The Needle of Clay, During the Scourge Attack
Terran Advisor and translator, Nash'ala
"There's too many of the… Argh!" Even as the panicked cry of one of the Blood Elves manning the Needle's wall was cut off, blood spurting from the gaping wound in his chest caused by the gargoyle trying to force it's way into the tower, Nash'ala did her best to ignore her own fear in her chest.
"Depulso!" Not all of Harry's spells worked when Nash'ala tried them in Najza, but those that did were more powerful than they were when she tried them in common, which was shown when the gargoyle was sent flailing back out into the storm of undead flyers.
"Nash'ala, we're ready!" Coira's call, from where she was pulling one of her daggers from the body of a fallen Blood Elf a Necromancer had just tried to reanimate, made Nash'ala look back to the two siege weapons mounted at the front of the Needle.
The first, a large ballista type weapon, had already been used to attack the Scourge rushing into Harry's trap, the shrunken boulder expanding with a simple 'finite' to the size of a wagon. But it was the second weapon, a bolt throwing machine that held twenty of the bolts she and Harry had spent several hours creating, that now had a clear path for firing out of the tower.
Sweeping her staff in front of her, Nash'ala coiled her tail under her for a moment before shooting in the direction of the bolt thrower, Coira aiming the weapon up as her staff touched the Runes on the 'trigger' on top of the weapon.
Twenty bolts shot outwards of the bolt thrower, but as each one passed through the enchanted battlements at the edge of the tower, each of those bolts was enlarged to the size of a spear as the shrinking charms were removed, and duplications of these spears appeared above, below, left and right of the original score. This cross of destruction cleared a bloody path through the flyers in front of the Needle in an instant, before scything down into the ranks of the Spider creatures and Necromancers, who had obviously thought themselves beyond the reach of any Elven archers.
"That got their attention! Reload as fast as you can!" Coira wasn't wrong, even as Nash'ala swung the ballista around to fire off another Boulder.
Though there was almost a pause in the Scourge attack for several moments, probably due to the death of some Necromancers commanding the undead flying beasts attacking with the Gargoyles, there were suddenly A LOT more creatures flying their way.
Then there was a violent shudder, which knocked every single person in the tower off their feet other than Nash'ala, though even she struggled to maintain her 'footing'. It was as she saw a wave of earth shoot out of the Dead Scar, which dwarfed her even stood upon the top of the Needle, that she realised what had just happened.
There was no time to think about the awe inspiring attack however, Nash'ala sweeping round to assess the situation in the Needle with a glance, her staff already glowing with magic as she saw more Gargoyles trying to burst into the Needle. The first bolt of magic wasn't a spell Harry had taught her, instead one of the Naga spells that she had learnt before being bound, the bolt of ice slamming into a gargoyle's face and almost splitting it in two.
Two banishing spells dealt with the immediate threat of the gargoyles, though even as the Blood Elf defenders forced themselves to their feet, Nash'ala knew they would be disoriented for several key seconds. As the only one who was capable of doing something in that key frame of time, Nash'ala decided to take a fin from Harry's head, and go large…
Even as she started to chant, words in Najza coming back to her with startling ease, she felt the wind pick up around her. It took a few moments, as she wrested control of the wind from it's natural intent to wrap around her protectively, and instead extending the power outwards to beyond the tower.
"Nash'ala… It's working! And with what Harry did…" Even Coira seemed lost for words, which was something that Nash'ala had thought impossible, though the Farstrider was aware enough to move to intercept one of the few remaining Gargoyles in the tower.
It was exhilarating, even as she felt the wind slam into the flurries of gargoyles outside the tower, and she had to resist the urge to pump more magic into the spell than she needed to. The last thing she wanted to do was do a Harry and collapse after completing the spell, she didn't think she would have quite his seeming inability to die going for her.
It was exhausting her Magical reserves already, but the localised storm had served it's purpose and given the defenders a chance to regroup after being knocked off their feet, the two Novice Farstriders Coira had requisitioned reloading the siege weapons as quickly as they could. 10 seconds later and Nash'ala had to cease her spell, her breathing ragged and her vision a little blurry as the wind started to die down.
