Chapter 3 third chapter

The whole world became full of flames. Vereesa cursed, and she and the mage were separated, in the hell that the crimson behemoth suddenly exhaled.None of this would have happened had Ronin not delayed and started their journey on time.They would reach Hasic now, and she would leave his party.And the current situation looks very likely to kill both of them... She had known for a long time that the orcs of Khaz Modan were still dispatching dragoons to spread terror in other peaceful lands occupied by their enemies, but why should she and her companions be found alone and suffer such disaster?The number of dragon knights is less these days, and the land of Lordaeron is so vast and boundless.

She glanced at Ronin, who had fallen deep into the woods.Of course, she had to live with the fact that her companion was a mage.Dragons have a sense of being far above other races (even elves); some believe dragons are able to push past limitations and even smell magic.In any case, it is of course the mage's fault that the original plan was changed and the loss was heavy.That orc and his dragon must be after Rhonin. Rhonin was obviously thinking the same thing, he quickly left her sight, and was thrown into the woods in the opposite direction from her.The ranger snorted.Mages have never been great on the warfront; mages can easily attack enemies at a distance or with their backs turned, but when they have to face an enemy head on...

And, when the enemy they face is a dragon. The dragon turned in the direction of the vanished humans.Whatever her own prejudices about Rhonin, Vereesa did not want to see the mage die.Looking around, however, the silver-haired ranger saw nothing that would allow her to help him.Her mount was eaten along with his, along with her favorite bow.All that remained of her was her sword, which was no weapon at all against such a rampaging colossus.Vereesa looked around, looking for something else she could use, but there was nothing suitable. There is only a short time left for her to make a choice.As a ranger, she couldn't even let a mage get hurt if she could help him.The only thing Vereesa had to do was do everything in her power to save Rhonin's life.

The elf jumped out of her hiding place, waved her hand in the air, and cried, "Here! Here, you bastard! Here!" The dragon didn't hear her cry, though, and he—Vereesa eventually judged it to be a male dragon—focused on the burning woods below him.In that hellish place, Ronin is struggling to survive.The dragon was searching for him to make sure the mage didn't do that. Screaming, the elf warrior looked around and found a heavy stone.What she was about to do was impossible for a human being, but there was still a little possibility for her.Vereesa only wished her arms were as strong as they were years ago.She threw the stone directly at the crimson behemoth's head.

She was some distance away from the dragon, but the dragon moved suddenly, and a moment later the stone missed where Vereesa expected it to be.However, although it missed the head, it rebounded and hit the left webbed wing.Vereesa didn't even expect it to hurt the giant beast—the stone was a ridiculous weapon against the dragon's scales—she just hoped to attract the attention of the huge beast. She did it. The sturdy head turned instantly in her direction, and the dragon let out an annoyed snarl at the interruption.The orc yelled unintelligible words from his mount. The mighty winged thing banked suddenly and swooped straight at her.She managed to draw the dragon's attention away from the hapless mage.

What to do now?The ranger cursed himself. The elf turned and ran, though she already knew she had no chance of outpacing the terrifying pursuer behind her. The treetops above her burst into flames as if painted by dragons.Burning branches fell in front of her, cutting off Vereesa's pre-planned escape.Without hesitation, Vereesa turned to the left, burrowing into the bushes that had not yet become part of hell. You are dying!she warned herself.It's all for that useless mage! A deafening growl made her look back.The red dragon had caught up to her, and now even had a claw reaching down to catch the fleeing ranger.Vereesa imagined the claw crushing her, or worse, dragging him into the maw of that monstrous creature, where she would be chewed up or swallowed whole.

However, just as death was inches away from her, the dragon suddenly withdrew his claws and wriggled in the air.The paw tilted toward himself.In fact, each set of claws was trying to grab something, as if—as if the monster was suffering from an unbelievable itch.On top of him, the orc tried to adjust, but he could only disturb the dragon like a strange flea, even though the giant beast obeyed him. Vereesa stopped and stared at the dragon, nothing could explain the astonishment in front of her.The dragon twisted and twirled as if trying to ease his pain, and his movements became more and more frantic.His orc commander nearly fell off.What, the elf wanted to know, could have made this monster so—

The answer came out as softly as a whisper. "Ronin?" As if saying his name would summon him like a ghost, the mage stood before her.His flaming hair fell in a mess and his dark robes were muddy and tattered, but he didn't look at all intimidated by what he'd been through so far. "I think we'd better get out of here asap, eh, elf?" She didn't need him to remind her again.This time, Ronin led the way, using some skills, some magical abilities, to guide them through the burning forest.As a ranger, Vereesa couldn't do more.Rhonin led her along a path that the elves couldn't even see until after they had passed.

