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Dawn of the Dragon	By : RotSeele Category: +S through Z > World of Warcraft Views: 3875 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own World of Warcraft. I do not make any money from this story.

Chapter List
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Thirty-Two
Varian and Genn stood in the library of Stormwind Keep, looking over the information they had been able to gather through various sources. For once, they were alone, with only a few guards stationed around them. Varian hadn't told the other leaders what they'd uncovered mostly because he wanted to make sure it was truth and not conjecture, considering both sides were still recovering and Varian and Vol'jin had already made their threats to one another concerning certain subjects. Amazingly enough, Vol'jin had consented to talking to one of Varian's SI:7 agents, and beyond the customary "if you move against the Horde, I'll make sure you never move again" threats, Vol'jin had no idea where Go’el and Aggra were, nor did he know why they'd left their son in his care and vanished, nor why Anduin, Wrathion, and Shandris had disappeared.
What he did know was that there were small pockets of fighting amongst the Horde who were loyal to Vol'jin and the Horde loyal to Garrosh, and that the Dark Shaman were making sure to play least in sight. The loa weren't giving Vol'jin much warning or anything in the way of advice, but the Warchief wasn't taking the momentary peace and quiet for granted. He was keeping a close eye on the movements of Garrosh's Horde, and was ready to leap to action if anything started to happen.
"According to Vol'jin's sources," Genn said, studying a map of Kalimdor, "there seems to be quite the gathering around The Crossroads, heading toward Ratchet. They aren't being obvious about it, but they're certainly heading toward the Eastern Kingdoms. Where they're heading from there, no one can say yet."
Varian frowned. "But he's certain they're all loyalists?"
"As certain as he can be without actively going after them. He doesn't want to start up something he isn't sure he can win."
Varian could commiserate with the new Warchief's decision. The Horde and Alliance weren't at their full strength, and their forces were still spread thin. A good percentage of warriors were still in Pandaria, taking care of the bases that had been erected in Krasarang or aiding the Pandaren in restoring their country. Or, in some cases, making sure Garrosh reached his destination and wasn't killed in between being moved from Orgrimmar to Pandaria, and from there to where the trial was to be held. So everyone was willing to live peacefully for a while, until everyone and everything recovered from this latest struggle.
But if there was another battle looming on the horizon, it was a battle that was as much part of the war that had been going on for the past year. And therefore, Varian and Vol'jin had a responsibility to make sure the battle ended before it really began. Or at least, end it before it grew too big and pulled everyone back into the bloody madness.
"Is that what Anduin learned, you think?" Genn asked, his deep voice bringing Varian out of his own reprieve. "That these Dark Shaman are moving with the intent to start another war with us?"
"It doesn't make sense." Varian said, almost absently.
"What doesn't?"
"That Anduin would know that before us. That he'd move on something so benign, and he'd take Wrathion, who clearly wasn't well, and Shandris with him. And Shandris has lived for ten thousand years. She wouldn't let a threat like this go unmentioned." Varian frowned. "So it had to be something else. Something that was important enough for Anduin to act without telling anyone, but not dangerous enough for Shandris to tell Tyrande where they were going."
"Then, perhaps it was something she hadn't intended on taking long enough for us to notice they were missing."
"But what?"
The two kings stood in silence for a long time, just staring at the papers and maps and intel that was scattered about the table. Varian felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle, and he turned before the person behind him had a chance to touch him. Broll Bearmantle stood behind them, having silently approached while they had been focused on what was before them. Varian acknowledged the Druid, and Broll returned the tilt of Varian's head with one of his own.
"Did you find out anything?" Varian asked his friend.
Broll started to shrug, then thought better of it. "No more than we already know. But I was able to learn from our forces around Alterac Valley that some strange things had been happening. So I went to check it out."
"And?" Asked Genn.
"And the Frostwolves didn't like me poking around their territory, but I was able to see enough to form an educated opinion." Broll took a short breath. "Something isn't right there. I saw broken trees and tossed boulders and churned up earth, like a pack of elementals ran through and didn't care much about where they were going or what was in their way."
Varian frowned deeply. "And no sight of anyone?"
"No one."
"Not even a camp?"
"Nothing." Broll looked at Varian. "I'm sorry. I looked everywhere I thought anyone might be, but I didn't see a thing."
