Blood and Fire

The battle continued. Under Linda's blessing, Alpha, Peru, and Siso fought with all their strength. Not only did they have to kill as many enemies as possible, they also had to keep an eye on Vanessa. After all, Vanessa was no easy opponent.

More and more enemies fell, and fewer and fewer remained standing. But the angel's time was nearly up, and their wounds were no longer healing as quickly as they had at the start.

At last, the angel vanished, and Linda collapsed after exhausting all her strength. Thankfully, there were not many people left who could still stand. Yet Vanessa still had not made a move, so everyone remained wary.

Just as Alpha knocked down a thief, the space behind him rippled. Vanessa finally struck, driving a Backstab straight into Alpha's back. Blood sprayed out.

Vanessa tried to disappear again after landing the blow, but a vine wrapped around her, instantly immobilizing her. No matter how she struggled, she could not break free.

"Entangling Spell. I forgot to tell you, I'm a Druid." Alpha turned to look at Vanessa.

By then, Siso and Peru had also taken down the last few enemies. The battle was finally over, ending with Vanessa's capture.

When Adona arrived with the soldiers who were still able to move after receiving the call for reinforcements, he was stunned by the sight before him. It was not the massive iron ship or its well-stocked ammunition that shocked him, but the brutality of the battle. The deck was covered in blood and corpses. Alpha, Siso, Peru, and Linda sat against the ship's railing, asleep atop Peru's shattered shield. Vanessa and several of her surviving subordinates were chained together.

Later, when they were asked why they had not killed the four while they slept, they gave this answer: the moment any of them moved, one person would be killed. Eventually, no one dared move at all, even when all four of them had fallen asleep.

Three days later, Sentinel Territory was bustling with preparations for that evening's celebration. The four unconscious people gradually woke up. The first thing each of them did upon waking was not ask where they were, but ask about the other three. Once they learned that everyone had returned safely and in one piece, they passed out again.

Alpha was the last to wake. When he opened his eyes for the second time, he found himself lying in the room where he had stayed during his first visit to Sentinel Territory. Adona sat in a chair nearby, reading documents. Sensing that Alpha had awakened, he set the papers aside and came over. "Want some water?" He picked up a cup from the table.

Alpha nodded. After drinking, he finally felt truly alive again. "Have they all woken up?" Adona said, "They woke up ages ago. You were the last one." Looking Alpha over, he added, "You seem to be recovering well. We won't need to postpone tonight's celebration." Alpha asked in confusion, "Celebration?" "You'll find out tonight."

Night fell, and a huge bonfire was lit in Sentinel Territory. Soldiers gathered in small groups, drinking fine wine and eating delicious food. People from the nearby farms had also gathered there, drinking, dancing around the fire, and singing songs.

By the bonfire, Alpha, Siso, Peru, Linda, and Adona sat together. Since there were so many wounded here, they had no wine, only fruit juice and milk—milk, a specialty of Azeroth.

"Aren't you afraid the remaining forces might launch a surprise attack here?" Alpha asked curiously after taking a sip of juice.

"Why should I be? While you were unconscious, we used the testimony of those higher-ups to wipe out almost all their other strongholds. Besides, the guards here won't let down their vigilance. Just enjoy this moment. Chances like this don't come around often." Adona deliberately took a huge gulp of wine.

Siso was immediately unhappy. "If this is a celebration, why are we drinking juice and milk? We want wine too." Peru agreed with him.

Linda slammed her cup down in front of Siso, splashing juice everywhere. "Because you're injured, you'll sit there obediently and not drink alcohol. Got it?" Her fierce expression frightened Siso and Peru. They hurriedly nodded, then quickly picked up their cups and took huge gulps to show their resolve.

Alpha looked at everyone and suddenly burst out laughing. "Haha, I suddenly feel like Linda is nothing like the girl I first met. Haha, Linda, this is the real you. You've got the air of a queen, haha." Wiping the tears from his laughing eyes, Alpha continued, "And Siso too. At first, he was just a tsundere kid who always wanted to compete with me in swordsmanship. He loved pretending to be mature and cold, but he was obviously just a kid who hadn't grown up. And Uncle Peru, you're just too good-natured."

