Chapter 6: Inside the Nexus
"You hit him pretty hard." The channeler's voice spoke, as he tried to work with the crystals in the room that the three were in. "You should not have spent that energy."
"I had to… it had to be taught a lesson for that."
"I suppose it won't really matter in the end." the channeler continued.
"I am sure it won't matter. I guess it was a reflex to hear it talking like that."
"Love. An emotion that I do not possess nor can I understand." The deep voice commented.
"You really did love her didn't you?"
"Yes, I did. Quick hit him again before he wakes up; he's too close to the door now to walk further."
The weather in what Northrend called spring was more forgiving than the winter, but still hardly tolerable. Winds died down slightly, the temperature on the south end of the continent approached freezing from being far below it, and some trees were even venturous enough to try to sprout leaves. It was also the time for Methuselah and his friends to leave Nerub'Itjahz. When meetings usually occurred between the whole group and Neru'Rekan, this time only Methuselah was summoned to him.
"You wished to see me?" Methuselah questioned as he entered Neru'Rekan's chamber.
"Yes. You were the one who decided to take the heart from Stroyagos, I can tell. Tomorrow you shall leave the city with the heart in your possession. I have already informed your… friends… as you call them. Remember this, the heart cannot be taken from you now unless you die. Your act of taking it from the skeleton has bound it to you." Neru'Rekan announced.
"So then why have I been summoned?"
"Your weapon; the gnome mentioned it was broken." Neru'Rekan moved towards the door to his room.
"I don't see how that can be helped here." Methuselah shrugged.
"Come with me. You've much to learn that you've refused to hear for these months. If you hope to survive and defend these comrades of yours, you will hear it." Neru'rekan grinned maliciously.
"I suppose I have no choice once more then." Methuselah followed his host into the main cavern.
The main cavern, as Methuselah had noted in the past months, was very refined looking for the cave that it existed in. The floor was constructed of large bricks and the ceiling was supported by many gargantuan columns. Veins of the cave's crystal ran through the bricks and pillars in place of any mortar and illuminated the area.
Leading him out towards the grandest door in the great underground hall, Neru'Rekan lectured the paladin. "You see, Methuselah, the dwarf you insist on carrying with you was correct in a manner… light does exist within the shadows."
"I am surprised you will admit that. You've made it all this time as if darkness is the absolute." Methuselah commented triumphantly as if he had effected change in the spider.
The door was easily three times the size of any Nerubian that Methuselah had seen; it was solid metal and had intricate enchanted etching upon it done with the cave's crystal. Entering the grand door, Methuselah was met with the sight of a great shadowy forge encircled by many spiders. The forge had a heated space in the center and the outer rim was fit for use as an anvil. Mined cave mineral and crystal was being brought to it and turned into metals and weapons for use in the defense of the colony. Beyond the forge was the ruling seat of the city where a spider of completely immense proportions rested and oversaw the efforts at the forge.
"What is he?" Methuselah said quietly.
"That is Anub'Jegavith, the lord of this colony. When one gains so much power, the power tends to change the vessel which carries it." Neru'Rekan commented simply. "Give me your hammer."
Removing the pieces from his bags, Methuselah gave them to the spider. Surprisingly, Neru was also a skilled blacksmith along with being a master warlock. "As I said before, the balance of light and shadow exists… however it does not exist here."
"You've said that many times before." Methuselah watched as the spider heated up the handle of the hammer.
"It is more than that. You persist in standing in the light. What you and this dwarf do not realize is that the balance of light and shadow exists already and always will. Your mission as a paladin is futile."
"Why? You work to foster darkness… I work to uphold the light. I see nothing futile with any of it."
Neru'Rekan stood silent for a few moments while he carefully placed the head of the hammer into the forge and began to heat up some of the minerals and the crystals. The crystals had an odd property of becoming almost liquid magic when heated by an outside source.
"It is futile because the result is decided. If this world were to fall into complete and utter darkness, then a world exalting the light would be born in the cosmos. Likewise if forces like the Nerubians were scoured from this planet along with the scourge and the demons, another realm would fall to the shadow." Neru'Rekan began to push the handle fragment out of the head of the hammer with some forge tools.
"Well, I suppose I never looked at it that way. It's almost a depressing thought." Methuselah watched over the re-forging of his weapon.
"So then you must realize that whether you remain in the light or fall into darkness will make no difference in the end. You will always have a counterpart who expresses darkness as much as you express light. They may be on this world or anywhere in the cosmos, but they exist." Neru'Rekan used some of the crystal to cause the handle to become whole once more.
