Spectre: Readying for Quel'thalas. Just needed to show preparation.
Prince of Petersburg: Garithos is definitely a capable commander. His racism holds him back though. Uther's fate won't be shown until much later, however.
Iskandar Hero: I haven't exactly watched Solo Leveling yet. Arthas would be forced to use his DK powers more often. But as he would be forced to be creative with them. Uther is still mystery for now. I wouldn't say that there is a bias on Jaina, but she is the closest to Arthas at this point. And there would be a new addition joining the two of them later on in Dalaran and Kalimdor later
WeirdBlockPoints: Yeah, I remember Tich being so OP back then in Warcraft III. And Arthas would sadly have to resort to drastic measures often. Their opinions would be showed later.
No one actually saw Arthas due to how chaotic the battlefield was. And he promptly 'deactivated' Khanzo and Genjuros right after the Battle.
Chapter 21: The Expedition.
The next few days in the capital of Lordaeron were a somber affair, as the battlefield was a desolate, gloomy place after the recent siege .
Falric and Muradin stood outside the keep's entrance as they looked at the damage caused by both the Scourge and the Blackrock Clan. The bodies of both invaders and defenders lay scattered, a result of such carnage that had happened. Arthas had given the order for the bodies to remain undisturbed at the meantime until it could be decided what to do with them.
"I worry for him," Falric somberly stated. "To have such responsibilities after the loss of Uther and King Terenas in a grievous state, with so much loss..."
Muradin nodded, sharing the Captain's concerns. "He's strong, but this... even the mightiest of kings would falter."
"Do you think he can handle it?" Falric asked.
Muradin sighed, but he was hopeful too. "He's a strong lad," he replied. "For his father's sake, and for his home, I know he won't let us down."
They thought of Arthas and his current role. The prince had always been a warrior, a leader, but now he faced the challenge of being a ruler in a time like this.
In the makeshift healing ward set up outside the damaged Lordaeron Keep, Jaina and Arthas awaited news of his father's condition. The Prince paced back and forth, constantly worried for his father's condition and the hope that he would survive. Jaina sat rigidly on a nearby cot, seeing Arthas in such a state only caused her to be anxious, clearly remembering his mental state when he first went to Stratholme.
The priestess emerged from the king's chamber where Arthas quickly rushed to her side. "How is he?"
She hesitated as she thought of the Prince's reaction. "Your father is a strong man, Prince Arthas," she said softly. "But his wounds are severe. The Light is with him, but it may not be enough."
Jaina was shocked and completely worried as Arthas' shoulders slumped. "What can we do?" she asked, inwardly trying to make a solution herself that would make things better.
The priestess sighed. "For now, all we can do is pray and wait," she sadly replied. "His fate rests in the hands of the Light."
Arthas felt his own chest tighten, distraught and sorrowed of the news. He looked over to Jaina to find her sharing the despair and anguish. With a heavy heart, Arthas nodded to the healer. "Thank you."
The healer left and Arthas faced the wall next to him feeling his emotions boil over where his fist found its mark on the wall. "DAMN IT!", he roared in frustration as he punched the wall again and again while starting to smell his own blood leaking from his knuckles. "DAMN IT! DAMN IT! DAMN IT!"
Sending Uther to the dungeons to make sure Kel'thuzad doesn't escape was one thing that caused him to run into Tichondrius and the failure to protect his own father sent him over the edge. He had tried to hard to make sure neither men have to suffer at his hand, but it seemed that fate decided to play a cruel jest onto his well-being.
Jaina rushed to Arthas' side as he continued to pummel the wall in his anger and grief. "Arthas, stop!" she pleaded, as she grabbed his arms to stop his onslaught. "You'll only hurt yourself more!"
Arthas's eyes snapped at their with anger and despair. "They're gone," he uttered through gritted teeth. "Both of them. Uther, my father...because of...!"
With a gentle yet firm touch, Jaina placed her hand on his arm, halting his assault. "It's not your fault," she tried to assure him. "You can't control everything that happens around you."
