Chapter 10 chapter Ten

This was the second time in the past few days that Rhonin woke up among the trees.It's just that what he saw, this time, did not have Vereesa's face to greet him, which made him a little disappointed.What he saw when he opened his eyes was a dark sky and complete silence.No bird sings in the treetops, no animal moves in the woods An ominous feeling hit the mage's heart.Slowly and carefully, he raised his head and looked around.Rhonin saw quite a few trees and shrubs, but that was all.There aren't any dragons, and of course, there aren't any huge and scary ones... "Ah, you finally woke up..."

Deathwing? Rhonin turned his head to look to the left... In fact, he had already checked it just now... He was surprised to see a black shadow gradually emerge, and then formed a hooded image, resembling someone he knew. "Crassus?" he murmured; but it was presently clear that this could never be his hidden patron.The pitch-black figure of Daoist in front of him was full of pride and self-confidence. No, his first guess was right.Deathwing.This form may look like a human being, but if a dragon can turn into such an appearance, then it is definitely the black dragon. A face emerged from the hood, a deep, handsome, confident man.A dignified face... at least on the surface. "How are you?"

"It's still intact, thank you." The corners of her thin mouth raised slightly, forming an extremely shallow smile. "So you know who I am, human?" "You are...you are Deathwing the Destroyer." The shadows around the figure began to move and became lighter; the face that was both human and elf-like became clearer; and the corners of the mouth were raised even more. "It's one of my many titles, and like others, it's both right and wrong." He tilted his head to the side, and then went on: "I know I've picked the right man; for my type, You don't seem very surprised."

"Your voice still hasn't changed. I'll never forget it." "Mortal friend, you are indeed smarter than ordinary people. I even transformed some people in front of their eyes, and they still can't recognize them!" He giggled and said, "If you need to prove it, I can do it for you right now .” "Thanks...but no need." The last rays of daylight began to creep behind Ronin's fearsome savior.Rhonin began to wonder how long he had been unconscious... and where exactly Deathwing had taken him; more importantly, why he was still alive. "What do you want me to do?"

"I don't want anything, mage Rhonin. On the contrary, I want to help you complete your mission." "My mission?" Except for Krasus and the Kirin Tor Council, no one knew what his real mission was; and he even began to doubt whether the Council knew about it.The decisions of senior archmages often have secrets behind them. They always put their secret plans first. Of course, his current partner probably doesn't know about it either. "Oh, that's right, Ronin, your mission." Deathwing's smiling face was elongated in a way that humans shouldn't, and the teeth that were exposed were actually sharp. "Unleash the great dragon, Alexstrasza the great!"

Rhonin reacted instinctively, not sure why the black dragon knew of his true mission, but he still believed that Deathwing hadn't deliberately investigated.Deathwing despises all creatures, including other dragons who are not his kind.No quest history ever mentioned in the past that the black dragon had any love for the red dragon. Cautious mages suddenly cast this spell, which has been used to great effect during wars in the past.At that time, with a wave of his hand, the spell destroyed the life of a charging orc, and was also stained with the blood of six knights and a fellow mage; he also used a weakened version of this spell to imprison a Orc warlock, buy him time to cast the ultimate spell.However, Luo Ning has no experience in fighting dragons.Although it is written on the scroll that it is especially effective against these ancient monsters...

A golden halo formed around Deathwing... Then his shadowy figure stepped out immediately "Eh, is this really necessary?" An arm lifted from the cloak.Deathwing pointed, and a rock beside Rhonin began to burn...and melt before his eyes.Molten rock flowed to the ground, seeped into every crevice, and disappeared completely as quickly as it melted in the first place.The whole process only takes a few seconds "Master, this is what will happen to you, if I wish. Now that you owe me two lives, should I let the third, or the last, happen here?" Ronin shook his head wisely. "Finally willing to reason?" Deathwing moved closer, his figure becoming more substantial.He held out his finger again, but this time to the mage's other side. "Drink it. You'll find it very refreshing."

