Voices. Blackness. Voices in the blackness. How could there be voices if there was blackness? Wasn't she dead? Couldn't they leave her alone now? They were above her. Or was she below them? Was there a difference? What did it even matter?
"-has lost a lot of blood." A crystalline female voice was saying. "I do not know that traditional healing by itself would help."
"She's a death knight." A male voice spat. "Leave her to rot."
"No!" Squeaked a higher pitched female voice. "She saved one of my brood! She deserves the same in turn!"
Saved something? What? Why couldn't she open her eyes? Or move? Was she restrained? She couldn't feel anything either, couldn't make herself do anything. Did she even want to? What did that matter?
"And when she wakes and destroys us?" The male voice asked.
"She won't." Squeaked the little voice.
"A vision through the time stream?" The first female voice asked.
"Mostly!" The squeaky one said. "But also, I like her face! She looks… genuine."
"Her face." The male voice dragged out the word disgustedly.
"Do it." A third female voice, this one with a clear ring of command.
"I will not be a party to this." The male voice declared. There was a roar and the sound of wings beating the air.
"Lira, will you do it?" The commanding female asked. "I could and would, but I believe it would be better done by a red. Yet I will not force you. If you refuse I will do it."
There was a pause before the first female agreed. "I will do it. Chromie is right, she deserves it for saving one of our whelps, and you are also right, it is best done by a red." She sounded more as if she were trying to convince herself than anyone else.
There was a brief tugging sensation along one of her limbs, an arm perhaps? She thought she felt flesh pulling apart but there wasn't enough feeling in her body to be sure. But then the pain did come. Slowly at first, in her arm, up to her shoulder, along her chest, then began to radiate through her entire body. The pain was all over. She was the pain. Was someone screaming?
"It's hurting her!" The squeaky one said.
"Reds are the aspects of life itself, and death knights are champions of the grave. It is to be expected." The commanding one said, though she sounded a little worried.
Oh, it was her, she was the one screaming. And that was her body flopping and thrashing about in the snow. Snow? When had it snowed? Eversong was always warm… The blackness consumed her.
… … … … … …
Melody's eyes fluttered open and she moaned. The pain was all over, but it wasn't the sharp persistent pain of injury anymore, more like the muted soreness that came from a long period of strenuous physical exertion. She certainly felt like she had been over exerted. Her entire body felt full of aches and pains and cramps and knots.
"Easy." Came a crystalline and soothing voice, one she thought she recognized. She turned just her head to the right to look, and even that was an effort. A beautiful sun golden haired high elf sat by her bedside watching her. Wait, bedside?
"Where's the torture table?" Melody asked in surprise, or tried to. Her throat was raspy and parched and her echoing death knight's voice came out like a ghostly croak.
"Torture table? Why would you want one of those when you have this plush comfortable bed?" The high elf asked with a smirk lifting the corners of her mouth. It was a mocking smile, but still an amused one. She turned to a bedside table where there was a pitcher which she used to fill a glass that was beside it with cool clear water. She held the glass out in offering with another playful smirk. "I know it's less red and not as thick as you usually like, but it will help your throat. I suppose if you insisted I could find some red syrup to thicken it up?"
"I'll manage, thank you." Melody replied taking the water gratefully and trying to ignore the mockery. She sipped at it slowly despite an urge to guzzle it and looked at the pretty woman. Plush was certainly the word for the bed, as well as the rest of the room. The ceiling was a high vaulted marble affair with gold and azure gilding everywhere and a rich gold trimmed crimson carpet on the floor looked fluffier and more comfortable than some mattresses she had seen. The bed she was in was a tall canopied four posted monstrosity that could have easily held half a dozen people and she thought if she relaxed too much she might sink into the silken sheets and pillows and fluffy mattress and never be seen again. "Where am I?"
"Wyrmrest Temple." Came the reply in that crystal voice, and suddenly Melody recognized it, one of the voices she had heard. The memory came rushing back.
"I was being held captive… somewhere. By the Scarlet Crusade. They tried to torture me for information about the Scourge, wouldn't believe I wasn't Scourge. When they couldn't get anything they wanted out of me they tried to hang and burn me. I…" She paused, remembering it all now. "I threw myself off a cliff to get away. I was dead if they got me anyway, it seemed my only chance."
"You landed on a snobold." The woman said with that smile back, the mockery gone for the moment and her crystal voice on the verge of outright laughter. "Your dead weight crushed it, but it broke your fall."
"A snobold?" Melody asked.
The woman waved a hand dismissively. "A type of pest that dwells around here, barely intelligent, no real thought in their tiny minds, would probably be outsmarted by a ghoul. But they do tend to hoard things they find. This one had just caught one of our whelplings. No way to be sure what it was going to do with her but you saved her by landing on it and crushing it."
"Whelplings?" Melody was so confused and the woman looked at her in askance.
"A baby dragon. So you know not of us? It has been some time since I met a mortal who didn't know of dragons, especially an elf." Her smile widened turning mocking once more, and maybe a little sinister and she tilted her head. "Have you spent the years under a rock? It seems your kind are always either fighting or hiding behind your walls. You've certainly done enough harm to our flights."