"They're retreating!" The cry from one of the Blood Elves was reinforced by the lack of Gargoyles sweeping in, to mutilate the foolish woman for looking out over the wall so obviously.
And though Nash'ala wanted to do nothing more than rest, she moved towards the bolt thrower. They should be able to get at least two shots off before the Scourge got out of range, then she could close her eyes for a few minutes...
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Outskirts of Silvermoon City, Three Days after Scourge Assault
Banshee General, Sylvanas Windrunner
"Pull lads! This Gate isn't going to get itself into position on it's own! One, two, heave!" The boisterous shouting of the Blood Elf foreman, leading the efforts to lift the second of the enormous gates into place, fit the chaos going on around Sylvanas remarkably well.
It was part of the Blood Elves attempt to 'finish' intimidating 'Death Gate' Lord Potter had created, though given it currently lead to a rather deep lake there would need to be some extra magic required, for it to function suitably as a gateway into the City. But given the defeat of the Scourge assault, as well as the revitalisation of Northern Quel'thalas by Anveena, the Blood Elves were too busy to worry about that for now.
Every free Blood Elf man and woman, and some of the older children if Sylvanas were to guess, were working to deal with the aftermath of the Scourge invasion from three days ago. Hundreds of them were still salvaging weapons, armour and other valuables from the slain undead, whilst the stronger souls amongst the Blood elf workforce helped to pull and load the corpse carts, which had been left behind by the attacking Scourge forces when they had fled the field of battle.
"Lady Sylvanas." Sylvanas had been aware of Lor'themar approaching, even without Shia alerting her with subtle hand signals.
The increased activity and calls of the Blood Elves, behind the newly created hill of corrupted Earth she was sat at the base of, was more than a little bit of a give away.
"Lord Regent, I assume from your arrival the retaking of the River crossings is progressing well." Whilst she had originally travelled here to assess the Blood Elves situation, in a formal capacity rather than what the Horde agents within the city had already been providing, Sylvanas knew that the original plan of a week spent 'investigating' would have to be delayed to another time.
"Well enough, most of the Scourge elite forces made it back over the river. But, given the number of corpses my people are working their way through, I think enough damage has been done for the moment. We currently are counting roughly 40,000 'dead', and that's not including the massive number that Lord Potter's ritual crushed, or the impact Dar'Khan's death will have on local Scourge forces. Once my people have reclaimed anything that is usable, the fires we set will burn for days…"
It was certainly the largest single engagement against the Scourge, since Sylvanas and the Forsaken had broken free of the Liche King's hold. And, given the Blood Elf death toll was barely into the hundreds, it was probably the least costly battle recorded against the undead since before the destruction of Lordaeron.
"We were lucky that Lord Potter accepted your offer to visit then. From the rumours my Rangers are already feeding back to me, you would have likely been overrun from the assault otherwise…" That was putting it mildly, and Sylvanas and her Dark Rangers weren't the only ones to realise this.
There was a small but rapidly growing number of Blood Elves petitioning for Lord Potter to gain 'Honoured Ally' status, if what Anya and the others were saying was true. It wasn't something that Sylvanas had been offered, as many Blood Elves still considered her one of their own after all. But even with the knowledge of her own special status, Sylvanas knew she was still a little jealous of the whispered awe the Terran seemed to generate amongst his people wherever he went.
"That is true enough, and the Dwarven engineers his ally Storri arranged for are an unexpected boon as well, though judging by Lord Potter's reaction that is more a political move by the Alliance than an explicit favour of his. The fact that Lord Potter is a known ally of the Night Elves, even if we know he intends to keep his people from joining either side, does complicate matters however." Realising that this conversation was more serious than she had originally anticipated, Sylvanas gracefully rolled herself to feet in a single motion, turning to face the battle scarred Blood Elf Regent.
