On one side stood an army led by Alaric, alongside battle-hardened heroes and top warriors of various races.
On the other side was nothing more than a ragged band of defeated remnants, repeatedly crushed by the Alliance.
The battle was swift and utterly one-sided.
With Lothar and Alaric's efforts, the Alliance army had become a powerful and unified force. They fought as one, seamlessly coordinated in the face of a common enemy.
In contrast, the orcs were in complete disarray. Lacking organization and cohesion, they could only offer futile resistance relying on brute force alone.
This allowed Alaric to easily use his cavalry to divide the orc ranks, then surround, kill, or capture them with infantry.
Step by step, he advanced methodically through the valley, defeating every orc that stood in his way. The number of captives and the dead were roughly equal.
This time, many orcs and death knights chose to flee through the portal rather than die or be captured.
Only a small squad remained behind, holding their ground to cover the retreat.
Alaric eventually cut his way to the base of the Dark Portal.
There, two burly orcs stood on the steps, each gripping a massive, crude battle axe. Their hair, noses, foreheads, and armor were adorned with medals and bones. T
heir hair was tied upright like black spikes, almost like weapons themselves. One of them had blood-soaked bandages wrapped around his left shoulder and leg.
Despite their condition, they stood proud and confident, seemingly unaffected by the death of the Warchief or the recent string of defeats.
"You face Rend Blackhand and Maim Blackhand of the Black Tooth Grin clan!" one of them bellowed as they strode toward Alaric.
"Our father, Blackhand, once led the entire Horde, until that upstart Doomhammer murdered him through deceit.
Now, Doomhammer is dead, and we will rebuild the Horde, stronger than ever. And when that time comes, we will crush you all!"
"Blackhand? Just another one of our defeated foes," Alaric replied loudly.
With a booming voice spell, his words echoed through the valley.
"If not for Orgrim, you wouldn't have even breached Stormwind.
Now your leader lies dead by my sword, your army is destroyed, your clan is in chaos, and the remnants of your so-called Horde are trapped in this valley, surrounded by us."
As he spoke, he raised his sword in one hand and his staff in the other.
"Your only chance is to defeat me, if you have the guts. Otherwise, turn back to your world and never return!"
His taunt worked. The Blackhand brothers roared and charged down the steps, weapons raised, launching themselves at Alaric like berserkers.
Yet the mage showed no sign of fear.
As the two orcs lunged forward, Alaric pointed his staff at them and chanted calmly.
"Repulsion!"
It was as if an invisible warhammer had slammed into them head-on. The Blackhand brothers were thrown back even faster than they'd charged.
But Alaric didn't stop there. With a flash, he cast Blink, appearing behind one of the brothers, slashing deep into him with his blade.
He repeated the same maneuver on the other, both brothers were left badly wounded.
When Alaric returned to his original position, the once-arrogant orcs were now slumped together, one hand barely holding up their weapons, the other clutching their bleeding wounds.
"What a pity," Alaric said, shaking his head in disdain. "As warriors, you can't even defeat a mage like me in direct combat, yet you dream of ruling the Horde?"
Infuriated by his words, the two orcs roared and attacked again, but this time their strikes were sluggish and erratic.
Their fate was even more miserable this round.
With a Mud to Stone spell, Alaric turned the ground beneath their feet into a thick mire.
Instantly, the brothers sank, stumbling and struggling to move as Alaric's next assault came crashing down.
His strikes not only knocked their weapons off course but also shook them to the point where they could barely stand.
And then came the final blow, a devastating Pyroblast.
The explosion of flame sent mud and debris flying, hurling the orcs through the air. Their weapons flew in arcs behind them, whistling as they spun.
Though not killed outright, the two Blackhand brothers were thoroughly defeated. Even in close combat, Alaric, the mage, had emerged utterly victorious.
Unfortunately, they weren't alone.
"Clansmen, to us!" one of the severely wounded brothers bellowed from the ground.
"Kill this human!"
Two more orcs joined the fray, giving the Blackhand brothers a chance to retreat.
They swung their weapons at the nearby Alliance soldiers, but Alaric could tell, they weren't truly focused on fighting anymore.
Clearly, they had reassessed the situation. Spotting a gap in the battle, they slipped away from the advancing Alliance troops and made a break for the Dark Portal.
Alaric paused for a second, then immediately understood.
The brothers were likely headed for Blackrock Mountain.
Orgrim had originally tasked them with taking and holding that location. In the original story, they even colluded with the black dragonflight there.
Still, Alaric didn't pursue. They were nothing more than a minor annoyance.
Some of their clansmen followed their example and escaped too, but the Alliance had neither the time nor need to chase them.
Many orcs still remained, fighting on. Some even spat and cursed at the fleeing brothers.
But the strength of those left behind wasn't nearly enough to resist the Alliance. They were swiftly annihilated.
Now, only one task remained: destroying the Dark Portal.
None of the warriors, rangers, or paladins had any idea how to go about it. Their only hope lay with the mages, specifically, Alaric.
"Everyone, fall back one mile!" Alaric commanded loudly as he stood before the Dark Portal.
"I'm going to attempt to shut it down. I don't know what might happen during the process, so all unrelated personnel, clear the area!"
Most obeyed immediately, running away from the towering stone structure.
This allowed Alaric and the mages accompanying him to fully concentrate on the portal.
Naturally, Onyxia stayed behind as well. Though her magical talent wasn't on par with her brother's, she still far surpassed most mages.
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