With a two-hundred-thousand strong tribal army, nearly two thousand death knight troops, two hundred red dragon knights, plus the five thousand Hinterlands troll army ready to attack the Alliance's rear, Orgrim roared in the Wetlands, "We go north!"
The two hundred thousand orcs were a green tide, and Orgrim believed they would crush the humans!
The orcs saw this as a glorious battle for survival, a fight for fertile lands to sustain their race.
Orgrim ordered the chieftains to lead their warriors onto the ships. The sea route was simple: from the Wetlands pier, into Balor'dan Bay, and along the Arathi Highlands coast.
The Arathi Highlands coast was a towering cliff, preventing human attacks. After crossing the Dangarok Mountains, they would land on the eastern beaches of Hillsbrad.
The ships, built by laborers, were adequate for transport but not naval warfare.
Orgrim knew the power of human fleet artillery. Even the toughest orcs couldn't withstand solid cannonballs.
He planned to concentrate the ships, use goblin warships to break through, cover the transports, and force a land battle, where the orcs excelled.
Although scouts reported the western Hillsbrad beaches were ideal for landing, Orgrim knew the humans would expect that. He chose the steeper eastern beaches instead.
After landing, they would head straight for Southshore, destroy the docks, and then move inland, avoiding the human fleet.
This was Orgrim's plan.
Under the cover of night, the orc fleet sailed. Dark clouds hid the moon, reducing visibility—weather Orgrim had carefully chosen!
Alleria had arrived in Hillsbrad from Fairbreeze Village with four high elf destroyers.
These fast, light destroyers sacrificed firepower for speed, making them excellent scouts.
"Report, General! Elves and naga warn that the orc fleet is entering Zul'Dare Isle's waters!" the same soldier reported, now calmer, thanks to Daelin's training.
"Good! My cannons are hungry!" Daelin slapped the ship's side, excited. He had been in the Alliance for months, but the daily patrols bored him. The orcs' arrival energized him.
"Order all sailors to be vigilant, ships facing southeast in a line formation. I will christen the Alliance battle flag with orc blood!"
Sea mist shrouded both fleets. Lookouts couldn't see each other.
The Alliance lookouts stared southeast, ready to spot the orcs and direct the gunners.
"Chirp!"
"Chirp!"
"Chirp!"
Flares rose, dispersing the mist over the orc fleet.
The naga detachment from the Stromgarde Rage Tide Legion was in action. They lurked on the seabed, unaffected by the mist, sensing the water's movement and predicting the orc fleet.
Then came what Galen loved:
An arrow that pierces the clouds, and thousands come to meet!
Waterproof flares illuminated the entire orc fleet!
The lookout's vision filled with the orcs' ugly, large, black ships, and he signaled the gunners.
"Haha! I knew Galen would surprise me!"
Daelin, a veteran of sea battles against pirates and naga, hadn't liked naga, but Galen's assurances and the naga leader's attire had changed his mind.
"All fleet gun ports open! Full fire!"
The Alliance navy, mainly Kul Tiras ships, was well-organized with uniform structures.
The front-row warships adjusted their direction, lined up, and opened their side gun ports, black muzzles protruding.
Inside, sailors loaded and fired the cannons.
"Fire!"
The gunners lit the fuses. With a deafening roar, solid cannonballs flew towards the orcs.
Thousands of cannons fired at once!
The orcs experienced a dense barrage. The recoil from the Alliance fleet's roaring artillery caused the sea level to fluctuate, and Daelin grinned amidst the flashing fire.
"Damn orcs, this sea belongs to us!"
The orc fleet was densely packed. The front consisted of second-hand goblin ships with limited artillery, and the rest were kobold-made transports.
The front ships were quickly riddled with holes and sank.
Most orcs were poor swimmers. They jumped into the sea, struggling, their usual bravery useless.
The cannons overheated and needed cooling before reloading!
Orgrim's deputies were furious!
Orgrim, watching the vanguard destroyed, remained calm. This was all in his plan.
"Signal the warships in the rear to return fire!"
They couldn't win a naval battle; the counterattack was a distraction. His real weapon was behind.
"Saurfang, order the red dragon knights to attack!"
The fierce naval battle continued, a one-sided slaughter by the Alliance fleet. Dozens of Horde warships were already sunk.
