Let's rewind to late last night.
When Shandris led the Night Elves' grand army towards the Elrendar River, Andreas and Celeste remained in Tirisfal, awaiting intelligence from the front.
Night Elf Rangers and Sentinels have always had a habit of taming animal companions; it's not that they expect them to be of much help in major battles, but rather for reconnaissance and covert surveillance.
Owls are one of the most common avian companions used for surveillance.
These ubiquitous nocturnal birds are not easily alarmed, and many people encounter them more or less when traversing mountains and forests at night.
The owls dispatched by the Rangers and Sentinels are specially trained to achieve visual sharing with their masters through Beast Eye.
Orgrim and Zuljin's supposedly covert march route had actually been under the Night Elves' constant surveillance.
Since the Sun King knew in advance the Horde's main target for attacking Quel'Thalas, he was no fool; the troops originally slated to support the Amani Forest were dispatched to the southern border of Quel'Thalas, ready to engage the Horde at any moment.
Although Anasterian was uneasy about these undisciplined lord's soldiers, he couldn't afford to worry too much at the moment; rectifying the Vassal Army's discipline would have to wait until after the war.
Fortunately, Eversong Woods not only had the powerful Quel'Thalas Barrier to weaken enemies, but the High Elf Arcanists, backed by the Sunwell, could also unleash their maximum output as turrets.
Moreover, the Night Elf reinforcements were blocking at the Elrendar River, so these Vassal Army soldiers, who would disgrace themselves in front of their allies, wouldn't have to face the front line directly.
After confirming the Orcs' marching route, Kaelthas and Andreas, along with others, teleported to the edge of the Quel'Thalas Barrier to personally inspect the defending forces there.
The inspection results were very poor; at least Kaelthas' expression remained grim throughout.
The undisciplined Vassal Army further solidified Kaelthas' determination for reform; these parasites of the army not only failed to defend the nation in critical moments but also frequently extorted money and favors from the populace, bringing shame upon their military profession.
Upon returning to Tirisfal, Lireesa had already organized the Ranger Corps and the Sunstrider Legion, ready for immediate deployment.
As Zuljin led a large number of Amani elites to assault Silvermoon City, the defenses in ZulAman naturally became very weak, with only Hakkar, the loa priest, and Hex Lord Malakas remaining to guard it.
From the Amani Trolls' subjective perspective, the High Elves were invaders who had seized the Forest Trolls' sacred lands and homes.
Conversely, the High Elves also believed the Forest Trolls were the biggest obstacle to their continued development and had sought an opportunity to completely remove them for many years.
Both sides fought for their own survival and the prosperity of their respective races; the deep-seated hatred accumulated over more than 2,000 years had long reached an irreconcilable point—it was either you die or I perish.
Zuljin, leading the main force of the Amani Trolls, was acting together with Orgrim and should not be able to return for some time.
Orgrim and other Horde high-ranking officials thought that the Tirisfal defenders were still vigilantly watching the seemingly unchanged Horde encampment, but in reality, almost all of Tirisfal was empty except for a small number of soldiers left behind.
The token garrison left by Orgrim was overwhelmed by the High Elf forces, who launched a full-scale attack, without even putting up a decent resistance.
Under the pursuit of the High Elves' highly mobile forces, not even a single messenger escaped, and all news was sealed within the dead silence of the Horde encampment.
After crushing the Horde's weak garrison, Lireesa did not hesitate, continuing to lead the Ranger Corps to advance into ZulAman.
ZulAman was, after all, the last capital of the Forest Trolls; although it had fallen into disrepair over the years due to a lack of resources, its towering walls still could not be breached quickly by the High Elves, who lacked heavy weaponry.
Kaelthas, who was accompanying the army, did not focus on the city walls; he stared intently at ZulAman's main gate, which had been reinforced with hexes and Voodoo.
"Screech!"
The pure energy firebird standing on Kaelthas' shoulder let out a clear cry, and under Kaelthas' command, it gradually transformed into a golden-red fireball.
This firebird was Kaelthas' pet since childhood, a very rare Elemental Phoenix named O.
O's body is composed of pure Fire Elementals; as long as its core is not destroyed, it will never die and can be reborn countless times from its ashes.
As an Arcanist, although Kaelthas studied all three schools of magic, due to his personal preference, he specialized in the Fire school, and O complemented him perfectly.
With a massive influx of Fire Elementals, the phoenix, originally palm-sized, grew against the wind, quickly expanding to the size of a Gryphon.
As O flapped its wings, dazzling sparks and orange-red streams of light streaked across, and with a sharp cry, the enlarged phoenix crashed into ZulAman's gate.
"Boom!"
The thick wooden gate, reinforced to its limit by the Forest Trolls, shook violently from the impact, and its surface showed slight indentations and charring.
Unsuccessful after one attempt, O did not get discouraged; it ignored the recoil from the impact and continued to fiercely ram the gate several more times.
Finally, as the flames on O's body began to wane, a gap was smashed into ZulAman's gate, and the complete Voodoo magic circle, due to structural damage, lost its miraculous defensive effect and was quickly ignited by the flames on O.
"Chirp~"
After completing its mission, O's body rapidly shrank, and it flew back to Kaelthas, weary, landing on Kaelthas' outstretched hands.
