Lovers' Quarrel
Neltharion's body shivered. Siderion raised the Great Black's right wing and folded it over his body, covering his shame. Though, thankfully, it was disappearing on its own. Nadina laid her hands upon the Earth-Warder's scales and her eyes closed. Her hands glowed a soft yellow glow as she felt herself connect to every muscle, every tendon, every vein, and finally to his heart. She played every muscle like a harp, letting the song vibrate through his form. Neltharion began to relax as he felt the glow wash over him. Slowly, his strength was returning to him, what life was almost leeched out coming back. His body relaxed in the glow and he took in a deep sigh of relief. His eyes slowly opened and he turned to the draconic face who stared upon him with worry.
"Sid," he whispered. "Good boy."
"Thank you, my lord," said Siderion. He slowly helped the Great Black up, leaning his much large weight upon the smaller dragon's shoulder. Neltharion wobbled to his all fours.
"Careful, Earth-Warder," said Nadina. "They nearly took everything."
"I know exactly what they were trying to take," said Neltharion in a horse tone, straightening out his shoulders. He shivered again. "My poor Sintharia was violated the same way." The Black Dragon lowered his head. "To now fully understand what that must have been like for her." His eyes closed. "What it was like for Calia as well." He looked all around him, seeing nothing but burnt bodies everywhere. "These creatures came directly from me. They called me father."
"They could not help themselves," said Nadina.
"I programmed them this way," said Neltharion. "Programmed them with one thought in their minds, all other flights must be either destroyed or assimilated. But most important, we Aspects must die or the Old Gods will never be released. My betrayal weakened the prisons. And these things are just automatons created for a means to an end. All used for Deathwing's evil." He moved over, heavily stepping as he came to the burnt form of the female. "I'm sorry."
"We cannot think on it right now," said Siderion. "My lord, the Dragon Soul! Can you sense the Dragon Soul?"
"The Dragon Soul?" Neltharion asked as he lifted his head. "Yes. I can." He tilted his nose up, taking a sniff of the air. "It's being used. Calia? Oh no. No. Calia!" His head swung down to the smaller black dragon. "We have to stop her!"
"Where is she?" Nadina asked.
Neltharion swung his head around again: "Cho'Gall's main atrium. Oh, if that bloated, two-headed pimple has harmed her...I will serve him up as a side dish!" He batted as much of the charred flakes off as he could, though his body was still heavily covered in blood and grime. His long beard kept sticking to his chest. It was matted, unbraided, and it annoyed him. As he pealed it off his chest, Neltharion looked back down to Siderion. "I need your help again."
"I am here for you, my lord," said Siderion.
Neltharion shrank down to about the size of a large horse and then looked towards Nadina.
"Do you have a knife?" he asked.
"Yes," she replied, pulling the knife out. She handed it to the Earth-Warder who then proceeded to whack away at the knotted locks, cutting a good 5 inches off his beard. With that, he tossed the locks away and gave her back her knife.
"Thank you," Neltharion said. He turned around to find Siderion once more in his human form and gave a nod. "Come on, its this way."
They followed him down through the corridor that he had first entered. He turned to the pool of slime had fallen through and planted himself against the wall. He pointed at the pool.
"Don't go in that," he said. "Disgusting stuff. And it induced much of my confusion when I came to the birthing chambers."
The darkness grew out around them as they moved away from the lava pool. Neltharion followed his senses, feeling the vibrations of the Dragon Soul becoming stronger as he made his way through the corridors. He came to another opening and shadowy light shined all around the eerie, chitin walls. Veins pulsated along the pillars. Neltharion shivered, hating the look the Twilight Hammers decorated their bases. It echoed the madness that they were slowly seeping in as they continued their worship to the tentacled, other worldly beings known as the Old Gods.
"Earth-Warder," began Nadina. "Back there...what that twilight dragon was doing to you..."
"I rather not talk about it, mortal," Neltharion rumbled, a frown of spite carving a taunt line across his dark face. "I don't...I don't care what they tried to do with me. I just want to make sure Calia is safe."
"But...why would they..."
