Chương 41: Chapter 34

Krivax skittered into King Terenas' imperial chamber, with Anub'rekhan following closely behind him, intent on finding the other members of the nerubian delegation before the meeting began. Fortunately, it seemed like Antonidas had already magically expanded the size of the room and the hallways, likely to accommodate not only the Spiderlord but also the large number of nobles in attendance. King Terenas was already present and sat comfortably on his throne as he spoke quietly to a few of his advisors.

Unlike last time when the balconies overlooking the throne room were empty, this time Krivax could see many important figures watching the proceedings from above. He could even see an ambassador from Quel'thalas, which was surprising considering the elves had not offered any input into the matter up until this point. They still haven't even sent anyone to meet us, Krivax thought, feeling a bit bitter. Looking through the room, Krivax could see rulers from each of the kingdoms speaking with their diplomats.

Turning to look in the direction of the representatives from Stormwind, he noticed an old-looking mage, who Krivax assumed could only be Khadgar, speaking to Anduin Lothar. This was his first time seeing the mage, and Krivax made certain to memorize his face. After all, Khadgar was a man who would be extremely important to the future of Azeroth. The only ones who were absent seemed to be the Gilneans. It was most likely them who everyone was waiting on.

A quick glance around the room showed that the other Viziers were already present and were standing off in a portion of the room reserved for observing diplomats, speaking with Antonidas as they waited for the meeting to begin. They weren't exactly difficult to pick out of a crowd. With his fellow Viziers spotted, Krivax walked further into the room and began making his way to them.

He idly noted that one of the Kul'Tiran Tidesages was looking at him with a strange expression, but Krivax had long gotten used to getting strange looks from non-nerubians and they were hardly the only ones staring, so he paid it no mind. As he grew close, Krivax realized that the Viziers were protected by some kind of ward that made it impossible to understand the conversation that they were having with Antonidas. It was only when Krivax passed through it that their words didn't sound like gibberish to him.

"---scuss this matter more at a later time. For now, I must prepare for the meeting ahead."

"Of course, Archmage," said Vizer Crinis, sounding more respectful than Krivax remembered her being.

"We will bring your proposal to the High King. I'm certain he will find it as interesting as we do." Hadix seemed content to let Crinis speak for them both, but even he seemed more interested than Krivax expected. Antonidas nodded solemnly to them both and left, presumably to go take his seat as Dalaran's representative.

"Greetings, I take it your meeting with the Archmage was more productive than expected," said Anub'rekhan as soon as the Archmage had passed through the ward.

"It was actually quite fascinating, Spiderlord," said Vizier Crinis, nodding to both of them in greetings.

"Apparently, Dalaran wishes to purchase some of the artifacts we use to control our beasts. They wish to use them for their war with the Horde and are willing to pay a steep price for any creatures that could be useful to them."

"Indeed, Archmage Antonidas seemed quite pleased after we informed him about the arachnathids and the large variety of spiders we have at our disposal," said Hadix. Krivax couldn't help but feel a little shocked after they explained the situation. This kind of development was something that he had not seen coming at all, and implied that the nerubians might be getting involved in the war as… some kind of weapons dealer?

Those so-called 'weapons' being deadly creatures that had been biologically manipulated by magic, of course.

"That is good news," said Anub'rekhan, sounding incredibly pleased.

"It will allow us to test some of our beasts in a way that they haven't been in millennia. Perhaps if this information proves itself to be useful to the leadership, the High King may allow me to play with a few of the orcs myself." The last part was said in a wistful tone that made it clear how much the Spiderlord wished he could test himself against the orcs.

"What have they offered in exchange?" Krivax asked curiously.

"Dalaran has offered to trade large amounts of unique magical reagents, significantly beyond what the beasts are worth in terms of gold," said Crinis, a hint of greed in her voice.

"I have no doubt that the Circle of Viziers will push heavily for this deal. It will allow us to create many more enchanted items than we could have otherwise." Krivax was glad that it was something practical. Enchanted weapons and armor required resources to create, and Azjol-Nerub would certainly need them in the future. And supplying the Alliance with creatures to fight the Horde with would hopefully help them end the war sooner and with fewer casualties. As far as he could tell, it was a win-win for everyone.

