The ride on dragon back to the fabled Hyjal was short. I spent the time looking around, my discomfort at the sight of the ruined land growing by the minute. Cresting a range of mountains, I was suddenly flying over an inferno. Lava covered the ground, surrounding a sinister glowing tower of ember colored, twisted metal. I hissed in shocked fury when the lava erupted to reveal the firelord Ragnaros, returned from the elemental plane. It had been many years since last I saw him, since last I defeated him. I was infuriated to see my work reversed thus, and by what power I could not imagine.

The dragon continued its flight, spurred to greater speeds at the appearance of our old enemies. It was not long before I was deposited gently on the mountain top, at one of the last footholds we held in the area. The guards were beset by raging elementals, living stone that trembled with the fury of the aching land. I raced to join the battle, dispatching the enemy and keeping an eye out for the spies rumored to be in hiding. Small faery-dragons still fluttered through the air, and I wondered at their resilience. They turned out to be quite useful, pointing me in the direction of the cultists that had cloaked themselves in the shadows.

I smiled grimly, quite tempted to roll my eyes when the revealed spies attempted to kill me, shouting insults all the while. They were pitifully unprepared, and it did not take me long to mete justice out upon their ranks. The noise of battle came to a halt as our foes dispersed, but I knew I could not rest. I was quickly directed to follow the path further into the mountain, to give aid to those still working to reclaim the rest of the land. I called for Luna, my beloved nightsaber companion, wishing to remain close to the ground so as not to attract attention to myself in this hostile environment. My road led upwards, the crest of the hill between mountains flattening out to reveal a nightmare. I groaned, feeling the pain of the trees burning in the valley below. Living flames danced through the clearings, battling with other guardians and the treants of the valley.

I wasn't surprised to note through my pain that I was the only druid present. I suddenly felt that I should leave, knowing the agony of the forest would prove too distracting to allow me to fight properly. I was bent over in the saddle, desperately trying to maintain my concentration, but it was a losing battle. Luna was forced to make the decision for me. Whipping around, she carried me back down the path to the portals that would lead to the city, not stopping until we were through.

"My lord king, I beg of you. Any other position. I am ashamed to say the pain is too much to endure. Hyjal burns, and I along with it. There must be something else I can do." Varian looked at me thoughtfully, surprised at my request. I had never declined a task before, and I could see his worry. Finally he nodded, coming to a decision.

"There is a ship heading to a nearby island. Scouts report a land rich with resources that we sorely need, but the horde are headed there as well. Use caution and assist in taking control of the fortifications. You might also ask your sister to join you, her work here stabilizing the portals has finished and she also requires another task." I thanked him gratefully before heading swiftly towards the area where he indicated I would find Athene. She was weaving a spell through the air, and I waited patiently for her to finish before approaching. She whirled at my touch.

"Oh, Alanta it's you!" Taking in my pained look, she grabbed my arms in concern. "Are you well, sister? How does the battle for Hyjal fare?" I sighed in frustration.

"It is bad," I admitted. "The mountain drowns in flames, and I was forced away. The others will have to continue without me. We have another task. Varian has asked the both of us to go by warship to help secure resources on a newly discovered island." I received a nod in reply, Athene quickly turning to grab her supplies before following me towards the docks.

I scanned the shipyard critically before spotting what was to be our entourage. At the end of one dock a group of soldiers stood, nervously shifting in their glittering plate armor. Their captain was a little ways back, speaking to a familiar duo. I smiled slightly to see the twins would be joining us on this latest venture, raising my hand in greeting as the captain nodded in our direction. They turned, surprise morphing into delight at the sight of us. Their enthusiasm for battle with the horde was helpful in calming my nerves. I did not particularly enjoy combat against our rivals, but I could not help feeling their anticipation. I let it wash over me, giving me the strength to step onto the ship that was now docking.

The deck swayed over the waves as we pulled away from the safe harbor, the men quieting to listen as the ships crew shouted orders to each other. They were an efficient lot, having us underway remarkably fast. I sat back out of the way to await our arrival at the island, not bothering to look out over the endless deeps. I knew it to be all the same, and suppressed a shudder even as I prayed silently for a safe trip. I could swim very well, but that knowledge did nothing to erase the nameless dread I felt at the thought of what might be hiding down in the deeps.

