Karp
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Chapter 128
🕑 Added 2024-12-16 21:31:53 +0000 UTC“Fus Ro Dah!” The shout trembled the sky, and blew the 6 Heroic true Dragons backward.
Nozdormu had briefly phased himself out of reality to avoid the attack.
Looking down at the creature he had sworn to destroy and her spawn, Nozdormu felt for the first time in his long life, the inklings of fear.
When he was young, he had been instructed by the leader of the Titans, Aman'Thul to cater events across Azeroth such that they developed towards a certain goal in which the Alliance and Horde became the dominant super powers on Azeroth.
Nozdormu did not know what this God's ultimate plan was, but he had worked towards achieving this directive with everything he had.
During his research of the timeline, to see how best he could realize his Master's ambitions, Nozdormu discovered dark secrets surrounding Azeroth.
Of the other pantheons not native to this plane.
Specifically, he had learnt of the Aedric Pantheon, and their leader, Akatosh.
Much like Aman'Thul, Akatosh was a deity representing time. Furthermore, it was a Dragon, much like himself.
He had tried to commune with this divine being, feeling a kinship between them, but he had been harshly rejected each time.
In fact, he had experienced a sense of coldness when the connection had been cut.
This was a disappointing setback, but nothing Nozdormu concerned himself much with.
That is, of course, until he saw what possible futures awaited him.
What struck fear in Nozdormu's heart was that in every timeline, a Shard of Akatosh would come into being..
It was a creature spawned from a fraction of a Divine's own essence that would emerge on Azeroth without fail.
It was an Anomaly.
The words from its mouth were so powerful, so devastating, that when he looked upon their form, he inherently knew the Shard’s name.
Nightsong.
Nightsong was the herald of Akatosh. The creature that had been summoned to punish Aman'Thul by destroying the Dragons in some cosmic game that Nozdormu had little understanding of.
His foresight told him that the Shard could be a man, woman, Human, Orc, or any racial makeup. That if left alone, the Shard would have children of its own containing the blood of Akatosh. Dragonborn children that had the fires of ambition so strong, it would ruin Nozdormu's plans for the proper timeline.
Furthermore, once a true Dragon was defeated by the Dragonborn, they would have their soul, their very essence consumed, and their existence totally and completely erased!
It was knowledge so traumatizing that Nozdormu's future self had taken up a new name: Murozond, and created the Infinite Dragonflight.
Fearful of losing his existence, Murozond had battled with Nozdormu across the past, present, and the future as they battled for their ideal world. And it all stemmed from fear of Nightsong.
In this timeline, Nozdormu had thought himself the victor. That with her death, his future self would no longer meddle in the past. Little did he know that the Anomalies child had survived, or that she had returned!
Fear once more gripped his heart as he beheld the famed Elven General down below.
“Mul. Qah. Diiv!” Nightsong shouted, and covered her form in an orangish-ethereal armor.
Draconic looking wings made from the armor spread out from her form, and she took to the skies.
Nozdormu narrowed his eyes, and slashed his claws in the air, sending out three slices of pale-yellow energy at her.
Each crescent of energy expanded, and from within, an object from somewhere in time was unleashed.
From one tear in space-time, the Doomhammer-over charged with elemental energies-came flying down like a meteorite and tracked Nightsong with pinpoint accuracy.
The second crescent revealed the full force volley of a thousand rune caste, Dwarven artillery shells. Each rune was expressly designed to counter magic shields, and penetrate mana constructs. This attack absolutely saturated the air, leaving Nightsong with little room to maneuver.
Lastly, the third tear revealed a full powered beam of Arcane launched from his brother Maligos, the Aspect of Magic. The bright blue burst of pure energy came down at a diagonal angle, and was pointed in such a way, that if it did not hit Nightsong, it would strike her spawn.
“Dur Vaz Oblivion!” Nightsong shouted, and tore open a large purple portal in the air.
Maligos's beam entered the cavity, and was completely countered.
At the same time, Nightsong lifted her shield, and parried the Doomhammer with her adamantium shield.
Her aura recoiled, and diminished slightly as the elements exploded all around her.
Electricity tore at the orange energy, cold frozen the air around her, and fire combined with wind to form a vortex around her.
She seemingly ignored the damage to her ethereal armor, and brought her sword to bear directly against the hammer.
“Su Grah Du!” Her shout resounded, and a similar coating of elemental fury enhanced her own blade.
As the two weapons clashed, a piercingly bright white light followed by a ground shaking explosion erupted from her position.
When the light cleared, the Doomhammer had been split in two, and Nightsong stood triumphant.
Nozdormu felt his heart constrict at the sight.
It was as he had feared. The Anomaly was terrifying beyond belief. Much time and thought had gone into ambushing her the first time around. Now, however, she was well prepared, and as dangerous as ever.