Melody supposed she should be offended but the woman seemed so honestly amused and openly serene, even if ill mannered. Not all anything like the conniving darkness she was used to. She found it so… refreshing. She opened her mouth to say something more but at that moment her entire body convulsed. She lost the glass of water all together and it slipped from her hands, but she was so far out of it from the convulsion she didn't register it. Her limbs splayed wide and her neck craned back, her head smacking the headboard of the bed, but she was unaware of that too. Her hands clenched into fists and her toes curled and she doubled up on herself, tangling the sheet in her body as she curled upward then toppled to the right to land in the fetal position, clutching her knees with her arms and shaking violently. Once more all she knew was the pain.
When it finally receded she was still curled up on the bed. Awareness came back slowly and the beautiful woman was murmuring soft words of comfort to her and smoothing damp locks of her dark red hair back. When she saw Melody's blue eyes pop open she smiled. "There now, not so bad, hm? Only a mild case of complete and total all consuming mind numbing pain."
Another joke. Either she was trying to put Melody at ease or she was trying to hide her disdain for a mortal. It was an effort to get her body to uncurl, partially because the blanket had gotten tangled around her in her convulsions, but mostly because her entire body was so sore. She supposed she knew why now. "What… what happened?"
"Your unholy death knight's blood is in direct opposition to the pure life energies of the red dragon blood now surging through your veins." She replied as she set the water glass down on the stand beside the bed. How had she caught it without spilling it?
Melody's eyes widened in surprise. "Dragon's blood…?"
The woman nodded. "When we found you we didn't know who you were or anything about you save that you were a death knight and that you had rescued Alurmi. Once freed of the snobold she wrapped you in a small time bubble to preserve you then came back here and got us. When we found you it was very nearly too late. You had lost so much blood from your mistreatment that even another few minutes likely would have spelled your end. Traditional healing would not have saved you, and the only thing we could see to be done was a blood transfusion. It would have taken far longer than you had to find a suitable donor, so I … volunteered." The last word sounded forced and Melody blinked, but the woman went on. "Tyri would have done it herself, but she is a blue and I am a red." She seemed to think that was all the explanation necessary, but when Melody's eyes narrowed in confusion she rolled her eyes with another playful smile. "Oh right, you grew up under a rock. The Red Dragonflight, that is to say I and my kin, are the embodiment of life energy in our world. Our powers, our fire, even our very bodies and blood surge with the energy of life itself. The Blue Dragonflight are creatures of the arcane. Their essence teams with raw magical power and talent, and there's no telling what an infusion from one would have done to you. Perhaps transformed you into the world's first death knight toad, hm?" She outright laughed at that, an almost musical sound.
"And this… your… dragon blood is why I can… feel you?" Melody asked with an odd look on her face as she began to realize she could sort of… sense the other woman. A sort of awareness of her as though a tiny part of her consciousness were nestled in the back of Melody's mind. "I'm not entirely sure but… I think if we were across the world from each other I could probably point straight in your direction."
"I suppose it must be." She answered, the smirk vanishing for the moment. "Rather inconvenient that, wouldn't you say?"
"Inconvenient? Why? This isn't normal?" Melody wanted to know.
"No it's not. Infact I've never heard of such a thing before. But then, I have never heard of a dragon giving a blood transfusion to a corpse before either." Her tone was wry and her eyes narrowed in consternation.
Melody stared at the woman for a long moment before letting out a sigh. "Look I don't even know who you are, but if you are really so unhappy about the situation then I'll just let myself out so you don't have to concern yourself with me anymore." She threw the sheet off herself and for the first time truly realized that she was naked. She had been for the entirety of her captivity and torture, and escaping hadn't magically clothed her. She tried hard not to blush but wasn't sure she managed it. At least she kept her expression smooth.
The other woman smirked at her and deliberately glanced down at her nakedness, but she tilted her head at the death knight. The mockery was thick in her amused voice as she spoke. "Feel free to leave if that is what you truly wish. No one will stop you."
"Where…" Melody coughed and even that had the echo in it. "If you could… do you have…? Something I could…?"
That crystal voice never even changed a hair from the mocking amusement. "I will tell you what, little mortal. If you can manage to stand upright on your own without toppling over like a wobbly piece of two legged furniture, then I will find you something to wear." She promised but the snide look on her face said she doubted it.
Melody tried anyway, if for no other reason than to prove the smug dragon wrong, but to her dismay she found she couldn't do it. She made it as far as the edge of the bed but she couldn't get her legs to take her weight, they just slid out from under her when she tried, toes sliding across the plush crimson carpet to no effect. Eventually she sagged back once more into the bed feeling defeated and disgusted with herself. "I managed it when I threw myself off the cliff…" She muttered angrily. "You'd think throwing myself off a bed would be easier…"
The dragon in elf form sat there staring at the death knight for long moments before reaching across the bed for the discarded sheet. With a gentle hand she pulled it up and slid it back across Melody's bare flesh covering her to the neck once more. "Your strength will return in time." Her crystal voice sounded very close to tender now, soothing once more. "Now that your life is no longer threatened it makes sense that you lack the adrenaline to operate. You mortals are such fragile things, it's surprising you don't kill yourselves shaving." She paused a moment and tilted her head curiously. "Do corpses shave?"
