Blackrock Spire Deployment

In the council chamber of Blackrock Spire, a portrait of Queen Azshara, the symbol of the High Elf, hangs on the wall. The queen in the painting smiles charmingly, unaware that her ministers in the chamber are gossiping about her.

"The scouts found some survivors who had escaped from the palace. From them, we learned that Sintalari is being massacred." The speaker was Illysanna Ravencrest, the daughter of Clotus Ravencrest, who, like her father, had long silver hair.

"The Queen will absolutely not allow this to happen; she will not stand idly by!" Ravencrest suddenly exclaimed. The others nodded, but many remained silent. This situation often indicated that the lord had his own opinion. "It must have been the High Elf."

"Of course, even they wouldn't be so mentally unstable!" Malfurion argued. "The High Elf all think they are superior, but they are just like us, Night Elf!"

"So I believed it... but I never imagined they would betray the Queen!" Ravencrest slammed his fist on the armrest of the stone chair. "Don't forget that the High Elf also obeyed Sargeras's orders! That mage ultimately deceived the Queen with all sorts of lies."

Malfurion had heard this familiar name long ago, but repeating it now made him dizzy. He asked in a low voice, "What kind of person is Sargeras?"

Disdain and contempt appeared on Ravencrest's face. "He is someone who often speaks in the Queen's ear and is the Queen's most trusted advisor."

The young Druids nodded simply. "I don't doubt that Sargeras was also involved, but he couldn't have done such a thing without Azshara's consent! Even the High Elf absolutely obey the Queen!"

"I agree with you, Your Excellency." Malfurion then noticed an Elf in the meeting hall who was much younger than him. He had remained silent until now, and Malfurion had initially assumed he was just a guard. "As of now, we still don't know how those demons came to our world. We need to continue our investigation."

Ravencrest wasn't angry at the young man's abrupt interruption; on the contrary, he nodded approvingly. "You've got to the point, Garrid."

The young Elf was no longer a mystery; Garrid Shadowsong was a captain at Black Rook Hold, and his sister Maiev Shadowsong was a senior member of the Sisterhood of Elune. The Shadowsong family had no noble blood; the siblings had earned their positions through their talent and hard work. Malfurion, however, hadn't expected him to be so young!

"It must be Sargeras!" Ravencrest continued muttering.

It seemed the sinner had been chosen. Malfurion stood there, calling out to the others present. His staff all donned helmets, as if they were about to head to the capital.

"All Moon Guard, all capable spellcasters, assemble immediately! Communicate this order to every military unit, to every commander! Resistance must be organized! This chaos must be brought under control!"

Ravencrest turned to Malfurion: "We must know what's happening inside the palace!"

"You've come to the right person, my lord. I have a way to infiltrate the Eternal Palace without anyone noticing!"

The bearded nobleman nodded, turning his face to his adjutant, Desdel Star-Eyes: "I expect the garrison and all the defensive works to be completed within one day and put into immediate use!"

"Yes, my lord! I will never let you down, please rest assured!"

"Excellent! We must avenge Sintalari and rescue the Queen from the High Elf!"

Malfurion felt a chill run down his spine. It seemed the Undead's worries were entirely correct; Ravencrest still maintained that the Queen had been coerced.

"As for the Moon Guard..." Ravencrest thought about how to arrange this last force. "Let Illidan command them. I trust his passion for magic; he will surely be able to lead the wizards well."

Illysanna Ravencrest looked skeptical. "Illidan is somewhat...young, Father. And in his pursuit of the ultimate, he always pushes the Moon Guard to their limits." She glanced out of the corner of her eye to see if Malfurion would step forward to object, but the Night Elf did not. "I hope you will consider this carefully, Father."

"I'm afraid no one in Blackrock Spire is more skilled in magic than my daughter. I've witnessed Illidan's magic, and he won't disappoint me."

"I do not trust Illidan, but I trust your arrangements, Father!"

Listening to their argument, Malfurion felt a heaviness in his heart. He hoped his allies could unite, but he also worried that Illidan might do something incomprehensible on the battlefield, given his brother's often extreme behavior.

Someone had to keep a close eye on Illidan. The Druids's gaze swept over everyone in the council chamber; they all had their own tasks, and Malfurion couldn't possibly ask Ravencrest to specifically assign someone to watch Illidan. Soon, he had an idea.

"I have another request, Lord Ravencrest," Malfurion suddenly said.

"Speaking!"

"I request that you allow the two friends who came with me to stay behind and help you defend Blackrock Spire."

Ravencrest immediately gave him a distrustful look. Malfurion knew that the lord's gaze wasn't directed at him, but at the Undead and Orcs, especially the former!

"What a joke, there are only two of them. I thought they would come with you to Sintalari. Besides, I don't need them here."

"Please trust them, my lord. Although they are a foreign race, I have witnessed their strength firsthand. Broxigar can fight multiple enemies at once, and the Undead once severed the arm of a powerful demon with a single sword strike. They all have experience dealing with demons."

The Night Elf hesitated, then said, "Are you sure they can help?"

Malfurion raised an eyebrow. "They came here to help you."

"Very well, I agree, Illidan's brother." Ravencrest stood up. "However, I will not command them, nor will I assign them to any unit or give them any missions. They are free to act as they see fit. All I need is for them to ensure that on the battlefield, their swords are always pointed at the enemy, and if they dare to betray me, I will not let those two outsiders off easily. Of course, they can run away at any time if they are afraid!"