Trade

The Silverpine Forest was eerily quiet. A light morning mist lingered over the damp, pine-needle-covered ground. Nathanos could feel the soft, fluffy texture beneath his feet and smell the rich scent of evergreen wood in the air. But he had no time to appreciate these vibrant things.

After leaving Lordaeron, Nathanos searched for the Demon Lord. Based on his understanding of those demons, he knew they wouldn't have left willingly and were likely still lurking nearby.

He quickly found them in a dense forest on the outskirts of town. A dim green light shimmered deep within the forest. Three enormous demons flapped their wings, revealing their inner turmoil. Nathanos hid at a distance, eavesdropping on their conversation.

Balnazzar was the first to speak, breaking the silence. "The situation seems somewhat unexpected, my brothers. The Lich King's power has waned."

Indeed, Nathanos wholeheartedly agreed, and now he had to rely on his Will to control his excitement and prevent it from showing in his voice.

Varimathras and Deseroth exchanged a glance, both wearing twisted smiles. The former said with a gloating tone, "This means his control over the Scourge Undead has weakened."

This was indeed good news, but it wasn't enough for Nathanos. He needed to ascertain Arthas's situation, and the Demon Lord had just mentioned the Death Knight.

"Then what will happen to Arthas?" Deseroth asked.

Balnazzar waved his hand dismissively. "Although his Rune Sword, Frostmourne, contains powerful magic, Arthas's own power will inevitably deplete over time."

Upon receiving the answer, Deseroth appeared indignant and fanatical. It seemed that Arthas's earlier words had influenced the cunning Demon Lord.

"The Lich King's lackey may be right. Lord Archimonde is dead, the Burning Legion may have been defeated, but we are Nathrezim. We must not allow these self-important humans to ride roughshod over us." He paused, his gaze sweeping over his two comrades. "Arthas must die!"

Varimathras's red eyes fixed on him. "That Lich Kel'Thuzad is loyal and would never betray his master, but others might be different. We must seize the opportunity and act immediately."

'These guys want to overthrow Arthas's rule?' Nathanos thought to himself. He looked forward to such an ending, but also... not so much. After Arthas's defeat, who would take over here? Wouldn't it be these Demon Lords?

Nathanos had his reasons for revenge, but he knew his hatred was primarily directed at the Lich King, something he couldn't hide. The hatred burned fiercely within him, but it didn't blind him. Arthas was undoubtedly guilty and deserved to die, but he shouldn't be the only one to carry out his execution; many others also hated him.

'I should join their action, and... stop them!' Nathanos also vanished into the shadows as the Demon Lord disappeared.

'In my own way.'

A smile appeared on his face without him even realizing it.

The coup raged swiftly, even beyond Nathanos's expectations. The Lordaeron City was engulfed in flames, the commotion immense.

Although he was used to waiting, Nathanos couldn't help but stamp his foot as he guarded a crossroads with some low-ranking Undead. These soldiers were recruited and driven by him, and they were working much better than he had imagined. Whenever he encountered a few scattered Undead, as long as they weren't still conscious, he only needed to let out a roar to let those dazed corpses know their rank and then force them to obey him.

In a short period of time, a number of Undead gathered around him, and even a few stitched monsters.

Now, he had to patiently wait for someone. That person possessed what he desired. Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long, otherwise Nathanos would have almost thought his plan had failed.

"I'm glad you escaped, Kel'Thuzad. And you, Lord Alexandros Mograine, how is your precious Stitched Monster Ramsden?" Nathanos watched with pleasure as the Lich and Death Knight arrived at the crossroads. He mentioned Ramsden, the giant he had fought in Quel'Thalas.

"Nathanos?" Kel'Thuzad seemed somewhat surprised to see him, and he also noticed the considerable number of Undead behind him.

"Why are you still here? Didn't you hear the commotion in Lordaeron? Take your men and come back with me immediately to support King Arthas."

Nathanos sneered, "Of course I'm waiting for you, Lich, to come and save your King."

His words put Kel'Thuzad on guard.

Wait for me? Your King? These unsettling words stirred a unease within the Lich, and he and Rivendare exchanged a glance.

"What do you mean by this? Why aren't you going? Could it be that you..."

"I have regained my freedom, Kel'Thuzad. So have you, except you willingly became the Lich King's slave, but I am different. I hate your master, and one day I will send him to hell." Nathanos's eyes flashed with bloodlust as he gripped his longbow tightly.

"How dare you!" Kel'Thuzad roared. "Men, kill this traitor immediately!"

No one responded to him; the Lich stared in astonishment at the rotting corpses.

"Stop wasting your energy. The Lich King's control over them has vanished. Now they only obey the one who first gave them orders, which is me."

"You've been lying in ambush here all along? Waiting for us?" Rivendare now looked as restless as his skeletal horse.

"I am waiting for you, but you are not prey that walk into my trap. I said I am waiting for you, specifically you, Kel'Thuzad. I am waiting for you to come and save Arthas."

Nathanos's words confused the Lich. Like Rivendare, he initially thought Nathanos was lying in wait, waiting for him to come and die. But his tone didn't seem like he intended to kill them. Soon, the cunning Kel'Thuzad realized that Nathanos had come to negotiate with him.

"What exactly do you want?!"

"Hand over the Medivh's Book, Lich. Then, these soldiers behind me will be your command. With their help, you will surely be able to rescue Arthas," Nathanos stated his ultimate goal.

It sounded like a deal, but Kel'Thuzad knew he had no choice at all. He was just puzzled as to why Nathanos didn't just kill him and take what he wanted.

The situation was serious. Almost without thinking, the Lich extended his bloodless claws, and a book with a raven pattern appeared in his hand, then floated to Nathanos.

"A wise choice. Let's see if you can get there in time."

Kel'Thuzad watched as he, along with the Medivh's Book, merged into the darkness, and finally, his blood-red eyes disappeared.