Predicament

I hope this history will be forgotten forever, and the reasons are easy to understand. Let it quietly sink into the abyss of oblivion, let it slip to the bottom of time, until the lake returns to calm, and no one will remember the pain buried deep within. I also feel helpless and pained by this history, even though I was planning to venture into Icecrown Glacier when it all happened. When I finished reading the messenger's message, I could almost see everything the Lich Gate. I could see the plague-stricken battlefield, and the scorching marks left by the Red Dragon's flames. This history has burdened the Forsaken with a heavy weight. We have become monsters, enemies, and evil.

After the Lich King's fall, the misunderstandings caused by the Lich Gate incident could never be cleared up. Whether it was a conspiracy or a frame-up, people tend to lean towards the former. Arthas was shrewd; although I don't know if this was part of his strategy, I must admit he played this move brilliantly.

Now, the Forsaken are known throughout Azeroth, and all factions are investigating the secrets of their leader, the Witherer.

How much longer can I remain hidden? Only time will tell. But I will never forget that all of this stemmed from the Lich Gate.

I will remember these things so that I can be aware of them when similar signs appear again.

There are two proverbs that contain wisdom beyond imagination.

The first sentence is, "Those who do not learn from history are destined to repeat its mistakes."

The second sentence is... "Know your enemy."

With a heavy heart, Nathos quickly followed suit, summoning his soldiers. He held a vial of potion in his hand. He had heard that Nathanos had been wounded in the battle against Abidis, and he knew that the Witherer disliked relying on potions to fill wounds. However, this vial was one he had carefully prepared; perhaps Nathanos would make an exception and use it this time.

When he saw the Witherer, the man had his back to him. As he approached and was about to speak, Nathanos pressed the messenger's message against his face like a stone.

Nathos was startled. Because of his past as a high-ranking member of the Scourge, Nathos wasn't respected by the other Forsaken leaders, but his talent was highly regarded by the Witherer. He was the head of the Maraudon Alchemy District and the president of the Alchemist Association, which served the Witherer. Nathanos also valued him highly; even when dissatisfied with the progress of the Alchemy District's work, he would only reprimand him briefly, never before had things turned out like this.

"Take a look for yourself!" Nathanos's voice was deep, yet very authoritative. Nathos guessed that there must be something bad written on the envelope, and that it was related to him; otherwise, if Nathanos wanted to find a scapegoat, he wouldn't be the one.

Nathos hurriedly picked up the envelope and began to read it. His expression slowly changed from doubt to fear. By the time he finished reading, he had already knelt down on the ground with a "thud".

"This can't be real, Master. This is impossible!"

"Impossible?" Nathanos walked towards the apothecary, his figure appearing even more imposing in the apothecary's eyes. "So you're saying Belmont's intelligence is wrong? Do you think he would joke about such information?"

"I assure you, Master. The Alchemist Association is loyal to you and would never do such a thing." Nathos's gaze unconsciously returned to the letter, then quickly shifted away, as if the words on it were glaringly obvious. "Besides... and besides, I created the Alchemist Association, and there has never been a person named Putress. There must be some mistake."

"You'd better not be hiding something from your men, Nathos. Otherwise, you'll see the last thing I want outsiders to see," Nathanos threatened. He wouldn't tolerate betrayal. He wanted answers, answers to many questions: Why did that man named Putress indiscriminately unleash the plague on both the Azerothian Alliance and the Lich King? Why did he say "witness the wrath of the Forsaken"? And when did a Forsaken apothecary unit escape his sight and sneak off to the Lich Gate?

"You once ordered the Alchemist Association to stop developing plagues. We would never dare to disobey your orders, absolutely not. Please believe me, Master," Nathos continued to explain. Nathanos paced rapidly back and forth in front of him. The Apothecary Guild Master suddenly realized that what the Witherer were worried about was not a possible betrayal, but something far more terrifying.

"You!" Nathanos pointed at Nathos's eyes, "What do you think you can accomplish?"

"Soon, Master." His own trembling voice startled Nathos, reminding him of the task Nathanos had given him before the Forsaken attacked the Vanguard Port —to convert all the Gryphon here into Undead creatures. "My men are working at full speed."

Are those Gryphon as tireless as we are?

"Yes," Nathos nodded firmly, assuring him, "They don't need rest or food, just like us."

"Are there any finished products?"

"Master?" Nathos looked at the Witherer in surprise. "You want to go to the Lich Gate?"

"I must go!" Nathanos was enraged by the question. He glared at Nathos, as if to ask if he, as the leader of the Forsaken, shouldn't go and see for himself? "I must see for myself what's going on there. Today... is a disastrous day for the Forsaken."

The Undead Gryphon slowly descended onto the flat ground the Lich Gate. Flames still burned on some buildings and corpses before him. Nathanos leaped off the Gryphon and looked down to find two pairs of enormous footprints. Belmont's letter mentioned the Red Dragon, and now the Witherer could sense a familiar power in one of the footprints— the Queen of Dragons Alexstrasza had once stayed here briefly.

"My God!"

The apocalyptic scene filled Nathanos with suffocating agony. Some who lay dead had perished in battle, while the vast majority had succumbed to the plague; even those purified by the Red Dragon's flames bore the dark markings of the disease on their faces. Others had tried to escape, their fallen positions indicating this. However, the burning of the Red Dragon's flames also reflected the spread of the plague; flames all around indicated the plague was spreading from all directions. The allied forces were surrounded, enveloped by an invisible ghoul of death; they had nowhere to escape, and any resistance was futile.

What tormented Nathanos most was not the failure of the attack on the Lich King, but the fact that the blame for the failure was placed on him and his followers. The Witherer knew that what he feared most was not the actions of the Alliance and the Horde, but rather something from within—from within the Forsaken.

The Alliance and Horde fortresses on both sides of the cliffs were engulfed in flames. Nathanos once again mounted his Gryphon, flying to a height where he could observe both locations simultaneously. His gaze then settled on a cliff Horde to the Horde camp. He flew Gryphon, and amidst the flames, several Meat Wagon and projectile equipment remained intact. Nathos hadn't lied; this devastating operation Forsaken didn't possess these grotesque and hideous "monsters"; only the Scourge had them.

In an instant, Nathanos realized the truth.

"The Scourge?" He turned sharply to look at the Lich Gate, which was tightly shut like a giant maw full of sharp teeth.

A little over a month ago, on Naxxramas, Nathanos personally mentioned the Forsaken to the Lich King. Was this a conspiracy by the Lich King? Any Undead can call themselves the Forsaken, and launching an attack on the Lich King with plague would clearly show the world that not all Undead are loyal to the Lich King.

Nathanos understood everything. Arthas had exploited this. He could easily find someone like Putress and have him impersonate the Forsaken to attack the Alliance and the Horde. Arthas himself would also feign injury to make the world believe in the existence of the Forsaken.

It's out in the open! The Witherer's gaze was fixed on the Lich Gate. The Alliance and Horde would soon learn of what had happened at the Lich Gate; news spread quickly. What was most terrifying, and what worried Nathanos most, were his spies planted throughout the land. These men were loyal to him for certain interests, but they still possessed a sense of honor and could distinguish between good and evil. If they doubted or even believed that the devastation at the Lich Gate was truly caused by the Forsaken, would they still trust the Forsaken? The best among them would simply distance themselves from the Forsaken; the worst might Forsaken out of their own conscience.

This desperate situation almost overwhelmed Nathanos, making it difficult for him to support himself. He had to step forward and face the new circumstances, the predicament his enemy had brought him.