He jerked away from her touch. "But I could have!" he roared. "I should have killed Kel'thuzad again when I had the chance! And I should have never sent Uther away! Now they're...in whatever fate they're in..."
Her sorrow and grief for him was visible as she stepped closer to him. "Arthas," she began softly, reaching up to wipe a smear of blood from his bruised knuckles. "It's not too late for either of them. We are still able to save both."
His body slumped as he took a seat close to him while Jaina knelt down and cupped his cheek.
Jaina's gentle touch calmed him down. She knelt before him, bearing the same pain but is equally determined . "Everything is not okay," she admitted. "But that's alright, because we're human, Arthas. We make mistakes, and we feel guilty. It's what makes us who we are." She sighed for a moment, hoping she would be able to reach him. "But what we can't do is let that guilt take over or make us doubt ourselves. Remember what we talked about when we were on the way home from Northrend?"
She brushed a stray tear away from his cheek. "We've come so far," she continued. "We've seen so much, lost so much. I can't... I can't imagine what it's like for you, to lose your father again." She paused. "But I need you to be strong," she pleaded. "For yourself, for us, for your father, for everyone you care about."
He couldn't bear to look at her for a moment before he raised his head up. "I know," he uttered, acknowledging her words. "I'll... I'll do my best."
Jaina leaned in closer. "That's all I ask," she said. "Trust in yourself, Arthas. Trust that you can still save them."
He calmed down completely as she held him close. "Thank you," he uttered as his eyes closed when he leaned into her touch. He remembered as to why he was sent back here.
He would not fail again.
He would save his father, and he would save Uther.
And he would do whatever it took to ensure that the people of Lordaeron had a king they could be proud of.
As long as he breathed, he would fight for them.
The two of them remained there, in the quiet embrace of shared pain and hope, drawing strength from each other in the face of the dark days to come.
The next day felt like attending a funeral.
With his father wounded and remaining unconscious, it falls to him to fill in his shoes.
Ever since he was a boy and being trained as a King, he dreamt at what being a king is really like. Frankly, he learned that it was not what it seemed for him as time passed by.
When he was a Death Knight and later Lich King, he dreamed of turning Azeroth into a massive necropolis where the dead reign supreme.
When he was brought back to the present, he had hoped that he would still sit beside his father to truly learn to become the King that his homeland needed.
He didn't expect that his father's responsibilities to fall to him so soon, especially after he last spoke with him when he admitted to Terenas that he still has much to learn if he wished to be king.
And so when he and Jaina came to the meeting hall (the throne room is severely damaged to be used), he walked inside to find numerous government officials, military officers and of the Silver Hand many of whom were weary of the brazen attack that was inflicted onto the capital, Arthas felt slightly overwhelmed, but he had to be strong for the people.
He sighed heavily to release some of the pressure when he approached the table where he looked at the attendees before him. They all shared his grief and exhaustion, particularly the losses that were sustained, particularly that of the Lightbringer himself.
"Thank you all for coming.", Arthas bellowed to the attendees as he took a seat with Jaina behind him. "As my father is... unavailable right now, I would have to address the issues that befell our Kingdom. Status reports?"
Alexandros first spoke up. "Your Highness," he began. "The casualties are...staggering. We're still tallying them, but I fear we've lost at least three thousand souls to this heinous assault."
Lord Goodwin stepped forward with worry. "And the farmlands, Your Highness," he began. "They've been overrun by the Scourge when have infected the granaries and the crops with the same plague that infected that of Andorhal. If we don't receive aid, famine will surely follow in the wake of this devastation."
Arthas felt every fiber of his being screamed for him to despair at the misfortune that befell his kingdom, pinching his forehead as he thought of ways to mitigate the impending crisis.
"Send word to King Varian," Arthas ordered, aware that he could at least partially have his childhood friend repay the favor his father gave him when Lordaeron spent significant resources rebuilding Stormwind. "Tell him to send aid to combat the undead and to warn him of the possibility of any acolytes of the Scourge infiltrating their kingdom."