"So then why do demons even come here? Why do paladins and warlocks exist?" Methuselah asked in a somewhat bewildered fashion.
"A typical question of an initiate." Neru commented. "Light and darkness choose avatars because this world of all the worlds in the cosmos is stubborn. The burning legion has overrun countless worlds in its conquest of existence. As they destroy worlds, the light creates equivalents and the titans order more worlds that are neutral in light and darkness; grey realms. Most worlds will fall to a side very easily... except this one."
"Then it should be my mission to see that this world falls to the light." Methuselah asserted.
"I assure you, little human, when this world falls to a side you will not be powerful enough to have any effect in its direction. Your form could not possess or even comprehend planar magic."
"Then what do you work for, surely you could not cause a plane to turn even if you can understand the magic." Methuselah tried to one-up the spider.
Slightly irked, Neru'Rekan responded. "Clever human. You are correct, I cannot wield planar magic. What I do, what we all do, is work to ensure our own survival. Those in darkness depend on themselves for this survival while those in light depend on their collective strength. You cannot depend on others to always support you; and so darkness is the best choice for survival."
"But your enemies, the undead, use darkness too. Only the light can truly defeat them, so then is our brotherhood still unnecessary?"
"Yes. It is. The light cannot hurt the light; it may only hurt the darkness. Darkness can destroy anything if it is more powerful. We will make our darkness so powerful that it will consume the undead and the lich king with them." Neru'Rekan worked the handle back into the hammerhead.
As the hammer looked complete, Neru poured a coating of the crystal over the surface of the weapon. Before Methuselah could stop him, Neru'Rekan held a soul shard in front of him self and called forth a voidwalker. The voidwalker hovered in midair for a moment, trying to gain its bearings. Before this could happen, Neru drove his claw straight through it, watching its shadowy essence fall onto the hammer. The crystal picked up the essence and faded from the surface of the weapon. Methuselah looked at it in shock for a moment as Neru'Rekan placed it to cool.
"What did you just do to my hammer? It was blessed with the holy light and now you've tainted it purposely." Methuselah looked as if he didn't want the weapon now.
"Yes. I have done this to prove to you that what power you call your own makes no difference in the end; your fate is sealed. You may be assured that this hammer will still call whatever light you can call with it; however it will also emanate shadow by its very nature now."
"I don't like this." Methuselah simmered.
"Do I look like I care about what pleases you?" Neru'Rekan chuckled with what seemed to be fiendish delight. "Now go. You have a weapon and will leave with it in the morning."
Knowing that the spider cared nothing for thanks, Methuselah bowed for a moment and then took the cooled hammer and placed it into his bags. The hammer looked like it had, except when swung a strange deep blue aura, almost like a second hammer, followed in its wake. The paladin returned to the cavern he had come to call a home for himself and Arisia for the past months and sat beside the elf; she was reading some books that the Nerubians had captured from various human settlements over the years. Ranilok was in the room too, doting over the heart. In the past months, he had become quite overly attached to it.
"Ranilok, is there a reason that you are petting a rock." Methuselah walked into the chamber and observed the situation.
Withdrawing his hand from the heart slowly, Ranilok looked up. "I… I thought it might need to be cleaned off. There were some cobwebs forming on it."
"I think you've dusted it enough." Methuselah chuckled slightly.
"Well we might as well study it. Neru'Rekan won't let us leave it here and won't send us home because we have it." Ranilok tried to get a few more moments with the heart.
"Leave us. We have to get ready to go tomorrow." Methuselah sat down by Arisia.
"Can I take this to my cavern?" Ranilok asked.
"No. It needs to stay here." Methuselah tried to think up a reason that wasn't bringing Ranilok's obvious obsession into play. "You wouldn't want a random Nerubian to take it would you?"
"Of course not." Ranilok jumped up. "I'll see you in the morning." The elf exited quickly.
"He always falls for that one, doesn't he?" Arisia looked up from her book.
"Yes. I am starting to get worried about him." Methuselah spoke seriously to Arisia.
"I'm sure it will pass once we get rid of this thing." Arisia tried to be optimistic.
"Yeah if he lets us get rid of it." Methuselah laid back to rest with Arisia. "So this is our last night in safety."
"I guess it is. We'll find a way home soon, we have to." Arisia smiled and then whispered something almost inaudible to Methuselah.
