Chapter 11 Chapter Eleven

Nekros fiddled with the Demon Soul, thinking hard about what to do next.The orc commander barely slept through the night.Tuggs hasn't returned yet, which makes the old soldier very anxious.Did he fail?Are both dragons dead?If so, what forces did the humans send to rescue Alexstrasza?A group of griffin riders and mages?Even a powerful alliance cannot separate such forces: they have to deal with the battle on the northern front, as well as their internal conflicts... He tried to contact the Zuluhed, but the shaman did not respond to his magical letters.He knew what that meant; for the situation elsewhere was urgent enough that Zuluhed couldn't possibly have time for his subordinates' concerns that seemed quasi-fantastical.He hoped that Nekros would act as decisively as an orc warrior...but the crippled commander was at a loss.

Demon Soul brought great power to him, but Nekros knew that he hadn't realized even a small part of this great potential.In fact, he knew that he was very novice, and he might not dare to try to use this artifact for other things.Zuluhed still didn't know what he was passing down to his subordinates.From what he knew, the Demon Soul contained power that, if used properly, could wipe out even the Alliance legions that were gathering north of Khaz Modan. The trouble was, if there was a slight mistake, this disc would also turn Grim Batol into ashes. "Give me a tomahawk and a good pair of legs, and I'll throw you into the nearest volcano..." he muttered at the gleaming golden artifact.

At this time, a soldier with a hurried look broke into his residence, not noticing that the commander was glaring at him. "Tugs is coming back soon!" Finally there is good news!The commander breathed a sigh of relief.Tuggs is back.That said, at least one threat has been taken out.Neklus even jumped out of his chair for joy.Hopefully the Tuggs have taken another prisoner; the Zuluhed will surely be pleased with that.As long as a little punishment is used, that human will definitely spit out the invasion plans of the north. "Finally coming back! How long will it be?" "There are still a few minutes. It's almost there." The expression on the ugly face of the orc was tense, but Nekros didn't notice.He is anxious to see the return of the mighty Dragon Rider.At least, Tuggs didn't disappoint him.

He tossed the Demon Soul aside and ran as fast as he could to the cave where the dragon riders took off and landed.The orc with the letter just now followed behind him, surprisingly silent.Nekros was glad he didn't speak this time.All he wanted to hear now was Tuggs' voice, and his great victory over the invaders. Some orcs, including the few remaining dragon knights, were waiting for Tuggs at the wide opening.Nekros hated the chaos, but he also knew that, like him, the orcs were eagerly awaiting the return of their warriors. "Get out of the way, everyone! Get out of the way!" He pushed the other orcs away and walked out.In the pre-dawn light, at first he saw no dragons.The sentinel who spotted them approaching must have had the best eyesight of any orc.Then gradually, Nekros found a vague shadow, and as the distance shortened, the shadow gradually became larger.

only one?The lame orc wondered.Another painful loss, but one that removes that threat as well.Still acceptable.Nekros couldn't see which dragon it was, but like the other orcs, he hoped it was Thugth's dragon.No one can beat Grim Batol's number one fighter. But... When the outline of the dragon became clearer, Nekros noticed that it was flying very reluctantly.The wings appear to have been torn off and the tail is only dangling precariously from its body.He narrowed his eyes and realized that someone was riding on it.But the rider was lying on the saddle, and he was probably half unconscious.

The orc commander felt a chill run down his spine. "Get out of the way!" he growled. "Make room! He's landing!" In fact, Nekros realized as he staggered away that Tuggs' mount would take up nearly all of the hole.The dragon flew closer and closer, and its unstable flight posture became more and more obvious.Neklus even thought that the giant beast would hit the mountain with its head.Until the last moment, it seemed that under the constant urging of the rider, it reluctantly flew into the cave. With a loud bang, the dragon landed among the orcs. The injured beast couldn't stop its momentum and kept sliding forward, while the orcs yelled in bewilderment.A warrior is swept away by the wings.Its tail swung and hit the wall of the cave, and a large rock was swept off the roof of the cave.Nekros stood against a wall, gritted his teeth and persisted.Dust was flying everywhere.

The whole cave suddenly fell silent.The lame commander and other orcs who managed to escape realized that the giant beast was dead the moment it flew into the hole. Yet the rider did not die.An orc rose from the dust, and slid down from the dragon's huge corpse.His body swayed, and he almost fell to his knees when he landed, but he remained stalwart.He wiped the blood and dirt from his mouth, looked around with difficulty, looking for that person... Nike Cruz. "We are defeated!" roared the bravest and strongest warrior among the dragon knights. "Nekros, we are defeated!"

