Leaving the Broken Shore, filled with the pungent smell of sulfur, a bone-chilling gust of wind made Varian shiver. He looked around and found himself standing on a fortress made of steel.
"Icecrown Citadel?"
Varian was stunned. He was a little surprised why the portal connected here, but thinking that Arthas had opened this portal, it somehow made a strange kind of sense.
"Sorry, in this world, this is the only place I can locate." Arthas also walked out of the portal at this time, and after he emerged, the dark portal disappeared.
His previous count was the number of demons he and Varian had jointly killed. He used Frostmourne to collect the souls of these demons to re-locate Icecrown Citadel in this world and break through the shield of Sargeras' Tomb.
Although he successfully saved Varian, he regretted not being able to kill Gul'dan—the fel ray just now must have come from a high-ranking demon of the Burning Legion, but Arthas didn't know who it was specifically.
"I do have many questions, but Icecrown Citadel is clearly not a good place to talk," Varian said, putting away Saramaine and glancing at the scattered undead wandering near Icecrown Citadel.
Even though the Lich King of this world had been slain by Tirion, Icecrown Citadel was still no place for the living. Arthas extended his soul perception, found a few skeletal griffons, and the two rode these long-dead beasts, quickly flying away from Icecrown Citadel.
The Lich King Arthas of this world had long since fallen, and Arthas didn't want to disturb the third Lich King currently sitting on the Frozen Throne. The most important thing now was to find a way back. Of course, he would provide Varian with as much help as possible before returning to his original world.
...
In the Eastern Kingdoms, Stormwind, inside Stormwind Keep, the leaders of the Alliance gathered. Their expressions were more or less tinged with sadness. Just a few days ago, the Alliance's most beloved king, Varian Wrynn, stayed behind alone to cover the retreat of the Alliance forces.
Varian fell into a demon's trap alone, and the result was not difficult for everyone to imagine. At the critical moment of the Burning Legion's invasion, before they could do anything, they first lost a great leader. This was an extremely heavy blow to the Alliance.
"It's the Horde again! I knew we couldn't trust them!" Jaina's eyes were red. One after another, people she knew passed away, and it was again because of the Horde's betrayal, which made her hate the Horde even more.
"Our biggest mistake was trusting the Horde to stand with us," Greymane said through gritted teeth, standing by Varian's sarcophagus. His right fist was tightly clenched, his nails digging into his flesh. The other emotion contained in his sorrowful gaze was naked hatred and anger.
"May Elune grant this great king eternal rest." Tyrande's hand rested on the sarcophagus. She sighed softly. Varian was one of the most outstanding kings and heroes she had ever seen, but even such a champion could not avoid the fate of death.
She turned to comfort Anduin Wrynn, who was bowing his head on the throne. This young prince, after his father's death in battle, now had to take on the heavy burden and become the new King of Stormwind.
"Your Majesty Anduin, please accept our condolences. Although this may be cruel to you, we must pull ourselves together. His Majesty Varian cannot have sacrificed in vain. The threat of the Burning Legion is imminent."
"I... I know, Priestess, but I..." Anduin's voice was a little weak. His father's death had dealt a huge blow to his spirit and body, and he couldn't recover from the shocking news for a while.
He had never had the courage to open and read the letter Greymane had sent him, because he was afraid of the things his father had entrusted to him, things he felt incapable of bearing.
Anduin cast his gaze towards his teacher, Velen. The Draenei seemed lost in thought, staring at Varian's sarcophagus, wondering what he was thinking.
Sure enough... has father's death made us lose confidence? How should I handle such a situation?
No, my thoughts are still a mess, I can't calm down and think.
Anduin kept thinking wildly, and the invisible pressure made it increasingly difficult for him to breathe, until a quarrel startled him from his despair.
"Enough, I've had enough. I will find a way to deal with the Burning Legion and the Horde myself." Jaina waved her hand impatiently. She seemed to have lost patience with the others.
A flash of blue Arcane light, and Jaina's figure disappeared within Stormwind Keep.
Jaina's departure shocked Anduin, but also made him more lost and sad—if his father were here, what would he do?
"Alright, Anduin, don't be angry. Jaina is just overly upset. Let her calm down by herself." Muradin also sighed deeply. He understood Jaina's feelings; the departure of his old friend made even him, a dwarf, incredibly sad, and Jaina, having just been hurt by the Horde, would naturally feel even more resentful.
Just as the scene fell into an awkward silence, a Royal Guard stepped forward and said something to Greymane. Greymane nodded, walked towards Anduin, and whispered in his ear.
"Tirion?! He's alive?!" Anduin's dim eyes finally showed some glimmer of hope. This was the only good news in recent days.
"Yes, he's just outside the Keep."
"Let Tirion in. He is a hero of the Alliance and deserves such courtesy."
Within a few minutes, Tirion, leaning on a cane, slowly walked to the Keep's throne, supported by an Argent Crusade guard. His hair was even paler than when Anduin last saw him; Tirion now appeared even older.
Moreover, Ashbringer, which was usually inseparable from Tirion, was not with him.
"Highlord Fording! Your injuries are severe, please don't bother with formalities." Anduin quickly arranged for guards to provide Tirion with a seat.
Tirion waved his hand, politely declining Anduin's offer. "It's alright, though I'm a bit injured, I'm not that fragile—Anduin, I came today to tell you something."
"Please speak." Anduin's attitude was very respectful. Tirion, as a witness to the Battle of the Broken Shore, was a hero who had sacrificed for Azeroth.
Everyone turned their gaze to Tirion. Tirion looked at Varian's sarcophagus and said calmly, "Varian, he... may not be dead."
"Not dead?! Is that true?!" Greymane was the first to exclaim excitedly, but he quickly calmed down. He said pessimistically, "That fel ray... we all saw it. With that power, even Varian would have a hard time surviving."
"No, I have proof. I entrusted Ashbringer to a trustworthy person, and I can still feel his and Ashbringer's Holy Light shining—before he left, he went to rescue Varian."