Kaelthas gently tapped O's small head, "You've worked hard. Prepare for rebirth."
"Chirp~"
The little phoenix pecked at Kaelthas' finger, and as it turned into black ash enveloped in a red glow, Kaelthas carefully held it in his hands.
Kaelthas personally blasted open the gate, and Lireesa seized the opportunity to boost morale, "His Royal Highness has opened the way for us! Today is the day ZulAman falls!"
"All troops, advance! Conquer the Amani Trolls' capital and completely eradicate this stubborn bone stuck in the forest!"
The Three Windrunner Sisters, riding Striders, responded to their mother's call, charging ahead into ZulAman, where warning gongs had just begun to sound.
The defenders within ZulAman had no idea they would be attacked by the High Elves in the middle of the night; they thought these 'pink-skinned shorties' were still trapped in Tirisfal.
The defenders near the city gate rushed out of their dwellings in a hurry, and the Three Windrunner Sisters swiftly reaped the lives of these Troll defenders with mounted archery, plunging the once-peaceful ZulAman into clamor and panic within minutes.
Andreas and Celeste, following at the rear of the contingent, exchanged glances. Celeste smiled and shook her head, saying, "It seems we won't have a chance to act."
Andreas looked up at the towering wind column in the distance, "Not necessarily. It looks like there are still important generals left inside the city."
Hakkar was originally the name of the Golden Eagle Loa worshipped in ZulAman. According to the tradition of the Amani Empire, all loa priests had to abandon their original names and refer to themselves by the name of the loa they worshipped.
Most trolls, including the loa of the Amani Empire, didn't know why this strange rule existed, but Andreas had a guess based on the historical developments he knew.
When pushed to desperation, trolls had a very bad habit: they would sacrifice the loa they had devoutly worshipped, sealing their power within the bodies of their respective priests.
This anonymous method was probably intended to allow these priests to assume the identity and name of the loa one day, providing ZulAman with powerful strength to resist foreign enemies.
This dark ritual had been explicitly forbidden by Zandalar for tens of thousands of years, but as a feudal empire ruling its own territory, Amani clearly wouldn't obey all of Zandalar's commands.
When a strange half-man, half-bird creature flapped its wings and flew near the city gate, Andreas knew that these Amani Trolls had made their move; the Golden Eagle Loa Hakkar had been sealed within the body of his unnamed priest.
'What is this? Are we all Akunda?'
Muttering silently to himself, Andreas used Shadowmeld to teleport behind the troll priest who called himself Hakkar, hovering in mid-air with the help of wind power.
At this moment, Hakkar (the troll) was flapping his wings, unleashing strong winds upon the High Elves on the ground. Numerous small tornadoes raged within the High Elven army formation, causing considerable trouble for the rangers and mages trying to advance.
Kaelthas had expended a large amount of magic in the previous gate-breaking attack. The Amani Forest could not efficiently absorb and replenish magic from the Sunwell, so he needed a short period of time to recover his combat strength.
Forest Trolls and High Elves had been enemies for over two thousand years, and they knew each other inside out.
Hakkar's flying altitude was just beyond the maximum attack range of high-ranking rangers like Lireesa. The Three Windrunner Sisters looked up at the annoying fly above them with reluctance, but for a while, they couldn't do anything about him.
Just as Hakkar was diligently delaying the High Elven advance to buy more time for the city's defenders to prepare, a sudden chill from behind sent a jolt through him, making all his feathers stand on end.
"Who's there?!"
He swung his left wing as he turned, a sharp wind blade slicing through the air, but it hit nothing.
Andreas, who was sticking close behind Hakkar and turning with him, had no intention of wasting words with this guy. He silently touched Hakkar's back of the head with his finger.
As Shadow Energy entered his body, Hakkar's body immediately stiffened. The true Hakkar, sealed deep within his soul, was rapidly awakening under the catalysis of some external force, attempting to break free from his control.
"No!!!"
Feeling the loa's power within him gradually spiraling out of control, Hakkar (the troll) screamed in terror.
The feathers on his body began to fall off one by one, and his half-man, half-bird face showed an abnormal distortion. His mouth was switching back and forth between a sharp beak and troll tusks, clearly indicating an unstable state.
"What did you do?!"
Andreas retreated more than ten meters away, shrugging his shoulders and saying, "Nothing much, just activated the loa's soul that you suppressed with Witch Doctor Potions. Go ahead and enjoy the consequences of your blasphemy."
"Ahhh!"
The tearing pain within his body made Hakkar (the troll) unable to speak further. A phantom image of a Golden Eagle emerged from behind him, its hateful eyes fixed on him.
As the giant eagle's soul separated, all the anomalies on Hakkar's body caused by the fusion of loa power disappeared. He lost the wings that allowed him to fly in the sky, and he also lost the Golden Eagle Loa's ability to control the wind, plummeting rapidly like a lead weight.
An unlucky bear rider was struck squarely by the falling object from above. Hakkar (the troll), whose power had not completely dissipated, smashed the rider into a disgusting mosaic.
"Caw!"
The true Hakkar let out a furious cry towards the sky. The last vestiges of power from the Eagle God Priest were completely absorbed, and along with it, the terrified soul of the troll priest was sucked into its beak.