The artillery shells continued to fall towards both her and the Sunwell, yet all Nightsong did was smile at the oncoming threat.
She then unleashed another Fus Ro Dah, and scattered the munitions to the wind.
All this time, less than a minute had passed since their exchange, yet Nozdormu realized that this was not looking too good for him.
Glancing down at the child, Varrus Vandercross, Nozdormu knew that he would be the key to victory. That if he wanted to destroy Nightsong, end the threat of the Dragonborn, and return to the original timeline, Vandercross must perish!
“To me, my children! We must hold back Nightsong. But you Chromie, Dante, must finish what you had failed to accomplish decades ago. Slay Varrus Vandercross!”
As soon as he finished his command, Nozdormu began to circle around in the air, and allowed his children a crack at distracting Nightsong while he prepared a spell.
His children roared, and flew at Nightsong in an attempt to buy him time.
Almost immediately upon this act, his consort, Soridormi was slain in battle. Her death screech pained him greatly. Instead of returning to the magic hourglass, and healed from her wounds, the magic effect of Akatosh superseded his own!
When he saw her corpse drop down to the crater of the Sunwell, he witnessed her soul, her very essence became absorbed by Nightsong's spawn!
Anger, rage, and other complex emotions colored his psyche. At that moment, he felt as if he had been sucker punched. As if everything he had strived for all his life, everything he had done in Aman'Thul's name had been for nothing!
He had wanted to preserve the timeline at any cost, but the death of his love had driven him over the edge!
Nozdormu decided then and there he was going to obliterate the isle of Quel'Danas, and all its denizens!
During this decision, two more of the original 6 true Dragons he had brought with him fell to Nightsong, only firming his resolve to do what needed to be done.
The seeming less time he had to operate and cast this spell, the more powerful he became. As the threat of death rapidly approached, mana suffused his form, and the sky began to shake as he contained this monumental power between his claws.
While he chanted his spell, a massive ethereal pendulum spawned in the air behind him. It swung back and forth creating a loud tick-tock sound effect.
To each being that heard it, the sound matched perfectly with the beating of their own heart, and aroused a deep discomfort. It was as if every life form that experienced this rumbling sensation could see their remaining life span written out in front of them at that moment. Furthermore, that remaining life span wasn't measured out in months or years, it was in minutes.
‘The beginning of the end is the start of the beginning. All is dust that ever was. As the pages of the universe fold, a new chapter is realized. Time ever expanding, space never contracting. Aman'Thul, All Father, I call upon you!’ Nozdormu silently concentrated the words to the spell, and once he had generated enough mana, he unleashed it upon the world.
“Erasure!”
The pendulum stopped, and the entire zone surrounding the isle of Quel'Danas took on a monochrome hue. It was as if all color had been driven away from the world, and had been replaced with the cold stark reality that one day every sun across the galaxy would explode, and the universe would go dark.
Time seemed to halt, and all eyes turned to Nozdormu.
The pendulum halted, and with it, the beating hearts of every listener.
All across the island, whether they be Horde, Alliance, or Covenant, they all dropped to the ground clutching at their hearts as they experienced asystole. The cessation of a heartbeat!
Wide eyes filled with disbelief, and hands desperately clawing into loose gravel was the sight that graced Nozdormu's view.
His lizard eyes took it all in with a cynical perspective. What was done was done. He would adjust the timeline accordingly. Besides, what good did the Elves ever do the Horde or the Alliance?
Nozdormu snorted to himself, and glanced at the survivors of his spell.
All those save for the Bronze Dragonflight or the few wearing Nightsong's Amulets were on the ground breathing their last.
Nozdormu narrowed his eyes and looked down at Nightsong.
He had expected her survival. She was a Shard of Akatosh, and currently Undead.
Yet her being Undead was precisely why this spell was so deadly, and could affect her in the first place.
As powerful as Nightsong was, it was her soul that made her special. Housed in a decaying form, it could not bring out the full potential of her might, nor could it shield her from his spell as it ordinarily would.
In short, Nightsong may be standing, but her power was rapidly fading.
The pendulum's still form was actively sapping her of her energy, making her easy pickings.
A swipe from the remaining Heroic Dragon sent her tumbling downward, crashing down next to her spawn.
She weakly looked to Varrus with an apologetic, devastated look. Like a parent that had failed their child in all the worst ways.
Nozdormu fed off this interaction, and descended from his lofty heights so that he may gloat over the Anamoly’s demise.
For countless millennia, he had awoken from nightmares in which he faced this woman.
It was something he thought he would never overcome.
Yet he had triumphed, only for her to return!
But this time, he had won outright!
‘Perhaps Murozond was not so insane after all.’ Nozdormu thought to himself.