Luo Ning looked down and found a wine sac on the grass next to it.Although it didn't exist a few seconds ago, Ronin picked it up without hesitation, opened it and took a few sips.Not only because he was already very thirsty at this time, but also if he refused, the black dragon might take it as an act of resistance.For now, Rhonin has nothing to do but cooperate...and hope. His companion in black began to move again, and suddenly became blurred, as if disembodied.The fact that Deathwing, let alone any other dragon, could take human form worried Rhonin.Who knows what a monster like him might do among Ronin's brethren?Moreover, how did he know that Deathwing hadn't already used this method to spread evil?

If so, why is he revealing this secret to Rhonin now... unless he intends to silence the mage in the end? "You know so little about us." Ronin's eyes widened.Could it be that Deathwing's ability also includes reading other people's minds? The avatar of the black dragon sat down on the left of Ronin, whether it was sitting on a chair or on a big rock, it was impossible to see because it was blocked by the robe.His dark and bright eyes looked at Luo Ning without blinking, completely overwhelming the human mage. Rhonin involuntarily looked away, and Deathwing repeated what he had just said: "You know so little about us."

"There is no... there is not much research on dragons, and most of the researchers have been eaten." Although Rhonin's joke seemed a bit cold, Deathwing was very happy.He actually laughed, and laughed very loudly, very excitedly, almost to the point of madness. "Kids, I've already forgotten how interesting you humans are! How interesting!" His evil smile, which was too wide and the teeth were too sharp, appeared again. "Indeed, what you said is correct." Luo Ning didn't want to continue lying on the ground obediently, and began to sit up straight.He could have stood up, but Deathwing gave him a look, as if to warn him that it was best to just sit on the ground at this point.

