The morning light shone on the earth covered with severed limbs and mangled bodies, making the scene appear particularly desolate.
The night's battle had ended, and before dawn, the humans began their pursuit.
The arrival of the Twilight Dragon gave the rebel leaders a glimmer of hope, but its departure plunged them back into despair.
Seeing that the call to arms of humanity was unstoppable, the three rebel groups, which had been hastily formed, immediately began to show signs of disagreement.
With one faction selfishly retreating, and the other two unwilling to be cannon fodder at the rear, the temporary Covenant crumbled instantly, and the rebels scattered in all directions.
Unas led his cavalry in a charge until there were no more living Dwarves left before slowly coming to a stop.
The results were minimal; the rebels scurried into various burrows like rats, and most of them disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Most of the caves are only large enough to accommodate Dwarves, making it impossible for humans to chase after them inside; they have no choice but to give up.
He ordered his soldiers to clean up the battlefield Unas hurriedly returned to camp.
"Us humans!"
Before even reaching the camp, a familiar shout accompanied by a towering figure appeared before him. There was only one person who would call him that— the Ogre Isaac.
"Haha, Isaac!" Unas laughed as he greeted them, "You've come just in time, you've been a great help!"
The bandits who joined midway were none other than Unas's "comrades-in-arms" from the Black Furnace —the small Horde of the Ogre Lincoln and the Orcs girl Keira.
At this time, most of the bandits stayed in an open area not far from the camp, looting the spoils of war. Fortunately, they did not clash with the humans. It is likely that Luther and the others were old acquaintances, which is why the two sides were able to coexist peacefully.
"Human Us, Boss Lincoln asked Isaac to come over to say hello to you and ask you to go over and discuss things, hehe!" The ogre smiled honestly, and seemed to be genuinely happy to see the paladin.
"I hope they're not here to freeload, "Unas thought to himself. These bandits wouldn't be helping out of consideration for past relations; they'd probably have some conditions to set.
"I have urgent business to attend to; I'm going to see Lincoln shortly."
The other party had helped him a lot at a crucial moment, and Unas couldn't refuse, but he did have something more important to do now—to give Magni an explanation.
Just then, two Dwarf cavalrymen galloped over. "Knight, His Majesty commands you to return to camp immediately."
Unas waved to the Ogre and quickly followed the Dwarf Knights to the center of the camp.
"Save my daughter."
After the killings, the Dwarf King had calmed down and made unreasonable demands upon seeing Unas.
Unas immediately knew that Magni already knew his secret of Resurrection. As for who told him, it could only be those two traitors, Stonebrow Redbrow.
As more and more people around him learned about the Resurrection, Unas knew that this secret could not be kept for long, but he didn't care much.
I didn't dare to go public before for fear of being targeted, but now, with so many enemies, it doesn't matter anymore.
He stopped his affected act and said directly, "I need quiet."
Magni nodded and pointed to the Tent beside him, where Moira's body was located. The Dwarf cavalry had already driven away everyone around the Tent.
Unas entered the Tent alone, looking at Moira's stiff face that had been cleaned, and felt a little hesitant.
Should he really resurrect this woman who harbors such deep hatred for him?
It's certain that resurrecting her won't make her grateful. This woman will undoubtedly become a thorn in his side, driven into his heart. She can pry open the Twilight Cultist, the Dark Iron Rebels, and the Bronzebeard Dwarves, and naturally, she also has the power to cause him trouble.
But not reviving her—or feigning defeat—would severely offend Magni, negatively impacting the Stormwind refugees' journey home.
Moreover, making an enemy of the King of Ironforge would undoubtedly bring considerable pressure, and he had originally planned to ask Ironforge for some support from the Alliance.
After much deliberation, Unas decided to do his best and leave the rest to fate. Although this woman posed a significant threat, she was not as dangerous as her father.
The Redemption spell ended quickly, the golden light dissipated, Moira regained the ability to breathe, and Unas walked out of the Tent with mixed feelings.
Your daughter is alright now.
Magni disregarded all etiquette, shoved aside the Paladin blocking his way, and rushed into the Tent, where cheers of surprise quickly erupted.
It seemed Magni wouldn't be coming out anytime soon, Unas rode King Kong out of the camp and soon saw "Upright" Lincoln and his mismatched spouse— the Orcs woman Keira.
After exchanging pleasantries, they recounted their experiences since parting ways at the Back Gate of Blackrock Depths.