General Reagan Abbendis spoke up next. "And what of the northern borders, Your Highness?" he asked in urgency. "Intelligence reports that the Blackrock Clan has broken through former Alterac and Stromgarde territory, releasing the orcs held in our internment camps. And as we speak, their numbers have grown to aid the Scourge."
Arthas took a moment to think. The Blackrock Clan hasn't been this strong when he annihilated them with the Scourge in his previous life. And it is clear that Jubei'thos, or Wrathjaw, their Warchief, answer to Tichondrius. "Send reinforcements to the Tirisfal Glades immediately to hold their positions until we are able to properly lift the siege."
The officials nodded scribbling down notes and issuing orders to their aides.
He looked to find Gavinrad and Saidan, now acting leaders of the Silver Hand following Uther's capture by Tichondrius. Then to Garithos, awaiting his orders.
"And of the bodies?", Arthas asked tentatively. "Are they not interred yet?"
"Not yet, your Highness.", Garithos spoke up. "They are lined up as you ordered. Awaiting your call on what to do with them."
He had made up his mind "Burn them," he ordered, to the shock of a few officials. "All of them. We can't have the Scourge using our fallen as weapons against us. See to it that it is done with the utmost respect and haste."
Garithos nodded, glancing at Captain Bilric to relay those orders to his men. "As you command, Your Highness."
Turning to Gavinrad and Saidan, the new acting leaders of the Silver Hand, Arthas' gave out his new orders. "The Scourge will not stop at our borders," he warned. "I need you to relocate the order to the Capital where it could be coordinated from there. Stratholme is too exposed, too vulnerable."
Gavinrad looked troubled. "But what of the people of Stratholme, Your Highness?"
"We will do what we can for them," he assured him, "but our priority now is to protect the heart of Lordaeron and to prepare for the worst." He paused, then added, "And that includes conscription. We need every able-bodied man and woman to stand with us against this enemy."
With Kel'thuzad in the hands of the Legion and the Scourge, their next target is naturally Quel'thalas. For their population and the Sunwell. And hopefully, King Anasterian and Ranger-General Sylvanas would be able to listen.
Arthas stood from his seat to address these meeting. "Quel'Thalas will be the next target," he declared. "We would need to reinforce their defenses and prevent the Scourge from claiming the Sunwell, lest we face dire consequences."
This did not go well with the others in the meeting. Particularly when King Anasterian withdrew most of the Quel'dorei during the previous war. And of their personal feelings as well as strategic ones.
"With respect, Your Highness...", Garithos stood up to voice his concerns, or rather his own personal opinions that didn't view the elves in a good light. "Why should they we waste on the resources we have on those who left us hanging in the previous war? Those tree huggers likely sat back and sneered while our city got hammered by those rotting savages and their green skinned friends!"
Arthas sighed at his behaviour. Sheesh, did he really have to launch an entire tirade of racial slurs?
"They didn't abandon us," Jaina interjected, her voice clear and steady. "And we can't abandon then. The Sunwell is not just their source of power; it's their life. If it falls, it's not just Quel'Thalas that's lost, but all of us."
However, other seem to agree with Garithos' opinion, except for the last part. "The general speaks sense, Your Highness.", Saidan spoke next. "Our resources and our manpower are too stretched to form an expeditionary force large enough to aid the Quel'dorei. We need every man available for the defense of the homeland."
Gavinrad also voiced his support of his fellow Paladin's opinion. "We have to also consider the possibility that this is a test to see how far would the capital last in a prolonged siege. They must have done this to soften our defenses and eventually pave way for a full-scale invasion."
"What of the other Kingdoms?", Lord Goodwin asked. "Could we ask for their assistance?"
"The Kirin Tor and Kul'tiras are ready to stand with Lordaeron.", Jaina informed him. "Antonidas has sent in several magi to to Lordaeron's army. Lord Admiral Proudmoore has been informed to ferry civilians who wished to escape the carnage to Kul'tiras or to the safety of neighboring kingdoms."