Tuggs' old confidence had been replaced by something else.His commander saw that it was discouraging.Tuggs, the never-say-die fighter in the past, now looks completely defeated. Will not!He won't!The old orc limped up to his champion, his face somber. "Shut up! I won't allow you to say those words just now! You've shamed the entire clan! You've shamed yourself too!" Tuggs leaned against the corpse of his mount. "Shame? I'm not ashamed, old man! All I know is the fact that there's no hope for us!" Ignoring the orc's massive size, Nekros grabbed the dragon knight's shoulders and shook them vigorously.

"Say! What made you say that!" "Look at me, Nekros! And look at my mount! Do you know what caused it? Do you know what we're fighting with?" "A team of griffins? Or a legion of mages?" Blood stained the ornate medals that still hung on Tuggs' chest.The dragon knight wanted to laugh out loud, but coughed.Nekros waited impatiently. "If that's the case, it's a close fight. No, we only saw a few griffins - probably bait! Must be! They're not worth mentioning!" "Stop talking about that! Tell me what hurt you like this?" Tuggs looked at the comrades behind his chief.

"You ask what made us like this?" Tuggs looked at his comrades behind the commander. "It's Death itself—it's turned into a black dragon!" Fear erupted among the orcs.Nekros' speech also stiffened. "Deathwing?" "And it's fighting for humans! Just as I was about to kill a griffin, it fell from the sky! We narrowly escaped death!" That's impossible...but...it's the only possibility.There's no way Tuggs could have made up such a big lie.He said Deathwing did it - and the torn wounds on the huge dragon carcass proved what he said - then Deathwing did it.

