I do not own nor possess any right over Harry Potter and World of Warcraft, all rights belongs to their rightful owners.
I just had an idea regarding the love scenario/development while reading a few comments.
It will perhaps please some of you, at least I hope so, and will help put more sense in the story. It will some time to put it into play but I will try to make it right. I will tell you if this impacts the rate of uploading.
I currently have a lot of personal stuff happening in my life, the biggest one being that I will soon be sent in another country for a couple of weeks for my work. I know that when the beginning of June comes, I won't be able to work on the chapters at all.
Lonely Silly Raven: About the Visage Day, I didn't know about this event in a dragon's life until I was very late in the story. I would probably have found a way to include it if I had been aware of it when I started but that's not the case. I'm wondering if I could find a way to make it happen later in the story but I can't guarantee anything.
Please comment/review.
Thank you for your patience and good reading.
"Oof!" I exclaimed as I exited the portal only to hit a wall, falling down with a grunt.
Perhaps there was a reason why I never saw anyone ran into a portal.
"Intruder!" Shouted someone just in front of me.
I opened my eyes wide open and looked at the wall I had just hit, only to realise that it was a massive tauren that I had just ran into. And he hadn't even been phased at all. Loud shouts and heavy stomps rushed all around me as I watched a large group of tauren ran toward me, their massive hoofs shaking the ground until I was surrounded.
One of them, while not being the tallest nor the strongest, came forward. He wore a large crown of feather around his head, held by two massive horns protruding forward, had two carved trees on his back that that looked like totems and was pointing a large mace in my face.
"What are you doing here, human?" He asked me sternly, yet without hatred.
Quickly gathering myself, I stood up and brushed my dress for a second before answering.
"My apologies, I didn't meant to arrive that brutally."
"Answer my question." The tauren continued harshly.
"Well first of all I'm not human. My name is Amaria, member of the black dragonflight. It's a pleasure to meet you." I said with a short bow.
My answer got a couple of raised eyebrows and many tauren looked at each other before looking at the one in front of me, the one that I could safely assume to be the leader. He watched me warily for a few second before lowering his mace.
"You have our apologies for our rude welcome, earth-warder." He said as he gave a short bow of his head, still towering above me. "I am Baine Bloodhoof, High Chieftain of the Tauren tribes of Mulgore."
'Earth-warder? That's a new one.' I thought, finding this a tiny bit funny. The warriors around us spread out, giving me the opportunity to see what was Thunder Bluff. Just like Wyrmrest Temple, we were standing high on the ground, with a massive green plain extending to the foot of some far away mountains. The warm air brushed my hairs quickly as I looked around, giving a curious look at the large huts and tepees that made for the houses of the Tauren, the large wooden bridges standing high above the ground connecting the different parts of Thunder Bluff. It was not only very different from what I expected but at the same time I never really knew what to expect from this world.
"Excuse my curiosity but I thought that the last members of the black dragonflight were Wrathion and Ebyssian." Told me Baine as his words took me out of my reverie.
"Well it's a fairly decent development, I've only found out about the Dragonflights and all of Azeroth a year ago. Prior to that, I could have never imagined what I've seen so far." I replied.
"I was indeed certain that I had never seen you before. But it is good news for the Earth-Mother, more guardians will help repair Azeroth faster." He told me.
"Yes, well, I haven't really taken part of it yet. I'm only twenty-five years old after all." I replied, knowing very well that it wasn't an excuse at all.
"Oh! I didn't expected you to be so young." Baine said in genuine surprise.
"I'm not a child." I said a bit bitter.
"I would not dare call you that." He chuckled.
"Sorry, it's a bit of a sore subject. It's hard when you're surrounded by dragons that are thousands of time older than you." I sighed.
"I imagine. Now, I don't have any complain with you coming unannounced but I'm sure there must be a reason why you came so suddenly."
I instantly replaced all expressions on my face with pure seriousness, recalled of the purpose of my mission and its importance. Mightion needed me and each second lost was giving more time to the old gods to corrupt his mind.
"You're right. Baine, I came to ask for your help. Wrathion found another black dragon named Mightion but he is slowly falling under the corruption of the old gods, we need to purify him before its too late." I said sternly.
Baine frowned at me but didn't go further than that.
