XXI

The Lion of the Sea fired its mighty cannons upon the the Blood and Thunder. All around, roaring cannons and the striking sounds of guns drowned all other sounds. Varian stood beside his captain upon the bridge as the boat rocked back and forth. Deep in the hulls water began to spray in from buckled pipes above. Helmsmen kept their vigil upon the hydrophone, listening to the sounds echoing off of the seafloor below.

"The ship is getting hit hard, sire," said his captain. "I fear if we stay too long, we'll sink."

The ship tilted and Varian stumbled back against the wall. The lamp hanging from the ceiling above swung back and forth violently with the rock of the ship.

"I will not give up," said the king. "Jaina, you were right. If this is to end, then it will end here and now."

A helmsman stood up, pulling his headphones away from his head and hanging them around his neck.

"Sire," he said. "I hear something crawling on the seafloor. Huge."

The wheel upon the hatch spun swiftly and the door swung open. A Draenei stepped through, ducking his down.

"Your Grace!"he called. "The shamans report something moving below."

"What is it?" Varian asked.

"I believe it is a kraken, sir."

"Kraken?" the captain said.

The shelling suddenly ceased, all became deathly quiet. Varian looked to the ceiling as a moan of something just awaking, tired, irritated, trembled the steel walls. He could hear the sound of water roaring and splashing. There was a snap and a splash.

"Something reached out and broke the turret," called a voice from outside.

Varian pushed through the Draenei sailor and came out to the deck of the ship itself. All he could hear was the awful thump of his racing heart beating against his ribs, threatening to break through and the sound of splashing. Waves of frothy water gushed upon the deck as the gunners ducked down, holding upon their life-preservers.

A slimy tentacle laced with pulsing suckers rose from the water. Then another and another and another. Varian ducked down behind a flute as the tentacles began to wrap themselves around the bow of the ship. He slowly unsheathed Shalamayne from his back scabbard and gripped it tightly with two thick, gloved hands. Varian reared back and sliced his sword downward upon one of the tightening, slick, sickly gray tentacles. He hacked and slashed, opening a deep, rusty gash. He could smell the stench of the flesh as he tore in, the rotten fishy smell as red blood seeped from the wound and splashed upon his light armor and blue-thick khaki pants and leather jackboots. He feared he would never be able to get the stench out.

Sailors rushed to the tentacles. Alliance shamans struck the creature with their lightning. It raced up and down one of the tentacles and a shriek of pain sounded from the kraken. One tentacle pulled away, buckling the hull as it lifted up. A sucking and popping sounded as it pulled free. Rivets came loose as the hull buckled.

Fire and steam hissed across another tentacle, but it did little to even annoy the creature. The kraken held them in a death grip. Varian kept furiously hacking away at the tentacle close to him, cutting through the thick meat and thanking that whatever force made this creature did not gift it with bones. He paused to see a human paladin sailor pulling his sword free as well and assisting to cut the tentacle. With one final slice, the severed tentacle tore free with a snap and a pained bellow of the monster. The ship rocked as the kraken wailed agonizingly and the tentacle slapped the choppy water.

Varian heard a horn sound and peered over to the attacking, jagged, Horde ship Blood and Thunder. Horde troops, mostly orc, jumped across from their ship to his. Their guns fired upon the defending sailors.

"Stand your ground!" Varian ordered. "Fight, fight!"

"The King of Stormwind is here!" he heard an orc bark loudly. "Attack him!"

Varian's sword sang with a metal ring as he sliced across an orc's chest.

"Where is your Warchief?" he roared. "Where is he?"

Varian swung again to another orc, chopping the creature's raised arm clean off. Blood splattered upon his face. He wiped it free with his sleeve. The king took hold of the orc, whose arm was severed.

"Where is he?" Varian roared again. "Is he hiding in his city, cowering?"

"If he were here, pathetic human," the orc said, spitting into Varian's face. "He would cleave your head with Gorehowl!"

Varian growled, clinching his teeth and wiping the spittle from his face. He shoved Shalamayne deep into the guts of the orc.

