Changes

The journey from Quel'Thalas to the Eastern Plaguelands took longer than Alleria had anticipated. Her small party only managed to spend one night at the South Wall gate. The Regent barely slept, subsisting solely on magically concocted food. After patiently enduring two more days, she finally arrived at Marius Farm. During this time, she gathered all the records documenting the events that had transpired at the farm, but because she had personally ordered the erasure of all traces of Nathanos, she had obtained very little information. It was only then that Alleria realized that her husband existed only in her memories.

The ruins before her stirred the Regent's heart; the battle that had taken place here years ago was still vivid in her memory. She sighed, hoping she was ready to face reality.

"Go and keep watch around the area, and don't allow anyone to come near!"

After dispersing her entourage, Alleria slowly walked towards the collapsed building, recalling how she had met Nathanos here and shared joy with his family on the night of Winter Veil. Those past times were among the few she cherished.

All you need is one bone.

Alleria didn't need Nathanos's body to be perfectly preserved after all these years and countless trials; she only needed to find a single bone. She believed that would prove her husband truly rested, and all the rumors would fall apart.

As the Regent climbed to the highest point, stepping over one piece of broken timber after another, her uneasy heart trembled. Her expression gradually dimmed.

The ruins here have been searched!

"This can't be!" she whispered in a hoarse voice. "Who is it?"

"It seems you've been hiding a lot from me, Mother."

Alleria turned around. She already had enough on her mind, but the person in front of her completely reopened her long-dormant wounds.

"Belorell?" Alleria called out, seeing her son's once delicate and soft hands now mangled beyond recognition, covered in countless tiny cuts and splinters of wood embedded in his flesh. Just moments before, the Regent had been wondering who had disturbed the ruins before her; now she knew the answer.

The Elf boy strode toward his mother, raising a hand so his beloved could see clearly. "I arrived yesterday, did what you wanted to do, and got the answers you still doubt."

"Answer?" Alleria repeated. "I don't need any answer. I'm just here to confirm a false rumor. But you, you've sneaked out again. Do I need to send an army to keep an eye on you?"

"You're still planning to hide this from me?" Belorell roared.

Alleria stood frozen in place, stunned by her son's words.

"I'm not hiding anything from you, child. I just don't want you to know about the painful memories of the past."

Who is Nathanos Marius?

This problem made Alleria realize that she had misjudged the situation. The issue now wasn't what she hadn't told Belorell, but rather what Belorell already knew.

"Belorell," Alleria, her body tense, the words struggling to escape from her clenched teeth, "How do you know that name?"

The Elf boy looked up at her, his terrifying gaze fixed on her. He, who had been kept in the dark all along, posed a soul-searching question, "Is my surname Windrunner or Marius?"

"Of course you are a child of the Windrunner family, Belorell," Alleria responded loudly. The Female Elf regretted being there; she now only wanted to take Belorell home... "I know you've always been curious about who your father is, but you must accept the truth, just like I have: your father... is dead. He's gone."

"Really? Do you remember what you said? You said you personally freed Father from Undead spirit. Have you forgotten?"

Alleria was shocked by Belorell's accusations. The secret the Regent had been trying to hide had been discovered by the person she most wanted to protect.

"You're just deceiving yourself. The most unchangeable fact is the truth." Belorell turned his head away in anguish. "No wonder you kept telling me that the Undead are abominable creatures, that they almost destroyed our home. I always thought you were right... but how could you do it?"

Alleria jumped down from the rubble to her son's side, tenderly cradling his wounded hands. Her worry turned to heartache. Deep within her lay a gaping, unhealable wound. "It's not what you think. You didn't see it with your own eyes. You were just born then. You don't know, you don't know what your father became. I can't bear to see him..."

"Of course I know!" Belorell forcefully shook off Alleria's hand. His words caused his mother to look at him with astonishment. "I saw it with my own eyes. I saw an Undead survive from these ruins, shouting to the sky, 'I'm alive!' I saw his eyes were bloodshot, as terrifying as those from hell. His voice held both the joy of survival and an anger I couldn't understand at the time. Now I understand. I know whose anger came from—not just those who turned him into Undead, but also those who abandoned him!"

In an instant, Belorell sensed that his mother's last line of defense had crumbled. His heart pounded faster and faster. In his eyes, his mother was not a heartless person; she would defend Quel'Thalas to the death and would give everything to protect her child. Whatever choice she made, it wasn't necessarily her fault. He believed that his mother must have felt immense pain and despair facing his father, now an Undead. Belorell felt deep sympathy for his mother, and he wanted to apologize for his earlier words.

"You... saw it all?" Alleria asked, her voice trembling. Belorell's words sounded absurd, but he couldn't possibly be lying. Alleria didn't believe her child would deceive her.

"I saw it. I saw it with my own eyes."

Alleria staggered back a few steps, as if struck a heavy blow. She had clearly defeated Nathanos and even cremated him in his homeland...

"When I last came here, I was attacked by an Undead. Although she did not reveal her identity, I investigated all the known Undead factions. In addition to the Scourge, there is another Undead force called the Forsaken."

The Forsaken? Alleria's legs gave way, and she collapsed onto the barren ground. Her mind was blank, filled with intense pain.

Vendel'o eranu, let me forget. Is that what it means?

Nathanos...

I've come to find you, my love. To help you... find liberation.

She had said this to him after seeing his appearance. She wept for Nathanos's transformation.

