"Lady Jaina, you can't go in!"
"The Prince has forbidden anyone..."
"Get out of my way!"
Bang!
Dick, who had been dreaming of home, was startled awake by the sudden commotion. He rubbed his eyes and looked toward the door in confusion. Hadn't Arthas confined him to his quarters? Why was it still so noisy here?
He recalled his dream with regret. He had been just about to give the woman who had dumped him twice a resounding slap, only to wake up at that very moment.
Looking at the dent in his pillow, Dick rubbed his chin. How about going back to sleep?
Bang!
There was another soft crash, and the door was pushed over.
Yes, pushed over. It fell straight toward the foot of Dick's bed, scattering ice shards across the floor when it landed. Only then did Dick notice that the surface of the rather flimsy wooden door had been frozen solid.
He sat dumbly on the bed, clutching his pillow, and turned to look at Jaina, who radiated murderous intent. Looking past her lovely figure, he saw the two guards, who had likewise been frozen into blocks of ice.
Apparently, the Young Lady hadn't intended to kill anyone. The two guards had merely passed out.
"Hey, what are you here for?"
Before Jaina could speak, Dick yawned and asked his question, then leisurely lifted the covers and got out of bed.
His waist still hurt a little, but it no longer impeded his movements.
"I... I want you to help me find Kel'Thuzad!"
It was clearly Jaina's first time doing something that violated her principles, so she stammered a little and even lowered her head halfway through. Dick's narrowed eyes brightened at this, but he quickly continued,
"Sure! But you have to bring Prince Arthas."
"Why?"
Jaina abruptly raised her head and stared at Dick as though she wanted to see right through him, inside and out.
Holding a cup of water, Dick actually looked somewhat bored. He waved his hand. "No reason. You have to bring him, or I won't take you to find Kel'Thuzad. That would be suicide!"
The reason he insisted on bringing Arthas was simple. Kel'Thuzad was now an actor serving the Lich King, the dark ruler of Icecrown Glacier on the mysterious northern continent of Northrend, which would be the world's center of darkness for the next dozen years or so. He had to awaken the darkness within Arthas. According to the script devised by the Lich King and the big shot behind him, he had to die at Arthas's hands.
And he couldn't simply die any old way. His death had to be masterful, had to leave Arthas with no choice but to go to Stratholme and set out on the dark path laid out for him long ago.
But Jaina was no ordinary person either. Her eyes shifted a couple of times, and then she nodded.
"You're right. Bringing Arthas will indeed make us safer. Wait here, then. I'll go tell him now."
Dick was as reserved as a noblewoman. Sitting in his chair with his legs crossed, he merely nodded lightly and said nothing more.
Five minutes later, Jaina appeared before Dick in a flash of blue light, holding an exquisite Lordaeron royal crest in her left hand and waving it before his eyes.
"I've arranged it with him. He's going to Hearthglen for reinforcements. We'll set out first and meet him in Andorhal."
Seeing her youthful, carefree manner, Dick couldn't help wanting to reach out and tap her nose, but he restrained himself. He rose and followed Jaina out of the barracks, his attention entirely focused on the quest he had completed. This quest was sneaky: it only counted as complete once either Arthas or Jaina fully believed what he had said.
But what would the reward be this time? An item or attributes? Dick was quite curious.
His curiosity was so intense that Dick failed to notice that the route Jaina was leading him along
was a secluded little path. When they reached its end, Jaina suddenly stopped, and Dick nearly crashed headfirst into the Young Lady. "Here, consider this your payment for working for me!"
The Young Lady turned around with a radiant smile and tossed Dick an exquisite little trinket. He caught it. This should be his reward for this quest.
"Violet Badge" "Green" "Strength +5, agility +5, stamina +10, arcane power +10" "Evaluation: This item's value lies in its potential. Made from composite magical materials, it can be upgraded almost indefinitely if you are fortunate enough to encounter a master enchanter. It was also Jaina's proof of identity when she first entered Dalaran, giving it tremendous collectible value."
"Tsk, tsk. The Young Lady certainly is generous!"
Dick happily hung the badge on his belt, then looked up and around. Only then did he realize that he and Jaina had already arrived outside Crusader's Hold. Across the rather murky waters of Lake Mirondal, Andorhal was visible at a glance through the mist.
Jaina stood by the road, curiously studying Dick, who was also standing by the roadside. Arthas had already told her about this common soldier's past that morning, but what truly intrigued her was this commoner's attitude toward her. He seemed completely unaware of the difference in their status.
Jaina even felt that he looked at her no differently than he looked at those guards.
"Hey, let's go, Lady Jaina. Didn't you say we were going to Andorhal? Follow me! I know a shortcut."
Perhaps it was because he was breathing the air of freedom, but Dick felt wonderful. He turned and called to the Young Lady, then ducked into the forest beside the road. Jaina hesitated briefly before lifting her skirts and darting in after him.
Dick walked through the place where the trolls had attacked him before. Looking at the dried blood on the ground, he whistled, as though remembering something, and his mood grew a little brighter.
He and Jaina were walking along the shores of Lake Darrowmere. Following the normal roads, they would have had to travel in the opposite direction for about half a day to reach Gahrron's Withering, then head southwest for another two hours before they could see the bridge leading to Andorhal.