Krivax wanted to ask for further details, but he suddenly found himself distracted when he noticed the Gilneans entering the imperial chamber. King Greymane looked as ornery as ever as he strode toward his seat, not looking the slightest bit contrite over making everyone wait. As soon as he sat down, King Terenas didn't hesitate to begin the meeting"We are all here then?" Terenas asked, though of course he could see that was the case.

"Good. Time is of the essence, as every moment we fail to marshal our respective militaries, the Horde draws nearer. They have already taken Khaz Modan and what information we've gained since shows they don't appear to be in any rush to stop their move north. The Council of the Seven Nations has negotiated tirelessly since the threat of the Horde became clear to us, and we have succeeded in reaching several agreements, though there are few things that remain to be agreed upon."

At the king's words, each of the other monarchs nodded in agreement, making Krivax feel a little bit curious about which points they had actually managed to agree on. Fortunately, Terenas began answering that just a few moments later.

"In order to combat the threat of the Horde, our nations have agreed to form a unified force so that we might fight the Horde together," said Terenas, causing several in the audience who hadn't known how far the negotiations had gone to break out into whispers. The human kingdoms had not been united since the breakup of the Arathorian Empire, so this was certainly a historic moment.

"We have also agreed that Daelin Proudemoore, Lord Admiral of Kul'Tiras, will serve as the Grand Admiral of our united naval forces." Krivax turned his gaze toward the Kul'Tirans, only to see that Admiral Proudmoore remained completely stoic. The selection made sense and was likely an easily made decision. Kul'Tiras was the foremost naval power in the Eastern Kingdoms, and there was not a single person from the other kingdoms who even approached the amount of experience that Proudmoore had.

"Thank you, King Terenas," said Proudmoore, his powerful voice carrying throughout the room as he nodded his head respectfully to the old king.

"I'm grateful for the trust that you and my fellow rulers have bestowed on me. If the Horde wishes to travel any farther north than Khaz Modan, then they will need to either pass through Thandol Span or invade by sea. I swear to you all on my kingdom, my house, and my honor, that any primitive navy that the Horde attempts to muster will be sent to the bottom of the sea." At those words, many of the observers broke out into appreciative applause, likely fully confident that the Admiral would live up to his promises.

If my letter to Krasus actually manages to prevent Alexstrasza from being captured, then he actually might. It was only because of the dragons' support that the Horde invasion fleet ever defeated and bypassed the Lord Admiral's forces in canon after all. If the Horde did not have any dragons, then the Kul'Tiran navy completely and utterly outclassed them.

"We have also reached an agreement on matters of logistics, such as the amount of economic and military support each nation is willing to provide, " King Terenas said as soon as the applause began to die down. Krivax noted that the king gave no specific details on how much each kingdom was actually contributing. He could guess that some of the less enthusiastic kingdoms, such as Gilneas and Alterac, were providing significantly less than they should be.

"The only matter we have left to agree upon before we can formalize our alliance is to choose who will have command over our unified army as its Supreme Commander. It is no boast to say that Lordaeron is the largest of the kingdoms, so I believe it is reasonable that we command the army. Many are the great knights under my banner who can lead us to victory," said Terenas.

"With all due respect, King Terenas, while I know for a fact that Lordaeron has capable generals, I believe that the best option to lead our forces is myself," King Trollbane said confidently, not hesitating to put himself forward as soon as the king finished speaking.

"Not only do I have the most combat experience of any ruler in the Eastern Kingdoms, but it is my lands that the Horde is likely to invade first. Let the people of Stromgarde lead humanity united once more!"

"You are delusional if you believe any of my men will listen to you, Trollbane," said King Perenolde, quick to interject.

"My own man, General Hath, is just as experienced as you and more used to fighting against impossible odds. What we need more than anything is a leader who is clever and has an abundance of wisdom, not a brute fist." The dig was not unsubtle at all, Trollbane glaring at the man for it. Krivax watched as the various rulers broke out into arguments, though knowing what he knew about who they would eventually choose, he wondered how much of it was real and how much was political theater.

