One hour later.
Kael'thas returned on the Phoenix God, gracefully landing on the deck of the 'Sea Sovereignty'. He brushed the ash from his robe, speaking calmly, 'All annihilated.'
Daelin, who had been about to ask for an update, immediately shut his mouth, giving him a look that said, 'You figure it out.'
Who asked you, show-off!
'What's with those Dragons? Did the Red Dragonflight defect?' He asked the crucial question.
Although he didn't know much about Dragons and had never seen one in person before, the comic books he read and the legends he heard as a child made him realize:
Dragons were truly terrifying!
Adult Dragons, who had lived for hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of years, were far beyond what young Dragons could compare to.
Their skin was as hard as steel; even the strongest archers couldn't pierce it.
Their claws were like enchanted hardened kryptonite daggers, capable of piercing a Spellbreaker's Mithril shield.
Their breath attacks were comparable to a Fire Mage's legendary spells; a single spit could ignite an entire forest.
They even wielded powerful authorities, capable of manipulating earth, nature, life, magic, and even time.
If the Dragonflights had truly sided with the Horde, how could this war be fought? Might as well just cut their losses and surrender.
'General, do you misunderstand the power dynamic between the Red Dragonflight and the Horde? If anyone were to defect, it would be the Horde defecting to the Red Dragonflight.'
Kael'thas grumbled inwardly but said aloud, 'No, the Red Dragonflight hasn't defected to the Horde; they've just been enslaved by them.'
Daelin breathed a sigh of relief at the first half of the sentence, then nearly choked at the second half.
Just? You call this 'just'?
The Horde enslaving the Red Dragonflight is even more outrageous than the Red Dragonflight defecting!
If they can enslave the Red Dragonflight, they can enslave other Dragonflights, which is far more terrifying, isn't it?
'Don't worry, among the four Dragonflights, the Red Dragonflight is the easiest to deal with. The Bronze Dragons are lost in endless timelines, the Green Dragons are sleeping soundly in the Emerald Dream, and the Blue Dragons are going crazy at the Nexus, so the Orcs can't catch them,' Kael'thas reassured.
Pfft. The four beautiful High Elf women simultaneously burst into laughter.
Your Highness is good at comforting people, but don't let the Dragonflights hear that, or they'll never forgive you.
'Four Dragonflights?'
Daelin was good at grasping the key points: 'What about the Black Dragonflight? Won't they be enslaved by the Orcs?'
Although he could cast spells, he was essentially a warrior who loved to charge, not a mage who loved to frequent libraries, so he knew nothing about ancient secrets.
'The Black Dragonflight is the mastermind behind this whole affair.'
Kael'thas explained the entire sequence of events.
'Hold on, let me process this.'
It took Daelin a full two minutes to digest all the information. He then asked, 'You mean, you want me to help you destroy the Horde Fleet, find out where the Red Dragon Queen is imprisoned, then you'll rescue the Red Dragon Queen and have her lead the Red Dragonflight to help us eliminate the Horde?'
Kael'thas gave a thumbs-up: 'That's a very accurate summary. That's exactly it.'
'This will be a war that determines the fate of the entire world. I need to calculate carefully.'
Daelin's expression turned serious, entering his Admiral mode: 'Your Highness, first tell me, how many warships does the Horde Fleet have, how big are the ships, how many cannons and crew do they have, what's their cruising speed, what are the wind direction and ocean currents like there, and how many days will it take to reach Silvermoon City? How many Goblin Airships are there, how many Dragon Riders, and are there any adult Red Dragons?'
'Well...' Kael'thas drew out the end of his sentence.
Daelin's questions touched upon his blind spots; he didn't know!
Beside him, Alleria, without thinking, blurted out: 'At least three hundred warships, including about fifty large ships over 50 meters long, fast ships... cannons... crew numbers... cruising speed... wind direction... ocean currents... approximately 10 days to Silvermoon City. The number of Goblin Airships and Dragon Riders is unknown.'
She had only observed for a few minutes, yet she knew so much information.
Kael'thas thought, 'As expected of a woman who lived until the Battle for Azeroth expansion and even dared to hunt Miss Xal'atath. She must be treating the Horde as prey; her reconnaissance ability is truly strong.'
Of course, he wasn't to be outdone, adding: 'At least thirty Goblin Airships, at least fifty Dragon Riders. I haven't seen any adult Red Dragons yet, but I estimate there are definitely enslaved adult Dragons, at least three.'
Mages have always had strong spiritual power, and a legendary mage's spiritual power is quite formidable, capable of covering a large area.
