Disclaimer! I don't own Wow. Blizz does, and your soul too.
*** Dun Morogh – Ironforge ***
"Fight on, sons of Ironforge!" With the Bronzebeard army at his back, Muradin Bronzebeard pushed out of Ironforge with a vengeance. "Push the greenskins back!"
His men were fighting the greenskins up and down the mountain pathway to try and take back Kharanos to break the siege. It was thought it would be an easy task since their scouts had reported seeing the massive army of greenskin moving eastward. In fact, more than one said a prayer to the Maker for their Wildhammer kin who lived in that direction.
Unfortunately, things did not happen as they had hoped. Despite the enemy numbering less, his men could not breach through to the foot of the mountain. Instead, their dead were beginning to litter the battlefield. For every dwarf who fell, it pained the younger brother of Magni Bronzebeard.
'Chaos. Pure chaos.' That was what Muradin Bronzebeard thought.
"For the Queen!" a younger dwarf shouted as he hurled himself at a greenskin. He paid for his eagerness when his opponent met his charge and tackled him to the ground.
A raised serrated axe from the greenskin brought an end to the young dwarf's life, just before Muradin's flung hammer caved in the orc's skull. Many such scenes continuously played out on the battlefield and yet, they could not back down; they had their orders. With pure dwarven stubbornness, they fought on despite their losses.
By themselves, the remaining greenskins stalemated with the dwarves, but soon enough, two more enemy factions made their presence known. Goblin zeppelins, as the gnomes called them, lobbed barrels of fire onto Ironforge's opened gates to deal as much damage as possible. Dwarven warriors unfortunate enough to be caught in the blast radius died in burning agony. As if to add insult to injury, the barrels of fire probably came from a captured gnomish supply depot.
Luckily, their gnomish allies' anti-air launcher mounted at the opening at the top of the gate—fired at the ship, forcing it away. The ammunition they used were long thin metal spears, launched with enough force to punch through the ships thick hulls. Others that were too damaged were forced to retreat or crash burning to the ground. However, even then, that wasn't the only threat; the goblins took the field to seek out and destroy the gnome's creations while their larger greenskin allies were engaged with the dwarves.
Finally, there were their foul cousins, the dark iron dwarves. Situated at the base of the mountain, they were building a fortification to box them in. To further the insult, they had retrieved and repaired many of the abandoned cannons and were now aiming them at the base of the mountain, slaughtering any Ironforge warriors within range.
In Muradin's eyes, the entire offensive had been launched too soon, before they had truly recovered from their first defeat but his niece was their queen regent. As the commander of the Ironforge army, he could only obey and do his best to win.
The battle raged for a full day and well into the night before both sides had no choice but to pull back to their respective lines.
With a final booming sound, the gates of Ironforge closed once more.
"Get the wounded to the healers," Muradin said to the quartermaster, inwardly grimacing as he saw just how battered many of his fellow dwarves were. "Get beer and food for the rest. They deserve it."
"Aye, general," the dwarf quartermaster answered with a smart salute.
'What a waste,' Muradin thought furiously. With his lads tended to, he marched angrily to the High Seat.
The High Seat was where the Bronzebeard had ruled over Ironforge for the past few generations. It was a wide spacious room carved from the very mountains and in the very center was the famous stone throne. The guards at the entrance nodded at him and let Muradin pass as he made his way inside.
There, on his brother's seat, sat a dwarven woman in a black dress that had many precious jewels of the earth embedded into the fabric. She had her hair tied up in twin braids at her side, and her face was focused on reading the papers in her hand. For a moment, he saw the little girl she was in his memory, but he quickly shook his head. She was no longer just his niece but the Queen Regent of Ironforge, Moira Bronzebeard
Next to her was his brother Brann who had taken up an adviser role and handled the logistics for their army. In her hand was a report that she had been reading, but upon seeing him, she set it aside and looked at him in disappointment.
"I heard ye failed in pushing back the greenskin, uncle," the queen regent said with a shake of her head.
Brann by her side winced when he heard her comment. The most hurtful part was that her tone did not hold any snideness to it, just disappointment. That set Muradin off as he took off his bloodied helmet and tossed it at the foot of her throne.
"Damn it, lass!" Muradin roared. "I told ye that it was too soon to attack!"
