Demon Forge Base
At dawn, a morning mist enveloped the land, and Nathanos saw a bright, clear day. He longed for the scent of impending rain, which would help them conceal themselves, and a light drizzle would keep the Forsaken alert. Unfortunately, rain was impossible in Outland. The weather in each region remained fixed and natural.
He, Meryl, and a small squad of Deathstalker would lead the vanguard, with the main force following closely behind. In the Netherstorm, without the dense foliage of trees for cover, the tracks of an army of nearly three hundred could not be completely concealed. If Kael'thas had placed lookouts in the wasteland, he would certainly have known of the Forsaken's movements beforehand. Intelligence from Azeroth indicated that Kael'thas arrived in Outland without a Ranger force, meaning he lacked the best Blood Elves' sentries, but times had changed.
The lightly armed advance force slowly approached the Demon Forge Base, Oblivion, along the hillside. Just to be safe, Nathanos first sent a nimble Deathstalker to scout ahead. The Deathstalker returned shortly after. Nathanos learned that it was a large horde of demons, and that nearby was another Demon Forge Base: Purgatory, each guarded by a Gorgon Technomancer Leader and an Abyssal Lord, respectively.
Nathanos frowned. For the Forsaken, such defensive preparations were clearly excessive. However, the good news was that their forces outnumbered the defenders at both bases by a factor of two.
The Deathstalker, in charge of reconnaissance, knelt before Nathanos, awaiting his next instructions. "Tell the main force back home to share this information and prepare them for battle."
The Deathstalker stood up, bowed in respect, and did as Nathanos had instructed.
"This is risky."
Nathanos continued forward, calm and composed. But then he heard Meryl's warning.
"The demons are a terrible enemy. We might win, but we'll lose many people. And... we might also expose ourselves."
"If the demon dies quickly enough, Kael'thas will never know who killed his ally," he said, summoning another Deathstalker. "Take a few men and guard the main road from the Forge camp to Stormspire in the south. Do not let a single demon escape."
After making the arrangements, Nathanos looked at Meryl again. The mage still wore an expression of insecurity. The Witherer knew what he was worried about—not the upcoming battle, but the argument that had occurred on their way here.
Meryl wanted Nathanos to deal with Onyxia, the Black Dragon Princess, first, but Nathanos said there was no rush.
Onyxia already knows about the Forsaken. If we don't deal with her, she'll expose us sooner or later, and might even use it to threaten you.
Nathanos smiled; he remembered those words, but his plan remained unchanged.
"Meryl, take half the men and head north, bypassing the two bases, then launch a surprise attack from the north. I'll time your arrival precisely, and then we'll attack together. Remember, don't expose yourselves."
The mage accepted the order and departed. Nathanos remained where he was, waiting patiently. When the remaining half of his forces assembled before him, the Witherer suddenly remembered a question. The Forsaken lacked self-healing abilities; how many of these men would emerge unscathed after this battle? Would they even be able to participate in the next war?
The Forsaken should be fearless; now, all they can do is fight with all their might. This has always been Nathanos's forte on the battlefield. But now, he also commands his own troops. He leads the charge, shouting orders and encouraging his soldiers to take up arms against the demons, each as thick as a tree. The demons are enormous, but the Forsaken possess superior numbers and agility. As the sound of each demon falling echoes across the battlefield, the disparity in strength between the two sides diminishes.
Like their leader Forsaken, armed only with melee weapons, fought fiercely on both sides of the main line, eliminating fallen but still capable enemies, piercing broad green chests and exposed necks with swords and spears. Soon, the Forsaken carved a bloody path through the demon horde, heading straight for the point where the two Demon Forge Base met, to rendezvous with Meryl in the other part of the battle. If they didn't find a mage, or if the mage's forces were defeated, the Witherer would be left to face danger alone. Nathanos desperately wanted this; he hoped to end the battle quickly.
Nathanos glanced across the battlefield and saw a tall figure emerging from the demon army, growing clearer and clearer. He had previously heard of a Gorgon Technomancer Leader in the Forge camp: Oblivion. In his left hand was a sharp, massive chainsaw, and behind him were tubes filled with a green liquid.
Nathanos recalled his argument with Meryl about how many demons were here and how powerful they were. Utterly foolish! Now, there is only one solution: to destroy the demon leader here.
He charged toward a Terror Guard was locked in combat with a demon, slicing a deep gash in the demon's flesh with his Sulfuras. The enraged demon turned, baring its teeth savagely at him. But the man's head immediately slumped down from his shoulders. Nathanos glanced at the Terror Guard. "Gather some men to surround that demon," he said, pointing to the Gorgon Technomancer Leader. The Terror Guard nodded and went to find the next companion.
"Forward!" Nathanos roared, and his troops gathered around him.
Nathanos scanned his surroundings again, searching for Meryl. The mage was gone; the Witherer guessed he was probably dealing with the Abyssal Lord on the other side. Without Meryl's help, Nathanos had to deal with the demon himself; the demon's face was ferocious, and he had just smashed his chainsaw into the ground, felling several Forsaken approached him. But he hadn't yet noticed someone who had been watching him.
Nathanos gripped the hilt of his sword tightly and charged toward the creature with the speed of a whirlwind. He didn't want anyone to stop him. His Warrior were also holding back the demons that tried to approach Nathanos.
The Gorgon Technomancer Leader discovered Nathanos and charged toward him in a rage.
Nathanos swiftly shifted his position before the mountain-like demon. The demon raised its massive chainsaw, each rotation producing a piercing sound like a triumphant roar, and swung it down at the Undead, which was no bigger than a piece of iron.
At the last moment, Nathanos crouched beneath his enemy and swung his sword upwards, using the demon's momentum to fight against himself.
The Gorgon Technomancer Leader cried out in pain, staggering to a stop, struggling to support himself, but his knees buckled and he collapsed to his knees. Nathanos moved behind him, leaping with all his might and plunging his sword deep into the demon's body.