Chapter 13 Chapter Thirteen

Thrall had to admit that being near the blue dragonflight in their lair made him uncomfortable.Even though it was not the first time he had seen them, in his eyes the majesty and magnificence of these behemoths was still the same.Green Dragon, Bronze Dragon, the mighty but heart-breaking Life-Binder - she is arguably the most powerful of all dragons on Azeroth - even if only one of them swipes their tail, or It was a paw stepping down, and Thrall was also doomed.It wasn't just their size that impressed him.Their minds are also far superior to those of the "short-lived" races, as they are called.Their minds were wider, and no matter how long Thrall lived, he knew he could only comprehend a fraction of their complexity: Ysera, who was still dreaming as an Awakened, could see that other beings had never, Things that will never even be seen; the life woven in Nozdormu's scales; ...

Now, Thrall and Tek are heading straight for the dragon that has done so much damage lately - their dragonlord chosen to be the guardian of the world's arcane magic.Malygos went mad, then terribly sane, and did worse things than when madness gripped him.Thrall hadn't walked the Emerald Dream, but he and Desharin had exchanged jokes.He did his best to help Alexstrasza, who was crouching with a broken heart.He has to inspire the Eternal Dragon. But the blue dragons... They have no fondness for "inferior races."Masters of arcane magic, this legion lives in the blue, white and cold place, just as others describe them.

Anticipating the upcoming meeting, he laughed pessimistically. "Maybe I should just stay home," he said to Tick. "If you do that," Tik thought, "then this timeline will be altered even more, and you'll be creating more work for my colleagues." It took Thrall a moment to figure out that the bronze dragon was serious in a way, and she was trying to be humorous at the same time.Sal smiled. Below them was a blue-gray icy sea, all Thrall had seen for most of his journey, and it turned into white and gray cliffs.Thrall had seen many shocking scenes in his life, but Arcus was almost unbeatable.

Blue, here is full of blue, plus some silver or white.Several flat disks are suspended in the air, surrounding the main body of the Aoshu.Tik moved closer, allowing Thrall to see that the disks were actually platforms.Their layers are embellished with shimmering maggots, and on several of their platforms are beautiful crystal trees whose branches and leaves seem to be made of frost. The Arcane itself appears to consist of many layers, each associated with the layer above it in a chain of magic generated by arcane energies.All in all, it was one of the most beautiful things Thrall had ever seen.Several giant dragons spun lazily, their bodies reflecting azure, azure and cobalt blue.

Of course, Thrall and Tick were spotted almost immediately, and four blue dragons left their kindred and flew over.They came not for the orcs, but for the mighty bronze dragon.At that moment, Thrall was completely ignored. "We greet our bronze sisters," said one of the dragons, and they flew around Tik in a loose circle, seemingly casually but menacingly. "But Arcus is not a timeline for you to explore. Why did you come to our holy place? No one invited you here." "It's not me who came to you, but this orc on my back," Tik said. "I was not the one who sent him here. He was first sent by Ysera the Awakened, and then by Nozdormu, the Eternal Dragon. His name is Thrall."

The blue dragons exchanged glances. "As a short-lived creature, he came with an edict," Yilong said. "Thal," said the other dragon, as if trying to remember. "The Great Chief of the Horde." "Not anymore," Thrall said. "Right now I'm just a shaman working for the Earthen Ring, dedicated to helping heal a world scarred by Deathwing." For a moment, Thrall wondered if he shouldn't have said this.The blue dragons immediately looked enraged, and one of them galloped away, twirling and returning, clearly needing to calm himself down. "That traitor will watch all our dragon legions be destroyed," one of the dragons roared, his voice, which looked like blue ice, was equally cold. "We will bring word of your arrival to the others. Wait here until we tell you to come closer, or order you to leave."

The blue dragons swooped down, their blue figures in the dark blue and lavender sky.To Thrall's surprise, they didn't fly towards the floating layer of the Nexus, but flew down towards the ice and snow below. Kalecgos sighed.Here we go again, he thought, staring at the icy ceiling that arched over the cavernous meeting hall. The blue dragons had spent a lot of time talking, and every day more blue dragons came to the Nexus, increasing their remaining numbers, but he didn't feel they were drawing any substantial conclusions. Most people agree that the timing of the bimonthly conjunction is at least a good omen.One or two unearthed some ancient spell they wanted to try, but a deeper investigation proved inadequate.So far, it seems the blue dragons have been content to crown one of their number in what is destined to be a visually stunning celestial event, but there is no real emotion behind it, no real meaning to justify this as the only A right thing to do.

