26. The Countermeasures of Stormwind City [96/100]
"Boom"
A loud roar of thunder flashed across the dark sky covered with torrential rain, and the white light that tore through the darkness illuminated the guard tower of the Watch Keep. On the thick city wall, the Dalaran mage who replaced Archmage Khadgar to guard the Watch Keep died.
Grasping tightly to the cold bricks of the city wall, the mage's usual elegance completely disappeared under the beating of raindrops, and his fingers had turned pale due to excessive exertion.
But he didn't realize it. Like a sculpture in the rain, he was stunned by what happened in front of him.
The piercing alarm bells echoed throughout the fortress, and in the approaching dawn night, the soldiers and commanders were awakened.
Something happened!
A few minutes later, the Watcher Commander, General Danas Trollbane, who once led the army into Draenor, rushed up to the city wall in the heavy rain. His figure in the rain was like a mountain. Seeing his arrival, the people guarding here rushed to the city wall.
The soldier's panic mood also became calmer.
"Report, soldier!"
General Danas wiped the rain from his face and shouted loudly: "What happened to make you sound the alarm?"
"General, it's... the Dark Portal!"
The Alliance second lieutenant guarding the guard tower pointed to the south of the Cursed Land with a pale face, his eyes dancing with undisguised horror:
"That door, that door has reopened!"
"What?!"
A flame of being fooled rose up in Danas's eyes. He grabbed the mage who was standing there. The latter came back to his senses and hurriedly cast an eagle eye spell on the general. Through the thick night and heavy rain,
Danas could only vaguely see the direction of the Dark Portal, where dark green firelight was shining, and the alliance sentries erected outside the Dark Portal were constantly giving off warning lights.
"It's opening!"
Danas clenched his fists: "It shouldn't be like this, Khadgar has obviously..."
"Elix!"
The general turned his head and shouted, and a moment later, a slender elf paladin commander wearing heavy armor strode into the guard tower. He was the commander stationed at Watchfort on behalf of Quel'Thalas and the Silver Hand.
He is also one of the current deputies of General Danas.
The general looked at this handsome and resolute paladin and said in a deep voice:
"Gather the paladins and heavy cavalry and follow me to the Dark Portal!"
"As you command, my lord!"
A light flashed in Alex Yanblade's eyes. He responded to the order loudly, and then quickly left the post. After receiving the news, the dwarf griffon knight commander Alfonso Thunder also rushed into the post eagerly.
He was playing with the weird telescope in his hand. After looking at it for a few seconds, he said to Danas with an ugly expression:
"In this weather, the Griffin Knights cannot take off to support you."
"No support needed!"
Danas moved his fingers, and there was a hint of stubbornness in his eyes:
"I have to go and see. Khadgar clearly promised me. If he didn't lose his mind, it means that a new situation has arisen in that world... No matter what!"
The general looked back at the young Dalaran mage, who had black hair and bright eyes. If Danas remembered correctly, this guy should have been "assigned" to Nethergarde Keep by Dalaran.
It is said that this young mage's popularity in Dalaran is very bad. By the way, his name is Ronin, and he is the guy who was almost killed by Death Lord Serent three years ago.
The general looked at the mage's nervous eyes and sighed. At this time, he missed Khadgar very much. Although that guy was sometimes unreliable, he was still much better than the new recruit in front of him.
"Luo Ning, you have never been on the battlefield, right?"
This question brought the nervous young mage back to his senses. As if he had been insulted, he clenched his fists and said loudly:
"No! I have been on the battlefield. I fought against those death knights in Hillsbrad Hills with Lord Gavinrad!"
"Um?"
This answer made General Danas raise his eyebrows in surprise. He rubbed his chin. After a moment, he patted the mage on the shoulder:
"Very well, since you have fought the Death Knight, then you will go to the Dark Portal with me. If we are "unlucky", maybe you will meet some "old friends" this time."
After speaking, the general turned and left, waving his hand:
"Send the news of the reopening of the Dark Portal back to Stormwind City and Dalaran, and then let Dalaran spread the news to the other countries. The kings will be busy again."
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"Your Majesty! Urgent information!"
In the brightly lit Stormwind Fortress, the young king Varian Wrynn was pulled up from the bed while he was sleeping. He was wearing a nightgown and sitting sleepily on the throne. Beside him were the great nobles of the Stormwind Kingdom.
He is also the powerful paladin Lord Bolvar Fordragon.
Reverend Benedictus, Archbishop of the North County Priests Order and Holy Light Church in Stormwind City, sits on the right hand of the king. Next to the Archbishop, stands Privy Bishop Chaldea Morgan of the Cathedral of Light in Stormwind City. This person comes from
The priest of Lordaeron is the personal doctor of Wrynn's royal family. He is a disciple of Turalyon. In addition, he saved nearly a thousand soldiers during the Orc War, and also participated in the Second Orc War.
This glorious qualification allowed the young Chaldean priest to easily become the number two figure in the Holy Light Church in the Kingdom of Stormwind.
Finally, there are the old Marshal Windsor of Stormwind City and General Marcus Jonathan, the defense chief of Stormwind City. These two are representatives of the military.
The big shots were sitting next to the king. In front of them was a hall illuminated by hundreds of candles. In the hall, the leader of MI7, Mathias Shore, was holding a bright red secret message in his hand.
With a gloomy face, he reported the most urgent situation to the king's royal council.
"Although it is a pity, everyone, the Dark Portal, the door that brought terrible threats and tragic past to Azeroth, showed signs of reopening just an hour ago."
The assassin leader handed the secret message in his hand to the heavily armed royal guard. After checking it, the latter handed it to the king. While the 19-year-old King Varian lowered his head to read the letter, Shore introduced the current situation to others.
form.
