Many thanks to those who've reviewed the previous chapter! The encouragement and positivity was most welcome and assuring for what will be a interesting venture into the depths of time, as well as a slightly different writing style than what I normally employ. Links for social media platforms are on my profile for those interested, and please enjoy the next chapter! ~F

Chapter 124

Warchief's Destiny

Nobu'tan followed quickly as Thrall led him back up to the ground floor of the Keep. Across from the guard quarters, the future Warchief entered an armory, punching the guard in the face to knock him out. "A weapon and some armor would not go amiss…" Thrall said, taking up some leather body armor and a small hand axe.

Knowing what sort of combatant that the shaman was in the future, Nobu'tan said nothing to hinder him, but did exit to scout ahead to the entrance of the Keep. Apparently there had been some means of watching if Thrall was released, or else the guards were reacting to the false fires at last, as a large group had moved in from the surrounding walls, slowly converging on the Keep.

"We'd better hurry," Nobu'tan said, even as Thrall caught up with him. "They aren't going to wait for long before closing in on our position."

Thrall nodded, stepping out boldly into the daylight, and attracting the attention of the first wave instantly, "This day is long overdue!" the orc shouted, brandishing the gladiator axe, "Out of my way!"

With nothing left to lose or hide here, Nobu'tan followed swiftly, thrusting both hands forward and channeling a beam of Fel flame before him, catching the guards before they could react to his additional presence.

The rearmost of the group of humans, a mage as well as a rifleman, screamed as their flesh melted from their bones, leaving only the two armored footman to contend with Thrall and Nobu'tan. Lashing Aetish to his back, Nobu'tan summoned the glaive of Magtheridon with a burst of Fel energy, slamming the weighted weapon into the shield of the left footman, while Thrall parried the thrust of the right guard.

Deftly spinning the glaive in his hands, Nobu'tan knocked the shield his opponent wore upward with the back end, exposing the chest armor to the digging blade as he drove the spear-like tip through the metal.

The man wailed in agony, but Nobu'tan pushed through his weakening footing, throwing the man to the ground and twisting the gore-covered weapon free. Turning to lend his aid, Nobu'tan found Thrall already dispatching his own opponent, deftly finding the weak point in the armor under the arms.

"It should not have come to this…" Thrall said, looking at the mangled bodies around them.

"There is no time to mourn the dead…" Nobu'tan said, already seeing that their fight had attracted the attention of more of the rallying guards.

"To the gates," Thrall said, and together the pair set off down the hill toward the bridge, contending with human guards thrice more before they finally arrived at the entrance to Durnholde Keep.

Nobu'tan refused to hold back his power, allowing both Arcane and Fel to fly freely from him as they carved a path through the ranks of soldiers to the gate, but he hesitated after crossing the bridge, when the armored knight came into view, sword drawn and mounted horsemen at his side, barring their exit.

"Thrall," the man said, "You didn't really think you would escape did you? You and your allies will answer to Blackmoore, after I've had my fun…"

"I'll never be chained again Skarloc!" Thrall challenged, settling into a fighting stance, even as Nobu'tan raised his arms, purple arcane crackling on one while the Fel burned brightly on the other.

"You're a slave." The human said scathingly, "That's all you'll ever be… I don't know what Blackmoore sees in you. For my money, you're just another ignorant savage. Take them!" the man ordered, and the three horsemen charged.

Thrall dove to the side, evading the trampling hooves, but Nobu'tan unleashed a barrage of arcane missiles, the magic zipping and zinging through the air to strike the advancing riders. These however, had taken precautions against magic, and their armor flashed as they absorbed some of the impact of his spells.

That was when Nobu'tan spotted the golden glow of the lead rider's eyes: a Paladin.

Leaping to the side, he dodged the swinging blade of the man's sword, lashing out with the Pitlord's glaive.

Skarloc deflected with his shield, the metal glowing as it reacted to the presence of the Fel.

"Vile warlock, you will die this day!" the Paladin said, his horse wheeling about, holy magic shining in the man's hands.

The divine hammer flew out, but Nobu'tan blocked it with a sudden flash of ice, before dodging again as another rider tried to trample him.

