Two years had gone by since the Orcish Horde destroyed Stormwind. Since then, the remaining human kingdoms prepared for war. They united as the Alliance of Lordaeron and formed one of the largest armies at the time to rival the force of their invaders. The elves answered the call to battle to fulfill their oath and the Order of the Silver Hand was formed so that paladins could call upon the Light to battle the orcs.
However, the orcs weren't idle in their victory. Under Warchief Doomhammer, the Orcish Horde pressed on to Khaz Modan, and after a fierce campaign, kept the dwarves and gnomes confined to their strongholds. With the aid of the goblins, the orcs constructed their own fleet to launch an invasion on the northern kingdoms with a daring plan to bypass the Thandol Span and strike at the heart of the Alliance of Lordaeron.
The two fleets would collide at Zul'dare, an island occupied by the kingdom of Kul Tiras. Admiral Daelin Proudmoore intended to stop the Orcish Horde before their fleet could land at the Hillsbrad Foothills. The Curiosity sailed along with the Kul Tiran fleet. Some of the sailors were confident in an easy victory while others were hesitant of what the orcs had planned.
Gerome, Doyle, Colben, and Lorad would be among the first to see the tricks that the Orcish Horde had prepared for the opening battle of the Second War.
"This is madness! We should have crossed that damn bridge than risk our lives at sea!"
"Give it a rest, Brak'thur," Ruvas told Brak'thur with a frown. "Warchief Doomhammer decreed that we would attack by sea and we will follow his command no matter what."
Brak'thur, a scout of the Black Tooth Grin Clan, turned away from looking at the sea to face Ruvas with his jaw dropped in shock, showing a missing tooth. Ruvas went out of his way to bring warriors from all clans under his command to help build a sense of unity between the orcs. Brak'thur stood out from the rest of his clan due to his reputation. Although he was quite successful as a scout and cunning in his own way, there were rumors that Brak'thur was a cowardly warrior who fled from battle constantly to save his own life. Ruvas could see that the rumors were true now that the scout was panicking on a ship surrounded by the sea with no chance to escape. Even if Brak'thur was far from honorable, Ruvas needed a scout that could find out the enemy's weakness and get back to him with the information. If doing so was possible through working with a known coward, then so be it.
"This is not how we were meant to fight," Brak'thur continued to raise his objections. "There is no honor to be found in a death at sea, only pain when all that fills our lungs is water."
"What I'm hearing is that you've never learned to swim," another orc said with a laugh.
When Ruvas was given permission to assemble the warriors under his command, Tekana Lonewatch was one of the first orcs he sought to recruit. Tekana was a huntress of the Bleeding Hollow that saved Ruvas during the march across Khaz Modan after an avalanche. He felt that he owed a debt to the huntress and was glad when she accepted his offer to serve under him. She had a grim sense of humor that put the others she fought with on edge and was confident in battle. Tekana was skilled in melee with her spear but was more deadly with her bow, having shot down dozens of warriors during the war against Stormwind.
"I know how to swim when the water is calm," Brak'thur snapped at Tekana. "Do you think that the water will be still as a battle rages on? It won't!"
"Then don't fall into the water," Tekana told Brak'thur with an easygoing grin.
"And should this ship sink?" Brak'thur argued and glanced at Ruvas. "You should be the one most concerned with that. You'll sink to the bottom of the sea wearing that armor of yours, and this time, there'll be no one to save you."
"I'm not worried about that," Ruvas admitted with a shrug. "I may not care much for the mercenary nature of our new allies but I'll admit that they know how to sail a ship better than any of us."
Ruvas glanced at the goblins that served as the ship's crew that were hard at work. The goblins weren't much in a fight but their knowledge was valuable. They had helped with outfitting the orcish fleet with armor and weaponry to give them a fighting chance against their enemy. The goblins might not have been loyal to the Horde's cause but they were well paid. They would see to it that the invasion fleet made it to their destination even if the humans tried to stop them.
The goblins aboard this ship were led by Velkiz Sparkfuse, who stood at his station at the ship's helm. Ruvas hadn't talked much with the captain of the ship and they only had a brief conversation before setting sail. They had an understanding of the chain of command, and while Ruvas was technically in charge, he deferred command to Velkiz as long as they were at sea. During their brief talk, Ruvas had learned that Velkiz wanted the gold offered by Warchief Doomhammer for his services less for himself and more for his children. Although their ways were different, he could respect Velkiz for wanting to look out for his family.
