“Our victory in Sun’s Reach is absolute!” Captain Theris Dawnhearth yelled. “The naaru bless us with their presence!”

A blue light poured from the upper level of the conquered building overlooking Sun’s Reach Harbor and the distinctive hum of a naaru could be heard between the yells and cheers of the assembled Shattered Sun Offensive soldiers.

Beli Flinthammer looked up.

“Aren’t there still demons and Dawnstrider loyalists and such-like?”

“Aye,” Ringo said, tugging on his beard. “Let’s see what this runt’s on about.”

The pair trudged through the icy rain — it seemed to always be raining on Quel’Danas, icy needles of water unlike the fat wet drops the pair was used to in Loch Modan or the Wetlands; proper dwarven rain — toward the harbor building. As they did, an armored draenei flew overhead on a Shattered Sun dragonhawk, waving in response to the cheers from soldiers as he landed on the deck of the Silvermoon’s Pride, docked in the harbor while the ship was being repaired.

Ringo and Beli followed the crowd and crossed the gangplank. General Tiras’alan was shaking hands and preparing to speak as a pair of elves hurriedly hoisted banners behind him. Here, the naaru’s hum could be heard to form a melody, subtle and pervasive.

“Exarch Larethor, Captain Dawnearth, officers and sailors of the Silvermoon’s Pride, my fellow soldiers of the Shattered Sun Offensive,” Tiras’alan called out, his voice carrying across the harbor. “Major combat operations in Quel’Danas have ended. In the Battle of Sun’s Reach, the Shattered Sun Offensive and our allies have prevailed. And now our coalition is engaged in securing and reconstructing this land.

“In this battle, we have fought for the cause of security, and for the peace of Azeroth. Both the Aldor and Scryers are proud of this accomplishment — yet it is you, the members of the Shattered Sun Offensive, who achieved it. Your courage — your willingness to face danger for your world and for each other — made this day possible. Because of you, Azeroth is more secure. Because of you, the tyrant Kael’thas Sunstrider has fallen, and Quel’Thalas is free.”

“Aye, and still part of the Horde,” Ringo grumbled, “Or I’m a leper gnome.”

Shadows fell across the crowd, as a trio of Dawnstrider Hawkriders soared overhead, firing flaming arrows down into the crowd. There were shouts of surprise, but the Shattered Sun Offensive knew how to deal with this: Ringo and a host of other soldiers turned and began firing at the riders, who spiraled down down to earth a moment later.

Tiras’alan jumped to the end of his speech: “Thank you for serving Azeroth and our cause. May the Naaru bless you all, and may they bless Azeroth.”

A mage on the podium cast a portal spell, and a moment later, Tiras’alan was gone.

The shadows of more hawkriders raced across the ground. Ringo reloaded and jerked his head toward the Sunwell Plateau, where the Sunblade elves seemed similarly unaware that they had been beaten, given the flaming arrows now arching down toward the harbor.

“Come on, then,” Ringo grunted, chambering a round. “Never send a squid — or an elf — to do a dwarf’s job.”