Chapter 7: Am I Dreaming?
"Here again?" Neltharion asked in a dismal tone while waving a claw. He rested his metallic jaw in his palm as he stared at Alexstrasza's crimson face. He extended his legs out and plopped them on the edge of the lava pool he was currently in. Alexstrasza swatted his legs away, careful to avoid any of the molten liquid on them, causing his head to fall into the lava suddenly. Neltharion could hear a distorted giggle from his only company before he raised his head, wearing an annoyed expression.
"Yes, I'm almost done healing you, but there's… one last thing I need to heal." Neltharion shifted nervously, knowing exactly what she was talking about.
"I'm sure it will heal on its own. There's no need for you to heal it."
"You're still leaking your—might I remind you, deadly—blood around. You can't be starting random fires everywhere you go." Neltharion didn't move. "Really?" He looked away, shifting his gaze away from her's. She let out a sigh while rolling her eyes. "The mighty Earth-Warder can't handle someone healing a wound by their groin?" she mocked. It surprised her, even more, when he didn't return with some dumb—although what she had to admit was usually a funny—quip or snark comment. Was he really that ashamed? "I'm sorry, but come on, Nel. Do you really not want me to heal you?"
"I-It's not that. It's… my pride."
"Just because I'm healing you doesn't make you weak."
"I know, but you're a female, an attrac—" Neltharion replied before being cut off.
"Ok, ok. If it's that big of a deal to you," she started, "then I can just heal you generally. It should help your wound, but you'll have to take it easy for the rest of the day." He nodded and climbed out of his tub, dripping small amounts of now-cooling lava on the ground. Alexstrasza closed her eyes and channeled her powers over life before releasing her flames. She opened her eyes, watching the flames flicker on Neltharion's scales and spread over his entire body in an ancient dance. He seemed to instantly relax as the fire went down to his groin, partially sealing his wound.
"Thank you," he said while flexing each of his hindlegs, the flames dissipating from his scales.
"You're welcome." Neltharion shook himself like a dog, sending drops of fiery liquid everywhere.
"Careful!" Alexstrasza yelped, violently whipping one of her front claws to get the lava droplet off. He rushed up to her and licked the small drop with his tongue, quickly absorbing the heat. Her brief anger melted away from the warmth of the lingual muscle that stopped the burning. She immediately blushed, her cheeks becoming a slightly lighter shade of red than usual. Before his eyes could reach her face, she tried to silence her blush.
"Anyway, our siblings are waiting for us," she said, quickly moving on from her noticed display.
"Oh?" Neltharion responded.
"They wanted to see you now that you're in good health." She gestured towards the exit of the oversized cave and started to walk towards it. The Earth-Warder followed suit, going to the side of the Dragon Queen. He waited for her to extend her wings before he opened his own. She took flight, and he followed her towards Wyrmrest.
When they arrived, Neltharion found three humanoid figures on the temple's upper level, all of them looking at him. The two shifted to their according forms, approaching the other Aspects. Alexstrasza went forward, addressing the others.
"After a couple, long, months, our brother has been restored to his former glory." He let out a slight snort at that.
"Almost. Besides the metal jaw and various other… issues, I still have an injury, but it should heal by the end of the day, as long as I take it easy." A dark talon pointed towards the Life-Binder. "Doctor's orders."
"It's good to see you back on your feet," Ysera spoke, her voice barely louder than a whisper.
"So," Kalecgos started, "what shall you do then?" Neltharion put a fist to his jaw and looked off into the distance for a moment before looking back at the blue-haired human.
"I was thinking of some 'RNR,' but I'm open for suggestions," Neltharion replied, glancing around the room. Kalecgos opened his mouth to speak, but the Dreamer spoke first.
"I would like to take you somewhere special, dear brother."
"If I may," the blue Aspect started again, "I would like to show him something first." The black noticed Ysera shoot the other Aspect a strange look; one Neltharion did not understand. She then nodded. Neltharion waited a moment before concluding with, "Well then, it's settled." He went to Kalecgos' side before turning back to the group. "I truly thank you all for showing up," he began, his eyes showing his genuineness. They quickly turned to that of an amused child. "It is the least you could do after I saved you all, but who's keeping track, eh?"
