Plans

"I know you, little mage from Dalaran." Sylvanas recognized Jaina. The two had met before. "Tell me what happened."

"When Silvermoon City was in danger, Prince Kael'thas asked for my help. My Tactical Advisor, Deren Losen, planned this operation for me and rescued these civilians and nobles from Silvermoon City." Jaina kept it brief and gave a simple account of what had happened.

Sylvanas fell silent. She had never expected it to be like this. Facing the Undead, the nobles who had commanded so recklessly had given up on saving themselves and their people. Yet an unrelated human had gone to great lengths to organize an unprecedented evacuation, saving the lives of at least three thousand High Elves.

"Thank you!" Proud Sylvanas lowered her head to Deren in thanks. "Where is our prince? Why haven't I seen him at all?"

Deren looked around to make sure no idle bystanders were nearby before telling Sylvanas, "I sent him to Stormwind City to ask for aid. If he stayed here, the nobles would drive him mad, and we'd have a hard time dealing with those walking troubles too. Besides, he still owes us a large sum in aid funds. So I sent him far away."

"Ah!" Sylvanas froze. She had actually heard such explosive inside information.

Deren patted her shoulder and asked gently, "What are you planning to do from now on? Stay in Dalaran, or go somewhere else? I know quite a few good places I could recommend." He had finally saved Queen Sylvanas alive. If he did not keep her within sight, he feared the plot would kill her off again.

Sylvanas looked at the surrounding crowd.

"Stay in Dalaran?" Deren suggested, following her gaze. "Antonidas would welcome a Ranger General into the garrison. Your experience would be invaluable for training recruits."

"You want me to act like some recruit instructor," she said, her voice laced with ice, "listening to human mages give orders every day?"

Deren's expression did not change. "Or..." He turned to Sylvanas. "I could show you other places in Azeroth." Under her gaze, he spoke calmly and confidently. "Before choosing your future, you should at least know what choices you have, shouldn't you?"

Sylvanas finally turned around. Her blue eyes were like two drawn daggers in the night, stabbing straight at Deren. "What are you plotting?" Some peculiar hostility rose dangerously along with her tensed shoulders. "First you persuaded Antonidas to save people, and now you're showing me special concern."

Deren felt the temperature around them suddenly drop. Onyxia straightened up, Dragon Awe spreading in all directions.

Deren nodded. "Yes, I am making plans involving you." His smile was so clean it was almost innocent. "You are very important to me. More precisely, you being alive is important to Azeroth."

"Why?" Sylvanas asked in confusion. Then she lowered her head and looked over her own body. She did not think he was lusting after her—there was no need to risk thousands upon thousands of Undead to save one long-eared elf.

Not far away, Onyxia perked up her ears. Jaina silently turned away, pretending to inspect Dalaran's landscaping.

Deren pointed at the sky and the ground, made a quiet gesture, and shrugged. "It's not time yet. First, decide where you want to stay in the future."

Sensing Deren's seriousness, Sylvanas did not press further. After her earlier outburst, she seemed less eager to die. In the end, the subject returned to the same point. "What good suggestions do you have?"

Deren pointed at Jaina. "That beautiful magic Princess is planning to return to Kul Tiras and send her people home. Would you be interested in visiting the beautiful kingdom of the sea with her?"

I hadn't even thought of going back yet. Can't I get some rest?

Sylvanas nodded after hearing that. With her future unclear, she felt that seeing the different lands and customs across Azeroth might be a good idea.

Seeing Sylvanas agree to go to Kul Tiras, Jaina gathered her spirits and summoned Daelin's Royal Palace guards, preparing to teleport home. At the same time, she arranged for the three Horde Trolls borrowed from Thrall to wait until someone could come pick them up and take them back.

Sylvanas put on her clothes and gathered the surviving ranger unit, telling them that she planned to see other parts of Azeroth and asking them to choose how they wished to live from then on.

"I'm willing to follow the general. Wherever you go, I'll go too!" one ranger said.

"Me too. Look at those nobles who escaped—they're still looking down on us with the same arrogance." Another ranger pointed at the chaotic survivor camp.

