The Death of a Dragon
Originally written just before World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade was released, this very short story was written for my honors comp II class and so well loved for being so very different than the usual it was included in the college's yearly quill and ink publication. I thought this particular story of mine would be forever lost along with a dear friend of mine. Friends for over 10 years he dissapeared and has been gone nearly a year. Gone from his friends, presumably not his family but he visited us here for a week then poofed.... He has now resurfaced and also had a copy of my story. Funnily enough he is the Wulfe in the story.
She loved it, and she loved them. The scent of the woods and the trees themselves were her friends, her family and her companions. She had walked this path so many times before, but none were ever as important as the walk this night. A break in the clouds spilled liquid moonlight down through the boughs cascading it over the statuesque figure in a small clearing, over her. Laellawen lifted her head and gave her face to the Lady Moon. The Lady in all her glory took the raw emotion the elf offered, lifted the tears from her face and stain of sorrow from her heart. Caressing Laellawen the Lost, the Lady loved her child as no one else could. She held her in the silvered light of her arms, cradled her soul in the heavens and gave to her, her only gift. Hope. A stinging flash of lightning tore through the night sky and the Lady withdrew, releasing her beloved's heart with a last whispered kiss before the clouds passed between them once more.
Raw and breathless from the intimate love of the motherly Lady, Laellawen sank to her knees among the fallen leaves, slender delicate fingers grasping the earth beneath her as she breathed heavily for several long moments calmed her bared soul. Reconciled to her grief, and gifted Hope, she rose to her feet swiftly, proud chin lifting and elegant ears raising in aristocratic pique. She would go on. She would live even though the Wulfe would not. Softly uttered words, strong and lyrical drifted from silken lips, her tears dried by the moonlight, it was all she had left to give to he who meant so much to her.
“Not of the bronze, the blue or the red, but of the Green where hope and dreams are birthed instead. Chaos and madness in a struggling world, peace brought and hope alive unfurled. Stretch your wings to the heavens Master Wulfe, a dragon born and dream alive, let death give you the release, the peace you never found on this earth. Hide no longer my love, trust in yourself and in The Dreamer, your soul she will keep, your essence she will tend, and your pain she has ended.
Never will you walk alone all the days of our lives, or the lives of our days. May the Timeless One reach out to you and breathe the sand of time into your immortal soul. Standing alone, for the Chromatic I give to you all I have, all that I am, my strength and my weakness, I have precious few gifts to give, the aspect of Change is mine and mine alone. So to you beloved Wulfe, I give to your soul the warmth of the fires of life, the protections against the cold of hatred, the ease of mind to sleep endlessly, and the touch of arcane brilliance to light the endless nights. To you, the most noble of our Kind, I gave my heart, forever will it be yours, long after the madness consumes me. Dream Eternal My Love, your path I will now walk alone”
The last of her words spent, the delicate elf turned her head once more to the storm covered sky. In that moment the storm broke and the rain slammed into the earth in sheets of frustration, lightning broke over her head and she opened her mouth to scream... A Scream to live eternal the elf's voice broke into a thundering roar , deafening through the woods as the air around her rippled. Breaking forth among the lightning, and through the roar her body broke, shifted and was ripped apart by the savage ferocity of change. Where once the elf had stood, the space was consumed, so much as commanded by the imposing figure of the amethyst dragon. Larger than life the ominous beast finished her roar as leathery wings unfurled and slammed downward towards the tormented earth once before the great beast lifted into the air.
On the Flight of a Dragon taking wing, the Changling One took to the skies in hope as much as in grief. The death of a loved one always an open window of pain and joy. Release and mourning, double edged blades, she would cry no more for him. She was the truly broken one, the Wulfe was home. Her pain was alive, her path still unfulfilled. She had but one task left that the Wulfe asked of her. As his body lay broken, dying in her arms he had but one request he allowed leave from torn and bloodied lips. Ivymyst, he had spoken her name, he had begged her name. Laellawen had to deliver the message, it had to make it to the Timeless One's most unusual companion. Ivymyst had to know what it was the Wulfe had carried, and Laellawen would not fail him, not now. For this reason and this alone, she took this flight, above the cities, in the open air, her great rippling body shown bare for gasping humans, orcs, dwarves and elves alike. Tonight they would know, they would see.. the Chromatic would be laid bare, all to deliver the single most important message time had ever known.
