Deliberately

"What is this?" Orgrim asked. Gul'dan turned and led Doomhammer and Cho'gall to a spot not far from where they had been. There was a huge rock there, its rough surface covered with runes. Even Doomhammer, who was not familiar with mystical abilities and spiritual power, could sense the energy emanating from this heavy rock.

"This is what I wanted to show you," Gul'dan replied, stroking his beard. "This stone is full of energy; it's a Rune Stone. Through it, I learned that the other Rune Stone in the forest, along with this one, are evenly distributed across this land, forming a magical barrier."

Orgrim approached and examined the area closely. "If there's an invisible barrier here, then we should be hindered," Doomhammer pointed out.

"No, this barrier doesn't have that kind of absolute defensive ability," Gul'dan replied. "I think these Rune Stones are just restricting the use of magic, and it's very likely that only Elf can cast their spells in the forest. I've tried to cast some spells here, but I failed. And if I step back ten yards, my magic is restored."

Doomhammer listened and re-examined the stone. "In that case, we'll place these stones around our enemies, preventing them from casting spells." He pondered, considering how many Orcs would be needed to move the stones and how to transport them. Perhaps Ogre would be the most suitable for this task.

"That might be a solution," Gul'dan agreed, though his tone clearly betrayed his opinion. "But, my chieftain, do you remember what I told you?" Doomhammer glanced at him and nodded. He remembered Gul'dan mentioning that Quel'Thalas Rune Stone could be used to enhance Death Knight.

"These stones contain powerful magic," Gul'dan explained. "I believe I can harness that power for my own use."

"What do you mean?" Doomhammer asked again, remaining vigilant. He knew it was best not to give Gul'dan too much freedom, but as long as the Warlock could prove his value to the Horde, Orgrim wouldn't restrict him.

"I can use these stones to build an altar," Gul'dan replied. "A Storm Altar, by channeling the energy within these stones. I can empower the Death Knight, making them more powerful, though it might make them look even stranger."

"The problem is, no Orcs will let you experiment on them," Doomhammer sneered. He still remembered Gul'dan in Draenor, presenting the cup filled with boiling green liquid to all the Horde chieftains and their chosen warriors. Orgrim had distrusted the Warlock then, so when Blackhand offered it to him, he refused, claiming he didn't want to share in Blackhand's power. He then witnessed firsthand the harm the liquid inflicted on his friends and people. It did make them bigger and stronger, but it also made their eyes glow red. Any Blackhand Orcs came into contact with it became insane and Bloodlust, incredibly violent, like a beast, a fanatical killer. Although some Orcs regretted and resisted this change, like Orgrim's close friend Durotan, this realization came too late.

Gul'dan laughed, as if he knew what the Doomhammer was thinking. No one knew what kind of power this Orcs now possessed.

"I don't intend to use Orcs to test these altars," Gul'dan assured Doomhammer. "I will choose a simpler creature: Ogre."

Doomhammer considered it. The Horde didn't have many Ogre, but these guys were much easier to control than other soldiers. If they could make them stronger, it was definitely worth the risk.

"Alright," he finally said. "You can build an altar. Let's see what happens. If it works out, I'll give you more Ogre, or any other race you desire." Gul'dan bowed to Doomhammer. Doomhammer nodded, and as he turned to leave, his thoughts drifted back to logistics.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the border forest of Quel'Thalas, Nathanos was replenishing his water supply in the river with his water bag, a half-eaten piece of jerky in his other hand. He had arrived here two days earlier and had been scouting the area. The forest was unusually quiet, which was not good news for him. Just now, he had discovered strange claw marks on a tree. They weren't made by monkeys or owls; the marks were very clear, and the branches where they had been scratched were noticeably dented. This couldn't be the work of Elf, because Elf were very protective of their forests. Sylvanas had once taught Nathanos at Marius Farm how to start a fire on the ground without destroying a single blade of grass, precisely to avoid harming nature. Nathanos had learned it quickly; it was a valuable lesson for him, making it easier to leave no trace in the wild.