"One down."
Watching the Golden Eagle Loa Hakkar nod in thanks and gradually fade away, Andreas' gaze turned to the Chieftain's Altar deep within ZulAman.
At this moment, the High Elven elite troops had broken through the Amani Trolls' defenses, having overcome the wind's obstruction, and had advanced into the last stone building before the Chieftain's Altar.
According to Andreas' notes, this building should have been Hex Lord Malakas' residence.
But Sylvanas, who was leading the charge, had already burst out from the other end of the building, indicating that it was long empty.
Alleria and Vereesa each led a unit to advance to the sides, gradually completing the encirclement of the entire ZulAman.
Countless Forest Troll civilians huddled in their crude stone huts, trembling in fear. ZulAman, lacking defenders, seemed to have completely lost the power to resist.
But in reality, most of ZulAman's defenders had been gathered in one place by someone, and the civilians in the city had been completely abandoned by him.
When Andreas, in his Golden Eagle Avatar, flew over the Chieftain's Altar, Celeste and Kaelthas had also advanced there with the rangers and mages of the Sunstrider Legion.
The spacious Chieftain's Altar was filled with a strong smell of blood. Numerous troll warriors with missing limbs lay groaning on the ground, their blood flowing along strange patterns on the ground to converge at the feet of the troll standing in the center.
Andreas looked at the strangely pale green robe on this guy and mused, 'Is that Hex Lord Malakas?'
Malkarass ignored the High Elven army attacking him. The rangers' arrows and all spell attacks were blocked by the blood-red shield covering his body.
Behind Malkarass was a huge phantom of a venomous snake, which should be one of the loa worshipped by the Amani Trolls.
But at this moment, this venomous snake loa appeared to be in great pain. Its soul was twisting frantically, seemingly suffering unimaginable agony.
The blood gathered at Malkarass' feet floated into the air, and long, thin blood-red threads pierced into the venomous snake loa's body. Malkarass, with a fanatical expression, chanted loudly.
"Great Blood God G'huun, your humble servant Malkarass offers you a delicious sacrifice! Please bestow upon me powerful strength to eliminate my enemies!"
"Ghuun?"
Andreas' expression became serious. He hadn't expected there to be hidden followers of Ghuun among the Amani Trolls.
"Ah!"
The venomous snake loa ultimately could not escape its fate. Its soul gradually became incomplete as the blood threads drained it, replaced by the surging blood power within Malkarass. The increasingly strong smell of blood made Lireesa and the others frown.
Celeste asked her husband with some surprise, "Andreas, the Ghuun he mentioned, is it the one I'm thinking of?"
Andreas nodded gravely. The surging power within Malkarass had already exceeded his own limits, and the churning energy made his robe flap wildly.
"Blood God G'huun, it is undoubtedly the artificial Old God sealed on Zandalar Island, but..."
Andreas was somewhat puzzled, 'Can Ghuun's power and corruption extend to other continents? Or has something happened in Zandalar?'
Anduin had no way of knowing the situation in Zandalar for now, but the witch doctor who had received the blessing of G'huun's power had to be dealt with quickly.
Although G'huun was an Old God artificially created by the Titan Keepers, his ability to spread corruption was even more terrifying than that of a genuine Old God.
If G'huun's blood corruption was allowed to spread, Quel'Thalas might also follow in the footsteps of the Nazmani trolls.
"Ugh!"
As Malakkas' blood plague gradually spread, the blood corruption first manifested in the Amani warriors who had been used as sacrifices and blood providers.
Their originally moss-green bodies underwent an evil transformation; their strong physiques became withered and emaciated, and the color of their skin began to turn dark red.
Lirath didn't know what was happening, but she instinctively had a bad feeling.
"All troops retreat! Get out of the altar's range!"
Except for Anduin, who remained suspended in front of the altar, everyone, including Kael'thas and Celeste, retreated from the blood-filled altar plaza.
"Hahahaha!"
Malakkas laughed maniacally in a hoarse voice, "Indeed, Akil'zon, Halazzi, and Nalorakk are all incredibly weak lesser Loa, utterly insignificant compared to the invincible Blood God G'huun!"
His blood-red eyes stared at Anduin, the only one remaining in place; Malakkas was clearly swollen with power after receiving G'huun's infusion.
"Insignificant elf, feel the mighty power of my Lord!"
"Whoosh!"
The Amani warriors, transformed by the blood plague, simultaneously let out strange cries and shot blood arrow spells at Anduin, but these low-level blood plague spells, not very powerful, were blocked by the golden shield of natural protection on Anduin's body.
"You reap what you sow."
Judging from the intense madness in Malakkas' eyes, this guy must have been brainwashed by G'huun's dark temptation.
Countless golden cone-shaped energy bodies appeared around Malakkas and flew towards him in succession at Anduin's command.
"Sizzle!"
The purifying power of the Holy Light collided with Malakkas' blood shield, which contained the void power of an Old God, and the opposing energies mutually dissolved.
As a demigod, Anduin's power level was much higher than Malakkas'; the cones of Holy Light raining down quickly surpassed the self-replenishment rate of the blood shield.
Malakkas' maniacal laughter hadn't faded when his body was impaled by countless cones of Holy Light, turning him into a pincushion.
