Chapter Two
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Green eyes peered curiously at the knocked out Kaldorei that put gently at the grass. He has to admit that she, or rather her race is rather unique. Through many millennia in time and space he has traversed worlds and galaxies as is his mandate, but he has yet met anything like her or her people. Yet once more, the words of an old student of his that became a master of his Order brings itself to his consciousness.
"Truly, many mysteries does the universe contain," he mumbles as he turns his attention away from the recovering Kaldorei and to the land around him which he has to admit, is impressive. Nature as a rule in many worlds throughout the long years he has never does seem to endure in a world's late stages. Damage is always caused by the sentient life either they mean it or not. Heck, there is even one world he remembers that in their fervor on trying to preserve nature, they instead manipulated it with their magic, as a result, their world becomes twisted and full of horrors in the long run with nature torn apart from its regular flow.
Here in this world though, he could feel the very ambient magic of the forest vibrating like a constant song. Instead of changing their world to suit their needs (which ninety percent of all sentient beings do most of the time), these Kaldorei instead change their very beings to be in harmony with the forest around them.
He has to admit that it is...admirable.
Shaking his thoughts off, he instead turns his attention to the sleeping Night Elf in front of his large bulk. Millennia year old or not, he has always been an avid admirer of the female form. He is not like Fate after all who is a pansy and a fucking self-proclaimed celibate, oh hell no. That would be just too boring and to unexciting. In fact a quarter of his long millennia has been spent much on chasing girls of different races on different worlds and dimensions (much to the annoyance of the Council that controls everything in the universe). Him being the aspect of Death is gloomy enough as it is, and he has no wish whatsoever on following the "Doomy" guidelines. He has power and he will use it, within reason of course.
Now the Kaldorei in front of him is a looker, no mistake there. He has always taken a liking to Elves, no matter the different dimensions. Heck, he has even come to one world fighting over three holy jewels disguised as an elf wracked by war to be an "emissary" to their gods and becoming their Messiah so that he can have a piece of that she-elf ass he call wife. Ironically their children become legends of their own right, one becoming a respected healer and councilor that ends some kind of ring and his twin chose the mortal path that creates a lineage that Destiny seemed to be very fond of.
As for this half-clad elf in front of him has to say that she has earned his admiration. The memories of hers that he has peeked into is proof enough of that (being a powerful being of universe and galaxies, diving into thoughts of lesser beings is not that bothersome on his moral list anymore). She has to admit that the history of these Kaldorei are indeed colorful...bloodshed and war, caused by people who is too hungry for power. Not that he is much concerned about it. Chaos is a part of life and it will always happen. Those who dream too much of peace will stumble on their own hubris on trying to achieve it.
After all with war, more souls for the Death God after all.
Ahem, back to the woman in front of him. He certainly has taken a liking to her. Conflict may be found everywhere and part of the daily cycle of the universe, but courage is not. It can be found only on the rarest persons with the greatest of personalities. Most of the time, it is only present on the people that Fate and Destiny give unto to keep the balance of the universe. Very rarely will true courage be found on a being by personal decision alone. This...Kaldorei in front of him fortunately is such a person. It's the reason why he dragged her out of that cave along with him to the surface (other than the fact that she's incredibly beautiful of course). Looking at her memories and her "volunteering" and "saving people thing" in the war of the Ancients ironically reminded him of his old self before he becomes the Aspect of Death. It is almost a forgotten past, one that seems more than a memory when he is a student, and one of Fate's "Blessed".
He growled shaking the thoughts and memories off ignoring the way, the very world shook in fear as it recognizes in an instinctive level who he is. Immediately his golden eye opened in surprise followed by a toothy grin showing massive fangs on his snout. Someone or something is watching him through a second dimension by magic, apparently drawn by curiosity thanks to the disturbance of the world.
Now he's curious, and an Aspect of Death that is curious is a dangerous one.
Ignoring its continuous probing and watching, apparently not knowing that he already has a bead on it and its location. He growled, opening his maw as wide as possible, letting his stomach churn as he vomits two animals covered in sludge and mire who immediately began complaining the moment they land on the ground.
"Yuck! And this is the reason why I never want to travel inside your stomach again. Look at my coat, look at my fur, it would take-,"
"POTTER! You stupid boy! You are as arrogant as your father! How dare you swallow me and spit me out like some-,"
He finely tuned the two animals out as he yawned, enormous maws letting off a small growl that sounded too loud for anyone hearing thanks to his immense size. That freeze prank of Love really made his muscles sore and many are slightly cramping from being cooped up too long. His roar fortunately have an intended side effect and that is to shut up the two yammering animals trying to shake off drool and guts from inside his stomach.
