LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 122: Chapter 122
Whilst the Horde forces summoned from the future were attacking from the north, the Alliance was launching a desperate assault from the south.
It was desperate, because the Alliance forces were limited to less than 3,000 soldiers. Time travel was a dangerous concept, and moving one, let alone a thousand individuals invited backlash from the forces of the universe.
The strike team put together by Chromie was designed to punch a hole in the Elven defenses, and sucker punch them while they were celebrating the return of the Sunwell.
Yet the 3,000 troops summoned were no slouches.
Five large gunships took the lead, and thrummed with the power of Gnomish engineering. Shaped like boats, these vessels growled forth into the morning fog like beasts on the prowl. Turbine engines roared as they powered propellers, and the constant shoveling of coal into furnaces took place to keep these behemoths afloat.
Emerging from a portal, a super sized gunship made its presence known.
Where the other gunships were the average size of a ship of the line, this vessel was like that of an aircraft carrier.
It was the Alliance's ultimate weapon.
The super heavy class carrier:
Indomitable
A constant stream of gyrocopters, and Gnomish Bombers (biplanes) swarmed around the carrier, and an incredible noise permeated the skies.
The Indomitable cast a shadow overland, yet it did not hide the Alliance ground forces.
Assembled down below were the finest units the Alliance could muster on such short notice.
A regiment of Elite mounted knights led from the front, and formed the advance party.
"Forward men! This is our chance to show the traitors to the Alliance what real courage is! Chaaarge!" A mounted officer waved his sword, and then slammed his helmet shut once his mount moved forward.
Following after him, a great big plume of dust rose into the air, and the ground quaked as the full might and fury of the cavalry bore down upon some Elven positions.
Covering the knights on the left wing were a dozen Dwarven steam tanks. Their massive wheels ground the soil into mud, and great bellows of steam wafted into the air as they churned forth.
"Open fire, open fire!!" One Dwarf roared into a handheld radio, and transmitted the message between his unit.
Almost as one, artillery shells began to blast out of turrets, and distant explosions rumbled across the land.
The same Dwarven leader turned on the speakers to his tank, and shouted a battle cry.
"For Khaz Modan!"
Bringing up the right flank was the rest of the army. Human foot men clad in plate armor, and cloaked rifle toting Dwarves made up this body.
"For the blue and gold boys!" An officer slammed his sword into his shield, and jogged forth.
"Sod that, I want me a pretty Elven wife!"
"For Jenkins' pretty wife!"
"Huaaah!"
The officer looked at the men and women under his command a little flabbergasted, but he didn't have the luxury to care about that as spells, explosives, and arrows began to come their way.
"Look alive people, this is the real thing! Keep going forward, and we might just-" The officer got out, but then was turned to cinder as an Arcane Cannon got a bead on him.
"Captain's down! Forward forward!" Another soldier raised the banner of a golden lion on a blue background, and led the men towards the enemy.
Behind the soldiers, 40 Champions of Azeroth followed. They sidestepped, and dodged the very worst attacks, and had a priest heal them on the spot if they were weakened. Meanwhile, they ignored all of the bleeding, screaming, and dying soldiers as they made their way towards the center of the island.
"Do you think Sylvanas will be there?"
"Ah, now there's a woman I could hate all day."
"Hey, hey, a guy here named Jenkins died, you think he's a cousin of yours, Leroy?"
While all of this was going down, three Heroes of the future and past sternly regarded the advance from within the command room of the Indomitable.
Among the occupants was the aged King, Terenas Menethil. The father to Arthas, brooded over a scrying orb, and was busily adjusting the course of the army, and assigning targets as they came.
The orb depicted a real time display of the events taking place outside of the airship.
Clenching his fist, Terenas pounded the table as the mounted knights began to run into runes that were scattered around the island. Furthermore, once he had ordered them to adjust to go around these magic runes, they had run headlong into hidden mines!
Over a quarter of the Elite force had perished before their lances even tasted the blood of the enemy.
"The hidden nature of the Elves has proven time and time again to have been a detriment to the Alliance. If only we had listened to the prophet, then we could have at least left the Elves to the Scourge." Terenas spoke in a heavy tone. His charismatic, deep bass voice suffused the room with an aura of power, of leadership, and of calm fury.
