Many thanks to those who reviewed, as well as visited the poll on my profile. I'm leaving it up one more week, then closing it and going with the result. There may be additional polls afterward for refining small details, I will inform you if/when that occurs. ~F
Chapter 102
The Betrayer of Humanity
Sylvanas quickly drew her bowstring over and over, launching shadow-empowered arrows at the husk of Sapphiron. She had known that Arthas had had the greatest of his frost wyrms stashed away somewhere, and it made sense to find it here guarding Kel'Thuzad at the end of all other obstacles.
But apparently the Lich King had not taken into account the sheer number of powerful enemies that he would make with this gambit, as the warlocks of the Dark Horde alone were scoring multiple key hits against the skeletal dragon, knocking shards of ice and bone from its body with their demon-gifted magic.
Sylvanas hated the Legion and all it stood for, but she hated Arthas and the Scourge much, much more. Between the mages limiting the strength of the dragon's impressive magic, and both the warlocks and others hammering away at it, there wasn't much time left for Sapphiron. Soon enough it roared, almost sounding relieved, and crumbled to dust completely, showing the ground with dust, bone and shards of ice.
In the midst of the din of victory cries, the Banshee Queen focused on the figure of the Stormreaver Chieftain. Nobu'tan, the strange part-human, part-demon, was picking through the corpse of the dragon, gathering what looked like splinters of wood.
Sylvanas thought it strange, but then against there was some magical aura around those splinters that she did not recognize. It was powerful though, to be certain. And she did not know if it would be wise for something from this dreadful place to fall into the hands of her enemies, no matter the reason.
Unfortunately, without knowing what she was seeing, and with the Lich Lord left ahead of them, there was little that she could reasonably do to stop the warlocks from gathering his prizes. With the death of Sapphiron, the archway's seal of ice shattered, revealing the path ahead. A long corridor turned away from the ice-encrusted chamber, and yet somehow it grew colder as they neared it.
Even worse, the vile voice of the necromancer-turned-Lich could be heard as they entered, speaking to his accursed king. "Our preparations continue as planned master."
The Lich King's voice, echoing through the halls still sent shivers up Sylvanas' spine, even though she was already dead. "It is good that you serve me so faithfully. Soon… all will serve the Lich King and in the end, you shall be rewarded. So long as you do not falter.
They rounded the corner, which ended in another, smaller chamber. But they were blocked from proceeding by an iron portcullis, and within the Lich Lord himself was visible, speaking via portal to the Lich King. "I foresee no complications at this… wait! What is this?" Kel'Thuzad said, turning to face their group as they stood on his very doorstep.
"Your security measures have failed! See to this interruption immediately!" the Lich King commanded.
"Yes, Master!" Kel'Thuzad replied, gesturing at the doorway, and the portcullis lifted, permitting them access to the chamber.
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Thrall looked over the landscape of Desolace, feeling the cries of the earth as the land was slowly corrupted by the Fel.
His heart wept for the torment the elements, and Azeroth as a whole, suffered because of the Legion and their servants. "To think this is what they wished for Thunder Bluff…" he said.
"High Chieftain Bloodhoof has returned, Warchief," Nazgrel said. With Saurfang leading their forces in the eastern Kingdoms, Thrall had called upon the retired leader of the Horde's armies to come back into command.
"Excellent," Thrall replied, turning away from the dying land.
Together the two orcs descended the ridge that they had stolen upon to observe the defenses of their enemies. It did not look good for them. The Dark Horde was doing something in their fortress that reeked of the Fel, and Thrall was not excited to find out what exactly it was they were up to.
"Hail Warchief," Cairne said as he approached, dismounting from his Kodo.
"Throm Ka, Cairne, what news do you bring?" Thrall asked, sensing that the old bull was in a decent mood after his journey.
"We met with Tyrande Whisperwind outside Ashenvale, and she will come and aid us to protect Kalimdor from the demons and their kind," Cairne reported, "but I would not expect too much from her people. She is a proud warrior, and her long years have given her an overabundance of pride in her skills."
"Hmm," Thrall said, having expected something like this at best. The old Night Elf Priestess was extremely prideful, and not one to trust other races. Thrall knew some of the story from the old histories that the Bloodhoof Tauren had kept over the generations, but still there was so much that he did not understand.