Looking back in surprise, Methuselah smiled a moment later. "You're serious?"
"Yes, but keep it a secret for now. Go to sleep." Arisia kissed Methuselah and then lay beside him for the night.
The next day they were all shown out of a western facing exit to the city. The exit quickly faded as soon as they had left it, securing the colony once more. On parting Neru'Rekan had shown no special warmth, not that he was capable of it. The area that they were in was on the very western edge of the dragonblight, a much more forested area stretched before them and looked like a good place to head as opposed to remaining on the open plains. The party headed west for a few hours chatting idly before anyone asked a real question.
"So where are we gonna go with that thing in tow?" Beatrice asked in a practical manner about the heart.
"I guess we could get into that forest for cover then head south. There has to be something along the coast, maybe a goblin outpost." Methuselah thought out loud, not noticing that the rest of his friends were staring at something.
"Aye, that's good an all, but what are ye gonna do 'bout them?"
"Them… yes… Well… run." Methuselah thought and called out quickly.
From the southwest, a large group of Tuskarr had taken to charging for Methuselah and his friends. Tuskarr were known of by the caravan; a somewhat intelligent race of upright-walking walrus. This group was adorned in hunting gear, but as a race the Tuskarr were not known to be cannibals. As when the ice trolls had appeared, the group had little chance of escape and was quickly surrounded.
"What do you want from us?" Methuselah tried to motion.
One of the Tuskarr stepped forwards, but as soon as he did a roaring came from above and the Walrus-man jumped backwards and looked to the sky. After only a single glance, the Tuskarr yelled out something in his native tongue and the entire group headed back towards the southwest with all haste.
"Ye mind lookin up tae see what scared them. Ae don't feel like seein it taday." Gevran kept his gaze forwards.
"Oh by the sun that's ridiculous." Ranilok looked up into the air. "D… Dragon." The elf quickly looked back down.
"Everyone down." Methuselah called as the party hit the snow and grouped up.
"Ae great, now e' can kill us in one breath instae ah five."
"Did you catch the color?" Methuselah asked.
As the group whispered about the dragon above them, the great beast landed not to far off and began to nonchalantly approach the pile. Almost looking amused, the dragon peered down at them. The great wyrm was a magnificent shade of blue and emanated a magical aura.
"Are you going to huddle in the snow forever or talk like a civilized mortal?" the blue dragon asked first.
Looking at the dragon, Arisia muttered to herself. "I...I...can't even think of what to say to such a creature."
The dragon leaned down and put his face close to Arisia. "Many people would be left more than speechless at the sight of a dragon. I assure you it is in your best interest to find something to say." The blue looked at the sack on Methuselahs back for a moment then asked Arisia a question. "So why do you have the heart? This is what I am to search for."
"W-we found it." Arisia tried to explain what the party had done while the dragon listened intently to her.
"I see. And the Nerubians gave you shelter even with that? This is not like them; I would not expect it of ones so evil." The booming voice above them mused.
"So what's it to you? The heart is ours now and no one else's!" Ranilok moved closer to the heart.
Snickering, the dragon shot a glance at Ranilok and turned him into a cow. The group quickly scrambled to their feet and away from their now bovine companion. "You should watch what you say, elf. That heart is far from yours."
"So what does it to even?" Beatrice inquired as Gevran tried repeatedly to dispel the effect of polymorph on Ranilok.
"You mean you don't know?" The dragon was astonished. "It doesn't matter then." The dragon grinned and spread his wings. "You will receive our response in a moment."
Looking more worried than before, Arisia asked Methuselah a question as Gevran finally broke the polymorph spell on their friend. "W-what does that mean?"
"It means that we're too powerful for him to take alone with this heart! It must be meant to be ours." Ranilok yelled triumphantly.
"I don't know… it worries me as much as it does you I think." Methuselah replied to Arisia, ignoring Ranilok's crass remarks.
With a sudden jaunt, the air around them became very cold. The scenery had changed faster than comprehension; a teleportation had affected them. A great hall arched above their heads, at least twice the height of the underground caverns of Nerub'Itjahz. In contrast to the dark blue-lit halls of the spider colony, this building was full of pastels; each brick or slab was formed from some type of crystallized ice. In the center of the hall, a glowing pool of energy-laden water swirled and flowed through inlets. Posts on the sides of the pool held a gigantic blue crystal which floated above the water in check.
"Where are we now... look around." Beatrice said to the others.
