Disclaimer: Warcraft is the property of Blizzard.
Chapter 6: Enemies or Allies?
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Velen had agreed to take only two people to the plains of Nagrand, seeing that most in the Expedition were very adamant against working with orcs of any kind. While he promised that the Mag'har weren't savages like the rest, it didn't ease up the hostily felt by the other members. The people chosen to come along were High General Turalyon and Lord Tirion Fordring - leaving Arthas and Varian as the highest ranking leaders to guard the Dark Portal.
"I don't like this," spoke Varian, sharpening his blade, with Arthas sparring nearby with Sylvanas.
"You heard the draenei," said Arthas.
"And the warning," added Sylvanas.
"Working with orcs..." grumbled Varian, smashing the sharpening stone against the wooden wall. "...its insulting."
"You have bad history with the orcs, we know," replied Sylvanas. "Stormwind was the very first city to fall."
"There is that," cursed Varian. "...and the last time we trusted an orc...it ended with my father dead!"
"Varian, I do hope you can sate your anger and not let it hinder us on the battlefield," said Arthas, feeling worried.
"Oh don't worry about that. I won't do anything foolish, until this is over..." replied Varian, leaving the two alone.
"...I'm worried, his anger might get the better of him," said Sylvanas.
"Varian might be hot-head, yet it's usually focused," replied Arthas. "And he has a reason to keep his anger in check."
"His son," nodded Sylvanas. "I hope we succeed - I couldn't bear the chance to see Ally die. T-that would break me!"
"We'll win, have hope," said Arthas, trying to ease her worried mind. "We've been through worse."
"Yeah, we have," said Sylvanas, looking around the stables - which was empty. "How much time do you think we have?"
"Hard to tell. The mages mentioned it might take several hours, before they can get started."
"We have time then," said Sylvanas, dragging them inside the stables, behind a pile of hay.
"What ar-"
"-shut it," silenced Sylvanas, kissing him and starting un-dress. "We haven't been intimate in a long time."
"Here!?"
"I couldn't care. We might be called to battle soon, a high-risk one. One where either might die to ensure a safe future. So please..."
"...alright..." replied Arthas with a grin, as he picked up his queen and placed her gently against the hay. "...we get caught, then your taking the blame this time..."
"I have great hearing," replied Sylvanas, her cheeks flushed and her breathing heavy.
"...yeah...I still recall the treasury incident..."
"...then don't make too much...noise," teased Sylvanas, as they started to kiss eachother.
XXX
"How could this happen?" cried Alleria silently, clutching the dead form of her grandfather in her small hands.
Things had been normal until now: the Gilneas' family had been helped and Calia had spoken with King Greymane several times. She had asked about the overall status of Gilneas, their army, the undead and the spread of the plague. Those talks hadn't lead to any aid, but Greymane was still summoned many times.
What ticked-off Alleria however, was the 'visitor' that Aunt Calia had brought along to Lordaeron. Namely one Lady Katrana Prestor, an advisor to the Varian Wrynn and co-regent of Stormwind, who in her opinion reeked of bad-ness. The way the black-haired, noblewoman from Stormwind acted around it made her twitch - each word and act seemed to be plain formality and Katrana' attitude towards her all seemed to impress the fact, that she was some helpless, little child who needed to be taught how to behave. The nerve of that woman, treating her like she was some step-daughter to be told what to do.
While it angered Alleria, Calia on the other hand seemed calm or atleast distaint - her explanation being, that nobles like Katrana are only interested in power and wealth, so she should just ignore it and any subtle hints she received.
So Alleria had tried her hardest the past few days, not the slap the pompous noble-woman. Then had arrived a feast, to which the Greymane family and Lady Katrana were invited to - during the entire time, the noble-woman had been awfully cheery: striking up conversation, joking and laughing. Then she, of all people, proposed a toast to some unnamed thing. Suprisingly Alleria was, for some strange reason, hesitant of drinking her cranberry juice and so was Anduin. Terenas himself seemed a bit off, yet took a tiny sip nonetheless.
From there it went horrid suddenly, as the adults in the room dropped like flies, except for Terenas who screamed something unheard. And that hated Katrana Prestor, the noble-woman turned out to be traitor...had killed Terenas with a fireball - right infront of her. Causing Alleria to scream out and start to cry over her only grandparent...
"My, my. I didn't expect you three to avoid that potion, but it doesn't really matter," laughed Katrana, sealing the exits with a wall of fire, against the banging Royal Guards.
