Ruby Aspect.
Part III: Set Fire to the Rain.
As they finished placing the last egg on to one of the numerous carts that had likely brought them into the fortress city, Uther heard a voice in his head and felt the pendant burn against his collar bone.
'Lord Uther, its Lirastrasza, don't panic but the Twilight's Hammer are in force around the entrance to Grim Batol.' The voice said in a hurried tone, 'do not bring the eggs out, put them in the entrance chamber, destroy the city and come out to face them. Give the signal and my siblings rain fire on their heads.'
Before Uther could respond the voice faded, and he was returned to his senses.
"My lord, are you alright?" Onyxia asked, putting her hand on his shoulder as she stared into his eyes.
"He's been communicating with someone" Falstad said smirking, "its old shaman magic, normally used when communing with the spirits, but I still recognise it."
"Lirastrasza says not to drag the eggs out of the city. She says that there are Twilight's Hammer forces amassing outside." Uther said, rather deflated at the prospect. "She advises we put them in the entrance chamber and level the city, before marching out to meet them."
"Oh, just walk out undefended against an army of Twilight's Hammer bastards?" Falstad growled.
"She says all I have to do is give a signal and 'they' will rain fire on them." Uther remarked.
"Now there are odds I can get behind." Falstad grinned. "We'll do as she wants and pray that the entrance chamber doesn't collapse as well."
"May I my lord?" Onyxia said gesturing to the carts.
Uther picked up another length of chain and tied the carts together in a long line, before Onyxia grasped the front one from behind her, and began to pull the train with little effort.
"Draconic strength" Uther smirked when he saw Falstad staring in disbelief. "Go steady my dear; we do not know how stable the place is."
Uther, Sylvanas, and Falstad followed behind the final cart, as they walked back the way they had come, with Onyxia vaporising the piles of dead cultists and drakes that blocked her path.
"What do you know about the Twilight's Hammer?" Sylvanas asked as they passed by Throngus' corpse, which Onyxia had set aflame.
"Started as an Orc clan led by Cho'gall, but has expanded to include other races from the few encounters the Alliance has had with them over the years." Falstad said slowly. "They believe in the Old Gods and that one day they will usher in the Hour of Twilight."
"Very little else is known about them because they are so secretive" Uther added. "No one knows how many there are, where they are based, who the leader is now that Cho'gall is presumed dead, or even if there are cultists embedded in positions of power."
"Do you think that they're helping the Black dragonflight?" Sylvanas immediately asked, she knew the answer already, the proof were the number of black dragonkin and Twilight cultists they had slaughtered.
"If the tales are true, Deathwing was driven insane by the old god's whispering and the power they gave him" Uther recited the legend as they approached the entrance chamber. "So the likelihood he will return, and have help from them, is highly likely. It therefore means that the Twilight's Hammer has a vested interest in seeing Deathwing return to this world."
"Stop here Onyxia, this'll do" Sylvanas instructed, as they reached the entrance chamber, before they ensured the last cart safely out of the way of any potential falling debris.
"Just to be safe, blast that archway" Uther said, pointing to the one surviving passage into the city.
Onyxia stood directly underneath the keystone, looked up and breathed a concentrated column of flame at the vaulted ceiling. As the heat crippled the keystone, Uther grabbed Onyxia and they dived out of the way as the ceiling cracked and collapsed, blocking off the city entrance with tonnes of displaced rock.
"Do you think that will protect us?" Uther asked, looking up at Falstad, as he and Onyxia were both on the floor.
"Only one way to find out" Falstad chuckled, pulling out the remote and waggling his thumb over the button.
"We will let you do the honours, as a revenge for your people, after losing their home to evil" Uther said stoically, helping Onyxia to her feet.
"For the fallen Wildhammers!" Falstad said sombrely before hitting the button.
Seconds later the entire mountain shook and they heard rock giving way behind the collapsed passage, it was the unmistakable rumble of the mountain collapsing in on itself. Dust fell from the ceiling as it cracked, but the chamber held until the tremors stopped.
"They said the only way the tremors would stop, would be when the device was destroyed." Falstad stated.
"Then Grim Batol is no more, and its cursed halls will never again harbour evil." Uther said cheerfully, before noticing a familiar figure walking into the entrance chamber.
