Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 466, Section 5. Freedom is priceless, if you can recognize the shackles.
When Onyxia awoke, she found herself transported to a safe underground cavern.

Several members of the Healing Wings were using the red dragon's burning healing and the green dragon's dream magic to heal their severely torn wings. However, the Nergigante's self-healing ability was quite exaggerated. Even without treatment, she could "regenerate blood through breathing" and her life was not in danger.

The real trouble is the two unlucky black dragons that Onyxia rescued.

They were ravaged by the Thunder Dragon's "Storm Scourge" attack. Hiram's entire left wing was torn off, and Naris fared even worse, with half of her body charred and destroyed by the terrifying lightning.

Even though Longsil's treatment saved their lives, these two will have to live the rest of their lives as "crippled dragons".

Of course, as the most famous "dragon biologist," Deathwing must have a way to treat such injuries. Many mysteries in the Void Realm can regenerate severed limbs or even "bring the dead back to life."

It just requires enduring some "side effects".

For example, it might grow several uncontrollable tentacles, or a malicious eyeball might appear in the wound.

Even though the black dragons are all corrupt beings, they do not want to be treated this way. The reason is simple: when you can still be a human, no one wants to become a monster.

"You saved me?"

Onyxia laboriously transformed into her illusionary form, allowing herself to receive treatment from Longsil in human form. She removed her black spiked helmet, tossed her long black hair, and said to the little dragons before her:
"They do have some sense of morality. I thought you would be too scared to take action."

"We were created to fight against dragons."

Zakares shook his head and said:
"It turns out that although we have defeated Lysages before, the Thunder Dragon is still a formidable enemy. We still have a long way to go, but that's a good thing!"

The little dragon-man with bronze dragon scales shouted to his companions:

"Do you remember the confusion and helplessness we felt when we awoke from our slumber a few days ago? We thought we had lost our reason for being, and we felt that the world no longer needed Longshir."

But it turns out we were wrong!
The dragons are still here, our ancient enemies are still here, and we still have our duties to fulfill!
Warriors of Dragonhill, cheer up!

The guardian dragons will be here soon; we must return to our battle formation.

Just as our father expected of us, we must become outstanding dragon warriors.

The surrounding Dragonhills nodded in agreement.

They witnessed firsthand how mad and ferocious the Thunder-Devouring Dragon was, almost destroying the island. And this was just one of the dragons that had transformed. Facing such an enemy inevitably leads to despair. However, for warriors, the stronger the opponent, the more their courage, strength, and value are demonstrated.

This is of utmost importance to Longhill.

“Ms. Onyxia, my name is Ambosa, and I am the Scale Chief of the Steelwatch Company.”

Anbosa, who possesses black dragon scales, stepped forward.

She was clearly more intelligent and rational than Zacares, and she said in a low voice:

"For the sake of our fellow countrymen, I feel it is necessary for us to learn from you about everything that has happened in this world over the past 20,000 years before we meet with the Guardian Dragon. Most importantly, what exactly happened to the Black Dragon Legion?"
Why were they corrupted by the void, and why did you walk the path of the Holy Light?

"We want to know something about 'Father'!"

Zacares added:
"These two black dragons said they were sent by their father to take us home. At first, I was looking forward to it, but the more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt. There must be something they didn't want us to know."

"You saved me and half of the Blackscale Camp. You are a friend of Dragonhill, and we hope to get some reliable information from you."

"Well, that's a long story, but we can tell it slowly on the way back to the surface."

Onyxia stood up.

She kicked the claw of Hiram, the black dragon who had already woken up but was still pretending to be unconscious, and cursed:
"Get up! Come with me to see the Watcher! You can try to escape, as long as you can afford the price. Besides, where is my brother? Shouldn't he usually be in charge of such important operations?"
"When did it become your turn, two weaklings, to act as envoys for the Black Dragon Legion?"

Nefarian?

