Transforming the Moon Wells

The cannon muzzles, glowing faintly, protruded from the towers atop Alterac Mountains' high walls.

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Leiluo and his party had returned to Alterac Mountains. Ner'zhul had helped them—or, more precisely, the two-thirds of Ner'zhul's soul that Arthas had absorbed had helped them.

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Ner'zhul's soul had been unwilling to let Arthas absorb it without a fight, so it had resisted. In the aftermath, the Lich King, who had been so triumphant just moments earlier, fell silent. The glow within his visor vanished, and his helmet drooped. If the Undead Scourge around them hadn't continued their assault, Leiluo and the others might have thought Arthas was dead.

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With Arthas no longer a threat, the remaining Undead weren't enough to keep them there, even with Leiluo's group dead or wounded. Once Vereesa and Anak returned with the gryphons, Leiluo and the others were able to leave Icecrown Glacier without incident.

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From atop a gryphon, Leiluo glanced back at the Lich King seated upon the Frozen Throne. The biting wind made the tattered cloak behind him flap loudly. His hands rested on the Rune Sword, and he looked imposing beyond words. In that moment, Leiluo told himself that the world had been completely changed by his arrival. Ever since Arthas had become the Lich King, Leiluo had lost all foresight into what lay ahead. From now on, he could only rely on himself.

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After they returned to Alterac Mountains, another piece of grim news arrived from Orgrimmar in Kalimdor: Kael'thas's mission had failed. Of the ten who had set out, only two had returned.

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In truth, when Arthas appeared at Icecrown Glacier, Leiluo had already suspected as much. But he hadn't received confirmation, and sometimes, no news was the best news. Still, self-deception could only last so long. After