An Eternal Farewell

"More enemies have charged out!"

Veronalara heard the guard Glaire's loud shouts and located him. The High Elf with long, dark purple hair possessed a strong physique and, facing the Abomination, fearlessly raised his massive greatsword high.

"Commander, look over there!" Ranger Cynthia Falcon Glaive shouted. Veronalara followed her gaze, and a peculiar presence appeared on the chaotic battlefield. The man was dead, as evidenced by his ashen skin. His skeletal horse created layers of ice with its stomp. The Rune Sword in his hand emitted a faint, unsettling glow.

"It's Arthas!" Vinonara shouted, alerting her comrades that the enemy leader had appeared.

"Enough!" Arthas shouted, glaring at Dath'Remar, who was kneeling, with extreme displeasure. "You rabble won't slow me down."

Guard Glaire did not take his words as a threat and rushed forward.

"Unless I die, you will not get past me!"

Arthas had just pierced the elf who had blocked his path with his Elf when he caught sight of this reckless fellow. He was fed up; in his eyes, this fight was nothing but a pointless exercise.

'Throw Frostmourne into this land, and let them witness true power!'

The Lich King's whisper was also a command. Arthas leaped off his horse, gripped the hilt of Frostmourne tightly with both hands, and slammed it fiercely into the ground...

"Claire! Cynthia!" Veronalara exclaimed, as all the Ranger seen by her two comrades and the Female Elf turned into ice sculptures.

"Worry about yourself!" Arthas kicked Invincible hard and rushed over. Frostmourne made Veronalara's last look of terror eternal.

"Monster...you can never reach the Sunwell. Ranger-General ...will...stop you..."

"No one can stop me!" Arthas pulled Frostmourne from Veronalara's body. The blood on the Rune Sword had already congealed.

Hillsbrad Coastline

Jaina Proudmoore was helping others board the ship, and even the sorceress herself hadn't expected the amount of help she received. Besides the ships her father had left behind and the refugees from Lordaeron, Antonidas had also sent a mage force to her command. Most surprisingly, Jaina had the support of Stromgarde, with many people from the Kingdom of Stromgarde joining her expedition.

"That's good enough." Jaina looked at the group with delight. As long as someone survived, there was hope. It would take some time for everyone to board the ship; she estimated that they could depart around Dusk.

"Ms. Proudmoore."

"Mr. Marius!"

Nathanos's father, Bred Marius, looked haggard; his hair was streaked with gray, and his wrinkles were much deeper than before. Jaina realized he was an old man who also wanted to cross the Kalimdor, and it was Nathanos who had asked Jaina to bring his family along. The mage suddenly realized that she had overlooked one of Nathanos's family members—his mother. Bred had repeatedly asked her about his wife and children. Jaina had promised to bring them to Bred, but preparations had been too numerous and had been delayed indefinitely.

"My wife..." Bred had already begun to ask when Jaina snapped out of her reverie and, for some reason, blurted out, "The lady is with Nathanos, and they are safe."

"Really?" The dark clouds in Bred's heart immediately dissipated; this was the best news he had heard in days.

Jaina had never lied that brought her joy. She only wanted to put Nathanos's elderly father at ease, even if it meant lying. Of course, he genuinely wanted Nathanos to be safe and sound.

The dramatic changes that had occurred in Lordaeron in a short period of time plunged many into fear. Without the King's leadership, many were disoriented. They didn't know what to do, where was safe, or where the Undead. When Jaina appeared before them, they saw hope, and the sorceress saw them as hope as well.

"The second line of defense has been breached."

Alleria nodded. The scout didn't say much; everyone knew the fate of the first line of defense. The Female Elf saw Nathanos standing some distance away, seemingly fiddling with something. But her lover deliberately turned his hand away, so she couldn't see what it was. And the troops she had assigned to Nathanos were gone. Alleria suddenly sensed that Nathanos was hiding something from her. She shook her head, reminding herself she shouldn't have such suspicions. Trust was paramount now.

The Ranger-General surveyed her troops. Compared to the second line of defense, this position had more ballistae and relatively more soldiers. But she lacked confidence. The defeat at Veronalara had already dampened morale, and there was another factor—too many refugees. Alleria's strategic plan had gradually shifted from defeating Arthas to merely delaying Arthas's advance, giving Silvermoon City or Isle of Quel'Danas more time to prepare.