"Ironforge will see to it that Lordaeron gets it needs", Muradin then spoke up. "I'll send word to King Magni if we're going to keep those undead bastards out of our turf."
Arthas saw that it seemed to ease the worries of several officials before him. "And what of your father, the King?" another official spoke up in concern. "Shouldn't you remain here to lead in his stead?"
Fortunately, Arthas had thought of that as well. "I trust in my advisors to handle the matters of state," he declared. "But this is a threat to our very existence. If Quel'Thalas falls, the consequences will be dire for all of us."
"How so, your Highness?", Garithos questioned. "If their magic and their superiority is as strong as they see themselves, why would need to bother with them?"
The Prince sighed. "Would you rather face an undead horde of Elves marching into Blackwood, Lord Garithos?", he challenged, which silenced the general.
It calmed down, though their worries for the human city-state conflicted with their mistrust of the elves. "I will personally lead the expedition," he announced. "We cannot wait for the council to debate while the enemy marches closer to our ally."
The officials looked at one another when it was clear that the Prince's choice left no room for debate. "I trust my sister, Calia Menethil, to serve as Regent in my stead," he added, which caused whispers and doubt of his questionable choice. "While I am away, she will govern with the guidance of a chancellor chosen by me."
"But Your Highness, she has no experience in such matters," Lord Goodwin pointed out in concern.
"That is why I will appoint a chancellor who will both guide and assist her," Arthas reassured them. "Given enough time, she would be able to act as a stand-in until I get back."
The commanders and officials looked uncertain but they had little choice but to trust in his judgment, even though he had the record of acting rashly
As for the home guard, Arthas revealed nothing of his choice for the commander. "I am still considering candidates," he said cryptically. "Rest assured, the protection of Lordaeron will be in capable hands."
And who would he consider?
"Now we need to prioritize the immediate threat," Arthas concluded. "We will meet again in two days' time to discuss the preparations for our defense of Quel'Thalas. Until then, I expect each of you to ready your forces and report any new developments. Dismissed."
The room emptied slowly and as the last official exited the makeshift war room, Arthas let out a deep sigh while Jaina placed a hand on his shoulder to help him calm down.
"This is not what I expected how my first day as Lordaeron's ruler would be, even if temporarily.", Arthas remarked in a muffled tone as he placed his hands on his face.
"In a crisis like this, I certainly can't blame you, Arthas.", Jaina quipped, attempting to brighten the mood. "But still, can we be sure that Lady Sylvanas has been warned?"
"If they're willing to hear me out that is.", Arthas replied, standing up to meet up with someone outside the capital city. "I'll be right back, Jaina. There's someone that I need to find first."
Far from the capital city, Tirion Fording was hunched over a small fire as he looked down in deep thought. The undead have been running rampant, and stories began to spread like wildfire they the capital city was recently attacked.
Since his exile, Tirion hoped Karandra and Taelan are still safe and thriving. It was a welcome gesture Uther had given before his official exile for protecting an Orc.
"Tirion Fordring." A voice called out.
Tirion turned around,chammer at the ready. He saw a man he had not seen in years. A man he'd once swore loyalty to. A man who exiled him because of his decision to try and save Eitrigg from being killed and seeing differently from other people. For freeing, one innocent prisoner who was meant to be executed for his race.
Mutually, Arthas remembered conducting that trial as one of his judges. But now, he regretted that decision as time passed by. And he is looking at the man who shattered Frostmourne that led to his defeat.
"Prince Arthas.", Tirion greeted him in a plain but neutral tone. "What brings you to this desolate place."
"Rumors of a nomad who heals the injured and on occasion defends the innocent from the undead," Arthas replied. "Since he wielded such a weapon I thought I might see who it was."
"Well, now you see me," Tirion said back, uninterested to what he would have to say. "Kindly leave me to my exile."
