"I respect the opportunity of your highness, but I should be in the battle with you." The Stormwind guard said.
Anduin looked away and shook his head, "It's 'majesty' actually I'm not a prince anymore. You took a risk, you broke the rules, and I know you did it out of ignorance, but you didn't do it to earn my favor and in that you did."
"But that's not fair, there are plenty of soldiers, guards that are more deserving. I've only been living in Stormwind for half a year, been a guard for less."
"Life isn't fair and I'm not giving you what I feel is a special privilege even if you see it as that. OCS (Officer Candidate School) won't be easy, and I'm ordering as your king to come back to Stormwind and to your wife and child as an officer. If you fail or don't want to, I'll rotate you out of the middle guard shift so we can remind friends."
"It would have been an honor to fight by your side, your majesty."
"Then you will, if you pass OCS."
"Then I won't waste this opportunity."
"I'll be seeing you in 14 weeks. Take the griffin to Hearthglen, you're dismissed, Cadet."
Tyrande Whisperwind stormed into the king's quarters and bumped Cadet Stonefield on the shoulder on his way out. "The love poet Blood Elf we had is gone, did you let her out!?" She demanded.
Anduin Wrynn was startled as he was fiddling about with a pear out of some sense of boredom or nervousness and accidentally dropped as he looked at her confused, "How did you…" He spoke but was interrupted.
"Alleria told me." Tyrande claimed.
Anduin stood up and got into Tyrande's face a few inches away, "Where is she?" He said with repressed rage in his voice.
Tyrande looked at Anduin inquisitively, "The blood elf? I thought you could tell me…"
"Not Perfectia!" Anduin interrupted and stood up, "ALLERIA, WHERE IS SHE?!" he yelled.
Tyrande was surprised at Anduin's tone of voice and she leaned back in defense, "She's gone. That woman can teleport at will, almost as if she were a mage."
Anduin put his palm on his forehead and paced back and forth, "No, no, "he chanted. He looked over and Tyrande, "Did you have something to do with her, 'escape'? "he asked.
Tyrande looked at him confused, "No, why would you think I would-"
"DON'T LIE TO ME!" Anduin spit, "You knew what she wrote me, you knew how she felt about me, and you just couldn't stand it could you?" Anduin was trying to keep his composure and was clearly enraged, "So Tyrande, as your king and as your friend." But his tone was not friendly at all, "Where is Perfectia Dawnlight?"
Tyrande looked at him bewildered and somewhat disgusted, "The Horde has already taken so much from me Anduin." She looked down and laughed to herself, "And now a member of the Horde has taken my king's heart?"
Anduin looked away, looked back at her, and nodded his head slightly, "I will find her, and when I do, I will ask her for her hand in marriage." Anduin smiled and shrugged, "and if you don't like it you can go, and take all your people with you, I don't really care." Anduin took some deep breaths and thought back, "But if anything has happened to her, and it can be traced back to you, or Alleria… I WILL FINISH WHAT SYLVANAS STARTED AT TELDRASSIL!"
Fear entered Tyrande's heart as she looked into Anduin's eye's and she couldn't meet them. In that moment the young king of eighteen, made her feel like a scalded child regardless of her thousands of years. She bowed her head and left the king's presence and walked outside to her husband's embrace. "Azeroth isn't safe for us anymore, husband." She said. "We have to make a new home someplace else. That cursed sin'dorei just might be our new queen."
"Good." Malfurion Stormrage said.
Tyrande looked at him in shock, "Did you not hear what Anduin said in there, he'll kill us if his woman isn't brought back, we need to find a new home!"
Malfurion sighed and reached into his inside pockets, "Then it's a good thing Anduin gave me this." He pulled out a waterskin, "That cursed sin'dorei just gave our people some hope. There's more saltwater in here then there is drops from the Well of Eternity but I'm happy that she at least tried."
"She at least tried?" Tyrande said confused, "That woman nearly killed you and burned down our home. You think one small gesture for the crimes she has committed is enough to atone?"
Malfurion shrugged, "You're right. It isn't enough, she does deserve to pay for her crimes, she deserves to possibly die for the things that she has done, but our king. He didn't deserve what you did to him, he deserves to be with the woman he loves, and you're torturing him, you're torturing our king."
Tyrande looked outward and shook her head, "I didn't have anything to do with her escape, but I understand why he would feel the way he does. I overreacted when I found out about their affair." Tyrande looked into Malfurion's eyes, "How did this happen? We've known four wars in our lifetime. The first one was justified by love and nearly destroyed the planet."
"I don't think this is the same thing and I don't think what Queen Azshara felt for Sargeras was actually love, but fear. An unfamiliar feeling for her, but she knew she would be safer behind him then oppose him. We've been at war with the Horde for the past 30 years and the mortal race has changed for better and for worse… I will admit that it was born from a place I didn't expect and blossomed in a second from the few glances that they shared." He shrugged, "But it was there, from the way I heard him talk about her. He thought she was one of us."
