Chapter 3 Chapter two

"Look here!" Genn Greymane, King of Gilniras, pointed to the towering keep ahead of them.Just as he was saying these words, everyone had already filed in through the same tall and majestic front door.Although Graymane was so big and strong, he looked like a dwarf compared with this door, and the arch of the stronghold alone was twice as high as Genn.When the other kings came in, they looked at the thick outer walls and the solid architectural style, and nodded their heads in appreciation.At the same time, Gray Mane snorted and frowned slightly, as if to say that he didn't take the other king's compliments seriously.

He looked at the unfinished buildings in front of him and said in a low voice. "A wall, a tower, and the only fortress. That's all we've spent so much money building?" "It's big," Thoras Trollbane pointed out.The lord of Sotomgard was as concise as ever, and didn't want to say a single word. "The bigger the bigger the more you spend." Several other kings also seemed to feel aggrieved by the huge expenditure, and they were all muttering about something.Especially when they consider that these huge expenses are shared equally among them. A tall and slender young man walked up to the crowd, "If it were you, how much would you spend to ensure safety? There is always a price to pay for valuable things." When other people heard this sentence When there is a high level of vigilance, they stop their whining.As the newly crowned King of the Stormwind Kingdom, Varian has always understood the importance of safety.During the first orc war, his kingdom was severely damaged by the orcs, and even most of the main city of Stormwind Kingdom was turned into ruins.

"That's true—His Royal Highness, how is the rebuilding of the Stormwind Kingdom going?" A thin man in a green navy uniform asked kindly. "It's going pretty well. Thank you, Admiral," Varian replied.Although Daelin Proudmoore is the leader of Kul Tiras, he prefers to be called by his naval rank. "I am very satisfied with the work of the Stonemasons Guild. My people and I are grateful to them. They are very professional craftsmen, and their exquisite skills are comparable to those of the dwarves. The completion of the restoration of Stormwind City is just around the corner," he said. Xiang Huimane smiled and said, "I have to say that every penny we spent was worth it."

The other kings giggled.Trollbane saw Terenas, King of Lordaeron, tall and strong, with gray and blond hair and blue-green eyes.After the two looked at each other, Terenas nodded.When young Varian led his people to seek refuge from the invasion of the tribe, the old king supported him and took him back to his home until the young prince could return to inherit his father's legacy. throne.Now, Terenas and his old friend Trollbane are very pleased with the final result.Varian is an intelligent, charismatic, and dignified young man.Although he is still very young, his innate leadership and diplomatic skills have already convinced many people.Terenas had even begun to treat him like his own son.The young man was able to take control and divert the attention of the lords from their complaints.The old king felt a kind of fatherly pride and pride in his talents.

Varian continued, raising his voice slightly. "In fact, our most marvelous artisan is right in front of us." The Storm King pointed ahead to a burly man who was talking to some dusty workers.He has black hair and dark green eyes that seem to radiate light.He turned to everyone, as if he heard a conversation among them.Terenas knew that it was Edwin VanCleef, the leader of the Stonemasons' Guild, and also in charge of the renovation of the Kingdom of Stormwind and the construction of Fort Watch here. Varian smiled at him and beckoned him over. "Mr. VanCleef, I trust that everything is going well."

"Indeed. Thank you for your concern, Your Highness." Van Cleef replied confidently.He tapped hard on the outer wall with his fist and nodded proudly. "Your Majesty, I assure you that the defense here is perfect enough to resist any invaders." "I believe what you say, VanCleef." The Storm King agreed. "You've done the best you can and it's not going to be easy." VanCleef nodded his thanks.Meanwhile, another worker standing in front of an unfinished building called him over. "Your Highness, I have to go back to work." He bowed deeply to the lords, then turned and walked towards the workers in the distance.

The crowd moved on.Terenas whispered to Varian, "Nice job. Not only did you make Gray Mane no longer complain, but you also praised Van Cleef by the way." The young king smiled and said softly, "I'm just telling the truth. And after I say that, he's sure to work harder. As for Graymane, he can only complain now that no one else is beeping with him." mumbling." "You're smart for your age." Terenas laughed. "Or you're smarter than everyone." Of course, Varian's rebuttals and indirect reprimands didn't keep Graymane silent.As they made their way through the middle courtyard, the king of Gilniras muttered again, then grew to shouts under his thick black beard.He grudgingly admitted, "They do work really hard." He looked at Varian, who smiled back. "But why did they build these?" He pointed to the only completed fortress in front of him and said, then followed everyone through the iron gate at the entrance, walked up the stairs, and continued, "Why did it take so much Jin, why do you still spend so much money to build such a castle? We built the Fortress just to guard the former location of the Dark Portal in the distance, didn’t we? Isn’t a simpler fortress enough?”

