war. To some in the Kirin Tor, the mage council that controls the kingdom of Dalaran, the world of Azeroth is nothing but constant strife and bloodshed.Before the alliance of Lordaeron was established, it was once the territory of trolls. Finally, when humans finally defeated this evil race, orcs descended from the sky through an evil space crack in another strange world, and invaded this continent for the first time. .In the early days of the war, the brutal and powerful invaders seemed irresistible, but gradually, the brutal unilateral massacre turned into a stalemate between the two sides.War always has a price, and for no apparent reason, it has cost both the Alliance and the Horde tens of thousands of casualties.For years, the Kirin Tor believed that the war would continue indefinitely.

But in the end it was all over.Later, the Alliance repelled the Horde, and eventually won a total victory.Even the great chieftain of the orcs, the legendary hero Orgrim?Doomhammer was also unable to stop the Alliance's advance, and was eventually captured by humans.Except for a few tribes that escaped, the remaining invaders were all besieged and under the strict surveillance of the Knights of the Silver Hand.After many, many years, a long-term peace has finally become a real trend, and it is no longer a distant dream. However, a sense of unease hangs over the elders of the Kirin Tor.This is also the reason why the high-level officials held this meeting in the air council hall.The reason why this room is called this is because it has no walls, and a large number of clouds and mists of uncertain light and dark surround these senior magicians, constantly flowing and changing rapidly. From the looks of it, it seems that even time has become faster.Only the dark gray marble floor shimmering because of the inlaid diamond-shaped symbols symbolizing the four elements, gave this scene a little authenticity.

However, the mages themselves were naturally not interested in this. These figures, which were hidden from head to toe under the black cloak, swayed in the changing air like phantoms.Even the only way to tell their gender is from the blurred parts of their faces that only appear when they speak. There were six people in the meeting, all of whom were in power, although they may not have the corresponding talent in magic.But there are many factors that go into leadership of the Kirin Tor, magical ability being just one of them. "There is something wrong with Khaz Modan," said the first speaker loudly, while revealing a bearded face, countless star patterns fluttering on his body. "The Dragonmaws have trapped it in or somewhere near the cave."

"We know that," the second voice was sharper, like a woman who is not young but has an impulsive personality.There is a shimmering moon pattern on her cloak. "Those orcs who are still stubbornly resisting are just a small group. Doomhammer's men lost their warchief and surrendered long ago." The former man was obviously upset, but his tone remained calm. "Very good! But I think you'll be more interested in the news...I think Deathwing is coming back." Everyone, including the woman, was shocked by this sentence.The night suddenly turned into day, but the mages had no time to pay attention to this scene, for them this kind of thing happened very often in this place.Dark clouds flowed over the head of the third mage, who was obviously skeptical of the previous man's speech.

"Deathwing is dead!" The guy looked fatter. "On the orders of the High Command we mustered all the strongest forces of mankind to defeat him a few months ago, and he has fallen into the sea! No dragon, not even him, could have survived such a blow! " Some nodded in agreement, but the first speaker retorted, "Did you see his body? Ordinary dragons can't be compared with Deathwing. Even if the goblins hadn't inlaid alloys in his scales back then." At that time, those guys in the tribe were ridiculously weak compared to him..." "But what evidence do you have to say that he is still alive?" This young voice showed that the owner was a young girl. Although she might not be as experienced as others, she still had enough strength to become a member of the Presbyterian Church. "What about the evidence?"

"Two red dragons dead, two Alexstrasza's young. And ripped apart—a death that could only have been done by their own kind." "But it could be other dragons as well." The storm came suddenly, lightning and heavy rain poured down from above, but it could not wet the clothes of the mages or even the floor under their feet.The storm was gone in a blink of an eye, and a radiant sun rose from their heads again.As if none of this had happened, the first mage continued his speech. "Obviously you've never seen what Deathwing did, or you wouldn't say something like that."

"Maybe you're right," interjected the fifth man, and the outline of an elf face loomed before disappearing quickly, even faster than the storm just now. "If so, the problem is indeed serious. But I don't think we should focus on this matter at the moment. Assuming that Deathwing is still alive and begins to revenge his enemies, it will actually be beneficial to us. Besides, Alexa Sha is still in the hands of the Dragonmaw clan, and it is her descendants that the orcs have used to bring blood and destruction to the entire Alliance for many years. Have we forgotten the tragedy of the Kul Tiran Third Fleet so quickly? I guess Admiral Daelin? Proudmoore will never forget. After all, when that red monster fell from the sky, he lost his eldest son and all the troops on six battleships. If it is confirmed that the black guy killed It is estimated that Proudmoore will also issue a medal to commend him."

There was no objection, including the first speaker's acquiescence to that statement.On the huge battleship, only wooden splinters and torn corpses are left to witness the horrific destruction.To his credit, the fleet's commander, Admiral Proudmoore, did not hesitate to immediately order the construction of new ships to replace those damaged. "And, as I said before, in the current state of affairs, this should not be our concern. There are many more urgent issues that need to be resolved." "You mean the Alterac crisis, don't you?" came the deep voice of the bearded mage from before. "But is there any reason why Lordaeron's friction with Stormgard is more important than the return of Deathwing?"