"You witch! I trusted you!" screamed Anduin, drawing a hidden dagger from his belt and charging at Katrana.
"Stupid brat..." said Katrana, kicking the blade out of his hands and sending him reeling with a nasty kick to his gut.
"Andy!" gasped Alleria, breathing heavily and going to check-up on her injured friend.
"Itty-bitty brats, so foolish and weak, and disrespectful to your superior. I didn't expect to find the Greymane's here but they'll easily suit as the scapegoats now," laughed Katrana, woman-handling the various, unconscious people around the people. "The Defias Brotherhood will pay rather handsomely for you, Prince Anduin. And as for you little princess, I bet a pretty half-elf like you would fetch a nice coin to a couple of slavers or mercenaries."
Alleria couldn't take it anymore, her gates opened and she got angrier, everytime that sadistic laughter came off that wretched woman' lips - who had caused her unbelieveable pain: Anduin, Calia, Terenas. Alleria wanted to simply kill her.
"Now then, be a good girl and get in this sack..." said Katrana, pulling out a medium-sized potato sack. "...else I might have to burn that pretty skin of yours and you don't want that. Do you, child?"
"You like fire?" asked Alleria darkly, rising to her feet.
"I love it, child..." replied Katrana. "...why you ask?"
"I wanted to know..." snarled Alleria, looking up, with her small features spelling murder. "...before I killed you..."
"You? HA! That is the funniest, pathetic, weake-"
"-I'll kill you," growled Alleria, as the air became denser and Katrana could feel the energy gathering inside her. That didn't suit her plan or mood.
"Time to-"
"-for you. To. Die!" roared Alleria, a tell-tale golden hawk surrounding her form. That landed on her left-arm and transformed into a golden bow.
"You liked fire? Then BURN!" screamed Alleria, letting loose a bolt of holy fire and pierced Katrana' magical shielding before she could react. Causing the noble-woman to scream in pain, half-human and half-animalistic.
"BURN, BURN, BURN, BURN, BURN, BURN!"
Each time Alleria she screamed, another bolt was let loose and hit the Prestor lady, who looked shocked at the turn of events. Her form, collapsing to her knees with the flames around the room dropping and letting in Uther, alongside several Royal Guards. Witnessing the sight before them - the vengeful Alleria and the wounded Katrana, who was still shot at...by Alleria.
"Kill. Her," whispered Alleria, letting her bow change back into a golden-hawk and letting it loose upon Katrana. "KILL HER!"
The hawk morphed into a phoenix mid-flight and let the holy flames upon the traitorous noble. The Royal Guards and Uther seeing the dark flames collide against the holy ones, yet Alleria' flames won...as Katrana was burned alive - a gruesome death, even for a dark mage. Alleria muttering 'burn' everytime, with the flames increasing in intensity.
"Alleria!" called Anduin, wrapping Alleria suddenly into a hug from behind her. Trying to calm the vengeful princess, before she was scarred for life. "Enough. Stop it!"
Alleria merely screamed out, loud enough to be heard throughout the castle, before she relaxed and the flames around Katrana subsided. Then she collapsed down, crying. Crying into the shirt of the Stormwind Prince, who held her against him and soothed her.
"Summon the Royal Mage and secure the Palace immediately!" spoke Uther to the gathered Royal Guards, as he checked the still un-burned, yet dead body of Lady Katrana Prestor - whose blood felt many times warmer than a regular human's and whose eyes were an exact replica of a dragon's. "...a dire threat has happened here."
"May your soul find peace, old friend," spoke Uther, having walked over and crouched infront of Terenas. Then proceeding to cover up the former King of Lordaeron with his cape, who despite being killed, seemed calm and at ease. Then he looked at the hurting princess. "And Light help you, Alleria Menethil."
XXX
In Outland, in the middle of the largest battle ever seen by the denizens of Azeroth - demons and fel orcs against the Grand Alliance Army - which was made-up of thousands of humans, elves, dwarves, draenei and several gnome engineers. In the frontline fought Arthas himself, with Sylvanas nearby - until she gasped out suddenly.
"Sylvanas - what's wrong?" asked Arthas, keeping several fel orcs at bay, as he helped her back up.
"Nothing, just felt a slight pain. Battle-fatigue-" said Sylvanas, blocking and killing an attacking demon. "-I'll be fine."
