Shattered Sun

"You actually gave the potion that Nathos developed to the Argent Dawn!" Meryl stared in astonishment at the Witherer who was processing official documents. He only learned of Lilian Voss and the others' actions afterward; there was no doubt that Nathanos had done something behind his back again.

Nathanos raised an eyebrow, deep in thought. "That's a newly developed potion; it needs testing. The Argent Dawn is expected to attack Rivendare soon, which is a good opportunity to test it." Nathanos spoke slowly, lost in his fantasies of striking the Scourge. "If it works well, we'll mass-produce it."

Meryl leaned forward, pondering the Witherer's words. "And then? I think we should focus our attention to the north now. The Burning Legion's minions have probably already taken over Isle of Quel'Danas."

Nathanos listened to Meryl's narration with a cold expression. "Here's a page of the report; take a look for yourself."

Meryl glanced at an open letter on the desk, with a few lines written on it, the Witherer seemed to have intended for the mage to see.

This is the latest report from Outland. Although the Forsaken have largely returned to Azeroth, some work is still underway in Outland.

"Shattered Sun Offensive?" This novel name caught Meryl's attention. After a closer look, he learned that it was an organization created to solve the Quel'Danas problem, and its members were the most elite troops in Shattrath.

"With them, we don't need to pay too much attention to the situation in Quel'Thalas."

"Crazy!" Meryl said. "You're putting all your hopes on them? What if they fail..."

Nathanos's face darkened with anger, and he sat there silently for a moment. He raised his head with a stern gaze and replied, "If we fail, there's the Horde; if the Horde fails, there's the Alliance! This world has no shortage of resistance. I will never prioritize the fight against the Burning Legion among the Forsaken."

"So what do you care about most? What are you focusing on right now? What is your so-called 'top priority'?"

"I have only two things to do: to help the Forsaken establish themselves; and to destroy the Scourge!"

"The Burning Legion is ten thousand times more terrifying than the Scourge."

"They've failed twice already!" Nathanos glanced sideways at Meryl. "I've witnessed it all; I even experienced one of them firsthand. In my opinion, the Legion's methods of invasion haven't improved at all. Sargeras used the Well of Eternity, Archimonde wanted the World Tree, Kil'jaeden simply used the Sunwell. Their methods are exactly the same, and I firmly believe the outcome will be no different. With such arrogance, Kil'jaeden is bound to fail because of the Sunwell."

"You're gambling, Nathanos." Meryl shook his head. This time, he really didn't want his plans to fail. "You said you wouldn't do anything you weren't sure of."

"But I've never admitted that things will go the way I want!" Nathanos lowered his head, sealed one document with wax, and turned to work on another. "The Lich King will one day sweep across the world with the Scourge, and before that, I hope his enemies will become stronger. The Alliance and the Horde will always clash over their own interests, the Crimson Crusade is fanatical and blind, only the Argent Dawn meets my requirements. They are quite good, they don't exclude other races. They will be the most reliable force against the Scourge."

Meryl sighed heavily. He shook his head in frustration, looking into Nathanos's eyes. "If the Lich King is ever destroyed, what will you do, the Witherer? What will Forsaken?"

Nathanos stopped writing, momentarily forgetting what he was supposed to write; the mage's question had thrown his thoughts into disarray. He had considered that without the Lich King, the Forsaken's ultimate goal of revenge would be achieved. They would feel a sense of satisfaction at their vengeance, but a profound sense of loss would follow. They would lose their direction. The meaning of all their actions would vanish, and there would be even more problems...

Nathanos shook his head twice, frowning as he focused on his work. He knew Meryl was still there, waiting for an answer, but he was sure to be disappointed. "You... step back. This is not your concern."

"Of course..." Meryl nodded as he slowly turned around, "After all, you are the leader trusted by the Forsaken." The mage turned and left. He always spoke with a sharp edge.

After a short while, Nathanos put down his pen again, lost in the question. Now alone, he no longer needed to hide his expression. He realized this was a contradiction for the Forsaken. Every Forsaken wanted to witness the Lich King's fall. To sacrifice oneself halfway was failure, but to persevere to the end wasn't necessarily victory. Nathanos began to wonder if the Forsaken could truly be happy when the Scourge was finally defeated. He certainly wouldn't. Nevertheless, his intuition told him he had made the right decision. This path had to be followed. He stood up, resolute.

The atmosphere in Quel'Danas had become somber and resolute. Its once beautiful and sacred side was now completely gone. Elegant spires were ablaze with fel fire. On the opposite bank, Alleria could almost hear the roars and sounds of demons fighting. The good news was that the Undead constantly emerging from the Death's Scar would attack the demons, which lessened the pressure on the Blood Elf. They could simply circle around and land from the north, reaching the Magisters' Terrace as quickly as possible. Kael'thas was there! Alleria gripped Sathoryl tightly, determined to settle the score with the Sunstrider Prince.

The Regent looked back; the coast was crowded with people and supplies, but only a small portion belonged to Quel'Thalas. The rest were from Shattrath, a newly formed organization called the Shattered Sun Offensive. They were reinforcements brought back by Liadrin, composed of Draenei and Aldor Blood Elf. Alleria's gaze shifted, and she immediately spotted the Countess. She had removed her Blood Knights's robes and donned the armor representing the Shattered Sun Offensive, conversing with an elderly Draenei. The elder appeared to be a leader. Although Liadrin's sudden disappearance and reappearance were suspicious, the most important thing at the moment was to stop Kael'thas's plot; other issues could wait until after this battle.

All the boats to Isle of Quel'Danas are provided by Quel'Thalas. The boats are fully stocked with beans, grains, bacon, and barrels of fresh water.

"We are ready, Regent," Lor'themar reported.

Alleria clenched her fists, her eyes blazing with fury as she pointed towards the location of the Sunwell.