Setting Out Aboard the Thunderclap

Seated on the griffin, Alpha stroked the soft fur beneath his hand and watched the ground race away below him. He could not help but sigh. "Having a griffin is so much faster—far faster than any horse. Shame I don't have enough money to raise one."

Griffins were one of the Alliance's unique mounts, magical creatures with the heads of eagles and bodies of lions. Carnivorous by nature, they were fierce but could carry people and cargo once tamed, and they flew at great speed. Fitted with armor, they became griffin knights, possessing exceptional combat power.

Thanks to the griffin's extraordinary speed, Alpha reached Goldshire in just one day. After changing griffins, he flew toward Stormwind again. "Why does that person look so familiar? I feel like I've seen him somewhere before." The blacksmith muttered as he watched the departing figure.

At last, an hour later, Alpha arrived at Stormwind's station. The moment he dismounted from the griffin, someone who looked like a guard approached him and asked, "Are you Lord Alpha? I am Prince Anduin's attendant. His Highness sent me here to wait for you."

"Thank you. Time is pressing. Let's hurry to Stormwind Keep," Alpha said anxiously after thanking him.

"I have already prepared the horses, but we are not going to the keep. We are heading to the docks. The army is about to depart."

Soon, two warhorses raced through the streets, leaving clouds of dust in their wake.

At the docks, there were no civilians or nobles to be seen—only soldiers. The officers were counting heads, the logistics department was inventorying weapons, equipment, and rations, while the medics checked bandages, hemostatic agents, and other supplies.

Alpha sat astride his horse, watching everything before him. If we had troops like these, we would never have suffered that disaster. But if that calamity had never happened, there would be no me today. Blessings and misfortunes depended on each other.

"This way, please. The king and prince are waiting for you," the attendant said after giving instructions to the soldiers ahead. Alpha followed him toward the docks, looking around as they walked.

The infantry stood in orderly ranks, checking their equipment. Their swords had been polished until they gleamed, their shields were flawless and free of cracks, and the armor they wore was all fine work from Ironforge—far superior to the armor of Sentinel Territory. Stormwind's symbol, a golden lion, adorned their bodies, giving them an imposing air.

The cavalry, meanwhile, were bonding with their companions—the warhorses. The riders were clad in heavy armor from head to toe, with long spears strapped across their backs. The warhorses wore armor as well, sharp spikes lining its edges. It was hard to imagine what kind of living hell would result when such fully armed war machines charged into enemy ranks.

The musketeers were lightly equipped, blue cloaks draped around them. As they wiped down their firearms, they chatted with their comrades, creating a lively scene. Dwarves had always been optimistic. Yes, Dwarves—this was a special unit, and they came from Ironforge.

Before long, they reached an open area and stopped. The attendant dismounted and said, "We're here." Alpha hesitated. "But I don't see His Majesty or Prince Anduin." The attendant whistled, seemingly calling for something. After hearing a response, he introduced it to Alpha. "Allow me to introduce the Thunderclap. In a moment, we will board this warship and head for Kalimdor." He gestured for Alpha to look up.

That day, I felt my own insignificance. I witnessed the terrifying power of the Alliance, and I finally understood why King Greymane had been so determined to join the Alliance.

An enormous warship hovered above Alpha and the others. That was right—it was flying, held aloft by flight devices mounted on either side of the hull. Riding the griffin summoned by the attendant, Alpha finally saw the ship in its entirety. Its wooden hull was covered in a layer of refined iron. At the bow was a bronze eagle's head, another symbol of the Alliance, and behind it stood a main cannon whose barrel was even larger than the cannons aboard the Brotherhood's ship. Sailors and Gnome engineers constantly hurried across the broad deck. Ten secondary cannons were evenly positioned around it, while the rear housed the main control room, with an observation platform on the second level.

The griffin landed on the second level, and a sailor hurried over. "His Majesty, Prince Anduin, and Captain Peros are waiting for you in the control room."

