Kael'thas said, "Of course we can't run, and there's no need to run, because the enemy isn't that scary. They haven't reached the point of being invincible."
"Your Highness is right."
Alleria remained calm and analyzed, "The Horde cannot control all five Dragonflights, and they may not even control the entire Red Dragonflight. Otherwise, they would have directly attacked Lordaeron, and the Alliance wouldn't be able to stop them."
How could they lose with Dragonflights in their face?
The Horde didn't do that, and the only explanation is that they don't have many Red Dragons.
"Alleria is right."
Kael'thas gave a thumbs up: "At least the Red Dragon Mage Krasus isn't controlled. He might not even know about this, otherwise he would have gone to rescue them long ago, and wouldn't be helping us burn Zul'Aman."
The Red Dragon Queen is a queen, with many consorts. Krasus is the youngest and deeply loved by the Queen.
Love is mutual; his concern for the Red Dragon Queen far exceeded that of his older, less energetic brethren.
Those who know, know.
Alleria's thoughts were clear as she continued to analyze: "The Horde must have only enslaved a portion of the Red Dragons, and only recently. This is their first time deploying them in war, aiming to catch us off guard. Otherwise, there's no reason for the humans not to tell us."
Kael'thas said, "Since it's a surprise attack, it means the Horde isn't confident in defeating us head-on. I guess the Horde only enslaved the Red Dragon Queen, threatening her life to force some Red Dragons to comply."
Alleria nodded: "Dragons have long lifespans. It's normal for the Red Dragon Queen to disappear for several months, or even years or decades. Krasus and the others wouldn't know the Red Dragon Queen was enslaved, and they wouldn't help the Horde."
Kael'thas added, "So, the Horde Fleet merely has some Red Dragon Whelps. It's nothing. Whelps are far inferior to adult Dragons in size and magic, and much easier to deal with!"
The two spoke back and forth, and under Kael'thas's guidance, they revealed the true situation.
They exchanged glances, their eyes meeting, and their mutual respect grew.
Anasterian breathed a sigh of relief: "If it's just like this, it's not difficult to handle. Our Dragonhawk Riders and Ranger forces can definitely shoot them down!"
Kael'thas said, "Actually, this is a rare opportunity for us, and for the Alliance."
Everyone: "..."
Here we go again!
Your Highness, in your eyes, every danger is an opportunity, isn't it?
But the reverse is also true, every opportunity is a danger. Can't we stop taking risks every day?
Anasterian naturally supported his son and asked, "What opportunity?"
"An opportunity to join forces with the Alliance, eliminate the Horde Fleet, and severely cripple the Horde."
Kael'thas spoke passionately: "We can contact Admiral Daelin and ask him to lead the Kul Tiras Fleet north to join forces with us and ambush the Horde Fleet."
"As long as the Horde Fleet is eliminated, the Horde will no longer be able to threaten Quel'Thalas."
"Only then can we be free from worries, fully clear out the Amani Trolls, march south, and campaign against the Horde!"
Anasterian frowned: "Kul Tiras is too far from Silvermoon City. Will they make it in time?"
Kael'thas smiled: "That's something we'll have to ask Admiral Daelin himself. Your Majesty, I will make a trip to Kul Tiras to visit Admiral Daelin and discuss cooperation, and while I'm at it, I'll go to Dalaran to see Krasus and tell him about the Red Dragons."
Anasterian said, "Good, the situation is urgent, go now."
Kael'thas opened a portal again, taking Alleria and others to the Violet Citadel in Dalaran, where they met Antonidas and Krasus.
"What, the Horde enslaved my kin?"
The Red Dragon Mage was greatly surprised: "The Horde might have cooperated with Deathwing, obtained the demon soul, and enslaved Her Majesty the Queen? How dare they!"
Kael'thas asked, "Krasus, how long has it been since you last contacted Her Majesty the Queen?"
Krasus paced back and forth anxiously: "A year, only a year! I saw her a year ago when I went to the Wyrmrest Temple to report on the war! No, I'm going back to check right now!"
