Overburdened

Two hours before the meeting began, Danas consulted numerous books and quickly jotted down what he needed. When he held Sylvanas's information, his expression immediately turned serious. The commander silently prayed to regain his composure.

All those he had summoned had arrived: advisor Krav, Archmage Felinthus, and Sylvanas. When Danas informed everyone of the latest news, only Krav remained calm.

Archmage Felinthus's reaction was entirely expected by Danas. This mage was always one to complain. "This is hardly any new news," Felinthus said excitedly. "The Elf recently captured Tempest Keep! That's the closest place to the Twisted Void. Don't forget, Turalyon disappeared there years ago!"

"That doesn't mean Kael'thas has become a lackey of the Burning Legion," Sylvanas reminded him. The Female Elf held no official position in Honor Hold, but she was tough on everyone. "He knows who he is and remembers his responsibilities."

"Are you defending him?" Flintus turned to Sylvanas.

"Can you honestly say you won't shift the blame for Kael'thas onto other Elf?"

"Enough!" Danas stopped the two; he was the one with the most authority here. "Krav, what's your opinion?"

Krav nodded. "Illidan has many subordinates in Outland: Fel Orcs, Naga, demons, and Elf. Of the first three, Kael'thas's Blood Elf pose the least threat to us, and he has never sent troops to threaten Honor Hold. According to our investigations over the years, Kael'thas has always sought magic, and his trip to Netherstorm should also be for this purpose."

After a short while, Danas noticed that Sylvanas's expression had eased considerably.

"However, we can't let our guard down," Krav continued. "If what the Starcaller said is true, we must prepare in advance."

"Kael'thas's army has mutinied?"

After a great battle, Nathanos sat on a secluded hilltop, drinking water and listening to a report from a Deathstalker.

"This happened not long ago. The news came from Shattrath and traveled all the way to Garadar before we got our hands on it."

Nathanos pondered for a moment, assessing what might happen next. Shattrath didn't possess much powerful magical energy; unless the Blood Elf Prince harbored some deep-seated hatred for Shattrath City, he wouldn't easily send troops to attack. There was a second possibility: Illidan Stormrage had ordered him to do so. Nathanos felt the second possibility was more likely.

Are there Blood Elf among the Outland troops sent to attack Shattrath?

"Yes, Master." The Deathstalker nodded firmly.

"Any news from the Shadowmoon Temple? Kael'thas was defeated, Illidan didn't offer him any assistance?"

"Absolutely not, the temple didn't send out a single soldier."

Nathanos's brow furrowed instantly as a bold hypothesis surfaced in his mind: there might be discord between Illidan and Kael'thas.

"Keep a close eye on Kael'thas. If necessary, I'll make a trip to Netherstorm." Nathanos waved his hand, signaling for the other to continue with the next report.

"This is a message from Azeroth, Master. The Violet Eye, an organization in Dalaran, has recently become active again. They are gathering warriors to prepare for an investigation of Karazhan."

Nathanos continued waving; the news was unimportant to him. He knew all too well what dangerous creatures lurked within the Tower of Karazhan, and without his intervention, outsiders would find it difficult to penetrate Medivh's former residence.

"Next is the investigation into Rassuvios that you specifically requested." The Witherer's eyes shifted to the Forsaken was reporting the news. "The instructor hasn't been behaving strangely lately, but those who know him say he's become much quieter."

Nathanos wiped the water from the corner of his mouth. He now had time to go back and see Rassuvios, and thought it was time to lift the mental magic controlling him and decide how to deal with the Black Dragon Princess.

"Any news about Meryl?"

"The Archmage has not returned to the base in Nagrand."

"Why did you conceal your identity?" Danas placed the intelligence sent from Stormwind City in front of Sylvanas. Now, only the two of them remained in the conference room.

The Female Elf's face drained of color, but she still held her head high. "If this affects my ability to serve in Honor Hold, then I think keeping it a secret is the best option."

Danas walked around the table, holding the report in his hand, and went to the brazier where he was warming himself, then threw the report into it.

"No one will ever know anymore."

"You're not going to expose me, Commander?" Sylvanas said. "Why don't you?"

"Even after nearly twenty years, I still remember Alleria's contributions in the war against the Orcs." Danas's voice was sincere, the firelight flickering on the veteran's face. "I've heard about her story..." These words made Sylvanas's heart tighten. "Her decision to join the Horde was regrettable." The Female Elf breathed a sigh of relief; she had thought Alleria was trying to gain sympathy by recounting her tragic past.

"She doesn't represent everyone, Commander," Sylvanas said. "I believe that's why you haven't sent me away."

"But that doesn't mean I can trust you." Sylvanas sank down as Thoradin spoke. "In fact, I didn't reveal the truth about what has happened in Outland all these years because you were here." Danas said without any pretense, "You may not know, but since your Prince followed his master to take over Outland, nothing good has happened. He has almost plundered all the magical resources of Outland."

"I truly don't know, but if you knew what happened in Quel'Thalas, you would understand everything Prince Kael'thas did." Sylvanas's voice unconsciously grew tense. She thought of the Blood Knights, whose prestige was rising in Silvermoon City. Only a few people knew the source of their power, and Sylvanas was one of them. "He hasn't done anything truly heinous."

"Do you know how he treated prisoners of war?" Danas asked. "I can tell you in detail if you'd like. But I can tell you now, Sylvanas Windrunner. He is not the Prince you know. He has been driven mad by the allure of magic." His voice was strong and powerful, yet it trembled slightly. "It chills me to think about it now. I've heard that he even began to drain other people's magic to alleviate his own suffering."

