Colin awoke in a haze, his mind spinning as if his skull were a top. Before he could open his eyes, he was quickly captivated by what sounded like wind chimes in a breeze, bellowing about freely, before the sound was interrupted by a low, thunderous voice, as if a rolling thunderstorm was approaching, silencing the gentle breeze. It soon came to Colin that the two sounds worked back and forth, almost as if in conversation; different tones rising and falling in inflection.
Slowly, Colin began to open his eyes, instantly shutting them once again as the brilliant glittering of sunlight on gold assaulted his pupils, his eyelids shutting desperately, nearly forgetting that he had hands to cover himself with. He frightfully noticed that the clashing storm of meteorological language suddenly began to die down, quickly, causing him to worry if he'd been found out in some sinister situation.
On the contrary, a human hand appeared above him, shielding his eyes from the blinding reflection of sunlight, accompanied by a wistful voice of a man crouching low above his head, "Fear not, human."
"You can say that all you want; in his state, he may not even believe you," came the dull roar of a woman, which Colin immediately recognized as Alexstraza, "Honestly…"
The man chuckled, "Do not worry; our Queen is simply upset at having lost an argument."
Colin could feel Alexstraza's frown from his blinded state, all the way across the room, "You still say that so unconvincingly."
"My father could have easily been our leader, had he the patience to avoid your claws ripping him limb from limb for the entirety of his existence," spoke the man, amusedly.
Again, Alexstraza's expression could be felt by Colin, her rolling eyes coming across like ripples through the air, "I may not be pleased with you often, boy, but unlike your father, you know your place. For that alone, I am slightly pleased."
"See?" the man chuckled, turning down to Colin, "Do not fear; her bark is truly worse than her bite."
An unamused sigh came from the Queen as she shook her head, turning away to survey the Blight beneath them. The man slowly lifted his hand, allowing Colin to continue adjusting to the shimmering light, eventually standing up over Colin as his narrow eyes stared up at the blue-haired man, his chiseled face smiling softly down toward him.
"Your reputation precedes you, human," he grinned, "I, too, am acquainted with that love which, normally, is not meant to be."
Colin's eyes twisted curiously up toward him, unsure of what exactly he was getting at, when Alexstraza let out an impatient snort, her voice rising like a furnace, "Human who lays with elves! Arise! Are you unaware you're standing at the feet of gods?!"
His train of thought had been lost after her first set of words, Colin's brow narrowing unsurely as he obeyed, rising to his feet, nearly recoiling, fearfully, beneath Alexstraza's fierce stare. She was no longer a dragon, but an elf, her orange eyes peering into his own like embers sitting within a stony face.
"Human who layeth with elves; if your eyes so much as absently wander beneath my gaze, I will be sure to strip you of something far more prized than respect for a god."
Colin ran a hand over his face, "I don't-"
The blue-haired man immediately threw an arm around his shoulders, pulling him into a sidelong embrace while speaking to the pale red-skinned Lady, "Alexstraza, surely you don't mean to intend-"
"Kalecgos, were you a larger thorn in my side…" she complained heatedly, shaking her head.
Kalecgos grinned, shrugging, "Well, had you been more of help in our time of need, succession might have been more to your liking. As it stands, by your own accord, you must stand alongside men of younger, more noble, character; isn't that right, human?"
He gently shook Colin's body, though Colin's eyes only grew wide at the man's insinuation that he was against the mighty dragon. Alexstraza, for her part, seemed to only be annoyed by the man's candor, and simply turned around, shaking her head as if to take a time out and cool off. Colin silently took a breath of relief, his eyes wandering to the side, finding yet another figure, a bronze-skinned male elf who appeared so very distant, hanging out well away from the others.
"That's Nozdormu," Kalecgos explained, "The one who binds time itself."
He leaned closer toward Colin's ear, whispering, "If you watch him long enough, you'll be able to see his body evaporating into itself like sand in an hour glass. You could even run through him; he'd just collapse into a sandy heap."
As if hearing his quiet words, Nozdormu's head leisurely turned to the two of them, his face in solemn anger as he spoke, critically, "A swift demise. Indeed."
Kalecgos grinned, shaking his head, "Don't listen to him. They all have been doing this for millennia; they've forgotten what it's like to live. They simply exist, it seems; I'm fortunate to have been made familiar with the lives of mortals. I know what it means to be drunk, to be weak, to be in love."
He chuckled, amused by his own assessment, "I've only had the job for some time; I'm trying my best to assimilate, though, given their obstinacy…"
Alexstraza growled under her breath as she listened to the young Aspect, a very noticeable heat radiating from her. Colin's eyes suddenly caught another figure, standing at the opposite end of the circular platform where they all stood, his eyes opening wide as they caught the unmistakable body of Ysera, her arms crossed as her eyes remained shut, a tell-tale stream of technicolor showing, just barely, beneath her closed lids.