Tyrande looked at him for a second and laughed a little, "You obviously didn't ask what she looked like." She rolled her eyes, "How could he want something like her… When he could literally have anything else?"
He looked away and remembered, "Remember Zaetar and Princess Theradras?"
"Eugh! I'll concede your point if you never remind me of that again. I would have killed a thousand people at the thought of losing you. When I read what she wrote I wanted her to feel the same pain she caused me, and I knew how she felt."
"Then are we going to find her?" Malfurion asked.
Tyrande nodded, "I'm going to try." Tyrande summoned a hippogryph, "I will wait for her by the Sunwell, she has to return there sooner or later. Also, I'll check on the patrols that are in the Ghostlands for anyone that might have seen her, wish me luck." And Tyrande flew off.
Malfurion walked into the king's chambers to find that Anduin was still playing with the pear, tossing it from hand to hand, "My king, didn't your mother teach you not to play with your food?"
Anduin took a bite, "They taste a little better when they've been tenderized a little. Do you want one, I have more."
He declined, "I'm fine. Thank you though. Do you honestly know what you're getting yourself into being with someone like her?"
He rolled his eyes, "You're opposed as well?"
The druid half smiled, "Not for reasons you might think. I know her and I know of her and she…"
"Nearly killed you?" Anduin interrupted.
"Well no. Saurfang ax did that, she kicked me in the balls while I was down and before I lost consciousness she cauterized the wound which hurt even worse."
"But did that to save your life."
He laughed slightly, "She could have used a spell. I did see her using the Light before my fight with Sylvanas."
Anduin crossed his arms and shook his head, "Are you sure we're talking about the same person? My Perfectia is a ranger or hunter, then again she didn't have a pet when I met her."
"High cheekbones, wide hips, thick Thallassian accent?"
"Yes, that sounds like her, but that doesn't explain why you would be opposed to her. She came to Stormwind to atone for whatever damage she did in Darkshore, I'm sure that also meant the damage you did to you physically."
"Oh I know. And that's not what I was about to say before you interrupted."
Anduin nodded and sealed his lips.
"She is strong, stronger than I would think most men would be comfortable having. Believe it or not, me and Illidan did some childish sparring and rough housing when he was last here, and I would go so far to say she hit me harder than him and personality wise, she's nothing like you. Aggressive, short tempered, has quite the drinking problem from what I heard, and I would even go as far as to say a very masculine woman. Nothing like you at all."
Anduin smiled and looked him up and down, "Did you also pick up on her sense of humor?"
He thought back, "A little, being kicked in the tests could be considered funny but at someone else's very painful expense."
He repressed a laugh as he visualized that, "Malfurion, are you really going to throw that stone at me, seeing how you married to Tyrande?"
"That's not the same thing, we waited thousands of years until we were sure and…" He seemed like he couldn't get his thoughts together. "...She's reckless, immature, and only a few years older than you, and by elf standards she is still a child."
He looked away, "Do I really have a lifespan to wait until she develops?"
Malfurion shook his head no, "Tyrande has agreed to help find your missing lover." He stated.
"Were not, we haven't," Anduin sighed, looked away, and shook his head, "We only kissed a few times, but she is quite the poet though. I wish I could find the words like she could and I feel like I've been self loathing for so long I sometimes wish, why can't I just not take things so seriously?" He looked up thinking about her, "I have always listened and studied speeches from former kings, motivating through words, standing in front of a crowd to address subjects and soldiers and I never visualize myself as someone that could make the people laugh." Anduin looked at Malfurion, "But what if my queen could do that?"
"Well, I know that Tyrande had nothing to do with Perfectia escaping the Stockades, so I'm not worried about what you just said earlier, and I'm also glad that I didn't need to remind her to learn from her past mistakes."
"What do you mean?" Anduin asked.
"Illidan did the same thing Perfectia did. After all the terrible things my brother did to bring the Legion to our world, this tiny gesture made all the difference, and in the end, he saved the world from one of the universe's most powerful entities."
"I don't know if people will believe that." Anduin stated.
"You do, I didn't at one point. You think people didn't believe that about my brother? I imprisoned him for 10,000 years, rarely giving it much thought that he was anything but a minion to the Burning Legion, but when I woke up from the Emerald Dream I saw what that small gesture had turned into, and I regretted my decision."
Anduin nodded and looked at Malfurion, "Thank you, but my heart grows heavy with these thoughts and I need to concentrate on the upcoming battle."
Malfurion nodded, "Of course, my king."
Perfectia flew her way to Ashren city in Draenor, then made her way to the portal to teleport to Orgrimmar, then to Dalaran, then tried to use the portal to the Undercity, but it wasn't working, and asked her former paladin trainer, "Nelur," she said, "Where is the portal to the Undercity?"
