Disclaimer: A poem:
Over and under the hills we go,
Riding upon our saintly raft.
To find the place that we know,
Where I don't own Naruto or Warcraft!
Here's the next installment of The Legend of Uzumaki Naruto!
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They went straightaway—there was no time for socializing or reminiscing. They had to leave, then and there, in order to preserve what slight edge they had over Onyxia and her kin.
Matthias was called instantly, and sent to prepare the zeppelin for take off. When he was off, Benedictus gathered everyone around him, his golden eyes grave as the cold, grey sky. He told them that Onyxia's lair lay where the great southern mountains met the awful, evil swamps of the Dragonmurk. It would not be hard to find—for no doubt what was left of her flight would be guarding it zealously; and in her rage, it was likely the whole region would shake and rumble, feeling the anger and hate that had consumed her. She had abandoned the Prestor visage, and with it, that cold serenity that had made her so dangerous; she was now a wild beast, seeking revenge for what had been done to her.
Benedictus did not tell them much else. Anything else was irrelevant, superfluous. Encouraging words were pointless to a group such as this; or at least, his encouraging words. They needed no instruction in battle, for that would only burden them. With but the words, "Luck, for you will need it," he departed for his room, complaining loudly to the attending nurse the entire way.
The sky was gray and the air tingled with biting cold. The trek to Matthias' zeppelin was made in near silence. For walking among the dead, nobody felt inclined to speak. It was not born from superstition, but respect; for an observer, it would be the only thing in common the group had with each other. A shared belief that the dead should be left in peace and silence, so that they might enjoy their eternal lives without disturbances from the living.
But then again, words were not needed. Though many of them had never met, and whose only connection was through Naruto, they enjoyed the silence, knowing that there friend was so close at hand. He had been away from them (in some cases), for quite a while. Many simply noticed the changes in their friend—it was not simply the change in stature; they felt Naruto wiser than before, and with his normal exuberance tempered, they saw more of the Naruto who had come through for them.
When they came to the gates, Kira stopped.
When Naruto realized his friend had fallen behind, he turned, a question on his lips. But it slipped away, when he saw her face, and he knew exactly her intentions.
She gave him a sad smile. It was a two-fold look—she was sad that she was not going to be with him; but even more was she sad for her people, and it was that look that she was trying to convey to him. She was saying that she could not come with them, for it was her place here. It was her place in her city. She had a duty, one she had long neglected: to begin the process of healing her broken country. With her eyes, and her downcast face, she expressed to Naruto her trust in him, and her belief that everything in this matter would be up to him, and that he would succeed without question. The faith in that look, hidden beneath the pain and grief, was enough to spur Naruto into an action he had made once before.
Affixing a bright, confident smile on his face, he raised a single thumb, upturned, to Kira. The girl was puzzled in part by the gesture, but when she saw the smile, it became clear.
'It's the promise of a lifetime,' he had said, without words. He would, without question, defeat Onyxia, and end her horrible existence on the world. He would not fail this time. He promised both her and himself that. Because he was not going to retrieve a friend, a brother—he was going to destroy an enemy greater than before, with his friends by his side. Though naïve, he didn't care. With his friends by his side as they were—he would never lose.
The action, now fully understood, brought tears to Kira's eyes. She believed him, and would not let doubt slither through the cracks in her rock-solid thoughts. She smiled gratefully to the boy, who after holding the position for a mere moment, turned and followed his friends out. Kira stood watching them long after, her eyes not leaving his form, and at that moment realizing just how much he had changed.
Kylia stood by her side, solid and silent, never doubting in her position. Kira smiled at the girl as she turned, and with but a final glance over her shoulder to the forest, where Naruto and his friends were still just visible, she walked back into the city, which received her once more.
In the background, the low rumbling of the zeppelin taking off filled the air, and a moment later, it was gone, taking Naruto and his incredible spirit with it.
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"Yeah," Kaine muttered, long after they had departed, to Naruto, whom he stood beside near the railing of the zeppelin. "Granddad started making me learn Common around the time that you left Orgrimmar. It's such a pain!"
Naruto cocked his head to the side. "It isn't that difficult. Orcish is pretty hard, but I managed in a few weeks."
"That's 'cause you needed to," said Kaine, crossing his arms. "Or else you couldn't get by."
"Lord Thrall has implemented a plan to make it necessary for the merchant and diplomatic professions fluent in Common and other base languages," said Golbarn. The blademaster was sitting cross-legged on the ground, a few feet away, his back to some unlabeled boxes. His sword was upon his lap, and he had a tight grip on it, as if the wind would blow it away. "He believes it will be necessary for the language barrier to be broken, in order for this alliance to function."
"And he's right," said Fen, on Naruto's other side, with a skull-grin. "It's probably going to be the easiest one, too!"
Naruto agreed; out of everything that the new alliance might face, it would be the least of their worries. He turned his head, and sought out the others. Linkizzle and Rurizzle were somewhere below deck, no doubt in deep conversation with one of the few engineers. Neera was shivering, but staring it absolute awe at the scenery from the railing, a little ways away from Naruto. Shandris stood by her side, as a mother might watch a child who is too close to the edge of a cliff. Gen'rash was fiddling with some bones that he had spread upon the deck, near the cabin door, totally lost to the world. Myrdraxxis was below deck as well, and had been ever since they had started. Fen said that he didn't like zeppelins too much, and nobody made a comment farther than that. Undrig was almost directly in front of Naruto, resting against the same boxes Golbarn was. In the light from the sun his armor flickered and glowed bright, leading Naruto to question its presence upon the dwarf.
"Ah was promoted," he said, cheerfully, puffing his chest out a bit and stroking his long, black beard. "Ah been trainin' loads since ye left, but it was just recently that King Magni gave me ah promotion, and that gave me a new set o' armor and a nice new weapon," he patted the hammer fondly. "Ah been trainin' in every weapon that evah existed since you left, as well as joined the Order that King Magni's a part of." He grinned at Naruto. "Ah've got quite a few tricks ta show yah, lad. Ah'm no longa a warrior, lad, as you'll soon find out."
Naruto grinned, and said, "Can't wait!"
"Speaking of waiting…" came the distant voice of Rurizzle above the raging roar of wind and engine, "we've got a surprise for you, Naruto, after this is all said and done."
Naruto turned his attention to the newly arrived gnomes, grinning up at him with identical smiles: Rurizzle, with his green hair slicked back and no beard, and Linkizzle with his wild-looking green hair, scarred face, and trimmed green beard; both with eyes the color of metal.
"Whaddya mean?"
