Chapter 21 Chapter Twenty

The sky seemed to have leaked a hole, and the rain poured down. Blackmoore's dark hair was tightly attached to his head along with the rain, and his feet slipped on the muddy ground in the castle courtyard.The strong wind blew him around.He forced himself to keep moving his legs.There is only one way for him to escape this bloody and noisy hell. He finally entered the room.Rushing to the desk, he fumbled for the key with trembling fingers.Before reaching the mural next to the bed, he dropped the key twice, tears rolled down uncontrollably, and he finally inserted the key into the lock. Blackmoore jumped down, completely forgetting that there were stairs below, and rolled all the way down; he fell limply like an old doll under the influence of alcohol, which helped him so much that in the end he suffered only Got a little scratches.The light from his room illuminated only a few yards from the door, and the rest was lost in darkness.He should have taken the lantern, but it was too late now.It's too late for many things.

He pulled his legs and ran wildly.The secret door at the end of the corridor should still be bolted.He could run out, escape into the woods, come back when the killing here died down, and he could...he didn't know.At least he could have done something else. The ground trembled again, and Blackmoore was caught off guard and fell to the ground.Finely crushed stones and soil fell on him. After the shock passed, he calmed down, stood up and continued to rush forward.There was thick dust floating in the air, and he could not stop coughing. His fingers suddenly hit a large rock a few yards ahead.The tunnel collapsed ahead of him.Blackmoore tried savagely to dig it open, but after only a moment he collapsed, drenched in sweat.what to do?Edras.Blackmore, what should you do?

The ground shook again, Blackmoore jumped up instinctively, and turned back towards the bedroom.Guilt and fear are ultimately no match for the desire to survive.There was a terrifying noise in the air, and with a palpitating shake, the entire tunnel behind him collapsed.Fear drove him all the way, the roofs of the tunnels crashing into the ground a yard or two behind him like a wild animal in pursuit. As he climbed the last few stairs and rolled out of the tunnel like a rubber ball, the tunnel behind him collapsed completely.He clung to a few rushes strewn across the floor like they could bring order to this mad world.The earth trembled with high fighting spirit, as if it would never stop.

Finally, the ground quietened down.He lay motionless with his face pressed against the stone floor, panting. A sword came from nowhere and stabbed a few inches in front of his nose.He screamed and jerked back.He looked up to see Thrall standing before him, sword in hand. By the Light, Blackmoore had almost forgotten how tall Thrall was.Thrall, clad in jet-black plate armor and wielding a greatsword, looked down on him like mountains look down on the ground beneath them.Had he really...really yelled at that big ugly jaw before? "Thal," Blackmoore stammered, "I can explain..."

"No," Thrall said, with a ruthlessness that frightened Blackmoore more than outrage, "you can't explain. There's nothing to explain. There's only one battle left between us. A fight to the death. Take your sword." Blackmoore tried his best to tug on his uncontrollable leg, "I...I..." "Take the sword," Thrall repeated, his voice low and thick, "or I'll take it right now and stab you right where you're sitting like a petrified child." Blackmoore reached out a chaff-like hand, groping for the hilt of his sword. Good, Thrall thought.At least Blackmoore intended to satisfy his desire to fight.

The first person he went to was Langton, and he had no trouble telling him all about his master's escape into the underground tunnel.A pain surged through his bones, and Thrall immediately realized that was where Terasa had sneaked out to meet him. He summoned an earthquake that sealed the tunnel, and Blackmoore was forced to turn back the same way.While waiting for his return, Thrall kicked down the furnishings in the room in a rage, clearing a small area for them to finish off. He watched Blackmoore's stumbling steps.Is this really the man he admired and feared when he was young?He couldn't believe it.The man was mentally and physically weak.A trace of pity passed Thrall's heart sadly, but these were not enough to wash away the atrocities Blackmoore had committed.

"Let the horses come here," Thrall snarled. Blackmoore gasped.His movements were faster and more focused than Thrall had expected, and Thrall had to react quickly to dodge the attack.He blocked the blow, then waited for Blackmoore to strike again. The battle seems to have awakened the Lord of Dunholde.His face gradually showed anger and determination, and his steps became more orderly.He made a false cut to the left, then slammed into Thrall's right side.However, Thrall effectively sealed the attack. When it was his turn to attack, Thrall was surprised and slightly pleased to see that Blackmoore still had the strength to parry, and he only left a shallow wound on the left side of Blackmoore's unprotected body.This blow made Blackmoore aware of his weakness, and he began to look for anything that could be used as a shield.

