Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects

19

Alexstrasza had been right. Sure enough, when she and Thrall were a few miles from Wyrmrest Temple, they saw blue and green dragons in the air and on the ground. She was spotted, of course. Several flew out to her and darted about almost giddily.

“Life-Binder!” Narygos cried happily. “Dark is the hour and dark are our hearts, but to see you brings a lightness to both. Thrall—thank you for what you have done.”

“Friend Narygos,” said Alexstrasza warmly, “I see my sister, Ysera, and the new Aspect, Kalecgos, and their flights. My own reds will come as soon as they know I am here.”

“Then I shall seek them out at once, Life-Binder,” said one of the greens. Thrall wondered how it was that the green knew where the reds were. Perhaps Ysera knew and had told him. There was so very much about dragons he had yet to grasp.

“Have we heard nothing from Nozdormu, then?” Alexstrasza queried.

Narygos and the others dropped back, above and below her, escorting and guarding her as they flew toward the gathering place.

“Not yet,” Narygos said, with a quick glance at Thrall. “We have heard no word from him. Have you?”

“I have not been contacted,” Thrall replied. “I can only assume that he is still investigating and learning.”

“Knowledge is power,” a large green agreed, “but it will do us no good if he learns something useful and Chromatus has slain us all.”

“Hush, Rothos,” Alexstrasza said sternly. “It is not the orc’s fault if the Timeless One is not present. We … all do what we must.” The last phrase was said in a sweet, sad voice, and Thrall knew she was thinking of Korialstrasz. He had done what he had to do, at a terrible cost.

Rothos looked apologetically at Thrall. “I am sorry, my friend, but you have seen what we fight. I would have Nozdormu and his bronzes with us when we try again.”

“No offense taken, and I agree,” Thrall said sincerely.

They had almost reached the site. “Please—go ahead and gather everyone,” Alexstrasza asked of Rothos. “I have … some information they must know.”

“Information about Chromatus?” Rothos asked hopefully.

Alexstrasza shook her head. “No. But I hope it will give them courage, and fresh hope, and those are weapons indeed.”

A few moments later they landed. Thrumming, musical dragon cheers filled the bitterly cold air. Thrall was smiling as he slipped off of Alexstrasza’s back into calf-deep snow.

“Thrall!”

He turned to see Kalecgos beaming down at him. The Great Aspect reached out a paw and very gently gathered Thrall in it. Thrall felt not a twinge of worry, only pleasure at seeing his friend again.

“I must stop underestimating you,” Kalec said, bringing the orc closer to his face. “You have done as you said you would. You brought us back our Life-Binder—in all senses of the word,” he added, looking over to where Alexstrasza nuzzled maternally at both greens and blues who rushed up to her. “I know not what magic you used, but I am grateful for it.”

“Only the magic of the heart,” Thrall said. “She will tell you what I learned, and shared with her. We will all know.”

Ysera craned her head at the sound of Thrall’s voice and moved toward them. She dipped her head on its long, sinuous neck in a gesture of respect.

“You were part of my dreaming, and one of the best parts,” she told him. “You have done so much to help us. I grieve for Desharin, but I am glad you escaped.”

“Know that if I could have saved him, I would have.”

She nodded. “The Hour of Twilight awaits us,” she said. She lifted her head and looked around, her rainbow-hued eyes bright with pleasure. “I see green and blue dragons gathered together. It is well, son of Durotan. It is well. But, ah, our red brothers and sisters have come to join us!”

Thrall turned to follow her gaze, and a short moment later could both see and hear the approaching leviathans. Dozens of them, there must have been, bearing down upon this gathering place. Thrall gazed in wonder, then looked about. Three Dragon Aspects and their flights were assembled now. He recalled the fight against the twilight dragons, and began to feel hope rising inside him. Surely there were three times the number of dragons gathered here now as had been at that fight, and with the Life-Binder leading them …

Alexstrasza leaped into the air. The reds clustered and darted about her, moving in lightly to reverently nuzzle her, dropping back respectfully. There was joy in her that he had not seen before, joy at being with her flight after so much anguish and bitterness. After a few moments of the aerial dance of this beautiful reunion, Alexstrasza landed lightly on one of the jutting peaks, positioning herself where everyone could see her. They fell silent, eagerly awaiting the words of the Dragonqueen. She looked at them all for a moment, her head moving slowly as her eyes scanned the crowd.