As his thoughts turned to family, Ruvas turned away from Brak'thur and Tekana to hide his anger from them. It was difficult to think of family remembering the man who took the life of his son. Although Ruvas was determined to focus on the war instead of revenge, part of him wanted to hunt down Gerome and avenge Kutarg. It was very unlikely that the two would meet on any battlefield, and for all he knew, Gerome might have died trying to make it back to civilization. He shook his head, trying to convince himself that by destroying the remaining human kingdoms, Ruvas would have justice for his son's murder.
"Ships on the horizon!" Tekana called out.
"I see 'em!" Velkiz shouted back as the ship turned. "Everyone, brace for battle!"
Ruvas turned to the bow of the ship and spotted the silhouettes of ships in the distance. He closed his eyes briefly, recalling what Gerome told him during the last time they spoke.
"...there's an island nation, the kingdom of Kul Tiras. Under the command of the Lord Admiral are the strongest fleets on Azeroth."
"And of the other kingdoms?"
"It doesn't matter. The Horde won't be able to get past the fleets of Kul Tiras."
Gerome had been confident that the Horde wouldn't be able to overcome Kul Tiras and the fleets it commanded. However, he had also told Ruvas that the Horde wouldn't be able to defeat the dwarves, and while they hadn't breached the gates of Ironforge, Khaz Modan belonged to the orcs. Ruvas figured that the humans were confident in their naval superiority that they would do whatever they could to catch the orcs at sea.
Ruvas smirked to himself. The humans' confidence would be their downfall in the coming battle, especially considering the secret weapon Warchief Doomhammer planned to use to ensure the orcish fleet made it to land. He looked forward to seeing the enemy fleet burnt to cinders.
"We're approaching the enemy fleet!" Darin called out from the crow's nest.
Gerome did his best to stay out of the crew's way now that battle was getting closer. Several sailors were preparing the cannons for the approaching battle with a few unlucky men sent below deck to help the dwarves bring their gryphons out from below deck. From the helm, Doyle shouted orders to the crew with Kelvin and Colben by his side, anticipating combat. Dark clouds formed above the sky with thunder sounding off from afar. Although Gerome had witnessed the power of a storm at sea before, he knew that the sailors of Kul Tiras were competent when it came to their work and that they would keep the ships afloat.
After avoiding a trio of sailors rushing towards another part of The Curiosity, Gerome found himself at the port side of the ship with Zaralina, who was also staying out of the crew's way. She had her bow out and held onto it tightly while gazing out toward the sea. Gerome looked in the direction the elf did and took notice of the orcish fleet. The fleets were getting closer in preparation for battle, and although the Horde's ships were seaworthy, there were some ships that looked to be in rougher shape. Gerome wasn't an experienced sailor but even he knew that the Kul Tiran ships were better crafted than what the orcs had to offer.
Even though Gerome could see that the Alliance had the superior fleet, he couldn't help but worry about what the orcs had planned.
"This is it," Zaralina said, glancing towards Gerome. "Did you ever think that the orcs would build their own ships?"
"One of my captors suggested that they could but I warned them that they would be outmatched by the fleets of Kul Tiras," Gerome answered, keeping his attention on the fleet. "It surprises me how much they were able to get done in such a short amount of time."
"They had help," Evan said, approaching the pair with a spyglass in hand. "Captain Varlais wanted me to show you what we spotted, Sergeant Major."
Gerome took the offered spyglass and turned back to the sea. He pressed the spyglass to his left eye and focused on the orc fleet. Aboard one ship, Gerome spotted several orcish warriors readying themselves for battle. After several seconds, he realized that the orcs weren't alone as the goblin served as the crew of the ship they were on. Gerome frowned, having never thought that the orcs would resort to working with others other than the few ogres he saw while he was a prisoner of war. The orcs continuing to change their tactics convinced him that this battle would not be an easy one to win.
"Goblins," Gerome muttered under his breath as he lowered the spyglass.
"Goblins?" Zaralina questioned. "That's certainly surprising."
"Indeed it is," Gerome said, handing the spyglass to Zaralina for her to see. "What does Captain Varlais make of this?"
"He's worried that the goblins may have supplied the orcs with weapons but recognizes that their fleet is inferior to ours," Evan explained. "Admiral Proudmoore likely knows of the goblins by now but he hasn't called for a change in plan."
"I still have a bad feeling about this," Gerome said quietly.
"You didn't speak of such feelings during the meeting," Zaralina commented as she handed the spyglass back to Evan.
"Captain Varlais reassured me that he felt confident about our victory today," Gerome explained. "That was before we found out that the orcs were working with goblins."
"In hindsight, we should have realized that the orcs wouldn't need the gold they took from sacking Stormwind," Evan frowned. "Between the three of us, Captain Varlais is worried now but lacks the authority to change our plan now that the enemy is before us. He wanted me to check with you, Sergeant Major, to relay your thoughts to him. He's open to your advice."