Seething at the annoyance, Nobu'tan muttered choice curses, directing the befouling magic at his enemies, to debilitate and weaken them and their steeds. One of the fellow riders was some manner of priest, who started to shout out counter curses, but Nobu'tan grunted a summoning, and in a flash Khiighun appeared, the Felhunter eagerly sapping the magic away from the man's words, and locking his access to the Light's power for a short time.

Thrall struggled with the third rider, his armor taking a beating from the man's sharp blade, but Nobu'tan was too pinned down by his opponents to rush to the orc's side.

"Do you really think you will leave here alive?" the Paladin said, the sardonic tone to the man's voice perplexing Nobu'tan. Weren't the Knights of the Silver Hand supposed to be the law and order of these lands? He supposed that that sort of benevolence only applied where their own people were concerned, and even then only if they agreed with their tenants completely, obeying like little sheep before the shepherd.

This warrior was too familiar with the magic of Azeroth for Nobu'tan to simply overwhelm him in raw power, and so he was forced to rely on a more underhanded tactic. The Elder Wand slapped into his hand with the dull feel of wood. Rising to his full height, Nobu'tan aimed the wooden focus between the man's eyes. "Avada Kedavera!" he said, allowing his frustration and cold fury well over to power the death curse.

The Paladin erected a divine shield to protect himself, and the deadly green jet of energy collided spectacularly with it, a deafening boom that shook the ground and drew all combatants' attention to it. The beam was holding, its prong-like tip of death trying to burrow through the shining shell of holy magic.

"And now we see, Paladin, which is stronger…" Nobu'tan said, stepping forward and steadying both hands around the Elder Wand, "My hatred, or your faith."

The man, gripping his horse's reins to prevent the beast from panicking, started to murmur his prayers, even as Nobu'tan glanced at Thrall. "Now, defeat them, while I hold him off!" he called, and the orc took the advantage he was given.

Throwing his weight up, the future Warchief knocked the armored rider from his steed, and wrestled the human from his weapon, burying the axe deeply into the man's breastplate.

The priest tried to use his own magic to counter Nobu'tan, but a casual signal kept Khiighun doggedly on the man, preventing even the smallest wisp of magic from escaping his form to harm Nobu'tan or heal his fallen ally.

Nobu'tan could see he was slowly winning the mental battle, his urge to kill the man slowly dissolving his resolve to resist. The holy shield flickered, and the deadly green energy inched nearer the man's head.

"Thall must never go free!" Skarloc seethed, before throwing his head back, "Guards! Guards!" he cried, even as his shield of faith shattered. The Killing curse found its mark, and blasted the man from his horse.

The priest attempted to turn and flee, but Nobu'tan hurled Magtheridon's glaive into the robed body, skewering the priest and sending him flying from his saddle as well.

"Not exactly the way I wanted to leave this place," Thrall said, looking over the carnage of their escape, "but nevertheless, it is done. Now take me to see Taretha."

Nobu'tan hesitated, remembering what the dragon had mention regarding the current situation with the human woman, "We… cannot see her, you need to escape into the Altarac Mountains as swiftly as possible."

The young orc strode right up to the, currently, older warlock, and Nobu'tan could feel the heat rising in the orcs frustrations, "Why can I not see my friend and ally, she arranged all this, why will Taretha not meet with me…"

"It's not that…" Nobu'tan said, trying to find a way to skirt around the truth, "It's not safe…"

"Is she in danger?" Thrall said, and Nobu'tan could tell that, illusion or not, the future shaman could see the truth in the warlock's eyes.

"Yes…" he admitted, knowing very well that this was a dangerous path.

"I will not go anywhere until I know she is safe," Thrall said, turning away, "You will tell me where she is. Now…"

"Tarren Mill…" Nobu'tan said, mind whirling how to salvage this situation.

"Very well. Tarren Mill lies just west of here. Since time is of the essence..." Thrall said, taking the reins of the bucking horse of the fallen Paladin. Swinging himself into the saddle, he turned the horse about with great ease. "Let's ride!" he ordered.

Nobu'tan had little choice but to obey. With a thought, he summoned a Dreadsteed of Xoroth, and took up his mount beside the orc, and they set off down the path swiftly.

