Straydog Saga
Flea 42: Dragon Force
Shandori could feel the slight rumble in her empty stomach as she and Christoffel ran through the morning crowd. Despite the terrible battle ahead, tourists still seemed to manage to aimlessly wander around the violet, coble-stoned streets without a single care in their mesmerized gazes.
"Watch it!" one snarling orc grunted as Christoffel nearly sent the vacationing peon to the ground with his armored shoulder. The elf didn't so much as look at the perturbed peon as he continued with his companion in the direction of Krasus' Landing. The revving sound of engines caught in Christoffel's ears as his steps seemed to hasten in reaction.
"We're not going to make it!" he shouted as his quickened pace brought him slightly past his partner, whose breath seemed to labor as she drug her plated boots to match Christoffel's pace.
"Why?" Shandori found herself shouting over the sound as the wind began to blow loose strands of her indigo hair from her flushed face. They reached the entrance to Dalaran's main landing deck and rushed up the steps to find the disheartening sight of a massive Alliance airship pulling back its boarding planks and pulling away from the edge of the deck.
"Light damnit!" Christoffel half shouted, half panted as he watched the massive airship float away like storm cloud towards the Dragonblight.
"Well shit, what now?"
"I don't know—we could try and catch a flight?"
"Sorry, but all flights to the area are being redirected…" another voice interrupted. The pair turned to see a beautiful but sad-faced high elf walking towards them. Shandori instantly recognized her former steward, the red dragon Katastraza, as she moved to stand beside them with a sigh. "Running late too, eh?"
"Y-Yeah, overslept," Shandori lied with a nervous laugh.
"S-Same," Kat looked away with a blush. Her mind painfully twitched as she remembered the somber bereavement letter she was duty-bound to deliver to her commanding officer carefully placed in her magic-made belongings. "But we'll have plenty time for idle chat later, luckily for you two I have a way to get us there quickly."
"Oh?" Christoffel asked as his eyes began to marvel at the young woman's sudden transformation. Her body swelled until an adult red dragon stood before them. Her presence sent some of the less brave flying mounts around her into a fearful frenzy. She looked to the frightened animals with a snort and motioned for her companions to accompany her.
"Are there snacks on this flight?" Shandori joked as she moved to mount the red-scaled steed. Kat snorted again and jokingly licked her maw.
"Yes: you! Now hold on tight, we're up REALLY high, and the winds can be a bit tricky," Kat commanded as Christoffel moved with shaking hands to grip two of the large spikes that protruded from the sides of her back. With a grunt and a large gust of wind, Kat took off, bringing her burdens towards the dread battle in the Dragonblight.
Orifiel took a deep breath as she looked to the darkened entrance to what was Azjol'Nerub. The insect-like creatures that once dwelled within had all but vanished since the Lich King's incursion ended. Even the allies of mortals had fled to other, safer lands since the violet dragons deposed them, and made their ancient city their new rallying point.
She was not wearing the pure, light-bathed robes that typically draped her person. Instead, indigo, black, and violet vestments were her garb of choice, and even the shadows that lingered in the resting place of her kind seemed to drape themselves around her like a sinister cloak. Still, the deep indigo cowl bore a shining enchantment that formed a dimly glowing halo in the midst of the clinging shadows.
She turned to look at her son, who for once in his life seemed to hold no joking glee behind scheming eyes. Instead, he looked more like an adult in her eyes than he ever had, standing straight with a serious crease in his usually smirking lips.
"We may not come out of this alive, my son. Do you think your father will forgive us?" Orifiel spoke with a barely-steady voice. She cleared her throat and did her best not to tremble in front of her only son.
"We'll make them pay, mother; I swear it," Trenton affirmed, making no movement to chastise his mother for the seemingly grim statement.
"Oh, of that I have no doubt. Though if you were to return to his side, you would not love him any less than I for avenging him," Orifiel offered. Her eyes held neither sorrow nor shame as her son sighed and shook his head.
"What kind of male would I be if I let my mother do all the fighting for me? We will see justice is done, together," Trenton nodded, offering his hand to his mother and now commander in the mortal gesture of respect. Orifiel gave her son a small smile and firmly accepted the gesture with a strong grip.
"Are the champions ready?" Orifiel asked with a bit more spirit in her voice, earning her a quick and firm nod.
