The Dedicated Few.

When they arrived at the temple, Alexstrasza led them down to a large chamber with five ornate stone rings that were laid out around the edge of the room.

"You think that she's in the Obsidian Sanctum?" Sylvanas asked.

"It's a sanctuary, where else would she be after her master fell to the evil within," Ysondre said softly.

"Guards, open the Obsidian Sanctum," Alexstrasza ordered.

The two Drakonids stirred from their sleep, and quickly began channelling their magic into the dormant Obsidian portal. When the fiery image of the Obsidian sanctum filled the large ring, Alexstrasza moved toward the portal.

"Ladies, I think it best that just I and Sylvanas enter," Alexstrasza said slowly, peering through the shifting portal. "If Onyxia has been unhinged by Uther's fall, then fewer targets for her rage would be best."

"My queen…" Ysondre protested.

"I know what I am doing young one, and I do not believe that she has fallen so far as to attack us on sight." Alexstrasza said softly, putting her hand on Ysondre's shoulder. "Besides, I believe that Sylvanas will protect me."

"With my life," Sylvanas said boldly, leading the queen through the portal.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Inside the Sanctum, they found a fiery domain, with a large volcanic ravine that surrounded a large island of ingenious rock. Lava flowed from the far mountains into a lake that surrounded the island, and divided up the ravine into sections. Sylvanas and Alexstrasza breathed a sigh of relief when their eyes fell upon the sanctum's sole living inhabitant.

At the centre of the island, surrounded by four dragon skeletons and Obsidian eggs, Sylvanas and Alexstrasza found Onyxia asleep. They kept their distance, watching the sleeping Obsidian dragon for signs of danger.

"Do you think she knows we're here?" Sylvanas whispered.

"I believe so," Alexstrasza replied. "This has been her safe place for several months, she knows it well enough to know about intruders."

"Who dares to threaten the Brood-mother and her clutch?" Onyxia growled, though it was clear she was still asleep.

"We do not threaten you Onyxia, we have come to…" Alexstrasza said loudly, stepping toward Onyxia, but hesitating when the Obsidian dragon stirred.

"I will not return to Azeroth without my master," Onyxia said bitterly, opening her eyes and staring intensely at the dragon queen. "I am the last child of Neltharion, my flight will go extinct if…"

"This clutch you guard will be safe from harm here, my kin can watch the eggs in your absence," Alexstrasza said softly, trying to coax Onyxia over to her side. "And you are correct, you are the last fully grown child of Neltharion, you are the heir to his duty as Earth-Warder, a position you must take to ensure balance."

"I am not worthy," Onyxia said flatly.

"You are worthy Onyxia," Sylvanas said, stepping forward and making Onyxia perk up. "You fought against the madness of Deathwing, you saved your flight from extinction, and there is no other black dragon worthy of inheriting the mantle."

"Mistress?" Onyxia asked. "Where is master?"

"The Lich still controls him," Sylvanas sighed. "But I have completed my Paladin training, and we are ready for the Legion's return, but I cannot lead in Uther's stead, without my favourite dragon at my side."

"But master…" Onyxia said uncertainly.

"We will save him, just like he saved you, but you cannot help him when you are hidden away in here," Alexstrasza interrupted. "He needs you to remain strong, and I need you to take your place as the Obsidian Aspect, to lead your kin against the Legion."

Onyxia thought for a moment, before shifting into her mortal form and approaching them.

"I will take my father's place as Obsidian Aspect, dragon queen, and I will fight at your side again mistress," Onyxia said slowly. "But my kin must be kept safe, away from danger, and raised without the corruption that almost destroyed my flight."

"I promise that they will not be harmed my dear," Alexstrasza beamed, before hugging Onyxia tightly. "Come, there is much to do before you are named Earth-Warder."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They returned to the top of the temple, quickly being joined by Nozdormu, Kalecgos and Ysera, where they officially made Onyxia the new Earth-Warder. The moment she accepted her responsibilities, the power the Titans had bestowed to Neltharion flowed up from the floor of the temple and into Onyxia. Her mortal form grew until she was the same height as Ysera, and like her fellow Warders, small horns protruded from her forehead, and more of her draconic nature became visible on her mortal form.

"How do you feel?" Sylvanas asked, looking up into Onyxia's glowing hazel eyes.

"More powerful... naturally. But I am also acutely aware of the whispers my father fell victim to," Onyxia replied. "I am thankful that the Light protects me from their influence."

"You are not your father, you are not bound to his fate," Ysera smiled.

"What has happened since my master fell to that evil?" Onyxia asked quickly.

"The Alliance has fortified the Dark Portal and increased the watch at Nethergarde Keep," Alexstrasza began. "All races are preparing for war, but the Kaldorei continue to hunt the Betrayer across Kalimdor."

"Have the other potential threats been dealt with?" Onyxia asked. "We learnt during the War of the Dragon Aspects that our enemies will rally if provoked."

"Stormwind has essentially purged Zul'Gurub, and our people have done the same with Zul'Aman, with any luck the Trolls will not have the strength to support the Legion." Vereesa stated.

"My father lead a united Alliance navy against the greatest pirate holdouts, forcing them to either become privateers in his employ, or die as pirates." Jaina continued. "It is fair to say that many pirates went down with their ships, Kul Tiras now rules the waters between Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms."

"What about the 'guest' in the Vaults?" Onyxia asked, and everyone shared uneasy looks. "Did something happen to him?"

