Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 339, Section 29: The King's Day of Joy and Sorrow - Allying with Monsters to Fight Another Group of Monsters
"There's movement in the swamp! Damn it, something's coming! Brad, are you still there? Come check it out! It might be some kind of demon lurking in the mud! Grab your musket!"

In Dunmod, the dwarven town at the northernmost edge of the wetlands, a vigilant musketeer discovers something amiss in the swamp.

He seemed a bit paranoid, but that's not his fault.

Dun Modan is only one bridge away from Arathi Highlands, the Tador Bridge. The dwarves here are considered the kingdom's "border guard," and they can clearly see the entire process of Stromgarde's invasion and fall from their own town.

Everything happened so fast overnight that the dwarves only had time to send the message back to Ironforge.

It wasn't that they didn't want to help, but the dwarves of Dun Mordor only numbered a little over three hundred. Even if every one of them were a "Mountain King" and rushed over, they couldn't change the overall situation.

Even now, from the cliffs of Dun Mordeka, one can still clearly see the burning fel fire of Stromgarde on the other side of the sea. The dark green flames cover the city and burn, making the place and the sky there look like hell.

To put it more vividly, the city that once belonged to humans is now seen by the dwarves as being almost like "Modor".

Moreover, the border town of Dun Mordeka is currently severely undefended. When the Arathi refugees rushed across the Tador Bridge to seek refuge in the Wetlands, the town's mayor, Brad Longbeard, sent some dwarves to guide them across the swamps of the Wetlands to Menethil Harbor.

The more prosperous port city could barely accommodate these exiles, and in order to allow them to hold out until they reached Menethil Harbor, the dwarves of Dun Mordor gave them all their supplies.

This was a painful act for some stingy dwarves, but there was nothing they could do. Their king, Magni Bronzebeard, was personally overseeing Menethil Harbor, saying he wanted to aid their human friends, so the dwarves of Dun Mord were left to suffer.

"Don't be crazy! Harlow, how could a demon be lurking in the mud?"

Mayor Brad Longbeard, summoned by the musketeer, looked pained. The dwarf mayor's eyes were red. He hadn't had a proper rest because he had been escorting those pitiful human exiles. He had finally managed to doze off for a while, only to be woken up by the neurotic musketeer. The mayor wanted nothing more than to smash the man's warhammer on the head.

However, when the long-bearded mayor picked up his binoculars and glanced towards the swamp in the wetlands, his beautiful beard twitched in fright.

"Not demons, but something is definitely approaching! It looks like a pack of big green guys riding wolves? What are those? Green-skinned orcs? And why are they in the wetlands? And in such numbers! God, raise the alarm!"

The dwarf mayor screamed:
"The Greenskins have taken advantage of the demon invasion to attack our dwarven territory! They came from Thelsamar! Damn! Are our highlands going to fall?"

Several musketeers were about to rush into the town to sound the alarm when they found a cold blade pressed against their necks.

Greenskinned swordsman Azuka Bladefury and her warriors emerged from the shadows, the helmeted swordsman berating them in broken dwarven language:

"Don't move! We don't want to hurt anyone!"

"This weapon was forged by the Dark Iron dwarves, you bastards! You've teamed up with that bastard Thaurissan! I knew it, all green-skinned creatures are bastards, goblins are bastards! And you are too!"

The well-informed dwarf mayor immediately recognized that the swordsman's blade was forged by the Dark Iron dwarves. He cursed viciously, then dropped his musket and raised his hand.

It highlights someone who is both reckless and cowardly.

It wasn't that the dwarves were cowardly and dared not fight; when these guys got stubborn, not even ten goats could pull them back. The main problem was that the green-skinned swordsman in front of him showed him something else.

That was Princess Moira's personal seal.
Damn!

The noble princess of Ironforge has been kidnapped by the Greenskins!
The Shattered Hand Clan assassins quickly emerged from the shadows and easily disarmed the already exhausted dwarves of Dun Mord, locking them all in the basement of the town's wine cellar.

Orgrim Doomhammer, who had rushed all the way here, took a temporary rest in this dwarven town and made his final preparations.

"Crossing the Sador Bridge will take you into the Arathi Highlands, where the Black Wolf God tells us that demons are besieging the King and warriors of Stromgarde."