Colin's eyes couldn't help but trace down her emerald skin; it was far more ethereal than the last, and only, time he'd ever seen her, all those months ago- her emerald body now clung to a ghostly haze of blue, as if she had stepped out from a dream.
"Human!" Alexstraza shouted, immediately catching Colin's attention as she eyed him critically, "The same goes for my sister."
"I wasn't-" Colin stammered, nervously scratching his head, "She just doesn't look-"
Ysera didn't seem to notice his words, though Alexstraza merely shrugged, "It takes a lot to kill a god, mortal. Now, we did our best to fix your leg, but that's not the only reason why I brought you here."
Colin threw his head down, shocked, as he kicked his formerly-broken leg out, just not realizing its repair as the Queen continued, "I'm curious. I'll ignore the druidic magic that has made its way into you, if only because, without it, we would both be dead; but know this- should it become an issue to the natural order, I'll be quite prepared to snuff it out. Clear?"
Colin nodded, quickly.
Alexstraza paused for a moment before continuing, "Down on the Blight. You had a chance to incinerate that human and cleanse yourself of the threat posed by that demonic satyr. Why did you not do so?"
Colin's eyes fell in thought, though not for long, as he was quick to reply alongside a shrug, "Ulric has just as much reason to exist as I do. As long as he was in there, somewhere, I owe it to him, as I do any living thing, to make sure he retains that reason."
He chuckled, "I mean, I know it's deadly, particularly because few people would view me in the same light, but… I don't know; I've been acquainted enough with death to see it doled out to meagerly."
"Interesting," Alexstraza muttered, simply, "Thank you for your insight."
She turned away once again, flipping a finger out toward Kalecgos, "Make sure he's escorted back to the earth safely. I doubt he'd disagree that having his leg mended is thanks enough for assisting me."
Kalecgos shrugged neutrally as he grasped Colin's shoulder to lead him out, but as he gently pushed Colin around, he quickly reached up and pushed the Aspect's hand away, stepping toward Alexstraza, "W-Wait!"
Time seemed to stand still for him as he stood there. A raucous shaking appeared beneath his feet as Alexstraza turned back around toward him, her brow furrowed disdainfully as if tremendously offended by his sudden insistence, "…yes?"
Even Nozdormu's eyes had turned curiously toward the human. Even though Colin knew he was being wildly insistent, he knew that this was the moment he'd been fighting for. His mind immediately conjured up a vision of Kyra, though not only of her, but of their children, growing into strong warriors or quick-witted thinkers. of their home, so sturdy and resilient, still standing even as Azeroth rise and fall around them. of their bodies, growing old, their fading lights never swaying from the others' flame.
Ysera's arms slowly fell to her side, her head just barely turning to eye Colin behind her eyelids, his mind bridging the gap between himself and the Dreamweaver even as she stood outside the Dream. Colin couldn't reply, his throat suddenly constricting, almost as if a gentle grip had taken ahold of his neck, preventing him from doing so. His eyes watered, tearfully, as his chance to fight for immortality was stripped from him, Alexstraza impatiently waving him off due to his silence.
"Kalecgos, just take him," she ordered, grumbly, as if disappointed that he'd bothered refusing her first sending.
"Of course," the blue-haired man nodded, forcefully pulling Colin along this time, yanking him close as he scolded him, quietly, "Are you absolutely insane, human?!"
Colin couldn't reply, his eyes welling up further with tears as he tried to shout out in protest, yet the constriction in his neck persisted, preventing him from even attempting to resist. Kalecgos merely shook his head in disbelief as he led Colin to the edge of the spire, not bothering to continue speaking to a silent man.
"Now, with that out of the way," came Alexstraza's voice from behind the two of them, "Nozdormu. Why did you bring this thing?"
A deep voice that seemed to flow in and out of existence slowly answered, "I was compelled- to do so-"
"One of those anomalies," Alexstraza sighed, "Well, if the gods will it, I'm sure there's some reason for this to be here. I had no idea you could condense such a thing into a glass thing such as this."
Nozdormu nodded, "Elune- I'm sure this- is not simply glass- holding imortality-"
Colin's ears perked, his feet suddenly jumping ahead to stop his progress, earning a suddenly shocked stare from Kalecgos, "Wha- Human, what are y-?"
He spun back around, freezing himself from the man's grasp as he slid on the marble floor beneath him, falling to the ground with a loud *THUD* that stole everyone's attention. Colin quickly worked his way back up, tears pouring down his face as he saw the small, pristine vessel floating beside Alexstraza and Ysera, its translucent orb-like coating revealing a sort of ethereal sparkle within.
"I-I need that!" Colin shouted, suddenly, the grip breaking from his throat as he continued walking toward the two Aspects, "That's why it's here!"
