Obsidian Dragonflight.
Part XI: 10th Man Down.
The battle began with the two armies of dragons clashing in the sky, fire and flapping wings surrounded the temple on three sides, with Deathwing circling east, out of range of the Wyrmrest forces.
"What is he doing?" Sylvanas looked to Alexstrasza for answers.
"Waiting until we're weak to destroy us," she snarled. "He thinks that because his dragons outnumber us, that they will win and destroy us."
"What happens if he burns the dragonshrines?" Sylvanas asked, her eyes watching Deathwing closely.
"They are where we go to die, he'll be burning our Dragonflight graveyards," Ysera said flatly, watching as Deathwing burned her Emerald Dragonshrine, melting the surrounding snow. "He is trying to demoralise us."
"Or corrupt our shrines into something sinister," Kalecgos suggested.
Their attention was snapped back to the west of the temple by a loud warhorn cutting through the roars of the battling dragons, followed by several more warhorns, each sounding further and further away. Hundreds of strange looking dragons ridden by Vrykul, soared toward them, quickly drawing the attention of Deathwing's dragons.
"Those dragons they're riding look… different," Arthas commented.
"They are what we once were," Kalecgos explained. "What all Dragonflights once looked like before the Titans blessed us, I guess you can call them proto-dragons."
"Arthas, Muradin, Falstad, do what you can to turn the tide of this skirmish in our favour," Alexstrasza commanded.
"Why us?" Arthas asked.
"Your skills at commanding armies and animals is needed, Onyxia and Ysondre will also aid our defenders." Ysera said quickly.
Onyxia and Ysondre ran and dived off the ledge, transforming as they fell and soaring into the fray. Arthas, Muradin and Falstad followed them, being quickly picked up by individual dragons.
"Ladies, care to provide some assistance?" Uther smiled.
"Of course my lord," Vereesa smiled.
Sylvanas, Vereesa and Jaina stood on the edge of the ledge, hurling fireballs and firing arrows at the enemy dragons that flew to close.
"Ready yourself Lightbringer, the Dragon Soul will take everything you have to use it, for not only does it draw on our combined power, but it will draw on your strength as well." Nozdormu said quickly, as Deathwing circled over the Path of the Titans.
As the Worldbreaker flew low over the ground, the ice formations cracked and melted, with the runoff flowed into the lower levels of the Temple.
"The Sanctums will be safe from harm if he floods the chamber, but the Vaults will be completely submerged." Ysera exclaimed. "Our guest should be unaffected in his cell, though I'm sure he could polymorph into a penguin if he starts to drown."
"We will deal with him later," Uther said coldly. "Deathwing's getting closer."
"Prepare to unleash the Dragon Soul!" Alexstrasza said quickly, as it was clear the sky battle was quickly turning in their favour.
"Your meagre defences will not save you!" Deathwing roared, as the Bronze Dragonshrine burned beneath him. "I will burn you all myself!"
"Uther!" Alexstrasza cried, as the Worldbreaker flew toward the Temple.
He raised the Dragon Soul, feeling it starting to draw on his strength as the power built up. When the sensation became almost unbearable, and Deathwing was almost upon them, he released the energy. Deathwing roared in anger, and tried to dodge the blast, but the beam cut into his wings, ripping off the armour that protected it.
"Mortal mongrels! You dabble in powers beyond your comprehension!" Deathwing roared, quickly turning back toward them and breathing fire at them.
"No!" Sylvanas cried.
She threw her arms out and encased the throne room in a golden bubble, which protected them from Deathwing's fire.
"You're gaining control of the Light, you no longer lash out subconsciously," Uther beamed at her. "I'm proud of you, you'll be worthy of an official induction when this is over, though the Hand will likely make you study as well."
"Thank you my lord," Sylvanas said as the bubble dissipated.
Clouds formed around the Temple, hiding the throne room from the circling Worldbreaker, and when he tried to fly through the clouds, he was blasted with lightning.