Nobu'tan wished that they stayed off the road, but there was little choice until they crossed the bridge over the river.

Still, he dreaded who they may encounter along the way, or what damage to the time stream that could be caused by this action.

Once they passed the bridge, fortunately unguarded at this time, Thrall steered his horse to the right and off the road, skirting through the trees and approaching the southern end of Tarren Mill.

It looked surprisingly similar to what Nobu'tan had seen in the present, aside from being overrun by the undead of the Banshee Queen. Thrall led him into a barn at the edge of the town, clearly to wait until nightfall for their chance to enter the village properly, but one look of the muscular orc set the animals within the barn off. Horses whinnied loudly, and very soon Nobu'tan heard voices outside, as a crowd assembled to protect their livestock.

How they had mobilized so fast, he did not know, even as Thrall sighed in resignation. "So much for stealth," he said, taking up his axe once more.

"This is getting out of hand," Nobu'tan muttered, even as they emerged to confront the mob of moderately armed guards and villagers.

"There they are!" one shouted.

"Kill them!" another cried, even as the group advanced.

Something about the situation rang with wrongness for Nobu'tan, and he quickly unleashed a cone of frigid wind, knocking back and chilling all those in front of them, before releasing a blast wave of Felfire around himself and Thrall.

A few fell quickly, but those with shields seemed heartier than the others, and were able to easily withstand the sudden attack. However, they were not prepared for Thrall and Nobu'tan to lash out afterward with melee weapons.

Once the last of the humans fell, Thrall started toward the town center, "Come, we've no time to waste in finding Taretha."

Muttering curses under his breath, and racking his brain for what it was that felt so out of place here, Nobu'tan followed, even as Thrall approached the chapel of the village. It seemed such a terrible location to so brazenly approach, and despite knowing his prerogative to protect the teenage orc, Nobu'tan wanted nothing more than to throttle the idiot himelf.

Unsurprisingly, more guards and concerned citizen appeared when Thrall darted inside the chapel to search for his human friend, leaving Nobu'tan to deal with them alone.

Venting his frustration on the humans, while not something he wanted to be held for in altering the timeline further, the warlock refused to let his mind think on what irreparable damage he was doing, even the screams of his foes filled his ears.

"She isn't here…" Thrall said, emerging as the final guard fell to the ground.

"Why does that not surprise me…?" Nobu'tan said, flicking the Elder wand from his sleeve. "Point me, Taretha…" he intoned clearly, watching as the wand spun a full circle in his palm, before stopping with the tip pointed at the inn of the village.

Tired of killing so many innocent humans who threatened them, Nobu'tan led the way this time, instantly polymorphing every human within into harmless animals. They'd revert when he determined they were safely away.

"Taretha!" Thrall called, quickly storming up the stairs of the main room, before he repeated the name, which Nobu'tan took as the signal that he had found the young woman.

He ascended the stairs, freezing at the sight of the woman in near stasis, surrounded by a shield of curious magic.

"I… I don't understand what you're trying to say Taretha…" Thrall said, even as the woman mouthed words unheard by them.

Quickly waving the wand once more, Nobu'tan determined to his shock that it was time magic that surrounded the young lady, desynchronizing her from their timeline and preventing her from interacting properly.

Just then, a powerful voice boomed from outside, "Thrall! Come outside and face your fate!"

"Who, or what, was that?" Thrall asked, turning to look at Nobu'tan, who had no answers for him.

"Taretha's life hangs in the balance. Surely you care for her. Surely you wish to save her…" the voice continued, clearly trying and succeeding to goad the young orc into action.

"No!" Thrall said, bolting from the room and outside without a plan, or even trying to understand more of what was going on.

Nobu'tan started to follow, but caught the look of horrified worry in Taretha's eyes. "I'll protect him…" he said, comforting what he could for her, before rushing out to find the wayward Warchief.

He did not expect the large drake to be hovering just outside the tavern, glowing down at them as it beat its ebony wings. It was no Black Dragon, but something dark as pitch, with shimmering magic that blotted out the light from passing through it. This had to be the Infinite Dragonflight that Nobu'tan was told of.