***********************************
Hours later through the storm she flew, her destination a small encampment on the very outskirts of the human stronghold. It was over this magnificent city that the startled screams and gasps of the townspeople filled her sensitive ears. Not since the Lair had they seen one of her, not since... death took wing had they... It could not be! She could not exist! The words buffeted her and she paid no mind, her target was all that mattered now. With this in mind then, it was as she caught sight of that tiny encampment that she dropped silently from the sky. Elves, startled awake stood bows at the ready, hands lifted in anticipation, mouths opened with incantations before her taloned feet ever touched the ground.
“Fire not, Elves. A message I bring from Wulfe, for Ivymyst the Ranger. For her ears and her alone, my words are destined, then gone I will be and your night restored to you” Great words spoken from the muzzle of a beast large enough to swallow villages whole. It was little wonder the night elves stood transfixed, unable to choose their next action, all this even as one of their own emerged from a small tent.
The dark haired one who walked with the slithering adder at her side, strode forth from her tent at the sound of wings. Nonplussed she raised a comforting hand to her brethren and strode toward the unfamiliar dragon. Faintly glowing war-axes, resting against her side afforded little comfort to the uneasy bowmen, but the peace and calm of her serpentine companion gave her all the peace she needed. No harm would come from the unfamiliar behemoth, a purple beast that by its very nature should not exist.
“ Noble One, I beg your pardon for my brethren, we were expecting not company, let alone company of such standard. I am Ivymyst it is my name you called. “ Confident words spoken with eyes locked on the Dragon's own. There was no fear, merely curiosity at the encounter. She dared step closer still to the dragon and offered a low sweeping bow of deference before rising once more.
Laellawen the Lost lowered her great head to that of the Elf's and met her eyes, the rage of chromaticism tumbling from her aura and spoke, “Ivymyst, companion of the Timeless One, companion to Chromi, companion to Wulfe, I bring to you the tidings of the death of an Emerald, the death of Wulfe. I bring to you, a message from his dying lips, a message of such importance the Wulfe stood against Deathwing himself. I bring to you four words of terror, and desperation. The words and the fate of them belong to you and you alone.. I give you Elf, ..... The Portal Is Opened”
She loved it, and she loved them. The scent of the woods and the trees themselves were her friends, her family and her companions. She had walked this path so many times before, but none were ever as important as the walk this night. A break in the clouds spilled liquid moonlight down through the boughs cascading it over the statuesque figure in a small clearing, over her. Laellawen lifted her head and gave her face to the Lady Moon. The Lady in all her glory took the raw emotion the elf offered, lifted the tears from her face and stain of sorrow from her heart. Caressing Laellawen the Lost, the Lady loved her child as no one else could. She held her in the silvered light of her arms, cradled her soul in the heavens and gave to her, her only gift. Hope. A stinging flash of lightning tore through the night sky and the Lady withdrew, releasing her beloved's heart with a last whispered kiss before the clouds passed between them once more.
Raw and breathless from the intimate love of the motherly Lady, Laellawen sank to her knees among the fallen leaves, slender delicate fingers grasping the earth beneath her as she breathed heavily for several long moments calmed her bared soul. Reconciled to her grief, and gifted Hope, she rose to her feet swiftly, proud chin lifting and elegant ears raising in aristocratic pique. She would go on. She would live even though the Wulfe would not. Softly uttered words, strong and lyrical drifted from silken lips, her tears dried by the moonlight, it was all she had left to give to he who meant so much to her.
“Not of the bronze, the blue or the red, but of the Green where hope and dreams are birthed instead. Chaos and madness in a struggling world, peace brought and hope alive unfurled. Stretch your wings to the heavens Master Wulfe, a dragon born and dream alive, let death give you the release, the peace you never found on this earth. Hide no longer my love, trust in yourself and in The Dreamer, your soul she will keep, your essence she will tend, and your pain she has ended.