"Are they Troll? Those claw marks suggest the person who left them had long, strong fingers." He hung the water pouch at his waist. The Horde had arrived, that was an open secret. Nathanos began walking in a certain direction of the forest; he sensed something unusual about this place.

Alliance

"Faster, damn it! Faster!" Alleria shouted. Turalyon and Khadgar had heard her say that several times already. But the Female Elf couldn't stay still; she took a few steps in place, then started running again. She couldn't stand the speed. Although Turalyon told her that the army was advancing at top speed, the Female Elf still felt it was too slow.

"We will arrive in time and join them in resisting the Horde." Turalyon noticed her worry. The Female Elf could sense the confidence in her voice, but it wasn't enough to reassure her.

"I'll go myself. I should have done it from the beginning," Alleria said after careful consideration.

"No, have you forgotten Lothar's orders?" Turalyon stopped her, saying, "If you leave on your own, you will be caught and killed, and... it will not do anyone any good."

"I am an Elf, a Ranger!" she insisted. "I can disappear into the forest! No one can find me!"

"What if you encounter Troll?" She stared at Khadgar beside Turalyon. "We already know they've joined the Horde, and in the forest, they're just as good as you, aren't they?"

"More or less," she admitted, having fought Troll countless times, she certainly knew this. "But I'm a bit stronger."

"No one will doubt that," Khadgar replied tactfully, a smile lurking beneath his calm exterior. "However, we don't know how many of them there are; if they unite, they will surpass your superior skills."

Alleria cursed a few times. He was right. But that didn't stop her from wanting to move at full speed. She had seen the Horde, seen what they had done. She knew how great the threat was, and now it was moving towards her homeland! The terrifying thing was that her people had no idea such a danger was approaching.

"Get your soldiers moving at full speed!" she yelled at Turalyon, then sprinted ahead to scout the situation. If these human soldiers couldn't change their snail's pace, Alleria was determined to abandon them and leave alone.

"She's very worried," Khadgar said calmly after Alleria disappeared from sight.

"I understand," Turalyon replied. "I have no reason to stop her. If the Horde were heading to my homeland, I would have done the same." He sighed. "We only have half the Alliance army, and... and I'm leading it."

"Maintain your confidence," Khadgar warned. "You are an excellent commander and a noble Paladin, a member of the Silver Hand, and one of the finest in Lordaeron."

Turalyon smiled at his friend, grateful for his reassurance. He only wished he could believe it. He knew he had done quite well in battle, had received ample training, and had effectively translated his training into combat skills during their first clash with the Horde. But being a leader? He had never considered it before this war; he knew nothing about command.

His life changed completely after he began his Priest. He received orders from senior Priest, was sent to Alonsus Faol, and then followed the archbishop's instructions to become one of the first Paladin.

Turalyon was surprised that Lothar hadn't chosen Uther as his lieutenant, but he was even more shocked to have gained Lothar's favor. He kept wondering what he should do to deserve all that he had received.

Lothar seemed to fit the bill; this general of the Stormwind Kingdom possessed ample experience and wisdom. He was a formidable leader who inspired unquestioning loyalty, and anyone who met him commanded respect. He was known as the "Lion of Azeroth," a name derived from the gleaming emblem on his shield. Turalyon aspired to be like Lothar.

Of course, he also hoped to be as devout to the Holy Light as Uther, either because of his faith or because his power came from the Holy Light.

Turalyon believed in the Holy Light, but he had never directly experienced that power. Since joining the war, he had begun to question his faith.

The Holy Light belongs to all living beings, residing in every heart and soul. It is omnipresent, and its energy unites all sentient beings. This is Alonsus's teaching to Turalyon.