"I see. As much as it pains me to say it, we do not have any way to fight the old gods. If he can be convinced then there might be hope but if they are assaulting him directly then there's nothing I can do." He sadly said.
"Wrathion told me about a powder that you use to heal the earth, that we could use it to appease Mightion's mind." I replied with my own frown.
He stood silent for a few seconds before he waved for me to follow him. We walked through a large part of Thunder Bluff until we reached a large white hut that stood at the end of the Tauren capital, defended by a few other taurens in armour.
Once inside, Baine showed me a little cushion that I sat on as he did the same, spreading his massive legs forward as he reached for a small bowl of water. He offered it to me which I accepted before he took one for himself. We drank in silence, me just waiting an answer and not liking how mute he was for it seemed like he wouldn't give me an answer.
"I do not know how Wrathion learned about the Earthing-Balm, but it is one of our most sacred gift." Baine finally said as he put down his bowl. "Did you know it was given to us Tauren eons ago, when Deathwing was still Neltharion the Earth-Warder? He himself tasked us to assist the black dragonflight into tending to the Earth-Mother."
"I didn't know that little titbit about Neltharion but I do know how important it is to you. And its because it's so important that I came to ask you for it." I explained evenly.
"What will we do if there's no more of the Balm? We can help in many other way, but sometimes the Balm has been the only solution. If we lose it, the Earth-Mother might not recover as fast as before." He said worried, understandably so.
"We can help. Baine, if I can have the Earthing-Balm, no matter if it there's any left or not, or…" I gulped. "… even if it doesn't work, I will come help you. No matter what happen, I'll be in your debt and I will be here to help you tend to the earth."
This was not a lightly made promise, I would come if asked. I'd be their new Balm if needed but if they could help me in any way to save Mightion then it would be worth it.
'You could take the Balm by force.' A voice suddenly whispered in the back of my mind.
It almost made me jumped but I focused on the task at hand, banishing the voice from my mind. Plus its suggestion was ridiculous, I was trying to do things peacefully.
"If I give it to you, will any of it remain?" Baine asked.
"I'll be honest with you Baine, I have no idea if this is even going to work. I only hope it will." I replied as I imagined Mightion, consumed by pain and madness, leaving us no choice but to put him down. Just the thought of it sent a shiver down my spine.
He hummed for a few seconds, giving me a few glances here and then before he sighed loudly. And I mean loudly, because when you have bull's lungs its like a small hurricane.
"The Earthing-Balm was given to us to help the Earth-Mother's guardians. If giving it back can help save one of them, then I believe that it's for the best." Baine said as he looked straight into my eyes.
"Truly?" I asked not believing how real it was. It wasn't impossible but I had thought he would put up more of a fight over it.
"While there is less powder every time we use it, having another guardian for the centuries to come will prove far more invaluable. If it means losing the Earthing-Balm, then so be it."
"I- Thank you, Baine. You have no idea how important this is to me."
"I believe I do. Follow-me."
We crossed back a large part of Thunder Bluff and I stopped when Baine took a few seconds to talk with a female tauren that nodded before quickly walking away. I resumed my walk behind Baine and we soon arrived in front of a large tepee from which white smoke was coming out.
Inside was a tauren with white fur, glossy eyes that shone with a small white glow and carrying a large staff, standing in front of a small fire. Baine bowed deeply before him and I did the same.
"Amaria, may I introduce you spirit walker Akule." Said Baine.
"Nice to meet you." I said.
"The spirits walks with you, Amaria. What can Akule do for you?" Replied the white tauren.
"Spirit walker, we need to give the Earthing-Balm back to the black dragonflight so that they may continue their sacred duty just as ours is ending." Explained Baine solemnly.
"Hmm… The Balm has been gifted to us long ago. Letting it go away isn't an easy choice and one that I cannot do alone. Let me ask the spirits." Hummed Akule.
He seemed to be a little like Nozdormu to me, not really there and looking at something else. I learned that for Nozdormu it was because he could literally look into time but I could only wonder if Akule was doing the same thing. He started to humm stronger and stronger and a white smoke puffed out of the staff in his hands, creating shapes that I didn't understand. Anxious, I waited for Akule to come to ta decision, watching him reach into the smoke with his massive fingers and pulling an invisible thing out of it that he brought closer to his milky eyes.
