Grieve No More

SPOILER ALERT: This takes place after the events of Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects book. It is a moment in time. I do not own any of these characters. Blizzard owns them. Enjoy.

Alexstrasza, Life Aspect, Queen of the Red Dragonflight, knelt alone on the dock in Moonglade. The sky was dark, the stars above her twinkled and reflected in the mirror lake at her knees. The forest was filled with a lament that was in the language of the elves, an ancient tongue that she herself knew well. Her hands trembled as she knelt on the dock, the wood biting into her knees, but not so much as the ache of loneliness in her heart. She put a hand to her heart, closed her eyes. Ysera, Go'el, also known as Thrall, Nozdormu and several others of the dragonkin had encouraged her into coming to the Moonglade on this very night. This night of all nights, let it be so, she said softly. She had come to this quiet place, on the night the humans called the Day of the Dead. But to her, every day had been the day of the dead.

Not long ago, she had lost so much. Lost her children, lost her beloved in a selfless act of pure love. To sacrifice one's self for another. But Korialstrasz's sacrifice was not for just for her, but for their whole race, the ancient race of dragons. Tears stung her cheeks as the ripples of water lapped at the dock's pilings in a rhythm not unlike her beloved's voice. Oh, how she wanted to hear that voice, to see him one last time. The last time she saw him was as she left to go to the meeting of the dragons, high on top of Wyrmrest. Their words were casual, no words of passion, just casual conversation. Korialstrasz had volunteer to stay with the clutch while she conducted business. But then, the Twilight Hammer attacked, bringing their evil magic into the enclave. Dragon was fighting dragon and Alexstrazsa realized too late that it had been a trick, a cleverly played trick to divert their attention when the true target had been the clutch. Korialstrasz had given his life, had paid the ultimate price by destroying the infected clutch and those of the other dragonflights. Alexstrazsa had surveyed the horrible carnage that it had left behind, but others had said in quick haste that Korialstrasz had betrayed them all, had destroyed their future by destroying their eggs.

"I should have defended you to the death. I should have stayed...," Alexstrasza groaned, her heart heavy as her had clutched the burgundy and gold armored top she wore.

"No, Alexstrazsa," came the clear, deep as night voice near her. Korialstrasz, in his high elf form of Krasus, moved silently up beside her and knelt, looking into the water, watching her reflection in the lake. "Your love is all the defense I need. Words were spoken in haste, beloved. Words before truth willed out. You did know, nor was there time to tell you."

Alexstrasza heart raced. She dare not look up at the voice for fear that she was out of her mind. The humans claim that this day, the dead do walk the earth. Those that they love, those that had died, would come and visit them when the veil between life and death would be the thinnest. But perhaps, being out of her mind was what she needed most at this time. She missed Korialstrasz, missed his words, missed his touch, missed his warm body against hers in the firelight.

"Beloved, look at me?" asked Korialstrasz, his ethereal hand gently pushing her crimson hair around her long horns on her head.

Alexstrasza turned her head, her brilliant green eyes shone bright against her dark skin. Korialstrasz, her consort, lover, confidante, father of the red dragon clutch, knelt beside her. His eyes brilliant blue, his high elvin features shimmered in the starlight, the shadows around fading from the light from it. Korialstrasz brushed her tears away with his thumb, admiring her face. "Tears for me, my sweet?" His lips curved into a smile. "Shed them no more.'

"Korialstrasz," her breath caught on her throat. She reached for him, touching his scarred face. Was it a true warmth, or imagined? At this point, she did not care. "Tears for you and for..."

Korialstrasz put a finger on her lips, gently silencing her in a familiar manner. "Grieve no more, my beloved. This night is when you can speak your heart, speak to me the words we never said to each other. Did not have the time to say. Your heart aches so much even though you have rallied these last months. But speak to me as if we are together for we are together now." He gently touched her upper garment , his ethereal fingers traced the gold decorations, then placed the flat of his hand between her breasts "I am here, will always be here and never leave you."

"You did leave me," Alexstrazsa said, looking at him, eye to eye, tears spilling onto her darken cheeks

"In all things, beloved, there are reasons.. There are reasons to live. And reasons to die," Korialstrasz told her softly. "And reasons to love. You are safe, safe from the harm that those vile bastards would bestow upon our race, and upon you. Upon Azeroth " He lifted his other hand which still bore the injury of Deathwing's spell from so long ago and brushed aside her tears, then dropped his head down to her lips and gave her a long, hungry kiss. "Forgive me," he said, parting the kiss. "Forgive me for leaving you at such a moment, but it was necessary to insure you lived. To see you, writhing and contorting as the magicks took you over and turned you into something you loathed, I could not bear it, heart. I could not see our children or the other children turned into monstrosities used and abused by the Twilight Father. I did what I must."

Alexstrasza rose with him. " Go'el told me, when he found me after his brush with death."

"Watch out for that one, beloved. He has a rare gift amongst orcs," Korialstrasz smiled.

Alexstrazsa nodded. "Hold me, Korialstrasz. Just hold me. For one last time. Be here."

"For now and always." He encircled his arms around her, holding her close to his chest, feeling her warmth, her love. Alexstrasza felt his large arms around her, remembering how he felt , his embrace wrapping her up. She held his hand near her heart and opened her mind to him, allowing him to enter her forever. She closed her eyes, almost falling into the inviting darkness.

After a long while, no words were said between the living and the dead. Alexstrasza opened her eyes and looked down at her hands. There in her palm was a solid, large, red dragon scale. On the lingering wind she heard Korialstrasz' words. "Beloved, I am with you forever. You carry the hopes and dreams of all races, Life-Bringer. I am proud to have been, and will always be, yours." She clutched the scale to her breast. "Korialstrasz, I will see you after my work is done. Take care of the children, tell them I love them. . . ."

The breeze caressed her lips, touched them softly. She put her hand to her lips, the warmth still there as she heard the sound of dragon's wings upon the wind as the sun touched the morning sky.