"Ha... cough, cough!"
Malakkas unwillingly tried to gather the power of the blood plague again, but the Holy Light deeply embedded in his body completely blocked the remote power infusion from G'huun.
"G'huun... will crush you all!"
Anduin waved his hand, slashing out a golden blade of light. Malakkas' neck was severed by the light blade, and the blood-red color in his still wide-open eyes gradually faded, his originally emerald green eyeballs turning a grayish-white.
At this time, Vereesa and Alleria had respectively led their troops to complete the mopping up of the two sides of Zul'Aman. They both stood on the Loa altars on the high ground of the left and right sides, watching the beginning and end of this battle.
Vereesa opened her mouth in disbelief, "It just ended so casually? Didn't that troll look incredibly imposing before?"
A giant lynx beside Vereesa spoke in human tongue, explaining, "The difference in power levels is too great. I can see it; that night elf has transcended the limits of mortals and become a demigod."
"If G'huun himself had come, the outcome might have been different, but Malakkas was merely a vessel for his remote power infusion. This result is not surprising at all."
"...A demigod?"
On the other side, Alleria was having a similar conversation with the Dragonhawk and Bear Loa.
The Amani trolls' blasphemous actions out of desperation had already been reported to the other Loa by Akil'zon, and they had no intention of continuing to help the trolls.
After dealing with the two high-ranking Amani officials guarding the city, the entire Zul'Aman was completely taken by the High Elves.
Although the remaining civilians also had some combat power, they lacked the courage to resist like soldiers and were forced to leave their ancestral homes under the High Elves' expulsion.
Lirath, Kael'thas, and the others stood on the dilapidated city walls of Zul'Aman, watching these dejected troll civilians leave the Amani Forest through the Thalas Gate.
Anduin spoke to Kael'thas, "Are you really not going to kill them? Aren't you afraid these Amani trolls will make a comeback later?"
Kael'thas smiled gently, "Having lost the support of the Loa and two high-ranking generals, the already weakened Amani trolls suffered a severe blow to their vitality."
"These departing Amani civilians will likely be absorbed by the Revantusk tribe in the Eastweald, but the Revantusk trolls and the Amani, their suzerain tribe, have a world of difference in foresight and ambition. I don't think they can pose any threat to Quel'Thalas anymore."
Anduin shrugged and said nothing more. Little Kael probably couldn't bring himself to harm these unarmed trolls, just as he had shown leniency to that group of Sandfury troll remnants out of momentary soft-heartedness.
'Forget it, it's good for him to learn a lesson. Things experienced firsthand are always more memorable.'
When the Amani civilians were fleeing en masse from the Thalas Gate, Turalyon's detachment happened to arrive from the Hinterlands. He looked bewildered at these dispirited troll civilians wandering aimlessly.
"...What the hell? Stop them and interrogate them for information."
...According to Anduin's estimation, after the Horde army encountered strong resistance from the night elves and saw no hope of conquering Silvermoon City, the pragmatic Orgrim would most likely withdraw his troops and turn to continue advancing towards Lordaeron.
And Zul'jin would certainly relentlessly demand the Horde fulfill its promises, and the Forest Trolls and Orcs would inevitably fall out.
Anduin had originally expected Zul'jin to return to Zul'Aman in a sorry state only after the main Horde army, but events unfolded somewhat beyond his expectations.
As dawn began to break, first, the Revantusk tribe, which he had seen before, slipped away towards the Thalas Gate. They were not followed by Orgrim's main Horde army, but by the Forest Troll allied forces led by Zul'jin.
Moreover, these trolls comically had an argument near the Sunken Temple, not far from Zul'Aman, and the disgruntled Forest Troll clans went their separate ways.
When Zul'jin, with a look of unwillingness, led the Amani warriors jogging towards Zul'Aman, Orgrim's orc army finally caught up, just missing the Amani trolls, and retreated towards the Thalas Gate.
Next, Anduin and the others witnessed Zul'jin's master skill of changing expressions. After countless changes, Zul'jin's face finally turned ashen, and he was completely despairing.
When Kael'thas ordered the High Elves, who had fought all night, to sally forth and eliminate this last remnant of the Amani army, the unresponsive Zul'jin was dragged away by an Amani Warlord, following closely behind the Horde army's footsteps, retreating towards the Thalas Gate... Outside the Thalas Gate, Turalyon questioned the Amani civilians and learned the general course of events. The progress of the battle within Quel'Thalas was somewhat beyond his expectations.
Just then, Gul'dan's Revantusk tribe first appeared in his sight.
Although Turalyon's detachment was not large in number, it still had about fifty thousand troops.
Gul'dan's Revantusk tribe numbered just over a thousand, and Turalyon, invigorated, prepared to devour this easy prey.
However, this tribe, mostly composed of spellcasters and Death Knights, was unexpectedly troublesome. When Turalyon finally broke the Revantusk tribe's formation, Gul'dan had already broken through, escorted by Death Knight units and a small number of elite Warlocks.
Just as Turalyon was about to clear the battlefield and set up camp, Orgrim's main army appeared before him, closely followed by the reunited Forest Troll allied forces, who were hot on the heels of the Horde army.