"I suppose we cannot reject perfectly good allies, even if it's only temporarily." He said at last.
"It is never wise to reject help when it is offered," Cairne said, nodding in agreement.
"Do you have an idea when they were to arrive at our camp?" Thrall asked.
"Much sooner than you would expect," another voice chimed in. the two Horde leaders turned to see a knot of Night Elves walking toward them, the High Priestess in the lead.
"Tyrande Whisperwind," Thrall said respectfully, "A pleasure that you could come with such haste."
"Warchief of the Horde," the Night Elf said cordially, albeit coldly. "What plans have you for driving these demon-lovers from my beloved Kalimdor?"
"Come," Thrall invited, leading the way to the command pavilion, where the map of the location and what troop placement his spies had discovered was recorded.
"The Dark Horde has very powerful magic, and we dare not risk a complete frontal assault. However, at the same time they have a perfect bottleneck at the only entrance from Stonetalon for groups as large as our army."
"So you're thinking some form of diversion, lead their forces to a less optimal location to fight, and engage them on your terms, while a smaller force gets behind them and eliminates any support." Tyrande said, perfectly seeing the strategy that Thrall was planning.
"Precisely," Thrall replied, "We'll try to pull their force back into the foothills, and flank them there."
"And my Sentinels will storm their gate once they leave, and take it before coming in behind to crush their army between us." The High Priestess finished, "It's swift, effective, and devastating."
"So there are no complaints with it?" Thrall asked, curious of the Night Elf's opinion.
"None. If I was planning this I would do something very similar." Tyrande said, stepping closer and looking over the battle plan, "I only hope that enough of my sisters heeded the call for battle."
Thrall was about to ask how many had come with her, when an Elven horn sounded from the rear of their camp. Nazgrel entered, paused at the sight of the Night Elf leaders, before reporting to Thrall, "There's an army of Night Elves approaching. I presume that they are expected."
"Indeed," Thrall replied, "how many?"
"Several thousand strong at the very least, but likely more," The overlord answered, "They've brought artillery and spellcasters as well."
"More than I expected," Tyrande said, "We will have no trouble with your plan, Warchief. We will see you on the battlefield." The High Priestess took her leave, and Thrall turned to Cairne and Nazgrel to organize their diversion.
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Nobu'tan was on edge as their group entered the final chamber. Kel'Thuzad, a towering skeleton of a man, wrapped in floating chains and hovering over the ground on no visible legs waited as calmly as the grave for them, but with his additional sight into the realms of magic Nobu'tan could see the energies swirling over the corpse-like form.
His old mentor was more than pleased that they had come to him directly, and judging from what they had faced so far, this was to be the greatest challenge of the entire citadel. Nobu'tan had fought Kel'Thuzad once before, but he had been little more than a child with no skill worthy of matching against the Archmage. Now however, things were vastly different.
"Hello again, 'Tobias Banu,'" The Archlich said, the scathing tone in his voice present despite the lack of muscle and tissue to generate it. "I had long looked forward to our reunion. How you've changed…"
"And yet I'm not the most radically different one in this room," Nobu'tan shot back defiantly.
Kel'Thuzad laughed, "No, I suppose that is true…" he admitted, turning at the shoulder to scan the rest of the assembled group, "My, my… what a wonderful little gathering… is that Jaina… you know the Lich King still offers you a place by his side…"
The Mage of Theramore stiffened, "Never!" she declared, "Your day has come, lich. The Alliance will see to it!"
"We shall see…" the Lich Lord rebuked, continue to gaze over the assembled forces, before landing on Sylvanas Windrunner, "Sylvanas the traitor… the Lich King will be pleased to know of your death…"
"Hold your tongue, or I'll tear it out!" the Banshee bit back, venom dripping from her words.
"Discourteous as ever… but no matter," Kel'Thuzad reprimanded, raising the skeletal arms, and unleashing blasts of shadow and frost magic, "The dark void awaits you all!"
"Prepare yourselves!" Nobu'tan shouted in warning, seeing the flares of magic all around them as the Lich started his spells.