"You too. When you first arrived, you didn't care about anything or anyone's opinions. You only cared about yourself," Siso shot back. Linda added, "Exactly. At the beginning, all I saw in your eyes was indifference." Peru replied awkwardly, "When you came to find me, I originally wanted to refuse because I could sense the coldness and darkness in your heart." After pausing and exchanging glances with Siso and Linda, he continued, "But the code of a knight would not allow me to refuse. Later, as we spent time together, I realized that you distrusted everything around you. No matter how much we did for you, no matter how well we treated you, even though you laughed and fought with us during the day, I knew you had never truly slept at night. Yet despite that, you saved us time and again. Like that time with Mensa—you could have run away. The mission was already complete, and there was no need to do anything else. But you faced Mensa alone and nearly died! If Siso and I had been any slower, you really would have died! From that moment on, I regarded you as my brother! A brother I could entrust my life to!" As he spoke, Peru's eyes filled with tears.

Siso fought hard to keep his tears from falling, while Linda was already sobbing uncontrollably.

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"Hey, hey, don't get so emotional. Tonight is a celebration, don't cry. We should be laughing. Come on, let's drink. On such a happy night, we need wine. Linda, don't stop us tonight. Let's indulge ourselves properly. I'll go get some wine." Before Alpha had even finished speaking, he turned and ran off.

"What a shy fellow." Adona's sharp eyes caught several drops of liquid falling in the direction Alpha had gone. He shook his head and changed the subject. "What are you planning to do next?"

With a faintly nasal voice, Siso said, "I'm going to find my swordsmanship mentor. I'm too weak right now. I want to become stronger. As I am now, I'll only cause Alpha trouble."

Peru said hoarsely, "I'm leaving too. I'm going to the Plaguelands to find the Silver Hand. I need strength."

Linda wiped away her tears as well. "I'm going to Dalaran to seek stronger healing spells and magic. I can't keep hiding behind all of you."

As if he had anticipated their answer, Adona was not surprised in the slightest. "Since you've all made your own decisions, then I wish you well."

Just then, Alpha returned carrying a huge barrel of wine. With reddened eyes, he asked, "What are you talking about?" After they repeated everything, Alpha said, "I also wish that all of you can achieve your goals. No feast lasts forever. We'll meet again someday. Tonight, let's celebrate." He directly tore open the seal on the barrel.

The fragrance of wine spread through the air. Adona sniffed it and wondered why the scent seemed so familiar. After taking a sip, he felt as though he had drunk it somewhere before, so he curiously asked where Alpha had gotten it. "The cellar," Alpha said as he poured the wine.

"The cellar? The cellar! You—!" Adona grabbed Alpha by the collar and lifted him into the air. "That was the last barrel of wine I brought all the way from Stormwind!"

Only after everyone persuaded him and Alpha repeatedly promised to make it up to him did Adona put Alpha down. He sulked as he drank his wine.

Alpha raised his cup. "We were strangers who had nothing to do with one another, but fate brought us together. We went through storms and hardships together. Though we haven't known each other for long, we have shared life and death, fortune and misfortune. We may not share the same blood, but our blood has mingled together. We are companions. Come! Let us toast to meeting again in the future."

Their cups clinked, wine splashed, and everyone drank freely, teasing one another, cheering, and offering blessings. After tonight, they would all go their separate ways, striving and working toward their own goals. At that moment, a special bond formed between them, binding them together. In each of their hearts, there were now three more people they needed to protect, and they welcomed it willingly.

A week after the celebration, Linda, Siso, and Peru said their farewells one after another, leaving to begin their own journeys. Each of them would work hard for the people they cherished. Alpha, who had been saddened by their departure, immediately set off as well after receiving a letter from Stormwind.

The letter read: "Ashenvale. War has begun. Opportunity." (End of Volume One)