"Yes, the last airship has just offloaded the last of our recruits. They await your command," Trenton informed. Orifiel turned from her son and did her best to ignore the sensation of a stone slowly growing in the pit of her stomach. She could not place where the feeling was coming from, whether the battle or something else not yet known to her. She shook her head and turned to Trenton once more.
"No matter the outcome, justice will be done," Orifiel nodded as she moved to mount her gifted Crimson Deathcharger and led her steed back in the direction of her gathered forces. Trenton returned to his draconic state and flew overhead, keen vision seeing the sizable force that his mother now commanded. He counted several hundred more than the list of names accounted for as more noble souls found out about the effort and decided to join the effort.
While Trenton kept watch from the skies, Orifiel moved to a small hill, facing the gathered force of Shepherds, Silver Covenant, Sunreaver, and other assorted volunteers. The lesser-battled folk marveled at her strange steed, of which they had heard only Archerus Knights ever daring to ride. Orifiel did not dismount as she used her draconic volume to address the crowd.
"Heroes and Champions of Azeroth, HEAR ME!" she shouted, causing all chat and conversation in the crowd to silence. Only the eerie hum of nearby lay lines could be heard before Orifiel spoke again.
"Today, you face a nightmare wrought from the minions of the Old Gods. The twilight dragon, Dargonax, was supposed to perish many years ago, a failed experiment. But through the cracks in time he has escaped death, only to visit it upon us all.
We are tired of death and we are tired of fighting—too tired of fighting each other, let alone forces beyond our reckoning. But we must push on, together! We must right the wrongs of the past and send Dargonax back to meet the fate he has tried to escape. SO SAY WE ALL!" Orifiel shouted with thrilling power in her voice. The crowd shouted their reply: "SO SAY WE ALL" with such enthusiasm and force that the ground below them seemed to rumble at their collective voice.
"Then heroes, gather your courage; we bring the fight to them! FOR MYDRASSIL, FOR AZEROTH!" Orifiel shouted as she turned her steed to charge, hoping beyond hope the roaring crowd would follow.
Ima struggled to keep her nerves and steps under control, as her tiny legs seemed to impede her from keeping up from her long-legged companions. Her group was towards the back of the massive force, and though the sounds of battle reached them, the smell of acrid flame and mortal blood seemed miles away.
Though Ima managed to stay by her magic-wielding companions, Cici and Mercury seemed ravinously hungry for battle as they made their way with bared fangs to the front of the pack.
As the front line hacked and blew their way into the dark caverns below, Ima began to feel a rumbling beneath her feet. From the ground came writhing, purple tentacles that thrashed and flailed, taking several slow-footed mortals down with each twist and strike. The force hacked and burned the appendages with their fearsome magic, destroying several structures only to have more sprout in their place.
While the front line pushed into the depths, the main group left those towards the rear to deal with the flailing agents of the old gods.
"What's with these—YAA!" Finely shouted as one of the tentacles quickly wrapped it's slick purple body around her waist and began to thrash about like a fleshy rag doll.
"Finely!" Ima squeaked as she launched a massive fireball at the tentacle, but despite issuing a few magical burns, the tentacle continued to whip the human girl around with terrible speed. Blodwyn tried her own arcane-oriented spells but to no avail.
"Help me! I'm gunna hurl!" Finely half cried, half yelled as her body was constantly whipped around with near-terminal force. Ima's brow furrowed as she concentrated. The frigid ground around her seemed to collect more ice as she cast a modified ice-block spell. Instead of her own form being incased in ice, she projected the spell onto the snaring tentacle.
The structure froze in nearly an instant, leaving the nauseous young mage untouched.
"G-Get me down," Finely gasped just before vomiting her breakfast onto the icy snow below.
"GROSS!" Blodwyn sharply shouted with a wrinkled nose before casing an arcane blast. The spell shattered the frozen tentacle, sending Finely plummeting to the floor. Before Finely could hit the ground, however, a nearby priestess cast a levitate spell, bringing her to a gentle hover a few inches away from the ground. It seemed that, unlike the others who had hewn their attackers only to have more sprout in their place, no more tentacles rose from where the shattered pieces lay.
"Well done, ladies! We need to tell the others. Hurry!" The priestess, who strongly resembled Shandori in Ima's eyes, gave a proud, approving nod before turning to shout instructions to the other mages and priests.
