Allies Among the Living

"The Shadowmoon Temple has fallen?" Nathanos sat on the edge of a cliff in the Alterac Mountains, one leg crossed over the edge, the other dangling in mid-air. Below lay a bottomless abyss, yet the Witherer seemed utterly indifferent, as if he were conquering the darkness, conquering this place. He had succeeded. The abandoned city of Alterac was now in the Forsaken. The Ogre that inhabited it would either be killed or enslaved; they would make excellent laborers.

"Yes." Lilian stood behind him, the highly skilled female assassin pondering why Nathanos would act so recklessly. "The Alliance and the Horde acted quickly, but... we were faster than them."

"Illidan? Is he still alive?"

"Witnesses saw that Maiev Shadowsong, the leader of the Wardens, left Outland with his corpse."

Illidan is dead? Nathanos was somewhat surprised. Whether for the Forsaken or because he felt a shared sense of kinship with the Betrayer, this was not good news. The fall of the King of Outland meant the war in Outland was over, and the Alliance and Horde's attention would return to Azeroth. This was definitely not what Nathanos wanted to see.

"Forget it, Alterac is already in our hands, so it doesn't matter."

"That's true." Lilian's tone sounded somewhat skeptical of Nathanos's words. "But don't forget, Alterac isn't just home to Ogre. There are quite a few other forces operating in this area. The Syndicate, Ravenholdt Manor, and the Frostwolf Orcs. Especially the last one, they belong to the Horde."

"I know, but if you think about it from the perspective of these three forces, they will only think that we are from the Scourge, and they will not suspect anything else."

Are you sure they won't attack us?

"No." Nathanos stood up and stared down into the darkness. "Of these three factions, the Frostwolf Orcs are not interested in this territory, and the Syndicate and Ravenholdt Manor are mortal enemies. They will be wary of each other and will not dare to take action against us."

That's what he said, but inwardly, the Witherer began to worry about the next move. His mind raced: should he advance eastward to invade the Arathi Highlands, or should he head north to seize Lordaeron? Arathi was undoubtedly the easiest; there were only a small human army there, and their commander, Galin Thoradin, was an incompetent fool. Taking Stromgarde would be a piece of cake. However, the trip to Outland introduced a significant uncertainty to this plan: Danas Thoradin, the commander of Honor Hold. This man was very influential in the Alliance and would certainly return to the Alliance. Would he then return to Stromgarde, take the throne from Galin Thoradin, and reinstate Stromgarde into the Alliance?

"The fat meat that was almost in my mouth feels like it's about to fly away," Nathanos muttered.

Lilian had already guessed what he was thinking, and she felt it necessary to remind Nathanos: "If I may be so bold, Master, I remember you once said that all actions of the Forsaken must be based on the premise of not being exposed."

"I remember, but the Forsaken are no longer weak!"

"So you intend to reveal our existence to the world? Will they accept us? Or... will they think we're no different from the Scourge?"

The conversation between the two ended there, and silence fell, broken only by the sound of the wind rustling through Nathanos's black cloak.

"You may step back now," The Witherer said after a long silence. Although Lilian had remained quiet, he was not used to having someone standing behind him while he was thinking.

What should be done? The question Voss raised is also his own: the Forsaken cannot be exposed, yet they cannot lose their connection to the world of the living. They need support, they need recognition. Who can break the precedent and step forward to publicly acknowledge them?

The Alliance? That's impossible. Humans are the race most deeply harmed by the Scourge; they won't acknowledge the Undead who have broken free from the Lich King's control. Besides, Varian King Wrynn is an impulsive radical; he wouldn't allow his people to live alongside corpses.

The Horde may have a better chance than the Alliance, but the Blood Elf have already joined the Horde, and they will definitely stand against the Forsaken. Thrall will never allow both sides of the conflict to come under his command at the same time.

Neither of the two most prestigious factions on Azeroth is the best choice for the Forsaken, so they have to look elsewhere.

The Witherer was searching his mind for someone he could rely on. His gaze extended to the Eastern Plaguelands, second only to Lordaeron in its necromancy corruption, a place rife with complex factions: the Undead, the Crimson Crusade, and the mysterious Argent Dawn. They fought each other for years without a clear victor. Suddenly, Nathanos thought of someone who might be able to help the Forsaken, one of the few living who knew of Nathanos's continued existence. The Witherer had even shared a precious conversation with him.

"Lilian!" The Witherer shouted excitedly. He thought that only Lilian Voss, who had been on missions in the Plaguelands for a long time, would know the situation there best. But he didn't see the female thief. He suddenly remembered that he had dismissed her. Just as he turned around to look for Lilian, he saw another person walking over.

"Excuse me for disturbing your thoughts, the Witherer." Veronalara approached and bowed stiffly. Before Nathanos could respond, the Dark Ranger spoke up, "The battlefield has been cleaned up. What should we do next?"

Nathanos hesitated for a moment before saying to the Dark Ranger commander, "As per my orders, all members of the Forsaken are not to step out of Alterac Castle. Deploy scouts around the area, and then..." Nathanos's eyes darted left and right, "... wait for Tatsel's fleet to bring the troops here."

"Yes, sir."

Veronalara was about to leave when Nathanos suddenly asked, "Has Meryl not returned yet?"

"Yes, no."

Strange! When Nathanos returned to Azeroth a few days ago, he sent Meryl to Silvermoon City to check what was happening, but there's still no news. He hoped Meryl would give him an answer that "everything is alright," but now it seems impossible. The Forsaken's spies in Quel'Thalas have also disappeared, and the entire kingdom is on high alert. What on earth has happened this time?