"Ah, there you are…" the dragon said, "I had hoped to accomplish this with a bit of subtlety, but I suppose direct confrontation was inevitable, with your helper from outside of time…"

More guards and villagers appeared, seeming uncaring of the massive drake that hovered in their midst, and Nobu'tan's suspicions were confirmed. One by one, the humans shifted into Dragonspawn, sharing the same utter darkness that the drake possessed.

"Your future, Thrall, must not come to pass, and so… you and your troublesome friend must die!"

The dragonspawn rushed them, unhindered in their need to pretend to be mere mortals, and Nobu'tan scoffed as he snapped his fingers. A trio of Felguard appeared out of hastily opened portals, flanking himself and Thrall, blocking the melee creatures from reaching them.

At the same time, Nobu'tan erected a quick barrier of Arcane magic, deflecting the volley of spells from the casters among their enemies, giving the pair of them a moment to breathe and calculate their strategy.

Now knowing that the people of Tarren Mill were not human at all, Nobu'tan ceased to hold back any of his power. "Keep back!" he ordered Thrall, assuming that the orc wouldn't listen, but dropped his shield, before ripping open dozens of portals for demons to flood through under his command. Dreadhounds, Wrathguards, Succubi, and even a pair of Darkglares appeared at his command, turning the tide of numbers back to their favor.

Then, bounding into the air on his manifested wings, Nobu'tan dove at the nearest caster of the Infinite Dragonspawn, stabbing the creature through the heart with the glaive of Magtheridon.

Whatever level of power that these dragons thought that the Bronze would send to aid the timelines, clearly the likes of Nobu'tan was far above it, as he quickly tore through the ranks of the creatures, shattering their resistance to his magic and shrugging off the worst of their attempts to harm him.

Again, and a third time, they sent in waves of the disillusioned dragonspawn, but the Fel army that Nobu'tan commanded against them emerged victorious.

"Enough! I will erase your very existence!" the drake said, swooping in to rake Nobu'tan with its blackened claws.

"Lok'tar Ogar!" Thrall bellowed, hurling the small axe at the dragon, imbedding the bladed head into the joint of the creature's wing, crippling the limb and sending the beast plummeting to the ground.

"Victory or Death!" Nobu'tan echoed, himself caught in the throes of the battle, and dove, aiming the spear-tip of the glaive for the dragon's neck. Striking like a bolt of lightning, the Fel weapon sunk deeply into the neck tissue just behind the skull, sending the drake into a dire state of trashing as its life quickly drained from it.

"No!" the beast cried, growing weaker as it struggled, black blood pooling beneath it. "The master will… not be… pleased."

The drake twitched once more, and lay still, dead.

Taretha burst out of the inn, the spell binding her broken, and threw her arms around Thrall in joy.

"Taretha, you're safe!" Thrall cried, spinning the woman once before setting her on her feet. Together the pair looked at Nobu'tan, even as the warlock removed the glaive from the dragon's skull.

"Thank you stranger," Thrall said, and Nobu'tan nodded in reply.

"You have done a great thing, Nobu'tan of the Dark Horde," the Bronze dragon in elf form, Erozion, said, appearing and seeming to freeze both Taretha and Thrall in a vortex of time. "Alas, the young Warchief's memory of these events must be as the originally were."

"And what of all those who perished?" Nobu'tan demanded of the dragon, "Are they to just be erased from existence, as well as any potential progeny that could come from them?"

The full weight of what occurred started to press upon him. He alone could have slaughtered countless generations of innocent people, just to preserve once particular line of events.

"Calm yourself, Warlock," Erozion said, "you have nothing to base your fears upon… I am merely going to merge this fractured timeline back into the proper one. All those that perished, who were not meant to, will be safe. Observe."

With a wave of his hand, the dragon conjured an illusion of a seamless strand of light, "This represents the timeline of Azeroth, as we know things to have occurred," he explained.

"And this," he said, adding a tangential line of solid black, "is the line wherein we now stand, pivoting from the moment of Thrall's escape. Its existence threatens to usurp the main line and corrupt it forever, but now that you've defeated the Infinite leader here, we can dismantle this line, merging it safely back into the original, and erasing any and all anomalies that occurred therein."

With a clap of his hands, the off shooting line glowed golden, and slowly spun itself back into the main line, disappearing as though it never existed.

