"How is this possible?!"
Salorian exclaimed, "Those are Dragonflights, the most powerful race in all of Azeroth! How could the Horde domesticate them as mounts?"
Everyone shook their heads, thinking that the Prince was truly dreaming.
No one could use Dragonflights as mounts; not Elves, not Humans, and certainly not Orcs.
Anasterian chuckled, "Kael'thas, this is impossible. No one can tame Dragonflights. Even if the Orcs had the guts, they wouldn't dare provoke the Dragonflights. That would be courting death."
He was very aware of the Dragonflights' power.
Krasus, the Red Dragon Mage whose magical attainments were no less than his own, was just one of many powerful Dragons.
There were many more legendary Dragons like him in the Dragonflights.
Especially the Dragon Kings, each of whom was an existence above the Wild Gods.
Their protective power was no less than that of the Tirisfal Guardian, truly high-level demigods.
Even with millions of troops, the Horde combined couldn't compare to the five great Dragonflights; they were far from it!
Kael'thas said, "What if a certain Dragonflight allied with the Orcs?"
Everyone shook their heads and chuckled again.
The noble Dragonflights allying with the lowly Orcs? That was simply impossible!
Chief Archmage Belo'vir, however, looked thoughtful: "Your Highness, are you referring to the Black Dragonflight?"
He was extremely knowledgeable, having read all the books in Silvermoon City's library. He was very familiar with ancient secrets, knowing about the War of the Ancients and the fall of the Black Dragon King Neltharion (Deathwing).
If any of the five great Dragonflights were to ally with the Orcs, it could only be the Black Dragonflight.
Kael'thas nodded: "Exactly. Deathwing was defeated by the other four Dragon Kings and the Elves working together, and he has been dormant for ten thousand years. Now, with the Horde's massive invasion, he sees an opportunity for revenge. He might very well ally with the Horde and use them against the Elves."
Belo'vir frowned: "You mean, the Black Dragonflight killed the Dragonhawk Riders who went to scout?"
Everyone's expressions turned serious.
If it was truly the Black Dragonflight, the Dragonhawk Riders would certainly not return, and even the High Elf race would face utter annihilation.
It wouldn't even require the entire flight; Deathwing alone could destroy all of Quel'Thalas.
The thunderstorm summoned by the Amani Eagle God's avatar could cover all of Zul'Aman.
Deathwing's power was at least ten times—no, a hundred times—that of the Eagle God's avatar!
Kael'thas said, "Not necessarily. Master, have you heard of the demon soul?"
Belo'vir's face changed dramatically: "You mean, the Orcs obtained the demon soul and used it to control the Dragonflights, or even the Dragon Kings? No, that's impossible!"
"In ancient times, the Dragon Kings, fearing that Deathwing would reclaim the demon soul, entrusted it to the Elves for safekeeping. It was most likely hidden somewhere on the continent of Kalimdor. How could the Orcs have obtained it?!"
The demon soul, also known as the "Dragon Soul," was the Dragonflights' most powerful artifact, created by the five Dragon Kings by expending a vast amount of their protective power. It possessed world-destroying capabilities.
It was also extremely sturdy; no known force could destroy it.
Because it contained the power of the Dragonflights, the demon soul had a restraining effect on Dragons. Any Dragon, except for Deathwing, would become incredibly weak when near the demon soul.
Therefore, the Dragon Kings dared not keep it themselves and could only entrust it to the Elves.
However, after the Great Sundering of the Well of Eternity, the world was torn apart, and the entire surface of the planet was devastated.
Whether the Elves could even find the original hiding place was unknown, let alone the Orcs, who had only invaded for five years?
Kael'thas said, "What if Deathwing found the demon soul and gave it to the Orcs, allowing them to control the Dragonflights? Or what if he controlled them himself?"
The demon soul was created by Deathwing and contained his power; Deathwing must have a way to find it.
Belo'vir's face was ashen: "If that were truly the case, the High Elves… no, all races in the world, whether Humans, Dwarves, Gnomes, or Night Elves, would face utter annihilation. The Cataclysm would soon occur again!"
Everyone present fell silent, and the atmosphere grew increasingly heavy.
Argue and quarrel as you may, but don't joke about life.
Life and death crises still had to be faced together.
Kael'thas suddenly chuckled: "When soldiers come, generals block; when water comes, earth covers. If Deathwing could be defeated ten thousand years ago, he can be defeated again ten thousand years later. Besides, things might not be that bad. We'll only know the true situation by seeing it with our own eyes."
Salorian immediately volunteered: "Your Majesty, Your Highness, esteemed sirs, I will personally lead a scouting party!"
Kael'thas waved his hand: "No, I will go myself this time."
Salorian quickly objected: "No, that's too dangerous!"