The Orcs and Forest Trolls, who had been thoroughly frustrated in Quel'Thalas, looked at this human army with fierce eyes, a hungry thirst like those who had been starved for a long time finally seeing food.
Turalyon: "..."
"Who the hell did I piss off?"
Turalyon, who should have earned merit in the War of Quel'Thalas and won the favor of a beauty, was now being miserably chased and stabbed in the back by the lustful Horde allied forces.
In his plan, he was supposed to lead his troops to outflank the Horde from behind, and with the army of Quel'Thalas, launch a pincer attack to crush the main force of the Orcs.
However, reality was completely different from what he had imagined. Although the Orc army showed signs of having been in a battle, their main force was still relatively intact.
And what was most bizarre was that these Horde soldiers showed no signs of defeat; instead, they looked as if they wanted to vent, frantically chasing after Turalyon's army and shouting.
Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate for Turalyon, Orgrim did not lose his composure. After forcing Turalyon's flanking detachment to retreat, he immediately ordered a change of course towards Tirisfal Glades.
Although the outcome of the War of Quel'Thalas deviated somewhat from his expectations, as for the result... it didn't seem bad?
The disheartened Zuljin had lost his main base and could only stake everything on following the Horde to the bitter end.
Zuljin, who had always been so arrogant, finally put down his pride. He adopted a low posture and pleaded guilty to Orgrim for his earlier desertion.
After this battle, the Forest Trolls, who were originally equal in status, had to bow down to the Horde.
Although he had reunited with the various Forest Troll Clans that had previously been preparing to return to their respective garrisons, Zuljin could see anger and contempt in their eyes. The fault of losing the Amani Empire's capital was too great, and he still couldn't hold his head high in front of the other Clans.
Now, Zuljin's only hope was to help the Horde breach Lordaeron, thereby deterring the Alliance formed by the Eight Human Kingdoms, and then request Orgrim to send troops to help the Amani Trolls reclaim their capital.
After temporarily settling the Amani civilians in the Rottenmoss Clan's ZulMashar territory in the Eastern Wilds, Orgrim led the inexplicably more united Horde army on a forced march towards Tirisfal Glades.
Without Gul'dan, the destabilizing factor, although they lost the support of warlocks, the cohesion of the Horde was strengthened.
Upon receiving the urgent report sent back by a mage dispatched by Turalyon, Lothar, who was in the Capital City of Lordaeron, was greatly surprised. He had not expected Turalyon to not only fail to launch a surprise attack from the rear, but also to suffer significant troop losses while being pursued by the Horde.
And while the Horde also suffered some losses in Quel'Thalas, the Trolls, whom Lothar had predicted would part ways with the Orcs, were still following the Horde, heading straight for Lordaeron.
Half of the Alliance's forces were still tied up in the Hillsbrad Foothills, and the fifty thousand troops Turalyon took had failed to achieve a surprise attack. Now, the eighty thousand defenders remaining in the Capital City of Lordaeron made Lothar uneasy.
When it rains, it pours. The battlefield in Hillsbrad began to undergo new changes.
Hundreds of strange Two-legged Black Dragons suddenly flew out from the Alterac Mountains, and Alterac Castle, caught off guard, suffered heavy damage. King Aiden Perenolde was killed by the Black Dragons in his own royal city, and almost all members of the royal family perished.
Uther, who was stationed in Hillsbrad, had not expected such a change. Although he temporarily held back the group of strange Black Dragons with the help of Wildhammer Dwarven Gryphon Riders, the morale of the Alliance was severely hit by the tragic fate of the Kingdom of Alterac.
As one side weakened and the other strengthened, with the indirect assistance of the Two-legged Black Dragons of unknown origin, Varok Saurfang seized the opportunity to launch a counterattack against the Alliance, decisively defeating the Alliance, which was under attack from two sides.
Uther's army gradually dispersed during its rout, with a small portion of fleeing soldiers hiding in the hilly mountains of Hillsbrad.
The main force followed Uther, bypassing the ruined Alterac Castle, and retreated from the banks of Lordaeron Lake to the Capital City of Lordaeron.
The sudden turn of events startled the originally confident Alliance kings, and Terenas, as the primary target, turned ashen.
"Investigate! Find out for me!"
Terenas trembled, shouting angrily, "Where did those deformed Black Dragons come from?! Why are they helping the Horde?"
Lothar said bitterly, "Your Majesty Terenas, this is not the time to worry about that. We are in big trouble."
"The Horde army in Hillsbrad is advancing rapidly with their victory. I expect them to rendezvous with Orgrim's main force outside Lordaeron City."
"Sigh~" Terenas rubbed his temples, a headache forming. "Marshal Lothar, please tell me, what should we do now? Defend the city to the death? Or ambush them outside the city?"
Lothar also shook his head, saying, "An ambush outside the city is not advisable. Orgrim is not easily outsmarted; his troop movements and formations are very steady. I'm afraid... we can only defend the city."
Lothar observed Terenas' expression. "Considering the rich food production of Tirisfal Glades, simply defending the city to the death will not repel the enemy. The Orcs will not lack food for at least a year, but we cannot hold out that long."
The crops planted in Tirisfal Glades had not yet reached harvest season; they were originally reserved for future military preparations.