The grey haired man was wrinkly, and looked as if he might fold from a brisk wind, yet a thin film of Light coated his form. He may look weak, but the master of Lordaeron still had the strength of a Hero about him.
"Yes, they are quite greedy for power too, aren't they? I relinquished my power for the good of the realm, it is time for the Elves to do so as well." Aegwynn, mother to Medivh, and former Guardian of Tirisfal said in an admonishing tone.
The old enchantress looked like a blonde in her 20's, and spoke in a cultured voice.
"I only hope they see reason. If we can resolve things diplomatically with the least amount of casualties, then that would be the best outcome." The middle aged blonde sorceress, Jaina Proudmoore said in a tired, yet wishful tone.
"Older you may be, yet ever the optimist. I see why Arthas was interested in you girl. But we are too far in to talk like that now." Teneras sternly pointed towards the scrying orb, which depicted the vast number of Human casualties that were beginning to increase by the second.
"Yes, this Varrus Vandercross character is too dangerous to live." Aegwynn added on, and frowned as the scrying orb she was watching depicted a different scene of destruction.
While Teneras had been focused on the ground, she had been observing the air.
Two floating towers edged their way closer and closer to the gunships' formation, and they had cannons poking out of every side. In fact, the cannons were so numerous, the tower could best be described as resembling a porcupine.
Whichever Elf had designed this weapon had a sick mind, as enchanted instruments were playing aboard the craft, and were broadcasting music that could be heard both near and far.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGU1P6lBW6Q)
But what really concerned Aegwynn most about these floating twin towers, was that they were piloted by what seemed to be the same matrix that made up a golems core. Meaning, these floating weapons platforms were entirely autonomous,
Not only that, but they were well shielded as well.
Already, they had survived the broadside of several gunships, as well as the concentrated firepower of dozens of gyrocopters/biplanes.
Yet when the towers returned fire, they unleashed a seemingly never ending deluge of fire balls mixed with electro bolts.
Upon the opening engagement, a fifth of the air force had been taken out of the sky, and one of the gunships had been blasted to smithereens.
"Yes, Teneras is correct, dear. It is too late to go back. The threshold has been crossed, and the point of no return has been removed from the map. We either persevere, or die trying." Aegwynn proclaimed, she then stood up, and a heavy aura of Arcane energy began to spread forth.
"...very well. You two are right. I've known a few good Elves, and hate to see suffering. But I must admit, there are a few of them I'd like to see suffer after what they did to Theramore." Jaina also rose from her seat, and had a look of resolve on her face.
"Send me down. I need to be with the men." Teneras demanded.
Jaina flicked her hand, and teleported the old King down with the knights.
Emerging from a portal, King Terenas was a beacon of Light. Holy energy radiated off of him in waves.
Many of the knights that had gone into a rout due to the overwhelming deluge of arrows, magical bolts, and mines had turned around to listen to the aged monarch.
"Rally! Rally sons and daughters of man! It is we who will decide the fates of Man. Not some feckless Elves that cower at the mere sight of grime or mud!"
"Aye!" Some of-but not all of-the men cheered.
Terenas, noticing this, raised his sword, and sliced cleanly through an 8ft tall Iron Golem. He then stood upon its remains, and held his sword high.
"Are you not Elites of the Alliance, true veterans of a dozen battles?" Teneras asked in a questioning tone.
"Aye." The men answered back in quiet voices.
"I did not note fear in the eyes of the Dwarves as they passed us by. I ask you again, are you not Elites of the Alliance, true veterans of a dozen battles?!" Terenas asked again, this time with some heat in it.
"Aye!" The men clamored, and yelled.
Teneras grinned down at them. He saw fear in their eyes, he saw mud covering their gear, he saw the wounded biting back screams of pain, and comrades covering one another from bolts of magic or arrows.
They were his.
Jumping upon a riderless mount, Teneras unleashed a Protective Aura all around himself, releasing a thin film of energy onto the unit. His action didn't stop there, as a Blessing of Might fell upon each man, and horse, doubling their strength.
"Soldiers, squires, knights…Men of the Alliance! In the name of the Holy Light, CHAAAAARGE!!!" Teneras took the lead, and ran straight towards a large clump of Iron Golems.
"For the Alliance!" The knights roared with him, and followed with him.
Explosions, and the sound of twisted metal echoed throughout the southern reaches of Quel'Danas as the heat of battle spread across all fronts.