Gerome nodded, taking a moment to think over what to say. "Tell Captain Varlais that I believe we shouldn't underestimate the orcs, that they've changed since the time I escaped from their camps. I understand that calling off the battle isn't an option now but I urge caution nonetheless."
"Duly noted," Evan saluted and made his way back to the helm.
"I know there's a lot going on but we're going to make it through this battle," Zaralina told Gerome in a reassuring tone. "The orcs paying off the goblins isn't going to be enough for them to win this battle, not with how united the Alliance of Lordaeron is."
"I hope you're right, Lieutenant Windbell," Gerome sighed and turned to face the sea. "I'm surprised by how confident you are."
"It helps that I have a better idea of what we're facing," Zaralina explained, stepping next to Gerome. "Thank you for telling me about the orcs, Sergeant Major Derrington. Even though the orcs have changed their tactics greatly, the information you've gathered is important. I'm sure you'll find plenty of chances to put it to good use."
Gerome nodded quietly, and although he was glad to hear that Zaralina appreciated what he told her about the orcs, he wasn't sure if his knowledge was useful. The orcs had changed over the years and he was worried that what he reported on them was no longer accurate. Gerome didn't think that he was an expert on orcs like Kelvin said he was, and now that the orcs had assembled a fleet with a goblin crew, he felt that he knew less about the orcs than what others thought. For now, he thought of himself as nothing more than a glorified translator who didn't deserve to stand out among the other soldiers in the Seventh Company.
A gryphon's screech caught Gerome's attention as he turned towards the main deck. Lorad and his dwarves had gotten their gryphons out from the cargo hold and were saddling them in preparation for battle. Although there were only three gryphon riders, they would play a huge role in the battle. The orcs had ships, but aside from archers, they didn't have a lot of options to take down an enemy flying through the sky at high speeds. None of the Alliance's scouts had reported that the Horde had an aerial force so Lorad and his gryphon riders would fly uncontested. The orcs might have a plan for fighting the fleet of Kul Tiras but they would be in for a surprise against gryphon riders.
Gerome felt a little more at ease after seeing Lorad and his companions take to the sky on their gryphons. The battle wouldn't be easy to win but the Alliance of Lordaeron still held the advantage over their enemy.
With the gryphons in the air, Gerome spotted several sailors meeting with Cheryl, the quartermaster of The Curiosity. She was handing out swords and crossbows for the crew to fight with. Gerome had brought a pair of hand axes that he kept holstered at the side but realized that he wouldn't be able to do much unless there was any kind of boarding. He made his way over to the sailors and grabbed a crossbow and a quiver of crossbolts. Cheryl nodded in Gerome's direction, approving of him taking a ranged weapon, and he made his way back to join Zaralina. A light sprinkle of rain started to fall and Gerome had a feeling that the storm would continue to grow during the battle.
"I can't say I'm much of a marksman but at least I was trained with the crossbow," Gerome commented as he loaded his crossbow with a bolt. "You'll probably end up killing more orcs than I will."
"It'll be difficult with this storm," Zaralina admitted and nocked an arrow on her bow. "I've never fought aboard a ship as well, and with the way the sea moves underneath, it's going to be difficult to be accurate."
"It'll be the cannons that'll handle most of the work," Gerome said. "Even then, I'm not going to stand around the ship and do nothing."
"You and me both," Zaralina nodded with a smile.
The rain started to pick up and Gerome glanced up. He could see Darin waving around two flags, communicating with the other ships in the fleet. Gerome and Zaralina grabbed onto the ledge when the ship turned and found themselves on the side facing the orcish fleet. The Kul Tiran fleet was assuming an attack formation to bombard the Horde's fleet, which was uncoordinated. Several of the orcs' ships spun around to fire at their enemy while others continued sailing forward. Once again, Gerome was reminded that even though the orcs had ships, they and the goblins weren't as skilled as the sailors of Kul Tiras when it came to sailing.
Darin brought down both flags and Evan relayed the command to the crew of The Curiosity.
"FIRE!"
The Kul Tiran fleet launched a barrage of cannon shots on the Horde's fleet with the combined effort tearing through multiple orcish ships. The orcs tried to fire back with what cannons the goblins provided them but they lacked the coordination their enemy had. None of their shots came close to striking the ship Gerome was on and he could see the closest ship that was struck still remained afloat. Meanwhile, several of the Horde's ships were sinking along with the orcs and goblins aboard. Seeing the destruction gave Gerome hope that they could emerge from this battle as the victor and take back Stormwind.
