Drakeslayer!!!!!!!!!

The beast gave out a rumbling growl which was quickly followed by the sounds of cracking bones and tearing flesh as it bit down on the remains of the gryphon it had killed. Looking on from a small rise above the creature, the three Kaldorei all shook their heads and shot each other warning glances.

The trio had ducked down low amongst the loose boulders on the small hill and from their vantage they could see down into the charred clearing and monitor the Twilight Drake as it fed on its meal. All around the clearing the forest had been burned, the drake's flames and destructive nature being taken out on the wildlife. The creature itself was large, and was easily consuming the much smaller gryphon bite by bite.

A small scuffling sound made one of the three druids look behind them, down into the forest's edge. There another druid stood along with a draenei and a warhorse. Originally two in number, the druids had attempted to take the draenei known as Mariskka through the emerald dream in order to circumvent some of the Twilight forces around Hyjal's summit. Their trip had been dangerous and short lived however as the magical forces battling for control of the region affected even the Dream. They had stepped from that realm and returned to Azeroth, carefully making their way through the wooded paths and meeting up with two of their comrades before they happened upon the drake.

Another growl brought the trio's attention back to the beast as it tore through its meal. The draenei and female druidess at the edge of the path would be safe while they determined what course to take to avoid conflict with the beast; they simply had to plot a way around it without getting its attention.

The three Kaldorei never heard the second drake as it dove down towards their position from high above. The first they knew of it was when waves of twilight flames bathed the rocky outcropping that they sheltered behind, shattering boulders and throwing them into the clearing beyond where the first drake fed.

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Alâra gasped in shock as she watched the other three druids on the hill above the treeline fall down the rocky slope and into the clearing beyond. She knew they were in serious trouble; one drake had been enough of a worry but the second drake now was drifting down to join its companion, and her friends and loved ones were trapped in its path. Without a second thought she whirled towards Mariskka and shouted, "Stay here! I have to help them!"

She dashed off up the hill and over the rise into the clearing beyond, leaving Mariskka to blink at her in surprise as she disappeared from sight. The draenei turned suddenly, her pigtails bouncing as she pointed at her horse and yelled, "Be staying here! I vill help them, yes!"

Predictably, the warhorse didn't respond as the draenei energetically ran off after the druidess.

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Alâra knew they were in trouble the minute her feet hit the dust of the clearing. One of the three druids was badly wounded from his fall, and the other two were standing back to back over their wounded companion, bravely facing the two drakes with their staves and nature magic. Although the sight of the drakes filled her with terror, the druidess rushed to the side of her companions, kneeling down and reaching out to touch the wounded elf on the ground.

"Hold them off! I think I can stop his bleeding!" she shouted.

The other two druids nodded grimly and hurled spells up at the two drakes. One of them dodged the attack and returned a swipe with its claw, forcing the druid facing it to dance out of the way. The second drake muttered something in its own language, and a magical shield curled around it, deflecting the druid's spells away from it. That drake, seemingly slightly larger and more powerful than the one that had attacked from the air, was clearly older and had learned combat spells. The druids gaped at it in surprise, knowing they were in serious trouble.

When they saw Mariskka dashing over the top of the hill, their fears were confirmed.

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Her hooves gave her poor purchased in the loose rock and soil of the burned hill and clearing beyond. Mariskka half-fell, half-slid down the incline, rushing into the clearing as the two drakes continued their attack on the druids. The two male Kaldorei had both now suffered hits from the drakes claws, and the third male was unmoving as Alâra tried to tend his wounds.

Skidding to a halt in the middle of the fray, Mariskka's face took on a look of determination. She raised her hand and pointed at the larger of the two drakes, calling on the elements to aid her.

Seeing what she was doing, the two Kaldorei that were fighting shouted in unison at her.
"NO! IT'S WARDED! DON'T DO IT!"
"WATCH OUT! THE BEAST KNOWS MAGIC!"