"Muradin! Give us heavy fire up front!" yelled Varian, wrestling off two orcs and slicing them in half.
"Aye! Turn 300! Fire, fire!" bellowed Muradin' voice, as several siege tanks fired into the charging horde - sharpnel tearing apart wolf-riders and orcs.
"There goes their heavy forces," grinned Varian, slicing apart a demon.
"Thirty-two!" cheered Vereesa, another kill for her.
"Ninty-six," replied Alleria, firing three arrows at once - with all hitting their target.
"Oh no way!" yelled Vereesa, as she started to rack-up kills faster. "I'm not! Letting you win again!"
"Tired, yet?" asked Commander Falric, cutting down three fel orcs with his halberd.
"Not even sweating!" grinned back Captain Marwyn under his helmet, as he finished disabling an orc catapult. "Plenty to kill around. Come on!"
Honor Hold was holding, for the time being under the assault, yet several people realized that this attritional kind of warfare couldn't be won against the seemingly endless tide of demons.
The Alliance Expedition held their ground, until the situation reached critical and Arthas signaled the army to abandon Honor Hold and retreat to the secondary-line near the Dark Portal.
As the Expedition retreated back, several siege tanks positioned around the Dark Portal unleashed their payload - showering the Legion with explosives and sharpnel, as their brethren retreated.
"Archmage! How long must we hold?" asked Falric, arriving to check-up on the mages, who were busy maintaining the three elven-crystal that would seal the Dark Portal.
"Give us another twenty minutes," replied Antonidas, keeping up the spell with a group of draenei mages and Khadgar.
"We won't last five minutes, I'm afraid..." spoke Falric, seeing more fel orcs arrive from over the horizon. This time lead by a large Pit Lord.
"Oh dear..." muttered Antonidas.
Arthas and Sylvanas as well, saw the huge Pit Lord coming towards them, that shook the ground.
"Well...that's big..." said Sylvanas, seeing the large demon approach.
"...fear not..." spoke up Velen, who had just teleported next to them along with Tirion Fordring and High General Turalyon. "...aid has arrived."
No sooner did a large group of wolf-riders blow into the fel-orc ranks out of nowhere - riding them were brownish-skinned orcs, whose mounts seemed to be smaller and less monstorous than their counter-parts. Lightning itself, striking down onto the demon horde.
"...the Mag'har I assume?" asked Varian, seeing the mayhem happen.
"Indeed, yet there is another reason. They want to escape this destruction as well," spoke Velen.
"Fine by me. As long as they don't get in my way," grumbled Varian, charging back into the battle.
"He seems to be accepting it," replied Sylvanas.
"Or maybe something else," added Arthas, as the ground started to shake and rumble.
"The Nexus between the worlds are weakening - the Legion will come in force," said Velen. "You need to stop them."
"Let them come," replied Arthas. "Muradin! Ready to fire!"
"Aye! Readying to fire!" yelled Muradin, from a watch-post - signaling to several, still intact, siege tanks. "Ready!"
"Arthas?" asked Sylvanas, worried about the warning.
"Wait..." uttered Arthas, holding his hand to the sky. Waiting for the moment - until the Mag'har were away from danger. "FIRE!"
With a heavy-barrage overhead, the Mag'har themselves pulled back towards the Expedition encampment.
"Hold your fire! Fire, unless fired upon!" yelled Arthas, going forward to meet the leader of the Mag'har. "Hello."
"Throm-Ka!" replied a large and more armored orc to Arthas. "Light'wal'ker cam'. Spir'its scar'd. What hapen' 'ere?"
Arthas heard that the male orc speak a broken dialect, atleast Velen had managed something to ease the communication problem - somewhat.
"Demons! We leave, and seal way!" replied Arthas, hoping this brown-orc was more intelligent than the usual bunch, he had met in his life.
"Understandable. Spirits warned of this," spoke another orcish' voice, that looked female and seemingly aged. "I, Greatmother Geyah. You run and seal the Dark Gate?"
"Yes!" replied Arthas, glad for a wiser person in the group. "Demons will try to stop us - we need your help."
"We accept, if you allow us too - we hate demons as well, our home this isn't anymore. Corrupted, destroyed by them - we want, new home. We don't want to die here anymore," said Greatmother Geyah.
"...agreed..." replied Arthas. He didn't like this, yet it was required for their world' survival.
"Our warrior's wonder - your name. They feel you, you strong fighter," added Geyah, when several orcs asked her something.
