With her green skin, slightly pointed ears, and small tusks, Garona's identity as a half-orc was quickly accepted by everyone.
Her background as a descendant of slaves also provided a reasonable explanation for her betrayal of the Horde, significantly increasing her credibility as a witness.
Now that they had a visitor from the otherworldly "Draenor," the kings were eager to seize the opportunity. Unsurprisingly, Garona became the focal point of the ensuing council meeting.
The seven rulers took turns questioning her about the orcs, and Garona, who had firmly decided to side with Alaric, answered every inquiry without reservation.
Although young and lacking complete knowledge of the orcs, Garona's descriptions allowed the rulers to form a vivid image of the Horde in their minds:
Bloodthirsty, warlike, powerful, and vast in numbers.
These descriptors painted a picture of an invincible enemy, further solidifying the kings' resolve to resist the orcs.
Finally, it was Lord Perenolde who posed a pointed question:
"If they're so dangerous, why don't the mages deal with them?" the lord asked. "Why not use their magic to eliminate this threat?"
"Because the orcs have magic of their own," Alaric countered. "And that is precisely another alarming aspect I wish to emphasize. The orcs wield a potent form of magic.
The energy driving this magic is neither arcane, as used by mages, nor the natural energy we are familiar with, nor even the Holy Light.
Instead, it stems from two new and terrifying sources.
One is Fel, a horrifying energy derived from demons, while the other is Shadow, a force that is essentially the opposite of the Holy Light and capable of corrupting everything."
"Most of their warlocks are weaker than our mages, but the chaos of Fel and the corruption of Shadow make their attacks more destructive.
These energies bring no benefit to physical beings."
The kings did not fully grasp the gravity of Alaric's explanation.
In truth, they barely understood it. Unlike the high elves, who revered magic, humans built their nations on martial prowess.
Consequently, their rulers were predominantly warriors, wary of magic and keeping it at arm's length.
Thus, their takeaway was a simplified version: the orcs possessed a fearsome power, one derived from demons, that allowed them to contend with human mages.
However, Archmage Antonidas and Archbishop Alonsus Faol discerned the true peril in Alaric's words.
Though only somewhat familiar with the Council of Tirisfal, Antonidas was well aware of the dangers posed by demons and Fel magic.
He understood why the high elves, humanity's magical mentors, dreaded these forces. He also knew that many foolish mages perished yearly attempting to summon demons.
Conversely, Archbishop Faol was more intrigued by the existence of Shadow energy. At this time, human understanding of the Holy Light in Azeroth was still rudimentary.
Even the concept of the paladin existed only as a vague idea in Faol's mind. Apart from Alaric, no one understood the universal principle that Shadow was the antithesis of the Holy Light.
Nevertheless, Faol's instincts made him wary of Alaric's descriptions of Shadow energy.
In summary, the rulers came to accept that spellcasters alone were insufficient to resolve the threat. Alaric's title of Archmage lent significant weight to his argument.
Ultimately, a nearly speechless Lord Perenolde was forced to conclude hastily, saying, "I suppose we need time to consider the information we've gathered.
It will be crucial in protecting our kingdoms from this emerging threat."
"You are absolutely right," said Terenas, the host, who appeared uninterested in consulting others' opinions. "The food is ready in the dining hall.
I now invite you all to dine with me, not as kings but as neighbors and friends. Let us set aside these matters during the banquet and reflect on them individually.
Perhaps that will help us better digest the issues before us, both the food and the threats."
Thus, the first day of the meeting concluded.
The kings needed time to digest the intelligence and consult with their advisors to determine their final course of action.
The real discussions and negotiations would commence the following day.
At Terenas' enthusiastic invitation, both Alaric and Garona attended the banquet that followed.
At the banquet, Alaric and Garona were warmly received by the rulers. No one faulted Alaric for his bold statements earlier, not even Lord Perenolde, who maintained basic decorum.
This demonstrated that during this golden age of humanity's kingdoms, their rulers had not yet fallen into complete corruption—a reflection of their relatively high caliber.
Alaric's dismissive judgment of them as short-sighted and foolish was more a result of his own foresight and superior intellect.
In fairness, compared to most rulers in Earth's history, these kings ranked rather highly.
Among them, the most enthusiastic toward Alaric was the ruler of Kul Tiras, Admiral Daelin Proudmoore.
True to his title, Daelin was an outstanding warrior and an expert marksman. Unlike other kings, he was genuinely interested in magic.
In fact, he had a high elf mage lover named Gina Goldsword, and his daughter Jaina Proudmoore showed exceptional talent in magic from a young age.
During the banquet, Daelin frequently toasted Alaric and struck up conversations with him as if they were old friends. Alaric, in turn, found this sea captain-turned-ruler quite likable.
This was natural. For someone from a modern society, a king focused on maritime trade was easier to relate to than a king rooted in agrarian traditions.
After all, one of the key factors in the transition from feudalism to modernity was the rise of maritime commerce.
The young mage stood out at the banquet. Unlike most of his peers, who generally avoided alcohol to keep their minds sharp, Alaric welcomed every toast.
As a result, he and Daelin Proudmoore quickly became acquainted, with one party eager and the other willing.
Under the influence of alcohol, Daelin inadvertently revealed one of his true motives for approaching Alaric: he wanted a magic teacher for his daughter.
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