He didn't believe the Black Dragonflight would ally with the Orcs; it was too far-fetched, pure speculation without any evidence.
But one thing was certain: the Dragonhawk Riders had not returned on time, so something had probably happened, and the Horde must be prepared.
Scouting now would be very dangerous.
And dangerous things absolutely could not be done by the Prince.
Kael'thas said, "Not scouting, not understanding the enemy, that's truly dangerous."
"I am a Mage. If I encounter danger, I can teleport away at any time."
"Even if Deathwing himself makes a move, it won't be easy for him to keep me!"
He was, of course, far from Deathwing's equal.
But he was a legendary Mage after all; as long as he wasn't caught in close combat, escaping wouldn't be difficult.
Besides, he knew very well that Deathwing had a fatal weakness.
"Moreover, I don't plan to go alone. I will bring a few elite companions," Kael'thas added.
Anasterian thought for a moment and said, "No matter what, we must find out what happened to the Dragonhawk Riders who went to scout. Kael'thas, you can choose any High Elf you wish, but be sure to be careful."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Kael'thas teleported to Zul'Aman, found Alleria and the others, and announced the rewards.
"Ranger-General? Supreme Commander of the Expeditionary Force? Me?"
Alleria pointed at herself, her eyes wide and her mouth agape, completely unable to believe it.
She thought the Prince was just saying it casually, just making empty promises, but he actually did it? This was truly a surprise.
Lirath Windrunner beamed, immediately kneeling on one knee: "Thank you, Your Majesty, thank you, Your Highness!"
Everyone else followed suit, kneeling and expressing their gratitude.
They secretly looked at Alleria, their eyes filled with envy.
Only envy, no jealousy.
Because they knew that, by custom, Alleria should have succeeded as Ranger-General.
Besides, they were originally Alleria's soldiers, had participated in many battles with her, and Alleria had even saved their lives more than once!
Even Sylvanas, as a competitor, had nothing to be jealous of.
She had an excellent relationship with her sister, and Alleria being appointed Ranger-General was also a good thing for her.
This meant that one day when Lirath Windrunner retired, she would succeed her, with no more suspense.
She had always worried about sibling rivalry affecting their relationship, but the biggest problem was now resolved.
"Your Highness, thank you!" Sylvanas looked at Kael'thas, her beautiful eyes shimmering with a strange light, showing interest in the Prince for the first time in her life, wanting to understand him more deeply.
Lirath Windrunner said, "Your Highness, as we cleared the battlefield, we found a large number of treasure chests in Zul'Aman, containing many epic-grade items. Please take a look."
She ordered people to carry the treasure chests over and open them; hundreds of epic items shone with colorful light.
These were all the treasures of Zul'Aman.
Their quantity and quality rivaled those of Dalaran and Silvermoon City.
Any epic-grade item was worth at least a thousand gold coins.
The finest among them were even worth ten thousand gold.
These items combined were worth hundreds of thousands of gold coins, almost comparable to Quel'Thalas's annual tax revenue!
"When the cannons roar, gold flows like water. So this is what it means…" Kael'thas realized, feeling as if he had found a path to wealth.
Although he wasn't short on money.
Aside from anything else, his pet, "Phoenix God" O, if he were willing to sell it, could easily fetch hundreds of thousands of gold coins, though few people could afford it.
"Brooch of Nature's Mercy, amani empire bulwark, Twisted Prophecy Blade, Ancient Amani Longbow, Cursed Bone Ring… You even cut off the Warlock Lord's head? Alright, now it's just a skull."
Looking at the charred Warlock Skull, Kael'thas was speechless.
This thing was probably the youth version of Gul'dan's Skull.
Lirath Windrunner explained, "Master Belo'vir told us to cut it. He said this head contained most of the Warlock Lord's magic power and was essentially an epic-grade item, and a top-tier one at that."
Kael'thas said, "That's true, but the question is, who would carry such a thing around? Never mind. Each of you take one as a reward, and the rest will be returned to the national treasury! As for this head…"
A strange smile appeared on his face: "Since Master Belo'vir told us to cut it, let's give it to him."
He voluntarily picked up the Cursed Bone Ring, cast a spell to transmute it into a High Elf style, and wore it around his neck.
Epic-grade items offered limited improvement for a legendary Mage; they were optional.
But if he didn't take one, how could Lirath Windrunner take one?
If Lirath Windrunner didn't take one, how could Alleria and the others take one?
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
Everyone's faces lit up with joy as they quickly divided the spoils.
Lanathel took the amani empire bulwark, Liadrin took the Brooch of Nature's Mercy, Lor'themar took the Ancient Amani Longbow, and Halduron took the Berserker's Call.
Kael'thas said, "I'm going to scout the Horde Fleet. Who among you wishes to accompany me? This journey may be dangerous, so think carefully before you answer."
"I, I!" Everyone enthusiastically signed up.