"Tell me! Don't miss any details!" Despite his serious injuries, Eragon complied.He recounted how he and another orc had encountered the puny band of griffins.Perhaps, the scouts.Tuggs saw several dwarves, an elf, and at least one mage.Although a human warrior single-handedly killed a dragon by unexpectedly sacrificing himself, these people were still a piece of cake for him. At that time, Tuggs also thought that he would encounter a little more trouble.The mage was annoying, but he fell, almost certainly to his death.So he turned to the others, ready to catch them all. That's when Deathwing attacked him.It easily defeated the dragon of Thugth.The beast refused to obey the order at first and insisted on fighting.Tuggs was no coward, but he knew right away that it was useless to fight this armored demon dragon.He kept growling at his mount, trying to make it fly back; but it was not until the red dragon was badly wounded that it obeyed and fled back with him. As the narrative unfolds, Nekros discovers that all of his worst nightmares are becoming reality.The goblin named Creel was right. He said that the Alliance tried to save the Red Dragon Queen from the orcs, but this damned little thing didn't know or didn't want to tell him what kind of troops the Alliance sent.Humans actually did the incredible thing: they made a contract with the monster that both sides feared. "Deathwing..." he muttered.But why did they waste Deathwing on such an operation?Tuggs was right, the gang he met was probably just scouts or decoys.There must be more troops behind them. Suddenly, Nekros felt like he knew what was going on. He turned to face the other orcs, trying not to shake his voice. "The invasion has begun, but not from the north! Humans and their allies will come to us first!" His warriors panicked and looked at each other.It was evident that they all understood that the threat they faced was greater than anyone in the tribe could have imagined.It is one thing to die valiantly in battle, but quite another to know that you are facing an inevitable carnage. Nekrus feels that his conclusion is very likely to happen.First strike from the west to gain control of the southern part of Khaz Modan, then save or kill the Red Dragon Queen—letting the remaining tribes near Dun Algaz in the north lose their main support—and finally from Grim Batol Swing the army north.The last hope of the orcs will be destroyed under the attack of the enemy forces from the south and the direction of dun mod, and the survivors will be sent to the concentration camps established by humans to be imprisoned. Zuluhed had ordered him to take over all matters concerning the mountain and the red dragons.The shaman didn't respond to him later, so he can assume that Zuluhed allowed Nekros to do what he thought he should do.Well then, Nekros, let's do it. "Tugs! Bandage up first, and sleep well~! I still need your help when the time comes!" "Nekros—" "obedient!" The anger in his eyes forced the warrior to bow his head.Tuggs nodded, and then walked out of the hall with the support of a comrade in arms.Nekros turned to the other orcs. "Pack up the most expensive things and put them all in the wagon! Put all the eggs in crates filled with hay—keep warm!" He paused. "And put those too wild to tame Kill all the dragon cubs!" This sentence made Tuggs stop.He and the other riders looked at their commander in horror. "Kill those dragon cubs? We're going to—" "We just want things that are easy to move—just in case~" The taller orc stared at him. "What if?" "Just in case I can't handle Deathwing..." As soon as the words came out, everyone stared at him, as if he had suddenly grown a second head and turned into an ogre. "Finish Deathwing?" one of the riders called. Nekros looked around and found the orc who questioned him.He once helped a lot in subduing the Red Dragon Queen. "You, come out! Follow me! Now we have to discuss how to remove that mother!" Tuggs finally understood what he was doing. "You're giving up on Grim Batol? You want to get everything to the northern front!" "That's right..." "They will follow! Deathwing will follow!" The lame orc snorted. "This is my order to you... Is it true that those who stand here are now complaining peons instead of powerful fighters?" The irony is very effective.Tuggs and the other orcs straightened up.Although Nekros is disabled, he can still give orders. They had no choice but to obey, even though they thought the plan was insane. He pushed past the wounded warrior, as well as the other orcs standing in front of him, and his mind began to race.Well, the key is to move the queen out, just move to the entrance of this cave.That would be best for him. He is now going to do what humans have done.Lay the bait—that way, in case he fails, those eggs can also be transported to Zuluhed.Even those eggs would help the Horde... and if Nekros could win - though that would probably cost him his life too - the Horde would still have a chance to fight back. His thick palm reached into the pouch containing the Demon's Soul.Nike Cruz?The Skullcrusher has long wondered if there is a limit to this mysterious talisman—and soon he will have the chance to find out. The faint morning light woke Rhonin from the deepest sleep he had ever experienced.The mage sat up hard, looking around, trying to find out where he was.It was a woodland, not the inn of his dreams.In his sleep he and Vereesa were sitting in that hotel, talking about— you woke up... good... This sentence rang in his ears very suddenly, almost frightening him half to death.Luo Ning jumped up and turned around before finally knowing the source of the sound. He grabbed the pendant around his neck that Deathwing had given him the night before.A gleam of light emanated from the middle of the smoky gray crystal.And when Luo Ning saw it, he remembered everything that happened last night, as well as the promise made by the giant dragon.I'll personally guide you all the way, he said. "Where are you?" the mage finally asked. I am elsewhere, Deathwing replied.But I am also with you. Ronin shuddered.He didn't understand why he agreed to the deal with the dragon last night.Maybe there was no other choice at the time. "What's going on now?" The sun has risen and it's time for you to hit the road... After looking at the surrounding environment, the alert mage paid special attention to the terrain leading to the west.Out of the woodland, there is a rocky wasteland. Through this road, you can reach Grim Batol and the mountain where the orcs imprisoned the Red Dragon Queen.Rhonin reckoned that Deathwing had taken him a long way, at