Arygos gushed about his bloodline and how, all things considered, he was indeed the best choice as the son of Malygos.Kalecgos had heard that statement before, and he had lost the will to interrupt.He glanced to the side and saw two more frowning blue dragons approaching, which piqued his interest. They are not newcomers, but the guardians of the two Demon Nexus.They landed beside Arygos, interrupting the blue dragon's speech, and whispered to him. Arygos looked annoyed. "In any case!" he said sternly. "Naregos," Kalek called, "what's the matter?" "Leave it alone," Arygos said quickly.He told Narigos bluntly, "Kill him."

"Kill who?" Kalec demanded, ignoring the warnings in his words, and hurried towards Arygos and the others. "Naregos, what happened?" Narigos turned his gaze from Arygos to Kalek, and said, "A stranger came to speak to us. He was one of the lesser races. An orc who was once the chieftain of what was called the Horde: Sa He and the bronze dragon that carried him insisted that Ysera and Nozdormu sent him to us." Kalek listened with pricked ears. "Nozdormu? He's back?" "So it seems," Narigos said.Kalec looked at Arygos in shock. "Kill him?" Kalecgos repeated aloud, suspiciously. "A man sent by two dragon kings? And a dragon who volunteered to carry him?"

Now they are attracting the attention of others.Arygos growled. "Very well, then, do not hurt him," said Arygos. "But a member of the inferior race is useless here. I won't see him." An angry Kalec turned to Narigos. "I will," he said. "Bring him here." "I don't care if the titans themselves sent him to us. I don't see these ephemeral creatures in our private sanctuary!" Arygos' face turned gray with anger.He swam back and forth, twitching his huge tail, his wings flapping with anxiety.Others, having heard the argument between the two, began to join their ranks.

