Night of the Dragon

'The fates apparently demanded that our paths cross again.'

'The fates? Blame it more on my lord, Malygos. It's he who sent me here... and likely sensed that you were also on your way, if I know him.' He shrugged. 'But it still seems that we were doomed to cross paths, yes.'

Krasus took a step closer to his counterpart. 'Kalecgos! You know that I wanted only the best for Anveena —'

'You may call me 'Kalec,'' the youth said to Iridi as he purposely turned his attention from the other male. I prefer it whenin this form...'

'Kalec...I am Iridi.'

'Can you now stand on your own, Iridi?' When she nodded, Kalec cautiously released her. 'Good.'

Krasus sought to interject himself into the conversation again. 'Kalecgos—Kalec—it is good to see you —'

'I don't find it so good,' the other snapped. 'But I couldn't stand by and let even you be preyed upon by—by whatever those were...' He looked past them, '...and I've no doubt as to where they came from.'

'Yes, young one, they had to come from Grim Batol.'

'Then, that's where I'm off to.' Kalec spread his arms and a look came over his face that Iridi realized presaged a transformation.

But Krasus seized the fighter's arm, a dangerous thing if the depth of Kalec's sudden scowl was anything to judge by.

'It would not be wise to go alone,' the dragon mage told him.

'It's not so safe to entrust oneself to you!' He leaned into Krasus's face. 'You gave her peace and then you allowed it to be ripped away! You let her live a lie of a life, knowing all too well that it would end in tragedy!'

'But it hasn't, Kalec. You knew what she had to do... what she did. Anveena's destiny was always written—'

'Don't you speak her name again!' Kalec raised a hand and suddenly a glowing sword appeared in it. The blade looked sharp enough to cut the air itself and the grip had been molded to perfectly match his hold.

Kalec thrust the point toward Krasus, letting it hover just an inch or two from the latter's chest.

Unperturbed, Krasus glanced from the blade to its wlelder. 'I know how much she meant to you and I mourn that loss... but Anveena is still with you always. You should feel that yourself, young one.'

Iridi remained perfectly still as the tableau played out. She would have preferred that this argument not take place at all, especially so soon after their battle with the abominations, but clearly this confrontation had been a long time coming and nothingshe could say or do could stop it.

Kalec exhaled. Much of the anger dissipated, leaving in its wake resignation. 'She said just that right before she sacrificed herself. She was sad and happy at the same time. Sad to leave the grove... and us... but happy to return that which she was to those who most needed her.'

Recalling Iridi's presence, Krasus quietly explained, 'Anveena was a young maiden of no guile, only care. She and Kalec met by accident after I worked hard to hide her from the eyes of the Lich King and his agents, especially one Dar'Khan.'

The draenei recalled the blond human in the dragon mage's memories. It surely had to be her. 'She gave her life so that others might live? A noble fate—'

This for some reason caused Kalec to laugh harshly. 'You don't understand, draenei! Anveena never had a true life to give! Her entire existence was a conjurer's trick!' He again pointed the sword at Krasus, but without any intent to use it. 'His trick! Anveena wasn't human; she wasn't even mortal! She was the very essence of the high elves' Sunwell, their fount of power! She was pure magic manipulated into playing at life so well that she thought she actually breathed, actually had a heart....'

Iridi knew little of the Sunwell, though she had heard it mentioned by others. It was a source of tremendous magic that had been destroyed, that much the priestess understood. There had been a rumor, however, that It had been restored... and now It seemed that not only was that rumor true, but there had been far more to it than anyone who had spoken of it could have ever imagined.

'The will of the world shapes us all,' Iridi murmured to Kalec in an attempt to soothe him. He had obviously cared much for the human incarnation. 'And even through such adversity, we grow stronger.'

The azure eyes softened once more. 'You would've liked her, draenei...and she you.' Iridi bowed.

'I understand why he’ scome here,' Kalec went on, referring to Krasus, 'but why you?'

The cowled mage also looked at her. 'That is a question we were never fully able to discuss, were we? What is it you seek in Grim Batol, Iridi?'

She saw no point in holding back the truth, especially as she was more and more seeing a link with what had happened to them and the object of her quest. They might not believe her, but she would tell them all that she could.

'I am in search... I am in search of a nether dragon,' the draenei responded.

It was likely rare that Krasus, at the very least, was stunned. Iridi was not surprised that Kalec stood open-mouthed, but even the mage revealed startlement, if only through the raising high of one brow.

'She hunts for a nether dragon... in Azeroth!' Kalec blurted. 'But there aren't any nether dragons in Azeroth! Those that tried to enter were destroyed by my flight at the portal to Outland! And since then, nothing passes that we do not take note of even from our sanctum...'

The priestess shook her head. 'One survived the ill-fated crossing. I sensed its presence, but came upon the scene a moment too late. A cloaked figure reminiscent of you, Krasus, found him first, a cloaked figure accompanied by monstrous servants. They carried with them what I have divined is called a chrysalun chamber”.

'A chrysalun chamber!' Krasus looked to Kalec, who nodded. They both clearly understood what the artifact was and, therefore, what it could do.

'The magic they used to shield themselves from the nether dragon they also used to obscure the chamber from those who might notice anything awry in the vicinity of the portal.' Iridi saw in her mind the vague vision, the tragic vision.

'No blood elf could wield enough skill to hide from my kind!' Kalec insisted. He opened his hand and, as with Iridi's staff, the blade vanished. Yet, it was clear to the draenei that Kalec's weapon was merely a manifestation of his power, not a true tool, like hers. 'None.'

'Unless he had some other great source...' Krasus suggested, studying Iridi. He had some glimmer of the truth, she sensed, and the fact that he understood that much impressed her.

'There was a source.' The draenei held out her hand, summoning the staff. As the large crystal flared to life, Iridi felt a brief pang of grief despite all the training through which she had gone to learn to keep her stronger emotions under check.

Kalec stretched out a hand toward the crystal, the blue dragon trying to understand its workings. 'That's not...that's not of Azeroth... I know... I know its origins... now... from those creatures called the naaru...'

'From the naaru it came,' she agreed. 'I had one. A friend...a good friend had the other. They were special gifts that we brought with us to Azeroth, to use for the sake of good....'

'What happened to the other?' Krasus asked in a tone that indicated that he had his suspicions.

'Taken from the corpse of my friend,' Iridi replied quietly. 'After his slaughter...'

'And so that,' the dragon mage murmured, 'is the source of power that made Malygos's far-reaching senses pay no heed... and is also the reason to fear that the worst is yet to come.' To Kalec, he asked, 'This cloaked figure...this blood elf, to be sure, for there are few other than they who would think of this...wields the power of the naaru...' He frowned. 'But it goes far worse than that. If I comprehend you correctly, young Iridi. You hunt a blood elf, wielding the stolen energies of naaru, who has also trapped and kidnapped a nether dragon....'

'Yes.' The priestess bowed her head to Krasus's wisdom. He truly did see things as they must be.

'Then, there remains only the question that none of us has yet spoken but that I will to put it to the point.' Krasus made sure both of his companions were listening carefully. 'A blood elf with naaruenergies and a nether dragon as his...just what, then, do you think he intends to do with all that at his disposal? I believe that we have just met the answer... and it may only be the beginning of something far worse....'