"Minions, servants, soldiers of the cold dark, obey the call of Kel'Thuzad!" the Lich cried, raising his arms overhead and conjuring a powerful barrier of pure mana around him, which deflected several black-feathered arrows.
Meanwhile, from every alcove in the room, portals tore open to a wintery landscape, filled to the brim with undead of every sort. Upon manifesting, the undead surged forward, crossing into the chamber and driving at their assembled group in waves.
The four factions flanked out, covering their range fighters and casters in the center of a wide circle as they met the oncoming Scourge soldiers head on. Ghastly abominations roared as the lumbered forward, swinging their meat hooks wildly, while ghouls leapt between the gaps not filled by skeletons, crypt fiends or banshees.
The Dark Horde took to the fight with eagerness, Teg'Ramm bellowing their war cry as they surged into battle. Volleys of shadow and Fel magic erupted from their ranks, incinerating and blasting apart the undead as they approached. Around the defensive perimeter, the others were engaging the hordes of the dead with equal ferocity and mercilessness.
Nobu'tan knew that this tactic was meant to just wear them down, allowing Kel'Thuzad to swoop in and eliminate them once they were weakened, but there was little that they could do to hinder it. Nobu'tan could sense that Lady Proudmoore was trying to break the shield around the Lich Lord, in order to force him into the conflict personally, but the former Archmage was simply too powerful, and had been too well prepared for such an attempt.
"Focus on tearing down the portals!" he instructed her, even as Nobu'tan himself fell back to the middle of the circle and changed his strategy. Reaching out with the Fel, he gazed past all of the oncoming undead minions and focused on the nearest gateway to the frozen lands of Northrend.
But even as he tried to pry away the magic holding the connections open, Kel'Thuzad clamped down his magic, shutting Nobu'tan out of his attempt, "Your petty magics are no challenge to the might of the Scourge!" he taunted.
But Nobu'tan wasn't done just yet. He had been practicing in his spare time with the magic of his homeworld, something that Kel'Thuzad would have never experienced before. Drawing the wooden Elder Wand from his robes, Nobu'tan concentrated at the nearest portal.
The portal shimmered, flashed and collapsed, accompanied by the shocked yell of the Lich, "What interesting magic you've acquired, my former student!" Kel'Thuzad said, anger mixed with his curiosity. "You will serve the Lich King well, in death!"
Nobu'tan ignored the taunt, rapidly turning his attention to the next portal, and using the powerful artifact wand to overpower the lich's hold on the tear in space, and forcefully shut it over a ghoul that was charging through. The undead creature was severed in half, its legs left in the frozen wasteland far away.
Within minutes more than half of the portals were forcefully closed, and yet the surge of undead from the remaining portals only intensified. At the same time, their force was able to focus their efforts in fewer directions, and pressed the lines of undead back, killing them well before they entered the center of the chamber.
Tirion stood at the forefront, the massive glowing sword he took from the Death Knight leader in hand, and a shimmering aura of unyielding strength about him. Nobu'tan worked furiously, combating his old master's magic and ending the spell that opened these dark portals until none remained.
Kel'Thuzad raged as the last of his minions fell to the ground, and his shield burst outward with a shower of magical sparks, "The end is upon you!" he cried, levitating into the middle of the room to fight them all personally.
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Master Mahan looked down over the advancing Horde army. The eyes of Kil'rogg swarmed over the entrance to his lands, even as the warlocks prepared to unleash their powerful weapons and force these fool back to their own lands.
Try as they might, they would not break his defenses. Even as the orcs, trolls, and tauren charged forward at the gates, Mahan smirked as he gestured the command. The gates of Desolace opened, and out poured his Fel Centaur, supported by hordes of demons and the Grimtotem tribe of the Tauren.
The fools were outnumbered twelve to one in this place, with countless more able to come at a moment notice for the forces of the Dark Horde. "Unleash the Doomguard." He ordered, watching as the great winged creatures took to the air from Thunderaxe Fortress.
Powerful Fel magic was sent forth from the shock soldier of the Legion, and the enslaved powerhouses dove at the army arrayed against them, sending countless solders flying from the shock of their landing.
Mahan laughed, seeing his foes start to break apart and flee before them. "I want every last one of them dead, go forth and destroy the fools!" he commanded, gleefully watching his army pursue the Horde into the Stonetalon Mountains.