"Because Gilneas is also involved in this dispute." The mages were commotioning again, even including the sixth mage who had been silent.His fat body took a step in the direction of the elf. "But Genn? Why would Greymane be interested in the conflict between these two countries? They are just fighting for such a pitiful piece of land. Besides, Gilneas is located at the tip of the southern peninsula, just like other countries in the alliance. Alterac is very far away!" "Do you even need to ask? Graymane has always been eyeing the throne of the King of the Alliance, and stood still until the orcs came under his walls. The only reason he encouraged King Terenas of Lordaeron to send troops is precisely to Weaken the forces of Lordaeron. It is thanks to our efforts and the strong support of Admiral Proudmoore that Terenas still holds the leadership of the Alliance."

Alterac and Stormgard are neighbors who have been at odds since the beginning of this war.Solas?Trollbane puts the entire force of Stormgarde in support of the Alliance of Lordaeron.This may be due to the fact that it is adjacent to Khaz Modan, and cooperation with the Alliance is the only option for this mountain kingdom.But none could doubt the tenacity of Trollbane's warriors.If it wasn't for their existence, the alliance would have already lost a large area of ​​territory in the first week of the war, and the whole situation would obviously have a very bad outcome. On the other hand, although Alterac preached courage and justice, it did not provide a single soldier to the Alliance.Like Gilneas, only lip service was given.However, there are rumors that King Perenolde is out of sheer fear, because even Genn?Gray Mane also stood still at that time.Earlier, the Kirin Tor even suspected that if the Alliance was defeated by the Horde's frenzied attack, Perenold would probably think of surrendering to Doomhammer.

