Aaron figured that since this fellow could rescue the Red Dragon Queen from Grim Batol, he ought to have at least some ability...
"I have another spell that can protect us, but I don't want to use it here. That dragon might carry us all off together."
"Prismatic Barrier?" Aaron asked tentatively. If that wasn't it, his next guesses would be Blazing Barrier and Ice Barrier.
"No. I doubt Prismatic Barrier could withstand even one attack from the Red Dragonflight. But an ordinary person shouldn't even know about Prismatic Barrier." Rhonin gave Aaron a curious look. He was growing increasingly curious about this peculiar Paladin.
"I..." Aaron wanted to say that he was, after all, someone with a max-level character of every class. But on second thought, the two of them would probably consider him insane if he said that, so he kept it to himself.
Just as the three struggled to find a way out of the sea of flames, another resounding dragon's roar came from behind them. All three instantly understood: it seemed the magic affecting the dragon had worn off.
Aaron hurriedly turned and raised his shield to protect Rhonin behind him. Vereesa also took her bow and arrows from her mount, ready to teach the dragon a lesson. Whether this young elven ranger's arrows could pierce the Red Dragonflight's scales was another question.
Seeing their movements, Rhonin also began preparing to cast. Had Aaron turned around at that moment, he would have seen Rhonin's eyes shining with the violet glow of Arcane magic. Aaron could, however, hear Rhonin chanting. The sound felt rather strange to him; this was his first time witnessing how a real mage chanted while casting a spell.
But something seemed to go wrong with Rhonin's first chant. Aaron heard him begin a second chant before completing his first spell, while the Red Dragonflight was already diving toward them in boundless fury. Aaron hesitated over whether to put a Divine Shield on himself and charge forward to fight the Red Dragonflight at close quarters.
But just as Aaron was about to use his skill and charge recklessly ahead, he heard Rhonin's chanting break off again behind him. Then someone tapped his shoulder, and a gentle voice said, "Don't act rashly."
Aaron glanced back at Vereesa in surprise. He was about to ask something when he saw her extend a finger, signaling for him to look at the sky.
Aaron looked into the distance, just as three flying, winged creatures emerged from the clouds. His knees nearly buckled on the spot. Had the Orcs already learned of Rhonin's objective and sent four members of the Red Dragonflight to deal with them?
But Aaron soon realized that the three newcomers weren't members of the Red Dragonflight, but creatures he knew even better: eagle heads, lion bodies, and wings.
"Gryphons?!" Aaron cried in delighted surprise. Gryphons could be called the Alliance's most common flying mounts, and in Warcraft, which shared World of Warcraft's setting, Gryphon Riders were a classic human air unit. At any rate, these gryphons couldn't be enemies, Aaron thought.
Aaron watched the three gryphons swoop straight at the Red Dragonflight. Then the four flying units, one large and three small, began a fierce battle in the sky.
Although the gryphons were much smaller than the Red Dragonflight, their smaller size made them more maneuverable. They were far more agile than the Red Dragonflight, and with the help of the Gryphon Riders wielding double-bladed battle-axes, the battle in the sky soon swung in the gryphons' favor.
Although the battle had no shortage of close calls, and one Gryphon Rider even accidentally dropped his battle-axe to the ground during the fierce fighting, the Gryphon Riders had victory in the bag no matter how one looked at it. The only uncertainty was whether they could keep the Red Dragonflight from escaping.
"They're making that dragon lose its bearings completely," Vereesa commented as she watched the battle overhead. "They know the members of the Red Dragonflight are very young, and this dragon's hot temper will also be its downfall!"
"A very effective tactic." Although Aaron couldn't really make out the Gryphon Riders' supposed tactics, the situation in the sky was clear enough. He put on an act and nodded in agreement with Vereesa's assessment, lest anyone see through him.
After watching the aerial battle for a while, Rhonin suddenly said, "We need to keep moving. They already have the upper hand. This is a good chance for us to leave."
Vereesa seemed somewhat unhappy with Rhonin's decision. Perhaps the elven ranger really wanted to help the Gryphon Riders, but how much damage could a ranger who couldn't take to the air inflict on a dragon in the sky? Aaron had his doubts.
Aaron himself agreed with Rhonin. Since they couldn't intervene in the aerial battle, the better choice was to take advantage of the Red Dragonflight being too occupied to spare them any attention and keep moving to complete their own mission.
As they traveled, Rhonin suddenly raised a question. "Why would that dragon know we were here?" It seemed the red-haired mage believed the dragon had come for him.
To be honest, Aaron also thought the Red Dragonflight's appearance was too much of a coincidence. But how had Rhonin's whereabouts been exposed? Was there a traitor within Dalaran?
Aaron searched his memory carefully, but couldn't recall whether Dalaran had any mages who colluded with the Orcs. Although Dalaran had always been famous for its abundance of traitors, there didn't seem to be any mages who would side with the Orcs.
Beside him, Vereesa said somewhat impatiently, "Who knows what an Orc is thinking? Mage, this isn't the first time they've attacked the Alliance like this."
During the Second War, Quel'Thalas had suffered a thorough scorching from the Red Dragonflight. Having experienced all of that herself, Vereesa was clearly somewhat agitated as she faced these red behemoths again.
"But..." Rhonin seemed to want to say more, but apparently noticed something and fell silent. Vereesa also raised her bow warily. Although Aaron, busy recalling Dalaran's roster of traitors, didn't understand what had happened, he still swiftly raised his shield and stepped in front of Rhonin.
Right before Aaron's eyes, six mounted knights surrounded the three of them. Judging by their silver armor, their lion-decorated helmets, and the images of upraised hands adorning their breastplates, these fellows ought to belong to the local Paladin organization-the Order of the Silver Hand.
The six men leveled their spears at the three of them. One pointed at Vereesa, four at Rhonin, while the lone spear pointing at Aaron seemed somewhat hesitant.
Looking at the six silent men, Aaron wanted to say something, but then saw another knight emerge from the woods.
This knight's armor was somewhat different from that of the six surrounding Aaron and his companions. His helmet was also decorated with pointed horns, and unlike the others, it didn't completely cover his head. His heraldry wasn't that of the Silver Hand either, but a distorted L shape with a sword through it. Aaron couldn't recall for the moment what that emblem represented.
Judging by his face, the newcomer was around forty, with a gray beard and a spiked warhammer decorated with a lion's head hanging at his waist.
"An elf? A mage? And..." When his gaze settled on Aaron, the older Paladin seemed to hesitate a little. Aaron couldn't tell whether his gleaming golden armor had startled him.
Aaron noticed his confusion and cast Light of the Protector over Rhonin's head. This drew astonished exclamations from several of the knights. "He really is a Paladin?"
"Although I don't know how you came together, I must ask the three of you to come with us."
Aaron discovered, to his dismay, that an unaffiliated Paladin like himself had actually been arrested by the Silver Hand. He very much wanted to point at his gleaming golden armor and tell these Silver Hand knights that he was actually their future Grand Master, that he would inherit Tirion Fordring's Ashbringer, and that he would also become Highlord.
But right now, the weapon Ashbringer hadn't even been forged yet, so Aaron simply said nothing. From what he knew of the Silver Hand, these knights wouldn't make things difficult for them. Although there was no telling how the Paladins would conduct themselves after the future outbreak of the Scourge and the Silver Hand's split, at least the current knights of the Silver Hand were still very reliable.