From the beginning to the end, the dragon has been connected with the SB virus on his head, tearing his own skin.Vereesa glanced up and saw that he was even trying to suck his own blood, his claws, the few things still usable, tearing at his armored hide.As for the orc, she saw no sign of it; there were signs that the sharp-fanged warrior had lost control and fallen.Vereesa had no mercy for him. "What did you do to that dragon?" she finally had a chance to ask, out of breath. Luo Ning was determined to find the end of this sea of ​​fire, and he didn't even look back at her. "My pre-planned path has not been cleared! The dragon must endure yet more wrath!"

Luo Ning looked like he was arguing with himself, but for the first time You Xia discovered that he had left a deep impression on his heart.He seemed to have made a certain death situation safe—if they could find their way out. Behind them, the dragon growled, venting its frustration. "How long will this spell last?" Now that he finally stopped to look at her, she was deeply disappointed by what she saw. "It's coming to an end..." They tasted the results right away.Whichever way they turned, the fire surrounded them, but at last they only touched the edge of the flames, and after passing through the flames they found a place where only the choking smoke could hurt them.The two breathed hard, stumbling and groping, looking for a way that could let the wind blow from the front, thus slowing down the speed of the flames and smoke chasing behind.

Then they heard a roar that made them shudder, and there was no pain in that roar, but full of rage and hatred.The mage and ranger turned around and glanced at the crimson figure in the distance. "The power of the spell is gone," Ronin muttered unnecessarily.The spell had indeed vanished, and Vereesa had noticed that the dragon had figured out exactly who was responsible for his suffering.The dragon charged straight at them with unerring precision on its strong, sturdy wings, no doubt trying to make them pay dearly. "Do you have any other spells against him?" Vereesa called as they fled. "Maybe! But I'd rather not use it here! The dragon will capture us with that spell!" As if dragons wouldn't do that anyway.The elf hoped that Rhonin would find a way to cast his deadly spell before they became prey to the giant beast. "How far—" the mage almost couldn't breathe. "How far is it from Haskell?" "Too far." "Are there any other Alliance camps from here to there?" She tried to think.A place came to mind, but she couldn't remember its name or direction.She only remembered that place was a day away from here. "There seems to be a place, but—" The dragon's roar made them both tremble again.A shadow passed over their heads. "If you still have any spells to use, then I suggest you use them now." Vereesa thought of her bow again.With it, she had at least a modicum of hope of success aiming for the dragon's eye.The blow and pain of a shot in the eye might be enough to drive the monster away. They almost collided when Rhonin stopped suddenly and prepared to face the terrible threat.He took her arms in surprisingly strong hands for a mage, and moved the ranger aside.His eyes shone with the light Vereesa had heard only when powerful wizards cast spells, but she had never seen it before. His arms were straight up, his fingers pointing in the direction of the red dragon. He began to mutter to himself, in a language Vereesa didn't understand, but somehow it sent shivers up and down her spine. Ronin gathered his hands together, ready to read it again—— Through the clouds came three winged things. Vereesa gasped, and the tall mage stopped his tongue, stopping the spell.He was about to curse God, but the elves soon realized that the things were coming only for their terrible enemies. Griffons... strong, eagle-headed, sphinx-bodied, winged griffins...and knights riding on them... She tugged on Ronin's arm. "Don't do anything!" He glared at her, but nodded.Together they gazed at the dragon that filled their field of vision. The three griffins suddenly attacked the dragon, and the dragon looked back in surprise.Now Vereesa could see those knights clearly.In the distant Eagle's Nest, a place legendary even more mountainous than the elven realms of Quel'Thalas, only dwarves from there can ride these savage griffins...and only these well-trained Warriors and their mounts are able to face the dragon head-on in the air. Although much smaller than the red behemoth, the griffin can make up for the size gap with huge claws that are sharp enough to tear apart dragon scales, and a beak that can peck into the flesh.In the sky, they can move more quickly and flexibly, turning at an angle that dragons can't match. Dwarves don't just simply manipulate their mounts, either.Alpine dwarves are slightly taller, leaner, and less muscular than their modest relatives.While their powerful weapon in patrolling the skies is the legendary Storm Hammer, the trio carry a weapon they are adept at wielding: a massive poleaxe with two blades.A sharp edge cast from a hard metal similar to an alloy can even cut through the thick scales of the giant beast.Rumor has it that the great Gryphon Rider Kurdran once slew a dragon much larger than this one with a single well-aimed aim, and it was this ax he used. The winged animals surround their foe, forcing it