This fear turned out to be prescient.Perenolde did betray the Alliance, but fortunately the dastardly act was short-lived.Knowing this, Terenas quickly ordered Lordaeron's army to enter Alterac and implement military control.Few people would complain about this kind of behavior in the war years, especially Stormgard.Peace now, Solas?Trollbane began to make demands, arguing that Stormgard deserved all of the eastern territories of its former traitorous neighbor as compensation for sacrifices in war. Terenas didn't think so.He is still weighing the pros and cons of the two plans, whether to turn Alterac into a vassal state or to install a new and more obedient monarch on top of its king... In short, it must be controlled by Lordaeron.Though, Stormgard was a loyal and staunch ally in time of war, and they were known to respect each other.But this situation still makes the political relationship between the two countries tense. At that time, Gilneas was not in such a complicated relationship, and it always had little contact with the western countries.Both the Kirin Tor and King Terenas know Genn?Gray Mane's intervention this time is probably not only to increase his own prestige, but also to realize his dream of expansion.One of Perenolde's nephews fled to Gilneas after the betrayal, and there are rumors that Graymane is supporting him as heir to the throne.In this way, the base in Alterac can deliver a large number of resources that the southern kingdom lacks to Gilneas, and it also gives Gilneas warships an excuse to cross the Great Sea.Although this will threaten Kul Tiras, a country that has a strong desire for maritime hegemony. "This will split the alliance..." the young mage whispered. "It's not that serious now," the elf mage said, "but I'm afraid it won't be too far away. So we don't have time to deal with those dragons at the moment. If Deathwing is still alive, we need to find Alex Personally speaking, I will never stop Thassa's revenge. It is not a bad thing to have a few dragons in this world. After all, it is not their time anymore." "I've heard," said a voice that had no ups and downs and couldn't tell the gender, "the elves and the dragons used to be allies, and even good friends." The elf turned to the speaking mage, revealing her body, much smaller and slender than Shadow's. "I assure you that's just legend. We would never demean ourselves to deal with monsters like that." The sun and dark clouds were replaced by the moon and the sky full of stars.The sixth mage bowed slightly, as if apologizing for what he said just now. "It seems that the rumors are wrong, I shouldn't have said that." "You are right. It is very important to stabilize the current political situation." The bearded wizard said to the fifth mage. "I agree to resolve this issue as a priority. However, these events in Khaz Modan must not be ignored. Regardless of Deathwing, the orcs have kept the Dragon Queen captive until now, which in itself is a serious threat to the stability of the continent! " "Then we need a scout," the old woman interrupted suddenly. "He will keep an eye on developments and report to us in case of urgency." "But who will take it? We don't have any manpower now!" "There is one," the sixth mage slid a step forward.His face was still in shadow as he spoke, though. "There is one more Ronin". "Ronin?!?" the bearded mage yelled, "Ronin! After what he did last time? He's not even qualified to wear a mage's robe! He will only bring danger instead of hope!" "He's very unreliable," agreed the old woman. "Maverick fellow," the fat man muttered. "Not to be trusted." "criminal!" After everyone expressed their opinions, the sixth mage nodded slowly. "But at this juncture, he is the only capable mage we can send. Besides, this is just a simple scouting mission. There is hardly any danger. His mission is to observe the situation and report, that's all." Seeing that no one raised any objections, the mage standing in the dark added, "I think he should have learned a lesson from the last operation." "I hope so," the older woman whispered. "He may have completed that task, but the price is the lives of so many of his companions!" "This time the mission will be done by him alone, except for a guide who will take him to the border of the Alliance. But the guide will not enter Khaz Modan. He will also have an orb of vision, which will allow him to see more something far away" "It does seem lonely enough," said the young girl. "Even for Rhonin." The elf nodded impatiently a few times. "Then pass this plan and end this topic. Maybe we are lucky, Deathwing swallowed Rhonin and choked to death, and that will solve the two scourges permanently." He looked at the others and continued. , "And now I hope we can focus our discussion on Gilneas' involvement in the events of Alterac and our role..." He has been standing here for two hours, with his head bowed and his eyes closed, seemingly lost in thought.Without any light source, there is only a little bit of faint light in the room, and the scenery looks very hazy.The unoccupied chair was thrown aside, and a tapestry hung on the thick stone wall behind it, with a complex golden eye embroidered on the violet area in the middle.There are three daggers of the same golden color under the eyes, pointing to the ground.This flag of Dalaran, this symbol, has been held high during the war, fulfilling their mission to protect the Alliance, although not every member of the Kirin Tor fulfilled their mission with honor. "Ronin..." That flat voice sounded from all directions in the room without any ups and downs. He raised his head, and the dark green eyes under his thick fiery red hair stared into the darkness in front of him.There was a scar on his nose from the hand of a fellow apprentice, but regardless of the cunning of the perpetrator, Rhonin never tried to repair it.Even so, Ronin is far from ugly—he has a strong, graceful chin and an angular face.And a pair of bow-like eyebrows made him look always full of sarcasm and suspicion, which more than once caused him trouble in communicating with high-level people, and in line with this look, his actual attitude Obviously, it can only play a negative role in the situation. Dressed in elegant midnight-blue robes, he was tall and handsome, an eye-catcher, even for mages.Rhonin almost never fights, even though he sacrificed five excellent companions in the last mission.He just stood there, staring into the darkness, waiting for the mages to speak to him from a certain direction. "I have been waiting for your call for a long time." Luo Ning with red braids said in a low voice, revealing a trace of impatience in his tone. "So what. I'll have to wait for them to bring it up." A tall figure covered in a black cloak loomed in the darkness—it was the sixth member of the Kirin Tor's inner elders. "it's good now." For the first time, a trace of longing lit up in Ronin's eyes. "What about my confession? Is my confession over?" "Yes. You have been granted permission to return to our ranks... on the condition that you accept an important task immediately." "Can they still trust me so much?" The young mage's voice became bitter. "After that failure?" "You're the only one we have available." "That sounds more believable. I should have thought so." "Hold these." The mage standing in the shadows stretched out a gaunt gloved palm and spread it out.Suddenly, two objects appeared on the palm - a small emerald ball and a gold ring inlaid with a huge black gemstone. Rhonin stretched out his palm in the same way... and the two items were transferred to his hand.He picked them up gently and observed them carefully. "I can recognize this as the Sight Orb, but I haven't seen the other one. It looks very powerful, but I guess it's not an offensive thing." "You are very smart, Ronin, and this is also an important reason why I chose you. You already know the function of the ball of vision; this ring has a protective function. There are orc mages in the area where you will perform the task. It can Protecting you from them, unfortunately, it also makes it difficult for us to find you." "It seems that I will go on the road alone." Luo Ning smiled ironically again. "In this way, no one will be implicated and die by me..." "Well, no, at least not until you get to port. We'll send an elven ranger to escort you." Luo Ning nodded, although he no longer cared about the guards, let alone the guards were elves.Ronin has never been able to get along well with elves. "You haven't told me the mission yet." The mage in the shadows leaned back, as if there was an invisible and extremely comfortable chair behind him.He held up his gloved fingers, as if considering his words. "They're actually not that tolerant of you, Ronin. Some people in the council intend to expel you from the organization forever. You must win back and become one of us again. Therefore, you must complete this task." "That said, it's not an easy task." "This task is related to dragons... They think that it is possible to complete this task only with your talent." "Dragon..." Hearing the name of this creature, Luo Ning's eyes widened. No matter how conceited he was usually, he knew that his expression at the moment looked more like a new apprentice. Dragon... In fact, most young mages are instinctively afraid of this kind of creature. "That's right, it's a dragon." Luo Ning's guarantor, the mage, leaned forward. "You heard me right, Rhonin. No one but the Council of Elders and yourself knows about this mission. Including the elf rangers who will escort you and the captain of the Alliance ship that will take you to the shores of Khaz Modan. You If the purpose of this trip were revealed, our whole plan would be ruined." "What is the content of the mission?" Luo Ning's green eyes were shining.This is undoubtedly an extremely dangerous task, but the reward is also very clearly in front of us.Return to the organization and earn the respect of everyone.To rise to high positions in the Kirin Tor, nothing is more important than fame, although few elders are willing to admit this fact. "You are going to Khaz Modan," the guarantor continued after hesitating, "then, you will start to rescue the Queen of Dragons, Alexstrasza from the hands of the orcs..."