Rushing to the Battlefield

Dragon Egg and her? Rhonin didn't understand. Even in this dangerous situation, he still wanted to try to figure everything out. He needed an answer.

"What does this mean, Great Queen of Dragons? What exactly does Deathwing want?" Rhonin asked impatiently.

Alleria glanced at him; she cared more about changing the current situation than the truth.

"These things can be discussed later," the Female Elf interrupted him, stepping forward and bowing to the ancient behemoth. "Queen of Dragons Alexstrasza, I am Alleria Windrunner, Ranger-General of Silvermoon City. I have heard your legends since I was very young, but I am sorry to see you in such a sorry state. Please tell us how to rescue you?"

Elf from Quel'Thalas? Alexstrasza gazed at the impeccably dressed Ranger, her heart filled with remorse. "Even though I never participate in the battles between mortals, I have heard of the Windrunner family, especially you, Alleria. I am deeply sorry for the disaster my children have brought to your homeland."

"This is not the fault of the Red Dragon, Great Queen. Our most important task now is to get you out of danger," she emphasized again. Her words also made Sylvanas look at her with surprise. Her sister had changed a lot, but why did it seem like she had forgotten Nathanos? That human must be in great danger now as well.

"The shackles binding me are too strong. They hold the power of the Demon Soul within them; I cannot break free," Alexstrasza said, suddenly letting out a deafening wail. "He...is...coming...!"

"Shut up, you giant lizard!" Behind the crowd, Ner'zhul, accompanied by a dozen guards, surrounded them, holding the Demon Soul aloft. The faintly glowing golden disc caused Alexstrasza excruciating pain.

Alleria had wondered how the Orcs controlled the Red Dragon, and now she knew the answer. It must be the Demon Soul.

"Look what's in my fortress, huh? A bunch of laughable intruders." Ner'zhul cursed, his white beard trembling as he spoke, clearly a ruthless fellow.

Falstad stood in front of the group, saying, "This guy must be the leader. He even brought the artifact here. He's really saved us a lot of trouble."

Ner'zhul laughed loudly upon hearing the dwarf's words, "What arrogance! Dragonmaw Clan Warrior, bring me their heads!"

Grim Batol Underground

Nathanos had never traversed such a winding and narrow tunnel. He also admired Grot's abilities. The passage the Orcs had discovered to escape Grim Batol was actually in the kitchen's storeroom, where a loose stone brick lay on the floor amidst piles of empty crates. Below was a vacuum! Nathanos had asked the Orcs if he had seen this route before, and Grot had hesitated for a moment before nodding. But now, Nathanos had no choice but to trust him.

Finally, they arrived at the exit, the exit connecting to another tunnel. Although they hadn't yet smelled the fresh air outside, the gradually widening space brought a sense of relief to both humans and Orcs, making them feel much more relaxed.

"It looks like we should be out of here soon," Grot said, raising his hand. They walked a little further and could even feel a faint breeze blowing from ahead.

"Wait!" Nathanos suddenly stopped. "What's this?" He noticed a shriveled object lying on the ground in the shadows. He went over and picked it up.

"A water bag?" The human was somewhat surprised. "Have Orcs traveled through this tunnel?"

Grot scratched his head, and replied with equal confusion, "I swear in the name of our ancestors, absolutely not. Otherwise, Ner'zhul would have sent people out of Grim Batol."

Nathanos nodded, and he took the water bag and brought it closer to the torch in Grot's hand, wanting to see it more clearly.

"What? This isn't Orcs stuff. It's Elf!" Nathanos exclaimed in surprise. When he went on the expedition with Alleria, every member of her Farstrider unit had one of these water pouches. But why would this thing be here? The pouch was intact, and there were still a few drops of water inside; it must have been left recently.

"Damn! Could someone be coming to rescue me?" Nathanos boldly speculated. His words startled Grot as well.

"What? Someone's come to rescue you?"

The human nodded with a worried expression and looked ahead. If they were to sneak into Grim Batol from the direction they were leaving, then the other direction of the tunnel must be the direction they were heading.

"I have to go back."

"Go back? We barely managed to escape."

Nathanos gripped the water pouch in his hand and walked towards the end of the tunnel. "But I can also choose to stay. Grot, I haven't fulfilled my promise to you, and the Red Dragonflight haven't been saved."

The Orcs muttered something, then laughed, "Admit it, you just want to help the owner of this water bag."