"We can't tell," said Linkizzle. "Would spoil the surprise."
Naruto frowned, bending over to glare at the two little men. "What is it?"
"Sorry," snickered Rurizzle. "Can't help you."
"Come on!"
"That would ruin the fun!"
"Just a hint!"
"Sorry!"
As Naruto degraded from arguing to begging with the two gnomes, who seemed immensely pleased with their position, Kaine made his way over to the two elves, who stood slightly apart from the rest.
"Yo," he said, a bit lamely.
"Hello!" said Neera, whipping her head to face the tauren, and then up to meet his eyes. "You're a tauren, right? You're the first I've ever met, you know."
"Really?" said Kaine, puffing his chest out, and feeling rather pleased despite himself. "You're the first elf I've known, too. You live in Darnassus, right? My grandfather told me that the night elves live in the most beautiful forests in the world…is that true?"
Neera's eyes lit up with light of enthusiasm. "Is it! I don't have much to compare it to, but…" And off she went, telling Kaine everything she knew about the world she had lived in for nearly all her life. The tauren sat placidly, listening with great interest to the story.
Naruto saw this, and his countenance visibly brightened. It grew again when, having finished their tempting of Naruto, Linkizzle and Rurizzle were tentatively approaching Gen'rash. Just as Naruto was wondering if they would be able to understand him, they began speaking in very good Orcish to the troll, who responded cheerfully, his amber eyes glittering, to their inquiries as to what he was doing with the bones.
"Da bones ah cast, an' da spirits speak. Ah be listenin', mon, ta dem spirits, who be showin' me what gonna be happenin'."
Rurizzle whistled. "No kidding?"
Linkizzle scratched his tiny, green beard. "Amazing!"
The little men then began peppering him with similar questions, to which the troll answered with the best of his linguistic abilities.
To Naruto, nothing was a more pleasing sight.
Shandris walked over, standing by the blonde, her eyes fixated on the scene as well.
"Amazing, is it not?" she said to him. "That's the first time I've seen gnomes and trolls within ten feet of each other not attack. And I don't think I've ever seen an orc and a dwarf talking to each other with such civility." She nodded her head in Undrig and Golbarn's direction. The two were talking, or perhaps debating, the outcome of a particular battle that had occurred many years ago, before either of them had been born. While each took their respective sides, it remained a light-hearted argument, involving nothing but their words and their knowledge of history. For Naruto it was surprising for them to just get along, never mind their species or histories. But for Shandris, it was a sight so amazing and strange that it would be akin to watching a demon and an Ancient debate environmental issues. It was a sign of both how much the world had changed, and still would, and of how much Naruto had done, in his short time in this world.
"You have done an amazing thing, Uzumaki Naruto," she said, gazing at him fondly.
Naruto was unable to stop a slight blush from rising to his face, but he quickly masked it with his infamous grin. The two had a laugh, which drew the attentions of Fen, Kaine, and Neera, who all wondered what was so funny.
On they flew, across the great sea, towards the noxious world of Dustwallow.
The gnomes made friends with nearly every one on the ship. At one point they even went down to pester Myrdraxxis. When they returned, they had gone white as ghosts, and refused to tell anyone what exactly had occurred. Suffice to say, nobody even thought of bothering the rogue.
Golbarn and Undrig's debates broadened, and eventually others joined in. Those who didn't find amusement in talking about politics or economics or history started playing word games. Fen won every time, without question.
Naruto's question as to how they had come together was answered during the long flight. Benedictus had sent a missive, just following Onyxia's attack, which had stretched to the farthest corners of the world, to everyone who had been initiated, or hopefully would, into Kira's new alliance. It had been a big chance with the night elves, considering that it had arrived not a day after Naruto left, but Fortune had been good to them. The missives had stated the direness of the situation in Stormwind, and implored them to send aid, of any sort.
They had done so, of course. But Naruto found out quickly that he was slightly mistaken. The group with him was only made of the frontrunners; the proof that Benedictus' plea had not gone unnoticed.
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"Archbishop! Princess!"
A man skidded into the room, his eyes wide with a combination of fear and awe, panting furiously.
"I'm afraid the young Princess is out now," said Benedictus, calmly. He was sitting up in his bed, gazing at some scrolls that were laid out on his lap. He was looking, however, only at the man at this point. "Is something wrong?"
"There are…orcs! Trolls! Tauren! They've arrived at the coast! Coming in zeppelins and ships to the shore nearest to us! What are we going to do—"
"Nothing."
The man stopped, and stared at the old man in a mixture of shock and fear. "W-what?"
"They have simply responded to my summons; they will be let in. Thank you for the news, however. It is some of the first good news I've heard all day." The old man was smiling, and his eyes shined like suns with the brightness in his features. The guard looked confused for a moment, then departed, walking away in a daze.
As Benedictus struggled to get up, another visitor entered: Kylia. It was rare for her to be apart from Kira, but it was by her mistress' orders that she come.
"Mistress wishes to meet with you, Archbishop," she said softly.
The old man nodded irritably, and struggled out of bed. He held a hand out to the girl, who grasped it, and allowed him to pull himself up and steady himself using her slight, solid form. He then nodded, and directed her to lead.
"Was it you, Archbishop, who sent for them?" the girl asked, as they walked down the hall towards the stairs.
"Oh indeed," he said, chuckling. "Right after I regained consciousness, in fact—it was the first thing I saw fit to do. While I admit it was a gamble, I feel it would have paid off in the end."
Kylia stayed silent. They left the infirmary, walking through the slight gap between the hundreds of ailing people in the street outside. The air was cold, and the sky gray, but it no longer seemed depressing and sad. There was something else in the air, which made it seem more alive than ever before.
Kylia glanced around her, at the wounded and sick.
"Do you think they will be able to help?"
The old man laughed. "Yes, I do. I think that this is the beginning of a new era. The old Stormwind, full of prejudice and stained with the blood of its rulers and people is now gone. While the death that I see around me is indeed terrible, I cannot help but feel that in some way it was necessary." Kylia glanced up at him, a frown upon her features. He smiled at her reassuringly. "Yes, it may seem cruel, but that is what I believe. There was far too much hate in this place, before. Even when Anduin was ruling, hate and prejudice poisoned the masses as terribly as the Undead Plague itself. At the rate that it was going, it would have turned into another bastion of the Scarlet Crusade; where its people were fiercely intolerant of all others, even themselves."
