Chapter 4: The Settlements

'Reporting to his majesty,' in Quel'thalas, an elven ranger reported to Anastherian Sunstrider and his son Kael'thas. He had been a student in Dalaran before moving to Moongrove, now an ageless immortal but was sent home by the Headmistress. 'Moongrove has fled the continent in a fleet of transport and battleships...but Lady Sakura let loose wooden puppets that move on their own, wandering the land as an army. They don't attack the wildlife nor people, but they target the undead.' he said. 'Moongrove is closed but remains as defensively-efficient as ever.'

'Well, at least we had help clearing the countryside.' said Anastherian with a sigh. 'We'll wait and see what happens but for now, we must prepare as well.' he mused. 'Even with Lady Sakura's aid, we can't exactly leave a bulk of the burden in protecting this land to her. And we will protect our OWN lands.' he said with emphasis. 'Kael, you are in charge of procuring food and medicine for our storehouses and organizing evacuation for the civilians. I'll get our brethren ready...for war. Sakura's been advised by a mysterious man to go to Kalimdor for a Final Stand...however, we cannot go back to our ancestral lands, not when our ancestors are exiled by Malfurion Stormrage for refusing to let go of magic that destroyed what we elves held dear. We cannot seek refuge in Kalimdor hence, as we are descendants of the exiled. And unlike our ancestors, we are mortal. We age like humans do now.'

That had been what's normal for Quel'dorei, since they were exiled, and no longer receive energy from the Well of Eternity, as well as no longer receiving immortality from Nozdormu and the World Tree. Like the mortals of Lordaeron, they are vulnerable to elements now, and age like they do even if their hunger for magic was sated by the Sunwell. The sunwell also gave them longevity, but alas, not immortality. He may appear human 20s, but he's in fact, a couple centuries old. Quel'dorei lifespan is only up to exactly a mere millennia unlike eternity of old.

'Why exile us for doing what we usually do?' Kael'thas grumbled. He wasn't a fan of history. He'd rather live in the present so that was one class he flunked growing up.

'The kal'dorei blame magic for bringing the Legion to this world...but I feel there is more to that.' said Anastherian thoughtfully. 'That, is impossible as Dalaran's using magic since before our ancestors came to this land. And Moongrove under Sakura is using magic as well.' he said. 'I feel I may not live to see the truth, so I hope that...you will. When Sakura returns, I want you to inquire. Until then, your duty is the survival of our blood.' he instructed firmly. 'Even if Quel'thalas burns, it will never die as long as our race lives. Land can be taken, stolen and reclaimed, but blood once lost, is lost forever.'

'Yes, father.' and Kael'thas left to do his job.

Organizing everything, will be difficult.

One: secure enough resources, tools and equipment for rebuilding.

Two: secure enough clothing, food, water and medicine.

Three: plan the design of caravans to accommodate EVERYBODY.

Four: design defenses.

'I'm not used to this...but I have to do what I have to do.'

The high elves stubbornly held on, protecting Quel'thalas and its territories against undead ever since a priest returned home to tell information.

Sakura was the most knowledgeable regarding the undead, having encountered them before in Northrend while in search of human lands since departing Kalimdor. So they began using fire and holy spells as well that indeed, proved effective. Physical means cannot slow down the dead, as the dead no longer feel pain.

Word spread to the alliance as well and to each, their own, now.

The younger temporary-immortal sighed.

His fellow students are immortal, to preserve their royal and noble bloodline in this...undead crisis.

He wondered if he'll ever live long enough to succeed his father and rule.

He once fell in love with Jaina, but she chose Arthas over him to his chagrin. He knew Jaina will never find happiness with Arthas given his personality. But he decided to let her see for herself instead of telling her himself. His heart aches, but what can he do?

Perhaps unless he recovers from heartbreak, will he find the courage to open his heart again.

xxx

Jaina Proudmoore may be a brilliant sorceress, but leader she is not, as she found the task of gathering survivors difficult.