He teleported away directly.
Ten minutes later, Krasus returned, his face grim: "Her Majesty the Queen left the Wyrmrest Temple half a year ago and has not returned. I asked the kin who remained, and no one knows where she went. Something must have happened to her!"
Antonidas asked, "Kael'thas, you were right again. Krasus, what do you plan to do?"
Krasus gritted his teeth: "We must find the Queen and rescue her!"
"Deathwing, it's Deathwing again, that accursed Deathwing!"
"It was the Queen who led the Dragonflights to defeat him and thwart his schemes back then. He hates the Queen to the core."
"He will definitely find every way to torment the Queen!"
"We must rescue the Queen as soon as possible; for every day we wait, she suffers another day of torment!"
He was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, unable to sit still, and immediately wanted to go search.
Yes, yes, the Red Dragon Queen might be currently tied up, disciplined, and whipped. You should be glad it's not Deathwing himself imprisoning her, otherwise there would be a lot of babies by now... Kael'thas stopped him:
"Krasus, where are you going to look? Besides Deathwing, only the Orcs and those enslaved Red Dragons know where Her Majesty the Queen is being held. You can't just go to Deathwing, can you?"
Those involved are often confused, while bystanders see clearly.
Krasus was flustered, but upon hearing Kael'thas's words, he immediately reacted: "You're right! Kael'thas, you didn't come all this way just to tell me this, did you? Tell me, what do you want me to do?"
"Of course, to join forces."
Kael'thas said, "I plan to unite with the Kul Tiras Fleet to ambush the Horde Fleet near Silvermoon City. Do you want to join? Then we can capture the Dragon Riders of the Dragonmaw Clan, free the Red Dragon Whelps, and find out the Red Dragon Queen's location."
"After this battle, I will accompany you to rescue Her Majesty the Queen!"
He specifically came to Krasus to tie the Red Dragonflight to the High Elf's war chariot.
The Horde Fleet was too strong. Relying solely on the Quel'Thalas Fleet and the Kul Tiras Fleet, it would be easy to defeat them, but very difficult to annihilate them.
And what he wanted was not just to defeat the Horde Fleet, but to completely annihilate them.
Among the countless famous generals throughout five millennia, two of his favorites, Bai Qi, the God of Slaughter, and Su Yu, the God of War, were masters of annihilation warfare.
Krasus made a decisive decision: "Good, I'll contact my kin now and rendezvous in Silvermoon City!"
He acted swiftly and teleported away again.
Kael'thas looked at Antonidas: "Speaker, the Horde's enslavement of Red Dragons will likely increase the defensive pressure on Lordaeron's various passes far beyond previous expectations. Please inform the leaders of all nations about this."
Antonidas gently shook his head: "Even knowing won't help. The various passes... I'm afraid they won't hold!"
******
In the face of absolute strength, any strategy appears pale and powerless.
The Horde was simply stronger than the Alliance, and by a lot.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have swept from south to north, and the Alterac Kingdom wouldn't have chosen to betray for self-preservation.
At this very moment, the Horde army has passed through Alterac Valley and is about to arrive at Andorhal.
Andorhal is flat land, with no natural defenses, so all residents had to retreat east to Tirisfal Glades.
Lordaeron had already stationed a large army at the pass leading to Tirisfal Glades, building the last line of defense, determined not to let the Horde enter Tirisfal Glades.
Tirisfal Glades stretches for thousands of miles, a vast plain, the most fertile land on the entire Lordaeron continent, the most important grain-producing area, and the most densely populated gathering place, with millions of civilians residing there.
Once the Horde army enters Tirisfal Glades, they will have a continuous supply of food.
Millions of civilians will be brutally massacred, and even Silverpine Forest to the west, and the Gilneas Kingdom, will face threats.
Various kingdoms and cities were continuously sending reinforcements to that pass.
However, things happened too suddenly, and with the transportation routes cut off, armies from Stratholme, Light's Hope Chapel, and other places simply couldn't get through.
The Horde also had the extremely powerful Red Dragons, so how easy could it be to hold the line?
