Deathwing

The sun was setting, Dusk was fading, and the cold, bleak night of Blackrock Mountain was taking its place. The Blood Maw stared at the orange-yellow campfire before him. Things had progressed drastically from the plan by the second step. The Death Knight leader fell into deep thought, while the others wisely remained silent; the only sound was the crackling of the flames. Suddenly, a strange noise came from the shadows. Everyone jumped, grabbing their weapons warily.

"Humans! Kill them!" An Orcs was the first to spot the problem and charged forward without waiting for the Blood Maw's command.

The Blood Maw could already see the human, but to his surprise, the human was swaggering towards him with a smile on his face!

The Orcs charged at the human, slamming his battle axe down. Blood Maw could imagine the human's brains splattering everywhere, but what happened next left everyone speechless. The human casually grabbed the axe handle, pulled hard, and with a snap, the axe fell to the ground. The Orcs stared at him in disbelief, while the human's smile grew increasingly chilling.

"Kneel down!" the human shouted at him. The Orcs's legs trembled as if on their own, and then he knelt down, his face filled with unspeakable terror.

The Blood Maw immediately stopped the others who dared to attack, for even he dared not disobey the human's words. Just two words were enough to make an Orcs submit, a testament to the human's power. Who was this man? The Blood Maw watched curiously as he stepped into the firelight's glow. He had meticulously groomed black hair, a strong and tall physique, and a sharply defined yet elegant face—quite handsome for a human. He wore impeccably tailored clothes, and a perfectly intact, jewel-encrusted longsword hung at his side. Strangely, one hand was lightly brushing against the other sleeve, as if trying to wipe away or conceal something.

"Stop attacking me. I don't want your blood on my clothes. Wouldn't it be better to learn from your friends?" he said with a threatening smile, then glanced contemptuously at the Orcs who staggered to his feet.

Behind the human, his shadow flickered in the firelight, both in size and shape terrifying, and the shadow of his enormous wings gradually began to envelop the crowd.

The Blood Maw took a step back and asked, "Who are you?" He knew this person was definitely not what he appeared to be.

"I have many names." His smile became even more chilling. "The Worldbreaker or Deathwing."

The Worldbreaker? Deathwing! Blood Maw felt a wave of dizziness. He had heard of this powerful black dragon—the most powerful creature on the continent of Azeroth. During the war, the Orcs had seen black dragons many times. Blood Maw had wondered why the Dragonmaw Clan hadn't captured them, but instead seized those uncontrollable Red Dragon. Now he knew: it was because doing so would provoke Deathwing's wrath; he had just witnessed a fraction of Deathwing's boundless power.

Blood Maw tried to say something, and at that moment, shock and fear appeared for the first time in the heart of someone who had become Death Knight.

What... are you planning to do to us?

Deathwing replied with a hint of disdain, "Don't be nervous, I'm not here to kill you, otherwise you would have already blended into the dust here." Instantly, his eyes emitted an orange-red light, and irregular cracks began to appear at the corners of his eyes, revealing the endless fanaticism beneath his human appearance, and at the same time warning those who attempted to ambush him.

"I've been observing you for a long time, and I admire your strength and unity." He smiled at the crowd. "So, I'd love to see the world that nurtured you."

The Blood Maw sized up the uninvited guest. 'Is he going to Draenor?'

Deathwing seemed to read his mind and nodded. His pupils gradually lost their luster and became deep, and the power they contained was also withdrawn. At that moment, he looked like just a very confident human being again.

"I know you went to see that Orcs named Rend Blackhand," Deathwing said softly. "But he's nothing but a piece of trash. Why did you bother seeking his help, only to be met with a cold shoulder?" Deathwing paused slightly, took out a handkerchief, and wiped his mouth as if he had just eaten a delicious meal. Then he continued, "I know you long for the Red Dragon ... enslaved by the Dragonmaw Clan." When he mentioned the word "enslaved," the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, as if the thought pleased him.

The Blood Maw Demon said cautiously, "Dragons are powerful creatures."

"We are indeed very powerful. So you really want the Dragons' help, right? If so, then I can help you."

"You'll help me find the Dragonmaw Clan?" Blood Maw's eyes gleamed with fanaticism, but Deathwing shook his head. "Red Dragon are hard to control, but black dragons are different! What I mean is, I'll have my descendants serve you, and it will be voluntary!"

Talon Blood Maw was initially surprised, then suddenly realized something. Deathwing seemed to have said he was going to Draenor.

"This is truly a timely help; how can we possibly repay you?"

Deathwing nodded in satisfaction and stated his purpose. "A safe passage. I need you to help me transport some goods to your world."

Blood Maw considered the proposal. He needed dragons to ensure the success of their plans, regardless of their color. If he made a deal with the black dragon, he wouldn't need to deal with Rend anymore, and of course, given the opportunity, he would teach that arrogant fellow a lesson.

