The Horde at the Gates

As expected, the Alliance abandoned these roads. Doomhammer led his Warrior swiftly through. The man in the cloak kept his promise, and Orgrim was pleased that his assessment was correct. The road was indeed extremely dangerous, a narrow, stone path that would become impassable in any way once soldiers blocked the way and corpses piled up. So he urged his army forward. He knew that once his army crossed the mountains, the war would be over.

They spent two days traversing snow-covered mountains, descending to the hilly terrain. So far, the Orcs hadn't seen a single human. Some Warrior grumbled impatiently about the need for slaughter, but Orgrim assured them that the opportunity would come.

The next day, the Horde's vanguard surged down from the mountains. As usual, Doomhammer led the way. He stopped, astonished by the sight before him. A vast lake stretched out at the foot of the mountains, its surface shimmering in the morning light. On the other side were more mountain ranges, generally running north to south. And north of the lake stood a city surrounded by massive walls.

"The capital of Lordaeron." Doomhammer surveyed the area, then raised his warhammer high above his head with both hands, letting out a battle cry. The Horde Warrior roared in fury, their anger echoing across the surrounding hills. Doomhammer laughed loudly. The city would soon know of the Horde's arrival, but they would be thrown into chaos. Before they could even recover, the Horde would destroy them.

"Charge to that city!" Doomhammer roared, raising his warhammer once more. "We will shatter it, pierce the heart of the enemy! Forward, Warrior, let us finish them off before our battle cries even echo in their ears!" Doomhammer down the hills and across the plains, his gaze fixed on the city.

Quel'Thalas

Nathanos followed behind ChristaSA. The Red Dragon recovered quickly, a speed that surprised Nathanos.

"Why don't you rest for a few more days?" the human asked. The Red Dragon chuckled softly and replied, "That way you can admire my body a little longer?"

Nathanos blushed, utterly humiliated by the other's playful expression. "That... that's not you. You weren't always like this." As soon as he finished speaking, the Red Dragon stopped in her tracks. Nathanos thought she was angry and was trying to figure out how to apologize for his rudeness.

"Yes, that's not me. My people are the same." ChristaSA's voice sounded very low. Nathanos understood what she was saying, and he understood how ChristaSA had spent the past few days. "I believe you."

"Really?" ChristaSA turned to look at him in surprise. The human nodded. "Although it's difficult to convince others that the Red Dragonflight aren't enemies, the truth will eventually come out, and your queen will be saved. I will help you too."

"Thank you." ChristaSA excitedly grabbed his hand. "That's enough. I never thought anyone would believe us. These past few days in the Alliance camp, I've heard people talking about us all the time. They say we're demons, monsters. The Red Dragonflight are the guardians of life, but we've caused immense harm to this Tranquility land. The guilt and pain have almost crushed me."

Nathanos grasped ChristaSA's other hand. "We all need someone who understands us. If there's someone willing to openly oppose everyone in the world to save it, then he understands sacrifice." The Red Dragon nodded, a tear welling in his eyes, and managed a weak smile. "I must go now, to find a way to rescue the Queen."

Have a safe journey and take care.

ChristaSA released Nathanos's hand, took a few steps back, cast a teleportation spell, and thanked Nathanos once again in the instant she disappeared.

After she left, Nathanos stood there for a few minutes, then shouted to those around him, "Show yourself!"

Alleria, who was hiding behind the tree, hesitated for a moment, then walked over, holding a bow and arrow ready to be fired.

"When did you find out?" Nathanos asked this question. It seems that the Female Elf had already discovered ChristaSA's true identity long ago.

"That night," Alleria replied, putting away her weapon, but the anger on her face did not subside. "I smelled the blood on your hands; there was no magic in it."

"I see," Nathanos understood. High Elf had enjoyed the endless magic of the Sunwell for generations; Arcane power was practically ingrained in their blood. ChristaSA wasn't a true High Elf, which was why Alleria had sensed something was wrong.

"Looks like I can make mistakes too," Nathanos said with a self-deprecating laugh. "So, what do you plan to do? You must have overheard my conversation with her. Are you going to kill me?"

"I remember you telling me in Southshore months ago that I couldn't do it." Alleria gave a bitter smile; she had witnessed Nathanos release the culprit who destroyed Eversong Forest. "You really believe in those flying demons?"

"They have their own difficulties," Nathanos explained, wondering whether to tell Alleria about the Queen of Dragons, but he felt it wasn't the right time. Alleria already carried too much burden; she couldn't afford to be distracted.

"I believe you too!" the Female Elf said, startling Nathanos. "But please don't tell Sylvanas." Alleria continued through gritted teeth, head bowed, tears streaming down her face. "Don't tell Sylvanas you knew a dragon and let her go. If she were standing before you today, she would have attacked." The Female Elf clenched her fists, seemingly using all her strength to control her emotions. Then she revealed the truth. "Our parents died in the flames of the Red Dragon, my brother is missing, only Vareesa is still alive!"