"Hmm... much does the spirits have to say about the Balm. Many argues that it should remain here, for it was a gift to our people." Started Akule with a slightly deeper voice.
"I'm well aware of this, spirit walker." I said anxiously. "I don't want to take it away from you, but I need it to save one who is dear to me. With him, the black dragonflight will grow stronger and we will help the earth heal better than before."
Akule stood silent, waving his hands in the air a bit longer before the white smoke that still floated in the air vanished, pushed away by invisible winds.
"The spirits says that this day was fated to come. Perhaps the Balm could have stayed in our hands until it ran out. Even if the Earthing Balm is our greatest tool to cure Azeroth, it cannot compare to one's life. Its usefulness was coming to an end as it isn't infinite. The earth-warders on the other hand, they shall service Azeroth for the millenia to come. If the earth-warders needs it, then it has no more place here." Akule said as he stood up, walked around the tepee to grab a small chest that he handed to Baine. "The choice is yours, High Chieftain, but the spirits give you their consent."
"Thank you for your wisdom, spirit walker." Bowed Baine
I stepped aside as Baine turned around and I gave a small glance at Akule that sat back down near his fire. We barely made it out of the tepee that Baine stopped, this time handing me the chest.
"The Earthing-Balm is yours, Amaria. May you make good use of it." He told me.
"Thank you, Baine. I don't know how I can repay you, but if you need me, I'll be there." I said as I grabbed the chest.
"Knowing that the black dragonflight is being reborn from it's ashes is enough. But your promise is very appreciated." He smiled at me.
I tried to put the chest in my extended bag but it was too big to fit. Frowning, I tried to put it in the other way but it was obvious that it wouldn't fit.
Yet it wasn't that much of an issue when I realised that I could simply make a portal and take it with me. I put the chest back on the ground and channelled my magic to open a portal for Wyrmrest Temple, feeling for its ley line. Finding it was no issue but summoning the magic to travel between there and Thunder Bluff felt different than usual. In fact I was getting lost in the ley lines, trying to find the right one when all I was getting was like a massive nod that I couldn't untangle.
"Is there a problem?" Asked me Baine.
Ignoring him for now, I tried to force my magic to open the portal while aiming at Stormwind but for some reason it was even worse. Like if there was a massive hole in the centre that completely destroyed the ley lines around it, making it impossible to reach any further ley line. Giving up in an exhausted, annoyed huff, I turned toward Baine who was simply watching from aside.
"I can't open a portal for Wyrmrest Temple. Or for anywhere else across the ocean for some reason. Guess I should have kept studying a bit more under Tyri after all." I said frustrated, glaring in the direction of the Temple.
"Where do you need to go?" He asked.
"In the Badlands, in the Eastern Kingdoms. I thought that I was good enough to create portals for every destinations but I may have overestimated my training." I replied thinking about all of Tyri's warnings.
"I do not believe you could use one of the portals in Orgrimmar, even if you're a dragon. The only place that could take you to the Eastern Kingdoms might be Ratchet, straight to the East. There's a boat there that can take you to Booty Bay in the South." Suggested the tauren.
"A boat? It's too long. I don't know how long it takes to cross the ocean but I have a three days at best, a couple of hours at worst." I said, starting to panic at the idea to be too late to save Mightion.
"Peace, Amaria. There are other ways." He gestured with his hands calming motions.
"I- I- right! I'll fly all the way to Wyrmrest Temple, then Tyri makes me a portal to the Badlands. No big deal!" I said taking a deep breath.
I walked away from him and stood in a slightly larger area, looked around for a few seconds and judging if I had the space, before removing my disguise. Smoke and embers engulfed me for a few seconds and when they disappeared I was looking at the world from a higher point of view. Many of the tauren around came closer but I didn't gave them much attention, focusing on the chest still on the ground.
"Let me help." Said Baine as he bent down to grab the chest and handed it to me at a higher level. Grabbing it with my right claw, I twisted it around a bit until I was sure that I wouldn't drop it.
"I'm sure I'll say it again many more times, but thank you, Baine."
"It was an honour to help you, Amaria. May the Earth-Mother guide you." He said with a short bow.
"And her with you." I replied.