The sparsely armed Horde warships tried to return fire, while covering a dozen ironclad ships. These ships, unlike the wooden ones, were heavily armored and equipped with sharp rams!
"Shaman, shaman! Cast spells, accelerate the ships!"
Orgrim's trusted shamans quickly cast spells, conjuring a strong wind that changed direction, driving the Horde ships towards the Alliance.
"Bring those gronn to the bow!" Orgrim played another trump card. Enslaved, one-eyed giants were herded onto the bows of the transport ships, where boulders had been placed.
"Ready! Throw!"
Gronn possessed immense strength. Descendants of the demigod Gruul, they inherited his power. They grabbed millstone-sized stones and hurled them at the Alliance ships.
Their range surpassed that of the cannons!
"Bang!"
A stone struck Daelin's flagship. Fortunately, the ship was built with the finest materials, and the stone only dented the surface.
Daelin was lucky that the gronn, while strong, were not intelligent. They exhausted their supply of stones within minutes, with a pitifully low hit rate.
A few Alliance warships had their masts broken, causing chaos, which allowed the Horde ironclads to close the distance.
These ironclads, though their masts were destroyed, were still propelled by orcs rowing inside.
"Damn it!"
Daelin, seeing the ramming ships approach through his telescope, realized the danger.
The Alliance warships excelled at long-range attacks. If the orcs closed in for melee combat, the humans, physically weaker and lightly armed, would be at a disadvantage against the orc soldiers!
"Retreat, have the First Fleet retreat!"
Daelin ordered, his voice anxious. He had underestimated the enemy. The Horde commander had cunningly used his arrogance, trading heavy casualties for close combat!
Though Daelin reacted quickly, the First Fleet was too late. Engaged in heavy firing, their cannons overheated. By the time they reacted, the Horde ships were less than two hundred meters away.
Most human warships were sailing ships, slow to maneuver. The Horde shamans had also altered the wind direction. The First Fleet prepared for a desperate melee.
At this moment, the naga of the Tidefury Legion intervened!
Except for female commanders like Zola, most of the naga were strong males, taller than orcs and agile in water.
They followed the orc ships, swimming beneath them, and used their tridents to pierce the hulls!
Bang!
The naga's attacks breached the orc warships, and seawater flooded the cabins.
Gazlowe had deliberately left flaws in the ships during their construction. They were structurally weak and would fail under the pressure of seawater.
Seawater quickly filled the cabins, and the orcs rowing inside scrambled upwards. The naga followed, killing them in the flooded ships.
"Well done!" Daelin, seeing the orc ships tilt and sink, and the naga on the surface, shouted with excitement.
"Order the First Fleet to resume firing!"
"Your Majesty, don't be rash!" Daelin's adjutant, Valentine, warned. "We don't know what other tricks the orcs have. Let the First Fleet stay at range!"
"Don't worry, Valentine, my old friend. With the naga clearing the approaching ships, we can eliminate the orcs with long-range strikes!" Daelin, his confidence restored, ignored Valentine's advice.
As the fleets closed, Alliance artillery became more accurate. The gronn's stone throws also caused some Alliance losses, but Daelin considered them acceptable.
The thick fog dissipated, revealing the smoke from the cannons, explosions, and flying debris.
Orc warships sank. The naga's attacks devastated their goblin ships, and their transport ships were exposed to Alliance artillery.
Horde transport ships were hit and began to sink, with thousands of orc soldiers screaming in the flooded cabins, struggling in the sea, and being killed by the naga.
The Alliance, with superior warships, equipment, and sailors, dominated the naval battle. The Horde suffered enormous casualties, losing ten ships for every Alliance ship.
The sinking transports made Orgrim's heart ache. His warriors died defenseless, making him feel aggrieved and angry!
In a corner, Gul'dan secretly cast a spell, holding a purple crystal ball and collecting the souls of the orc warriors.
"Gul'dan! What are you doing!"
Orgrim roared, the Doomhammer clenched in his hand, as if ready to strike Gul'dan. Orgrim had never trusted Gul'dan, especially after seeing the Demon Soul's power over the massive Red Dragon Queen.
"I am scouting the enemy fleet, Warchief!" Gul'dan replied calmly.
What wonderful souls!
Strong, unwilling, angry, and of high quality. Gul'dan considered this voyage a great success!
"What did you find?" Orgrim suppressed his anger.