"I said I didn't want to talk about it!" the Aspect looked back at her with a snap of his neck, growling furiously.
"Forgive me, Lord Neltharion," she said falling back behind Siderion.
Neltharion continued forward, keep his eyes out for any enemies that would suit well to relieve him of his anger. Nadina shook her head. Siderion placed a hand upon her shoulder.
"You know that Deathwing raped Sintharia to create many of the current twilight dragons, including the likes of Ultraxion," said Siderion.
"I...never really knew what went on in the chamber," said Nadina.
"This thing is a touchy subject for him," he said. "And to have the twilight dragons use Lord Neltharion for the same purpose...it hurts him even more because it reminds him of what he did to his Prime."
"Why would they want him for that?" Nadina asked. "The twilight dragonflight is quite capable of...breeding on their own..."
"Stronger dragons are produced when they are the direct product from the Aspect himself," said Siderion. "Whether they are hatched from an Aspect's egg like eggs of Alexstrasza, or directly from the seed, like in the case of Neltharion. Children who are born from an Aspect are stronger than children who are not. They knew that. That's why they wanted him to mate with that twilight dragon." He sighed. "Neltharion is a special case, he is not the father of one flight, but the father of three."
"Three?"
"Black Dragons, Nether Dragons, and Twilight Dragons," said Siderion. "And because of this, they all share a piece of him. He could...probably mate with any female of any of those three he created and still create more of those particular flights." He looked back at her. "That's why, Nadina." He sighed. "I don't know about the twilight dragons born from other dragonflights' eggs, but these were black dragon eggs. They were black dragons."
"So, he could do it, make more twilight dragons that way," she said. "They wanted him breed like a stallion."
"That's enough!" Neltharion said in a growl. Then, he slowed down and his head lowered. "What they want isn't any different than what Alexstrasza has planned for me. She intends to breed me like a stallion too. To produce a pure Black Dragonflight again. But the problem is...we haven't found female black dragons that I could mate with, dragons who aren't corrupted anymore." Neltharion looked back at Siderion. "As of now on Azeroth, you and I, and a single black dragon egg purified by Titan technology, are the only members of the Black Dragonflight who are uncorrupted. And from what I heard from Alexstrasza, that egg is also male. What the hell can I do with three males? You can't make eggs with that! Unless we find females who are willing to do what you did, Sid, there isn't going to be anymore black dragons."
"I know of a female who began to do what I did," said Siderion. "She started hearing your song again, and she said the voices in her head stopped. She doesn't hear them anymore."
"One female?" he asked.
"My sister, my lord. I could ask her to become your new broodmother. She would be happy to take up such a job if it means saving our flight. She will be willing to mate with you and there will be black dragons again."
Neltharion shook his head: "I would have to hear it from her. I don't want to force this task on her if she doesn't want it."
"But, our flight..."
"Free will is important too, Sid," said Neltharion. "You made your decision to renew your loyalties to me a year ago, but you decided on your own. I didn't make you. And I'm not making anyone...not anymore. I won't make her either."
"I understand, my lord," said Siderion.
Neltharion nodded and continued his stride. They wind their way through the corridors, sloshing through shallow slime puddles. Neltharion took a sniff of the air, pausing briefly. The vibrations were growing more violent and the air held a metallic taste. Then, he felt his heart fall and he paused again. The Aspect gripped his chest, wheezing and sputtering. He stumbled forward just as a bright light flashed from the end of the corridor. Suddenly, the hall filled with the cackling laughter of a woman's voice. Neltharion's emerald eyes lit up and his jaw opened and closed, his tongue dried.
"My lord!" said Siderion. "What's wrong?"
"That voice," said Nadina. "Is that–?"
"Calia," said Neltharion. "No!" He knew that laugh, he knew what it meant for he had sounded a similar laugh. "No! Please! Please!"
"Lord Neltharion!" Siderion called just as he watched his Aspect dart for the light.
"Wait for us!" Nadina called and they both ran after him.
