In the frontline camp of the Resistance, the high-ranking officers led by Jarod sat opposite a delegation of elaborately dressed Highborne.
At the head of the group, a blonde Night Elf wearing red robes politely acknowledged Jarod and the others with noble etiquette. "It is an honor to meet you all. I am Dath'Remar Sunstrider. In the name of Queen Azshara, I have come to discuss with you how to end this war and establish peace."
"Peace?"
To Jarod's left, a female Highborne officer sneered. Her eyes, burning with intense hatred, fixed upon Dath'Remar as she demanded, "Mr. Sunstrider, did I hear that correctly?"
"The Queen has not only summoned demons to wantonly slaughter our people, but she even sent someone to assassinate Lord Kur'talos Ravencrest of Black Rook Hold—a man whose only aim was to serve the Crown and expel the demons. And now you tell me she wants peace?"
Thud!
Unable to control her emotions, the woman slammed her hand on the table and stood up. "Don't make me laugh! If you want peace, hand over that piece of filth Varo'then first! I want him to pay for his blood debts!"
"Illysanna." Jarod sighed softly, standing up to comfort her. "Don't be so agitated. We will never forget what happened to Lord Ravencrest. Let us first hear Mr. Sunstrider's perspective on this matter."
Dath'Remar took a long look at the trembling Illysanna. "This must be Lord Ravencrest's daughter. I, Dath'Remar, on behalf of the Sunstrider family, offer my deepest condolences for what happened to your father."
"Lord Ravencrest was undoubtedly an outstanding noble. Many Highborne in Zin-Azshari mourn his passing as well. However, as for the orders personally issued by the Queen... we have no right to question them."
"Hmph!"
Under Dath'Remar's appropriate conduct and Jarod's persuasion, Illysanna Ravencrest finally managed to calm her emotions. Although her expression remained grim, at the very least, she stopped her uncontrolled outburst in front of the group.
Patting Illysanna's shoulder to settle the Ravencrest descendant back into her seat, Jarod used this topic to press Dath'Remar.
"Mr. Sunstrider, what happened to Lord Ravencrest is by no means an isolated case. Prince Farondis of Azsuna was also brutally suppressed by the Queen simply because he expressed dissatisfaction with her summoning of the demons."
"They were all Highborne, yet they were cruelly silenced just because their views differed from the Queen's."
"Our act of openly calling for a Resistance is even more radical. The Queen must have wanted to eliminate us long ago. How can you expect us to believe that Queen Azshara—who tolerates no defiance—has any sincere intention for reconciliation?"
Dath'Remar found this question quite a headache. He hadn't actually brought any genuine sincerity from the Queen. Azshara held an attitude that reconciliation was fine if it happened, but it didn't really matter if it didn't. As for "sincerity"... it simply didn't exist.
Keeping his inner distress hidden, Dath'Remar maintained his aristocratic poise and smiled. "I will relay your concerns to the Queen. However... I would like to know the core demands of the Resistance."
"With what conviction did you all decide to take up arms and rebel against Her Majesty the Queen, who led the Night Elf Empire to its greatness?"
Jarod shook his head in rebuttal. "Those are two separate matters, Mr. Sunstrider. You are conflating concepts."
"It is true that in the first half of her life, the Queen led the empire in various conquests, securing an unprecedentedly vast territory for the Night Elves and even subjugating the Trolls who once ruled the world, spreading our race's glory across the entire continent of Kalimdor."
"But none of those achievements can negate her monstrous crimes of summoning demons, slaughtering civilians, and attempting to destroy the entire world."
Jarod spoke firmly, "Even so, our core objective is not Queen Azshara herself, but rather the expulsion of the demons, so that Kalimdor may return to peace and harmony."
Maiev looked with satisfaction at her younger brother's commanding presence. Jarod's growth was her greatest harvest in this war.
"The Sisterhood of Elune holds the same stance," Maiev said with a stoic expression, looking at Dath'Remar. "We do not care whether the Queen worships Elune; the Moon Goddess never interferes with anyone's freedom of belief."