"But he isn't here," said Varian as he let the body fall. "He truly is a coward if he cannot be here to face me one on one." He threw back his head with a laugh. "He hides and let his magnataur, his kraken, and even his Mana Bomb do all his dirty work! He has not the courage to face any Alliance soldier in combat. He has not the courage to face even me!"

He all around, seeing his brave men and women of the Alliance, dwarves, Night Elves, humans, Draenei, all charging, chasing and slaughtering Horde marines one by one. Still, the Kraken held tight to the Lion of the Sea among the two dreadnaught ships and the single aircraft carrier he had at his disposal. Unless he slew the creature, there was no getting away.

Above him, he heard the sounds of aircraft diving, streaking through the skies. A dwarven plane shot down in a trail of black smoke and sputtering propeller engines, only to crash into a fiery inferno upon the surface of the water.

Then, he heard another sound of a horn. Varian looked out over the water and his face drained of color at the dire scene laid out before him. Horde steam ships, measuring more than a dozen came sailing towards the battle. Their flags waved proudly in the wind. Guns blazed, pocketing holes into the hull of his aircraft carrier. The king's grip upon his sword loosened as he stared with grim eyes as the carrier began to sink. The kraken's tentacles drug it down into the briny deep. Sailors leapt from the ship while it slowly lowered into the sea, black clouds roaring above the water.

Then, he turned as he heard something snap with his own ship. The grip of the kraken that kept its tight hold upon his dreadnaught finally took its toll. The ship was snapping in two like a twig.

"Sire!" called a captain. "We must abandon ship! Here's a life-preserver!"

He shoved the floatation jacket into Varian's chest. The king gripped it as he watched his captain swing his own upon his neck as well.

"Captain," the king began. "Even if we do jump, we will still be food for the kraken or easy targets for the Horde."

"It is better than nothing," he said. "I would go down with the ship myself, but…if I do survive…I have a chance of seeing my wife and daughter again."

"Who says that a captain must go down with the ship?" Varian asked.

"You know, it's that old sea tradition," he said. "I am sorry that I failed you, sir."

Varian clapped a hand upon the naval officer's shoulder: "You didn't. The odds were just against us. If we can get to a mage, he or she may be able to teleport us out of here."

The king swung his sword, sheathing it to his back and put the life-preserver on. As they headed towards the railing of the ship, already they spied bright yellow, pneumatic life rafts floating on the water and sailors swimming out to reach for them. More rafts were being lowered down by the few undamaged winches along the sides of the ship. They had no time to climb into the one being lowered as they felt the ship shudder and moan. Just as he was about to jump, he saw another set of tentacles shooting out from the water. They did not look like the tentacles of a kraken, they were graceful, crystalline, like shards of ice. They moved like water, though, fluid and alive.

The tentacles curved in and latched upon the Horde ships. They started to drag the ships down. The Horde crewmen and marines leapt from their ships as the living tendrils of ice teared them down one by one. The dreadnaught Varian was on gave one last shiver and the king leapt into the water. He bobbed up to the surface and kicked as swiftly as he could towards the life boat. The metallic moan of the ship vibrated in his ears as he turned to see it crumple under the weight of the kraken's tentacles. The water about him rushed forth and he felt the pull of the undertow take hold. Varian gasped as he found himself going down with the ship and the kraken. As he submerged, the jacket doing little to keep him afloat, the voice of the captain grew fainter and fainter.

Varian beheld the vast, deep blue darkness of the abyss below. He could see the shadowy dark tentacles of the kraken flail about, piece of the ship breaking. A torrent of bubbles exploded from a breach in the hull and a fleshy tentacle broke loose. The force sent Varian flying away from it, but another tentacle latched onto his foot. He was caught. He could feel his arms tingle as the life-preserver jacket started to cut into his armpits. Varian could feel the pressure upon his head and eyeballs, the air escaping from his mouth. He struggled and kicked, holding onto the life vest that now seemed to choke him rather than save him. He brought a knife out and began to cut at the belts that held it around him. Then the vest came free, floating higher and higher to the crystal blue light above. Varian only sank lower and lower.