Nelur Lightsown was a somewhat retired paladin after he lost his eye during the Lich King campaign, but still wore his old armor that he got from there. He looked down and shook his head, "Lexington, the portal trainer, had to be evacuated. There's no one on the other side, if you're going to take part in the battle you need to go to Orgrimmar and meet with Saurfang, but I wouldn't suggest it." He said.
Perfectia nodded, "Thank you, but I have to go."
Nalur rolled his eye, shook his head, and faced the other trainers dismissively. The third teleportation of the day made Perfectia a little light headed, as she traveled through the blue abyss going back to Orgrimmar again. She ran to Grommash Hold in the center of Orgrimmar, where a large number of soldiers and other adventurers were waiting to get into the portal that was heading to the Undercity. Perfectia ran up to Saurfang, "Have they taken Brill?" She asked.
Saurfang looked down and shook his head, "No, the reports say it was completely annihilated and not many of our men have come back." Saurfang looked over at the undead mage that was holding the portal open.
Two undead soldiers came through the portal out of breath, "There in the Undercity now, we can't stop them." They said,
The undead mage Isabela fell over from exhaustion, holding on to her sides breathing in deeply, "I can't hold it open anymore." She said,
Saurfang walked toward her, "Those people will die like animals if you don't! Hold out just a little while longer." Saurfang ordered.
Isabela hands sparked with power as she tried to open the portal again but fell over. "I can't." she wept.
Saurfang looked over at Perfectia, "I'm glad you're here, Perfectia." Saurfang looked over at the undead mage, "Could you send us to the Undercity."
Isabela shrugged, "I can't send an army, a few of you maybe, but I won't be able to bring you back."
Saurfang nodded, "Then send me as well then, we won't need numbers, and we won't retreat again."
Isabela looked at him, "It's suicide." She claimed.
Saurfang smiled and thought back, "Cast it, as many as you can." Saurfang looked out to the members of the Horde including Perfectia, "Members of the Horde! The Alliance seeks to move against the Undercity seeking retribution for the burning of Teldrassil. We will not allow them to take what is rightfully ours, blood and glory await, FOR THE HORDE!"
Many of the soldiers followed that war cry but Perfectia kept her head down, she normally loved to hear the drums of war, but things were different. She wanted to go in disguise again, but the major members of the Alliance knew her voice and possibly her face as a Night Elf.
Also, it was more likely that she could stop Sylvanas from killing Anduin if Perfectia was behind her and thought she was an ally.
Saurfang looked down on the former Highlord, she wasn't the only one with that reeked from guilt and exhaustion. "Perfectia?" He looked down at her while she was in the crowd, gestured to her to come forward, and walked next to him, "Can you say a few words?"
She looked at the crowd and saw what he saw, some of them she recognized from the battle for Teldrassil, unwilling and breaking inside, "Are zere any children present?" Her accent came out as the stage fright started kicking her in the throat.
Saurfang laughed slightly, "No."
She looked out to all of them, "Le Alliance 'ave come expecting la Horde's five star 'ospitality, I say, we don't disappoint zem. Just like mon chéri, they won't go down zat easily. Some superlative service, elegant décor, and a little bit of wine, won't woo zem over. You will 'ave show zem you care. Make zem feel like they're ze only zing zat exists to you in zis world and zen, when zey finally open zere legs. Give zem the trobbing welcome zey were looking for and leave zem nothing but a twitching collection of gapping 'oles. "
The contagious laughter that spread seemed to renew their confidence and nerve. One of the grunts started the cheer, "For the Horde." It was repeated louder this time and all the members shouted with all their might.
Isabela breathed in deeply and started casting her final spell
"You look quite lovely by the way." Saurfang spoke to Perfectia and he waited for Isabela to cast her spell.
"It's our last day in Azeroth, gotta go out looking good." She said jokingly.
Saurfang laughed at what she said and Isabela breathed out and a blue aura surrounded about 20 members of the Horde including Perfectia and Saurfang. One more teleportation and it felt troubling as they traveled through the great blue. Flashes of black interrupted the travel as the teleportation became more unstable, but they all made it to the Undercity fairly unharmed. Few members of the Horde held their stomach like they were dizzy or about to be sick, but Saurfang seemed completely unphased. Perfectia grabbed Saurfang by the shoulder, "Saurfang," She asked, "Where Sylvanas?"
Saurfang looked upward, "The warchief is still fighting up top, but she'll be fine, I'm sure."
Perfectia sighed, "And we're stuck on ze bottom dealing wiz ze Alliance zat are trying to come up our back end without warning."