Gerome fired his crossbow along with Zaralina and several of the sailors not attending to the cannons. He couldn't tell if his shots hit anything, and even though he wasn't making much of a difference, he was still doing his part in the battle. Another cannon bombardment tore through the orc fleet and the few ships the Horde sent to ram the Kul Tiran ships were avoided by the helmsmen at each ship. The Alliance of Lordaeron would surely win this battle thanks to their naval superiority.
The storm continued to grow more powerful but Gerome could make out Lorad and his gryphon riders flying through the dark skies. They threw their stormhammers down on the decks of orcish ships not exposed to cannonfire. The thunderclap from the magical hammers struck several warriors and cracked the wooden decks of the ship before flying back to their respective wielder's hands. What few archers and sorcerers the Horde had were unable to fight back against the gryphon riders between the gryphons' speed and the fierce winds throwing arrows and spells alike off aim.
Gerome reloaded his crossbow when he heard a horn echo throughout the battle. He blinked twice, realizing that the sound came from the orcish fleet. He frowned, recognizing that the sound wasn't a call for retreat, and lowered his crossbow while he looked across the opposing fleet for what they had planned. Gerome couldn't make out what the orcs had planned other than that their ships were trying to put distance away from their enemy. Zaralina glanced at him while firing another arrow toward the enemy.
"Is something the matter?" Zaralina asked. "They're retreating."
"That wasn't a call for a retreat," Gerome answered back, his eyes looking around his surroundings. "Something's happening."
Zaralina nodded and joined Gerome in looking out for what the orcs were up to. There wasn't anything happening with their ships, and instinctively, Gerome turned to look at where the mainland was. If the orcs had any secret weapon up their sleeves, it would have to come from their port. Although he didn't see anything, he took notice of dark shapes in the sky to his right. At first, Gerome thought that they were more storm clouds, but they were moving toward the battle and quickly at that. He blinked several times to make out the shapes, trying to convince himself that the Horde didn't have any aerial forces.
Before Gerome could call out a warning, the dark silhouettes emerge from the clouds, revealing a trio of fearsome beasts. He dropped his crossbow and looked in awe at the new arrivals, taking in their red scales, immense size, and their wings. He heard stories of dragons but never thought to see one himself. His eyes widened when the three dragons broke apart from one another and flew directly toward the Kul Tiran Fleet.
"Dragons!" Gerome called out.
Before the sailors aboard The Curiosity could react to his warning, one of the dragons opened its jaws and breathed fire upon the Alliance's ships. Gerome and Zaralina ducked instinctively as the dragon passed over their ship. Although the flames didn't reach the deck and most of the sailors were spared, the sails of The Curiosity were set aflame. Darin had nowhere to run from the crow's nest and he screamed loudly as he burned. The young lookout threw himself off the ship and his screaming fell silent as the ocean claimed him.
Lorad recalled the stories his uncle told him about the dragons of Azeroth. Uruair told him that although dragons were dangerous, the red dragons were responsible for protecting life across Azeroth. Uruair told him that most dragons would leave someone be unless provoked except for a black dragon, a corrupted dragon that sought only chaos. Lorad enjoyed the stories his uncle shared but never thought that he would ever see a dragon for himself.
Now that he had witnessed red dragons burn the humans' ships, Lorad wasn't sure how true his uncle's stories were. The orcs had taken losses in the opening of the battle, but with the arrival of the dragons seemingly in their favor, they held an advantage over the Alliance of Lordaeron. Lorad knew that he and his gryphon riders couldn't compare to the might of a dragon. Their stormhammers weren't as powerful as the flames that tore apart the Kul Tiran fleet.
Lorad gasped when he caught a quick glimpse of someone on top of the dragon. He frowned, realizing that the orcs must have tamed the dragons to ride into battle. Keldirn and Roldark flew in formation by Lorad, giving the three riders to shout out their plan over the storm they flew through.
"If the Alliance is going to win this battle, we need to take out those dragons!" Lorad called out.
"Are you insane?!" Keldirn gasped. "They're dragons! What can we do to them?!"
"What else can we do?!" Roldark shouted to Keldirn. "We can't abandon the humans!"
"Stick with me!" Lorad told the two. "We stay together, focus on one of the dragons, and bring it down! Let's do this!"
Lorad guided Silvertail toward one of the dragons with Keldrin and Roldark flying behind him. They had a difficult challenge ahead of them but they did have their advantages. Their gryphons were smaller and more likely to avoid the dragon's flames. The orcs were bound to be inexperienced riders with dragons and Lorad felt that he, Keldirn, and Roldark could outmaneuver them with ease given their experience with flying. It wouldn't be easy, but with their coordination, the three dwarves might have what it took to bring down a dragon.
