Arrival

"What's going on? Do all of you Windrunner family like to disappear?" Falstad looked around. There was indeed one person missing, and he was certain that Sylvanas had escaped with Rhonin when he used the teleportation.

"Stop joking! Sylvanas..." Alleria called out anxiously several times, but the owner of the name she spoke of still did not respond. Her sister wouldn't be playing hide-and-seek at a time like this.

Vareesa ran along the edge of the cliff to search for clues, paying special attention to the more stable rocks and large trees.

"Here it is!" the Female Elf cried.

Have you found her?

"No." Vareesa shook her head. "However, I think she's no longer here. I found a grappling hook mark. My second sister must have gone down the cliff."

Alleria rushed over to confirm what Vareesa had seen. The marks were fresh; they were definitely left by Sylvanas. "Damn it, what is she trying to do? Doesn't she know how dangerous this is?"

"Well, looks like someone's already gotten off while we weren't looking." Falstad had already jumped onto the Gryphon's back. Normally, he would hold the reins in one hand and his weapon in the other, but now, the Dwarf glanced at the wrecked Storm Hammer; this time, he could only rely on his mount. "Let's get off quickly too."

Alleria nodded, then turned to Vareesa. "Sister, stay here and look after the Queen of Dragons."

The youngest Windrunner was clearly reluctant to accept the mission. She wanted to tell Alleria that she didn't need anyone's protection and was capable of handling things on her own. Alleria, who knew her well, saw through her thoughts and said righteously, "Don't underestimate this mission. It's of great importance, and you're all alone."

Vareesa looked at Alleria's face and noticed the longing in her eyes, the longing for her to agree to her request.

"I...I understand, sister. But please promise me you'll come back."

"I will, Vareesa." Alleria said, then didn't want to look at her sister any longer; it would distract her. The Female Elf gracefully mounted the Dragonhawk's back. "Let's go."...

"It's a Red Dragon!" Nathanos crouched in the grass, watching the battlefield. He was also shocked by the sudden arrival of the Ironforge Dwarf, wondering who had brought reinforcements. But the Dwarf' weak fighting strength made him unconvinced. Until a giant dragon suddenly shot out from the sky. He thought it was Deathwing, but the few rays of sunlight breaking through the clouds at dawn made it clear that the dragon's body was not made of thick steel, but of healthy, crimson scales.

So where did this Red Dragon come from, and what is it doing here?

"You're really hard to find." The voice behind him startled Nathanos! But the familiar tone with its playful undertone reassured him.

"Sylvanas!" he called out her name before he even turned around. When he did, the Female Elf was smiling, only a few steps away. "What are you doing here?"

"You know, when I started drawing the bow, your father and even your grandfather weren't even born yet, little one."

Nathanos breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that she was unharmed, at least proving that those who had accompanied her were also safe. Although the situation was urgent, Nathanos was not about to let this Female Elf trample on him. He deliberately turned his head indifferently and muttered in a very low voice, which only he and Sylvanas could hear, "Acting like an old man."

The Female Elf frowned slightly, but didn't show any displeasure. Instead, she crouched beside him and quickly scanned the area. The fighting seemed to be mostly taking place around the caravan. Sylvanas spotted Ner'zhul Skullcrusher on horseback. Although dark clouds hung overhead, the Orcs was holding something that kept flashing. As she tried to get a better look at the object, she realized Ner'zhul seemed to be pointing it at the newly arrived dragon...

"That's the Demon Soul!" Nathanos warned.

The Female Elf nodded, and then she saw the most absurd scene.

The dragon that had been poised to attack Ner'zhul was now struggling in the air, its roars making it seem as if it were waging a life-or-death battle against an unseen enemy. The Elf glanced at the Orcs commander again, noticing that with each passing second, the glowing object in Ner'zhul's hand was growing brighter and brighter.

It was indeed a divine artifact, and so powerful that she could sense its energy emanating from here.

The Red Dragon resisted fiercely; neither she nor Nathanos had ever imagined a creature could struggle so violently. His agonizing cries indicated that he was enduring cruel torture.

Then, after letting out a heart-wrenching scream, the dragon was too weak to struggle any longer. It circled in the air for only a moment before plunging headlong into a place far from the battlefield.

"Is he dead?" Sylvanas asked.

"Pretty much." Even if the artifact didn't kill the dragon, falling from that height would still be fatal. Nathanos looked away, unable to bear watching a tenacious life headed towards destruction, and then he saw a massive figure swooping down from the clouds—this time, a colossal dragon with a completely black body.

"Deathwing!" The two warned each other simultaneously, then looked at each other in surprise.

The black dragon glided over and flew straight toward the vehicles where the Dragon Egg were placed.

Ner'zhul finally saw him, but he hadn't expected the dragon to appear so suddenly. The Orcs were thrown into complete chaos. Clinging to a last glimmer of hope, Ner'zhul raised the Demon Soul against Deathwing, but it had absolutely no effect.

"See, Demon Soul has no effect on Deathwing."

"I saw it, but... why?"

Sylvanas assumed the black dragon would also perish before this artifact, but miraculously, Deathwing continued towards the vehicles, completely ignoring Ner'zhul. Clearly, he was after the eggs.

Deathwing carefully grabbed the two wagons and lifted them into the air, forcing the Orcs on board to jump down. The horses, hanging helplessly from the wagons, neighed pitifully, while the black dragon turned and flew away with the wagons.

Ner'zhul witnessed it all, perhaps simply reacting to the theft. Regardless, the Orcs turned and roared at the rear of the caravan. He still held the artifact aloft, but his other hand pointed at the fleeing dragon.

"I don't understand at all," Sylvanas complained from the side. "Why would this black dragon be interested in the Queen of Dragons's Dragon Egg? Don't forget, they're not her offspring."

"If the Orcs can make the Red Dragon kneel, then Deathwing can too. Anyway, now that the black dragon is gone, we should think carefully about how to kill Ner'zhul and seize that artifact."...

Behind the clouds in the sky

"Where do you want us to land?" Falstad asked loudly, unsure whether to ask Alleria or Rhonin, but his tone reminded both of the urgency of the situation.

Rhonin quickly scanned the area. The fighting appeared to be mostly taking place around the caravan. He spotted Ner'zhul Skullcrusher on horseback; although dark clouds hung overhead, the Orcs was holding something that kept flashing.

"Have you thought it through?" the Dwarf urged.

Rhonin pulled his gaze away from the Orcs, focusing his attention on something else. His eyes widened, and he pointed downwards. "There!" he exclaimed, pointing to a small hill behind the Orcs. "We have to go check it out!"

"There's a dragon over there!" Alleria noticed what had attracted the mage, but she was still somewhat disappointed, thinking that Rhonin had discovered Nathanos and Sylvanas.

"What's with those Dwarf down there?" Falstad muttered. Those figures were clearly Bronzebeard Dwarves who had come from Ironforge.

"There's no time, we need to check on that Red Dragon first," Rhonin shouted. The Dwarf riding the Gryphon mumbled something and immediately did as the master instructed. Alleria sighed and followed, hoping that the two people she cared about wouldn't end up on the battlefield below.