Melody glared at her. "I'm not a corpse. My name is Melody."
The dragon elf laughed, a clear crystalline chime. "And my name is Lirastrasza. You may hear others, other dragons, refer to me as Lira." Suddenly all mirth vanished from her voice and her eyes narrowed to slits as she peered at Melody. "Mortals may not." Melody stared back at the woman for a moment or two before giving a nod and the wry smirk came back to Lirastrasza's lips. She reached out and patted her knee almost affectionately then straightened the sheet around the death knight. "You should probably get some rest. I will check on you later. Once you have recovered enough you will have to meet the Queen after all."
The dragon stood from her seat and turned to go but stopped and looked back over her shoulder when Melody called out to her. "Lirastrasza?"
"Yes?" She asked looking back.
"Thank you." The echo in her voice couldn't hide the sincerity, and she meant it deeply.
Lirastrasza blinked. "For what? The blood?"
"For saving my life."
The dragon elf tilted her head curiously at the undead elf and a momentary silence descended upon them. Then Lirastrasza sighed and shook her head. "This blood bond is going to be endlessly aggravating, I can already tell."
Then she was gone, sweeping out of the room and pulling the door shut behind her. Melody settled back with a small smile of her own. She was sure she had seen a grin on those high elf features at the last possible instant before the closing door had shut her from sight. Such an odd dichotomy the way the woman was at once playful yet disdainful. She didn't think Lirastrasza disliked her specifically just mortals in general, but clearly this odd blood bond between them had granted Melody some degree of leeway judging by the comforting gestures and soothing way she had in caring for her charge in spite of her mocking tone and scathing jests. Melody couldn't help but wonder if all dragons were so odd. She watched the ceiling above her as unconsciousness slowly overtook her, and she was certain that through the floors and walls however high up Lirastrasza had gone she could have pointed right to her, could have followed her every footstep with her eyes. Sleep came.
In the dream she soared high through the skies above the vast frozen wasteland below, great red leathery wings outstretched to either side catching the wind currents as she slid through the buffeting air eddies. She knew it for a dream because she knew she didn't have wings in the waking world, but getting to soar like this so freely was a purely joyous feeling, almost euphoric. Her sharp eyes scanned the ground beneath her for signs of prey, but not just any would do. Snobolds were completely out of the question, they tasted awful. Anything that could move on two legs usually did. Except for gnomes. Gnomes were delicious. Like a little sweet candy wrap.
The terrain below slid by as she angled north and east and after a time the snows dissipated to reveal brown and green landscape beneath, though the cold never abated even by a hair. Surely there had to be something out here. Then she spotted an elk strolling along the bank of a half frozen stream. Elk weren't as tasty as does were but still plenty good enough. She angled through the air, turned a tight spiral, folded her wings and dove. Her massive scaled body went into a freefall and the sound of air rushing past her was thunderous. She exalted in the feel of the freeform dive and couldn't help but let out a roar with the exhilaration of the hunt. The elk looked up at the sound but it was too late. As it turned to bolt she snapped her wings out to either side at the last possible moment to level her fall while simultaneously opening her giant maws. Her teeth closed around the elk's long neck with a snap sinking into soft furred flesh. Blood gushed over her tongue as she gave a yank to twist the neck, breaking it and beating her wings to gain height once more. She loved to hunt, it was such a liberating thing to fly free and hunt at will. The kill would do for her meal, and she would save some for her charge.
… … … … …
Cascading dark red hair framed a figure more voluptuous and curvaceous than most other high eleven figures ever achieved, the following strands dangling loose to the woman's knees as she lay in the soft vibrant green grass of Eversong Forest. the canopied roof of the trees overhead cast her in a soft light as she seemed to be sleeping playfully, the gentle breeze caressing her smooth bare skin, pebbling it up in some tantalizing places. She was easily the most beautiful specimen of elven flesh nature had ever designed. The woman's visage filled the mind's eye, claimed it, ruled it. She was all, and that was all there was to it. Suddenly the woman's body seemed like it was beginning to melt. In a flash supple satiny skin turned a coarse sickly green as she decayed in an instant leaving a skeleton with a hollowed staring skull. It's empty eye sockets seemed accusing. The howl of death.
Sylvanas jerked awake with a start, her arms and legs twitching out to atl sides. One hand caught the bed stand beside her and toppled it over sending it crashing to the ground, a pitcher of water shattering to send glass everywhere and soak the simple orange and black rug of the hut. Her normally slow pulse was racing as her heart tried to hammer it's way out of her chest and her breast heaved as she gulped lungfuls of air. She glanced around hurriedly to make sure no one was there to see her in her anxiety before she remembered where she was. The empty hut was sparse aside from the few belongings she had had on her person when she had fled Undercity to take refuge in Orgrimmar, a hasty temporary lodging for a hasty situation. Orcs were not very concerned with much more than basic necessities, not when they could be out bashing each other's skulls in instead.