Genn Graymane's voice was still so loud that Khadgar heard his complaints before they entered the Great Chamber.The Archmage of Dalaran, although a little tired, still exchanged a slightly mocking look with several of his fellow mages. "It's rare that Gray Mane is still the same." Antonidas, the leader of the Kirin Tor, said coldly. "Yes, the country is easy to change, but the nature is hard to change." Khadgar stroked his pure white beard and said to the archmage.He turned quickly to face the approaching kings.His youthfulness was so inconsistent with his old and wrinkled face.

"Then, do you want to know where your money has been spent?" He said to the newcomers, nodding his head neither humble nor humble to show his welcome.He treated the king as he treated anyone else.After all, as a member of the Kirin Tor, Khadgar is also a man of power in his domain. "Well, let me tell you, and then you can thank me for explaining to you. Keepwatch is really big, because it has to be. There are many people who will live here, including the people we brought from Dalaran. The mages who came, and the soldiers who were sent to garrison. The ruins of the Dark Portal are in the valley in front of Keepwatch, and that is the only way for the Horde to come to our world. If they come back at any time, we can have ready."

"That's why those warriors need to be here," agreed Proudmoore. "But what are the responsibilities of these mages? After all, only one mage is enough for us to monitor the whole situation and notify you in time when there is danger." Khadgar agreed, "If that's all we need to do, then it is." He paced the room with a firm gait that belied the fact that he was still a young man.In fact, Khadgar is only a few years older than Varian, but he was prematurely aged by Medivh's magic, and that happened before the astral mage died. "But in the near future, Keepwatch will be more than just a sentry for us to guard the Dark Portal. I will tell you why. The vitality of Draenor is gradually dying due to some strange energy. When the Dark Portal was opened by Medivh, so did our world. The Dark Portal on the side of Azeroth made the land around it dead, and the effect is still spreading. When we destroyed the portal, we thought the land would heal itself, but it didn't. In fact, the weird corruption continues to expand."