This received a combined eye roll from the room, which only further inflated the onyx dragon's ego. With that, he turned to Kalecgos, asking him to lead the way. He would later wish he had prepared himself for the guilt trip that would soon follow.
"Deathwing." Kalecgos turned his head towards the dark-haired human who once bore the name as the blue slowed his walk. He stopped at a snowy cliff that was not very far from the temple they left from. "That is all I have ever known you as until recently." He waved his hand, making Neltharion look down from the cliff. A large crater was beneath him, and strange purple energy flowed around the center of the area. Massive bones were scattered within the divot, slightly more than the number in the Obsidian Dragonshrine.
Sadly, both of the Dragonshrines held far fewer bones than they should have. His own shrine had so few because his flight was corrupted, and cared not to bury the dead, so their bones were lost.
"He was the one who hurled most of my flight across the planet, forever dooming their remains to be unrecoverable. He was also the one who broke the world when he left Deepholm and nearly destroyed it at the Maelstrom." Neltharion could only hang his head in shame. He knew of this particular failure all too well. He had been left in shock at how little Deathwing cared for the other dragonflights, wanting only to preserve his own. "I know that was not you and that you are a completely different being, but I still feel as if you are the same."
"While actions do speak great volume, I feel words can sometimes shout. So, I will use them now." The Earth-Warder turned his full attention to the Spell-Weaver. "Kalecgos, I hope to call you my friend—my brother—someday, but I know your heart aches. Your flight still suffers from what that monster did, and I feel it only helped further Malygos' insanity, but I intend to prove that I am not the same as Deathwing. I would never betray those who looked to me for help and who, in turn, helped me many a time. I know my words mean little to your ears, but I hope they ease your wounded heart, Kalecgos."
Kalecgos saw a smile form on the Earth-Warder's face. It did nothing to comfort him, but it further validated his thoughts.
"You say your words mean little, but you are wrong. I can see you are not the same, for Deathwing was never a beast of words or sentiments. While it will still take much time for me to truly trust you, I feel that this is a start." He extended his hand, drawing the other Aspect's attention. "My flight's past is tainted with suffering, but I aim to better its future."
Neltharion shook Kalecgos' hand vehemently before returning to his standing position. "I thank you for your tolerance."
"It is intolerance that drove Malygos to insanity, so I commit to not following down that same path. Now go, I'm sure Ysera is waiting. Impatiently," the new Aspect countered with a chuckle, which his company returned.
Neltharion walked a decent distance away from the Azure Dragonshrine before returning to his full form. With a strong flap of his wings, he was sent into the air. Nearby, he could see Ysera waiting for him at the base of Wyrmrest Temple.
Within a few moments, he was standing in front of her, towering over the night elf. She had a most unbecomingly large smile plastered onto her face. She appeared happier to see him than he had initially thought. As always with her, he broke the ice with a tease.
"Have you ever thought about dying your hair silver? It would certainly go with your complexion."
"As much as I hate to entertain you… yes." Ysera replied with a sigh. "The only issue is that a certain night priestess has 'coined' silver hair color." That comment resulted in a long hearty laugh from Neltharion.
"Seriously? You are the Mistress of Dreams; I think you dominate the night far more than Tyrande," he said, his laughter finally coming to an end. "But if it must differ in some way, add a greenish-blue color to the silver to match your eyes." A warm smile grew on his face. "If you want to change your hair, then do so, dear sister!"
"I suppose I could try, but on one condition." He looked at her with a hint of worry because of how serious her tone became. "Don't. Laugh. If it. Fails. Horribly."
"I won't, I promise." With that, Ysera transformed into her draconic form, her emerald scales reflecting the light of the sun in a way that reminded Neltharion of gemstones. It was very similar to her sister's scales, if he was being honest.
The Dreamer wrapped her arms around Neltharion, hugging him tightly. He mimicked her actions, clasping his most treasured friend. I really should spend more time with her, he thought to himself. After a long and tender moment, they broke their embrace.
"I'm guessing Kalec took you to see… it?"
"Yes."
"Well then," she started, "I'm sure what I have planned will cheer you up!" As soon as she finished, she shot into the air, blasting snow all over Neltharion's body before it melted from his heat. "Follow me!"
"We really are alike at heart," he whispered to himself before chasing after his childish sister.