"Yes, you're absolutely right. I'm not sure whose this is, but I can't ignore it, no matter which one it is." The human's brow furrowed with worry. He believed the water pouch likely belonged to Vareesa, but the Female Elf should have gone back to find her family. But what if she told Alleria? Nathanos looked at the object in his hand again.

"I believe this won't be the last time we meet, Grot," Nathanos smiled at the Orcs he had brought with him.

"What a bold fellow," Grot responded, taking a few steps closer to Nathanos and continuing in an extremely earnest, pleading tone, "Don't let Ner'zhul go."...

Under the cover of night, Deathwing flew eastward over the sea. He flew faster than the wind, heading towards Kaz'Modan, or more precisely, Grim Batol. In fact, the black dragon had already sensed something was wrong with the Orcs. He had tried several times to contact Ner'zhul, but there had been no response. This could only mean that something was amiss with Grim Batol.

Everything was proceeding according to his will. His plans for humanity were also progressing smoothly. A few hours earlier, he had received a letter from Terenas stating that "a week after Lord Prysto's coronation, the joyous news will be announced that the new King of Alterac will marry the young princess of Lordaeron on the day she comes of age." Those few short years of waiting were but a blink of an eye in the life of a dragon. And then, he could begin his destruction of human civilization. After that, the Elf and Dwarf, whose history was older than humanity's but had lost their vitality, would slowly wither away like leaves on an old tree.

He would have lived a life of luxury during those days, but now, Deathwing had to deal with something more urgent and unexpected. The Orcs wanted to leave their fortress. Before dawn, they would drive all their wagons out and head towards the northern valley.

"How foolish!" Deathwing muttered in the air, the words sounding more like a command, even the wind blowing around him had to retreat. "Ner'zhul, how dare you defy me!"

From the information he gathered from the Goblins Kriel, he learned that the lame Orcs seemed confident. The black dragon was curious to know what foolish scheme this idiot was plotting. He suspected he had already guessed his plan, but it would be quite interesting if the Orcs could come up with something more creative.

The hazy outline of the Kaz'Modan coastline was rising above the horizon. Deathwing had excellent vision even in the darkness. So, he adjusted his course slightly and flew a little north. There were still several hours until sunrise; he had plenty of time to reach the mountain peak. From there, the black dragon would have a better view, but he hoped to spot the Dragonmaw Orc caravan. Since the Dragonmaw Clan was no longer of any use, there was no need to hand over the Demon Soul to the Orcs ...

Another dragon was also flying. He hadn't flown in the sky for many years. The freedom of flight thrilled him, but it also reminded him how rusty he was. A skill that should have been innate now felt utterly unfamiliar.

The Red Dragon Calygros has been Krasus for far too long.

If it were daytime, those fortunate enough to witness him fly by would surely notice this colossal Red Dragon. He was larger than most dragons, only slightly smaller than the Guardian Dragons. He possessed smooth, blood-red skin. In his youth, he was considered a handsome dragon, which earned him the queen's favor. In battle, he was agile, possessed deadly power, and a sharp mind. As one of the queen's most powerful guardians, he consistently upheld the honor of the Dragonmaw Clan, and later became the queen's most important envoy to emerging races.

Even before his beloved Alexstrasza was captured, he spent most of his time in the form of Krasus, only reverting to his true form when secretly visiting the Queen. As one of the Queen's younger consorts, he did not yet possess the absolute status and prestige among his race, but Calygros knew he held a special place in the Queen's heart. That was why he had volunteered to be the first envoy. He was sent to the most promising and malleable race, to humanity, to guide them towards maturity.

Alexstrasza undoubtedly believed him to be dead, at least until he met Rhonin. But he was merely resuming his Krasus persona to help the Alliance win the war against the Orcs. It was heartbreaking to help others kill their own kind, but the young dragons raised by the Horde knew little of their race's glorious past, and few grew up to shed their Bloodlust nature and begin to learn the true wisdom of the dragon race. During his journey to help Rhonin and his party enter the mountain city, he was fortunate enough to communicate with a young dragon, successfully calming it and instructing it on what to do. The dragon obeyed his commands, a fact that brought him immense relief: at least, it could still be saved.

But he still had much to accomplish, and when he heard Alexstrasza Deathwing, Krasus immediately reverted to his true form. This time, he vowed to stay by the Queen's side no matter what and rescue her.