"Lordaeron needs you, Tirion," Arthas stated to him in a pleading tone. "King Terenas is in a critical state, and the kingdom is in peril."
Tirion's expression softened at the mention of his king, but he remained steadfast. "My service is no longer wanted there," he said. "My lands and title are lost to me. I am but a disgrace now."
"They can be restored," Arthas offered. "If you help us in our time of need."
Tirion's eyes narrowed as he studied the prince before him. "What makes you think I would even consider it?"
Arthas took a deep breath. "Uther has been taken," he said, the words heavy with regret. "I...I played a part in his capture."
The revelation took Tirion back. "What?" he breathed. "How? And why?"
"The undead," Arthas confessed. "They have infiltrated our lands, and Uther was defeated and captured during the chaos of Lordaeron being besieged by both the undead and their orc allies."
"And what of him now?", Tirion pressed.
"We do not know," Arthas admitted, inwardly hoping that they would be able to get to him as soon as possible. "But I cannot stand idly by while my mentor suffers."
The exiled paladin was skeptical. But Uther had been one of the people who voted against his exile, and even prevented his wife and son from being exiled with him. "And what would you have me do?" he finally asked.
"It is something that I am still considering, and I can assure you that the rest will not be opposed by my choice.", Arthas simply replied
Tirion looked down for a moment, seeing the apology within the Prince for his role in exiling him. "I need time to think.", he said in consideration.
Calia couldn't imagine what she was feeling right now.
Ever since she had come to age, she never imagined herself being given any responsibilities other than perhaps securing alliances like she originally had with Lord Prestor of Alterac before he vanished. And since then, she was relegated to the background and had secretly married behind her father's back to a man that she knew Terenas would never approve of.
And now, Calia had been approached by Arthas where he told her that he would be assigning her as Regent of Lordaeron while he is away to assist the elves of Quel'thalas against an imminent Scourge invasion. But the problem is, she had no idea how to govern nor she was trained by it. And she knew it.
"But, Arthas," Calia protested. "I know nothing of ruling a kingdom."
Arthas however, looked slightly confident. "Callie," he gently began, "father is not able lead right now, and I have to go to Quel'Thalas. You are the only one I can trust to keep our people safe and our homeland unified in my absence."
"Arthas," Calia whispered. "I don't think I could do this."
He took her hands in his own. "You won't," he assured her. "I will appoint a wise and trustworthy chancellor to guide you, and I've already chosen a capable home guard commander to protect you from any schemes the nobility might conjure.".
"But," he added, "think of it this way. If you prove yourself capable during this time and if Father recovers, he would see that you are more capable than what he gave you credit for. And I would personally talk to him to convince him to accept your little secret."
With those words, and Calia felt determined. If there was a chance she could not only help her people but also be with her beloved and not lose her family, she would do whatever it takes. "Very well, I'll do what I can, Arthas."
Arthas smiled at her. "I'm sure you would, Callie. I'll be here if you needed help."
Meanwhile near the borders of Quel'thalas...
Kel'thuzad took his time to think.
Naturally, he never trusted Tichondrius, knowing that his role in getting him out of that dungeon is meant to be a 'favor' that Kel'thuzad needed to return by complying with his wishes as the new leader of the Scourge. Tichondrius always assumed the worst of every being, which put the necromancer on his toes that forced him to be careful at the meantime.
And so far, he needed time to prepare, and he looked up to find two of his most devoted followers in the Cult of the Damned, Lord Alexei Barov and Baron Rivendare who are now wanted fugitives in Lordaeron for their association with him. The two had been teleported out by Tichondrius himself after he had dealt with Uther. Kel'thuzad couldn't help but admire the improvements he had made onto them upon their release.
"Greetings, my friends," Kel'thuzad said to the two former nobles who were on horseback. "How do you find your new forms?"
Baron Rivendare and Lord Barov, exchanged glances in their new forms that Kel'thuzad took pride as the Scourge's new Death Knights. "It is...exhilarating," Rivendare spoke in awe. "The power we now wield is unlike anything we could have dreamed of in our mortal lives."