"So, what I do in these branching timelines, really makes no difference in the grand scheme?" Nobu'tan asked, seeking confirmation.

"Yes," the dragon acknowledged, "the original timeline will be dominant with our repairs, and nothing amiss that occurred will remain."

Nobu'tan nodded, suddenly feeling a touch embarrassed for failing to think that the Bronze dragons, guardians of time for countless years before he was even born, would not have thought of that already.

"When you are ready, return to the cave and pass through back to the caverns of time," Erozion said, "tell Andormu that this timeline has been restored, and the assault of the Infinite Dragonflight upon Hillsbrad has been quashed. He awaits you on the other side."

"As you wish…" Nobu'tan said, turning his back on Thrall and Taretha of this alternate timeline, and setting off back to the small cave.

Thinking hard of the events he had witnessed, it now seemed silly to think that he had been in any sort of danger of affecting the flow of time. He would not make the same mistake for the other timelines that the dragons wanted him to investigate, if there were any others.

Still, the fact of the matter was that the dragons should have related that important detail to him. Frustrated, Nobu'tan swiftly returned to the cave and passed through, able to tell the moment he shifted through a barrier of magical energy and returned to the caverns.

"Ah, you've returned," Andormu said, smiling as Nobu'tan approached, "I take it the Infinite Dragonflight have been thwarted then."

"Yes," Nobu'tan said, "but do you care to explain why you failed to mention that time would be unaffected by my meddling to repair the damage?"

"Apologies," Andormu said, already slowly leading Nobu'tan away from the tunnel, to yet another, overgrown with greenery that seemed remotely familiar to the warlock, "It is not our intent to deceive mortals who aid us, but it tends to be more efficient if the mortals believe that there are stakes involved with their actions while in the timeways."

"Not exactly a good excuse for it…" Nobu'tan retorted, but he let the matter drop. Better to be done with this business as quickly as possible and move on, rather than prolong his time here arguing semantics with a dragon.

"This timeway," Andormu said, gesturing at the stone ruin of some sort of structure, "We have little information about, regarding objective of our enemies, but from our agent Sa'at we know that they are here, again attempting to alter time. It appears to be foliage from the Black Morass of long ago…" the dragon added, grasping a creeping vine and studying it.

"Could it be that the opening of the Dark Portal is being targeted for sabotage? Let us hope not..." the dragon added thoughtfully.

Nobu'tan recognized the type of foliage the dragon was looking at, and knew that it did indeed come from the Black Morass, before the entire southern marsh transformed into the Blasted Lands. He would be willing to bet a great deal that the Infinite Dragonflight would be attacking the Portal, and that stirred his blood.

Without the orcs entering Azeroth, he would have never come to be among them. His entire life, every moment, memory, and meeting, would be utterly changed. Nobu'tan the warlock would simply cease to be.

In effect, this attack on the timeline was personal, and Nobu'tan stepped forward toward the ruin structure, that appeared to be a shattered pillar of the Dark Portal itself.

"Quickly, go through and find Sa'at," Andormu said, gesturing for Nobu'tan to proceed, "He will have more knowledge of the situation than we on this side."

Without hesitation, Nobu'tan started forward, even as the tunnel started to close around him, forming another winding tunnel. Eventually, like the previous, it opened to a cave mouth on the edge of the lush marshland of the Black Morass, just as he and the dragon had concluded.

"You must be the hero that Andormu sent for," another dragon in elf form.

Nobu'tan joined the dragon in looked out across the swamp.

"The Infinite Dragonflight have abandoned all pretense of subtlety here," Sa'at explained, pressing a token into Nobu'tan's hand, "They plot to destroy the Guardian, Medivh, and prevent the Dark Portal from ever opening. While outwardly, this may appear a boon to the forces of the Alliance, it is in actuality catastrophic and will result in your world ending."

"I understand that more than you realize," Nobu'tan said, "So I simply protect the Guardian? Or seek out and eliminate those trying to stop him?"

"Protect Medievh," Sa'at said, "and use this token if you need to call on our aid. I suspect that the Infinite Dragonflight will grow desperate the closer that the Portal gets to completion. Slay the Rift Lords and Keepers as they appear; only that will stem the tide against you."

