Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 51 6. The Scorching Sacred Storm Destroys the Wet Shadowmoon Caverns [Updated 9/50]

(Additional update for the "Frostfang Claw" brothers [9/10])
"Those captured villagers were imprisoned in the upper tombs of Shadowmoon Fortress. Following your instructions, I ventured into a close reconnaissance last night and discovered that the orc warlocks of the Shadowmoon Clan were conducting some very dangerous summonings.

In addition to the dead that the Shadowmoon Clan's necromancers could originally control, there was also a large amount of void energy summoned into elemental creatures.

I saw that the fortress was full of dangerous Voidwalkers, and even the shadows where I hid were no longer safe. I didn't even dare to approach the Shadowmoon Cemetery deep in their fortress, where an unsettling cold force was lingering.

But I brought these back!
I found it in the warlocks' hideout."

As dawn approached in the village of Ambori, the dusty huntress Shantuk was reporting the situation to the Vigilant Saint. She poured a bag of special emblems on the table. The cold power wrapped around these bone emblems made the surrounding garrisons frown.

Dick, who had just changed into the modified size of the Tahamat holy robe, sat on the chair with his sword in his hand, reached out and picked up an emblem to examine it in front of his eyes.

He didn't even need his own character card to identify the entries. The cold aura carried by this thing kept drilling into his flesh and blood, but the moment it came into contact with it, it was burned by the white holy flame. A ball of bright sparks burst out at Dick's fingertips, purifying the bone badge like holy light burning away darkness.

"Evil creature of the void."

Dick shook his head and turned to the fully armed village garrison commander, Tenum, and asked:
"You've lived side by side with the Shadowmoon Clan for so many years, yet you haven't noticed any changes within them? I believe the Shadowmoon Clan's shift from venerating the elements to worshipping the void certainly didn't happen overnight. Why hasn't such important news been delivered to the garrison commander in Karabor?"

This question was obviously filled with dissatisfaction, causing the old garrison officer to shrink his neck, and then he replied helplessly:
"Saint, for over two hundred years, our interactions with the orcs have been passive. This was a directive issued by the Council of Bishops after the Genedar crash-landed on Draenor. We are few in number, so we generally only focus on the situation in our own towns."

The orcs were also very restrained in their interactions with us.

Especially for a clan like the Shadowmoon Clan that enjoys a high reputation among the orcs, their chief also has to take into account factors within the orcs.

Although their top leaders do not prohibit orc traders from purchasing some materials and goods from us, to be honest, there has been almost no official progress in the exchanges between the two tribes over the past two hundred years, and the two sides have always kept to themselves.

In this situation, let alone active reconnaissance, our armed personnel are not even allowed to approach the orc clan's fortress in large numbers, so as not to cause unnecessary conflict."

"Although the order is correct, we must adapt it to the current situation. Clearly, your vigilance as a garrison commander has completely disappeared. It seems that the scenery of Draenor is truly beautiful, and even the people's defenders have been dazzled by two hundred years of peaceful life."

Dick said this in a light tone, which made the old garrison officer look embarrassed, but he had no way to refute it. The saint in front of him was far superior to him in terms of position, reputation and even age.

What's more, they are not wrong.

Given the level of danger in Anboli Village yesterday, if the sentinels had not arrived in time, the village would probably have been destroyed.

"And you!"

Dick looked back at the huntress Shantuk.

The Sentinel only gently rebuked the old garrison officer stationed in the village, but he scolded the Ranger harshly, saying:

"Naeli promised me! She said the ranger class would be the vigilant eyes of the people, always on guard against potential threats and shoot the first arrow before the crisis arrives. The common people don't understand what the changes in the orcs mean. Don't you scouts who specialize in intelligence gathering understand it either?

Your base camp, the town of Elodor, is in Shadowmoon Valley!
And so you just let the orcs slip into the temptation of the Void? I don't even think you know the existence of the Shadow Council."

Shantuk lowered his head and dared not answer.

It was indeed their fault. More than two hundred years of peaceful life had deprived them of the necessary vigilance during the exile era, and they were completely stunned by this wave of orc attacks.

"But the situation is not yet irreversible, so you must regain your vigilance. We will start with the Shadowmoon Clan to deal with the growing danger of the orcs."

