Departure

At dawn, Arcane runes lit up one by one across Theramore's teleportation plaza, and the air was thick with the scent of sea salt and magic. Jaina Proudmoore stood at the center of the array, the sea breeze sweeping through her golden hair. Behind her, the Kul Tiras royal guard stood like an iron wall, their armor glinting coldly in the morning light.

Deren was the last to step into the array, pinching a violet insignia between his fingers.

Chromie stood outside, watching everyone prepare to teleport. She licked her lollipop, and a ripple of time flashed through her amber eyes. "I hope this doesn't go wrong."

Jaina raised her staff high, Arcane Energy surging through the runes. With a blinding flash of blue light, everyone vanished from where they stood.

Before Dalaran's Violet Citadel, the Mage Squad led by Antonidas had already formed up and waited. Twenty High Mages stood solemnly on either side, their violet robes snapping in the morning wind. Yet when the light of the Teleportation Array faded and the old mage's gaze landed on the three Horde members at the back of the group, his expression darkened at once.

"Jaina." His voice was as cold as northern frost. "Explain."

The air instantly froze. The Kul Tiras soldiers tensed unconsciously, their fingers closing around their sword hilts. The Orc Shaman Regar Earthfury silently tightened his grip on his totem. A hissing chuckle came from beneath the bone mask of the Darkspear witch doctor Zalama, while the Shadow Hunter Vokaya narrowed his eyes and silently rested his fingers on the darts at his waist.

Jaina stepped forward, her blue eyes resolute. "Master, they are joining the battle as Theramore mercenaries. They are only responsible for logistical support."

Antonidas's white beard trembled faintly. "Do you not understand the blood feud between the Horde and the High Elves? Letting them enter Silvermoon City, I fear—"

"—is still better than letting the elves become Undead." Deren suddenly cut him off and gestured for Zalama to display his medical kit. "They brought ointment capable of purifying the Undead Plague, and their other skills will make it easier for us to deal with the situation inside Silvermoon City. I do not want any needless casualties. Rather than dwell on old grudges and prejudice, we should focus on returning safely from Silvermoon City."

The old mage's gaze swept across their faces before finally settling on Jaina's determined eyes. After a long while, he snorted heavily. "Stay close to the group. Do not get any ideas." The crystal atop his staff flashed with dangerous light.

The group crossed Dalaran's plaza gardens in suffocating silence. The Kul Tiras guards deliberately kept more than three meters away from the three Horde members, while Dalaran's mages kept casting wary looks their way. The air was thick with tension and distrust.

"We should've let these long-ears fend for themselves," Regar muttered in Orcish, his rough fingers rubbing his lightning totem.

Zalama gave a hissing laugh. "It's not too late to run, old man."

Deren silenced their conversation with a sharp look. At that moment, Jaina and Antonidas stood at the front of the group, using a Crystal Ball to observe Silvermoon City's current state. The image showed corpses strewn across streets that had once shone gold, elven buildings collapsing in blazing fire, and an eerie green mist hanging over the distant Sunwell, as though some ancient evil were awakening.

"The situation is worse than we imagined." Antonidas frowned deeply, his knuckles whitening with force. "Arthas's main force has already breached the final line of defense. Silvermoon City's fall is only a matter of time."

Deren asked, "Have you prepared the coordinates for teleporting to Silvermoon City?"

"The Magic Academy!" the old mage said. "I have been there several times and know the coordinates. The teleportation should be more accurate. But we do not know the situation there, so everyone must be careful. If the worst happens, teleport back immediately."

Jaina nodded. "The ranger force's last stronghold is in the eastern wing. We must—"

"—secure the retreat route first." Antonidas interrupted her, his aged voice leaving no room for argument. "The moment the signal is given, everyone withdraws immediately. We are not here to fight a battle we cannot win."

At noon, Antonidas personally stood at the heart of Dalaran's central Teleportation Array, his staff tracing complex paths through the air. Ancient incantations echoed through the Violet Hall as space was torn open, revealing a burning night sky on the other side.

"Remember our objective." The old mage's voice was especially grave amid the torrent of Arcane Energy. "Save whoever can be saved, then withdraw immediately."

The instant everyone stepped into the Portal, a wave of heat mixed with the stench of burning flesh rushed over them. They landed in a circular hall—once the central library of Silvermoon City Magic Academy, it was now a scene of utter devastation. Exquisite elven tomes burned in the corners, shards of stained glass carpeted the floor, and the star map on the dome had been blackened by smoke beyond recognition.

Before the group could steady themselves, the stained-glass window to the west suddenly shattered, and more than a dozen Ghouls howled as they pounced inside! Rotten flesh hung from their decaying muscles, while ghostly blue Undead fire flickered in their eyes.

"Shield wall!" Kul Tiras guard captain Bred barked.

The well-trained soldiers instantly formed an impenetrable wall. Tower shields slammed heavily into the ground as spears and short swords thrust through the gaps. Cold light flashed, and the first three Ghouls to charge were cleanly beheaded.

With the guards blocking the front, Dalaran's mages had a much easier time dealing with the remaining Ghouls. Fireballs and ice arrows crashed down, turning the enemies—and the elven bookshelves—with them into fragments. Jaina unleashed a Blizzard, extinguishing every scattered flame.

Just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief, the Shadow Hunter Vokaya remained standing where he was. His eyes were fixed on the shadows of the second-floor corridor, where a blurry figure was raising a black bow.

"Watch the shadows!" Deren had barely issued his warning when an arrow wrapped in Shadow Energy tore through the air, aimed straight at Antonidas's back!

At the critical moment, the arrow suddenly turned into a fluttering sparrow and comically crashed into the hem of the old mage's robe before going poof and turning into a cloud of smoke.

