Chapter 6 Chapter 6 The Storm at Sea

The storm came suddenly, and violently beat the ten giant ships that had set sail from the port a few days ago.Soon, this turned into the most intense storm in the Ork flagship's long memory.Thunder and lightning flashed in the sky, heavy rain poured down, and the sea water churned violently.Brienne yelled orders at the crew, trying to keep the flagship from losing control.It seemed that if he could not continue to command in the storm, the other captains would go their own way, and the entire fleet was in danger of being thrown into chaos.And for them with these special goods, such a choice will lead to even greater disasters.

Another big wave hit, and the sailboat was thrown into the air.Brining clung to the railing as the boat sank.Those who have never sailed at sea will never imagine that the sea can be as hard as rock at such a time.The entire giant ship vibrated and made a terrible creaking sound. A scream from above caused the captain to look up into the storm, just in time to see a sailor who had been working on a tangled rigging fall overboard.Brienne grunted, but did not call for help.In the midst of such a storm, the unfortunate sailor was undoubtedly dead.The orc officer was more interested in keeping the remaining sailor and his ship—all ships—safe.Brienn had sworn in front of the warchief that he would complete the task.

A sailor's shout made the captain turn around.The orc frantically pointed at one of the giant ships.Brining wiped the rain from his good eye and looked.A light went up from the ship he spoke of. fire. The fire was probably started by lightning.But the fire spread too far, and most of the flames spread to the deck.Usually the most vulnerable to lightning strikes are sails, cables and masts. Thunder exploded.Brienn, who was concentrating on the magnificent scene in the distance, turned a deaf ear to it... However, the thunder had not subsided, but was drowned out by a ferocious roar that was close at hand.

He turned and ran to the other side of the fence and saw the second ship in the fleet rushing through a huge wave.The ship was swaying wildly, but the direction was opposite to the blowing of the wind and waves, as if being shaken by something from inside the cabin. The flagship captain picked up a binoculars that he never left with him when sailing, and pointed at the sister ship with a long copper tube in his hand.Oil lamps placed on the mast and other critical places provided enough light for him to see what was going on. The captain of the second ship was a rough sailor picked by Brien himself.He had already armed his crew with navy spears.Near the stern, three more orcs were lighting torches with tarpaulins.Although they are all resolute fighters, their expressions look very tense.

Brining cursed.He waved the binoculars at the people in the second boat, but no one noticed him.Now he understood that the fire spreading on the farther ship was probably because the crew made the same attempt, but accidentally let the fire get out of control. Thinking of the previous ship, Brining hastily turned the binoculars. To his shock, there was nothing in his field of vision.A fire like that should be clearly visible... unless the ship has sunk to the bottom of the ocean. Brining cursed, then looked over to his mate. "Signal lights! Quick!" Just as he gave the order, the flagship suddenly shook, as if it had touched a hard rock.Brining fell to one side and the mate fell to his knees.Another sailor fell over the parapet into the ravenous sea.

Another blow sent the deck creaking.Brining struggled to his feet. "The storm woke them all up! Forget the signal lights! Prepare the sleeping powder, sprinkle it on the food, and the tips of the four spears! Quiet that thing down there, or we'll be in the same state as the other ships Just as bad!" The mate and the other sailors followed orders.Brining turned his attention back to the sister ship.Things got worse over there.Why didn't they quiet the beast? Brienn wondered. He scanned the deck quickly and found the answer.The herbal powders used to stupor the beasts were stored in wooden barrels under the eaves of the captain's cabin door, but there were only charred fragments left there.The rain couldn't wet the tarpaulin-covered container, but the lightning could reach it—and it did.The whole place was blown up, along with the only way they had to control that savage cargo.

The pounding in the flagship gradually subsided.Suddenly a desperate idea came to Brining's mind.He rushed to the cabin door, just as the first officer came out from inside.The orc looked exhausted but elated. "He just woke up! We made him in time to—" The flagship captain interrupted him. "Who is the best shooter?" The first mate grinned. "It's me, Captain! You know it!" "We've got plenty of powder! Can you shoot two bags over there?" Brienn pointed to another ship. "They lost all their reserves!" "yes!" Another roar came from the direction of the ship.Brining hastily raised his binoculars.