Her words did not fall on deaf ears, as one by one, each of the flailing tentacles were dispatched, meeting an icy fate at their determined hands. Though by the time they were finished, more than half of Orifiel's force was well within the darkened, twilit depths. When Ima and her companions finally reached the underground, they were assaulted by images of brutal carnage, both mortal and dragon.
Violet whelps, magically aged and hastily hatched, lay in pools of congealing purple blood, and it seemed many of those who wore the Shepherd tabard faired no better. Massive, draconic guards broke shield and bone with their mighty blows as their roars shook the resolve of those whose trembling knees still managed to hold them up against the counter-assault.
Ima watched the scene as if the images were from the pages of lore, until the splashing of red color on her skin and metallic scent of mortal blood brought reality to her senses. Ima swallowed hard as a familiar pair of glowing cat eyes cut through the horrific scene and tore into the draconic guard with great ferocity. Though only Mercury could be seen through the chaos, Cici's presence in the form of piercing projectiles upon the bodies of their enemies was well represented.
"Stay strong, girls! I am Elune's vessel; as long as I stand, no harm shall come to you," The Shandori look-alike spoke and a soothing, motherly tone. Ima, Finely, and Blodwyn did their best to steady their shaking shoulders as the three tried to focus on their spells while the elder priestess surrounded them with Elune's healing light.
Finely cast a monstrous pyrobast spell, the biggest she'd ever mustered, towards one of the towering, twilight guards. The blow did not seem to have much effect, until the mighty beast fell, off balance, to the ground. Before the dragon guard could get up, it was swarmed by angry mortals with polearms, swords, maces, and any manner of weapon ready to deal the killing blow.
Finely had no time to contemplate her small triumph, however, as more and more violet-scaled monstrosities burst through the tunnel walls.
"Not bad, but let a pro show you how it's done," a squeaky-voiced, male human asserted as a pack of dragonspawn lumbered their way towards them. Finely and Blodwyn turned to the red-robed mage, who they knew as Archmage Romulus' awkward nephew Gawain, with an impatient sneer.
"Oh please, where's your master, teacher's pet? Go back to her side, little lapdog, or you'll get-" Blodwyn started as her words were silenced by a freely loosed pyroblast from Gawain's steady hands. One after another, his fire spells, which would have caused even the most seasoned battle mage to break into a sweat, seemed to burst as easily from his fingers as a sneeze from his nose. "-hurt?"
"That's amazing! Go, Gawain, Go!" Ima cheered as she witnessed one dragonkin after another fell to Gawain's seemingly potent casting. A passing thought of the amazing teen's true heritage as a red dragon sparked in her mind, as a coy, knowing smile spread on her tiny face. Despite her realization, Ima's lips did not reveal the truth, but seemed content to grin at Gawain's impressive display of firepower.
It wasn't until the majority of the draconic attackers fell that Gawain finally paused, nose upturned, seemingly waiting for praise.
"It was nothing, ladies, really," he smugly smiled as he received nothing by hateful and annoyed glares from his classmates, save Ima who seemed to be doing a small victory dance on his behalf.
The priestess among them gave a small, relieved sigh but shook her head at the display.
"We'll have time for all this later, we must press on," the priestess insisted, knowing eyes seeing the youthful inexperience despite the talent they all possessed. The group ceased their momentary celebration and rejoined the rest of the assault. Though the spells they hurled at the Twilight menace caused their fingers to strain, their resolve held. Despite the seemingly waning twilight numbers, an unsettling rumble became more apparent the further they traveled into the vile depths.
"What is that!" Finely shouted as a putrid purple bulge began swelling from the ceiling of the cavern. Soon, many smaller, sticky blobs of gelatinous goo began pulsing from the walls and floor, one nearly sending Ima to the ground. Just as her small form began to tumble, Gawain grabbed her and pulled her to safer ground.
Several Shepherds watched in horror as the putrid goo began to come together, forming a terrifying amalgamation of rot, madness, and slime. The creature shuddered as its slime-dripping slit of a mouth began to slurp and gurgle.
"None sssshall passssss!" it snorted, sending acrid saliva to the ground. A few gasped as the foul substance began eating through the cavern floor like acid. Still, the brave champions readied their weapons or spells and prepared to do battle with the amalgamation.
The creature gave a sickening roar as the first of the Shepherd force began cutting into its side. It brought its slimy appendages down, like a flailing child in a seeming attempt to swat a biting insect. What could have passed as a brow seemed to furrow as hot magic attacks bore into its body but seemed to bounce back at the casters, sending many to the ground and stunning others.