"These clouds will not last forever," Ysera said, as she channelled her druidic magic to maintain the cloud cover. "Prepare to weild the Dragon Soul again."
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"Fighting alongside giants… That's a new one," Falstad laughed, as he and Muradin soared beside each other.
"Aye, fighting with Uther has not been dull these past two years," "Muradin laughed, before his dragon peeled away to tear a Twilight drake from the sky.
"Haraak foln!" One of the Vrykul roared, hurling a harpoon at an Obsidian dragon, hitting it in the chest.
"They're quite skilled, I'm glad they're on our side!" Arthas called, passing the two dwarves on the back of a Ruby dragon.
A Twilight dragon turned sharply towards them, with the Acolyte on its back blasting Falstad's dragon with a bolt of shadow magic. The spell hit the dragon in the chest, killing it instantly.
"Is something different with Onyxia?" Falstad asked, after he leapt from his dead dragon to Muradin's with his shamanistic magic.
"I heard Sylvanas cleansed her of the corruption that claimed her kin, and infused her with the Light," Muradin replied. "I'll admit that seems quite unbelievable."
"How the hell does that work?" Falstad asked.
"We've both seen what she's now capable of, and heard about what she's done," Muradin chuckled. "Plus, we've encountered multiple supernatural entities, perhaps she's now one of them, who is thankfully on our side."
"But imbuing a powerful being like a dragon with the Light?" Falstad asked, holding on tightly as their dragon dived to attack another dragon.
"We'll learn about it later, right now we've got to…" Muradin said, before they were hit with fire from above.
"You dabble in powers beyond your control!" Deathwing roared, circling around the Temple as they fell from the sky.
Falstad cast a spell and their fall was slowed, allowing them to land on a lower level on the temple.
"I'm going to find another dragon willing to let me ride them, think you can give them some shamanistic support?" Muradin said quickly.
"Aye," Falstad laughed, as totems sprung up around him. "Got a few tricks I learnt from our green allies."
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"Try channeling the Light into the Dragon Soul; it might increase the damage it does to him." Jaina said brightly.
"A wise idea Miss Proudmoore," Alexstrasza said, her eyes still following Deathwing, even though he was hidden by Ysera's clouds. "I fear we cannot stall this, the longer we leave it, the more people who will suffer his wrath."
"Now you face the Worldbreaker!" Deathwing roared as the clouds parted. Before he could breathe fire on the heroes, Uther channelled the Dragon Soul into another powerful blast, which caught the Worldbreaker by surprise.
This time it ripped into several plates on Deathwing's back, revealing the corrupted flesh underneath. Deathwing snarled and turned south, flying away from the battle, and away from the Wyrmrest Temple.
"Is he retreating?" Sylvanas laughed.
"This is no joke," Alexstrasza said coldly. "If he escapes there is no telling how many will suffer his wrath, we have to follow, we must end this today!"
"We may not get another chance to end him!" Nozdormu said quickly, before diving off the ledge and transforming into his natural form, followed by Ysera and Kalecgos.
"The battle is won!" Sylvanas cheered, as the last Obsidian dragon fell toward the rocky ground.
"No! It is just beginning," Uther called back, watching as Jaina leapt on to Kalecgos' back, Vereesa sat astride Nozdormu and Syylvanas paired with Ysera. "My queen?"
"Do not fail us Uther," Alexstrasza said calmly, their eyes meeting with a mutual understanding.
The Dragon Queen followed her fellow Aspects, and Uther jumped on to her back. He looked down at the Dragon Soul in his right hand, his grip tightened when he heard Deathwing's roar ahead of them.
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"Is the party leaving?" Arthas asked, landing in the Wyrmrest throne room as the Dragonflight leaders followed Deathwing south.
"Seems so," Muradin sighed, landing beside the prince and dismounting the dragon he'd been riding.