Just as the arguments seemed to be reaching their peak, Archbishop Faol stood up from where he was sitting, immediately causing the room to grow quiet.

"While the Church of the Holy Light remains committed to supporting this alliance, regardless of who leads its armies, I would like to put forward my own recommendation for the position of Supreme Commander," Archbishop Faol said calmly, capturing the attention of everyone present. Even if he had no armies himself, everyone knew that the Archbishop was a hugely influential figure and his recommendation would be taken seriously.

"There is only one person here who has the most experience fighting against our current enemy, and who, more than any other, deserves the opportunity to lead our forces against them," said the Archbishop, turning his gaze to Anduin Lothar. If this was political theater, then the look on Lothar's face was enough to convince Krivax that he had not been informed.

"Anduin Lothar has served faithfully as the Champion of Stormwind for many years and is the last true descendant of the ancient Arathi bloodline. He fought the Horde bravely for several years, without aid, and saved innumerable lives by organizing its evacuation when Stormwind could fight no longer. I could think of nobody else who is more fit to serve as our Supreme Commander." With that said, the Archbishop returned to his seat and Krivax listened closely to conversations that broke out in the chambers.

He knew that each of the kings wanted to be in charge, but they were dead set against seeing any other ruler in their place and commanding their forces. Not only was Lothar not a king, thus neutral in the power struggle of the northern kingdoms, but he also had a prestigious bloodline that made him noble enough that none of the rulers felt like they were being slighted. That, his experience, and the potential aid that Quel'thalas might offer as a result of his bloodline made picking him the obvious choice.

He would also be driven towards defeating the Horde and retaking Stormwind above all else. The conversations soon grew increasingly positive to the idea, and it wasn't long before King Terenas was asking Lothar if he was willing to accept the charge. Lothar was obviously shocked, but it didn't take long before his expression settled into one of intense determination.

"I accept the charge," he replied, his voice heard clearly by everybody present.

"I will lead our forces against the Horde."

"And do my fellow monarchs agree with this decision?" asked Terenas, sweeping his gaze through the chamber. None of the gathered rulers raised any objections, including Greymane and Perenolde.

"Then there is nothing left that needs to be agreed upon," said King Terenas, his expression growing dignified as he prepared to make the announcement that everyone present knew would go down in history.

"Then I, King Terenas Menethil the second, hereby declare the founding of the Alliance of Lordaeron! We shall stand together, united, as our ancestors did long ago, in the Arathorian Empire! And it is only fitting, then, that our commander hails from that ancient ruling stock. We, the kings of the Alliance, appoint Lord Anduin Lothar, Champion of Stormwind, as our Supreme Commander!" Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

The chambers immediately burst into cheers and applause as the gathered nobles expressed their enthusiastic support for the Alliance and its Supreme Commander. There was hardly anyone left who was not worried about the Horde, so everyone was glad to see something finally being done.

"Finally," said Anub'rekhan, his voice more gleeful than Krivax had ever heard from a Spiderlord.

"I have been waiting for this since we learned about the Horde. I look forward to seeing whether or not these humans live up to the might of their vrykul ancestors."

"Had I heard you say such a thing before we came to the Eastern Kingdoms, I would have considered you ridiculous, Spiderlord," said Vizier Crinis, a complicated expression on her face as she watched the cheering humans.

"But I have found myself surprised again and again by what I have seen in Dalaran. Perhaps these humans will surprise me again." Hadix didn't offer his own opinion, but Krivax knew his mentor well enough that he could tell that the Vizier's opinion of humans was also slowly evolving. Nothing close to liking them beyond maybe a few in Dalaran he considered peers, but Krivax could notice that he had a certain amount of respect for them that didn't exist before.

"Supreme Commander Lothar, is there anything that you wish to say before we bring this meeting to a close and start preparing for war in truth?" asked Terenas once the cheering began to die down. Anduin Lothar was quiet for several moments as the most powerful people in the Eastern Kingdoms all turned their attention to him. Krivax didn't know what was running through the man's mind, and he couldn't imagine what he must be feeling.

"My fellow men and women of the Alliance, I stand before you today as a man humbled by the weight of the duty and trust that has been placed upon my shoulders," said Anduin Lothar, his deep voice ringing throughout the otherwise silent chamber.

