World of Warcraft - [Dawn of the Aspects 05] - Dawn of the Aspects- Part V

by Richard A Knaak (epub)

  “They saved the world without all the powers they gained as the Aspects.” She paused, her eyes widening. “Kalec! Did you see it?”

  “No . . . and I don’t think I would have. I think the vision was almost finished. I think I might have returned to the beginning, living it over and over and over.” Kalec imagined the last few moments. “The artifact. Tyr tied it to the five. That’s what he was doing when he pointed it at us—them. Imprinting the five on it. I think it drew from each but especially from Malygos, the first. Tyr didn’t know that it would end up inside Galakrond.”

  “The key enabled me to delve into its core,” the archmage said. “I saw some of what he intended it to tell you about its function. Tyr suspected—or knew—that someday there would come a time when the five would have great doubts about themselves, when they might believe they were no longer worthy of their roles as protectors.”

  This was sounding all too familiar to Kalec. “At Wyrmrest, it came to a head. That’s when they decided just that, because they no longer had the powers of the Aspects. They’d grown too accustomed to depending on those.” He frowned. “And that’s when the artifact awoke. It sensed that what Tyr feared had happened, if not quite as he calculated, and tried to act as he wanted. The only problems were the great amount of time and Galakrond’s taint infiltrating its magical matrix.”

  Kalec tried to stand. With Jaina’s arm around him, he finally managed. On somewhat unsteady legs, he walked to the relic. It no longer disturbed him, now that he knew what it had been meant for.

  Tyr wanted them to be reminded of what they once were and how much they had accomplished even then.

  To Jaina’s shock, Kalec picked up the artifact.

  “What are you planning to do with that?”

  He thought of all he had lived through in the visions and what he had seen of young Malygos and the other four. There was only one course he could take after that.

  “I’m going to call a convocation.”

  • • •

  He waited quietly in the chamber, hoping that he was not waiting in vain. He had arrived at Wyrmrest more than four hours earlier, wanting to reach it before the others.

  Kalec still sensed nothing beyond the temple’s walls. The others should have been there by now. It was already well past the hour on which they had all agreed.

  With a grimace, Kalec recalled how, in truth, the three had only said that they would fly to Wyrmrest after he had pestered them over and over. It would not surprise him if they had changed their minds.

  For the moment, he remained in his humanoid form, preferring it now for a variety of reasons. One was that he could better handle the artifact as he desired.

  The relic currently sat in the very center of the chamber, a few feet ahead of Kalec on the platform. It pulsated quietly, its functioning having been corrected by Kalec and Jaina. Galakrond’s taint had also been expunged, at least as far as either could tell.

  If they do not come, I will have to bring it to each of them. Even that might not solve the situation; the other three could very well refuse to see him.

  “Well, Kalec. Can you tell us now for what reason you insisted we return here?”

  He could not help jumping. Alexstrasza—her form humanoid—strode into the chamber, looking every bit as radiant as when he had seen her in the forest. There was no sign of Ysera or Nozdormu, but Kalec suddenly sensed their nearby presence.

  “You’ve been here for a while,” he muttered.

  “We needed to . . . discuss some things first. Now we are ready to hear you, if you still wish to call this gathering.”

  In response, Kalec took a few steps back from his position and transformed into his draconic form. He peered down at Alexstrasza. “I do.”

  “Very well.” She started toward her usual place, changing as she moved. By the time Alexstrasza halted, she, too, was no longer humanoid in appearance.

  Barely had she finished changing when Nozdormu and Ysera also entered. Unlike Alexstrasza, they did so in their draconic shapes and not in humanoid ones. They said nothing as they positioned themselves.

  “Thank you for doing this,” the blue dragon quietly said.

  “Just what are we doing?” Ysera interrupted. “Best tell us quickly. You said it had to do with that thing, which I know I have seen somewhere before—”

  Kalec immediately concentrated on the relic.

  Nozdormu hissed. “Jussst what are you—”

  Tyr’s creation glowed brightly.

  The three other dragons’ gazes became locked on the relic. Kalec let out a deep breath. As it had done with him, so the artifact now did with the others, only in not so haphazard a way. All relived their past, from their first meeting with one another to the epic struggle.

