The Next Mission

"Master, he's escaped!" the Salamander shouted.

Nathanos broke free from the flames and gestured to the Salamander he had seen it. Deathwing had destroyed the magic circle with his own blood. "The blood of the Earth-Warder is cursed; nothing will grow where it stains for ten thousand years. Disrupting my magic circle is no problem for him either," The Witherer said, pulling his hood tighter. This victory was exactly what he wanted.

Deathwing's armor was his fatal weakness. Khadgar told him this. The mage was right; without his metal armor, Neltharion couldn't control the power within him. Exploit this, and the Black Dragon Aspect would no longer be Invincible.

"Who exactly are you?" Alexstrasza's voice entered Nathanos's mind.

The Witherer slowly turned to look at the Queen of Dragons. The Lifebinder was badly injured, her face showing exhaustion and haggardness, yet she was still stunning, possessing all the virtues of High Elf woman.

The golden gleam in those eyes... Nathanos looked down at his hands. The protective power and duty bestowed upon the dragons by the Titans were, to him, an enemy far more terrifying than Deathwing. They would protect the world, and therefore eliminate any perceived, confirmed threats. This subjective notion was extremely dangerous for the Forsaken, for people always held the preconceived notion that death was inherently evil.

As Nathanos thought this, he noticed the wariness in Alexstrasza's eyes. Without him, without the Goblins squad, the Lifebinder would surely have perished today, yet the one he had saved now looked at her savior with suspicion. The Witherer thought that if he were a living being, regardless of race in the Alliance or the Horde, Alexstrasza would greet him with a smile. This wasn't the first time; Nathanos was already used to enduring unfair treatment.

Perhaps he should tell her everything. No one in the world is unaware of the Life-Binder's nobility; she enjoys high prestige among the Alliance, the Horde, and other neutral factions. Her approval would also improve public perception of the Forsaken. Telling her everything now might be the beginning of their reconnection with the world. Nathanos also looks forward to one day having a proper conversation with the living. But...

... Would she believe it? The Witherer began to doubt as well. Standing before him was the most powerful and intelligent being in Azeroth, protecting life, while the Undead did not belong to that category. After a while, he wondered what the point was. His people had long stood firm in Azeroth and no longer needed to crave the help of others.

"Whoever you are, thank you for saving me," Alexstrasza suddenly said. Besides gratitude, the Queen of Dragons harbored more doubts. The "Forsaken" Deathwing had mentioned had successfully caught her attention. So there was still an Undead force in Azeroth fighting against evil. Their wisdom had even repelled the Worldbreaker.

"I've saved you many times," Nathanos whispered back. Whether the Queen of Dragons heard him or not, he had already said it. Then, he said to the Goblins squad, "Let's go!"

A whistle attracted several giant bats, and the group quickly left the dangerous area. The battle between Deathwing and the Queen of Dragons would surely attract a lot of attention. It was best not to cause any trouble at the moment.

Alexstrasza didn't stop them from leaving, which was good. Nathanos's view broadened as they flew higher. The Twilight Highlands were clearly visible. The Alliance and the Horde had won the support of the Dragonmaw Orc and the Wildhammer Dwarf respectively. Not long ago, spies in Orgrimmar spread rumors, successfully bringing Garrosh Grommash to the region with his own forces. He had fulfilled his promise to Grot; a coup had occurred among the Dragonmaw Orc. Mog'gor had been killed. The current overseer was an Orcs woman named Zaela. However, Nathanos didn't tell Grot about the potential threats within the Horde.

Outside Bastion of Twilight, the Witherer noticed Alliance members below.

"Hmm?" Nathanos's gaze drifted downwards, drawn to a figure within the Alliance's positions. The figure seemed to be engaged in a heated discussion with several officers. Even from such a distance, Nathanos felt he could almost smell her presence—her silhouette, her mannerisms.

"Sylvanas?"

"What are you saying, Master?" Patch asked, puzzled.

"Nothing."

Taking advantage of his unobstructed view, Nathanos peeked a few more times. One day he would reveal his identity, and he and Sylvanas would surely have much to say to each other.

"Master, what is our next mission?"

Nathanos frowned upon hearing about the Patch issue. Twilight Highlands was mostly settled, and other areas heavily invaded by the Twilight's Hammer, such as Mount Hyjal and Deepholm, were under the control of the Cenarion Circle and the Earthen Ring, so they should be fine.

"I heard that the Alliance and Horde fleets have gone missing in the waters near Tol Barad."

"According to the intelligence," said Pendulum, "They seem to have been attacked by the Naga and stumbled into the territory of the Water Elemental. It seems the Worldbreaker's appearance has brought trouble not only on land."

"And the sky," Volt added. He rarely spoke, but when he did, he always hit the nail on the head, so the Witherer were eager to hear his opinion. "In Uldum, at the southernmost tip of Kalimdor, some say that a wind Elemental Plane has appeared, and its elemental lord Al'Akir, seems to have also sided with Deathwing."

Nathanos fixed his gaze on Volt. "Are you sure he's in the air?"

"It's confirmed, and there's no land beneath the Throne of the Four Winds, only the sea."

"Very good." The Undead on the giant bat laughed loudly. "Get ready, go to Uldum and deal with the Air Elemental problem, that's a natural training ground."

Patch nodded, knowing without the Witherer's prompting what his master meant by "training"—familiarizing himself with combat strategies against Deathwing. "And you? Where are you going next?"

"I'd like to visit the territory of Neptulon, the water Elemental Lords; perhaps I'll find something unexpected."

"But what about Gilneas..."

The Patch's unfinished sentence reminded Nathanos that the human kingdom bordering Lordaeron was apparently under attack from the Horde. But now was not the time to turn against Garrosh ...

"Let them be for now. Even after so many years of isolation, Gilneas cannot be conquered in a day. Besides, there is already a Forsaken member there."