Dick's tone softened, and he asked:
"Have you found the dissidents of the Shadowmoon clan?"

"Well, a lot!"

Shantuk immediately reported:

"Those Shadowmoon warlocks imprisoned their compatriots who refused to obey them in those tombs. I saw them sacrifice an old shaman last night.

The shaman scolded the Shadowmoon Clan for having lost their reverence for the elements, and said that the warlock's path would eventually destroy the entire orc clan. He even begged them not to follow the temptation of the Shadow Council, but the only answer he got was the mad blade.

They dismembered him and cruelly offered him to some dark entity.

I suspect the Shadowmoon Clan is making real preparations for war. From what I saw last night, the number of undead warriors they awakened is already quite exaggerated. This is definitely not for self-protection when encountering danger, but for preparations for an aggressive action.

Combined with the unusual movements of other clans throughout Shadowmoon Valley, the orcs' target this time is clearly the Temple of Karabor!

It's no longer a minor provocation; they're going to wage a real war against us. But the good news is that there are only a few warlocks in the Shadowmoon Clan who use fel energy; most of them are immersed in the infusion of the Void.

At least I can be sure that there are not a large number of demons in the Fortress of Pain."

Dick remained noncommittal about the news.

Whether it is fel energy or the void, once they appear on a large scale in the material world, it will be a disaster, and they will be used by the Horde to attack the Draenei. Therefore, no matter what power those warlocks use, they must be eliminated!
"Sentinels! A group of garrison officers have arrived outside the village. They are from the Karabor Temple and are here to confirm whether your holy coffin is intact."

The village priest Minara, with her arm in a sling, ran over and reported to Dick:
"The village's communication crystal has been repaired. You can communicate with the town of Elodor at any time. I have confirmed the situation of the Sha'tar Altar for you. Archbishop Nari is gathering the rangers there to prepare to go to Karabor Temple to carry out defense work."

"The battle hasn't even begun yet, and the rangers are already preparing to ascend the city walls? Have all the garrison-level warriors died? Are the rangers, who were supposed to be scouting the situation, now on the city walls?!"

Dick stood up.

With strong dissatisfaction and clenched fists in grief, he said loudly:
"The progress of the Draenei over the years is truly disappointing! Shantuk, send a message to the Ranger Archbishop on my behalf, saying that the Vigilante and the Brigadier General of the Hand of Argus require all rangers to be loyal to their duties!
Twenty-five thousand years ago, at the Battle of Mac'Aree, Archon Velen appointed me to succeed Lord Commander Kil'jaeden as the commander-in-chief of the Eredar armed forces!

That appointment has not been revoked yet, so I have enough power to ask them to obey my orders! When I return to Anboli Village with the rescued compatriots and those dissident orcs, I hope to receive at least one report on the situation in Shadowmoon Valley.

Even if it’s made up!
You also have to write me a decent battle report!
Damn it, how did the Eredar civilization become what it is now! My soldiers and I fought and sacrificed 20,000 years ago, not to see you in this miserable state you are today.

Under the gaze of the stunned garrison officers, Dick, who was so angry that he even cursed, walked out of the temporary command post.

At the door, he turned back to the huntress and said:

"Please give Nellie a personal greeting. I really have a lot to say to her, but given the current situation that I can't understand, I'm really disappointed in her."

"boom"

The saint pushed the door open and walked out, and the other people in the room stared at each other in amazement.

The garrison captain coughed, picked up his sword and shield, and followed with his team members.

The old garrison commander Tenum sighed, picked up his warhammer, patted the huntress on the shoulder, and then left with the priest.

The female hunter felt quite aggrieved.

Why do you include me in this play between you two who have been a couple for eternity?

I used to be in the defense force in Shattrath City, and I was transferred here less than a month ago.

The situation in Shadowmoon Valley has been presided over by Governor Osar for many years. Archbishop Naili is the ranger commander and has no say in the specific government affairs. The clan is now in such a mess that it cannot be blamed on Lord Naili.

At least under her leadership, the rangers have never relaxed their war preparations over the years.

What an unexpected disaster!
At the same time, outside the village, the garrison cavalrymen who had rushed over from the Karabor Temple were tidying up their appearance, but everyone had an unconcealable look of shock on their faces.

