Arrival

The arrival of the Elf increased their chances of victory on the battlefield, but the battle was not yet over.

"Listen," Nathanos called out, looking up at the sky.

Turalyon shook his head. "I can't hear anything except the sounds of fighting." He then asked, "What did you hear?"

"Reinforcements!" he replied, "Reinforcements from the air!" Nathanos saw Gryphon bursting forth from the clouds.

"There they are! I see them."

"I saw it too! Brother," Kurdran Wildhammer snapped, though he was annoyed that he hadn't spotted the battle before the young Gryphon Rider beside him. "Alright, guys! It's Wildhammer's time. Target these two-headed bastards, watch out for their magic!" He kicked Skare with his heel. The Gryphon screeched around and swooped down onto the battlefield. A two-headed Ogre looked in their direction, spotted them, and launched a fierce attack, but Kurdran swiftly dodged it.

Skare's wings arced through the air before he swooped down. Kurdran raised his Stormhammer and hurled it at the creature with all his might. Thunder roared in the sky as a bolt of lightning struck him. The Ogre's body crashed to the ground.

"Good!" Kurdran shouted, grabbing his returning hammer and gently nudging Skare before launching a second low-altitude attack. "Let them see! No matter how big they are, Stormhammer will bring them down!" He roared as he soared upwards, hammer raised high. The other Gryphon Rider followed suit. Kurdran smiled, glancing down to see the mage he'd encountered at Aerie Peak, and the Alliance commander. "Full support over there!" he roared, swinging his hammer above his head.

Turalyon raised his warhammer in salute to him.

"Lothar sent us!" Kurdran shouted, not caring whether they could hear him at this altitude. "Looks like we arrived just in time." He steered Skare down once more, flying towards the remaining enemies. Some of the Orcs had already been knocked down, while the humans and Elf were taking advantage of the situation to launch a frenzied attack on the panicked Orcs from both sides.

At that moment, Nathanos heard a sound that immediately drew his attention. Kurdran also sensed something else approaching from the sky. The Dwarf glanced down and saw a dark shadow swooping down from the south directly above him. At first, he thought it was a Warrior coming to report on the battlefield, but he quickly realized that the shadow didn't fly like a Gryphon. More shadowy figures followed from the east, seemingly flying through the Hinterlands at a higher altitude than them. But what were these things?

"Has it finally arrived?" Nathanos gazed at the sky.

Kurdran halted his attack, slowing his Skare and circling as he observed the approaching shadows. Were they birds? If so, they flew much higher than most birds, and their outlines looked quite peculiar. Could they be a new type of attack unit? Kurdran became alert.

As these shadowy figures drew closer, they grew larger and larger, until they filled his field of vision!

"In the name of Aerie Peak," Kurdran muttered to himself, stunned by their enormous size. What were they? How could they possess such massive bodies and fly so high? It was almost several times larger Skare, yet he still wondered what these creatures were. Now he could make out its features more clearly—a long tail and neck, enormous wings that occasionally flapped and stretched high into the sky, and what appeared to be horns on its head. It was flying, maintaining such a high altitude simply by hovering! Kurdran reassessed its size, feeling a chill run down his spine. Only one flying creature could be so large. He couldn't imagine what role this creature would play in the upcoming conflict.

As the last wisp of cloud dissipated, sunlight shone upon them, and the creature shimmered with a red light—covered in deep red scales. Kurdran knew his judgment was correct.

"A dragon!" Kurdran cried. "It's Red Dragon!"

Horde

"Speed up!" Doomhammer shouted. "Get moving!" He surveyed his Warrior. Then he turned around and saw Gul'dan waiting patiently. "What is it?" Doomhammer asked.

"My clan and I will be staying here for a while," Gul'dan replied. "The Storm Altar still holds significant value for the Horde."

Doomhammer frowned. He had never trusted the short, ugly Warlock, but he had to admit that the two-headed Ogre Gul'dan had created played a crucial role in the Battle of Quel'Thalas, and that the Death Knight led by Talon Blood Maw had been fully transformed, becoming far more powerful than before. Finally, he nodded and said to Gul'dan, "Don't waste any more time. We need to concentrate all our advantages to quickly conquer Lordaeron."

"I won't be gone for long," Gul'dan assured him, grinning broadly. "You're right, time is of the essence." Gul'dan's words caused Doomhammer a pang of unease, but then Zuluhed, the chieftain of the Dragonmaw Clan, approached and reported on the Dragon Knight joining the battle. Taking advantage of this, Gul'dan slipped away, avoiding Doomhammer's sharp gaze.