Is it the same for the Horde? Turalyon frowned. The Orcs were wretched and deformed, acting without reason, corrupt and disgusting creatures, utterly beyond redemption. How could the Holy Light's radiant light favor such absolute evil? But if it truly did, how could one explain its purity and its powerful, loving force? But the Horde wasn't part of the Holy Light, which meant it wasn't universal, unlike what Turalyon had learned.

Turalyon suddenly clutched his forehead; his faith had been severely shaken after encountering the Horde. Perhaps that was why the other Paladin could cast their blessings upon the soldiers, healing severe wounds with a simple touch. But he couldn't; he was certain he didn't possess such abilities now, but he didn't want to remain like this forever.

"You've quieted down again." Khadgar gently nudged him. "Don't overthink it, or you'll fall off the saddle." His tone was friendly.

Turalyon returned the smile with all his might. "Thank you, I'm fine," he said to the seemingly old monks. "Just thinking about what to do next."

Khadgar turned around after hearing this, looking at the army marching behind him. "You've done very well. Let these people keep moving, at our fastest speed, catch up with them before they cause destruction to the Horde."

"I understand," Turalyon said, frowning. "I was just wondering if there was a shortcut that would allow us to bypass them and get directly to Quel'Thalas. Maybe Alleria was right; I should have let her go first. But what if she gets caught? What if something happens to her..." His voice trailed off, then he heard Khadgar suddenly laugh. He glared at him and asked, "What are you laughing at?"

"Oh, nothing," his friend said with a laugh. "If you put this kind of concern into every single soldier, we'd better abandon this operation now, because you're afraid they'll get hurt and won't send them into battle." Turalyon glared fiercely at the mage. The latter avoided the gaze but continued to smile. They continued riding, the army following closely behind.

Alleria ran ahead, her excessive worry for Quel'Thalas causing her to unknowingly stray far from the group, but she didn't realize it. "Who's there?" The Female Elf suddenly stopped, her keen perception spotting a trap a few steps ahead.

"Look who's here, brothers!" A shrill voice made Alleria look up. A Troll leaped out from behind a rock, and then more Troll appeared around her. Alleria cursed Khadgar inwardly; the mage's mouth left her speechless.

There were six Troll in total, each taller than her. Alleria gripped the short sword at her waist, because the opponents were too close for her to draw her bow and shoot.

"Grab him, brothers!" one of the Troll shouted, but before his companions could move, three arrows suddenly shot out from behind, piercing their throats. The lead Troll fell to the ground, a look of disbelief on his face.

The other Troll dared not approach, for other enemies lurked in the shadows, and the hunter could become the prey at any moment. Alleria also somewhat surprised; she thought it was Turalyon's army arriving, but seeing the arrows on the Troll's necks crafted by Quel'Thalas, she wanted to shout "Long live the Sunwell!" in her native tongue. But before she could speak, two more arrows flew from the bushes, whizzing past her face, incredibly close. Fear flashed through her mind and vanished instantly. Before Alleria could react, screams rang in her ears, and two more Troll fell to the ground. The last Troll, seeing this, immediately turned and leaped into the jungle to escape.

This person was incredibly powerful. Alleria looked at the corpse on the ground and asked loudly, "Who is it?" But this time she was certain that the other party wouldn't harm her.

"I may have acted a little too quickly. It's a pity I didn't get to see how the Ranger-General would deal with what just happened." She recognized the voice very well; even after several months, Alleria still knew who it belonged to.

"Nathanos!" she exclaimed with delight as she watched the person emerge from the bushes.

"Surprised?" The human approached her, his eyes constantly scanning the surroundings, wary of any potential dangers.

"That is indeed unexpected." The Female Elf laughed without any attempt to hide her surprise. "What are you doing here? Are you here to stop the Horde too?"

Nathanos avoided the Female Elf's gaze and the question, making himself appear indifferent. Alleria, however, had already gleaned the answer from his eyes.

"That's not important," the human said, then looked at Alleria. "I want you to guess why I deliberately let a Troll go just now?"