"What do you want me to do?" Ronin asked again: "What use am I to you?" "You are a tool to an end, a means to an end that has long been unattainable... a critical action by a critical creature..." At first, Luo Ning didn't understand, and then he saw the expression on the black dragon's face. "Are you... critical?" Deathwing stood up, arms outstretched, as if about to take flight. "What did you see, human?" "Humans as black as shadows, incarnations of the black dragon Deathwing." "That's only a superficial answer. But don't you see more, little friend? Have you seen the loyal army of my kind? Have you seen many black dragons...or, red dragons? Even before the elves came, they took over the entire sky. Have you ever seen it?" Not sure what Deathwing was talking about, Rhonin could only shake his head.But there was one thing he was sure of, and that was that madness was already resident in the dragon's heart. "You can't see them".Deathwing said that his form and skin had begun to become more reptilian, his eyes elongated and slanted, his teeth elongated and pointed, and his wings seemed to be trying to break free from the robes behind him.Deathwing became unreal, like a magical creature whose transformation had not yet been completed. "You can't see them" His eyes closed for a moment.Wings, eyes, teeth...all returned to the way they were a moment ago.Deathwing returned to his physical human form, even though it was only his superficial avatar. "...because they no longer exist." He sat down and held out a hand, palm up.Above his palm, a picture suddenly jumped out.Tiny dragon-shaped figures soar through a lush and lush world.Those dragons come in all colors, like a rainbow of seven colors.An overwhelming joy filled the surroundings, and even Ronin felt a burst of emotion. "The world was ours, and we kept it well; the magic was ours, and we kept it well; life was ours...and we reveled in it." But something new entered the picture.It took several seconds before the suspicious mage recognized the tiny figures as elves, but not of Vereesa's race.These elves have another unique sense of beauty, a kind of cold and arrogant beauty, but after looking at it for a long time, it made him disgusted. "But other species appeared, inferior forms, short-lived. Their personalities were reckless and reckless, and they took too many risks regardless of their own lives." Deathwing's tone became the same as the beauty of these dark elves cruel. "Then, due to their stupidity, demons were attracted." Luo Ning leaned forward without thinking.Every mage has studied the lore of the demons some call them the Burning Legion.But even if these monsters really existed, he himself has not found any evidence.The vast majority of people who claim to have dealt with demons have turned out to be mentally ill. However, just when the mage wanted to take another look at the demon's appearance, Deathwing suddenly clenched his fist and canceled the scene. "If it weren't for the efforts of our dragon clan, this world would have disappeared long ago. Even a thousand orc tribes could not match the challenges we faced in the past. Together, we drove the demons out of this world..." The dark figure temporarily closed eyes. "...and in the process, we lost control of the target we wanted to protect. The age of our dragon race has passed. Elves, then dwarves, and finally humans, they occupy the future of this world. The more and more we are Fewer and fewer, and what's worse, we're fighting each other and killing each other." On this point, Luo Ning is very clear.Everyone knows the hostility between the five existing dragon clans, especially the black dragon and the red dragon are sworn enemies.The reasons why they hated each other have been lost, but now perhaps Rhonin has a chance to learn the terrible truth. "Why fight each other after making so much sacrifice together?" "Misleading ideas, poor communication...too many reasons. Even if I had time to explain it to you, you wouldn't be able to understand it all." Deathwing sighed: "Because of those reasons, our numbers have become so few. "His gaze turned and became more intense, as if he had directly seen through Luo Ning's mind. "But that's all in the past! I am willing to atone for my past mistakes...for my sake, human being. I will help you free Alexstrasza the Dragon Queen." Luo Ning stubbornly held back his immediate reaction.Despite his amiable attitude, despite his human appearance, sitting before him was the most terrifying dragon in the world.Deathwing might pretend to be a friendly brotherhood, but if he accidentally said a wrong word, Rhonin could still be burned to the ground on the spot. "But..." He chose the appropriate words carefully: "...you and him are enemies." "For the same reasons that have brought us to war. We have made mistakes, humans, but now I will right them." Deathwing's eyes tugged at the mage, as if to suck him in. "Alexstrasza and I should not be enemies." Ronin had to agree, "Of course not." "We've been the strongest alliance, the strongest friend in the past, and that can happen again, don't you think?" "Of course." The human mage saw nothing but those piercing eyes. "And you're on a mission to save her." Rhonin suddenly felt a little uneasy, it seemed uncomfortable to be stared at by Deathwing like this. "How...how did you know?" "That's not important at all, is it?" Those eyes captivated him again. The uncomfortable feeling disappeared, and everything became blurred under the gaze of the black dragon. "Yeah, that's not important." "If you rely on yourself alone, you will fail, there is no doubt about it, why you continue like this, even I can't