Throwing the simple hand woven rug aside the Trolls seemed to consider a blanket the Dark Lady moved to the wash basin stepping carefully around the shards of glass. Luckily it had been too far away to have suffered the same fate as her water pitcher and she dipped her hands into the cool basin to splash her face in an effort to clear her mind, to wash away the mental image of Melody's body decaying. Her bare pale blue skin glistened in the soft light of false dawn barely creeping into the hut as she leaned on the basin staring down at the rippling reflection of her own damp face in the water's surface. It took a long time before her undead heart slowed back to it's usual crawling pace and her breath evened out again. By the titans she hated this. Her hands tightened on the rim of the wash basin and the pottery creaked alarmingly but she barely noticed. Driven from her city, nearly killed by a knife she never saw coming, practically dragged to safety by her underlings, fleeing to the Orc capitol, forced to take refuge under the Warchief's protection… and even with all that to top it off she could not get her beautiful death knight out of her mind. Melody had been missing for more than six weeks now and none of her dark rangers had returned to bring her any further word on the matter, and now that she had had to recall them after Varimathras' coupe to help with damage control they would find nothing at all. A fortnight in Orgrimmar, day in and day out, her waking hours were packed with preparations to retake Undercity and her dreams were filled with her lover, but not in pleasant ways. Every dream every night was as gruesome and horrific as tonight's imagery had been. The last words they had spoken to each other had been in anger, and the Banshee Queen had thought it just some passing fluke. She was the Ruler of Undercity, a pillar in the Horde, she didn't need anyone! She had only created Melody as an experiment, as a means of testing a new way of creating champions for her people since they could not reproduce. It had seemed so simple at the time. Deny her memories of life so she would be completely dedicated in undeath. Control her through her emotions. What could be simpler?
Sylvanas' hands gripped harder still and the basin let out a creak as a crack appeared in the rim. Her hands did not lessen their grip; her teeth clenched and her shoulders hunched down as she stared at her own face in the water. Her red eyed reflection seemed to glare daggers back up at her. "What was I supposed to do?!" She growled at her reflection, her banshee's voice echoing around the little hut. "Tell her the truth?! That she was a puppet, nothing more?! That the entire reason I had said I couldn't stand to lose her was only because of what she is?! She would hate me, and she would be right to do so!"
"I'm sorry, am I intruding?"
Sylvanas whirled to face the hut's crude door. A green orc hand was on the edge but Thrall had not entered or even looked in. She was not a modest person necessarily but she found suddenly that she felt her nakedness keenly. She snarled at herself and turned to grab up the black silken half shirt and leggings she typically wore beneath her armor to keep it from chafing. Once she pulled them on she turned back to the door. "Come in, Warchief."
Thrall was not the biggest Orc she had ever seen, but he was not far off of it. His massively broad shoulders brushed the doorframe as he slid in partially sideway so he would fit, and once inside he had to hunch slightly to keep from hitting his head on a beam overhead. He moved in such a way seemingly without notice, a long established subconscious sort of reflex. Most of the orc buildings in Orgrimmar had been built sized for orcs, but some of them had been made by trolls or goblins and this one certainly didn't have the height inside that others did. Thrall was decked as he usually was, simple armor with golden bracers and the Doomhammer hanging at his hip. They stared at each other for a moment before Thrall finally broke the silence.
"You had asked to be informed right away at any new developments, but if you need a few moments to… compose yourself, I understand."
For an orc Thrall was surprisingly perceptive. Sylvanas had always thought of him as a cut above the rest of his kin, and had never had a problem dealing with him in the past. Perhaps it was her pent up frustrations over recent events, or perhaps it was a simple matter that everyone needed an ear an ear from time to time. Or maybe it was just that they were both rulers that made her open her mouth. That had to be it.
"Warchief, may I ask you a… personal question?" She asked tentatively. He gave a nod and she took a deep breath. "Have you ever… considered… taking a… mate?"
He blinked in surprise and his head turned slightly to the side in askance. "I have never dwelt on it, but I have always hoped some day I may fight the right person. Why do you ask?"
She swallowed hard. This was not the time to be focusing on this, and she didn't want to come right out and say it, but… she had come this far, it was too late to get squeamish now. "If you did, and something… happened… and you found yourself at odds with… unfortunate decisions you had made regarding them before you truly knew what you wanted… what would you do?"
Thrall eyed her for a very long heavy moment, not saying anything for so long that Sylvanas began to wonder if he thought her insane. Then he did speak, and she wished she had kept her mouth shut.