"But... Ysera, and Nozdormu!" Narigos protested. "This is by no means an ordinary event. Ysera has seen too much in her dreams, and finding Nozdormu is something the Eternal Dragon's own legion cannot do alone. Hear what he has to say It's nothing serious!" "These inferior races, as some people call them, sometimes have an amazing side. We often underestimate their abilities. The fact that the two dragonlords asked him to come to us is all I need to know. I say we should bring him, Let's see what he has to tell us." "You will," Alygos sneered. "You like to mingle with lesser beings. I never understood you, Kalecgos." Kalec looked at Arygos sadly. "And I have never understood why you reject any help or information that does not come from our own race," he replied. "Why do you despise them so much? You have been imprisoned in Ahn'Qiraj for thousands of years, and those short-lived races rescued you! I thought you would be grateful." Before Arygos could reply in a huff, another older blue dragon, Telalygos, stepped in. "Naturally we know the affairs of our race best!" "That's right! We have our own affairs to attend to, Kalecgos, or have you forgotten?" Arygos continued. "The ceremony to choose a new Aspect is just a few days away. We should be preparing for it instead of being bothered by a nonsense orc!" "Kill him, and that's it," Tralygos said softly. Kalek turned around. "No. We are not butchers. Besides, do you want to confront Ysera and Nozdormu yourself and tell them that you killed the man they sent here for us? I don't want to. Whether the awakened Ysera will How disorienting." There was some murmur among the dragons, and Kalek saw some nodding. "Let this orc come before us and state his reasons for being here," Kalek continued. "If we don't feel comfortable with what he said, we can let him go. But at least we should listen." Alecgos glared, but he also realized that there were more people on Kalecgos' side now. "Ysera and Nozdormu, it seems, have more influence on the blue dragonflight than we do," he muttered. "Arygos, you are not the Aspect yet," Kalec said sharply. "If you're elected, then you have the say. But until then, there's no leader, and the issue should be the will of the majority." Arygos turned to Narigos. "Bring him," he said.Naregos nodded and flew into the air.When Arygos turned around, he frowned.Kalecgos had assumed his half-elven form.Other dragons also turned to less intimidating human or orc figures, silently courting their guests.Arygos didn't follow suit, but kept his own dragon form. Kalecgos looked around.The room held little appeal to anyone other than the blue dragon.He waved his hands intently. Two fires appeared in one part of the cave.Dozens of furs covered the ground several feet.There was a chair of woolly ivory and thick leather, with a heavy fur cloak draped over its curved handles.Food and drink were laid out on a short table: lots of meat, prickly pears, mugs full of foaming beer.On the stone walls hung animal heads and weapons—axes, longswords, dangerous daggers. Kalek smiled.He's more used to interacting with the races of the Alliance, but he's also seen a bit of the world and feels he's created a fairly comfortable Horde territory at the heart of Blue Dragon territory. A few moments later, a bronze dragon escorted by four blue dragons came into view.She was flying low, but the space here was wide enough—after all, this place was used to entertain dragons.Kalecgos recognized her.She is Tik, one of the bronze dragons that routinely patrols the entrance to the Caverns of Time.For a bronze dragon of such importance to be willing to serve merely as a means of transportation speaks volumes for Thrall's importance.Their eyes met, and Kalek nodded in confirmation.Tik landed gracefully, lowering herself to allow the orc on her back to come down. Kalek watched their orcish guest intently.Wearing only an unremarkable brown robe, he bowed politely to the assembled dragons.Even so, his past as a wise and powerful leader could be seen in the position of his shoulders and the calm alertness in those blue eyes when he straightened up.Kalek smiled kindly, opening his mouth to speak. "You were allowed to come here only because two dragonlords sent you, Thrall," Arygos said, keeping Kalec from uttering a word. "I suggest you speak quickly. You are not one of our friends." The orc smiled. "I didn't expect to be friends," he said. "But I'm here because I believe in my mission. I'll say it as quickly as I can, but it may take longer than you think." "Then begin," Arygos said bluntly. Thrall took a deep breath and began to speak.He told the blue dragon about Ysera's plea, the ancients who were confused, lost in timelines and found themselves, and found Nozdormu.Despite Arygos' usual rudeness, they all listened intently.These dragons symbolize magic and wisdom.Even the knowledge brought to them by the orcs is food for them. "Nozdormu believed that all events that threatened the dragons—these tragedies—are connected," Thrall concluded. "He suspected the Infinity Dragonflight and stayed to gather more information before coming to you and telling you all he knew. He ordered me to find the Life-Binder and bring her with him, but...she lost so much , and couldn't help myself because of it, couldn't come. So Tick promised to bring me here. That's all I know, but if you guys want to ask anything else, I'll do my best to answer it. I'm ready to help .” Kalek looked at the orc, shocked from head to toe. "The news...is extraordinary," he said, seeing his concern and concern mirrored in the faces of many other blue dragons. But not all blue dragons.Nothing seems to have changed for