He had a point, whilst Sylvanas had supplied occasional forces to protect Blood Elf caravans, none of the Horde had ever provided direct assistance to those in Silvermoon itself. Well that wasn't completely true, but every shipment of grain and other supplies had come with a cost, even if it had been at a substantial discount. The fact that the Bronzebeard Dwarves had donated a ship's worth of good quality stone, along with the prestigious construction knowledge of their Engineers,was counting for a lot to the Blood Elf masses.
"Do I need to inform Warchief Doomhammer that you are planning on switching your allegiances to the Alliance Lord Regent? Surely you realise that this single shipment is just an attempt to endear the Dwarves to you, and then once you have taken their offer they will expect far more in repayment…" Lor'themar didn't seem to be seriously concerned with her change in tone, merely shifting the cloak over his right shoulder with his left hand, a small wince the only visible discomfort he showed before looking back at her with a polite smile.
Though given the man had just lost his right arm to Dar'Khan, during their admittedly desperate attack on Quel'danar, Sylvanas supposed she didn't seem that intimidating in comparison. If the traitorous High Elf hadn't been so over confident, merely defending himself and rebuffing them with swarms of fallen High Elves and 'small' spells, he could have wiped them out in minutes.
"Of course we do Lady Windrunner, in fact the letter from King Magni explicitly stated that the donated goods are a one off, merely to re-establish diplomatic communications between our races once more. That is the good thing about Dwarves, especially the Bronzebeards, they rarely try to deceive those that they speak to into thinking they are getting a better deal than they actually are…" It was a diplomatic slight that Lor'themar wouldn't have dared uttering a few months ago, though Sylvanas knew he had a good point, even if she was annoyed that he hadn't mentioned the letter until now.
"Though, King Magni does state that he doesn't expect this, or the trade deal he has offered to begin negotiating with us, to impact our diplomatic ties with 'other groups of our kin and their allies'." Sylvanas couldn't control the eyebrow that shot up in response to this little piece of information, as it was the complete opposite of the move she would have made, if she had been in the Dwarven King's position.
"I thought that might intrigue you Lady Windrunner. It certainly confused a good number of my Council when we discussed the matter yesterday, as we do not see what benefit the Dwarves get out of trading with us, if we become members of the Horde. So, despite your assumption that I would cast aside years of politicking and hard work for some engineers, this doesn't directly affect our discussions regarding the future path of my people." It didn't directly, that much was true, though Sylvanas knew that it did have a large impact unintentionally.
The Horde had been financing a lot of the loans that the Blood Elves had been using to keep their people fed and watered, both because they were cheaper than the goblins, but also because such loans helped the Horde's negotiating position. Whilst she hadn't been in contact with Warchief Thrall or the other leaders since she had arrived, the amount of resources that the Blood Elves were reclaiming would substantially reduce their reliance on such loans.
Between that, and the improved city defences that had been provided by Lord Potter, the Blood Elves actually had something of a power base once more. And all of this had happened with no direct positive input from a member of the Horde, other than her own involvement in dealing with the traitor. There was a delicate balance that now needed to be struck, between getting the best deal for the Horde and the Forsaken, whilst also keeping the Blood Elves sweet enough to avoid them preferring to stay neutral or worse.
"Which I am sure that we will discuss at great length in the coming weeks Lord Regent, though given Lord Potter's elevation in status amongst our kin, I wouldn't be surprised if they desired his input as well. In fact, I am surprised not to see him assisting with matters out here, though given his injuries I suppose it is for the best." The damage cost of whatever spell Lord Potter had cast, to clear the Dead Scar from the city limits but also to construct the Death Gate, had been substantial.
Even the healing powers of his Night Elf companion, and several other priests once the undead had been routed, hadn't been capable of healing all of the damage he sustained straight away. So instead, Lord Potter had been confined to the house that had unofficially become the Terran Embassy for the last two days, something that Sylvanas imagined would highly irritate the young man.
"He is currently talking with Lord Kalec, and from what the Royal Guardians stationed nearby tell me, he has been since before daybreak this morning. I am honestly not entirely sure which of them is more interested in the other. Lord Potter has stated that he will meet with us both after dinner, which I suspect is because he understands you do not enjoy dinner parties the way we used to Lady Windrunner, in the hopes that we can determine where we go from here."