A smug curve formed on Vokaya's lips as he made a taunting gesture toward the second floor. The Undead ranger in the shadows angrily drew a second arrow, only for vines to burst from the floor and coil around his ankles—one of Zalama's voodoo traps, planted in advance.

"...Thank you." Antonidas gave the Shadow Hunter a stiff nod, then shouted, "Finish clearing the area immediately! If possible, establish a defensive array and have the long-ears gather here—"

Everyone sprang into action. They cleared the library, the mages began setting up an array, and the guards split off part of their force into squads that advanced cautiously to secure the surrounding area.

Perhaps because the High Elf mages had all been transferred to the front lines during the fighting, the Magic Academy had little combat strength left. The Mage Tower was empty as well. It was unknown whether its master had failed to return in time or whether the mage within had fled first. Thus, the Undead presence here was not especially strong. The guards' combat power was astonishing; scattered Ghouls were cleaved apart before they could even strike.

The only trouble was an Abomination drawn by the commotion at the Magic Academy. It smashed through the surrounding wall and charged into the academy courtyard. Its towering body and the shabby weapons clutched in its several grotesque hands were terrifying. The guards could only form a shield wall and barely block its path. Several fireballs from the mages behind them struck its body, blasting away chunks of rotting flesh but inflicting no fatal damage.

Antonidas frowned as he watched. Even with elite soldiers and powerful mages, they had failed to inflict any real damage on such an Undead monster. In the chaos of an encounter, how many casualties would it cause on their side?

Just as he was about to gather his power and destroy the monster in one blow, Deren reached out to stop him. "Let me try."

Antonidas looked at him in confusion. He was merely Jaina's Tactical Advisor. Could he really fight an Abomination in close combat?

Deren merely smiled without answering. With a backhanded motion, he drew a poleaxe from his Space Bag, leaped from the second-floor window, circled around the side of the guards' shield wall, and brought the weapon down across the Abomination's ribs.

Empowered by the enormous strength of his Soul Blessing, the poleaxe swept beneath the Abomination's belly like a whirlwind, cutting halfway through its waist. What remained could no longer support the weight of its upper body, and it folded over at a perfect ninety degrees. Its head and feet ended up side by side in a bizarre sight. After struggling a few times, it went completely still. Fearing it was playing dead, Deren hacked off its head with several more blows, leaving the ground beneath his feet covered in putrid blood and rotting meat.

Seeing this, Jaina hurriedly cast a water-based Clean Spell, washing him clean from head to toe.

The Undead within the Magic Academy were finally cleared out. The air was filled with the foul stench of burnt rotten flesh and a faint Arcane scorch. The Kul Tiras guards swiftly sealed off the entrances, while the Shaman Regar Earthfury planted a purification totem in the central hall. Pale blue elemental ripples spread outward, driving away the lingering aura of death.

Suddenly, a faint rustling came from behind the bookshelves.

"Someone's there!" Jaina pointed with her staff. Two soldiers immediately stepped forward and violently overturned a collapsed bookshelf—behind it, more than a dozen High Elf civilians were huddled together, their robes covered in dust and their eyes full of terror.

"D-don't kill us," an elven girl pleaded shakily, clutching an unconscious child tightly in her arms.

Jaina immediately crouched down, gentle Water Elemental energy gathering in her palm. "It's all right. You're safe now." She lightly touched the child's burning forehead. "A high fever. Early symptoms of the plague."

Zalama immediately moved closer and pulled out a lump of green ointment that gave off a pungent smell. "Apply it to the chest. It can delay the transformation for twelve hours."

Just as treatment began, the doors were suddenly smashed open. Six richly dressed High Elves rushed inside. The leading man's golden hair was impeccably groomed; even while fleeing for his life, he maintained an infuriating elegance.

"Mages of Dalaran?" He swept an arrogant gaze across the crowd. "I am Count Morningstar. I now order you to open a Portal immediately and give priority to evacuating members of the Silvermoon Council—"

His words abruptly stopped as a wave of light flashed.

"Cluck-cluck?" Count Morningstar suddenly turned into a snow-white Lathero Chicken and spun around on the floor in confusion.

Vokaya blew the voodoo powder from his fingertips. "Sorry. My hand slipped."

The remaining five nobles instantly froze. One of them had just begun to speak when Vokaya lazily raised his other hand, frightening them into taking three synchronized steps back.

"Good." Deren clapped his hands. "Now listen carefully—" He kicked the still-spinning "count chicken." "First, how many survivors are there nearby?"

The elven noblewoman who had been singled out stammered, "At City Hall... at least three hundred."

"Second," Deren continued, "where is Arthas's main force?"

"They're attacking the Royal Palace, where Your Majesty is," another noble added shakily. "I saw firelight in the direction of the Royal Palace."

Antonidas suddenly interjected, "How far is City Hall from here?"

"Across two plazas. They are connected by an underground passage."

The old mage exchanged a glance with Deren before immediately giving the order. "Jaina, Deren, take the Shadow Hunter and half the guards to City Hall. The rest will remain with me to hold the academy and establish a Teleportation Array." He glanced at the white chicken on the ground, the corner of his mouth lifting almost imperceptibly. "Remember to leave a few people behind. To look after the poultry."

"We do not need that many people. The guards' main task is still protecting the mages. Just Jaina, Vokaya, and I will go to City Hall. If there are survivors there, we will teleport directly back to the academy," Deren explained.

"Good! Be careful on the way." After considering it, the old mage felt that a three-person squad would make less of a disturbance as well.

The Silvermoon City Great Retreat had begun. They charged into an army of countless Undead, all for those long-ears.