One: nobody wanted to go out in the wilderness with just Jaina for protection. Bandits and monsters, anyone?

Two: the fear of undead made people fear leaving even more.

Three: Food and a roof over their head against elements, is an issue.

Lordaeron, for 5000 years since Sakura traveled around before founding Moongrove, made Lordaeron a fertile, lush forest something out of fantasy lands. Due to that, there's a huge surplus of food for those who eat leaves, they in turn breed and a surplus of them helps meat-eaters breed in turn when the time comes to carry young. Even for traveling civilians, it's easy to spot sustenance on the road hence. Meat? Fruit? Mushrooms? Oh, yes! Traveling in her younger years was EASY!

But also, made the forests veeeery dangerous too.

Sure, there are typical animals...but there ARE monsters as well, and hostile monster-tribes!

The military often trained...with casualties...in the woods. But it also motivated everyone to train to be strong enough against said creatures as everyone lived in forest plenty.

In the month that Sakura prepared her people with no trouble, Jaina HAS trouble, that she had to read books, and trying to convince her family to evacuate Kul Tiras for Kalimdor. But her father was confident in their naval defenses, thus didn't listen to her, but taught her what she needed to know that books cannot teach to save townsfolk mainland.

With that knowledge, she was able to prepare with her family's resources while she wandered around to rally survivors of the undead attack.

So few people remaining in small villages and towns in the countryside. They, she could convince. Large walled cities? Stubborn.

Well, she had no time to waste anyhow. The townsfolk are growing weary of their journey.

She had with her 5000 villagers. And with this 5000...humanity will live on.

They boarded the ships for Kalimdor hence, with Jaina pondering their future.

xxx

A month later...on a large island Sakura only knew. Perfect size, enough for a refuge.

'We're here.' Sakura muttered as numerous mages descended, each with a man of every family. They flattened the land and cleared out rocks for settlement of a newly-established city, before building walls and towers again. Took quite a while, though, and settling in was easy as pie. Her travel-weary people also settled in just fine.

The goblins who were well-paid sailed for home after everybody disembarked.

Sakura then left her city to visit Ashenvale by teleporting in, clad in her armor in front of Tyrande who was overlooking the cliffs.

'What brings you here again, Sakura?'

'Priestess...the Legion through its undead agents have returned.' Sakura reported, kneeling on one knee. That news, Tyrande did not expect, so she turned to look at the child her sisterhood raised.

'What?'

'The undead have been causing havoc in Lordaeron, the east continent where I lived for a couple thousand years...they began turning people by infecting humans with plagued grain that upon consumption, turns them undead. I evacuated my people to an island a bit away from Mainland as a temporary settlement, until we can go home again...it was a prophet who told me to sail back here for a final stand against the Legion...we need allies but to whom can we turn to? We know what they're after.'

'We alone turned the Legion away once before with the sundering as a price to pay, we shall turn them away once more.' Tyrande growled. 'How are your forces?'

'All mages who learned Earth Magics as well as trained warriors themselves, capable of fulfilling many roles. None of them showed addiction to magic...makes me wonder what are the origins of sorceries Azeroth knew long before I introduced Earth Magic. How can Azeroth Sorcery cause drug-like effects, I'll never know.'

'That's a mystery to be solved indeed.' Tyrande agreed. '...bring your warriors here, child. We will set up defenses around the World Tree. I will awaken the sleeping druids to aid us in this endeavor.'

'Yes, priestess. I'll assemble everyone in one week. We will be waiting by the roots then.' said Sakura as she left Tyrande a crystal bell. 'Sound this bell and speak to it and I will answer if you need me.' and Sakura was gone, leaving Tyrande to take the floating bell.

'The legion...why now, after so long...?' Tyrande frowned, pocketing the item. She left the lookout to get preparations made. It takes one week to get the sleeping druids awake, and go to the roots.

And a month and three weeks later, Jaina arrived with her people...around the same time Thrall did with his in southern Kalimdor.