After calming the griffin, the attendant said, "Understood. We'll go at once."

Before they even entered the control room, they heard King Varian's demanding voice. "What do you mean, ammunition is insufficient? If there isn't enough, make more! Notify Bronzebeard to speed up ammunition production. Double weapons production too—no, triple it. Don't ask me about funding. I have entrusted that entirely to the finance minister."

Upon entering, they saw King Varian, Prince Anduin, and a male Night Elf captain whose age could not be determined standing before a conference table.

Hearing someone enter, Varian looked up at Alpha, a trace of goodwill appearing in his eyes. "I have read Adona's report. Your performance in Westfall exceeded my expectations. If Greymane had possessed such resolve back then, he would not be as he is now—a coward." After a pause, he continued, "Just as we discussed before, you have earned an opportunity. Go tell that coward Greymane to seize it. Do not disappoint me."

"Yes. Thank you for Your Majesty's generosity." Alpha dropped to one knee.

Prince Anduin walked over and pulled Alpha aside. "Come to Ashenvale with us. It's much faster than traveling by ship. Tell King Genn that this is an opportunity. Whether he can gain my father's support depends on this." Alpha asked in confusion, "Your Highness, why are you helping us? Shouldn't you resent us? After all, we once betrayed the Alliance." Prince Anduin looked at Alpha, wisdom filling his eyes. "My mentor told me that a crisis will come in the future, and we will need allies. It is that simple."

Lost in thought, Alpha did not know when Prince Anduin had left, nor how much time had passed, until someone patted him on the shoulder. "Alpha. Lang Tu—this is our first meeting. I'm Peros. Pleased to meet you." Startled awake, Alpha looked at the elf before him. "Hello, Captain Peros. Pleased to meet you as well. Sorry for troubling you."

Peros burst into laughter. "Don't be so stiff. Relax. Come, I'll show you around the inside. This way."

"You already noticed it while you were outside, didn't you? This ship's firepower is anything but ordinary. The cannons aboard were made by Ironforge and come with their own cooling systems. As for that main cannon, it has a sixty-centimeter caliber. It can definitely blast through any city wall." As he spoke, he led Alpha below deck. "This is the transport area, where soldiers are carried. It is fairly empty now, but batches of soldiers will be brought aboard shortly. At the very bottom is the air force section, where all kinds of aircraft made by the Gnomes are stored."

Alpha asked questions as he looked around, and Peros answered them one by one. "Power? You don't need to worry about that. It is definitely faster than the Horde's. We can reach Darnassus in six days. How many people can it carry? See those flight devices beside the hull? A few thousand people is no problem. The rest? Surely you don't naively think we're taking just a few thousand men to fight the Horde? We are merely the vanguard. Haven't you noticed Prince Anduin isn't here? He will come with the main force aboard The Valiant."

At that moment, a messenger rushed over. "Captain, His Majesty is looking for you. Also, the fuel has been replenished. We can depart at any time."

"I'm coming." Peros called for Alpha and returned to the control room with him.

Once every unit had boarded, King Varian looked at Captain Peros and nodded. Peros gave the order. "All crew, heed my command! All crew, heed my command! The Thunderclap is about to depart. All personnel on deck, take your positions! Activate the wind shield! Hard to port! Speed, fifty knots! Bound for the continent of Kalimdor—the Thunderclap departs!"

The orders were relayed one after another. Alpha felt a slight vibration. After climbing to the second-level platform, he found that Stormwind had already become a tiny speck. Thinking of the weeks he had spent there, he sighed. "So I'm leaving. Leaving this continent for the second time... I wonder when I'll be able to return." Then he looked in the direction the airship was heading. "Kalimdor. So soon, we'll be fighting the Horde. This is our only chance. But what exactly is the crisis Prince Anduin keeps talking about?"

His words dissipated into the air, leaving behind only question after question.