He stepped forward making her guard look at him in alarm.
"Brann and I warned ye that it was foolish to attack so soon when we have nae even fully recovered!" Muradin all but shouted.
"Watch how ye address yer Queen!" Moria snapped back as she stood up and pointed at him. "I rule Ironforge now, not you!"
The Queen Regent then leveled an imperious gaze at him.
"We must hammer them while they are at their weakest!" Moria said passionately.
"Not like this, yer not!" Muradin shouted angrily. "We are just throwing lives away at this point!"
"Now, now, ye two." Brann stepped in. "Yer family. Ye shouldn't be quarreling like this! What would yer people think if they heard of it?!"
Despite their differences, both niece and uncle cared for their people and so, their infamous Bronzebeard tempers were slowly reigned in.
Muradin took a deep breath before he looked at his niece. "I know ye thought that they had been weakened when their army left, but the numbers they left behind are equal to ours. It would be fo—wasteful to keep attacking them like this."
"So we are to cower behind our gate while the dark iron filth builds fortification at the foot of the mountain?" Moria seemed genuinely indignant. "Father would have never—"
"Yer father would have agreed with me," Muradin answered softly. He then looked to Brann who wanted to remain neutral, but knowing what was at stake, he stepped forward.
"Aye, lass," Brann confirmed. "Magni would not have wasted lives like this. Yer boldness does ye credit, but this is not the way."
Moria looked at Brann, who had been advising her since Magni fell, and then at Muradin before balling up her fist.
"Then...I suggest ye two come up with a plan that works," Moria said in a cold tone. "I intend to see these greenskin excise from our lands and the dark iron dead beneath our feet within the month!"
She then stood up and gathered the parchment she had set aside.
"Now, I would like to go over these reports in private," the Queen Regent answered. "Ye two can see yerselves out."
With that, Moria's bodyguards packed up the rest of her things and followed her to the royal study. The two Bronzebeard brothers looked at each other after she left before letting out a synchronized sigh. It was Brann who left his seat and walked over to Muradin before the two left the High Seat room.
"I..." Muradin sighed as they walked toward the Military Ward in the southeast direction of their city. "I shouldn't have deferred the throne te her."
"It's too late now," Brann answered. "If ye try te take it now, it might divide our people."
"I know," Muradin shook his head. "The girl has Magni's charisma and the people have taken te her."
"Aye," Brann nodded. "In terms of running a kingdom, she is her father's daughter. However...she is still very green in military matters."
"Then she should have listened to the general of her forces," Muradin growled.
"I think, in some ways, she is trying to prove her da wrong," Brann explained as he gave his brother a knowing look. "We both know that Magni was not very open-minded to the idea of his girl ruling. Nor thought she was capable."
"He loves her," Muradin defended his oldest brother but saw Brann raise his hand.
"I know he does," Brann replied. "Ye know he does, and I believe Moria knows too, but that still does nae mean he thought she could ever rule."
And that was the rub of it. The heir was supposed to be a male, and Muradin was supposed to have taken over, but he had declined. He felt he was more a commander than a king, and Brann likewise declined. Moria was the only logical choice, but the girl needed to know when to swallow her pride.
"We'll get through te her in time," Brann said hopefully. "In the meantime, there will be some painful lessons for all of us."
"We will nae be learning today's lesson again," Muradin firmly stated. No more lives would be thrown away on a whim, even if he had to defy his queen for it.
"Aye, no more," Brann agreed.
After that, the two brothers remained in companionable silence before they finally arrived at the Military Ward.
The once orderly place was now filled with chaos. Controlled chaos to be sure, but chaos all the same. Soldiers were training recruits that came from the common folks up to some aristocrats who volunteered. A few thanes were pouring over the map of their land and marking where known enemy forces were. Lastly, newly minted weapons were being deposited haphazardly against the wall for the recruits thanks to the smiths in the Great Forge.
The two brothers soaked in the scene for a spell before Muradin turned to Brann. "How's Magni doing?"
"The priests are exhausted from trying to mend him," Brann replied softly. "The wound was too deep, too fatal they say. Their healing abilities are nae enough. They stand by their first assessment."
And there was yet another reason why Moria was in a rush to destroy the greenskin. It was why Muradin foolishly followed her order despite knowing that it was wrong. According to their priests, only a High Priest or Archbishop might have the skill necessary to save Magni's life. Unfortunately, those people were in Lordaeron.
