Virigosa was standing alone not far from where the red and blue eggs were being kept. Rescuing the eggs had helped her trust Nethandris, although she still had a feeling that the wyrm was keeping something from her. For now, though, it seemed like both her and Nethandris had the same goals. Virigosa did plan on returning to the Wyrmrest Accord and participating in the war with them, but the wyrm did have a point when she said that the Aspects weren't prioritizing the Blue Dragonflight. That was perhaps the only reason Virigosa hadn't left already.
After some time watching the valley below the camp and the sun setting behind the mountains in the distance, Virigosa could hear the sound of another dragon approaching. She turned in time to see Nethandris land behind her. The wyrm walked up beside the drake and took a seat beside her, looking in the same direction.
"Is there something you need?" Virigosa asked.
Nethandris shook her head. "I just wanted to talk," she said. "I'm glad we got those eggs out of the twilights' hands."
"Me too," Virigosa said, turning slightly towards the wyrm and shifting to make herself more comfortable. She thought it was strange than Nethandris wanted to talk, but she wasn't going to turn down the offer. "I just want to know how they've been getting blue dragon eggs. There aren't many of us left, and almost all of us have already gone to Coldarra. Any fertile females would've taken their eggs with them."
"I hope we can find out," Nethandris said. "How many blue dragons do you think are in Coldarra?"
"I haven't been there since Deathwing came back," Virigosa said. "But I have to imagine that almost everyone is there. Considering what it was like during the Nexus War, I'd guess probably around four out of every five of the remaining blue dragons."
"I hear even Senegos and the adult members of his brood have departed for Coldarra," Nethandris noted.
"Senegos? Really?" Virigosa said, sitting back and giving Nethandris a thoughful look. "It's hard to believe he'd even show his face around Coldarra. The rest of the flight isn't very... He's not well-liked."
"So I've heard," Nethandris said. "But it's interesting to see a blue dragon say that firsthand."
"He doesn't get along well with most of the flight. He tends to isolate himself from what's going on outside elsewhere in Azeroth, and when he refused to participate in the Nexus War, we took that as a betrayal," Virigosa explained. "And he has multiple consorts. The Blue Dragonflight tends to frown upon taking more than one mate- except for Malygos, of course, or I suppose whoever the Aspect is- to maintain diversity in the breeding pool."
"You were always a strange bunch," Nethandris said, but it was playful more than anything.
There was silence for a time. In the valley below, two drakes, the green Balera and the red Feiystrasz, were playing some sort of game. They seemed to glitter in the sunset as they dove close to the grass below and rose again into the sky. Virigosa thought that it was nice to see something so innocent in spite of what was going on in the world. She couldn't remember ever doing something like that with Eyrigos. So much of her life, she had been busy with fighting- there'd never really been a moment to rest or to play.
"Do you like watching them?" Nethandris asked.
Virigosa chuckled a bit, not taking her eyes off of the drakes below. "I just like to imagine they're doing that in Coldarra right now."
Nethandris didn't answer for a long time, and Virigosa couldn't tell what she was thinking. "I'm sure they are," she said at last. "But I hear some drakes are out fighting with the Wyrmrest Accord, too."
"Oh, definitely. There were three of us that I saw in my part of Mount Hyjal. Drakes make up the bulk of the forces, and we aren't permitted a vote to choose the next Aspect. In my mind, I'm doing much more good out here than I would be arguing in Coldarra."
"How many drakes do you think have chosen that route?"
"Arguing in Coldarra? Probably most of us. We all want a say in who will lead our flight, even if that say isn't official. Or, if you mean on the front lines, I'd guess there's around fifty of us. That's judging from what the reds said to me at Wyrmrest Temple."
Nethandris shifted her wings, her eyes turning away from Virigosa and looking once again to the two drakes below. "And if you were there? At Coldarra?"
"I hope you realize that I plan on going once the Embrace is imminent," There was an long, awkward pause as Virigosa waited for Nethandris's response, and did not receive one. "Or are you asking which one I would argue for?"
"The latter," Nethandris answered.