"Well done Lord Uther, congratulations are certainly in order. Not only did you overcome your demons about this place, but you also destroyed it once and for all." The aged man said as he stood at the entrance.
Uther quickly hurried to stop him getting near the eggs, fearing something was wrong.
"Archbishop Benedictus? What are you doing here?" Uther said, greeting his old friend, but remaining cautious about the bizarre appearance.
"I was sent by the Alliance to exorcize this place; but seeing as you destroyed it, I need not have bothered leaving Stormwind." Benedictus said cheerfully. "I see you recovered some of the dragon queen's eggs, well done my old friend."
"Which Alliance?" Sylvanas asked, sensing something was wrong.
"The Alliance of Lordaeron, Khaz Modan and Stormwind of course, what other alliance is there?" Benedictus chuckled.
"That Alliance doesn't really exist anymore; it's now the Azeroth Alliance." Falstad growled. This reveal made Benedictus' shoulders drop, and he became more relaxed.
"A vain title to shelter foolish mortals behind, when the Hour of Twilight is nigh" Benedictus said coldly. "The end of the world beckons and the master will bring it about in their name!" He yelled the statement and the three heroes unsheathed their weapons as the Twilight's Hammer marched into view. "Surrender yourselves and be redeemed in the master's eyes, surrender the eggs and be welcomed into the fold with open arms!"
"Never!" Uther yelled his free hand clasped the dragonscale pendant, feeling it warm to his touch.
"You are outnumbered Uther, you cannot hope to escape the Twilight Highlands alive." Benedictus laughed at their defiant stand.
"Think again!" Sylvanas yelled back.
There was a roar from outside, and suddenly the army of cultists screamed in fear. Several red dragonkin swooped low, breathing fire on the cultists, incinerating them where they stood.
"No!" Benedictus roared, turning to watch the cultists burn.
Uther channelled the Light into his sword, walked up behind the false Archbishop and stabbed him in the back, the Light burned his flesh as the sword was pushed through the elderly bishop.
"You betrayed your old friend?" Benedictus coughed blood.
"You betrayed the Light!" Uther snarled into Benedictus' ear, the old man chuckled before collapsing to the ground.
"The Light? Fool… You still serve the darkness…" Benedictus said weakly. "The Master sees it in your soul..." the old man then slumped against the cold stone floor, a faint death-rattle escaping his open lips as his eyes closed.
As the red dragons continued to burn the cultists outside, Uther picked up Benedictus' corpse in both arms.
"That was rather cold," Falstad stated. "Stabbing him in the back."
"He stabbed us first," Sylvanas said in Uther's defence, as the aged paladin stared at the corpse of the Archbishop in his arms.
"May the Light forgive your sins" he said as he threw the bishop's body into the flames.
"It seems that there are Twilight cultists in positions of power, and we have no way of knowing until it's too late." Sylvanas said as she stood at Uther's side, basking in the heat of the dragon's fire.
"You cannot blame yourself for not knowing my lord." Onyxia said, noticing a tear on Uther's cheek. "He hid his deception well for years; he probably stabbed hundreds of 'friends' in the back with his transgressions."
"That is not what bothers me." Uther said, "He was one of the most devout men I have ever known. For someone like Benedictus to turn from worshipping the Light, to following the Old Gods and the Twilight's Hammer, he had to truly believe the end was nigh and that the Light could not save us. His belief in the Light was even more steadfast than my own, but maybe it was all an act, a ruse to hide his true beliefs in the Old Gods."
The fires were quickly extinguished by the rain, with Lirastrasza and several other red dragons landing in the charred plateau.
"Come on master; let's make sure these eggs are returned to their mother." Onyxia said cheerfully, pulling the train of carts past him and down toward the red dragons.
As they approached, Lirastrasza transformed into her elven guise and smiled at the heroes.
"Well done, both for clearing the evil from that place and for retrieving the Queen's lost eggs." Lirastrasza said cheerfully as her kin took flight and picked up the carts with their claws, carrying them as they flew due north. "I'm sorry for not giving you a warning about the Archbishop, I felt you wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"I understand, I still do not quite believe that he was part of the Hammer" Uther chuckled, as the rain soaked through his armour, but Lirastrasza seemed unaffected by the downpour.
"May the fire burn him for his transgressions, and the rain wash away his sins" Sylvanas said quickly, Uther nodded in agreement.