At the time, many Goblin Airships and Dragon Riders were hidden in the clouds and hadn't come out, or were too far away to be seen, but he could vaguely sense their presence.
As for how many more were beyond his sensory range, he didn't know.
He, of course, wasn't estimating the number of adult Dragons; he already knew.
It wasn't just the Red Dragon Queen who was captured, but also her three consorts, all of whom were adult Dragons.
One of them was even older than Her Majesty, having lived for tens of thousands of years, having experienced the era when Galakrond dominated the world, and was one of the earliest Red Dragons.
As long as Dragons don't die, the older they are, the stronger they become.
The strength of that ancient Red Dragon, conservatively estimated, was above that of the Red Dragon Mage Krasus, at least High Legendary, possibly even Demigod.
This was why he brought Krasus to the High Elves' luxury cruise ship.
Without the Red Dragonflight's help, this battle would be truly difficult.
Daelin's expression was grave as he continued to ask: 'What about the Quel'Thalas Fleet's configuration? And the general situation of the Silvermoon City garrison, especially the mages and rangers capable of long-range attacks, and the aerial forces.'
Alleria quickly replied.
Although she was often away, she was, after all, the eldest daughter of the Windrunner family and was very familiar with the kingdom's army.
Kael'thas was different; he was completely ignorant of anything outside of magic and could only listen to the two generals discuss, unable to interject.
No wonder the Silvermoon Council had previously criticized him.
Compared to Varian Wrynn, who bore the heavy responsibility of restoring the Stormwind Kingdom from a young age, he was indeed an unqualified Crown Prince.
Even if he ascended to the throne later, he would probably be a hands-off ruler.
Daelin quickly clarified the general situation of both sides, pondered for a moment, and said: 'If we fight a decisive battle on the open sea, we can't win, but if we fight a decisive battle under Silvermoon City, even without Krasus and other Dragons helping, we can achieve a great victory!'
Alleria nodded: 'I think so too. The problem now is whether the Kul Tiras Fleet can arrive before the Horde Fleet.'
The distance from here to Silvermoon City was roughly twice that of the Horde Fleet, thousands of miles away.
'That's definitely not a problem.'
Daelin's voice was filled with pride: 'Kul Tirans are children of the sea. We have enough Tidesages, and they can summon the power of the sea. If they don't conserve their mana, they can definitely arrive early, but the mana consumption would be too great, so they probably wouldn't be able to participate in the battle at that point.'
Kael'thas finally reached his area of expertise and quickly interjected: 'That's simple. I'll have the mages prepare a large number of mana crystals and mana potions in advance. If that's not enough, the Tidesages can go to the Sunwell to absorb energy and recover within the day.'
The Sunwell was the foundation of the High Elves, and no outsiders were allowed near it.
However, desperate times called for desperate measures.
Regarding the survival of Quel'Thalas, if he spoke, His Majesty would undoubtedly agree, and the Silvermoon Council would have no reason to object.
Alleria said: 'To make the Horde Fleet directly attack Silvermoon City, we need to create the illusion that Silvermoon City is undefended.'
'The Silvermoon City garrison is easy to hide, but what about the Kul Tiras Fleet?'
'The Horde will definitely send Dragon Riders to scout, and hiding behind islands or anything like that definitely won't work.'
This naval battle was entirely due to the Horde's unfamiliarity with this sea area, with the Kul Tiras Fleet, and even more so with navigation and naval warfare. They didn't think much of it, which is why they didn't scout carefully and were ambushed by the unscrupulous Admiral.
Silvermoon City was the High Elves' main base, so the Horde would definitely scout, and they would do so very thoroughly.
Daelin laughed: 'That's not difficult either. Tidesages can summon storms and mists to hide the fleet. As long as we're careful, the Horde won't easily discover us.'
He said with great confidence: 'If all else fails, we'll just stay further away. The Horde won't be able to break through Silvermoon City for a while anyway. Once the battle begins, I'll lead the fleet in a surprise attack!'
Alleria said: 'Then there's no problem. We're sure to win this battle. As for whether it's a big victory or a small one, that depends on how many Red Dragons Krasus can bring.'
Kael'thas smiled: 'Krasus will do his best to rescue the Red Dragon Queen; she's his leader and his true love!'
The group exchanged smiles.
Daelin immediately set off with his three great fleets.
As for the safety of Kul Tiras, there was nothing to worry about.
The Horde Fleet would certainly be deployed in full force this time, and even if there were any ships left, there wouldn't be many, perhaps a hundred at most.
