The dragoness teleported us into a typical dragon lair, filled with eggs and dragonkin bustling about.
"You pack quite a punch, dragon," I remarked, wincing as I touched my sore back, a souvenir from her little 'vengeance.'
She huffed and stormed into another room, slamming the door shut behind her.
I smiled as I began to recover, drawing upon the power of the remaining souls stored within my body. Since I had lost my sword, the souls previously trapped within it had been released. Without a sword to contain them, I decided to house them within myself, creating a paradox within my psyche due to the multitude of souls. While the souls of animals were not sufficient to fully restore me, they did help alleviate some of my pain.
I sighed as the cave trembled from Onyxia's outburst.
"Fucking hell!" her voice echoed through the cavern, accompanied by another tremor.
'What a temper,' I thought to myself, unfazed, as I continued to heal within the expansive cave. Nearby, whelps regarded me with their curious, beady eyes.
"Fucking demon and fucking father!" I heard her cry out, flames erupting from behind the door. Quickly, I made my way to a safer distance, heading toward the whelps.
"Well, what are you lot up to?" I asked the three whelps as they rushed towards me, eagerly gnawing on my armor.
"Hey, watch it, that's my skin you're nibbling on, you little devils!" I protested, trying to wriggle free, but the whelps persisted in their munching.
Meanwhile, the dragon kin observed with amused snickers and raised eyebrows.
I felt the heat gathering around my armor as the whelps unleashed tiny bursts of fire from their mouths, aiming at my armored skin.
"You little fuckers!" I exclaimed as I grabbed one of them to set it down, but as I turned to dislodge the one on my back, the one I had just put down lunged at me again.
"ARGH!" I exclaimed as I sat down and allowed the whelps to continue munching on me. They were tiny and adorable, but their temperaments were definitely something else.
I sighed as I heard the door open and looked up to see Onyxia, now restored to her full appearance, standing there.
"What are you doing with my whelps?" she asked, her expression deadpan as she surveyed the scene.
"They're having a snack on me, as you can see," I gestured towards each whelp. "They're surprisingly coordinated and clever. They're stronger than you or your father."
She raised an eyebrow. "If that were true, I'd have conquered the world already with my army of invincible whelps."
"You could give it a shot," I said with a smile, feeling two of the whelps weaken their grip on my armor. However, the one on my right arm continued to munch with unwavering determination.
"It's surprising to see how energetic dragon whelps are," I remarked, glancing at Onyxia. "I always thought they'd spend their days sleeping, waiting to be fed."
"The ones that do that don't survive," she replied matter-of-factly. "We can't afford to have weak whelps."
"You're killing your own offspring?" I asked incredulously, meeting her gaze.
"It's better to cull the weak ones and ensure the survival of the strongest," she replied bluntly.
I growled, the memories of Sheogh flooding my mind where the treatment of children was no less brutal, perhaps even worse, with some being used as live ammunition by the Breeders.
"How barbaric, and yet, we demons are no different," I muttered, casting a disdainful glance at the dragoness. "Shall we head towards the Redridge Mountains then? I believe your father has some business there, doesn't he?"
"How do you know about that?" she questioned, a hint of fury in her eyes.
"My dear, you're not as stealthy as you might believe," I retorted with a smirk, the words dripping with sarcasm. It was an obvious lie, but as the saying goes, fake it until you make it.
"Since when do you demons spy on our world?" she challenged, her tone laced with disbelief. "It's been years since Father found the disk. Not that the red dragonflight are any smarter," she scoffed. "Imagine hiding something from the Earth Warden underground. How moronic can the bimbo Alexstrasza be?" Her snicker echoed through the cave as I regarded her with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, not all of her development went to her brain, that's for sure," I remarked casually. "But that's beside the point. I want to use the demon soul," I stated, meeting her snarl with a steady gaze.
"Father will use it, not you!" she shot back, her voice tinged with defiance.