They were in a ruined square now, which was filled with people. They were the ones who had survived, and had not been injured in the battle, or had since recovered. They filled the square beyond its capacity; dressed in their burnt, dirty rags, their dirt-smudged faces, and their puzzled and fearful glances towards the center of the square. They looked nothing like the people Benedictus had described. They looked broken and unsure; it was as if they could no longer feel hate, for if what he had said was true, then hate would be their reaction to what they now saw.
In the center of the square, stood Kira, upon a raised platform that was made of little more than debris bunched into a level and stable pile. She looked quite small compared to the figures beside her, none of whom Kylia had ever seen or met. But there they stood, nonetheless: a mighty orc with a single glaring eye, and a scarred, fierce-looking face; next to him, a grizzled old dwarf with also only one eye, whose arms were crossed and whose face was split by a grin; a mighty tauren to his left, powerful and young, dressed in leather working clothes; a gnome, who only came to the tauren's knee, with a bushy gray beard and bright yellow goggles; a gangly, tall, well-dressed troll with shocking green hair stood beside the gnome, an axe over one shoulder; an elf, tall and beautiful, stood aside him, dressed in robes of forest green; and a cloaked Forsaken, who hid his features from the fearful masses. Kira stood beside them all, as one of them. She was already speaking, telling the people in front of her why they had come.
Some reacted with revulsion and shock at first. Benedictus watched several people back far away from the makeshift stage, making an evil-warding sign towards the Undead and the orc. He heard several whisper to each other, wondering what their princess was thinking, why there were such horrible beasts standing beside her. But the whispers died soon, as Kira's powerful voice captured them all.
"But," whispered Benedictus, to the girl by his side. "Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Stormwind will be born once again. It has gone through its baptism of fire, and from here, it can only go up. It has been destroyed before, and continually rebuilt—but this time, it will be born not by the hands of humans, but by the hands of humans, orcs, trolls, dwarves, gnomes, tauren, Forsaken, and night elves. It will be born greater than ever before, my dear. Stormwind is no longer the kingdom of humans, not anymore. This Stormwind will be the center of the world, where the races of the world congregate." He smiled warmly at Kira, who continued to speak, to gather the attention of everyone present in a way that reminded the old man of her father, and her mother.
Both were there with her, as she spoke.
"The orcs have brought tools of metal, and labor to help us rebuild our homes and shops. The trolls have brought the strongest woods from Stranglethorn to make our houses with. The tauren have brought stone and strength, to repair our roads and walls. The Forsaken have brought medicine, to heal our sick, and to strengthen our healthy, so that they can work harder and faster to rebuild our home. The dwarves have brought the skilled craftsmen, to design and rebuild our castle, which now lies in ruins. The gnomes have brought their technical skills, their gadgets and machines, to help speed our process up. The elves have brought herbs and have their druids to help us re-grow our gardens and return Stormwind to the beauty it once held." Kira's words rang out; each one said with such emotion that they might have dropped out of the air, and struck the ground with bellowing echoes, so that everyone could hear them. Such was the extent of her ability: that one wondered if she was truly as young as she appeared.
"I implore you to look away from the past. Release your grudges, and embrace a future where you will no longer have to fear attack. Where you can travel the farthest reaches of the world without fear of death. This is what I sought to bring you, in my departure! I am sorry that I was not here for you in the past, but now I am! Something has been brought to you that can change the face of this world! So please, just listen to my words: the people of this world are no longer divided, and they, like you, want nothing more than peace. They want nothing more than to live their lives, in their own fashion; just like you! So please! Stay your tongues, and let them help us. Let them help us build a new Stormwind, which we can once again be proud of!"
"So you see," said Benedictus. "This world has entered a new era. One undivided by race—and it will succeed, as long as these people wish it to."
Kira spoke on.
And the people, dead and alive, listened.
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They came to Theramore one day later, when grave clouds shrouded the sky, and the wind had ceased to blow.
Matthias and his crew touched the zeppelin down in the very center of the ruined township, and where the air seemed to have perished along with its occupants. It was stifling and hot, and deathly silent. Even the bog, so near, seemed devoid of life. The noxious swamp gases polluted the air, making it especially difficult for those with more sensitive noses to function. There were no insects, which seemed as bothersome as if there were thousands. With no wind, it seemed a mighty tomb—it had the same sense of enclosure, and it smelled distantly of death and decay. The place was dead, and had long rotted to bone—there was nothing left here.
"I won't be coming," muttered Matthias. He stood at the very edge of the ship, near the plank that led to the ground. His face was grave and sorrowful. "I'd gladly join ye all if I thought I'd be helpful; but I'm somewhat rubbish at fighting." He glanced lamely at his belt, which possessed a pair of pistols, neither of which he knew would be effective against a dragon or its kin.
"Don't worry," said Naruto, smirking at him. "Thanks for the lift, though. We'll be back soon."
Matthias nodded, clapping the boy on the shoulder. He smirked. "I won't doubt it. That's a bet I'd lose."
Naruto gave a cheeky grin, and then stepped off the zeppelin along with his friends. Matthias gave him a final wave. He then turned, and returned to his cabin, hoping to escape the scent brought by Death. But he wouldn't leave—he gave a final glance towards the group, as they walked away, and said a silent prayer for them.
The ground was soft and muddy, as if it had just recently rained. For a few moments, the large troupe needed to gain their bearings, for became difficult to walk, especially for Kaine, Golbarn and Gen'rash. Naruto stayed atop the mud by placing chakra into the soles of his feet. The others quickly followed suit.
They walked through the dead town, their eyes flickering in every direction for signs of movement. They walked in a circular formation—it was Golbarn's idea. The orc had produced the plan before they had landed, saying that it was best that they had eyes on all sides. It would be difficult, therefore, for them to be snuck up on. It was a fine, simple plan, and nobody contested it. It was slow going, but they were in no true hurry.
It gave them a full view of the tomb that was once a town. They saw broken, long rotted buildings that had been reduced to piles by fire and rain. Some had sunk deep into the muddy ground, as if the earth was trying to devour them. And they saw remains—of dragons and men, the bones darkened by rot and dirt. Some were half-sunk in the ground, like the houses; but some remained atop, bare for the world to see.
But it was only death they saw. There was no life, good or evil, in the world around them.
They reached the edge of the town, closest to the bog. There was a large bridge, still intact, between two guard towers made of dark stone. The portcullises of the towers remained closed, but they remained functioning, and so it took only a flip of the switch to open them. The towers were as dead as everything around them, at least, at first. For, as they passed through the second gate, and into the proper swamp, an insect buzzed past Naruto's ear, making him twitch at the suddenness of the sound. The croaks of toads and frogs, and soft chattering of various animals, the buzzing of flies and the distant sound of water suddenly came to them, as if they had just stepped out of a soundproof interrogation room.