With Teneras at the helm, hundreds of Iron Golems were easily torn to bits. Furthermore, his aura greatly diffused the power behind the mines and runes that littered the ground. Any knight caught in these explosions was merely rocked in place, or minorly injured instead of instantly killed.
Teneras was making great progress, and thought they might even reach the center of the island. That the Champions of Azeroth may not even be needed!
He was at the height of his optimism when a dozen of his troops were suddenly cut down in a flash.
From within the ranks of the golems, a dark knight clad in midnight armor stepped forth.
His enchanted blade was black, and seemed to suck all the light out of the atmosphere.
"Thaladred the Darkener." Teneras muttered in hate.
His family had told stories of an ancient Elf that killed without remorse. They told of an arrogant man who would hold bridges, allowing none to pass unless he had been dueled to his satisfaction.
Countless Humans had fallen prey to his blade over the millenia.
Pulling at the reins of his horse, Teneras charged forth with righteous fury.
"Today is the day of your end, Darkener!" Teneras roared.
"Ah, another Menethil. I'd recognize that Protective Aura anywhere. I welcome the entertainment." Thaladred mocked.
"Have at you!" Teneras raised his blade high, and engaged in the duel of his life.
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Meanwhile, back within the Indomitable, Aegwynn and Jaina had watched Teneras's speech, and were preparing to take action themselves.
"It's up to us to hold the line, dear. Best of luck to you." Aegwynn nodded at Jaina, then ported herself to the top of the flying carrier.
From her position, she saw 4 more floating buildings slowly emerge from the fog. The way they positioned themselves, it looked as if they were going to match the gunships.
Unlike the two 'porcupine' autonomous towers, these buildings had gunners operating Arcane Cannons, and there were mages actively maintaining shields and enchantments.
Aegwynn was observing these events with an enhanced magical sight, and as she was analyzing the enemy forces, she locked eyes with an old acquaintance.
"Alistair Bloodsworn. You sat on the Council of Six, and acted as an administrator of Dalaran for years. For the sake of the camaraderie we once shared, stand aside, and order your mages down.' Aegwynn demanded, her voice magically crossed the distance, and it sounded like the two mages were having a conversation in the same room.
"I cherished those years of peace, of educating young minds. But you, Aegwynn, are the last person I would heed council from. It is through your son that the Dark Portal was opened. The calamities of the last 20 years can be traced back to your pride and arrogance. If you had relinquished the powers of the Guardian, none of this would have happened." Alistair's voice boomed across the early fog of the morning.
"Then you give me no choice. Goodbye, Alistair." Aegwynn harrumphed, then lifted up a brightly staff.
Countless purple dots emerged from the aether. and then thousands of tennis-ball sized motes of pure Arcane rushed towards Alistair's position like rain in a storm.
In response, Bloodsworn had summoned a dozen fire phoenixes the size of sparrows. These fiery apparitions gobbled up the incoming attack like birds consuming locusts in a swarm.
Each Arcane bolt consumed spawned an additional phoenix, further metastasizing Alistair's spell.
"You don't think dueling the Guardian would be so easy, do you?" Aegwynn's voice thrummed with power and the air trembled as she flexed her mana.
"A hollow title given to one more focused on power than study. You died years ago, Aegwynn, and no longer hold such a title, whilst I have had time to learn from your mistakes." Alistair calmly replied.
During their duel, the Arcane Towers, and Alliance gunships were bombarding one another in a frenzy of magic and Dwarven ingenuity.
Bright flashes of white, blue, and scarlet colored the early morning sky, and reflected off the fog. Explosions rang throughout the air, and the sound of men screaming, swearing, and cheering reached the heavens.
The battle for the skies over Quel'Danas had begun.
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Whilst the duel between the Grand Magister of the Blood Elves, and the former Guardian was underway, Jaina was still within the command room.
Jaina sighed to herself as she saw an oncoming swarm of dragonhawk knights, and one of her past suitors, Kael'Thas Sunstrider.
The arrogant Prince had turned to the Demons, and became uncaring of the world. The fact she couldn't permanently end him here and now for the sake of the timeline irked her to no end.
But everything she did, it was for peace.
"For Azeroth." Jaina muttered aloud to herself as she targeted Kael'Thas with one of her most powerful spells.
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AN: Read 25 chapters ahead at: patreon.com/KarpQQ