Nobu'tan nodded, already sensing the buildup of Arcane and Fel energy that could only be coming from the Portal area. He was drawn to it, stepping into the murky soil of the morass, and following the power like a beacon.

Soon enough, he reached a clearing, and there rose the stone outline of the Dark Portal itself, lifeless and hollow. Before the stone structure stood a lone figure, surrounded by runes and carrying the staff Aetish in his hands.

Nobu'tan felt a twinge from the future staff in his own hand, almost longing to be back with its former master, but the warlock banished the thought, slowly approaching the dry area where Medievh stood.

As he neared however, the Guardian's head snapped up, facing the portal, even as Arcane poured from his hands, forming a domed shield around him, with excess flowing into the inner space of the portal itself.

"The time has come!" Medievh shouted, "Gul'dan, order your warlocks to redouble their efforts! Moments from now the gateway will be open, and your Horde will be unleashed on this ripe, unsuspecting world."

Momentarily, Nobu'tan's heart lifted at the mention of his master's name. Then it sank. This was a time before the orc warlock knew of Nobu'tan, or grew to treat him as a son. And even if there was some manner of happy reunion, all the memories would be stripped away from the orc by the Bronze Dragonflight when this timeline was returned in line with historical events as they were.

Nobu'tan's thoughts were interrupted when, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a shimmering vortex of gold sand. From it emerged the black forms of the Infinite Dragonflight. Turning his back on the Guardian of Azeroth, the Lord of the Stormreavers raised his arms, magic wafting off of them, even as the first waves of whelpling dragons approached.

Despite their small size, Nobu'tan could sense the power they held, deceptively strong to confuse and destroy overconfident opponents. "Come, then, if you are so eager to die," Nobu'tan said, allowing the Arcane to surge through him, animating the waters around into full sized elementals, numbering half a dozen to cover his flanks.

The whelps squealed their displeasure, miniature breaths of sand escaping their jaws as they flew at the line of elementals.

A single word, spoken in the draconic language of magic, however, sealed the whelps' fate, even as a wave of water surged up from the surrounding mires, before crystallizing into a solid wall of ice. The tiny dragons were frozen inside, where they would suffocate and perish without even getting close to their goal.

Through the warped visage that the ice presented, Nobu'tan saw that his enemy was only getting started with their advance. From the portals now surged all manner of Dragonspawn, swords, axes, and staffs in hand as they prepared to overrun his position.

Swinging the Elder wand, as well as Aetish, Nobu'tan tore huge chunks of the whelp-infused ice from his wall, banishing them as massive missiles into knots of the advancing spawn. Upon contact, the spikes of ice shattered in all directions, lacerating scores of his foes.

If anything, Nobu'tan had to admit that the fearlessness of their own death was something to be admired, as more spilled forth from the portals, trampling the corpses of their fellows as they bore down on Nobu'tan's position.

Hefting the staff of the Guardian, Nobu'tan summoned a torrent of freezing raid to cover the battlefield, meanwhile striking down those that drew nearer with the Wand of Destiny, until the marsh was thick with the draconic corpses.

Eventually, the forces thinned, and Nobu'tan was able to catch a short reprieve, before a massive dragonspawn strode forth on two legs, maw moving in the manner that allowed these creatures to speak the mortal languages.

"Why do you aid the Magus? Just think of how many lives could be saved if the portal is never opened, if the resulting wars could be erased…" the dragonspawn said, hefting the glaive from his shoulder and prepared to charge.

"You don't know what I've gone through, how many lives I've personally destroyed, to be here at this time, in this place…" Nobu'tan replied, power and rage welling up inside him. "If my master doesn't come through that portal, I will be nothing… this world will be nothing!" he spat, even as flame took control of his mind.

"If you will not cease this foolish quest, then you will die!" the dragonspawn called back, already beginning to run at Nobu'tan.

Fel green fire spewed forth, forming a concentrated blast directly at the rushing dragonspawn. Through some force of magic, the beast twirled his spear, carving a path slowly through the gouts of flame, still closing the distance between itself and Nobu'tan.

"My destiny will not be denied, not by you, nor anything that stands in my way!" Nobu'tan roared, unleashing all the power of the arcane within him. Explosions rocked the ground before him, causing the nearest trees to shudder at the unseen force of magic.