But as they neared the region called the Charred Vale, Mahan realized that his forces had been led into a trap. On all sides, the elementals had rallied around the Horde, and the rest of their numbers swarmed in the little encircle of ridges. Catapult rained down projectile on their forces, and the shaman-led armies turned about and pressed a counter attack as soon as the Dark Horde's lead fighters were in disarray.
"Curse that Shaman!" Mahan cried, watching as fire elementals from the once burning glade sprang forward, issuing their power on his army. The fighting became very fierce, but the Horde was successfully holding back even the doomguard in the vale, preventing them from advancing or escaping back to Desolace.
"This is all you fault demon!" Mahan shouted at Banehollow, "I demand that you rectify this immediately. Go and lead our forces to victory. Destroy the Horde, and any ally that they brought with them!"
"As you wish, Master Mahan…" the Dreadlord said, disappearing in a cloud of smoke and bats, before flowing through the air to join with the forces arrayed in Stonetalon.
"What more could go wrong?" Mahan demanded, even as several of the warlocks cried out.
"We're under attack by Night Elves!"
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Kel'Thuzad felt a mixture of displeasure at his forces, ferocious anger at his enemies, and overwhelming pride at the power of his most aspiring pupil. The boy-turned-demon Nobu'tan was everything Kel'Thuzad had foreseen that he could become. His transformation into undeath would be a welcome boon to all the forces of the Lich King, and spur the Scourge onward to the destruction of all life on Azeroth.
But even as he himself took to the fight to subdue his wayward protégé, the brilliant wizard's mind spun to what was needed. First, their magic would need to be completely locked down. The forces that interrupted his ability with the portals to Northrend could not be repeated, and thus he leveled his awesome Arcane knowledge around the entire chamber.
"Enough! I grow tired of these distractions," he intoned, conjuring a clamping hand of magical might, which silenced all other spellcasting, and hampered his enemies in all manner against such a force as Kel'Thuzad.
All those who drew magic from elsewhere found themselves woefully divorced of their power in an instant. Channeling the magic of death that enveloped him, Kel'Thuzad was unaffected, and launched bolts of freezing ice at those who dared get too close to him. "I will freeze the blood in your veins!" he declared, spreading a powerful zone of freezing magic, which expanded slowly and threatened to envelope all of them in ice.
There was a mighty explosion of power, and a chanted spell that Kel'Thuzad did not understand. It was neither draconic nor any of the mortal tongues, but nevertheless the Lich Lord sensed the power of the magic behind it, and flames ate away at his ice magic.
Turning to look, Kel'Thuzad saw the warlocks of the Dark Horde, wooden wands in hand surging with magical power. "I see…" the Lich said in realization. "So that is why you are all so magically powerful… Your strength is alike to Tobias', and radiates from within. You will all make excellent servants of the Lich King!"
"I serve none but myself!" Nobu'tan roared, the demonic human charging forward and leaping into the air. There was a surge of Fel magic, which shattered the lockdown of magic that Kel'Thuzad had created, and the young man transformed into a raging demonic form, glowing runes of Fel green radiating from beneath his robes, and from his eyes.
Tobias Banu clashed physically with Kel'Thuzad, and the two grappled for mere moments, before the Lich unleashed a blast of necromantic magic, knocking the demonized human away.
"Your soul is bound to me, Tobias Banu! There will be no escape!" Kel'Thuzad said with finality. His power was absolute in this place, and regardless of the strength of his enemies, the Lich Lord was certain of his inevitable victory.
The young warlock did not reply, but smirked as he held up an item he managed to steal off of Kel'Thuzad: the raven crown of the staff of the Guardian. The Arcane flared around the man as he retreated into the ranks of his allies, and Kel'Thuzad sensed the response of what amounted to the great power of Medivh. "No!" Kel'Thuzad cried, reaching forward, but the ranks of his enemies started to attack the moment he allowed his concentration slip.
"Minion!" the Lich Lord cried, summoning more undead to his side. He had to keep these fools away while he prevented the staff of Atiesh from being reassembled. Spells and ranged attacks started to swiftly cut down and lock up his minions.