"Arygos, reluctantly," Virigosa said. "I must admit I'm not particularly fond of either. Arygos isn't in favor of the war against Deathwing, which is my main issue with him. But I don't believe Kalecgos is a strong leader. He didn't support his flight in the Nexus War- that's well enough, and even I agree that now, in hindsight, it shouldn't have happened. But that's all he has going for him. It's insulting that he thinks saying 'I told you so' is a good enough reason for him to become the leader of our flight. I'm not a fan of Arygos, but I fear for the survival of the Blue Dragonflight if Kalecgos becomes Aspect. We're so fragile already."
"Arygos isn't going to protect Azeroth, though," Nethandris pointed out. "You're out here on the front lines. Isn't that your main priority?"
"It comes down to the lesser of two evils. I believe Azeroth can survive with Arygos's leadership, but I don't think my flight can survive under Kalecgos," Virigosa said. "I don't blame my flight for the awful choice we have ahead of us. I couldn't do any better."
"That's fair enough," Nethandris said. "That reminds me. I told Zoralus to come by. He has something for you."
"Really?" Virigosa seemed disinterested, her attention slipping back to the sunset and the drakes below.
It was some time before Zoralus's wingbeats came into earshot, and the drake landed carrying a satchel. Nethandris shifted into her elven form to take it, and gestured for Virigosa to do the same. The two dragons in their humanoid forms walked over to where Zoralus had landed.
"You know, Nethandris, you're perfectly capable of carrying a satchel yourself," Zoralus quibbled.
"I'm a wyrm, Zoralus, I can't just fit things around my neck anymore," Nethandris pointed out. "Unless you'd like me to carry it in my teeth?"
Nethandris pulled some parchment out of the bag, and looked them over. Zoralus sat down next to them, watching the two dragonesses. After checking all the documents for something, she passed them to the blue drake next to her. Virigosa gave Nethandris a quizzical look before she looked over the papers herself.
"You should read them," Nethandris said. "Your flight's writing is as difficult to understand as your accents."
Virigosa took hardly any note of the wyrm's comment. "Late autumn 10162, egg laid by Misagosa and Voralygos... Identified as high potential candidate... Early winter, egg given willingly by parents to the wyrm Eszragos," Virigosa read aloud. "Egg returned to parents... Late spring 10163, egg hatched, whelp named 'Virigosa'."
"That's just the overview, it goes into more depth in the other pages," Nethandris said. "Look down at the Nexus War records."
"Malygos partnered me with Eyrigos," Virigosa said after a moment. "I didn't know he did it personally. But I guess that makes sense with Eszragos, both Eyrigos and I, we must've been... He told me all of Eszragos's drakes were dead."
"Who did? Eyrigos?" Nethandris asked.
"Yeah. He told me before I left Coldarra for Hyjal that all of Eszragos's drakes had died in the Nexus War. But if both of us were Eszragos's drakes, then, well," Virigosa shook her head. "He was a traitor, you know. I found out and killed him in Hyjal. He was passing information to the Twilight's Hammer. The Green Dragonflight never knew, I don't think anyone but I knew."
"Really? Impressive for you to find out if even the Green Dragonflight couldn't," Nethandris noted.
"Yeah, I- nevermind how I found out," Virigosa said. She was almost embarrassed about what had happened during the battle, about how she ended up speaking with that twilight drake. "You say a source of yours got this from the Nexus? Do you think they'd be able to get Eyrigos's records?"
Nethandris looked thoroughly amused. "I understand the importance of keeping your sources secret, so I won't ask," she said. "But yes, I should be able to retrieve Eyrigos's records if you think that'll help."
"Thank you," Virigosa said.
"I'm glad we could have this conversation," Nethandris said, stepping back and once again shifting into her dragon form. "We're going to be working on an attack plan for the facility the Twilight's Hammer has in the Hinterlands, and I'd like you to help us. I'll tell you when we begin."
"I'd like that," Virigosa said.
With a nod of acknowledgement, Nethandris flew off, Zoralus not far behind her.
Between putting down my cat and getting involved in a few other things, until now, I just haven't been as interested in writing as I thought I'd be. It might be a bit longer before I do any more updates- this particular chapter was written a few weeks back and was intended to be published with another, but I realized that I want to finish what remains of part two before I post anything else just to make sure everything works well together.