  But whereas Kalec had been caught up in the vision for days, the three others were only entranced for a minute, maybe two. In that short time, though, their reptilian countenances displayed a series of emotions, none of which, unfortunately, told Kalec how they were taking this sudden journey.

  The artifact’s glow all but faded. As Kalec expected, Alexstrasza and the others stirred.

  “I was . . .” Ysera hesitated.

  Nozdormu stared at the relic. “That thing . . .”

  Alexstrasza looked put out. “Kalecgos, you should not have done this without our permission!”

  “Would you have given it?”

  “Of course not!” Ysera snapped. Then, sounding surprisingly softer, Alexstrasza’s sister added, “But we would have been wrong.”

  Nozdormu turned his baleful gaze from Tyr’s creation to Kalec. “Explain thisss . . . and yourself.”

  Kalec did, telling them what he had gone through and the things he had experienced in the vision. He told them everything except Jaina’s part in it, as she had requested.

  And when he was done, even Nozdormu looked astounded.

  “I wondered for some time after why he had brought forth that thing,” the former Aspect of Time muttered. “What a foolish notion to think that he could change what has happened by reminding us of this incident.”

  “It was hardly just an incident, though,” the red dragon pointed out to him. “And your own tone betrays you, Nozdormu. You lived it again, just as my sister and I did. You remember how you felt then. How we all felt.”

  “What does that matter?” Ysera blurted.

  Kalec seized control again. “What matters is what Tyr wanted you to see. What you have to see. When we gave up our powers to save Azeroth, you three, who’d wielded them for so long, willingly did a great and noble thing. Throughout the millennia, as Aspects, you more than once proved yourselves willing to sacrifice your lives.” He looked at each of them, daring someone to deny what he said. “But Tyr knew—and I understand—that you were granted such fantastic powers in the first place not just because you were there but because you had already proved yourselves worthy several times over. Proved yourselves worthy as proto-dragons, nothing more.”

  Nozdormu grunted. “We nearly died several times over.”

  “But you did not.”

  “No . . . we did.” Alexstrasza exhaled. “Not literally, but we did die. We forgot what we once were. How we originally were. We did exist before we became Aspects.” She set herself before Ysera and Nozdormu. “We existed, and we fought thinking not of ourselves but of everything!”

  Kalec pulled back again. Alexstrasza understood, but did the others?

  “You fought very well for a runt,” Nozdormu remarked to Ysera. “I thought you mad at timesss . . . but admirable.”

  “I had her to keep up with,” Alexstrasza’s sibling replied with a nod toward the crimson dragon. “And you were always there to lend your strength at the right moment, Nozdormu. You know that.”

  “We all fought very well that day,” Alexstrasza agreed. “Even . . . even Malygos and Nel
tharion.”

  The three were silent for several seconds; then, as one, they turned to face the youngest of their party. Kalec remained perfectly still, aware that anything could alter the moment.

  Alexstrasza shook her head. “You should never have done this, Kalec.”

  “It was ill-advised,” Nozdormu added.

  “Risky,” Ysera concluded.

  “But it has reminded us of much,” her sister went on. “Reminded us most of all of who we were and still are.” Alexstrasza again glanced at the other two. “We have far more to think about. Would you not agree?”

  “Much,” the bronze dragon answered.

  Ysera nodded.

  Something that had been bothering Kalec finally demanded attention. “I have to ask one thing. We all know Galakrond as Father of Dragons, but . . .”

  “It did not begin that way,” Alexstrasza murmured. “The first dragons to come after us knew only of the great skeleton already long lying in the Dragonblight. We made certain that the truth about Galakrond would remain secret, for fear that some other might decide to follow his insidious path. Because of his immense size, many could not fathom him as anything else but a true dragon.”

  “We chose to encourage the misunderstanding,” Nozdormu interjected. “And in his perverse way, Galakrond did cause the rise of dragonsss. A ‘father’ in some sense, if not exactly as we led all othersss to believe.”

  “And we shall continue to leave it that way,” the red dragon quietly declared. Then, before a startled Kalec could react, Alexstrasza turned and scooped up the artifact. “I will tend to this. Its work—Tyr’s work—is done. We may not be Aspects anymore, but we are still ourselves. I, for one, think that perhaps there is some more I can offer the world after all. We can only wait and see.”