Suddenly, the inky form of the kraken vanished as something more massive snatched up. Billowing out like dark clouds all around Varian was blood. Apathy gripped his mind as he sank even lower, the air slowly squeezing out of his body with the pressure of the water. He watched, his eyes half-lidded as two titanic, monstrous jaws spread wide, revealing rows of jagged, sword-like teeth. There was a glow at the throat of the creature's mouth, faint, but pulsating with the beat of its huge heart. Varian could hear the creature's heart thump even in the water. The creature's jaws closed around all around him, snapping shut quickly.

Seawater spilled down the cavernous throat and for a brief moment, Varian feared that this monster would indeed swallow him with it. The water itself rose up, flowing down as it deposited him upon the monster's tongue. Then, air filled the jaws, air that Varian could breathe. The King gasped, coughing and sputtering. A voice plucked at his mind, deep, comforting, though strangely familiar.

Varian, just calm down. I got you.

As Varian's eyes cleared, he looked upon his surroundings. The cavernous mouth was pink inside, much like his own, though he could see a slight glow of orange spider-webbing around the skin. The glow pulsed again with each beat of the great heart of the creature, adding to the low light from the back of the throat. There was one creature he could recall who had glowing orange veins.

"Neltharion…"

Well, at least you didn't call me Deathwing.

Varian released a scream and stood up upon the enormous tongue of the Earth-Warder. He took hold of his sword and unsheathed it, pointing it directly to the pallet above him.

"I knew this day would come!" he said. "I knew it was time. You'd dare to devour me! Well, not this time. I will ram Shalamayne through your brain, Destroyer!"

I wouldn't do that. You make one hole and you're looking at a lava bath.

"I do not care about that," said Varian. "What matters is I take you down, Deathwing."

And now you call me Deathwing. That's it, Varian. Shut up!

Varian felt something tickle in his throat. As he attempted to speak, his voice was suddenly stolen from him.

Now, sit!

Upon the command of the voice inside of his mind, the King of Stormwind sat, his legs crossed, upon the tongue. He barely had time to struggle against the force his body desired to obey. Varian lowered his sword down and placed his hands in his lap, sitting peacefully upon the tongue, his body awaiting further orders.

I am trying to help you. We are above the water now.

The gigantic jaws opened up slowly and the light of day spilled in between the teeth in soft rays. Varian squinted as he saw beyond the teeth Alliance sailors and marines standing upon solid ice. Their ships were locked in the ice, but it prevented them from sinking. The Horde ships, however, were gone. Only billowing black smoke gave any hint that they once were there. He saw blood pools deep within the water, signs of dead kraken under the ice.

Neltharion climbed upon the ice. It was dense enough to even support his great weight. Slowly, he lowered his head down and his tongue curled around Varian. He gently set the king down with his tongue and then released him from his spell. Varian rose to his feet and coughed, finally feeling his voice freed from the dragon's hold. Though before the King could retort any insults to the Earth-Warder, Neltharion held up a paw, and wagged a finger.

"I just made half a continent suffer from not only an ash cloud, and a super volcanic eruption," he began. "I also have lowered area temperatures to make their winters a little harsher than normal. And I've made it to where their farmlands will not be able to produce food or even gather clean water for a good few years. I also took out half of Orgrimmar and I destroyed Grommash Hold. So, whatever you have to say to me, it better be nice."

Varian's mouth snapped shut and lifted a hand to his face, giving it a scratch.

"I also took out an entire fleet in two minutes," said Neltharion. "Aren't you lucky it was the Horde fleet and not yours? I saved your life, and the lives of your men. I'm not asking for much, but insults…I don't want insults."

"He doe quick work, doesn't he?" asked another familiar voice. Varian turned and his eyes lit up to see a grinning Jaina right behind him.

"Jaina!" he said, all shocked that she was there. "You…you didn't help him…attack Orgrimmar…did you?"

"No!" said Jaina, then her face became serious. "No. I didn't. But I asked him to do it all the same. But he…couldn't finish it…"

"Half of Orgrimmar has been demolished," said Neltharion. "Including their magnetic accelerator cannon."

Varian's eyes widened as he swung back to Neltharion.

"Their what?"

"Varian," began Jaina. "Garrosh…you know he has Twilight Hammers working for him now. They…stole technology Neltharion apparently had stored in his head and Garrosh built it for them. Even if you could fight against the fleet, you would have been shot by that cannon."