"What did the King and generals say?" Kael'thas asked.
Antonidas looked solemn: "We just had a meeting this morning. If it comes to it, we can only retreat, pulling the main army back to Lordaeron, relying on the tall and sturdy city walls to resist the Horde's attack and buy time for reinforcements."
Kael'thas raised an eyebrow: "What about the civilians? What about the civilians in Tirisfal Glades? Don't tell me you're abandoning them."
Antonidas's face was bitter: "I'm afraid we can only give up on them."
There was nothing else that could be done.
Tirisfal Glades was too vast, stretching for hundreds of kilometers, with settlements everywhere. There was no way to relocate everyone in a short time, and nowhere to move them to.
Lordaeron couldn't house that many people, and neither could other cities.
At any time, the first consideration was always the city nobles, and only then the rural commoners.
Not just Lordaeron, but other kingdoms were the same.
When the Stormwind Kingdom fell, the fleet only took the residents of Stormwind, mainly the army and nobles.
When Arathi Highlands fell, the Stromgarde army could only retreat to Stromgarde.
Rural areas were, by nature, meant to serve the cities. If they were abandoned, they were abandoned. It was not a big deal.
Compared to farmers with no money, no power, and no equipment, of course, the noble lords with money, power, and equipment were the most important.
Kael'thas, who was just an ordinary commoner in his previous life, was silent for a moment, then said: "Persevere, we must persevere. Perseverance is victory. No matter what, we must hold the pass and not let the Horde enter Tirisfal Glades."
A complete plan formed in his mind: "One month. Put all forces and all resources into that pass. We must hold out for one month, no matter what. After one month, the scales of victory will tip towards the Alliance!"
Antonidas's eyes glowed with purple light, which was arcane energy:
"Your Highness, you want to help Krasus rescue the Red Dragon Queen first, and have her lead the Red Dragonflight to help us fight the Horde?"
"But you cannot guarantee success within a month. Deathwing and the Horde will definitely be extra careful, and it will be very difficult for you to get an opportunity."
"And in this matter, the most powerful Dragonflights cannot help!"
As long as they were dragons, they were suppressed by the demon soul and dared not approach.
In front of the demon soul, the combat power of an adult Red Dragon was even worse than that of a thunder lizard in the Wetlands.
Your Highness, Your Highness, you are facing the entire Dragonmaw Clan, countless Horde powerhouses, the Red Dragons they enslaved, and Deathwing, who can destroy a city with a sneeze.
You're fighting Deathwing? Are you serious?
Kael'thas smiled: "Speaker, I am 100% confident."
If that boy Rhonin could do it, there was no reason he couldn't.
Moreover, the intelligence and resources he possessed were far greater than Rhonin's.
Furthermore, Antonidas had only guessed half of it.
Within a month, not only could he accomplish that task and bring an incredibly powerful reinforcement to the Alliance, but the Horde would also suffer its biggest defeat since the war began—
Gul'dan's betrayal.
No matter how much this world had changed due to his appearance, Gul'dan, that thick-browed and big-eyed turncoat, would betray the Horde in pursuit of greater power, taking the Raging Clan and the Twilight's Hammer Clan with him.
The Raging Clan was created by Gul'dan, primarily composed of warlocks, necromancers, and Death Knights, including formidable figures like Drak'Thul and Garona.
The Twilight's Hammer Clan was founded by the two-headed Ogre mage Cho'gall. That guy outwardly obeyed Orgrim, secretly obeyed Gul'dan, and in reality, obeyed the Ancient Gods, being even more two-faced than Akama.
While these two clans were far fewer in number than established great clans like the Blackrock Clan, Frostwolf Clan, or Dragonmaw Clan, their members were all talented, spoke harshly, were extremely wicked, and incredibly powerful.
The betrayal of these two great clans severely weakened the Horde's effective strength.
Even if he failed to accomplish that task, as long as they held out for a month, the Horde itself would retreat due to internal division!