Hiram, the black dragon writhing in pain, struggled to revert to human form while supporting his weakened companion Narris. He bared his teeth at Onyxia and said:

"Nefarian has been transformed into a monster! It was Xal'atath who personally assisted our king in accomplishing this. Do you remember the Twilight Dragonflight's plan?"

In the days that you have turned to the Holy Light, the King has accomplished that great work.

The Twilight Dragon was born.

Your brother Nefarian was the first Twilight Dragon, but he wasn't even a leader. It's a shame he became a true monster.

This news left Onyxia stunned.

Then, she clenched her fists and cursed:

"That old man has really gone mad! He actually... Wasn't Nefarian his most valued child? Why would he do that?"

“It was Saratas who instigated it.”

Black Dragon Naris said in a hoarse voice:

"Xalatas improved the birth process of the Twilight Dragons, making those monsters more stable. She said the Black Dragonflight must completely abandon the past and embrace the Void in order to achieve great things, and our king listened to her slander."

Not just Nefarian!
The remaining black dragons are being summoned to Lordaeron, and each of us will eventually become a Twilight Dragonflight. I've heard that Xal'atath's next target is the Dragon Mother, Sinestra.

But your other 'brother' Sabrian refuses such a fate.

I don't know how it managed to resist the king's call, but it did indeed gather some black dragons who were unwilling to become Twilight Dragons.

Nobody knows where they are hiding now.

Hiram and I learned of our fate from the emissaries of Sabelion. We volunteered to act as messengers to persuade Ronshiel, but in reality, we were also trying to escape our miserable destiny.

At this point, the black dragon Naris hugged her arms tightly, saying with despair and unease:
"Onyxia, stop having any unrealistic expectations of the King's will. It's insane! It's been insane for a long time. It's just twisted its madness into a gloomy rationality."

We originally planned to start our search for Saberian and its rebels from the outlying island, but now that we've fallen into your hands, it's fate.

Even if forged by light, at least a sliver of consciousness will remain.

“Saberian?”

Onyxia frowned and said:
“Isn’t that my father’s adjutant? He’s actually my brother too. That guy really knows how to hide. Anyway, let’s not talk about that now. When you see the Watcher later, you have to tell him everything you know.”

She emphasized:

"Lightforging isn't as terrible as you think. Don't believe those ridiculous rumors. This process will indeed tear your minds apart, but it's for the purpose of better cleansing your void corruption."

In reality, the Lightforged dragons under my command all possess their own free minds. High Priestess Saloras, responsible for reshaping their minds, stitches your wills back together, while Yrel, who lightforged you, is becoming increasingly skilled.

This will be painful, but you'll get through it if you just bear with it.

From now on, the echoes of the void will no longer disturb or torment you. Be prepared.

I really wanted to save you.

The conversation between the three black dragons caused the dragons nearby to exchange glances.

Zakares roared in disbelief:

"You're saying the father turned his own children into monsters? How is that possible! The father we remember wouldn't do such a thing!"

"Come on, your memories are all from 20,000 years ago."

Black Dragon Hiram sneered:

"Back then, the black dragons hadn't fallen, the blue and green dragons hadn't been damaged, the bronze dragons hadn't disappeared, and the five dragons were all in love. Everything was as beautiful as a fairy tale. But don't be silly, Dragonhill."

That golden age is long gone. The world is far more cruel than you can imagine.

Dragons loyal to the Titans and dragons loyal to the Star Soul are always ready to clash, while we Fallen Ones hide and plot. You must choose one side to join.

Hehe, I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing that you guys woke up at this time.

I wish you long life, you poor wretches who have never tasted freedom and therefore cannot understand your true situation.

------

"Lesages, the Thunder-Devouring Dragon!"

Malygos the Weaver, disguised as an elf, gripped the hilt of the Hailstorm Spellsword at his waist, gazing at the avatar dragon before him, which had just been captured from the sea by Aegwynn and brought back to the Forbidden Isle.

The weaver's eyes were filled with vigilance, and a hint of nostalgia.

Cenargos, dressed as a troll, stroked his beard beside him and greeted the roaring Lysajers, saying:
"Oh, it's been over 20,000 years since we last met, right? You almost bit me to death back then."