"The magic here is amazing. Can't you feel it Arisia?" Ranilok asked.
"Yes." Arisia spoke dreamily as she stared into the lake.
"It is a captivating sight. Mortals do not often enter the Nexus." A booming voice issued from behind them. "So do you intend to keep staring at that lake forever?"
The members of the group all jumped in surprise at the voice and slid as they turned to look at it, collapsing into each other while seeking support. Before them was an absolutely gigantic dragon, he looked somewhat thin and bony but nonetheless extremely powerful. Runes much larger than any of the party adorned the raised area upon which he stood. Behind him, a blue magical orb floated above a hole encircled by additional runes. Each reacted in his or her own way to the sight, Arisia was awe-struck and entranced, Ranilok was suspicious, Gevran and Methuselah were respectful, and Beatrice, being the most practical, didn't care.
"W-what should we do?" Arisia looked around to the others.
"Ah dinnae know lassie. I'm just gonna stand 'ere. Ain no matchin that 'un"
The dragon made the first move to approach them. Surprisingly the great wyrm made little noise against the ground, almost as if he could choose the force that his great weight exerted. Lying down on the edge of the dais near to them, the dragon stretched out slightly and then looked to them. "My name is Malygos, I am lord and master of the blue dragonflight. We are the keepers of the arcane, entrusted with this duty by the titans themselves." The aspect paused. "So, now that you have been graced entry to my sanctum, I believe you have something" Malygos looked down at them.
Removing the straps from his shoulders, Methuselah let the large rock-like heart down onto the ground and opened the flap in it, stepping back from the bright light that it emitted. Malygos immediately reached down for the object, but to the complete shock of everyone in the Nexus, man or dragon, the heart shot a beam of energy at his hand making him withdraw it quickly in pain.
"Wha?" Methuselah looked at it as Malygos healed the small burn that the crystal had left.
"What happened...why did it do that?" Arisia looked to Methuselah.
"Foolish mortal. You've somehow bound this thing to yourself." The aspect looked down in annoyance. "Release it to me. An artifact like this belongs here among the dragons. It is far too unwieldy in the hands of a human."
"How did this happen? Why is it bound to me?" Methuselah questioned the dragon.
"Were you the first one to touch it?" Malygos asked.
Methuselah thought for a moment. "I thought the undead were... but yes. I pulled the satchel it was in open to try and destroy it. I didn't want the undead following us anymore."
"You thought you could destroy this?" Malygos chuckled at them. "The younger races are so overconfident."
"Can ye at least tell us what aet does? Nae one be even givin us that sae far."
"Well I suppose I'll have to if I want you to let it go. This for that it is then." The dragon shifted around and brought his massive head level with them.
"You, elf girl, you look smart. What do you know about the heart already?"
Although Arisia was quite startled by a dragon aspect asking her a question, she remembered what Kemdri had said about the heart. "I know no more than the others, but I am thankful for your complement. We know it is from a dragon that died and kept his power to himself." The girl bowed her head respectfully, hoping to have come across well to Malygos.
Sighing, the dragon picked up the story. "Well at least you know why it was there. That is half the story. This heart, in addition to having such a great amount of arcane energy, holds the memories of Stroyagos. Within his memories is the location of a clutch of blue dragon eggs. If the undead were to find this clutch they would be able to use the heart to control the dragons hatched from it."
Arisia's Jaw dropped in wonder as she considered what it would be like to have dragons fighting for them… however she quickly dismissed it as she saw the dragons walking around and flying around in the nexus. These were free-willed intelligent creatures; not meant for control.
"You have done a great service to the blue flight, but we must take this from you, retrieve these eggs, and then keep this power safely." Malygos finished the story.
"I don't think we should give up something so powerful so easily. You can't take it from us, it shocks you away." Ranilok looked up nonchalantly. "Don't give it up, Methuselah." Ranilok walked over to his leader. "Who knows, some blue dragons might come in handy."
Looking to Ranilok, Arisia exclaimed. "You're mad! What are you saying!?" the elf dismissed any thoughts that she had had of control upon hearing it said in this fashion.
It was too late for Ranilok to take back the words. Malygos reared his head up and stretched his claw to the sky; Ranilok appeared in his hand and he squeezed tightly.