"Is this about Ms. Duskrunner?" Sylvanas felt shocked to her core and suddenly her heart began to pound. Blasted Thrall and his perceptiveness! How could he possibly know?! WHAT could he possibly know? She was long practiced at her blank expression mask however and didn't give her thoughts away, but neither could she think how to respond immediately. When she didn't answer right away he gave a tiny smirk and made a soothing gesture with one hand. "Don't worry, I would not tell anyone. But if enough rumors and hints reached my ears for me to piece it together, you must consider that others may have as well. Still, her recent enough appearance in Undercity in such a mysterious way with no explanations as to her origin was rather… telling as to your connection to her. There could be only so many reasons for a new face in a capitol to rise so high so fast."
So he didn't know all of it, the most important part of it. Sylvanas quietly allowed herself to begin breathing again. He was right though, she had erred, had been too hasty. It was awkward for her to talk about this, hard for her to face it, but she suddenly found herself in the unfortunate position of being forced to reveal some of it to him or raise suspicions. She swallowed hard again and sighed. "I have not taken a mate since… well since before…" She couldn't say it. This was too private!
"Since before Arthas' tyranny?" Thrall ventured for her.
Sylvanas' red eyes blazed but Thrall was among the handful of people on the face of Azeroth who was not affected by her gaze alone. "Yessss…" She all but hissed. Her hands clenched into fists reflexively and she swished a fist through the air in a cutting gesture. "My first mate died in the third war. Later Arthas… took advantage… and while never anything close, it still…" Thrall cut her off with a shake of his head, apparently wanting to spare her that particular story. She gave him a grateful look and pressed on. "I did not intend to fall for a mate ever again. I have far more important things to be worrying about, but she is always in my thoughts, and I can't stop having these nightmares…"
Thrall let the silence stretch on again for a few moments as he considered the situation before replying. "I have never taken a mate before, so I'm afraid I can only offer speculation without such specifics. What I can offer however, is a general observation I have found to be true from watching others, observing how people affect each other. When something happens which a person feels deeply about, it naturally takes a forefront position within their mind. If the subject of their discontent is another person, it can eat at them in ways they may not even be aware of. And if the person in question they have wronged is of import to them, it becomes all the worse for the person who is discontent. It gets particularly bad if they aren't even sure of their own thoughts on the other person."
"Warchief this is vague and generalistic." Sylvanas said with a sneer.
Thrall nodded. "It is, and I told you it would be. But consider this, Sylvanas. The worst thing a person can experience is a time when their heart and their mind are in direct conflict about something. When a person is torn so it becomes all they can do to sort out the signals their subconscious sends them. You say you are having nightmares? Then I would suggest you are either not heading your heart or your mind regarding Ms. Duskrunner. I have always considered you an intelligent woman, far more than most. I doubt it is your mind you're having a problem with."
Silence fell again, and finally after a long moment Sylvanas gave a grudging nod. "Whatever happened, whatever my decisions in the past… the situation has changed. My feelings… have changed. I must acknowledge it." She paused a moment and forced her hands to unclench. "Thank you, Warchief."
Thrall gave that small smile again. "Now if you want a moment to finish preparing I will step outside. But we are nearly ready for the final preparations. Undercity will be yours once again in very short order. That I can promise you."
"Thank you, Warchief." Sylvanas said again, this time with more sincerity. Thrall gave a nod and stepped back out of the hut, letting out an annoyed grunt as his shoulder banged the door frame at his passing. She watched him go with a curious gaze. She hadn't meant to open up as much as she had, but it was done and perhaps for the best. Her mind and her heart were in conflict…? There were those who said that the Banshee Queen did what she did for her own reasons. They were correct. Perhaps, though… perhaps reasons, like feelings, could change with time. Perhaps she should be listening to her heart more. She considered this for a few moments before giving herself a small shake and turning toward where she had laid out her armor the previous night. Her heart would have to wait however, she had work to do.
… … … … …
Melody stared out at the dozens of dragons soaring lazily through the airspace around the top of Wyrmrest temple with a degree of wonder in her glowing blue eyes. The only thing she had known of dragons before this had been that the scourge had bone dragons in their employ, and she had never stopped to consider that live ones could exist in such numbers, or be such beautiful creatures. To soar through the air in this way… it must be an amazing feeling. Beside her Lirastrasza followed her gaze out toward the skies, her face in her high elven form holding an expression akin to that of an adult watching a child entranced by something they considered silly.
"What do you think of your first sight of my kin in their natural forms?" She asked wryly. "Too much flesh for your taste?"
"I think you are majestic creatures." She breathed, the woman's usual acerbic tone not bothering her in the least at the moment.
Lirastrasza blinked at that and for a wonder had no biting come back on the tip of her tongue. Perhaps she hadn't expected such a remark. Now that Melody was almost fully recovered thanks to the dragon blood in her veins she had been bringing her up to meet her queen, and at a glance into the chamber at the top of the temple her wryness returned. "Well lets be about it, unless you think to out wait a dragon. We're eternal, it won't work."
Melody had no intention of any such thing, and at the not so gentle verbal prodding she turned in the direction indicated and entered the royal area. As they reached the center of the round domed section Lirastrasza took up a position slightly in front of the death knight and offered a curtsey in the human fashion to the woman at the head of the circle standing at the far side opposite from their ascent. Melody remained silent and Lirastrasza made introductions.