Genn looked at Varian. "So what should we do? If we start marshaling our troops and start moving them to intercept these loyalists, Vol'jin might take it as a sign we're massing to attack them."
"If we knew where these loyalists were going, then we'd be able to move without fear of that. The truth is, we don't, and unless we keep an eye on them, we won't be able to predict their intent." Varian turned back to the table and scowled at the map of Kalimdor as it overlayed the map of the Eastern Kingdoms. Broll stepped to his left while Genn leaned in from the right. "So what are we missing?"
There was no answer. The silence stretched for some minutes, each man staring at the table and turning the same information over and over in their minds. They all knew the facts. The fact was, the facts weren't adding up. It was like trying to solve a puzzle where none of the pieces fit.
"My lord."
Varian turned toward the voice, as did Genn and Broll. A guard stood in the threshold of the library, dressed in full armor. She glanced over her shoulder at the figure standing just beyond the door. Then she jerked her thumb over her shoulder and continued, "Lord Kalec is here to see you. Since he wasn't one of the ones you said could be let through..."
"It's fine." Varian said. He had given his guards a short list of who could come into the library uncontested, and since he figured Kalec would've been with Jaina when she came, he hadn't thought to include him individually. "Let him through."
The guard nodded and stepped back, then gestured to Kalec. The blue dragon stepped through into the library, and approached Varian, Genn, and Broll.
"I wasn't aware this was a private party," Kalec said blandly.
"A select guest list, nothing more." Varian replied just as blandly.
Kalec accepted Varian's words with only a bob of the head. "Something's been bothering me since I looked at Wrathion. I didn't know what it was, not then, but while we were discussing it at the meeting, something made itself clear to me."
"And what's that?" Broll asked.
"It was something Anduin said, when he called me to come look at Wrathion. Said he didn't know anything about dragons, and I was the only one he really trusted to get close to Wrathion."
"Which isn't surprising, considering your affiliation," Broll pointed out.
Kalec nodded again. "Being friends as they are, Anduin wouldn't trust the reds because Wrathion doesn't trust them. Same with the greens and bronzes. But that's besides the point. He called me because I know about dragons. Because I am one. And so I thought about it, and something suddenly jumped out at me." Kalec stepped to the table and tapped his finger against the Maelstrom, the resting place of the Worldbreaker, Deathwing. "During the fight with Deathwing, we Aspects gave up our Titan-given powers in order to defeat him. Go’el was named Earth-warder by Alexstrasza, and wielded the Demon Soul."
"Okay, but what does that have to do with Wrathion?" Asked Genn.
"I'm getting to that." Kalec said. “Go’el became the first mortal Aspect, so to speak. He had all of Deathwing's abilities - the Earth-warder's abilities, strength, and power. He never gave up that power. During the Siege of Orgrimmar, the Alliance and Horde heroes who ventured into the city hunting Garrosh ran into two of the most senior of the Dark Shaman."
Genn gave a soft growl. "Yes. They commanded the elements, rather than ask for their aid."
"Just so. They were defeated, of course. When the heroes next encountered Go’el, it was in the bowels of Garrosh's stronghold."
Varian frowned deeply. He'd arrived after the heroes had vanquished Garrosh, and had stepped in to keep Go’el from braining Garrosh with the Doomhammer. He frowned even more. He hadn't thought about it then, because everyone was pissed with Garrosh for one reason or another, but now that he was remembering it in context with what Kalec was saying, Go’el’s behavior had been odd. The former Warchief-turned-shaman had done his share of fighting during the Cataclysm, but he'd turned to a life of peace more than violence. He looked at Kalec. "Are you suggesting something happened to Go’el, and through him, to Wrathion?"
Kalec's expression was grim. "I don't know if anything happened to Go’el, but I think he's at least the catalyst, if not the cure. I wasn't an Aspect for long, so I don't know the nuances of the title, but when I look at Alexstrasza, Ysera, and Nozdormu, they seem only a shadow of themselves, as if they don't know what to do now that they're no longer Aspects. And Go’el now controls the power a dragon once wielded. It's unheard of. Add that to the fact that Deathwing's only offspring is alive, free, and sane... It isn't that inconceivable that Go’el the Earth-warder and Wrathion are linked somehow, and are sensitive to one another."
