Five days. It had been an entire five days since the incident with the puzzle box, and another five days since she was captured and brought to Thor Modan. At least, that was how long Vela guessed it had been. With the lack of windows and sunlight she only had her internal clock to base time off of, which wasn't one hundred percent accurate. For all she knew it could have been anywhere from a few days to a few weeks since then.
Krona and her pawns weren't any help with outside events either. Since her capture they had visited Vela at least once a day, usually more. The first time they visited her right after the nightmare Krona saw the box in the corner of the room, but she didn't say anything. She was acting abnormally nice, asking Vela if she was all right and if she needed anything, but Vela could sense her irritation. Vela wasn't tricked by her nice act, she was smarter than that.
She expected Krona to pay her a visit soon, she usually visited her not long after Vela's lunch was delivered, which she had just finished eating.
She pushed the empty metal lunch tray away from her and sat back against the wall, staring up at the cracked ceiling. She had yet to figure out how to use the cracks in the walls to her advantage, but she felt like there was some way they could help her escape. She had been trying to figure out ways for them to help her for hours without luck, but she was still trying. Maybe she was just desperate and was looking for anything to help her, but she was certain they could help her somehow.
She looked over them for the thousandth time, tracing them down the wall and looking for any spot where the wall would be weak enough to break, but as always she found nothing. Most of the cracks ran along the roof, which might have been weak enough to break if Vela could reach it. But with the enchanted chains keeping her bound to the wall there was no way she could even try to break the roof.
She eyed her chains, wondering how she would manage to get out of them. They were her biggest obstacle, with them on not only were her movements restricted but she couldn't shape shift or use magic. If she could get them off she would be able to escape before the iron dwarves were able to blink.
She picked up the chain and held it up at eye level, examining the runes that covered it. They were definitely dwarven, she concluded as she analyzed them. Not only that, they were very elaborate dwarven runes that would not be easily removed. They were very complex runes, that would need magic from a master to disenchant. The iron dwarves did not want her to escape.
"Ugg," she grunted, dropping the chains and leaning her head back against the wall.
She would definitely need help to disenchant the chains, it would need to be from someone very experienced in magic.
"If only Kyragosa was here," she muttered to herself, hanging her head low "Everything would be so much easier. She would known exactly what to do and we would have been out of here days ago."
She sighed and sat up, She couldn't wish Kyragosa there. Kyragosa was far away from Thor Modan, imprisoned in Dun Argol. And if she wasn't then, as much as Vela didn't want to admit it, she was dead. But Vela could do nothing to help her friend unless she found a way to escape.
She sat straight and began to look around, thinking of ways she could escape as she looked for anything helpful. It was all she could do at the moment to stay productive, that and hoping the iron dwarves would slip up somehow and give her a chance to escape, which wasn't likely to happen, keeping her a prisoner was too important.
She searched the walls, traced the cracks, examined every dent in the stone, but came back to the same conclusion: There was no way she could get out on her own without help. Even if the dwarves managed to mess up she was still in chains, and she wouldn't get much farther than a few feet outside her cell with them on.
The sound of people talking echoed through the caverns and Vela sighed, Krona had arrived. She crawled over to the bars of her cage and peered out. Sure enough, there was Krona, coming down the hallway surrounded by three guards. Vela sat down on the ground in front of the bars, crossing her legs, and waited for the daily interrogation to begin.
Kurun watched as the young draenei came running up the hill towards him. He had just watched her single handedly slay ten runed giants from his perch over Thor Modan, without getting a single scratch. He usually wasn't impressed by fleshlings, but this Draenei had earned the praise. It was no easy task to take on a giant, let alone ten.
Kurun looked down at her as she came to stand in front of him. To him she was short, as were most fleshlings to him, but for a draenei she was fairly tall.
"I have finished the little job you gave me, stone giant," she said, as if killing ten giants was an easy every day task. "What else do you have me? Or are you ready for a more internal blow to the iron dwarves forces?"
"I am very impressed, your skills are beyond great! You have greatly helped us in taking this city as our own." he said.
"Yes, yes, but is there anything else I can do? Something in the city that needs doing?" she asked, ignoring the praise.
At first Kurun was a little taken aback at the draenei's lack of caring towards his complement, but he concluded that it was probably a fleshling thing. "Ah, yes, there is something you could do in the city." he said "My giants fill the trench with boulders and debris, hoping to close of the city and destroy some of the iron evils forces at the same time. Help my forces and throw some of the boulders from the surrounding area into the trench."