"Melody, allow me to introduce the Queen of the Dragons Alexstrasza the Lifebinder, She Who Is Life. My Queen, allow me to present Melody Duskrunner, who I'm sure holds a number of titles which are no doubt impressive to other mortals." Her crystal voice was grand for Alexstrasza and turned dismissive for Melody, her tone making it clear that meant it could be of no interest to the dragons, but Melody was just as glad not to have her supposed titles mentioned. She had never done anything to earn them after all.
Alexstrasza held a beautiful high elven form as well, thought it was slightly twisted with draconic details such as horns and very dragon like eyes. The power radiating off of her was enough that Melody could feel it in her bones, and she hoped that whatever happened she didn't have another onset of the full body pain spasms she had been having the past few days since that first when she had been talking to Lirastrasza. She did not want to show any kind of weakness before someone so impressive as the Queen of Life. For her part the Dragon Queen aimed a reproachful look at Lirastrasza, who bared her teeth in what might have been intended to be a smile but fell short of actually resembling one. Alexstrasza shifted her gaze back to Melody with a curious tilt of her horned head.
"So you are the death knight who saved our bronze whelpling." She said with a considering look. She gestured off to one side where stood a gnome woman with a tiny bronze whelp hovering nearby her. The gnome gave a little push to the whelp which came fluttering over to Melody. She didn't say anything, though Melody wasn't sure if she even could. "Alurmi is very impressed with you. You've made a friend it seems. More than one, unless I miss my guess."
Melody shook her head, "No, I didn't do anything to note. It was an accident."
"She just fell on a snobold." Lirastrasza said, her tone sounding torn between amusement at the mental imagery and discontent with recognition of the accident.
"Coincidence or not, you were the cause which brought the result of freeing Alurmi. You have her thanks, and you have mine."
"And mine!" Squeaked the gnome woman, and Melody recognized the squeaky voice from her blackened memory of the snow. "My name is Chromie! I'm very pleased to meet you! … again? Wait, is this the first time we've met? I forget."
Melody blinked in confusion and Alexstrasza let out a soft chuckle. Well, soft for a dragon. Lirastrasza snorted. "Let's not bough our guest down with explanations of the timestream on her first meeting, hm?" Melody gripped the armored breastplate she was wearing and tugged at it unnecessarily to straighten it. It was a subconscious gesture, but she was glad of having the armor to wear. She didn't know where Lirastrasza had found it, but it fit perfectly, almost as though measured and sized specifically for her ample bosom and athletic build. A black and red enameled affair the breastplate went from neck down to taper off at her navel, leaving her upper arms and midriff bare to allow for greater mobility. The legplates were similar in design, covering vital veins while leaving gaps for full range of leg motion. A set of matching greaves and gauntlets completed the set and she had greatly appreciated being armored in such a way as to be mobile. It was definitely a set intended to blend protectiveness with the wearer's agility, something not to be found on your typical warrior. She found it infinitely more suitable than the cumbersome armor she had received in ebon hold, which had been lost upon her capture by the Scarlet Onslaught. No telling where it had ended up, likely in some blacksmith's hands to be melted down. Her weapon too unfortunately. The ebon greatsword had been as clunky and unwieldy as the armor, but it had been her rune weapon and she felt it's lack keenly.
The Lifebinder was looking at her askance and Melody affected a curtsey as Lirastrasza had done, though she wore no skirt or robe or even a cloak to spread. "I'm grateful for your words, Dragon Queen. And I thank you for allowing me to recuperate here." She blinked in confusion toward her side as Alurmi nudged her shoulder with her nose. She wasn't sure what the whelpling wanted so she offered a hand in a pat, which seemed to mollify her.
Chromie giggled. "A friend indeed. I would not be surprised if Alurmi finds reason to pop in and check on you every now and then." Her squeaky voice sounded highly amused at the notion.
"Indeed." Alexstrasza said, "As a race we are very careful of whom we associate ourselves with. Perhaps in time you will come to understand what it means to have a friend in a dragon, Ms. Duskrunner."
"Please, you can call me Melody." She said trying to be polite without being formal. She didn't want the dragons to think her crass.
Alexstrasza looked at her for a few moments before giving another nod of the head. "Very well, Melody. And you may call me Alex, if you wish it."
Lirastrasza snorted again. "You may call me Lirastrasza, but you knew that already." Chromie didn't say anything, but then she hadn't given a big long dragon name in the first place, so Melody supposed that was permission enough, or maybe the dragon gnome just wasn't as formal as the other two? She didn't know nearly enough about the dragons to even begin to speculate.
"If I may ask," Alexstrasza continued, "What are your plans now that on the path to recovering from your ordeal?" The Dragon Queen was just as direct as Lirastrasza was but it seemed she was well practiced at being tactful. Melody appreciated it but even so she had no trouble reading between the lines. Beneath the gratitude which was doubtlessly genuine lay a concern for the safety of Wyrmrest from the possible threat of a dangerous viper.
