Obsidian Dragonflight.

Part VI: Fire.

"I've got it!" Jaina yelled, blasting the pool of lava with more ice spells, with Vereesa following her lead.

"I will not be trapped in my own realm!" Ragnaros roared, heating the room up and summoning elementals to interrupt their spellcasting.

"I've got them!" Muradin yelled, charging at the elementals to protect Jaina. "Don't stop doing that, it's clearly irritating him."

Uther unsheathed Ashmourne and slashed at Ragnaros' solidifying base, carving chunks out of the fire lord.

"You think me defeated so easily?" Ragnaros laughed, seeming to grow taller. "Fire overcomes all obstacles, fire is uncontained rage!"

Ragnaros formed two legs of pure fire and lava, stepping out of the rapidly solidifying pool until the fire lord stood over them, wielding Sulfuras in both hands.

"BY FIRE BE PURGED!" Ragnaros bellowed, summoning a wall of lava across the entire room.

"Get behind us!" Jaina yelled, as she and Vereesa hurried to stand side by side, and blast the wall of lava with ice.

As they solidified a section of the oncoming lava wall, Arthas charged forward and smashed through, followed by the others. Ragnaros bellowed in anger, slamming Sulfuras down at Uther, who dodged it and slashed at the fire lord's wrist.

"Minions of fire, purge the outsiders!" Ragnaros yelled, and a large fiery elemental climbed out of the lava pool, formed from the magma Jaina had created.

"Succumb to living flame!" the elemental roared, as it marched toward the two dwarves.

"Back down Ragnaros!" Uther yelled, getting the fire lord's attention again. "Don't belittle yourself by calling on lackeys! If we're so easy to defeat, face us alone!"

"Bold of you to demand a god to do your bidding." Ragnaros chuckled. "Be gone Rhyolith!"

The gigantic elemental nodded and stomped away, leaving the heroes to face Ragnaros. Ragnaros, however, summoned smaller elementals and focused his attention on Uther. The fire lord separated Uther from his companions with walls of pure fire, before blasting the Lightbringer with lava.

"I see you!" Ragnaros snarled. "You call yourself 'Lightbringer', but you're soul is bathed in shadows."

"I will not listen to a desperate entity!" Uther snarled through gritted teeth.

He blasted the lava away with a blast of holy energy, and charged at Ragnaros with unrestrained fury.

"Uther!" Jaina exclaimed, seeing him charge at Ragnaros like a thing possessed. "Don't let it win!"

Uther hesitated, and before Ragnaros could take advantage of the Paladin's hesitation, his weapon hand was blasted with frost magic.

"You're not going to threaten Azeroth anytime soon!" Jain yelled, hurling frost spells at Ragnaros' weapon hand, until it solidified.

"This is my realm!" Ragnaros bellowed in furious frustration.

"And if we defeat you here, you will not threaten Azeroth for centuries!" Uther said, channelling the Light into his swords. "That is not something we will pass up."

"We've got the elements on our side!" Falstad cheered, as he managed to summon elementals of earth, air and water around him.

Ragnaros snarled and smashed his solidified fist down, trying to kill Uther, but Uther's swords destroyed the fist before it could flatten him. Jaina and Vereesa continued to hurl ice and arcane spells at Ragnaros, while Uther knocked Sulfuras from the remains of the fire lord's right hand.

"Burn!" Ragnaros yelled, trying to retreat but finding the pool of lava covered by a thick layer of solidified magma.

"Not today!" Arthas yelled, channelling the Light into his mace and smashing it down on Sulfuras, breaking the head in two.

Uther and Arthas then combined their weapon strikes, swinging their weapons upwards into Ragnaros' chest, causing the fire lord to get blasted back by the Light.

"I will return, and Azeroth will burn for these transgressions!" Ragnaros snarled, before his body died, and the armour clattered to the floor.

'-Time is running out.-' The voice whispered.

"We've got to get back to Azeroth, we must defeat Deathwing quickly." Uther said quickly as the heroes gathered together again. "Jaina, try and create a portal back to our realm. Arthas, well done on finding your faith again."

"Thank you Uther." Arthas smiled.

"What restored your faith?" Muradin asked.

"I guess it was seeing my former mentor standing toe-to-toe with the fire lord. I witnessed first hand how the Light was able to match the power of an elemental lord, and came to the aid of someone who needed it." Arthas explained.

