Fracture

Once Nathanos was certain the Female Elf could no longer see him, he began to run wildly. His steps were swift and silent, but his expression was far from calm. Rage completely consumed him; Nathanos had never known pain before, but now he understood. He ran so fast that nothing could stop him. Lo'gresh was clutched in his hand, and he began to shoot down every living thing he could see: deer, lynxes, Dragonhawk, and giant spiders, one arrow after another.

Until he came to a stream, Nathanos, in a fit of rage, rushed in, plunging into the river and letting the pure, sweet spring waters of Eversong Forest surround him. He could no longer tell if he was weeping; even if he was, he couldn't feel it. In that moment, many things came to mind.

Their first encounter was marked by Nathanos's deep impression of Alleria's elegance and beauty, though his prejudice against Ranger prevented him from fully appreciating the Female Elf. Later, in Southshore, when she first asked him if he wanted to become Ranger, Nathanos felt a surge of excitement, but he refused, believing his abilities didn't need anyone else's approval.

Finally, in Quel'Thalas, he saved her, but his arrows could not save everyone, including her family.

Nathanos's anger faded as his memories returned. Yes, Alleria had every reason to hate the Orcs. Her parents had died in the flames of the Red Dragon, her home had been destroyed, and there had been no news of her brother Rilas, since.

'Why should I stop her?' Nathanos asked himself.

As the two gradually got to know each other, Alleria's gaze towards him was no longer filled with the initial disdain. Nathanos, in turn, began to show her respect for her status. The two started to want to fight side-by-side on the battlefield.

'But she's changed!' A voice in his head jolted him awake.

He didn't know if Alleria's hatred for the Orcs would affect her judgment, what if she died on the battlefield because of her Recklessness...

Nathanos pulled himself back to reality, struggling with all his might to rise from the water. He wasn't quite gasping for breath yet, but he was now lucid. He wanted to return to the Female Elf, but...!

How dare you lecture me, Nathanos!

These words seemed to bind him like some kind of spell, dispelling his thoughts.

He shook his head, feeling the cold; his clothes were already soaked, but he ignored the discomfort. He stared at the sky, and as if sensing his gaze, the heavens began to send down a light drizzle, escorting him away from this sorrowful place.

Meanwhile, after returning to Windrunner Tower, Alleria locked herself in her room. She huddled alone in a corner, head down.

How dare an ordinary human dare to point fingers at her without thinking? In her eyes, Nathanos was nothing more than an ill-mannered and arrogant child. Although that's what she thought, she knew it was wrong.

Although Nathanos was no different from an infant compared to her age, he was still a man among humans—a cautious and intelligent one. For a moment, Alleria even thought she had fallen in love with him. That sounded absurd and ridiculous, and it was all in the past.

Around her neck hung an exquisitely crafted silver the Necklace with three gemstones. It was a gift from her parents, the only connection she had with them, like a sweet dream.

The Orcs killed them, and many others, including many of her relatives and some of her friends. She had known these people for a long time, long before Nathanos was born.

These Orcs will pay the price. Her hands gripped her the Necklace tightly. They will be tortured as her parents, her people, her city, and even her country have suffered, and the torture will be a million times worse than what she has endured.

He couldn't stop her from seeking revenge.

He couldn't let her soften her heart.

No matter the cost, she was determined to get revenge.

Outside Lordaeron, Uther rode his warhorse "Ironhoof" across the wilderness. It was already late at night, and he should have been resting long ago, but the task Terenas had given him kept him awake.

Excited yet tinged with worry, Uther had never imagined he would have to seek out Nathanos again. He had longed to have a proper conversation with his former apprentice, but various trivial matters had kept him occupied. Now, finally, the opportunity had presented itself, so much so that when the night watchman asked him where he was going, he simply gave him a reassuring smile and used the saved time to continue his journey.

He saw it—a farm of moderate size on the hillside. All the houses were dark. Uther dismounted and approached the farm. He didn't knock; that would be impolite. The Marius family was surely asleep. The Paladin held his helmet in his hand, deciding to wait until dawn. Then he could think about how to persuade Nathanos. Knowing him as he did, Nathanos would surely refuse the task.

"Who?" Uther turned around. Even at this late hour, he could still hear footsteps in the shadows below the hillside, and judging from the sound, the person was walking this way.

"Nathanos?" The Paladin almost exclaimed. The other party also showed a slight surprise when he saw him, but it was replaced by indifference.

"Good heavens, child! What happened to you?" Uther quickly draped his thick cloak over him. Nathanos was soaked to the bone, with water even seeping from his sleeves.

"I'm fine! I'm just cold, thank you for the clothes." His slightly red and swollen eyes told Uther something had happened, but what exactly had made his apprentice look so haggard was unclear.

"I thought you were already resting, but I didn't expect..."

Nathanos gave a bitter smile, "I didn't expect to see you here either. Did you come looking for me?"

Uther nodded firmly.

"Let's go inside first, but we need to be quiet."