"I'm not Scourge if that's what's worrying you." Melody replied, trying to moderate her echoing death knight's voice to be soothing but unable to keep a slight annoyed twinge out of it. Lirastrasza hissed in warning at her tone but the queen held up a had to still them.
"I meant no offense. We are well aware that the Knights of the Ebon Blade are free of the Lich King's control. Had I thought you to be Scourge we would not be having this conversation now." It wasn't a threat merely a statement of fact, and Melody had absolutely zero doubt as to the reality of that fact. "Still, you are a death knight, and your kind has a… reputation. If you intend us no harm then all is well and you will be allowed to go on your way without reproach."
Go on her way… so that was it. They wanted her gone because they thought her of the Ebon Blade. She had trained there to learn of her unholy powers and how to control her abilities, but she wasn't necessarily affiliated with them. Looking around at the sight of these majestic creatures she found their respect meant a great deal more to her than she would have thought. They had saved her life not knowing if she would turn out to be friend or foe, and they were worried she would destroy them, or try too. She couldn't betray Sylvanas' secrets no matter how her queen had been treating her of late but she still felt she owed them some explanation.
"I am not a member of the Ebon Blade, not officially, and I have no ties to them. I have no memory of my past before awakening to the curse of undeath and being taken into service in Undercity by the Banshee Queen. My only allegiance is to the Dark Lady, and she holds no malice against the dragons." That I know of… She pushed the thought away. "Please believe me when I tell you that I had never even known about dragons before arriving here and I have zero ill will toward your kind. I find you to be a magnificent and noble people and want nothing more than to come and go in peace."
Every eye of the dragons present turned fully to the death knight, each gaze ranging from considering to dubious. Melody had a distinct feeling of being weighed and measured to the last detail as they took her measure. After a time of such looks the Dragon Queen finally tilted her head slightly in a curious way. "We have heard of the Banshee Queen." She said at last, and Melody got the distinct impression that there had been a shift in the way they saw her, and it was unclear as to whether it was for the better or not. "Her forces made landfall on the farthest eastern edge of the Howling Fjord and began spreading throughout the area some weeks past. Once they had established themselves they crossed into the Dragonblight where Wyrmrest Temple lays, and though they have taken no inherent action from their small outpost of Venomspite to our east their intentions are at best unclear." She paused for a long moment before asking heavily. "Can you truthfully say that your Dark Lady has absolutely no intent on any action, ANY action, that could possibly be harmful toward the dragonflights?"
No one moved, not a twitch of a finger, not the flicker of an eyelid. The dragons were as still as the death knight herself, and Melody suddenly had the distinct feeling in the pit of her stomach that her very life may well be on the line should she utter a falsehood. She knew what she wanted to say, what she longed to say. She also knew what the truth was. The two did not align, not after all that had happened in recent months, not after the fight she had had with her queen and the secrets she had uncovered. Could she still say she knew everything she needed to know to defend Sylvanas? She knew the answer to that too, as hard as it was to face even internally, even to herself. After long moments she took a deep breath and shook her head. "I cannot."
As quickly as that the danger seemed to leak from the atmosphere. Melody felt a sense of… relief? Satisfaction? Something along those lines from the dragon next to her, and she glanced at Lirastrasza curiously. She hadn't actually felt any emotions from her before, their bond must have been getting stronger. The blood ties… always the blood. Not a hint of it showed on the beautiful high elf dragon's face though; in fact she didn't even look at the death knight. She was glad that Melody hadn't lied though, that was apparent to her. Alexstrasza was pleased too it seemed. "It is always gratifying to meet a mortal more concerned with honor and truth than their people's own private aims." She said, and though Melody felt a pang of guilt for Sylvanas she also felt a measure of pride in the dragon's compliments. "In all honesty the Banshee Queen has yet to set foot in Northrend, and we cannot be certain as yet what her forces are doing. Had you a mind to however, perhaps you could go meet with them and find out? We could take you directly there, if you are highly ranked enough to ask about it?"
Melody considered the request for a moment. Her titles certainly granted her plenty enough authority to ask whatever she wanted of them. She could take command all together if she really wanted. But if she did that word would get back to Undercity within days of her appearance there and of what she did. She didn't think Sylvanas would be best pleased to have Melody disappear for weeks after a fight just to show up out of the blue and take control of her forces. That wasn't to say she had to take command, or even reveal who she was. Infact if she put on a dark cloak she could claim to be one of the dark rangers, or even make contact with a dark ranger if she could find one. No, that would hardly be any better. Word would get back to Undercity through that route even faster than a military report. She couldn't set foot in Venomspite she decided, not without being prepared to face her queen again, and she needed more information first.
"I do not think that a good idea…" She said carefully. It wouldn't do to start hiding things now, but some things were too private to volunteer outright. She hoped the dragons understood that. "I have been weeks away from the Forsaken and from my queen in my captivity. I do not know that I have enough up to date information to stride in and begin demanding answers. Truth be told, I do not even know that I deserve the titles they granted me."
The Dragon Queen gave a small nod of acceptance. "It is of no real consequence, an idle passing thought only. It is simply that with we do not have enough intelligence. Our forces have been strained attempting to deal with our own battles of late, so I look for any advantage I can find."