Neltharion remained deaf to their calls, all that mattered was Calia. He galloped as fast as his overly thick legs could carry him. Never had he tried to run so fast since becoming so bloated. He felt his heart about to burst with each strep he took. But he kept going. For Calia. He had to rescue her, he had to save her from the madness that he knew was consuming her.
"Calia!" he bellowed. "Calia! No, don't let it! Don't let it!"
When he came to the end of the tunnel, Neltharion paused, looking around at the bodies. She had slaughtered every Twilight Hammer who stood in her way. He could smell their death, smell the feces, their last expulsion. Neltharion coughed, lifting a wing to his nose. He came through the opening, heart pounding against his chest. Neltharion stopped right at the door to find what he smelled was his wife standing over a burnt body on the floor. She had shorter hair, her dagger dripping with black blood. In her other hand was a glowing disk. Neltharion clinched his teeth.
"Calia," he said. From behind came Siderion and Nadina.
Calia laughed and turned towards the Dragon Aspect, her eyes gleamed darkly. Neltharion his brother, what stood before him was not his wife, at least not in present mind.
"Calia!" he said, hoping the sound of his voice would break the spell. He reached for her, claws outstretched. Neltharion leaned towards her, wanting her to come to him, to hold her, to comfort her. "Calia, please..."
"Begging me again," she said. "So pathetic you are." She slinked over to him and wrapped her arms around him. "Yes, you need me, Neltharion."
Neltharion instinctually began to wrap his his forelegs around her, pressing his snout against her forehead and purring softly. He looked upon her lovingly and then leaned down to kiss her lips. Calia pulled away.
"No," she said. "The feet, whelp, I want you to kiss my feet."
Neltharion stepped back from her, his head tilting. He could smell the blood of Cho'Gall upon her blade and see the maddened ire in her eyes. He shook his head with dismay, looking to the gleam in her smile.
"Don't you see, my husband?" said Calia, pointing down at the charred husk upon the floor. "I killed Cho'Gall! I have made you safe. Only I can truly take care of you."
Neltharion sniffed the air and his eyes came to the glowing disk in her hand. He wagged his head.
"No, Calia," he said. "You did not kill Cho'Gall. The Dragon Soul did."
"How dare you!" She thrusted her fist at him. "Not giving me praises for the deed I have done. You should worship me, Neltharion. I have freed you from the Twilight Hammers. Bow, my husband. Bow to me!"
"No," said Neltharion. "I won't." He raised to his haunches, lifting both forepaws up from the ground. Neltharion pointed a talon at the disk. "Listen to yourself! The Dragon Soul has you. It is telling you these things. Don't listen to the voices. Don't listen to them. Throw it away, Calia. Be free of the damned thing!"
"The disk is power," said Calia. "It is also our safety."
"No. It's eating you alive. Please, my love, just put it down. The Old Gods put something in it when I was making it ten thousand years ago. They put a curse upon it that makes anyone who touches it desire it more than life itself. You have to let go of it. You have to fight its hold on you. I can fight it now. I have found a way. That way is you, Calia. So find your way, find me! Listen to my voice as I have listened to yours. I desire you more than I desire the Dragon Soul. Now desire me. Desire me and free yourself from it. Don't let them consume you."
His eyes became moist as he once more reached out to his wife.
"Just let go of the disk and come to me, Cali. Hold me, don't hold it."
Neltharion defies you.
How dare he after all that you have done?
You take the credit of killing Cho'Gall.
You killed him to protect Neltharion.
Now the whelp has gone against you too.
The whelp wants it.
He wants the disk.
He desires to take your power away from you.
Neltharion's breath held still as he could hear the cold whispers etch their way into his mind. Calia stared at the disk, her eyes sparkling with its glow.
Don't let him do it.
He does not know what is best for him.
Only you do.
"Stop it!" Neltharion bellowed at the voices. "Stop it! Stop talking to her! You're not allowed to talk to her. Shut up!" He snapped his jaws. "Leave her be."
"No, you be silenced, Neltharion!" Calia called. "I have given you everything. Now let me have this."
