Warcraft IV: War of Legends
Chapter 9: Search for Grim Batol
Thrall's journey to Grim Batol was one of slight remorse. Few orcs knew what was there, and he was one of them. Cairne had insisted on coming with a group of Tauren, as had a number of Troll Shadow Hunters. Rok'Han, Rexxar, and Cairne were the only ones the Warchief allowed with him. A larger group could be seen as an attack force, and they were approaching Alliance lands.
The one part of the situation that truly bothered him was the purpose of his journey. He knew that the mage had felt that Thrall needed to ally his forces with the great beings that dwelled within once tainted caves. However, though they had once fought alongside orcs before, they were slaves to the Horde. However, their queen had since forgiven Thrall for his people's crimes. This did not mean, however, that the Red Dragon Flight would join the Horde.
Thrall had tried to reach Sylvanas, but she was no where to be found. In fact, the entire Forsaken faction appeared to have disappeared. It was for the best, he thought, since the Queen of Life would outright refuse a request by those who stood beside the Undead, whether Scourge or Forsaken. And more than anything, the Horde hoped for Alexstrasza's blessings.
The Goblin Zeppelin that was carrying the heroes of the Horde landed still some distance from the caverns. "Sorry guys, we can't get any closer without getting killed! Besides, I got some business here!" said the main goblin pilot. His single co-pilot merely nodded. Thrall checked his mini-map and saw he was actually quite close to the entrance.
"This should be fine," he said as he left the zeppelin. The other passengers disembarked, and the pilot walked towards a small hole in the ground. The co-pilot remained to keep the zeppelin safe, and the four heroes approached the cave. Even though the mini-map showed them to be very close, the surrounding area was vast. The small distance shown was truly the size of a small outpost. Thrall's Farsight showed him that a single Shade ran around the mountain, right before it was destroyed by a Red Dragon. Not wishing to tell his friends their purpose for being here, he motioned for them to follow carefully.
They encountered no dragons before the entrance. Thrall used his Feral Spirits and his Farsight to spot any dragons beforehand. He was able to navigate straight to Alexstrasza's main chamber without any casualties. As he saw the massive dragon, it occurred to him that the Red Flight might like to ambush and capture intruders. To show his good intent, he called upon the stone and earth spirits to speak to the Dragon Queen. From the ground small plants sprouted to show the Queen of Life that the new intruders wished an audience, and meant no harm.
"Why are you here, young orc? What has driven you here?" asked the massive dragon. Her red scales were each the size of a tall dwarf, in both length and width. Each tooth in her massive maw made Cairne look like a gnome. Her wings only fit in the chamber because she kept them wrapped around her body. Though the Scourge had removed much life, they remained partially alive. Though it brought her pain, the life energy stolen returned to her, but did not dissipate. Her body had grown over time. The living kept their energy, while all energy left the dead. Undeath was a horror that the queen could barely endure.
"I come to seek your blessing, Queen of Life. A Dragon came to me and told me of dark times to come. The humans of Theramoore have already fallen. The Undead Scourge was responsible for the kidnapping of their lady. If the Scourge adds her to their ranks…"
The dragon roared, which all present noted as both pain and anger. "The Scourge is a monstrosity! All the dragon flights fight against the Scourge when possible, with the exception of the Black Dragon Flight. The Lich King of the Scourge, and most of the Liches who serve him, were once orcs like yourself. One, however, was a human Necromancer. If you can slay him and capture his soul, I will give you my full blessing. However, my flight will assist you until then."
"So I shall, great Queen of Life. And I hope that the cause of your pain will bother you no more." With that, the heroes of the Horde left the chamber of Alexstrasza. The chamber remained almost empty until a small figure emerged from a hole in the ground.
"Are you sure it is the only way?" she asked, doubt filling her voice. She barely heard the response, but knew what it was. Regardless, she lowered her torso low enough for the small goblin blade to cut between two swollen scales. Her life-giving blood dripped upon another blade, forged of goblin and dwarven fires. Engraved upon it were five runes, and the blood filled the first. The rune flashed a brilliant red.
The wound normally would have healed instantly, but the sickness in the dragon let the blood flow freely. The blade which absorbed her blood entered the wound and closed it. 'The blade's first function is done. Now the other four must add their powers…' He exited the tunnel and ended up beside a Goblin Zeppelin. "Hey, take off without me, 'kay?" Once they join with the Reds, they won't need your services, and we can go back! I'm going west, so see ya then!" The small goblin then turned into a massive Blue Dragon and flew the long journey west, where the next two Aspects dwelt…
AN: That blade is important, and uses a type of ancient magic I made just for this. It will have one property for each Aspect, and the first is healing…