The dragonspawn was forced back, allowing Nobu'tan's water elementals to converge on it, sloshing torrents of water with great force.

"Become a monument to the futility of standing against me!" Nobu'tan shouted, chilling the water coating the dragon in a flash. The dragonspawn tried to shrug off the patches of ice and frost, but could not move fast enough to escape what came next.

Each of the water elementals leaped forward, and at a thought Nobu'tan changed the nature of his summoned servants. They froze, becoming individual shafts of ice that drove deeply into the scaled flesh of the beast.

The dragonspawn threw his head back with a roar of agony as its torso was pierced through from six sides. The glaive fell with a crash from its hands, even as the creature slumped, supported now by the ice itself. "Time… is on our side…" the creature said, even as its eyes unfocused, and it expired.

"We shall see…" Nobu'tan retorted to the towering body, even as the next wave of lesser Infinite dragonkin appeared from the various portals.

There would be no end in sight for a time, he mused, even as he called more power to himself. How long could he alone last, Nobu'tan wondered. Naturally there were means for him to regain his power, conjured food and the like that would revitalize his magical stamina, but how to gain a respite from the constant assaults.

He had little choice it seemed. He had wanted to reserve using the Fel as long as possible, just in case he grew too predictable for the Infinite Dragonflight. He was unsure still how they interacted with his jaunts through time, whether they recognized him or not, and being cautious he refused to overplay his hand if he could avoid it.

Now however, that seemed unlikely to be allowed. Tearing open portals to various worlds controlled by the Legion, Nobu'tan sent out the call, and was answered with scores of hapless demons. "Destroy them all!" he commanded, even as the small army appeared, sending them forth to battle with the scores of dragonkin that rushed to meet them on the open marshlands.

Carefully, Nobu'tan conjured a small battlement of ice to shelter behind for a moment, and wove the arcane into creating a small collection of disgusting sweets for him to consume. How the magical power was so easily condensed in such a fashion, he was only beginning to understand, but nevertheless he was quickly returned to a more enriched connection to the leyline magic of the world.

Unfortunately, Nobu'tan did not have the time to pontificate over the mysteries of the Arcane. Rising once more and wiping his hand on his robes, he quickly took stock of the battle's progress.

The Felguard and Wrathguard had effectively cordoned off a wide space around Nobu'tan's position in front of Medievh, supported by various imps, demonic hounds, and even winged Felbats in the air.

Even with the massive front of the right side of the battle, the forces of the Infinite dragonspawn were already starting to push their way on the left, reinforced by several larger variants of their kind. Nobu'tan noted the golden threads of time magic binding them to several of the portals, through which their reinforcements stemmed.

Drawing from a pouch at his waist, which held the crystallized remains of many foes that Nobu'tan had defeated and drained of their souls, the Grand Warlock crushed several of the gems in his hand, feeling the fresh rush of demonic might.

He took that power willingly, and channeled it with a surge of demonic flames. A series of massive spheres of the soul-empowered flames rocketed from the crown of Aetish at his command, pelting the nearest of the large dragonkin with thunderous effect.

The creature burst into demonic flames, flailing vainly as it tried to stem the fiery death that awaited it. Even as it fell, the spell holding open the connected time gate dissipated, reducing the flow of enemy forces on that flank.

"Excellent," Nobu'tan stated, reaching for more soul shards. The next volley struck the right-hand side of the battle, setting the nearest trees alight and immolating another of the Infinite Dragonflight's portal keepers.

Calling forth another wave of wild demons, Nobu'tan shouted orders to his forces, "Attack, tear their leaders apart and shut their portals down!"

Elementals surged from the water at his command, forming a phalanx around his position, allowing the demons to abandon their defensive formations and go on the attack. Three of the more brutish Felguards ran down one of the Infinite keepers, hacking the beast apart with their axes even as the rest of the demonic army swarmed around them.

Victory seemed near, until all forces on the battlefield seem to freeze in place. "Why do you persist?" a voice rumbled, even as a jet black dragon soared out of one of the remaining portals, "Surely you can see the futility of it all. It is not too late! You may still leave with your lives..."