"Calia," said Neltharion. "They are not what you want. They won't give you what you desire. Do you thin they would have given me what I wanted? What did I crave? Control. They would have destroyed me. They're using you like they did me, like they did everyone they have come in contact with." He paused and swallowed dryly. "You are a means to an end to them. You're just another expendable puppet. Cast them down. Take control."
Calia put the disk back around her neck and readied her dagger: "I will show you control, whelp!"
She darted and lunged for him, dagger slicing down upon him. Neltharion caught her dagger arm. Calia then uppercut with her free hand upon his lower jaw. The Black Dragon jerked back from the power of that blow. He tossed her to the ground and spat a loose tooth from his mouth.
"My lord!" Siderion said.
"Stay out of this!" Neltharion said. "This is my wife! I'll fight her." He swallowed again, watching Calia rise. "Even if that means I have to knock some sense into her."
Calia screamed and leapt up, swinging her foot around for a kick to Neltharion's head. He grabbed her ankle and slung her down to the ground, rising up over her. As his claw loosened around her ankle, Calia spun and kicked him with her other foot right to the side of his head. Neltharion staggered back, nearly collapsing from the kick. The Dragon Soul was feeding into her strength. The two rose together, Calia flexing her calves for another strike. Neltharion raised a claw.
"I don't want to fight you."
"You're weak," said Calia.
"No," said Neltharion. "I'm not. I am no longer weak."
"Did the whelp grow a spine?" she asked with a smirk.
"Don't call me that," said Neltharion. "Those are not your words."
Calia struck again and Neltharion rolled back to raise his tail and allow her blade to chip against the elementium blade upon his tail. Calia crossed and once more her blade was met with his. Sparks flew upon the clashing of metal against metal. Shavings of her blade came free with every strike. Her blade could not stand up against the much stronger and more durable elementium. He slung his tail and with the broad side of the blade, he knocked her down. The tail came down and Calia rolled over. She drove the dagger into the black scales, only to have it break the moment it came in contact with it. No matter his size, Neltharion's tough outer shell could not be pierced. But not once did he try to slash at her. He was merely defending himself. Calia brought out the Dragon Soul and aimed it at her husband. The light around it glowed brightly, filling the room. Nadina and Siderion backed away, covering their eyes. Neltharion stood there, not even making a movement to duck. The light folded upon itself into a bright beam and shot forth from the surface of the disk, streaking directly towards the Earth-Warder. The beam collided with him, but he did not feel a thing, not even warmth from the light. As the beam dissipated, Neltharion still stood, unharmed by the very weapon that burned Cho'Gall into a charred husk. Neltharion did not laugh, he just stood there, his head wagging.
"The Dragon Soul has no affect on me," he said.
Calia cocked her head and snorted: "Have it your way!"
Calia huffed and then faded, blending herself with the background itself. The rogue's trick. Neltharion glanced around, trying to search for her, but with his physical eyes, he could not see her.
"Where did she go?" asked Nadina.
"Stay still!" Neltharion called. "Don't move."
He began to thump his tail, sending forth vibrations into the floor. Neltharion closed his eyes and allowed the images from the vibrations fill his senses. The vibrations radiated out from him. He could 'see' the soft movements of Calia as she made her way across the room. He could also sense the Dragon Soul, but sensing it this close only told him it was in the room itself and it had not left. However, his Sight allowed him to see where Calia was. As her foot touched the ground, another ping vibrated back to Neltharion, telling him exactly where she was. His eyes opened wide when he realized where Calia was. She was crawling right behind Nadina.
"Nadina, duck!" he said.
The Blood Elf priest made an attempt to move until she felt the icy hands of the Human rogue reach for her neck.
"Calia!" Neltharion called.
"Nadina," said Siderion.
"You move, my husband," began Calia. "I break this filthy Blood Elf's neck."
"Calia, no!" said Neltharion.