“My brothers and sisters,” she said, “we stand on the brink of a dreadful battle, against a foe whose power is terrifying. But there is something you must know before we begin our planning. Something that will, I hope, give you yet more reason to fight for yourselves, your flight, and the whelps not yet hatched.”

This was received in silence. Some of them shifted uneasily. It was as if they had suddenly remembered that Alexstrasza’s mate had been the one to destroy so many eggs.

Kalecgos gently lifted Thrall up toward his shoulder. The orc made the now-familiar leap, landing securely atop the blue Dragon Aspect as Kalec rose and flew to stand beside Alexstrasza. He offered wordless solidarity as she began to tell the other dragons about the vision Thrall had shared with her. Ysera glided to land at Alexstrasza’s left side, supporting her sister.

Some, probably those who knew Korialstrasz best, seemed to be more than willing to believe Alexstrasza, their own scaly faces and lambent eyes showing deep sympathy. Others, while not outright protesting—Thrall suspected that they were too glad to have the Life-Binder returned to them to challenge her story—seemed to be dubious or plainly skeptical.

Thrall was pleased, but not surprised, to see that Kalecgos was among those who believed at once. He felt for the blue, however, when Alexstrasza described what had been done to Kirygosa. Many of the blues muttered angrily, but Kalec simply looked away, pain on his face. When Alexstrasza had finished, it was Kalec who broke the silence.

“So much is clear now,” he said. “We know that a chromatic dragon exists. And while I am horrified to learn that Kirygosa has been … tortured in so dreadful a fashion, I am deeply glad she yet lives. When the sanctums were destroyed, we were in ignorance. To our minds, there was no reason for Korialstrasz to behave as he had. But now we know. We understand.”

“If all is indeed as was said,” said one of the older blues. Thrall recognized him as Teralygos, one who had stood staunchly by Arygos. “All we have is a so-called vision. There is no proof that any of this happened.”

“She is Alexstrasza,” said Narygos. “She is an Aspect … the Life-Binder!”

“And it is very convenient that she happened to have a vision—no, wait, that an orc came along at just the right time to tell her of a vision that exonerates her mate,” continued the older blue. “What say you if I have a vision that Alexstrasza is making this up? Or has gone mad? That perhaps the vanished Kirygosa, who—”

“Can verify all that the Life-Binder has said,” came a thin, fragile voice. Another one of the blues alighted, and he bore on his back a human girl.

Thrall recognized her at once: it was Kirygosa, from his vision.

“Kiry!” cried Kalec. Thrall slid off his shoulder quickly, and Kalec transformed into his half-elven shape as Kirygosa unsteadily dismounted. He raced to her, catching her up in his arms and hugging her tightly. She smiled faintly at him and others who hurried up to her, looking weary and painfully thin, but clearly happy to be with her flight again.

“Are you all right?” Kalec asked, concerned. “After what they … did to you?”

“Now that I am free, I will be,” Kirygosa said, leaning on Kalecgos. “As I said … what Thrall saw about me in his vision is true. I believe the vision about Korialstrasz to be true as well.” She looked up at the great red dragon smiling benevolently down at her. “My lady, I grieve for your loss.”

“Thank you, Kirygosa,” Alexstrasza said. Her voice was heavy with sorrow but not despair. Not anymore. “And I grieve for yours.”

Kalec’s worried frown deepened. “Do you know about Arygos?” he asked Kiry quietly.

Kirygosa nodded. “Yes. He was betrayed by the Twilight Father, and slain by a human assassin named Blackmoore. I understand this Blackmoore had also been sent to kill you, Thrall,” she said, turning to the only orc present. “I am relieved to see he has not succeeded. The Twilight Father and Deathwing both fear you. I am glad you are on our side.”

