The four-day journey has passed, and for Vereesa, the biggest threat is nothing more than the annoying mosquitoes.
Vereesa lay on a deck chair, bow and arrows never leaving her hand, enjoying the ever-changing scenery.
In contrast, Rhonin was not so lucky; he was practically living a life of misery.
The trackers no longer needed to hide; four fully armed men dressed as adventurers sat around Rhonin, like his bodyguards.
Judging from their tough military bearing and the controlled armor and weapons they carried, they were no ordinary adventurers.
Not far away, two mages stared at Rhonin, not bothering to conceal the insignia on their robes: Court Mages of Lordaeron.
That wasn't all; they took turns monitoring Rhonin, remaining silent throughout.
At this moment, the ship had entered the territory of Khaz Modan and was sailing along the coastline.
Under extreme pressure, Rhonin finally couldn't hold back any longer and asked Vereesa, "How far is it to Hask?"
Vereesa, seemingly unconcerned, said softly, "It will take at least three more days. Don't worry, we should be able to arrive on time."
Rhonin gritted his teeth and approached the older of the two Court Mages.
"Court Mages of Lordaeron, are you my guards, or do you harbor other intentions?"
The older Court Mages looked up at Rhonin and sneered maliciously, "King Terenas hopes we can give you a pleasant memory. If I were you, I would have ended it all long ago."
"Suicide? Why?" Rhonin's face turned pale.
The Court Mages looked down on Rhonin and refused to even glance at him.
"Dalaran wants to hand you over to the Dragonmaw Clan intact, but King Terenas disagrees, believing that handing over your corpse is the most appropriate course of action. I have a past with Antonidas, and my suggestion is to take a compromise: break your limbs and hand them over. Life is worse than death; suicide is preferable."
Rhonin turned pale with fright. "I have no grudge against King Terenas, why are you doing this to me?"
"Don't you understand?" the Court Mages said indignantly. "You have harmed the great Lord Teron Gorefiend, the greatest traitor to Azeroth, and everyone has the right to kill him."
Rhonin plopped down on the deck, almost crying, "It's not my fault, I'm innocent."
The Court Mages looked at Rhonin with a mocking gaze, as if watching a frog desperately struggling on the edge of a frying pan:
The person picking up the package hasn't arrived yet. Enjoy your last moments.
Robbie stood on Krasus's broad back, using invisibility magic to conceal the Dragon's form, and watched Rhonin's ships from afar.
"It seems Rhonin is in trouble," Krasus said uncertainly. "If we believe in history, Rhonin should be able to overcome his hardships. Should we help him?"
"We must help him," Robbie insisted. "Time is not static. If we don't intervene, things will develop in the worst possible way, and there might be unforeseen consequences."
Krasus hesitated for a moment. "Do we really need to intervene directly? If an Adult Red Dragon saves Rhonin, the news will spread throughout Azeroth in less than three days."
Robbie was prepared.
Not far away, Orcs wielding Battle Axe rode on the back of a Red Whelp, patrolling along the coastline. They were far from Rhonin's ships and should not have crossed paths.
Robbie calmly analyzed, "Faced with a sudden enemy, those who are unprepared will only perish, while those who want to escape will have a chance. We must trust Rhonin's luck."
An unseen light enveloped the Red Whelp hatchling and teleported it directly above the Rhonin ship.
Rhonin chewed on the dry bread, finding it tasteless and almost hopeless.
Rescue the Dragon Queen...
It was an impossible task to begin with, and then so many unexpected changes occurred. What was once a glimmer of hope was now firmly held by someone else.
The rumble of thunder startled Rhonin from his reverie. He looked up sharply at the sky, where a thin cloud was slowly dissipating.
This must be a summons after some kind of magic is completed. Krasus mentioned it in the spellbook he gave to Rhonin. Rhonin secretly made preparations, while the other two Court Mages were completely unprepared.
Rhonin hesitated for a moment, then gestured to Vereesa with his eyes. The neutral Vereesa was an ally that Rhonin could win over, and he didn't want to let this opportunity slip by.
Vereesa paused for a moment, then quickly grabbed the bow and arrow, her body tense like that of a female leopard.
Suddenly, a suppressed growl came from the sky. Rhonin pinpointed the location and secretly began to prepare a spell.
At the same moment, Vereesa also reacted, hiding in a corner to the side.
The two Court Mages Lordaeron stood up simultaneously, and the older mage laughed heartily and said:
"Rhonin, you're really unlucky. The person picking up the goods has arrived. I even advised you to commit suicide."
A terrifying shadow fell over the deck as the Red Whelp swooped down, accompanied by a deafening roar, and fiery red flames rained down from the sky.
The young Court Mages exclaimed, "No, they aren't!"
The Fervor flames ignited the deck, burning corpses into charred remains. Except for the young mage caught in the dragon's claws, the young behemoth lowered its head and bit off half of the mage's body.
Having prepared in advance, Rhonin concealed himself and Blink a distance before plunging into the seawater and casting Underwater Breathing Spell on himself.
Vereesa also dived into the water; she was quite lucky and found shelter under a small, overturned boat.
On the Whelps's shoulder, a ferocious-looking Orcs with long, sharp fangs was forcefully striking the Whelps's head, furious at not getting a share of the food.
Flames roared, and the ship quickly sank to the bottom of the sea, with the Whelps and Orcs mercilessly killing those who fell into the water.
Vereesa dared not show herself. If she had stood on the deck, she might have been able to put up a fight, but the dragon appeared without warning and teleported directly to her head. Now she could only dive into the deep water.
Just as the air in her chest was about to run out, Rhonin swam over at the right moment and helped her with Underwater Breathing Spell, earning a grateful glance in return.
After the Orcs and dragons left, Rhonin and Vereesa swam to the shore, both exhausted. But the place was not safe, so they found a thick patch of grass to hide in.
"I said, thank you," Vereesa said softly, avoiding looking into Rhonin's eyes.
Rhonin waved his hand and said, "It was nothing. You would have done the same, wouldn't you?"
The clever Vereesa knew she owed Rhonin a favor, and kept it in mind. She asked, "Strange, why did that dragon suddenly appear?"
Rhonin guessed wildly, "Perhaps it's the Dragonmaw Clan's last-ditch resistance. I know what you're going to say, there are obvious traces of magic, someone teleported a dragon above our heads."
Vereesa scoffed, "All the witnesses are dead; only we remain."
Rhonin lay on the soft grass. "Who knows? Anyway, I'm free. Damn Red Dragon Queen, I'm leaving the Eastern Kingdoms for Kalimdor, a place where no one can find me."
Given such setbacks, especially being kidnapped by the mages of Lordaeron's Court Mages, it's understandable that Rhonin would give up.
Logically and emotionally, Vereesa, who owed Rhonin her life, shouldn't have stopped him. She was thinking about how to help Rhonin and repay this favor.
The cry of Gryphon echoed from the sky, and three Gryphon Riders landed nearby, the sound of armor rubbing against the weeds growing louder.
"Dwarf!" Rhonin exclaimed.
How did they find us?