With a grunt, Thrall yanked down the door and handed it to Blackmoore. "Hide behind the coward's door," he growled. This door is fine to use as a shield for orcs, but it is undoubtedly too big for humans.Blackmoore pushed away angrily. "It's not too late, Thrall," he tried to convince the orcs in front of him, "We can still work together. I can release those orcs, as long as you promise that they will obey my orders and fight for me like you!" Thrall was furious, and Blackmoore seized the moment to lunge.Thrall didn't raise his sword in time to meet it, and Blackmoore's blade slid through the armor with a clang.The blow was clean, but fortunately the armor protected Thrall from harm.

"Aren't you sober, Blackmoore, if you think you can make me forget what I've seen—" Thrall's eyes were blood red again, and Terasa's blue eyes stared at him, and the image of the memory overwhelmed him.He had tried to restrain himself and decided to give Blackmoore a fair chance, but now he put those thoughts on the cloud.Anger flooded like the tide that once washed over the coastal city, and Thrall launched a fierce attack on Blackmoore.Every attack he made, every angry roar made the pain that the man in front of him had inflicted on him vividly vented.As the sword slipped from Blackmoore's fingertips, Thrall saw Terasa's face, smiling at human and orc alike.

As he cornered Blackmoore, the desperate man drew a dagger from under his boot and thrust it at Thrall's face, narrowly missing his eye. Thrall let out a vengeful roar, and he The sword stabbed deeply. Blackmoore didn't die right away.He fell to the ground, panting heavily, his fingers weakly grasping the red hole that was gushing out.He stared up at Thrall, his eyes twinkling.Blood gushed from his mouth, and to Thrall's surprise, he forced a smile. "You are... I raised you... You make me proud..." he said, and slumped onto the floor. Thrall walked out of the castle and into the atrium.The pouring rain washed over him.Hellscream immediately stood up and faced him. "Report the battle situation," Thrall ordered, looking around.

