Vampyr

Three dark figures darted swiftly through the Dusty Swamp, with Marla being the most agile, leading the way.

"You're really bold to make those promises to them. Veronalara won't be happy if she finds out," Calila said to the Dark Ranger in front of her, her words carried by the wind.

"What's a small price to pay? I'm sure Ms. Veronalara will understand."

Cleya, upon hearing this, quickened her pace and ran to Marla's side. "But you still haven't told us what you're thinking. Didn't we agree to go to Okaz Island? Why are we turning back to Maraudon now?"

"Because there's no need to go to Okaz Island to confirm whether Gogro saw were Alliance people, I can now be certain that those people were definitely not Alliance, but pirates."

Cleya and Calila stopped and looked at each other in shock.

"Pirate?"

How can you be so sure?

Marla stopped too, but didn't answer their questions. "Not only that, I also suspect that the whole thing, including the attack on our fleet, was orchestrated by the Horde."

Cleya smiled, puzzled, her face full of confusion. "The Horde? I really don't know what you're talking about. What does this have to do with the Horde?"

Marla gazed ahead; they had entered the Southern Barrens, a place made even more desolate by the Cataclysm, teeming with roaming Kodo Beast Wind Serpent. She spotted a Tauren -style hut nestled at the foot of a secluded cliff; she remembered it as a place called Flintrock Outpost, once part of the Earthen Ring, now abandoned. Seeing this place, however, brightened Marla's mood, for Flintrock Outpost wasn't far from Razor Ridge.

She wanted to spend all her time traveling, but her two companions were clearly unhappy about being kept in the dark.

"My sisters," Marla said, "You only need to think about what Gogro said to make everything clear. He said that when he approached the three humans on the beach, they were very polite, but when he mentioned joining forces with them to fight the Horde, the three humans immediately turned hostile. What does this mean? It can only mean that those three humans are not part of the Alliance, otherwise they would not have tried to get close to the Tauren in the first place, and then refused the proposal to join forces against the Horde."

"I understand now. So the strange thing is why those three humans didn't attack Gorok directly. Actually, they were under the command of the Horde. At first, Gorok was mistaken for one of the Horde's people. Only after Gorok revealed his identity and his tattoos confirmed his origins did the three people immediately launch an attack."

"Absolutely right." Marla looked at Calila and asked for her opinion.

"So you asked Gorok why he was so sure it was Alliance ship, while that Tauren only said he saw the Alliance's lion banner. Just like the observer on the Witherer, in the fog, anyone would subjectively assume that the one stirring up trouble was the Alliance." Calila smiled. "Perhaps now I understand why Veronalara sent you to investigate this matter."

"It's not just that." Marla's expression turned serious. "I've also been thinking about why the Horde would want to worsen the relationship between us and Alliance. At first, I thought Grommash just wanted us to fight each other so he could profit from the war. But considering the Horde sent envoys to us recently, I realized things aren't that simple. Garrosh probably hasn't given up on getting the Forsaken to join the Horde, or rather, he wants to control us, especially while the Witherer Master is away, to use us as a weapon against the Alliance."

"And if we go to war with the Alliance, the Horde will undoubtedly become a powerful ally?" Calila sneered. "Does that Ogre- headed chieftain think we'll need his help?"

"Fortunately, he didn't realize how powerful we are. If it weren't for the Witherer Master, the Forsaken already..." Cleya's words were interrupted by Marla's sudden exclamation.

"There's an ambush!"

Upon hearing the warning, Calila and Cleya quickly drew their swords and assumed defensive stances. At the same time, three dark figures emerged from the ground.

These uninvited guests were burly men, and although their cloaks concealed their key physical features, they could not hide the fact that they were Elf. However, Marla soon realized something was amiss; she could not smell the scent of living people on them. On the contrary, they even gave her a sense of familiarity.

Surprisingly, these roadblocks raised their heads on their own. They largely retained their physical appearance from when they were alive. They were about 5-6 feet tall, slender yet robust, with long hair and a sparse amount of facial hair. However, what was different was that their muscles possessed a deathly sheen.

"Vampyr!" Marla couldn't believe her eyes.

The minions that once served the Lich King have returned? They haven't disappeared after all?

After the Lich King's defeat, many Scourge soldiers regained their sanity, such as Orisus Sky-Coverer and Prefist, who were accepted as members of the Forsaken. But some were not so fortunate. Nathanos, for example, refused the surrender of the Vampyr people, because he saw that these vampires lacked self-control; their lust for blood and slaughter was forever intense.

"How did they get here?" Calila asked.

Perhaps they should answer this question themselves, Marla thought. A Vampyr was already charging at her. The Dark Ranger dodged the opponent's dagger and swung her short sword at its heart and abdomen.

She noticed that Vampyr had no intention of dodging her sword, and she couldn't help but recall Nathanos's description of them long ago, "Don't bleed, or Vampyr will go berserk and suck you dry."

Marla recalled those words, and so, she suddenly withdrew the short sword she had been using to slit the throat of the enemy before her, using it only to parry the dagger's attack on her arm. Seizing the opportunity, she steadied herself and kicked the vampire in the stomach. Vampyr was once again thrown back by this sudden counterattack.

"Don't get hurt, sisters," she warned. Then she realized she was worrying too much. It was Veronalara who led the Dark Ranger to defeat Blood Queen Lana'thel during the raid on Icecrown Citadel. Marla wasn't there then, but Calila and Cleya were.