Nadina held her breath and then clapped her hands. Just then, a rush of shadowy energy erupted from her body, expanding outward like a shockwave. Neltharion felt the shadowy wave wash over him, giving him warmth and comfort, healing whatever wounds that were inflicted upon him. The same could not be said for Calia, who screamed in pain and backed off, letting the elf go. Calia held her face, the wave burning a line across the bridge of her nose and cheeks. Nadina turned and reached for the gold chain around Calia's neck, tearing it clean off. She shoved Calia against the wall and tossed the disk to Neltharion. The Black Dragon caught it in both claws. Calia elbowed Nadina in the ribcage, and shoved her away.
"You will pay for that, elf!" she called.
"No, I won't," said Nadina. "But you will."
Calia felt her neck, seeing that the disk was gone. She looked to Neltharion, who held it. The disk floating just above his claw. The rogue screamed for him, her hands outstretched, reaching for the disk.
"Give it back!" she called.
Neltharion raised the disk up and it flashed upon his command. Suddenly, Calia froze. Neltharion felt a tear drop from his left eyelid as he raised a claw up to her. He clinched the claw and Calia felt her body constrict as if she was being held by a massive, invisible hand. She felt her muscles react without her commanding them. Her bones seemed to pop and crack as she began to move. Neltharion began to sob, tears flowing freely from his eyes. He tilted his claw and Calia felt her body bend. Bones continued to pop and crack. Calia's face turned read, but she could not let out a cry of agony. Neltharion kept her silenced. The Black Dragon dropped his claw and his wife slammed upon the floor, lying flat. She could not move, though she wiggled slightly, struggling against her restraints.
"Calia," said Neltharion, sniffing as he wiped his eye. "I'm so sorry. I don't want to hurt you. Don't force me to do this. Please don't force me to do this." He shut his eyes and clinched his claw again, flipping it over. Calia flipped over as well upon command. Neltharion perched his lips, his cheeks wet with his salty tears. His face felt flushed and if his black scales were lighter, they would be red. "I...did this to Malygos...to Alexstrasza and to Ysera. I did this to them. I hurt them like this. Look at what I am doing to you. I don't want to do this. But you have left me no choice." He moved towards her, seeing her face quiver as she felt herself being stretched out, spread eagled upon the floor. "This is what the Old Gods made me do to my brothers and sisters. Do you honestly want this? Do you want them to do this to us?"
He released Calia's head and allowed her to speak.
"Let them go," he said. "I love you, Cali. You are what is important to me."
Calia held her breath just as he leaned down to her. He paused just before her lips and waited. He was not going to kiss her, instead he wanted her to kiss him. He leaned his body over her.
"Calia," he said.
"I just want us to be safe," she whispered. "And you...always needing me...a giant dragon...an Aspect even, always needing me. How pathetic does that sound? I'm just a human, I don't have my country anymore, nor my father, all because of my brother. I have lost everything. And you cling to me..."
"I don't cling to you," said Neltharion. "If you ever thought that. We dragons are affectionate, maybe more so than humans. I don't need you to protect me. But I do need you as my mate. I don't want you to loose yourself to the same creatures that I lost myself in. I wanted to do something that no one ever did for me. I wanted to reach out to you. Reach for you and pull you away. When I first succumbed, no one reached out for me. Not even Alexstrasza. I wanted to reach out for you. I wanted you to reach for me. The Dragon Soul was a simple device I created to fight the Burning Legion, but the Old Gods corrupted it. They put that horrible darkness in it and they make people like us want it and want to do its bidding. You have to fight it. Use me as I have used you to fight those horrible voices." He leaned up. "You and I are so estranged from our own people. We are lonely and we need each other because of it."
Neltharion slowly began to release her from his hold and she felt the feeling return to her limbs. She wiggled them, feeling them tingle. She leaned up and kissed him upon his lips and he melted there. They held each other close, lips fastened tightly for a while. Then, their lips parted and the two looked upon each other and smiled.
He is trying to trick you!
He is betraying you!
He does not know what all you are doing for him!
Calia shrank back from the voices coming from the disk.
"They're setting my mind on fire," she said, holding her head. She raised up and clinged to Neltharion's scales. "Get that thing away from me!"
Neltharion placed the disk around his neck and held it up to his eyes.
"N'Zoth!" he called. "It won't work. You're loosing! All the hold you had on us, you are loosing it. We are in control."
