Chapter 408
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Chapter 408: Another Chance
During these few days in Stonard, apart from the first day when Jesse went on a mission with the Paladin, the following two days were spent assisting the priests.
One evening, a group of wounded soldiers escorted by Lordaeron cavalry bearing white shield emblems arrived at Stonard. Jesse joined a group of soldiers working there to help transport the wounded to the clearing outside the priests’ underground lair. Shortly after, it started to rain, so he helped move the injured soldiers who couldn’t stay under the tents into the caves.
After a busy afternoon, Jesse didn’t even have time for a meal. He changed into fresh clothing and sat resting under a tent near the Orc cave. Several soldiers who seemed to be from Stormwind were nearby, discussing the conditions of the wounded.
One soldier asked with concern, "Why are there suddenly so many injured people being brought here? Has the situation worsened ahead?"
A soldier next to him answered, "No, these soldiers are probably sent back here to rest because they cannot fight for now. I heard the soldiers up front saying that the demons near Nethergarde have been mostly pushed back. General Mograine is getting ready to help Dreadmaul Keep. If the demons take over Dreadmaul Keep, it will be even harder to reclaim Storm Altar. Even Nethergarde is under direct threat from the demon army."
Jesse knew that Dreadmaul Keep was the first stronghold built by Orcs in Azeroth, larger than Stonard which was initially just a lookout post. Over a decade later, it was taken over by Ogres, maybe because the fall of Lordaeron and the destruction of Dalaran left the Alliance powerless to control this area. The soldier continued, "Reinforcements have been arriving, many Gryphon Riders from Ironforge have come. It will be easier to patrol this swamp and the nearby mountains of Nethergarde."
A soldier sitting behind him said, "I wonder when this will end… Demons keep pouring out from the Dark Portal, unlike dealing with Orcs."
"What’s the situation on the other side of the Dark Portal?" Jesse couldn’t resist asking.
Several soldiers looked over, one of them shook his head, "No news at all."
A bearded soldier nearby said, "The initial messages sent by the Wildhammer Knights mentioned that the demons have also taken over the Dark Portal on the other side… I don’t know if you’ve seen that side, but our Dark Portal here stands lonely and misty, like a small green window from afar. However, the other side’s Dark Portal is like a massive castle. If the demons occupy it, regaining control will be as tough as reclaiming Nethergarde."
"Have you been to the other side?"
"I was in the transport group before, been there twice."
"As long as we achieve victory on our side again, breaking through the Dark Portal with the expedition forces will surely lead to success once more."
Jesse knew that the people here were not aware that Draenor was on the brink of collapse, but the world was crumbling not as quickly as Jesse had expected. He wondered if the time in the past few days was enough for the expedition forces to return from various places in Draenor to the Dark Portal.
It was difficult to imagine, but Draenor was a huge planet, although not as big as Azeroth, it was still a whole world.
Since Ner’zhul had decided to use the three Sacred Tools to open the portal, it meant that he was cornered and somewhere in a corner of Draenor.
He might be trapped inside the Karabor Temple in Shadowmoon Valley now, while the Alliance expedition forces had already reached the foot of the temple.
The distance between that temple and the Dark Portal… considering the situation here, it was unimaginable, given that the Alliance forces had almost smoothly advanced after defeating the remnants of the Horde in the final battle at the Dark Portal, and it took them nearly half a year to arrive there.
Coming back, facing demons appearing everywhere in the rifts of Draenor, encountering the obstacles of the Horde remnants, stepping on the cracking ground and the murky sky.
Jesse could hardly imagine the huge disaster the other side was facing; in comparison, he considered himself quite lucky in this marshland.
The next morning, the portalmages gathered again near the Stonard gate, where another batch of teleportations was about to open.
Unlike in the Wizard’s Sanctum where the gate opened the passage for teleportation, mages here maintained the stability of the entrance and exit using their magic after the teleportation channel was opened. However, even so, Jesse could feel the surging Arcane energy tearing through space, stronger than what he had felt in the Wizard’s Sanctum.
The mages were trying their best to keep the gates stable, even with some members of the Transmutation school of mages who had come here before joining in to help, it was clear that everyone was finding it quite difficult.
Before long, brightly dressed mages started coming out of the portal, with Magino Master Dumas from the Wizard’s Sanctum among them.
After chatting with Barry Fred for a while, he returned to the group of mages who had come with him, while Fred gathered the mages who had been staying here for a few days.
"From now on, Master Dumas will take charge of the magical defenses in Stonard, more demon-hunting mages will be arriving here soon. Colleagues from the Wizard’s Sanctum, Nethergarde now needs more mages to help with the counterattack. Please come to me if you are willing to go and help, and tell me your name."
They were about to summon mages to Nethergarde again, but this time, not as many mages were eager to step forward. Even those who intended to sign up did not have the fiery look of determination that the official mages had on the first day of battle.
Perhaps the battles and exhaustion of the past few days had worn down their spirits, along with the news of the cruelty of the demons.
"Jesse Seso," Jesse came to Fred and told him his name, saying, "I think the magic skills I have are enough to help on the front lines, Mr. Fred."
Barry Fred nodded and said, "Of course, Mr. Jesse Seso, I actually wonder why Master Malin didn’t include you in the support list from the beginning."
Watching Fred write his name on the scroll, Jesse finally felt relieved.
Before leaving, Jesse went to Fyodor Dostoevsky’s side. Fyodor asked, "Did they promise you to go to Nethergarde, Jesse Seso?"
"Yes," Jesse said. "Maybe they think they don’t need too many mages who can only fight here."
Fyodor said, "Jesse, I also think Nethergarde is the right place for you. I might have to stay here temporarily because the wound on my foot makes it difficult for me to walk."
"The work here is equally important," Jesse said. "Take good care of the wounded here, Mr. Dostoevsky."
"Of course," Gerby said. "When you come back, remember to tell me how many demons you killed with Fireball!"
"It might not be too good, Fyodor."
Both of them started laughing.