It was unexpected, but also a good show of the man's character, and it was something that senior members of the Horde DID forget on occasion. Sylvanas also suspected the move wasn't entirely Harry's decision, those mirrors he and his Naga friend wore seemed to be communication devices, and they probably weren't the only two the Terrans had.
The move to discuss what to do next was something Lord Potter would probably not have offered, from what she had gleaned from his character during their short interactions, he was too straightforward for that. Whilst many viewed her as scheming and deceitful, Sylvanas only tended to rely on those qualities when she needed to, or at least she thought she did.
To have a new player on the board, one that seemed not only idealistic in beliefs but straightforward in his actions and words, was something she approved of. The fact he was already reducing tensions between some of the races on different 'sides', which he probably didn't realise he was doing, presented an opportunity.
Sylvanas had never voiced this out loud, as it was something that would be seen as 'weak' or 'cowardly' even by some of her own advisors, but she honestly thought the people of Azeroth had bigger things to worry about than the Horde/Alliance 'cold war' as Harry had termed it. This belief was somewhat based on her own desire for vengeance, against Arthas and his bastard master, but it was reinforced by the news the Terrans had brought of the Legion invasion.
"That is thoughtful of him, thank you for passing the invitation on Lord Regent. I do need to see him before then though. He leant enchanted arrows to Ranger Anya, for the trap they played in the Dead Scar, and I do not wish to miss the chance to return the one she didn't use to him as soon as possible." The fact that Anya had wanted to take the weapon back to the Undercity, and had been surprised when Sylvanas took it from her, had been one of the things that had opened Sylvanas' eyes to how far she had fallen.
No, not fallen, willingly delved whilst blinded by her desire for revenge and self hatred for her curse. The fact that Lor'themar had been unable to hide his obvious surprise, at her desire NOT to be a common thief, was merely another stone cast at her wounded pride.
It was another reason Sylvanas wished to get into Harry's good graces, as well prompt him to continue along his path to helping defeat the Scourge and the Burning Legion. No one would believe her if she tried anything to unite the Alliance and the Horde, even temporarily, some of her actions had been more than a little distasteful now that she looked back at things.
"Very well My Lady, please pass on my regards to Lord Potter when you see him." Sylvanas inclined her head and promised she would, but as she stalked away, her mind was already balancing up the pros and cons of her next moves.
The Forsaken wouldn't approve, at least not at first, many of them were far too focussed on revenge or wallowing in self deprecating guilt. But once she showed them a way, in which they could have their revenge against Arthas and his ilk without turning into something as bad as the Scourge themselves, hopefully they would understand her choices and side with her once more.
If not, then Sylvanas would have some difficult decisions about where her own loyalties actually lay. Though, perhaps there was a way to earn some more trust from Lord Potter and the other leaders of the Horde at the same time, whilst testing the 'loyalty' of her right hand at the same time...
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'The Potter House', an hour later
Farstrider, Coira Lightblade
"What do you mean I can't see him?" Lady Liadrin clearly hadn't learned from her original embarrassment in front of the Council, having been stood outside the house in the Court of the Sun that Harry was using at his base, her loud protesting to the two Guardians outside the house distracting to those inside.
"Lord Potter is resting, and working on research for his own people Lady Liadrin, and so those who he has listed to come visit him is restricted. Given that you have no knowledge or skills that will assist in either of those endeavours, you are not on that list." So, rather than let Nash'ala or Harry deal with it, she and Kelanas had taken it upon themselves to act in their place
Harry having spent most of the last two days talking with the Blue Dragon Kalec, when he probably should have been resting, and contacting Lady Bones via his wrist mirror system. What he discussed wasn't covered in much detail, as she still knew very little of the Terran's own language, but Coira knew from the message she had relayed to the Lord Regent that something big had happened that required immediate discussion.