"Weird…" muttered Neera, voicing everyone's thoughts. It was as if they had stepped through a portal, from the underworld to the living world. It was even more humid within, as if a blanket had covered the world, and was slowly smothering everyone who dared breath in.
Shandris pointed, her eyes narrowing. In the distance, just above the trees, one could see looming mountains. It was there they had to go.
The bog was disgusting beyond all measure. The ground was mucky and soft, and stank worse with each step, despite staying above it using chakra. The water was foul and murky, and they took great pains to move around it, in case the bubbles which rose periodically from the bottom was more than just swamp gas. The trees were low, but their far-reaching foliage blocked the sky, and shrouded the area in a deep green darkness. It was extremely difficult to see, due to the darkness and the foul fog that pervaded the area. They walked through the swamp in the same circular formation; moving as swiftly as they could, not out of urgency to find their target, but to be free of the swamp as fast as possible.
They saw only twice evidence of the black dragons. They stumbled by a large clearing, where the remains of many charred buildings lay. It was completely deserted, yet from all the activity buzzing around them, it was as if it still lived. It was Kaine who noticed the half-burnt symbol of the Horde near the entrance.
"Lord Thrall had several encampments here," Golbarn recalled. "This is doubtlessly one of them. From what I remember, we suddenly stopped receiving reports from them several years ago. Thrall sent a team to discover why, and they never returned. He could not risk any more, so he let it alone, after that, and deemed it best to approach this area with extreme caution in the future."
Golbarn then said a soft prayer for those who had perished, and they moved on.
They stopped a little while later, to rest and plan. The found a small clearing, safely away from the waters of the swamp, where a tree had recently fallen, and now lay half-buried in the mud. It had not fallen by any natural means—something had severed it in two, rather cleanly. A remarkably sharp blade—but a long time ago, as Shandris believed in a close examination of the stump. Several other trees in the area were like that. But there was little evidence to suggest that something still remained nearby. Whatever had done it was long gone. The ground was soft and mossy, and did not attempt to suck in their feet as they took seats wherever they could. But nobody felt especially comforted in their choice of resting place; they would not, however, mention it aloud.
They had formed a plan already, courtesy of Golbarn. However, he had convinced them that it was rudimentary at best, and back-ups would be necessary.
"There will be few left of the Black Dragonflight, according to that old man," the orc rumbled. "But that hardly means we have an advantage. We need surprise, and we need planning."
"Neither of which are definite," retorted Shandris, who was far older than the orc, and far more schooled in battle. "For all we know, she could have already sensed our presence, and I do not doubt it for a second. As for planning, in the heat of battle, many things can go wrong."
"But a plan is better than none," said Golbarn.
"True," the elf conceded. "I am not contesting that. However, it is foolish to think that one can plan for every conceivable outcome. We have a guideline, and that is to eliminate what remains of the Black Dragonflight, and then Onyxia herself. We have not been sent to simply destroy her—we must prevent her and her brood from ever posing harm to this world again. And so to do we have a plan—one that you created. Destroy those whom we encounter first, by leading them into the open air and battling them on our own terms, and then deal with Onyxia. It is a fine plan, and I would not waste time in making any backups." Her eyes shifted to the rest of the group. "The need to exercise caution is great, but I am confident that you all know that."
There were nods all around. Golbarn, annoyed at this disagreement, but nonetheless receptive of the woman's judgment, merely nodded. He fell silent, looking sullen, but perhaps mulling over her words. He was no fool to refuse the advice of someone far wiser than he.
"What about teams?"
It was Naruto who put forth this question, to everyone's surprise. But Shandris had already caught on, and said:
"How many here have the ability to heal in battle?"
Only Gen'rash held his hand up, aside from Neera and Shandris herself. Frowning, the women looked at Golbarn. "We don't have many healers, so I suggest two teams: the main attackers, and secondary attackers."
Golbarn nodded, and started where she stopped. He had almost immediately caught on to her plan. "I agree," he rumbled. He thrust a finger at Naruto, then Kaine, and Myrdraxxis. "You three, including myself, will consist of the main attackers. You have the strongest techniques and are mainly offensive based. I then think—"
"Oi," spoke up Undrig. "Ay'll be mooch betta' off in that team as well." He furrowed his brow and looked hard at the orc, daring him to contest.
"Agreed," said Shandris, before Golbarn could speak up. "That will be five main attackers, who will always be at the forefront of the fight. However, I propose that one of them is replaced with a healer, to allow better recovery in battle."
"I'll switch with the troll," muttered Myrdraxxis, his luminous eyes staring at her. "Fenritt and I work better on a team."
"Fine then," said Shandris. "Then comes the secondary attack—this, in effect, might be even more important. It will consist of—"
"The two gnomes," interrupted Golbarn, "the Forsaken, and the two elves."
"Yes," said Shandris, with the patience of a saint. "The secondary attack team will be the ones who do the most damage—it will be they who strike when the enemy is completely distracted. That is the job of the main attacking team—they will, due to their high offensive abilities and durability, draw the attention of the enemy. They will fight off, and distract them, for as long as they can, and give the secondary attack team the necessary time to prepare and eventually execute a devastating surprise attack—which will hopefully finish off the enemy swiftly. But that means that the main attack must keep the dragons' attention, while we prepare."
Naruto frowned, sitting cross-legged on a stump, his eyes narrowed. "That's a lotta work." He looked at his fellow teammates. "Then we gotta keep them busy, okay?"
'I will remain with the other group, then,' said Tsuwabuki, who sat beside his stump, looking up at him. 'It will give you eyes and ears with them, so you will be able to react accordingly.'
Naruto voiced this to Shandris, who was pleased. "That's good." She looked around again. "Let's rest a little longer, before moving on. I also wish to finalize the tactics we are going to be using."
The swamp buzzed, burbled and lived around them, as they made their plans to destroy the remainder of the terrible Black Dragonflight.
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They started up a while later, when everyone was ready and knew exactly what they were to do.
The main attackers would always be out in the open; the secondary attack team would make themselves as scarce as possible, and only until they were really needed would they reveal themselves. They would, until then, provide help from the shadows. Gen'rash, a most proficient healer, would be responsible for keeping the attacking force alive until then. In order to better aid them in this respect, the witch doctor in training doled out potions to the attack team—Troll's blood potion. It would allow them to heal minor wounds and stop bleeding faster than normal, making it easier to keep them alive. It was a revolting mixture, but it would work.
