The Cicada, the Mantis, and the Oriole

It took them most of the day to leave Borean Tundra and reach Sholazar Basin. The vibrant life here was hard to believe it belonged to Northrend. The five-man blue dragon squad stopped briefly by a river to replenish their water supply while continuing to plan their route.

"We have traveled halfway," Tethys said to Urolagoss, "But I advise us not to proceed in dragon form for the remaining half."

"Why is that?" Urolagoss wondered. Without wings, they would have to travel on foot, which would be much slower and involve taking many detours.

"Our mission is of utmost importance." Lulugoss, who was standing nearby, objected after hearing Tethys's words. "Only by reaching our destination as quickly as possible can we ensure the safety of the Prism of Focus."

The female blue dragon shook her head. "At first, I thought so too, but when we flew away from the Borean Tundra, you probably didn't notice, but many young races spotted us. Some were Taunka caravans, some were members of the Benevolence Society, and some were adventurers. It didn't seem like much at first, but several blue dragons flying straight towards a certain place together makes you think something's happened. Our trail could easily attract others. If someone follows us and eventually discovers the Prism of Focus's hiding place... I can't imagine the consequences."

"Tethys is right." Luragosa was one of only two women in the group. She was younger than Telegrasa, but her temperament was as calm as her brother's. "Safety is more important than completing the mission quickly. Although walking will make our journey circuitous and slow, it will avoid the attention of a considerable number of enemies. Moreover, if we are attacked from the ground, we can reveal our dragon form in the blink of an eye. For those rogues who intend to ambush us, going up against five dragons is simply suicide."

"That's it." Tethys nodded, then turned her gaze to Urolagoss, seeking the opinion of the oldest member of the party.

The blue dragon exhaled and spread its wings. In an instant, the awe-inspiring behemoth vanished, and a middle-aged human man appeared in Urolagoss's place, smiling as he said, "You are as wise as your brother, Tethys."

"In fact..." Tethys revealed her Elf mortal form, only the two horns on her head remaining as a distinguishing feature. "Luragosa more far-sighted than I thought." She smiled at the blue dragon she spoke of, who had also transformed into a young human woman. "With you all here, it's truly reassuring."

They continued onward. Along the way, they encountered resistance from the local Wolvar and Gorloc, but as Luragosa had said, engaging five blue dragons was tantamount to suicide. The group soon arrived at Savage Vine Valley.

"Be careful," Urolagoss, leading the way. "This place is good for ambushes, and the plants here are aggressive."

"There's no dangerous smell in the air unless the people who ambush us know how to avoid our sense of smell," Lulugoss said nonchalantly.

"That being said, we still need to..." A sharp arrow pierced the wind, interrupting Urolagoss's words. The older blue dragon collapsed to his knees in agony, Tethys could clearly see the arrow piercing his throat.

They did not expect to be attacked.

"Enemies!" Lulugoss roared, his eyes fixed on the direction from which the arrows were flying.

Tethys didn't have time to check on Urolagoss; she cast a frost orb facing forward, barely making out their outlines in the dim light. There were dozens of strong-looking Orcs, especially those who would be very useful in battle: Stealth, mages, and several other types of Warrior that Tethys didn't recognize.

"Short-lived creature!" Lulugoss roared angrily.

Then came a chilling battle cry. "For the Horde!" The enemy had launched their attack. Tethys quickly prepared their defenses. The defiant cries of several blue dragons echoed through Savage Vine Forest.

They were completely caught off guard. An attack was a possibility, but Tethys hadn't expected the enemy to be so perfectly prepared. The enemy immediately identified themselves: the Horde, who had once helped the Guardian Dragons fight Deathwing at Wyrmrest Temple and had faced other major threats to Azeroth. Her brother Kalecgos often spoke of them, of their fearlessness and nobility, and how some of the blue dragons had even chosen to integrate into Horde society.

But why? Why would such "noble" people do such a thing? Tethys could only think of two reasons: either these people were attacking them under the Horde's banner, or they truly were Horde members and were confident they could defeat the blue dragon escorting the Prism of Focus, so they didn't need to conceal their identities. Tethys hoped it was the former, but the reason no longer mattered. These bandits weren't afraid of the blue dragon at all.

They were outnumbered, surrounded by Orcs draped in cloaks soaked in green leaf juice. Tethys now understood why they had evaded the blue dragons' sense of smell. This must have been a premeditated ambush.

Tethys used Arcane Explosion to repel several enemies that approached her. Like her brethren struggling in the fight, she hoped to find a chance to revert to her blue dragon form, otherwise their fighting strength would be greatly diminished. But soon, Tethys's despair grew. Spellcasters among the enemies constantly interrupted their spells, and even Warlock were present. The female blue dragon had already caught the scent of demonic magic.

A foolish Orcs charged at Tethys, shouting, "For Grommash!" His crude military battle axe was knocked away by the blue dragon's spell, gleaming in mid-air. Tethys another spell. The Orcs's chainmail couldn't protect him from the spell's impact. With the force of the blow, he was sent flying a great distance.

"Dragonmaw Clan!" Tethys recognized the markings on their armor. At the same time, she no longer had any doubts; it really was the Horde attacking them!

"Sister!" Luragoss screamed in terror and pain. Tethys turned around and saw Luragosa lying in a pool of blood, her heart breaking as well.

"Kill them all!" Lulugoss was hoarse with grief, his blue eyes now bloodshot. Tethys couldn't tell if it was from tears or rage. In any case, she now shared the same emotion.

More and more spells rained down on the enemy, but the retaliation was even greater. Luragoss was caught in a pincer attack by several Orcs, sharp axe blades slicing into his body. Even in death, this loving brother remained by Luragosa's side.