The ship she was on spotted the Starfall towers.

'...Sakura's here...did that Prophet visit her as well and told her to move here?' Jaina wondered. 'I'll find out soon enough.' and she teleported in.

Granted, she has never been inside Moongrove City before...but people who came to study there swear up and down, that it's a beautiful place, full of beautiful people. The city was strategically built around trees as to not harm nature while there was still some form of urban planning. But no roads and pavement whatsoever. The roads are just flattened soil with a well-manicured lawn. The buildings are white and aesthetically-pleasing. Its people having a skin tone even nobles envy to have. Paler than the lightest of porcelain. Their hair glossy and soft-looking.

But here? The city is typical...of a beach settlement!

'Stranger, what brings you here?' a mage asked her.

'I seek an audience with Lady Sakura...is she home?' Jaina asked.

'Yes, milady is here...I'll take you to her.'

xxx

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'I see that you are here as well.' said Sakura, seeing Jaina. 'What has happened since I left the group?'

'Arthas, he...his passion made him do terrible things.' said Jaina softly. 'He decided to kill the infected people of Stratholme before they become Undead upon eating the Plagued Grain when they could've been possibly saved.' she said in a pained voice.

'Jaina...no power in this world, can bring the dead truly back to life.' Sakura shook her head grimly. 'However cruel, he made the right choice. No magic in this world could save them. Not even divine magic. You can only give them a dignified, pure death, than being aware you're a slave made into a grotesque living corpse, forced to serve demons until they decide your usefulness is over. Even then they'll consume your soul for nourishment. And the ending is a fate worse than both death and undeath. No man, woman or child deserved such a heinous fate.'

'That's...' Jaina croaked out before wilting where she stood. 'Should I have stayed with Arthas as he killed the city off? He's gone to Northrend to hunt Mal'Ganis...and a man told me he will only find death there, before advising me to come to Kalimdor.'

'Indeed he'll die there.' said Sakura bluntly. 'I warned you children before...that is a nest of monsters. Coming there alone was bad enough, a small group won't do much either.' she said. 'Even if you stayed, there is no convincing Arthas to not go. He firmly believes what he's doing is right, and he'll do it whether we like it or not. It doesn't help that he is fully confident of himself and his skills, and since you were children, everyone praised him that his ego grew. Thus he believes he is always right, even if some of his decisions are wrong. Because nobody told him no, and nobody told him that he can be wrong all his life since the day he started lessons.' she told Jaina who looked pained. 'That is a mistake always made in raising royal children, in a bid to suck up for power in the future. That, is called Corruptive Investment.'

Jaina choked at that. How apt, that sounded, and utterly dismaying, she swore.

But sadly, that can be true, given the attitudes of most nobles she's met...

'I am aware that you two love each other...but the flame you have is not even enough to make him stop.' ain't that the truth, Jaina thought bitterly. 'Seek a better future, Jaina. With a man who knows right and wrong the correct way, knows when to go and when to stop...for the sake of those whom he loves and who loves him back. And love will always make one listen to wise choices while they're at it.' she said. 'I will open my doors for your people to rest for one day. Then seek an island outside the mainland. Kalimdor, is no human's land.'

'But we need to find the Oracle...' Jaina fretted out. 'We need his knowledge for battle against the Burning Legion.'

'Oracle huh?' Sakura mused. 'I am allying with my foster clan about that.' she said. 'They defeated the Legion at a huge cost.'

'What cost?'

'10000 years ago...'

Sakura told Jaina the blunt truth of the story of the history she studied, regarding Queen Azshara, the woman WHO let the Burning Legion INTO the world in the first place, written by Night Elves who somehow by luck, managed to free themselves from the Glamour Effect on her already-incredible beauty that made her people hopelessly in love and loyal to her, and blinded to the woman's faults. These elves knew they could not do anything, thus wrote their true feelings and hid these books strategically in Ashenvale...and Sakura kept those books precious as well in her care, while finding a way to remove the Glamour one day to save her foster tribe from the madwoman's ego.