But as a player, how could Dick possibly take such a long detour? Instead, he led Jaina to the other side of Andorhal. This side was closer to Crusader's Hold, but the terrain meant there were no proper roads. Still, it would save two-thirds of the time.
In fact, had he not been certain the Young Lady wouldn't swim with him, Dick would have planned to swim to Andorhal. That way, he could have seen Andorhal's walls in half an hour at most.
That was how players thought: never take the conventional route.
Yet when the two of them climbed a nameless little hill with some effort, Dick suddenly stopped. He gazed at the still-barren hill with deep nostalgia, seemingly wanting to say something, only to forcibly hold his tongue.
"What's wrong?"
Noticing Dick's behavior, Jaina asked curiously. He shook his head and gave her a broad smile.
"If I said a truly important person would be buried here someday, would you believe me?"
At his words, Jaina turned to survey the hill, then shook her head.
"Truly important people are all buried in Homeland Cemetery. Who would choose to have their corpse exposed in the wilderness? You must be..."
Thud!
Before Jaina could finish, she saw Dick lunge toward her and pin her beneath him. When had the Young Lady, who was born a princess, ever experienced anything like this? She instinctively tried to scream, but Dick covered her mouth.
"Don't move. There's someone over there!"
Because they were so close, Dick's warm breath brushed Jaina's earlobe as he spoke, instantly making her whole body go weak. She didn't even hear what he said. Only on Dick's third attempt to rouse her did the rosy-cheeked Young Lady come to her senses.
Lowering her voice, she asked through gritted teeth,
"Who? Where?"
"If I'm not mistaken, they should be mages from the Cult of the Damned! They're... they're robbing Andorhal's graveyard! Damn it! I forgot there was a graveyard here!"
Dick rolled over and released Jaina. Lying in the grass, the two could make out the shadowy figures of a group in black robes, standing with their staffs as they busied themselves in the graveyard. Beside them were numerous opened coffins. The scene was indescribably creepy.
Dick was just about to crawl forward to scout out the enemy when Jaina's face suddenly turned ashen. She stood up, grabbed Dick, and ran back the way they had come.
"Run! We've been spotted! Just now... a powerful wave of mental energy swept over us. It's Kel'Thuzad!"
Five minutes earlier.
At the very center of Andorhal Cemetery, a gloomy-faced Kel'Thuzad stood listening to the leader of the fallen mages beside him report on Andorhal's current situation.
"My lord, our people have taken complete control of the four large farms and thirteen small farms near Andorhal. Only Hearthglen remains. The paladins there are very wary of outsiders, and our people can't infiltrate it!"
Kel'Thuzad waved his hand.
"No matter. These places will be enough. How much longer until 'it' breaks out?"
The tall, gaunt mage bowed and answered,
"Gahrron's Withering was where we placed the first Plague Cauldron. It has been burning for a full month. Together with the plague clouds from the other cauldrons, it has already formed a dense fog around Andorhal. According to our research, in three days at most, all of Andorhal will become a realm of the undead!"
"Excellent! What about ghoul and abomination production?"
Kel'Thuzad looked at the freshly unearthed coffins. Amid the black-robed mages' chanting, visible streams of black energy merged into the decaying bodies, slowly twisting and restoring their hideous flesh. In just two more days, a fresh ghoul would emerge.
"At present, we have one thousand ghouls hidden in the various graveyards. Once the plague breaks out, that number can increase to seven thousand within two days. Abominations, however, require large quantities of fresh flesh to create, so there are only ten in West Darrowmere. But Zul'Mashar has already prepared many-one hundred and fifty in all. Enough to launch a war!"
Kel'Thuzad flicked his fingers in satisfaction. Two streaks of purplish-black energy shot from his fingertips into the bodies of the two cursed mages before him. They knelt devoutly on the ground, facing north and praising the Lich King's name in unison. Clearly, this was a special blessing ritual.
"Araj, you will command the Andorhal Undead Army. Until the master's mightiest left hand appears, you must hold off the human army and those loathsome paladins. Hold Andorhal. As a boon, before my ascension, I will grant you a new body and power!"
The short, stout black-robed mage knelt respectfully on the ground and shouted excitedly.
"As you command, my lord!"
"Foster, your task is more demanding. I need you to infiltrate Barov Family Castle. Those foolish mortals have already bowed before our great master's power, but that is not enough. You will enter as my representative. When the time is right, I need you to kill everyone there and turn the place into a bridgehead for the Scourge Forces!"
"As you command, my lord!"
The gaunt black-robed mage merely bowed slightly, but judging by the hand Kel'Thuzad rested on his shoulder, the fallen archmage clearly valued this gaunt mage more. Kel'Thuzad spoke leisurely,
"My ascension is imminent, so I may not live to see your task completed. But that is of no consequence. Your ascension will be carried out personally by the master's left hand!"
"It is my honor, my lord!"
Kel'Thuzad looked at the gaunt mage in satisfaction. He was about to say something when his expression suddenly shifted. He lightly tapped his staff against the ground, and the next moment, the fallen archmage vanished from the sinister graveyard.
He stepped out of the portal with a cold expression. Looking at the young mage sheltered behind some human of no consequence, an indescribable smile actually appeared on his impassive face.
"Long time no see, Jaina, my brilliant little junior!"