"Do you think they can do it? End Deathwing?" Falstad asked, as the three men stood around the glass globe.
"There's no one else capable," Arthas smiled. "Lord Uther will not fail the Azeroth Alliance in its hour of need; he never let the Lordaeron Alliance down."
"Hey lad, what do you think of Sylvanas?" Falstad asked after a moment of silence.
"In what way?" the prince asked cautiously.
"Her new powers," Muradin clarified.
"You're a fellow Paladin; do you believe what she's capable of?" Falstad said quickly.
"No, I don't think that a ranger is suddenly able to channel the Light in this way, especially when she showed no connection to the Light before she met Uther." Arthas said quickly. "There is something more to this."
"You are most certainly right Prince Arthas," a voice said, surprising the three men who moved to grab their weapons, but relaxed when they saw who had spoken up. "We believe that we know what has brought about the change in the Lady Windrunner, and it is imperative I speak with her."
"We're listening," Muradin said after a pregnant pause where the three men considered the figure's words.
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"He's turned south-east! He's not retreating; he's seeking vengeance!" Uther noted, yelling his thoughts to his nearby allies. "He's going to burn Stormwind!"
"I'm not going to get any closer Uther; you must take your shot!" Alexstrasza said quickly.
"I'm not going to risk hitting you!" Uther yelled. "Get me above him, I'll deliver the final strike directly!"
"Do not fail us Uther!" she said, before catching up with Deathwing and flying closely over his back.
Uther unsheathed his swords and leapt from the Dragon Queen's back, plunging both his blades into the exposed flesh on the Worldbreaker's back.
"Your tenacity is admirable, but pointless." Deathwing roared. "You ride into the jaws of the apocalypse."
"You're not fighting alone!" Sylvanas said, landing beside Uther, blasting one of the loose plates with Light-empowered arrows. "I'm not abandoning you now!"
"Where's your sister?" He laughed.
"Providing ranged assistance!" Jaina called, as Kalecgos and Nozdormu flanked the Worldbreaker, with Alexstrasza and Ysera following close behind.
Uther channelled the Light into his blades, slashing at the nearest loose plate, seeing it burn into Deathwing's flesh. Sylvanas shouldered her bow and withdrew her daggers, cutting free the plate and causing Deathwing to roar in pain.
"You are less than dust, fit only to be brushed from my back." The Worldbreaker roared.
The two heroes were confronted with glowing orange slime creatures and flaming tentacles that sprouted from the Worldbreaker's exposed flesh.
"Deal with them; I'm going to end this!" Uther snarled, sheathing his swords and withdrawing the Dragon Soul from his belt pocket.
He pointed the Dragon Soul at the back of Deathwing's neck, and channelled the Light into the ancient weapon. But before he could end the Worldbreaker, he felt the Light abandon him, his strength wane, and he fell to his knees.
"Uther!" Sylvanas cried, casting a shield around him and kneeling beside him. "What's wrong?"
"The Light has abandoned me," he said feebly, before unsheathing Ashmourne and pulling the Ashbringer crystal from the hilt with surprising ease.
He felt the warmth in his hands, and it spread through his arms into his chest, but his connection to the Light was not restored. He looked into Sylvanas' eyes, deciding he was not going to be able to end Deathwing alone.
"Take this, end the Worldbreaker!" he said, giving her the Ashbringer crystal, which she pocketed, and then the Dragon Soul.
"I can't" Sylvanas stammered.
"My strength has gone, you must!" he said quickly. "End this, before he burns Stormwind!"
"Yes my lord," she said slowly, getting to her feet, feeling the Dragon Soul weighing her down.
She stood on the metal plate nearest Deathwing's neck, aimed it at the base of his skull, before an idea sprung to mind. She withdrew the Ashbringer crystal again, held it against the Dragon Soul as she channelled all the power she could muster into the artefact.
"Do it!" Uther yelled, as the Stormwind Lighthouse grew ever closer.