"How long did they give him?" Muradin braced himself for the answer.
"A couple of months if the situation does nae change," Brann replied sadly. "Less if it does."
The brothers shared a moment of grief before they gathered themselves.
"Then, let's get te planning," Muradin put his hand on his brother's shoulders. "With any luck, the humans will have noticed our predicament and are fighting against the greenskin bastards."
"They better," Brann said ominously. "Otherwise, we're all dead."
*** Kingdom of Lordaeron – Eastweald ***
Chronormu, known as Chromie to all her mortal friends, was on a very important mission. Unlike the other times, not only was the fate of Azeroth hanging in the balance but their entire flight's existence. Ironically, thanks to the foolish Kairozdormu's research, they were able to protect themselves for a while. Soridormi's quick thinking in tethering their Azeroth to the out-of-time Draenor prevented them from being swept away in the time storm.
However, they all knew that it was only a matter of time before their protection eroded and both worlds were lost to the unknown. Chromie shivered at the thought as she lay in wait from her hiding spot. It was a small pocket she cut into the fabric of time to avoid the eyes of the enemy.
'We have their attention.' Andormu sent a broadcast message to her. 'Now, Chronormu.'
With the message received, Chromie exited from her hiding spot and arrived in the Kingdom of Lordaeron's past. The sky had an orange hue that let her know that sunset was arriving soon. The golden portal closed behind her as soon as her small frame cleared it.
Chromie looked around cautiously to make sure no infinite dragon sensed her arrival. Oddly enough, while the anomaly's past was well guarded with numerous enemy agents, the linear path he was on seemed to be the weakest. Did they know that the bronze did not want to reveal themselves to the northern kingdoms so soon? Was that why they were so unconcerned?
'The infinites are so sloppy.' Chromie shook her head. Their error was her gain. She searched with her draconian senses and found that the anomaly's campsite was where she had predicted it would be. Thanks to her small frame, she was able to stealthily make her way through the forest until she spotted a campfire and a lone male human sitting by it.
Chromie chose not to reveal herself just yet. Instead, she observed her prey and watched as he sat by the campfire with a whetstone stone in one hand and a sword in another. The sound of the stone running along the blade's length was out of place in the quiet forested area. He did not seem to notice her presence as she crept closer to test his awareness. For a moment, she thought about killing him on the spot. It was his fault that all of what they had worked for was about to fall into ruins. However, she quickly shook her head to get rid of the errant thought. That was not her mission.
It was after they had lost the last of their mortal champions that Andormu pointed out something to her that they had overlooked. He recalled the anomaly was confused by the infinite flight's presence when they confronted him the first time. He recognized her and Soridormi, which spoke of knowledge he should not have, yet their enemy's arrival surprised him. Upon discussing it, they all agreed that he also knew of the infinite flight, but from his reaction, it seemed that he did not consider them allies.
The infinite, according to reports gathered, did not engage with Callan in any meaningful fashion. It was almost as if they were keeping him in a bubble and away from their war. It also did not look like he was under any spell's influence; his movements and actions showed that his will was still his own. It was an odd situation, but that had allowed her to come up with a crazy plan. Now that they were running out of mortal champions, perhaps instead of trying to solve it by wiping out the cancer, they should just talk to him. Nozari, Andormu's clutch sister, theorized that the anomaly known as Callan Lothar was probably cut out from a failed timeline and inserted here by the infinite.
Callan Lothar was supposed to die in a random orc ambush during the very first invasion by the Horde. With his mediocre skill as a warrior and no talent for magic arts of any kind, he died easily. His biggest contribution was that his death created a hole in Lothar's heart. A hole that High Exarch Turalyon filled due to his similar appearance and age to his deceased son. Lothar probably did not realize that he viewed Turalyon as a way to ease his guilt for neglecting his son and redemption for his death. Turalyon, in turn, received the fatherly care that was denied to him by his blood father. The two's bond was what ensured that they won the second war and closed the portal.
That was Callan Lothar's purpose across millions of alternate timelines. His was fated to be a minor footnote in history.