Neltharion was expecting his sister to take him to see some important big tree, as she had in the past. She talked about how she loved nature—which was why she loved the Emerald Dream so much—and how trees were such a marvel. They stood firm through storms and drank from the ground. They also turned carbon dioxide into breathable air to ensure the continuation of all life. It seemed he had heard that speech too many times. Despite all that, he was not prepared for what she pointed towards: a small and still growing tree.
When Ysera noticed where he was looking, she lightly jabbed him with an elbow before pulling his head so he could see the tavern behind it. The details of the building made Neltharion think of night elves, but he was surprised when mostly dwarves went in and out of the establishment. Of course, they do like their alcohol, so it still could be owned by a night elf.
"Are we going to get a drink?" he asked. She turned her head to him and gave an are-you-serious look. "What?" he asked, sounding a little too hurt.
"You know why you can't get a drink." He gave off the most exaggerated eye roll. She turned her green head back towards the building. "There's someone I would like you to meet; let me get them from inside." As she started to transform and walk towards the entrance, he stopped her.
"Shouldn't I change too?"
"Don't worry; they'll be fine."
After a couple of minutes, she walked out with another night elf beside her. This one was a decent amount shorter than his sister, and she had a silver chain around her neck. She looked up to Neltharion's visage and gasped. He always scared mortals, it seemed, even though he had tried to change public opinion of himself.
"I can question him?" the smaller female asked all too cheerily. He cocked his head at her choice of words.
"I think you mean talk with him," Ysera told the woman beside her.
"Oh yes, of course!" Suddenly, both of the night elves started to warp and grow, both of them turning into green dragons. The smaller dragon extended her hand to Neltharion, awaiting a handshake already. "I'm Lissera. You can call me Liz."
"Pleasure to meet you, Liz." He shook her scaly hand. "And I am—"
"Neltharion the Earth-Warder, of course!" He was worried already. "I am a big fan of your work. Pre-Deathwing obviously. I have waited a long time to talk with you, understand just how your powers work."
Neltharion looked to his sister with a cry for help. She mouthed the words "trust me" to him. "Sure…" he said with much reluctance. Before he knew it, he was sitting down at a table in his human form. His sister was beside him, while Lissera was in front of him. A waiter walked by, and Ysera tapped his shoulder.
"Could you bring us some wine, please? Your standard red will be fine."
"How many glasses would you like?" the waiter asked, counting the number of strange people at his table.
"The bottle."
Neltharion knew his sister wouldn't let him have any, not for a few glasses anyway, but he would make sure not to drink at all. He wanted to remember this night.
The waiter returned shortly after, delivering a tall glass bottle and pouring some of its contents into two glasses before taking Neltharion's away. Both of the females took a sip, and then the floodgates opened.
"All that stuff about using your powers sounds amazing, but—not to sound rude—how does it actually work?" Lisssera asked.
Since the first glass had been poured, the student-like woman had drunk two and a half glasses, and Ysera had managed to wolf down four and was working on her fifth. The Dreamer was definitely slipping into the dream world, but yet she was still wide awake. She laughed at every slightly humorous remark Neltharion made, and she would giggle after every sentence she uttered.
"Well, I think my powers root back to what I am, the core of Azeroth. I hypothesize that my blood has some sort of magnetic property similar to the planet's core that allows it to instruct the elements and individual atoms. Through this magnetism, I can send different commands, contr—"
"Enough of that, Nel," Ysera said all too loudly. "Why don't you tell her about the one time you accidentally caused a tornado because of the shape of a mountain range and almost wiped out that whole town."
"Yes, that was quite the accident."
"Alex was sooooooo pissed at you! I wish you had seen her face!"
"Why didn't he see her face?" Lissera asked, genuinely confused.
"Please no." Neltharion covered his face with a hand.
"Because he was too busy getti—hmmmphhhh!" Ysera started saying, being cut off by his hand on her mouth. She swatted his hand away at speeds he was not expecting from a drunk person before shouting out, "Too busy GETTING HIS FACE KNOCKED TO THE GROUND BY ALEXSTRASZA'S FIST!" She quickly realized she might have said that too audibly, because the entire tavern was staring at her and her brother. "Sorry?" she tried to say, but she knew what was coming.