"We've taken Dunholde, Lord Chief," Hellscream said.He was spattered with blood, his face beaming with joy, his red eyes gleaming, "Human reinforcements are still some way away. Most of the camps that refused to support are now under our control. We searched the entire castle to find those who did not participate in the battle All found. The women and their children were unharmed, and everything was as you ordered." Thrall saw his warriors surrounding the women.They sat in the mud, glaring at their captors.At this time, a man tried to escape, but he was quickly caught and pushed back to his original place.Thrall noticed that although each of the orcs seemed intent on taking revenge on their prisoners, they never did. "Bring me Langdon," Hellscream ran to carry out Thrall's order, and Thrall pushed his way into the crowd.Humans looked fearful and aggressive, but now Durnholde has changed hands.Hellscream was back on time with the point of his sword at Langdon, and Thrall turned to face them. Langdon immediately knelt down in front of Thrall.Thrall ordered him to get up in a tone of vague disgust. "If you guessed correctly, you are in charge of this place now, right?" "That, Sergeant... yes. I'm in command now." "I have a task for you, Langdon." Thrall bent down and said to him face to face, "You and I both know the conspiracy you and Blackmoore have conspired with. You will soon become a traitor to the alliance. But now I will give you a chance to redeem your sins, it all depends on whether you accept it or not." Langdon stared into Thrall's eyes, the fear on his face lessened a little.He nodded. "what do you want me to do?" "Send a letter to your alliance and tell them what happened today. Tell them that if they want to live in peace with us, we are ready to do business with them, as long as they release all the other orcs and cede some land - the fertile Land—for us to live in. If they insist on fighting, they will encounter enemies they have never seen before. We were strong fifty years ago, but they are nothing compared to us now. You You survived two wars with us by your good fortune. You can, I am quite sure, communicate these threats and wishes of ours to them in an appropriate manner." Langdon sank pale into the mud.But he still stared at Sal's calm eyes. "Give him a horse and the things he needs for the road," said Thrall, making sure he had made his point. "Langdon rides far better than his elders. For your obedient you Good people, I hope so. Now, you can go." Hellscream grabbed Langston's arm to prop him up.While he was talking to Langdon, the orcs who were not in charge of guarding the captives were busy moving supplies from the castle.Horses, cattle, sheep, sacks of grain, bandages made of bedding—everything an army needs, the new tribe will need. He still had to talk to someone, and after only a short while, he found him.The sergeant's squad refused to surrender, but they didn't really do anything with the belongings.The orcs and humans were in a stalemate, but apparently no one wanted this to turn into a fight. The sergeant watched carefully as Thrall approached him.The circle of orcs made way for their chieftain.The sergeant and Thrall looked at each other for a long time, and then, before the sergeant could react, Thrall stretched out his hand, and his thick green fingers reached the sergeant's ear, tightly clamping his gold earring.Then, he let go gently, and the earring was still hanging on the sergeant's ear peacefully. "You taught me well, Sergeant," Thrall said lowly. "You're a good student, Thrall," the sergeant replied thoughtfully. "Blackmoore is dead," Thrall said. "Your men are at command of the keep, whose supplies are still being hauled away as we speak. Durnholde is standing here now for only It’s because I still want to keep it.” To prove his words, Thrall stomped his foot on the ground, and the ground trembled suddenly. "You taught me mercy, and now you should be glad you learned that lesson. Your reinforcements won't arrive in time. If your men give up resistance, they can leave with their families. You There will be plenty of water and food, and even weapons. Those who still want to fight will be buried here with rubble. Without this fortress and its cavalry, we will be able to easily liberate our people. That's my only goal all the time." "Really?" asked the sergeant.Thrall knew he wanted to say Blackmoore. "All I want is justice," Thrall said. "I've got it now, and I'll get it later." "Can you guarantee that none of you will come back and hurt us?" "I assure you," Thrall said, looking up at his people, "as long as you don't resist, you'll get out of here unhindered." In reply, the sergeant dropped his weapon.After a short silence, the other humans did the same.The battle is over. When all humans and orcs were safely evacuated from the fortress, Thrall summoned the spirit of the earth. This place is full of sin.It imprisons the innocent and breeds evil.Let it fall, let it fall. He stretched out his arms and began stomping rhythmically on the ground.Closing his eyes, Thrall recalled his cramped cell, Blackmoore's torture, the hatred and contempt in the eyes of those he trained with.He looked at these old memories, his heart was full of pain, the past was vivid, and he tried to let it out. let it fall.Let it fall! Rumble rolls across the land, coming to put an end to this battle.Amidst the deafening loud noise, the building made of huge stones was being reduced to dust.The ground stirred up and down, as if it was going to swallow the fortress whole.The gigantic structure that had once symbolized all that Thrall had relentlessly fought fell apart.When the land finally calmed down, the once mighty Durnholde was scattered into a field of rubble and debris.There was earth-shattering cheers from the orc crowd, while the humans stared at all this with emaciated and tormented eyes. And Edras.Blackmoore was buried deep in the ruins. "Unless you bury it in your heart, you'll always feel he hasn't buried it deep enough." A voice came from beside him, and Thrall turned to look at Drek'Thar. "You are wise, Drek'Thar," Thrall said, "perhaps too wise." "Does it feel good to kill him?" Thrall thought for a moment before answering his question. "I had to do that," he said. "Blackmoore was like a living prison, not only to me, but to many others." He hesitated. "Before killing him, he... he said he Proud of me. He raised me. Drek'Thar, the thought strikes me." "There is no doubt that you were raised by Blackmoore," Drek'Thar replied, to Thrall's surprise and disgust.Drek'Thar lightly touched Thrall's armored arm. "And you were also cultivated by Terasa, and Sergeant, and Hellscream, and Doomhammer, and me, and even Snow Song. You were cultivated by every battle, you Raise yourself...king of the clan." He bowed, then turned away led by Palka, his entourage.Thrall watched them go away.He sincerely hopes that one day he will be as wise as Drek'Thar. Hellscream leaned forward. "We gave the humans water and food, Lord Chief. The cavalry reported that human reinforcements were approaching, and we had to go." "Now, I have another task for you." He put a fist in Hellscream's face, and opened it.A silver crescent necklace fell into Hellscream's outstretched palm, "Find a human named Foxton. They should have just found out by now that their daughter was killed. Give them this, tell them... tell them I very sad." Hellscream bowed and ran to carry out Thrall's orders.Sal took a deep breath.Behind him is his past, the ruins of what was once called Dunholde.Ahead of him was his future, a sea of ​​green—his people, waiting, waiting. "Today," he cried, loud enough for everyone to hear, "today our people have won a great victory. We have razed the mighty fortress of Durnholde and destroyed its defenses of concentration camps. But we can't stop yet, we haven't won the victory yet. We have brothers and sisters in prison, but we all know they will be free. They, like you, will taste of being a A true taste of orcs will know the passion and strength of our proud race. "We are invincible. We will succeed because our cause is righteous. Let us go, find those camps, smash their walls, and let us free our people!" Huge cheers rose, and Thrall looked around at the thousands of proud orc faces.They opened their mouths wide and waved their fists, and every line of their huge bodies spoke of their joy and excitement.He recalled the sluggish creatures of the concentration camps, and thought that he was one of those who reawakened their courage and glory, and a surge of joy almost stinged at his nerves.That's a real shame on the orcs. He watched with deep calm as his people called his name.After so many years of searching, he finally found his true destiny; understood the true self buried deep inside him: Thrall, son of Durotan... Chieftain of the Horde. He came home.