Lincoln's predicament was simple: the Ogre and Orcs forces were surrounded by enemies on all sides in the Searing Gorge, and no faction was willing to be friendly to them.
They could only rob and wander around, hiding from powerful Dwarf forces and robbing the weak, but they could never open a road to the Badlands and could only wander aimlessly in the Canyon.
Some time ago, they also faced an encirclement and suppression by the Dwarf rebels, suffering considerable losses. However, the strength of the Dark Iron rebels led to unprecedented unity among the bandits. Several Dwarf bandit groups that had been almost scattered united to prepare to give the rebels a severe revenge.
Ogres and Orcs, who had never been accepted by the Dwarves, suddenly became useful and were invited by the Dwarves to join the Covenant.
The bandits kept a close eye on the rebels' movements, and finally seized the opportunity tonight to deliver a crushing blow to the rebels, while also relieving Unas from his predicament.
"If only I hadn't run away back then, I might have been able to become a foreign lord under Rendaen if I had stayed with you. Sigh..."
Lincoln listened to Unas's story and sighed with regret. He had suffered a lot these days, even more than he had in the Black Furnace. In the Black Furnace, he was a powerful ruler, but in the Searing Gorge, he was a stray dog.
"You spineless coward!" Keira cursed angrily, "All you do is sigh and whine!"
The relationship between the two "couples" seemed to be in trouble. Unas chuckled inwardly and said, "What kind of bullshit lord are they? Besides a desolate border territory, they bring no real benefits whatsoever."
Lincoln's eyes darted around. "Brother Unas, you can't say that. We can't even find a place to settle down. We've all had enough of being bandits in the Canyon."
"Badlands..."
"The only passage has been blown up; I heard it was done by a group of escaped Dark Iron Dwarves. We don't have the ability to reopen it."
With Thaurissan's downfall, many Dark Iron Dwarves felt it was almost the end of the world, and in the chaos, they might actually do such things.
Lincoln looked at the Paladin expectantly, "Brother Unas has many ideas; you must help us with this."
Unas frowned. "I don't have the time or the ability to clear the collapsed mountain path either. However, if you're looking for a place to stay, my territory can provide you with temporary accommodation."
"That's wonderful! Brother Unas, thank you..."
"Don't thank me too soon. The territory Rendaen granted me is called Firewatch Ridge. I've heard it's a desolate border mountain area, rife with bandits, and not a good place to stay."
"It's alright, as long as you acknowledge us as residents of Firewatch Ridge, at least we won't be attacked by the Dwarves from Rendaen's side anymore."
Lincoln's alien forces had been under attack from various Dwarves these days. Unas's promise essentially granted them the status of residents of Blackrock Depths. The Dark Iron Dwarves, who had submitted to Rendaen, had no reason to attack them anymore, effectively reducing their enemies by half.
"That's good." Unas was also satisfied that the problem was solved without much cost.
Lincoln then asked, "The distribution of the spoils..."
"Take it all," Unas said generously, showing no interest in the weapons, equipment, or valuables left behind by the rebels. "That's what you deserve."
"Haha, I knew the Unas brothers were kind-hearted!"
Unas chuckled and prepared to chat a few more words before leaving, but an Orcs Warrior rushed over, shouting, "Chieftain, another Dwarf army is coming! Judging from their banners, they seem to be Rendaen's men!"
"How far?"
"Less than one kilometer."
"Get the brothers who are cleaning up the battlefield back quickly." Lincoln's vigilance was not without reason; they had been terribly bullied by the Dark Iron Dwarves lately and had no choice but to be on guard.
"I'll go check on the situation."
Unas left a message, mounted King Kong, and returned to the human camp. A moment later, two riders burst out from the ranks of the newcomers and galloped toward the camp.
Unas immediately recognized the approaching force as friendly, as one of the riders was the very cavalryman he had sent back the previous night to request reinforcements.
The other Dwarf rider was also an acquaintance; Unas didn't remember his name, but knew he was one of Sena-Spark's personal guards.
Sure enough, the two riders arrived and immediately reported the situation: it was indeed Sena-Spark leading his army.
This place is closest to the Spark Territory, but the fact that they were able to arrive with their entire army so early shows that Sena-Spark takes Unas's plea for help very seriously. Of course, they could also be here for the reward—capturing Moira would be a major achievement.
