Kites sat on the throne of Frost King Malakk, looking down at his silent advisors, and could only sigh helplessly, unable to make up his mind.
At this moment, a mature-looking general stepped forward and said in a loud voice:
"Your King, why not negotiate peace with Frost King Malakk? Garrosh's army is invading, and the Zul'Drak Empire is also under threat. If we can join forces with the Drakkari Trolls, Garrosh will surely be defeated."
Kites' eyes lit up; he thought to himself, "This is a great idea."
Unexpectedly, one of the Peace Dove's staff members stepped forward and loudly rebuked:
"Absurd! Frost King Malakk deceived our army first and plotted to assassinate His King. His crimes are unforgivable. How could the mighty Alliance associate with the filthy Drakkari Trolls? How could His Majesty the King, with his noble status, submit to the lowly Frost King Malakk? It would be a disgrace to the Alliance."
The general, having been reprimanded for no reason, felt utterly humiliated and lost all face, Liuliu away.
Kites hesitated for a moment, realizing his advisor had some merit. He couldn't bring himself to plead with Frost King Malakk, so he waved his hand and said:
"This plan is unsuitable. Let's go and think of another way!"
A middle-aged general stepped forward and said aggressively:
"King Majesty, just give me five thousand elite troops to cover the rear, and I will make that Frost King Malakk stay obediently in the snowy mountains, not daring to make any rash moves. The main army can then smoothly retreat to Drak'Tharon Keep, and after that, we can engage Garrosh in a decisive battle, control the supply lines, and our army will be safe."
Kites nodded secretly after hearing this. This general was hot-blooded and known for his bravery. He was best at mobile warfare. With him covering the rear, the safety of the rear could be guaranteed.
Before Kites could even speak, another of the Peace Dove's aides stepped forward, pointed at the middle-aged general, and shouted:
"What an absurd suggestion! Our Alliance army has come from afar, expending countless provisions and resources, aiming to eliminate the Evil Drakkari Trolls and save the Azeroth. We are about to achieve our goal, and success is in sight, yet you propose to withdraw, returning empty-handed with heavy losses. Are you trying to make our King a laughingstock?"
The middle-aged general was stunned, scratched his head, and said innocently, "That's not what I meant!"
Kites felt uneasy after hearing this.
Such a large-scale invasion of Northrend consumed countless military supplies and resources, all with the aim of achieving great deeds and leaving a mark on history.
If they achieve nothing and flee back to Kingdom of Stormwind, wouldn't they become a laughingstock of Azeroth?
Kites waved his hand and said, "I need a perfect solution, not a compromise."
Many of the generals looked worried.
Solving the current predicament is not difficult, but achieving perfection—both destroying the Zul'Drak Empire and ensuring the safe withdrawal of the army—is quite challenging.
Seeing that the generals couldn't come up with a solution, an aide stepped forward and said loudly:
"King Majesty, our army has ample provisions and is not worried for the time being. Ten thousand elite troops are stationed near Drak'Tharon Keep, holding the line with its defensive advantage. Garrosh cannot cut off our retreat in a short time. Moreover, the Horde has not declared war on us, and the army's movements are unclear. It is not too late to make a decision after ascertaining the Horde's intentions."
"This!"
Kites frowned slightly, hesitant and unsure, his heart pounding with anxiety.
With the destruction of the Zul'Drak Empire imminent, all that's needed is to hold out for a few more days. Once the food supplies run out, the Drakkari Trolls will freeze to death in the snowy mountains. Kites simply couldn't resist this enormous temptation.
An old general with a white beard stepped forward, his beard bristling with anger, and said tremblingly:
"Your King, the Horde cannot be trusted! Garrosh is a beast; we can all see his intentions. Your Majesty, have you forgotten the loss of twenty thousand City Guard?"
"How dare you!"
"Absurd!"
Do you want to die?
The staff officers joined together and loudly reprimanded the old general, saying that the defeat of 20,000 City Guard was Kites's Achilles' heel, a disgrace that could never be mentioned.
Kites snorted coldly, his face darkening. He stood up, glared fiercely at the old general, walked around behind the throne, and entered the inner room.
The military conference thus concluded, with Kites ultimately deciding to hold off on any further action for the time being.
Ever since the towering and majestic Drak'Tharon Keep came under the control of the Novos Lich, it has always been shrouded in a dark cloud, and eerie screams have been constantly heard from within the fortress.
Garrosh led 30,000 Orcs soldiers and successfully arrived at Drak'Tharon Keep.
Gazing at the fortress shrouded in gloom, Garrosh gritted his teeth in hatred; he had not forgotten the humiliation of his defeat at Drak'Tharon Keep.
Orcs have always been known for bullying the weak and fearing the strong, Garrosh is no exception. He would never dare to attack Drak'Tharon Keep. His target is the temporary stronghold built by the Alliance near Drak'Tharon Keep.
Because it was built hastily, its sturdiness naturally cannot compare with that of the Drak'Tharon Keep, which had been in operation for many years.
Garrosh ordered the army to set up camp on the spot and rest for a day to recover from the fatigue of the march.
Before the war began, Garrosh circled the Alliance stronghold.
Grizzly Hills is rich in timber, and the Alliance garrison purchased large quantities of wood from merchants. The walls of this stronghold were mainly constructed from logs.
Garrosh laughed heartily upon seeing it, and boasted, "The Horde's axes will surely cut this fortress to pieces! Tomorrow, I will host a barbecue feast inside the Alliance fortress!"
The commander of the Alliance stronghold is General Xiboli, a shrewd and calculating middle-aged general who harbors a deep hatred for the Orcs. He was sent to Guards the stronghold because he was ostracized by the Peace Dove.
Originally an insignificant, sinecure, incomparable to the opportunities for generals to establish merit on the front lines, it unexpectedly became the most crucial strategic location when Garrosh's army attacked.
General Xiboli gazed confidently at the Orcs camp and addressed his subordinates:
"Orcs Invincible brave in melee combat, but unfortunately, they only have guts and no strategy. If Vol'jin were here, I would be somewhat afraid. Garrosh is just an idiot."
There was absolutely no possibility of surrendering when fighting the Orcs. The general's confidence inspired his soldiers, who were also full of confidence and prepared to fight to the death.
A biting wind blew by, and Xiboli looked up at the sky, his face darkening. He thought of a city floating in the air, the City of Magic of Dalaran.
Xiboli, with a worried expression, addressed his generals:
"I've heard that Garrosh and Rhonin have a close relationship, Orcs once devoured half of Dalaran Mages. If Dalaran joins the war, our army will surely be defeated. You should prepare to break out."
"Where should we break out?" his subordinates asked.
Xiboli remained silent, pointing instead to the towering Drak'Tharon Keep not far away.
A biting wind howled all night.
The next morning, Garrosh was in a good mood and devoured half a delicious Tauren. The Orcs soldiers also had a hearty meal and prepared to storm the Alliance stronghold in one fell swoop.
The deafening war drums sounded again. Garrosh, carrying the terrifying Gorehowl, personally came to the front line to oversee the battle. Suddenly, he froze, rubbing his eyes hard.
The log fortress was covered overnight with a thick layer of Frost, which reflected a beautiful radiance in the sunlight, just like Castle in a fairy tale.
General Xiboli, fully armored, stood atop the highest point of the fortress and used a telepathic Magic Circle to provoke them:
"Garrosh Hellscream, your father is nothing but Thrall's dog! Retreat to Orgrimmar now, back to the embrace of Doras, or this place will be your final resting place."