"The…Titan technology the Earth-Warder had stored in his head," said Varian. "The Titan technology…how?"

"I don't know why my father programmed me with that knowledge," said Neltharion. "Perhaps it was to one day give to you so that you may build and help defend Azeroth from…things like the Burning Legion. That never happened because of Deathwing."

"But it could happen now," said Jaina. "If you would just stop being so rough on Nel, Varian. He just saved your life! I get it, we all get it, Onyxia made it to where your wife was killed, she kidnapped your son, she…made you lose yourself. Neltharion is trying to…make it up to you."

"I understand that my flight has wronged you more than anyone else," said the Earth-Warder. "But I'm not here to fight you. I want to fight Garrosh. The knowledge his stole can make him more dangerous. I…couldn't bring myself to kill him…even when he was standing right there in front of me. I wanted to, but I couldn't. But I still want to fight him. And I am willing to help anyone who also wants to fight him."

Varian looked up at the Black Dragon. He saw the glowing blue-white eyes, the streaks of silver in his beard, similar to the white hair of Jaina and her white eyes.

"He dove after the bomb, Varian," said Jaina. "He tried to save Theramore."

"But he couldn't," said Varian. "Not even with your power could you stop it."

Neltharion bowed his head.

"No."

One of the sailors, a male human dressed in drenched fatigues came running towards the three. He slowed his pace as he neared the Earth-Warder, his fear rising into his throat. His eyes darted from the gigantic dragon to his King.

"Sire!" he called. "Um…some of the men…some of them took a huge gulp of seawater. The healers are trying their best, but it's not helping."

"How many of my men are left at least alive?"

"Most," he replied. "And as soon as the…um…Earth-Warder can free the ships from the ice, we'll be ready to sail again. But the healers can't help all of them."

"But I can," said Neltharion. "I can help them."

Varian looked to the Earth-Warder, his face cold. Then, he turned to Jaina who nodded reassuringly. The king took one last sigh and motioned to Earth-Warder with a permissive hand. Neltharion stepped only slightly forward, but the step was large enough to bring him close to the wounded and the healers. He raised a paw and fluidly waved it. The ice around them melted, becoming pools of water once more, cradling the wounded. The water was deep enough to cover them, but not so that they would drown. Neltharion moved his paw to and fro and the water flowed around them, lighting up a brilliant blue glow. Then, it changed from blue to gold.

Varian's eyes widened as he peered upon the color of the glow of the water flowing around the wounded sailors. Their mouths opened as the seawater inside of them flowed out, dispersing into mist above them. He could feel it, the Holy Light glowing around his men as the Earth-Warder continued to perform his healing spell. The wounded rose up from the pools and Neltharion commanded the water around them to swirl. They formed golden streams of watery light around the sailors. Finally, when Neltharion could sense the trauma in their bodies had left, he released them from the light. The pools solidified back into ice and the now healed sailors stood upon it, showing no sign of weakness or fatigue.

Light water, my son called it, Varian thought as he bore witness to Neltharion's healing. He turned back to the dragon. "I thought you could only heal the planet."

"Are you not apart of it?" Neltharion asked. "Deep within yourselves, within every creature that lives upon this world…except maybe the Draenei and the Orcs, you carry minerals that were once birthed from this world. When you die, you give those minerals back. Iron in your blood comes from Azeroth, calcium, potassium, zinc, carbon, sodium. And I too carry the same minerals in me. Whether you accept it or not, Varian Wrynn, you and I are connected as I am connected to every human, living or undead, dwarf, elf, gnome, and even the trolls and tauren."

Varian only took the wisdom Neltharion gave him with a small grain of salt as he began to cross over the ice. He looked around, wiping a wet, salty lock from his face. Then, he knelt down and touched the surface of the ice itself. To his surprise, it was not even cold.

"How did you do this?" he asked.

"Hmmm?" Neltharion said as he knelt gently down to the human.

"The ice," said Varian. "It's not even cold. But it's ice. And it's not cold."

Neltharion smiled, settling upon his belly like a great cat. He draped his wings over his sides, stretching his hind legs out and laying his tail across them. The dragon scraped a claw upon the surface of the ice.

