Spring brought warmth and blooming flowers, and all things stirred back to life. Sunlight bathed the earth, stretching over swathes of tender grass and brilliant red blossoms.
A gentle spring breeze brushed the hair at Rex's temples. He glanced sideways at the graceful willow beside him, then at the hardy grass that had pushed through the soil through sheer tenacity. The vibrant spirit of spring was impossible to hide.
Clear, melodious birdsong chirped beneath the warm, bright sunlight. Intoxicating floral fragrances drifted on a softly murmuring breeze, forming a rare scene of beauty and peace.
Sadly, no one had the heart to appreciate it anymore. In Lordaeron, north of spring-blessed Gilneas, this should have been the season when everything returned to life, yet vast stretches of trees had died. The land lay barren and scorched, stripped of its ability to nurture crops and rendered utterly useless. Though it was spring, to the people of Lordaeron it felt more like the depths of winter, bitter and freezing.
The plague in northern Lordaeron worsened by the day, with a speed that caught everyone off guard. Far too much had happened in little more than six months: the outbreak of the plague, the Orcs' uprising, and, at last, the death of the culprit who had unleashed the plague, thanks to the efforts of the young prince Arthas. Yet an even more shocking event followed: Arthas murdered his father.
In a single day, the vast kingdom of Lordaeron collapsed on every front. Even Lordaeron City had fallen to the undead, becoming a paradise for the dead.
"Your Highness, His Majesty has summoned you urgently." A fully armed guard carrying a spear approached Rex at a hurried, uneven pace, then saluted and delivered his message.
Rex nodded without another word, turned, and strode toward the