"Yes, that sounds very fun, but I would really like to start attacking the city head on." she said, stamping her hoofed foot impatiently. "I can see how this boulder throwing idea is very productive, but I think your giants have it covered. I wouldn't be much use up here."
Had Kurun had eyelids, he would have been blinking at the draenei like a baffled fool. He had never met a mortal who was so dead set on risking life and limb to put a dent in the iron evil's forces.
"Killing a few of the sons of irons would be productive," he admitted "And that would help my giants to close the trench without further interruption,"
The draenei smiled. "Just as I was thinking!" she said. "I will be back soon enough. Tell your giant friends not to drop any rocks on my head while I'm down there,"
With that the draenei turned and was about to trot down the hill when Kurun remembered something and said, "Wait, adventurer, you forgot your reward for slaying the runed giants,"
The draenei turned and shrugged. "Trust me, I am already well equipped," she said. She whirled around, raven black pig tails swishing left and right, and trotted down the hill.
Kurun watched her as she went for a few moments. Never before had he been so baffled by a mortal. He shook his head, a few pieces of dirt falling off as he did so, and looked out across the battle field that was the outside of Thor Modan. He watched his earthen comrades fight, and fall, in battle with the forces of the iron evil. He sighed, a sound like two rocks grinding together. Whoever the Draenei had been, he hoped she was prepared for the battles that awaited her.
Krona looked down at the so called 'Aspect of Earth', who was behind bars only a few feet away from her. Capturing her had been to easy, it had only been a matter of careful planning and trickery, it was getting what she wanted out of her that was the hard part. The dragon was as stubborn as a pack mule after three days of traveling, and she had barely made a peep since the day she arrived.
Krona let out an irritated sigh. She will learn, she thought if it is what the master wants, she will learn.
She was all up for breaking the peace and taking out a whip to break the girls hide for information, but she just barely managed to restrain herself. Usually that would be her primary method during interrogations, that and threats and hostages. Right about now she was ready to order her guards to get the torcher chamber ready. Oh, the things she would be able to do then... The little black whelp would break after the first hit from a poisoned coded whip.
She shook her head, ridding herself of the thoughts. The master had made it very clear that no harm was to come to the dragon, under any circumstances. She was to get the information she needed through more peaceful methods.
She cleared her throat and asked, "How did yah rest?" trying her best to sound genuine all though she really couldn't care less.
The dragon, her master said her name was Velathelina, raised an eyebrow. "I slept on the bottom of a cave, how do you think it was?" she snapped.
Krona clenched her fists behind her back. She clenched her teeth, forcing a smile onto her face. How she would like to smack that girl up side the head. In her culture, snapping at your superior was not tolerated. This usually applied to children misbehaving, but it also applied to the prisoners to. Back when the iron dwarves were a force to be reckoned with any prisoner that snapped at a guard or someone such as her herself would have received ten lashings.
She looked over the dragon. Had it been the old days her skin would have been covered in gashed from a whip.
Krona shook her head, knowing she had a limited amount of time to do what she needed to do. She looked to the corner of the dragon's cell, where the nerubian puzzle box lay. She had no idea what had brought the dragon to throw it, but it was a huge inconvenience to her. The box was to be the main way for her to corrupt the dragon, as she had been charged to do. But with it fat away from the dragon the master's whispers could not reach her, and as such she would have to corrupt in some other way. Of course she had a back up plan, but she was really hoping she could just let the master do his work through the box. Now she would have to resort to harder, though more effective, methods of corruption.
She returned her attention back to the dragon, who was glaring up at her. It almost made her laugh. This dragon, aspect or no, was no threat to her what so ever. Not only was he weak after being in a prison for over five days, she couldn't use any magic nor could she shape shift. It had taken a long time for her to find an enchantment strong enough to bound a dragon, but her search had been successful and worth while. The reward was far greater than the months she had t spend searching when she could have been planning.
She tapped her foot impatiently, time was running out. "I will back later," she said to the dragon. Then she turned to the guards who came with her and whispered, "Keep an eye on her. Make sure she doesn't get any ideas. And make sure she doesn't see yah,"
All three guards nodded at her. "Aye, Lady Krona," they said.
