"Are you asking me to return to Silvermoon?" Sylvanas asked after regaining consciousness, and quickly brought up to date by her sister.
"No, quite the opposite," Anasterian laughed. "The Legion ARE coming, and the Sunwell will undoubtedly be one of their targets to be destroyed or corrupted."
"The other being Nordrassil?" Jaina asked.
"Indeed," Anasterian nodded. "Millenia ago the Legion almost brought Sargeras to Azeroth through the Well of Eternity; from its waters the Sunwell was born..."
"So the Legion could use the Sunwell to summon Sargeras?" Vereesa asked. "But if the Sunwell is not at full strength..."
"It is useless to them," Anasterian finished the young Windrunners train of thought. "So rather than asking you to return home, I ask that you stay as far away as you can, consider it a royal decree."
"Of course, my liege," Sylvanas smiled, before Anasterian shared the smile.
"If we survive the war I will see you are welcomed home as a hero, not a pariah" Anasterian said proudly. "But for now I must return to Silvermoon, our army is ready to defend our lands."
"What about Azeroth? I thought we learnt our lesson about only protecting our interests," Alleria exclaimed.
"Our people will not be caught off guard again, our army is ready for the Legion's minions this time!" Anasterian said proudly. "And this time, there are no forest Trolls in Zul Aman to help them!"
"Speaking of the Legion... Shouldn't we get to the Dark Portal?" Vereesa aid uncertainly.
"Good point!" Arthas suddenly remembered. "Jaina?"
"I've never been to the Blasted Lands... Nearest I've been is Deadwind Pass, and I'd rather not go there again." Jaina admitted.
"Get us to Stormwind, we can ride Gryphons from there!" Muradin exclaimed, "Let's leave them to discuss their matters lads, we're going to need our minds focused on what's comin'."
Most of the heroes hurried out the room, leaving the still motionless Uther, the Aspects and the Windrunners.
"Will the Silver Hand be joining us on the front line?" Sylvanas asked.
"We will lead the armies of Lordaeron into combat, as we did in the last war." Saidan said proudly.
"Vereesa, teleport back to Ulduar, get the army here however you can!" Sylvanas commanded. "Those soldiers are expendable, the armies of the Alliance are not as expendable."
"Of course!" Vereesa almost saluted her sister, before teleporting away.
"Come on, the Legion will not wait for us to greet them at the Portal!" Alleria said urgently, before hurrying to find Jaina and the others.
Sylvanas looked back at Uther, seeing that some silvery colour had returned to his hair, and his face was not as gaunt, but there were no signs of life.
"Did it work?"
"He will need time to recover his strength," Alexstrasza said softly. "Go, do what you can to stop the Legion, I will ensure Uther knows what is happening when he wakes."
Sylvanas moved closer to Uther, placing the Ashbringer crystal beside his head, before leaning over to kiss him gently on the forehead.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
As Muradin suggested, the heroes were teleported to Stormwind; before they flew at speed to Nethergarde Keep. Storm clouds were circling to the south-west, portending the danger looming before them; and they quickly ran down the beaten path towards the Dark Portal. As the storm clouds circled, and lightning struck the ground, they reached the edge of the crater, gathering their breath as they took in the scene before them. A robed figure had carved runes into the rocky ground, and was just finishing a second ring of runes when Alleria yelled at the figure.
"Stop what you are doing or I will shoot you!"
She nocked an arrow in her bow, and aimed it at the figure's head.
"Why are you doing this Illidan?" Sylvanas yelled.
The name made the figure stop momentarily, finishing the circle with a flurry of hand movements; before they stood up and turned to face the heroes.
"Illidan?" The deep voice laughed, and Arthas immediately unsheathed his mace. "Why would you assume that traitor to his own kind would be trusted with heralding the Legion's arrival?"
"You!" Arthas snarled, leaping down into the crater.
"Yes, young prince," the Dreadlord laughed, its voice somehow carrying over the raging storm clouds overhead. "I'm back, to finish what you should have started."
"You will not summon the Legion, demon!" Alleria said through gritted teeth, as she and the others joined Arthas in the crater.
"You are too late," Mal'Ganis stated, turning to face them with his wings unfurling. "The Legion comes, and your armies will not stop them from burning this world!"
"If we stop you, we stop the Legion!" Arthas stated, stepping forward.
"Stop me?" Mal'Ganis laughed, summoning a translucent barrier around him, before unclasping Gul'dan's skull from its waist. "You've already failed!"
The Dreadlord turned and pointed the skull towards the empty Portal, igniting the various runes carved around his feet. He muttered a few demonic words as Arthas repeatedly slammed his mace against Mal'Ganis' shield, before a green bolt of energy shot from the skull into the Portal.
"Fall back!" Muradin yelled, and most of the heroes followed, retreating out of the crater, leaving Sylvanas and Arthas standing behind Mal'Ganis.
"The Legion comes! Your world will be undone! And no power you control can match the fury of Sar... Argh!"
Mal'Ganis was cut off by a beam of golden energy piercing his shield and vaporising him where he stood. As the skull floated in mid-air, pouring fel energy into the expanding portal, Sylvanas and Arthas turned to see who had felled the Dreadlord. Standing on the lip of the crater, flanked by their fellow heroes, stood a familiar figure, dressed in a gleaming set of golden armour, wielding an all-to familiar mace.
"Looks like you made it just in time," Arthas chuckled, as he and Sylvanas hurried to stand at Uther's side. "And you've got your old weapon back, but new armour?"
"I was brought back to bring righteous judgement down on the Legion, it wouldn't be right for me to be without this ol' thing," Uther said from behind a golden, hexagonal-faced mask, as he looked at his glowing mace. "Once the Portal opens, we must reclaim the skull if we are to have any chance of closing it!"
"Can't we just grab the skull now and close it!" Gromm exclaimed, stepping forward before Thrall stopped him.
"The demon's shield is still protecting it," Thrall noted, and Jaina was quick to add.
"And I don't know the incantations to close the portal!"
"Who does?" Thrall quickly asked, as the portal almost filled the stone archway.
"Khadgar and Medivh are the only people who have ever closed or opened that thing!" Alleria said, as the storm overhead grew louder.
"Unfortunately Khadgar is somewhere on the other side, and Medivh is who knows where!" Sylvanas said irritated. "Our only option is to hold the Legion back until either Magi reveals himself."
"What of the traitors the Lich spoke of?" Falstad remembered.
"They'll show their colours eventually, but this is our priority!" Uther stated, bracing himself as the portal finished filling the archway.
There was a loud crack, before silence ensued, the storm overhead quickly dissipating. The Alliance heroes waited on the edge of the crater, weapons at the ready, prepared for the army that would surge through. A lone Orc stepped through the Portal, its skin blood red, and even through its helmet, they could see its eyes glowing with a similar shade of scarlet.
"A lone Orc? Against the heroes of the Alliance?" Muradin chuckled, lowering his weapons.
Suddenly a gigantic, two-fingered hand reached through the Portal, grabbed the Orc, and dragged it back through.
"You just had to say it!" Arthas chastised the Dwarf, before the fist emerged again.
It was black as cast iron, but veins of neon green gleamed on its skin. As the others stood on guard, watching the large arm trying to pull the rest of its body through the small archway, Alleria breathed two words that no one quite understood.
"Oh Gruul..."
-AN-
I apologise for the sporadic postings for this fanfic, but things in my life are becoming increasingly complicated. As such this is the last chapter I will be posting for a while, because it's the last chapter I have in a complete and satisfactory state.
I hope the delay will not be too long, but I cannot make any promises as of this moment.
NilioJ13