"General Danas has completed the defense at the Dark Portal. According to the news he sent back, it seems that the reopening of the Dark Portal this time is not a simple invasion."
Shore organized the words, and it was obvious that the bad situation made this excellent master spy and assassin feel very difficult:
"Supposedly an escape from Draenor."
"escape?"
Old Marshal Windsor, who had fully experienced the first and second Orc War, asked in confusion:
"Isn't it said that that world has been occupied by the undead? Who is on the run?"
"Those Draenei we have never seen, never known!"
King Varian handed the letter in his hand to Duke Bolvar beside him, and he said to the others: "General Danas said that the Draenei were persecuted by the undead, and they wanted to pass through as a last resort.
The Dark Portal moved to Azeroth, and among those who escaped was Velen, the leader of the Draenei whom General Danaus had met, known as the "Prophet."
The young king pursed his lips, and a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes:
"I have read the report of General Danas. It is said that the prophet has lived for at least 25,000 years?"
"The Draenei are the people of the Holy Light that Faao is very concerned about."
Archbishop Benedictus, who was turning the rosary in his hand and stroking his white beard, responded to the king's question in a low voice:
"It is said that they are the real immortal species. Time will not take away their lives. Moreover, they have been blessed by the Holy Light since they were born. They hold a more subtle interpretation of the Holy Light in their hands. I suggest that this news should be reported immediately.
Send it back to Lordaeron, if His Majesty Fao learns the news, he will definitely be extremely happy."
"Archbishop, this is not the most important thing right now."
Duke Bolvar handed the letter in his hand to the old marshal. He raised his head and stared at the archbishop and the king with his resolute eyes. This great nobleman who was over 40 years old was the first batch of baptized paladins. He and the first generation archbishop
The knights all have very friendly personal relationships, and among the Knights of the Silver Hand, Duke Bolvar is also the highest-ranking Paladin. He is the absolute representative of the Silver Hand in Stormwind City and the leader of the Paladins of the Kingdom of Stormwind.
.
At this time, the great knight who had experienced the war was pondering, stroking his golden beard, and whispered:
"The Draenei may not have any ill intentions towards us, but the undead that chase them...the undead from another world, maybe they won't give up. We have never fought against such an enemy. According to the most pessimistic view,
, if the undead are in hot pursuit and if they break through the barrier of Watchfort, we will face a war again."
"But our country should avoid war for now."
Marshal Windsor said with some headache: "Although the farms in the Western Wilds have had a bumper harvest this year and the country's population has increased, the Kingdom of Stormwind has experienced that disaster after all. It is already very difficult for us to maintain the country's territory now.
We really can’t spare soldiers to fight in another war.”
"There are 5,500 garrison troops in Watchfort. They are all warriors who have returned from Draenor, and there is support from the entire alliance. It is not so easy to fall there."
General Marcus Jonathan also echoed the old marshal's opinion. He said softly:
"Actually, I think we only need to let the Night's Watch Legion defend themselves on the Deadwind Pass. Even if the undead break through the Keep, they have only one way to enter our country... The Burning Plains, and the stubborn ones
The Blackstone orcs regard it as their own territory, and the undead occupy their world, so maybe those orcs will fight the undead first."
"So, what's your judgment?"
After this discussion, the young king's remaining sleepiness had been eliminated. He looked at the silent Shaw and asked: "Master Shaw, what is MI7's opinion on this matter?"
"Your Majesty, our opinions are similar to General Marcus's."
Shore whispered: "The fleeing Draenei have a certain amount of force, and together with the Watchfort built by the entire alliance, the war in the Cursed Land will not end in a short time.
, Therefore, for the Kingdom of Stormwind, the best way to deal with it is to wait... Of course, we cannot relax our vigilance. Once the undead break through the defense lines of Watchfort, we must take action in the shortest possible time."
"Um."
Varian rubbed his chin and turned to look at Duke Bolvar beside him:
"Since the Domestic Defense Force is insufficient, let the Knights of Stormwind City be stationed in Redridge Mountain and you will be the commander of them."
"I'm willing to accept it."
After the Kingdom of Stormwind migrated from the Arathi Highlands to the southern part of the continent, Duke Bolvar's family has stood with the Wrynn royal family for generations. The two families are the most powerful allies, so after Varian made suggestions,
The Duke made no objection.
"And in addition, I feel that if we, as the kingdom closest to the battlefield, remain indifferent when the Cursed Land is attacked, the radicals within the alliance will have objections to us."
After Duke Bolvar accepted the order, he rubbed his forehead and said softly:
"Even if it is symbolic, I think we need to support the battlefield. Why not let the Night Watch Legion allocate some scouts to go to the Cursed Land through the Deadwind Pass..."
"Duke Aberlock will definitely be dissatisfied with this order."
The old marshal shook his head: "His temper has always been like that."
"But he must obey!"
Duke Bolvar said in a deep voice: "The establishment of the Night Watch Legion has greatly exceeded the size of the Lord's standing army. Dusk Forest is too close to Stormwind City. Duke Alberlock commands so many troops. It is not suitable for the still unstable Kingdom of Stormwind."
It's a threat."
This way of weakening the nobility made the young king a little annoyed. Although Varian knew very well that Duke Bolvar's behavior was to protect the stability of the Wrynn family's royal power, but as a young man with unresolved passion, he did not like it.
This smell of conspiracy.
The atmosphere of the Royal Council was a little stagnant, and at this moment, Archbishop Benedictus saw the hesitant expression of the Chaldean priest next to him, and he whispered with a hint of playfulness:
"Chaldean Bishop, do you also want to express your opinion?"