He nodded his head and tried to stay composed
She took the paladin club from her back and ran with the other members of the Horde. The Undercity was crawling with SI:7 gnome agents that attacked undead soldiers like swarms of bees, and ran like cockroaches when they were attacked, and they were everywhere. The twenty members of the Horde ran in arrow formation through the Undercity, but phalanx together in a circle when members of the SI:7 outnumbered them. Saurfang's voice was loud and strong, no stragglers, he would say, not without the number advantage. And when they did have members of the SI:7 outnumbered they surrounded the gnomes on all sides and ran them through. Quickly and swiftly, moving as a team. Everything Perfectia had come to expect from members of the Horde.
Druids of the Claw ambushed the members of the Horde and outnumbered them 3 to 1, they didn't last long. Cats could fight a single target or even large groups of, but members of the Horde that moved through them made them give chase. On top of attacking members of the Horde that were stronger, coordinated, and had a variety of ways of killing members of the Alliance. Arrows, magic, healing, and a shoulder to shoulder mindset to stay together and watch each other's backs. The Druids of the Claw didn't stand a chance even with their numbers.
Perfectia did the best she could to try to get citizens of the Undercity to escape and healed the wounds of her fellow soldiers and refugees, with the power of the Light.
"No time to waste." Saurfang ordered, "Open a portal to the keep and we will report to the warchief." He pointed at a mage refugee they managed to save.
The undead opened a portal and the members of the Horde went through. For Perfectia and other members of the Horde it was a quick trip through the blue and they came upon the upper floor of Lordaeron.
There stood Sylvanas with even more members of the Horde then the reinforcement team Perfectia was a part of. The thought crossed Perfectia's mind to strike Sylvanas down right there, but she knew she would be killed if she tried, and she might fail in the attempt.
"Is the Undercity evacuated?" Sylvanas asked Saurfang.
"Yes, warchief." Saurfang said.
"Then it's time to finish this once and for all." Sylvanas claimed, "Saurfang, rally your troops. I will prepare the Azerite machine." She ordered.
Saurfang looked around at all the members of the Horde, "Champions! Your warchief commands you! It is time to take arms against the Alliance. Their numbers are strong, but we are stronger. We are the Horde! We crush those who would bring us harm!" Perfectia agreed this time. She had seen what he could do. How he could rally and order and motivate, "Lok'tar ogar!" Saurfang shouted as he ran out first to the entrance of Lordaeron to face the Alliance. Perfectia followed and so did everyone else.
Perfectia looked out onto the battlefield and saw the numbers they were facing, it was too many, the Alliance had covered the horizon like hundreds of ants, and what was worse is she had no idea where Anduin was. "Saurfang!" She cried. "Even wiz all zese men, zis isn't zee kind of load we can 'andle on our own."
"I missed you Perfectia," He said while swinging his ax into Alliance heavy armored knights, "But we just need to hold out until reinforcements come." She fought with her club that could make the impact she needed on the Alliance's heavy armored soldiers. Just as before, side by side with the members of the Horde, killing anyone that came near her or the people on her sides, but scanning the battlefield for anything that even looked like Anduin.
"It's over Sylvanas!" Perfectia heard Anduin's voice and looked up and down for him, "The walls of Lordaeron will soon come crashing down around you!"
Perfectia shouted Anduin's name but was drowned out by Sylvanas powerful voice from the top of the gates of the Lordaeron. "You have no idea what you're up against, boy king." Salvanas shouted, "We've only just begun!"
Perfectia ran out to meet him on the battlefield and there was a look of shock that she could see from Anduin even under his lion helmet. "What…" Anduin said as he saw her.
Before she could run up to him the Azerite machine Sylvanas was talking about earlier came in between them and knocked Perfectia backwards and planted itself into the floor with metal spikes.
"I've never seen anything like it." Genn Greymane claimed in his wolf form, his voice rough and raspy.
Anduin light grew outward and left a yellow aura of holy energy in all directions. "Anything made can be broken!" Anduin shouted, "Genn, follow me!" Anduin and Genn jumped on top of the machine and started attacking the cannon that was on top.
Perfectia got up, "No," she said to herself, "I won't let this happen again!" Perfectia took the club she was carrying and yelled, and she tried to bend it in half. With all her strength the powerful azurite club she was carrying was bent in a V and she pulled it apart in two pieces holding on to both in each hand, "I will protect him." She claimed.
Perfectia turned both pieces of her broken club into the Corrupted Ashbringer and the spiritual one and attacked the Azerite tank Anduin and Genn was on. The impact Perfectia was making on the Azerite tank was causing it to wobble slightly. Her stabs and slashes to the tanks wheels made bits of azurite dust go into her lungs as she broke the metal. Few people looked at her but were focused on the siege towers and riflemen as Sylvanas ordered them to attack.
Perfectia continued to attack the war machine as the Alliance brought line after line of different soldiers with various types of weaponry and a few stray arrows landed in her. She pulled them out, healed herself and continued her attack against the giant tank machine. She looked outward at the battlefield knowing the Alliance would attack her for what she was, NOT what she was doing, so she kept an eye out for them.