Naruto had removed his Kyuubi training seal. He promised himself that he would not use the power during this fight—he probably wouldn't need to, in any case. He was strong enough, he felt, to fight alongside his friends using his own power, not that of the demon's. He fingered his sword as he walked—now that he knew its talent, he would be able to use it far more effectively.
Gradually, the trees started disappearing as they walked, and the sky became slowly visible; it was a sheet of white, though the sun could still be felt through it. But as this happened, they began to hear it—a soft rumbling in the distance. The water rippled and the ground shook with each step towards it.
They felt the rage of Onyxia, surging through the earth.
The awful stink of the marsh gradually faded, and was replaced by the noxious stench of sulfur. The grumbling grew ever louder, as the trees grew sparser, and the ground more solid and rocky. And the teams grew more and more alert, for it wouldn't be long before they reached their destination.
The mountains then loomed above them, as they emerged from the last of the trees, to face a vast stretch of land that was scorched bare of any sort of greenery. The ground was gravel and volcanic rock, full of craters and pits, which spewed smoke and ash in geysers into the stinking air; which was hot and dry, like a desert, and there was no wind.
They had left behind every sound of life behind them, in the marshes.
Before them, at the very base of the mountain, was a massive cave. The mouth had been shaped, crudely, to look like the gaping maw of a mighty black dragon; its teeth were hardened lava, and its eyes seemed to glow, but only because of the fiery light that emanated from deep within the cave.
Around the cave, the bones of hundreds of beasts littered the ground, some so burnt that they were almost indistinguishable from rocks, and others bleached white by the sun and dry air. The beasts ranged from every sort of humanoid—to ogres, orcs, trolls, and humans; to animals of all sizes—kodo and crocolisks, and even sea-dwelling creatures like whales. The rumbles, like thunder from the earth, were strongest here, and it was clear that they had come to their destination.
Without word, Naruto, Kaine, Golbarn, Gen'rash and Undrig made their way down towards the cave. As they did, Shandris, Linkizzle, Rurizzle, Neera, Fen and Myrdraxxis moved away from it. With a few hand seals from Shandris, the group slowly faded from view, their images melting like mirages into the air. But they remained, and began to creep around in a wide arc towards the mouth of the cave, thanks to a spectacular display of light bending that only Tyrande Whisperwind could match.
The "attack" team came to the entrance moments later, and stood at the mouth of the massive cave, where the stone dragon head threatened to swallow them any second. Nothing moved, and aside from the rumbling, they heard nothing.
Golbarn glanced about, his mouth set in a thin line, and his hand tightly clutching the hilt of his sword.
"Get ready…"
"OI!" Naruto suddenly thundered, "COME OUT, BASTARDS!"
Before Golbarn could even think to reprimand the blonde, a black shape exploded from the mouth of the cave.
It was absolutely massive—twice as big as a kodo, with thick black scales on its back, and scales the color of tarnished gold on its stomach; with wings stretching the length of Matthias' zeppelin, and a tail studded with spikes; with a head shaped roughly like an arrowhead, atop a long, winding neck, and fierce orange eyes, and claws as long as Naruto's sword, and teeth like daggers; the mighty black drake came, and landed before them with a resounding crash.
"You rang," it thundered, baring its teeth and snarling the words.
Only Naruto seemed unruffled. The boy had a challenging glare on his face, and a hand on his sword.
"The service here is terrible," Naruto quipped, for a brief moment affixing an obnoxious smile to his face. "I want my money back."
"You'll get what you deserve, and no less, little human!" it roared, hellfire in its words. "I shall be my queen's hand, and deal out punishment to all of you!"
The beast then roared, long and loud, and filled the area with sound. In that same instant, it seemed to spring to life, as a great rumbling shook the earth, and from the mouth of the cave two dozen jet black dragonspawn—clad in armor made of molten rock and taller than tauren, streamed forth, letting out roars that echoed their leader's. They surged straight towards the group, who snapped into a ready formation.
The black drake, once Captain Reinhardt Schaun, let out a bellowing roar, and took flight. In that same instant, Naruto bit his thumb, made a few hand seals, and slammed his palm to the earth.
"Kuchiyose no jutsu!" he cried. A swirling cloud of smoke enveloped him, and mere seconds later Naruto was no longer alone.
"Heeeeyyy mannn!"
"Yo! Gamatsutsu!" the blonde cried, grinning widely at the sound of the hash smoking, potato chip-eating toad's drawl. The elephantine toad lifted his pipe from his mouth, and rolled his eyes up to look at Naruto.
"Naruto! What's up mannnn?" He then blinked, and stared up at the black drake, whose beating wings caught his attention, with dazed shock. "Woah…déjà vu."
"Oi! I need your help again, okay?" the blonde shouted, freeing Magni's Pride from its sheath, never taking his eyes from the flying menace above.
"Sure thing man!" The toad took a deep puff on his pipe, then lifted it up and let it rest on his shoulder. He looked up, towards the drake, and let out a great whoop.
"Hold on!"
Grasping to the toad's back with chakra, Naruto was just barely able to remain standing as Gamatsutsu exploded from the ground, shooting upwards with the speed of a flying arrow. The black drake roared, and dove to meet them. They struck in mid-air, Gamatsutsu's mighty pipe crashing against the steel-like claws of the black drake. The battle began in that instant.
Below, the remaining members of the group charged forwards to meet the dragonspawn horde. Kaine swung his grandfather's wartotem at the first dragonspawn that reached them. Loaded with his chakra, the blow struck the beast with the force of a speeding train. It was flung to the side, reduced to a dangling mass of scaly meat and bone, allowing Kaine to meet another, which prevented him from doing the same thing by exhaling a burst of fire into the tauren's face. The tauren stumbled back, his face singed and burned—but his fighting spirit far from depleted.
Golbarn's blade moved as a mere sliver of light. It cleaved through the scales of the first dragonspawn it encountered like butter; but the beast, a veteran of battle, flung itself with the swing of his strike, and was able to make it out with only a minor wound. It hissed at him, snarling words in a language that Golbarn couldn't hope to understand. It then slashed at his face with its glittering claws, but the orc blocked and dodged. Another dragonspawn appeared behind him, brandishing its claws and teeth, smoke flowing from its nostrils. It attacked as Golbarn turned, his blade at the ready.
Gen'rash twisted and dodged, avoiding the many strikes from the dragonspawn all around him. One hand glowed crimson, and with each opening he had, he struck out with it—each strike weakening the scales and bones of his attackers. His other hand clutched a knife of bone, with which he struck each dragonspawn he could, his knife seeming to pass through nothing but air when it in fact had pierced their scaly flesh and molten armor.