The Female Elf a deep breath; the air was thick with the stench of rotting corpses. Sylvanas wasn't here. Vareesa wasn't here either. Alleria didn't believe that having her family around at this moment would allow her to focus more on the fight. She didn't want to see them hurt, much less witness their sacrifice.

"They're here!"

The Scourge Undead, began to surge forth, carrying with them a strong stench of blood.

"Don't be afraid," Nathanos said as he approached her. "Get the archers and ballistae ready and fire at will. When the enemy is within a hundred meters, prepare for close-quarters combat."

Alleria nodded, speechless, because she didn't know if she would survive or see Nathanos's face again.

A crossbow bolt pierced the Abomination's abdomen, sending blood and flesh flying. Arthas knew that the one blocking his way was Alleria Windrunner, the Ranger-General of Silvermoon City and a hero of the Second War, but he was concerned about someone else, and that person was right across from him.

"Saurfang!"

"I am here, Prince Highness," said the Death Knight Saurfang. Unlike Arthas, he was Death Knight who was resurrected after being killed.

"You lead your men around here and attack them from behind."

"Yes, sir!"

"Farek, Marvin!"

His former personal guards came to his side at the summons. Arthas had gradually grown accustomed to giving orders in this manner.

"I see many Elf refugees fleeing; take men and ambush them."

Arthas then spoke with the Lich King, ordering all the gargoyles to fly into the sky and engage Alleria's Dragonhawk Rider, as well as attack the ranged units behind the Elf army.

The shrill screams from the sky were deafening. Nathanos and Alleria stood together, ensuring every arrow would bring down the pesky gargoyles, but they couldn't shake off the enemy above. To Nathanos, the enemy's appearance remained unchanged, as did his movements, except his hand drew arrows faster and faster. But the quiver's capacity was limited, and for the first time, Nathanos grabbed nothing. He realized he was out of arrows.

"Alleria ..." Nathanos called out his lover's name, only to find that the oak quiver behind the Female Elf was also empty.

"I don't like corpses, Nathanos. They lie quietly beneath the ground." Alleria drew her ornate, jewel-encrusted sword, exchanged a glance with Nathanos, and then rallied her soldiers to Charge with her.

Nathanos stood there, watching soldiers pass by one after another. He took a stone with blue runes from his pocket. Vareesa had told him that its effect lasted for thirty seconds. Nathanos knew he couldn't save anyone else; he only wanted to save Alleria, to let his beloved live, by any means necessary. Even if it meant Alleria would be questioned by others, even if it meant the Female Elf would hate him, he would show no mercy.

"Everyone else will die..." Nathanos felt a pang of heartache. He would abandon these blood-soaked soldiers with Alleria. But soon, he vented this resentment on his enemies. He charged into the horde of corpses, and together with his hounds, scattered the leading force. The remaining Undead began to approach him, determined to tear this human to shreds.

He threw his sword, knocking down a necromancer who controlled Ghoul, then rolled forward to pick up a fallen soldier's weapon. Nathanos wasn't sure if he'd picked up a dagger or a short sword; he only saw a head beheaded. Then Nathanos shoved aside the Undead rushing at him from the other side, giving himself enough time to swing his weapon and attack.

There were too many of them! Nathanos was caught in the carnage, feeling as if he were back in Hearthglen, holding out until Uther arrived with reinforcements to rescue him. But this time it was different. Uther was dead, Nathanos reminded himself that he couldn't wait for help today; he had to save the others.

The Undead creatures he had encountered in Andorhal were nothing compared to the enemies before him. The Ghoul had become more agile, the Abomination were no longer sluggish, and there were also air forces and spider-like creatures suddenly emerging from the ground. Too many unexpected things were happening simultaneously. Most importantly, the enemy didn't just have a numerical advantage; their strength was something Nathanos couldn't comprehend. While only the Abomination appeared strong, the Ghoul and the rising corpses were capable of holding their own against an Elf Warrior. Fortunately, they seemed to rely more on brute force than skill, allowing Nathanos to use his weapons effectively against them.

Alleria dispatched the enemy behind her with a fierce sword dance. She helped a wounded soldier to his feet and shouted to the others, "Take her and get out of here!"

The Female Elf guided herself to Nathanos's side. They fought back-to-back, their bloodied weapons striking the Undead on either side. Covered in filth and looking somewhat disheveled, they could still feel each other's heartbeats and breaths. A cheer erupted from the Elf army upon witnessing their valor. Arthas was not surprised. He had trained under Muradin in his youth and had heard of the two's remarkable teamwork and coordination against the Orcs. Others could easily sense it.