"That's impossible!" Sylvanas shouted. "Rommath ...that's not what she said."

"I don't know who you're talking about, but if you want to understand the chaotic situation in the Outland, you have to see it for yourself," Danas continued. "It's also an opportunity, a chance for you to establish yourself in the Alliance."

"To antagonize one's own Prince in exchange for fame?" Sylvanas smiled bitterly. How was this any different from Alleria's approach?

This is different!

The Female Elf reminded herself that Kael'thas was in cahoots with the demons. Would he betray his people to them? "This is nothing but deception, Kael'thas... If he is truly as you say, then it will be a catastrophe for Quel'Thalas."

"So we need to investigate thoroughly. I want to entrust this task to you, and you are the most suitable one."

"Why?"

"Go to Shattrath," Danas said finally. "Go find your people, they are called Starcaller."

"Alright," Sylvanas readily replied. "If everything is true..." The Female Elf composed herself before speaking in a calmer tone, "What action will you take?"

"He is the Prince of the Blood Elf, and his people in Azeroth have joined the Horde. Once we find out the truth, let the Horde handle it." Danas was currently reviewing clues about the Netherstorm. "We still have many things to deal with. We will soon be attacking Hellfire Citadel. This alone is already keeping us up at night. At this moment, we cannot spare any attention to deal with another potential war."

"You're really harsh," Sylvanas said calmly. "You have a suspicion in your mind, and you're convinced that it must be true."

"Just twenty years of experience." When Danas said the word "experience," it was as if he had been gently choked. "I've seen too many people who started out with a heart for justice end up going to extremes."

"For example..." Sylvanas asked.

"Let's not talk about this anymore." Danas turned around. "You can leave now, ma'am."

Meryl had almost never imagined she would find herself standing before a pile of black dragon corpses. The scene was truly spectacular, with countless black dragons lying haphazardly on the stone spikes of the Blade's Edge Mountains. It served as both a symbol of battle and a reminder to outsiders that even the rulers of this land could not defeat dragons.

More than shocked, Meryl was puzzled.

How exactly was this landscape formed? He followed the black dragon mother and daughter all the way to the region north of the Outland. It had a desert-like feel, but the area also featured three distinct terrains: barren plateaus, rocky canyons, and forest grasslands. Four high mountains surrounded the area, creating a unique geographical location. The towering, sharp rocks were particularly striking. Meryl, with his extensive knowledge, guessed that the rocks had been eroded into sharp cone shapes, like several daggers protruding from the mountainside. Calling this place Blade's Edge Mountains was perfectly fitting.

The monk gradually withdrew his gaze. He now had to keep a close eye on the two dragons. If he missed a single word of their conversation, he might miss some important information.

"So many black dragons... What exactly did Father go through here back then?" Onyxia couldn't help but cover her mouth to accept all of this.

Sinestra looked at her with sharp eyes. "Be careful. The devastation here indicates that there is a threat in the vicinity capable of dealing with the black dragon. I've investigated. It's said that Neltharion once fought a hideous creature called Gronn here. He was defeated, and the Gronn's leaders even received the title of 'Dragon Slayer.'"

"Such arrogance. I don't believe any mortal could defeat Father," Onyxia said. "They must have used some despicable methods."

"That's not important." Sinestra transformed into human form and approached the black dragon corpse on the mountain peak. "We came here to obtain the essence of these black dragons. They were all pierced through the intestines by stone spikes, but some of their power still remained in their marrow."

"If they really exist, why didn't Father take them? He just left these black dragon corpses here?" Onyxia questioned, looking suspiciously at the corpses, many of which were dragons like herself.

The Black Dragon Princess's flower reminded Sinestra of her own confusion. Logically, since Neltharion had been ordering Nefarian to research the Chromatic Dragon, he should have entrusted the abundant resources here to the Black Dragon Prince. In any case, he should have been keeping an eye on this place.

"I hadn't thought of that," Sinestra said. "I didn't notice anything unusual when I found this place. Perhaps..." She swallowed, Onyxia's words spreading through her mind like a virus. "You're right, daughter. Perhaps your father planted eyes here."

"Then it won't be safe here." Onyxia tried her best to control herself, but she still couldn't suppress all her fear. "How long will it take you to extract the essence from the remains?"

"This will take a long time." Sinestra crossed her arms and pressed her lips tightly together. "I need to examine the skeletons first, and then slowly extract the essence through ritual. Moreover, I cannot process all the black dragon remains at the same time; I must do them one by one."

"I will keep an eye on your surroundings for you."

Sinestra nodded and summoned the Dragon Egg that Nathanos desired. Meryl watched, wanting to intervene, but Onyxia had already reverted to her dragon form; any approach from the mage would immediately alert the two dragons. A more serious consequence would be that the black dragons would realize they had been followed.

No, not yet. We can't do that.

Nathanos returned to Warhammer Mountain in Nagrand three days later. The Curse Cipher was stored in an iron box, which seemed somewhat haphazard, but the box itself held a different meaning when placed before him. Back at the base, Nathanos dismissed everyone, leaving himself alone in the cave he used for resting.

He closed his eyes and removed his clothes and cloak, revealing the burn marks on his body from Senn'Rukhan. That battle... Nathanos didn't want to recall it now, but the outcome was good. He opened his eyes and slowly applied the potion that Nathos had concocted to his wounds. This served as a wake-up call; the ointment could only slow down the rate at which his wounds were corroded, not help them heal.

"Someday," Nathanos thought, looking at his hands. "Someday this body will be unable to bear the strain."

"Someone, bring Rassuvios here!"