Arthas arrived at the high elf camp and saw Lady Alleria crying while holding a young male elf who was obviously dead. The young elf was covered in countless scars, some so deep that the bones were visible.
It was clear that he had fought desperately in life and had ultimately died heroically. Alleria's had four siblings: she was the eldest, followed by her second sister Sylvanas, the legendary Banshee Queen, the third sister Vereesa, and the fourth brother, the deceased Lirath in front of her. Originally, the plot had Lirath dying during the orc invasion of the high elf kingdom while he was trying to provide cover for the retreat, along with his parents. It was uncertain why Lirath was here now, having died in this place; it simply did not make sense to Arthas. Was this the so-called butterfly effect?
"I'm sorry... sob... I should have forced you more and had you learn... the ranger's skills. I'm sorry, Lirath, it's all my fault, sob, it's my fault, I caused your demise!" Alleria paid no attention to Arthas who approached her, ignoring even the presence of Turalyon who came to visit her.
Fate is often surprisingly similar; Turalyon and Alleria knew each other, but there was no spark of love, not even a hint of it at this time.
"Your Highness," Turalyon slightly bowed to Arthas. Although he was Lothar's lieutenant, he was of commoner origin, uncomparable to Arthas.
"Hello, Turalyon, I need to discuss something with Alleria. Sigh, for the alliance, she has sacrificed her own family, we cannot repay enough her for that," Arthas said, displaying sorrow.
"Alright, then you two have a good talk," Turalyon understood; it might involve some high-level machinations within the alliance, a matter he could not participate in.
"Alleria, my condolences."
After Turalyon left, Arthas began to cast a spell, gathering the Holy Light in his hands. His target was not Lirath, but another deceased female elf ranger. A beam of Holy Light descended, returning her soul.
This resurrection was a true resurrection, reuniting soul and body, not the forced binding of death knights, but a living being with flesh and blood.
"Ugh! I'm not dead!?" The female elf covered her head and stood up, bewildered by everything, and finally bowed respectfully to Arthas, saying, "Thank you, Your Highness the Prince."
"You're welcome; you saved my guard, this is what I owe you. Rest well; you are still very weak," Arthas said lightly, and then sat down on the ground, breathless and unstable.
It seemed like he had overexerted himself to the point where he could hardly stand. The once-deceased elf had come back to life! This shocked Alleria immensely, and the other elves around her looked as if they had seen a ghost.
"How is this possible?"
"This is impossible; something like this..."
"Oh my, by the Sun King, what is happening?" The elves whispering made Alleria suddenly realize, and she immediately scolded the rangers following her to silence.
"Your Highness, can you bring my brother back to life?" Alleria asked cautiously, worried Arthas might refuse.
Reviving the dead is not difficult; necromancy can achieve that. But a complete revival like Arthas's is simply incredible; it's not that it can't be done, but the cost is extraordinarily high, too high to bear.
"I don't know; just now the Holy Light guided me, there was a soul here that needed assistance. This cost me all my strength and generated very negative emotions for me, the price is steep. But all this is worth it; I felt the affirmation of the Holy Light upon me." Arthas wiped the nonexistent sweat on his forehead, forcing a smile.
"What is the price? Your Highness, please find a way to save my brother, whatever the cost, I am willing to pay!" Brought by immense regret, Alleria hated herself for not being able to protect her brother in time.
She also loathed herself for not forcing her brother to start learning the ranger's skills; otherwise, he wouldn't have died so easily. Arthas fell silent, not saying a word as Alleria supported him into her tent. The small tent contained only a magical blanket and a faint fragrance.
"I once cast this spell before; the price is a type of madness. To resurrect someone, a price must be paid, either life or power. If not for the Holy Light's favor, I might have already lost consciousness. The seven deadly sins exist in living beings: pride, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, gluttony, and lust. I can overcome the first six, but lust is something I have not yet learned to deal with on my own. I dare not attempt it because it would harm others, and that is not what I want," Arthas explained.
"Do we have to satisfy your lust?" Alleria had no doubts about Arthas's words because he was the prince of Lordaeron, a favored of the Holy Light, and she instinctively believed in what he said.
If Arthas were just an ordinary priest, Alleria would have doubted or even despised him; this is the disparity brought by identity. Arthas forced a bitter smile, "Yes, that's also the reason I don't want to try. If wanting to help you harms others, then that's not what I want."
Alleria fell silent but soon made up her mind, "Your Highness, I will help you. Please bring my brother back to life, I beg you, the Windrunner family will owe you a debt!"
Arthas also fell silent for a moment, gazing at the tearful Alleria. Her stunning face shimmered with tears, a bit pitiful. Her golden hair remained smooth, her delicate oval face carrying a hint of pleading and hope.
With her hands clasped in prayer, she embodied the image of a neighborly big sister. She showed no signs of the bloodshed from the day before; perhaps she would only show her gentle side in front of her kin.
"I can help you; once I successfully cast the spell, I will restrain myself. If I can't control myself, you can help me after."
"Should I knock you out?" Alleria chuckled lightly, rare for her to joke.
"That might kill me, I would suffer a backlash" Arthas shrugged helplessly, making a face of resignation, but inside he was overjoyed. As long as there is a first time, the second and third times won't be far behind. Admittedly, using this method to deceive Alleria is somewhat despicable, but Arthas does not regret it. Technically, he did not have to revive her brother, this was just asking for payment in a more subtle way. If both parties are happy, then who can say otherwise!
The so-called pursuit of love also has its methods; to make high elves fall in love with humans is no simple feat. The elves, with their thousands of years of lifespan, seem daunting compared to the humans' brief centuries; this gap is a significant deterrent for elves.