Krona nodded in satisfaction. She would not let her prisoner escape. She wrapped her cloak around her and started down the hall, headed towards the Iron Thanes quarters. She had a very important meeting with her leader scheduled for that day, and she was expected to be there very soon. She was to give the Iron Thane a report on the prisoners that had arrived in the city, and she would have to be very careful about what she said.
She had much to think about, much to do. The master expected much of her, and she had to as he wished. If she did not the consequences could be catastrophic. There plans for the apocalypse would be ruined, and they would have to start over from scratch. The master would not be pleased if that happened.
She sighed, rubbing her head to soften the headache that was setting in. She had so much to do and so little time to do it. The most important was corrupting the dragon, but there were many little tasks she had to do that went along with it. First off she had to keep the troops busy with the stone giants so there weren't too many iron dwarves going down the caverns where the prisons were. Most of them would be oblivious to the fact that there was a dragon among the prisoners. But the smarter ones, especially the spell casters, would notice, and she could not have that. So she had to make sure the Stone giants and the iron dwarves continued their quarrel, which was tricky business.
She rounded the corner and quickly walked down the hallway into the main part of the city. She walked down the street, keeping far away from the canals that ran through the city, and hoped she wouldn't be late for the meeting. Having the Iron Thane on bad terms was the last thing she needed.
She looked up above her. She was glad the Iron Thane's quarters were on the in tact part of the city, as opposed to the one with a huge crack going down the ceiling. She did not have the time to dodge falling rocks and debris that the stone giants were throwing down at her.
She rounded the corner and was relieved to see the Iron Thane's throne rook at the end of it. She wouldn't be late after all, which was one less worry.
Krona walked quickly down the hall and stopped in front of the row of guards that barred the doors to the Iron Thanes quarters. They nodded at her, already knowing that she had an important meeting with the Iron Thane that day, and moved aside.
One guard retreated to the side of the room, where a large crank that opened and closed the doors lay, and began winding it. Gears clicked together in the wall and the door slowly opened. Krona waited patiently as the Thane's throne room became visible, trying her best to be calm and collected even though her heart was racing. She was about to tell the biggest lie in dwarven history, and right to the Thane's face. This was an outright act of treason, and she would officially be an enemy of the Iron dwarves if her lie was discovered.
It'll all be all right, she told herself It is part of the master's greata' plan, it must be done.
The doors spread apart all the way and stopped with a thud. There, sitting on his stone throne, was Iron Thane Argrum, the ruler of Thor Modan and the dwarf she was about to lie to. He was s big, intimidating dwarf, with buff shoulders and bulging muscles. He had earth brown hair tied back into a pony tail and the signature beard all dwarven men had. Glowing blue runes covered his gauntlets and boots, and his hammer lay next to his throne, easily reached should he need it.
Krona sighed and walked in. Argrum watched her walk in, his penetrating gaze making her want to flinch, but she forced herself to stand tall and hold her head high. His glare deepened. It was as if he already knew of her treachery.
The doors slammed shut behind her, and she swallowed the lump in her throat. She walked forward and stopped a few feet away from the throne.
She bowed, saying "Iron Thane Argrum, it is an honor."
"Stand straight, lass." he said. Krona straightened and looked up at him.
He studied her for a few moments, rubbing his chin in thought. Krona's heart was racing, but she mad sure to be as composed as she could be. She could not show fear in front of the Iron Thane.
"Have th' prisoners been delivered?" he finally asked, his voice deep and rough.
Krona nodded. "Yes, they all be in th' dungeons,"
The Iron Thane nodded. "And watta 'bout the cap'ain? 'As she been executed yet?"
"Not yet, Iron Thane," she said "We 'aven't gotten all th' information out of 'er yet. Once we do, she'll be sent straight to th' chopper."
"Watta 'bout the others? How many of 'em are there?" Argrum asked.
"No more than twenty," said Krona "All either be elves or dwarves. That be all."
"Only elves and dwarves?" asked the Iron Thane "Are yeh sure all of 'em are here?"
"That was all th' prisoners, Iron Thane. No others." Krona said.
The Iron Thane nodded. "Is that all yeh have to say?" he asked.
Krona nodded. "Then yeh can leave," the Iron Thane said. "I have to don my armor and head into battle. The blasted giants have been attackin' us for far too long," The Iron Thane slid off of his chair and picked up his hammer, holding it in the air. "This battle will end soon," he said. He looked down at Krona "Yeh are dismissed, lass."