I am everywhere, whelp. You think your will can defeat me? I intend to grant you your wish, Neltharion. The release of your pain. You shall have it.
"I am not in pain," said Neltharion.
And you still lie to yourself. Well, you will die in that lie.
Then, the disk fell silent. Neltharion shook his head.
"Pain?" Calia asked as she came to her feet. "What pain is he talking about?"
"I remember resenting my job," said Neltharion. "But I don't remember any pain. The Twilight Dragons say they are releasing me from it. Ultraxion says he is releasing me from it. But...I don't know. This world carries a heavy burden, that I know. One of the reasons why I resented my position. It doesn't matter now. I truly have a reason to stay at it no matter what pain this world inflicts upon me."
He opened his forelegs up, waiting for her. Calia smiled and then leaned into him, holding him tightly. Neltharion purred and brushed his claws into her shorter hair. He pulled away to touch the recently cut locks.
"New hair style?" he asked.
"Cho'Gall grabbed it, so, I just hacked it off," she replied. Calia reached up to touch his beard. "Your beard's shorter."
"I took a dive into slime and it got all crusty."
Calia smiled, though deep down, Neltharion could tell she was still shivering from her experience. Her mind was all in a knot, and he could see the goosebumps rising on her exposed skin. Her eyes were frosty and showed every bit of her fear. The Black Dragon extended his wings and wrapped her up in them, keeping her warm with his heat.
"I want to leave," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "I want to leave."
"Alright," said Neltharion, his voice lowering to a deep purr. "Sid."
"Yes, my lord," said Siderion. He leaned down to help Nadina up as Neltharion helped Calia to her feet. They gathered themselves up and made their way out of Cho'Gall's chambers. Calia, still having a hand on her husband, looked to Nadina.
"I'm sorry," she said. There was nothing more she needed to say after that.
"No worries," said Nadina.
Calia smiled weakly and nodded. The moment they came outside the chambers, Neltharion paused and took hold of the golden disk.
"Come around me, I can get us out of here real quick," he said. They all gathered around him, touching his sides. Neltharion concentrated and the glow of the disk began to envelop them. It slowly burned away the crusty slime upon Neltharion's body. Then, the glow withdrew and they vanished only to reappear outside the Citadel of Twilight. Neltharion stood there now in his full size, towering over the two mortals below him. Siderion had also returned to his dragon form, his horns barely coming up to the bend of Neltharion's massively muscled foreleg. Siderion leaned down and Nadina climbed upon his shoulders. Neltharion leaned down as well and waited for Calia to scale up his enormous, scaly side. Calia cleaned to the bolted elementium plates on the side of his upper foreleg, inching her way closer to Neltharion's plated back. As soon as she reached his back, she leaned down and gave a bolt a jiggle to let Neltharion know she was there.
"No crazy maneuvers, honey," she said. "We don't have the harness with us."
"It'll be a short flight," said Neltharion.
"Where do we go, my lord?" asked Siderion.
Neltharion raised his head and sniffed the air. He felt the presence of his siblings right at the shore of the Twilight Highlands. The other Aspects had arrived. But something else was here as well. A dark presence was coming towards Neltharion, racing as swiftly as it could to face the Earth-Warder.
"Ultraxion," he whispered. "Sid, to the shore!"
"Yes, my lord."
Neltharion extended his massive wings and Siderion followed. The two black dragons leapt into the air with a mighty flap of their wings. Calia held tightly to the plates as Neltharion pumped swiftly, hoping to beat Ultraxion. The presence of Ultraxion continued to tail him, swiftly gaining. Neltharion turned his head just a shadowy bolt of energy flew passed him. He banked, letting a second fly under his right wing. Down towards the mirky, damp, gray shore were the four other Aspects and many members of the Earthen Ring including Thrall and Aggra. He heard the sound of Ysera call for him and saw her flapping her wings, waving frantically at him. Neltharion dove down and Siderion followed. The two dragons backwinged landing upon the soft gray soil.
"Neltharion!" Alexstrasza said as the Great Black lowered to let his passenger off. She came to him and gave him a good slap to his shoulder.
