Medivh

Nathanos kept running, leaving his footprints in the muddy puddles. He couldn't understand, he simply couldn't comprehend. Why was Malfurion treating his brother this way?

As Illidan left, he longed to follow and ask him the truth, to ask that... demon why he didn't try to win the trust of his people? Why did he accept the exile without resistance? And even... why didn't he attack Malfurion —that guy who was neither Elf nor a beast?

He didn't go; he didn't go to find Illidan. The being that had whispered to him had only asked him to witness Illidan's fate.

Why do this? What's the point?

Growing doubts compelled him to head to his next destination— Mount Hyjal —where he had to find that person.

Two days later, in the Tranquility forests of the Mount Hyjal.

This place has not yet been invaded by demons, and the World Tree Nordrassil, reaching straight to the heavens, still stands untouched atop the mountain. But who knows what will happen next?

Tyrande and Malfurion arrived; they had been there for several hours. The Night Elf Priestess of the Moon didn't possess the patience of Druids to meditate for hours, especially not in such a critical moment.

"We're running out of time," Tyrande finally said to Malfurion, her lover opening his eyes the instant she spoke. "Malfurion, why did you bring me here? We should be preparing the defenses of Mount Hyjal; the Burning Legion is coming soon."

The Archdruid explained calmly, "Last night, I had a very strange dream. A raven spoke to me and told me to bring this place to me."

Malfurion's eyes were also filled with confusion. What exactly had drawn him here?

"We were also summoned here." Two more figures rushed up the path in front of the two Night Elf, one of whom, clad in black armor, shouted loudly.

The priestess Tyrande became alert upon recognizing them, but the conversation was controlled by her lover Malfurion.

"Who are you, outsiders?"

"My name is Thrall, son of Durotan, leader of the Horde," the Orcs chieftain, seated atop his warwolves, introduced himself. Next was the petite-looking girl beside him. Unlike Thrall, Jaina dismounted and bowed slightly to the two Night Elf leaders.

"I am Jaina Proudmoore, leader of the human survivors of Lordaeron."

Horde? Lordaeron?

Malfurion and Tyrande had never heard of those two words before, but they both recognized the foreign race standing before them.

Unlike the Druids's confusion, the priestess showed more hostility.

"You are not welcome here," Tyrande warned in a low voice. The presence of Thrall and Jaina made her uneasy; she wondered if it was a trap. However, when she surveyed the woods and found nothing amiss, she breathed a sigh of relief. Malfurion's dream hadn't led them into danger.

It wasn't that she hadn't looked closely; rather, the person hiding was too well concealed. Nathanos quietly pushed aside the bushes obscuring his view; this was the place where the mysterious person had arranged to meet him. He had originally planned to reveal himself and wait for the other party, but after much deliberation, he chose to remain hidden and observe the situation, just in case. Now it seemed his decision was very wise. The fact that Malfurion and Tyrande were the first to arrive here had greatly surprised him, and he suspected that the being who had given him the message might be Malfurion. However, that Druids didn't seem powerful at all, at least not powerful enough to help him alleviate the Lich King's control.

So that person wasn't Malfurion, but he and Tyrande were indeed there. Nathanos began to suspect that the person who delivered the message had brought someone else. Thrall and Jaina's subsequent appearance there further confirmed his suspicions.

Nathanos was quite startled when he saw Jaina. He remembered the female mage, and he seemed to recall having made some kind of promise with her, but he couldn't remember the specifics.

What are they meeting here for? Nathanos pondered. In life, he was curious about everything unknown, but what about after death? That curiosity was gone, but some of his abilities had been enhanced, such as his hearing!

Someone was slowly approaching from his left. Although she tried to keep her footsteps down, she still managed to hear Nathanos. Moreover, the scent of roses wafting through the lush forest made Nathanos somewhat disapproving of the other person's carelessness.

A smirk played on the right corner of his mouth as he mentally calculated how long it would take to kill his opponent. Then he realized he couldn't do that, because it would alert the four leaders who were conversing in the distance.

Let's play the prey for a while!

Nathanos's forward-leaning body suddenly tilted backward, lying flat on his back. He was convinced he had disappeared from the other's sight. Then he abruptly turned around, crawled on the ground, moved forward slightly a few times, and immediately stood up and fled.

Damn it!

Sylvanas spotted the black figure trying to slip away and gave chase.

Just as the chase between the two began, a raven flew down from the sky and landed beside Jaina. It immediately caught Malfurion's attention.

Then it became a pedestrian walkway...

"Listen to me, Priestess," the Prophet spoke first, leaving Tyrande speechless with surprise and confusion. "They are here to help you fight the Burning Legion."

"You are the one I dreamt of." Malfurion recognized him. "But who are you? And why are you doing this?"

The prophet raised his head to the Archdruid and said after a slight pause, "I... am the reason for the Burning Legion's return."

Upon hearing this, everyone wore expressions as if they were witnessing the sun rising in the west.

"Years ago, I brought the Orcs into this world. Then, I paved the way for the demons." The prophet looked at Thrall with a remorseful smile, then turned the same expression to Jaina's eyes. "Because of the terrible mistakes I made, I was killed by the person I cared about most. This is my retribution."

"But my death did not bring an end. The war continued to spread across the Eastern continent, where civilization was nearly wiped out."

Jaina slowly opened her eyes, her breath caught in her throat. She already knew who the prophet was, but she couldn't believe it; that person should have been dead long ago.

"Now, after a long wait, I have returned to this place to atone for my sins. I... am Medivh, the Last Guardian."

"The Holy Light above, "Jaina cried out in her heart.

"I have come here to tell you that the only way for this world to survive now is to unite against the evil that seeks to devour all life."

He finished speaking, and it was truly unbelievable, especially for Jaina, who had been exposed to magic. Apart from Medivh, no one present understood the weight of the word "Guardian" better than her.

Despite having many things to explain, and despite the confusion that Thrall and the two Night Elf leaders still had, he had no time to linger here.

"Jaina, I believe there are some questions you can answer for them." Medivh smiled at the young mage. "But I must leave; there is still a noble soul here that needs saving."

He quickly transformed back into his raven form, and before Jaina could stop him, he flew off in the direction Nathanos had fled, towards the direction Sylvanas was chasing.