Following His Royal Highness the Prince on a mission was a great opportunity, akin to studying with the crown prince, so naturally, everyone vied for the chance.
If they could establish a good relationship with the Prince, they might even become a minister or a general when the new king ascended the throne.
Kael'thas selected his team: "Alleria, Liadrin, Lanathel, and Vereesa, you four."
One mage, two hunters, one priest, and one warrior.
The configuration wasn't exceptional, but it was sufficient for an outdoor mission.
The five of them combined would be able to put up a fight even against a true demigod.
Sylvanas, Lor'themar, and Halduron also possessed great individual strength, but their leadership abilities were even stronger, and they were needed to lead the teams clearing out the Trolls.
The four women immediately agreed.
The five of them mounted their Dragonhawks and flew east over the mountains to the sea, then followed the coastline south.
Two days later, they discovered the Horde Fleet off the coast east of Light's Hope Chapel.
"One, two, three… So many, I can't even count them all!" Vereesa exclaimed in surprise.
They were currently in the extremely high sky, far from the sea, ensuring they wouldn't be discovered by the Horde.
The ships were too large a target, and the Elf Ranger's eyesight was extremely keen; she could see the Horde warships, but the Horde soldiers on the warships couldn't see her.
"At least three hundred ships, varying in size. By my estimation, their forces exceed thirty thousand!" Alleria said.
"Hiss!"
Vereesa gasped, then stuck out her tongue: "Didn't the Orcs only arrive five years ago? And I heard their brains are all muscle, they only know how to fight and kill, they don't understand construction, even their buildings are a mess. How could they build so many warships? And the style doesn't look like Orcs!"
"It's Ogres, Trolls, and Gnomes."
Alleria's voice was calm but laced with killing intent: "Not just the Amani Trolls, the Gnomes of the Steamwheedle Cartel have also allied with the Orcs. As long as there's money, they'll do anything!"
She saw Amani Trolls and many Gnomes on the Horde warships.
She had traveled the world and dealt with the Gnomes of the Steamwheedle Cartel, so she knew their nature.
"That's not surprising then," Vereesa said.
The Gnomes' reputation preceded them; although she hadn't left Quel'Thalas much, she had heard of those green-skinned little guys.
She knew they were very clever and had a high level of technology, no less than the Gnomes of Gnomeregan.
With Gnome technology, Ogre and Troll strength, plus the numerous Orcs, it wasn't impossible to hastily construct hundreds of warships in a short period.
Of course, ensuring quantity meant sacrificing quality.
These crudely made warships were far inferior to the High Elf warships; the craftsmanship was not on the same level at all.
"Big Sister, can our fleet defeat the Horde Fleet?" Vereesa asked.
Alleria shook her head: "Impossible. We only have a few dozen warships and two thousand naval personnel. It's not the same order of magnitude."
The Seven Human Kingdoms were the same.
Except for Kul Tiras and Gilneas, the other five kingdoms didn't have much of a navy.
Especially Alterac, a landlocked country, whose naval strength was comparable to Mongolia.
Vereesa immediately deflated like a balloon: "Then what do we do? Oh, right, we have Silvermoon City, and a magic barrier! Silvermoon City's runic magic barrier is the strongest, even stronger than Dalaran's; Dalaran's defensive spells were even learned from us!"
She clenched her small fists, trying to encourage herself.
However, Alleria's words were like a needle pricking her confidence: "Silvermoon City has it, but other parts of Quel'Thalas don't. What if the Horde Fleet lands elsewhere and massacres indiscriminately? Can Silvermoon City really do nothing?"
Hard to say… Kael'thas mused inwardly.
Vereesa's face turned pale: "Yes, our Windrunner family's foundation is outside, not in Silvermoon City. When the time comes, we will be the first to face the Horde!"
Alleria calmly analyzed: "The Horde Fleet will still take several days to reach Silvermoon City. We should return now, mobilize all civilians to take shelter in Silvermoon City, closely monitor the coastline, and recall all forces from Zul'Aman."
"Once the Horde Fleet lands, we will commit all our forces; the first battle will be the decisive battle!"
Vereesa said: "Big Sister is right! Also, we can ask the Alliance for help, and then set another fire to burn all the Horde warships!"
"No, enemies!"
Just then, Kael'thas's expression changed slightly.
He sensed a very powerful magical fluctuation coming from afar.
Alleria and Vereesa quickly used Eagle Eye to look around, then simultaneously exclaimed: "Flying machines, and Red Dragons!"
They saw huge flying machines appearing on the distant horizon, along with Red Dragons, each tens of meters long!
The flying machines had cannons, operated by dedicated personnel.
Orcs were on the backs of the Red Dragons, with chains on their bodies and reins around their necks.
"Goblin Airships, Red Dragon Whelps."
