Encounter

Zul'Aman

The current state of desolation at the political center of the Amani Empire shocked Nathanos. Clearly, outsiders had underestimated the power of the Forest Troll. Humans and Elf alike considered Troll an inferior race, but these ruins spoke volumes about their former glory to Nathanos. The Troll possessed their own civilization and customs, a fact Nathanos had long noticed. Their hair stood upright on their heads in a crown-like formation. This was clearly not natural, indicating that these creatures had adorned themselves, demonstrating they were not mere beasts. The outsiders' claim that Troll slept in trees or lived in the caves of wild beasts was utter falsehood. Nathanos cursed those who spoke of them. The city was constructed from countless polished stones, and judging from the moss and sheen, it possessed a very ancient history. At the very center of Zul'Aman stood a high platform, upon which lay a skeleton—a testament to sacrifice. The Troll's cannibalistic nature was undeniable. Besides the steps, there is also a suspension bridge, and some places still bear the marks of burning, which was done when the allied forces of humans and Elf invaded this place.

Nathanos was disappointed. No one had lived here for a long time. The only valuable things were some frescoes that were peeling off and some writing that felt very familiar but also very strange to him.

"Is this Trollish? It looks somewhat similar to the Elf Sauras language. Could there be some connection between Troll and Elf? How interesting." Nathanos's lips curled slightly, but he was still eager to find some clues to prove that Zul'jin was still alive. He focused his gaze on the altar in the very center, the most conspicuous place, Nathanos decided to investigate further.

Windrunner Tower

Sylvanas sat in the sun facing the sea, feeling quite relaxed. Although her sister Alleria's departure had added to her burdens, she was managing. What truly lifted her spirits today was the letter she had received from Alleria.

"Nathanos?" Sylvanas murmured the name, then held the arrow that had been sent with the letter in her hand. She compared it carefully, trying to find some flaws, such as the material, the workmanship of the arrowhead, and its flexibility. But it turned out that everything was exactly the same as the bow and arrow she used, except that it had not been blessed by the family priests.

"He's come to Quel'Thalas?" Sylvanas was somewhat surprised; she hadn't received any news from the outposts today—that a human had secretly entered the Elven Kingdom.

"How is this possible?" Sylvanas stood up.

Since Alleria's departure, Sylvanas immediately strengthened the defenses around Quel'Thalas, drawing ten squads from the Farstrider forces to station along the border. Although the Elf King and the Silvermoon Council believed the Horde posed no threat to Quel'Thalas, it was always good to have extra forces just in case.

"He really got in?" The Female Elf was skeptical. What she cared about was why she hadn't received any reports of anything unusual. Even if Nathanos had evaded the border guards, there were Ranger stationed every so often in the forest, so it was impossible for someone to enter silently.

"Unless... he went to a place where no Elf are stationed." Sylvanas looked at the map; there was only one place on the entire map that was not guarded by Elf.

"Zul'Aman!" Sylvanas looked at the buildings to the east on the map; that area was designated a forbidden zone, off-limits to any Elf. "Interesting humans." The Female Elf smiled slightly, gathering a small team to search for this "uninvited guest."

When she set off, Nathanos had already made a major discovery.

"What is this?" Nathanos walked to the altar and discovered some fresh fruit and animal heads below. Someone had been here, and within a day! Nathanos immediately became alert. It was very quiet; he focused all his attention on his ears, hearing nothing but the wind.

'Looks like nobody's around.' It was a false alarm, but he was already sweating profusely within a minute. If there were Troll lying in ambush around him now, he would be in great danger, because he didn't know their numbers or locations; there were too many places to ambush them here.

"These animals' heads are still dripping blood?" Nathanos examined the black bear's head closely. The sight disgusted him, but he noticed that the cuts were not smooth, indicating that the hunter had used a blunt weapon. Yet, it was a fatal blow—what terrifying power.

"This Troll is clever; he left no trace of his activity except for these. He even fooled me." Nathanos stood up and dusted off the knee of his right trousers.

"What kind of Troll is he, coming here alone? It seems I'm not the only one who knows about the Elf's defenses," Nathanos pondered as he descended the steps. There were no more clues here, and it wasn't a place to linger. He crossed the corridor that led him out of the abandoned city, and suddenly saw a flock of birds flying away from the trees in the distance.

"And he has followers?" Nathanos said, having set up some traps on his way here as a precaution. These things couldn't even handle a regular Ranger, but they could create noise and provide early warning. There were no Elf watching nearby, and the other party was coming from the direction of Silvermoon City. There was only one possibility: he had been discovered by the Elf.

"Alleria, you promised to keep my whereabouts a secret," Nathanos sneered. A light and agile figure leaped down from the tree. It was a woman, who looked up and saw Nathanos standing high above.

'Is it her?' Nathanos finally saw the other person's face clearly. She really looked like Alleria, but he knew that this Female Elf was not the one from the Alliance.

Sylvanas was also observing the human while keeping a close watch on her surroundings. Once she was sure there were no ambushes, she approached. She did so without making a sound, which surprised Nathanos. When she was about five meters away, Sylvanas stopped, carefully examining the human before her gaze fell on the quiver on Nathanos's back.

"Give me an explanation, human. This is forbidden territory in Quel'Thalas."

Sylvanas's aggressive demeanor did not intimidate Nathanos, who calmly replied, "Quel'Thalas's laws only bind Elf; for humans, this place is practically a tourist paradise."

The Female Elf glanced at the primitive gate of Zul'Aman.

"There are countless places more beautiful than here in Quel'Thalas. I'm more curious how bad your taste must be to come here to camp."

"Alleria promised to keep my whereabouts a secret, and I'm curious if Windrunner family are as untrustworthy as she is."

The two were at odds, but not to the point of fighting. Sylvanas still had many questions about the man before her, but she couldn't answer them here.

"Come with me."

"I'm afraid I don't need to listen to you."

Sylvanas gave a cold laugh and whistled into the shadows of the forest. Instantly, more than a dozen shadows appeared in the forest.

"Now you have to listen to me." She turned back to Nathanos with a smile, a triumphant air.

"Very well, the Windrunner family is not only untrustworthy, but also extremely cunning. I have now truly experienced their cunning."