The Multiverse War, Part One

Chapter 9

AN: The attached image is the entrance to the Alliance capital of Stormwind. It is so named because it is perched atop a mountain and is often assailed by strong winds that buffet the outer walls. There are several layers of walls and natural protection to keep the strong winds from doing any damage to the city itself.

When Erin awoke, it was from a jolt on whatever steed was carrying her through the sky.

The sky?

She looked around and found that she was sitting atop Maldanormu again, speeding through the sky with Kaldrun and Bellendore flying along side. How she had not fallen off was a mystery, but she accredited the bronze dragon's steady flying.

Besides Kaldrun and Bellendore, there was one more flyer, being Redrumei on a winged steed. This steed was no natural horse, but a statue of one made of cobbled gray stone. Where the chunks of the steeds were sealed together, a light blue glow shined from the cracks. Its mane, tail, and wings were also made of this cyan energy, emitting from large cracks down it's back and neck.

Erin came to the sudden, bitter realization that she had no mount with which to fly, and found it awfully unfair.

Maldanormu must have felt her wriggling around, for he craned his neck to look around at her, "Awake, little one?"

"Yeah," Erin stretched, yawning, "Why didn't you wake me up before we left?"

"We made an attempt, but you were completely unconscious. Sleeping like the dead. I thought we should allow you your rest, so we hauled you atop my back and set off."

Erin looked at Red, who glanced over and waved. The former spoke, just loud enough for the dragon to hear, "Where'd she get that fancy horse?"

Maldanormu glanced over, "Won it in a card game, I believe."

"A card game?"

"Indeed."

Erin sat back, as comfortably as she could on the beast's huge scaly back, "Where are we going?"

"Fortunately, we have a short journey ahead. We only recently departed Ms. Venza's home. As you can see by the landscape, we have yet to leave Westfall. Once we cross over into the Elwynn Forest, we will make a stop in the small town of Goldshire for refreshments, and continue on foot to Stormwind, the huge capital city of the human race."

Erin was confused somewhat by the strange names, but was comfortable in knowing that they wouldn't be flying for very long. In fact, it was only a quarter hour later when they flew over a river and the landscape changed considerably from a mid-western scene to a rich green temperate forest. The trees here were a lush green, with a light brown chunks. Almost directly on the other side of the river was a garrison, made of massive grey bricks and looking like something from a fairy tale with knights and... dragons.

That's pretty much what this entire planet is, Erin supposed. Just a fairly tale.

They continued to fly over the trees for another few minutes before reaching a small area of only two buildings on either side of the wide paved cobblestone road.

Circling around a few times, the party landed in a clearing just off the road. Several of the civilians milling about turned to gawk at the five as they landed. Many of those people witnessed a dragon shapeshift for the first and last time in their lives.

Erin watched as Redrumei pulled out a Hearthstone and placed it to her steed's forehead, causing it to dissolve into cyan sparkles and be sucked into the stone's glowing blue center.

The four Azerothian natives sauntered toward the bigger of the two buildings like they owned it, Erin following somewhat sheepishly in the back.

There were three guards in the whole town, if it could be called a town, dressed in armor like that of a medieval knight, wearing blue tabards bearing the golden symbol of a lion's head. One of the guards wore no helm and had a somewhat more decorative crest on his tabard, and Erin marked him as the leader of the three. The presumed leader approached the party directly, right hand resting on the hilt of a spiked mace that hung from his belt.