[1] Protector of the Present

A Bloodthirsty Pack of Wolves

Quest Objective: Battle the night.

~Woods of Lordaeron~

Arthas didn't remember my outburst or the infiltration of the Infinite Dragonflight. My secret was safe. My identity was forgotten. Arthas still trusted me.

And it's back to work.

The Infinite Dragonflight had made it into Stormwind, and I knew there would be more. A dragon from my flight alerted me where they would be next with bigger numbers. I couldn't do this one alone.

"Are they here yet?" The dragon Kairozdormu was disguised as a golden-haired elf looking at his long, pale fingers. His humanoid form was flawless, just as he perceived himself to be.

Chronomu rolled her bright green eyes. Her gnomish form stood closer to the ground, with the formal white and violet robes of our flight. She was the eldest member, and her prophetic abilities were more keen. "Soon. They're running a little late."

Kairoz made a tsk noise with his tongue and looked off into the dim forest. I pulled in a few favors and asked three more dragons from different flights to join us. We awaited the arrival of our allies and our enemies.

All of the creatures in the trees had gone dead silent, sensing the new predators in the area. The trees of Tirisfal had high branches and varying shades of yellow and green. They looked ghostly in the moonlight and evolved into clawed monsters.

Kairoz lost interest in the daunting trees and looked at us. He replied with a raised eyebrow, "Most dragons prefer elven exteriors outside of their true counterparts."

Chromie gave him a dull look that said, Really? Have you seen your face? I opened my mouth, feeling the tiny tusks that poked out of my lips on the sides. My true humanoid form was half dwarf, half orc , but I kept most of the orc characteristics hidden when around humans.

"Elves are so perfect-looking, and perfect is boring. If I am supposed to live for thousands of years, I don't want to be boring. I'd rather be...alive, and strong and happy. I'd rather be myself than be perfect."

Chromie stuck her tongue out at Kairoz as I talked. Before anymore could be said, the forest filled with otherworldly light. A portal shimmered on slightly higher ground above us as three silhouettes blocked the shimmering image.

The creator of the portal, the young Kalecgos, stood at the center. He was young and ambitious, but not nearly as young as Kairoz. There was a certain air of rationality to the Blue Dragon that I liked, and he smiled once his eyes fell upon me.

The other two were members of the Red Dragonflight. Rheastrasza was close to Chromie's height in her green goblin guise. The other was—

"Zelda!" My twin sister, Selmastrasza, abandoned the other two to reach down and wrap her arms around me. Her allegiance was to the Red Dragonflight, our birth flight, but she sought my company more. She was deeply fond of the story of Garona, the half-orc assassin of another world, and created her form after her hero. Our humanoid physiques were very different, but in our true forms, we were identical.

"Thank you for coming," I said, shifting nervously as she pulled away. Similar to my hair, Selma's ended in an exotic shade of curls that were blue, and they bounced like a box of gnomish springs as she rolled back on her heels.

"This is so exciting!" Ever the youth at heart, Selma's hands curled beneath her chin as she smiled wide. The portal collapsed behind us, plunging our forms into darkness. For a brief moment, we were all silent, and the crack of thunder boomed above us.