Once the Horde completely surrounded Lordaeron, these crops would inevitably become the Horde's reliance for continuing the siege.
Conversely, the supplies stored within the Capital City of Lordaeron were insufficient. Even if they could withstand the Horde's attack with sturdy city walls, the food within the city would eventually run out, making a futile defense meaningless.
"We need reinforcements."
Lothar stated decisively, "Those Black Dragons, whose origin is unknown, are still lingering around Alterac and the Hinterlands. The Wildhammer Dwarves are preoccupied and will find it difficult to send reinforcements."
"The Bronzebeard Dwarves and Gnomes are blocked in the central part of the continent, and the Horde defenders at Thoradins Wall are blocking Stromgarde's march route. Given the current continental situation, we can only appeal to the High Elves and Night Elves for help."
Terenas' brows furrowed deeply, and a clear look of displeasure appeared on his face. "Is there no other way?"
The High Elves were relatively easy to deal with. Although their relations with human kingdoms outside of Dalaran were not close, they were still a part of the Eastern Kingdoms, and Terenas had no grievances with them.
But the Night Elves were different. Terenas' previous minor cleverness had undoubtedly offended the Night Elves, and even members within the Alliance had voiced complaints about it.
Terenas was a seasoned politician; he knew that pride was something to be discarded at critical moments.
But while being a politician, he was also a king whose word was law. To swallow back what he had spat out, his expression naturally wouldn't be pleasant.
Lothar explained with a bitter smile, "Your Majesty Terenas, this is not the time to worry about saving face. Would you rather see Lordaeron fall?"
"Although the High Elves can send some reinforcements, considering their population and total army size, the small number of reinforcements will ultimately be just a drop in the ocean."
"If we want to completely lift the Orcs' siege, we will probably still need the help of the profoundly established Night Elves."
Andreas: "???"
When the news from the front lines reached Andreas, he and Shandris were attending a celebratory banquet hosted by the Sun King in Silvermoon City.
Although he didn't want to interact with the corrupt nobles of the Silvermoon Council, as the supreme head of a nation, this kind of inter-state social activity was ultimately impossible to completely avoid.
Fortunately, these council members were inherently arrogant, and seeing the formal, distant smile on Andreas' face, they wisely chose not to press closer and make fools of themselves.
"Black Dragons?"
Andreas rubbed his chin in confusion, "Where did they come from?"
'Deathwing is half-dead already, and most of the surviving Black Dragons are reforming at the Wyrmrest Temple. Where would Alterac get them... wait a minute.'
Andreas' expression became strange; he suddenly recalled an accidental incident that had occurred many years ago.
"Sun King, let me ask one thing: are you certain those Black Dragons flew out from deep within the Alterac Mountains?"
Although Anasterian didn't understand what Andreas meant, he still nodded, "At least that's what Lothar's plea for aid says."
Andreas tapped his forehead uncertainly with his finger. 'I hope I'm just overthinking this. If it's true, it means Deathwing has found a new way to rebuild the Black Dragonflight.'
Seeing Andreas frown silently for a long time, the Sun King couldn't help but ask, "Speaker Moonshadow, do you think we should send reinforcements?"
"Hmm..."
Andreas recovered his focus and considered, "The plea for aid was sent by Lothar, likely considering the promise the High Elves made to Thoradin's descendants after the Troll Wars, but... what is the attitude of Terenas and the other alliance kings regarding this matter?"
That year, Quel'Thalas, aided by the Arathor Empire, severely damaged the arrogant Amani Empire. At the victory banquet after the war, the young Anasterian made a promise to Emperor Thoradin.
In the future, should a descendant of Arathor seek aid, Quel'Thalas would provide full assistance... but only once.
Anasterian shook his head. "The joint request for help from the kings of the other seven alliance nations is recorded in the letter; only Terenas has not explicitly stated his position. That little fox probably still can't bring himself to swallow his pride."
"Heh~"
Andreas sneered, swirling the wine glass in his hand, "Then let them wait a little longer. We definitely have to send troops, but tell them we are still undergoing post-war reorganization and comforting the families of fallen soldiers, and we need at least two to three months of rest before we can fight again."
Anasterian smiled meaningfully. "I understand. I will have a Magus draft the reply immediately."
Considering both national interests and his personal feelings, Anasterian actually did not want to send reinforcements, especially since the alliance hadn't genuinely helped the High Elves during the War of Quel'Thalas.
The High Elves had just completely driven the Amani Trolls out of their borders, and Anasterian wanted to use this opportunity to properly reorganize the neglected Vassal Army and, incidentally, pressure the nobles of the Silvermoon Council.
However, the promise was one he had made himself, and even if reluctant, he had to honor the agreement, especially since Lothar truly possessed the royal bloodline of the Arathor Empire.
Andreas watched the Sun King stroll away with a chuckle. 'Terenas, what goes around comes around. If you want our help, first put away that stinking temper of yours. I won't fall for your tricks.'
..."What is the meaning of this!"
"Smack!"
Terenas slammed the letter delivered by the High Elf ambassador onto the Alliance conference table, his majestic face filled with fury.
"If the Sun King doesn't intend to honor the agreement, he should just say so! Why beat around the bush like this!"