However, it all changed. Not only was he a very capable warrior who was growing with every battle, his mastery of the Light should not have been possible. Some of the spells that they had gleaned from his battles were the personalized spells of some of the greatest future priests or draenei in origin. She swore that a few such spells even looked to be blatant copies of King Anduin Wrynn's spells that were created during the fourth war!
Shaking her head, whatever his origin, Chromie had to accept that a weird Callan Lothar was here now. With his knowledge of them and his ultimate fate, she was prepared to bargain with him to preserve the timeline and reconnect the past to the future. Resolve coursed through her body as she made herself known and walked into his campsite. Immediately, the sound of his sharpening stopped as his piercing blue eyes looked up at her.
"Hello!" Chromie greeted quickly, holding up her hand. "I'm not here to fight!"
"Chronormu or is it Chromie?" Callan Lothar asked her. He slowly put the whetstone aside but kept his sword in his hand.
"Please." Chromie rolled her eyes at his caution. "If I wanted to hurt you, would I appear to you in this form?"
She twirled around in a circle to show off her diminutive frame.
"See?" She watched as Callan took the sword and stabbed it into the ground in front of him.
"So that appears to be the case… What do you want from me?" At least his sword was not aimed at her.
"To talk of course!" Chromie spoke up in earnest as she took a seat on the log across from him. "Tell me, are you a Callan from another reality whose timeline collapsed? That would explain your knowledge of us and your skill in the Light. Did I guess correctly?"
The taller human just shrugged his shoulders and gave a non-committal grunt. Chromie had to stop herself from pouting. The human was being vague with her on purpose.
"Is that all you wanted to talk about?" the son of Lothar asked.
"No!" Chromie shook her head furiously. "That was just for my curiosity. I came here to bargain on my people's behalf and to let you know that you are destroying the world!"
Callan blinked. "I...destroy the world?"
"Yes!" Chromie nodded quickly. "We only recently realized that you know about the infinite flight and us. You must know that them going out of their way to protect you does not bode well for Azeroth."
Callan looked around the campsite and then to the sky before leveling his gaze back to her.
"Ugh, I said in the future, not now!" Chromie protested in disgust. Mortal thinking was so linear. "Just how much do you know?"
"Enough." Callan's voice and expression did not give anything away.
"Look, you must know you were destined to die, right?" Chromie saw the human sit up straighter. She was right. He was trying to change his fate. "What if I tell you, you can live?"
Callan blinked at her.
"How?" he demanded.
Chromie smiled widely. This was what made working with mortals so easy. They were selfish and would do anything if it benefits them, be it for personal gain or monetary compensation. In the anomaly's case, it was self-preservation.
"We can put you in the future where whatever you do doesn't matter anymore," Chromie said proudly. "You would be somewhat of a local celebrity once we tell them who you are."
"A-and Stormwind?" Callan sounded worried and uneasy. She couldn't blame him.
"You know as well as I that it needs to fall," Chromie told him in a sympathetic tone. "From its ashes, a stronger Alliance and Horde will rise that can defeat even gods."
She saw the human face cloud with doubt.
"They are aware of you now, you know. Does it matter?" Callan looked at her hopefully.
"We have our ways of putting things back to the way they were." She didn't need to tell him that they plan on wiping out the past after it reconnects to the future.
It was an odd way to repair the timeline to be sure. She was sure some things might even change in the new past, but the future would dictate what they would be. Who knows, perhaps they might even remember this Callan.
"I see..." Callan's eyes became flinty as her danger sense told her to leap to her left just before the human sword came down on where she had been sitting. The log that had been her seat was cut cleanly in two.
"Hey!" Chromie shouted as she held up her hand, time magic already infusing it. "I thought you would be reasonable!"
Callan let loose a laugh and sneered at her. "So that was your flight's pathetic plan."
Chromie blinked as Callan's voice sounded feminine toward the end. Then to her great shock, Callan's form melted away to reveal a female human with dark blue glowing eyes. The sword that was of Stormwindian design morphed into a draconic black blade.
"You're an infinite!" Chromie fired a stream of time magic to erase the girl, only for her sword to deflect it.
"And you're a pathetic bronze," the woman said with a sneer. "To think you would go begging to him! Your mortal champions must have failed in their task. A shame."