A day later, Talon Blood Maw and his small party arrived at Blackrock Mountain. After contacting Ner'zhul, the Shaman dispatched Fenris Wolfbrother of the Thunderlord Clan and Tagga Spinebreaker of the Bonechewer Clan, along with several other strong Warrior, to assist Blood Maw. They met Blood Maw at the Blackrock Mountain as instructed. For Blood Maw, this was the best force he could muster that wouldn't attract the Alliance's attention. Of course, he hoped it would be enough to draw the attention of the Blackhand brothers.

They openly climbed Blackrock Mountain, clearly visible to the Orcs on guard. Blood Maw didn't choose to infiltrate; that would appear provocative. Finally, they reached the summit, a place filled with cracked rocks from which scorching lava flowed, forming a fiery red river that cascaded down naturally formed grooves. Blood Maw looked down, a displeased expression on his face. This had once been the Horde's stronghold, the place where Orgrim had introduced Blood Maw and the other Death Knight to the Orcs. And in the valley at the foot of the mountain below, Doomhammer dueled and defeated Lothar, the Alliance leader, only to be subsequently defeated by Lothar's lieutenant Turalyon. Memories of victory and defeat lingered here.

He gestured to the others and stopped at an entrance. Sure enough, a moment later, four strong and tall Blackrock Orc emerged, each fully armed.

"I'm here for the Blackhand brothers. Go tell them that Talon Blood Maw has arrived." The Death Knight leader stepped forward, removing his hood. Several guards paled slightly; one whispered to the other, who bowed and retreated into the darkness. A moment later, he reappeared, approaching the Orcs and whispering to him.

"Don't act rashly," the Blackrock Orc warned, personally leading the group into the fortress. They gradually entered the heart of the mountains, while the Blood Maw took in everything he saw along the way; it was clear that Blackrock Spire fortress had not been abandoned. When other Orcs passed by, Orcs all stopped and scrutinized these uninvited guests. Although seeing a Death Knight in Blackrock Spire greatly surprised them, none of them dared to say anything.

Finally, Blood Maw and his party arrived at a vast room. This was the throne that once belonged to Doomhammer, and the location of his council chamber. The figure now seated on the black throne was slightly shorter than Orgrim and appeared more savage. His face was broad, and his brown beard was quite unruly. His hair, ears, forehead, armor, and even his sharp greatsword were adorned with numerous medals and bones.

The Blood Maw stopped outside the greatsword's attack range and said, "Rend."

"Blood Maw!"

The two called out each other's names. Rend Blackhand shifted his posture, propping one leg up on the armrest of the throne. "What's a dead man doing here?"

"The Dark Portal has been repaired," Blood Maw began, but Rend snorted and his brother Maim sat on the ground.

The Blackrock leader replied, "This is certainly the work of you Warlock." He then asked dismissively, "But so what?"

Blood Maw frowned. His conversation with the Blackhand brothers wasn't going as smoothly as he'd hoped. "Now, Ner'zhul is beginning to lead the Horde again. I'm here to bring you back to the Horde, as well as the Dragonmaw Clan, and their Dragonmaw Clan."

Rend glanced at Maim, and then the two brothers burst into laughter. "After all this time, that old Shaman still dares to dream of making me kneel before him? And the Dragonmaw Clan? What a pipe dream!" He laughed again, though his eyes were filled with rage.

Blood Maw insisted, "You must return. We need your power, and your Red Dragon, to carry out our plan."

"Your plans are none of my business," Rend replied coldly, standing up. Blood Maw realized that while Rend Blackhand wasn't as powerful as Orgrim, he was still a formidable Orcs. "I don't care what damned Ner'zhul's plans are. All I know is that when the Horde and Alliance were locked in a life-or-death struggle, that old codger cowered! The Dark Portal was destroyed, we went into exile, searching for the surviving Orcs. It took us so long to gradually regain our fighting strength. I'm the one who brought the Orcs together again! I rebuilt the Horde, right under the humans' noses! Now, I am the Warchief of the Horde!"

Blood Maw gripped his warhammer, wanting to crush it to pieces, but ultimately suppressed the urge. He gritted his teeth and said, "I hope you'll reconsider. Without your help, Ner'zhul will..."

"Defeat," Rend replied bluntly. Maim looked pleased. "The Alliance will defeat him, and then..." he chuckled, continuing, "I can profit from it. We'll gather all the survivors to join us, Maim and me, just like we've been doing since the last war."

Behind Blood Maw, Tagga Spinebreaker roared, "You coward! Traitor! I'll chop you into pieces!"

"Oh, really?" Rend asked defiantly.

Blood Maw turned around and blocked Tagga, who was about to attack.

"He has guards around him," he warned the Bonechewer Clan chieftain in a low voice. "If you attack him, those guards will cause us to lose Bonechewer Clan new chieftain." He shook his head. "Now is not the time."

Tagga complained, but still took a step back. Rend looked very disappointed.

"I'll ask you one more time: will you join us?" the Blood Maw asked in a low voice.

"Oh? Wait, let me think about it... No." Rend finally retorted, smiling smugly. Maim burst out laughing after hearing this.

"Very well." The Blood Maw bowed. "Since that's the case, you'd better take care of yourself."

Rend shouted at Blood Maw's retreating figure, "I can't wait to see you fail!" The Blackhand brothers laughed again, their laughter echoing through the corridors. Blood Maw led his squad out of the fortress dejectedly, returning to the foot of Blackrock Spire.