Terenas' face was flushed. "Three months? If you factor in the time needed for the march, will they only arrive at Tirisfal Glades half a year from now?!"
"Then why are you even coming? To collect our corpses after the war!"
The one sent as an ambassador to the Kingdom of Lordaeron was a High Elf Magister, one of Prince Kaelthas' advisors: Aethas Sunreaver.
High Elves were always haughty, and even the interrogation of a human king could not make Aethas adopt a humble posture.
Looking at Terenas with an unperturbed expression, Aethas warned in a flat tone, "King of Lordaeron, please mind your words, or I will interpret them as Lordaeron threatening Quel'Thalas to deploy troops immediately."
"Impudence!"
It wasn't the first time Terenas had dealt with High Elves, but usually, when things were calm, he could barely tolerate their sky-high arrogance.
But now the Orcs were about to besiege the city. If things went wrong, Lordaeron could perish in his generation, and he might become a disgrace in human history. The irritable Terenas found it hard to endure the High Elves' sarcasm and arrogance any longer.
"Hold on, both of you." King Llane frowned, interrupting their argument. "Terenas, is this how you ask others for help? Who would genuinely want to assist with your condescending attitude?"
Genn Greymane, King of Gilneas, sneered, "Hmph! I think someone has gone crazy wanting to be the sole ruler of humanity, elevating himself to such a high position in his mind that he can't swallow his pride and ask for help, right?"
Thoras Trollbane of Stromgarde also spoke with a forced smile, "No wonder you were scrambling around gathering support even before the Alliance was formally established. Was this your true goal all along?"
Brunhilde added another jab with a bright smile, "Truly worthy of being a descendant of Constantine. Their shameless nature is exactly the same."
"Ahem~"
Seeing Terenas' expression worsen, Kirin Tor Chairman Antonidas stepped forward to mediate.
"Let's set aside irrelevant discussions for now. The ambassador from Quel'Thalas is still waiting for our reply."
After venting their frustration, Genn and Thoras wisely kept silent. Antonidas earnestly advised the livid Terenas, "Although King Llane's words were blunt, we truly should adopt a humbler posture when asking others for help."
"In the joint requests for aid from the alliance nations, only Lordaeron haughtily refused to sign. It's no wonder Quel'Thalas and the Night Elf Republic are displeased."
Although Antonidas' tone was gentle, the harsh word "haughty" undoubtedly carried a certain irony. Clearly, the old Magus also held resentment toward Terenas' actions.
"Hoo..."
Terenas' face twitched. Having been hot-headed recently, he finally saw the situation clearly: if he continued to be stubborn, Lordaeron would likely be isolated, and his position as Alliance Leader would be hard to maintain.
"I understand."
Terenas took a deep breath, forcing a smile onto his face as he spoke to Aethas Sunreaver, "Mr. Sunreaver, I will immediately write a personal letter requesting aid. Please trouble yourself to take it back to Quel'Thalas as quickly as possible and deliver it to the Sun King and Speaker Moonshadow."
..."Hehe~"
Tossing Terenas' letter onto the table, Andreas said mockingly, "It really wasn't easy getting him to bow his head. I thought the guy planned to hold out until the Horde was besieging the city. It's a little faster than I expected."
Anasterian tentatively asked, "Should we deploy troops now?"
Andreas stood up from the sofa in the Night Elf Republic's embassy in Quel'Thalas, stretching his body.
"Prepare to depart. The turmoil on Azeroth has lasted for six years. It is time to end this war."
The crisis in Quel'Thalas was temporarily resolved, and the Amani Trolls were driven out of the High Elves' homeland.
However, Anasterian, who had personally experienced war in his youth, knew that if the Horde could not be completely defeated, the Forest Trolls would likely quickly return, emboldened by their victory over the humans, and retake the fallen capital of ZulAman.
If it were just that, the Sun King, who had become more conservative in his old age, could barely accept it, but if it truly reached that point, the dominant Forest Trolls would undoubtedly harbor greater ambitions.
Although the War of Quel'Thalas didn't completely shatter the pride of Anasterian and the Silvermoon Council, it at least instilled in them a sense of crisis, prompting them to actively open their eyes and observe the world situation.
The High Elves were by no means foolish; they were merely blinded by their inherent arrogance. Once they regained clarity, analyzing the current situation was not difficult.
Being rescued by the Night Elves this time meant owing a great favor at the national level.
Although the Night Elves did not proactively propose terms for repayment, the high-ranking officials, including the Silvermoon Council, knew that they would not return empty-handed.
Initially, Andreas had indeed considered bestowing favors in batches, gradually reintegrating the High Elves into the Night Elf Republic.
However, after careful consideration, he abandoned this idea.
Quel'Thalas differed in nature from Suramar and Black Rook Hold; the latter two had not established nations and could only be considered independent city-states. As long as they were granted a certain degree of autonomy, their return to the Night Elf Republic would not face significant resistance.
But Quel'Thalas was different.
Firstly, the reason for the Highborne's departure in the past was, in the final analysis, due to the excessive pressure from the emerging faction led by Tyrande.
Although Andreas, after gaining power, had improved the strained relations between the two sides to some extent through his good personal friendship with Dath'Remar, for long-lived elven races, events that had already occurred were not so easily erased.