An arrow landed in her shoulder that numbed her to the point she couldn't use it, and she lost the Corrupted Ashbringer that was in her hand, it had come from the Undercity's side. She looked out where it came from and there stood Nathanos Brightcaller with his bow out. Perfectia looked into his eyes from far away and knew that he was thinking, "What are you doing?"
She dropped the other Ashbringer and cleansed the poison that was in her system using her Holy magic. Perfectia smiled from far away and walked away from the tank as she knew that she had done enough damage to it to cause it to become unstable. It was about to blow up.
Perfectia from far away, she looked back at the tank, and saw Andiun put the final blow into the hull. Perfectia walked toward the gates of Lordaeron as the tank blew to pieces behind her without even flinching at the sound of the blast. "What did you do Dawnlight?!" Nathanos asked, enraged.
Perfectia pulled the arrow from her shoulder, "I don't have to explain anything to you." And tossed the arrow at him and he caught it, "You dropped that." She said sarcastically.
"That arrow was meant for him." Nathanos stated.
Perfectia smiled and thought back, "Practice a little more Nathanos, you might just hit what you're aiming for next time."
"Very funny." Nathanos said sarcastically.
"Prepare the Blight!" Perfectia looked up and heard Sylvanas order, "Let it rain down upon their armies!"
Nathanos tilted his head to the side and looked at Perfectia, "I would go inside if I were you." He stated as he saw the look of dread in Perfectia's eyes and walked into the gates of Lordaeron. Perfectia looked up and saw that Sylvanas was bickering with Saurfang over what they were planning, but Perfectia saw the goblins and undead walk out with gas masks.
Perfectia ran up to the goblin and tackled him for his gas mask and grabbed two, "Hey one per customer!" he yelled as Perfectia ran off with two. Perfectia whistled as loud as she could and Lucy her horse came out of an explosion of holy light and she got on her. "Come on girl!" she shouted as she and her horse ran out to the battlefield.
Perfectia saw Anduin across the battlefield as he looked at the clouds of green toxic gas getting closer to him. Perfectia jumped off her horse Lucy and wrapped herself around Anduin's body. He panicked for a few seconds as she removed his helmet, but Perfectia put the gas mask around his face, so he could breathe. "Perfectia?!" Anduin said as his voice was muffled by the mask.
"I'm here for you." Perfectia said to him.
Anduin, Perfectia, and Genn cleared out to an area that the gas wasn't reaching, and Anduin took off the mask and Perfectia jumped off his back. Perfectia put her poem inside the mask and handed it to him, "Thank you, you saved me." He said as he took the mask back. Perfectia smiled and nodded. Andiun and Genn looked out onto the battlefield.
"The Blight has broken our ranks." Genn claimed.
Anduin looked down, "Our assault has been for nothing."
"We 'ave to go, she'll kill all of us." Perfectia pleaded.
"Who are you, elf?" Genn asked.
Perfectia looked at Genn, "I'm trying to 'elp." She looked back up at Anduin, "We should run as far as we can go, live out at sea, or go to the Caverns of Time where none of this is going on."
Genn looked at her in shock and familiarity. He looked at them both slightly confused.
Anduin looked at her questionably, and looked down and back at her, "You want me to run away with you?" He asked.
Perfectia nodded her head, "Yes. We don't need zis, we could just go. " She said.
Anduin looked at her, the battlefield, and then Genn, but then heard something behind him. The winds were getting louder like the sound of sheets to the wind. It was a sound Perfectia knew very well, but the ocean was more than a few miles away.
A spear came through the clouds and Perfectia looked back at the ship that was approaching from the sky and back at Anduin.
Perfectia saw Jaina Proudmoore from far away and saw Anduin look up at her with a shock of optimism in his eyes, and joy. "Jaina." Anduin said out loud with a slight smile on his face.
Perfectia looked back and forth at Jaina and Anduin, took the piece of Azerite from her pocket, and shook her head at Anduin, "Stop looking at 'er." She whispered as she put her head down.
Jaina lifted her hands and summoned a circular ice ritual rune in the middle of the Blight ridden battlefield, that hummed the sound of scraping ice and froze the whole floor, ridding the battlefield of the Blight.
Anduin lifted his hand in the air and shouted "Alliance- "But Perfectia changed the piece of Azerite into the Corrupted Ashbringer, let out a roar, and threw it at the boat in the sky, aiming for Jania Proudmore, but it stuck in the hull, knocking it a bit off course and disappeared.
Anduin was shocked and horrified. He slowly turned his gaze over to Perfectia and when he met her eyes, he looked at her in disgust. He got off his horse, and pushed her back, "What do you think you're doing Perfectia, Jaina's a friend!"
