NOVEL SIMPLE Draaaaaagons
6/4 late Afternoon
Anveena sat up with a start. She felt her entire sense of self shift, and sighed, realizing that someone, somehow, owned her now. Her mind slowly wrapped around that fact as she considered who her new owner might be. They didn’t know her, so it was unlikely they saw her primarily as a person. As such, for the first time she accepted that she was a thing to be used; it actually made quite a bit of angst fade away. They used a quiet, remote method, so they probably didn’t want Kalec or Borel to know right at first. She looked over at where Raac, her pet and Borel’s living scrying sensor, was sleeping in the corner.
She quickly pulled off the diamond necklace and pocketed it. She didn’t own much jewelry, so it would draw attention. She needed to examine it as quickly as possible, but not somewhere that Kalec, Raac, or one of her guards would be likely to see it and ask inconvenient questions.
Kalec, her love, had been teaching her all about how magic could be embedded into items to pass the time, and he’d be very suspicious if he saw a new necklace. She needed to keep secrets from him; he’d always seen her as a real person, which might mean he would interfere with whatever her new owner needed from her.
Her own work tended to be simple affairs, even a bit crude; nothing like this beautiful and obviously expensive necklace. Simple, useful items imbued with magic drawn from her own internal wellspring, which could be released onto the market for a few coppers. Drained of magic and consumed, as often as not, but that was still a use. The Sin’Dorei were feeding her, why not return the favor?
In the powder room, she pulled out the necklace and found that it had obligingly shrank into a simple anklet that would fit under some stockings. Good. She wanted to wear it, she felt naked without it. She examined it closely, hoping to glean some details of her new purpose. Instead, immediately behind her in the mirror, her owner appeared. Thank the light, it wasn’t Dar’Khan Drathir.
He tapped a necklace around his own neck and whispered in her ear “notes.” His voice gave her a thrill. She both wanted and didn’t want for him to ravish her. It would be cruel to Kalec, but she was here to be useful after all. He removed the concern by kissing her on the back of the head and then vanishing again.
She sensed a disruptive ripple of energy running through her body, and then remembered how he had taken her into a pocket plane where time was stopped and explained himself, his goals, his methods, the dangers he faced, his desires for her, how to use the necklace in excruciating detail, and the fact that the entire meeting was a false memory that he was implanting.
Her mind expanded next, allowing her to process all of that information quickly. Her moral quibbles about deception vanished completely, to make it easier for her to lie to and manipulate her friends. He didn’t remove her love of Kalec, at least. That was sweet, though she was sure that Tyri would have been happy to take the position of Kalec’s lover back if he had.
Ideally she would need three necklaces; one for Kalec and two for personal guards. Kalec was a powerful dragon and her guards were respected and elite soldiers trained to handle magic; they would all be useful to her owner. Which was good. She would hate to be a bother.
Speaking of bothers, it would be hard to get away for three days to learn magic properly from Mr. Doan. She was under constant, admittedly benevolent, surveillance from Borel through Raac. Oh, yes. Borel had another name she should tell her owner. Krasus, or Korialstrasz. That might mean something to him, so she put it in the notes. Thankfully she was a secret, so her true nature was known only to a small number of people. Borel, her beloved Kalec, Tyri, Jorad, a few magisters, Lor’Themar Theron, Sylvanas Windrunner, Malygos, and Alexstrasza. Her guards and the noble lady she ostensibly worked for knew she was more than she seemed, but were not privy to details. Everyone else thought she was a servant girl; it was easy for someone who looked human to be ignored in Silvermoon.
She should be able to convince them all to wear the necklaces, if she could justify it. Of course, they also trusted her. A few minutes ago she’d felt uncomfortable with even the act of hiding her nature. With Kalec especially she should be able to talk him into wearing one just to humor her. It was frustrating to be given a task and then not having the tools to complete it. If she was to be a tool, she wanted to be a good one.
••••••••••
The Bronze Fragment was being held by Anachronos, as far as I knew. I didn’t actually know where the Caverns of Time were outside of a video game; in some mountains along the eastern coast of Tanaris was a starting point only. Thankfully, I had one of the longest-standing allies of the bronze dragonflight to draw upon; Ysera was busy with making her way to the Nexus, but she had been able to mark it on my map easily enough.
The cave entrance was at the back of a valley, which had a strange Obelisk at the opposite end. It seemed like a hallway, carved into the side of the mountain itself and then smoothed over to look natural. I flew for the entrance.
A minute or two later, I realized that the entrance wasn’t actually getting any closer. I flapped my wings, tried to pick up speed, and no matter what I did the entrance didn’t get closer. I panicked at that point, worried that I was trapped, and turned around. That was easy enough. No problems leaving, but I wasn’t going anywhere when I had evidence like this that I was in the right place. I tried flying in and then blinking to get in closer. The full range was enough to get me about halfway there. Of course, then I discovered that the cooldown period wasn’t ticking down when a full minute later I was still flapping and I couldn’t blink.
I needed to think about this one, and to be honest I figured I should go check the obelisk. Maybe if I was very lucky there would be some tile matching puzzles and then I’d be allowed in. No dice on that, but there was a letter for me written in Draconic carved into the side.
“Good evening, Mr. Bismark. Be advised that you have been assessed as a temporal anomaly and existential threat. Upon analysis of this timeline, the only one in which an Elwynn farmer becomes a world superpower, we have elected to preserve it for study and observation. Interference with bronze dragonflight personnel or temporal travel will be considered an act of war. Your first slave’s name is the passcode to access the thing you seek. We wish you good fortune in your conflict with the old gods.