The gryphon riders threw their stormhammers at the dragons. Their attacks struck true and the thunder echoed loudly throughout the storm but the dragon roared out in anger more than it did in pain. Lorad caught his stormhammer in time to see the dragon turn toward him and his riders, picking the trio out for its next target. Lorad whistled sharply and broke formation. Together with Keldrin and Roldark, they would fly around the dragon, attacking from different angles to avoid having all of them caught in its fiery breath. Lorad threw his stormhammer again, catching the dragon by the wing, but he started to realize that going on the attack wasn't the best plan with how durable the mighty creature was.
The battle raged on and Lorad quickly realized that he had underestimated the dragon. When Roldark tried to dive underneath the dragon to avoid a blast of fire from its jaws, the dragon reacted quickly to the maneuver. The dragon's claws snatched Roldark and his gryphon out of the sky and Lorad turned away when he heard Roldark scream out in agony as the dragon made quick work of him with sharp talons. Keldirn let out a violent shout and directed his gryphon to fly after the dragon in a head on attack. Lorad shouted out an order for Keldirn to stand down but his words fell on deaf ears as Keldirn intended to avenge his friend. The dragon saw him coming and let out a blast of fire. Keldirn's scream turned into pain as he and his gryphon crashed into the sea.
Lorad blinked twice, realizing that he and Silvertail were alone and that they didn't stand a chance against the dragon.
Without much choice, Lorad directed Silvertail to fly away from the dragon at full speed. The dragon chased after them and the dwarf had to look over his shoulder to keep an eye on the dragon. Fortunately, he could predict the dragon's move accurately, and with his hands on Silvertail's reins, was able to direct his gryphon to avoid the dragon's attack. Lorad knew he was stalling and that the dragon would eventually kill him and Silvertail. It was only a matter of time before he slipped up and the dragon took advantage of his mistake. Lorad pressed on with his plan, doing what he could to keep the dragon's attention on him instead of the human ships below.
"The ships," Lorad gasped before breaking out into laughter. "Aye. That'll work!"
Lorad loosened his reins on Silvertail and the gryphon dove down toward the sea. The dragon gave chase, flying after its prey. Lorad didn't look behind him, focused on keeping an eye where he was going, but he could feel the heat of the dragon's fiery breath approach. Timing his maneuver perfectly, Lorad pulled up before crashing down into the sea, flying to the left and avoiding the flames. The dragon didn't crash into the water, but given its size, it struggled to catch itself. Lorad grinned, knowing that he had the advantage again.
The dragon pursued after Lorad but they were no longer in the open sky. They flew much lower among the battling ships that served as obstacles. Given Silvertail's smaller size and his own experience at flying, Lorad was able to maneuver his way through the chaos of the battle. He was careful to choose which ships he flew over, preferring to fly over the orcish ships than that of his allies. His decision paid off when the dragon that hunted him breathed flames, and while Silvertail flew away just in time, the fire spread across a crew of orcs and goblins. From then on, the orc riding the dragon knew better than to have his mount breath fire.
Lorad led his pursuer on a short chase before coming up with an idea to escape. He picked out an orcish ship that was mostly intact and flew toward it. He looked over his shoulder to see the dragon continue to fly after him. Lorad imagined that this fight was personal for the orc chasing him and looked forward to humiliating him. He directed Silvertail to fly over the ship, skimming by a large rope rigging. The dragon rider realized what Lorad had planned too late as the dragon collided with the rope rigging and became entangled. Lorad burst out into laughter, unable to believe that he was able to escape.
Silvertail let out a warning screech and Lorad looked around to see what his gryphon had spotted. In his haste to outmaneuver the dragon that chased him, he didn't realize that another red dragon was flying at him to his right, coming in from the open sea. He tried to pull Silvertail's reins to fly up but it was too late as the dragon crashed into him. Since the dragon faced orcish ships, it didn't let out fire, but its teeth clamped down on Silvertail with ease. Lorad was spared from the bite but he could tell by Silvertail's pained cries that his faithful companion wouldn't survive the battle.
Lorad gritted his teeth, determined to avenge Silvertail. He unhooked his feet from the saddle, careful not to fall into the sea below, and jumped up. He grabbed onto the dragon's scales with one hand and was fortunate enough to be on the dragon's upper jaw, meaning that he wasn't at risk of being burnt alive. Lorad focused on his hand, encasing it in stone to give him the strength he needed to hold onto the dragon despite its flight. The orc riding the dragon looked in shock that his foe had survived and reached for a spear across his back.