Krona nodded, and turned to leave. The guards inside the throne room moved to open the doors for her as she walked forward. Her fate was sealed, by lying to the Iron Thane she had committed an act of treason, and should anyone find out about her treachery she would be exiled, or worse, killed. She was no long a commander in the Iron Dwarf army and overseer of the military, she was under the masters banner now. She would do as they said, even if it meant risking her title and reputation.
The doors slid open and she walked out as soon as the doors were open far enough. She had much to do now. She somehow had to find a way to silence the guards that had been down to the dungeons and the dwarf who had been feeding the dragon. No one could know of there 'special guest' now. Bribery wouldn't work, she had to silence them for good, no matter what.
As she rounded a corner a thought occurred to her.
I could reassign 'em, Krona thought That'd kill 'em before-
"Oof!" Krona said as she fell backwards, the wind knocked out of her.
She up and looked at the dwarf who had run into her. It was an iron dwarf female, with gray-black stone hair in a braid, with light blue robes on. Krona growled at the reckless dwarf, who seemed to be no more than a mere maiden.
"Watch where yer goin' lass!" she growled as she stood up. "Don't yeh corners are dangerous?"
As she brushed some of the dirt off her armor the maiden said "Oops, silly me! I'm never paying attention. I have so many places to go, and I'm always thinking as I go there."
Krona looked up at the maiden and grunted. "Well yeh better make sure tae watch yer'self next time!" she said.
The woman nearly smiled. "Why, of course, Lady Krona, I'll make sure to do just that."
Krona narrowed her eyes at the dwarf. Most would obey without question when they learned of who she was. But this dwarf was different. She knew very well who she was, but just didn't care. Krona did not like this.
"Where are you headin' lass?" Krona asked.
"Down the captain's prison," she said "I bring her lunch everyday."
"What be yer name then?" she asked, wanting to make sure she was telling the truth.
"Kara," the dwarf said "Kara is my name."
Krona nodded slowly. "Off with yeh then," she said, realizing the dwarf was wasting her time. "I have things tae do and I don't have time tae chat."
Kara curtsied, almost mockingly, and scurried off. Krona watched her as she left, wondering why she had acted so strangely.
Krona shook her head and continued along through the city, thinking, Every city has those odd balls,
Vela sighed in relief as she watched the guards Krona had assign to watch her leave. They had tried, and failed, to watch her without her knowing. But then again, how did they think they could do that? She was a dragon, and a black dragon at that, and she could feel the vibrations in the earth as they moved. Her vibration sense was numbed by the enchanted chains that bound her, but she could still feel things moving that were close to her. And now that she knew how to control it she was able to focus on their vibrations, and theirs only, and see where they were going.
They were actually a big part of what she had been doing for the past hour. She had been practicing what she could do with her tremor sense, seeing if it could somehow help her. So far she had discovered that the dwarves had probably been watching her a lot, but besides that she didn't know how it could help her actually escape.
If she escape through the caverns she could use it to tell which path led her out, and if dwarves were following her or not.
Once she could no longer feel the guards vibrations she leaned back against the wall, glad she didn't have to pretend that she wasn't doing anything like plotting and scheming. She had been doing that the entire time she wasn't monitoring the dwarves movements, which was when they went on a break.
She waited for a few minutes, making sure the dwarves weren't coming back, before rolling her shoulders back and relaxing. She finally had sometime to think. Krona had tried to interrogate her once again earlier that morning, but she didn't get anywhere. All she had done was ask her how her day was and if she was comfortable, when the answers were obvious. Of course she wasn't having a good day, she was a prisoner. Why would she be having a good day?
And she didn't know if Iron dwarves liked sleeping on stone since they were made of it, but any living thing with flesh would not like sleeping on rock. It was very uncomfortable, and Krona knew that it was.
Vela was tired of Krona's little act, and it was getting her no where. There was no way she could get anything out of Vela that way, nor any other way.
She tensed as she felt the vibrations of someone coming down the hall, headed towards her cell. She scooted closer to the cell, wondering who it was. Krona never came at that time of day, and her dinner wasn't supposed to come for another hour. Not only that, the person or thing making the vibrations did not feel like a dwarf, it felt bigger. And it walked differently to, it's steps wider and not as heavy as that of an Iron dwarf.
The vibrations got closer and closer until a blue, horned head appeared around the corner. Vela's eyes widened in surprise. The last thing she expected was a draenei to show up.