"To even go into the mechanics," he began. "You would need rudimentary knowledge of how matter worked, Varian. I couldn't even begin to teach you that. But what I can do here…your shamans lack the power of. It may seem like shaman magic that I wield, but I only use that term as something you can relate to. It is far more complexed than that. The water is not frozen as you may think it being, but the matter that makes up the water is not moving like it would be if it was still liquid. I can't put it any simpler than that. Freezing water as you know requires temperature change. But I didn't make the temperature of the water lower, I just froze the water. It's like stopping a heart. The water no longer moves. But it will move when I give it a command to move."

"It feels so strange to touch ice without it being cold," said Varian. "Can you do more…miracles like this?"

"I wouldn't call it a miracle, but yes," replied the Earth-Warder.

"Could you do them for me if I…asked you to?"

"Only if you ask nicely and don't insult me."

"Could you please help me take back Northwatch?" Varian asked, pressing his fingers together and bowing just slightly to placate the dragon. "Earth-Warder."

"I will," said Neltharion. "Under one connection."

"Anything."

"You have to be nice to me for six months," he said with a cheery grin. "And no calling me Deathwing, or Destroyer, or Worldbreaker, none of that."

"Six months?" Varian asked.

"Yes."

"Why?"

Neltharion shifted as he leaned in closer, opening his right paw: "Because you never gave me a chance. I could have been pleasant to you, if you would just be that way to me. I'm not Deathwing, no matter what I look like. I don't like this face, nor this body no more than you do. And I'm trying my best to be nice and pleasant towards you despite the fact you bite my head off each time we meet. I know what Deathwing did, and I've said sorry so many times. But for once, just be nice to me and maybe if you are, if you just let it go for one moment, you can see I'm trying to be nice to you. I want to."

Varian raised a hand up and scratched his head. Then he hefted a sigh.

"You do realize you told me you didn't care two shits about a king who wouldn't matter sixty years from now…" he began. "And you said that nearly a half a year ago."

The Earth-Warder sighed and lowered his head in defeat.

"I'm sorry I said those things," he said with a low, soft voice. "And I am sorry for…silencing you and commanding your body just then as well. Back then, I was angry. I was stressed, I was worried. My wife." The dragon sniffed as he felt the sting of his tears upon his eyes. "Now I'm afraid that I lost her. I lost her…I'm never going to get her back. Calia…"

Varian bowed his head too. Though he despised Deathwing with all his heart, he knew what it was like to lose a wife. He raised a hand as he heard the dragon begin to softly sob, resting his huge head upon his forelegs.

"Alright," said Varian. "Alright. Six months. I'll…I'll be nice to you for six months. Just…please, turn off the tears." He sighed as Neltharion raised his head up, blinking the tears away. Varian crossed his arms and wagged his head. "I never seen a dragon, let alone a Dragon Aspect cry so much."

"Really, Varian, as much as you are hard on him," began Jaina. "He's…not as terrible as you think. He's like a big puppy, really. Treat him nice, and he'll do the same for you."

"That's fine," said Varian. "Six months, Neltharion. No calling you Deathwing…or any of that. But this will be six months to prove yourself that you're not Deathwing. It means yo can't say the words you said months ago before you went after Ultraxion."

"I thought I have done that…" said Neltharion.

"Not to me," said Varian. "I want to see it. All I get are reports and eye-witnesses. But I've never seen it. Not with my own eyes. Even if that means I have to allow you to visit regularly. I want to see it from you. And you can start by helping me with Northwatch. And then, after Northwatch, we can…discuss Calia."

Neltharion's eyes brightened when he heard Varian say Calia's name. His chest swelled as he took and held his breath, his paws tingly and twitched with excitement. Varian raised a hand to calm him.

"She is…alive," said Varian. "But that is all I can say right now. When Northwatch is reclaimed by the Alliance, I'll tell you more."

"You're not lying…are you?" Neltharion asked, tilting his head to the king.

"If you can see into the hearts of mortals," said Varian. "Then look into mine. You'll see the truth."