"The heart doesn't protect you, foolish worm" Malygos held Ranilok right up to his face as the mage squirmed against the scaly flesh and grunted in pain. "You would willingly try to use my flight as the orcs and the vile Deathwing abused the red flight? You would hoard an object of mighty power simply for your own gain and not for the good of the world?" The aspect looked about to do something very painful to Ranilok, but simply threw him to the ground with a good deal of force. "You disgust me elf. It is beings like you that drew the burning legion here and sundered this world."
"What were you thinking?" Arisia ran to Ranilok to check on him.
Turning back to Methuselah, the aspect continued. "Now for you. Will you do the right thing unlike your friend here? You I cannot threaten... the heart has chosen you."
"Don't do it. He'll abuse it as we would." Ranilok looked over from where he was lying.
"Will you shut up!" Arisia almost yelled right in Ranilok's face.
"Silence!" Malygos glared at Ranilok, causing his words to make no sound.
"I..." Methuselah looked to Arisia and the others for a moment. "I release this artifact to you and your flight, great Malygos. We do not need to be carrying something that will draw enemies to us and cause us to crave its power as my friend appears to be doing here."
Arisia looked quite relieved and came over to seek her lover's comfort, as this happened, Malygos picked up the rock and pulled the satchel off it. Ranilok looked about to cry in anger and loss, like a young one who's toy had been stolen.
"What will happen to us now?" Arisia looked up and questioned the aspect.
A blue force of energy surrounded Methuselah for a moment and then subsided when this question was asked; the effect left a small blue scale-like mark behind his ear.
"You have my blessing for this, Methuselah Drakivaz, you may use it to call the aid of the dragonflights once, maybe twice in your lifetime." The aspect tossed the rock back and forth in his claws, now fully standing up and looking down at them.
"Wow." Arisia watched as Malgyos began to tap the energies of the heart and return them to the crystal that hovered over the lake.
"What about sending us home, can you do that?" Beatrice asked.
"For you, gnome? I'm afraid not. Your friend here has incurred my wrath." The aspect looked to Ranilok. "Maybe some other time... if you ever find your way back here." As Malygos spoke, the nexus faded around them and they re-appeared on the Tundra.
"You know you didn't have to give that up. Now we have no way home." Ranilok pouted, free from the silence spell finally.
"We would be home if you had not angered the dragon." Arisia glared at him.
"Yeah, I've never believed in might, magic, light or darkness." Beatrice said and paused. "But pissing off a dragon aspect isn't the right thing to do."
"Who said he was a dragon aspect?" Ranilok tried to play dumb.
"Aye ye wee dunce, 'e said it 'imself." Gevran looked incredulously at him.
"Arisia. You're an elf too… can't you see what I mean in saying we should have kept that?"
"Even with it's magic... it wasn't ours to keep." Arisia asserted, turning away from him.
"Yes it was… we found it." Ranilok argued.
"What would you have done with a bunch of baby blue dragons?" Arisia said without looking at him, she was too angry to gaze upon Ranilok.
"We could have used the heart's power to go home. Silvermoon could surely use such an item."
"It's not theirs either."
"Even that vile Kemdri has more right to it than them." Methuselah scoffed.
"Is the whole company really against me on this?" Ranilok looked to them for mercy.
"I'm sorry, but you're in the wrong here." Methuselah looked at him and then turned away, heading to the west as directly as he could figure it. Gevran, Beatrice, and Arisia followed him quickly.
"Arisia? Anyone?" Ranilok called out. "I don't know why I feel as I do... but I can't help but feel like we were cheated."
Soon the rest of his companions were gaining quite a head-start on him, Ranilok slowly trudged behind them, trying halfheartedly to close the distance as his mind chewed away at itself.
"We all suffer from some form of addiction to magic. It's in our blood." Arisia said to Methuselah as she walked ahead of the other elf. "I...I've been content to read of magic all my life so far so my addiction is not as strong as his."
"Yeah but it doesn't make it any more acceptable when facing a dragon aspect." Methuselah shook his head.
"I didn't say it was. I'm just trying to explain it to you."
"I know. I think the only choice we have now is to try and find the Nexus again. I think it's West of here. Malygos said he might send us home if we could find the Nexus again." Methuselah planned their journey.
"Yes...but we need to find a way to keep warm." Arisia reminded him.
"We did it for months before we got to Nerub'Itjahz. We'll make it."
"What about him?" Beatrice motioned back at the magic hungry elf following them.
"I hope he'll apologize to Malygos when we get there. It's our only chance to get home now." Methuselah looked back for a moment then walked on, leaving Ranilok to catch up when he felt that he could stand with them as a fair being once more.