Undrig was the most surprising of all—he stood amidst a crowd of the terrifying beasts, only coming up to their waists; yet he held his hammer high, and around him was a golden aura. Any dragonspawn that attempted an attack met one of two fates—if they struck at him where he could see, his hammer would move in a blur, and smash the offending limb to bits; he would then lunge at them, and club their knees and send them to the ground, where he would pulverize their heads. Or, if they struck at a place where he could not see, the aura that surrounded him—the Aura of Thorns, would lash out and spear them with a golden lance of chakra, wounding them.
He had been training, as he had claimed. But it had been in the arts of a warrior. He had joined a faction of the Order of Holy Light, and now served Ironforge as a paladin—he had a knack for it, apparently, and due to his prior training in weapons, he needed nothing but training in the paladin's jutsu. He was far from a master, like King Magni, but it was enough, to aid his friend Naruto in this endeavor.
Kaine crushed another dragonspawn beneath his wartotem, and hissed when a pair of steely claws tore into his back. He drove his wartotem into the ground, and a second after doing so made a hand seal.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
From his body sprang two clones, each clutching a wartotem as he. Letting out twin cries of "Try this, bastards!" He rushed into battle again, now with the force of three tauren. The technique he had learned from watching Naruto was something he had never neglected in his training, and something he would always cherish. And in this battle, one that he had been called to because of Naruto, he would use it to its fullest, to show the blonde that he'd never fall behind. So he fought on, with determination, not desperation, in each movement he made.
BOOM!
Behind all of this, Gamatsutsu landed. The giant toad was covered in burns and cuts, and for once didn't seem to be enjoying all of this.
"Dude…that thing is so not cool," he said. He lifted his pipe, which was scratched and tarnished by flame and claw and tooth, as he and his summoner stared at the black drake above them, which seemed triumphant.
"Damn it…" Naruto hissed, glancing about. 'Where are you guys?'
'Coming, just hold on,' his spirit partner said, through their unbreakable bond.
The black drake suddenly folded its wings and dove. It streaked towards them, but a black blur in the air, its mouth open and gaping. It belched a gob of magma, and spun to the side. Gamatsutsu grunted and leaped out of the way, once again nearly toppling Naruto. The fight began anew, the black drake spitting its terrible breath at the two otherworlders, while Naruto and Gamatsutsu tried desperately to get in an attack. But the drake was too fast and too smart—nothing like Gyth, who seemed "special needs" compared to this beast. Naruto cursed angrily, glaring at the black demon with all his might.
He wouldn't let this stupid thing, which had so harmed Kira's people, get the best of him!
Gen'rash growled low, feeling a dragonspawn's claw digging into his back. Another was gripping his arm hard enough to remove it, should the creature feel inclined. Though his body healed swiftly, it was being taxed to its limit—there were so many attackers, and each passing moment he received more and more wounds. Glancing about, he realized there was a chance for escape, and took it immediately. He stepped towards the dragonspawn to his side, and upon putting his foot in the creature's shadow; he sunk beneath it, and into the earth. The dragonspawn feebly attempted to hold on, but it as if he was being pulled down. He vanished, their claws no longer buried in his flesh. A moment later he sprang up from behind, and sucked in his breath, spitting a cloud of greenish mist into their faces. They howled in pain as the mist ate away their scales and flesh, and eventually their muscle and bone. They both dropped, but even as they did, more came upon the troll. The Skullsplitter growled again. There were too many.
But on he would fight—fiercely, but not with the primal urges of his ancestors. He would fight to protect and aid, not consume and destroy.
Golbarn snarled as a claw struck him in the shoulder—a glancing blow, but enough to send pain shooting through his body. He gripped the edge of his blade, pushing his chakra into the blade. It began to shimmer blue, and with a resounding cry of "Bladestorm!" he released it in a swirling tornado around him. His blade and body spun, discharging a torrent of chakra that cut into the dragonspawn around him, and sent them reeling back in anguish, and releasing a cloud of blood into the air.
But even as he finished, more took their place. The cavern spat out a fresh wave of the beasts, and they continued their vicious attack. Golbarn retreated, his arms covered in cuts and burns, snarling in rage and frustration. Their attacks were fast and unending, and for even someone like him, it was becoming problematic. He glanced back, to where he saw Naruto battling the drake. As he did, the plan melted from his mind, and he set himself to keep fighting, as his friend would. He would trust those whom Naruto considered friends, until he was proven otherwise.
Hidden near the wall of the mountain, still covered by Shandris' jutsu, the secondary attack team waited. From their position, the battle was turning in the favor of the Dragonkin. Myrdraxxis was the one who leaned in, and spoke to the night elf Sentinel in a harsh whisper.
"It is time."
She gave the barest of nods, and released the technique.
The dragonspawn surrounding Undrig were becoming more and more numerous, and the dwarf was quickly losing chakra. If he wanted to be of use later, he decided he needed a change of tactics. He released his aura, and dove beneath the legs of a particularly large dragonspawn; he came out behind it, and swung his hammer low, shattering its hind ankles and sending it toppling back. But as soon as he did this, another struck at him from behind, its spiked tail hitting him solidly in the back. He fell forwards from the force, gasping in surprise. Rolling over upon hitting the gravel, and looking up, his life would have ended there had the support group not finally made their presence and purpose known.
A flicker of flight flashed above Undrig, level with the dragonspawn's chest, and half a second later, the beast toppled with blood gushing from a sudden wound in that very area. Undrig quickly got to his feet, avoiding being crushed as the dragonspawn fell forwards, displaying the gore from its death upon the grey stone beneath them. Around him, dragonspawn were meeting similar fates.
Shandris' Sentinel blade zipped through the air with the speed of light, piercing through numerous dragonspawn before returning to her hand, still shining brightly, no trace of blood or gore upon it. Neera's blade soared through the air too, but it moved slower; at the same time each blade had been extended by chakra to near three feet, and so it wounded and slew almost as many. The two night elves danced around the gathering of dragonspawn, their blades constantly flying, and their eyes constantly searching for danger to their allies. Neera glanced about for Naruto, and saw him yards away, still in battle with the drake. She relaxed, and then refocused.
But as the dragonspawn began to react to the beginnings of the surprise attack, they were once more thrown off. A pale mist swirled above them suddenly, casting them in shadow; a moment later long, deadly spears of ice, like rain in a frozen Hell, shot with cannon-like force into the army of dragonspawn. Golbarn, Undrig, Gen'rash and Kaine all managed to avoid being struck; there being far less of them, and far more enemies.