Orgrim chewed on the sweet dwarven cheese, then picked up a piece of Thelsamar blood sausage and took a bite. He then said to the overlords and chieftains beside him:
"Our mortal enemy, 'The Destroyer' Manonos, is currently in the ruins of Stromgarde. Even if we bring only the elite troops, it is impossible to directly attack the city. Therefore, we must find a suitable opportunity to assassinate that great demon."

I think that guy will definitely appear on the final battlefield of the Arathi.

Near the valley to the northeast of the highlands, we must set up an ambush before Maronos arrives!

"We listen to you."

Kargath chewed on an apple, the grotesque fist blade on his severed arm gleaming with fire—a weapon blessed by the Balrog King.

他 说:

“But we must leave people in this town! It’s our only route of retreat, just like the Danogaz Pass and the town of Selsamar. We must have people guarding it!”

"The Black Wolf God said that the White Wolf God's hunting party is also in the Arathi Highlands."

The taciturn swordsman Azuka Bladefury said in a hoarse voice:

“I’m not sure about the other forces, but the White Wolf God’s hunting party, given their advantage, will definitely not let us go.”

"I have a solution."

Orgrim finished his incredibly delicious blood sausage, wiped his hands, and said:

"There are a lot of explosives in this dwarf town. We'll leave a strong force behind to plant these explosives in the weak points of the Sador Bridge while we fight the demons. If we encounter pursuit during our evacuation, we'll detonate the explosives and blow up the stone bridge!"

This would obviously give us more time to evacuate.

The venture capital firm has also promised to prepare enough ships in Moltenlight Town, so that we can leave the Eastern Kingdoms once we reach the Wasteland.

"Marcorok!"

"exist!"

The commander of the Kor'kron Guard, who was specifically tasked with protecting the Great Chieftain, responded loudly. As he stood up, carrying two battle axes on his back, he heard the Great Chieftain say to him:

"You stay here with the warriors and make sure to plant the explosives as quickly as possible. I entrust our retreat to you to guard! If we come back alive, then we will all go to Kalimdor together and execute the culprits who caused the orcish catastrophe."

If we can't come back.
Then you should take the warriors to Moltenlight and then take command of Eitrigg!

"Whether we are there or not, you must fight Cenarius the Defiler to the very end and wash away the shame of drinking his demonic blood."

"Great Chieftain, Kor'kron was established specifically to protect you!"

Markorok shouted:

"Can we just stand by and watch you go to the battlefield alone? That would be a desecration of our duty! You can leave the others behind."

"Who should stay?"

Nazgrell, the chieftain of the Blackscar clan, said with a sneer:
"You're the weakest here. How many demons could you kill if you went to Arathi Highlands?"
We orcs have always respected strength. Besides, securing our escape route is crucial to our ability to evacuate. Warchief Orgrim's decision to entrust you with this task is a testament to his trust in you.

"How about we have a fight?"

Azuka Bladefury gripped her Blademaster's Blade and said coldly:
"The loser stays?"

"Uh."

Although Malkorok was loyal, he wasn't stupid. Nazgrell was right; among the orc warlords here, he was the weakest. Before, Red Blackhand could save face for him, but now that Redhand had gone to help the dwarf princess with her big plan, he had become the worst warlord.

Sigh, being a beastman is a cardinal sin.

"That `s a deal."

Orgrim picked up a bottle of dwarven spirits.

He stood up, raised his wine jug to the other overseers and chieftains in the room, and said loudly:
"I cannot guarantee that we will win the next battle, but this is indeed the closest we have ever come to avenging our defeat."

Whether we can defeat the source of the demonic blood within us is crucial to whether all the greenskins can regain their sanity from their mindless rage. Although that won't change what has already happened, it will allow us to truly reclaim our glory!

As everyone knows, the Great Chieftain rarely uses the word "honor".

Ever since he witnessed the series of horrible things the Greenskins did after drinking the demon blood, he had buried the word deep in his heart, but now that he had spoken it aloud, it meant that Orgrim had truly made up his mind.

Under the watchful eyes of the other warlords and chieftains, the Great Chieftain took a swig of strong liquor, the pungent taste burning his heart and lungs, as if he wanted to release all the pent-up emotions within him.

He said loudly:

“I’m keeping some things from you. My sworn brother Durotan and my fellow Maghar are in this world. Durotan has been writing to me, but I haven’t replied.”

I have no face to see him!

I have no right to make any promises to our pure-hearted compatriots.

We must reclaim what we have lost! We must wrest our tarnished glory back from the clutches of evil!
This is not to wash away our shame, but simply so that in the future, when our ashes are sent back to Draenor, we can face the questions of our ancestors with our heads held high!