Kael'thas said: "They've been patrolling at high altitude. The Dragonhawk Riders must have been killed by them. Invisibility!"
The five of them took out invisibility potions, drank them, and gave a bottle to each of their Dragonhawks.
They quickly shimmered and disappeared.
On a distant Goblin Airship, a Goblin was using a monocular telescope to scout, and he wondered: "Strange, I thought I saw a few black dots just now, but where did they go?"
"Let me see!"
The Orc next to him snatched the telescope, looked carefully, and said: "You must be seeing things, there's nothing there!"
He opened the porthole and shouted to the Dragon Rider on the Red Dragon nearby: "Hey, have you found any enemies?"
The Dragon Rider slapped the Red Dragon's head: "I'm asking you, speak up!"
Orcs generally had poor eyesight, and the distance was too great for him to see.
The young Red Dragon cried out in pain, a clear little girl's voice sounding: "No, there's nothing."
Dragons had extremely keen eyesight, and it had certainly seen them, but it didn't say anything.
Its queen was imprisoned and tortured, and it was forced to become an Orc mount, but that didn't mean it would serve the Orcs wholeheartedly.
"If the High Elves discover the Orc fleet, they will be prepared, and the Orc attack will surely fail!"
"Only if the Alliance defeats the Horde will Her Majesty the Queen have a chance to escape!"
The young Red Dragon thought to itself.
"Hmph, I told you I was right, didn't I?" On the Goblin Airship, the Orc shouted triumphantly.
"Alright, it seems I really was seeing things."
"These past few days, I've been busy building ships and flying these airships for you guys. My eyes are tired. I demand a raise, or I quit!"
The Goblin grumbled as he piloted the airship, leaving with the Dragon Rider to continue patrolling other areas.
In the distance, the invisibility effect ended, and the five had already flown several hundred meters away.
Watching the departing Goblin Airship, Dragon Rider, and the slowly moving Horde Fleet below, their hearts were heavy.
"Your Highness was right, the Horde has enslaved the Red Dragonflight."
Alleria's lips were pale: "This means the Horde's aerial power is even stronger than ours. They can attack Silvermoon City from high altitude. Dragon's melee and spellcasting abilities are too strong, and the magic barrier may not be able to hold them off."
Kael'thas shook his head: "Not only that, there are also Goblin Airships. The Horde can simply drop explosives and bombs from high altitude. If there are enough, even the strongest barrier won't last long."
Liadrin said: "Most importantly, we don't know how many Dragons the Orcs have enslaved. Is it only a portion of the Red Dragons, or the entire Red Dragonflight? Is it only the Red Dragonflight, or all five Dragonflights?"
Vereesa's small face, which had regained its color, turned pale again: "Then what do we do?"
"Let's go back first and discuss it."
Everyone teleported to the Sunstrider Royal Court, where Kael'thas reported everything he had seen.
Several members of the Silvermoon Council were immediately filled with fear and despair: "How could this be? How could this be?"
"The Orcs have enslaved the Dragons. How can we fight now?"
"It's over, it's over, Quel'Thalas is going to be destroyed!"
"Let's flee, abandon Silvermoon City, abandon Quel'Thalas, and escape to Kalimdor!"
They were all great nobles, only responsible for talking in Silvermoon City, and had almost never been on a battlefield.
Facing such a powerful enemy, their first reaction was to flee!
Kael'thas watched with cold eyes, his heart filled with contempt.
The reason he sought commendation for Alleria and others, and promoted Alleria to the position of Ranger-General, was to suppress the Silvermoon Council, to suppress these old nobles, and to seize power from their hands.
These old nobles were incapable of accomplishing anything.
If it weren't for his strong arguments, with the Silvermoon Council's strong opposition and obstruction, the High Elves would temporarily not be able to join the Alliance, Zul'Aman would not be breached, and only a portion of the Ranger forces led by Alleria would have gone south for support.
Quel'Thalas would have been caught between the Horde Fleet and the Amani Trolls, countless citizens would have been massacred, and General Lireesa would have died at the hands of the Horde, forcing them to join the Alliance.
And when the Scourge invaded, Silvermoon City would only have closed its gates, attempting to protect itself with the runic array, refusing to provide support to the Ranger forces outside, leading to Sylvanas's death at the hands of Arthas.
Ultimately, Silvermoon City was breached by the Scourge, and the Sunwell was also corrupted, leading to the demise of the High Elves, leaving only the Blood Elves who lived for revenge.
Those old fogeys of the Silvermoon Council, it's time for them to retire!
"Quel'Thalas is a territory won by countless comrades who shed their blood and sacrificed their lives. Silvermoon City is a capital built by our ancestors on the corpses of our enemies. We absolutely cannot abandon it!"
King Anasterian suddenly stood up and said in a deep voice: "We must not flee!"