"Don't be pointlessly angry, Warchief. War always involves sacrifice. Venting on me won't bring victory."
Gul'dan, tired of being a scapegoat, felt frustrated.
"I found the enemy flagship heavily guarded, but the one on the right flank, bearing the Third Fleet's banner, carries an important figure. Destroying it might throw the humans into chaos!"
"I'll trust you this time!" Orgrim, still displeased, returned to the bow. It was time for the ultimate weapon.
"Varok, are the Dragonmaw warriors ready? Deploy them against the Alliance fleet's right flank!"
Orgrim unleashed the Red Dragon Knights.
On the ships behind, Dragonmaw warriors removed the black canvas covering the red dragons and mounted them. The dragons, humiliated, reluctantly took flight.
The orcs, seeing their air force, cheered and fought with renewed vigor.
By this time, the battle had drifted near Hillsbrad, past the Arathi Highlands border, near Durnholde.
Galen, using information from the goblin ships, remotely directed the naga.
Seeing the red dragons, he knew the naval battle was ending.
"Sylvanas, it's almost our turn."
Sylvanas and Alleria watched the distant artillery fire from the eastern beach.
"I've been waiting for this," Sylvanas replied with a soft smile.
Alleria's expression tightened. She knew her sister well.
Sylvanas, usually aloof, smiled at a human prince?
This worried her. She felt obligated to warn Sylvanas about the fleeting nature of human lives and the tragedy of high elf-human unions.
"Gandalf, send a message to Admiral Daelin, warning him of an orc counterattack!"
Galen had done his part in the naval battle. The outcome now depended on Daelin and the beach defense.
On Daelin's flagship:
"Daelin, the mages on shore warn of an orc counterattack!"
A high elf mage, Gina Goldensword, stationed in Dalaran and Daelin's lover, delivered the message.
Galen found this very meaningful to emulate.
"Counterattack? The orcs have lost over 30% of their ships. As long as we maintain this fighting style, we can handle any tricks!"
Daelin, emboldened by the naga's ship-drilling and the effective artillery, felt confident.
"Hmm?"
Hundreds of dark shapes appeared in the sky, attracting Daelin's attention. Through his telescope, he saw them clearly in the moonlight and his face fell.
"Damn it! Dragons! The orcs control dragons!"
"Quick, report to Marshal Lothar! The orcs have an air force—dragons! They're coming!"
The Dragonmaw clan's Red Dragon Knights arrived. The dragons' massive forms caused panic among the Alliance forces.
Dragons? Legendary creatures!
Holy Light! How could they side with the orcs?
The dragons' fiery breath swept across the Alliance fleet, causing heavy casualties and chaos.
The pressure of Azeroth's dragons!
"Don't panic! Musketeers, prepare to counterattack! Artillery, keep firing at the orc ships! Reinforcements are coming!"
Daelin, a veteran general, knew panic would lead to defeat.
The navy, though shaken, resumed firing. The red dragons mainly attacked the outer ships, leaving most intact.
However, Alliance casualties increased sharply.
"Bang!"
Gina staggered a red dragon with an Arcane Barrage, and a ballista on deck fired a thick bolt through its neck, killing it.
"Your Majesty, Marshal Lothar signals a retreat!" The orcs' air force had caught the Alliance off guard. The Alliance had no concept of an air force, except for rumors of the Wildhammer dwarves taming griffons.
Daelin sighed in relief. Retreat was wise. Without preparation, the Alliance navy couldn't effectively fight aerial units. He vowed to bring anti-air weaponry next time!
Although the red dragons inflicted heavy casualties, the Horde suffered even more. Over two hundred ships were sunk, and dozens of transports were destroyed.
This battle sent at least fifty to sixty thousand orcs to the bottom of the sea.
It was time to withdraw!
"Order! Full retreat!"
Daelin, lacking mages on every ship, knew they couldn't effectively kill the dragons.
The fleet began to pull back, and the scattered musketeers gathered. Once they were out of range, the red dragons flew away.
The lead Red Dragon Knight spotted the Third Fleet and unleashed a powerful dragon breath!
"No!"
Derek Proudmoore, Admiral Daelin's eldest son, the heir to Kul Tiras, and Galen's close friend, commanded the Allied Third Fleet on the right wing during the Battle of Zul'Dare Isle.
Gul'dan, detecting Daelin's focus on this fleet, suggested to Orgrim that an attack by the Red Dragon Knights on the right wing might be highly effective.