Perfectia's face was full of regret, held her hands out in defense, "I- "but she didn't know what to say.
Anduin looked at her disgusted, "Was this your plan all along? Kill all my men, and separate me from my kingdom? You and Sylvanas must of thought this up for months"
"No!" Perfectia shouted quickly, "I never wanted your kingdom Anduin!" Perfectia shook her head and shrugged slightly, "I just wanted you. I could care less about Sylvanas."
Genn looked back and forth at the king and the blood elf.
Anduin looked at Perfectia inquisitively as he thought back, "You said that you wanted to stop her, you said that that's why you were going to fight, but it was all a lie wasn't it, did you even write those things to me or did someone give them to you to give me?"
Perfectia looked away and recited, "I loved you when I saw you. Who could not love you for so long. You gave me- "
"Shut up!" He shook his head downward, "Leave my sight," Anduin shook his head and tried to repress his tears, "I never want to see you again!"
"Anduin please. I'm sorry." Perfectia pleaded.
Anduin lifted his sword to strike Perfectia "I SAID GO!" he shouted as he brought his sword down, but Genn Graymane caught it.
"Don't, Anduin!" Genn said as he looked over at Perfectia, gesturing to her to go with his head.
Perfectia ran back to the gates of Lordaeron crying.
Genn let go of his sword hand, and Anduin put his sword behind him and got in his face, "She's the enemy." He claimed, "Why did you stop me?"
Genn looked at him, "I know that look Anduin…" He paused, looked down, thought back, and looked into the king's eyes, "and that was NOT an enemy."
Anduin shook his head dismissively at him, got on his horse, and looked down at Genn, "She tried to kill Jaina Proudmore, that makes her my enemy." Anduin took a deep breath and looked forward, "We have a battle to finish." He claimed.
Anduin got his horse running and ran it toward the Lordaeron gates and looked back at the ship Jaina Proudmore was on, "Jaina the wall!" he shouted.
Using arcane magic Jaina moved the hull of her ship, with some effort, she used the cannon on the sides of the ship to blast out more arcane energy on the gates of Lordaeron, until the walls came crashing down.
Anduin got off his horse, took his blade off his back, and walked into the Lordaeron gates, "We end this, now." He claimed.
Perfectia was trying to hide in the stone gates of Lordaeron, but when she heard the blast she needed to come forward and meet the rest of her team. She pulled out her hearthstone and thought of just leaving this all behind and held it to her chest, and the stone contacted the necklace around her neck through the plate armor. She pulled out the necklace and looked at the picture Anduin gave to her, "I'm going to finish this." She said to herself.
"Saurfang!?" Perfectia saw Sylvanas look around curiously, "Where did he go?" Sylvanas asked around for anyone that might have known.
Nathanos Brightcaller stepped forward, "Leave it to me. Dark Lady. I will lead the reserves in the assault. The Alliance will go no further. I swear it."
Sylvanas walked away somewhat dismissively, "Meet with Lor'themar. QUICKLY! Do not fail me, Nathanos!"
Nathanos bowed slightly, but gracefully, "I obey, my queen."
Nathanos looked at Perfectia's makeup running black down her cheeks and clearly saw the grief in her eyes as she looked back at him. Perfectia looked away and shook her head slightly as she held her hand to her face to cover herself.
Nathanos shook his head slightly in pity and looked to the rest of the army, "Hero's follow me." Nathanos ordered everyone and led them to the west side of the castle of Lordaeron. Perfectia followed but she didn't even have a weapon in her hand. The changing of any item into an Ashbringer usually made the item useless or at least made it extremely expensive to fully repair again. Perfectia had broken her club in two pieces and used both sides for two Ashbringer summons and there was no repairing that. She followed the group hoping to heal wounds if they came up.
Nathanos met with Baine Bloodhoof, "Baine," he ordered in a commanding voice, "Gather the catapults and every apothecary you can find. Send them to the keep at once!"
Baine nodded, "Yes Blightcaller. But… where is Saurfang?" He asked.
"There is no time." Nathanos barked, "We have but precious moments before we lose our terrain advantage! The choke point we create will funnel them through the side of the keep and thin their ranks. With us out in the open, we will outnumber them ten to one."
Baine nodded, "Understood. I will meet you as soon as I can." He claimed.
"No." Nathanos ordered, "Lor'themar and I will handle the interlopers. I can't risk leaving the warchief unguarded. You are not to leave her side."
Baine looked at Nathanos questionably, "How long are you expecting to hold them off? What is the warchief's strategy?"
Nathanos sighed and looked at him reluctantly, "It is better if she tells you herself. Now go!" He ordered
Nathanos started running and snapped his fingers several times and a wolf mount came from the undead stables and picked him up. A series of calls, whistles, and bells were sounded, and the soldiers of the Horde called their mounts from the ranching building and got on them. "Follow me, Champions." Brightcaller rallied as he took off on his mount, "We rally in the keep! Your warchief commands it!" He ordered all the members of the Horde.
