Shadow Trails in Azeroth

"Did the evil orcs drive the red dragon to attack my castle?"

Captain Darren Tieshan immediately became nervous when he heard Nathanos say that their ranger team was following a dragon to Dangarok Castle.

Considering that the castle has been unable to receive reinforcements for a long time, if a red dragon really came to attack, it would be impossible to resist it with the current firepower of the dwarves.

The dwarf captain sitting on the beer barrel blew his beard and glared:

"I heard from my cousin who was a guerrilla in the wetlands before that the Dragonmaw orcs took over the abandoned city of the Wildhammer wastes and used evil artifacts to raise dragons there.

They also used dragons to attack the Kul Tiran fleet.

correct!

Black, aren't you a survivor of Khaz Modan's attack? "

"Yes, the experience that day was a nightmare for me."

The skinny pirate crossed his arms and leaned against the barrel on the other side. He shook his head and said in a low and obscure tone:

"I witnessed with my own eyes the orcs riding red dragons and falling from the sky. Just three dragons destroyed our advance fleet. Of the more than 3,000 people, less than one tenth survived.

The entire sea of ​​Khaz Modan is on fire. Look at my injuries! These are all the 'memorials' left by those damn dragons and orcs! "

He pulled back the face covering under his hood in a playful manner, letting Nathanos Marris see the horrific burns on his face. The injuries really shocked the young ranger.

The look towards Blake also changed slightly.

Probably out of curiosity, how did Blake, a human, escape from the raging dragon fire? There is such a legendary story behind this orc killer.

"It's a miracle I survived."

Blake shook his head and said:

"Probably my compatriots who died in the battle are protecting me and allowing me to live to avenge them on the greenskins of the tribe, but with all due respect, Maris.

I came all the way from the wetlands, but I haven't heard that there are traces of red dragons in the hilly areas. Are you mistaken? "

"Yes."

The dwarf captain, who was smoking a pipe, also spoke:

"Before the orc cubs besieged us, I also received the battle report. After the orcs successfully crossed the sea, those red dragons only left one or two ships to protect the orcs, and the rest returned to Grim Batol.

They were about to attack, and they should also attack Stromgarde, which was closer.

Although Dangarok Castle is important, it is not so important that it requires orcs to control dragons and travel thousands of miles across the sea to attack, right? "

"Captain Halduron Brightwing is an experienced ranger lord. He has also dealt with dragons in Quel'Thalas. He can confirm that it is indeed a dragon.

But I'm not sure if it's a red dragon. "

Maris shook his head, looked at the sky, and said:

"Under the leadership of the captain, we saw the dragon's temporary lair with our own eyes. It seemed to be injured. Judging from the direction of the blood stains, it was indeed approaching Dangarok Castle intentionally.

unknown reason.

But if it is really a red dragon controlled by orcs and intends to destroy Thoradin's Wall, then we will set a trap here.

Hunt it down at all costs!

Allowing a dragon to wreak havoc in the hilly areas would have too great an impact on the ongoing war, and it would destroy the will of the warriors. "

"It's most likely the bronze baby dragon that escaped from the wetland and didn't give up! It might be coming for me."

When Blake heard this, he already had an accurate guess in his mind. He took a deep breath and didn't panic too much. After all, he already had countermeasures against it.

"Must go."

Blake thought:

"Dangalok Castle was supposed to be captured by the orcs in the last battle, and all the dwarves would have died in this battle. It was my intervention that allowed them to survive.

This may have caused some fluctuations in the world line. It seems that the annoying bronze baby dragon smelled the smell and came to the door. "

But before leaving, Black glanced at the elf rangers not far away. He weighed for a moment, as if thinking, sometimes frowning, sometimes relaxing.

After several minutes, a plan emerged in his mind, and he took out the blood-stained letter from the magic bag and handed it to Maris.

explain:

“This is a letter I just found on an orc scout after I hunted him down. I don’t know much about the orc language, but there are emblems of two big clans on it.

I think the content of this letter should be very important, and I am planning to find some professionals to interpret it. Everyone says that the elves of Quel'Thalas are very knowledgeable.

Perhaps your companions can help me decipher it. "

"OK."

Maris, who was tasting the dwarf beer, raised his head and took the blood-stained letter. He winked at Black, opened it, and said:

"In fact, there is no need to go to my companions. They are not so friendly to strangers. How should I say it? And since the war broke out, I have been learning Orc language by myself in my spare time.

I feel like I could definitely use it at some point.

Now is your chance. "

This guy's humble words made Blake curl his lips.

Seeing how fluently he can read Orcish, the so-called "self-study" in his spare time must be just modesty. This guy may be the kind of "genius" that others say.

Nathanos Marris was able to join the Farstrider Legion and become a ranger as a human, which has proven his extraordinary talent. In the 2800 years since humans and Quel'Thalas came into contact, , there are only a handful of human rangers recognized by the elves.

And Maris is definitely the best among them.

The fact that he can be looked upon with special attention by the proudest woman in the Windrunner family and even train him personally shows that this guy must have real qualities.

Black watched Nathanos' expression change as he read the letter.

Just as he expected.

From the relaxation at the beginning, to the seriousness in the middle, to the frown at the last moment, it means that Nathanos has discovered the ominous news mentioned in the letter.