She quickly sat up, wondering just what was going on.
The draenei took a quick glance at her and sighed in relief. "There you are, I've been looking through this dungeon for ages." the draenei said. "You would not believe how many tunnels go through this place! If it wasn't for my magic it would have taken me a lot longer to get down here."
Vela blankly stared at her, utterly confused. "Who are you?" she asked.
The draenei roll her eyes. "Honestly, little whelp, I thought you would have recognized me at a first glance after knowing me for so long."
At first Vela was still confused, but then her eyes widened in sudden realization. "Kyragosa?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
The draenei smiled. "I thought you would never catch up!" she said "Of course it's me! Who else would it be? I wouldn't leave you down here to rot!"
"I know, I know I just... I thought you were dead." Vela said.
Kyragosa rolled her eyes again. "Don't be so overdramatic next time! It takes a lot to take down a wyrm as powerful as me," she said "Now, let's get you out of here. I don't feel like dealing with any Iron dwarves right now."
Kyragosa cracked her knuckles and got to work. Her hands shimmered with magic and soon a ball of blue fire formed in the palm of her hand. She brought her hand up and quickly threw the fireball at the bars of Vela's cage. The bars simmered and turned a bright orange, partially melting. Then Kyragosa whispered a few words and the bars were surrounded by a thick coating of ice. She grasped the bars and pulled them off, the weakened metal crumbling to pieces.
Kyragosa brushed her hands off, a wide grin on her face.
"Nice show," said Vela "But couldn't you have just pulled the bars off?"
"That ways no fun," said Kyragosa "Now, let me take a look at those chains,"
Vela quickly moved aside and Kyragosa crouched down next to her. She picked up a link of the chain and examined it. She turned it over, carefully looking at the ruins, then set it down.
"These are very powerful ruins for iron dwarves," she said "I'm surprised they knew how to enchant these at all. Binding one's magic is tough stuff," she smiled. "But not tough enough for the blue dragon flight."
She picked up the chains and Vela watched as the ruins on the metal began to glow a bright pink. Kyragosa began to mumble words in a language Vela didn't know, and the ruins glew even brighter the more she spoke. After a few moments of mumbling Kyragosa opened her eyes and looked down at the chains. She immediately frowned.
"Protection spells too?" she said. She turned to Vela and said "The Iron dwarves really do not want you to leave."
"You'll still be able to disenchant them though, right?" Vela said, worried she would say no.
"Of course I can!" Kyragosa said "I'm a blue wyrm! I just have to use some stronger magic I wasn't expecting to need,"
Kyragosa held up the chains again and began speaking rapidly in a different language. The runes glew even brighter, and the metal began to turn a bright orange from the heat. Steam came up from the area around Kyragosa's hands and she tensed from the heat, but continued speaking. The runes grew bigger, their color brightening, and Kyragosa spoke even faster. Then there was a breakthrough, and the runes slowly disappeared, the chains slowly cooling and returning to there original gray-black color.
Kyragosa dropped the chain and slowly began to relax, her shoulders easing backwards into the right place.
Her eyes popped open and she let out a sigh of relief. "Whew, glad that's finished," she said "I haven't used such powerful magic in a long time."
Vela looked to the wall were her now useless chain was attached to the wall and grabbed it. With one yank the chain was broken, and she used her draconic strength to break the shackles off her wrists. They clattered to the ground and she looked over her hands. Red bands wrapped around the area where the shackles had been, markings of where it had dug into her skin.
She slowly sat up, her legs stiff from having sat in the same position for so long. She wobbled a bit at first but quickly regained her balance, using the wall as a prop.
She walked forward a few steps when Kyragosa said, "Easy, you're legs aren't used to walking. I would be careful if I were you,"
"I will when we escape. But right now we have to get out of here, the guard that brings my dinner will be here soon." Vela said.
Kyragosa nodded and stood up. "All right then," she said "Let's go find Miri. I would change into you're aspectual mortal form if I were you, you'll be able to channel magic faster and the armor will help if we get attacked."
Vela nodded and began the transformation. Since all she was doing was changing her clothes and letting her horns grow out it was a lot easier than having the full dragon transformation. She closed her eyes and used her magic to change her attire to her aspect armor, making a few adjustments to it. First of all she would have pants on instead of the battle skirt she had on the last time she wore her aspect armor. Second, her armor was thicker and better suited for combat. And third, her teeth were now slightly pointed and her hands were more claw like, just in case she needed to defend herself.