Chromie fired a larger barrage of time-laced magic to destroy the infinite. To her horror, the infinite dragon moved quickly to avoid her shots and closed the distance between them. Chromie rolled right this time to avoid the sword from cleaving her in two. However, she was caught by a powerful kick and sent slamming into a tree.
"Ugh!" Chromie was more in pain from the kick than crashing into the tree trunk. She looked up just in time to see the dark blade stabbing down at her. "RrraaaaRGGGGHHHHH!"
The blade was blocked as she grew larger into a dragon. The blade was easily deflected as she swiped her tail and knocked the infinite dragon away into the forest. She quickly created a portal for one of her size to escape, only to hear a roar coming from the forest. A moment later, a large infinite dragon shot out from the tree and slammed into her, cutting off her spellwork.
The two of them collided so hard that it caused the very ground below them to shake from the impact. Chromie did her best to deflect the infinite's claws while trying to snap her jaw around her opponent's throat. She felt a thrill when her claw punctured through the infinite scale, only to cry out in pain when the corrupted dragon bit one of her wings. Desperate, Chromie bit down on the infinite's wing in retaliation as they rolled around on the ground, destroying trees and leaving dents in the earth.
The two breathe time-laced magical dragon fire at one another, but dragon scales were meant to endure such heat. However, claws were another matter as they punctured through one another's scales quite easily. Unfortunately, Chromie was not very good in close combat, while her opponent appeared to relish in it. In the end, she realized she would lose if this kept up. With that realization, she desperately looked for a way to separate from her attacker.
Thankfully, the infinite had lunged for her throat, but missed and got her shoulders instead. That allowed Chromie to get enough leverage to kick the infinite dragon with her hind legs and push her away. The infinite took a chunk of her shoulder with her, but for Chromie, it was a payment for the slight reprieve. Her opponent spat the ripped flesh out onto the ground, looking pleased. Even the wounds that she had sustained did not look to bother her in the slightest.
Chromie could not say the same for herself. She needed to flee and to do that, she needed her opponent to be distracted, even for just a moment. She did not think the infinite would give her that. Not willingly, at least. That meant she would have to create the opportunity herself.
"Are you not afraid that the mortals will see us?" Chromie asked while she began a slow, silent cast. "Would you want your prospective champion, Callan Lothar, to see you? Or have you gotten your hooks into him already?"
"Look closer," the infinite replied with a sneer. "Do you not realize you are in a copied moment in time? And you call yourself keepers of time! How laughable."
Chromie blinked and realized that the area had a layer of false time layered on top of it. It did not extend very far, just around the immediate area. How did she miss this the first time around?
"You made this?" Chromie asked.
"Naturally," the female dragon replied, showing off her sharp teeth. There was some red to it from where she had bit into her neck earlier.
"Impressive spell work," Chromie acknowledged. "Do you have a name, infinite?"
"...Eraus," the dragon replied grudgingly.
"Good to know who I will be facing next time," Chromie said as she finished her spell casting. A golden glow enveloped the area.
"What did you—" Eraus growled as she rushed toward the bronze. "You will not escape me!"
"Already have!" Chromie's spell took her out of time once more and deposited her right into the Cavern of Time where a surprised Soridormi spotted her right away.
"Chronormu!" Soridormi rushed toward her, her face filled with concern. Chromie smiled because she knew that she was safe now. That was when her vision began to swim.
"Oh no," she slurred as she realized that one of the claw wounds looked a lot deeper than she had initially assessed. "That can't be good..."
With that, she collapsed onto the floor with a thud just as Soridormi approached her.
"I'm fraid that thing didn't quite work out as plannnnne…" Chromie slurred her last word as she slowly blacked out. "Sorrrry…Sori…"
*** Tirisfal Glade – Capital City ***
Taria Wrynn, Queen of the Kingdom of Stormwind, took her seat by King Terenas, the host and patron of this gathering. The position was only reserved for the guest of honor and all those in attendance knew it. From her seat, the view allowed her to survey the rest of the ruling bodies in the north. To Terenas' right was his wife, Queen Lianne Menethil; if the other rulers took issue with another queen in this council of kings, they did not voice it. Next to her was Daelin Proudmoore, Lord Admiral of Kul Tiras, and a long-time friend of Terenas. The man was making small talk with the queen and had taken off his admiral hat for this council. Being a harbor city, she noted that the Lord Admiral's skin had a toughness that could only be found on those who enjoyed life on the high seas.