With little time to spare, Lorad had to act. His free hand held onto his stormhammer and he threw it up to the orc. However, by sheer luck, the orc moved at the right time so that the stormhammer flew past him. Lorad cursed under his breath, knowing his stormhammer wasn't going to come back to his hand, and shifted his body to the side when the orc drove his spear downward. With only one weapon left, Lorad pulled his rifle out. It was difficult to aim with one hand while holding onto the dragon but the orc looked on at the dwarf, confused by the item he held. This gave Lorad the time he needed to line up his shot so that he could pull his rifle's trigger.
The bullet ripped into the orc's chest and he fell from the dragon into the sea.
"That's for Silvertail, you bastard."
Lorad felt the stone around his hand holding onto the dragon scales fade away and knew that he had little time left. He glanced down to see that he wasn't too far up above the water, and while the fall would hurt, it wouldn't kill him. With a deep breath, Lorad let go of the dragon and fell down, crashing into the sea that threatened to consume him under harsh waves.
Gerome couldn't take his eyes off of the dragons. The Curiosity didn't suffer another attack, likely because the ship was already on fire, but the same couldn't be said for the rest of the Kul Tiran fleet. He and Zaralina could only watch in horror as their flames claimed more lives and turned the battle in the Horde's favor. Although Gerome held onto his crossbow and Zaralina her bow, they didn't try taking a shot at the dragons like others. They realized that even if they could land a shot on a dragon as it soared through the stormy sky, it wouldn't be enough to kill a dragon.
The only hope that the Alliance of Lordaeron could defeat the dragons rested with Lorad and his gryphon riders. Unfortunately, two of the riders were killed by one dragon, and while Lorad put up an excellent chase, he had been caught off guard by another dragon. Gerome and Zaralina caught sight of Lorad's final stand, seeing him shoot down the dragon rider before falling into the sea. The dragon let out a roar and flew away from the battle. Gerome looked out after the dragon, and while he was pleased to see that it wasn't going after the ships, there was no stopping the remaining two dragons.
"I can't believe Lorad pulled that off," Zaralina commented, drawing Gerome's attention. "Can he swim?"
"Maybe," Gerome answered, his eyes scanning the wild sea. "I don't think anyone can swim in this…"
There was plenty of debris, corpses, and drowning sailors in the sea. If they hadn't seen where Lorad had fallen, they would have spent too much time searching for Lorad. As it so happened, they were able to fight the dwarf around the spot where he landed, accounting for the direction the waves would have carried him. Lorad fought desperately against the waves, trying to keep his head above water, but he wasn't as strong of a swimmer as the Kul Tiran sailors. It was only a matter of time before he could swim no longer and the sea would claim him.
"He's not going to make it," Zaralina muttered quietly, heard only by Gerome.
Gerome nodded in agreement but realized that Lorad might be able to survive if he had help. He looked around the ship, trying to see if there was anyone that might be able to help the dwarf. Doyle had given control of the helm to Evan and channeled a cold burst of wind towards the sails that were set aflame. Several other sailors were trying to put out scattered flames or carrying the injured away. Kelvin was trying to coordinate a defensive formation for a sinking orcish ship that threatened to board The Curiosity. Gerome realized that he should have joined the sailors to defend the ship but he remembered what it was like to be lost at sea, on the verge of drowning. He knew that he couldn't save every drowning sailor from that fate but he would do what he could to save Lorad.
Gerome spotted a long coil of rope that wasn't tied to anything and was away from the fire. Leaping into action, he dropped his crossbow and rushed over to grab the rope. Zaralina watched him in confusion until she saw him run back to her while tying one end of the rope around his waist. It was rough work but it would get the job done as he made his way over to the railing.
"I'm going after him," Gerome told the elf, throwing the other end of the rope to her.
"Are you crazy?!" Zaralina gasped although she caught the rope. "You'll get yourself killed!"
"If I can survive being at sea for days on a raft I made myself, I can survive swimming through this long enough to save Lorad."
Not waiting to hear Zaralina's response, Gerome grabbed hold of the railing and lifted himself over it to throw himself into the sea.
The cold water surrounded Gerome for a few seconds before he swam up, breaking through the surface of the sea. He was a better swimmer than most gave him credit for, having been drilled on how to swim effectively when he enlisted in the military as a recruit years ago. Of course, that training had taken place in still water and not during a raging battle. The waves crashed down against him, but each time he went underwater, he swam back up and took a deep breath. He was fortunate enough to be wearing leather armor as anything heavier would likely mean he would die. Gerome pushed himself, swimming closer to Lorad with each passing minute.
Finally, Gerome made it to Lorad in time to see him sink beneath a wave. Gerome dived down after the dwarf, and while he was exhausted, he refused to give up on Lorad when he had come so close. He grabbed hold of Lorad, wrapping an arm around his chest, and started to swim up. Gerome realized he made a mistake in thinking that because Lorad was short he was light. In reality, the dwarf was bulky and weighed heavily. If he hadn't been wearing leather armor as well, it may have been impossible to carry him.