Antonidas hesitated slightly, then made up his mind: "Alright, I'll take care of the defense. I will find a way to push for it, to get all nations to allocate resources and defend with all their might. We must hold out for a month, no matter what."
He looked at Kael'thas and said seriously: "Your Highness, please dispatch your troops quickly. Humans alone may not be able to last a month."
He was also at his wit's end.
Whether the Alliance could defeat the Horde now depended on how much effort the High Elves were willing to put in, and how capable they were.
His Royal Highness's recent performance had been quite reliable. Since he had confidence and determination, it meant he must possess intelligence that Antonidas was unaware of—
He deeply suspected that this outwardly proper but inwardly mischievous High Elf actually knew where the Red Dragon Queen was imprisoned.
The reason he didn't say was to manipulate Krasus and the Red Dragonflight, making those legendary dragons work for him!
After all, the High Elves had inherited the true magic of the Ancient Night Elves. Perhaps they possessed means to deal with Deathwing?
After all, Deathwing's last devastating defeat was somewhat related to the Ancient Night Elves!
Kael'thas smiled: "Don't worry, we are already reorganizing our army. Once the Horde Fleet is annihilated, Quel'Thalas will immediately send troops to support humanity! By the way, where is Admiral Daelin? Where is he?"
Antonidas said: "He went back after the meeting. He should be in Kul Tiras."
"Alright, Speaker, you go about your business. I'll go find him."
Kael'thas, with Alleria and others, teleported to Boralus, the capital of Kul Tiras.
After announcing their names, they met the mistress of the city, Admiral Daelin's wife, Katherine Proudmoore, and stated their purpose.
"Daelin? He received news this morning that the Horde Fleet had departed from Menethil Harbor, intending to bypass Gilneas and head to Southshore, so he personally led troops to attack the Horde Fleet."
Katherine replied.
Kael'thas's expression changed slightly: "No, this is bad. I'm afraid he's in trouble. Admiral Daelin is in danger!"
Katherine covered her mouth and chuckled softly, her chest rising and falling with the waves of laughter: "Your Highness needn't worry. The Horde Fleet only has a few dozen warships, far from being a match for our three fleets."
She had complete confidence in the Kul Tiras fleet.
For over two thousand years, since its formation, the Kul Tiras fleet had always won, winning every day, every month, every year, never losing.
Kael'thas said: "The Kul Tiras fleet is the best in the world, invincible. There is no doubt about that. The problem is that the Horde Fleet has Red Dragons, and what fire-breathing Red Dragons mean for warships, Madam knows better than I."
Madam, times have changed, and the methods of war have innovated!
"Ah?" Katherine immediately became flustered: "What? Red Dragons? How can there be Red Dragons? Daelin is in danger now!"
No, how did legendary Red Dragons suddenly appear in a battle against the Horde?
"Madam, don't panic."
Kael'thas asked: "Where does Admiral Daelin plan to ambush the Horde Fleet?"
Katherine hesitated; she didn't trust the High Elves: "Fleet movements are classified. Secrecy is the principle. It was already wrong for me to tell you we were attacking the Horde. If I tell you the exact location…"
Kael'thas quickly interrupted: "Madam, you don't want Admiral Daelin to lose his life, do you?"
"Baradin Bay. That's the only way to Lordaeron, the best place for an ambush!" Katherine immediately threw principles aside and blurted out.
"Don't worry, Madam, I'm going to support him right now!"
The five immediately mounted their Dragonhawks and flew northeast for several hours, finally arriving at Baradin Bay.
"No, we're too late!" Alleria exclaimed.
On the distant sea, the Kul Tiras fleet was locked in fierce battle with the Horde Fleet.
Although the Kul Tiras warships were fewer in number than the Horde's, their hulls were larger and sturdier, equipped with more powerful and longer-range cannons.
The battle was one-sided.
The Horde Fleet was no match for the Kul Tiras Fleet at all.
However, just then, dozens of Goblin Airships and young Red Dragons flew out from the clouds!
As soon as they appeared, they launched a fierce attack on the Kul Tiras Fleet.