This time, Rhodes intended to test the waters with the five Dragonflights of Azeroth: would they support him in rebuilding the Black Dragonflight?
Currently, his production capacity was at least four Black Dragons per month. If he managed to pull the "Dungeon" town in the future, that number would jump to twelve per month. These weren't some run-of-the-mill creatures; they were genuine dragons.
Even among the Tier 7 units in Heroes of Might and Magic, Black Dragons were top-tier in melee combat. The only ones capable of going toe-to-toe with them were Titans and Behemoths; once they achieved a critical mass in numbers, they would be absolutely terrifying.
Rhodes's ultimate goal was to displace Thrall's eventual role—to claim the power of the Earth-Warden and perhaps even tap into the Guardian essence of Azeroth herself.
In the Dragonflight era of the game (v10.0), the Aspects who had lost their power during the Cataclysm were blessed by Azeroth once again. The "Age of Mortals" slogan from back then turned out to be a hollow joke; the era of dragons ended for less than a decade before starting right back up.
The power bestowed by Azeroth was even more potent than that given by the Titans. If he played his cards right with the world-soul, his Black Dragons might evolve even further.
"Oh, that sounds spectacular. We might actually be able to drag her right out into the open. But Lord Rhodes, are you serious?" Tyri, the blue dragon girl, asked. "Which Titan told you that Azeroth would see a new Black Dragonflight? And who exactly is this supposed Black Dragon King?"
As a blue dragon, she supported the idea of using these specific Black Dragons to provoke the Black Dragon Princess with "both hands, both feet, and a tail." However, rebuilding an entire Dragonflight wasn't a decision a minor dragon like her could make; that required a summit between the Dragon Aspects of the Red, Blue, Bronze, and Green flights. Furthermore, could the power of the Earth-Warden truly be stripped from Neltharion? That would require slaying the Aspect of Death himself. Just what was this human's plan?
Jaina, standing nearby, looked at Rhodes in total shock. This jerk is at it again... Is a Titan really standing behind you? More like the First Ones. When they first met, Rhodes claimed to be an envoy of the Titan Watchers, yet he produced all sorts of Titan artifacts and magic: mystical ships, medical tents, massive automated ballistae, and eventually, elemental lifeforms and dragons. Now the "Watchers" had been promoted to the "Titans themselves." You're quite the actor, kid. The one behind you is the actual Creator.
"Are you sure you aren't joking, Lord Rhodes? As far as I know, the Titans haven't contacted Azeroth in an age. The only ones who could reach them were the legendary Watchers, and now... well, never mind," Tyri said, trailing off as she thought. The Watchers' greatest base was Ulduar, and the Dragon Aspects had sensed something wrong there, though no one knew the specifics. Rumors suggested Ulduar was being corrupted by an Old God. If the Titans really returned, it would be a blessing, but word was they had been wiped out. Was the "Titan" behind him real?
"Look at these Black Dragons. Look at their bodies—this is flesh and blood. Touch them; feel their scales," Rhodes said, patting a dragon's neck. "Except for a lack of independent self-awareness, they are living, breathing beings. Who else but a Titan could create such life?"
"The Old Gods could," Tyri countered. "Humans were created by them through the Curse of Flesh, including the Dwarves."
Rhodes nearly choked on his words. Listen here, young lady, don't just throw 'Old God' around like that!
"Ahem... as you said, that was a curse. A curse that affects Titan constructs. But these Black Dragons aren't made of steel or stone. They haven't been corrupted. And just because something was affected by the Curse of Flesh, does it mean they belong to that camp? By that logic, all humans, dwarves, and gnomes belong to the Old Gods. Do we look like we're serving them? Besides, do you sense a single drop of Shadow energy on them?"
"I was just kidding. Don't take it so seriously, Lord Rhodes," the blue dragon girl said with a sly smile. After being led by the nose for so long, she finally felt she'd scored a point. She was now reasonably certain Rhodes had nothing to do with the Old Gods. While they possessed the Curse of Flesh, there were no records of mechanical Titan constructs shaped like dragons. If these were "fleshy" versions of such constructs, they would have been even stronger before the transformation, and such units didn't exist in the mass-produced Titan ranks.
More importantly, the Holy Light was the best proof. Old Gods were products of Shadow and corruption; they were naturally repelled by Light and Order. Rhodes, wielding such immense Holy Light and terrifying magic, could never be in league with them.
Rhodes's lip twitched. This girl's heart is quite wicked. "So, what is your decision, Lady Blue Dragon?"
"I will go with you to Stormwind, Lord Rhodes. I will help you drag the Black Dragon Princess out personally and bring her to justice. As for rebuilding the Black Dragonflight, I cannot decide that. Once I leave you, I will report this to the Great Spell-Weaver, and he will notify the other Aspects," Tyrygosa said.
"It seems we have an agreement. However, to make the 'fishing' more effective, I need to disguise you. We can show off the Black Dragons, but we absolutely cannot reveal a Blue Dragon," Rhodes said. His Black Dragons were meant to disgust and provoke Onyxia. Ordinary mortals couldn't tell the difference between his dragons and the Black Dragonflight—to them, they were just massive, terrifying, pitch-black beasts with dragon breath and insane defense.
Rhodes intended to use this "information gap" to rattle a certain Countess, and eventually, he hoped to add her to his mount collection. Thinking of this, he glanced at Tyri. I'm still missing a Blue Dragon mount too... ahem!
After finalizing the details, Rhodes cast his Mass Disguise again, targeting Anveena and Tyrygosa. One was the Avatar of the Sunwell, and the other was a true Blue Dragon; without a disguise, the Black Dragon Princess would see right through them. The spell turned them into ordinary humans, acting as Rhodes's guards.
Following a flash of light, they were ready. The group mounted the four Black Dragons. From Tarren Mill, they soared into the sky, heading toward Stormwind. The dragons flew at incredible speeds, far outstripping the wyverns they had used before. After a few days, they crossed the Eastern Kingdoms, bypassed Ironforge, and entered Stormwind's airspace.
The four massive dragons, with wings wide enough to blot out the sun, flew in a tight formation over Elwynn Forest. Their scales glinted coldly in the sunlight, and every wingbeat sent downdrafts that shook the trees below. Rhodes chose a high-profile entrance, flying directly over Goldshire to ensure everyone saw them.
Civilians, adventurers, and soldiers were rendered speechless by the sight. Some were too terrified to move. These were legendary dragons—and four of them at once! What was happening?
When they were still several miles from the city, sharp-eyed sentries on the walls spotted them. "Alert! Alert! Unidentified flying objects from the northwest! Massive size... it's... it's DRAGONS! BLACK DRAGONS!" The sentry's voice cracked with terror as he scrambled down the watchtower to ring the alarm.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The rapid, heavy peals of the warning bell echoed through Stormwind, shattering the city's peace. The citizens didn't realize what was happening until they looked up and saw the four shadows circling over the walls.
Some commoners froze in place, trembling with fear. On the walls, soldiers scrambled into position; archers readied their bows, and ballistae were frantically adjusted to aim at the approaching shadows. No one dared fire yet.
"Go! Inform King Varian and Lord Bolvar immediately!" the gate commander shouted.
Soldiers sprinted toward Stormwind Keep. Soon, the news reached the King and the nobility. Meanwhile, Countess Katrana Prestor was deeply confused. What is going on? Why are black dragons here?
What are Father and Brother doing? Hadn't all members of the Black Dragonflight been ordered to stay hidden and not reveal their true forms? Why would they appear so openly over Stormwind?
With a mind full of suspicion, the Black Dragon Princess headed toward the city walls.