There was a hint of worry in his black eyes, and he clutched the animal skin letter tightly with his chain-mailed fingers and looked at Black.

explain:

"This is really important and amazing news! Mr. Black, the letter you found may even change the course of the entire war and save countless people."

Nathanos put down his wine glass and said to Black seriously and solemnly:

"Please forgive me for resigning. I must tell my captain the news immediately."

After saying that, he turned around and left regardless of his demeanor. His movements were as dexterous as a monkey's. With a dexterity that was completely unlike a human's, he easily climbed up the eaves of the nearby dwarf bunker bar and rushed toward the elves like a swift shadow.

Black watched Nathanos's back.

He looked around carefully again, looking for the shadow of the dragon in every cloud in the sky. After several minutes, he did not see a dragon falling from the sky.

This made the pirate let out a long sigh of relief.

"I hope this letter can cause fluctuations in the world line in Quel'Thalas and lead that annoying young dragon there. Bronze dragon, bronze dragon, although you can travel through time.

But even you.

You can't appear in two places at the same time and deal with two troubles at the same time, right? "

Black waved to the little murloc who was playing with the dwarf quartermaster Talma Thunderpike not far away. Benbol rushed over with a croaking voice and jumped into the pirate's hands.

Then he threw it into the leather bag specially made for the little fishman on his waist, just like the mother kangaroo's leather bag.

He drank the dwarf beer in his hand and fed the last bit to the little fishman.

The latter burped loudly after drinking. The pirate laughed, reached out and patted the dwarf captain on the shoulder, saying:

"Darren, thank you for taking care of me these days, but I have to leave."

"Huh? So sudden?"

The dwarf captain turned to look at Black, with a look of astonishment in his eyes above his beautiful beard. He put down his pipe and said:

"I also plan to give you the rank of second lieutenant in my army. You deserve the respect of the dwarves. However, the hills are so messy now. As a human, it is your duty to help your compatriots.

Where are you going? "

"Maybe Durnholde Castle."

Black smiled at the dwarf, with a smile on his thin face that still had burns. He looked towards the north and said;

"Didn't there be a battle report yesterday that Major Blackmore was recruiting veterans to support the battle in Tarren Mill? I want to try there.

There must be enough orcs out there for me to hunt.

Just use the weapons you forged for me. "

He raised the black bladed fist stuck in his left hand and said to the dwarf captain:

"I will not live up to this weapon, my friend. If you and I are still alive after the war is over, I will definitely treat you to a drink.

Drink the best wine in the world! "

"Hahaha, that's what you said."

The dwarves are a group of rough guys, and their friendship is also very rough. When the captain saw that Black had made up his mind, he did not stop him. He took out a pack of tobacco from the bag on his waist and threw it to Black.

He touched the fine ebony pipe in his hand with great nostalgia, closed his eyes for the last time, gritted his teeth, and threw the pipe to Blake.

He said:

“Although enjoying tobacco is a bad habit for assassins, look at this castle, the damn orcs have used up all the good stuff.

I can only give these to you as a parting gift.

You said yesterday that you wanted a good gun, but unfortunately, the dwarf engineer in Dangarok Castle was killed by the orcs, so I can't satisfy your desire.

But if, as you say, we all survive until the end of the war, I will definitely help you get a good gun. "

The dwarf captain carried Black on his back in a playful manner and sniffed.

The short fellow waved his hand without looking back and said:

"See you after the war, my human friends."

"Goodbye, Captain!"

Black raised his hand and gave Captain Iron Mountain a Kul Tiran military salute.

Then he waved to Quartermaster Talma, led the croaking fishman, took a horse from the stable, and left to the north of the castle with the wave of the dwarf captain.

But ten minutes later, with the neighing of war horses coming from behind, Blake looked back and saw a guy wearing an elf cloak and carrying a war bow riding up.

"Maris?"

When Nathanos Maris approached, Blake was half surprised and half pretended to ask:

"Aren't you going to stay in the castle with your companions to hunt the dragon? Or go with them?"

"Because Mr. Black, the news you brought us is too shocking."

The human ranger pulled the reins of the horse and said to Black:

"Captain Halduron Brightwing has used magic communication to pass the news to Lady Alleria. It is said that the lady has rushed back to Quel'Thalas to warn her compatriots about the coming war.

But this news is equally important to us humans, and I must leave my companions temporarily to deliver this news to the commanders on the hilly front. "

"Well, that's it."

Blake smiled, looked at Maris, and said:

"Actually, you can just write a letter, there is no need to rush around like this."

"No, Mr. Black."

Nathanos replied seriously:

"I am a human first and then a Farstrider ranger. Although I get along well with the elves, it does not mean that I have forgotten my responsibility to my motherland and compatriots.

I actually want to be like you, become an orc killer, and do my best for my motherland.

I heard Captain Darren say, are you going to Durnholde Castle too?

It seems that we will have to go together for the rest of this journey. Maybe I can learn some practical experience from your actions of hunting orcs, maybe. "

"You? Are you following me?"

Blake's eyes widened in surprise, and then he shook his head.

He said:

"Let's learn from each other. Even though I dress like an assassin, I'm actually also a good hunter."