extraordinarily unique.
'What is outside?'
'I'd rather not say, Master Krasus. You should see it yourself.'
His curiosity stirred, the slim figure rose and walked to the opening. As he neared it, the calls grew more intense, more varied. It was as if every type of bird nested outside…
Krasus hesitated, surveying the room again. That was what his surroundings reminded him of…a huge bird's nest.
Already suspecting he knew what he would see, the dragon mage stuck his head through the entrance.
It seemed that every species of bird did nest around them. Certainly they had the room. Everywhere Krasus looked, he saw huge, outstretched branches filled with foliage. In each of the branches, some avian had made its home. At a quick glance, he saw doves, robins, cardinals, mockingbirds, and more. There were birds from temperate zones and others from more exotic climes. They intermingled. They sang together. There were berry feeders, fish catchers, and even those who preyed on other birds-although the last seemed quite content with the rabbits and lizards they now brought for their young.
Gazing above, Krasus discovered more nests. The foliage of this incredibly huge tree was filled to the brim with all the birds of the world.
It was also filled with the astounding structure of which his chamber was one of only hundreds.
Like the myriad tunnels of a giant ant colony, the «nest» spread throughout the branches. A quick estimate by the wizard measured it large enough to house the entire night elven army-mounts included-plus the refugees with more than ample room to spare. Despite its outwardly weak appearance, Krasus was also quick to see that the edifice was more durable than it seemed. As the wind rocked the foliage, the «nest» waved and adjusted accordingly. The dragon mage touched one edge of the entrance and realized that it was held together better than the stones of a mighty fortress.
Then…he finally looked down.
To imagine that a dragon could suffer from vertigo would once have been impossible for Krasus to even consider. Yet now he teetered at the entrance, unable to come to grips with what he saw.
'Master Krasus!' Malfurion pulled him away from the entrance. 'You almost fell! I'm sorry! I should've told you what to expect!'
Krasus exhaled, regaining his senses. 'I am all right, my friend. You can release me. I know full what to expect now.'
'I had to throw myself back when I first looked,' the druid told him. 'I was afraid that I'd be blown outside by the wind.'
Now better prepared, Krasus returned to the opening. He gripped the sides, then peered down again.
The tree extended down for as far as he could see, branches jutting out everywhere. As elsewhere, birds perched or nested in them. Krasus stared as best he could, but of the base of the tree he could still make out no sign. Clouds drifted past, huge ones that signified just how high up they were.
The night elf came up beside him. 'You can't see the ground, either, can you?'
'No, I cannot.'
'I've never heard of a tree so vast, so huge, that one could not see the ground beneath it!'
'I have,' Krasus replied, dredging up ancient memories from his ravaged mind. 'It is…it is G'hanir. The Mother Tree. It is the place of all winged creatures, separate from but a part of the mortal world in a manner akin to the Emerald Dream. G'hanir is the tallest tree atop the tallest peak. The fruit it bears carries the seeds of all earthly trees.' He thought further. 'It is the home of our host…the demigoddess, Aviana.'
'Aviana…?'
'Yes.' A fleet, white form flying toward their general direction caught his attention. 'And I believe she is on her way to us even now.'
The winged figure grew rapidly in size as it approached, finally coalescing into a massive white peregrine falcon larger than either of them. Krasus urged the druid back, leaving the entrance completely open.
The gigantic falcon fluttered through. A transformation then overtook it. The legs grew, thickened. The wings shrank, turning into slim, feathered hands. The body reshaped, becoming more like that of a female night elf or human, and the tail shifted into the trailing end of a gossamer white gown.
A slim, wide-eyed woman almost human in features eyed the pair. Her nose was sharp, but very elegant. She had a pale, beautiful face the color of ivory, and for hair she wore a wondrous mane of downy feathers. Her gown fluttered as she walked-on two delicate but still sharply-taloned feet.
'Awake, awake you are,' she said with a slight frown. 'You should rest, rest.'
Krasus bowed to her. 'I am grateful for your hospitality, mistress, but I am well enough to continue on now.'
She cocked her head as a bird might, giving the mage a reproving look. 'No, no…too soon, too soon. Please, sit.'
The duo looked around and discovered that two chairs, made in the same fashion as the nest, waited behind them. Malfurion waited for Krasus, who finally nodded and sat.
'You are the Mother of Flight, the Lady of the Birds, are you not?' asked the dragon mage.
'Aviana I am, if that is what you mean.' Her wide eyes inspected Krasus. 'And you are one of mine, one of mine, I think.'
'The thrill of the sky is known to me, yes, mistress. I owe my soul to Alexstrasza…'
'Aaah…' The demigoddess smiled in a motherly fashion. 'Dear, dear Alexstrasza…it is long since we spoke. We must do so.'
'Yes.' Krasus did not push the point that now was hardly the time for visits. He did not doubt that Aviana knew exactly what was going on in the world and that despite her pleasant visage, she conferred with the other demigods and spirits on how to deal with the Burning Legion.
The sky deity looked to the night elf. 'You, you, on the other wing, are one of Cenarius's…'
'I am Malfurion.'
Aviana twittered, a sound like a songbird. 'Of course, of course, you are! Cenarius speaks well of you, youngling.'
The druid's cheeks darkened.
A question burned in Krasus's mouth, and he finally had to blurt, 'Mistress…how do we come to be here?'
For the first time, she looked surprised. 'Why, you chose to come here, of course, of course!'
The last thing Krasus could recall was the worm closing in on them as they reached the gate. He looked to Malfurion for clarification, but the night elf obviously knew less than him. 'You say I chose to send us here?'
Aviana raised one delicately-boned hand. A multicolored songbird with a sweeping tail flew through the entrance and alighted onto the back of the hand. The demigoddess cooed at the small creature, which rubbed its head against hers. 'Only those who truly desire to come here do. This one found you and your friend lying among the branches, the branches. There was also much scattered flesh of a very large and tasty worm. The children will feast for some time on it…'
Malfurion looked sick. The mage nodded. When he had blacked out, the portal had collapsed, cutting the huge worm in two.
Ignoring his own distaste, Krasus said, 'I am afraid that this is the sole time that it was in complete error, mistress. I did not mean for us to come here. I cast a spell that went awry.'
Her petite mouth formed another smile. 'So you do not wish to fly again, to fly again?'
Krasus grimaced. 'I would like nothing more.'
'Then that, then that, is in part why you ended up here.'
The dragon mage mulled over her words. His continual longing to be what he was had evidently influenced his spellcasting and Aviana had sensed it. 'But there's nothing you can do for me.'
'So sad, so sad.' The demigoddess let the songbird fly out again. 'But perhaps I can, perhaps I can…if you truly insist on departing.'
'I do.'
'Very well, very well.' From within the inner plumage of her left wing, Aviana plucked one feather. As she held it up, a silver sheen covered it. The sky deity handed the feather to Krasus, who took the gift with reverence
