The Coming Storm

Winter passed, spring arrived, and all things came back to life.

In the distance, the snow atop the peaks of the Alterac Mountains had begun to melt, but the breeze blowing north across Lake Lordamere still carried a chill. It slipped down collars and made people shiver despite themselves.

Beneath the lazy warmth of the afternoon sun, two little boys practiced on the empty training grounds. Their childish shouts and the clack of wooden swords rang out without pause.

"Ha!"

With a shout, the little boy in a snow-white knight's tunic deftly parried his opponent's wooden sword. He used the momentum to press the tip of the other boy's blade downward, then slid his own sword along its length in a swift cut.

His swordsmanship was impressive, but before he could finish his attack, his disadvantaged opponent voluntarily dropped his wooden sword, stepped back, and waved a hand. "Alvin, you're always using tricks like that. Strength and stamina are the foundations of combat!"

"That's because I'm not as strong as you." The boy dressed all in white shrugged. "Archbishop Faol said that wisdom is the greatest weapon we humans possess."

"Fine, you win."

As the first in line to inherit Lordaeron, Arthas would never get truly angry over a little trick played by his younger brother. Even their exchange just now had merely been his attempt to fulfill his duty as an older brother and guide his little brother back onto the "right path."

After the Trolls of Zul'Aman surrendered unconditionally to the Kingdom of Lordaeron, Archbishop Alonsus Faol had hurried home with him. They had traveled as fast as they could, and in the end, made it back a week before the Stormwind refugees arrived in Lordaeron City.

The leaders of all the human kingdoms and the Wildhammer Dwarf chief from Aerie Peak would gather in Lordaeron's capital over the next few days to discuss how to resist the Orcs, who were soon to arrive. Anduin Lothar and Khadgar, who had witnessed the Orcs' immense strength and bloodthirsty savagery firsthand, would be the central figures at the meeting. Archbishop Faol would attend on Lordaeron's behalf. That was why the old man had hurried back with the boy.

"My dear little brother, you're daydreaming again." Arthas placed both hands on the boy's shoulders and shook him firmly. "Father mentioned earlier that the guests from Stormwind would arrive in the capital by this evening. We need to hurry back and get ready."

Stormwind. The boy snapped out of his daze at the reminder, his heart sinking. He hurried after Arthas and watched the carefree figure striding ahead of him, his expression grave.

So they're finally here—Anduin Lothar and Varian Wrynn.

At the thought of the coming war between Orcs and humans, Alvin felt a bone-deep chill despite the sunshine around him. The Orcs had come. How long until the Scourge arrived? After spending eight years in Lordaeron, he had never realized that spring here could be so cold.

At the same time, a middle-aged warrior with gray at his temples led a neatly marching group of soldiers in battered, bloodstained armor as they escorted a carriage to the gates of Lordaeron's capital.

Though utterly exhausted in body and spirit, these lucky few who had escaped Stormwind before its fall still maintained their orderly ranks and fierce fighting spirit. They were the last surviving elite of the Kingdom of Stormwind: the men of the Brotherhood of the Horse and the finest soldiers of the Stormwind Guard.

"The Orcs are preparing to march north. The fate of humanity lies in our own hands."

Anduin Lothar gazed at the towering wall stretching before him, silently trying to bolster his own courage. If the humans could not form an Alliance and unite their strength, the Orcs would surely crush them. Then not only would the Kingdom of Stormwind never be reclaimed, but the entire continent of Lordaeron would fall.

Burning buildings, destroying cities, slaughtering civilians—the bloodthirsty Orcs were capable of anything! He never wanted to face such a scene of suffering again. Humanity had to win this war!

With that thought, Lothar clenched his fist and rode through the open gate to face Terenas, who had been waiting inside the city, along with all the other leaders of the human kingdoms across the continent of Lordaeron who would soon come at his request.

Under King Terenas's leadership, the people of Lordaeron gave the guests from the Kingdom of Stormwind a generous and warm welcome.

After the banquet that evening, a great many messengers were quickly dispatched to the kingdoms across the continent of Lordaeron, urging all the human leaders to hasten their journeys and discuss how to meet the coming war. The Kingdom of Lordaeron also began stockpiling supplies in preparation for the challenges ahead.

A week later, as representatives from the various kingdoms arrived in person, an oppressive atmosphere began to weigh on every adult.

In the spacious garden, the worried Varian was training two little boys with a wooden practice sword. Arthas and Alvin worked together seamlessly, but with strength nearly equal to an adult's and the advantage of greater height, Varian brushed aside every attack with ease.

At last, after his sword had been knocked from his hand for the fourth time, Alvin, dressed in training clothes, decided he'd had enough of this childish attempt at comforting Varian. Arthas might have meant well, but Varian was worried about the future of his kingdom and people; two children still learning the basics were hardly going to distract him.

Seeing the young boy who had lost both his father and his kingdom looking so depressed and troubled, Alvin rolled his eyes and spoke in a tempting tone. "Say, don't you two want to find out what's going on in the meeting hall?"

Compared with Arthas's one-sided plan to comfort him, his little brother's suggestion was clearly more to Varian's liking. The boy tried his best to keep calm, but his trembling voice gave him away. "Really...? I mean, wouldn't that be a little inappropriate?"

"No problem, as long as we don't get caught."

The boy flashed an innocent smile. He knew how to make the most of his advantages. "Even if we do get caught, there's nothing to worry about. Those kings are all famous, important people. They wouldn't actually hold a grudge against three little kids!"

Though he was somewhat put off at being lumped into the "little kids" category for no reason, the boy's suggestion had clearly stirred up Varian, who had been distracted until now.

Just then, Arthas, who had been quiet all this time, lifted his head and thumped his chest for his new friend. Like a proud little golden lion, he declared, "Don't worry, we know the guards at the door really well!"

With Alvin urging him on and Arthas vouching for him, Varian, who had been holding back because he was a guest in someone else's home, finally decided to go do a little "eavesdropping."