"Nasssssty insectsssss, sspprrraaaaay!" it gurgled as its stomach seemed to lurch. Those standing in front of its putrid maw were treated to acidic spew, as it began to wretch. Those unfortunate mortals caught in the burning vomit howled in pain as their flesh began to boil and melt. The priests, druids, shamans, and paladins who used their abilities to heal rather than harm did their best to heal through the horrific burns, but many more fell than could be saved by their seasoned powers.
When the amalgamation seemed to empty, it began lumbering towards a fresh group of victims. Its clumsy arms swatted at them, sending several to meet their fates along the cavern walls. Those who bore sufficient armor or enchantments seemed dazed but able to recover from the vicious blow.
Ima tried to cast a frost bolt at the beast, only to have it reflected back in her direction. Blodwyn received a similar result when several arcane missiles threatened to not only destroy her, but her fine blue robes she seemed to prize over her own safety. Finely loosed a slow but powerful pyroblast, moving to duck for cover the moment it struck the amalgamation. Despite the other spells being flung back to their owners, the pyroblast seemed to cause a bellowing roar of pain from the violet monstrosity, a sound that seemed to cause a smug smirk to come to her otherwise humble face.
Nothing was said among the group as each of the mages began throwing whatever fire spell they had learned towards the beast; other magic-users who watched display seemed to follow suit. Even the priestess, who carried a wand, began flicking small specks of fire towards the beast as it momentarily cowered in confusion and pain.
"EEENNOUGH!" it bellowed, as it seemed to push a violet wave towards the small group of casters, causing their bodies and lips to freeze. It gave a sinister snort as it cast wave after wave in the direction of any who possessed the ability to produce fire, as magic-user after magic-user froze. Those nimble enough to avoid the waves did their best to keep up an assault but as each magic-user was struck, the attacks seemed to become less and less effective.
The night elf priestess, who was trained in sensing foul magic, gave a small, knowing smile.
"Fear not, children. I can remove the magic that binds you!" the priestess confidently shouted as she quickly began to pray. Ima's eyes went wide and her blood seemed to turn to ice, but her lips were equally frozen as a powerful, cleansing dispel washed over her form. Despite lord Redmane's enhancement, the elder priestess's goddess-imbued prayer seemed to work too well as the small gnome-form began to distort and swell. The night elf priestess' eyes went wide as those around Ima began gasping both for air and in utter surprise.
Before them stood not a young gnome, but a towering, blue-skinned troll with small tears in her eyes.
"What in the name of Wrynn!" Finely shouted as she tried to clear her eyes of the possible mirage before her.
"I-I…" Ima croaked as Gawain pointed with urgency towards the amalgamation.
"LOOK OUT!" he shouted as a crushing arm came crashing overhead. Ima closed her water-drenched eyes and prepared to meet the legendary graveyard spirit as the crushing blow was delivered. Ima could still feel her heart pounding in her chest and the sensation of trembling in her knees. She opened one red-orange eye and then the other to see looks of both shock and triumph in her companions' faces. She quickly turned to see a lone, plated figure with her shield holding back the killing blow.
"Damn it, Ima! Get your head in the game-I won't always show up just in time to save your blue ass!" the familiar voice of Shandori grunted as she gradually pushed up on the amalgamation's arm. With a roar and a strong, upward push, she sent the amalgamation backwards.
"MISS DORI!" Ima shouted in relief and gratitude as she felt a silent shadow brush against her arm. The shadow crept closer to the amalgamation and delivered several venomous blows before fully exposing his blood-elf form.
"Sh-Shandori-what are you doing here?" Iona spoke, dumbstruck expression on her usually calm face.
"We don't have time to chat, mother, or have you forgotten we're fighting a monster here!" Shandori bitterly spat as Ima nodded with new determination in her young eyes. No longer concerned with appearances, Ima cast a mirror-image spell, causing not one but four trolls to launch devastating fire spells towards the amalgamation.
As more and more casters were dispelled, and more and more firepower was launched its way, chunks of congealed goo began falling to the ground, as it seemed to struggle to hold itself together. Shandori felt a rage boil within her that she never felt, not even for her most hated enemies. The vision of the nearly crushed Ima seemed to bring the white-hot feeling to the surface. She placed her shield on her back and took up two large axes once carried by a fallen Shepherd. As the feeling began to spill over, Shandori's vision seemed to blur until she saw nothing but red.
