Four

The night sky of Kalimdor was beautiful. Two moons adorned the Azeroth sky, complementing the surrounding stars. Anyone who beheld such a sight would briefly forget their past suffering, except for Nathanos. He sat alone atop a mountain in Wailing Caverns, gazing upwards, unsure of what he was looking at. His inner voice constantly reminded him that many things remained unfinished, and now was not the time for despair. Perhaps Alleria had been forced to do this, or perhaps there were other reasons.

"You're here." Meryl's voice came from somewhere. Nathanos turned his head and saw a raven perched on the other side of the hill, looking at him. Then a flash of light, and the raven transformed back into human form. "It took me quite a while to find you."

"Veronalara needs your help," Nathanos pointed out, then he asked, "Have you found the Moon God Scythe?"

"I obtained it from a human named Kites in Duskwood and have already handed it over to the Dark Ranger. Soon, Shadowfang Keep will be under your control."

"Then you shouldn't have come back," The Witherer emphasized. "Even if you did come back, you shouldn't have bothered me. I want to be alone right now."

The monk gave a mocking smile and said sarcastically, "I've already heard it from Belmont."

"Then you still dare to come see me."

"Why wouldn't you dare? You're clear-headed now than ever before. Although you've always insisted that the Forsaken cannot rely on the living, do you dare ask yourself, Nathanos? Do you dare say you've completely abandoned Alleria, and you and her child?" Meryl's words made Nathanos clench his fists; the mage could almost hear him grinding his teeth. "Don't get it wrong, the Witherer. The biggest difference between the Forsaken and the Scourge isn't that they've gained freedom, but that they have emotions. Everyone who follows you, more or less, yearns for the world of the living. You're the same; you crave the affirmation of your loved one. You seem indifferent to Alleria, but you still care about her deeply. You haven't shown it only because you feel resentful inside."

Meryl kept talking, and Nathanos's eyes grew even redder and brighter.

"You did so much for her, even sacrificed yourself to save her, but she abandoned you and wanted to bury you with her own hands, regardless of whether you were the Nathanos you once were. You just changed your appearance, but she betrayed you."

Nathanos instinctively pressed his hands to the ground to prop himself up. At the same time, Meryl grabbed him from the other side and pressed him down firmly.

"Let me finish," the mage urged, but Nathanos had already lost his temper. He glared at Meryl, as if ready to attack the man who was tormenting him with words.

"Listen, Nathanos. You must confront your deepest fears, or you will be unable to lead your followers to their ultimate mission, for they do not want to see their leader...has weaknesses."

Nathanos stared at him intently, his jaw clenched. After a moment, Meryl continued, "Your feelings for her are undoubtedly genuine, and you've always believed that your relationship is as strong as iron. But her actions have made you begin to doubt that, haven't they?"

"I have never doubted it!" The Witherer retorted sharply. "Never. I know she can't distinguish between the Forsaken and the Scourge. I have always believed that one day... one day she will accept me, and she will accept those Elf brethren who died. I have always believed that day will come."

Meryl kept looking at him, and for a moment, Nathanos even noticed a hint of pity in his eyes.

The monk sighed. "When that day truly comes, will you be able to reconcile with her?"

Nathanos faced him, narrowed his eyes, and expressed his anger at Meryl's ambiguity. "Speak plainly."

"What I'm trying to say is..." Meryl stood up and looked Nathanos straight in the eyes, "That day you're talking about is simply impossible."

The atmosphere between the two suddenly turned icy. The weather in the Wailing Caverns was always hot, and by evening, the sandstorms stirred up by the breeze would make the environment even worse. Yet Nathanos and Meryl continued to stare at each other, the former wanting to know the answer to the question, and the latter wanting to test Nathanos's resolve.

"Because you are you, Alleria is Alleria," Meryl said. "If she were the one who died by Arthas's sword, and she were the one who became like this, would you accept her when she appears before you? I believe you would accept her, and you would face the cruel reality with her, because you have no support, no kingdom's constraints, no desire to lead the people. You only want to protect the people you care about most, and Alleria is one of them." The mage paused. "But the leader of the Windrunner family is different. She has her own people, her name carries the responsibility of protecting the kingdom, and her child... your child. She doesn't want her own flesh and blood to suffer criticism, to let others know that he has a father who has become a monster."

Nathanos slowly relaxed his clenched fists. At the same time, he regained his patience. Noticing this, Meryl continued, "You actually know this, and you don't hate Alleria. The struggle and anger you feel inside stem from anger at fate. You... just haven't learned what sacrifice is yet."

"Fate?" A glint flashed in the Witherer's eyes. He recalled the moment after the Dark Portal campaign, when he first shook hands with Arthas on the streets of Lordaeron. At that time, Nathanos felt a strange chill, but he naively thought that the Prince and he were simply destined to be together. He sensed fate, but what was destined to happen was beyond his comprehension.

He asked, "What is sacrifice?"

Meryl didn't answer his question, but he pointed Nathanos in a direction. "To know what sacrifice is, you must first understand why you want to sacrifice. Remember, the Witherer, this question is a juncture, leading to two extremes. Choose carefully!"

Meryl seemed to have finished speaking. He watched the Witherer close his eyes and ponder for a long time. The other took two steps forward, facing the Wailing Caverns and the endless wilderness. Meryl could not see his face from his perspective.

"You truly are the most unique of the Twelve Withered Swords, Meryl. Thank you."

The mage burst into laughter, a thought suddenly occurring to him. "Speaking of which, there are only two of the Twelve Swords now, aren't there?"

"Four?" Nathanos turned to look at the surprised Meryl. "I found them in Booty Bay. One of them went to Orgrimmar, and the rest... I hid."

"Let me guess, is the one going to the Horde Orcs, Tauren, or Troll?"

"You can only see these three races in the Horde?"

"Goblins?"

Latest news on 9.0 (Please point out any inaccuracies in the following information):

Bwonsamdi's boss may be the Winter Queen.

Xylo and Shadra will appear, as will the soul of Teldrassil, the World Tree. After their deaths, their souls enter the Shadowlands, where Mueh'zala (another Loa who can control death), an underling of the Jailer, attempts to extract their souls into the Maw. The player character and Bwonsamdi will rescue them. Vol'jin's soul will also appear; the Winter Queen tells him that another Loa's soul (Rezan) resides within him, awaiting rebirth. Vol'jin will be given a chance to be resurrected, but no longer as a mortal, Vol'jin may very well become Loa.

In short, I really don't understand Blizzard's thought process.