Marshal Windsor arrived as promised at the gates of Onyxia's residence. This was his third patrol here today. The old marshal stood outside the courtyard, leaning on his longsword, his sharp gaze sweeping across every window, as if he could see the Black Dragon Princess's every move through the glass.
"Is the Marshal here to check up on things again?"
Deren's voice came from behind. Windsore turned around and saw the Black Dragon advisor carrying two bags of ingredients, his robes still covered in flour, looking like a cook who had just returned from grocery shopping.
"I was just passing by," Windsore said sternly. "You have no right to—"
"Come in and have a cup of tea," Deren said with a smile, pushing open the courtyard gate. "Just in time for afternoon tea."
Windsore wanted to refuse, but professional instincts compelled him to investigate Onyxia's daily life. He nodded stiffly and followed Deren into the courtyard.
The moment he pushed open the door, the old marshal saw a room full of all sorts of women—
Onyxia lay on the living room sofa in human form, with a little Gnome stretching on top of her; in the corner, Anveena and a High Elf elf ranger were fighting over the last piece of honey cake; even more surprisingly, three red-haired Dragon Maid, their bodies always covered in dragon scales, were bustling about in the kitchen, carrying steaming teapots and snacks.
The only normal-looking one was a human woman, directing the Dragon Maid to do chores. Windsore felt she looked familiar, but couldn't quite place her, assuming it was just his imagination. An Elf Ranger sat in a recliner reading a picture book.
Hearing the door open, Onyxia asked without looking up, "Honey, did you buy the groceries? What are we making for dinner tonight?"
"Ah, Oni, Marshal Windsor is here. Let's have some tea," said Deren.
Onyxia rolled off the sofa, looking at the old marshal in surprise at the door. Her eyes held a complex expression, and she opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Chromie, who had been helped off the sofa, stood up and greeted Windsore: "Good afternoon, sir. I am Chromie, the Bronze Dragon, and a good friend of Deren!"
"Hello~" Black Dragon finally managed to greet them through gritted teeth. The others also stood up to greet the guest, thankfully avoiding any rudeness.
Windsore composed himself, glanced at the room full of women, his face twitched slightly, and turned to Deren, saying, "Your family situation is quite peculiar! A Black Dragon calling you 'darling,' a Bronze Dragon, three Red Dragon, and elves and stuff."
"Don't be shy, we've all come together for various reasons. Sit down, have a cup of tea, and feel free to ask any questions." Deren handed the groceries to Aella and put them in the kitchen before going back to his room to change.
Luna had already served tea to the old marshal, and Windsore calmly sat down to observe the women in the room.
"This is Jaina," Deren introduced Anveena. "She's a special being, some kind of magical creature. She was being hunted and is hiding here for safety. I hope you can help keep this a secret." After receiving the old marshal's nod, he pointed to Jaina and said, "This is Liya, a Princess from a fallen kingdom, her fate is tragic. She's also hiding here for a living. Please bear with her."
Windsore was surprised by Deren's candor, revealing his family's secrets to him directly. He quickly nodded and said, "I understand. Don't worry, I'll keep their secrets."
Deren sat opposite him, raised his teacup to toast the old marshal, and continued, "I understand your feelings. I also feel sorry for what Oni did to Stormwind City in the past. But she's been with me for over two years and hasn't done anything wrong since." He then turned to Chromie and ordered, " Chromie, are there any remnants left from the offering to the Moon Goddess last time? Get a fragment of the Source Armor and show it to the marshal."
The Bronze Dragon got up from the ground in dissatisfaction, reached into the air and rummaged around for a while before finally pulling out a fragment that radiated death energy. Jaina quickly erected a barrier to prevent anyone from being harmed.
Windsore instinctively reached for his sword, but the energy emanating from the Source Armor was suppressed by the Star Soul Barrier. He then approached to examine the strange object. After a moment, he said uncertainly, "This is a fragment of some kind of magical metal. That deathly energy proves it fell from an evil creature."
"This fell from Deathwing. Oni and I blew the old guy half to pieces." Deren pointed to his Black Dragon companion. "That happened two years ago, otherwise we wouldn't dare live peacefully in Theramore. That old guy is not easy to talk to."
Windsore gazed at the shard, imagining the force that could have blasted such a wondrous metal into this state. Then he said, "I can sense Onyxia's transformation. Let time tell. I'll come to see her every day from now on."
"Good, good, good!" Deren happily shook hands with Windsore. He thought to himself that he changed his mind every three times. It was a sign of the old marshal's sincerity.
Windsore finished his tea and then got up to take his leave. Onyxia followed behind Deren and saw the old marshal to the door.
After closing the door, Deren and Onyxia exchanged a smile. This was a good start!
As the setting sun painted Theramore's streets crimson, Windsore turned a corner and bumped into five drunken orcs. Their gruff laughter abruptly stopped, and six pairs of eyes stared at each other in the twilight.
"Get out of the way, green man," Windsore said reflexively.
The lead orc, reeking of alcohol, said, "Old man, this is the Horde's street."
"This is neutral Theramore." Windsore's hand was already on the hilt of his sword.
"Ha!" The orc grinned, brandishing a small hand axe he carried; their larger weapons had been confiscated before they entered the city. "An old man from the Alliance, need me to loosen your bones?"
Windsore didn't know if the title " Alliance " reminded him of the numerous crimes the orcs committed against Stormwind City during the two wars, or if the insult of "old man" enraged him even more. In any case, the next second, his sword was already drawn.
When the twelve Paladin arrived, the battle had escalated into a full-blown brawl. Five orcs against twelve Paladin —theoretically, it should have been a one-sided crushing defeat—but the orcs were berserk due to their drunkenness, and the Paladin dared not use their full strength because of the dense crowd in the city.
So they fought to a draw. One orc was wounded, and another Paladin was blasted to the point of coughing up blood. His companion immediately used Holy Light to heal him.
The news quickly reached Jaina. She was deeply troubled by the conflict between Stormwind City and the orcs. The orcs coming to Theramore had become increasingly aggressive lately, and she was worried that things were heading in a bad direction.
It's almost the end of the month, and I've accumulated quite a few drafts, time to release them! Bonus chapters are starting! Where are your votes, everyone? I currently have over 300 monthly votes, and for every 100 more I get, I'll add 10,000 chapters that day. Next up is the climax, the Battle of Theramore, Jaina vs. Garrosh. Looking forward to your votes!