American comics: Starting with Luke the Maker

Stratholme.

“Is there still no news of Uther, teacher?” Tirion Fordring, unable to remain calm, came to his teacher to inquire.

Archbishop Alonsus Faol silently shook his head.

“Let me lead some men to probe again, and you can arrange for others to rescue Uther in the chaos,” Tirion suggested to his teacher.

Since the end of that battle, they had been confronting the orcs for five or six days. The enemy didn't seem to be planning anything, not even building siege equipment on the spot. Instead, they acted as if they didn't exist, stationed in place and staring at them from a distance.

Apart from the encounter with Uther, the subsequent exchanges between the two sides were peaceful, as if they were carefully maintaining this tacit understanding.

However, both the humans and the orcs were well aware that a war between them was inevitable. As for when the war would begin, it was only a matter of time!

The reason the humans had not launched an offensive was that they were not fully prepared and did not have much understanding of the orcs. As for why the orcs were cooperating with them, Archbishop Alonsus couldn't say for sure, but a shadow always loomed in his mind, making him uneasy.

He had sent many scouts to the orc camp, but that place was like a magical cave from which no one returned. None of the scouts he sent back were able to return and relay the information they had gathered within the camp using various means.

Those who served the Lordaeron royal family were well-equipped and had various stealth magic equipment, and even had magic scrolls provided by court mages. Even in the cities of the elves, these scouts had a high chance of gathering some information and safely returning before being discovered.

They could even roam freely throughout Stratholme, coming and going as they pleased.

But such a group of elite scouts had disappeared as if they had vanished, with no news coming out, and the orc camp remained as quiet as ever, without any signs of being invaded or being placed under martial law.

All of this made it difficult for Archbishop Alonsus to see the situation clearly, so he dared not act rashly. If he launched an offensive due to incomplete or missing information, the result would be either good or bad.

Good, of course, would be to achieve success in one battle and successfully drive the orcs back. Even if they couldn't seal the Legion's portal, they would have to drive the orcs out of the Dragon Tower area.

Bad would be terrible! Stratholme would fall, and the orcs could drive straight into the royal capital of Lordaeron. Moreover, the residents of Lordaeron along the way would inevitably suffer the tragic consequences of family destruction and displacement. What's more, in a few days, it was not enough for Lordaeron to fully mobilize all its combat power and enter a state of war. If they failed, the Lordaeron royal family would probably fall into great passivity.

Alonsus had been hesitating in his heart for many days. He wanted to save his apprentice Uther and solve the hidden threat of the orc invasion for Stratholme and Lordaeron, but the prerequisite was that he had to make the right decision.

But what was the right decision?

Perhaps it would only be discovered after doing it.

The lack of information made Alonsus Faol dare not act rashly. He couldn't afford to lose, and Lordaeron behind him couldn't afford to lose either. So even if he might miss some opportunities, Alonsus still intended to follow Terenas's instructions, wait until he was fully prepared, find reinforcements, and then decide whether to start the final battle based on the situation.

Just as Alonsus was about to warn Tirion to be calm and not to act rashly, a portal suddenly lit up in the cathedral, which served as their base camp, and an elf who could be recognized as a high elf at a glance walked out of the portal.

“Fortunately, I remember the coordinates here.” Grand Magister Lobinhua stepped out of the portal with the Windrunner sisters.

“Elves!” Tirion recognized the newcomers, but he also knew that the elves and humans had a covenant. King Terenas of Lordaeron had sent messengers to the elven empire of Quel'Thalas as soon as he returned to Lordaeron from Dragon Tower.

The elves would definitely not interfere in human internal affairs, let alone bother to care. But when it came to Dragon Tower, the elves would send some people to investigate no matter what.

If necessary, the human kingdom could even bring in the guardian dragons through the elves. After all, those guardian dragons were also unwilling to see changes in Dragon Tower. This might affect the subordinates of that Tyrant Dragon King.

“Are you Archbishop Alonsus? Here is a letter from your current king.” Lobinhua used magic to send a rolled-up parchment to Alonsus's hand, and then, under the gaze of Alonsus and Tirion, eagerly asked: “Have you dealt with those invaders? How much information do you know about them? Who is their leader? Where do they come from? What is their purpose?”

Alonsus and his apprentice Tirion, whose brows were furrowed by Lobinhua's series of questions, looked at each other. They found that these elves seemed to care more about the orcs' intelligence and origins than they did.

Behind this elven mage, the three elven sisters in ranger attire did not speak, but their faces and emotions clearly showed a kind of anger.

The fact that the elves, who disliked communicating with other races and did not like other races disturbing their peaceful lives for no reason, were so angry that they did not hide their emotions, clearly showed that the orcs must have done something that angered both gods and men in the elven territory during this period.

Alonsus almost instantly analyzed the general course of events in his mind.

“We only know that they came from the portal of Dragon Tower, possess powerful strength, and can control energies such as Holy Light and elements. There should also be at least one extremely powerful archmage sitting in their camp.” Tirion glanced at his teacher, and at the other party's signal, took the initiative to answer. Speaking of the latter, a trace of helplessness appeared on his face, and he added: “As for more information, we have not yet found out.”

“Didn't you send scouts and assassins to investigate?” It was Sylvanas, one of the three elven sisters, who spoke. Being led by Ner'zhul and others for a big circle in Silvermoon Forest, and finally being shaken off by the other party and leaving safely, was simply a great humiliation for her. She had always wanted to find those ugly brown-skinned invaders again and have a good contest with them.

One that doesn't allow escape!

“Of course we did, but none of the assassins and scouts we sent out were able to return.” Speaking of this, Tirion's face also looked bad.

“Then it seems we need to go ourselves.” Sylvanas tidied up her bow and arrows and said.