More than a hundred Rangers, including the wounded, were willing to follow Sylvanas. She had them remain in Dalaran to recover for now. Once she had chosen a place to settle, she would send them a letter telling them to join her there.

The white stone steps of Port Borales had been polished bright by the tide. Jaina's Portal unfolded amid the sound of waves, and Deren stepped out first, his boots immediately leaving clear prints on the damp stairs.

"Watch your step." He turned and held out a hand to Sylvanas. "Harbor steps are slipperier than they look."

The Ranger General ignored his hand and lightly leaped down the steps. Her leather boots touched the wet stone with barely a sound. Onyxia came last, her high heels heavily crushing the footprints Deren had left, as though she wanted to grind something invisible into dust.

"Jaina!"

Daelin Proudmoore's voice rolled across the docks like a naval cannon. The old admiral strode over, his silver-gray beard trembling with every step, the gold fringe on his naval uniform glittering in the morning light. His guards immediately assembled and saluted him. As he inspected them for losses, he greeted Deren. "Not bad, kid advisor. Every one of my men came back in one piece. Don't forget what you promised me—Derek's matter, the sooner the better."

Deren hurriedly responded.

His gaze swept over the group behind his daughter and visibly paused when he saw Sylvanas's pointed ears.

"So this is the surviving High Elf leader?" Daelin's voice carried the bluntness unique to Kul Tirans. "How are things on your side? How many did you evacuate?"

Sylvanas raised her chin, her voice carrying clearly across the docks. "I am Sylvanas Windrunner, Ranger General of Quel'Thalas." She dipped her head slightly to Daelin. "Thanks to your assistance, the evacuation went smoothly. More than three thousand people made it back to Dalaran alive." On the way, Jaina had told her that Deren had borrowed Royal Palace guards from her father.

Daelin froze for a moment, then suddenly burst into thunderous laughter. He slapped his gold-trimmed belt. "Good! At least you haven't lost your tongue!" His laughter abruptly stopped, and he leaned close to Deren, reeking of alcohol and sea salt. "You'd better not be getting any crooked ideas, boy."

Onyxia suddenly poked her head out from behind Deren, her golden slit pupils narrowing in the shadows. "Human, watch your—"

"—We are very grateful for the admiral's hospitality." Deren cut her off quickly, secretly squeezing the Black Dragon Princess's wrist. The gesture did not escape Sylvanas's eyes. Jaina turned away as well, giving a soft humph.

The banquet was held in the Royal Palace. The Crystal Chandelier lit the hall brightly, and the long table was covered with all kinds of seafood, but Sylvanas barely touched her utensils. Her gaze occasionally swept over the naval battle paintings on the walls.

"Is the food not to your liking?" Jaina asked softly.

Sylvanas pushed aside a boiled lobster with her fingertips. "I don't eat shellfish." She glanced at Deren, who was drinking against Daelin. "Your friend seems to be adapting very well."

Onyxia suddenly tossed a grape from the other end of the table, hitting Deren's wineglass with perfect accuracy. Purple-red wine splashed across his snow-white cravat.

"Sorry." The Black Dragon Princess bared her sharp teeth. "My hand slipped."

Late at night, Sylvanas stood alone by the sea cliff. The salty wind lifted her cloak, and the moonlight stretched her shadow long. Jaina appeared soundlessly beside her, holding two cups of steaming flower tea.

"Your country is beautiful, Lady Proudmoore." Sylvanas accepted the teacup but did not drink. "The fleet, the harbor, and all this." She pointed toward the brightly lit shipyard below the cliff. "The lively noise."

Jaina followed her gaze. Workers were forging new warships through the night, hammer blows echoing across the bay. "But?"

"But my Rangers and I..." Sylvanas took a deep breath. "We belong to the forest, not the sea."

In the shadows nearby, Deren was pinned against a stone wall by Onyxia. The Black Dragon Princess's nails had become claws, digging deep into the fabric at his shoulder. "What exactly did you bring her to Kul Tiras for?"

Deren was about to answer when he suddenly saw Jaina looking their way. Under the moonlight, both ladies' eyes gleamed with startling brightness—

"Speaking of jungles." He raised his voice and skillfully slipped free from Onyxia's hold. "There's a surprise tomorrow."