Arthas watched from the rear, directing his men to launch a relentless attack. The Elf lines showed no sign of retreating; he had to admire their tenacity.

"We're surrounded." Alleria reluctantly admitted this, though she was sure Nathanos knew it too, though neither of them had said it out loud at first.

"Yes, I believe we've held out long enough, and Silvermoon City must be ready. You can rest assured now, Alleria?" Nathanos forced a smile through his blood-stained lips.

"No, I'm not at ease yet." She smiled and pressed herself tightly against Nathanos's strong back. "And you, Nathanos. You should get out of here quickly. There aren't many Undead surrounding us. You can break through their encirclement."

"And then leave you here?" Nathanos retorted. His calm tone surprised Alleria; the Female Elf even imagined Nathanos in a rage.

"I will not abandon you, Alleria."

"This is my war, you know? Protecting my homeland is my responsibility," Alleria pleaded. "Nathanos, I don't want to see you shed blood in Quel'Thalas."

The human behind him breathed a sigh of relief, Alleria mistakenly thought that he had made a decision and compromised.

"Yes, Quel'Thalas is not my home," Nathanos said, stating something that was already widely known.

"So you should leave now, my love!" Alleria saw a fellow human being ripped apart by the Abomination chains and feared that Nathanos would be the next target.

"Do you remember? My homeland has been destroyed."

The Female Elf inhaled the bloody air. She didn't know if the air in Lordaeron was the same, but Nathanos's words were undeniable. When Arthas destroyed Lordaeron, he wasn't in his homeland.

"I remember."

"I've lost some things, so I won't make the same mistakes again."

"But if you stay, you'll only be dying with me." Alleria turned and excitedly stroked Nathanos's face. She tried to wipe the blood off the human's face, but found that her hands were also covered in filth.

"You can live too."

"I will not desert. If I cannot stop Arthas, I should die here."

They paused, and the number of soldiers protecting them dwindled. Time was running out...

"I understand." Nathanos reached out his left hand and pulled Alleria close to him, whispering in her ear, "But there is hope only in living." Tears welled in Alleria's eyes. The long period of killing and Nathanos's stubbornness had numbed her mind, and she hadn't even noticed the unusual magical fluctuations emanating from her lover.

"I can't..."

"Listen to me!" Nathanos roared, gripping Alleria's left hand tightly with his right. The Female Elf was shocked; she suddenly realized that Nathanos had thrown away his weapon, and their clasped hands now held a cold stone. The magic on the stone had been Innervate —the magic of spatial manipulation.

"Nathanos, what are you doing?" Alleria struggled to break free from Nathanos's restraints, but she was not strong enough.

"So that you can live."

"No! Let go! I can't leave, I can't abandon this place..."

"Nathanos!"

Their argument was interrupted by Arthas.

"Arthas!" Alleria uttered the other's name with hatred.

The Death Knight had no eyes for the Female Elf; he kept his eyes on the human, just as she was looking at him.

"Look who this is!" Arthas waved his hand, and a cross-shaped object was carried up from the wave of Undead.

Nathanos's hawk-like eyes were completely captivated. A complex mix of shock, suffocation, despair, and utter disbelief surged through his mind. A person was bound to the cross—a woman. She was clearly unconscious, presumably having eaten nothing. This made her already weakened body even more strained. Nathanos trembled!

"This is impossible!" He trembled, unable to utter the anger in his heart, and gripped Alleria's hand even tighter.

"Mother?" Alleria revealed the person's identity. Nathanos' mother Daphne Marius, was currently in Arthas's hands.

Nathanos couldn't believe it. Questions and anger almost overwhelmed him. Jaina had promised to take his family away, but what was going on?

"We must save her, Nathanos," Alleria cried in his ear.

Tears streamed down his face as he turned away. Why was his mother in Arthas's hands? Why had she appeared now? Nathanos felt the world around him fall silent; he could only see Alleria's anxious expression, only hear her whispering to him. He wanted to leave with her; that was the initial plan. He wanted Alleria to live...

' Nathanos, remember! This Hearthstone can only be used once. Place it in your and Alleria's palms to help you retreat from the battlefield. Remember! Make sure to get my sister safely with you.'

Let her live...

Goodbye... Alleria!

"No!"

His hand... let go!