Nathanos's eyes widened. Had she just received this news? Or had she known all along? Summoning courage from who-knows-where, he reached out and embraced the Female Elf before him. He wanted to say something, but no words came out. If he were in Alleria's position, if his family had perished in this catastrophe, how would he feel? Nathanos's heart pounded. He didn't know how much resolve Alleria had taken to lay down her weapon. The Female Elf sobbed in his arms, her hands clutching her human clothes tightly, releasing her inner anguish.

Lordaeron

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! The Orcs are coming!"

Terenas was stunned. He looked up at Captain Morlev, who had rushed onto the throne in a panic. "What?" He hadn't heard a word Morlev said; he simply couldn't believe it. Terenas rose and waved for him to come forward. "Those Orcs? Nearby?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," he replied. Morlev was a seasoned veteran, Terenas had known since his youth. Now, however, he was pale and trembling. "They've crossed Alterac, and may very well be on the other side of the lake by now!"

Terenas immediately passed the captain of the guard and strode away from the throne. He quickly crossed the hall, ascended the spiral staircase, and came to the nearest balcony, which extended from his wife's studio. Queen Lianne was currently in the studio with her daughter Jaina, their servants standing nearby. Terenas and Morlev, who followed behind, rushed in and quickly passed by them. Terenas reached the balcony, then froze, standing motionless. Usually, he could see the magnificent lake and mountains in the distance. Now, these views were interspersed with a dark mass of people, relentlessly eroding the lakeshore like a black mudflow— the Horde had truly arrived.

"What's going on?" he asked Melef. The knight captain was now staring wide-eyed at the distant view. "They must have come from Alterac. Didn't Perenolde stop them?"

"They may have defeated him, Your Majesty," Morlev replied absentmindedly, then said with disgust. "But the paths through the Alterac Mountains are very narrow, and a small army could hold off the Horde, unless... unless they offer no resistance."

Terenas frowned and shook his head. Like Morlev, he had never trusted Perenolde. The man was selfish and cunning. But Hass, the general of Alterac, was a competent commander and a valiant Warrior with his own principles. He would certainly organize a strong resistance, and unless Perenolde ordered him to lay down his arms, he might still obey.

"Pass on my message to Alterac," Terenas commanded finally. "Also, let all my allies know our situation and let us see what they do." Terenas decided not to despairingly say they might not survive until reinforcements arrived. "Our first priority now is to gather the guards and sound the alarm. Summon everyone; time is of the essence." He glanced again at the distant lake, where the Horde's army was now surging towards them along the shore.

The carrier pigeons carried the message to all the Alliance leaders, and the last to receive it were the Alliance army far away in the Hinterlands. One of the pigeons flew directly to Stromgarde, and the message was delivered directly to King Sorath Thoradin of Stromgarde.

"What?!" Thoradin shouted as soon as he finished reading the secret letter, throwing his heavy wooden drinking cup at the ground. The cup shattered instantly upon impact.

"What's going on? Why did the Horde get through Alterac so easily?" Sorath was extremely dissatisfied with Perenolde, not only because Perenolde was vying with him for border territory, but also because he thought Perenolde was too cunning. Even if he was an egomaniac, a well-dressed idiot, he should still be capable of repelling the invading Orcs! Even if these Orcs armies were numerous and could cross the mountains by brute force, they would inevitably be severely damaged and their speed greatly slowed, giving Lordaeron enough time to warn them and prepare. Now the Orcs had appeared at the lake, Terenas had no choice but to defend the walls to the death.

Sorath rose and paced restlessly, clutching an inconspicuous note tightly in his hand. He wanted to help his friend, but he didn't know how. Terenas was a good strategist, his soldiers were the best Warrior in the land, and his walls were thick and sturdy. He was confident they could hold off the first wave of attack. But when all the Horde rushed down from the mountains and flooded into the Capital City, they would be in grave danger.

"Damn it!" He slammed his fist on the back of his chair. "Perenolde should have delayed them! He should at least have alerted us! How could he be so incompetent?" Suddenly, he stopped pacing, then a possibility occurred to him: Perenolde might not have offered any resistance at all. In Lordaeron, when Lothar, Terenas, and the other leaders met, only this guy and Genn refused to join the Alliance. Initially, Greymane rejected the offer because he was confident that Gilneas could crush any enemy attempting to invade them. But Perenolde was different! He was the first guy to want to negotiate.

"That bastard, did he really betray the Alliance?" He kicked his chair away. "He must have secretly negotiated with the Horde! If making a deal with the Orcs guarantees the safety of his territory, he'll gladly do it." Now everything was clear. He knew why the Orcs had been able to advance so easily, crossing the mountains without causing any disturbance, and why Terenas was completely unaware when the Horde attacked. Because Alterac had opened its gates and let them through.

"Traitor!" he roared, and Thoradin drew his longsword— Tokal— from the weapon rack beside his chair.

"Summon the army," he ordered the guards. "We are going to Alterac."

"But, Your Majesty," his captain of the guard replied, "We have already joined half of our Warrior into the Alliance army!"

Thoradin frowned. "Very well, we will leave none behind. Take all of us with us."

"Should we offer them assistance, Your Majesty?"

"Yes," he replied, then suddenly laughed. "In a sense."