"What will you do now?" Lirastrasza asked, seeing that the heroes were shivering in the cold rain.
"Well, Fandral Staghelm has requested our aid with the Emerald Nightmare, any news on the other three flights?" Uther asked quickly.
"Nothing on what ails Nozdormu's brood, Malygos' kin are lying low, and there's nothing regarding Neltharion, but we are watching the elements for any sign of his return." Lirastrasza reported. "I best get back to the temple, it's been a while since I was last there, good day champions." She said before taking flight and following her kin north west.
"Let's get back to Ironforge, we can tell…" Sylvanas started, but Falstad interrupted her.
"I'll go back to Ironforge and tell the king of our success, while you head north." Falstad commanded, as his gryphon swooped in and landed beside him. "That druid said there's a portal east of Aerie Peak, head there and I'll tell him to meet you there. See you around." With that he took off and flew south west.
"He's got a good point, we'd be of more use going north to Aerie Peak" Sylvanas said, but she tensed at the mention of that region.
"Something wrong?" Onyxia growled, as she had transformed into her dragon form to keep herself, her master and mistress warm, by sheltering them sheltered from the rain under her wing.
"Sorry, it's just that it'll be the closest I've been to my home... Since the Sunwell incident. Plus there's a colony of Sin'dorei in the Hinterlands." Sylvanas said, nervously twiddling her fingers.
"Are you sure you want to go there?" Uther asked, taking her hands in his own for comfort.
"I'm not sure my lord. If we have to pass through, then I'll deal with whatever they throw at me." Sylvanas said, her eyes connecting with Uther's. "I don't want to let my fear of what could be, stop me helping you in our mission for the Dragon Queen."
"If we run into your people, I will support you all the way, but do not jump to hostilities if they show no liking for you." Uther said, counselling her like the mentor he had become to her.
"Do not let passion become bloodlust I know my lord" Sylvanas said as she climbed on to Onyxia's back, "I do listen to your lessons, I'm not like Arthas."
"I know girl, you actually listen to me more than he did, and you learn from what I have to say, as well as your past experiences" Uther chuckled as she clambered on behind her.
"Master, where's Aerie Peak?" Onyxia growled, after she didn't move for a minute or two.
"Head north east, and look for a giant stone eagle, you cannot miss it" Uther joked, before Onyxia took flight.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"My lord, do you think I could become a Paladin under your tutelage?" Sylvanas asked after a couple minutes of silent flying.
"Do you want to become a paladin?" Uther chuckled, surprised by the question.
"If you are my tutor, then yes" Sylvanas replied. "I feel it is the right thing for me to become. Being a ranger is all well and good when you're defending Silvermoon from the trolls, but I'm no longer doing that. I'm now fighting at your side, saving the world to a greater or lesser extent, so I need to be more than just a ranger."
"Do you feel up to the challenge?" Uther asked, he wanted to be sure that she absolutely wanted it, before he began training her.
"I think so," Sylvanas replied rather quickly. "I stood by your side and resisted the Lich King's evil, and although my past isn't exactly free of sin, I don't let it affect my judgement or my current way of thinking. Plus, the skills I honed as Ranger General of Silvermoon would make me a very skilled and cunning warrior of the Light."
"Alright then, as long as you are one hundred per cent sure it is what you want" Uther chuckled.
"I'm sure" Sylvanas said with steely determination, as the giant stone eagle of Aerie Peak appeared on the horizon.
"Well when we get back to Stormwind, I shall see about getting you inducted into the Order." Uther said as Onyxia began to dive toward the peak.
"Why can't I join where you did?" Sylvanas quickly asked, seemingly upset at missing out on the opportunity to follow in her lord's footsteps.
"Because I am not sure it even still exists, or whether it is still being rebuilt" Uther said grimly, his eyes fixed on the northern horizon, Sylvanas followed his gaze and understood.
"Oh, I'm sorry for bringing it up my lord, I just wondered…" Sylvanas stuttered nervously.
"It is alright, I can understand your desire to follow my lead, and though you will probably not be inducted where I was, you can still follow my example." Uther said, patting her on the shoulder with one hand.
Onyxia landed in the clearing and they were immediately swarmed by Dwarven rangers armed with rifles.
"This has got to stop happening" Onyxia growled as several rangers waved their guns at her face.