Soridormi, The Scale of Sands, Prime Consort of Nozdormu
On the one hand, this could have gone so much worse. On the other hand, this was extremely disappointing. On the third hand, they seemed to be taking me pretty seriously and I can only imagine that they will be even less hospitable towards Nefarian. I turned to the obelisk and spoke the passcode. “Uh. Drusilla La Salle?”
A small compartment popped open in the side, and a slightly damaged chunk of bronze colored metal was inside. Jackpot. That’s another fragment in the bag. Of course, now I needed to decide whether or not I trusted the bronze dragons to see to their own defenses. I was already thinking of possible workarounds for this time trap, but I was busy as hell, and had one more big thing to do today.
••••••••••
Ysera was allowed to approach the Nexus without too much trouble. Malygos was doing better since the destruction of the Demon Soul. The batch of eggs Korialstrasz had managed to retrieve during his little excursion to the past were quite a boon for him; the blue flight was still the smallest, if by a much slimmer margin than fifteen years ago.
He still took the form of a Nerubian for whatever reason; he would change his visage from time to time, but he always went back to the long blue haired elf. Whatever made him happy, and he really did seem relatively happy to see her in his erratic way.
“A greetings to you, my fair dream. To what do I owe the intrusion?”
“I was hoping I might speak with you and ask after the health of your flight. I also may have a gift.”
“You may? Who gave you permission? Is it a gift for you, for me, for Haleh, for Awbee? My flight is swelling and growing strong once more, but not so quickly that I’ll be taking requests or bribes.”
“I genuinely believe this will be for the best, old friend. Would you be willing to drink this? It should help you think more clearly.” Ysera held out the bottled consent to Malygos, hoping to rein in the erratic blue aspect.
“Of course I will. If you think it’ll help, then why wouldn’t I? Tyrygosa, be a dear and drink half of this. A taste of magic will do you good, and if this is something I should be drinking then surely you will enjoy it as well.” Ysera carefully restrained herself from wincing as the blue Drake walked up and nervously partook of the bottle. Ah well; she was pretty enough and one of Malygos’s personal attendants. It was hardly a waste.
“So, little dear, what is it that you feel? Anything?”
“I feel… pleasant, I suppose?” She has a frown. There was supposedly little to no effect until a course of action was proposed. Hopefully, Ysera could salvage this.
“Well it wasn’t meant for you. If Malygos will allow it, I can send you to my Dragonshrine so that it can be flushed from your system.” Tyrygosa looked expectantly at her aspect and waited for his word on the subject, though she seemed eager to go.
“Go ahead. Now, my sweet dream, I don’t think I need any medicine if you’re going to shuffle away one of my attendants the moment she drinks a bit. No, I think I’m just fine.” Ysera focused carefully. “I’m better than fine in fact! The nexus is alive, growing! The blue dragonflight rises again, and will be as strong as ever.” They were alone now, or close enough. She pulled out an amulet and held it at the corner of his line of sight. “In time, I’ll be ready to rip apart Neltharion. He will pay, oh yes he will pay.” Malygos, even in this depleted state, would be able to assess the amulet without much effort, if given the chance. “Far more than the destruction of the demon soul, far more than a single bloody nose.” The amulet clicked around his neck, the work of Discord sped along as he was caught up in a daydream. His fondest one. “I will take him, and pin him down. Then, I’ll grind his flight into the dust. One by one. In front of him, if possible. His favored children. His consorts. Everyone.” It was all talk. Malygos hadn’t been able to focus long enough to implement any kind of plan like that in eons.
“I believe you may be able to manage it, Malygos. Sometime soon. Also, look out; Nefarian is on the move and has a new weapon. I’ll tell Tyrygosa all about it. If you see any signs of people acting oddly, please let me know.” He hardly noticed, so wrapped up in the dream. That was fine. He would be better soon, she hoped. More like he used to be. Before his best friend murdered nearly his entire species.
••••••••••
As Nefarian flew away from the charred ashes of Grizzlemaw, he examined his sphere. 5 credits. A good start, though there wasn’t much of note he could purchase with it. Yet. He had a few new rewards and missions to sort through after his minions had successfully captured Vaelastrasz. They would need to be rewarded, assuming they didn’t manage to botch it before he got back.
Scatter the Tuskarr
Destroy every Tuskarr community in Northrend with a population of more than 200 people. You will be penalized if you personally kill any Tuskarr.
Reward: 10 credits, Tuskarr shaman skill chip, Bottled Consent
Inconvenient. He would need to use proxies. It did, however, give him time to focus upon Kul’Tiras.
Regional missions
Grizzly Hills: Ivan of Aspen Grove
Rewards: Corruption Fruit, Memory Charm
Not of great interest. When he had agents to spare, perhaps. The far more interesting thing was a choice. A “regional Mission Upgrade.”
Nefarian
Strength: Quirky Miniboss Squad - you may impart upon up to 5 distinctly different members of your retinue thematic power ups and the ability to inexplicably escape from any situation, even up to resurrecting and reappearing in your base of operations, up to once per day. This one charge is shared between all 5 members of your squad.
Agility: from the shadows - gain Trace and information defense, rendering most forms of mind reading and magical tracking unreliable against you and your retinue.
Stamina: Three Phase Boss fight: if you would be killed, captured, or totally disabled, you may instead take a partial loss, change tactics (losing the ability to operate as you were when defeated for one week), and either be fully healed or escape the immediate situation. This ability has three charges, which recover at a rate of 1/week.
Intelligence: Know Thine Enemy: You gain full access to all PVP opponents’ apps in a viewer only capacity. This includes mission objectives, basic information on all members of their retinue, and an itemized list of their company assets such as bindings, immunities, and Talents.
Spirit: Kneel in Submission - if a defeated enemy honestly agrees to serve you, even with the intention of eventual betrayal, they will be captured as if by love confession.
How curious.