"Frost Veil: Rain of Unending Winter!" Fen's voice rang out, almost joyfully. The Forsaken stood yards away from the actual battle, his hands raised in a seal, his face a death's masque of glee. Though blood no longer flowed in his veins, he felt that he could feel adrenaline rushing through him. It only served to make him more excited.
Many dragonspawn turned towards this new threat. One such beast was only half-turned, when it suddenly perished as twin blades flashed across its throat, nearly decapitating it. In the very same instant, as a dragonspawn near it noticed its sudden demise, and turned to face it—only to die as well, as Myrdraxxis swiftly moved behind it, with as much skill as the best shinobi. Poena and Tuska, the Forsaken's terrible blades, seemed to guide his hands towards the blood and death, and he only the unwitting accomplice. The second dragonspawn's head was cleaved in two, spilling its contents across the earth. Myrdraxxis had already moved on—like a ravenous plague he moved, without emotion or preference. Anything with scales in his vision perished under his blades.
And then from the ground, massive iron rods with spherical heads emerged, each of different length—from twelve feet high to but a foot, courtesy of the gnome twins, Linkizzle and Rurizzle. Two of them speared a dragonspawn on their way up, but that was not their true purpose.
Linkizzle stood by the tallest one, while Rurizzle by the shortest. They shouted:
"Out of the way, everyone!" And then performed hand seals in unison, and upon completion, touched the rods with both hands.
"Rizzle Bros. Lightning Field!"
The metal rods began to glow blue, and crackled with electricity. Lightning exploded from the spheres on top, arcing to every available conductor. It ran straight through many dragonspawn, pumping them full of so much electricity that their hearts stopped, and they fell like rag-dolls to the earth. Linkizzle and his brother had their hands up and out—the special suits they wore conducted electricity without risk to their health, and using their chakra, allowed them to redirect it towards prospective targets.
Tsuwabuki proved herself as adept at combat as her partner—she streaked through the crowd of dragonspawn, her claws slicing at their numerous ankles. Some stumbled, growling in pain from the sudden attack, and would knock into others, throwing them all off balance; some fell, and the ones that did she swiftly put out of their misery, her claws and teeth tearing at their faces and throats as if they were made of steel. She had developed a thrill for battle, just like her partner, and now knew what it was like for Kaine and Naruto, and why they competed so much.
With each attack, the dragonspawn became less numerous, and the survivors began to consider that they might not win. Some attempted to escape, by using their incredibly powerful legs to leap high into the air, in the direction of the swamp. Neera and Shandris, patrolling the outside of the fighting area, made for these ones, intent on not letting a single one escape.
High in the air, Naruto's blade came up, unguided by his hand, and deflected the striking claws of the black drake. It was only due to the chakra that cemented his legs to Gamatsutsu's back that kept him from being flung away. The toad complained loudly with each strike, however, feeling that any harder the beast attacked, and Naruto would rip the skin off his back.
Naruto suddenly had a flash of insight—a plan, one that he had often in times such as this. He called to Gamatsutsu.
"Oi! Can you distract it?"
"Suure thing mannn!" the stoned toad called, hopping away from another of the black drake's magma bombs. Placing the gigantic pipe in his mouth, Gamatsutsu took a deep, long puff, filling his mouth with hot smoke. He launched himself at the black drake, which flew to meet him, and suddenly exhaled, heating the smoke even more with his chakra.
"Shuukahaiun no jutsu!"
The stream of smoke, black and stinking foully, engulfed the drake as they rushed to meet it. Stunned by the attack, the creature swerved mid-flight, and missed the soaring toad. As it streaked past, Naruto leapt into the air, ejecting himself high using the air grasping technique he had learned from Thrall. The blonde latched on, just barely, to the beast' tail, which swung and flicked as the drake flew, thrashing, through the air.
Gamatsutsu landed a moment later, and called up "Good luck, mann!" before disappearing with a popping sound.
Gripping a pair of spikes with all he had, Naruto held on desperately, waiting for a chance. It arrived mere seconds later, when the beast flicked its tail up. At the zenith of the flick, Naruto let go and flew up, his hands flashing together into a seal.
"Kage Bunshin no jutsu!"
The cloud of Naruto clones fell atop the drake, gripping every bit of flesh they could. Suddenly feeling the extra weight, the black drake whipped its head around to see its passengers.
"Whelp!" it roared at him, beating its massive wings. The Naruto clones clutching the sides of its wings went flying, but those on its body remained firmly clenched to its body. The original Naruto clung to a large spike on the back of the creature's neck, closest to the head. Holding on for dear life, Naruto called two more Kage Bunshin to the cause, which clung to his arms as soon as they appeared, terrified of falling.
The drake soared up, and twisted around and around. It dislodged more Naruto clones, but still many more remained firm in their positions, never letting go. Despite all it did to shake them off, they remained, like stubborn ticks clinging to a man's flesh.
"All right!" Naruto yelled, "Let's go!"
With echoes of his own voice encouraging him, Naruto threw his two passengers upwards. In mid-air, they locked hands, and made a singular seal between them. Seconds later they vanished in a puff, replaced by a pair of monstrous kunai, connected by a long chain. Naruto himself then kicked off the drake's body, speeding upwards and forwards before it could take a snap at his passing form. He grabbed both kunai, and threw them downwards.
Taking into account Naruto's strength, as well as the speed at which the black drake was flying, and where Naruto had leapt to, the falling weapons hit their intended target perfectly. They pierced the membrane, at the very base of each wing, sinking in halfway and causing the drake to suddenly screech in pure agony. Immediately after, they became clones again, now no longer connected, and with their hands tore larger holes in the creature's wings before they vanished. The drake flailed, beating its wings rapidly, but hardly gained any height.
As this happened, Naruto's clones introduced their part in the plan. Producing from their pouches each a kunai, wrapped around it an explosive note (courtesy of Naruto's own stores, distributed in his summoning of them) they plunged the weapons between the drake's scales, digging in as best they could, before releasing the bit of chakra needed to set them alight.
The clones, and Naruto himself, leapt off at the last second, just as the bombs ignited, all at once.
"Naruto Ryuushin Shoumetsu!" they cheered as one.
The explosion illuminated the sky, and filled the ears of everyone present. Below, almost at the very moment, the fight on the ground had all but ended. No dragonspawn stood, and all that remained of their group was a pile of carcasses that stretched for several yards in each direction. Two had escaped, back into the cavern—but it wouldn't matter much. There had been no casualties, and that was enough for the teams.