"Paladin, Arthas Menethil!" replied Arthas, his sword yielded in respect.
"I'r Garrosh! Of' Hellscream!" said the armored-orc, tapping his chest with the handle of his axe in orcish-respect - or that was what Arthas thought. "Lok'Tar Ogar!"
"Lok'Tar!" roared the other Mag'har, behind them. Pulling around and readying to charge their fel-brethren, yet again.
However the Dark Portal reacted first, as it started to de-stabilize. The mages had managed to complete their assignment it seemed and were now pulling back. That unfortunately, caught the attention of the Pit Lord, who started to charge at them and to try and prevent their escape.
"Lokag! Lokag!" roared Garrosh, to which half of the wolf-riders charged at the Pit Lord. "Ogruk azzak! Graguz!"
"He say - retreat. They hold back the demon lord," translated Greatmother Geyah.
"Then. Follow me!" urged Arthas, as Geyah and the other half - who seemed to be carrying supplies, wood, tools, youngborn and even a few older-looking orcs on wolf-back, followed him.
Arriving back near the swirling gateway, Arthas could see the Expedition evacuating - and rather in a hurry. Sylvanas being the one to coordinate it to an extend - until she saw the Mag'har approach.
"Easy - they're the 'civilians'," said Arthas to her and several gathered soldiers. "The warriors will hold back the large one, while we escape."
"Alright," nodded Sylvanas, lowering her weapon.
"Where is Varian!?" asked Arthas, suddenly worried.
"He already went to Azeroth - to make sure the other mages had managed to seal their part," replied Sylvanas.
"You go too then," demanded Arthas suddenly.
"What? But yo-" Sylvanas however was silenced, when Arthas kissed him.
"I need you to be safe! For Alleria' sake! Atleast one of us must survive this!" said Arthas, worry in his voice.
"Then...you better be behind me!" yelled Sylvanas, as she was pulled along by Vereesa and to Azeroth.
"I promise you," muttered Arthas, as he turned towards the battle. Fighting by near the destroyed encampment, Arthas could see the Pit Lord cleaving a path through the Mag'har riders and several Alliance' soldiers, who decided to stay and hold the demons back.
The one recognized as Garrosh seemed to be fighting vigorously against the Pit Lord - not giving up and using every weapon he could, despite the Pit Lord being several heights over him. But unluckily he too then he got caught by its attack and send flying up the stairs - likely injured or worse. Then the Pit Lord started to move closer towards the Dark Portal - having dealt with the blockage.
"Alright, demon. Let's see what you got," spoke Arthas, as the holy runes on his armor started to glow.
XXX
On the other side, Sylvanas was worried sick - as the people who were in charge warned her of the Nexus soon sealing and cutting off Azeroth from Outland forever. And Arthas was still fighting on the otherside.
"Please...please..." begged Sylvanas, looking torn. Then when her hope started to fade, did an armored being walked through the Portal - dragging along a wounded Mag'har. His armor glowing with holy runes with blood splattered on the chestplate and boots.
"Arthas..." cheered Sylvanas, until to her horror a large demonic head appeared as well - the Pit Lord.
"I said. BEGONE!" roared Arthas, as the Light gathered into his palm and formed into a spear. With Arthas sending the spear flying and through the head of the demon - who was sent roaring in pain, back through the portal. "Destroy it! Now!"
"As you wish..." smirked Jaina, unleashing the gathered arcane-energies, alongside Kael and several other mages. With the Dark Portal soon closing and the structure around the gate falling apart and soon crumbling into ruins and hopefully this time it would stay a pile of ruins.
"Finally...over..." sighed Arthas in exhaustion, before he was hugged by weeping Sylvanas, which he returned. "Told you I'd return."
Several Expedition members started to cheer at the sight and join in too - giving the same to their fellow members: both old and new - Jaina kissing Kael on the cheek; Turalyon kissing Alleria; Vereesa with a red-haired mage; Antonidas shaking hands with Khadgar; and Falric kissing a very suprised Liadrin. Everybody glad that this twenty-year old campaign was finally over - all except for Varian, who had one loose-end to finish.
"Men! Encircle the orcs! Ready to engage!" yelled Varian, breaking up the happy-enjoyment. Even Arthas and Sylvanas looking suprised at this turn of events.
"What!?"
XXX
A/N: Finally. Will Varian kill the Mag'har? How will Princess Alleria be, after having killed someone?
Please review.