Night Operation

Vareesa was frustrated and disheartened; nothing could be worse than being on her way back to Quel'Thalas. She wasn't returning home after completing her mission; it had been forcibly terminated. Sylvanas, upon learning everything, immediately ordered her back to Eversong Forest, and before she left, she was given a letter to deliver to Alleria. Vareesa knew without a doubt that it would contain a detailed report of her mission, and she could already imagine Alleria's expression upon reading it.

'You always try to handle everything in your own way, don't you, Vareesa?'

Sylvanas had said this to her. The two women had a huge argument, Vareesa felt that even if she had been negligent, she deserved a chance to make amends. It wasn't until Sylvanas told her who the human named Marius was that Vareesa completely lost her confidence.

Nathanos Marius —how could she not have heard of this human—her sister Alleria's lover? Vareesa had only heard of him. Nathanos seemed to have visited Eversong Forest during Lordaeron's last mission to Quel'Thalas, but Vareesa was undergoing Ranger training at the time and hadn't seen Nathanos. She was surprised that their acquaintance had occurred in this way; this seemingly indifferent human had been helping her accomplish what she was required to do.

Although she cannot be entirely blamed for Nathanos's fate, Vareesa was still very saddened and could not help but worry about Nathanos.

"Nathanos is the person I arranged to accompany you on this mission, and this was also Alleria's intention. It's not that I lack confidence in you, but rather that I wanted someone to protect you. You are the little moon of the Windrunner family, and the most cherished family member of Alleria and me."

Vareesa sighed silently, recalling Sylvanas's last words before she left. It was a cruel lesson. She could only pray that Nathanos was alright; otherwise, she would feel guilty towards Alleria and everyone else.

Grim Batol

Nathanos was imprisoned. To his surprise, another person was also imprisoned with him. Calling her human wasn't quite accurate; Nathanos had never seen anything like her before...a creature. She possessed incredibly beautiful Elf features; by human standards, she was a stunning beauty, her excessively revealing clothing accentuating her slender figure to the extreme. Although the light was dim, Nathanos could still vaguely make out her fiery red hair and the horns on her head—this was definitely not an Elf.

Strangely, when he was imprisoned, he saw this Kus Elf woman lying motionless in the corner. When she opened her eyes at the sound, her golden eyes told him that she was a dragon! And her eyes were exactly like Deathwing's.

They didn't speak, but Nathanos noticed that the shackles on her hands seemed different from his own; they shimmered with dark purple light and had some strange runes on them.

"What's your name?" Alexstrasza asked, her voice soft but gentle and melodious.

"Just a prisoner." The human voice was equally dejected, completely unaware of what was about to happen to him.

"Whoever you are." The woman suddenly stood up, leaning against the wall, struggling to her feet. She was very tall, almost as tall as Nathanos. "Please save my children, so... please go to sleep. What happens next is not for you to know."

"What?" Nathanos hadn't even figured out what she was talking about when his vision began to blur. He swayed as the woman approached. As she crouched down in front of him, Nathanos fainted. In his last moments, he felt the woman kissing him...

How can I find Nathanos?

This vexing problem kept recurring, but Sylvanas couldn't get a satisfactory answer. Worse still, night had fallen on Kaz'Modan, and the exhausted Dragonhawk were clearly no longer able to hold on.

Throughout the entire pursuit, Deathwing left absolutely no trace. Sylvanas didn't even find a single broken tree.

An hour later, she had to land and find a place to camp and rest.

"Go eat your fill and come back," the Female Elf said, patting her mount's head. The Dragonhawk let out a joyful cry and took flight. Fish alone wouldn't be enough to feed this beautiful creature. Letting her hunt for suitable food herself was the best option. Besides, the Dragonhawk would only be gone for a short while, just enough time for Sylvanas to have a meal by herself.

Now only the Ranger remained. When she arrived, Rhonin had offered to go with her to rescue Nathanos, but she flatly refused. In the Female Elf's mind, Nathanos's disappearance was largely due to Rhonin; she even asked why it was Nathanos who was captured and not him. Sylvanas became even angrier after learning that Nathanos had risked his life to protect her.

Before the Ranger lay a desolate wasteland, rugged and uninhabitable. The terrain ahead would gradually rise, leading to the cliffs of Grim Batol. There were a few groves of trees, but their overall coverage was rather sparse. She would have to hide among the hills to find suitable cover and avoid detection by the Orcs Dragon Knight.

She has now Kaz'Modan deep into Khaz Modan, and there must be Orcs outposts nearby.

Sylvanas had brought some dry rations with her, ate them immediately. Since there was a stream nearby, she also drank the water from her water pouch without worry. Making a fire so deep in Orcs -controlled territory was impossible, but fortunately, it didn't look too cold tonight.

Not long after, the Dragonhawk indeed filled its belly and flew back on its own, sitting down next to Sylvanas.

The Female Elf couldn't sleep; she couldn't guarantee there was no danger around. Compared to the forests of Quel'Thalas, the nights here were far too quiet. The Elf Ranger reminded herself that this rocky hill had been occupied by Orcs for many years. Although wild animals still lived here—the well-fed Dragonhawk being proof—most of the animals in Kaz'Modan lived a harder life than the creatures of Quel'Thalas, because the Orcs and their dragons both required large quantities of fresh meat.

A few stars dotted the sky, but were it not for the Elf's unique night vision, Sylvanas would have seen nothing at all. She began to Nathanos in this darkness. If he was still alive, was he wandering the wilderness? Or was he imprisoned, or perhaps...

She refused to think about it any further.

Too many questions, and not a single one answered. The Ranger stood up dejectedly, deciding to venture out and explore the surrounding hills and woodlands. Despite her exceptional eyesight, most of the scenery remained merely dark outlines, making the place seem even more somber and dangerous, even without the Orcs.