It is now the twenty-first year of the Dark Portal, Battle of Mount Hyjal has just ended.
Many years ago, the young and impetuous King Varian disliked handling political affairs and entrusted all matters, large and small, of the kingdom to Duke Bolvar.
At that time, many escaped Orcs still remained in the Kingdom of Stormwind, constantly attacking the people of Kingdom of Stormwind and capturing them to eat, causing the people great suffering.
King Varian, tired of hunting, led an elite force to join the hunt for Orcs.
Since it was the King who personally led the expedition, he set an example, and the lords in various places were also willing to fight bravely. Orcs were captured one after another, and the situation gradually stabilized.
Following the lords' advice, these cannibalistic beasts should all be killed, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
But no one knew what King Varian was thinking, as he sent them all to the Stockade, where they were fed well and provided with meat at every meal.
Stormwind City's prisons quickly became overcrowded, and with more and more Orcs pouring in, Duke Bolvar had no choice but to open Stormwind City's Underground Fortress to house the Orcs.
The Underground Fortress of Stormwind City is little known; it is an incredibly sturdy fortress whose builders are unknown.
The ancestors of Kingdom of Stormwind migrated south and engaged in a fierce war with the Gnolls. In addition to fighting for land, they also sought ownership of this Underground Fortress, Gnolls regarded as a sacred place.
Unfortunately, history has a tendency to forget. During the many years of peace, the House Wrynn forgot about the existence of this fortress until the Stonemasons' Guild rebuilt Stormwind City and the Underground Fortress was brought back to light.
As the number of Orcs increased, the ever-rising cost of food caused Duke Bolvar a great headache. The Kingdom of Stormwind was in dire need of funds, with countless places waiting to be rebuilt.
He plotted to infiltrate the Underground Fortress more than once, wishing he could burn it all down.
This situation persisted for many years. In the sixteenth year of the Dark Portal, Stormwind City rioted because of unpaid wages owed to the Stonemasons' Guild.
Afterwards, many nobles questioned what had happened to the money.
Duke Bolvar, loyal to House Wrynn, had no choice but to suffer in silence; he dared not admit that the money was used to feed the Orcs.
Tyrande and Malfurion arrived in Stormwind City, refused Duke Bolvar's hospitality, and insisted on entering the Stockade to select some prisoners.
Duke Bolvar was baffled. The Stockade was just a bunch of filthy prisoners, so why would it interest this couple? In the eyes of humans, Night Elves were all obsessive about cleanliness.
Led by the Duke, the couple toured the Stockade. Tyrande's expression grew increasingly grim, and finally she couldn't help but ask:
"Duke Bolvar, I've heard that Stormwind City holds many Orcs, but I haven't seen a single one in the Stockade. If you consider us allies, I need an explanation."
Duke Bolvar looked at Tyrande suspiciously and asked curiously, "Honorable Priestess, what do you need the Orcs for?"
"I have my own purpose," Tyrande said calmly.
Duke Bolvar secretly calculated that a large sum of taxes would have to be spent every year to support the Orcs.
With King Varian gone, Night Elves being allies in a honeymoon period, why not send them a gift as a token of goodwill?
"How many Orcs do you need?" Duke Bolvar asked.
"The more the better."
That night, in a ravine near Stormwind City, Tyrande and Malfurion spotted a dark mass of Orcs, a full five thousand green-skinned Orcs.
Tyrande was taken aback; it was several times more than she had anticipated.
Looking at the relieved Duke Bolvar beside her, Tyrande understood something.
"Priestess Tyrande, Orcs are a pack of ferocious beasts, please be careful. I don't know what use this might be to you, but of course you don't need to answer. We are willing to provide seven days' worth of rations."
Malfurion carefully observed the group of Orcs. Most of them were strong and healthy, with only a few old, weak, sick, or disabled. They seemed to be an elite force. He nodded to Tyrande.
Tyrande said to Duke Bolvar with satisfaction, "We don't need rations, we just need the Court Mages to help us open a Portal, the destination is Dalaran."
What does this mean? Are they going to use these Orcs to conquer Dalaran?
Duke Bolvar quickly dismissed the idea, after all, these Orcs had no armor, no weapons, and no logistical support. Could they possibly fight the Dalaran Mages with their bare fists?
As the Regent of Stormwind City, Duke Bolvar is no pushover. Although he is loyal to House Wrynn and will not disobey King Varian's orders, he has his own methods.
Bolvar's biggest fear was that the Orcs would escape from the Underground Fortress and cause chaos in Stormwind City.
Despite Orcs strong physiques, Bolvar secretly laced their food with a slow-acting poison. Years of exposure to this poison had left the Orcs weak and vulnerable.
"No problem," Bolvar readily agreed.
Bolvar returned to Stormwind City and summoned the Court Mages. Tyrande stood atop a giant rock, looking down at them with a majestic voice. "From this moment on, I am your master. What I need is the same loyalty one would show to the Orcs Warchief."
The Orcs looked at the slender Tyrande with mostly mocking smiles. If her hands weren't bound by ropes, they probably would have torn Tyrande to pieces and eaten her.
Tyrande began to chant a spell, and countless Plum Blossom Petals formed from Arcane energy, which then entered the Orcs's forehead. Tyrande's relationship with the Elune was different from before, and she didn't care about revealing her strength.
"Death," Tyrande said viciously.
As the explosion rang out, nearly five hundred Orcs were blown to pieces, their flesh and blood splattering across the ground.
The Orcs were terrified and trembled with fear.
"More death." Tyrande's voice was like the Grim Reaper descending.
This time, nearly a thousand Orcs were blown to pieces.
The Death Shadow loomed over them, Orcs knelt on the ground, begging Tyrande for their lives.
This terrifying scene terrified not only the Orcs, but also the human soldiers maintaining Order nearby. The beautiful Tyrande appeared like Demons to them.
"Submit to me, or choose death?" Tyrande's voice grew increasingly authoritative.
Another series of explosions rang out, turning a thousand Orcs into a bloody mess.
The Orcs were terrified, their hearts pounding with fear, and many of Orcs cried out in anguish.
Tyrande nodded in satisfaction. Just as she had told the Moon Goddess, Maiev was excellent, but she wasn't cunning or treacherous enough. Tyrande had an additional advantage: she was ruthless enough.
Tyrande knew how to gain the loyalty of Orcs, just like the Orcs chieftains did, filling their hearts with the fear of death.
Turning to face the pale-faced human guards, Tyrande smiled warmly, her expression as gentle as a spring breeze. "Soldiers, you may release the Orcs from their bonds now. From this day forward, they are my slaves."
When Duke Bolvar arrived with the Court Mages, he found that half of the Orcs were gone. The surviving Orcs diligently gathered up the blood and flesh on the ground, which would serve as their rations for the next few days.
"Tyrande's methods are terrifying." Bolvar shook his head, ignoring her. In his view, the Orcs were no loss.
Before dawn, Maiev Shadowsong's team arrived in Dalaran.
"My God, a Floating City? How is that possible?"
Maiev ultimately suffered from a lack of intelligence. Tyrande, as the leader of the Night Elves, had access to firsthand intelligence, while Maiev was merely the Jailer.
From the oracle of the Moon Goddess, Maiev learned that "Illidan" had rebuilt Dalaran, but the Moon Goddess did not elaborate on whether it was a Floating City.
Maiev gazed up at Dalaran in mid-air, wondering to herself: How am I supposed to get up there?