"Yes," Barov chimed. "We feel...transcendent. Above the concerns of the living."
"Good," Kel'thuzad nodded. "You will find that immortality is quite an intoxicating gift."
The two Death Knights looked at each other. "What do you mean, master?" Barov asked.
The necromancer leaned back in the tree in deep thought. "Tichondrius is a means to an end for now," he revealed. "His assistance is necessary for my rebirth once we reach Quel'Thalas. But make no mistake," he continued, "do not trust him hastily. It is their nature after all."
The two undead lords bowed. "We serve Ner'zhul," Rivendare affirmed. "Our loyalty is to him, and through him, to you."
Then, Tichondrius arrived which made Kel'thuzad and his Death Knights to be quiet as they have arrived at their presence.
"Kel'thuzad," Tichondrius bellowed as he had teleported to their presencd. "I trust you and your new...companions have settled into your roles within the Scourge."
The necromancer rose to his feet. "Our preparations are going as planned," he replied in compliance but his distrust was clear. "But what of the High Elf defense? The Ban'dinoriel is said to be impenetrable."
"I have been in contact with one of their own. And his knowledge would prove to be useful in the long run.", Tichondrius replied. "With his aid, Sunwell should be in our control before the Prince and his troops arrive to reinforce them.".
"But what of Ranger-General Windrunner and her Farstriders?" Barov asked. "Are they aware of our presence?"
Tichondrius turned to him. "They remain unaware of our presence. If they are informed, they will have dismissed the Prince's warnings as paranoia. They will not know what lies before them when we come for them."
"Our preparations need to be complete with haste," the Dreadlord urged. "Gather your forces and begin the assault. Lady Sylvanas and her temper may be a very useful tool to exploit"
Just as they spoke, Wrathjaw approached Tichondrius, looking gruff befitting to a beast like him. "The Syndicate scum has been dealt with and their corpses are yours to use, Dreadlord.", the Fel Orc reported.
Tichondrius looked pleased. "Excellent. This will be useful for our incursion into Quel'thalas. And I suspect that your men would like to have a fill when it comes to Elf blood, is it?"
"Indeed," Wrathjaw growled. "The Elves have always looked down on our brethren, hiding behind their fancy trees and their trickery," he spat. "Burning their very homeland will prove to be a revelry."
"And you will have it, Warchief," the Dreadlord promised him. "We would need as much bodies as we could muster."
The fel orc nodded. "I will be having Throk'Feroth and Haomarush to assist us," he rumbled. "Sooner or later, their spires will burn."
Tichondrius watched the Blackrock Warchief leave, and glanced at Kel'thuzad, Rivendare and Barov, who followed suit to prepare the Scourge for the invasion.
Funeral pyres were all around the outskirts of the city as they burned the bodies of the fallen defenders and invaders alike. Falric and Marwyn approached Arthas, who was clenching his right arm as he watched civilians being rationed with uninfected supplies under close watch of the Kirin Tor. "The 1st Legion is ready to march, Your Highness," Falric reported. "As soon as the supplies are secured, we can set out for Quel'Thalas."
Marwyn added, "We've seen worse, Prince Arthas. They're battle-hardened and eager to fight for their king."
Arthas nodded. While other regiments were needed to for the homeland defense, he could always rely on the first Legion. those were the same soldiers who had fought beside him in Northrend and thought highly of them. And now, they were willing to follow him again. He knew he had to be worthy of their trust.
Jaina walked over to Arthas, looking relieved. "I've received word from my father.", she informed him. "The first refugees are aboard ships en route Stormwind and Ironforge. We could expect the numbers to increase if things went wrong."
Arthas took her hand and squeezed it. "Tell Admiral Proudmoore he has my thanks.", he relayed to her. "There wouldn't be a nation without its people. So even if Lordaeron lost lands, it'll still be alive as long as there are others who live to believe in it."