She opened her eyes and smiled. She ran her tongue of her teeth and was glad to see that her magic had worked, and her teeth were now razor sharp.
She turned to Kyragosa a teasingly asked, "How do I look? Noble Aspect or battle ready dragon?"
"A little bit of both," Kyragosa said. "Now let's get going. Unless you want to stay?"
Vela shook her head. "No, let's get out of here. I've had enough with being in these caves, even if I am a black dragon." she said.
Kyragosa turned to leave and Vela was about to follow her when she was suddenly aware of a dark presence, just behind her. She turned around and her eyes immediately landed on the box. She forgotten about it after Kyragosa came, but there it was, taunting her from where it lay in the corner of the room. She frowned.
"Wait," she called out to Kyragosa. The blue dragon turned around and looked at her. "There's something I need to take care of,"
Vela walked over to the box and picked it up. Dark magic coursed through her, and she began to here whispers in a language she didn't understand. She narrowed her eyes as she looked over the ruins imprinted in the box.
Kyragosa trotted over to where she was and looked over the box. "I have never seen those ruins before," she said "They are made by something not from Azeroth. But they are very detailed, and I could not destroy it. I don't even think you could with you're power, and even if you could it would take you a very long time."
"If I can't destroy then I will bind it," Vela said "This box oozes with dark magic, and the evil within it is indescribable. If it ever got into the wrong hands, I would wish the victim of it's power a quick, painless death. I will make sure it never gets found again."
Vela walked over to the wall and set down the box in front of it. She quickly gathered her magic and began to perform a spell she had been working on. She concentrated on the earth around the box and used her aspectual power to thrust it up. The rock and granite began to shift and move, slowly surrounding the box as Vela commanded it to. Once the box was surrounded by rock she shifted her magic and forced the box down, far below the world's crust.
Satisfied, she walked over to the ground where the box had once been and knelt down. She took a piece of her power and thrust it into the earth, where it would forever remain. The rock there would never move, never part away unless she commanded it to. The box was forever bound to Thor Modan.
Vela stood and turned to Kyragosa. "Let's go," she said "We have night elf to save."
Krona watched as the remaining amount of the iron dwarf army began to march down the halls of the ruined city. Things were not going to plan. So far she had managed to keep the Iron Thane from unleashing the whole army on the stone giants, but he had finally made the decision. He would no longer listen, and there was nothing she could do to stop the march now.
With the entire army going out the final battle for Thor Modan would begin, and only one side would remain at the end of it. If the iron dwarves won, there would be more guards going down to the dungeons and one would eventually discover her treachery. But if the Stone giants won the city would be overrun and she would be killed.
Her heart pounded in her chest, if she didn't do something her plans would be ruined, and the plans of the masters. There wasn't much she could do. If she stayed in the city for much longer her fate would be sealed and there would be no escape for her.
"Rally th' troops and march to th' gate!" she heard the Iron Thane yell "We will win our city back! For Loken!"
The troops cheered, holding their axes in the air, as they marched down the streets of Thor Modan.
Krona turned and quickly walked down the road towards the dungeons. She would have to get the dragon and escape. She could go somewhere else, maybe some troll ruins in Zul'drak, and finish the masters plans there. Whoever won the battle today, she would at least be safe.
She scurried down the halls, making her way to the passageways and ducking in without anyone noticing. She could sneak out the back way of the tunnels and get out that way, no one would notice and she would be in Zul'drak by nightfall. If anyone noticed her absence they would assume she perished in battle.
She reached the end of the tunnel and made a sharp left, nearly running down the hall. The dragon's cell was just up ahead.
Hope rose in her chest and she slid to a stop in front of the cell. She couldn't believe her eyes, and her world came crashing down on her. The bars to the cell were destroyed, and the dragon was gone.
Thirty minutes of running through the tunnels, with the help of Kyragosa's sensing spell, had brought the two dragons to the cell of Miri. As soon as Vela saw the night elf, crumpled over in the cell facing the opposite direction, she grabbed the bars and easily ripped them off with one mighty pull. Miri quickly sat up, eyes narrowed and fists clenched, but then she saw Vela and Kyragosa.
The night elf shot up, as quick as a cheetah even though she was thin and lanky from malnourishment. "I thought I would never see you two again," she said, a wide grin on her face. She turned to Kyragosa and her grin widened. "I though you were dead there for a bit," she said.