They had just heard the news of the Sentinel's resurrection from the villagers and priests, and it was difficult for them to accept this fact for a while.

But then they saw a "giant" walking towards them with a battle axe on his back. Although there were some differences in details from the saint in the stone statue, the latter's iconic pinky ring on his left hand and the very upright horns proved his identity.

"Hail to the Saint of Vigilance!"

The garrison captain shouted.

His team members immediately raised the crystal-forged spears in their hands as if they were being inspected, but how could Dick be in the mood to say a few auspicious words to these "descendants of waste"?
He was furious at Velen's ill-timed conciliation, and also shocked that his compatriots were still so slow-witted after twenty-five thousand years of exile! It seemed that the climate of Draenor was indeed nourishing; just two hundred years of peace had made them forget the sorrows of the past.

Do we really need another "Draenor Escape" to get these guys back to the god-slaying, demon-slaying prowess they had during the "Thirty Days' War"? They're really just gods against the wind, aren't they?

Do you want to create a headwind even if there is none?

"Soldiers! I don't need to introduce myself. You all know me. I believe you all grew up listening to stories about the Vigilantes."

Dick stood on the steps in front of the more than one hundred garrison knights and shouted:

"I also know that some of you doubt my identity. After all, the resurrection of a saint sounds too terrifying, but we can discuss these doubts later!

The village before you was attacked and looted by Shadowmoon orcs yesterday. I protected most of the people there, but at least forty of our compatriots were captured and taken to Shadowmoon Fortress not far from here.

If we do nothing, our people will be sacrificed to the evil creatures by the orc warlocks.

I don't know how the garrison officers of your era would deal with this kind of thing, but in our time, there was only one way to deal with it!"

Dick pointed at Shadowmoon Fortress and said:
"I'm going to rescue my compatriots now. You can stay here or come with me! I won't hide the danger of this battle. Some of you may die in battle, but since you've chosen to become a garrison officer, death is a professional risk for you and me.

and so!
I command you, soldiers, to follow your commander!

Follow me to destroy the orcs' fortress and sound the alarm for them who are about to make a move. I will use practical actions to tell these orcs the tragic consequences of harming the Eredar.

That’s all I have to say.”

Dick ignored the garrison captain's gesture to ask questions. He strode out of the village with Yrel and several other garrisons, summoned his sacred warhorse in the shining holy light, and did not give the garrison officers much time to think. He led his followers towards Shadowmoon Fortress.

The reinforcements who were left there were dumbfounded.

They could sense anger in the sentinel's words, but they couldn't confirm who the anger was directed at. However, soon the garrison captain gave the order.

"What are you still doing?"

He jumped onto the Talbuk beside him and shouted to the warriors:

"Follow our Saint!"

"But Captain," "No buts! Regardless of whether he is real or not, our trapped compatriots must be rescued! If he is real, neither you nor I can bear the sin of allowing the saint to lead a few people to attack the orc fortress."

It turns out that the captain saw things quite clearly.

They quickly caught up with Dick and his followers. Dick nodded in satisfaction at this decisive action and turned to ask the old garrison commander Tenum:

"Do you know this captain?"

"Well, he often led a team to patrol the Pilgrim's Way to protect travelers, and he even killed a mad mammoth."

The old garrison officer whispered:
"I think his name is Nobundo. He's a very talented young man.

It is said that they came from Telmor in the Talador region, which is one of the bases of the Krokuun Legion. Your former subordinates, those veterans of the Hand of Argus who have been glorious for thousands of years, are also stationed there to recuperate and maintain the security of our border in the Nagrand Prairie.

They have to fight against the strongest orc clans, the Warsong Orcs, and never lose, so the people there are full of martial virtues."

"Ah."

Dick nodded and looked back at the young Draenei garrison captain.

Nobundo?
In the future, he will be infected with the Scarlet Plague and become a Broken One, but he will regain the elemental ways and eventually become the spiritual leader of the Broken One, a person who can be on par with Velen in reputation.

Ha, it seems that my "hero training" game can still continue in this era more than 20,000 years later.

"Saint, how can we break through the orcs' defenses?"