Kul Tiras still had the Fourth and Fifth Fleets stationed there, plus ground forces like the Ash Knights, so defense was definitely not an issue. If absolutely necessary, they could even seek help from Gilneas.
At the same time, Kael'thas, along with Alleria and others, had instantly traversed a thousand miles through the glow of a teleportation spell, returning to Silvermoon City, bathed in the Sunwell's radiance, to report the situation.
The entirety of Quel'Thalas quickly entered a state of war preparedness, mobilizing troops and generals.
Elf artisans worked day and night to reinforce the city's defenses, Ranger units secretly gathered at predetermined locations, and the energy fluctuations from the Mage Towers were more active than ever before.
The air was no longer merely filled with the scent of arcana, but also with the grim chill of impending iron and fire.
Eight days later, the massive silhouette of the Kul Tiras fleet appeared in the waters of Quel'Thalas.
Under Daelin's command, the fleet cleverly concealed itself in the shadows of Quel'Danas Island's rugged coastline.
Immediately after, the Tidesages accompanying the fleet began an ancient ritual.
Their low incantations resonated with the rhythm of the waves, their hands guiding the unseen power of the ocean currents.
In an instant, a storm brewed on the outer edge of the predetermined sea area, and a thick, impenetrable magical mist rose from the sea, gently enveloping and consuming the entire fleet, as if they had never existed.
Almost at the same moment, the sky was covered by a massive red cloud.
Krasus, the Red Dragon Mage who appeared in High Elf form, led over a hundred majestic Red Dragons to Silvermoon City.
The gales stirred by their dragon wings made the city's banners flap wildly.
Among this crimson tide, two particularly enormous adult dragons, their scales gleaming with a deep luster, stood out: one was Valastrasz, who would unfortunately fall into Nefarian's clutches in the future; the other was Krystasza, who transformed into a youthful and beautiful female elf, her eyes clear, unlike how they would be over twenty years later, filled with the humiliation and pain of being imprisoned and forcibly bred by Malygos, the Blue Dragon Aspect.
"I have brought my promise, Your Highness," Krasus said in a low voice, with a hint of undetectable weariness. "I apologize, not all of our kin are willing to place their hopes in mortals. More of our kin have chosen to fly to various corners of the world, relying on their own strength to search for Her Majesty's whereabouts."
Valastrasz and Krystasza's gazes fell upon Kael'thas like a tangible presence, filled with curiosity, scrutiny, and even a hint of undetectable superiority.
For Red Dragons, with their long lifespans and witnesses to the rise and fall of countless civilizations, even High Elves, with their thousands of years of life, were merely "short-lived species."
Dragons like Krasus, who forged deep trust and friendship with mortal races, were truly anomalies among anomalies.
Kael'thas smiled slightly, unfazed, "It's only natural. If I were a dragon, I wouldn't trust short-lived and weak mortals either. I'm already very content to have your help."
Krasus said in a consultative tone, "Your Highness, please allow us Red Dragons to handle the Dragon Riders enslaved by the Orcs."
"My kin fell into enemy hands while protecting Her Majesty's safety, and they are not acting of their own free will."
"I don't want to see their blood used by Orcs to defile this land, nor do I want them to hinder our rescue of Her Majesty."
"Please allow us to restore their freedom."
Kael'thas smiled, "Of course."
The next night, the moonlight was obscured by an ominous shadow.
Hundreds of Dragon Riders, like specters, swept over Silvermoon City's towering spires, Quel'Danas Island's golden forests, and the nearby dark seas, casting a suffocating sense of oppression.
Immediately after, dense black dots appeared and expanded at the horizon where sea met sky.
Over three hundred crude and ferocious Horde warships broke through the waves, their hulls painted with the grim totems of Orc clans.
At the same time, hundreds of Goblin Airships, emitting piercing steam hisses, emerged from the low-hanging clouds like ugly metal behemoths, their engines spewing black smoke.
The Horde's long-planned general offensive erupted like a tsunami!
Daelin's judgment was correct; the Orcs knew nothing about naval warfare.
Over three hundred warships foolishly poured into the relatively narrow strait between Silvermoon City and Quel'Danas Island.
Even more astonishing, these clumsy vessels all turned their hulls sideways, exposing their vulnerable broadsides.
However, this was not stupidity, but tactics.
Thousands of various, rusty, yet dangerously potent Goblin Cannons protruded their dark muzzles from the broadside gunports.
As commanders roared themselves hoarse, a deafening barrage of cannon fire became a symphony of death.
Dense cannonballs tore through the air, emitting shrill shrieks, like a destructive rain of steel, furiously pouring down upon the Elf capital built by the sea.
