The Warsong Clan Appears

Dark, roiling clouds filled the sky above the Hillsbrad Foothills.

The wind howled relentlessly, and an oppressive atmosphere hung over Southshore. Clouds hid the stars and moon, making the town even darker in the night. The murky darkness shrouded everything.

Flecks of dim yellow light seeped through the windows. Inside the house, everyone had taken their seats, with Rex at the head. He was in command of Southshore's defense this time. The only people who could have contested his authority were Prince Kael'thas and the Southshore Mayor. But the Southshore Mayor knew his own limits and had the sense to recognize the situation. After seeing the strength of Rex and the Knights of the Round Table, he cooperated fully, with no other ambitions.

As for Kael'thas, he was merely going through the motions. He had no desire to get involved in the human effort to suppress this Orc uprising. Rex suspected that he had come to Southshore because Jaina was here and because he wanted to ease the discontent in Dalaran. Quite a few people there had been unhappy with his actions, but his voluntary arrival had now done much to placate them.

Two birds with one stone. Kael'thas was clever.

"The Orc army will arrive tomorrow. How are the preparations coming along?" Rex first addressed Kael'thas and Jaina, asking about their progress on the Magic Circle. Although it was not the key to this battle, it was still one of their main defenses.

"We had too little time and not enough materials. We only managed to inscribe a basic Congealing Spell array," Jaina said slowly, parting her rosy lips with a bitter look on her face.

"That's enough." Rex nodded. He had never expected too much from the Dalaran mages' efforts to inscribe a Magic Circle. Creating one required three things: materials, mages, and time.

Materials were the hardest to obtain. Many Magic Circles had been passed down, but material shortages meant that few advanced circles could actually be inscribed. Only cities such as Dalaran and Silvermoon City possessed them. Being able to inscribe even a basic circle in Southshore in just a few days was probably thanks to Kael'thas, an Archmage. A long lifespan had its advantages; it allowed one to accumulate vast knowledge.

Human mages would never study such a broad range of subjects. Their lifespans were limited, so they tended to specialize, using their finite time to learn whatever would benefit them most. High Elves had no such concerns. Their lifespans were dozens of times longer, so they could study whatever they wanted, according to their interests. Long-lived races enjoyed a tremendous advantage. After living that long, who would not be deeply learned?

"Little John, how is the work on raising the walls coming along?"

"They're six meters high now, but they aren't very sturdy. A powerful impact could easily bring them down," Little John replied. He and the others had thought the original walls, nearly four meters high, were enough. But Rex had found several agile men who taught Little John a very real lesson. Of the three he found, one had successfully jumped onto the wall, while the other two had failed.

The man who made it up was not particularly powerful; he was only at the second tier. That alone said enough. Rex was worried about the walls being too low because scouting reports mentioned a considerable number of Trolls in the Orc army. Based on the descriptions of their features, he judged that they were most likely Forest Trolls, or possibly Jungle Trolls. The Southshore Mayor and the Southshore Guard Captain had fought in the Second War, but their opponents had been Orcs. Trolls had also been drawn into that war.

Neither man had encountered them, however, so they knew little about Trolls beyond what they had heard. Rex was different. He had a vivid impression of Trolls, having once looked up information about them.

Broadly speaking, they were divided into Forest Trolls, Jungle Trolls, Frost Trolls, and Sand Trolls. Forest Trolls were the most likely to appear here, since they generally operated in Lordaeron.

Trolls who spent their lives in the forests were nimble and quick. Moving swiftly through the woods left little room for sluggishness. Walls less than four meters high were a risky proposition. With a running start, they might well leap straight onto them, rendering the walls useless.

Naturally, Little John was not overseeing the work of raising the walls. He was too young, after all. The Southshore Guard Captain was actually in charge, but Little John had been busy at his side throughout and knew the walls' condition well. He was the ideal person to ask.

"That's enough. With the Congealing Spell array reinforcing them, they'll be as solid as Mount Tai—" Rex stopped short of finishing the mountain's name. Mount Tai did not exist in this world, and no one would know which mountain he meant.

The decision to inscribe this Magic Circle had come from discussions between Rex, Kael'thas, and Jaina. They could only create a basic circle, and its power would be inadequate for killing enemies. Basic circles lacked offensive strength, while more powerful ones were impossible to complete under their current conditions. Choosing the Congealing Spell to reinforce the walls had therefore been inevitable.

Even with the Congealing Spell reinforcing them, their defenses would be somewhat weaker than properly built walls, but this was the best they could achieve.

Rex continued his questions. No one dared neglect the preparations for battle. As questions and answers passed back and forth, time slowly slipped away.

The next day, the sky remained dim. The thick clouds had lingered for several days, yet there was still no sign of rain.

Rex and the others stood atop the northern wall, gazing ahead as the distant black specks steadily grew larger before their eyes. A dark mass of troops spread out before them. An army of over ten thousand seemed endless.

Rex's eyes narrowed. This Orc army numbered far more than twenty thousand. Even with his poor grasp of mathematics, he could tell that twenty thousand men could never present a sight like this.

"This is trouble. There look to be at least thirty thousand. I recognize that banner. It belongs to the Orcs' Warsong Clan," a low voice said beside Rex. It was the Southshore Guard Captain.

"Are you sure you haven't mistaken it?" The rude question slipped out of Rex's mouth, revealing just how shocked he was and how deeply the name Warsong Clan had shaken him.

"There's no mistake. My ten-year-old son died at the hands of those beasts," the Southshore Guard Captain said, his words seething with hatred.

Whoever gathered that intelligence is a fucking idiot. That was the first thought that flashed through Rex's mind.

(End of chapter)