"... I see, and I don't suppose there is anyway I could impress the importance of destroying the remaining Ziggurat with his Death Magic would have on our people's morale?" Coira expected Lady Liadrin to lose her temper again, or at least be offended at the summary dismissal, so the loud sigh and the visible deflation of the haughty Blood Elf's posture was a nice alternative.
"I assume the fact you are using the correct name for his art is a sign you have understood where you were previously mistaken? I am surprised that Regent Lor'themar sent you to make this request, given your first meeting with Lord Potter I would have thought it would be more tactful for another member of the Council to broach the issue." Lady Liadrin flushed slightly, no doubt at the reminder of her attempt to kill Harry, but also probably for the fact that the Lord Regent had in fact authorised no such thing at all.
If he had wanted to ask Harry of such a boon, Lor'themar would have done it in person, and definitely wouldn't have risked Harry's ire by sending one of the Blood Elves Harry disliked to ask in his stead. But, just because Coira knew these things didn't mean she would make it obvious, it was a chance to assess Lady Liadrin's intent if nothing else.
"The Lord Regent… The Lord Regent isn't aware of this request, because I do not believe that our people have anything left to offer Lord Potter or his people in our present situation that we do not already owe. I was going to make the request as Commander of the Blood Knights instead, and ask Lord Potter to name his price for his assistance."
Coira liked to think she had fairly good control over her emotions, but one of Harry's greatest detractors amongst the Blood Elves coming to him metaphorically on her hands and knees was enough to break the facade for a few moments, as she gave a fairly obvious look of surprise. Lady Liadrin grimaced as Coira got her emotions back under control, obviously she didn't like the weakness her current position heaped upon her in the slightest, though the fact she have revealed it at all made it clear how serious she was being.
"That is quite the offer, but if you are of the opinion that the people of Silvermoon cannot offer anything more in return for Lord Potter's work, why would your organisation be able to instead?" Kelanas clearly wanted to ask more, the Night Elf perceptive enough to ask the question most would have skipped over, but she cut herself off as Lady Sylvanas appeared using the portkey Lord Potter had provided her with.
Coira and Kelanas had also been provided with Portkeys, though their Portkeys actually took them inside the residence, rather than the front door. Storri had also been given one, but given he hadn't returned yet, the Dwarf was probably too busy getting drunk in a tavern somewhere. It saved them walking through the city if they wanted to use the time more effectively, though given it only came to the one location its usefulness was limited.
"Ranger General." Though she no longer officially held the title, Coira had served under Sylvanas even before the fall of Quel'thalas, and respect was the least she could offer to her former commander.
It took a moment, Coira knew from experience that Harry's portkey magic was debilitating to even the most prepared of them, but Sylvanas shook off the disorientation to peruse her with a small smile. It was the first time they had officially met since before the fall of Quel'thalas, though Coira couldn't really call the three prior meetings to that meetings, as she had merely been one of the many Farstriders that Sylvanas perused during her occasional tours of the Farstrider defences.
"Apologies Farstrider, I know your face, but death does not help with recalling of the details of my former life. You served in the Recon detachment correct? You certainly do not have the demeanour of a Royal Guardsman, and the stories about Lord Potter make no mention of a Blood Elf, so you are no front line fighter…" The fact that Lady Sylvanas remembered her at all was enough for Coira, the woman's ability to make educated guesses and decide tactics based on very little information something that had made her such an impressive Commander and leader.
"I did General, Farstrider Coira Lightblade. I was under Ranger Captain Shadowbreeze during the Fall." Despite the comments about the leader of the Forsaken being an emotionless husk of her former self, Coira found the small bittersweet smile that crossed Sylvanas' face to be more than enough expression for the rather stoic General.
"I remember your regiment, you performed very well during the Second War against the Orcs from what I remember. Still, I will not impede on Lady Liadrin's time any further, I have something of Lord Potter's that he gave to one of my Rangers. I would like to return it and speak with him if I may?" Coira was unsure how to answer that, as lady Slyvanas wasn't on the list of people Harry had said should be permitted entry, though given that list was pretty much the four of them and the Lord Regent that didn't actually mean very much.