As for the other guests, across from her was a man who looked to be in his late forties or early fifties. Genn Greymane was the king of Gilneas and like his namesake, his hair already showed signs of graying. He had a face as if carved from rock and looked to be a hard man with the way his eyes scanned the room suspiciously.
Next to her was a young man roughly the same age as her who had been complimenting her beauty the moment he laid eyes on her. He had copper hair and a handsome face, yet there was something...disconcerting about him. She couldn't quite place it, but she remained cordial. After all, though he was probably the weakest in terms of power here, Aiden Perenolde was the King of Alterac. That fact, more than anything else, demanded respect.
Lastly, at the very end of the table was an old man in his fifties who had a metal skull cap on his balding head. His old wisen face exuded authority and commanded respect on par with the other rulers. Dressed in elegant violet robes was Antonidas, Archmage of Dalaran, and one of its rulers. He had set his staff aside for this meeting and was talking to another old man around his age.
Like him, Archbishop Alonsus Foal commanded respect, but where Antonidas did it through his arcane mastery, the archbishop did so by faith. The head of the Church of the Light had only arrived a week ago and appeared disappointed that Callan had yet to return.
By now all of the rulers were aware of Callan lineage, and with both Terenas and the Archbishop confirming it, there was no doubt. Alonsus further increased his prestige when he recounted how Callan had fought a troll raiding party while outnumbered in order to rescue an elven party. The way he spoke of the boy made her smile, especially on the part when the young knight had taken the lead and how the knights of Blackwood responded. At least, she knew he was safe and with the elves now. She could only pray to the Light that he would succeed.
With that, Taria had mentally noted everyone in attendance, though they were still missing one more person. Of all the kingdoms, Thoras Trollbane, king of Stromgarde, probably had the longest distance to travel. It would have been more prudent to wait for him, and they had. However, as all of the other kings arrived and there was still no news of Thoras, it was getting harder for Terenas to delay the council. The other rulers agreed to wait for only a week before they had to return to their kingdom. With that time expired and the other rulers getting impatient, Terenas decided to go ahead and hold the Council of Kings even without the missing ruler of Stromgarde.
Before the real meeting could start, food and Lordaeron's finest wine were served to make everyone comfortable. It was about an hour later, after most had finished, that Terenas cleared his throat and began properly.
"My lords and ladies," Terenas addressed them respectfully. "You all know why I requested your presence here. The only question now is if you would commit to an alliance to save Stormwind and drive the foul orcs out of our world."
"Request?" Genn scoffed as he held a golden chalice filled with ale. "I heard from my ambassador that you demanded my presence here. Some would even say it was an order."
Terenas took the rebuke in stride and gave a non-committal nod. "My apologies if my tone sounded harsh, but your ambassador said he had no power to speak on your behalf, and with the scale of the threat, we needed you here."
Genn had taken offense with Terenas' decree, but seeing the ruler issue the apology, he knew that he would look petty if he continued to harp on the point. The king of Gilneas glanced at the king of Alterac, but the latter avoided his eyes and instead focused his attention on her. Seeing that he would find no one else to bring Terenas to task, he could only let it go.
"Fine," Greymane grunted out before he turned to Taria. "So, what else can you tell us about these...orcs?"
With all eyes on Taria now, she began to tell them about the orcs and their Horde. How they came from another world, how Stormwind fought them, how they numbered beyond counting, and finally, most importantly, how they could be on their way. By the time she was done, the room was silent.
"So we have a massive army of savage beasts not seen since the days of Thoradin marching on our lands and you want us to send you help?" Genn Greymane asked in an incredulous tone. "If anything, we should be shoring up our own defenses."
"King Greymane," Perenolde spoke up out of turn. He shot her a quick look before he continued. "If what Queen Taria said is true, then isn't it better we fight them on Stormwind's shores rather than our own, or else our own lands could suffer for it."
Taria could not refute what Aiden said as that would be the best choice for the kingdom if they didn't want the war to spill onto their lands. Yet, the way he said it irked her.
"I already sent out the call to arms for my kingdom," Terenas said, surprising a few of the rulers. "I suggest you all do the same."