Never will you walk alone all the days of our lives, or the lives of our days. May the Timeless One reach out to you and breathe the sand of time into your immortal soul. Standing alone, for the Chromatic I give to you all I have, all that I am, my strength and my weakness, I have precious few gifts to give, the aspect of Change is mine and mine alone. So to you beloved Wulfe, I give to your soul the warmth of the fires of life, the protections against the cold of hatred, the ease of mind to sleep endlessly, and the touch of arcane brilliance to light the endless nights. To you, the most noble of our Kind, I gave my heart, forever will it be yours, long after the madness consumes me. Dream Eternal My Love, your path I will now walk alone”
The last of her words spent, the delicate elf turned her head once more to the storm covered sky. In that moment the storm broke and the rain slammed into the earth in sheets of frustration, lightning broke over her head and she opened her mouth to scream... A Scream to live eternal the elf's voice broke into a thundering roar , deafening through the woods as the air around her rippled. Breaking forth among the lightning, and through the roar her body broke, shifted and was ripped apart by the savage ferocity of change. Where once the elf had stood, the space was consumed, so much as commanded by the imposing figure of the amethyst dragon. Larger than life the ominous beast finished her roar as leathery wings unfurled and slammed downward towards the tormented earth once before the great beast lifted into the air.
On the Flight of a Dragon taking wing, the Changling One took to the skies in hope as much as in grief. The death of a loved one always an open window of pain and joy. Release and mourning, double edged blades, she would cry no more for him. She was the truly broken one, the Wulfe was home. Her pain was alive, her path still unfulfilled. She had but one task left that the Wulfe asked of her. As his body lay broken, dying in her arms he had but one request he allowed leave from torn and bloodied lips. Ivymyst, he had spoken her name, he had begged her name. Laellawen had to deliver the message, it had to make it to the Timeless One's most unusual companion. Ivymyst had to know what it was the Wulfe had carried, and Laellawen would not fail him, not now. For this reason and this alone, she took this flight, above the cities, in the open air, her great rippling body shown bare for gasping humans, orcs, dwarves and elves alike. Tonight they would know, they would see.. the Chromatic would be laid bare, all to deliver the single most important message time had ever known.
Hours later through the storm she flew, her destination a small encampment on the very outskirts of the human stronghold. It was over this magnificent city that the startled screams and gasps of the townspeople filled her sensitive ears. Not since the Lair had they seen one of her, not since... death took wing had they... It could not be! She could not exist! The words buffeted her and she paid no mind, her target was all that mattered now. With this in mind then, it was as she caught sight of that tiny encampment that she dropped silently from the sky. Elves, startled awake stood bows at the ready, hands lifted in anticipation, mouths opened with incantations before her taloned feet ever touched the ground.
“Fire not, Elves. A message I bring from Wulfe, for Ivymyst the Ranger. For her ears and her alone, my words are destined, then gone I will be and your night restored to you” Great words spoken from the muzzle of a beast large enough to swallow villages whole. It was little wonder the night elves stood transfixed, unable to choose their next action, all this even as one of their own emerged from a small tent.
The dark haired one who walked with the slithering adder at her side, strode forth from her tent at the sound of wings. Nonplussed she raised a comforting hand to her brethren and strode toward the unfamiliar dragon. Faintly glowing war-axes, resting against her side afforded little comfort to the uneasy bowmen, but the peace and calm of her serpentine companion gave her all the peace she needed. No harm would come from the unfamiliar behemoth, a purple beast that by its very nature should not exist.
“ Noble One, I beg your pardon for my brethren, we were expecting not company, let alone company of such standard. I am Ivymyst it is my name you called. “ Confident words spoken with eyes locked on the Dragon's own. There was no fear, merely curiosity at the encounter. She dared step closer still to the dragon and offered a low sweeping bow of deference before rising once more.
Laellawen the Lost lowered her great head to that of the Elf's and met her eyes, the rage of chromaticism tumbling from her aura and spoke, “Ivymyst, companion of the Timeless One, companion to Chromi, companion to Wulfe, I bring to you the tidings of the death of an Emerald, the death of Wulfe. I bring to you, a message from his dying lips, a message of such importance the Wulfe stood against Deathwing himself. I bring to you four words of terror, and desperation. The words and the fate of them belong to you and you alone.. I give you Elf, ..... The Portal Is Opened”