Until she gained wisdom after many days of constantly praying to Elune, asking the goddess for help to free the Night Elves. Sakura created a potion using divine ingredients sent to her by the goddess, and poured that potion over the many Moonwells when she arrived in Kalimdor a month ago, and the unwitting tribe drank freedom at long last, freed from Azshara's Glamour after more than 10000 years of catering to her ego. But one cannot argue that she was and still is, a competent queen.

However, not even these 'freed elves' have any idea what happened to Azshara and the other highborne since.

'So that's the origin of why Azeroth has the Legion's attention...it's solely her fault.' Jaina choked in a pained voice. 'And these night elves are freed after what's basically an eternity of worshiping an egocentric queen!'

'Elune never leaves her devouts.' said Sakura with a smile. 'Prayers are always answered if its for the sake of saving others. She is aware of 10000 years ago, but nobody prayed to her for help, too ensorcelled to only think of what will please Azshara...and even if the freed elves did try to pray to anyone NOT her, Azshara will detect the free wills, hunt them down and bend them to her will again those years ago. But now that she's banished, it is safe to give everyone their free will back.'

'Then, can I ally with you as well, Sakura?'

'Of course, for we share a common enemy...the Legion.' said Sakura kindly. 'For now, your people must find a settlement. One cannot do anything without a Home Base to speak of...'

xxx

So Jaina founded a nice island settlement she called Theramore. A nice island with a mountain...that means metal and concrete resources, not just wood.

Sakura helped her flatten the land with sorcery so her people can build temporary homes and facilities, as well as fishing for food using sorcery. Seaweed, Fish and shellfish are their lives now.

The Survivors of Lordaeron, healed with the waters of the Moonwell, had the vigor to build to live. Jaina ordered building, creating, crafting and training as a priority, while she looks for the Oracle in Kalimdor for divine advice.

In the meantime...

Tyrande and the Night Elves hasn't had it easy...the Legion struck the land, nearly got killed by Archimonde, and then there's Orcs!

Tyrande rang her bell, annoyed, prompting Sakura to appear by her side.

'You rang, priestess?'

'I'm having my hands full between the undead and trying to awaken the druids...and these greenskins are desecrating our groves.' Tyrande told her. 'I ask of you to deal with them, Sakura.'

'By your will.' Sakura bowed. 'I shall gain their intentions first. The humans call them Orcs. To their enemies, they are brutal and fearsome opponents, without parallel in their ferocity and cunning. They treasure reputation and honor as a form of gaining trust within their society that pervades all echelons of orcish society has made the race more cohesive and more of a threat to their adversaries. Even the naming of an orc is temporary until he has performed a rite of passage. Once an orc has brought honor to his name and the name of his clan, the elders give him a second name based upon his deed.'

'I once had an orc as a student in my magic academy...his name is Thrall, after escaping Gladiatorian Slavery in the hands of Durnholde Keep under the human named Blackmoore. He wished to lead his people back to righteousness and honor, after the Legion enslaved them as pawns, causing Humans to hate them in the past for what they were made to do as the Legion made them attack Humans. Honor lost by blood must be regained by blood. They wish for redemption. Thrall learned Healing from one of my schools under my personal tutelage, before seeking his kin. He feared arcane arts as it causes corruption even though I told him my other schools aren't arcane magic. He's probably Warchief by now.'

'Is that so?' Tyrande frowned. 'But this sacrileged cannot be overlooked. They didn't even replace the trees they took!' she said, upset by it.

'I shall talk with them immediately.' and Sakura went in search of the orcs in Night Elven lands. Had they remained south where the barren deserts are, the elves could care less about nature there.

In the camp, its current chief, was Grom Hellscream. A tall, lanky orc.

'Throm'ka, Warrior.' Sakura greeted. 'I am Sakura, the envoy of the Kal'dorei, the elven race who lives in these forests.'

'...what's a human doing with those tall, long-eared people?' Grom asked her warily. For a human(?), her skin is white, not pink...