"Even without the corruption of the Old Gods," I continued, "you still want to fight the other dragons. You were created and bred to protect this world, not to squabble amongst yourselves like children fighting over a piece of cake."
"They serve a power that wants to mold this world against its will!" she cried out passionately. "Don't talk to me like I'm a kid. Perhaps you are older, perhaps you are wiser, but I am no child, nor am I an idiot."
"I don't consider you an idiot, just an extremely deranged dragon woman corrupted by a pale copy of Cthulhu for thousands of years," I replied calmly as she arched her eyebrows in confusion.
"Cthulhu?" she questioned.
"Yeah, it's best not to delve into that. If you want to keep a shred of sanity," I advised, rising to my feet. Sensing the last whelp fall to the ground, drained of strength, I continued, "Your brood is surprisingly resilient, even for mortal dragons."
"You seem to take pleasure in reminding us of our weaknesses to elevate yourself, don't you?" she retorted, a glint in her eyes.
"Oh?" I asked her, raising an eyebrow.
"You always seem to find the need to elevate yourself above others. During the first meeting of the alliance, you lectured the elves, claiming that your civilization was older than any on Azeroth. You dismissed all the knowledge we've accumulated over thousands of years as nothing compared to your supposedly incredible knowledge of the cosmos," she accused as she stood before me, her height equal to mine. Since when? Had I been hit by a magic that shrunk me? This woman! "Do you know what I see? A liar and someone so afraid of being ignored that he resorts to inventing things about himself and his race."
I huffed at her. "Is this how I appear to you, Onyxia? You have no right to question me or my race about anything," I retorted, feeling a surge of indignation. She merely smiled in response.
"You seem to believe that everyone will unquestionably accept what you say as truth. But can't you see the snickers of the mages and the disdain of the elves? You're just a demon, not a god, not a titan. Your kind is known for its lies. The only reason you were listened to was Aegwynn. If she weren't your contractor, you would have been decapitated and studied by the mages."
I gritted my teeth. "I don't care about the opinions of sheep and mortals alike. I will do what is required of me. My king has placed his trust in me, and I will not disappoint him."
"You are afraid of him," Onyxia remarked, her tone sharp with realization. "I now understand how your society operates. It's just like ours, only disguised to deceive the kings of the Eastern Kingdoms. You are just as brutal as our flight, and your king is just as cunning and untrustworthy as my father. We have much in common, whether you realize it or not."
"We have nothing in common!" I exclaimed as thunder rumbled outside. "I am master of myself, unlike you or your pitiful flight."
"Mind your tone, demon," Onyxia retorted sharply. "Do you think we enjoyed being at the mercy of those abominable beings? Have you any idea how it feels to lose control of yourself, to witness your psyche twisted into something monstrous, your body violated by those tentacles? And don't pretend you're in control. You admitted it yourself – your god created you to serve his whims. So spare me your lectures on control when your entire race is nothing more than slaves!"
I growled at her, and she responded with a growl of her own as we locked eyes. After a tense moment, I averted my gaze, and she smirked triumphantly.
"Don't get too cocky, or I'll fry you," I warned.
"Resorting to threats now?" she taunted, arching an eyebrow.
"Be careful, dragoness. We wouldn't want you to fall from the sky," I retorted, meeting her gaze with a challenging glare.
She regarded me with a questioning gaze before a smile crept onto her lips. Suddenly, a dust arose from the ground, conjuring a table and two chairs before us.
"I would be a poor host if I didn't offer refreshments, don't you think?" she asked, gesturing towards the table.
I raised an eyebrow in surprise as we were teleported inside what appeared to be her bedroom, complete with a bed and nothing else.
"What? This is the only room I've used since becoming human," she explained, as a bottle of some kind of drink materialized and began to pour for us.
"Well, inviting strangers into a bedroom is quite unusual, even for someone as unconventional as you," I remarked as I accepted the drink she offered. It was some kind of juice, its taste unfamiliar and intriguing, likely derived from one of the exotic fruits of this world.