Spreading my wings wide, I took off in the middle of Thunder Bluff, sending gusts of wind that shook the tepee and making a few tauren children laugh at the same time. Angling toward the Wyrmrest Temple, using my connexion to the earth to figure which way to go, I bent forward and started my long flight above the large plains of Mulgore.
Knowing this would be a long flight, I swallowed my boredom as my thoughts started to wander back to Mightion. Now that I was alone and pressed by time, I started to question myself and how I saw the massive black dragon. Was I really having feelings for him? That one was obvious, but I couldn't believe how much it impacted me, like if he was the one I was destined to be with and that no-one else could matter. Was it right? That's what Alexstrasza told me, that I was a female dragon at least in body, but was about my soul or my mind? I never, never, thought about being with anyone else than a human but now that I was a dragon was it right to be in love with one?
Probably? Even if I would prefer to deny it, it was impossible and painfully obvious that I had fallen in love with him, Wrathion smile's when he saw me starring at Mightion made it clear that he knew. Had he set it up? That was unlikely, plus I didn't know how he could have done it. It was maybe even more than a feeling, it was like I had to go save Mightion, I even forced Wrathion to do his part to speed things up. And then what next?
Yes, what next? Would I have to court him? Because while I was clearly in love with him, it might not be reciprocated. And what about who he was? Maybe he would disrespect me, hate me, or not even look at me! It would be horrible!
"Okay calm down Amaria, you're just overreacting, acting like a fangirl of Victor Krum." I said to myself, taking a deep breath and trying to appease my mind just as I left Mulgore to enter a harsher region.
But what if it worked? If he did loved me, would we have to mate? Just the idea had been enough before to make me sick, raging at the very suggestion, but now I didn't felt like that. I still wasn't sure about that, but he was a strong dragon that could protect both me and our future children. Maybe I should ask Alexstrasza about all of this before going any further; yes, this was probably better. She surely knew advice on how dragons courted each other and what I should avoid.
It was so worrying, yet it was not like if he was the only black dragon in existence… but just thinking about doing it with Wrathion was enough to make me shudder. And the other one, Ebyssian, well I didn't knew anything about him beside that he was thousands of years old. And me previously having a human lifespan found this fact slightly disturbing; I dearly hoped that Mightion was younger, maybe just a few decades old like me. Yeah, it was clearly impossible, he was far too big to be only half a century old.
My very important thoughts got interrupted by a slow rumble coming somewhere slightly ahead of me. Looking down to the ground, I saw a zeppelin slowly moving through the air, toward the East and driven by a crew of goblins with a few more people standing on the deck, looking down but not thinking about what could be above their heads.
It was a sudden yet very welcomed reminder that I was in Horde territory and that my presence here would most likely not be welcomed. Putting more strength in my wings, I flew higher until I deemed it safe enough and looked at the horizon, seeing the land stretch ahead of me.
'Time is of the essence. Mightion will soon be one with the old gods.' Came back the whisper in my mind that I heard in the camp. And it was right, I had to be as fast as possible.
'But you could join him, be one with Mightion.' Suggested the voice.
I frowned slightly as I wondered what it meant, turning the sentence is various ways. But if it was as straightforward as it looked then it seemed fine to me.
'What do you mean?' I still asked.
'Do not worry, no matter the outcome you shall be united with Mightion. We can give you the means to do so.' The whispers said.
'Really? You can- wait.' I stopped as I realised just who I was listening to. 'No. You are trying to trick me. Leave-me alone, my choices are my own.' I said, using a bit of magic to clear my mind.
'For now.' Said a last dying whisper.
This was worse than before. How could I have not identified who was talking to me or the danger of having a voice talking in your head? Had the old gods worked their way through my mind already? No. Not yet. I was still aware and capable to keep them at bay, I just needed to focus. Focus on saving Mightion.
It would most likely take me a whole day to arrive at Wyrmrest Temple. It wasn't that long, but knowing that Mightion will not be able to hold on more than three days was enough to motivate me. I was praying, praying so hard for me to arrive in time, for the Earthing-Balm to work and for Mightion to be saved. Because if it didn't we would really be short of option. Wrathion went to pick up that flask in Darnassus but I truly wasn't optimistic about it, hoping to find an intact flask in a massive ruin of burned wood and ashes wasn't realistic.
Still, if it didn't worked, there would still be Anduin's staff. And judging by the tight schedule we had, I would not be patient with Anduin.