Having drunk this toast, let us set off for Arathi Highlands, either to kill Manonus there, or to die there!

There will be no more kneeling greenskins, only orcs bringing back glory.
Lok-tar ogar!

He shouted the orcs' most iconic battle cry, and as Grom finished his drink, the other chieftains and overseers shouted for a fight to the death.

The shouts even alerted the dwarves imprisoned in the underground wine cellar. They were discussing how to escape, but concluded that escape was impossible; the orcs had sealed off the entrances and exits. Now they could only pray for mercy. The only good thing was that the orcs had imprisoned them in the wine cellar instead.
Well, thank God of Forging, it makes the bitter life of imprisonment not so unbearable.

------

Can we really keep going?

King Solas Thorbean asked himself this question, and once again received an answer that left him feeling helpless and sad.

He leaned on the Torbjörn family's heirloom sword, "Tokalar".

This sword was once used by our family's ancestor, the powerful barbarian lord Ignatius Thorbane. It was a one-handed sword for barbarians, but weak humans could only use it as a two-handed sword.

The ancestors also left behind a barbarian lord's battle axe called "Torbain".

Unfortunately, that thing was brutally stolen by His Majesty Solas's "little aunt," and he dared not make a sound, because his aunt was a half-elf who enjoyed bullying him when he was a child, seriously damaging his dignity as King of Stromgarde.

Among the seven human kingdoms, their overall strength was only slightly stronger than Dalaran and Alterac. Their territory was about the same size as Gilneas, but they were far less wealthy. Their country was not considered strong, but they still had to retain some dignity.

Alas, now trapped in this desperate situation in the valley by demons, His Majesty Solas recalled the scene of his aunt training him in swordsmanship when he was a child. If his fierce and powerful aunt were here, she would certainly not have allowed the Thorbein family to fall into this shameful predicament.

Even Stromgarde, the former capital of Emperor Thoradin, has been taken over by demons.
The Kingdom of Stromgarde has utterly lost face because of its king.

They were trapped in the northeastern corner of Arathi Highlands, surrounded by mountains. To the north lay Ark's Nest, the territory of the Wildhammer dwarves, but there was no way to cross it. The mountain paths were too difficult for a large army to pass through, and there were still nearly five thousand exhausted and disheveled warriors in the valley.

The demons sealed off the valley, making it impossible for them to escape.

"Your Majesty, the scouts have found the mountain path that can be traversed, but only a few people can pass. You should quickly disguise yourself and prepare to leave."

A royal guard approached and whispered to His Majesty Solas:

"You are the legal authority of Stromgarde, how can you abandon your duty to the people in this situation?"

Once you cross the mountain and reach the territory of the Wildhammer Dwarves, you can travel through Icewind Pass to Andorhal. I've heard that the Kingdom of Lordaeron received help from the mysterious Dragonborn, and they have defended their territory.

You can go there for help!
The Perenold royal family of the Kingdom of Alterac is currently residing in Lordaeron. You can go there as well. As long as you are still alive, the Arathi will not cease their resistance. When the time is right, you can rally your forces and we can regroup to reclaim our kingdom!

To be honest, His Majesty Solas was somewhat tempted.

He knew, of course, that the guard was just rambling and trying to persuade him to leave, but Thoras was not a leader who could not even kill a chicken. There were troll threats in the Arathi Highlands, and the Thorbane family was a "troll killer" with a history of thousands of years.

He began hunting trolls before he was an adult and was skilled in archery and horsemanship. With his command abilities, he naturally knew what leaving at this time meant.

It's no exaggeration to say that the reason these thousands of warriors are still holding on is because the king is with them. If the king were to disappear, the precarious situation in the valley would collapse in an instant.

In that time, everyone here will become the devil's meal.

"I"

His Majesty Solas looked at the family sword in his hand, recalling the oath he swore upon ascending the throne, still holding this sword. He ultimately couldn't bring himself to admit it, and shook his head, saying:

"I'm not leaving! Send the wounded soldiers away, I want to stay here."

"Your Majesty! Now is not the time to act rashly."

The royal guards were on the verge of a breakdown.

Why are you arguing like that at a time like this? When your life is at stake, don't be so shameless!

Given the devastation of the night Stromgarde fell, even Emperor Thoradin would be helpless, let alone you.

"Are you trying to persuade the king to flee without a fight again? Tch, what a cowardly act."