understand! But now, with my help, friend, you can definitely complete this trip Mission Impossible. You must free the Dragon Queen!" After speaking, Deathwing held out a hand, holding a small silver amulet that looked like a badge.Rhonin's fingers seemed to reach out spontaneously, grabbed the amulet, and brought it over.He looked down at it, carefully examining the magical runes carved on its edges, and the black crystal in the center, some of which he recognized and others he had never seen; Feel their powerful magic. "You will liberate Alexstrasza, my obedient little puppet." A strange inhuman smile emerged completely, "As long as I have this, I can be with you and guide you step by step..." How can you lose a dragon? This annoying question kept popping up, but Vereesa and her companions couldn't come up with a satisfactory answer.To make matters worse, night had fallen on Khaz Modan, and the exhausted Gryphon clearly couldn't hold on any longer. During the entire pursuit, Deathwing had previously remained in sight, but at a great distance.Even Falstad, whose eyes were not as sharp as the elves, could clearly see the giant black beast flying inland.Only when Deathwing occasionally flew into the clouds did he disappear from their sight, but only briefly at most. until an hour ago The beast and what he was carrying flew into a cloud, as it had done so many times before.Falstad has been able to control the griffin to lock the target, and Vereesa and the dwarf are constantly watching to see if the black dragon re-emerges from the other end of the cloud.And that cloud was a separate cloud at the time, and the closest cloud was a few miles to the south.The Elven Ranger and her companions could see almost the entire cloud, and when Deathwing flew out, there was no way they could have missed it. However, no dragon emerged from the cloud. They looked and looked and waited and waited.When he could wait no longer, Falstad even had the audacity to order the griffin to fly straight into the cloud, regardless of the risk of Deathwing still being in it.But they saw nothing.The biggest and most evil black dragon just disappeared. "It's useless, Miss Elf." Griffin Rider finally gave up, "We must land as soon as possible! My poor mount and I can't hold on anymore!" She had to agree, although deep in her heart she still wanted to continue the pursuit.The ranger gazed at the landscape below, where the coastal forest had long been transformed into a rocky, uninhabitable wilderness; and then she knew that the terrain ahead would gradually climb, all the way to the cliffs of Grim Batol.There are still a few small forests here, but the overall coverage is quite sparse.They had to hide in the hills to find proper cover to avoid the detection of the orc dragon knights. "What do you think of it over there?" Falstad looked in the direction she pointed, "Those steep hills look just like my old grandmother, very much like her beard and figure. Well, the place is good! We will land there !" The tired griffin obeyed the landing order very happily, and Falstad guided it to fly to the most densely populated area of ​​hills, and approached a small valley among them.As the griffin landed, Vereesa clasped her hands, her eyes immediately searching for any potential threat.They were so deep into Khaz Modan that there must be an orc outpost nearby. "Praise Eagle's Nest Mountain!" The dwarf jumped off the back of the griffin, "Although I like to fly freely in the sky, but this time I really flew too long!" He gently stroked the griffin's Mane Yu, "You are such an obedient mount, go and have a good meal!" "I see a stream nearby," Vereesa suggested. "Maybe there will be fish in it." "It will find food if it wants to eat." Falstad removed the saddle and other equipment from the griffin, "it will find food by itself." He patted the griffin's buttocks, and the flying beast jumped Leaving the air; the burden is completely lifted from the body, and it suddenly becomes energetic again. "is this okay?" "Dear Miss Elf, you can't feed it with fish alone! It's better to let it hunt the right food by itself, and it will come back when it's full. If someone sees it...it's okay, anyway. Khaz Modan also has some wild griffins." Seeing that she was still not at ease, Falstad said, "It will only leave for a while, just enough for us to eat a meal by ourselves." They had some dry food with them, and Falstad immediately gave it to Vereesa.Since there is a stream nearby, they also safely drank the water in the water bag.It's impossible to start a fire in an area this deep under Ork control, but luckily, it doesn't look like it will be cold tonight. Not long after, the griffin was really full and flew back by itself... Sitting down beside Fusdeta, he reached out and patted the griffin's head lightly while eating. "I didn't see anything up there," said Falstad, "but we can't assume there aren't orcs around here." "Do you want to take turns watching the night?" "That's best. Me first or you first?" Too worried to sleep, Vereesa volunteered to stay on the first shift first.Falstad didn't object, and lay down immediately, and fell asleep within a few seconds.Vereesa admired the dwarf's ability and secretly wished she could relax as he said. Compared with the forest of her childhood, the night here is too quiet.The elf ranger reminded himself that this rocky downland had been plundered by orcs for many years.There are still wild animals living here though...well-fed griffins are proof...but most of Khaz Modan's animals live a harder life than the creatures of Quel'Thalaza, as the orcs and their wyverns both A lot of fresh meat must be consumed. A few stars