Not far from the red clay hills, Deathwing has quietly arrived here. In front of him was a goblin, a goblin in chains, succumbing to the powerful might of the black dragon.
Krell's eyes were filled with resentment; goblins are inherently professional traitors and spies, ready to betray and sell out at the right price. They see only profit, devoid of morality. If the price is right, they would even bind their own mothers and wives to sell them; this is a race with no sense of ethical shame.
"Master, Nethul is attempting to enslave the red dragon queen, but she has not yielded and can currently only enslave ordinary red dragons."
"What about the dragon eggs?" Deathwing transformed into a human form, taking on the appearance of a charismatic middle-aged man, making it impossible for anyone to guess that this was the infamous Deathwing.
"They are protected by the red dragon queen," Krell continued his report, keeping his head down to hide the hatred in his eyes. As a free goblin, not hired for money but enslaved by force, it is in itself a disgrace. Let's not forget how goblins rose to power, starting from being slaves to overthrow the trolls' dominance; how could they serve as slaves for others? If the price is right, it could be a different story.
"Find a way to transport the dragon eggs out. Go ahead, do this well, and I will reward you." Deathwing waved his hand, dismissing him, never once regarding the goblin as worthy of his attention. For a lowly race like this, as a former Earth Guardian, it was already an honor for them to speak with him—no need to ask for too much!
"Yes, master." Krell's eyes brimmed with deep resentment; he could sense that his time for revenge was drawing near. No one can enslave a goblin, a goblin can only become a tycoon of wealth! His heart roared!
Just as the goblin left, a black dragon descended from the sky and transformed into a human figure, it was Nefarian, who had lost a bet and was now here. "Father."
"Hmm, how is the preparation for the dragon eggs going?" Deathwing nodded slightly.
"It's all prepared, father. Do you really not need me to go over there to keep an eye on it?" Nefarian asked again, thinking of what he could do. In Azeroth, the black dragon legion is universally hunted down, and he just can't take it anymore. He has to either hide like a coward where other dragons can't find him, or face death. This treatment is hardly friendly.
"Do as I instruct!" Deathwing snorted, and a wave of pressure fell upon him. Nefarian immediately broke into a cold sweat; even as father and son, there seemed to be little affection, more like a superior-subordinate relationship.
"Yes, father. This time I brought a newly hatched whelp for that human prince." Nefarian continued, sending his kin to others as mounts, and that certainly didn't sit well with him.
"Give it to him; he still serves a purpose for us. Once our black dragon legion is fully assembled, whatever he consumes will be returned to us!" A glint of ruthlessness flashed in Deathwing's eyes; he was never a benevolent person.
If collaboration is possible, it's fine, but once it's not, even the skins will be swallowed whole! Otherwise, who calls it 'taking the tiger's skin'? On the other side, in Lordaeron, King Terenas received a letter from Lothar, notifying him that Arthas was going to address the problem of the red dragons. The letter also praised Arthas highly, stating that upon his success, his merits would be publicized, further solidifying Lordaeron's position as the leader of the Alliance. Terenas closed his eyes, feeling that his son was gradually becoming outstanding, which is a good thing.
Moreover, he even understood how to borrow ships from Lady Ashvane; all of this indicated Arthas's excellence. However, he felt a bit conflicted, worried that his son's excellence could pose a threat to him, while not wanting him to become a useless person. As a capable king, suspicion is warranted; one cannot trust anyone, trusting oneself is what makes a king great. Not even his son, not even his bedfellow, could he completely trust.
One could only say that Lothar understood Terenas well; this ambitious king only wanted to expand his influence within the Alliance, right? After all, the Kingdom of Stormwind was poor; there was no worry about further debts.
The next day, Arthas and the others, led by the hill dwarves, arrived at Grim Batol, and shortly after, Rom and the others left to summon soldiers to drive out the invading orcs. Looking at the fortress built against the mountains ahead, the entrance was a huge-arched door.
Several orc soldiers were standing guard there; to enter, one must pass through these orcs. To avoid detection, only a rogue could manage it. "We need to find a way to sneak in," Arthas said, looking at the fortress entrance in the distance.
In the sky, orc riders on whelps patrolled, and there were orcs escorting supplies, not to mention humans and dwarves around. "What are they doing escorting prisoners inside?" Alleria said, her gaze distant and clear,
"Those are civilians and some captives, and there are some goblins among them. Those goblins don't seem like captives; they are cooperating!"
"Those damned green-skinned goblins, I must crush their skulls!" Muradin expressed immense hatred for this treacherous race, hot with anger.
"You can sneak in using your badge; activate it, and the badge will provide you with magic to prevent orc detection," Onyxia suddenly spoke, as if she had been plotting something all along.
Accompanying them was partly to monitor, and partly to gather intelligence on Arthas. The black dragons enjoy playing with schemes; despite having immense power, they still prefer to use plots to achieve victory. It seems this is a hobby of theirs, as well as a last resort; appearing openly might lead to being besieged, so the only way is to play some tricks in the shadows.
"No, it's too dangerous." Before Arthas could respond, Alleria opposed immediately.
When everyone turned to look at her, she said, "His Highness is the leader of the squad; he's putting himself at risk, so what are we doing here?" Arthas's heart leaped with joy; surely this was because he had become more likable, leading her to subconsciously develop feelings for him?
"It's all right; I can give it a try. You can cover for me outside. Alleria, attack those orcs outside, distract them near here; don't force a fight, just wear them down. This way, it will be easier for me to sneak in and complete our mission faster."