"Be at peace Neltharion, your nightmare is at an end." She breathed.
She fired the Dragon Soul, the brilliant gold light burning through Deathwing's skull. Deathwing bucked as the blast killed him instantly, but his body continued to soar through the air, clearing the Lighthouse and Cathedral by the narrowest margin.
"We did it!" Sylvanas cheered.
She turned to see that Uther was gone, and she was alone on the dead dragon's back. She also noted that the other Dragonflight leaders had fallen back; meaning she was trapped on the falling dragon. She crouched between two of the weakened plates, shielding herself from the corruption with the Ashbringer crystal, whilst Deathwing's flesh started to disintegrate around her, The holy energy she'd used to end him, and the power radiating from her were quickly destroying the corrupted Aspect. She closed her eyes and prayed for Uther's survival, as well as her own.
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"Sylvanas! Wake up!" A voice said urgently. Sylvanas opened her eyes and saw Vereesa shaking her awake, her bright face leaning over her. "You're alive!"
"Yes, I'm alive." Sylvanas groaned, her entire body aching, likely from falling off Deathwing when his body completely disintegrated. "Is it over?"
"Yes Sylvanas, it is over." Alexstrasza said calmly, helping her to stand up, but her eyes were fixed on something behind her.
Sylvanas turned and gasped. Deathwing's obsidian jaw was embedded into the cliff face, and as she surveyed the blasted landscape, it became clear that the metal plates were all that remained of the Worldbreaker. The pieces were likely spread across the land between Stormwind and wherever she was now.
"What happens now?" Jaina asked, as they all gathered beneath the jaw.
"The Dragon Soul will be returned to its rightful time and place," Nozdormu said, inspecting the artefact in his hands.
"These lands are already cursed, healing these lands is not possible," Alexstrasza sighed. "The blood of Deathwing has further corrupted these lands. Though we will strive to reverse what they can, I fear these lands will never be as they once were."
"Where are we?" Sylvanas asked, but Vereesa, Jaina and the four Dragonflight leaders fell silent.
"The Blasted Lands," Jaina said slowly. "Just west of the Dark Portal."
Sylvanas quickly got her bearings and ran east, stopping at the edge of a large crater and staring at what dominated the basin before her.
"Sylvanas?" Vereesa asked, standing at her sister's side.
"That's the Portal?" She breathed.
"Yes." Jaina answered. "It's been closed for years, but destroying it is not an option."
Sylvanas again sprinted toward the Portal, stopping at the foot of the imposing stone arch.
"What's wrong?" Vereesa asked, being the only one to follow Sylvanas into the crater.
"She was here…" Sylvanas breathed. "I understand why Uther did not want to come here; the scars of the past are opened by this thing…"
"Are you okay?" Vereesa asked cautiously.
Before she could answer, a loud crack drew their attention to the archway. For a brief moment it was filled with an inky blackness and a faint glow, before it vanished, showing the bare rock face behind it. A lone figure had been spat out, and they stumbled toward the two Windrunners. As the figure got closer, they could see their clothes were torn, threadbare and burned in places, showing horrific scars on the figure's pale flesh. A hood hid most of their face, and a robe covered their figure, but they could see the figure was female. The woman stopped metres from them, looked up at the sky momentarily, before collapsing.
"What the hell?" Vereesa exclaimed, they both rushed forward to inspect the figure, as Jaina appeared at their side.
Sylvanas rolled the woman on to her back, the hood falling away to reveal long blonde hair, fair elven skin marked by further scars, and a pendant around her neck, featuring a large, beautiful emerald.
"Impossible," they breathed, as they took in the unconscious form of Alleria Windrunner.
The Dragonflights hurried to their side and took in the scene before them.
"You know what this means, don't you?" Vereesa gulped.
"The Legion is coming," Alexstrasza said coldly. "We MUST return to the Temple immediately!"