Kyragosa rolled her eyed. "Why does everyone think that?" she said. "I can manage myself very well, you know,"
Miri shook her head. "Whatever," she said "What's the plan? How are we busting out? We have to make it fast, iron dwarves are everywhere in these tunnels, and I'm in no condition to fight."
"There's not much of a plan except for to escape," Vela said. "We have everything we need, we should get out of here before someone notices."
Miri's eyes widened in alarm. "We can't leave yet," she said "I can't leave without getting the other prisoners out. They're my people, I won't abandon them." she paused and added, "...And my sister could be there. I can't leave knowing she could be trapped here."
Vela looked to Kyragosa and asked "What do you think?"
Kyragosa thought for a few moments. "You and Miri should go on ahead and get the others out," she said "I have some... business to take care of elsewhere in the city,"
Vela raised an eyebrow, confused as to what the blue dragon could possibly have to do elsewhere, but nodded.
Miri turned to Vela. "Let's get moving," she said "We don't have much time. I know a route out."
Miri began to jog down the tunnel and Vela quickly followed in pursuit. She glanced back at Kyragosa, but the wyrm was already headed down the hallway. Oddly enough, she was walking very slowly, as if she had all the time in the world. Her fists lay at her side and were clenched, and for the first time since Vela had met her she looked angry.
Kyragosa watched from the shadows as the petty dwarf woman frantically looked this way and that, standing in front of the busted open cell. She was looking, without success, for her former prisoner, Velathelina. Kyragosa knew first hand the things she had done to the little dragon, and it filled her with rage, an emotion she rarely had.
Krona's eyes widened as realization hit her like a brick wall, her eyes widening and her breathe quickening. All Kyragosa could do was watch, waiting for the perfect moment to make herself known. This was something she had to do, something she had sworn and oath to do. The dwarf would pay for her crimes against the dragon flights.
The dwarf stopped in her tracks, thoughts racing. Her breathing slowed slightly, and a tiny grin of hope formed on her stone face. Just as she looked like she was about to leave, that she had found away out of her doomed fate, Kyragosa slipped out her hiding place and slowly walked over to her.
"Krona," she said, causing the dwarf to whirl around. She looked the draenei's figure over and narrowed her eyes.
"Out with yah, Draenei!" she spat. "I will end you're miserable life!"
Kyragosa cocked an eyebrow. "A draenei, is it?" she asked "You don't know who I am?"
Her eyes quickly narrowed to a glare, and she entered the dwarf's mind and used her powers to make her fly all the way to the back of the wall. The dwarf landed with a thud and slumped down to the ground.
Kyragosa closed the distance between them and terror filled the dwarf's eyes as she said "You should have,"
She wrapped a hand around the dwarfs throat and picked her up, holding her at eye level. "Guess then," she said "Take a guess as to who I might be."
Krona wriggled a squirmed, managing to choke out "I...I don't know..."
"You still don't know? Can't even take a guess?" Kyragosa asked. She narrowed her eyes and smashed the dwarf against the wall, causing her to squeal in pain.
"I'll tell you who I am," she said "I am Kyragosa, the blue wyrm. I am older than the land you sit on. Long ago, I made a promise to a very important dragon. Do you know who that dragon was?"
Krona shook her head. "The dragon you captured mother," Kyragosa said. "I promised her that I would protect her and that no harm would to her daughter. I promised her that I would guide Velathelina and teach her the ways of her flight and the meaning of her powers. And you, you got in the way of that. You captured her, you tortured her what that puzzle box, and you will pay for your crimes."
Krona's eyes widened in terror. "Please... don't..." she muttered.
"No?" Kyragosa said. "I don't think so."
Kyragosa summoned her magic and thrust it into the dwarf's mind, burning it to a crisp. Krona fell limp in her hand, and she let go of the dwarf. She turned around, and walked out. Her business there was done.
Vela made a sharp turn to the left and came into a hall of cells. She slowed to a stop to stand next to Miri, who was staring into one of the many cells, which had over ten prisoners in it.
"This is it," the night elf said.
Vela nodded, and quickly got to work. She began ripping the bars off the cage, and using her magic to unlock the shackles on the prisoners. The prisoners, who were all dwarves and night elves, would look at her with eyes full of gratitude and utter a quick thank you before exiting the prisons.