The black drake crashed to the ground, smoking. Its wings were ruined beyond repair, and the force of the numerous explosions had destroyed the scales on its underside and back. Several horrible wounds covered its body, and the impact from the crash had driven all but the last of its life from its body. Naruto landed a mere second later, cushioning his fall by pushing chakra into his feet. Even so, he still nearly fell, and began to gasp as soon as he had gained sufficient footing.
The black drake twitched, and let out a fierce-sounding grunt, and began trying to move. But it would not get far.
The others crowded around it. Shandris and Neera, looking tired and covered in sweat, but barely wounded; Golbarn, with a mass of wounds on his back, chest and arms, but triumphant; Myrdraxxis and Fen, neither visibly wounded; Rurizzle and Linkizzle, slightly winded and dusty, but also unhurt; Gen'rash, covered in blood, but few wounds; Undrig, with tarnished armor and slightly burnt hair, as well as a large gash across his forehead; and Kaine, sporting large wounds on his back and arms, but smiling widely in victory.
The black drake looked about, in its final moments, stunned. It could not speak, but gave a faint, dying roar; its meaning lost to everyone there. It stopped moving a moment later, and the drake that had served six years as Captain of the Stormwind Guard died.
Naruto wiped sweat from his brow, and slumped into a sitting position, on the gravelly, dusty ground, now stained with dragon's blood. His friends fell to rest in their own ways, and they sat there a moment in peaceful silence.
The stench of sulfur and brimstone was almost gone now—replaced by the acrid smell of dragon's blood, full of corruption. The air was still oppressively hot and stagnant, and without any breeze, the smell would linger a long time.
After a moments rest, Shandris stood, and made her way over to Golbarn, the most wounded of the group.
"Relax," she said, at his stiffening. "You need to be healed. We have no way of knowing when, or if, Onyxia might come herself."
The orc said nothing, and relaxed at her gentle touch. Her hands began to glow with healing energy, and she placed them on Golbarn's back, and began to heal. Neera jumped up as well, and hurried over to Kaine. She ordered him to sit, and let her tend to his wounds. Gen'rash finally got up as well, and began his healing upon Undrig.
As they rested there, Golbarn finally spoke up. "What do we do now? Wait?"
Shandris, in the midst of healing a nasty gash on the orc's side, said calmly, "I do not know. We have two courses of action."
"What are they?" asked Rurizzle, swigging some water from a pouch at his side.
"We can wait, and see if Onyxia comes to us—however, the flaw with that is that she may never come, and if we wait too long, our advantage may disappear. The second is to go in, but the flaw there is that she will have better knowledge of her surroundings, and we will be unable to escape once we enter."
"We're going in," Naruto said abruptly, as he absently rubbed Tsuwabuki's soft head.
Golbarn glanced at Naruto. "Oh?"
Naruto nodded, looking at the orc with a powerful glare. "Yeah, we won't get anywhere if we stay here, and besides, either way, she going to be tough. There's not much to lose in just going right now, is there?"
"In this case, I would agree," said Shandris. "Besides, the cave works with us—she will have little way of escaping, just like us. And she will not have much of a space to fly in, which will increase our chances. I would think it much better to go in now, rather than wait."
"But after a fight like that…?" asked Neera. "Will we stand much of a chance?"
"Of course!" Naruto said. "We're more than enough to be able to defeat this stupid dragon bitch! There's no question about it! We'll win, that's what I know!" The blonde turned his steely blue gaze towards the cavern, his mouth set in a grim line. His body shook with barely contained rage against the creature that lay within. As he looked into the dragon's mouth, he saw the lifeless hands of Eliza and her father; the dead bodies of the shopkeepers; and so many women and children and innocents, all dead. He could not let something like that go unpunished. It went against his nindo, something he treasured as much as his dream.
And he had promised, too. He had done the "nice-guy pose," after all. He could not fail Kira, one of his best friends.
The look on his face and the conviction in his voice slightly allayed their fears. Neera nodded, grinning at Naruto. Rurizzle and Linkizzle bobbed their heads in agreement. Undrig let out a gruff laugh, and Golbarn snorted. Fen smiled wider than he usually did, and Mydraxxis rolled his luminous eyes. Gen'rash chuckled, and Kaine let out a whoop of agreement.
"Then in we shall go," said Shandris, as heartened as the others. "But shall we rest first?"
There was a chorus of agreement.
--------------------------
Within the cavern, deep below the mountain, Onyxia had stopped raging. She lay in the center of her massive lair, staring around her at the eggshells that littered it. Her purple eyes were narrowed, and her mouth closed; she was absolutely still, save for the swelling of her chest in breath.
Two bodies lay by her side—the two dragonspawn that had escaped. Their bodies were horribly mangled, torn to so many shreds that they no longer resembled anything solid, and lying in pools of their own bloody refuse. They had not bee given a chance to escape or defend themselves—and even if they had, it was likely that they would not have used it.
Onyxia licked her chops, and waited.
"COME," she called. And they would. She had calmed her rage—she refused to let the mortals get the best of her. She would avenge her children.
And she would make her brother proud.
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Done. It's a bit late, but I had stuff to do this past weekend. An essay and a lab report. Fun stuff!
Hope you enjoyed the chapter. There will most certainly be one next week, I promise. It's a week off, so I'll be able to do it all week without fear.
Seeya then!
Thanks to Frankto for the translations!
General Grievous
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Moo.
-Noz
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Spellbook
Shuukahaiun no jutsu (Stinking Ash Cloud Technique): Breathes a nasty smelling cloud of boiling ash at one's opponent. Very dangerous.
Naruto Ryuushin Shoumetsu (Naruto Dragonkin Massacre): Impairs a dragon's ability to fly by piercing the wings with transformed (or real) kunai, and then using Kage Bunshin to impale its body with dozens of explosive tags and kunai.
Bestiary:
Onyxian Warder (Dragonkin)(Elite)- The last remnants of Onyxia's black Dragonflight. Extremely dangerous and powerful, but nothing compared to the might of those who defeated them.
Captain Reinhardt Schaun/Black Drake (Dragonkin)(Elite)- In the heircharchy of the Dragonkin, drakes are the warrior caste. They are lean and smaller than proper dragons, and viciously powerful and quick. They possess little magical affinity, other than their breath attacks, but they hardly need it. They are swift and powerful, and can decimate armies simply using hit-and-run tactics. Captain Reinhardt Schaun was one such drake, and was completely loyal to Onyxia, almost blindly so. His relationship to her is that of a warrior to a queen. He possesses a cruel mind, and does not tolerate insult of his mistress.