Their warnings had come far too late as a jagged bolt of lightning arced from Mariskka's hands directly at the larger drake. The eye-searingly bright bolt was reflected by it's magical ward and hurtled back towards the draenei, first striking the ground between the two druids before flying back up into the air. The Kaldorei all rolled, dodging the flashing light as best they could as everyone's hair stood on end. Alâra was nearly knocked over as her companions desperately avoided the poorly aimed spell, and Mariskka's eyes widened as she saw it heading back towards her. Her shield came up at the last minute, and the powerful bolt of lightning struck it and ricocheted off, flying across the clearing.

The bolt struck the base of an ancient dead tree, more than fifty feet in height. With a tremendous roar the electrical spell detonated the wood, finally grounding itself fully and waning. With a groan, the long dead tree began to bend, the wood splintering and giving way after eons of standing vigil on the hilly slopes of Hyjal. It teetered and finally tipped over, gravity doing the rest.

It fell directly on top of the larger of the two drakes, smacking it soundly on the top of the head.

As the elves looked on in disbelief, the drake looked at Mariskka with crossed eyes, blinking a few times before its eyes rolled up into its head and it passed out. Drake and ancient tree tumbled to the ground with a crash and a cloud of dust. The disbelief on the face of all of the onlookers was quickly replaced with alarm as the second drake gave off a mighty roar. All eyes turned to take in the sight of that drake lashing out and catching Alâra with it's claw, hooking it into her clothing and throwing her to the ground where one massive paw kept her pinned.

The elf struggled, and the drake almost gave a reptilian smirk as the two Kaldorei froze, unsure of what to do. For her part, Mariskka slowly got up off the ground where the lightning bolt had thrown her and eyed the situation over critically. She nodded to herself, as if making a decision and then pointed at the drake.

"Hey! HEY! Your mother is being fat and ugly!" she shouted at the creature.

The drake, having little contact with draenei and certainly no experience with anyone insulting its broodmother, roared in anger. A few more lewd gestures from the draenei set the creature into a rage, and it forgot about the druidess beneath it's claws as it sprang forward to devour the annoying hoofed creature.

As soon as the beast left Alâra, the two Kaldorei rushed over to her, helping her up and moving towards their fallen companion. The three looked on, sure they were about to witness the demise of the brave but rather foolhardy draenei. Instead, they saw something amazing happen. As the drake surged towards the draenei, she leaped into the air and her form shimmered, becoming that of a ghostly looking wolf. The drake's claws slashed down, but the nimble creature dove in between them, avoiding the attacks and taking off for the treeline at breakneck speeds.

In a full rage now, the drake roared and jumped high into the air, heading over the running wolf and landing between it and the treeline, blocking its passage. In a flash, the wolf was replaced with Mariskka's form again, and she hurled something at the drake. To the onlookers, it seemed to be a pebble, which bounced harmlessly off the drake's chest.

"Be taking that!" Mariskka cried in triumph.

The drake, as well as the elves, looked at the draenei with dumbfounded expressions on their faces. The drake stepped forward, menacing the draenei by moving its fanged maw close to her.

"Time to die little thing," it hissed at her.

Even as it was about to swallow Mariskka whole, something tapped it on one of it's wing joints. It turned around to see an enraged earth elemental standing behind it where the pebble Mariskka had thrown previously rested. The last thing it saw was a huge fist made of stone hurtling towards its face.

Everyone in the clearing winced at the sound of rock striking scaley flesh.

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As the sun began to set, four elves and a draenei made their way over a hilltop, the summit of Hyjal finally coming into view. Behind them, the charred forest was still and silent, the threats that had lurked in that particular area pacified for the time being.

Despite the beating they had all taken, the four elves were grateful to see their destination ahead of them. They shared a look between them, their eyes sliding back to the draenei who was in the rear of the party, happily explaining to her warhorse why it was a superior form of transportation because it didn't try to eat her. The elves looked back at each other and shrugged, putting the last miles of the trail ahead of them once more.

The horse gave a sigh, as if the trip had already been far longer than it wanted.

With Mariskka's laughter (at one of her own jokes) echoing through the forest around them, the group slowly headed towards the setting sun.