Alexstraza scoffed, "Human, were I so stupid to as to actually offer-"
"Break my leg," Colin pleaded, still tearfully crying out, so close to his goal, "Break them both! Break everything inside me; just please!"
As he closed the distance, Alexstraza angrily levitated at him, immediately, throwing a hand up to grasp the side of Colin's head, a sudden, searing pain working through his body as the Dragon Queen worked him down to his knees, her ember eyes flaming wildly with anger.
"WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT, HUMAN?!"
Colin stared back into her eyes without blinking, "I wasn't aware an Aspect could break their promises."
Alexstraza suddenly let go of him, stepping back a few paces without breaking eye contact with Colin.
"WHO DARED TO MAKE SUCH A PROMISE IN MY STEAD?!"
Colin's lips tightened as he concentrated on her ember eyes, knowing full-well that any movement by his eyes would be implication. Kalecgos stood, rather horrified, never having seen his Queen in such an enraged state, while Nozdormu only watched curiously, almost unsure as to what was occurring. Colin's boxy shook fearfully, Alexstraza's fury rippling through the air toward him, shaking his very bones as he remained on his knees there.
"WHO?!"
She snarled, almost as if also attempting to frighten her cohorts with confessing, themselves.
Colin's eyes slowly burned, his mind trying desperately resisting the urge to look toward Ysera for guidance, knowing that it would send the Queen's wrath directly to his only ally here. He had no idea what to do, when a sudden droplet of a memory fell threw his mind, the sudden visage of Ascal, of all people, appearing within his mind, with Kyra standing by his side, clutching desperately to his arm as the druid spoke to him, telepathically.
"You've just outsmarted a god, my friend," Ascal smirked, mischievously, "Kyra says to take what's yours. Cenarius' orders. I suggest you do as she says."
A wave of clarity came across Colin as he remained kneeling there, no longer peering into the eyes of a god, but simply into two lights that just happened to be aimed toward him. He took a quick sigh of relief, knowing what he was about to do, before his eyes suddenly bolted to the edge of his face, for but a brief second, sending Alexstraza into a mad frenzy as her body shot to the side, her eyes flaming as she snarled furiously.
"HOW DARE YOU!"
Nozdormu, whom Colin had quickly peered toward, eyed her critiquingly, shrugging, "I know not- what you accuse me of-"
Alexstraza raised her voice into a vicious roar, stomping toward the sand-like man with searing footsteps, leaving only Ysera standing beside the glass ball of sparkling air. Colin eyed it seriously. Immortality was right there, he knew. Alexstraza's cursing fell into the background as Colin only heard his heartbeat ringing in his ears. Though, he noted, as Ysera's ears slowly perked up, his heartbeat was not his own. He shared it with one other.
In a split second, Colin threw his body up to his feet, making a mad dash toward the glistening object, not dating to bother worrying about Alexstraza, or even Kalecgos, stopping him. He simply ran like a man out of his mind, feeling his cheek suddenly burst into a scorching sensation, noticing the pale, blue light from the corner of his eye as he reached out, desperately, taking the glass ball and dashing beyond Ysera, who remained unmoved, leaving Colin to clutch the ball to his chest as he suddenly jumped from the porch of the tower, finding his only escape there, Conte t that he had immortality within his grasp.
A wave of relief coursed through him as he fell from the tower, knowing that he'd make a safe enough crash to the ground, now, having immortality in his- His eyes turned up, worriedly, as he pulled the crystal ball up to his eyes, finding the ethereal sparkle still within the object. Suddenly, as the world swirled around him, his stomach turning every which way, he panicked. As long as that sparkle remained there, he wasn't…
The ground grew closer and closer, Colin's eyes widening in horror at how stupid he'd been. All he could do was close his eyes, sending his tears into the sky above him as he repeatedly apologized in his mind, praying one of them would somehow reach his love.
She wouldn't hear him any more once he hit the ground.
The peak of Wyrmrest Temple grew silent as Alexstraza's sidelong body stared at where that human had leapt from her perch, an inquisitive stare crossing her face as she strode toward the edge, curiously eyeing the droplets of moonlight that floated upward into the sky, a lengthy trail of them dispersing from the human had fallen. She reached out, managing to run an outstretched finger through one of the droplets, the moonlight gently diffusing along her skin.
Her eyes narrowed, turning from her finger back toward the floating collection of moonlit drops that fluttered along, Ysera's voice breaking the silence as she bowed her head, respectfully.
"Mother's tears."
Alexstraza's lips curled slightly inward at her sister's words, leaning forward to peer down toward the ground, unable to see far enough in her humanoid state, though she knew, very well, what she would have seen were she to invoke her leviathan form. A human, whose foolishness had led to him attempting to steal immortality from the Dragon Aspects themselves, sprawled lifelessly atop the very ashes his blood had caused to rise up once again in righteous fire.