The spike of power forced Kel'Thuzad to pull back, even as Nobu'tan leapt into the air, brandishing the fully reformed staff of the Guardian. "Master! I require aid!" Kel'Thuzad cried, calling to the Lich King, who was all knowing of what occurred within Naxxramus.
"Very well..." the Lord of the Scourge declared, "warriors of the frozen wastes rise up! I command you to fight, kill, and die for your master. Let none survive..."
"I think not!" Nobu'tan roared, swinging the powerful staff forward, and unleashing a catastrophic blast of power, countering the Lich King as he attempted to open portals around the room to the deepest parts of Icecrown.
"What?!" Kel'Thuzad bellowed, his anger slipping as he witness the complete overthrowing of the Lich King's power in these halls, where he ought to have been supreme.
"I will not have your darkness looming over me and my world like the specter of death that you are!" Nobu'tan shouted, "Be gone and trouble us no more!"
"Your power cannot defeat me!" Kel'Thuzad shouted, bringing all his magic to bear, unleashing torrents of frost and shadow at the upstart.
From the crown of Atiesh erupted a barrage of Felfire and arcane devastation, colliding heavily with the magic of Kel'Thuzad, and try as he might, the lich found his strength not up to the task of challenging the staff of the Guardian in the hands of his wayward apprentice.
"Agghhhh!" Kel'Thuzad cried, feeling the magic shatter his protective wards and begin to burn him away "Do... not... rejoice! Your victory is a hollow one, for I shall return with powers beyond your imagining!"
Even as his spirit was banished, Kel'Thuzad knew that the Lich King would be terribly displeased, but there would be a rematch between him and his former apprentice. There would be no peace for either of them once he was restored to the mortal world. Kel'Thuzad had the knowledge of what their special magic felt like now, and would work to counter and replicate it.
It was good that the Lich King had the foresight to remove his phylactery from Naxxramus, knowing that there were three different factions that they faced in the Eastern Kingdoms. There was no threat to Kel'Thuzad actually dying here and now.
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Thrall led the counter attack personally against the demons. Their warlock's eyes were on them, and it would do little to not make a full show of it to blind them of Tyrande and her Night Elves assaulting Desolace directly.
Calling upon the spirits of fire from the Vale, Thrall had reinforced their ranks with the powerful elementals, and it was only because of his passion to protect Kalimdor that they hearkened to his command.
It was a shock to see so many Doomguard come to reinforce their attack at the last moment, but the combined force of the Horde was holding their ground. Hurling a lightning bolt into another knot of foes, Thrall watched for a brief moment as it jumped around the various targets, before turning to slam the Doomhammer into the chest of a charging centaur, possessed by the evil of the Fel.
It was turning into a battle of attrition, just as Thrall suspected that a frontal assault would have. If not for the element of surprise and reinforcements, they would have been easily overrun.
Still, if the Night Elves did not arrive soon, they would be forced to withdraw before the Horde's losses became too great.
"For Kalimdor!" roared a voice from the far end of the vale, and Thrall breathed again when the lines of Nightsabers charged in behind the Dark Horde ranks.
"Onward my sisters!" Tyrande said, leading the charge and firing her bow ferociously, taking out multiple enemies at the same time.
"I presume that your assault of the fortifications went well then," Thrall said, closing the gap between the Horde and the Night Elves.
"Indeed," Tyrande affirmed, "once we finish their army here, we can march on Thunderaxe Fortress and wipe them from the face of Kalimdor."
"Indeed," Thrall said, not perfectly comfortable with how violent the ten-thousand-year-old Night Elf High Priestess was regarding those she viewed as her enemy. It was a terrible tragedy that Grom's aggression set them at odds with the Horde so early on. It was unlikely that they would even be able to become allies or even neutral with each other in Thrall's lifetime. Although, even as he watched some of the Night Elf warriors cleaving the minions of the Dark Horde and their demons, they likely would have proved difficult for their races to work together.
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Blaise was surprised by the show of force that Lord Nobu'tan presented as they defeated the Lich Kel'Thuzad.
Those others of a magical nature seemed to realize that something was different, and Lady Proudmoore seemed especially concerned over the staff that the Grand Warlock now wielded. "It is finished," Nobu'tan said, stepping forward to examine the ruin of the Lich.