least saving him a few days of travel.As long as he walks more diligently, he can reach Grim Batol in another two or three days. He set off towards his goal - but Deathwing stopped him immediately.That's not the way you should go. "Why not? That road leads directly up the hill." That road also leads directly into the claws of the orcs.Are you really that stupid? Ronin was annoyed at the insult, but didn't retort."Which way then?" he asked. Let's see... Immediately a picture of the surrounding environment flashed in the human mind.Before Luo Ning could figure out what was going on, the picture started to move.Slowly at first, then faster and faster.The frame follows a path that quickly passes through the woods and into rocky terrain.Right there, it turned the corner and continued to accelerate forward.The cliffs and valleys receded rapidly, and the trees became a blur.Ronin had to hold on to the tree trunk next to him, so as not to be too dizzy by the sight. The hills gradually became tall and steep, and finally slowly turned into the first row of mountains.At this time, the speed of the screen advance has not slowed down.Until it suddenly settled on a particular mountain.Although he himself hesitated, the mage's eyes were immediately drawn over. At the foot of the mountain, Rhonin's perspective suddenly rose to the sky again, so fast that he almost lost his balance.The picture climbed up the mountain, during which it always made the mage observe the places with footholds and handrails.It went up and up, until at last it came to a narrow cave entrance— —suddenly the picture disappeared, as suddenly as it had appeared, and only Ronin was left trembling in the middle of the trees. That's the way, the only way we can reach our goal... "But it will take a lot more time to go that way, and you have to go through more dangerous areas!" He didn't even dare to imagine that he had to climb up that cliff.For a dragon, that's an easy path; but for a human, even one with magical talent like him, it's extremely dangerous. Someone will help you.I never said you were going to hike that distance... "but--" Time to go, the voice insisted. Rhonin started to walk...or rather, his feet started walking by themselves. That state only lasted a few seconds, but it was enough to urge the mage on his way.When he regained control of his feet, Luo Ning walked forward obediently, not wanting to be controlled again.Deathwing easily showed Rhonin how powerful their bond was. The black dragon said nothing more, but Rhonin knew that Deathwing was still wandering deep in his heart.As powerful as he is, he doesn't seem to be able to do whatever he wants with Ronin.At least, Ronin's thoughts escaped the monitoring of the dragon.If not, then at this point, Deathwing would be very unhappy with the mage, as Rhonin was trying to get rid of his influence. Strangely, how could he have believed so much in what Deathwing had told him last night, even in the fact that Deathwing wanted to save Alexstrasza?Now he could actually think about it.Of all creatures, Deathwing least wanted to see his greatest enemy let go.Hadn't he been committed to eradicating all the red dragons throughout the war? Yet he also remembered that Deathwing had answered the question. "The sons of Alexstrasza were raised by orcs, humans. They have become the enemy of all living things. Even if she is rescued, it will not change the fact. They will still obey their master's orders. I kill them because I have no choice, do you understand?" At that time, Luo Ning understood.Everything the dragon had told him last night had sounded perfectly true at the time—but in the daylight, the mage began to think about something deeper beneath these "truths."Deathwing may have spoken his mind, but that didn't mean he didn't have other, more insidious motives. Ronin was going to take off the pendant and throw it away.However, doing so would surely draw the attention of his obnoxious companion, and it would be so easy for Deathwing to find him.If Deathwing approached him again, Rhonin wondered, would the black dragon be as amiable as last time. All he can do now is to continue along this chosen path.Luo Ning suddenly remembered that he didn't have any supplies on him now, not even a water bag.The ones he had prepared had fallen into the sea long ago to feed the fish, like poor Morlock and their griffins.Deathwing didn't seem to feel the need to give him anything either, the food and drink he ate last night was apparently all the supplies he could get. However, Luo Ning was unmoved and continued on the road.Deathwing wanted him to climb that mountain, and he said yes.So, no matter which way, he will definitely reach his destination in the end. When he entered those dangerous areas, he couldn't help thinking of Vereesa again.That elf was so focused on her task.But now she should go back... Of course, I hope she escaped that attack too.Thinking that the ranger might not be able to escape, Luo Ning's throat seemed to be choked by something, and his steps became heavy.No, she must be alive.And according to common sense, she should also return to Lordaeron and her compatriots. It must be like this... Ronin stopped, suddenly feeling the need to go back.He doubted very much that Vereesa would act according to common sense, and it was more likely that she would stubbornly continue to follow.She might even have persuaded the unreasonable Falstad to let him drive her to Grim Batol.Assuming nothing happened to her, Vereesa might have been following him, and she should be getting closer to him now. The mage turned around and took a step west... Humanity…… Deathwing's voice echoed in his head.Ronin cursed fiercely.How could that dragon know so quickly?Did he know what the mage was thinking after all? Humans... it's time for you to eat and refresh yourself... "what do you mean?" You just stopped.You're looking for something to eat and drink, right? "Mmm." It would be unwise to tell the dragon the truth. You are still a short distance away from places to eat.Continue walking east for a few minutes.I'll help you find something to eat then. His hopes of returning were dashed.Luo Ning had no choice but to obey.He continued to walk slowly along the rugged mountain road, and after a while, he came across a small solitary grove.It is astonishing that life still thrives in such a harsh environment on Khaz Modan.Ronin couldn't be more grateful for these unexpected young trees just for the shade they provided. In the middle of the grove, there's what you want... He didn't really want to, but the mage couldn't tell Deathwing that too.So he still