For now, just focus on the battle at hand.

Marla focused her attention, repeatedly anticipating and defending against Vampyr's attacks while also looking for opportunities to launch her own.

Before anyone could react, Marla kicked Vampyr's leg hard.

Although not enough to break bones, the sudden attack caused the opponent to lose his balance and fall to his knees. Marla had her long-awaited opportunity, and her sword shot straight for the enemy's chest.

As she had expected, the longsword pierced the cloak easily, with most of the blade embedded inside. However, she felt no sensation of the blade piercing flesh, and pulling it out was more difficult than she had anticipated. Only then did the Dark Ranger realize with astonishment that there wasn't a single drop of blood on the blade.

The blow aimed right at her heart failed to cause any damage. Marla gritted her teeth, trying hard not to let this strange situation distract her, and the enemy in front of her regained his footing.

Just then, a longsword descended from the sky, striking the enemy's head with perfect accuracy. The hood was instantly torn in two by the blade, revealing a twisted, morbid Blood Elf face beneath the cloak, made even more repulsive by pain.

"Don't be fooled by their appearance." Calila had no doubt that she had dealt with her opponent. Cleya also came closer.

One of the remaining Vampyr shouted in Sauras language to retreat.

The enemy fled. Marla turned to look at Vampyr, who had just been knocked to the ground by Calila. His head had been cut open, and he was motionless, but he had vanished under the watchful eyes of the Dark Ranger.

They vanished without a trace. The Vampyr seemed to have disappeared in an instant, leaving no trace of the battle.

"I never expected to run into them. Is it a coincidence?" Cleya asked. Marla and Calila shared the same confusion.

They hoped it was a coincidence, a revenge attack launched by Vampyr after being rejected by the Witherer. But their ambush didn't seem hastily planned. They knew the Dark Ranger trio's exact route and itinerary. Based on that alone, Marla had reason to believe they were connected to the recent events.

"Our operation was only known to Veronalara and Tatsel's people. How did the news leak out?"

"It seems that the hidden dangers within the Forsaken are much more serious than we thought."

Calila spat, "Damn it!" She exhaled through her clenched teeth and pointed at the cloak on the ground, saying, "We shouldn't have driven them away when Vampyr came to seek refuge. We should have taken the opportunity to kill them all."

Marla shook her head. There was no point in dwelling on past mistakes now; they had to report Vampyr's appearance to Veronalara immediately.

Along the way, Marla whispered to her two companions, "Sisters, I think we'd better not go straight back to the Forsaken's territory. We didn't notice Vampyr before they came out, and since we're not far from Razor Ridge, they may already be hiding among the Forsaken."

"Agreed." Cleya nodded. "We should secretly contact Veronalara and warn her."

Tatsel was furious. She couldn't resist touching the hilt of her sword, yet she had to force herself to resist the urge to draw it. Last time at the meeting, she had failed to gain the support of others, allowing her men to be humiliated. Veronalara had promised her the truth, but there was still no word. She couldn't wait any longer.

Her anger was reignited by news from Ratchet. "How many of our men did they wound?"

"More than thirty people were seriously injured, and seventeen died on the spot," Harkel replied. "Gazlowe arrested them, but what happened to them is unknown."

Tatsel shook her head angrily. "That won't work. The Goblins will release them once they get enough money." She stood up from her chair and began pacing back and forth in the cabin, muttering repeatedly, "Humans, humans."

"This is utterly absurd, Commander. We can't let these idiots lead us by the nose. Why should we put up with the provocations of living people? They're shameless, they don't respect us, and they've been making a fool of us. The copper ore they're giving us in exchange is all inferior quality. This is a blatant insult to us."

Tatsel stood at the window. She looked out at the Great Sea, the gentle waves lapping against the beach in concentric circles, a scene of perfect tranquility. She was still pondering and hesitating whether it was time to break the Tranquility and unleash the storm.

"They've gone completely out of control. If humanity continues its rampage, it's only a matter of time before they declare war on us again."

"War will break out sooner or later, sir," Harkel added.

"Yes, war is coming, Captain. We can no longer wait passively. We need to strike first." She called towards the door, "Someone!"

The messenger entered the room. Seeing him, Harkel perked up. She already knew what Tatsel's next order would be.

"What are your orders, sir?"

"Send the message immediately to have the Wavebreaker, the Withering Blade, and the Ragehowl ready, the sooner the better."

"Yes, sir, I'll take care of it right away." The messenger saluted and left the command room.

Harkel scratched his cheek thoughtfully and said, "Sir, if I may be so bold as to ask, are you not going to consult the other officials?"

"There's no need for that." Tatsel sat back down in her chair. The operation had already begun. "They'll just tell me to wait and wait for the truth."

Harkel gave a fleeting, almost imperceptible smile. "So, where are we going?"

"Southshore!"

"Then I request that the Witherer participate in this operation."

"Your ship is still under repair, Harkel."

The captain shook his head. "No, sir. It is ready to set sail, and I can assure you that my crew has the highest fighting spirit; they, like me, want to make the Alliance and humanity pay the price."

Tatsel laughed heartily, nodding repeatedly in approval. "Very good, these are my soldiers. I grant your request. Go and prepare. Don't disappoint me when we attack Southshore."

Harkel turned away, preventing Tatsel from seeing the barely concealed malice on her face. She did need to prepare properly, to leave behind a group of crew members, and to free up space in the cabins for others to board the Witherer.