Facing the surging orc soldiers, Kurdran Wildhammer remained atop Sky'ree, proudly wielding his Stormhammer.
Dal'rend Blackhand, clad in black armor, reached his breaking point. How could a dwarf dare to flaunt his power before the orc army?
"You wretched bastard!" Dal'rend's fangs twitched as he leaped beneath Sky'ree.
In the stormy weather, Sky'ree's wings were soaked with rain, even for a highly skilled gryphon. His flight altitude was significantly reduced.
Dal'rend swung his black battle axe, and Sky'ree didn't have enough time to dodge. Kurdran simply jumped off Sky'ree's back, facing Dal'rend's dark hand directly.
Dal'rend was terrified by this crazed dwarf, daring to face an entire army alone. In Draenor, he had only encountered one such fool, a fellow still trapped in the Warsong Clan, unable to accompany the Horde in their search for a new home.
Kurdran remained unfazed, despite the language barrier. Dal'rend, however, saw Kurdran's defiant gesture and challenged him to a duel.
Dal'rend ran a few steps, picked up the black battle axe stuck upside down in a crevice of the boulder, brandished it, and shouted, "Blackrock warriors, attack Aerie Peak! I'll kill this arrogant dwarf!"
The orc soldiers, known for their honor, didn't gang up on Kurdran, which surprised him.
But this was for the best. Kurdran moved swiftly on his short legs; he needed to be extremely vigilant to deal with this green-skinned beast.
On the Aerie Peak fortress's defensive platform, Falstad pounded his warhammer against the stone wall.
"Who let this guy rush out? Has Kurdran gone mad? Doran, if this guy comes back alive, tell him I won't give him a beer for ten years!" Falstad roared angrily.
Doran lowered his head dejectedly; he knew his lord had always been this way. However, Falstad's last words left him helpless; if Chief Thane Kurdran had heard them, he would surely have died below.
The orc soldiers' assault was incredibly fast; braving musket fire and a hail of ranger arrows, they stubbornly scaled the defensive fortress of Eagle's Nest.
The Wildhammer dwarves were forced to lay down their firearms and engage the orcs in direct combat.
Falstad Wildhammer, riding with his gryphon Hestra, swooped down from the highest fortress platform, landing at the bottom and smashing the head of an orc climbing the fortress with a single blow.
The elven warriors, though few in number, had already fortified the western fortress with impregnable strength. Without the fiery breath of the red dragons, dealing with these orcs and a few warlocks was too easy.
But the other dwarven fortresses were a different story; the dwarven warriors were no match for the orc warriors. While the dwarves were physically strong, the orcs had drunk demon blood, and the power hidden within that blood was far greater than the dwarves' own strength.
The orcs, wielding their giant axes, quickly occupied positions on the various fortress platforms. This puts the dwarves in a disadvantageous position in the battlefield.
From Leylin's perspective, a steady stream of orcs ascended Aerie Peak, the green slowly encroaching on the Wildhammer dwarves' territory.
"I'll control the energy, Khadgar. You find the target and control the output of arcane energy," Leylin said. Standing beneath a golden sphere shimmering with sunlight, they prepared to mobilize and unleash the arcane energy contained within.
As Khadgar had said, this sphere was a pure energy conversion device. It could transform vast amounts of arcane energy into powerful rays of sunlight—rays possessing scorching heat and dazzling brilliance.
Incredibly, elven mages could create such powerful magical artifacts.
This arcane sphere, growing and expanding due to arcane energy, was called the Sun's Radiance!
A sophisticated arcane circle materialized on Khadgar's chest, intricate runes and symbols weaving themselves into a luminous pattern. This was the result of his super-magical mastery, honed through years of rigorous study in the depths of Karazhan.
It was a mark of his exceptional skill, a testament to the arcane knowledge passed down from Medivh himself. Originally, this arcane circle was used by Medivh to perform powerful divination spells, glimpsing into the threads of fate and unraveling the mysteries of the future.
But Khadgar had discovered that its capabilities extended far beyond simple foresight. The circle now acted as a formidable conduit, restricting the flow of arcane energy to prevent overexertion and magical backlash, while simultaneously amplifying his spellcasting abilities.
Khadgar and Leylin possessed considerable synergy, mobilizing the energy of the Sun's Radiance under Leylin's precise control. A golden phoenix leaped from Leylin's chest.
The golden phoenix, composed entirely of blazing fire, spread its wings, and a golden ray, like the dawn, swept towards the nearest platform to Leylin.
With flawless, precise control, the Sun's Radiance, in a single sweep, incinerated dozens of orcs into ashes.
They went from complete living beings to ashes in an instant, washed away by the rain down the mountain.
The dwarves, witnessing the power of this powerful artifact, cheered and jumped for joy, launching a fierce counterattack.
The two mages, expressionless, wielded this powerful magical device. Although their identity as mages now resembled that of death itself, the defensive fortresses not only near Leylin but also to the east and the lower levels received the assistance of the Sun's Radiance.
The overwhelming magical energy reversed the orcish advantage on the battlefield. After all, flesh and blood could not withstand such powerful arcane energy.
Dal'rend also witnessed this scene at Aerie Peak. He forced Kurdran back with three heavy blows and then ran rapidly towards Aerie Peak. He now had a new target other than the dwarf.
"Blackrock Clan soldiers, shift your attack! Chop off those two mages!" Dal'rend roared.
Kurdran, without any hesitation, whistled loudly, summoning Sky'ree to his side. Upon learning of Dal'rend's target, he swiftly flew towards the two mages' location.
Dal'rend rushed to the base of the fortress, and after dodging a ray of the Sun's Radiance, he grabbed a warlock: "Quick, imbue my weapon with all your power!"
The orc warlock took Dal'rend's weapon, and after exhausting all his shadow power, returned the black battle axe to Dal'rend.
Enraged, Dal'rend channeled his fury into immense strength, swinging his arm and forcefully throwing his battle axe.
His target was the Sun's Radiance floating in the air.
Alleria drew her golden bow, her dense arrows deflecting the spinning axe hurtling down from below. But the axe's power was too great, shattering all the arrows.
Just as the axe was about to strike the Sun's Radiance, Kurdran raised his Stormhammer, stepping in front of it.