I did not become a minion of the Lich King. I have my own Will. I am not like the Scourge that destroyed Quel'Thalas. Why do you want to destroy me like you destroyed those monsters?

Then what's the difference between you and Arthas? He killed his father, you killed your own mother! I... don't want to see you like this. Nor does Belore'dorei.

Slowly, it felt as if her heart weighed a ton.

Alleria?

I'm sorry, Nathanos. I can't watch you live like this.

"My father is still alive."

Belorell's voice made her heart clench. The Regent slowly stood up, swallowed hard, and looked up at Belorell with her tear-streaked face, managing to squeeze out a few words: "I will investigate. The fact that your father is still alive may not be good news for us. You're right, part of his anger comes from me. If he seeks revenge, I won't blame him; I only hope he hurts me, that's enough."

"I don't want you to get hurt, Mother," Belorell said. "I hope you and Father can have a proper talk. The Lich King has been defeated for many years, and some of the dead have long since regained their own Will; the Knights of the Ebon Blade are the best example."

"Perhaps you are right, child." Alleria held Belorell's hand tightly. "Perhaps my choice was wrong, and the consequences could very well be borne by the entire Quel'Thalas." Despite speaking her mind, she still felt a pang of sadness when she saw the sorrow on Belorell's face.

"So what are you going to do next, Mother?" Belorell asked softly.

"It makes no sense that your father has been hiding for so many years and then suddenly his whereabouts are discovered." Alleria regained her composure. "I know Nathanos. He wanted to use the news that he was still alive to test everyone's opinion, and he guessed that I would spread the news."

"Why?" Belorell asked, puzzled. "If more people know that Father is still alive, then his enemies will surely try every means to eliminate him."

"You don't understand, Belorell. Your father gave us a choice: to continue hiding his existence or to expose it. Choosing the former is tantamount to choosing to be his enemy." Alleria had considered almost every possible scenario. "The Forsaken recently conquered Stromgarde, proving they possess considerable military strength. Nathanos must have been building such a large army over many years. He has been hiding all along; now, he no longer needs to hide."

At this point, both Alleria and Belorell felt a pang of anxiety. Why was Nathanos no longer hiding? What did he hope to achieve by revealing his identity? Was it to intimidate those who had wronged him? If so, Alleria was convinced he would succeed; he would instill fear in everyone.

After a few days of rest, Jaina finally had the energy to leave her cramped room and take a good look at the situation in Theramore. The wounds of war couldn't be healed in a short time, but people had to live on with new hope. As the ruler of Theramore, her first priority should have been to inquire about the progress of the reconstruction and whether the wounded were receiving proper treatment. However, Jaina believed that Sylvanas had already taken care of everything. She draped herself in a cloak, trying to avoid attracting anyone's attention, and searched for the Ranger-General. Instead, she found him standing on a section of intact city wall, gazing into the distance.

"What are you looking at?" Jaina asked, walking up to Sylvanas without the perceptive Ranger noticing. What had caught her attention? Jaina was very curious.

"You're awake?" Sylvanas looked at Jaina in surprise, her furrowed brows finally relaxing.

Jaina ran her fingers through her hair and smiled, saying, "I've been awake for several days, but I've been resting."

"Yes, I've heard Baine mention it." The Ranger-General nodded. "While you were resting these past few days, I went to great lengths to get rid of the Kirin Tor men."

"I definitely didn't see Khadgar and the others. Did they leave?"

"They left this morning." Sylvanas's gaze returned to the direction she had been looking. "They were eager to know the details of the teleportation, and I could only deal with them using Theramore Secrets."

Jaina smiled and said, "If it's a secret, shouldn't its ruler be someone who knows about it?" She saw a hint of guilt flash in Sylvanas's eyes; there was no doubt that the Ranger was hiding something from her.

"The blueprints for the teleportation spell were given to me by someone."

"Who is it?" Jaina asked, but Sylvanas did not answer. She guessed, "Your Undead friend?"

She heard a frustrated sigh, Sylvanas turned to face her, wanting to tell her everything, while Jaina stood there listening.

"I had met him once before, something I had longed to do for a long time. I was so happy and excited. Especially when I heard him say that he had come to help us fight against the Horde, I felt as if he had never left me."

Jaina's eyes widened slowly, and despite her rudeness, she asked, "You... love him?"

The Female Elf's expression changed, a blush spreading across her cheeks. Unsure how to answer, she could only purse her lips and say, "He loves my sister."

"Your sister?"

"That's not important, Jaina. What's important is that when he gave me the teleportation scroll, he only told me that Theramore would teleport me to a safe place. I believed him, and he was right; this is where Dalaran, the Eastern Kingdoms, used to be. Our arrival hasn't caused any conflict, except to unsettle the magical elements here. I'm just wondering why he chose this as the destination." Sylvanas continued, oblivious to the shock on Jaina's face. "After the Gate of the Heavens incident, an Undead army called the Forsaken became known, claiming their headquarters were on the Alterac Mountains." She pointed to the faint shadows of the mountains in the night. "We're very close to the Forsaken's headquarters. Why is that? Have you thought about it, Jaina..."

When Sylvanas noticed Jaina again, the mage no longer had the relaxed expression she had just displayed; her eyes were filled with suspicion and distrust.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Your Undead... friend, loved your sister?"

The Female Elf was taken aback.

"Your sister is Alleria Windrunner. And her partner is..."

For a moment, Sylvanas and Jaina were at a loss for words. Neither of them was prepared for the changes that were about to unfold.