Irel, wearing a heavy helmet, said with some concern:

"Ms. Shantuk reported the situation in Shadowmoon Fortress. Those warlocks summoned a lot of undead. We are at an absolute numerical disadvantage. Do we really have to rush in like this? It's too risky."

"Risk? There are over a hundred well-trained Immortal Vindicators here, led by a legendary figure known as the Saint, while the enemy is just a group of ordinary orcs. I think they should at least call Grom Hellscream or Gul'dan to fight fairly."

Dick pulled the reins and said calmly:
"During the Battle of Krokuun, the Hand of Argus Legion defended the Petrified Forest with only 4,000 men. We held our ground for ten days and nights, defeated 100,000 demons, and slew the Doom Lord Kazzak! Of course, that was strengthened and blessed by our homeworld, the Star-Soul, but I don't believe that without its protection, the Eredar have forgotten how to fight.

As for the undead
Little Yrel, today I will use facts to teach you and other garrisons a truth. In the face of the scorching holy light, the souls that have not entered the realm of death will only be slaughtered.

Hopefully the Shadowmoon Warlocks can summon enough undead to keep me entertained today.

As an old Eredar, I must vent the anger I feel towards my younger generation at their incompetence!"

"But we are not eredar, we are draenei."

Yrel corrected seriously:
"Our ancestors have been in exile in various worlds, avoiding the pursuit of demons. Hiding and self-isolation have become our tradition. Saint, you are not in Argus either, you are in Draenor. You are not commanding the thousand-year-old veterans of the Hand of Argus. We are just..."

"it's the same!"

Dick reached down and lowered his visor. He said:

"Whether you're eredar or draenei, the same blood flows through our veins, and the same will resides in our souls. If you've forgotten how to fight, I'm willing to start from scratch and teach you step by step.

I am back!

I bring back the things you had to forget in order to survive!

The age of exile ends and the age of war begins.

Follow me, Yrel, and the others, today is your first lesson in warfare!"

------

Shadowmoon Hold, the draenei still call it.

But in fact, after the master of the Shadow Council, the ancestor of the orc civilization, the warlock Gul'dan, seized power through a series of means and undermined the former chieftain Ner'zhul, this base was renamed "The Fortress of Pain".

Gul'dan hoped to use this method to remind the shamans of the Shadowmoon Clan that times had changed.

Over the past few years, the warlock's way he brought into the clan has captured the faith of most Shadowmoon shamans, and Gul'dan's continued exploration of ancient texts has also infused the Shadowmoon clan with new and more powerful powers.

During this era, the orcs had not yet drunk the blood of demons, and their war against the Draenei was still in the early stages of preparation for harassment.

Although all clans have begun preparing for war under Gul'dan's coordination because of the "desecration" of their ancestral spirits, they must first conquer at least one Draenei city to show the orc warriors that "the Draenei are not invincible."

No matter how arrogant Gul'dan and his Shadow Council were, they would not dare to directly attack the city of Shattrath in the Talador region.

It is the Draenei's mighty city. Even if all the orc warriors under Chieftain Blackhand were combined, they would not be able to break through it. Therefore, the Temple of Karabor, the city of faith isolated outside the Draenei's sphere of influence, became the most suitable target.

Once this place is breached, the Draenei's power will be completely compressed into the Talador area!
By then, the orcs' siege from all sides was enough to make this powerful but weak race a sacrifice for the rise of the Horde.

Gul'dan must have his reasons for doing this, but given the current situation within the Shadowmoon Clan, not all Shadowmoon orcs are willing to obey his orders.

After all, they have respected the way of elements and the spirits of their ancestors for many years.

Even though the ancestral spirits no longer communicate with the orc shamans because they have been "desecrated", the elemental forces are still active in this world. It is the duty of the shamans to uphold their beliefs. Moreover, those who can become shamans are not fools. They can see that the once wise chief Ner'zhul has been sidelined by Gul'dan.

Ner'zhul seemed to have become a deaf and blind puppet.
As the chieftain of the Shadowmoon clan and a respected leader in the orc civilization, he now does nothing but hides in the deepest part of the Shadowmoon Burial Grounds, allowing the villain Gul'dan to seize power and suppress him.

It has even developed to the point of imprisoning opponents and sending stubborn old shamans to the altar for sacrifice!
Discontent is brewing.