The sorceress took her time to remember, slowly guiding Arthas away from Falric and Marwyn who were busy organizing the troops. "Arthas, while we saw how the Scourge invasion of Quel'thalas played out, it did fell because of your leadership of the Scourge.", she began first. "Can it be said that we should be able to deal with it without you leading them?"
Arthas took a moment to think. "While it did, it's largely because the Scourge are untested waters for them to swim of. Sylvanas was determined to stand her ground and give battle to protect her homeland, but it only ended up giving the Scourge more bodies to use as troops until she was outnumbered by the time I've entered Silvermoon."
"So how do we deal with it?", Jaina carefully asked.
"If we're lucky and that Dar'khan was apprehended, then fine. At least the Ban'dinoriel would be able to hold the Scourge. All hope of victory or pushing them back ended when Dar'khan murdered the Magisters operating it.", the Prince informed her. "If they didn't... we'll just have to convince them their error and have them find Dar'khan before he would cause any more damage."
Jaina nodded. "At this point we might need to make our own luck.", she remarked.
"That we do, Jaina.", Arthas agreed. "That we do."
Five days later
Jenalla Deemspring prided herself as one of the Farstriders, having fought under Ranger-Captain Alleria Windrunner prior to the latter joining the Alliance expedition and Quel'thalas' withdrawal from the Alliance. As such, she considers herself to be among Quel'thalas' finest warriors.
But nothing prepared her for this.
She and her platoon are surrounded by a large number of undead and Blackrock Orcs at the very borders of Quel'Thalas. Her arrows flew true, piercing the cold hearts of the Scourge's minions but they seemed endless. She watched to find Lord Barov cutting down elf after elf with his runeblade with a savagery that chilled her to the bone. Each fallen warrior rose again to fight for the very enemy they had just died resisting.
"Fall back!" she called out to her comrades in a desperate bid to regroup. "Fall back! We must warn Lady Sylvanas!"
With a heavy heart, she knew she had to make a choice. She couldn't save them all, but she could save some by getting the message out.
Jenalla turned to Cyndia Hawkspear, her fellow Farstrider. "Get to the outer Elf gate's outpost," she shouted. "Tell Lady Sylvanas that the dead are here!"
Cyndia nodded in fear ad urgency. "I will," she promised before disappearing into the forests, leaving Jenalla and her men to face the onslaught alone as the Orcs pillaged and burned numerous houses that only fueled their anger at them.
Alone and surrounded, Jenalla took a deep breath and prepared herself. "I will not die easily," she murmured, her bow at the ready. "For Quel'Thalas, I will fight!"
Barov approached her with twisted malice. He raised his runeblade that was glowing in a faint blue hue, and pointed it at her. "Your fate is sealed, elf," he sneered. "You will serve the Lich King, or you will become one with the cold earth."
Jenalla took aim and fired, her arrow striking true. But the Death Knight merely grinned, the shaft of the arrow protruding from his eye before he came closer at her as he removed it from his skull.
Suddenly, a burst of light and the thunderous sound of hooves, a contingent of Alliance knights and soldiers emerged, charging that took the Scourge and the Orcs by surprise. At the forefront was Arthas, swinging his hammer to send a Ghoul flying several feet away from a crying elf child.
"Protect the villagers! Push them back!" Arthas bellowed as he swung his war hammer, cleaving through the enemy lines. Falric and Marwyn charged ahead, joining Arthas and Thassarian in their defense of the elves. Water Elementals summoned by Jaina, charged as well while she formed protective barriers to allow civilians to flee further away from their burning village while surviving Quel'dorei warriors covered them.
For Jenalla, the unexpected reinforcements were a welcome relief when they were so close of being overrun.
For Arthas, if preventing another genocide is a step on making up for his mistakes in his previous lives, then he'll do what it takes.
Still can't find an available copy of the Sylvanas novel where I could read how the defense played out. If anyone had read it, I'd be grateful to see the insights along with how Sylvanas performed in her leadership. Rate and review!