"But only just," the Banshee Queen added, appearing from the crowd, "without the phylactery, there is no means of destroying the lich… he will be back, eventually."
"We should leave this place, and converge with the rest of our forces," King Varian stated, and the rest of the Alliance and Horde factions moved to follow as they departed. Nobu'tan remained where he was, looking through eyes enchanted by magic at all the items and decorations in the chamber.
"Yes," he said, "it was far too easy this time… we had the element of surprise with this artifact, but next time he will prepare far better."
"My Lord?" Yaxley started, stepping forward, but Nobu'tan had already turned away.
"Come, we must depart, before imposing questions are asked… or worse we devolve into fighting our other enemies before we're ready." He said, moving to leave.
Quickly, with a casual wave of the wooden staff, Nobu'tan tore open a shadow portal to the ground far below, and the Dark Horde marched through, rejoining their victorious forces among the fallen corpses of the Scourge army. So quick was their trip that the rest of the factions only appeared shortly afterward, looking puzzled at the Dark Horde already being there waiting.
"Well, this was an effective joined effort," Nobu'tan said, feigning congeniality, "but we must be going. Don't bother visiting, or we'll kill you on sight." Turning to the Argent Dawn, Nobu'tan bowed, "We await your contact for our bargain, Lord Maxwell."
"Of course," the Paladin replied, and Blaise spotted a smirk of amusement on the Paladin Tirion's face.
Another sweeping wave of the raven-topped staff, and a gateway opened for them to travel back to Blackrock Mountain. Blaise noticed movement, and turned to see both Sylvanas Windrunner and Jania Proudmoore start forward as though to halt them, but each spotted the other and hesitated. The moment passed, and Blaise stepped through the portal to the central chamber of their mountain fortress.
Voldemort was conversing with Nobu'tan, and the leaders of the Black Harvest moved toward the upper levels of the citadel, likely heading for the overlook to deal with the ramifications of the defeat of the Scourge and where they needed to relocate their armies for defense.
As they entered however, a figured emerged from the shadows, "Little Runt…" the female orc said, and Blaise jumped. It was not often that another could escape his notice, and the fact that this one did so effortlessly put him on edge instantly.
"Garona, good of you to come," Nobu'tan said, completely at ease, "I apologize for not being here to greet you when you arrived. We had a major issue to deal with father north."
"I gathered," the orc said bluntly.
"This is Garona Halforcen," Nobu'tan introduced, and the female nodded gruffly to the assembled leaders of the Dark Horde.
"I've come just to observe," she said, returning her gaze to Nobu'tan.
"Of course, you wish to see if it is worth your time to abandon your wanderings and rejoin the Stormreaver Clan, perhaps with your son in tow…" Nobu'tan presumed.
"Something like that…" Garona replied. Blaise could tell that she was uncomfortable with many of their number, particularly the hulking Teg'Ramm and the aura of death around Voldemort.
"Still, we have much to prepare, and perhaps you could be of assistance to us Garona," Nobu'tan said, beckoning her to join them at the massive strategy table, whereupon a map of the world was laid.
"With our needs in the north take care of, for now," Nobu'tan started, eyes flitting toward the Forest Trolls, "we need to focus on fortifying our holdings, just in case either Kalimdor's Horde or the Alliance decide to strike while the iron is supposed to be hot."
"I doubt that the Alliance will be eager to engage us," Yaxley said, pointing toward Stormwind, "They have had no reason to seek aggression with us, and since you eliminated most of the raids on their lands, they have something akin to a truce that couldn't be more wanted in their lands."
"The other Horde however," Blaise added, "still has much to hate regarding our choice of lands, not to mention our large bastion on Kalimdor…"
"Which reminds me," Nobu'tan said, tapping his chin, "We ought to check up on Theodore before long, and make certain that everything is proceeding well…"
As if conjured by the mention of the other Black Harvest member, an eye of Kil'rogg appeared, hovering around Nobu'tan until the Grand Warlock siphoned the magic from it, seeing what message was being sent.
"What is it?" Yaxley asked, even as Nobu'tan face fell into a scowl.