to turn from one direction to another, to determine which griffin is the most threatening to them.Orcs have long known to beware of griffins, but without its own rider, this particular monster seemed a bit overwhelmed.The dwarves quickly extended their advantage, maneuvering their mounts to fly around, adding to the dragon's frustration.The long beards and ponytails of feral dwarves swayed in the wind as they grinned at the enormous foe before them. That growling laugh only infuriated the dragon, who scratched and bit frantically, spewing futile flames. "They're completely disorienting the dragon," Vereesa commented, impressed by the tactic. "They know the dragon is young, and that the dragon's violent temper will throw him off his old tactics!" "It's a good opportunity for us to go," Ronin replied. "They might need our help!" "I still have a mission to execute," he said, "and they've got the situation under control." He was right.The battle seemed to belong to the Gryphon Riders, though they hadn't launched a heavy attack yet.The three of them have been flying in circles beside the red dragon, so that the dragon is almost dizzy.The dragon tried to focus on one of them, but the other griffins kept averting the dragon's gaze.Only once did Flame brush past one of his winged opponents. A dwarf suddenly raised his greataxe, its top gleaming in the twilight.He and his mount flew close to the dragon again, and when they got close to the back of the monster's head, they swooped down. Claws sank deep into the dragon's neck, ripping off the scales.Just as the dragon was in sudden pain, the dwarf swung his great axe. The blade penetrated deeply.Although it cannot kill the dragon directly, it is enough to make the dragon scream in pain. Purely on instinct, the dragon turned.His wings swept the dwarf and the griffin amazingly, throwing them off balance and spiraling downward.The knight managed to keep his balance, but his ax had left his grip and was flying to the ground. Vereesa instinctively ran towards the direction where the weapon fell, but Rhonin stopped her with his arm. "I said we needed to leave!" She would have liked to argue, but a quick glimpse of the fighting situation made her realize that what she had planned to do was of no avail.The wounded dragon flew high into the sky, though still harassed by the Gryphon Riders.Even with that ax, all Vereesa could do was swing it uselessly. "Okay," the elf muttered. Together they made their way, relying on Vereesa's knowledge of the place to determine their final destination.In the sky behind them, the dragons and griffins were getting smaller and smaller, partly because the battle moved in the opposite direction from Vereesa and his companions. "Strange..." She heard the mage talking to himself. "What's wrong?" he said. "These ears aren't just pretty, are they? So what's the use of them?" Vereesa was outraged by the insult.Humans and dwarves are quite suspicious of the race of elves with their naturally graceful appearance.The elves' long, pointed ears are often the focus of ridicule.Her ears have been compared more than once to donkeys, pigs, and even goblins.Although Vereesa never drew a weapon against those who commented on her in this way, she still made them regret what she said. The mage's emerald eyes narrowed. "I'm sorry; you took my words as an insult. That's not what I meant." She doubted the veracity of what he said, but she knew she had to accept his feeble attempts at apology.Suppressing the anger in her chest, she asked again, "What makes you so curious?" "Why did this dragon appear so timely?" "You'd better ask where the griffins came from, too, if you think so. After all, they drove the dragons away." He shook his head. "Someone saw the dragon and reported it. Those knights were just doing their job," he considered. "I know that the Dragonmaw clan plans to hold out and try to rally other rebellious clans and those besieged territories, but this is not the way to go to those places." "Who can tell what an orc is thinking? This is obviously an undisciplined predator. Humans, this is not the first time they have attacked the Alliance like this." "No, but I'd like to know if—" Rhonin stopped talking, as they both noticed something moving in the woods...in every direction. With deft movements, the Ranger drew her sword from its sheath.Beside her, Rhonin's hands were thrust into the folds of his mage's robes, no doubt preparing for a spell.Vereesa said nothing, but she doubted how much he would be able to help in the ensuing battle.He'd better stand back and let her be the first attacker. too late.Suddenly six burly men on horseback broke through the woods and surrounded them.Despite the dim daylight, their silver armor gleamed.The elf found a spear pointed at her chest.Not only did one spear touch Rhonin's chest, but another rested on his shoulder. Helms adorned with lion heads concealed the facial features of their captors.As a ranger, Vereesa wondered how they would be able to act alone despite the ongoing war in this outfit, the six-man squad in the saddle seemed to come and go at their own pace.Their tall gray horses, also in armor, looked poised under the weight their knights imposed upon them. These newcomers carried no banners, and the only sign of their identity seemed to be a relief image on a breastplate of a hand reaching toward