Arygos and his colleagues. "With all due respect, Ysera still has a lot to untangle after staying almost entirely in the Emerald Dream for thousands of years. She admits that she is... at a loss. She doesn't know what is real, what is a dream, what is her My own imagination. As for Nozdormu, you say he was captured by...? In his own timeline? And you were able to help him escape? Please guide us and tell us how you did it." The suspicion in Arygos' words was obvious, which made Thrall's cheeks darken slightly.But his expression didn't change, and when he spoke, his tone was calm. "I understand your skepticism, Arygos. I've had deep doubts myself. But it sure seems like Ysera is right. I've been able to work against both dragons—not counting Alexa Sa's own words. If you mean to express that Nozdormu has somehow become confused by his experience in the timeline, then I suggest you talk to Tik and see what she thinks. Myself I don't think so. You ask me, how can a mere orc pull out the Eternal Dragon? It's...very simple." There were murmurs of anger and offense among the dragons, but Thrall held up his hand. "Know that I am not looking down on anyone when I say this. Simple does not mean easy. I have learned that often the things that seem simplest are the most powerful. Ultimately, they are The stakes are high. On Nozdormu: In order to free a man imprisoned in all moments, I had to learn to truly be in the moment—the moment." Arygos' opposition then deepened. "Anyone can do it!" "Anyone can," Thrall agreed immediately. "But no one's done it yet. It's a simple idea, present in the moment—but I've learned it myself." He saw some blue dragons start to feel less angry and more brooding. Laughed a little self-deprecatingly. "Although the lesson itself is simple, the process of learning it is by no means easy. What we learn on our own is best taught to others. If I can help the two dragon kings... maybe I can help you." "We blue dragons have no Aspects," said Arygos. "In short, I don't think you can help if the problem is a new one for us all." "It's a new conundrum for me too. We're evenly matched, at least on that front." There was laughter among the assembled blue dragons, even those on Arygos' side. "Orc, you are a guest of our Dragon Clan here," Arygos said, with a hint of warning in his tone. "You should know very well not to mock us." Kalec sighed; Malygos had been known for his humor and banter before his madness, but neither trait seemed to be reflected in his son at all. "Arygos, he's not laughing at us; he's making a serious point in lighthearted tones. Times change. We're forging new paths, in a way not even the Aspects have tried. Way to make history. Thrall got the approval of two dragonlords to come here. What harm would it do to let him listen and make his point? Kalec spread his hands. "He's not one of us, and he knows very well at this point.He is therefore free from any influence except that which we ourselves bring to him.He might notice something we missed.I think it would be a big mistake if we didn't let him stay and watch and speak out. " Arygos staggered, lifted his head, and peered down the half-elf domineeringly. "You would give every member of the inferior race a soft bed and plenty of food, if possible," he dismissed. Kalek chuckled, "But I don't see the harm in that. He's just an orc. I can't believe you're afraid of him." This hits Arygos where it hurts.His tail slammed down, and the blue dragons, who usually thought like him, looked unhappy. "Afraid? Me? I'm not afraid of such an insignificant orc. I can crush him with a flick of my tail!" "Well, then," Kalek said, continuing to laugh, "seems like he'll have no problem staying, huh?" Arygos froze suddenly.He narrowed his eyes and stared at Kalecgos for a long time. "I'm not at all afraid of this lesser creature. But what we do here has a profound effect on the blue dragonflight. I don't know if it's appropriate for a lesser creature to witness these events, let alone take part in them." Kalek raised his arms and looked at the orc thoroughly for a long time.Part of him told himself that Thrall needed to stay here.This is not just out of respect for the Dragon King's opinion.If the world is indeed facing the danger Nozdormu mentioned, the blue dragon cannot ignore any brilliant idea, no matter who it comes from.What's more, they cannot isolate themselves from the world because of the illusion of superiority derived from ignorance and arrogance.His piercing eyes turned to Tick, one eyebrow raised questioningly.The eyes of the bronze dragon looked back at him.In those eyes, Kalek read an unshakable certainty like his own. He made a decision.This is a gamble after weighing, but he knows from the bottom of his heart that he needs to take a gamble. "Thrall stay," Kalecgos whispered, "or I go." There was an unpleasant murmur.Arygos said nothing, but his tail twitched. "I respect your father, Malygos, and I am proud of him—for himself, and for the Aspects he represented. But the choices he made were wrong—not just for others, but for For ourselves. Maybe we ourselves will stumble down the wrong way in the end. But as long as I have breath, I will not go that way knowingly. Thrall should be here; Equal to what most dragons do themselves. I repeat: If he goes, I go. There are others." This is not a needless threat.If Arygos is going to split, it should happen now.Kalecgos will not leave the Nexus alone.Arygos could not afford this to happen.There are too many uncertainties. Arygos was silent for a moment.Then, he moved quickly in front of Thrall, bowing his head until he was within inches of the orc's head. "You are a guest