"I should have used more force! I should have killed all of you scourges!"

Lysajers is struggling.

Lightning bolts danced around its eyes and mouth, but the elemental power of the Thunder-Eating Dragon was "locked" by the Wind Rider, instantly reducing the power it relied on for survival to a precarious state.

She tried her best to create a bolt of lightning to strike Cenargos, but it was shattered by a punch from a little star next to the "old troll".

Because of the previous impact, his head was still wrapped in bandages like an Indian's, but he had performed a great service, so the little star was very proud and defiantly waved his fist at Lysajes. The Thunder-Eating Dragon was so angry that it could only rage helplessly, kicking the ground wildly with its huge hind claws, causing the ground to shake and dust to fly up.

She couldn't break the "curse of weakness" that bound her.

This was a strange energy released by the Vigilant herself; not only did the power of shadow form chains to lock her energy, but chains of holy light also surrounded her.

The double shackles made Lysajers feel himself constantly weakening.

Don't hand me over to them!

She called out to Aegwynn, who was wielding the Staff of Elune:

“I would rather die at your hands than be humiliated by these Titan lackeys any longer. Kill me! Execute me right here and let me return to the storm.”

"You're overthinking it. The Wind Riders won't let you into the Sky Wall."

Aegwynn complained:

"You stay put and behave yourself. I'll take you to see Mother World. She's quite pleased with your 'rebellious spirit' and will most likely not make things difficult for you. Don't worry, the Guardian Dragons can't take you away."

"What if I want to give it a try?"

The weaver's fingers danced on the hilt of the hail sword. Wearing the arcane crown, he looked at Aegwynn and said:
"Although they have taken the wrong path by transforming into dragons, they are still our fellow human beings. The dragons have no intention of handing their fellow human beings over to outsiders."

And there's also Longshir here.

"Try?"

Aegwynn rolled her eyes.

In response to the Weaver's reaction, she waved her hand, causing the golden dragon soul to leap into her grasp. She tossed it up and down a few times, then coldly smiled at the Weaver and said:

"Sure, let's try it and die."

"Don't be impulsive! We can't beat the Spellweaver!"

Eldragosa rushed forward and grabbed the Spellweaver's hand, preventing him from drawing his spellblade.

Aegwynn insisted on preserving the dragon souls in order to suppress them.

Moreover, there's more than one Aegwynn on the island right now. Even if the opponent doesn't use the Dragon Soul to harm people, the Vigilant could easily take down every dragon present with his bare hands.

They were all participants in the Battle of Mount Hyjal, and the sight of the Vigilant fighting the Corruptors had essentially branded them as "invincible" in the minds of these dragons.

Of course, the weaver was just saying that.

As a righteous guardian dragon, it had no intention of turning against Aegwynn here; otherwise, it wouldn't have come alone with only Cenargos.

"Lonsil is free."

Diakum, who hadn't spoken until now, saw Onyxia and the dragon sylflies beside her emerge from the rift. He waved for them to come over.

Then he said to Malygos:
"Although Dragonsil is a creation of Neltharion, the era in which they were born has long passed, and the wars that required their participation have long since ended during the years they have slumbered."

Now, their choice of which side to join should not be influenced by external forces.

I would be happy to see you and Alexstrasza properly dispose of these dangerous 'weapons'. You should know that Deathwing will not give up on returning his creations to the Black Dragonflight.

Since we've come to this topic, I must ask one more question.

The Watcher stared at Malygos and said:

"Black dragons are rampant in the northern frontier, isn't the Guardian Dragon Legion doing anything about it?"

“We’ve taken care of it, vigilant.”

Malygos sighed and said:
"Three blue dragons and seven red dragons reside in the Chapel of Light's Hope. We will step in to protect humanity should Deathwing attempt to extend his reach there. In fact, the dragons have already thwarted several attempts by the Lordaeron dragonborn to sabotage the chapel."

But this matter also involves the internal affairs of human civilization, especially after the Soul of the World chose humanity's savior, things became even more complicated.