"And do you think I would be foolish enough to share a bed with someone like you?" she countered. "A demon who constantly belittles me and my family?"
"Ouch, I took that personally, but rest assured, I would never share a bed with a venomous snake like you," I replied with a smirk, noticing her jaw clench in response.
Silence settled between us as we exchanged looks without uttering a word.
"How's your brother? He did manage to defeat Lamia, but he didn't emerge unscathed," I inquired.
"He's recovering. You lot are all so damn twisted. Who traps books with teleportation arrays and illusions of this caliber?" she retorted.
"A necessary precaution against thieves, quite clever," I remarked as I finished my cup. "It's what happens when even your closest ally might stab you in the back."
She snickered as she finished her cup too, with a bit more class than me.
"How do you envision your newfound freedom, Lady Onyxia?" I inquired as I poured another cup.
"I believe I seek revenge," she replied, her fingers tracing the rim of her cup. "Against the Old Gods and the Titans who cursed my father with their vile machinations."
"A noble endeavor," I commented.
"And you, what do you seek? And don't tell me saving this world; that's a pipe dream, the aspiration of a naive child or an ignorant," she said, her gaze piercing through me.
"I desire freedom for us demons," I replied, meeting her gaze. "To revel in the world, to savor the chill of winter winds, to behold the beauty of these realms denied to us at our inception. I want us to have the opportunity to truly live, not the survival mindset that we have in Sheogh. Coexistence with Azeroth's races may be impossible, so we can seek out other worlds. It is not a problem."
"Another dream that holds no value," she scoffed. "What about yourself? Can't you dream for yourself as an individual demon? Killing certain people, seeking revenge, or perhaps finding a lovely wife—"
"Why would I want that?" I interjected, my voice tinged with resolve. "A dream solely about myself lacks the significance of a dream for my people. I am but one individual, yet I hold the potential to enact profound change for countless demons."
Onyxia's eyes narrowed, her skepticism evident. "And what is the meaning of your existence then? To serve others selflessly is no way to live. By the gods, I've never encountered someone as selfless as you in all my years!"
I gazed at her, then turned my gaze to the ornate ceiling above. What could constitute a dream for myself?
"It is the path I have chosen," I replied, my voice steady and resolute. "You cannot sway me from it. I will strive for a brighter future for my people, or meet my demise in the attempt. Such is my unwavering belief in how my journey will unfold."
With a sigh, she rose from her seat and cast a weary glance in my direction.
"You are a pitiful creature," she remarked, her tone tinged with both pity and resignation. "But if pursuing your dream is truly what you desire, then I shall not stand in your way."
Turning away from me, she made her way to the bed and collapsed upon it, weariness evident in every movement.
"Leave or stay, it matters not to me," she muttered drowsily, her eyelids drooping with fatigue. "A night of undisturbed sleep after millennia of turmoil... for that, I am grateful to you."
As time passed, I remained fixed on the ceiling above, contemplating the events of the day. Gradually, the rhythmic sound of her breathing filled the room, indicating that she had drifted into slumber. It struck me as peculiar — this woman, so quick to trust, allowing herself to be vulnerable in the presence of a demon. I could have ended her life in that moment, with no resistance from her. Did she truly have such faith in me?
I sighed heavily as I made my way to the door, my mind still racing with thoughts. As I swung it open, I was met with a startling sight — we were perched on the edge of a mountainside, the yawning abyss stretching out before me. 'Damn it,' I muttered under my breath, glancing back at Onyxia. Despite my frustration, a small smirk tugged at the corners of my lips. It seemed I wouldn't be bedding down in a cozy cave after all. Well, a proper night's sleep wouldn't hurt, I supposed.
I leaned against the cool stone wall, my eyelids heavy with fatigue. With practiced ease, I conjured a dozen wind barriers around me, forming a protective cocoon. Satisfied with my makeshift shelter, I closed my eyes, letting the weariness wash over me. Here, amidst the quiet of the mountainside, I hoped for an undisturbed rest.
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