"We freed the 'guest' after Deathwing was killed, and after we knew Uther had fallen," Sylvanas explained. "We learnt that he is Medivh, and..."

"The Mage responsible for the First War? Why would you let him out?" Onyxia roared.

"He was under the control of Sargeras when he opened the Portal, and..." Sylvanas tried to explain, but a familiar raven landed beside them, quickly transforming into a very familiar Magi.

"... And I am most eager to correct my mistake by ensuring the Legion never set foot on Azeroth in this lifetime." Medivh said as he brushed himself off. "I don't believe we have been formally introduced."

"This is Onyxia, daughter of Neltharion, and the new Earth-Warder," Sylvanas made the introduction. "Where have you been?"

"Cleaning the cobwebs from my home, as well as several unpleasant infestations," he chuckled. "May I enquire what you have been discussing?"

"Our preparations for war with the Legion," Alleria replied, though mentioning the Legion clearly had an impact on her. "Anything to add?"

"I have something to add," a cold voice said, cutting into their conversation, and causing all heads to turn north-west.

The Lich King, who was as physically big as the Aspects, was standing only a few feet from them.

"Have you come to beg for mercy before we destroy you and the Legion?" Alleria laughed, her hands moving for her bow.

"Mercy? It is you who should be begging for mercy. Your days are numbered and soon this world will burn." The Lich laughed. "But you will not live to feel the fire, you will among the first to die."

"Not if we have anything to say about it!" Sylvanas spoke up, moving to the front of the group.

"Ah Sylvanas; finally trying to step into the Lightbringer's boots? Just because you dress like him, does not make you his equal." The Lich mocked.

"I'm more powerful than you realise, and I will make you pay for corrupting Uther!" she snarled, her hands moving for her swords.

"From your precious temple in the snowy wastes?" the Lich asked, looking around at the sparsely snow-covered rocky ground below. "It is a hollow symbol of fading power."

"You know nothing about it!" Alexstrasza snarled.

"I know that the Titans built it over an older empire. The Nerubians are as old as you, yet their power is untouched." The Lich said slowly, as the mountain behind him crumbled. "And they were not destroyed by bathing the earth in flames. You may rule the sky, but the vast Empire of Azol Nerub rules beneath the ground, and it is ready to rise!"

The Lich unsheathed Frostmourne and slammed it into the ground, sending dark energy through the stone floor in all directions, cracking the ornate floor patterns and splitting the columns. Seconds later, the ground tilted slightly, and the echoing sounds of crumbling stone indicated the entire temple was falling apart.

"What have you done?" Alexstrasza roared.

"Undermined your symbolic strength, shown it for how weak your power truly is," the Lich chuckled. "You destroyed my spire with your flames, now I destroy your temple with my unholy power. The time has come for the Scourge to rise again, and usher in the end of Azeroth."

With this the Lich vanished through a cloud of black smoke, and their attention was drawn to the mountains behind where he had been standing. From beneath the crumbling mountain, rose a solid mass of dark purple, decaled with skulls and motifs of death. As it rose, the sloping sides turned suddenly inward, until it broke free from the earth, floating above the destroyed mountains as an ominous spectre.

"What is that?" Jaina exclaimed, though she was more focused on her surroundings, which were continuing to crumble and break.

"BEHOLD NAXXRAMAS!" The Lich's voice boomed across Dragonblight. "Now death shall rule the skies, and the Wyrmrest shall fall to the ground, powerless to stop the inevitable."

"What do we do?" Alleria panicked, holding on to her sisters tightly.

"Ysera, make sure the Vrykul remain loyal to us," Alexstrasza ordered, as Medivh transformed back into a bird and flew south. "Jaina, inform the Alliance that the Lich King has struck, and that the Legion will soon follow."

"What about us?" Onyxia asked, noting that Nozdormu had vanished.

"We must fall back to a stronger fortification, and prepare our own defence for Azeroth," Alexstrasza replied.

"Where?" Kalecgos asked.

Alexstrasza ran to the ledge and dived off, transforming and immediately flying north. Onyxia and Kalecgos followed, with the Windrunners all leaping on to Onyxia's back, whilst Ysera flew south-east.

"You've grown!" Vereesa remarked, noting how much bigger Onyxia was with her new powers.

"Now is not the time little sister!" Alleria scalded her sister.

"My queen, where are we headed?" Sylvanas yelled to Alexstrasza.

She whipped her head around in time to see the Temple collapsing to rubble, with hundreds of dragons quickly taking flight and following their lead. Many dragons were immediately shot down by Nerubians, which had crawled out of the ground around the Temple.

"Our last Titan stronghold in Northrend," Alexstrasza replied, not wanting to see her home destroyed. "Ulduar."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Lich watched from the top of Naxxramas as the dragons abandoned their collapsing stronghold, and smiled as they flew north, the wrong direction if they wanted a place of safety.

"Scavenge the rubble for recruits, and dig up all the skeletons you can!" he bellowed to the minions standing behind him. "The fools left us plenty to work with."

His eyes fell upon the largest dragon skeletons that dotted the wastes around the temple, and his mind raced with visions of dragon-abominations serving the Scourge. Naxxramas floated across the wastes, until it was over the remains of the Wyrmrest Temple, a clear symbol of the power shift it had brought about.

"You know what to do, spread doubt and fear through the Alliance cities," he said to the minions standing at their liege's side. One by one they bowed and teleported away, leaving only one. "Not you. I want you to follow them, see where they go, and report back if they still pose a problem."

"Yes my liege," the hooded figure bowed.