"IT'S FUCKING ON!" she shouted as her words began to skew into unintelligible rage. She charged the amalgamation, cutting, slicing, jabbing, and ripping at its frame. She couldn't feel the acidic spew that flowed from its putrid lips as it burst onto her frame, nor could she feel the soothing bubble of light that surrounded her. Iona seemed to focus all of her prayers on her wayward daughter as her bottled rage began hewing the beast, piece by foul piece.
Christoffel smiled in amusement as his own vicious cuts became more frenzied as the metallic-looking feline beside him seemed to roar in approval. It wasn't until the amalgamation toppled and dissolved into a massive puddle of puss and slime that Shandori's rage waned. Though she still gripped her borrowed axes with lavender-white knuckles, her breathing evened as she felt her fondest companion stroke her arm. She turned to see Christoffel with a look of pride in his eyes mingled with something a little more suggestive.
"Remind me never to piss you off before bed," Christoffel joked, causing all anger and tension to flee from Shandori's form.
"Nah, bet you'd like it-you freak," Shandori gave a caring nod as the cheers that echoed in the cavern finally registered. Despite the 'good job's' and grateful pats on the back, Shandori's attention drifted back to Ima, who, though triumphant and equally worthy of praise for her casting in the warrior's mind, stood there like a guilty child among frowning and disgusted faces.
"Let's go Finely. We need to help the REAL Kirin Tor mages progress," Blodwyn snorted, betrayal and hurt evident in her truthful eyes despite her words. Finely's gaze seemed filled with similar sentiments as the pair pressed on with the uninjured Shepherds.
"I'm going to go make sure they're safe. Once we get out of here…we'll chat," Gawain soberly and knowingly offered as he moved to follow the two teen mages. Ima stood there trembling before Iona, who looked to her with confusion and suspicion, as a plated hand gently came down on the troll's shoulder.
"You did fantastic, kid; but next time, leave the gnome costume at home," Shandori offered with a smile. Ima turned with a sniffle to her companion, who offered her an unusual look of caring and understanding. Iona's jaw slightly hung as she watched the then sobbing troll reach to her rebellious daughter for a hug. She watched as that same daughter who had been a constant source of embarrassment and shame reached to return the gesture, soothingly stroking the grieving troll's back with a nervous smile.
"Come on now, we'll have plenty of time for crying later when we ALL make it out here alive, alright?" Shandori spoke with a firm tone. Christoffel grunted with affirming agreement despite his usual doubts.
"A-Alright miss Dori," Ima sniffled as she reached to wipe her tears with the back of her trebling, blue hand.
"We should get going: we don't want to get separated and picked off," Christoffel offered, causing a nod of agreement to follow from the three who lingered with him. Christoffel and Ima began running towards the rest of the group as a small pause seemed to halt both Shandori and Iona's steps.
"Y-You really care for those two, despite them being our sworn enemies?"
"Now isn't the time. We kind of have a dragon to kill-"
"I…misjudged you," Iona offered with a slightly apologetic lowering of her head. Shandori seemed utterly dumbstruck.
"Whuuuut?"
"When I heard you were traveling with Horde, I thought it was to spite me, to shame me by joining the enemy. I didn't think you capable of compassion or thinking of anyone outside yourself-but these people, you care for them, don't you," Iona asked with a trembling voice.
"More than you probably care to know, why?" Shandori spoke with urgency and annoyance in her tone as she glanced behind her to the force that seemed to be getting further and further away. Iona shook her head.
"We'll talk later, if you're willing. I must stay here and help the injured. Take care, my daughter," Iona spoke with sadness and shame in her tone. Shandori loudly groaned in frustration and shook her head without a word as her plate boots carried her as fast as they could towards the rest of the assaulting group.
Author's Note: We're coming close to the end of our story folks. Just a few things to bare in mind: I'll be taking a little longer to complete the story because I want to make the end to this several-year long project one that you'll really enjoy and justifies the hours/days/months of your life it took to read. If you want to read something in the meantime, check out my other WoW fanfics and my original novel "The Red Thread Tapestry" located on my fictionpress account (or just google it ;) ). I do other artsy things too which you can find on my blog: .com.
And as always, getting reviews and comments always motivates me to write, even the bad ones, so please tell me what you think! :)