Neltharion caught up to him. He, too, looked to be struggling for air. “Must—fly—lower—”
Something collided with Neltharion.
The proto-dragon went flying backward, the momentum of the thing that had flown into him sending the charcoal-gray male hurtling uncontrollably. Malygos immediately turned about, hoping that it was not too late to help his friend.
Only then did he see that what had struck Neltharion was one of the not-living. Indeed, its stench spread even through the thin air as it and the living proto-dragon tumbled together.
Curiously, Malygos noticed that the undead seemed to have collided with Neltharion at an angle that made any attack of consequence initially impossible. It dawned on both Kalec and his host that the animated corpse had not actually attacked Neltharion but, rather, had simply run into him by accident in the dense clouds.
In fact, the undead almost seemed more interested in flying on than in fighting. Neltharion evidently noticed this, too, for he pushed himself away from the monster and let it move on. The undead slowly began circling back the way it had come . . . or it would have, if Neltharion had not taken advantage of its ignorance of him by ripping its neck out from behind, then tearing both wings with his powerful hind claws.
The charcoal-gray proto-dragon watched with amusement as the sundered parts dropped, and Malygos and Nozdormu rejoined him.
“Stupid creature!” Neltharion mocked. “Brain all rot! Not even see or fight now!”
“Strange,” Nozdormu murmured.
Malygos—and Kalec—very much agreed with Nozdormu’s succinct assessment. Malygos’s gaze followed the estimated path the undead would have taken had Neltharion not destroyed it. An uneasy feeling filled Kalec’s host.
“Follow!” he hissed.
Quickly but carefully, Malygos pushed higher despite the increasing desire to drop to thicker air. So pressed was the proto-dragon that Kalec could not at first fathom what so bothered him.
And then, as they reached a slight break within the cloud cover, what Malygos had feared became evident to his unseen companion.
The sky was filled with undead. They circled constantly, as if that was the only desire left in their putrefying brains. Over and over, they circled, some in great arcs, some in tight ones. One flew much too near Malygos but did not take any notice of him.
Neltharion and Nozdormu caught up with him, and even the charcoal-gray male appeared stunned. “So many, almost as many as us!”
There had been a few sightings of the undead, but in the growing anticipation of battling Galakrond, the living proto-dragons had not paid that much mind, not even Malygos. Now that lapse was coming back to haunt them.
“Why here? Why do they just fly circles?” Nozdormu asked.
Kalec knew, and so did Malygos. “They wait . . . for us. For all of us.”
“They wait?” Neltharion shook his head. “They not smart! No thinking!”
Malygos nodded. The undead proto-dragons had no true minds, but something they were bound to did. “No. Galakrond smart. Galakrond thinks . . . he thinks very well.”
It was a frustratingly uncomplicated way of phrasing it, but Kalec saw that somehow the other two understood what Malygos tried to convey. As for the dragon, he shared both his host’s astonishment and his growing fear.
The undead were circling because they were indeed waiting for the living to pass underneath them. They had not planned it themselves—Galakrond had.
Through the same foulness that mutated him, the monstrous proto-dragon also now appeared to control his victims, and he was using them to set a trap of his own that would engulf everyone.
“Must warn all!” Malygos shouted as best as the air permitted. “Must—”
As one, the undead ceased their circling . . . and dived.
Malygos and Kalec could only watch in horror. The discovery had come too late.
The trap had been sprung.
NOTES
The story you’ve just read is the third in a five-part serial adventure, based in part on characters, situations, and locations from Blizzard Entertainment’s computer game World of Warcraft, an online role-playing experience set in the award-winning Warcraft universe. In World of Warcraft, players create their own heroes and explore, adventure in, and quest across a vast world shared with thousands of other players. This rich and expansive game also allows them to interact with and fight against (or alongside) many of the powerful and intriguing characters featured in this serial novella.