Unas personally went to greet him and exchanged information with Lord Spark after a brief pleasantries. When the Dwarf lord heard that Bronzebeard King was also in the camp with only a guard of less than a hundred men, his eyes shone with fervent excitement. This was an incredible achievement that had fallen into his lap!
Dark Iron and Bronzebeard are sworn enemies, and Senna immediately suggested taking action, as capturing the enemy king would elevate their status several ranks.
Unas had no desire to forge a blood feud with the Bronzebeard Dwarves, and before he could even figure out how to mediate, chaos erupted in the human camp. The Bronzebeard Cavalry charged northward in a frenzy, causing utter chaos in the camp.
Magni wasn't a fool. Seeing over two thousand Dark Iron Army suddenly appear, even a fool could tell that it was extremely disadvantageous for him. He disregarded his daughter's still-unwell condition, carried her on his back, and fled with his men.
"Chase!"
Ignoring the Paladins ' attempts to stop him, Sena-Spark summoned his hundreds of cavalrymen to give chase; he didn't want his prize to slip away.
Unas returned to the camp with a dark expression. He didn't want to offend either side, and he was caught in the middle, unsure of what to do.
Only then did he have time to return to the command tent and check the battle report from the previous night. He felt much better immediately. Although the gains were not many, the losses were also small, with fewer than a hundred casualties. Luisa and Gail were also safe and sound, thanks to Master Omar's Violet Barrier.
After a night of fierce fighting or living in fear, both the combatants and the refugees were exhausted. Unas offered a few words of encouragement, then dismissed his men, letting them rest and ordering them to continue their journey after lunch.
Only Luther, the commander of the Stormwind army, remained, looking distressed. "My lord," he asked, "What should we do now?"
Luther had anticipated that the journey would not be peaceful, but he only thought it would involve petty thieves. He never expected to get involved in the rescue operation of the Dwarf Princess. With the arrival of Bronzebeard King, the situation seemed to have escalated further, and for a moment he lost confidence in safely leading everyone back to Stormwind City.
"Where are Stonebrow and Redbrow?" Unas asked, thinking of the culprits behind all this. "I didn't see them just now."
"They dare not see the adults and all hide in their Tents." Luther almost gritted his teeth as he spoke of the Dwarf brothers.
"Why didn't their king take these two loyal fellows with him when he fled?" Unas sneered.
"It seems that they don't have enough mounts, and there are also more than thirty Dwarves in their group who are going back to Ironforge to visit relatives. They can't just abandon these people."
"Tie them all up, just to make a show of it. After all, I'm still a lord of Rendaen, and I have no choice in the matter. But you're different, Luther. Listen carefully, you're all Stormwind refugees want to go home. You must remain neutral and not get involved in the conflict between the Dark Iron and Bronzebeard."
"But..."
"There are no 'buts'. The situation was urgent. I sent troops to request reinforcements not only from Sena-Spark, but also from other Dark Iron Armies. If news of Magni's arrival spread, Rendaen might even lead the army himself. In that case, I would have to side with him. But you can maintain your independence and not be coerced. You can disobey my orders. Remember, protecting the refugees and ensuring their safe return home is your primary responsibility."
"Yes, sir!" Luther replied loudly, as if he had found his anchor.
Unas sighed inwardly, unable to predict how this matter would end.
Three days later, when Unas arrived at Firewatch Ridge with the human army and Lincoln's Horde, it had already been occupied by a large army of Dwarves, and the sky was filled with the dark clouds of war.
This desolate border region had never been so lively. The bandits who usually operated here were now cowering in their caves and secluded mountain valleys, trembling with fear, lest the battle between Bronzebeard and Dark Iron affect them.
For the past three days, the Dark Iron Dwarves had relentlessly pursued Magni, finally cornering him here.
At first, Sena-Spark nearly lost track of him several times, since ordinary Dwarf cavalry were no match for Magni's elite guard. So he began spreading the word that Bronzebeard King had arrived "alone" throughout the Searing Gorge, and offered a high bounty.
This ignited the passion and greed of all the Dark Iron Dwarves, and more and more people joined the pursuit and interception, putting Magni in danger on several occasions.
Such momentous news should have spread to Ironforge in three days. The Bronzebeard Dwarves quickly verified the information and learned that the king's secret incursion into enemy territory was indeed true. They immediately assembled a large army at the border to prepare for the king's rescue.
Meanwhile, new pursuers continued to join the Dark Iron side, and both sides amassed armies of over 10,000 men on the border, making a major battle imminent.