Icecrown Citadel (21)

Sindragosa also been defeated?

Arthas sat on the Frozen Throne, no longer feeling the response from his servants.

The teleporter on the platform below has been Innervate, and the gate to the throne has been opened. The Dark Prince waits silently, for the final battle of his life is drawing near.

The first figure emerged from the teleporter. Arthas smiled slightly; here, he clearly felt the Ashbringer's light was less dazzling. His chances of victory had increased. Trembling, the warriors following Tirion also appeared. Arthas's commanding presence made them realize that the real battle was just beginning.

Fordring glanced around; his allies were nervously checking their weapons. None of them were unaware of Dranosh Saurfang's fate. Looking at Arthas, it seemed he was waiting for the enemy to arrive, or rather, he hoped to see them all concentrated together, showing no fear of their supposed numerical superiority. The Highlord's eyes involuntarily flickered towards Frostmourne; that Rune Sword could instantly awaken countless minions. Considering this, Tirion felt that his nonchalant demeanor was not without reason.

Where was Bolvar? Tirion wanted to know. After hearing Bolvar's call at the gates of Icecrown Citadel, he had another reason to slay the Lich King. The Alliance, the Horde, and their other allies had suffered heavy losses along the way. The Highlord's gaze shifted upwards, landing on a mangled figure bound hand and foot atop the throne. The man was no longer human; he was engulfed in flames, his body appearing as if assembled from pieces of lava. His head slumped, and he lay unconscious.

"Bolvar!" Tirion recognized the man. He must have endured unimaginable torment.

Arthas gave these people ample time to prepare, while exchanging a glance with Tirion.

They all look pretty much the same.

The Lich King stood up and casually drew Frostmourne. He walked down the steps, expressionless. The process was lengthy, and the hearts of those below were in their throats.

Arthas stared at Tirion the entire time, his face contemptuous. "What, so-called righteous the Holy Light has finally arrived? Should I lay down Frostmourne and beg for your forgiveness, Fordring?"

Hearing Arthas's demonic voice, Tirion retorted without flinching, "We will give you a quick death, Arthas. For someone who has committed so many crimes, this is the greatest mercy we can offer."

"Countless sins?" The Lich King laughed. "Destruction, annihilation, slaughter—those shrouded in the shadows of darkness I created are all dead. Let me tell you, when you kneel before me begging for a quick death, I will refuse. Your agonizing cries will be the best proof of my wild power."

"Alright, warriors, attack!"

Dense forests surround this vast, frozen wasteland, scattered with gigantic, phosphorescent dragon bones. In many legends, five Guardian Dragons received the Titans' blessings and boundless power here, thus protecting all living beings on this world. Perhaps this is why dragons fly to Dragonblight when they are about to die.

Dragonblight is the sacred land of dragons. Long before the birth of the many civilizations that exist in Azeroth today, when the Guardian Dragons were still Proto-Dragon, they fought against an exceptionally large Proto-Dragon, Galakrond, on this snowy plain and successfully killed this terrifying monster.

Surrounding the Wyrmrest Temple at the center of this land are five colossal dragon temples, each possessing the same power as its corresponding guardian dragon. Nathanos transformed into black mist, temporarily alleviating his debilitating condition. He had never considered anything more pressing than destroying the Lich King. Where is the Azure Dragonshrine?

Nathanos searched everywhere for any trace of the blue dragon, but he found nothing.

"Where are those useless dragons?" The Witherer cursed inwardly. Then he thought about it. The Blue Dragon Aspect had fallen, and most of the blue dragons were distraught over their leader's death. If he were in their shoes, he probably wouldn't be much better off.

When Nathanos leaped into the abyss and found Sindragosa's remains, she was already shattered to pieces, but Shadowmourne was still intact. Moreover, this weapon had even devoured the Frost Queen's soul.

'She seemed to be both the first and the last soul devoured by this weapon after it was forged.'

Tethys —the twin sister of the blue dragon Kalecgos— sat in her High Elf form on a floating platform encircling the Azure Dragonshrine. She wore a tight-fitting bodice, her dark blue hair cascading down her back, from which two crescent-shaped horns emerged. Her gaze was soft and dreamy, as if lost in thought.

As Nathanos approached, she sensed something amiss and opened her eyes. Upon recognizing him, a flash of anger appeared in her eyes.

"An Undead!" She gritted her teeth and braced herself for battle. Although Malygos was gone and she didn't know what the future held for the Blue Dragonflight, even in dire straits, as a noble dragon, she could not stand idly by and watch such defilement blaspheme the sacred grounds of the Blue Dragonflight.

As soon as Nathanos reverted to his physical form, he knelt on the ground, gripping the handle of Shadowmourne's axe tightly with one hand to brace himself against the ground and prevent himself from falling. His actions appeared humiliating to Tethys, but this only fueled Nathanos's rage.

The Witherer roared, "Step back, Blue Dragon!" Tethys stood frozen in place. He continued, "I have come to return a soul."

A flame of soul fire emerged from Shadowmourne, approaching Tethys as if it were alive. At first, the young and beautiful blue dragon was wary, unsure if this was part of the Undead's scheme, but she did indeed sense the presence of her kin within the flame. This startled her.

"How is this possible, Sindragosa?"

Let her rest in peace.

Blue Dragon's eyes widened slightly. "You..."

"It's not easy to break free from the Lich King's control. Don't let her become the Frost Queen again." Nathanos felt some sensation returning to his legs.

If only his left hand could move now, he could still dream of going to the Frozen Throne to fight Arthas.

"You'd be that kind?"

Faced with this hostile question, Nathanos widened his eyes slightly. He sneered, "Stop being so self-righteous. I just did what I wanted to do."