Air Raid Changes Course

Thin, frigid clouds drifted through the mountains. Above the snow-covered Court of Bones, countless flying skeletons—bats, gryphons, wyverns, and the like—swarmed densely toward the four-colored dragons, attacking to defend their Lich King. But before those colossal creatures, they were scattered like rats.

Like eagles snatching chicks, the hundred or so dragons slaughtered and smashed aside the densely packed flying skeletons in the blink of an eye, clearing a vast stretch of sky. Then, escorted by four airships, the Mount Hyjal formally entered the skies above the Court of Bones.

The Mount Hyjal was a specially built combat airship. Its name came from the Battle of Mount Hyjal, where the Alliance and Horde had fought together. The vessel was 161 yards long—roughly 148 meters—and its main armaments were five Light Cannons that had only recently been installed.

Because it was intended for aerial combat, Goblin engineers had ingeniously placed four of the five Light Cannons in firepower gondolas on either side of the main gondola. Their barrels extended from the compartments and could fire straight to either side or converge downward, making them extremely convenient. The remaining cannon was mounted at the bow of the main cabin.

The Light Cannons were no longer conventional artillery in essence, but actual direct-fire laser weapons. There was no need to worry about shells dropping from the barrel or recoil, and overall, the Mount Hyjal had something of the look of a science-fiction warship.

Under the cover of the dragons and the four accompanying airships, the Mount Hyjal successfully entered the skies above the Court of Bones. Guided by Sylvanas, who was serving as lookout, the airship moved over a cluster of pitch-black cylindrical spires: The Scourge's Cathedral of Darkness.

Since Icecrown Citadel, where the Lich King resided, was buried deep within the mountain, the