heaven.Vereesa felt like she knew where they were coming from, but that didn't make her feel relieved.The last time the elves saw such men, they wore different armor than they do now, with pointed helmets and breastplates and shields adorned with the symbol of Lordaeron's wisdom. Finally a seventh knight slowly emerged from the woods, this one in the more traditional armor that Vereesa had hoped for at first.He wore a less-obscuring helm, and in the shadows Vereesa could see a strong, and—for a human—old wise face, with a neat, gray beard. .The emblems of Lordaeron and his own faith were marked not only on his shield and breastplate, but also on his helmet.A buckle adorned with a silver lion's head fastened the belt to a large horned hammer he was accustomed to wielding. "A elf," he whispered as he examined her. "Your strong arms must be welcome." The leader-looking man then glanced at Ronin, and finally commented with frank contempt, "And the damned soul. Put your hand where we can see place so that we are not tempted to chop them down." As Rhonin struggled to suppress his anger, Vereesa dubiously found herself under arrest.They have been captured by the paladins of Lordaeron - the legendary Knights of the Silver Hand. The two of them met in a shadowy place, a place few people, even among their own kind, knew.It is a place where dreams from the past are replayed over and over again, dark shapes that move through the mists of spiritual history.Even the two meeting here don't know how much of this realm exists in the real world and how much exists in their thoughts, but they know that no one here can eavesdrop. should be. Both were tall and thin, their faces concealed by the hoods of the cloaks.One of them can be confirmed to be the mage Krasus that Ronin knew; the other, wearing a light green robe that is different from gray, may be the mage's twin brother.It was only when he spoke that it became clear that he didn't look like a member of the Kirin Tor, and the voice was definitely male. "I don't know why I came," he advised Krasus. "Because you had to. You had to." Another hissed. "That's right, but I'm here now and I can choose to leave whenever I want." Krasus held up a long, gloved hand. "At least hear me out." "Why? Because you want to repeat what you have repeated many times before?" "Because only this time what I say will work!" Krasus' unexpectedly strong tone shocked both of them. His companion shook his head. "You've been around them for too long. Your protective shields, both magical and physical, have begun to disintegrate. It's time that you ditch this hopeless mission... as we once did Do that." "I don't believe there is no hope." The first hint of his gender came from a voice far deeper than any other member of the Kirin Tor council. "I can't, she's been imprisoned for so long." "We can understand what she means to you, Cleostrasz; but she is to us only a memory of the past." "If that's just the past, then why are you still able to stand where you are?" Krasus retorted calmly, his emotions under control once again. "Because we'll see our last years of peace, years of peace..." "Here are more reasons why you should join me." Another hissed again. "Cleostrasz, can't you be more normal? Your plans don't surprise us, we know you so well! We've seen your little puppet on his fruitless mission— Do you think it is possible for him to accomplish his task?" Krasus paused before answering. "He has potential...but he's not all my chips. No, I think he's going to fail. However, I hope his sacrifice will contribute to my eventual success...and if you can help me, it will be more likely. " "I was right." Krasus' companion sounded infinitely disappointed. "It's the same rhetoric again. The same debate. I'm only here because there was once a strong alliance between our two races, but obviously I shouldn't be bothered by that. You have no supporters, no power. Now You have only yourself, and you have to hide in the shadows—" he gestured to the mist that surrounded them "—in places like this, instead of showing what you really are." "I do what I have to do...the things you'll never do again?" Krasus's voice was sharp again. "What is your existence for, my old friend?" Another figure started pacing at the point of the pointed question, then turned abruptly.He took a few steps toward the intermingling mist, then stopped and looked back at the mage.Krasus' companion said resignedly. "I hope you're doing really well with this one, Corey Stratz; I really do. I—we—just don't believe it's possible to go back. Those days are over, and we all Been through it." "It's your choice, then," Krasus said aloud when they were about to part. "One more request, before you go back to the others." "What's up?" The wizard's figure seemed to darken entirely, and a hissing sound came from him. "Don't call me by that name again. Don't say it, not even here." "Nobody can—" "Even here." Something in Krasus' tone made his companion nod.The second figure left immediately, disappearing into nothingness. The mage stared at where his companion had stood, pondering the meaningless conversation.If only they could understand how he felt!Together, they have hope.Separately, they can do almost nothing...that would put them in the clutches of the enemy. "A bunch of idiots..." Krasus murmured. "A bunch of unfathomable idiots..."