Gerome and Lorad made it up from underwater and each took in a breath of fresh air. They looked around while swimming, although they were growing exhausted as time went by. Gerome swam after The Curiosity, relying on the rope to guide him to the ship, but he wasn't sure if he could make it on his own. He could only hope that Zaralina would be able to help with the end of the rope he gave her.
Ruvas cut down another foolish human that dared to cross his path with his halberd. One of the burning human ships had rammed into the ship he was on and the sailors jumped over, abandoning their ship for a last chance of survival. Ruvas led his warriors against the humans, striking them down before they could get a chance to get into formation. Tekana kept her distance, firing into the crowd with her bow, while Brak'thur fought alongside Ruvas, taking advantage of any opening he could find with his axe. Even Velkiz found himself drawn into the conflict, shooting down any human that charged at the helm with a pistol that he carried.
The humans made a mistake of underestimating the might of the Horde. Warchief Doomhammer would have never risked an attack by sea unless he was certain that they could defeat the human fleet. Ruvas had learned about the dragons before setting sail and was confident that they would ensure the Horde's victory and allow them to continue with their invasion. They had lost several ships to lure the humans into a false sense of security but it had been worth it to see the burning vessels.
Another human charged at Ruvas, his sword raised high as he screamed out. Ruvas struck the man down with ease, driving his halberd into the sailor before throwing the corpse overboard. It was during that maneuver that he caught a glimpse of something familiar in the sea. He almost thought that his eyes were playing a trick on him until he took a break in the battle to look out at sea. It took Ruvas several seconds before he spotted a familiar enemy.
As Ruvas had thought, Gerome had made it back to the other kingdoms only to find himself at the mercy of the sea.
Ruvas grinned. Gerome was vulnerable and it would be easy to ensure that his son's killer had been killed. All it would take was one arrow from Takana to put him down for good. It certainly would have been what Kutarg would have wanted for Ruvas to do.
It was only when Ruvas spotted Gerome carrying another man that he hesitated. He had thought that his son's killer had fallen overboard or went down with his ship. Instead, Ruvas realized that Gerome had chosen to risk his life to save the life of another. A part of him had respected Gerome for how he preserved during his time as a prisoner of war, and while Ruvas knew the man had killed his son, he had to admit that his actions in trying to save another life were honorable.
Ruvas grunted, turning back to see a few human warriors still aboard his ship. He couldn't risk having Tekana waste an arrow on Gerome if there were orcs in danger during the battle. Ruvas reasoned that the sea was already Gerome's enemy at the moment and that it wouldn't make too much of a difference if he tried to have him killed. If it turned out that Gerome survived impossible odds again, Ruvas wouldn't show mercy again.
Colben had hoped for a chance for action when he decided to go against his orders to join the fleet. He couldn't stand the thought of joining the Alliance of Lordaeron only to let Kul Tiras end the war without a chance to fight against the orcs. It was humiliating that he had to serve as Kelvin's bodyguard, a glorified position to explain his presence on the ship, to make it this far, but when the orcs started to board The Curiosity, determined to survive, he knew that it had been worth it. Colben met their charge with his sword in hand, ready to see how the orcs held up in a battle.
The orcs were strong but they were desperate. The orcs could only survive if they could claim the human ships. Their need to survive pushed them to fight harder than they had before but left them vulnerable as they took risks. Colben had cut down several orcish warriors that had left themselves open, laughing as his sword drew their blood. The orcs were strong but he had yet to be impressed with what they were capable of. It was the dragons that were doing the heavy work for the orcs to win this battle.
The sailors that Colben fought alongside knew how to handle a cutlass but several of them had been cut down by the orcs in their frenzy. The orcs pushed the sailors back, and while Colben wanted to hold his ground, it was only when Kelvin shouted for him to fall back further along the main deck that he did so, cutting off an orc's arm before backing away. He wasn't the type to follow orders but he respected Kelvin. Many of the knights he met while with Darvell were too honorable to genuinely threaten someone for insubordination. The gnome had guts and Colben believed that he made for a better fighter than he let on. It was only a matter of time for seeing what Kelvin was truly capable of.
The battle turned back in their favor when Doyle had finally put out the flames threatening the ship and turned his magic against the orcs. The captain conjured shards of ice to launch at the orcs with precision, piercing through their chests with ease. Seeing their captain in battle was enough to motivate the sailors of the ship to fight harder and they fought harder against the orcs. Colben backed away from the fighting, realizing that there was something missing about the battle.