The sound of the door opening behind them saved her from trying to come up with a diplomatic answer. Harry's voice making her smile slightly without realising it, even as she turned to face him.
"Lady Sylvanas, I felt your arrival. Kalec and I are pretty much done for the moment, the only thing I can do now is practice." Harry looked more at ease than he had done in weeks, despite the fact he was still recovering, moving out of the house with the aforementioned Kalec behind him.
Coira still struggled to comprehend the fact that the tall man in plate armour was in fact a Blue Dragon in disguise, but Kalec didn't seem to care about his almost mythical status, something that seemed to endear him to Harry more than anything else.
"Practice Lord Potter? Given the levels of magic that you have unleashed so far…" Lady Liadrin trailed off as everyone turned in her direction at the comment, Kalec's chuckle saving the woman from any further embarrassment.
"Lord Potter's magic is certainly unique, though from what he tells me many of his fellow Terrans are capable of similarly unique magical spells and rituals. It is one of the reasons I requested Tyri to return to Lord Malecagos, rather than follow her own plans for the moment. Such potential for new magics and lore cannot be pushed to one side, and I imagine my Lord will take a personal interest in such travellers. Still, it is clear that they have much they can learn from us as well, when they finally manage to escape from the Legion and arrive in Azeroth." There was stunned silence for several moments, everyone seemingly struggling to comprehend what Kalec had just said.
"Which is what Kalec has been assisting me with, I believe with the Blue Dragonflight's knowledge and assistance I should be able to create a Portal for my people to travel through. It will take some time for my people to build the necessary Gateways, but it should be no longer than a few weeks." Harry obviously didn't see the potential appearance of a Dragonflight Aspect appearing on Azeroth to speak to him as a big thing, so decided to instead carry on dropping knowledge that was the equivalent of earth shaking.
"How can the Blood Elves assist you Lord Potter?" It was a sign that Lady Liadrin was not only changing her opinion of the one she formerly viewed as a Necromancer, but also knew exactly where the political winds were blowing in Silvermoon right now, as such an offer meant that she could maneuver herself and the Blood Knights into a more favourable light.
"I need to speak with Lord Theron about the specifics, though if you wish I can ask for you to attend as well Lady Liadrin. It was part of the reason I asked to meet with you this evening Lady Sylvanas, as I was going to request that we portal back to Terra's Point before returning here to head to your home."
Coira barely held back the smile that threatened her lips as Harry neatly dodged Lady Liadrin's attempt to secure the Blood Knights as the initial source of aid, whilst allowing her a potential advantage if she wished to try and ingratiate herself to both himself and the Lord Regent. Whether he realised that was what he had done was another question, but Lady Liadrin didn't seem overly upset her ploy had failed.
"Of course Lord Potter, I will go and speak with the Lord Regent now, though I will leave out any specifics other than you might have help to request from us. After all you have done for Silvermoon City, it is the least we can offer you." It seemed that Lady Liadrin was prepared to leave her own request for help on the wayside for now, though Coira made a mental note to speak to Harry about it when the opportunity arose.
"Thank you Lady Liadrin, Lord Kalec. I look forward to discussing more with both of you in future. Lady Sylvanas, why don't we discuss things further inside?" Lady Liadrin looked a little put out at the blunt dismissal, but that was very much how Harry was, Kalec merely grasping Harry's offered hand in a firm shake.
"Of course Lord Potter, when I am sure that Anveena will be safe I will travel to see you personally, if Lord Malecagos doesn't intervene directly before then and request my presence directly." With the Blue Dragon not taking offence, Lady Liadrin similarly took her dismissal with an attempt at good grace, bowing low as Harry stood to the side to allow Lady Sylvanas entrance to the Terran House.
"Lord Potter." Lady Sylvanas wasn't quick to offer her own people's support, as she entered the house with a slight spring in her step, but that was just as much sound politics as it was reservations on her Ranger General's behalf.