“Come, sit and rest,” Kalecgos urged. “Eat something and tell us what you know.”

“The chain …” Kiry reached with fumbling fingers and pulled out a slender silver chain that hung around her neck, a simple-looking thing. Kalec clearly understood at once what it was. “I tried so hard to break it—”

“I know,” Kalec said gently. “Dar’Khan once placed such a collar on me. I well know your fear and frustration, dear sister. One I cared for freed me … and now I free you.”

Gently, he grasped the necklace between his thumb and forefinger. With the faintest of tugs, the blue Dragon Aspect snapped the chain as if it were nothing more than an ordinary piece of jewelry. Kirygosa sobbed joyfully. The others backed up, smiling, to give her room as she shifted into her true form. Thrall smiled to himself as he watched her rise into the air, flying weakly but spiritedly, free once more.

Kirygosa was attended to. Thrall helped to heal her while Kalecgos conjured meat and drink for her. Alexstrasza and Ysera stood beside her in their humanoid forms, offering what comfort they could. Thrall was surprised to see Ysera’s preferred shape. She had first appeared to him in night elf form. She still had the dark-purple skin and long ears of the kaldorei, but the crown of fierce horns that adorned her green hair marked her true nature. A few other dragons, some in humanoid forms, others in their draconic shapes, gathered around as Kirygosa’s brutal story unfolded.

“I will tell you all I know, and hope that something I say can help you,” she told them. “There is much that … to be honest, does not give me cause for hope.”

“You escaped, which should have been nearly impossible,” Kalecgos said. “I, for one, find great hope in that fact.”

She tried to smile, but something deeply worried her. “I thank you for that, but … well, you will understand what I mean.”

“Start at the beginning,” Alexstrasza said. “How were you captured?”

“After the loss of Jarygos … my mate … Arygos tricked me into accompanying him. He turned me over to the human—for I know he is human—known as the Twilight Father. The Twilight Father and Arygos were working with the twilight dragonflight—and with Deathwing.”

The three Aspects exchanged glances. “The first attack,” Alexstrasza said, “the one who taunted us—he named himself the Twilight Father.”

“Go on, dear one,” said Ysera gently.

“They kept me imprisoned in my dragon form until my eggs were safely laid, then they put that chain on me.” Kiry winced, recalling it.

“Easier to control you in human form,” said Kalec. “I know.”

She nodded. “They began experiments—on me, on my children …” Her voice caught for a moment. Alexstrasza laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Kiry gave her a faint smile and continued.

“That, Life-Binder, was what Korialstrasz stumbled upon. They had improved the odds of creating healthy chromatic dragons by experimenting on my children. It seems that, as I am a child of Malygos, my children are stronger. Korialstrasz dealt them a serious blow by eliminating their prospective army. Another blow was dealt when Arygos failed to become the Aspect. He had promised to deliver all of the blue flight into the Twilight Father’s hands.”

“We will never know if Arygos was sane when he made that bargain,” said Kalec with quiet fury. “But, for the sake of his memory, let us hope he was not.”

Kirygosa nodded, composing herself with a visible effort. “He was certainly devoted to the cult, but beyond that, I cannot say.”

“What he did to you—”

“It is done, and over,” she said, and Thrall realized that she was trying to reassure Kalecgos, even after all she had endured. She was unspeakably brave.

“So two blows were dealt to their plans. But they still had Chromatus.” Her voice broke, and she struggled visibly to regain her composure.

“I don’t know where they found him. The cultists brought him all the way to Northrend, knowing that they needed vast stores of arcane energy to give him the spark of life. And for that, they needed a surge needle created from the blood of a child of Malygos.”

“Then—forgive me,” said Thrall, “but … why did they not use your blood for that purpose sooner?”