It was Athene that called my attention to the ship ahead of us with a yell of surprise. It was one of our own, and looked to have somehow flipped over. My mind roiled with the possibilities as I took in the sight of its beleaguered crew huddled on the keel. What had happened should be impossible, the only explanation I came to being a freak storm. Which would make these survivors extremely lucky to have survived a force strong enough to overturn the large warship. I was utterly unprepared for the tentacles that shot out of the water, grabbing the remains of the wreck and dragging it under to the terrified screams of its occupants. Our crew was doing no better, for the leviathan soon tired of its toy and moved on us with a screech.

Hacking at arms, dodging suckers and splintering wood, I fought with all my strength alongside the crew. Unfortunately the sword I had grabbed off the deck in my hurry to arm myself was clumsy in my hand. I had never trained with such a weapon, and soon grew frustrated, thinking to cast it away in favor of my staff. Giving it a quick glance, I screamed. I would recognize the blade anywhere, it having belonged to my sister for the last two years. Whirling, I scanned the deck, searching for a face I could no longer see. Men were being dragged into the depths one by one, and I could only assume my dear little sister had reached the same fate. I grew panicked, knowing that unlike me she could not breathe underwater. Without thinking I dove over the side, shifting when I hit the water to take on the form of a great whale.

The ocean was surprisingly clear, allowing me to see right to the bottom. I spotted Athene sinking, her still form leaving a trail of bubbles to mark her descent. I shot after her, going as fast as I was able through the thrashing water around me. Forgetting about the beast, I focused all my attention on getting to her, not noticing its attention shift to me. I was suddenly grabbed around the middle, the massive arm squeezing mercilessly and driving the breath from my body. In my pain I lost hold of my form, a bright point of fear assaulting my mind when I too began to drown. The darkness quickly claimed me...

I stood on the pinnacle of rock, staring down in awe at the seething maelstrom as around me our most powerful shamans worked to hold it together. I tried not to think of the last time I was in water, convinced that even the leviathan itself would be torn apart by the waters fury here. I had been rescued that time, and Athene as well, along with most of our crew. A wise shaman had bestowed spells upon us to allow us to breath underwater, and to speed our movements. Our time in the depths was a blur as we worked to subdue the naga that threatened to destroy the lord of waters, Neptulon. It had been a hard battle, and I fervently hoped I would never have to enter those depths again.

Now I awaited an orc of all people to assist me in gaining access to the plane of earth. I tried not to waste time in thinking about how we were forced to band together with our enemies to heal the land, it was too disconcerting. I supposed I had a certain rogue dragon to thank for forcing us to temporarily put aside our differences. The threat of extinction tended to do that, I thought wryly. Climbing aboard the back of the orc's wyvern steed, I clasped her waist tightly.

"Hold on," she growled. "Oh, and probably best not to look down." She took off and we were above the center of the whirlpool in moments. Promptly forgetting her earlier warning, I stared down, down, into the abyss. It went on forever, and I felt the sickening swoop of my stomach at the sight. Wincing slightly, I closed my eyes when she gave a whoop and dove. I felt the air rushing past us, and resisted the urge to peek, trusting her to know what she was doing. It took me a moment to realize we had landed, and I heard her cackle as she disentangled my hands from her tunic. "Looked down, didn't ya?" I nodded ruefully, jumping when she gave me a slap on the back in merriment. "Not the first one to have that reaction, don't worry yerself over it."

I snorted and headed towards the gathering in the center of the building I now found myself in. Conversation stilled upon my arrival, greetings flowing my way before it picked up again, only this time to include me. I was given to understand that I would be looking for fragments of the pillar that stood broken in the center of the hall. Once repaired, they told me, the land would be safe again from tearing apart. I headed outside, taking with me their warnings to stay in the air if at all possible to avoid the countless monsters that lived amongst the stone.

I was stopped still upon exiting into the open air, looking with wide eyes at the sight that greeted me. It appeared to be a cavern, but so massive that the ceiling was lost in the mist above, and the walls stretched away far into the distance. Outcroppings of colorful glowing stone covered the ground, their crystalline planes reflecting the natural light in the cavern. I flew curiously over to one, the beautiful blue rock mesmerizing. Taking out a small knife I chipped a few pieces off, placing them carefully in my pack. I took a few moments to fly around, gathering samples of every color imaginable. Their iridescent light and flawless beauty had left me with an insatiable need to keep some for myself.

