Speaking of Outland, there are still some Black Dragon eggs left here. Unfortunately, most of them have already mutated into Netherwing Dragons—a special kind of dragonkin that grows at an incredible speed but has a very short lifespan and requires a massive amount of energy to survive.
In the original lore of the Dragons of Outland, these Nether Dragons were brought back by Tyrygosa and a human Paladin, which eventually triggered the awakening of Malygos. The Aspect of Magic devoured these Nether Dragons, leading to the first magical crisis on Azeroth when the Spell-Weaver decided to shut down the ley lines.
These creatures are essentially incorporeal dragons infected by volatile energies. Creatures of Azeroth are truly susceptible to infection by external forces, especially the Six Primal Powers. The original proto-dragons became the Great Aspects after being infused with energy by the Titan Watchers, with the Black Dragonflight receiving the power of the Earth.
A thought suddenly occurred to Rhodes: since his Angels can accept the Holy Light, his Demons can embrace Fel, and his Phoenixes can adapt to both (evolving into Holy Fire or Fel Fire Phoenixes)—and perhaps even Shadow energy in the future to become Shadow Phoenixes—then elemental bodies are clearly the most suitable vessels for the Primal Powers.
The Black Dragons, therefore, should also be capable of undergoing transformation via these special energies. For instance, the power of the Earth. But how to have them accept that power remained a question. Even his Titans were, in a sense, constructed constructs similar to Titan-forged; he wondered if they could accept true Titan energy.
If they could connect with the power of the Earth or the World-Soul of Azeroth itself, could his Black Dragons replace the original flight as the Aspects of Earth? It wasn't impossible. The Black Dragonflight had already fallen; rather than letting the Earth-Warder's power go to Thrall, it might as well go to him.
However, implementing such a plan required careful maneuvering. He had too many things on his plate and simply couldn't be in two places at once!
Upon his return, he immediately had to deal with the internal issues of the Alliance. First was the liberation of Lordaeron City and escorting Princess Calia back to the Eastern Kingdoms to claim the throne as Queen. Then, he had to handle the Grand Admiral to ensure the King of Kul Tiras didn't die at the hands of Orcs like in the original timeline—an event that caused Kul Tiras to leave the Alliance for decades.
He also needed to find time to visit Stormwind to deal with the Black Dragon Countess and root out that Alliance traitor. Meanwhile, regarding the Scourge, he had to have Thant handle Kel'Thuzad. His two Undead heroes were extremely keen on cracking the secrets of the Scourge's floating necropolises.
Furthermore, because of his intervention, Kil'jaeden hadn't forced Illidan to go to Azeroth for the Battle of the Frozen Throne. Without Illidan's interference, Arthas would ascend the Frozen Throne and inherit the Lich King's power with ease. He wasn't sure if this was a blessing or a curse.
While now wasn't the time to lead the coalition to Northrend—given the pile of Alliance business—Rhodes felt a bit unwilling to let Arthas obtain that power so cheaply. In the original timeline, Arthas only won after a brutal duel with Illidan, and the Lich King was at his breaking point. That desperation forced Ner'zhul and Arthas to merge; if Ner'zhul hadn't merged with Arthas to try and claim his body, his soul would have vanished.
But now, although Arthas had been heavily wounded by Rhodes in the Eastern Kingdoms, he hadn't been hurt fundamentally. Would the Lich King still merge with him? Or would a Ner'zhul who hadn't been pushed to the brink choose a slower, more calculated approach? And after merging, would Arthas still sit on the Frozen Throne for five years to digest that power?
"What's wrong? Are you thinking about something, Rhodes? Is it the Draenei?" Jaina sat down quietly beside him and asked.
Several days had passed since the battle for the Black Temple. During this time, Akama had brought a massive number of Broken to the temple for Rhodes to evolve. There were tens of thousands of them, and it took Rhodes seven full days to purify them all back into Draenei. Led by Akama, they had thanked Rhodes before heading toward Prophet Velen.
Before leaving, Akama solemnly promised that after settling his people, he would lead a contingent of several thousand elite warriors to join Rhodes's ranks. Each of these warriors was proficient in the Light—essentially thousands of Paladins. This was a formidable force.
Rhodes naturally welcomed this. He planned to wait for Akama's return and then take everyone back to Azeroth. During this period, Rhodes's unit growth refreshed, allowing him to recruit a second Black Dragon, while his numbers for Phoenixes and other troops also grew.
"I'm not worried about Akama; he won't go back on his word. The Draenei's honor is reliable. I was thinking about something else," Rhodes said, glancing at Jaina. "During that confrontation atop the temple, you heard Kil'jaeden mention his original order for Illidan to attack the Lich King."
"The Lich King... speaking of which, the Scourge's presence in the Eastern Kingdoms has weakened significantly. A large number of undead seem to have moved toward Stratholme, appearing to occupy it. And I heard that for some reason, Arthas has already returned to Northrend," Jaina noted.
Currently, only Rhodes, Jaina, and Maiev remained at the Black Temple; the others had already been sent back to Azeroth via Rhodes's portals. He had ordered Mograine and Dathrohan to begin mobilizing their troops so they could immediately launch the campaign to retake Lordaeron upon his return.
During the portal operations, the Alliance had gathered intelligence confirming Arthas's departure for Northrend. Furthermore, a rebellion had broken out within the Scourge; many undead followed the Banshee Queen, Sylvanas, and the Death Knight Highlord toward Stratholme to seize the city.
"We can ignore Stratholme for now. We retake Lordaeron City first. The Alliance needs to recover. As for the undead who betrayed the Lich King, as long as they don't attack us, we'll leave them be. My real concern is Northrend. Arthas' return likely means he will receive the Lich King's 'blessing' and gain even more power. I worry the Scourge will return with a vengeance."
Rhodes continued, "Jaina, remember when Illidan and I used the fel artifact to strike the Frozen Throne? It cracked the ice, and the Lich King's power began to leak rapidly. Now, the Lich King needs a new physical vessel, or he will continue to fade until he's gone. That's why Arthas's return will almost certainly result in him inheriting that power."
"Goddess... Rhodes, do you mean... a Lich King that can move? One that can walk among us?" Jaina immediately grasped the implications. Arthas as the strongest Death Knight was a headache enough, but the Lich King's power was unfathomable. No one wanted to imagine the horror of those two powers combined.
"Exactly. Once Arthas reaches the throne, they will become one. I'm just not sure if Arthas's consciousness will lead, or Ner'zhul's, or if they will meld into something else entirely," Rhodes said.
Without Illidan's pressure, things might not play out like the original history. Arthas might not emerge as the victor of the mental struggle. If the old Orc devoured Arthas's soul instead, things could get much worse. The Wrath of the Lich King might erupt early and be even more terrifying. Rhodes always felt that Arthas, while a great antagonist, lacked Ner'zhul's sheer cunning—the Orc who had beaten the Alliance and played the Legion.
"Whatever you decide to do, Rhodes, I will support you," Jaina said firmly. "If needed, I can convince my father to mobilize the Kul Tiran fleet to join your coalition against Arthas." She assumed Rhodes wanted to strike Northrend immediately to stop the merger.
"It's not that simple. The Alliance isn't that unified yet. I can only truly command the Lordaeron loyalists, plus Quel'Thalas and Dalaran. Stormwind might not heed the call, and the dwarves of Ironforge are the same."
"How could they not? Rhodes, you are the Grand Marshal of the Alliance. Once you explain the stakes, the entire Alliance will follow your command," Jaina insisted.