"As you know, our lands and our lives are under threat from a vicious and barbaric enemy, the Horde." Lothar paused, his expression filled with emotion.

"They arrived in Stormwind several years ago and immediately began storming our lands, laying waste to our homes, and slaughtering our people, and every attempt at diplomacy was met with scorn and violence," Lothar continued, his voice beginning to fill with rage.

"It was only a few years later that we learned that these… creatures came from another world, one which they destroyed with their vile magics. There can be no peace in our lands as long as the Horde continues to exist, otherwise, our world will see the same fate as their own." Krivax could see that Lothar's words were beginning to make many of the gathered nobles uncomfortable.

None of them wanted to believe that their lands could end up like Stormwind, or that the Horde could possibly be a threat to the entire world.

"Ever since they arrived, the Horde has pushed ever northward, but no longer. No longer will we cower in fear. No longer will we turn a blind eye to the suffering that these monsters are causing to this world!" Lothar shouted, causing his audience to grow excited.

"Today I stand before you as Supreme Commander of the Alliance, and I pledge to you all that I will do everything in my power to defend our lands and destroy the Horde." Where before there was concern at the threat presented, now it seemed like Lothar's words were energizing those listening to them. Nobles from all the gathered human kingdoms seemed determined, eager, and maybe even excited to face the great evil of their time.

"I know that this will not be an easy task. The orcs are a formidable foe, and they will stop at nothing to see us crushed beneath their boots. But we are the Alliance! Just as the trolls could not hope to defeat the combined might of humanity, the Horde will fare no better! Our armies will not rest until we secure safety for our people, and victory for the Alliance!" As the chamber broke out into rapturous cheers and applause, Krivax couldn't but join them, ignoring his mentor's mild disapproval.

He knew that this was a moment that he would likely remember for the rest of his life. Korialstrasz flew as fast as he could as he closed in on his beloved's location. If the contents of the mysterious letter were correct, then they were rapidly approaching the point where the orcs would ambush her with the Dragon Soul. The letter hadn't given him an exact location, but they were close enough to Grim Batol that Korialstrasz could feel himself being consumed by worry and rage.

Fortunately, it seemed that Alexstrasza and his fellow consorts had stopped on one of the mountains that made up the Highlands to rest. As he flew, Korialstrasz kept his eyes peeled for any orcs wielding the Dragon Soul or, Titans forbid, Deathwing himself. It wouldn't do if he managed to get himself captured due to a momentary lack of vigilance.

Korialstrasz didn't know what he would do if he ran in the Aspect of the Black Dragonflight, but he hoped that if he did, he would be able to at least make his death loud enough to warn his queen. When he heard a dragon's roar echoing through the Highlands, Korialstrasz believed for a moment that his worst fear was coming true. However, once he calmed down he recognized the call as coming from Elorasz, his beloved's second youngest consort.

It didn't sound to be one of pain or anger, so it was likely that his fellow consort had simply noticed his approach and was greeting him. Korialstrasz didn't hesitate to let out his own call in response, one filled with all the worry that had filled him from the moment that he had received the letter. Perhaps that was why his queen and his fellow consorts were waiting for him with worried expressions once he flew over the mountain separating them.

However, Korialstrasz didn't worry about any of that, because as soon as he saw that his beloved was safe and had not been captured by the orcs, he flew into her side and embraced her. Most other dragons would have likely been knocked over, but Alexstrasza's true form had always been much larger than his own.

"Korialstrasz? Why are you here and not in Dalaran? What's wrong?" asked Alexstrasza, crooning with worry. Tyranastrasz, Rostrasz, and Elorasz also displayed their concern as they surrounded the two of them. A part of him wanted to continue enjoying the moment, but Korialstrasz knew that he couldn't. If there was any chance that Deathwing was truly nearby, then he couldn't afford to delay telling his queen for even a moment.

"My queen, I'm here because someone sent me an anonymous letter with information that I found… highly concerning," said Korialstrasz. He quickly began explaining the sequence of events that had led him to leave Dalaran and chase after his queen, using his perfect memory to recite the contents of the letter word for word. When Korialstrasz first started speaking, neither his fellow consorts nor his beloved seemed to believe him or take the matter too seriously.