Everywhere I looked was a new wonder. Liquid pools of a silvery substance coated the ground in one spot, in another, snakes made of living rock and crystal burrowed in and out of the ground. Drakes of the same material traversed the air, and tiny crystals flew around the space of their own will, chiming like the wisps in my home city of Darnassus. Dwarves seemed to be the main people here that we were aiding, which made total sense to me. Only creatures of the earth could have created such magnificent works in the stone. I would spend the next few weeks helping to restore their realm and earning their trust, before finally managing to fix the world pillar...

I trudged through sand, grateful to be back under the bright sky after days of living underground. The massive desert I found myself in held many lost secrets, and I had been given a short leave from combat to help a local archeologist unearth them. Nessingwary was a little annoying, with his reckless ways and countless explosives, but I didn't question him. He always managed to get the job done, and over time I had learned to keep my opinions to myself. The eccentric man never listened anyways. Nearing the pyramid where he had asked me to meet him, I looked warily around at the giant scarabs scuttling through the dunes. They didn't appear to be hostile, so I let them be.

I spent a few days at Nessingwary's side, digging for treasure as he called it, and dealing with local pests. I also took the time to do a small study of the inhabitants. Clustered around the main water source, and oasis, was an ancient city. Called Ramkahen, its people were intelligent and very unique. Built very much like a centaur, they were all various species of great cats. They walked on four legs, giant paws leaving no mark in the sand at their passing. Their torsos extended upright, strong arms and broad shoulders supporting a markedly feline head that still contained traces of human-like features. The town was stunning, baas reliefs decorating the walls in blue marble and gold. Etchings covered almost every available space, their meaning unknown to me. And everywhere around, the palm trees swayed gently in the light wind that carried with it a most delicious scent of fruit and flowers.

I coughed as I came back to consciousness, glaring at the dwarf pilot that had managed to crash land us on the deck of the ship outside our latest base in the far highlands. I had been returned to battle, and my first day was not going well. The stormy sky held dark promises of what was to come, shadowing the hostile land in perpetual twilight. Our first mission in this new territory, establish a base. No easy task with horde crawling like flies along the coastline. It took the help of a little gnome engineer and a lot of explosives to get our enemies to back off, but it was eventually done. I had to wonder at the small creature's sanity when he had me shot to the deck of the attacking airship by cannon, only to plant my bombs before leaping to the water below to escape to coming blast.

I had refused to reenter the water, leaving the naga threat to someone else before heading further into the highlands. Like the deeps of the earth where I had spent many weeks, here also there dwelt large tribes of dwarves. I was enlisted to aid them in beating off the ogres and giants that constantly harried their towns. These dwarves were very good fighters, especially, I noted with amusement, when they were drunk. Reckless too, but I supposed that didn't matter, because they were very strong. I directed their movements, assisting with strategy, and we soon defeated the encroaching forces.

I spent equal amounts of time fighting and celebrating, it seemed, in the days that followed. Every victory was punctuated with a feast, or maybe just an excuse to drink, not that they needed one. One day I was inside the belly of some horrific, fanged abomination. Next day I was helping to celebrate a wedding that tied together the two distinct tribes of the hills. I fought horde and raging elementals in equal measure. I assisted the red dragonflight in protecting their sacred grounds, and bore witness to the leader Alexstraza in her vain attempt to defeat Deathwing. It was luck that allowed us to save her when the battle was lost, and I despaired in the knowledge that it would now be up to us, the guardians, to see to his demise.

I stood once again in the keep of Stormwind. The king had recalled us after victory in the highlands had been assured, and I knew we would now move on our greatest foe. I shifted in anticipation, hanging on his instructions in case my opinion was needed. It filled me with pride that he often called on our expertise in times of planning strategy.

"We will send in all the armies at our disposal at the forefront," he was saying now. "I have gathered several battalions of combat-ready soldiers, and they are prepared to march on the lair of the dragon. You, my guardians, will be held as a reserve." I frowned, knowing his plan would not work. It would not do to hold my silence, so I stood, gaining his attention.

"My lord, if I may?" He nodded. "With all due respect, your men are not prepared for this."

"They are brave and strong," he injected, the warning clear in his tone. I sighed inwardly that he thought to take offense at my words.