dotted the sky, but if it weren't for the elves' unique night vision ability, Vereesa would have been unable to see anything by now.She began to wonder what would happen to Rhonin in this dark night, if he was still alive.Does he also roam the wilds here among Hingrim Batol?Or had Deathwing taken him far away from there, somewhere he knew nothing about? She refuses to believe that he and the bandits have conspired with the black dragon.But if not, what did Deathwing do to him?Or was she and Falstad simply chasing dragons in vain, and Rhonin wasn't the precious cargo Deathwing was protecting? Too many questions, maybe not even a single answer.The ranger left the dwarf and his mount in frustration, and decided to venture out and explore the surrounding hills and woodlands.Despite her excellent eyesight, most of the scene before her eyes was just a black silhouette, making the place all the more heavy and dangerous, even though there might be no orcs for miles around. With her sword still in its sheath, Vereesa ventured further afield.She came to two old trees full of knots, although they were still alive, the old trees were very weak.The elves touched them in turn, feeling their weariness, their readiness to die.She could also sense a part of their history, going back far before the Horde invaded.Khaz Modan had once been a vibrant land, and Vereesa knew that it had also been home to the hill dwarves and many others.But now under the ruthless slaughter of the orcs, the dwarves have fled here, and vowed to take it back in the future. Trees, of course, cannot escape. Vereesa felt that for the hill dwarves, the day of returning home was not far away; but for these trees, it might already be too late.The land of Khaz Modan will take many, many years of recuperation before it can be restored...or it may never be. "Be brave," she said tenderly to the two trees. "A new spring will come, I promise." In the language of trees and all plants, spring is not just a season, but also hope and rebirth . Just after the elf backed away, the two trees seemed to be straighter and taller.The extraordinary effect of her encouragement made Vereesa smile.Older trees have a form of communication that even the elves cannot understand.can communicate with each other.Maybe her encouragement will be spread, maybe some of them will survive.That's all she could hope for. A brief conversation with the trees had eased her mood, and the rolling hills were less sinister and ominous.The elf's footsteps became more steady, and he believed that everything would have the best results, including Rhonin. Her night call ended much sooner than she expected.Vereesa originally wanted Falstad to sleep longer... His snoring indicated that he was already fast asleep... But she also knew that if she behaved abnormally in battle due to lack of sleep, she would make herself a burden .So with a little reluctance, she walked back to his partner. ... The elf stopped suddenly, and she heard the almost inaudible cracking sound of dry trees, which meant that someone or something was approaching. Vereesa did not dare to wake Falstad rashly, fearing that the enemy would be alerted to her discovery.She walked directly past the sleeping Gryphon Rider and his mount, pretending to be interested in the dark landscape beyond.She heard more crackling sounds coming from the same direction.Maybe, just one intruder?Maybe, maybe not.That voice might also be suspicious, deliberately trying to attract Vereesa to prevent her from discovering other enemies waiting silently. The slight sound of footsteps came again... followed by a ferocious bird call and a huge figure leaping past her. Vereesa drew her weapon and saw that it was Falstad's griffin who had struck first, not some forest monster.Like her, the griffin hears faint noises; but unlike the elves, the griffin doesn't have to take into account variables...just reacts to its keen instincts. "What is that?" Falstad jumped up immediately, and had already taken out his Storm Hammer, ready to fight. "There is something between those old trees! Your mount has already chased it!" "Well, it's better not to eat that thing! Anyway, let's see what it is first!" In the dark, Vereesa could only make out the vague shape of the griffin, not its opponent.But besides the griffin's voice, the ranger heard another cry.And it didn't sound like a challenge call. "Don't! Don't! Go away! Go away! Don't hit me! Don't bite me!" The two of them rushed quickly to the source of the howling, and whatever the griffin had trapped didn't sound like a threat.The voice reminded the elven ranger of someone, but who she could not say. "Stand back!" Falstad shouted to his mount, "Be obedient! I say back!" The griffin seemed reluctant to cooperate at first, as if it felt that the first thing it grabbed should be his.Or this thing can't be let go at all.In the darkness before the griffin came the sound of sobbing, and quite loudly. Could it be that some missing child wandered off into the wilds of Khaz Modan alone?impossible.Orcs have occupied this place for several years!Where would the child come from? "Please, oh, please, oh, please! Save me, poor man, and drive away the monster . . . ugh! Its breath stinks!" The elf stood still. No child could speak like that. "Damn it, back off!" Falstad slapped the griffin hard on the rump.The griffin spread its wings, let out a groan, and finally backed away. A short, sturdy figure jumped up and immediately ran in the opposite direction.However, the ranger moved faster than him, and rushed forward to catch the intruder.Vereesa found out that what she caught was actually a long ear. "Ah! Don't hurt me! Please! Don't