The little bronze whelpling nudged at Melody's shoulder again and she glanced over to stroke her head. The little dragon's scales felt lizard like but were deceptively tough. Her glance took her gaze to the gnome woman and she blinked at the sight. Chromie was wrapped in some flowing bronze energy bubble. She floated an inch or two off the ground, arms out and eyes wide and unblinking staring straight up at nothing. "Is she alright?"
The other dragons didn't even bother glancing in Chromie's direction. "What, does your kind not day dream? I thought you had your heads in the clouds most of the time." Lirastrasza replied wryly, that mocking smile in place.
Alexstrasza sighed and shook her head. "She is watching the timestream. They do that."
"Timestream?" Melody asked curiously and the dragon queen sighed.
"I had not intended to get into it, but yes. Each of the dragonflights have a special charge bestowed upon them We reds are the aspects of life energy in our world, for example."
"And the blues are creatures of pure magic." Melody replied, earning a curious glance from the queen.
"Yes. It seems Lira has been helping to inform you of some things at the very least."
Lirastrasza put on a long suffering look as though the weight of the world were upon her. "Educating mortals was never in my job description as an enforcer and defender of our people, my queen. You cannot expect me to work miracles."
The Lifebinder's lips actually quirked in a smile at that particular joke but she quickly smoothed her face with a glance at the death knight. Melody tried not to giggle at her concern. "Yes, well. The bronze dragons monitor the timestream. Their charge is to police time itself and make certain the events of past present and future all remain synchronized as intended."
"Past present and future…" Melody mused, considering her own broken mind. "A shame I can't do that for myself." The comment was to herself but it was loud enough to carry in her echoing voice.
"Yourself? What do you mean?" The dragon wanted to know.
She sighed and shook her head. "My lack of memory of my life before undeath leaves me precious little to go on most of the time. Instinct and emotions, the shadows of memories, nothing more."
Lirastrasza rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Doesn't sound too different from how most of your kin behave to me. I'm sure if you compared notes you could get by reasonably well."
Alexstrasza shot Lira another withering look before turning back to the death knight. "I understand. It is not an easy thing, adapting to a new life without choice or knowledge of what you may have had before. Would you like me to attempt to restore your mind?"
Melody blinked. "Restore my mind?" Was that even possible? Could such a thing be done? The idea flashed through her thoughts of possibly having her memories whole once more, of what it would be like to not have to rely on vague impulses and guesswork with her emotions. It sounded wondrous. "Can it be done?"
"Perhaps." Alexstrasza allowed. "The life energies of the red dragonflight have a surprising degree of restorative power. I cannot guarantee it would work, and there would be… risks involved."
Melody caught the hesitation and tilted her head. "Risks? What risks?"
The Lifebinder sighed and glanced around for a moment before answering. "Maladies of the mind are a delicate matter. Even with the most minor of issues there is always an inherent risk of unintended side effects. The mind is a delicate thing in many ways, and one stray slip or errant energy flow could cause irreversible harm. Still, I have been successful in restoring many mortals with such injuries in the past. If you wish I will try, but it is up to you."
Melody found herself considering it, really considering it. It was a tempting offer, an appealing thought. She wanted more than anything to be whole again, but could she really risk permanent brain damage for it? Sylvanas had claimed her memory would return on it's own eventually as it was. Yet Sylvanas had said many things, and so much was in doubt now. Could she afford to wait? What if her past held some vital information that could help with current circumstances? She realized she was trying to justify the risk, trying to talk herself into it. Left to her own devices long enough she thought she may have thrown caution to the wind and accepted the offer. However she never got the chance.
There was a roar in the air nearby on the top of the temple, the call of a dragon hovering. A great red dragon swooped in to a landing pad which jutted out from the circular area they were in with a great gust of wind kicked up from the huge span of leathery wings beating at the air. Once secure in the landing there was a rush of energy and the dragon seemed to glow too brightly to make out for a moment or two and the form shrank, converging in upon itself before the glow faded and a tall broad chested human man came rushing forward. He drew level with Lirastrasza, not even casting the barest glance in Melody's direction, then bent to one knee smoothly in as formal bow, vassal to ruler. "My Queen." His voice was deep and gruff and she recognized it too from her black memory.
"What is it, Lord Afrasastrasz?" the dragon queen asked.
"The Alliance and the Horde have attacked the Wrathgate."
Lirastrasza's breath caught in anticipation and the Dragon Queen's eyes narrowed. "And?" she asked, clearly knowing more was coming.
He paused, a heavy intense moment stretching out and this time he did glance back at Melody, his eyes full of malice. "And the Forsaken have destroyed them. They betrayed the coalition's assault, attacking from behind with some sort of plague weapon which destroyed every last one of them."
Every eye turned to Melody, and she felt her veins turn to ice, more than usual at any rate. "That can't be…" She whispered, horrified.
Her disbelief was probably her only saving grace. With that the queen took a few steps forward. "We shall have to find out. Come, let us see for ourselves."