I promise that while Anduin Lothar battles the Dragonborn of Lordaeron, the Dragon Aspects will fulfill their duty!

The weaver hesitated for a moment, then whispered:

"As for whether to respond to the call of the World Soul, Alexstrasza and I need some time. Please understand that this is a very serious matter for the Dragon Aspects."

"We didn't rush you."

Aegwynn's tone softened, and she put away the dragon soul, saying:
“The World Mother forbids us from using force, but she has a lot of confidence in you, perhaps because Ysera has been speaking well of you.”

But as you've seen, the weaver.

The islands have emerged from the mist, and perhaps soon the Dragon Islands will return to the world system. At that time, whether you and the Red Dragon Queen are ready or not, you will be forced to face this issue.

Also, haven't you tried summoning the Bronze Dragon?

It's not good for them to remain outside this timeline.

“We are trying, but we need some ‘nodes’.”

The weaver squinted.

It looked at the dragonshields approaching it with awe, and it could see the energy flowing within these dragon warriors sculpted by Neltharion.

All five dragonflights were involved in the plan. After Neltharion sealed away Lysages who had attacked the island, it was the Spellweavers who came to clean up the mess and left behind the reliable Rabizagoth and a group of dragonkin to guard the seal on the island.

It was well aware that Longsil contained the essence of the bronze dragons, which allowed the little dragon to manipulate the flow of time. Although it could not manipulate it as freely as the bronze dragons, Longsil could become the time node that the guardian dragons needed most at the moment.

"Children"

The weaver stepped forward, spread her hands, and spoke softly to the dragons who were looking at her:
“I know that you are full of doubts in your hearts and confusion in your eyes. You are resentful of what you have experienced and at a loss in the face of the new world.”

It's okay, these are all normal!
You were molded into warriors who protect the dragon legion. Although, due to unforeseen circumstances, you were unable to fully participate in the war that should have been yours, the dragon guardians are still willing to accept you.

If you wish to return home, I will escort you to the Dragon Rest Temple, where the Red Dragon Queen has instructed her deacons to prepare a welcoming banquet for you.

If you wish, the Dragon's Holy Land will become your new home.

certainly"

Malygos glanced at the Watcher and emphasized:

No one can force you to make a decision!

This is also my promise to the Red Dragon Queen: you are free to choose your own lives, and not just exist as weapons of war to protect the dragons.

Your value should not be interpreted in only one way.

As you can see, some 'divisions' have emerged within the Dragon Aspects. We continue to walk the path of duty entrusted to us by the Titans, but some of our companions have chosen to embrace the Star Soul of Azeroth.

But this is not a split! Dragonhills.

This is merely a matter of different pursuits of the future among the united dragonflight. The division of factions cannot change the fact that we share the same origin. Therefore, on behalf of the guardian dragons, I hereby hand over the choice to you.

I declare to you, Longshir men, you are free!

No one cheered, and no one applauded.

In reality, the Dragonshills are quite bewildered. Just as the black dragon Hiram mocked, the Dragonshills simply cannot understand the meaning of "freedom." How can they appreciate the beauty of something they have never had before?
They need time to accept and understand.

As Aegwynn opened the path to the Chamber of Heart to take the Thunder Dragon Lysages to meet the World Mother, Ysera, clad in silver armor, emerged from the other side of the path.

She heard about Long Xier's situation and made a special trip to help the weavers deal with this "historical issue".

"Take her there first."

Diakum said to Aegwynn:
“I’ll stay here for a while. I want to see for myself what the Longsils choose. There might be a split among them, and I need to make sure that the split is kept under control and doesn’t escalate into a terrible civil war.”

Do you think Ronsil will choose to go with you?

Aegwynn joked:

"You're a bit too confident in your charm. You're not Azshara. Of all the factions present, you have the least influence over Longsil."

"Let's try it."

Diakum shrugged, glanced at the silent and angry Onyxia beside him, and said:

"Perhaps a miracle will happen."

(End of this chapter)