pretended to be very eager and walked towards them.Food and water are still attractive to him, and a few minutes rest is not bad. The trees are relatively small for their kind, maybe 12 feet tall, but they still provide a nice shade.Luo Ning walked into the grove, and immediately looked at the surrounding environment.There must be a stream nearby, and maybe some fruit.Deathwing is so far away, what good things can be prepared? Obviously, it was a feast.In the middle of the woods, there was a small food exhibition. Luo Ning never thought that it would be so rich.Roast rabbit, freshly baked bread, peeled fruit, and—he touched the bottle—cold water. Eat, whispered the dragon. Luo Ning happily complied, and began to taste the big meal carefully.The rabbit was freshly baked and perfectly seasoned; the oven smell still lingered on the bread.After cleaning up the food, he immediately picked up the bottle... Then he discovered that the bottle, which was supposed to be half empty after drinking water, was actually still full.So Luo Ning drank even more bluntly.He knew Deathwing would be good to him...at least until he reached the mountain. In fact, he can also use magic to create something to eat, but that will consume a lot of energy for him, so that he cannot deal with some more urgent situations.Besides, Luo Ning doubted whether he could make such a big meal, of course, it must be under the premise of not being exhausted. Soon, Deathwing's voice came again.are you full? "I'm full... I'm full, thank you." It's time to move on.You know the way to go. Ronin knew what to do.In fact, he could map out the entire route the black dragon had shown him.Surely Deathwing would not lead his minions down a wrong path. With no other choice, Ronin had to obey.He just paused for a moment, looking back, anticipating against his will that he would see that familiar silver hair again, and he was conflicted not to let Vereesa or Falstad follow him.Duncan and Morlock had died on his mission; too many lives were on his shoulders now. The hours of the day gradually passed.When the sun was almost below the horizon, Rhonin began to doubt the path Deathwing pointed out.He hadn't even spotted one, let alone an orc sentinel, and Grim Batol must have had many more orcs.He hadn't even seen a dragon.Maybe they don't patrol the sky anymore?Or had he gone too far, out of range of their patrols? The sun sank lower.Not even a second feast conjured up by Deathwing could satisfy Rhonin in the slightest.When the last ray of sunlight disappeared on the horizon, he had to stop to take a better look at the terrain ahead.The closest mountains he could see so far were also very far away.It would take days just to get there, and it was a fraction of the time it took him to get to the mountain where the orcs kept the dragon. Well, Deathwing brought him here; then Deathwing should be able to explain how he got there. Rhonin grabbed the pendant, but his eyes were still fixed on the distant peaks.He said into the air, "I want to talk to you." tell me... He wasn't sure there would be a response.Until just now, Deathwing had gone to him first, not the other way around like now. "You said the road would lead to that mountain. But I'm sure I won't have enough time to go that way. I don't know how you think I can get to that mountain so quickly." I've said it before, you don't go the whole distance in such a primitive way.The images I've shown you are just to make sure you're not lost. "So according to the plan, how am I supposed to get there?" Be patient.They should find you soon. "Who are they?" Stay where you are now, that would be the best. "But—" Rhonin also knew that Deathwing would stop talking nonsense to him.The mage tried again to take off the pendant and throw it into the stone pile, but so what?After all, he was going to the land of the orcs. So who are the "they" that Deathwing said? As he was thinking, he heard a voice he had never heard before.He thought it was a dragon at first, but if it was a dragon it must have been a dragon with indigestion.Ronin looked up at the dark sky, but saw nothing. Then a brief flash of light caught his attention, the source of which was in the air.Rhonin cursed, thinking that Deathwing had finally brought him here for the orcs to get him.That flash must have come from a torch in the hand of a dragon knight or something like a lighting crystal.The mage spoke a spell; though his resistance might have been useless, he would not be caught without a fight. Another flash, this time lasting much longer than the last.Luo Ning's whole body was illuminated, making him the best target for air strikes. "I told you he was here!" "I've always known it! I'm just testing you to see if you know it!" "You lied! You don't know pinch! I know, you don't!" The mage frowned.How could there be a dragon arguing with himself, and the voice is still so harsh? "Watch out for that lamp!" one of the voices cursed. The light suddenly moved away from Ronin and jumped upwards.The light first revealed a large elliptical object—just its head—and then swept behind it, allowing the mage to see the smoking steam engine at the end of the ellipse: obviously a thruster. A balloon!Ronin saw it.That's an airship! He had actually seen such brilliant inventions before, during the war.A curious bag full of steam that big could pull up a cabriolet with two or three riders on it.In war, they are often used to observe enemy forces on land and sea.To Ronin's surprise, however, they were powered by oil and water, not magic.It is amazing that a machine that is neither made nor driven by magic can turn the propeller without manpower~ The beam then returned to him, this time locking onto him.The two pilots had spotted him and obviously didn't want to lose their target.It was only then that the mage remembered that only that race was so clever and insanely creative that it could invent such a machine. Goblins - Goblins who serve the Horde. Immediately he sprinted towards the large boulders, hoping to hide himself long enough to cast a spell effective on the airship.But at this moment, a familiar voice sounded in his head. don't run... "I can't stop running! There are goblins in the sky! I was discovered by them, and they will definitely call the orcs!" You can't move anymore! Ronin's legs were starting to give in to him.They turned Ronin to face the airship and its two deflated pilots.The airship slowly lowered its altitude and flew over the head of the hapless mage.Then, a rope ladder hung down from the observation cabin, just in front of Rhonin. Your means of transport has arrived, Deathwing said.