"I agree. However their courage will not avail them. They will be slaughtered like sheep, for they have not the skills that we do to survive the rage of the beast. I seek only to preserve as many lives through this as possible, and would ask permission to propose a different plan." Varian gazed around the table, noting the silent approval of my fellow guardians. They would support my plan, and he bowed to my knowledge.

"Let's hear it then."

"Let your men follow us in. There will be plenty of lesser minions swarming the base of the citadel where Deathwing now resides, and we cannot be troubled with them. This is where your men should be, they will be more than capable of stemming the tide. That would then leave us space to engage his lieutenants, and any other abominations he has hidden out of sight. I would ask that the men do not attempt to approach the dragon himself at all. We have not the time to worry about protecting them, and will fight better with just our own. I feel this is our best chance." I thought for a minute that the king had not heard me, so deep in thought was he. I waited patiently, not wanting to interrupt whatever decision he was coming to.

He straightened at last, his troubled gaze smoothing into one of acceptance and determination. "Very well, we will do it this way. I can see the wisdom in your words, it is a good plan. Gather as many as you can, all guardians that can be spared. My men will meet you at the battlefield. This may be our last chance to save everything that we hold most dear."

Within hours the city was emptied of guardians and soldiers as we headed out to the final confrontation. The city echoed with our shouts of hope. "For the Alliance, glory to our cause!" The people cheered below, our brave words leaving them certain of our victory. I smiled, wishing I had their faith, and knowing that we had no choice but to win. For the sake of those standing below as we flew to battle, the men and women and children that depended on those of us strong enough to face the cataclysm.

Some weeks later I stood looking on as my sister pored through a book of new spells in the spires of the floating city of Dalaran. The battle had been won, and we were finally resting after we had finished cleaning up the aftermath of battle. I had begun to notice Athene suffering in her grief now that she had too much time to think about our parents. She complained of her spells being affected, and I worried for her constantly. I myself had taken to spending countless hours at the training dummies, pounding out my restless anger. Any time a mission came by, no matter how small, I was out marching against the threat with dangerous fury. We both reacted differently, and I knew this was my way of coping. I wondered if it was better, and selfishly thought that at least I was still effective. Banishing the mean jibes my angry mind directed towards Athene, I tried to think of some way to snap her out of her depression.

She suddenly flung herself out of her chair, violently directing a stream of fire to devour the delicate wooden furniture. "I can't do this!" she shrieked. I grabbed her in a hug after throwing a bucket of water at the lingering flames. For a moment she fought me before collapsing into my arms with a broken sob. I felt the tears trickling down my own face as we finally took the time to grieve properly together, drawing strength from each other. "My portals aren't working, I'm losing my grip," she said breaking the silence. I thought for a moment, coming to a decision to try and help her.

"Send me to Darnassus? I know you can still do that one, it's the first one you ever learned. Do you remember?" She smiled sadly, recalling the day she had first successfully crafted the glowing portal.

"I remember accidentally sending you into the broom closet first several times." I snickered, recalling how I had banged my head on the shelves before figuring out where I was, and the shock on an'das' face when he heard the ruckus and came running.

"It was always exciting those first weeks, never knowing where I would end up." She punched my arm in mock annoyance before sobering.

"Why do you need me to send you to Darnassus though? There's a city portal just down the street." I rolled my eyes at how she expertly either missed the point or tried to evade my request.

"I want to see you do it. I know you can, and I want you to see that you can." Clasping her arm, I added quietly. "I believe in you, I always have. We will get through this together." She nodded, stepping back and beginning the spell that would send me to another place. The magic wove through the air, and I ignored the feeling of subtle wrongness, putting it down to nerves. I wanted her to feel confident again and this was the first step. So when the portal opened in front of me I didn't hesitate, giving her a wave before I stepped through...

The world disappeared for a moment before re materializing around me. I looked around in utter confusion when the city did not appear, rather I was greeted to the sight of an unfamiliar forest at the base of a large chain of mountains. "Where am I?"

Author's note: Back story over, now the real adventure begins. I hope this chapter wasn't too hard to follow. I tried to include a bit about her adventures before killing the dragon, but I saw no need to put in the actual fight, leaving that more or less to the imagination. Thanks again to those reading this, if you get the time don't hesitate to tell me what you think so far.