"You look for your sister," Vela yelled over her shoulder. "I'll get them out, just go,"
Miri nodded and ran down the hall, stopping in front of each cell and looking in.
Vela finished freeing the prisoners in that cell and moved onto the next, doing the same. She used up a lot of her energy, going from each cell and setting everyone she found free. The cells were endless, and the prisoners many, and it took her a long time to get through everyone. She would tell the freed prisoners to wait for them to get their captain free, if she was still alive.
Finally Vela got to the last cell, which Miri was standing in front of. It was packed full with night elves. She looked to Miri and the druid nodded. Vela grasped the bars and pulled, ripping them off. Miri quickly ran inside, looking for her sister. Vela began freeing the others, and they thanked her in darnassian before clustering in a group outside.
"Tyrisi!" Vela looked to her side and saw Miri ripping the chains off of a very weak night elf. It was Tyrisi.
Miri quickly hugged her sister and helped her to stand. "I thought they had killed you," she said, propping her sister up.
"They were going to," said Tyrisi. "But they got held up with battle plans and had to move my execution back. Mirani, I thought I was going to die. That I would never get out of here. Thank Elune you arrived!"
Tyrisi looked around and her eyes landed on Vela. "I see you still live, dragon," she said. She glanced up at the ceiling. "The battle for Thor Modan wages on above us. Do you think you could help us tip the scales?"
Vela raised and eyebrow. "How so?" she asked.
Tyrisi, despite her condition, smiled. "My scouts and I will enter the city trough the tunnels and infiltrate the city, we will kill their Iron Thane, who is barely protected now. The roof above us is thin, the city is right above us. You could go into your dragon form and unleash havoc on the Iron dwarves forces, and we will win. Are you up for it?"
Miri narrowed her eyes. "Sister, you are very weak. You shouldn't be fighting anytime soon!" she said.
"Do not worry sister," Tyrisi said. "I will be fine. What matters most is that we win this battle." she turned to Vela. "Will you help us?"
Vela smiled. "Let's do this."
Without question, she moved out of the cell and into an open area of the hallway. She released the magic that bound her to the form of a human and let her true form take over her. Her teeth and horns elongated, as did her legs and arms. Flesh turned into scales, and her wings unfurled from her back. The walls around her began to crack and crumble as her legs and arms pushed them back. Finally, her head formed, and she reared it up into the ceiling, breaking through into the city and letting out a death screech as she emerged into the streets of Thor Modan.
She climbed out onto the first floor and let out a long jet of flame. Nearby guards scattered, and the war calls of the night elves filled the air as the spilled out into the city. They went in all directions, killing any dwarves they saw. Miri climbed out as well and Vela wrapped her tail around her, picking her up and placing her on the notch between her neck and back.
"Easy there," Miri said "I don't want my insides to turn upside down,"
Vela smiled a toothy grin and leaped into the air, her wings unfurling and relishing the joy of being airborne. For so long she had been stuck on the ground, and now she was free, finally free!
She erupted from the crack in the roof, Miri holding on for dear life on her back, and flew as high as she could. Once she was high enough, she folded her wings, tilted forward, and let gravity take her down. She opened her mouth, a huge fire ball forming in the back of her throat as the battlefield came ever closer. Her eyes narrowed as she saw the iron dwarves and she growled. A few hundred feet from the surface she unfurled her wings and tilted up, letting a jet of flame wash over the land as she brushed over the heads of the iron dwarves, burning them to a crisp.
The giants who had been preparing to fight set down the boulders they held and cheered, which came out as low grumbling sounds. Vela swooped up, ending her jet of flame as it toasted the last of the iron dwarves, swooped up and turned around. She went full speed ahead towards the ledge overlooking the city. Her feet smashed into it, boulders crumbling off of the ledge and falling onto the ground below, and shrieked triumphantly into the air, the sound echoing through the canyons for all to hear.
"Never... do that... again..." Miri said, clutching her stomach.
Vela merely smiled.
Vela raised her head to the sky, opened her maw, and let out a long stream of orange flames, watching the giants below with triumph in her eyes.
...Oh my. This is the longest chapter I have ever written, and will probably stay that way for a very long time. Thank you all for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I know I enjoyed writing it. A lot has happened, and I can finally say this is the middle of the story, half of it is done.
I know it's been a while since this story has been updated, and hopefully the length of this chapter makes up for the wait.
Review and let me know what you think of everything that's happened... I'm curious as to what you guys think about this.