"However, her act of inviting demons—whose nature is filled with chaos and destruction—into Azeroth is an intolerable error in the eyes of Elune. Until Queen Azshara abandons her support for the demons, we will not make a single concession."
The statements from the Shadowsong siblings represented the military and the faith systems respectively. As a descendant of the traditional and prestigious Ravencrest line, Illysanna and other Highborne with strong wills to resist also expressed their own demands.
"Cease trusting the demons and return the Night Elf Empire to its proper path. Class conflicts are not unsolvable; as long as both sides are willing to sit down and negotiate calmly, a suitable balance can be found."
The firm convictions and statements of the Resistance leaders had a significant impact on Dath'Remar.
Compared to those nobles in Zin-Azshari who lived in a dreamlike stupor and merely drifted through life, the will of these Resistance compatriots was far more concentrated. Moreover, their initial and ultimate goal was never rebellion, but solely to expel the Burning Legion that was ravaging the world.
"...I have sensed the attitude of you all."
Prompted by an assistant behind him, Dath'Remar snapped out of his daze. "I will relay your views to the Queen exactly as they are. I hope—"
"Sorry, I'm late."
Before Dath'Remar could finish, the flap of the main command tent was pulled open. Malfurion, having just returned from the front lines, entered the room with an apologetic look.
Lately, the Archdruid had been throwing himself into the battlefield almost non-stop to keep his mind from wandering, using busy work to alleviate the growing anxiety in his heart.
Jarod introduced him to Dath'Remar. "Mr. Sunstrider, this is the leader of the Druidic path, Archdruid Malfurion Stormrage."
Dath'Remar narrowed his eyes and observed Malfurion carefully. The heavy "earthy" scent on the other man made him quite uncomfortable. Similarly, Malfurion felt ill at ease with the "unnatural" arcane energy swirling around Dath'Remar.
In Malfurion's view, the energy absorbed from the Well of Eternity had lost its purity after being processed by the body, being worlds apart from the arcane energy he cultivated through his own practice.
Both were cultivated individuals, so their inner repulsion did not show on their faces. Malfurion gave Dath'Remar a polite nod, though his casual manner only deepened Dath'Remar's distaste.
"Mr. Sunstrider, I would like to ask you about someone."
Dath'Remar raised an eyebrow. Recalling the contents mentioned in his intelligence, a faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Archdruid, if you are asking about the whereabouts of High Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind, I can only tell you that she is still imprisoned by the Queen in the palace. At the very least, she is currently safe."
"No, I wasn't asking about her." Malfurion shook his head in denial. "I want to know if you have heard any rumors in Zin-Azshari recently... for instance, the appearance of a strange energy never seen before?"
"Hmm?"
Hearing this, Dath'Remar dropped his professional smile. He looked at Malfurion solemnly and asked back, "You mean... Andreas Moonshadow?"
Malfurion's eyes lit up. "Exactly. You have indeed heard of him? Can you tell me the latest news regarding him?"
Dath'Remar nodded. "To be honest, I had a brief exchange with Mr. Moonshadow previously."
"He was injured by Archimonde when he entered the city half a month ago. Out of necessity, he disguised himself as an ordinary crow and hid within a Highborne family to recover. His injuries should have improved by now."
Malfurion's expression changed sharply upon hearing that Andreas had been personally injured by Archimonde. He immediately recalled the fel ray that had pierced the sky half a month ago. It was only after learning that Andreas was still safe that he let out a long sigh of relief.
Dath'Remar curled his lip and threw a bucket of cold water on Malfurion's relief. "Don't be relieved too soon. Before I left the city, the demons maintained a high-intensity search. They might find their way to the Noble District at any time. His situation is not optimistic."
Boom!
A series of explosions echoing from the direction of Zin-Azshari captured everyone's attention. Confused, the group left the main tent and went outside. Both Dath'Remar and Malfurion could feel the surging energy in the distance, and both of their faces were filled with expressions of horror.
Amidst his surprise, Dath'Remar thought thoughtfully, An energy clash of this scale... only an expert of Queen Azshara's caliber could achieve this.
What on earth happened in Zin-Azshari during the time I've been away?