Chapter 26

Lordegarde, The Royal Palace

Though he was from Stormwind, the court of Lordaeron felt like the place where his superiors had always resided. Uther the Lightbringer, paladin of the Alliance of Lordaeron, knelt before King Terenas Menethil II, who sat upon his throne, clothed in his royal attire.

"Milord, the 1st Army has completed its task in wiping out the orc remnants in the southern provinces. We have eradicated them leadership, and sent what few orcs there are left run for the Alterac Mountains, and are pursued by our cavalry with great haste. The campaign has come to a successful end" he reported, sure that Terenas already knew of these things.

"Rise, my old friend" the aging monarch said smiling. Gentle light from the bright sun bathed the Throne Room, illuminating the curtains and galleries, reflecting off the polished marble floors.

Uther rose and kissed the ring of Terenas, as was customary in Lordaeron, and stood at attention.

"I am glad to hear of the orcs defeat. We've worried about them too long now, and with most of our major forces preoccupied keeping the peace in the land or holding back the renegade orc clans in far off Azeroth, we haven't had the chance to dispose of them. However, there is something you should know, and I shall brief you myself" Terenas said, face turning a shallow white.

"You know of the Plague, yes?" he King questioned.

Uther nodded. "Its spread beyond what anybody, even the Kirin Tor, believed it first would. It has spilled over across the borders of the northern lands into the central forests and eastern plains. Added to this are the numerous death cults which stir up trouble and unrest among the citizenry and…reports of an army of the dead, culled from the afterlife by necromancers and followers of said death cults. Wherever it seems the Plague touches, undead appear behind it, so its safe to say that these two are somehow in conjunction with the other"

"What would you have me do, milord?" Uther asked, inquisitive of the new problem.

Terenas sighed. Indeed, to have the King in such a state, the problem must be big. Huge in fact.

"As of this date, I am putting the forces of the Alliance on the highest possible alert, but it will be months before our armies are prepared to fight, perhaps even not until the end of this year or even after. Thus I am giving you the field commission of Captain-General of Lordaeron. This is the highest rank anyone has been granted since High General Turyalon bravely gave his life on the other side of the Dark Portal to save Azeroth. We don't know how far it has spread, by my son and your pupil is investigating the matter at this very moment. Hopefully we will be able to correct my mistake, for I was too slow to act upon this, even as the Kirin Tor urged me to do so. Perhaps age is getting to me"

"General," he cleared his throat "you are to quarantine the northlands and any other area which has shown outbreaks of the Plague. And, report to me if there is such a force of undead roaming the countryside. All we have had so far is rumors and terror news from the disgruntled and fleeing populations of peasants."

"Sire, it took us five years to prepare the Alliance for the coming of the orcs before the Second War, and even then we were nearly defeated, saved only by the orcs own traitorous nature. And even today, our armies are not as grand as they once were, and compounded upon that, they are scattered across the continent and realm, many as far south as Nethergarde Keep and the Blasted Lands. Will we be able to fully mobilize the Alliance in time, in the worst-case scenario?" Uther replied, finally realizing the scope of the ordeal.

"It is too early to raise forces for fighting a war. The only reports I have so far are the ones from my son, which are by now many days old, and the wild rumors of a population fleeing from disease" Terenas replied tactfully "You are hereby given authority to enact the full power of the Knights of the Silver Hand as well. May the Light and victory go with you"

"It will be done, sire" Uther replied, and turned about-face. Indeed, if things were as bad as the King said they were, and Terenas had always been a faithful and honest man, then the meager forces he would be able to raise might not be enough to contain the threat of an epidemic of unbelievable proportions.

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