Icecrown Citadel (10)
The view below was very clear; Nathanos, flying over the Scourge City, could already see the outline of Dalaran.
What kind of power could make a city fly in mid-air? Perhaps mortals truly cannot fathom the power possessed by certain powerful artifacts on Azeroth, at least the Eye of Dalaran is one of them.
This city has too many secrets and a very complete alarm system. If anything approaches from above, it will definitely attract the attention of the patrolling guards, and all the guards in Dalaran are mages.
Nathanos couldn't simply fly into the street and revert to his original form, but he could take another route— the Sewers of the magical city. The environment was filthy, but it served as a cover. Besides the rats, the Sewers were also a gathering place for many homeless people and unidentified merchants, practically an underground market. It wouldn't be surprising to find all sorts of people there.
If the Forsaken were to ever attempt to seize Dalaran, this place would be the perfect target for their attack.
After a few minutes of traversing, the Witherer finally found an exit from the Sewers. He judged that the outside world should be near a district specializing in chemical potions and Alchemy. However, after observing for a while at the Sewers entrance, he discovered that he was actually not far from the Violet Hold.
What kind of design does this city have? There's no logic to it at all. If a prisoner escapes, they can simply run into the Sewers to get away.
Nathanos scoffed, pulling his hood up and preparing to casually stroll down the street to find the Silver Covenant's headquarters. But the moment he stepped out of the dark tunnel, he immediately pulled his foot back. A group of people were passing by on the street. The person leading them, both she and the child she was leading, made Nathanos uneasy.
Alleria Windrunner was here too. The Regent of Quel'Thalas was strolling through a pet shop Elf, escorted by several Ranger. Ranger-General Vareesa was also there, watching with smiles as an Alleria boy played with the various animals in the shop.
Nathanos curiously peeked out, not immediately looking away. Alleria and Vareesa were both excellent Ranger and easily sensed someone watching them. However, Nathanos wasn't looking at them, but at the Elf boy.
The birth of his child was no longer a secret. What Nathanos hadn't expected was how quickly time had passed; in the blink of an eye, the child was already almost half the height of his mother.
Does this child know anything about his father? Nathanos heard from Silvermoon City spies that Belorell inherited the Windrunner family name, and the Regent seems to be trying to erase all information about her human husband.
Thinking of this, painful memories welled up as if from the shadows of the Sewers. The Witherer leaned against the inner wall of the entrance, patiently waiting for Alleria and the others to leave. The process was agonizing; only the faint sound of your child's innocent laughter could ease his pain. Perhaps one day they would recognize each other, perhaps that day would never come.
"Belorell, we should go now, we should return to the Sunreaver Sanctuary."
The child was fairly well-behaved and didn't seem particularly attached to the pet shop. His energetic demeanor suggested he was well-protected.
"May your life be as hopeful as your name, child," Nathanos murmured, then quickly crossed the street as everyone's gaze shifted away from him. Alleria had already told him where the Silver Covenant was located, and since the Blood Elf were heading towards the Sunreaver Sanctuary, the Silver Covenant must be on the other side of the city.
Alleria, who was about to return to her residence, suddenly stopped. Her heart was pounding with anxiety. The Regent looked back, and the street they had just strolled along was still familiar, unchanged.
"What's wrong, sister?" Vareesa asked.
Alleria frowned. "I felt a very familiar aura. It was only for a moment, and then it disappeared."
"Is it my second sister?" Vareesa thought that the only person Alleria could be considered extremely familiar with in Dalaran was Sylvanas, but the Regent shook his head in denial.
"It couldn't be her. If it were Sylvanas, she wouldn't be hiding." Alleria closed her eyes to gather her thoughts. She was somewhat agitated because the first name that came to mind when she turned around was her husband's. This was utterly absurd. Nathanos had been dead for many years; she had witnessed it herself. For all these years, she had dreamt of her husband in her sleep, but Alleria was adept at concealing her secrets.
Perhaps it was Belorell's growth that made her miss her old friends more and more. The Female Elf took a deep breath to comfort herself and smiled slightly, saying, "Perhaps it's just my imagination."
The infiltration of the Silver Covenant went more smoothly than usual, but Nathanos still hadn't found Sylvanas's location. From conversations with several soldiers, they learned that their general was not currently in Dalaran.
Did she guess I would come looking for her?
Nathanos searched the encampment and was surprised to find a large number of siege weapons gathered there. Strangely, these weapons weren't placed in the open, but hidden inside the largest building. This excited Nathanos, as the Alliance currently only had one place where siege weapons could be used— Icecrown Citadel.
'It seems the Alliance is also actively preparing.'
After another search, the Witherer successfully infiltrated the heavily guarded outer city walls and even found a reception room on the walls.
The reception room was quite tidy, but there were signs of activity, such as the cushioned chairs that hadn't been put back in their places, the half-full pot of iced tea on the table, and two cups with tea leaves on them.
The Witherer picked up one of the cups and sniffed it. Upon closer inspection, he noticed a faint lipstick mark on the inside, indicating it was likely the cup Sylvanas had drunk from. The other cup, however, was highly suspicious; even the finest tea couldn't mask the putrid stench of death. Only one Forsaken had been dispatched to Dalaran recently, and he was the commander of the Dark Ranger forces.
"Veronalara!" Nathanos sat in the chair closest to him, examining the teacup the Dark Ranger had drunk from. He hadn't gotten angry yet because he wasn't sure if Veronalara's actions constituted betrayal.
Sylvanas must have known his identity and had won over his Ranger commander, but the Female Elf did not do anything to harm him or the Forsaken, and she even saved his life today.
"Thank you, Sylvanas." Nathanos put the cup back. He hoped the Female Elf would keep his secret forever. As for Veronalara ... perhaps her "spy" identity could be quite useful.