Warcraft 3: Broken Blessings

Chapter 2

"Where is he?" a regal, blond-haired Elven male asked from where he stood out to watch the small city he ruled over. It had been a full year since he managed to separate from his home of Quel'Thalas. The small city he had built was a shy reminder of what splendor it used to be. There were shining towers. Clean streets. Enough provisions from trade and other means, if needed. But, the lack of one good military official could be critical in his defense.

The regal Elf had three glowing green orbs that hovered over him, and his robe bore massive, gilded gold pauldrons to show his vast importance. Long locks of blond hair were evenly parted to flow down his back and frame his face between his long ears. His glowing green eyes seemed to search for anything. Yet they found nothing.

"Who do you speak of?" a lesser dressed Elven male asked. He was likely a retainer of sorts.

"Perhin. It's been almost a week! He's never been one to ever fall in battle. He always reports. If he's missing..." the regal Elf cringed. At the sound of a knock on the elaborate door, a messenger was there. The lesser Elf was quick to confront the other.

"Anaria shola!" the retainer frowned.

"I bring word," the messenger seemed to fret. "that our platoon that we sent to scour the outer regions...they have gone missing! All of them!"

"What? No!" the regal Elf gaped.

"Honorable Kael'thas..." the messenger sighed and handed over a torn satchel. "This was found at the scene of where a battle was."

"It...can't be..." he cringed and took the bag. On it was an elaborate, gilded crest that showed leadership. It was one that Kael'thas gave Perhin himself.

"But..." the messenger said with a small smile. "there was no body of his to be found."

"Was there no body?!" Kael'thas now gaped.

"No. I found a trail of blood, instead. I wanted to follow it...but..." he sighed.

"You have done enough. You have given us a form of hope. Mataris, send the word to our best scouts! Go! Do not delay in this!" Kael'thas ordered. His retainer nodded and quickly moved to do just that. The messenger was commended and sent back to his quarters to rest. Kael'thas let his gaze move to the torn satchel in his hands. He went to a desk to empty the contents. What he found was a note hidden amidst various camping items. On pulling out the rolled paper and opening it, he saw what was recorded.

The Scourge was coming. The air was getting colder. Signs of undead were already being seen in the distance. The colder weather only proved it. On gleaning the bottom of the letter, he saw where the pen suddenly stopped. It looked dug in as though it was from a form of panic. His platoon was definitely attacked! But was it by undead? Or by something else?

Kael'thas could only grimace and move to stand out on the balcony again. He took out a telescope of mother-of-pearl with golden engravings and opened it to view through it. His glowing green eyes locked on the looming grey in the exceptionally far distance. Even he knew that it wasn't a normal cloud cover. It was an attack in the works. He judged it was a good two months off by where the landscape was. I have to prepare my troops now. I have to ready them for another war. That also meant he had to reach out to what allies he had to warn them in advance.

"He's alive. He has to be alive..." Kael'thas muttered to himself and moved to a scrying ball he had. He knew his Commander well. Using his memories as a focus, he pulled up the location of where Perhin was. Or at least where he should be. He was actually quite baffled at what he saw in the scrying ball. How could a forest area be so thick with growth?! "Something isn't adding up. I need to check this out in deeper detail."