Nathanos met with Lor'themar Theron the leader of the Blood Elves, "Lor'themar," he said, "command our rangers from the flank! Position them on the rooftops!"
Lor'themar smiled and nodded, "With pleasure, Blightcaller." He said.
Perfectia was surprised when she saw what was waiting at the keep, a line of Forsaken Blight Thrower catapults to meet the Alliance. She didn't know if she dreaded the thought of meeting Anduin on the battlefield here, but she held onto the picture he gave to her around her neck and she realized that she did dread it. "Blight throwers," Nathanos yelled out, "you are our front line! You will create a swath of blight between us and the enemy!" Nathanos stopped on the choke point, "Soldiers, fall into position! The Alliance approaches!"
Perfectia was thankful that he had given Anduin a gas mask if he needed it.
Nathanos stepped forward and faced Anduin on the battlefield. Perfectia was hesitating to see Anduin again, but he was with Genn Graymane and Jaina Proudmore on both of his sides. Seeing her awoke a rage that gave her the will to fight again, and she stepped forward.
Anduin looked at Perfectia for a second through his lion helmet, and then to Nathanos, "It is you who is outnumbered now." Nathanos claimed.
"That army is enormous…" Jaina said, "Give the word, and I will teleport us to safety."
Anduin looked at her, "If we turn tail now, we just become prey. No. We will fight- - and die, if we must - - for what we believe in!"
Perfectia stepped forward and shook her head at him, but there was no way to tell what he was thinking with the helmet on his head.
"Your time is up, King Anduin!" Nathanos cackled. "VICTORY FOR THE FORSAKEN!"
"ALLIANCE," King Anduin shouted, "HOLD YOUR GROUND!"
A surge of dark portals showed up on the battlefield and an ambush of void elves showed up on the keep being led by Alleria Windrunner. Rage consumed Perfectia's heart when she saw her again, she needed a weapon, and she wouldn't settle for healing other members of the Horde. She looked around at the other members of the Horde and looked at some of the Royal Dreadguard undead that were around. She ran up to one of them, snatched a crude blade from one of them, concentrated the Ashbringer on the weapon, and fling the crude weapon downward. She looked down and it was still a crude blade, "No!" Perfectia pleaded. "No, I need this. Please, I need this." She held the blade with two hands and looked out at the battlefield, "Alexandros, if you ever cared about me at all, give me the Ashbringer, and let me kill her!"
"Let us even the odds, King Wrynn!" Alleria stated that she brought more void elves.
Anduin looked over to her with relief, "Alleria! Thank the Light you've made it."
"I have been known for my timing, your majesty." Alleria claimed, "Mekkatorque, are you ready for battle?" she asked.
"Indubitably!" High Tinker Mekkatorque said through a loudspeaker. "I brought some extra machines for backup. Feel free to give 'em a spin."
"Jaina, Genn," Anduin said, "help me with Blightcaller and Lor'themar." He ordered, "Alleria, take the rest of routing the enemy army."
Alleria Windrunner nodded and the battle started, "As you wish. Champions, with me!"
"My machines are at your command!" Mekkatorgue added and his machines froze the blight covering the ground in ice that Nathanos was planning on using. The Alliance charged the battlefield.
Nathanos laughed at the irony, "Hahaha! Look who joins the fray. Good, I was hoping you'd keep this interesting!"
Alleria saw Perfectia from across the battlefield, "Oh, there you are." She said, smiling at her.
Perfectia looked around and saw one of the crossbows the Royal Dreadguard undead carried, dead on the floor, and picked it up. She loaded it with a bolt and pointed it at Alleria. "Don't come near me, void elf." She yelled as she pointed it outward.
With lighting speed, Alleria loaded an arrow but Perfectia shot her bolt for Alleria's forehead but the bolt landed in her bow knocking her arrow off course as she tried to let it loose. She looked at her bow with a crossbow bolt in it and then back at Perfectia, "Odd." Alleria said as she pulled the bolt from her bow.
Perfectia loaded another bolt as quickly as she could but Alleria took three arrows from her quiver and shot them at Perfectia and she rolled out of the way. She held onto the crossbow string trying to pull it back. She dipped the bolt in the Blight that was on the floor, stood up, loaded the bolt, and fired it off at Alleria's head. Alleria caught it with her hand but it splashed a little bit of the blight in her face and blurred her vision. Perfectia dropped the crossbow, ran up to Alleria, holding her fist with her hand, and slammed both her hands across Alleria's head.