"Well, sister." Her eyes opened wide at that. They got even wider when she heard him take a deep breath. "AT LEAST I DIDN'T ACCIDENTALLY PUT A WHOLE VILLAGE TO SLEEP BECAUSE MALYGOS WOULDN'T TRAIN ME IN ARCANE MAGIC!" She slammed her head onto the table in shame, sending her wine glass flying. "A sleep that almost KILLED THEM!" She didn't even notice the glass shattering on the ground until a barely five-foot night elf waiter came over to their table.
"I think you should pay your tab now and head home," he said in a clearly angered tone. Neltharion was about to agree and stand up, but his big-brained sister beat him to speaking.
"You're too short to be a waiter. How could you even reach the bar?" she screamed obnoxiously before laughing maniacally. Sadly, she did not know he was the owner of the bar.
"GET OUT OF MY TAVERN!" the owner screamed, somehow louder than Ysera. The dragons quickly got up, and the females started to move as quickly as they could towards the exit. Neltharion only mentally cackled, turning to the owner.
"I'm so sorry about that, sir." He pulled a rock he picked up before coming in out of his pocket, his abilities doing their work. "Let me repay you for your trouble." A large chunk of gold was in the human's hand, and the owner quickly grabbed it.
"Of course. It's nothing too much, just a glass," he fake laughed. "Who were those two anyway?" Neltharion smirked. He cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention.
"That was a green dragon and Ysera. And just for future reference, I'm Neltharion. Goodnight." He turned and walked away, ignoring the dozens of staring eyeballs and gasps. He could swear he felt the vibrations of the owner's legs shaking. Mortals, the Earth-Warder thought to himself. He broke into a jog and caught up to his company.
Lissera was lying on the ground, asleep, holding a book that she wrote her notes about Neltharion in. Ysera had fallen onto the soil, face first, and was trying to stand up. Neltharion made a mental note to remind his sister of the scene later. He walked over to her and bent down, whispering in her ear, "Can you stand and get on my back?"
"Yea, jUsCk one sEpOnD an I'll bE rEdi!" she improperly said, right before falling onto her stomach, eliciting a groan. Neltharion only sighed at her display. He slammed a foot into the ground and called out to the elements. The ground shook, and two piles of rock rose from the earth. They suddenly swirled to life and clumped into shapes, forming two earth elementals.
"How can we help, Earth-Warder?" one of them asked in a gritty voice.
"I hate to call on you for such… silly… tasks, but can you please carry this dragon and my sister with me. They got just a tad bit drunk, and they are too weak to get on my back." Despite the somewhat demoralizing and inferior request, the two floating rock piles nodded and lumbered towards the two night elves. Neltharion only sighed again and put a hand to his face.
"And that's when you fell asleep. After that, we walked for a while until we found a proper place for you to rest," Neltharion finished. He turned his head back to his sister, whose eyes were heavily squinted. He pulled the curtain next to him, and the light shined through the small room, blasting Ysera's face. She squirmed under the intensity of the sun and wrapped herself in the blankets of the human-sized bed. With a groan, he yanked all the bedding off, leaving Ysera exposed to the cold air and burning sunlight.
"Please, brother. I need my beauty sleep to recover from such a night!" she tried to yell but only managed to whisper.
"It's the middle of the day. You already slept all night and all morning. I, on the other hand, had to walk all the way to this place and tuck you in. Lissera woke up earlier and went home, but you slept this whole time."
"I'm sorry," Ysera moaned, her eyes finally adjusting to the light.
"Now, let's go back to Wyrmrest. Sound good?"
"Yea." She started to stand up, seeing her brother open the door while chuckling. "Wait. Please don't tell Alex," she pleaded, getting onto her knees and begging him. He turned back around to the Dreamer, watching her beg for mercy.
"I won't tell her," he stated, which made her stand up and hug him. "As long as you don't ever tease me about the one alcohol experience again." She slowly raised her head and looked up into his eyes that were still green, just a human green, however.
"Done!" She stuffed her head back into his chest, which no longer had armor on it. After a moment, he pushed her away and grabbed his things before leaving the room. What she had planned did cheer him up after all, plus his groin had healed back up nicely.
He definitely loved his sister. Very much.