"Sleazy...," he began to growl off only to be cut off by a very familiar greasy tone of a former Hogwarts Potion professor that he recruited alongside Sirius for companionship when he first became the Aspect of Death finding the man's anger management issues hilarious alongside his former godfather who made it a habit on riling up the sleazy bat.
"MY NAME IS SNAPE, POTTER!" yowled the large bat, its greasy wings flapping as it now hover in the air, puffing like an overlarge bullfrog.
"Alright Snape," he rolls his eyes humoring the bat...for now. "Remain here and guard my guest. I have questions for her later,"
"More like you want to fuck her later," mumbles the bat beneath his breathe earning him a glare from one massive golden eye.
"What was that?!"
"Nothing, nothing, I'm going," the sleazy bat denies before going to perch on the branch above where Shandris remain unconscious.
"And you Sirius," his large head turns to the giant Grim dog pawing at the ground impatiently. "You know what to do, same rules on this world. And do try to prevent killing anyone this time. Also," he grins mischievously despite it looking absolutely terrifying with the way it shows rows of teeth and rather overlarge gums. "You can try your luck on some of this world's inhabitants,"
The Grim looks like Christmas has come five hundred years early with the way its eyes shone with excitement as it takes a look at the sleeping Kaldorei before howling in the moon sending a couple of birds flying away in fear. Bounding up towards the nearest bushes, its black form disappeared on the gloom of the forest leaving him the only one with the sleazy bat.
"Watch over her Snape!" he growled in command at the bat who simply nodded as pompous as ever, making the very fabric of reality shake and mentally snickering as the one spying on him shiver in fear.
Growling once more to emphasize his point at the bat (and scare the spy); wide wings of leathery black opened and flapped, pushing his long serpentine bulk into the night sky. His destination, that source of magic where nature seems to be the strongest. He could feel a small group of life-signs there. Probably guarding the area.
Good, he really needs a snack right now. Opening his wide maw, the dragon Aspect of Death roared its rising unto this new world that is his new play ground.
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In these times of peace, Night Elves usually do whatever they fancy thanks to their immortality. While some do their best to pursue their pleasures thanks to the blessing of peace, Arko'Narin on the other hand uses this time to brush up her skills on being a Sentinel. Unlike the rest of her Kaldorei sister-in-arms, Arko'Narin is born a few days before the Dragons bless their race with immortality.
Ever since she knows how to walk, Arko'Narin has always dreamed of the path of the Sentinels. It is her dream, her want. To be able to roam the forests and defend their homes against anyone and anything. Unlike everyone else, it is a Sentinel's duty to be free and at the same time retain a sense of discipline to oneself. It is a camaraderie that a regular civilian won't be able to understand. Sure she is not really yet truly inducted into the ranks of her sisters due to her still lack of experience; but they do let her tag along in some of their risky missions.
So when that otherworldly roar that echoes through the Southwest of Ashenvale sound without warning, shaking the very foundations of their world, she and the rest of her sisters immediately found themselves in a fight for their lives.
The reason?
Nearly every creature from the smallest ant to the largest, usually peaceful Furbolgs lost their wits and immediately began rampaging out from their usual homes and zones. The bad news is everyone is trying to escape in every direction except from the source of the roar. The majority of the denizens of the forest being used to the fact that the territory in Ashenvale is usually safe hightail on that direction immediately causing untold damage to the unready Night Elves. To make matters worse, even the Satyrs who usually stays clear of Night Elf territory seems to prefer fighting the border guards (which is them), rather than risk the source of that unearthly roar.
Thus here she is, with five of her wounded sisters up at their backs with the wall, four out of six of them too wounded to continue the fight. Around them are four Satyrs with an Overseer leading them, weapons drawn. Arko is in the middle of trying to calm down three confused Furbolgs that manage to wander on this area when they are jumped by the bloody demons. The Furbolgs are cut down fast, their corpses now a stone throw's away, and manage to would the rest of her company even as they manage to fill with arrows to the brim one of the larger Satyr Overseers. Now there's only her and Yeanna Shadowstar, another trainee like her, left to defend her sisters.
She also knows she's going to die. She is far from help and everyone is too busy on trying to calm down the entire forest to even hear the sounds of their small skirmish.
Her entire body trembles as the nearest Overseer cackles in mad glee, approaching her and her wounded sisters, towering over them. The small hunting knife at her hand looks utterly useless in comparison to Satyr.
"G-get back! I warn you! Stay away!" she hears herself screaming in defiance. The Satyr only laughs as it raises its large cleaver to bisect her in head to groin when a howl echoes on the forests, sounding like a large gong catching everyone by surprise. Arko even barely has the time to move her head in the direction of the howl when a large black figure of fur and claws slams into the Satyr Overseer.