"Hey!" Neltharion said in a yelp.
"Don't you ever do that again!" said Alexstrasza.
"Do what?"
"Leave in your condition."
"I got better," said Neltharion. "A lot better. We've got worse problems–"
His head turned as he heard the sound of a powerful roar. He looked up to find the blue and purple, crackling form of Ultraxion hovering above. His scales were splitting, glowing blue with his shadowy power.
"Father!" he said in a bellow. "You cannot escape me this time! Now I have all five Aspects here. I shall make your deaths as painless as I can."
"I'm unimpressed, Ultraxion," said Neltharion, leaning back upon his haunches and crossing his forelegs in front of his huge chest. "You are a failure of a son."
"I am your greatest achievement!" Ultraxion said. "Everything your power has created has culminated into my birth."
Neltharion snorted and said: "You think that I would create something like you? Only Deathwing has done it. And look where his failings lie. He is no more. Here I am, cleaned of his madness. I call that my greatest achievement, not you."
"You keep denying the truth, father!" said Ultraxion. "Why do you lie to yourself? You are suffering. I must end it. I cannot stand to see my father suffer?"
"Neltharion does not suffer," said Alexstrasza. "Not anymore."
"Whatever pain he had died a year ago," said Kalecgos.
"We have cured our brother," said Ysera. "You only want to make him suffer. You want him to fall into his madness again."
Nozdormu remained silent, but nodded in agreement.
"You are all lying to him!" said Ultraxion. "Please, father, just let me end your pain. I love you father, I don't want you to hurt anymore."
Neltharion rolled his eyes and laughed loudly: "I have no love for you. I have disowned you and the mutant flight I created. All you have to do is look at the countless newborn drakes I slaughtered in the Bastion of Twilight. I'd say they were suffering more than I was."
Ultraxion backed away, his orange eyes glowing brightly. There was a tremble in his jaw and a shudder in his breath. His eyes narrowed and his jaw set. Neltharion had killed them, every last one of them. He looked to his father's eyes and saw nothing more than malice. Neltharion's green eyes glowed, that grin was telling everything. He enjoyed slaughtering them. For Neltharion, it was a feeling of release, at last getting rid of the last remnants of Deathwing, all that he had done, all that he had created.
One after another.
"How could you?" he asked. "They were your children..."
"They were no more his children than the twilight drakes born from my own eggs," said Alexstrasza. "Those dragons no longer were mine as well. The moment they became twilight dragons was the moment they stop belonging to us."
"I put them out of their misery, Ultraxion," said Neltharion. "For the same reason you wish to put me out of mine." His grin curled wider. "They were suffering."
"My brothers and sisters," said Ultraxion. "Slaughtered by their own father–"
Neltharion tilted his head, allowing a vertebrae to pop: "What I did to them will pale in comparison to what I am about to do to you, my son." He extended his wings and gave them a flap. "Now it is you who happens to be on the wrong end of my fury. You and your pathetic excuse for a flight. It's not fun, is it? How do you think the rest of Azeroth felt?"
Ultraxion swallowed, a glowing crackle flashed inside of his throat.
"No matter what has happened, father," he began. "I will end your life."
"Well, it really didn't matter if I killed a bunch of mindless twilight drakes, did it?" Neltharion asked. "I'm already on your shit list, kid. If I had shown any amount of remorse, I still will have to be killed by you. I let them live, show them some love, I have to die. I hate them, revile them, slaughter them, I have to die. I really was insane to create such a flight that believes kill their own progenitor is showing loving affection for him." He planted his claws upon the ground and let loose a powerful bellow. Lava dripped down from his jaws. "Now why don't you come down here like a good boy and give daddy a hug!"
Ultraxion dove for him, claws outstretched, jaws glowing with energy. The five Dragon Aspects prepared themselves, building up their energies one after another. All around the mortals who aided them, waves of red, blue, green, gold, and finally brilliant purple and black fluctuated, leaping from one Aspect to another. The Aspects launched into the air, racing directly towards the massive Twilight Dragon.