Orgrim, willing to take the chance, ordered the attack. The Red Dragons unleashed torrents of dragon phlegm, turning the sea around the Third Fleet into an inferno!
The Red Dragons' magical attacks dealt terrifying damage.
"No!"
Daelin, retreating, was horrified to see the Third Fleet engulfed in flames. However, he was too far away to see the flashes of white light within the fire!
"Oh, my brother, how does it feel to experience death?"
Galen stood with a shocked Derek Proudmoore and the survivors of the Third Fleet.
Over the years, Galen had consistently improved Derek's life-saving equipment. Fortunately, the "invincible Hearthstone effect" activated, saving Derek from certain death by dragon's breath.
However, unlike Derek, who was protected by a potion, the other survivors, brought back by a return scroll, suffered severe burns.
Moreover, the unusual magical nature of the dragon's breath required significant effort from accompanying priests to heal.
"Thank you, Galen, you saved my life!" Derek said, still shaken. The sight of hundreds of dragons spewing flames had been overwhelming, and he had been resigned to death.
But Galen's necklace activated, enveloping him in golden light, followed by a white flash, and he found himself at Galen's side!
"It's nothing; just remember to repay me in the future!" Galen replied with a laugh, his concern genuine. He considered Derek a true friend. They were of similar status and shared a humble, sunny disposition, unlike many nobles.
"No problem, Galen. When my sister grows up, I'll let her marry you!" Derek joked, deeply grateful for Galen's friendship.
Nearby, Aurelia overheard this and her eyes flashed.
Marriage is a tool for exchanging benefits among nobles!
Many noble children were betrothed before adulthood. Royal families used marriage to secure support, and nobles used it to forge alliances. Children from prominent families rarely had a say in these matters!
If Galen were betrothed, her arrogant sister would never become emotionally involved with him!
Aurelia believed she had found a solution!
"Derek, I'll have a mage send a message to Admiral Daelin, confirming your safety! See to your soldiers and get them healed as quickly as possible. The orcs are about to land, and I need as many gunners as possible for long-range support!" The urgency of war left no time for pleasantries.
"Understood! Galen, I'm going to make those orcs pay. Those Red Dragon flames scared me to death!"
"Then head to the rapid-fire turrets; we need you there!"
"Can't I rest? I just experienced death!"
"You didn't die, did you? Hurry up; don't interrupt my time with the beautiful lady!"
Sylvanas, also at the Eastern Beach headquarters, rolled her eyes at the two human princes' banter and ignored them.
… … … …
"Daelin! Daelin!" Jaina Goldensword's shouts interrupted Daelin, who was in his cabin, reflecting on his close relationship with his eldest son.
He had personally trained Derek, teaching him martial arts, taking him into battle, and accompanying him at sea.
His close son, the kingdom's excellent heir, was nearly lost. Daelin was filled with grief and hatred!
"What is it, Jaina?" Daelin asked, his voice hoarse.
"The Eastern Beach Operations Department reports that Derek is safe. A powerful magical item saved him, and Prince Galen of Stromgarde rescued him!"
Daelin heard chaotic sounds from the cabin and then emerged, looking delighted.
"Order! Speed up our return to Southshore, and continue searching for orc ships after resting. I will sink them all!"
As dawn approached, Daelin's fleet entered Southshore.
Southshore was vastly different from Galen's first visit. The influx of Stormwind refugees had caused a population explosion, and the war had made it the busiest port in northern Lordaeron.
Armed supplies were transshipped here, and transport ships from various nations arrived constantly, all in support of the war for humanity's survival!
The Southshore headquarters was brightly lit. After Daelin's naval battle, Lothar arrived from Tarren Mill.
"Daelin, are you certain the orcs can ride dragons and attack from the air?"
Many generals found this hard to believe.
An air force? Dragons? Legendary creatures!
"The entire fleet saw it. It wasn't just me!"
Daelin looked grim. The Red Dragons had prevented his fleet from inflicting even greater damage on the orcs.
"Admiral Daelin! We trust your report, but the appearance of Red Dragons is astonishing. The Horde has an air force. We need to adjust our strategy and warn the forces on the east and west coasts to prepare for air defense!"
"Speaking of an air force, perhaps we can create one ourselves!"
This statement shocked everyone in the headquarters!