hurt me!" "What did you catch?" Griffin Rider grumbled as he approached. "I've never heard anything that yelled so badly! Tell him to shut up or I'll kill him! It'll kill everyone who hears it." All the orcs come running!" "Did you hear what he said?" the ranger, who didn't know what to do, told the writhing intruder, "Quiet!" The uninvited little guy finally calmed down. Falstad reached into the pouch at his waist, "I have something to show us, Miss Elf, although I think I already know what we've got." He pulled out something small, dropped his hammer, and rubbed his thick palms together.There was a faint glow from the thing, which grew stronger, until at last it was revealed that it was some kind of crystal. "A gift from a fallen comrade," Falstad explained.He held the shiny crystal in front of the prisoner, "Okay, let's see if I'm right... Ha, I know!" So did Vereesa.She and the dwarves have captured the world's most untrustworthy creature, a goblin. "Smelly spy, eh?" said the dwarf in a low voice. "Perhaps we should kill you at once to save you trouble!" "Don't! Don't! Please! Poor I'm not a spy! Not an orc friend! I'm just following orders!" "Otherwise what are you doing here?" "Hide! Hide! Saw a dragon just like the night! Dragons want to eat goblins, you know!" said the hideous green creature as if everyone should understand his last words. The same dragon as the night? "You mean the black dragon?" Vereesa grabbed the goblin closer to her, "Did you see it? When?" "Not long! Just before dark!" "In heaven, or on earth?" "On the ground! He..." Falstad shook his head at Vereesa and said, "Miss Elf, you can't believe what the goblins say! They don't know what the truth is!" "If he could answer one question, I'd like to believe him. Goblin, does the dragon have companions? If so, who is with him?" "Don't talk about goblin-eating dragons anymore!" he protested loudly, but Vereesa's sword immediately got him started. "It's not just him! Not only him! There's another one! Maybe something to eat, but talking first! Don't want to hear it! Just want to walk away! Don't like dragons or mages..." "Mage?" Vereesa and Falstad blurted out unconsciously.Vereesa forced herself to suppress the sudden hope. "Does the mage look okay? No injuries?" "right……" "What does he look like?" The goblin moved around, flailing his thin arms and legs, but the elf ranger wasn't fooled by his seemingly frail limbs.Goblins can be deadly warriors, with strength and wit that belie their appearance. "Red hair, arrogant look! Tall, wearing dark blue clothes! I don't know the name! I didn't hear the name!" Very vague description, but apparently enough.How many tall, red-haired mages would wear dark blue robes, especially in Deathwing's company? "It sounds like he's your friend." Falstad snorted. "It seems you're right." "We have to go find him." "In the dark? First of all, my dear Miss Elf, you are not sleeping at all; secondly, although the night will cover us, it will also prevent us from seeing clearly... even dragons!" As much as she wanted to set off immediately to search, Vereesa knew the dwarf had a point.However, she still couldn't wait until dawn.Precious minutes are ticking by. "I just need a few hours, Falstad. Let me take a nap and then we can go." "The sky is dark like this... And don't forget, although Deathwing is huge, he is black, just like the night!" "However, we don't need to search wildly," she said with a smile. "At least we already know where he landed... Or rather, some of us do." The two of them watched the goblin, who clearly didn't want to be there. "But how do we know, can we trust him? These little green-skinned thieves can be known as liars!" The ranger put the point of his sword to the goblin's throat, "Because he has two choices. Take us to where Deathwing and Ronin landed, or let me chop him into dragon bait." Falstad laughed. "Do you think Deathwing would have the appetite to eat him?" Their diminutive captive trembled, and his pupilless, disturbing yellow eyes were wide with terror.Despite the close proximity of the sword points, the goblin was bouncing up and down excitedly. "Glad to take you! Glad to be true! Don't be afraid of the dragons here! Take you to friends!" "Keep your voice down!" The ranger grabbed the goblin tightly, "Or do you want me to cut off your tongue?" "Sorry, sorry, sorry..." said the new companion.Then he lowered his volume: "Don't hurt the poor thing..." "Ugh! What a lousy excuse!" "As long as he is willing to lead the way." "The poor fellow will lead the way, mistress! Lead!" Vereesa thought for a moment, then said, "We must tie him up first." "Let me tie him to my griffin, and the stinky mouse will be obedient." The goblin's expression became so miserable that even the silver-haired ranger began to sympathize with the little green man. "Okay, but don't let your griffin hurt him." "Hmph, as long as he behaves and is honest..." Falstad said, looking at their prisoner. Vereesa moved the point of the sword away from his neck, reassuring the goblin a little.Maybe she was a little more polite, maybe they could get some information out of him. "Take us to that mage, and we'll have a dragon eat you up and set you free. I promise you." She paused, then asked, "Do you have a name, goblin?" "Yes, Mistress, yes!" The big head shook and said, "My name is Creel, Mistress, Creel!" "Very good, Creel. Everything is according to my order, and you will be fine, understand?" The goblin jumped excitedly and said, "Oh, no problem, no problem, I understand, Mistress! I promise, this poor man will take you where you need to go!" He showed a strange smile, "I wish you ensure……."