“Do not worry about me, Varrus. Take Syra, and go. Between the two of you, I know you will eventually find victory.” Nightsong weakly said.
“I will not give up.” Varrus defiantly stood up and faced Nozdormu. Magic twirled in the young Elf's hands, yet Nozdormu did not take it seriously.
He was the Aspect of Time.
A demigod!
He knew how powerful Vandercross was, and would be somewhat concerned if he faced the boy alongside his wife, and Kael’Thas Sunstrider. But that concern would be alleviated this day.
No longer would he fear the wrath of the Dragonborn!
‘Yes, perhaps alerting the timeline is in my best interest.’ Nozdormu speculated as he watched the touching scene between mother and son. A small grin of schadenfreude alighted his leathery lips.
Nozdormu gently flapped his wings, and descended from the sky to hover just above the pair.
During his inspection, he noticed Dante was missing, and Chromie was badly injured from fighting Vandercross, but they had done their job.
Including himself, there were only 3 true Bronze Dragons remaining on all of Azeroth.
They would rebuild.
“Your sacrifices were great, my children. I thank you for your efforts. Know that a new future, one in which we shall not fear the servants of Akatosh awaits us.” Nozdormu comforted his followers, and thanked them for their service.
“Huff, huff, please Lord Nozdormu, allow me to finish the bastard! He killed Dante!” Chromie pleaded to him.
Eying his heavily wounded child, Nozdormu slightly inclined his head.
“Take note, Anamoly. You sacrificed yourself to save this wretched spawn, now watch, powerlessly as all you have struggled for disappears.” Nozdormu cast a spell on the young Elf with the intent of locking down his movements.
However, much to his surprise, Nozdormu discovered that his mana was sluggish, and had been slowly leeches by the boy all along.
“Chromie, why did you not inform me that proximity to the boy would result in my mana being locked?!” Nozdormu said in a flustered tone, and flapped his wings to take flight and flee.
“Hey, hey, don't I have a say in this? Why don't you stick around? Why the hurry to leave? Shouldn't you have seen this outcome?” Vandercross taunted.
The Elf then took out a pale clear, boulder sized stone, and set it down.
A second later, a pattern lit up, and rich, vibrant liquid mana began to pour into the giant crater of the Sunwell.
Elemental energy combined with Light, Life and Arcane burst onto the scene.
The monochrome aura receded like mist pierced by the midday sun.
Color returned to the world, and the pendulum shattered.
Energy surged up from the depths of the earth, and began to encapsulate every Elf on the Isle.
What happened next shook Nozdormu to the core.
Until now, he had not understood the meaning behind Nightsong's strange magic, but as the power behind the Sunwell returned to the Elves, Nightsong cast a spell that had him quivering in place.
“Life. Soul. Return.”
The Undead Elf returned to perfect health, and pointed her sword at him.
“You are a miracle child, Varrus. I am proud to call myself your mother, and am ashamed for failing to protect you.”
“Save the sappy speeches for after we have won. Let's put this prehistoric lizard in the dirt, where he belongs!” Varrus smirked back as powerful energies cackled off his hands.
Nozdormu shuddered, and tried to phase out of this timeline and go to the past, only to widen his eyes in shock as he realized his retreat was forcefully stopped.
“Shit! Shit! Shit!” Chromie cussed when she saw this, and tried to get away, only to be cut down by Vandercross as her injured state severely handicapped her movement speed.
Nozdormu grimly looked on as all he had accomplished in life seemed to be crumbling into dust.
Shuddering in place, Nozdormu shook himself out of his fugue.
He was the Aspect of Time!
So long as there was a singular percentage point in his favor of survival, he would not give up!
“Come then, Anomaly, Dragonborn, show me what the slaves of Akatosh are made of!” Nozdormu angrily declared.
Before either side began to fight with one another, a portal opened, and a new set of Dragons roared to the heavens.
“Well said, well said! Greetings from the future, Nozdormu, may we finally rid ourselves of these pests!” A massive Dragon that appeared out of the portal said.
He had black scales, and a web-like light blue ethereal wings. He oozed menace, and brought along with him 2 other Heroic true Dragons.
It was none other than Murozond, leader of the Infinite Dragonflight, and the future self of Nozdormu!
Two demigods now graced the battle over the Sunwell!
Comments
Michael DiVelbiss
Goddamnit dragons.
Ethan John Wuckert
Wow just wow! These lizards are stubborn as all hell. You lost. Just admit it and die stop trying to cheat your way into a win. But what if I can unwind death. You die. But what if I pull even more BS. JUST DIE!
Kasikan
Time to begin culling the Dragons for those sweet sweet dragon souls. Let them become gods in their own right due to feasting on those stupid lizards until they're purged in their entirety.
Erostan
holy balls! Worth the wait, now to wait again! :D