"They will soon be routed," Chieftain Dragonmaw Clan assured him. "Nothing can stop the Dragon Knight." He emphasized, grinning. "The flames will engulf this forest."

Orgrim nodded, but then suddenly remembered something. "Where's Zul'jin? Hasn't he returned yet?"

The surrounding Orcs exchanged bewildered glances, indicating they had never seen the chieftain of the Forest Troll before. This was fine; Orgrim felt he had plenty of time left for arguing. "Can you guarantee your Dragon Knight can wipe out those humans and Elf completely?"

Zuluhed looked troubled. Although the Dragon Knight were incredibly powerful, their numbers were limited, and more importantly, there were numerous Gryphon Rider in the sky. He couldn't guarantee they could defeat the Alliance. Doomhammer noticed the Dragonmaw Clan Chieftain's lack of confidence and said, "Do your best. Defeating them is secondary, but at least inflict heavy losses on them, rendering them ineffective in this war. Lordaeron has many soldiers stationed there. If you can't defeat the Alliance within a few days, abandon this place and join our rear guard. Also..." He glanced at the spot where Gul'dan had been; the Warlock had vanished. "Keep an eye on Gul'dan."

Zuluhd smiled. "I will keep his every move under your control, and if necessary, I will have a Red Dragon swallow him whole," he promised.

Doomhammer nodded, leaving Chieftain Dragonmaw Clan to stay and command, as he needed to confirm that his Blackrock Warrior were ready to advance on the next objective.

Gul'dan and Cho'gall remained hidden, while Orgrim's army, their heavy footsteps treading over the charred branches, moved slowly like a receding tide. At least a third of the forest had been burned in the catastrophe; smoke and ash filled the air. A few unburnt leaves clung to the trees, curled from dehydration. Soon, the Horde force would withdraw from the forest. They continued their march across the foothills, dust rising from their feet and spreading through the mountains. Doomhammer strode at the head of the column, his weapon tapping lightly against his back and thighs with each step. He didn't glance left or right, confident that nothing ahead posed a threat.

Once the last soldier of the main force had disappeared from sight, Gul'dan turned to Cho'gall. "So, are we all ready?"

Chieftain Twilight's Hammer's two faces broke into knowing smiles. "Everything is ready," he replied.

Gul'dan nodded in satisfaction. "Very good. Tell your Warrior to set off immediately. It's still a long way from here back to the sea." He stroked his beard. "The battle over there has kept Zuluhed too busy to attend to us, and by the time he realizes we've left, it will be too late."

"What if he sends dragons to follow us?" Even the usually fearless Cho'gall was wary of these behemoths, afraid they might fall from the sky.

"He won't do that," Gul'dan said confidently to Cho'gall, "Unless Orgrim gives the order."

On the battlefield

Kurdran let out a feeble cry, and a Gryphon Rider was swallowed like a sausage. Now the dragons were flying toward them, followed by more, those crimson behemoths descending from the sky onto the battlefield.

Besides their fiery red skin, their nostrils and mouths spewed smoke and flames with each breath, even more dazzling than the sunlight shimmering around them. Nathanos stared as the smoke and flames gathered, growing thicker and thicker. He knew all too well what this meant.

"Get down immediately!" Nathanos shouted, charging towards Sylvanas's location. The Female Elf, engrossed in hunting Troll and Orcs, was completely unaware of what was about to happen. She only heard the unusual roars, but the battle before her left her no time to pay attention. She had just killed an Orcs when suddenly someone rushed up behind her, grabbed her with both hands, shoved her to the ground, and pinned her down with their body. The Female Elf tried to struggle, but the human in front of her held her head in his arms, as if he didn't want her to see something.

The first dragon spread its wings and swooped down, its gaping maw spewing forth billowing flames that swept across the battlefield like a tidal wave. The intense heat instantly evaporated every last drop of moisture; though the trees had just been soaked by rain, they were charred and reduced to ashes in a flash, billowing thick black smoke. The flames not only did not cease, but they engulfed trees in even more distant areas, spreading outwards and sweeping away tree after tree, almost like a spell.

"Damn it!" Nathanos, sensing the impact subside, immediately released Sylvanas, stood up, and charged forward, leaving the Female Elf alone on the spot, ignoring her cries for help. Now, only the Kurdran Gryphon could defeat the Red Dragon.