But when it became clear that the letter he had received contained information that nobody but them should know, their expressions began to grow solemn. After he finished explaining the situation entirely and what Deathwing and the orcs allegedly planned to do to Alexstrasza once they captured her with the Dragon Soul, the only thing stopping the gathered dragons from rampaging was the risk that Deathwing might be near.

"Do you have any idea who sent this letter?" asked Tyranastrasz, the first among the consorts to calm down.

"I don't know for certain, but I believe that it most likely came from the nerubians," Korialstrasz said immediately.

"They are the only ones in Dalaran who would possess magic that I would not recognize, although I could not begin to guess how they might have learned about the Dragon Soul."

"The nerubians live close to Wyrmrest Temple, but I would not expect them to know this much," said Alexstrasza, struggling to compose herself after hearing that Deathwing might still live.

"I regret now that we don't have anyone living in their kingdom."

"Have you considered that the letter might have been sent from a member of the Black Dragonflight?" asked Elorasz.

"It's possible that one of them might have managed to escape the Old Gods' corruption."

"I have not, but it is something that I will consider later," Korialstrasz replied.

"For now, I believe it is best if we deal with the matters at hand. We must verify whether or not the contents of the letter are accurate."

"How do you intend to do that? The Dragon Soul cannot be scryed, and I will not allow any of us to risk approaching Grim Batol if there's even a chance that we could be captured," Alexstrasza said firmly before continuing with sorrow.

"If what you say is true then we've already lost Orastrasz and I will not have you waste your lives just to protect me." We'd all do it anyway, Korialstrasz couldn't help but think but did not say aloud. His beloved cared so much, it was her worst weakness as well as her greatest strength.

"Simple, even if we cannot scry the Dragon Soul, if I scry a general area and the Dragon Soul is inside of it, then its anti-scrying protections will be obvious," Korialstrasz said confidently. It was a well-known weakness of anti-scrying magic that it could not fully protect an object if the mage that was doing the scrying knew its location. That was why mages needed to go out of their way to make sure that the physical locations that powerful magical artifacts were hidden in remained secret.

Most protections would make the object seem like a missing spot in any images produced by scrying. Even the most advanced protections, which made the object seem to blend into its surroundings, still left behind an effect on the scrying spell that could be noticed by an experienced mage. And if there was one thing that Korialstrasz had in abundance, it was experience. After explaining his reasoning, everyone agreed and Korialstrasz quickly cast a scrying spell that would look into Grim Batol.

Immediately, an image of orcs inhabiting the dwarven fortress materialized in the air in front of them. Korialstrasz ignored the orcs as he swiftly searched through Grim Batol, paying attention to his magic for any sign that it was being affected by an anti-scrying spell. Korialstrasz prayed to the Titans that the contents of the letter were just a sick lie and that he would not find anything of note inside the fortress.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, it didn't take very long before it became clear to them that the letter had not been lying.

"Stop there, Korialstrasz," said Alexstrasza, her voice filled with growing alarm.

"That orc. There's something different about him." Korialstrasz focused his spell on the orc that his queen had pointed out, a smaller-looking one that was leisurely walking through the fortress. Korialstrasz couldn't see anything different about this orc in particular, but that only lasted until the orc suddenly stopped and turned to look up, directly at the scrying spell.

"Korialstrasz, end the spell now!" Alexstrasza shouted in panic.

"That's no orc, that's Deathw—" Alexstrasza didn't get to finish as the orc suddenly raised his hands and the projected image was immediately filled with pitch-black darkness that filled Korialstrasz with dread. Several massive tentacles unfurled from the darkness and threw themselves at each of the dragons with a speed that didn't allow Korialstrasz to react.

It was only after one of the tentacles had wrapped itself around one of his wings that he realized that it was covered in mouths filled with razor-sharp teeth. If his beloved hadn't destroyed the tentacles a moment later with her fiery breath, Korialstrasz was certain that he would have sustained an injury that would have made it difficult for him to fly.

"Is anyone injured?" asked Alexstrasza as soon as the corrupted scrying spell and the last tentacle were destroyed.