Orcs with torches were charging towards the cargo hold.And several sailors with spears were about to go down. Suddenly the deck burst open behind them. Brining gasped involuntarily.He saw no trace of lightning.How is this going--? When the broken planks hit the ground, the answer was revealed naturally.The silhouette of a giant hand rose from beneath the shattered deck, then quickly retracted.Meanwhile the ship rocked more violently to and fro. Some of the crew ran towards the hole in the deck.Brining's deputy also returned at this time. "Two bags!" the orc yelled through the storm. "Where to shoot?"

"Shoot whatever you want on the deck, as long as they can see it! Come on!" "Yes!" The first mate tied a small bag to the arrow shaft, and prepared to shoot.Even in such a storm, a skilled orc archer would probably hit his mark. But before Brining's lieutenant could open his bow and arrow, the ship shook even more wildly.Several crew members were too focused on the hole on the deck, and suddenly staggered and fell to the railing of the deck.Two people toppled over and another narrowly escaped death by grabbing the railing at the last minute. The first officer slightly changed his posture, estimating where to aim.The orcs on the opposite boat couldn't help being thrown around, and there was an extra risk of shooting them.

The second boat began to list again, but it happened to meet another big wave, causing the hull to almost capsize.When the hull returned to normal, the orc finally shot an arrow. Brining could not help but growl.The arrow landed well within a yard of the hole in the deck.A crew member noticed the incoming arrows and ran to pick up the powder sachet.Obviously he fully understood what the flagship sent over. "Quick! Another bag!" the flagship commanded.One sachet of powder might have been enough to silence the beast, but a second would guarantee success. The mate raised his bow—

