Kingdom of Lordaeron

After bidding farewell to Duke Jorach and Vanessa, Liam and Wilton left Ravenholdt Manor, where they had lived for three years, and set off on the next leg of their journey.

Although little Vanessa was always giving her two senior brothers the cold shoulder, she was reluctant to part with them. With red-rimmed eyes, she hid away and didn't dare show herself. In the end, Liam found the sulking girl inside a large tree west of the manor.

The tree had been dead for many years, and insects had hollowed out its trunk. Liam and the others had stumbled upon it and made it their "secret base." The fact that the girl had chosen this place to hide made it obvious that, deep down, she wanted someone to find her. She was just too stubborn to say so.

After Liam and Wilton agreed to countless unfair terms, Vanessa finally promised not to hold it against them for leaving her behind to "go out and have fun." Liam also gave her the "present" he'd promised her earlier.

Once again, Liam used the power of [Prince Liam]. Bathed in golden Holy Light, little Vanessa manifested the phantom of a figure with a pair of snowy-white wings behind her. Of course, there were no such things as angels on Azeroth. Liam recognized the phantom at a glance as one of the creatures from the far north of Northrend, known as the Val'kyr.

The phantom's appearance also proved that Vanessa had acquired the new power Liam had bestowed upon her: [Darkfallen Eydis]!

[Name: Darkfallen Eydis (Vanessa VanCleef)]

[Status: Creature, Loyalty 25]

[Origin: Northrend]

[Type: Follower]

[Rarity: Legendary]

[Attributes: Attack (3), Health (4), Mana Crystal Cost (3)]

[Skill: When targeted by a spell, she can absorb some of the scattered magical energy and use it to attack enemies. The damage dealt depends on her personal strength and the spell's power.]

The first Val'kyr were creatures of Holy Light, created by the guardian Odyn. They were Vrykul women who had ascended. The original Val'kyr were warriors of the Holy Light, created to serve Odyn, Azeroth's chief steward, and guide the souls of those who died honorably in battle to the Halls of Valor.

Darkfallen Eydis, on the other hand, was a Val'kyr belonging to the Scourge. These creatures served as the Lich King's agents in the realm of souls. According to the scholar Thalorien, they were terrifying beings made of pure nightmare.

As the Darkfallen Eydis from the "Twin Val'kyr" dungeon boss fight, Eydis could reflect magical energy back at her opponents. This powerful ability, which combined offense and defense, was a mage's bane. It was an ideal match for a rogue, a class sorely lacking in defensive skills.

With this extra layer of protection for Vanessa, Liam could leave with a much easier mind. After all, Vanessa was a little different from his sister and Lorna: unfortunately, she had the surname VanCleef and a father who was a constant source of trouble...

And Liam had a feeling that even if she managed to avoid the Stormwind City incident, her "straightforward" knack for getting into trouble would cause her to make even more of a mess than her old man—not less.

After saying goodbye to everyone at the manor, Liam and Wilton once again emerged from Ravenholdt Manor's hidden cave. They had gone in and out of the place countless times over the past three years, and it had come to feel like home. They didn't know how long it would be before they returned, and both of them felt a little down. They barely spoke as they walked.

Following the route Liam had taken before, they headed north. Along the way, they passed through the first human kingdom Liam had "ravaged," crossed the towering Alterac Mountains, and finally entered the Kingdom of Lordaeron.

The most powerful of the six kingdoms still standing in Azeroth, the Kingdom of Lordaeron ruled over the Eastern Kingdoms and occupied vast stretches of the north. This was its golden age.

But Liam knew their good days wouldn't last much longer. They had a prince even better than Liam at ruining everything. At worst, Liam had run away from home. Arthas, on the other hand, was a classic case of someone who brought ruin to his father, his mentor, and his kingdom.

Before long, this great kingdom would become a deathly wasteland. The Plaguelands would engulf most of its territory, and after a great battle, its once-glorious capital would be reduced to ruins, forever stripped of its former splendor.

Liam wanted to see what Lordaeron looked like before it became a ruin.

They crossed the Alterac Mountains along a narrow trail. Andorhal lay not far beyond. As the breadbasket supplying the entire Kingdom of Lordaeron, the region was filled with farms and fields. Its hardworking people toiled year after year, supplying food for the whole kingdom and providing Lordaeron with an important source of revenue.

Andorhal had yet to become the Plaguelands that would ravage the entire north. As Liam and Wilton traveled through it, they saw only hurried merchants and enormous granaries lining the roads. The people were busy but fulfilled, and everything was orderly. It was all so beautiful, like a pastoral painting spread out before them.

Perhaps he had seen this sort of thing so often that Wilton showed no surprise. Liam, by contrast, was a prince who curiously looked all around and took in the sights to his heart's content.

There was no smoke blotting out the sky, no bubbling cauldrons of plague, no skeletons or Ghouls roaming the land, and no plants and animals corroded beyond recognition. Andorhal was beautiful in every way, so unlike the place Liam remembered that he could hardly believe they were one and the same.

Even after the Scourge had been wiped out and Andorhal had regained a little life, it had recovered only a fraction of its former population. It couldn't compare at all to the thriving place before him.

The visit to Andorhal left Liam deeply content. Having seen Azeroth shattered decades later, he wanted more than ever to travel far and wide, to see the world and preserve it in his mind. Even if he wasn't strong enough yet, even if he couldn't stop malice from destroying all this beauty, he would do his best to protect the world as it was—and then make it even more beautiful.

After resting in Andorhal for the night, Liam and Wilton parted ways.

Wilton headed east, back to Darrowmere, while Liam went west toward Lordaeron City. They agreed to meet again in Lordaeron in half a month, then find a ship together and explore the world beyond.

Of course, that was just something Liam had said. There wasn't much left for him to see. He'd put the Assassin League and that damned die out of his mind. What he needed now was the best ship in the world, a crew of tough sailors, and maybe... a mage who could make the ship "fly"?