But if there is no external interference, given the current situation, it is only a matter of time before those opponents are strangled by Gul'dan and the entire Shadowmoon Clan converts to the path of warlocks.

After all, that's how the Dark Portal canon is written.

As far as the fate of the Shadowmoon Clan is concerned, this most civilized and wisdom-worshipping clan among the orcs has reached the crossroads of a cruel fate. What's more, this is a real dead end!
"What's that in front of you?"

The orc warrior standing guard on the outermost ridge of the Pain Fortress wiped his eyes in confusion and said to his companion who was slacking off beside him:
"Why is the dawn so bright today?"

"I don't know, I don't care, I don't care."

The companion who was in an Emo state immediately gave a three-part series of quality comments, but there was a reason for his sadness. Just a few days ago, his family’s grave was dug up.

Well, it means planing in the literal sense.

Gul'dan ordered the Shadowmoon necromancers to recall the souls of all the dead in the necropolis to prepare for war. In the current situation of the clan, no one dared to disobey the ruthless ancestor warlock, and many orc family tombs were dug up.

But this is a great blasphemy in their tradition.

Gul'dan used the reason that the Draenei disturbed the spirits of the ancestors to persuade Ner'zhul to unite with other clans to resist the "tyranny of the Draenei". As a result, the bastard turned around and did the "disturbing the undead" thing himself.

To be honest, if these low-level warriors were not unable to resist the arrogant warlocks, this action alone would be enough to cause chaos within the clan.

But soon, the depressed orc warriors also discovered something was wrong.

The dawn light today is indeed a little too dazzling!

Shadowmoon Valley is called this name because the weather here maintains "eternal night" all year round. Even the appearance of the sun is a rare occurrence. Today's morning light does not shine through the clouds.

It came from the horizon ahead, like a ball of light running along the surface of the earth.

"Do you feel a little hot?"

The orc warrior who picked up his weapon moved his shoulders uncomfortably and said to his companion:
"Isn't this weather weird?"

His companion said nothing, but stared at the light that was rapidly approaching the fortress.

Soon he saw the scene in the light. It was a Draenei "giant" riding a majestic Talbuk sheep made of light and charging forward. The light was emanating from his body.

It was as if he was leading the morning light in the charge.

And in the light behind him, the fully armed Draenei cavalry had drawn their crystal-forged lances and began to accelerate in groups!
The light is changing!

The heat was as it should be, because the morning light, representing healing and salvation, was transforming into a scorching sun that was hot enough to burn out all darkness. It was the scene where the "Harbinger of the Sun" unleashed their power to the extreme, a "battlefield magic" that could dominate a small-scale conflict and change the terrain advantage.

"Oh no! It's the Draenei! They're going to kill us!"

The orc warrior jumped up, grabbed the horn at his waist and was about to blow it, but at this moment, he saw out of the corner of his eye that the leading Draenei giant raised his left hand towards them.

Standard upward tilt of 45°
how?

Are you, a Draenei, going to call for the Führer too?

Well, the truth might be a little bit more hellish than that joke.

Dick was calling on the holy light and releasing his own holy power. The most destructive "bullet" in the arsenal bestowed upon him by the legacy of Naaru had been pressed into the chamber of the gun. As he locked onto the tightly closed stone gate of the fortress in front of him, at the moment when his fingers chopped down like sharp blades, the holy power that had been gathered and compressed to the extreme turned into a stream of light and a heavy hammer that smashed down in the sky.

The Draenei garrison officers behind him were all stunned.

In their vision, they only saw the Sentinel raise his hand and call for a "Holy Spear" composed of holy light to fall from the sky, hitting the gate of the Orc Fortress in the posture of a "Holy Judge".

When the Holy Light turned into a powerful impact halo and flew away, the heavy stone gate was completely shattered, and the orc warriors behind the stone gate were left with only a bunch of burning ashes that were about to be trampled underfoot.

What appeared before the garrison officers at this time was a flat road leading directly into the Fortress of Pain.

Yrel could even see an orc sorceress taking a stroll with two ferocious void elementals, standing on a high place looking at them in amazement.

"Don't leave the line! Follow me closely!"

Dick roared as he accelerated:
"The Holy Light wishes to see our resolute response to evil! So, today, we must flatten this place!"

(End of this chapter)