The hull of the ship towards the flagship was splintered.A monstrous hoofed leg kicked out, then drew back. The violent sea turned the damaged hull, submerging the newly opened breach below the surface of the water.Sea water poured into the damaged cargo hold. "Forget about the powder!" roared Brining. There is no need for him to say anything more.The first officer had already given up trying, and ran to direct the crew to jolt towards the wrecked ship that was about to sink. A wave came and straightened the hull, but the cargo in the cabin obviously became more and more furious, and once again violently smashed. Another hoof kicked out, and pieces of wood shattered.The hole had almost doubled in size. The ship had come to such a point that there was no doubt about its impending fate.The sea surged in, and the tribal ship sank quickly.After a while, its deck was level with the sea. The orcs jumped into the churning water, trying to swim to the flagship.Some of them were immediately swept away by the waves and never came up again. There was a wild roar from the cargo hold.A pair of giant hands tore at the shattered deck.However, even with all its brute force, the creature had no time to crawl out of the hole. The deck has sunk below the surface of the water.The waves pushed the ship away from the rest of the fleet.One by one the lanterns of the ships were extinguished, leaving only the dim outline of the unfortunate ship. A final cry of annoyance rang through the storm.Something seemed to burst from the deck of the sunken ship, changing the outline of the ship. Gripping the handle on the parapet tightly, Brienn temporarily shut his mind from attempting a rescue, which he feared would pose a new threat to his own flagship.He imagined the gigantic creature approaching... But as the last big bubble rose, the ship sank straight down.This final sinking came so quickly that the beast had no time to react. The flagship approached the two survivors.Brining wondered how many, if only a few, escaped death.He mourned their heroic deaths...and then Brining realized what tonight's events meant.A fifth of his precious cargo had been lost. "Eight is fine," murmured the flagship captain. "Of course eight will do..." But that's up to the warchief, up to Garrosh. Brining hoped that nothing more would be lost.Had there been no new losses, Garrosh would have forgiven him this failure. But if the warchief really blamed him, Brienn asked only that the great orc leader would allow him to witness the fall of the Alliance armies in Ashenvale. In this way, the flagship commander will die well... We are changing, Malfurion noticed as he strode through Darnassus.And that's not a good thing... The archdruid knew full well when and what caused this unwelcome change of mood among the night elves.Sarah Hill.They can't forget Sarah Hill... Night elves can accept death in battle or in accidents.But they cannot yet accept the sickness and even death that aging brings.Tyrande had already spoken to Jarod, and learned about Sarah Hill through him. Disease is not the only problem, it is only the last straw.Jarod and his partner were already suffering from a series of mild but increasingly frequent pains.Such symptoms sounded very familiar to Malfurion, and even now he felt a tingling pain in his shoulder. He walked through the garden, watching the passers-by who were closest to him along the way.A gloomy atmosphere permeated them.Malfurion could guess what they were thinking; everyone wondered if this was their fate, and when it would come. And he was not much better than them. Fate cannot be escaped.But Tyrande has tried to curb the growing fear through the Sisterhood.She also pays attention to how younger races—especially humans—cope with aging and disease.It is true that both phenomena can also cause great psychological distress to humans, but for the most part they are able to adapt.At this moment, both the archdruid and his companion agreed that their people would not be able to stand the same test. Malfurion forced himself to put the situation aside.He must concentrate on the upcoming summit.Preparations have been finalized and delegates are coming soon.Malfurion had high hopes for the success of the meeting, and he now had to worry about the details. "Arch Druid Malfurion Stormrage..." It was almost impossible to get close to the archdruid without attracting his attention, but this man who spoke did it.Fortunately, Malfurion was not overly sensitive.He just turned around, lowered his head slightly and stared at the human in front of him without any surprise. The man was in his prime, with a broad jaw and narrow eyes.He wore a baggy, simple brown coat, and although he was empty-handed, he carried himself like a warrior. Malfurion knew him. "Idrick." Idrik bowed deeply, his long brown-black hair fell forward. "If you are free today, my lord Genn Greymane wishes to have a meeting with you." The archdruid frowned. "Actually, Idrik, I need to talk to him now. Where is he?" The human stood up straight. "I asked him to wait near the warrior area, on the way to our refuge." Idrik showed a strange expression. "Honestly, Arch Druid, I think he'd like you to do the same. He knows time is short." "Then take me there." Edric obeyed.At this time, Malfurion noticed that the appearance of this human made the surrounding night elves uneasy, almost as much as they worried about aging... Although Darnassus actually allowed humans to Enter with other alliance members.Apparently they recognized Idric as one of Genn's right-hand men, as well as his other identities.Even though this young human didn't look sideways, as if nothing existed except the road under his feet.Malfurion knew the opposite was true; Idrik was as disturbed as the citizens of Darnassus, if not more so. Idrik's movements are as light and silent as any night elf, which is not the ability of ordinary humans.Idrik said nothing when they left the city, but Malfurion knew he was