The Black Dragon Princess's tail smashed a reef to pieces with a bang.

At dawn the next day, Treasure Bay slowly came alive, its salty sea breeze mixed with the scents of rum and gunpowder.

As the sun rose higher, the Goblin airship Prince Rivendare spewed dark green smoke. Engineers on deck hammered steam valves with wrenches, producing shrill metallic clangs.

"You call this transportation?" Sylvanas narrowed her eyes at the enormous contraption that kept shedding parts. "It looks ready to fall apart at any moment."

Prince Rivendare waved a handful of gold coins. "Relax, it only crashed yesterday. Statistically, it's very safe today. You brats, important guests are aboard today, so don't embarrass me. These coins are special bonuses—no taxes and no cuts!"

The Goblins on deck erupted in cheers and worked with renewed vigor. The airship began to accelerate.

With the roar of its steam boilers, the airship slowly rose into the sky. Sylvanas stood by the porthole, watching Treasure Bay's colorful roofs gradually shrink to toy size. When the airship passed through the clouds, sunlight suddenly poured in, illuminating the entire cabin.

"This is much steadier than a Gryphon." Sylvanas unconsciously released the railing she had been gripping.

Deren took the opportunity to stand beside her. "And the view is better." He pointed below. "Look at that forest sea in Stranglethorn Vale."

The airship was passing over Stranglethorn Vale. Endless treetops rose and fell in the wind, forming green waves. A river like a silver ribbon wound through them, sunlight shattering into countless diamonds upon its surface.

"Doesn't it look like Eversong Woods in Quel'Thalas?" Deren asked softly.

Sylvanas's fingertips unconsciously pressed against the glass. From a certain angle, the outlines of those ancient towering trees really did resemble the giant firs of Eversong Woods. Her breath fogged a small patch of white on the glass, then quickly faded.

"It looks so much like it..." Her voice was almost too soft to hear. "Especially those—"

"—Troll ruins!" Deren suddenly pointed excitedly into the distance. The pyramid complex of Zul'Gurub gleamed in the sunlight, faint green voodoo smoke rising from its sacrificial altars.

Sylvanas's body instantly tensed. Her hand was already on her quiver, muscle memory making her calculate wind speed and altitude at once.

"Want to try?" Deren pulled out an Elven Longbow as though performing a magic trick. "Go back to patrolling every day, sleeping, and fighting Trolls."

Onyxia's cold snort came from behind them. "Childish."

The shriek of an arrow tearing through the air interrupted the Black Dragon Princess's mockery. Sylvanas did not even walk onto the deck. She fired through the open porthole. In the jungle below, a Troll Witch Doctor dancing a ritual dance suddenly stiffened, lowered his head to look at the arrowhead protruding from his chest, then crashed to the ground.

"Wind from the east, altitude correction two degrees." Sylvanas lowered the longbow, a long-lost curve touching her lips. "Still feels good."

As Deren applauded, the airship suddenly tilted sharply. A Goblin rushed in frantically. "The portside gasbag is leaking! We're—"

Onyxia grabbed the Goblin by the collar. "You dare interrupt my sightseeing?" Her pupils narrowed into thin lines. "Fix it immediately."

The Goblin's green face turned pale. "O-of course! Right away!" Jaina, who had been standing quietly to the side and acting invisible, followed him out.

By the time the airship regained its balance, Sylvanas had returned to the window. Her fingers gently brushed the scorched Windrunner family crest on her quiver, her gaze passing through the jungle toward somewhere farther away.

"This place is beautiful, but..." Her voice suddenly sank. "Every shadow among those trees reminds me of the flames in Eversong Woods."

Deren was just about to speak when Onyxia squeezed between them. "Darling, how about somewhere more exciting? I know where the Nesingwary Hunting Party is—"

"Thank you, but no." Sylvanas put away her longbow. "I want to see this Theramore you mentioned."

"Fine, fine, fine!" Deren agreed at once.

Onyxia and Jaina, who had both been playing the background, exchanged a glance. Deren's attitude toward Sylvanas made it hard not to think of a conspiracy.

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