Coira and Kelanas followed her in, having learnt that Harry's attempts to be a 'gentlemen' outstripped their stubbornness to try and follow their own codes about Lords and other high ranking officials. She wasn't sure what this 'gentleman' things was, but as Harry smiled at her on the way in, she was finding that she rather liked it…
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The Potter House, 5 minutes later
The Phantom of Earth, Harry Potter
"I thought we would have more time…" It was not exactly what Harry expected Sylvanas to open with, the pair of them retiring to what had quickly become his 'work study', a large room with an impressive black marble table he had quite literally grown out of the floor.
"What do you mean Lady Sylvanas?" Some people might have taken her particular comment the wrong way, but Harry had an educated guess at what she actually meant, based on the conversations he had with Nash'ala after Kalec revealed he knew the magic that would allow them to create their own portals off world.
Though the news that he could now save his people was the sort of news that should have him dancing around the room cackling, Harry was well aware that their plan to ingratiate himself and therefore the Terrans to the various nations across Azeroth was now very much running out of time.
"I, I had hoped… I had hoped that you would be able to assist my people, in much the same way that you have the Blood Elves here." That wasn't the whole truth, and Harry didn't need his powers to tell him that, for a dead woman Sylvanas sometimes very much wore her heart out on her sleeve.
"Well, given that the Blood Elves are a prospective Horde member, I would have to be careful not to have my assistance perceived as aligning my own people one way or another…" To his surprise Sylvanas didn't look upset at his delicate attempt to distance himself from her people's allegiances, and instead looked contemplative.
"That is a good point, and one that I had not considered. Lord Potter, I know that you will not have heard great things about the Forsaken…" That was putting it mildly, some of the things that Storri had to say about the Forsaken's actions were either blatant propaganda or terrifyingly dark if true.
Realising the pause wasn't just for effect, and that Sylvanas was looking at him with the slightest worried frown on her brow, Harry decided honesty was best to see where Sylvanas was going with this.
"I have heard some of the rumours about the Forsaken ambushing Alliance caravans, though I am far more concerned about the idea that your people are creating alternate versions of the Plague that originally brought the Scourge about in the first place…" He in fact hadn't heard any such rumour, even from Storri, but it was pretty much the worst thing that he or Susan could imagine the Forsaken doing.
The flash of fear, as well as the guilt behind it, told Harry more than he probably wanted to know, but the emotions were firmly stomped on a moment later. Harry honestly didn't know how he should react, given the Scourge Plague so readily decimated the people on Earth, the idea of someone willingly creating another one was almost unimaginable to him.
"We... We have created several different versions of the original plague that made us what we are now, though it was with the intent of trying to find a cure, or a way to return us back to more than just this half life we suffer in now." Her admittance was both a salve to his anger, but also fuel for the fire, as Harry could already envision her next words.
"And, in the name of 'The Greater Good of the Forsaken', when the attempts to cure yourselves failed…" He was trapping her in a corner, as she either carried on and potentially exposed her people as the monsters that Storri and even Kelanas viewed them as, or she could try and change the topic and leave him to make his own negative conclusions.
"There has been talk about using the Plague on our enemies, and the Scourge forces that still dominate Lordaeron, to free some of our Fallen kin as well as boosting our numbers. But, given the risks of starting a war with the Alliance if the Plague were to spread, I have not given my agreement to any such actions." That wasn't the same as saying it hadn't happened without her permission Harry noted, too used to Blaise's double talk to miss such a thing even now, but at least she wasn't trying to justify her actions in the same way Dumbledore used to.
"Well, at least you understand why I would find such an action anathema and aren't trying to excuse yourself." As Sylvanas seemed to relax slightly, Harry knew he needed to make his stance on the matter clear on the matter now.
"However, let me make one thing clear. If I find that the Forsaken have unleashed a version of the Plague on anyone that isn't already a Scourge member, or a willing volunteer, any and all agreements and friendships we reach are done. You have seen what I can do, and even I don't truly understand what I can do with Death Magic yet. Do not force me to become the enemy of the Forsaken Sylvanas, and do not assume that I will allow myself to bend on this issue, you will not like the results."