Lulugoss was the most tenacious of them all. Tethys's throat was slit, and even as she fell, her companion's cry could still be heard. Soon, the sound faded as something heavy rolled to the ground; all resistance had failed. The Orcs' triumphant roars drowned out the dying Tethys. She lay on the ground, one hand struggling to stifle the blood gushing from her neck. She knew the Prism of Focus had fallen into the executioner's hands and was beginning to move slowly; her brother's fears had come true.

Pain and despair tormented the blue dragon's consciousness. Tethys tried to call out to Kalecgos, hoping he would come to save her, but only the metallic stench of blood answered her. Kalecgos was no longer the Arcanist; he couldn't sense what was happening here. Tethys stared blankly at the remaining scene before her. Self-reproach and exhaustion drained her last ounce of strength.

The Prism of Focus was stolen isn't the worst part; the worst part is that no one will know who took that magical artifact. What if the Prism of Focus is used for destruction, for killing...

'Please, who will save this?' Tethys prayed helplessly. She didn't know how long she had held on; in her final moments, she felt only terror and dizziness. In the end, she had failed the mission of the Blue Dragonflight.

Tethys closed her eyes, awaiting the chill of death to carry her away. Her body began to feel light... as if a pair of powerful claws were carrying her away from this sorrowful place.

"Alleria".

The snow-covered Northrend Continent, Icecrown Glacier, remained as cold and desolate as ever. Since the Lich King's defeat, he had rarely set foot here. The metallic surface of the arrowhead in his hand reflected his face. That repulsive face was now barely recognizable as flesh and blood. What disgusted him even more was why? Why did he suddenly remember things from so many years ago? That past he should have forgotten was now flooding back like a tidal wave?

"Ridiculous!"

His hoarse voice was drowned out by the cold air, along with his deep laughter.

Suddenly, someone whispered in his ear, "Master of the Witherer, they're here!"

He stood up, his eyes fixed on the crowd crossing the valley below. They were all well-equipped, even their war wolves were clad in heavy armor, and their red banners adorned with totems shone brightly. He didn't want to attack them, but unfortunately for him, these people possessed something he needed...

"Kill them all!"

"General?"

Sylvanas rubbed her sleepy eyes. In the Tranquility of the night, she assumed the urgent voice was coming from a dream. Besides, she was lying in her own bed in her dormitory; who would disturb her at this hour?

"What's wrong?" the Female Elf asked, her hands resting on the bed, her eyes still sleepy. Judging from the voice, it seemed to be Jaina's personal guard, Baine, who had come to find her.

"We've caught a... guy." The Night Elf outside the door puzzled Sylvanas. "An unusual, but special guy, who insists on seeing you."

Sylvanas got out of bed, took a cloak from the hanger, tidied her hair slightly, and opened the door. Baine was wearing armor, which made things look very serious.

"You'd better be prepared, Lady Jaina is here too." The Night Elf's slightly warning tone surprised the fair-skinned Female Elf, as if she were an enemy.

"Is that person an enemy?" Sylvanas asked.

The Night Elf replied without hesitation, "Yes, and I find it hard to imagine that our soldiers would be left alive."

"He's from Horde?"

Baine's expression was somewhat unreadable, and she shook her head. At first, Sylvanas thought the person who came to see her was a Blood Elf messenger, someone who could be called an "enemy" and was connected to her, possibly Quel'Thalas. But Baine dismissed this idea.

"He swaggered up to our patrol guards, holding a document in his hand, saying it was for you. When we asked him who was delivering the letter, he only replied that it was an old friend of yours."

Sylvanas was now fully awake. She held her breath, shoved Baine aside, and ran towards Jaina's Mage Tower without even putting on her shoes. Despite telling herself it was unlikely, the yearning for a better outcome amplified even the faintest hope. For example, in other people's eyes, Sylvanas was like a little girl running on the beach; given her age, such behavior was somewhat impolite.

A few minutes later, without waiting for the guards to announce her arrival, she rushed to the top of the Mage Tower. Jaina looked at her with surprise, as did another Archmage, Tervosh. They were all neatly dressed, which made the Female Elf feel slightly awkward. But the next figure immediately diverted Sylvanas's attention. There was a strange smell emanating from Jaina's Mage Tower, an unpleasant stench of decay.

The Silver Covenant Ranger-General stared at the source of the scent. Although it wasn't the person she hoped to see, it had already made her heart leap into her throat.

His figure was unusually thin, his entire body hidden beneath a wide robe, making him appear far too frail compared to the guards around him. Sylvanas thought that if the guards didn't listen to his explanation, he might be killed before he even had a chance to resist.

The Female Elf glanced at Jaina, and the mage nodded slightly, saying to the two guards, "Step back."

The guards, their faces slightly angry, bowed together and then withdrew.

The gaunt figure pulled down his hood. Sylvanas gazed at the composed Undead.

"Ms. Sylvanas," he said, his voice as somber as his body. "My name is Frandis Farrell. I am... your friend's subordinate."

The female Ranger was momentarily speechless. She knew who had come to see her, but it was all too sudden. "I know who you're talking about. He... has something to say to me?"

"This isn't nostalgia, nor is it small talk." Frandis took out the perfectly intact letter and handed it to Sylvanas with both hands. "It's something very important, so important that he had to remind you personally, and..." He glanced at Jaina, "You'll probably have to share this news with the ruler of this city."

"What news is it?" Jaina asked, standing up.

Frandis turned to look at the female mage, whose face was full of doubt, and said, "War!" That was all he wanted to say.

The author will update one chapter every day from now on, but each chapter will be more than 4,000 words.