"I have a small injury on my leg, but I believe I should be fine," said Tyranastrasz.

"Good, we can see to treating it later, but we must leave this place at once," Alexstrasza said urgently.

"That was not an orc, it was Deathwing. I would recognize him anywhere. We must leave before he arrives, he is far too powerful for me to defeat without the help of the other Aspects." None of them argued, eager to get away from this place as quickly as possible.

"I'll teleport us away from here," said Korialstrasz, already beginning to cast the spell.

"I won't be able to take all five of us very far, but it should be enough that Deathwing will not be able to easily find us." As the Dragon Queen and her consorts disappeared in a flash of violet light, Korialstrasz was filled with a mix of complicated emotions. He was happy that he had saved his beloved from a terrible fate, but he was also filled with dread at the knowledge that Deathwing was still alive and had access to the Dragon Soul.

As long as the corrupted Aspect retained control over the only artifact that could guarantee his victory over the other Aspects and every other dragon, how could they hope to defeat him? Deathwing seethed with silent rage as his spell was destroyed by the familiar magic of Alexstrasza. He didn't bother wasting his time chasing after the fleeing Aspect, as he knew that she would be gone by the time he arrived.

Right now, the only thing that concerned him was figuring out how the Red Dragonflight had discovered his plans. There was no reason for them to scry Grim Batol otherwise! Deathwing had just been walking through the fortress in his orc guise, eagerly imagining the moment when his plans could come to fruition and the orcs dragged the dragon queen into the prison that he had prepared for her. He had wanted to be in the fortress so that he could watch the moment she was chained with his own eyes.

Everything was going exactly to plan when he suddenly felt himself being watched through a scrying spell and felt the presence of Alexstrasza on the other side! He had known that there was no possibility that the dragon queen had not recognized him, so he didn't hesitate to destroy the spell and send them back a gift. Deathwing dearly hoped that he had managed to at least kill one of her pathetic consorts, though any joy at the thought of that was suppressed with rage at what this all meant.

"You! What are you doing just standing around? The Chieftain has ordered everyone t—" Deathwing silenced the pitiful orc that had walked up behind him by burying his fist in the creature's lungs at a speed faster than its mortal mind could process. It only took a second for Deathwing to summon his shadowflame, burning the creature out of existence in a single agonizing moment. Killing the orc allowed Deathwing to calm down enough that he could at least think, although he was still absolutely furious.

If Alexstrasza knew that he was here, then any plans he might have of using her as a broodmare and forcing the Red Dragonflight under the Horde's control were completely and utterly ruined. The Horde would not have any red dragons to use to destroy the human kingdoms, and the Dragonflights would rally their resources to kill him once they were made aware of his return. Although, as long as he possessed the Dragon Soul, there was little they could do directly for while he couldn't use it himself his minions could.

Though their ability to use it compared to him would be solely lacking it could still be used to bring low an Aspect should they be foolish enough to show themselves, and no other dragons could match him directly. Deathwing furiously pondered his options for several moments before reaching a conclusion. I suppose my plans are going to need to change, although if the Dragonflights have discovered me, then there's no longer any need to be subtle.

There were a few resources that Deathwing had discarded in order not to draw suspicion from his former allies, including the creatures living under the very fortress he was currently standing in. He could bring in his wayward children to serve him more directly now as well, bring them out of the holes they had been hiding in since his defeat millennia ago. They should even thank him, bringing them out of hiding to strike back against the Dragonflights who had hunted them down since his disappearance.

Still, his Flight was greatly diminished and his mates were too weak to survive giving him more children since his empowerment. Regardless of who he called in, there wouldn't be enough dragons for the Horde to use… unless… Maybe the Dragonmaw would have their dragons after all… Deathwing's mouth twisted into an evil smile as he considered his now-opened options. However, before he could do all that, there were a few things that Deathwing needed to do first in Lordaeron before his human identity was discovered.

Not only would it be a good chance for him to gather more information on the humans' alliance, but Deathwing needed to find out how his carefully laid plans were ruined. Fortunately, his masters were all-knowing, and their whispers directed him to Capital City. And he had a guess as to why.