Since launching in November 2004, World of Warcraft has become the world’s most popular subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game. The latest expansion, Mists of Pandaria, takes players to a thrilling and never-before-seen corner of Azeroth: the mysterious continent of Pandaria. More information about Mists of Pandaria and previous expansions can be found on WorldofWarcraft.com.
FURTHER READING
If you’d like to read more about the characters, situations, and locations featured in this serial novella, the sources listed below offer additional information.
* Kalecgos—also known as Kalec—has been involved in many influential events in Azeroth’s recent history. His heroics are chronicled in World of Warcraft: Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War and World of Warcraft: Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects by Christie Golden; World of Warcraft: Night of the Dragon by Richard A. Knaak; Warcraft: The Sunwell Trilogy and World of Warcraft: Shadow Wing, volume 2, Nexus Point by Richard A. Knaak and Jae-Hwan Kim; and the short story “Charge of the Aspects” by Matt Burns (on www.WorldofWarcraft.com).
* Details of Jaina Proudmoore’s life, including her relationship with Kalecgos, are depicted in World of Warcraft: Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War, World of Warcraft: The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm, and World of Warcraft: Arthas: Rise of the Lich King by Christie Golden; the monthly World of Warcraft comic book by Walter and Louise Simonson, Ludo Lullabi, Jon Buran, Mike Bowden, Sandra Hope, and Tony Washington; World of Warcraft: Cycle of Hatred by Keith R. A. DeCandido; and Warcraft: Legends, volume 5, “Nightmares” by Richard A. Knaak and Rob Ten Pas.
* You can find more information about Alexstrasza, Ysera, Nozdormu, Malygos, and their respective dragonflights in Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects by Christie Golden; Warcraft: War of the Ancients Trilogy, Warcraft: Day of the Dragon, World of Warcraft: Night of the Dragon, and World of Warcraft: Stormrage by Richard A. Knaak; and the short story “Charge of the Aspects” by Matt Burns (on www.WorldofWarcraft.com).
* Deathwing nearly destroyed Azeroth during the great Cataclysm. His long history of betrayal and brutality is featured in Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects by Christie Golden; the Shadow Wing series by Richard A. Knaak and Jae-Hwan Kim; War of the Ancients Trilogy, Night of the Dragon, and Day of the Dragon by Richard A. Knaak; World of Warcraft: Beyond the Dark Portal by Aaron Rosenberg and Christie Golden; and the short story “Charge of the Aspects” by Matt Burns (on www.WorldofWarcraft.com).
THE BATTLE RAGES ON
The Cataclysm changed Azeroth and its myriad peoples in many ways. Dawn of the Aspects depicts the uncertainty that now plagues the ancient dragons. But what lies ahead for the world’s other races?
In World of Warcraft’s fourth expansion, Mists of Pandaria, you can help shape this next chapter in Azeroth’s history. Become one of the first members of the Horde or the Alliance to explore the mysterious and exotic continent of Pandaria. Or take on the role of a noble pandaren (WoW’s latest playable race) and join the Horde or the Alliance, depending on which faction aligns more with your ideals. Regardless of the side you choose, your adventures will impact Azeroth in the years to come.
With the dragons forging new destinies for themselves, the task of safeguarding the world from evil has fallen to mortal hands—your hands. Will you rise to the challenge?
To discover the ever-expanding realm that has entertained millions aroun
d the globe, go to WorldofWarcraft.com and download the free trial version. Live the story.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Richard A. Knaak is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nearly four dozen novels and two dozen shorter pieces, including the World of Warcraft books Wolfheart and Stormrage, The Legend of Huma for Dragonlance, and his own Dragonrealm series. He has also scripted numerous manga and written background material for games. His novels have been published worldwide.
In addition to Dawn of the Aspects, his most recent releases include Shade—the latest novel in Legends of the Dragonrealm. He is currently at work on other projects. More can be found out at his website: www.richardaknaak.com. Please also join him on Facebook and Twitter.
We hope you enjoyed reading this Pocket Star Books eBook.
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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ISBN 978-1-4767-0862-1
Dawn of the Aspects: Part III Page 7