Understanding dawned on Broll's face. Varian understood the implications as well, as did Genn. Varian looked at the maps on the table. "Anduin must've come to the same conclusion you did, Kalec." Said the King of Stormwind.
Kalec looked at them with serious eyes. "I think something happened to Go’el down there when he confronted Garrosh, something he hasn't told anyone about, and that no one really knows about except for those who were there. And there's no way we can hope to get in contact with them to find out what. But whatever happened to Go’el probably affected Wrathion in some way."
"Even if Anduin didn't figure out that whatever happened to Go’el affected Wrathion," Broll said, "Wrathion is a black dragon. They're highly attuned to the movements of the earth. So if Wrathion is becoming more attuned to the powers of his race, Go’el is the only person he could conceivably go to in regards to such a thing."
Varian looked at the men gathered around him. "So if we assume that, then Anduin and Wrathion planned to go find Go’el. The first place they'd look would probably be the Frostwolves, since going directly to Vol'jin would be the death of them. Shandris went with them as extra protection, since the trip wouldn't take all that long. But something must've happened after they left."
Genn frowned. "You don't think they were ambushed?"
"I don't know." Varian replied. He looked at Kalec. "There's nothing else you can think of?"
The former Aspect of Magic shook his head. "The fact is, no one saw them leave, and they didn't leave a message as to where they were going. I can see if I can locate them here on Azeroth, but I think you're right, Varian. I don't think they're here."
Genn looked at Varian. "So what do you want to do? Do you want to send someone from SI:7 through the Dark Portal and see if they can locate them?"
Varian was silent for a while. Then he shook his head, making a decision that weighed heavily on his heart, not as a king, but as a father. "Let's concentrate our efforts on finding Go’el and Aggra. Once we locate them, we can start trying to figure out what's happening and-"
The tremor hit fast and violently.
They were all thrown off their feet as the building shook with violent force. Varian covered his head as dust rained down on them and he heard, faintly, the sound of falling stones. He heard the screams of people from elsewhere in the keep, and more falling stones. He heard Genn snarl and in his peripheral saw that the Gilnean king had made the transition to his worgen form, balanced on all fours as the shaking continued. Broll too had made the transition to his favored form, the bear, and was digging his sharp claws into the stone of the floor. Varian pushed himself to his knees and reached to grip Broll's furry shoulder, trying to steady himself enough to get to his feet.
A cracking sound, worse and louder than that of breaking bones, echoed from overhead. Varian looked up and felt as though time had suddenly slowed to an infinite crawl. A block the size of an elekk was slowly slipping from the ceiling, knocked loose by a massive crack running the length of the ceiling. Varian gave a strangled yell in warning but it was too late for any of them to move. The block was bearing down on them too fast for any of them to get out of the way.
Kalec raised his hand toward the falling stone and snapped out a command. There was a pulse of power that Varian felt deep in his bones, a pulse that brought forward all of his animal instincts and told him that he was in an enclosed space with a predator that was all the more dangerous for being stuck in a room with only one door and no other way out. The stone block stopped in its descent, almost freezing in place. It gave them enough time to get out from beneath it and move to a safe distance as Kalec strained to hold the block that probably weighed as much as he did in his dragon form. Varian saw sweat beading on Kalec's brow before the former Aspect managed to set the block down with minimal damage to it or the surrounding bookcases and tables.
It wasn't until Kalec made a laughing noise that Varian realized the tremor had stopped and he remembered to breathe again.
Varian got to his feet at looked up at the hole in the ceiling where the block had come from. "Good thing you decided to come, Kalec."
The blue dragon gave a nod, panting too harshly to form words.
Genn grunted. "It seems like this one was worse than the one before."
"Which means whatever is happening is getting worse." Varian said, moving to help Broll to his feet. The king of Stormwind moved to the threshold of the library, looking out on the destroyed hallway where guards were helping the civilians and servants who were lucky enough to have missed being squished by falling blocks. He could see red smears where others weren't so lucky. He turned back to the three men behind him. "We need to locate Thrall. If something's happened to him, we need to know what, before another earthquake hits. Or before something else happens that kills us all."
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Dawn of the Dragon