Khadgar's mocking voice rang out from not far away, drawing angry glares from several loyal royal guards, but Khadgar, leaning on the Staff of Atiesh, paid them no heed.

He strode over and said to King Solas:
"I just received a message from Rhonin. He is trying to release the Elemental Princess from Stonehenge in Arathi Basin to cause trouble for the demons. General Danas Trollbane is also leading the army of the Wall of Thoradin toward here."

But the alien saint Diakum, who is on his way to provide assistance, has given you another option, Your Majesty.

The Stormwind Kingdom's support will arrive in ways you can't even imagine, provided you hold out until Mannoroth the Destroyer leaves Stromgarde and comes to personally handle the troubles that other demons can't manage.

"A trap? That Watcher wants me to be the bait?"

His Majesty Solas chuckled coldly a few times.

他 说:

“I’m not afraid to be bait, but the question is, can he really deal with that damned great demon? We’ve all seen with our own eyes that even Archmage Rhonin, with the power of the world, was no match for that guy.”

"Ronin and the Vigilant are two completely different concepts. As long as we can hold out until the Vigilant arrives, all problems will no longer be problems."

Khadgar said sternly:

"Now I need you to make a decision. If you are determined to leave, then hand over command of the soldiers here to me. I will stay here to command them, even though I have never learned how to command a large army."

"Don't try to provoke me, you cunning mage!"

King Solas waved his hand and said:
"Besides, do you think I have a choice now? Surrounded by demons and unwilling to abandon the dignity of Thorbene and worship fel energy, I have nowhere to go."

If this land needs the King of Stromgarde to shed his blood for it, I would gladly be the first to die.

Then let's persevere.

But the problem is, how do we lure that great demon away from the city? You know very well that we can't even handle these lower-level demons around here. There's only one way to get the destroyer to come here on its own.”

"boom"

Something fell from the sky and landed right at the feet of Solas and Khadgar, startling everyone. Upon closer inspection, they realized it was the hideous head of the Doom Lord.

The emblem of a legendary demon still bore traces of blood, and its evil bull eyes were filled with rage and resentment.

"Kill all the surrounding demon commanders, and the Destroyers will come!"

A chilling voice rang out from the flank, and as Khadgar aimed his Guardian Staff at his opponent, the green-skinned swordsman Azuka Bladefury, who had used Wind Walk to bypass the demonic blockade, appeared.

She tossed a roll of animal hide to King Soras, saying:
“We are not friends with you, but we now share a common goal, so if you are willing, we can work together to accomplish this, and even if you are not willing, we will still do it.”

If you don't want your clothes to get blood on them, then get out of the way when the fight starts, understand?

Azuka uttered a few words before re-entering his Windwalk state and disappearing from everyone's sight. This terrifying mobility and horrifying stealth sent a chill down King Solas's spine.

But he then opened the animal hide, looked at the information inside, and handed it to Khadgar.

The archmage had no liking for the greenskins, but after reading this "demon-slaying initiative" from Orgrim Doomhammer, Khadgar fell into deep thought. After a moment, he shook his head and said to His Majesty Solas:
"I believe in their sincerity in this matter, and the Vigilantes seem to have hinted at it as well, but you are the leader here, so it is up to you to decide whether to cooperate with these greens."

"Cooperate with the monsters that have invaded the world to fight against another group of monsters?"

Solas sighed.

The lord of Stromgarde and the king of Stormgarde leaned on their swords and gazed at Stromgarde. Even from a distance of more than half of Arathi Highlands, they could still see their capital burning in the evil flames.

He was born there, grew up there, and was destined to die there.

"Damn it, let's do it!"

The king gritted his teeth and cursed:
"I'd rather cooperate with the devil than not kill these stupid demons!"

Meanwhile, on the other side.

On a hill in the Arathi Highlands, Orgrim peered through his dwarven binoculars at the valley besieged by demons. Under Kargath's astonished gaze, Orgrim shifted his shoulders uncomfortably, as if feeling uncomfortable from a cold wind.

"what happened to you?"

Kargath, whose flowing hair hadn't grown out yet, so still sporting black stubble, asked:

Is there something wrong with this battlefield?

"Do not."

Orgrim Doomhammer didn't know how to describe the strange feeling he was experiencing. He said in a peculiar tone:
"I just feel that this place is really unlucky, especially that valley. It's like if something bad will happen if I go near it. It's really weird."

(End of this chapter)