"I am glad, if you wish to continue your training after this is all over, I will recommend one of the Silver Hand's finest as your new mentor." Uther said, patting Arthas on the back.

"You're not offering?" Vereesa asked.

"It is clear to me now that you need someone who can reach you on a more personal level," Uther said slowly, sheathing Frostlight and Ashmourne. "I never could because we were too different, and I have a new protégé in Sylvanas, and she has so much more to learn."

"Why not mentor both of us?" Arthas laughed.

"That would not be much fun for me," Uther chuckled. "You two fight too much."

"They don't mean it," Vereesa sighed. "Sylvanas has a playful side that the prince here shares, when two people like that meet of course they're going to fight."

"I'll think about it." Uther stated, as Jaina opened a portal to Azeroth.

"Best I can do, it's not Stormwind but it is a place of safety." Jaina said. "Hurry! It will not stay open for long."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Where are we?" Arthas asked when they emerged in a well lit cave, with several pools of crystal clear water around them.

"Welcome to the Tauren home of Thunderbluff." Jaina smiled. "From the exploration of Kalimdor I've done, it's roughly in the middle of Kalimdor, with the Orc capital north east of here."

"Why did you bring us here?" Muradin asked.

"Because Nozdormu said you were to return to the Caverns of Time after you had dealt with Ragnaros and the Twilight's Hammer." Jaina said simply. "Thunderbluff is the nearest city to Tanaris."

"Then why did you not teleport us to Gadgetzan?" Uther asked.

"I did not think about that, I thought of the nearest place of safety to the Caverns of Time, and my memory of Thunderbluff was the most prominent." Jaina said flustered.

"Fair enough," Falstad laughed. "How to we find Sylvanas, Onyxia and Ysondre?"

"Let's speak to Cairne, he's likely heard what happened in the Eastern Kingdoms," Jaina said quickly.

"Lead the way." Uther said, gesturing to the exit.

"Don't go swimming in those waters, the Tauren believe them to be mystical."Jaina said, noting how Arthas and Muradin were eyeing the reflecting pools.

"Darn, come on lads, let's explore this 'city' of the Tauren." Muradin laughed, dragging Arthas and Falstad out of the cave.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Jaina!" Cairne said, hurrying to greet the magi. "It is wonderful to see you again, how have you been? Why are those elegant robes of yours burned?"

"We've just returned from the firelands, where we silenced the fire lord and his threat to this world." Jaina said, looking at the burn marks on her robes. "But where are my manners, these are my companions; Vereesa Windrunner and Lord Uther. My other friends, who have chosen to explore your city, are Muradin Bronzebeard, Falstad Wildhammer and Arthas Menethil."

"Lord Uther? The one so many people call Lightbringer?" Cairne asked. "You certainly have a large reputation among my people's new allies, your stories are beyond belief, yet I can see they are true, the ghosts of your past have left their marks on you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you to Cairne," Uther chuckled, shaking the Tauren's hand. "We have come to speak with you, mostly to see what you have heard."

"I have heard many things since the Earthmother was wounded, and the world cried out in pain." Cairne laughed. "Is there something more specific you wish to learn about?"

"We were wondering if you had heard about Sylvanas Windrunner and two dragons that were with her." Jaina asked.

"As it happens I have," Cairne said, turning to pick up a small piece of parchment. "This was a detailed letter I received from Vol'jin this morning. It lists the catastrophies that have been reported across Kalimdor, and of a Sin'dorei ranger resting in Orgrimmar after an aerial battle to the north-east."

"Where is she now?" Vereesa asked.

"Still in Orgrimmar I believe, shall I send word to bring them here?" Cairne asked.

"If you would be so kind," Uther said politely. "But I sense that there is something else, something not quite so uplifting."

"Indeed," Cairne sighed. "I returned from the conference with the other leaders of the Alliance when the earthquakes hit, and my people were immediately visited by a group of Kaldorei rangers."

"What did they want?" Jaina asked.

"They informed me that a dangerous prisoner had escaped from his confinement, and that my people should be on the look out for him." Cairne stated.

"Who?" Vereesa asked.

"Illidan Stormrage," a voice said, and a Night Elf strolled out of the shadows behind Cairne. "Twin brother of Malfurion, but to my people he is known as the Betrayer for his actions during the War of the Ancients."

"I think you best tell us everything while we wait for Sylvanas to get here." Uther sighed.