Alleria fell to the floor stunned. Perfectia got on top of her and grabbed her by her head and hair, Alleria pushed at Perfectia's face to get her off her, but Perfectia opened her eyes as widely as she could and made the glow in her eye's shine as bright as two suns making Alleria move her face away as the brightness and heat burned her. Perfectia slammed her head into the floor, "I told you!" Perfectia shouted, "I told you they would be the last thing you saw!" and Perfectia held onto her head and squeezed Alleria's head between her palms and concentrated her Light magic to her hands. "I will draw you out, voidlord, like poison from a wound!" Perfectia stated as her hands glowed with the Light and spoke to the dark naaru that was inside Alleria's body.
"She is mine. All of your people will be mine!" It said from Alleria's body in a completely different voice.
Perfectia pushed more Light magic in Alleria's head and she thrived with pain, "You couldn't take the Sunwell and you won't take her." Perfectia stated.
It looked up, struggling to move away from Perfectia's eyes, "Alleria is mine."
Perfectia concentrated another surge of Light into Alleria, "Begone!" She shouted.
Perfectia was knocked back by Anduin sword so hard that she was knocked off of Alleria and onto the ground.
"You bitch!" Anduin cursed, as he looked down at Alleria and at Perfectia, "I gave you my heart!" he said, as he kicked Perfectia while she was down, "I would have given you my kingdom!" Anduin came with an upward slash that Perfectia managed to block with a Light magic protection spell that took the bulk of the damage. Perfectia looked up at Anduin as he lifted his sword in the air, Perfectia cast her strongest protection spell as she saw his sword come down, he slammed the sword down with every word, "YOU, HAVE, BROKEN, MY, HEART!"
He yelled out and he saw the protection spell fade and came down with all his power. Perfectia put her hands up to block and two Ashbringers were in her hands and they sang as the clash of metal from the swords that took the bulk of the strike. She looked at him enraged and the glow in her eyes was blue and her hair had changed to red. She pushed Anduin back on the ground, knocking off his helmet.
Anduin looked at her confused, "What is this Perfectia?" he demanded, "Another trick? Another masquerade?"
"You will stay away from her, boy king." Her voice changed into one that was unquestionably masculine that echoed in synchronization of her own. Perfectia held her hands outward and five different Ashbringers surrounded Anduin and pinned him down by his cape and armor. Perfectia looked down at Anduin helpless with both Ashbringers in her hands, "I could kill you so easily, but I know how upset that will make Perfectia. You will stay away from her from now on or I WILL KILL YOU NEXT TIME!"
Anduin looked around and back at him. "Who are you?" Anduin asked.
Perfectia stood up proudly and looked down at him, "My name is Alexandros Mograine, leader of the Silver Hand, and the original wielder of the Ashbringer, and Perfectia will be the one I guard until the end of her days."
Alexandros walked away from Anduin, dropped the Corrupted Ashbringer on the ground, the other Ashbringers floated off the ground, and merged into the original one as he held it in his hand.
Anduin got up and helped Alleria to her feet, "Crazy ex-girlfriend you got there Anduin. Hell hath no fury I suppose." Alleria jokes.
Anduin laughed, "Except for the fatherly guardian spirits." He added.
Alleria laughed slightly.
"We have to finish this." Anduin stated.
Alleria nodded.
Alexandros stood in the back of the battlefield with his arms crossed until the retreat was called by Baine Bloodhoof, Sylvanas covered the escape by blowing up some Blight apothecary before Andiun and Jaina could chase the fleeing members of the Horde. Sylvanas looked down at the body of Perfectia and noticed her hair color, "What are you doing here?" she asked.
Alexandros looked up at her with his arms crossed, "Don't you have bigger problems to deal with Sylvanas?" he asked.
Sylvanas looked outward and saw the Alliance coming, "Everyone! Follow Nathanos to the courtyard! I will block the Alliance from behind!"
Alexandros followed the other members of the Horde to the courtyard and rolled his eyes to the bickering between Sylvanas and Saurfang when they finally met up but was surprised when Sylvanas left him out there to die. He took the portal to the airship above the city. For him, what was going on in the battle didn't matter, only that he protected Perfectia.
Perfectia came back and hutched herself over, "Stop!" She shouted on top of the ship, "Please don't do this! An-" she looked around and saw she was with members of the Horde. She was safe, and her hair turned back to blonde again. Perfectia grabbed her right arm as the tingling in her right arm became painful, she couldn't move it, and she screamed out in pain.
Nathanos looked at her and laughed, "Wow, you are melodramatic."
She looked around above the Eastern Kingdoms, saw that green Blight was flooding out of every window in Lordaeron, saw she was in an airship and Sylvanas showed up in a dark cloudy snake form, jumped on the airship, and looked outward. Perfectia looked outward as well, saw Anduin out on Jaina's floating ship, she lifted her hand slightly to him, put her hand on her face, and saw him wave back.
Sylvanas looked back and forth at her and the other ship, "What was that?" Sylvanas asked her.