Even today, many High Elves still harbor strong resentment towards the Night Elves, influenced by the teachings of their elders.
Being driven out of their original homeland was, after all, a humiliating history... although Dath'Remar and other first-generation Quel'dorei high-ranking officials did not see it that way; they instead viewed it as a liberation.
Since it was difficult to fully subjugate Quel'Thalas due to historical reasons, Andreas decisively changed his plan, extending favors to Quel'Thalas as an allied nation, gradually softening the High Elves' resistance to the Night Elf Republic.
At the very least, they needed to maintain consistent steps with the Night Elves on major events concerning the safety of Azeroth, and not, like Lordaeron, desperately drag their feet for their own ambitions.
The Orcish War was just the beginning; with the opening of the Dark Portal, Azeroth re-entered the Burning Legion's close-range sight, and the days of tribulation were only just beginning.
'Although history has undergone significant changes, in some places there are always strange corrective forces attempting to rewind the timeline. No one can be certain whether the Scourge invasion or Kiljaeden drilling through the toilet will still happen, so it's best to keep it in mind.'
Terenas' capitulation meant that the Alliance formally bowed its head to Quel'Thalas and the Night Elf Republic for aid. Andreas did not continue to play hard to get with the Alliance... or rather, Lordaeron's intentions.
If an enhanced Horde truly managed to conquer Lordaeron, the future would be much more chaotic.
Andreas did not believe that the current Horde was an entity capable of negotiation; the orcs, whose brains were burned by demon blood, only thought of fighting and killing all day long.
Only by thoroughly defeating them and letting the orcs enter a period of weakness as the effects of the demon blood subsided would these muscle-brained fellows calmly sit down to discuss issues.
Of course, provided they had a Warchief as astute and pragmatic as Orgrim.
Andreas had long received intelligence regarding the fall of Dunhollow Keep. Although the historical shift was somewhat unexpected, he inferred that the World Shaman should not have been taken by Orgrim.
It was obvious that Orgrim would not let his best friend's last bloodline follow him to the battlefield at such a young age.
Thrall, raised in the human world, now most needed to 'recharge,' learning orc customs and traditions, and continuing to receive orcish combat enlightenment education.
Andreas speculated that Thrall should have already been sent back to the Frostwolf Clan in the Alterac Mountains, to be personally taught by DrekThar, the old shaman who had served two generations of chieftains of the Frostwolf Clan.
Shaking his head to clear away the jumbled thoughts, Andreas refocused his attention on the present.
With Terenas' reluctant capitulation, Niana, who had been waiting for the opportune moment in Gilneas City, finally had a chance to act.
Under King Llane's introduction, Niana officially took up residence in the Capital City of Lordaeron, upgrading from the Night Elf Republic's ambassador to the Kingdom of Stormwind to its ambassador to the Alliance.
A period of experience had given Niana, who lacked independent governance experience, a significant boost in confidence, making her more composed and calm when facing Terenas compared to her initial meeting with King Llane.
Based on the continuous intelligence Niana sent from Lordaeron, Andreas learned about the current situation in the Capital City of Lordaeron.
As he had expected, Lordaeron's food reserves were severely insufficient.
As the capital of the Kingdom of Lordaeron, the city originally stored a considerable amount of food for contingencies, but the total amount of this food was calculated based on the number of soldiers garrisoned in the city.
Lothar's army of over a hundred thousand first returned to Lordaeron. The consumption by both men and horses placed a considerable burden on the capital until Turalyon led fifty thousand troops north, which gradually alleviated the pressure.
Uther's Hillsbrad forces were unexpectedly outflanked by black dragons, and caught in a pincer attack, had to retreat to Lordaeron, which would inevitably further exacerbate the city's food consumption.
What troubled the Alliance nations most was not just the food consumption issue; the Kingdom of Alterac had clearly left a certain amount of troops to defend its capital, but inexplicably, its royal family members were completely annihilated by 'wild' Subspecies Black Dragons from the deep mountains.
Now, the Kingdom of Alterac was in chaos. The vacant throne had no successor, and the Barov ducal family, who had marital ties with the Perenolde Royal Family, was actively maneuvering. The struggle for the throne had already begun to show signs even before the war ended.
The internal chaos almost completely nullified Alterac's role as Lordaeron's shield, and the rampant black dragons prevented the Wildhammer from sending troops to reinforce Lordaeron.
Varok Saurfang led the Horde army, pursuing Uther unimpeded, and was very likely to rendezvous with Orgrim's forces outside the Capital City of Lordaeron.
As Shandris and Lireesa and other generals went to reorganize the army, Andreas thoughtfully stroked his chin in the embassy.
"If we want to minimize the Night Elves' troop losses in the war, while the Kingdom of Lordaeron defends its cities, it would be best to free up the Wildhammer and Stromgarde armies for reinforcement."
"The first priority is to deal with those black dragons of unknown origin. As long as these flying bastard dragons are taken care of, and assuming Saurfang leads a large army north, the garrisons near Thoradins Wall will certainly not be too numerous. A pincer attack should be able to break through this fortress in one fell swoop."
"So, the question is."
Andreas frowned and tapped his forehead, "Are the origins of those mutated black dragons truly as I suspect?"