Among the night elves, Rhonin shook his head, repeating, 'No…no…no…'
Farther away, Illidan watched the epic destruction with the utmost envy, realizing that all he had learned was nothing compared to what the dragons wielded.
And on the other side of the battle, Archimonde frowned as his monstrous force collapsed like straw before a single power. Already he could sense Sargeras's displeasure and knew that he, not Mannoroth or the Highborne, would suffer the brunt of his master's wrath.
The Burning Legion did fight back, however ineffectively. The Eredar and Nathrezim focused their dark magic on the disk and its creator, casting spells that should have melted the Dragon Soul and stripped Neltharion of hide, flesh, and bone. They assailed all the dragons, seeking a swift end to this attempt to crush them.
'It is time!' roared the Earth Warder, barely able to suppress his madness. 'Let the matrix be set!'
The other leviathans linked themselves by mind and power. Already tied into the disk by their earlier contributions, they had little difficulty in feeding the Dragon Soul yet more of their strength.
With a mocking cry, Neltharion unleashed the disk's energies on the attacking spellcasters.
Eredar by the scores crumbled to dust, their screams short but telling. Dreadlords fluttering in the sky fell as light burned through them, reducing the fearsome demons to skeletal pieces. In other places, warlocks perished by a hundred different and horrific manners as the disk turned their very spells back upon them.
In the end, even the most cruel of them fled in panic. This was no power with which they could deal. Even their fear of Sargeras could not keep them from routing.
And when the Fel Guard, Doomguard, and others saw how their brethren fell to the power of the dragons, the last of their courage melted away almost as literally as many of their comrades had. Archimonde found himself a commander without anyone to command. His threats went unheeded, even when he slaughtered several of those around him to prove how much he meant them.
Astride his night saber, Lord Ravencrest gave out a bellow and pointed at the retreating horde. 'The moment is at hand! For Kalimdor and Azshara!'
His call was taken up by the soldiers. The host pressed forward. At last, the war would be won.
Only Rhonin hesitated. Only he knew the truth. Yet, how could he argue with all that the others had witnessed? The dragons' creation had done the task for which it had supposedly been created.
He looked around desperately for the one other who would have realized the threat, who could have told him what they might do.
But still there was no sign of Krasus.
Neltharion roared in triumph, watching as the puny demons scattered. He had proven to all the might of his Dragon Soul and, therefore, his own superiority.
Then, one of those he knew would betray him dared interrupt his moment of glory.
'Neltharion!' called Alexstrasza, her voice strained. 'The demons are on the run! The Soul has done its work magnificently! Now is the time for us to break the matrix and assault them from all sides-'
'No!' He glared at her, no longer able to or desiring to hide the madness within. 'No! I will say what will be done from here on! I, not you, Alexstrasza!'
The other Aspects suddenly stared at the Earth Warder as if seeing him for the first time. Malygos, in particular, appeared troubled as he tried reasoning with the black leviathan. 'Good friend Neltharion! She meant no disrespect! It's just that we can now be more effective if-'
'Be silent!'
The disk flared.
As one, the assembled flights stiffened, their wings caught in mid-flap. They did not plummet, however; the monstrous power of the Dragon Soul instead kept them frozen in the air. Their eyes were the only sign that they still had any consciousness, and all save those of the blacks held horror at the revelation that one of their most powerful had turned upon them.
'There will be no betrayal of me! I will do what is my right! My destiny is at hand! This land, all lands, will bow before my might! I will remake the world as it should be!'
His terrible gaze fell upon the battle, but not at the Burning Legion. The black behemoth held out the golden disk and hissed at the advancing night elves. 'Let all see that they live by my choosing!'
And the power of the Dragon Soul was cast upon the defenders.
Caught up in what should have been their moment of victory, the night elves had even less of a chance to defend themselves against the disk's power, not that it was likely they could have done anything. The brilliant light flashed across the foremost ranks…and they vanished, only their brief shrieks marking their passing. Riders atop night sabers perished in mid-run, their mounts dying with them. Scores of foot soldiers fell in the blink of an eye.
The grand assault splintered as the horror registered. Night elves now fled away from their retreating enemy, leaving a vast area of baked earth and a few gory fragments.
Chaos reigned. Neither the night elves nor the demons knew what to expect. All eyes turned to the fearsome black shape that wielded such death.
The Earth Warder's voice overwhelmed all other sounds as he spoke to the tiny figures beneath him. 'Know me, vermin! Know me and pray! I am Neltharion! I am your god!'
The voices in his head had risen to a crescendo, urging him to more mayhem. However, for once Neltharion ignored them. He now wished to savor his triumph, make the puny creatures bow to his magnificence, and acknowledge his supreme power. He could, after all, decimate them whenever he pleased.
Which he would do as soon as he had tired of them.
'All must kneel before me! Now!'
Many did, while others stood in confusion and uncertainty.
The Dragon Soul eradicated that reluctance, its deadly light flowing once over the demons, then over the night elves. The lesson was a powerful one, and the rest fell to their knees in rapid succession.
'I have watched,' the insane leviathan snarled. 'I have seen my world ruined by you pitiful insects! There must be order! I will have my world perfect again! Those who are not fit to serve me will be slain!'
A slight hiss from behind him made Neltharion whirl. Despite being unable to move save at his command, Alexstrasza had managed to give one hint of her anger and contempt.
'And you…' the black uttered, those below momentarily forgotten. 'You, the rest of these traitorous 'friends' of mine, you will live by my sufferance alone! For your conniving, your plotting, you deserve nothing better!'
Alexstrasza struggled to speak. Deciding to be magnanimous, Neltharion granted her that ability.
'What have you wrought, Neltharion? What evil have you perpetrated? You call us traitors, but I see only one for whom that title is deserved!'
'I give you permission to speak, dear Alexstrasza, but you should use it to plead for mercy for your crimes! You dare condemn me?'
She snorted at such words. 'There is no one here among us who has committed more horrendous crimes than you!' Alexstrasza hesitated, then her tone abruptly softened. 'Neltharion…this is not you! You always sought to make the world one of peace, of harmony…'
'And I will! When all obey my dictates, there will be no more chaos, no more war!'
'And no more death? How many must die to create your 'peace, my old friend?'
'I-' The voices grew insistent, demanding that he put an end to her words, and to her. The black dragon shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. 'Alexstrasza…I…'
'Fight what madness has overwhelmed you, Neltharion! You are strong! Recall what you once were…and destroy that abomination before it's too late for all of us!'
She had said the wrong thing. The Earth Warder's crimson orbs hardened again and he clutched the disk protectively. 'No! So, your betrayal worsens! You would take what is mine, what I've created, for yourself! I knew it! I knew that none of you could be trusted!'
'Neltharion-'
'Be silent again!'
Alexstrasza's jaws froze. She clearly struggled to speak, but the power of the Dragon Soul was too much.
Dismissing her as of no more consequence, the dark giant again stared down at the throngs held still by