The kings frowned deeply and looked at each other.This is bad news for them all. "We started to study the situation here, and found something. Even though the portal has been destroyed, there is still a small crack in the plane." All the lords present took a deep breath. "So have you found a way to stop the spread of corruption?" Proudmoore asked. "Well, although it will take several mages to work together to achieve the goal." A trace of worry appeared on his face full of traces of time. "Unfortunately, we were unable to restore the tainted lands. It used to be called the Black Marsh, and we managed to keep the northern regions untouched. There are rumors that there are still some orcs hiding there, but we No trace of them was found. As for the southern region, I don’t know why, but we still have no way to save this continent.” He shook his head. "Some people started calling this place the Land of the Damned, and now it seems the name has come true. As far as I'm concerned, I don't know if this continent can once again harbor life." "Anyway, you managed to stop the spread of the contamination and save the rest of the world," Varian pointed out. "That's already incredible, after all, the speed of transmission is still very fast." Khadgar tilted his head slightly, thanking the king for his compliment. "We've done far more than we ever expected," he admits. "Although that may not be what I like. But there still needs to be at least one mage unit stationed here for a long time to watch over this continent, so that our Azeroth will no longer be harmed by this strange pollution. At the same time, the mage We'll watch over that chasm too. All in all, that's why we spent so much money building Keepwatch, and made it so big." "Is it really possible for that rift to reopen?" Trollbane asked, and the others turned to Khadgar, obviously expecting his answer, but also apprehensive about the possible answer.From their faces, Khadgar could read what was on their minds.When thinking about the brutal orc invasion of Azeroth after the opening of the Dark Portal eight years ago, and now they may experience the same thing again, everyone feels extremely panicked. Khadgar was about to answer, but was interrupted by a shrill cry from outside the conference hall.He said, "Looks like the last of us just landed on the outer wall on a griffin." After a while, a woman came in.Her beauty is completely indescribable. She is wearing a set of green and brown shabby leather armor, which perfectly sets off her tall and thin body.Her blond hair looked messy, brushed casually behind her long, pointy ears.As elegant as she looks, it's clear to everyone present that Alleria Windrunner is actually a formidable ranger, scout, fighter, and survivalist, many of whom have worked with She fought side by side.Because of her sharp eyes, quick reflexes and her bravery and determination, she saved many lives. She said curtly, "Khadgar." She walked towards him, so close in height that Alleria could look directly at the mage in front of her. "Alleria," Khadgar replied.Although it was just a name call, the nostalgia in it made it sound so warm. After all, these two good friends fought side by side not long ago.But he couldn't see any warmth in her green eyes, on the contrary, her eyes seemed to be carved out of stone, lifeless.Alleria is still humble, but that's about it.Khadgar sighed inwardly, stepped back, and motioned her through the entrance in front of him. "Preferably good news," she said, entering the hall to greet the kings present briefly.Although her figure is so tall and her appearance is so young, she is still much older than any human king in front of her.It also allows her to disregard their kingship, which to her is a mockery. "I'm still hunting the orcs." "You've been hunting them all along," Khadgar retorted, sounding sharper than he expected. "But that's part of why I want you here." Khadgar waited for her and the other kings to turn their attention to him, then said. "Alleria, as I said just now, there is a planar rift where the Dark Portal once stood. Recently, the energy emanating from there has increased significantly." "What does that mean?" Graymane asked. "Are you trying to tell us that it's gradually getting stronger?" The archmage nodded. "Yes. We think that rift will widen immediately." "Did the Horde find some way to restore the Dark Portal?" Terenas asked, looking as panicked as the others. "Maybe, maybe not," Khadgar replied. "But even if they can't rebuild a stable portal, as long as the crack is big enough, those orcs can return to our world." "I knew it was going to happen!!!" Gray Mane almost cried out. "I knew we'd see those green monsters again!" Beside Khadgar, Alleria's lips were slightly raised, and her eyes seemed to be shining—as if she was expecting something. "How long will that be?" asked Trollbane. "How many orcs will there be?" "We don't know how many," Khadgar replied, shaking his head. "How long? Soon. Maybe in a few days." Terenas asked softly, "What do you need?" "I need the army of the Alliance," Khadgar said bluntly. "I need the entire army here, in case the rift really starts to grow. There is a good chance that the Horde will surge from that valley again." Suddenly, he laughed. "It seems that it is time for the son of Lothar to act again." Son of Lothar is the title given to himself by veterans who have experienced the Second Orc War.Although they won the war, they also paid a heavy price: Anduin Lothar, the lion of Azeroth, died at the end of the war.Khadgar was there when Lothar was slain by Orgrim Doomhammer, the orc warchief.And his old friend Turalyon avenged Lothar.As the heir to Lothar's mantle, Turalyon now serves as the commander-in-chief of the Alliance army, carrying on his legacy, and the Sons of Lothar organization was born. "Are you sure about the rift?" Terenas asked cautiously, obviously not wanting to offend an archmage.Khadgar never thought it would be a good idea to offend him, but this time, he wasn't offended. "I also hoped that what I knew was wrong. The power level has definitely been going up. Before long, that power will be enough to widen the rift, allowing the orcs to file in from Draenor and invade our world." He suddenly felt tired, as if telling everyone the bad news had exhausted him.He looked at Alleria again.The latter seemed to notice his gaze and looked up, but said nothing. "We can't take chances," Varian pointed out. "If you ask me, we should call up the Union Army now, in case of war." "Agreed," Terenas said, and the others nodded in agreement. "We need to contact General Turalyon," Varian continued.Alleria's body suddenly moved slightly, and an incomprehensible emotion appeared on her face.Khadgar saw it and narrowed his eyes slightly.In the past, the relationship between elf rangers and human paladins was not just that of fighting partners.Khadgar had always believed that they were so kind to each other.Alleria's old age and wisdom brought courage to Turalyon, while his youth and straightforwardness gave her a new life when she was tired of life.But then something happened, and Khadgar never knew what it was, and he was careful not to ask the two men.A gap suddenly appeared between Turalyon and Alleria.At the time, Khadgar felt sorry for both of them.Now, he doesn't know if that gap will cause trouble. Varian didn't seem to notice the subtle changes in Alleria, and continued, "As the commander of the Alliance army, he should be responsible for gathering soldiers and preparing them for future battles. Now, he is helping us in Stormwind City. Repair our fortifications and train our soldiers." Khadgar had a sudden inspiration and thought of a method that could kill two birds with one stone. "Alelia, you can find Turalyon as quickly as possible. Go ride a griffin to Stormwind City, tell him what happened here, and tell him that we need to re-raise the Alliance army immediately." The elven ranger stared at him, his emerald green eyes burning with rage. "There must be others who can easily complete this task." She said abruptly. But Khadgar shook his head, and replied, "The Wildhammers trust you, and they have their own agenda to fulfill." He sighed. "Alleria, please, for all of us. Find him, tell him, and bring him." He thought: Then maybe the two of you can work it out between you...or even be able to work together... The anger in Alleria's eyes disappeared, replaced by that expressionless face. "I will do as you wish," she said almost formally.She didn't say a word and walked out of everyone's sight. Everyone watched her walk away.Terenas said, "Khadgar is right. We need soldiers and supplies at once." The other kings nodded, and even Graymane obeyed him in silence, apparently all that was on his mind Thoughts were swept away by the news of the Horde's imminent return.The crowd walked out of the parlor door, walked towards the courtyard, and passed through the tall archway they had passed less than an hour ago. Khadgar watched the kings go and whispered, "Oh, go, let the sons of Lothar come back again. I only hope it's not too late."