It was probably the first time, since staring down Fandral Staghelm at least, that Harry completely ignored his basic training in etiquette and diplomacy his allies and wives had given him. But as Sylvanas struggled to rein in her anger and shock, Harry was firm in his belief that this wasn't the time for flowery words and insinuations.
Whilst Sylvanas was normal enough for an undead, even if she was considerably darker than what would normally be considered 'normal', from what she and others had told him she and her Dark Rangers were considered amongst the 'lighter' of the Forsaken forces. So if she couldn't deal with that kind of condition, then there was no hope that the Terran's would be able to amicably deal with the Forsaken.
"That is asking a lot Lord Potter, one would almost think it was too far, for a man trying to find allies for his refugee people." Despite her angry tone, Sylvanas didn't actually seem too upset at his blunt promise, if anything she seemed almost… amused.
"Allies without similar morals and ideals aren't worth the paper the treaty is written on Lady Sylvanas, it is best that our people are not forced into an Alliance that neither side agree with for the sake of 'convenience' or 'short term gains'. You were once surprised by me speaking my mind, without any view of judging people because of something they cannot control, and you will find that I am exactly the opposite in regards to what people do..."
Rather than elicit more anger, or perhaps even a cold dismissal of what many would consider an attempt to control her and her people with the threat of violence, Sylvanas smiled…
"At least you are forthright even when you know it will not earn you any friends. I assume you are reading my emotions even now, like Nash'ala told the Horde Leaders that you could do?" Harry nodded a little uncertainly, the amusement and almost vindictive glee resonating in her emotions a far cry from the emotions she expected.
"Then the first thing we can do on our way to creating this alliance you spoke of is visit the Undercity with the rest of the Horde Leaders, if you can create a portal to Orgrimmar before returning to your home. I have had more than one of the other leaders express their concerns about some of my… advisors. And having someone who can read emotions will be a very good way of proving that there isn't any such issue…"
Though being able to prove her people's loyalty through an independent source such as himself was an interesting way of gaining 'points', with both himself and the rest of the Horde at the same time, Harry could tell by simply looking at her face there was more than that to it.
"And if these advisors are the threat that the other leaders perceive them to be?" Rather than dampen Lady Sylvanas' mood with his question, if anything, her grin became more predatory.
"Well then it is a good job I will have 4 of the strongest warriors on Azeroth, along with all their bodyguards, to help me with any 'dangerous radicals'..."
A/N: There have been people who have been pointing out that I am rather determinedly ignoring several large dark parts of the WoW universe, particularly related to what some of the different races get up to (Forsaken and the Plague, Blood Elves and the Naaru/Fel Crystals etc etc.)
Much of that is wilful ignorance, I am not here to write a super gritty story, nor one where you have to analyse every word to try and work out if someone is hiding something. There will be plots, there will be drama, because otherwise it won't be a story. But the entire point of this kind of story is to see the impact that the Terrans will bring to the table that is Azerothian politics.
Anyway, back to the chapter. Did people enjoy my special weapons? Harry and the others have now spent considerable time with a bunch of muggles, who having seen magic in action have gone 'What about doing this?'.
There are actually a bunch of more ridiculous ideas I came up with, that would basically make any city they were employed in pretty much impregnable (repeater bolt thrower style machine gun emplacements with bolts expanding to the size of wagons on impact anyone?), which I will not be using. Whilst I like the ideas, they very much skew the balance of power to the point that mana bombs look relatively normal…
Still, the Terrans may set some of them up when they move across! We are finally making progress on getting the Terrans across to Azeroth now! Now Harry just has to:
Finish visiting all the different nations
Make enough friends that no one will decide to try and take the Terran's out for 'fun'
Work out where the Terran's are actually going to call home
You know, small things…
Big thanks to Treant Balewood, Eirik, Thomas Smith and Druid, for being supporters of my work. I'm still getting goosebumps when I write stuff like that. :P And if anyone wants to become a Fanling of mine (see previous chapter and/or search 'Defiasstone2' on Google and begins with a P), I would be hugely grateful.
Anyway, let me know what you think boys and girls!
Defias Out!