Colben spotted Zaralina by the edge of The Curiosity, holding onto a rope that had been tied down to the railing rather than taking up her bow against the orcs. A trio of sailors stood in a defensive formation around her, fighting back against the orcs. Someone must have gone overboard and Colben wondered who it was that she would want to save instead of fighting. He decided to find out for himself and made his way over to her. He shouted out a warning toward one of the orcs, and when the warrior turned to face him, Colben ran his sword through the orc. Colben didn't care much for honorable fighting but even he drew the line at stabbing a warrior standing his ground from behind.
Colben's arrival was enough to give the band of sailors a chance to finish off the orcs. They went off to fight elsewhere, leaving Colben a chance to speak with Zaralina.
"What is it you think you're doing?! We're being boarded!"
"Gerome jumped in to save Lorad!" Zaralina told Colben through her gritted teeth as she pulled against the rope. "Damn it! I'm not strong enough to pull them both up!"
"You probably should have asked those sailors for help!"
Zaralina looked over her shoulder at Colben with a glare. "Are you going to stand there useless or are you going to help me?!"
Colben rolled his eyes. He would have left Zaralina holding the rope alone for insulting him but he recalled that Kelvin had thought highly of Gerome. Lorad was unfamiliar to him but he had heard that the dwarf was the son of someone important. With a shrug, Colben sheathed his sword and stepped forward to grab the rope along with Zaralina. The weight on the other end was heavy, but working together, the two were able to pull the drowning men up.
When Gerome and Lorad grabbed onto the edge, out of breath, Zaralina grabbed Gerome by the hands to help him up onto the ship. Colben grabbed Lorad by the shoulders and did the same only to hear a brutal shout. He turned in time to see one of the few remaining orcs had broken free from the sailors to charge at them, seeing their vulnerability as a chance to strike them down. Colben reached for his sword's hilt but a gunshot rang out and the orc warrior fell down. It took them several seconds to spot their savior and Colben offered a quick salute to Kelvin, who reloaded his pistol.
Colben stepped up to rejoin Kelvin and Doyle, leaving Zaralina to tend to the exhausted Gerome and Lorad. As the last orc fell, a horn echoed throughout the battle, followed by several other horns. Colben turned to the sky, expecting the arrival of more dragons.
"What are those greenskins planning now?" Colben thought out loud.
"That wasn't the orcs," Doyle told Colben. "That's our fleet's signal to retreat. Evan! Get us out of here!"
"Seriously?" Colben groaned. "The battle was just getting exciting."
"A retreat is necessary because we don't have the resources to take down the Horde's dragons," Kelvin pointed out. "Captain Varlais, where are we due to retreat?"
"The Kul Tiran fleet is to head back to Boralus," Doyle reported.
Kelvin shook his head. "No, that will not do. Take us back to Southshore so that I can assume command of Seventh Company again."
"I suppose we should warn the army waiting in the Hillsbrad Foothills that the Horde is coming and that they have dragons," Doyle nodded in agreement. "I'll set course to head in that direction."
"So much for an easy victory at sea," Colben said with a chuckle. "At least I'll get the chance to see what else the orcs are capable of during the rest of the war…"
Even though the Kul Tiran fleet was capable of outmaneuvering the enemy fleet, the Orcish Horde had been prepared for a battle at sea. Their enslaved dragons were unmatched during the opening battle, and with little chance of defeating them, Admiral Proudmoore called for a retreat. The Kul Tiran fleet sailed away, allowing for the orcs to claim Zul'dare as a staging ground for their invasion of the human kingdoms.
The Orcish Horde had won the first battle of the Second War and the Alliance of Lordaeron learned that their enemy was more capable than they initially believed. Any hopes for a quick war were dashed after the Battle of Zul'dare. The human kingdoms recognized that the orcs were a greater threat than before and that it would take a great effort to defeat them.
The Curiosity sailed back to Southshore to meet up with the Seventh Company, bearing word of Kul Tiras' defeat. Kelvin resumed command of his forces and those that had joined him for the battle returned to their normal positions. Having witnessed the might of the Orcish Horde for himself, Kelvin was determined to do whatever it took to defeat his enemy.
As it so happened, he came up with an idea after hearing of Gerome's brave efforts to save Lorad.
A/N: So, I finished this chapter a couple of days ago on the same day I was supposed to finish packing for a small vacation. I thought that I could upload this chapter when I arrived at my destination, but between all of the activities and some problems with my laptop, I wasn't able to get this chapter online. I apologize for the delay.
This chapter is the first major battle of the story. I wanted to focus on several perspectives across each of the major battles hence why the story jumps around from character to character. I hope that everyone enjoys this as it's something new I'm trying out.
Until next time.