Sorry it took so long to update. Life has been hectic. There are only a couple more chapters to this story. I'm no longer following the game timeline, since I wanted a definite ending, rather than go on and on following the game. Hope you enjoy and thanks to all who are reading, particularly the ones taking the time to review. It's appreciated.

Baine stood stoically just inside Orgrimmar's main gate, unable to see the Alliance army outside, but he could hear the group assemble. The sound of an approaching army of heavily armed and armored soldiers was unmistakable. This was going to end very badly.

Saurfang had told the tauren that Anduin had a plan and had asked for Baine's help. Baine's part in it had been simple enough, but he just couldn't see how any of it was going to make any difference.

Sylvanas was planning to use a new and improved plague on Stormwind's queen, in full view of the king and all of the Alliance army. Kia would be turned into an undead almost instantly, forcing her to remain permanently pregnant to an heir never to be born. What was left of the levelheaded young king would be ripped away. Anduin would recklessly throw the soldiers he had left at Orgrimmar and the Horde would win the day.

No. The Horde would not win.

The only winner in this plan would be Sylvanas. With the Wrynn line ended, she'd take Stormwind and make it into a new city of undead. Azeroth would become a world of undead, leaving nothing left of either the Alliance or the Horde. This war wasn't Horde vs. Alliance. It hadn't been for some time. This war was the living vs. the dead, and either way, the living races of the Horde would lose.

Sylvanas arrived with only two guards escorting the young queen. Kia looked scared, but relatively calm for a woman who had to know her fate. She had willingly walked into a situation where she knew she'd die.

Baine wished there was something he could do to save Kia and her unborn child. He'd never felt so helpless in all his life. He had asked Vera and Torian to stay close during the event. He'd try to come up with some strategy or diversion to get the queen out of Sylvana's hands, when this plan failed. And it would fail, no doubt about that. Baine had a couple of ideas, but none of them offered much of a chance, but it was the best he could do, considering what he knew of the plan.

The other leaders of the Horde were assembled with Baine. The contingent was fairly small to face a full army, or as much of an army Anduin could muster over only a few days of portal transport, but they had the archers along the main walls and they'd all escape back through the gate before the Alliance army could reach any of them.

Saurfang gave Baine a look somewhere between irritation and grief. The orc knew just as well as Baine how horribly this day would end, but as the gate began to open, all either of the leaders could do was march forward.

The army at their gates was impressive, for being massed mostly from soldiers who were portaled over from Stormwind. There might have been a few from more local outposts, but there weren't many of those left on Kalimdor. Particularly since the destruction of the Teldrassil had scattered the night elves, most of which were not represented in the army. It looked to be made up of mostly humans, with a few of the other races mixed in, since some of the soldiers were too small or too large to be human.

Anduin stood calmly at the front of the army, alongside Jaina Proudmoore and Genn Greymane in his wolfish form. It seemed odd that the Malfurion wasn't among the group, considering it was his daughter being held prisoner. Somehow, this thought gave Baine slightly more hope.

Sylvanas seemed to be smiling with sheer delight at the assembled army. The upper hand was hers and she knew it. Kia was led out to an open spot at the opposite side of the Horde leaders. Far enough away to prevent anyone but the queen from being exposed to the undead toxins. She was not shackled or chained in any way, since her size made running or fighting pretty much impossible. She had to be only days from her due date, judging by her movements.

"Welcome honored Stormwind guests." Sylvanas said, doing a mocking bow towards the king. "I'm glad you could be present for this momentous event. Not many get to have such a good view to the end of a war."

She pulled a small vial out of her belt, holding it gently. Though small, there was enough plague in the vial to completely cover the area where Kia stood. Baine had witnessed its use many times. Too many times.

"Return my queen and we'll show mercy." Anduin shouted. His voice was strong and confident, almost like he knew something his opposition didn't. His composure was impressive.

Sylvanas laughed, taking a few steps closer to her prisoner. "I plan to return her to you, though I doubt you'll want her back."

Baine expected Kia to go for the blade he had slipped to her when he had visited her cell, but the young woman didn't move at all. She placed her hands on her distended stomach, tilted her head down and closed her eyes, just as Sylvanas threw the vial at her feet.

The vial broke open and a cloud of green mist quickly spread over Kia, covering her completely. Baine looked to Anduin, but the king still seemed calm. He had expected some kind of emotion to show on the young man, but there was none. He just stood and watched. There was some distressed movement from the army, but they stood firm.

Sylvanas remained at a distance until the cloud began to dissipate, then she took several steps towards the queen. Kia was kneeling on the ground with her head down, her hood hiding her features.

"I think your queen might want to stay with her own kind." Sylvanas gloated.

"Nice try." Kia said, her voice sounding normal. She looked up at Sylvanas, who was only a meer step or two from her victim. Her hood fell back and the young woman hopped to her feet faster than someone in her condition should have been able to, sword in hand.

"The plague didn't work." Baine said quietly to himself in disbelief.

"My turn." Kia said, lashing out at the shocked Sylvanas, easily removing her head from her shoulders, then took out both guards which had rushed back in to retake their prisoner. She moved fast and sure, her ranger training showing clear as day, regardless of her pregnant body. When she was captured, she walked as if she was having a hard time moving. Obviously, some of her movement impairment from her size had been a ruse.

The queen stood tall until what looked like a wave of pain hit her, forcing her to drop her weapon and fall to her knees.

There was a flurry of movement as more undead soldiers rushed out from the gate, but Baine and Saurfang started to move in to block their advance. Suddenly, there was an enormous flash of light, blinding everyone standing around Orgrimmar's gates and a streak of lightning struck down, igniting the two pieces of the dead warchief.

Though he didn't see it, Baine's sensitive ears heard the scurrying of multiple hooves. As his eyes began to refocus, he could just make out the faint forms of two tauren escorting a smaller, slower form away and through what looked like a portal.

Once vision returned to all present, two things were distinctly obvious.

Sylvanas was truly dead, her body burning before them, and Kia Wrynn was gone.

To Be Continued...