  “I understand,” Kalec finally dared reply.

  “The next convocation had better be for more urgent mattersss,” Nozdormu commented as he spread his wings and started from the platform. “Promise that.”

  “I—promise.”

  “You’re a stubborn one,” Ysera murmured as she followed Nozdormu. “I can appreciate that.”

  Kalec was left with Alexstrasza. She tightened her grip on the relic. “Should I ever find that Tyr lives, I will thank him for reminding us. As I do not know if I will have that chance, I thank you in his place, Kalec.”

  “There’s no need—”

  “Yes, there is. You still remembered life before assuming the mantle. You remembered enough to make certain that Tyr’s hopes rekindled our own drive. So I thank you for that and much else.” She left the dais but, before reaching the exit, briefly turned back. “Oh . . . and thank her for us also.”

  Alexstrasza departed before Kalec could regain his composure. He immediately whirled toward a distant column half in the shadows. “You heard her?”

  A part of the column separated from the bulk. As it did, it became Jaina Proudmoore. “I shouldn’t have come with you! I’m sorry! What will she do?”

  He shrugged. “Nothing. Maybe find a way to thank you again. I should have known that she, of all three, might sense you.”

  He shrank down into his humanoid form. Unperturbed by what she had just witnessed, Jaina gladly fell into his arms. For several seconds, they did not speak.

  Then Jaina said, “Did it work, Kalec? Will they rejoin the world? Azeroth needs them!”

  Azeroth needs them. Three simple words, but Kalec thought about how much those words covered. The three elder dragons carried among them such knowledge, such experience, courage, and wisdom alone, that to lose even those things would leave the world sorely lacking. That, Kalec knew, could not be allowed to happen.

  “I think they will,” he finally answered. “They’ve always been true to themselves. They’ll see the truth more than ever now. They just . . . forgot for a while.”

  Without warning, she kissed him. He replied in kind.

  When they separated, Jaina whispered, “I’m so very proud of you, Kalec.”

  “I don’t know why—”

  “There are many reasons. Most of all, for not forgetting yourself, either. You still have a role in this world, too. Several, in fact, I’d say.”

  They had discussed some of this while he had been preparing for the convocation. After living through the visions, Kalec was now reconsidering his decision to let the other blue dragons choose their individual paths. He still had much to mull over and might yet decide to keep matters as they were, but there were factors favoring restoring the blue dragonflight. Not only for the sake of Azeroth but for the sake of his own kind. He had shirked his duties just as the others had done, but he would make up for that now.

  And there were other roles. Roles that he had yet to completely figure out except that Jaina insisted she would be there to assist him. Their powers combined would be potent enough, but both believed that their hearts combined might in some ways help guide Azeroth yet more for the better.

  Kalec thought it would be interesting to find out.

  “We should leave,” he told Jaina.

  She nodded, then stepped back. As she did, Kalec transformed again. He lowered one wing so that she could climb up.

  “Are you ready?” Kalec asked.

  “Yes.”

  The blue dragon wended his way out of the temple. Night was just beginning to fall, allowing some details in the distance still to be noticed in the gloom.

  Kalec spread his wings and leapt into the air. He looked back to make certain that Jaina was safe, then ascended higher.

  On a whim, Kalec circled Wyrmrest once. As he did, out of the corner of his eye, the blue dragon beheld the bones of Galakrond.

  A brief glint made him look closer.

  “What is it?” Jaina called.

  “Nothing . . . nothing.”

  Kalec banked, for Jaina’s sake heading toward Dalaran before he returned to the Nexus to ascertain whether there were any lingering aftereffects from the artifact’s presence. There was no reason he could not have told Jaina what he thought he’d seen below except that it had probably been his imagination. She might have understood, but this was one secret he decided to keep from her.

  In the growing shadows of the great ribs, Kalec thought he had seen a figure, a figure small and cloaked but at the same time seeming as tall and as powerful as a dragon.

  And whether the image of Tyr had been real for that brief time or, most likely, conjured by his mind, Kalec silently thanked the keeper for Alexstrasza, Ysera, Nozdormu . . . and himself.

  NOTES

  The story you’ve just read is the final installment 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 World of Warcraft: 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; the 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.