"That ignorant fool!" the Stormreaver Chieftain roared, flinging a burst of flame out into the open sky. "He's picked a fight with the Horde, attacking one of their cities even as we were dealing with the Scourge!"
Blaise was about to try and get more information, but the wooden staff in Nobu'tan hand flared with power, and in a thunderous cracking sound, Nobu'tan apparated from their midst.
"Where did the runt find the Guardian's staff?" Garona asked casually. Everyone looked at her for a moment, surprised that she seemed so calm in the midst of the current events.
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Tyrande knew that they would make quick work of the rest of the Dark Horde filth, and indeed by the time the combined Night Elf and Horde force turned back toward Desolace, their enemies were in full retreat.
"Onward warriors! For Kalimdor!" she cried, leading the way for the surge of nightsaber-riding Night Elves, and the warriors of the Horde that followed on foot. Elune might be a Goddess of peace, but even She had a darker side, and Tyrande knew this destructive warrior mentality more than most of her fellow priestess.
Somehow, the Horde warriors understood this deep strength, and while there would be no true peace between her people and these people who perpetrated the death of Cenarius and the destruction of Ashenvale, she could respect their honor among each other and the strength they had to fight for what they believed.
The heaped walls of dirt and stone that now marked the separation between Desolace and Stonetalon loomed nearer, and beyond it Thunderaxe Fortress rose over the cliffs. Tyrande kicked Ash'alah faster, pulling away from even her fellow warriors, speeding toward the lands of their enemies, even as a mighty beam of Fel green energy bloomed from the far off fortress.
"What new trickery of the Legion is this?" Thrall said, catching up to Tyrande a moment later, the Warchief's wolf panting with the pace they had gone through to keep up with her.
"I do not know," Tyrande admitted, "but we have little choice but to find out the truth…"
Foraging ahead, they grew more cautious as the crossed the dying land toward the hulking fortress that was the Dark Horde's hub of power in this region.
"Get on top of those walls, and open the gate!" Tyrande said, turning to the joined army. Sentinels, as well as many Horde trolls charged forward, effortless scaling the walls and disappearing into the fortress.
"You command over the loyalty of your people is admirable," Thrall said, waiting beside the High Priestess, along with Chieftain Bloodhoof.
"It comes with thousands of years of diligent effort, and countless wars that I would never wish to relive…" Tyrande replied absently, thinking momentarily of the innumerable lives lost in her long memory.
"I am truly sorry for what part the Horde has had in recent days…" Thrall commented, but just then the gates of the fortress started to open, and Tyrande called for her archers to advance into the fortress.
Whatever Tyrande thought to encounter inside the demon stronghold, a full magical firefight was not it. Three figures were engaged in a powerful confrontation in the center of the fortress, spells and Fel energy flying in all directions.
"What is this?" she asked aloud in confusion, even as the Warchief approached.
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Nobu'tan would suffer no more of this.
From the moment he appeared in Thunderaxe Fortress, he sensed the presence of a higher ranking member of the Legion. He had stormed to the location where the demon lay hidden, and to his rage found Theodore Nott learning at the knee of a Dreadlord of the Legion.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Nobu'tan roared, his power flowing from him in torrents, attracting the attention of his wayward servant and the demon.
"Ah, Lord Nobu'tan, you've come at last," Nott said, turning to face him with a sickening smirk on his face. "Are you pleased with what I have accomplished? We control all of Desolace, and have made excellent pushes into our enemy's holdings…"
"You've doomed this entire expedition!" Nobu'tan yelled back, "The Horde and others are marching on your gates!" You've been deluded by this creature into a heightened sense of your own power and greatness!"
"I have been given all manner of power!" Nott retorted. "I am the Master of the Great Secret! I am Mahan, and even you will bow before my might!"
Nobu'tan grew silent and cold, understanding exactly what had happened. Looking at the Nathrezim, the Grand Warlock could see through the subtle glances and smirks of pleasure that the demon was who led here, and it was the source of all the disharmony.
"I will show you what power looks like, then…" Nobu'tan said, allowing chaotic magic to surge from his hands.
"You may try!" Nott shouted back, already conjuring blasts of Fel magic to hurl at the leader of the Black Harvest.