"My marines are being recalled, and recruits trained," Daelin said as he looked over to the king of Gilneas. "Between the two of us, we have the strongest navy. I suggest we work together and form a naval blockade against these orcs. They haven't shown signs of being seafaring, but I cannot imagine another world would not have sailors of their own."
"I haven't committed to anything yet." Genn scowled at the Kul Tiras admiral. "Why should I send good Gilnean to die on some distant unknown land? Lordaeron should be more than enough, I would imagine. The rest of you would be overkill."
Daelin's face became red as he slammed his hand on the table. "Ah yes, there goes that famous Gilnean stubborn stupidity."
Genn's face reddened as he stood up angrily. "You dare—"
"Enough!" Terenas' shout cut through the two men's temper. "We should not be at each other's throat and focus on the true threat, the orcs."
Whether it was out of respect for Terenas or their temper had cooled, the two men backed down.
"If I may inject, my lords?" Archmage Antonidas, who had remained silent all this time, finally spoke up.
"You may proceed," Terenas acknowledged as he sat back down. The other two kings likewise did the same. An Archmage of Dalaran, and one with Antonidas reputation, demanded respect even if he was not a king.
"While the orcs are a danger, my lords and ladies," the Archmage began. "They are not our primary threat here."
The old magus found Taria's eyes and she realized that he was talking about the threat Callan faced. Lady Aegwynn had counseled her to not speak of it unless Dalaran brought it up.
"What do you mean?" Terenas asked as he saw the exchange between the two. He then turned to the Queen of Stormwind. "Was there something that you didn't tell me?"
Taria was now put on the spot as all the king's looked to her. "I believe the Archmage is talking about demons, my lords."
There was stunned silence before it was Aiden who let loose a laugh first.
"D-demons?" Aiden laughed as if it was the funniest jest he ever heard. "My lady sure knows how to jest and lighten the mood. Humph, demons indeed."
"She is speaking truly, King Aiden," the old magus confirmed.
Taria saw all the mirth and humor die on his face as it took on a strangled expression. He then turned to her as if begging her to deny it.
"Preposterous!" Genn spoke up after absorbing the news. "Not only do we have invaders from a supposed other world, but 'demons' now?"
The Gilnean king didn't even bother to hide the skepticism in his tone.
"Yes, King Greymane," Antonidas replied coolly. "I'm glad you are far-sighted enough to grasp both threats."
The Gilnean king's eyes widened at the jab. "You—"
"Enough, Greymane!" Terenas banged on the table. "Let the archmage finish what he has to say."
The look on the king of Lordaeron conveyed that they were to talk more about why she withheld the information on the demons from him.
"My apologies, my honorable lords." Antonidas inclined his head in Genn's direction in contrition. The Gilnean king grudgingly nodded back to accept it. "Now, as I was saying, the orcs are not our primary threat. It is their demon masters. However, luck seems to be on our side as their demon masters appeared to be unaware of what their pawns are doing."
"Explain it plainly." Daelin wasn't the only one confused by the archmage, but he was the first to speak up about it.
"Queen Taria is correct that this Horde comes from another world," Antonidas began in a lecturing tone. "This fact has been confirmed by one of our most renowned magus."
Taria wondered if he meant Aegwynn or someone else. She knew the mother of Medivh had come from Dalaran.
"However, for you to understand the true scope of the threat, I will now reveal to all of you a closely guarded ancient secret." Antonidas' words now had the other rulers' undivided attention. "For thousands of years, we have been aware of the demons. In secret, the greatest magi of each generation worked tirelessly in the shadows to protect us from them. Though I was not a member, I was aware of their task. For you see, the war against the demons began roughly ten thousand years ago…"
With that, Antonidas laid bare a secret that had been kept for millennia. The faces of the mortal men paled upon learning the true scope of the threat, of Sargeras and his Burning Legion. Of the mad titan responsible for breaking their world and how a secretive magi order had kept their planet locked away from those very same demons all this time. When he was done, all of the most powerful men in the north could only fall silent as they digested the truth laid bare before them. Taria could not blame them; she and her husband had a few restless nights when Lady Aegwynn finally revealed that ancient truth. Soon enough, it was the archbishop who recovered first.
