"You have information, Rothgar? About this explosion? You've returned quickly." The high priestess eyed him, and he bowed before her and the assembled leadership of the church. "Yes, my lady. I have…information, and two messages. I will start with my information, which I am certain of. Teldrassil and Darkshore appear to be fine. There are some dead sea animals washing ashore, which seem to have been burned to death, but we have no casualties from these areas. The explosion was centered over a string of islands off the northwestern coast, called Azuremyst. Very lightly populated, some fishermen, but no settlements. We haven't managed to get out there yet, none of the passenger vessels are interested in going, and the fishing fleet is avoiding the area."
"It is a blessing that such an event chose such a remote area to happen in." Laurena smiled, but it did not quite make it all the way to her eyes. Something had happened in an area so remote that they could not get to it quickly. Something utterly devastating and it was beyond their reach so far. And it happened in darkness…
"Yes, my lady. Perhaps we should request assistance from Lady Proudmoore?" The Theramore Fleet would be the safest bet to send.
"You said you have messages? From?"
"I am not certain. She was…rather enigmatic. She gave her name as Ranith, but gave me little to go on. Said she hailed from somewhere called Shattrath, which I've never heard of. Said she had a message from her people's leader…"
"And what people is that?"
He grimaced, shaking his head. "She deliberately did not say. She gave the leader a name, Velen, but that was it. She claims they are a refugee group, and they have crashed on the islands we're looking at. She says they have injured, and are poorly equipped."
Grumbles, some laughter from the others, but the high priestess's gaze did not falter. "Her second message was…" he shrugged, under the gaze. "Seer babble. It meant little to me, but perhaps you know more… She said that the Legion walks the Path of Glory. I can only assume she refers to the Burning Legion. I do not know any such Path of Glory." He waited, but Laurena only shook her head to show she did not know it, either.
"It is a disturbing statement. It could be the words of a zealot, the path of glory sounds like a way of conquest." She finally murmured. "There was more?"
"She said that the Portal will open before them, soon, and beyond it is Azeroth."
"Many claim the Portal is on the verge of opening. They've been saying that since it was closed. Still the words of a zealot."
"True. Then she said that the exiles have come to Azeroth, to stand beside the Alliance against the Legion. Velen's people, and that they stand in the naaru's blessing and the true path of the Light."
"Where is this…Ranith…now?" A different voice preceded the arrival of the Archbishop, and Roth bowed before him.
"Due in Menethil soon. We have time to intercept her at the docks if we wish, and determine just what they are. They are not human, or any of our allies…"
"Horde?" Laurena demanded, and he shrugged.
"She was tall enough to be trollish, I suppose." He admitted, gesturing his hand over his head at her approximate height. "But she is not a troll. She moved wrong to be that. Rather thin hands, very tall. Her companion, very big. Almost tauren bull sized, but likewise, he didn't move like it. No, neither of them were a race I'm familiar with. We should not let them disembark in Menethil…"
"Menethil, I assume." Alexei stated slowly, watching the docks near, and Ranith nodded. Menethil came with a welcoming party… a line of paladins and priests on the dock, all intently watching the boat… Rothgar standing at the plank when the ship slowed to a stop.