finally relieved as they walked into the woods.It is amusing that a human being should find it easier to be in the wild than in the city. As always, the trees welcomed the night elves.The branches swayed gently in the wind, and the leaves rustled.It was impossible for Idrik not to notice this.And Malfurion waved to them happily, knowing the trees could feel it. Then the welcome time ended.Malfurion heard them speaking in the language of the trees.He's waiting for you...he's waiting for you behind the three bumps... All trees have names.Most of them are difficult even for archdruids to understand.All the night elves heard was a rough explanation of what the names meant.The names of trees are almost all descriptions of their physical characteristics, and as far as he knows, no two trees have the same name. Malfurion knew the Three Knuckles, one of the first trees to grow in this forest... at least that's what the tree had told him so proudly when they first met a few weeks ago.So Malfurion turned and walked towards it, just as Genn Greymane came out. "I salute you, King of Gilneas." The archdruid said solemnly. "Gilneas..." murmured the sturdy, dour man.Genn Greymane looked like a bear, albeit a very old one.He wasn't handsome, but he had a commanding appearance, piercing gaze, and quickness for a human of his age.Unlike the night elf in front of him, Jin had a well-trimmed short beard.He is slightly taller than Idrik, and thus closer in stature to the night elves. "Gilneas..." the king repeated the name. "There's only one name left, Archdruid." "For now!" Idrik said suddenly. "We'll see," Genn added, glancing at him. "Also, why is the Archdruid here? I asked you to arrange to visit him, not to drag him to me—" Malfurion stepped in just in time to prevent the misunderstanding between the two of them from deepening. "I asked him to lead the way to you, Genn. You want to see me, and I have something to tell you. Follow Idrick to save precious time." "It's about the summit, Archdruid." "Of course. Gilneas is one of the most prominent reasons why I initiated this summit. I hope to fulfill your people's request to join the Alliance—" "You mean, a request to return to the Union," the King murmured bitterly. "I foolishly thought that Gilneas's own problems should be solved by itself." "Jean! The werewolf curse is out of your control! You can't—" "It doesn't matter!" growled the King of Gilneas, sounding more animal than human for a moment.He leaned toward the archdruid, and although Malfurion was taller, the night elf felt their eyes were almost evenly matched.Gene looked bigger and wilder. "It doesn't matter! We are cursed and will live under a curse forever!" Malfurion struggled to regain control of the conversation. "We wanted to talk to each other about the summit. The first delegates will arrive tomorrow." Gene looked a little frustrated. "Yes. Summit. Now they have a chance to judge me for my stupid mistake." "I have reached out to some representatives. They understand the need for time. They understand that you have regretted what happened in the past. They also have an appreciation for what you and your people have to offer." "And do they understand that what we offer is a double-edged sword, Archdruid?" The night elf reached out and patted the human's shoulder comfortingly.Gene silently accepted. "You've got far better control over it than you think. There's no harm in what you're offering, Genn. At least in this respect, they'll have to think hard." "Even Stormwind?" "I haven't heard from them yet," Malfurion admitted. "But I have great hopes." The archdruid leaned towards him. "He's coming to the summit. That's what I want to tell you in particular." "Stormwind City is coming to the conference?" Idrik blurted out. "Your Majesty! This means—" "It means nothing," the King of Gilneas was the first to reply.However, there was a gleam of hope in his eyes. "No...it might mean a lot...if he and I could just put our arguments aside. I know I would very much like to do that myself." "Varian Wrynn is a wise man," the archdruid pointed out. "Otherwise Stormwind City wouldn't be what it is today." Gene finally couldn't help laughing. "You're right. The news puts me at ease! After all, we had a chance. Now that he's here, he'll be willing to let the old days go with the wind." Malfurion took a step back. "I've got to get back to the summit. I just wanted to tell you that there are indications that Gilneas can be accepted into the Alliance. I hope to get your commitment to attend the summit as I said before, and to show that you humility and strength." "I will do my job well, please don't doubt it, Archdruid." Genn reached out and shook Malfurion's hand. "I reassure you of what we have agreed upon. Only through this summit can we hope to see our homeland again." "And I promise you, it will make everyone understand its importance... even Stormwind." Genn Greymane motioned to Idrick, and he dodged into the woods.And the King of Gilneas finally gave Malfurion a grateful nod. "I know you will do your best. It is all up to you to get to where you are today, Archdruid." Genn clenched his teeth, "But you also know that from now on, everything depends on one person hand." "He will make the necessary considerations in the interest of all of us." "I believe so, but we might as well pray to your Elune. I will not miss any possible help..." After speaking, the king also flew into the forest. The archdruid stood there in thought for a moment.His eyes fixed on where Genn and Idric had vanished. A huge black figure leaped away from the bushes, and quickly disappeared into the woods.It looks humanoid in height...but it's not. Although unsurprising, the sight made the night elf slightly irritated.He turned away, silently swearing that he would do everything in his power to help the refugees in Gilneas, including making sure the entire Alliance welcomed them back. After all, if it wasn't for Malfurion, they wouldn't be cursed.