Almost simultaneously with the roar of cannon fire, the enslaved Red Dragon Whelps let out painful screeches, driven by the Orc Dragon Riders' whips, plummeting from high altitude like burning meteors.
Their goal was to approach Silvermoon City and unleash the hot, magic-infused dragonfire accumulated in their throats, turning this eternal city into a scorched-earth inferno like a second Zul'Aman.
And from the Goblin Airships hidden in higher clouds, Orcs grinned as they ignited bundles of potent explosives, throwing the lit packages of death down below like catapults launching stones.
Cannonballs, fiery breaths, explosives.
The Horde's initial strike was a full-scale, genocidal assault, aiming to utterly obliterate this Elf city, which had carried seven millennia of glory, turning it into ruins in the dust of history in an instant.
At the critical moment, dozens of Mage Tower spires across the city, giant runes embedded in the ancient city walls, and arcane nodes in core buildings like the Sunstrider Royal Court, simultaneously erupted with soaring arcane brilliance.
Hundreds of High Elf Mages, skilled in protective spells, poured all their mana without reservation into these massive runestones.
In a flash, hundreds of runestones seemed to come alive, transforming into hearts of arcane energy.
Tens of thousands of azure rays, composed purely of condensed mana, shot out precisely and swiftly from various nodes, crisscrossing and tightly weaving in the air, like golden threads in the hands of a weaver goddess.
In just a few breaths, an unimaginably vast arcane energy net, shimmering with complex geometric patterns, gently and firmly covered the entire Silvermoon City, like the hand of a god of magic.
Even more boundless and far beyond anything any legendary Mage could imagine, immense arcane energy surged and flowed along this energy network.
In an instant, the energy net condensed and solidified, transforming into a colossal magical barrier that blotted out the sky.
It was as thin as a cicada's wing, yet indestructible, like a mana shield magnified billions of times, gently shrouding the entire city under its protection.
Cannonballs the size of fists or human heads, carrying immense force, crashed heavily against the barrier.
The power capable of destroying any building was silently absorbed and neutralized by this thin curtain of light.
Only tiny ripples were stirred at the points of contact, like raindrops falling into a calm lake, failing to shake a single brick or tile of Silvermoon City.
Dozens of pounds of explosive charges violently detonated the moment they touched the barrier, with flames soaring into the sky and deafening roars, as splendid as festive fireworks.
The terrifying shockwaves generated by the explosions caused the barrier to fluctuate violently, and the light in localized areas even dimmed and thinned instantly.
However, the next moment, energy from neighboring areas surged in rapidly as if alive, instantly repairing the damaged areas to their original state, like the most efficient self-leveling material, at a speed that was astonishing.
And the Red Dragon Whelps' magic-infused fiery breath encountered a natural enemy—only magic could truly defeat magic.
Facing this ultimate defense, built upon the Quel'Thalas ley lines, drawing infinite energy from the Sunwell, and jointly constructed by hundreds of top Mages and hundreds of ancient runestones, these Red Dragons, whose powers were still growing, appeared so small.
Their breaths, capable of incinerating forests, were like a breeze caressing a mountain in front of this barrier, which represented the culmination of seven millennia of Elf arcane wisdom. Not even a ripple could be maintained for long, let alone breach the defense.
At the highest point of the Stargazer Spire in the Sunstrider Royal Court, Prince Kael'thas, Sun King Anasterian Sunstrider, and Chief Archmage Belo'vir Salona stood side by side, like three immortal statues.
They calmly overlooked everything below, their eyes as deep as ancient wells, their hearts undisturbed.
This was Silvermoon City, this was the seven-thousand-year legacy of the High Elves.
Over seven millennia, whether facing the tide of Trolls, the whispers of demons, or any other threat, Silvermoon City's walls had never truly been breached by external enemies.
Even two thousand eight hundred years ago, the Amani Trolls Empire, at its peak and bolstered by several powerful loa gods, saw its entire army stopped outside Silvermoon City, unable to even touch the outermost walls.
And in the original history, had it not been for the traitor Dar'Khan Drathir destroying crucial runestones from within, even Arthas's Scourge Legion would not have set foot in this sacred place.
The city's defenses far surpassed those of Dalaran, which was also renowned for its magical protection and had forced the Scourge Legion to retreat in defeat!
You think you're worthy of breaking Silvermoon City?
Perhaps only if Deathwing, the World-Breaker, personally arrived, or Archimonde, the Defiler of the Burning Legion, descended, would there be a thirty percent chance!