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"RAAAR!" a very brave or a probably very stupid Dragonkin roars waving its arms round and round wielding a massive blade as it charges towards his larger frame.
He only snorts as the overlarge half-man, half-dragon lumbers like an oversize cow towards him. Nine of his buddies are already on the ground half-chewn and eaten by him to sate his hunger. Too bad this moron is going to serve as a very appetizing snack.
Maw opening, he lunges forward, making the brave cry of the Dragonkin turn to a scared shriek as the giant mouth of the black dragon clamp over half his body and rip apart the human half making the lizard body walking for a few more seconds in momentum before dying in front of him.
Munching, he let off a sigh forcing steam to come out of his mouth as a small jet of fire cooked the body in his mouth. Bones and meat crack like sticks with every movement and with one gulp, the entirety of the body is deep inside his fiery gullet bringing unneeded nutrition that is necessary for his corporeal body in this realm.
So great is the power of Death that he cannot simply appear in his true form in one world or another. Doing so would result mostly to a world accidentally dying being exposed to the toxic power of Death in its purest form. Thus he mostly appear in his avatars who unlike his original form requires nutrition. Of course with his current avatar as a serpentine dragon, his consumption is rather big. With big power comes a big stomach after all.
His bloody feast however is rudely disturbed when out of the green portal appears a massive green dragon roaring in anger and slamming into his slightly larger form. Unlike him, the wyrm is bulkier in body unlike the serpentine one he owns. However that means also that he is more bendable and agile, not to mention that his bones are made from the very energies of the void making him nearly unkillable to bites like this enraged one is doing.
Twisting his body to the side in a perfect U. He ignores the enraged dragon trying to chew his scales with no damage, his maws open wide and bit straight at the exposed left of the angry male making the green dragon howl in pain ass bone, muscle and tendon snap like twigs with the force of his attack. Nearly half of its ribs are hurt and a part of its body has been separated.
"Nooooo, Erakinus, please, stop! Let him go great one, please! He doesn't know what you are!" a female voice made the Aspect of Death stop from his plan on shaking the green dragon to his death by internal and external bleeding. Turning to the source of the sound, he sneers through his bloody teeth and gums, eyes zoning in on the scantily clad Night Elf with horns at her head looking at him pleadingly.
Oh he knows who she is. And she has perfect timing for payment to let the idiot in his mouth not end up as a meal.
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Her eyes hurt as she slowly regains consciousness. She opens them slowly. Her breathe relaxes a bit as she notices the familiar trees that she has grown up all around her.
Shandris sighs letting her eyes close again. She has never felt so tired in her long years. How in the world does she end up like this anyway? She's pretty sure that she has not been doing anything stressful for the past few days. Last she remembers, she is bathing on her usual moon well when that Sentinel approaches her for help and they have gone into...
Shandris' beautiful eyes snap open wide as her memories forcefully return at the front of her eyes. The travel, the betrayal, the deep dive, the large metal golems that wields weapons, the staff, a scaly golden eye looking at her.
Sitting up ramrod straight, her breathe comes in gasps as she looks left and right in fear. The once blanket of safety that the trees hold are now gone. How in the world do they manage to get this deep, and so near to Ashenvale? The civilians, they are in danger if whatever it is that attacked her is here.
Before he could take even a step to any direction though, a giant bat appears in her way shrieking loudly. The fact it is trying to claw her doesn't escape her attention. Bats are not normal residents this close to the forest. Neither do they grow this big. This bat though, this bat is enormous, and it reeks with a magic of a very unsavory kind. So her being her, she does the most basic thing she does when being in confrontation to a being she doesn't understand. She attacks.
The bat unexpecting of the sudden draw and notch movement of the Sentinel squawked in a very...greasy way as it got a full face of an arrow, squealing this way and that before crashing in a greasified manner on a nearby tree and flopping inelegantly on the ground twitching.
Nudging the completely knocked out bat with one foot to make sure that it is really dead, Shandris resheathed her bow and arrows making sure to step on the head of the dead bat making it squish before running across the trees. She needs to tell the priestesses of what happened, and they need to hunt down whatever or whoever that brought her here.
She never notices the bat transform back to a greasy haired man pulling an arrow from one of his eyes, the eyeball with it and sighing.
"Damn you and your choice of women Potter!"
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(Omake)
Shandris stares at the big bat who seems to grow larger as it presents itself in front of her. She can't help herself but ask out loud.
"Who are you?"
The bat only perked as it puffs in a feat of dust and smoke. What comes out is the very well-known vigilante of Gotham City, the caped bat crusader that dealt with a million crimes and the world's greatest detective.
"I'm Batman," Snape greasily says.
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AN:
For the record JKArcanus is right on the Timeline.