'Just as how Thrall was raised by humans, I was raised by Kal'dorei as a child.' said Sakura. Grom frowned, as Thrall told him tales about his days in the internment camp, the only light in his days was his foster human sister Taretha who was killed for helping him escape. As such, this is my homeland as well.' she told him, waving an arm towards the woods. 'Priestess Tyrande wishes to ascertain your intentions as while your way of life is normal by your standards, it harms nature in turn...at this rate, you will gain the ire of the demigod Cenarius. They will attack soon unless you do restitution with my help.'

'I see. And what is this, restitution? Gold?' Grom snarked sarcastically. Sakura shook her head, chuckling.

'They have no use for gold for they live off the land.' Sakura gave him a small pouch, and a glass pitcher of a shimmering white potion. 'Plant these seeds in place of the tree roots you uproot after logging trees, and one drop of this potion directly on the seed is sufficient to instantly regrow them into trees. You are to replace what is taken, and I will occasionally return to resupply you with seeds and potion. That way, you will soothe the worries of the tribe before Lord Cenarius gets angry.' she said. 'No mere mortal like ourselves, will survive divine wrath and we'd rather avoid that.' she said. 'The Kal'dorei have a safer way of logging trees using Wisps, nature spirits who quickly heal what they cut so trees never fall.'

Grom supposed so, as there's little of their tribe remaining. Bad enough the Legion drastically shaved off their numbers upon corrupting them into slavery, after demons it's a god this time? Can't they get a break, he wondered. As of now, Thrall's priority was finding a suitable settlement, and for their now small tribe to prosper before they face extinction.

'Very well.' said Grom, accepting the items. 'Thrall's looking for the Oracle who guided him into going to Kalimdor to seek a new home, as well as seek our destiny here. He received a vision in his dream...and he met a prophet, saying we must leave Lordaeron for this land, for the burning shadow will soon consume Lordaeron...did it happen?'

'It did.' Sakura said unhappily, conjuring visuals for Grom and nearby Orcs to see. It was...quite the sight. 'The dead rose from their graves. They created more dead by infecting grain and unwitting people eat it...and they too, become new undead. A prelude of what's to come. We cannot save everyone, those who turn a deaf ear to pleas. Those who listened, are saved and spared from fear.'

'Undead...what the hell...' Grom gawked at the images, shaken. Sakura also showed them her travels with Jaina and Arthas in their encounter against the Undead. Specific visuals though. 'They're the Legion's new playthings now after making patsies out of us?'

'Better them than us any day.' Sakura pointed out with a shrug.

'True...'

'Tell Thrall his old Healing teacher dropped by OK?' said Sakura before disappearing.

'...what now?' Grom blurted, perplexed. An elf envoy was also his friend's teacher? And to think he won't be back yet, seeking an Oracle regarding their future! 'Sigh, let's get to this. Men! Uproot those stumps so we can get planting, lest we piss off another tribe! We're nearly extinct as it is!'

xxx

'I see, so that is why they are here.' Tyrande finished listening to Sakura's tale of her short time with the current boss. 'But I never heard of an Oracle in Kalimdor before.'

'Maybe whoever that was took someplace in Kalimdor their home and pinpointed the Orcs here...' Sakura then showed a vision of Grom planting trees. 'Hmm, he's already replanting what they took. Good for him.'

'Somewhat redeemed. Somewhat.' said Tyrande flatly. 'I still do not condone strangers to our lands. They are still under observation.' she said, sending a Wisp out on orders.

xxx

Moments later...

Cenarius received word from the Wisp sent by Tyrande.

The Legion is coming back.

A prophet guided the Orcs to Kalimdor to seek an Oracle for help against the Legion that once enslaved them to earn redemption, and seeking advice for a future good for their kind. So until they find him, they'll be 'unwanted guests' for the time being while replacing the trees they used in building settlements.

He'll observe. But if they attack, all bets are off, for they do not give second chances.

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