“I believe they wanted to wait until Arygos brought them the blues,” she said. “Think of what a sight that would have made: Chromatus would have first been beheld by his enemies at full strength, at the forefront of a vast dragon army. I do not think the Twilight Father originally intended to kill Arygos. But when my brother failed, the Twilight Father made sure he still had a use. He made sure I did, too. I escaped before they tried to—to breed me to that thing.”

Thrall was appalled. The two female Aspects looked ill, and Thrall realized that if the Twilight Father were to suddenly appear right now, Kalec would likely cheerfully have ripped him apart. And Thrall would have joined in.

“It could have worked, too,” Kiry continued. “I could have been the mother of an entire new flight of abominations. Chromatus was the final experiment of Nefarian—who, as I have learned, also lives. After a fashion. He has been reanimated, but not brought to life as Chromatus has been.”

“Nefarian is an undead atrocity, then.” While Kirygosa had spoken, other dragons had drawn close to listen, and now a large red moved his massive frame to stand protectively over Alexstrasza and Kirygosa—both with hearts and spirits terribly wounded, and yet both so strong. The red continued: “Is he here as well?”

Kiry shook her head. “No, I think Deathwing has other plans for him. Chromatus will be enough. Kalec—you surprised him last time. He was but newly born. And even so …” Her voice trailed off.

“Even so, my entire flight was defeated,” Kalec finished for her.

“You do not stand alone now, Kalecgos,” Alexstrasza reassured him. “Three full flights stand together. He may have been able to defeat one flight, but three? Long has it been since we fought so, and I do not think, monstrous as he is, one single dragon can stand against all of us!”

Kirygosa seemed agitated at the words and grasped Alexstrasza’s hand. “Life-Binder,” she said, “He—he was made … for you.” She looked at Kalec and Ysera as well. “All of you. He is more than just an exceptionally powerful chromatic dragon. He was brought to life with a specific purpose: to destroy the Aspects!”

Thrall opened his mouth in an automatic denial, then closed it. He had seen Chromatus. He saw what the monster could do. At full health, with the abilities of each flight his own—

“So it is true,” said Ysera, looking stricken. “My vision is true.”

Alexstrasza reached out her other hand to Ysera. “Speak, Sister,” she implored.

“I had hoped … I was wrong. …” Ysera closed her eyes and spoke in a dreamy, singsong voice. It was not a spell, not in the truest sense of the word, but the scene she described had an enchantment all its own. Thrall could almost see what she spoke of in his own mind: the death of all things, save the twilight dragonflight. No plants, no beasts, no beings, no living thing at all drew breath save them. And each of the Aspects lay dead and stiffening.

Even the darkest, cruelest one of all. The one who had helped make the monster that brought it about.

Deathwing.

Thrall trembled and felt cold sweat trickling over his skin. Panic threatened to seize his throat. Others around him lifted their voices in fear, in anger, in grim acceptance, but one voice rang out clearly.

“It is not our doom!”

The voice belonged to the Life-Binder. She stood, still in her humanoid form, still holding the hands of her sister and the traumatized Kirygosa. Her face was bright with resolve and passion. “We have already seen that we have disrupted this grandiose plan of Deathwing’s. Arygos’s failure. Kiry’s escape. The blues attacking Chromatus before he was fully ready. No, this is not set in stone. Ysera’s visions always have meaning, yes. But dreams always rely on interpretation. Sister—could this be a warning as to what might happen if we do not fight?”

Ysera cocked her horned head. “Yes,” she said. “Only Nozdormu knows what will truly be. I only share what I saw.”

“Then let us resolve now,” Alexstrasza said, “that we will set to this fight with all we have. Every blue, every green, every red dragon—know that you fight not only for your lives but for all life. All things. We will take on this so-called Aspect slayer, and we will show the Twilight Father and Deathwing himself that we will not be cowed. No matter what we have lost—or stand to lose—the thing we will not lose is our world. Chromatus will fall!”

And the hope that Thrall felt swell about him was so real, so sincere, he could taste it, and he lifted his own orcish voice in the cry of determination and will that filled the air.