"Then, if what Queen Taria said is correct, then this...Dark Portal of theirs must be the doorway in which the demons could enter our world," the older man with a fatherly aura said before turning to her. "The Church of the Light will throw everything we have behind this war. We must close this door before their masters notice it."
"As my son has said before, Kul Tiras stands with you," Daelin declared proudly.
"For the first time since our foundation, all of Dalaran is being mobilized to deal with this world-ending threat." Antonidas' statement sent shock waves through the northern kings. "Our mages are being recalled all across the land and readied for war even as we hold council here."
Everyone's eyes then fell upon the last two men in the room. Thanks to her talk with Queen Lianne, Taria was aware that Gilneas and Alterac often formed a power bloc to oppose Lordaeron or Stromgarde. The younger king looked to the other, and just when Greymane was about to speak, he was interrupted by one of Terenas' advisers rushing into the room.
"I said we were not to be disturbed!" Terenas' eyes became frosty at the interruption.
"I beg your pardon, my king, but King Thoras is here," the adviser said on bended knee. The news of the Stromgarde king's arrival took Terenas aback before he nodded.
"Send him in immediately," the king ordered. With that, the adviser rushed out.
Perenolde and Greymane seemed to be silently conversing with their eyes during the lull. They did not wait for long as the sound of heavy footfall became audible for all to hear. Finally, the doors opened, and right behind the adviser was a large bear of a man with copper red hair and a bushy bear. He was, by far, larger than any of the kings, and he only stopped upon entering the room.
"You're all here. Good." Thoras Trollbane went to the empty seat by Daelin Proudmoore, across from Aiden Perenolde. He then took a deep gulp from a hastily placed chalice of ale before he exhaled deeply. "Let it be known that whatever alliance that is being formed, Stromgarde is fully committed to it."
The statement shocked all the northern kings. Even the Dalaran archmage was visibly affected. In her short time here, Taria learned that Stromgarde was the most difficult of the kingdoms to deal with. Though Lordaeron and Stromgarde were allies, King Trollbane always demanded a high price whenever they needed his assistance. She even learned that the monarch even waged war with Alterac's kingdom decades ago. In recent times, Gilneas and Stromgarde were in a dispute regarding certain islands south of Southshore. So, for King Trollbane to just accept joining the alliance without haggling caught the other rulers by surprise.
"That-that is very good to hear, old friend," Terenas said with a wide smile after he recovered. "You've shown true wisdom in doing so."
"Piss on wisdom," Thoras spat venomously and then looked at her apologetically. "Lady Taria, I was a fool and should have heeded the warnings. I swear when this is over, I will stand with Stormwind. That, I promise."
"What do you mean, my lord?" Taria asked. Something told her things were about to go horribly wrong. "When what is over?"
"Our war with the creatures you call the orcs," the king of Stromgarde replied as he looked at everyone in the room. "A messenger caught up to me before I entered the capital with dire news."
"No..." Taria wanted to deny it, but Thoras' expression was too grave.
"As of a week ago, the creatures that Lady Taria called the orcs have crossed the Thandol Span in great numbers." The Stromgarde king closed his eyes before opening again. "My fellow lords, the Horde is here."
There was a moment of silence before bedlam took the room.
However, Taria realized that if the Horde was here, then that meant that Stormwind would be standing alone for the foreseeable future. All she could do was pray for the safety of her husband, son, and country.
'Stay safe, my love.'
TBC...
AN: Once more thanks to Icura for helping me edit this! You da man!
Special thanks to all my patron supporters, your continue support helps a lot! Thank you very much! Though expect the sneak preview to be a few days late since I will be out of town for thanksgiving week. Sorry ! ><
Now onto the interlude. Thats right! I did what I did. I frankly don't know how old Moria was, but seeing as how dwarves are long lived and she resented her father ever since WC2. She must have been pretty old to have wanted power. So I placed her as 'old enough to be queen regeant'. However, Moria have the tendency to use brute force methods to get what she wants, case in point, she was willing to suppress her people in the WC novel. Varian had to smack some sense into her for her to be a good ruler who actually thinks of her people.
Then you have the Council of Kings It pretty self explanatory and hope I got it right.
And thats it! Hope you guys enjoy it! Thanks for reading!And as always if you like to throw some support my way, please consider visting the patron in the sig below.
As always C+C and Discussions welcomed
Oh and Happy Thanksgiving all!