraged Uther grabbed the Earthshaker.
"This is interesting." Lord Prestor stood up. "King Majesty, I warned you long ago that if you didn't kill those filthy Orcs, they would eat you sooner or later."
Robbie turned to look at him, secretly surprised. Could Deathwing's true target be the Orcs?
Lord Prestor continued, "If you hand over the Orcs to me, I guarantee they will be treated very well."