Neltharion frowned as he peered deeply into Varian's steely eyes. The Aspect lowered his head, coming just inches away from Stormwind's king. His brow furrowed as he concentrated upon the beat of Varian's heart, feeling it thump through the ice. Then, with a satisfied rumble, the dragon backed away.

"She is alive," he said breathlessly. "Calia is alive."

More tears flowed from his eyes upon seeing the truth within Varian's heart and mind. He tried his best to wipe them away.

"Not the tears again," said Varian. "No more tears. Yes. I promise when we are finished with Northwatch, you can go see her. But even with my promise…this does not change anything between us. Though I may hide my feelings about you for six months, it does not mean they are gone." He motioned to his ships. "Please, release my ships?"

Neltharion sniffed as he wiped the tears away, rising upon his paws. He raised a paw, ready to turn the ice back into liquid. Then Varian called again.

"Wait, let us get back in them first," he said.

"Sir," called another sailor. "I don't think they are seaworthy. Too many holes in the hull. They'll sink if the Earth-Warder takes away the ice."

Neltharion lifted a paw to his chin with a thought and then snapped his fingers.

"I think I can fix the problem," he said. "Ice floats."

With a gentle wave of his claw, the ice rose up around the four ships, forming protective casing around their hulls with the sound of crackling and popping. Then, the ice that held the ships still melted and it set them afloat upon the sea. As the Earth-Warder turned back to the king, he grinned upon Varian's gaping, astonished face.

"Instant, temporary repair," he said. "They'll float, but the engines may not work. But I could tow them to Northwatch."

"But they'll be easy pickings for the turrets," said Jaina.

"Not while we have the Earth-Warder being in a generous mood," said Varian.

The men all climbed aboard their ships with once more Varian on the Lion of the Seas. Neltharion dove back into the water as the ice sheet melted completely. With the help of the Alliance shamans, the Earth-Warder used the sea to propel the ships forward. The speed and grace of the Black Dragon in water was a shock to Varian, who had never seen Neltharion swim before. He was amazed to see such an enormous creature streak through the water at such fast speeds and with very little movement.

By sundown, they came to Northwatch and were of course greeted by a fan fair of gunfire from the turrets above. With Garrosh still pinned down in the broken Orgrimmar and the ships he sent to defend Bladefist Bay completely destroyed, no word came to the now relaxed Horde-occupied Northwatch. They were not expecting to see the Earth-Warder being tailed by two Alliance dreadnoughts and one Alliance carrier. As the cannons blazed, the guns upon the four ships returned fire. But then, they ceased just as Neltharion rose out from the water. He spread his wings and shook them free from the sea and lumbered with heavy feet upon land. He placed himself in between the Alliance ships and Northwatch, sheilding them from the Horde.

With a purposeful snarl and a crack of his knuckles, the Earth-Warder stomped his foot. The white stone of Northwatch fell, crumbling upon the Horde soldiers that held it. Then, the rusty ground below swallowed any remains of there ever being an outpost. Before Varian could shout out a complaint to the dragon, Neltharion reared upon his hind legs and thrusted a paw up stiffly. Upon his command came a new structure built from the rusty red stone of the valley itself. It had sturdy walls, windows, and openings large enough for the Alliance to restock it with supplies.

The Horde that once held the old Northwatch were no more seen, buried deep and crushed by the earth itself. Varian came out upon the land to see the new Northwatch the Earth-Warder had built. It looked simple to the eye, but it could be built upon even more later. The turrets around the hold were left alone, still usable in now the new structure built. He then turned to the dragon, his mouth again wide with shock. Neltharion returned his gaze and smiled softly.

"Now, can I see Cali?" he asked sweetly to the Stormwind king.

Varian blinked, swallowed and finally nodded. Jaina walked over and patted a hand upon Varian's shoulder.

"I told you, he does quick work," she said.

"Indeed he does," said Varian, his eyes staring upon the new Northwatch with purpose and insight. "Work that…I need to have him do. Much work for him to do." He scratched his chin again. "I see now why Garrosh did what he did. To have that kind of power under one's command…humbling to say the least." He slowly walked over to the Black Dragon and peered up to him one more time. "Thank you, Neltharion."

Neltharion's smile widened: "Well, that's a start."