"Then it's a pleasure to cooperate, Deathwing," he finally said.

"... My lord." The black dragon smiled, but there was no hint of a joke in his voice. From his tone, Blood Maw could tell that even the black dragon had his limits. "We should pay attention to etiquette, shouldn't we?"

Blood Maw lowered his head. "Of course, Lord Deathwing, I agree. We will provide a safe passage for your cargo. But first, I need to go north to complete a mission. I need to obtain some items we require."

"Very well," Deathwing agreed, rising gracefully. "I will contact my descendants and inform them of this pact. When I return, I will help you complete your mission." He dusted off his hands, though he hadn't touched anything. The black dragon disappeared into the shadows without uttering a word. After a while, once Blood Maw was certain the black dragon was gone and wouldn't suddenly emerge from the darkness again, he said, "Alright. Now everyone, pack up. We need to move out; time is of the essence."

"He wants to go to Draenor? Why?" Tagga shouted.

"It's obvious he has his own plans," Blood Maw explained quietly. "We'd better not get involved; this guy's power is beyond our capabilities."

Fenris, the chieftain of the Thunderlord Clan, stepped forward with displeasure. "What if he interferes with our plans?"

"He won't!" Blood Maw shook his head. In fact, he didn't know why Deathwing was doing this, but he knew that this black dragon would not affect their plans.

"His 'goods' are in our hands. Although I'm curious about what he wants us to transport for him, I guess it must be very important to him."

Tagga was still somewhat uneasy. He whispered to the Blood Maw Demon, "But we've all seen his power. Why didn't he transport it himself, but instead had us..."

Blood Maw nodded. Tagga made sense, but who could know what the dragon was up to? He could only hope Deathwing truly was their ally—if not, there was nothing they could do. "Only he knows the answer! Alright, enough asking, let's set off immediately!"

Not far from the Blood Maw camp, a man and a woman awaited Deathwing's arrival. As the black dragon drew near, they turned to face him. The man was burly, with a black beard and a neatly trimmed mustache. The woman was petite, with fair skin and long, flowing hair. Both had glossy, smooth black hair and appearances resembling Deathwing in human form.

"Father, how is the situation?" the woman asked, her voice as soft as silk.

"They agreed, exactly as I planned," Deathwing replied. He stroked his daughter's cheek, and Onyxia nestled her face in her father's hand, smiling at him.

"Soon, we will have two worlds at our disposal." Deathwing sneered, turning to Onyxia's Nefarian. "While I'm gone, you will accomplish another task. A group of Orcs have severed ties with the Horde, right here in Blackrock Mountain. I need you to take control of that mountain and the Orcs who inhabit it."

Nefarian grinned broadly, assuring them, "That's easy, Father. I'll handle the Orcs and this fortress, and await your return."

Deathwing looked at his children, then nodded and said, "Excellent. Now I must go back to our new allies and help them with those trivial tasks so that they can be used by me more quickly."

Their father returned the way he came. Onyxia laughed savagely, "Well, brother, aren't you going to see your new house and new servants?"

"Of course, sister," Nefarian replied with a smile. "I think I can stretch my muscles a bit." A moment later, his enormous dragon wings began to flap, blending into the sound of the evening breeze.

Andorhal

Are you alright?

"Hmm?" Nathanos looked at Uther strangely. This was the fifth time he had been asked this question on the path of the Paladin, and for the fifth time Uther had replied in the same tone, "Of course, I'm fine."

Uther shook his head, puzzled. It seemed that after several months apart, they had become somewhat estranged, especially after Uther told Nathanos he would be assigned to Arthas's side. The young man had accepted without hesitation, leaving without even saying goodbye to his family, rendering all the prepared explanations Uther had prepared useless. Of course, Nathanos had made a condition when agreeing to the mission, a condition that surprised Uther: join the Alliance!

"Arthas looks a few years younger than you," Uther said with a smile, changing the subject. He wouldn't press further about what had happened in Nathanos, nor would he. "You two can definitely become good friends."

"That's for later," Nathanos said calmly. "You should tell me something about the present, Uther."

The Paladin nodded. He thought for a moment, wondering where he should begin.

"When I arrived, Turalyon received news from Stormwind City that a book had gone missing from the Stormwind City Royal Library and three people had died."

"The fact that this book has alarmed the leader of the Alliance suggests that it must be quite valuable."

"Indeed, that was a book written by Medivh."

That explained it. Nathanos glanced at the Paladin after hearing the name, confirming that the paladin was not mistaken. The guardian's name alone was enough to explain everything.

"Who did this?"

"We'll find out when we go to Turalyon."

The author isn't very good at writing romance storylines, but will try their best.