here," Arygos repeated the words just now in a low voice. "You will leave with respect and courtesy and in compliance with our wishes." "I am an envoy," Thrall said. "I understand this. I have dealt with many envoys in my life, Arygos. I understand respect and courtesy." He puts almost too much emphasis on the word "I."Arygos' nostrils flared, and he turned to the bronze dragon. "Tick, there's no need for you here anymore. Thrall is our responsibility now." Tick ​​raised his head angrily, albeit slightly, and bowed more than a little rudely. "Then, I will return to my kind. Take good care of him, Arygos." Arygos watched her move away, then turned to the assembled dragons. "I'm told that there may be some new information about how this... ritual... works," said the dragon. "Let's hear what the newly returned mage has to say." In the end, the newcomer didn't reveal much.As many of them got bogged down in arcane details, they were keen to delve into new details that would bring enlightenment, but nothing significant .After some discussion and a few altercations—one of which broke out in a row and one of Kalek's companions was nearly attacked—they reached a consensus to continue their research to see if they could discover anything new. Thrall sat quietly in his tiny area, enjoying the food offered to him, listening and watching.He said almost nothing, the only time he spoke was to clarify something.The rest of the time, he leaned back, arms folded across his chest, and just watched. When the meeting was over, there were complaints about him, and many looked in the orc's direction.But in the end, most of the blue dragons left.Arygos was the last to go.He listened at the exit of the cave, raised his head and looked back with fierce eyes.He said nothing, and Thrall didn't flinch from the glare.Finally, Arygos narrowed his eyes, turned and left. Kalecgos exhaled, conjured up a second seat with magic, and sat down with a plop.He propped his elbows on the table, rubbing his tired eyes. "I felt some nervousness at the rally," Thrall said. Kalek smiled.He waved his hand, made a glass of wine, and took a sip. "You're going to make light of it, friend Thrall. This afternoon alone, I had a premonition of violence on three separate occasions. Perhaps your presence civilized Arygos. After what happened to his father, He doesn't want to be too eccentric in front of someone backed by two dragon kings. For that alone, I'll have to buy you a drink someday in some tavern you least expect." He smiled, the same smile in his blue eyes.Thrall found himself laughing, too.He likes Karek.The young blue dragon seemed quite at home in his half-elf form.Thrall realized that Kalec reminded him of Desharin, and the joy became bittersweet.He felt the smile fading from his face. Kalek didn't ignore the look. "Is there something wrong?" "I met another dragon on my travels. He was very like you. His name was Desharin. He was—" "A green dragon," Kalek finished, eyes melancholy. "Past tense." Sal nodded. "He helped me on my journey, he took me to the Caverns of Time. He was killed there when we went into meditation and the assassin ambushed both of us." He couldn't contain the anger in his words.Kalek nodded. "It works...but it's a coward's way." There was a moment of silence. "Yes," he said. "I found out about him when I was stuck in that final timeline. I'm glad you probably didn't know the name of Aedelas Blackmoore. Fortunately, he's almost Nothing. He found me when I was a baby and trained me to be a gladiator. His goal was for me to lead an army of orcs and overthrow the Alliance." "Obviously he didn't make it," Karek said. "Not in this timeline. In that one... I died in my infancy, and Blackmoore led that army himself." "A chilling scene," Kalek said, "but you said he attacked you from outside the timeline. How—?" He suddenly understood, his eyes widening. "It must have been the Infinity Dragon Army that pulled him out of the timeline so that he could hunt you down." Thrall nodded. "It's annoying that they... can do that." "Everything I've learned since I started this journey is annoying," Sal said.He looked at his glass, "Except for the fact that I've learned that magic beer is good." He smiled and toasted his host. Kalek lifted his blue head and smiled too. The double moon is almost full tonight, but that won't change.Arygos could not wait another night to do his business.He flapped his wings, not feeling the cold like all blue dragons.The frigid night sky was so clear that the stars were like scattered ice crystals. He took pains to make sure he wasn't being followed, and looked back now and then.He headed east, wings beating fast.The rugged mountain landscape of Coldarra gradually morphs into a more temperate landscape.Boiling pools of water, hissing straight out of Azeroth's core.Geysers, steaming springs, and floodplains—he ignored them, engrossed in his destination. In the moonlight, the steeple of Wyrmrest Temple looked ghostly.Despite the damage, it is not uninhabited.Like shadows, black, purple, and indigo figures hovered slowly, while others slept in many corners of the temple.Two dragons, like gigantic winged lizards, lay lazily on the top mosaic floor. He was found. Several twilight dragons who were in charge of guarding the temple deviated from their usual route and flew straight towards Arygos, and then a voice came, which seemed to be everywhere and nowhere to be found. "Arygos, son of Malygos," said the familiar voice—the same voice that had taunted Alexstrasza and the other dragons that fateful day not so long ago. "It's me," Arygos yelled in reply.He landed on the very top. Then bowed humbly to Father Twilight.