Bronze Aspect.
Part II: Back in Black.
The quartet appeared in a dark and dingy cave, and as promised, another representative of the Bronze dragonflight was waiting for them at the cave mouth.
"Greetings champions, I am Sa'at, I was sent to monitor this rift" the man said politely.
"When are we, and what must we do to help you?" Uther asked. "I already know where we are, there are very few places like the Swamp of Sorrows, its look and smell is unmistakable."
"Welcome to the Black Morass, in the area now known as the Blasted Lands," Sa'at bowed, and Uther went pale.
"Oh no!" he breathed.
"Beyond this timeway rift the First Guardian, Medivh, feverishly works to open the Dark Portal." Sa'at explained. "You must protect him from the Infinite dragonflight, and ensure he opens the Portal."
"I refuse to help that monster!" Uther nearly yelled at the Bronze dragonkin. "Do you realise the chaos and casualties that his actions will inflict?"
"More than you realise Lord Uther," Sa'at said grimly. "But you also know that his actions did not go unpunished, his death was painful and the world has recovered from the devastation. The Azeroth Alliance is proof of this."
"I suppose," Uther sighed.
"It will be alright my lord, we know that this event has to take place for the timeline to remain intact," Onyxia said softly, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Changing it will only cause chaos."
"Fine, but I do not defend him for any other reason than for the safety of Azeroth, which he clearly did not consider," Uther stated, pointing at the figure of Medivh in the distance.
"I wish you luck, use this if you require our aid." Sa'at said, handing Uther a small talisman, before disappearing through the rift. "Just remember, his actions were not his own, there are other forces at play than those we see with our eyes."
"The time has come! Gul'dan, order your Warlocks to double their efforts! Moments from now, the gateway will open and your Horde will be unleashed on this ripe, unsuspecting world." Medivh yelled.
A portal formed in an area to Medivh's left and a large black dragonkin with a white underbelly strode out.
"I'm guessing that's an Infinite dragon, I've never heard of such an Dragonflight!" Onyxia roared, as the dragonkin charged toward them, a golden beam of energy connecting it to the portal. "Orders my lord?"
"Spread out and kill any of them that appear," Uther yelled. "But hold back on using your fire, we don't want to change history too much by burning down the swamp."
"What of Medivh?" Sylvanas asked, nailing the dragonkin between the eyes, and watching as the portal it was connected to close.
"Do not go near him!" Uther yelled, watching as another portal opened a short distance behind Medivh.
Onyxia moved in and took out the dragonkin, as Ysondre quickly moved to cut off the next portal as it formed in a patch of trees to the right of the previous one.
"Keep this up; we've got the area around him covered!" Uther yelled, as a portal formed between where Onyxia and Sylvanas' portals had opened, which he moved toward.
"Why do you aid the Magus? Just think of how many lives could be saved if the portal never opened, if the resulting wars could be erased..." a large Drakonid roared as it emerged from a portal after they had closed another two.
"I do not aid him willingly!" Uther yelled back.
"If you will not cease this foolish quest, then you will die!" the Drakonid snarled, before charging them.
Uther dodged his blade and quickly delivered a strike of his own to the dragonkin's calf, making it roar in pain. Sylvanas acted quickly, leaping up on to the beast's back and I'm unsheathing her dagger, before stabbing it into his throat.
"Time... Is on our side." It managed to growl, before taking its last, rasping breath and collapsing dead on the ground.
"That's unnerving," Sylvanas said, wiping the milk-white blood off her dagger before sliding it back into its sheath.
"Are we done?" Onyxia asked, looking around.
"I doubt it, I fear we are stuck defending that monster until the portal opens." Uther sighed.
His statement was confirmed by another Infinite portal opening up behind Ysondre.
"Here we go again," Uther sighed.
After another five portals were ripped open, and the Infinite dragons that charged out defeated, another evident leader emerged from what Uther counted as the twelfth portal.
"Why do you persist? Surely you can see the futility of it all. It is not too late! You may still leave with your lives..." the dragon roared.
"We persist because this event must take place, no matter how horrible the outcome, for the stability of the timelines and later events." Ysondre roared, fighting the urge to transform and burn away these irritating foes.
"So be it... You have been warned." The dragon roared, before hurtling toward them.
"Onyxia, deal with it!" Uther yelled, as he dived out of its way. "But no fire!"
"Yes my lord!" she said joyfully.
She shifted into her natural form and caught the Infinite drake off guard. The invading dragon had little time to react before Onyxia grabbed it by its wings, and carried it up into the sky. The other three waited in silence, until pieces of the dragon began raining down from above.
"All done my lord," Onyxia beamed as she shifted back into her human guise, wiping away the dragon's blood from her chin.
"I can see that," Uther said flatly, looking around at the bloodied pieces of Infinite dragon.
They didn't have long before more portals opened up around them, but like the previous twelve, the Infinite dragons that burst forth, were quickly dispatched.
"The time has come to shatter this clockwork universe forever! Let us no longer be slaves to of the hourglass! I warn you: those who do not embrace the greater path shall become victims of its passing!" the largest Infinite dragon they had yet faced roared, as it emerged from the eighteenth portal, and quickly spotted them. "Let us see what fate lays in store..."
"Orders my lord?" Ysondre yelled, as they were momentarily held in place by the drake's magic.
"Spread out, I will keep its focus!" he said, as the dragon flew toward him. "Ysondre, feel free to use your magic."
"Yes my lord," she smiled.
They were soon covered by thick clouds, which emitted random bolts of lightning. The bolts hit the dragon and caused it to roar in pain. Sylvanas watched where the beams struck, and quickly followed up each strike she could with an arrow into the open wound.
Uther channelled the Light into his sword, before swinging it at the dragon's head, which was moving in to snap at him. The sword struck it across the bridge of its snout, and completely blinded the dragon, making it recoil and breathe white fire in all directions.
"Sylvanas!" Uther yelled, and she obliged with several arrows into its neck.
"We will triumph... It is only a matter... Of time..." it said as it collapsed dead at Uther's feet, bleeding white blood from its wounds.
"Well, that was certainly a new experience," Uther breathed, as the Infinite dragon dissolved until they were alone in the Black Morass, with only Medivh for company.
"What is this? Champions coming to my aid? I sense the hand of the Dark One in this. Truly this sacred event bears his blessing." Medivh said as they approached him. "I am grateful for your aid, champions. Now, Gul'dan's Horde will sweep across this world like a locust swarm, and all my designs – all my carefully laid plans – will at last fall into place."
"I cannot believe I just helped the Horde enter this world" Uther said grimly, watching as red-skinned Orcs began to flood out of the Dark Portal.
"It's not like that my lord!" Sylvanas implored him. "Sure we did not let those things stop him, but we certainly did not help him open it, and we therefore have no part in the chaos to come."
"I couldn't have said it better myself," Sa'at said as he approached them. "Your presence here is almost non-existent. No one will remember your actions, and as you can see, there is no evidence that there was ever any Infinite dragonflight invasion."
"But I still have to live with the knowledge that I could have let him die, and spare so much pain." Uther said quickly.
"We all have regrets of things we could have done, but we cannot dwell on the past," Ysondre stated. "This is only one event, there will be many more ahead, and I believe you will continue to make the right choices, no matter how hard they may be."
"Thank you for your wise words Ysondre," he smiled, before seeming to shake off the nagging doubt. "Where are we needed next?"