Death's Redemption

Chapter 10: Former Glory Part 1

Neltharion knew he was dreaming, even though he did not know how he knew that. He could just tell that he was still sleeping, that feeling confirmed when he found himself in the Ruby Dragonshrine, lying on the luscious grass beneath him. The sweet, wet drops of morning dew felt cool on his scales, adding to the sense of tranquility he felt in the moment. He turned his head to the side, seeing Alexstrasza also lying on the ground next to him.

She had a peaceful look on her face, her eyes still glazed with tiredness, one that warmed his heart even further. She seemed to be more relaxed than he had ever seen her, and she was cutely running a claw through the water next to her, watching as it ran down her palm.

Neltharion heard laughter, a high-pitched and happy laughter—one he did not recognize. He turned his head, looking for the source of the sound, but he heard a second laugh that sounded similar to the first. He was able to pinpoint where the second one had come from, looking into the sky. To his surprise, he saw two whelplings racing through the air chasing after one another. Their lighthearted giggles filled the sky as they spiraled towards the ground.

"Careful up there," Alexstrasza called to them, knowing what they were doing without even looking. The two young dragons flew down to the ground, stretching out their wings and gracefully landing on all four legs.

"We were just playing around," the higher-pitched one complained.

"I'm sure you were," Alexstrasza teased, "but we need our rest. We can't watch you the whole time. What if you got hurt?" They both rolled their eyes, groaning.

"Come on!" the deeper of the two exclaimed. "Can't we just play a little longer? Besides, aren't there guards all around the Dragonshrine?"

"Fine," Alexstrasza acquiesced, slowly standing up.

Neltharion took a closer look at the two whelplings, noticing their strange scales. They had scales almost blood-red in color, but they were a magnificent shade. He could see the onyx shine their scales had in the light, but he could also see the strange red color they had.

"Thanks, mom!" the two dragons cheered simultaneously.

"Mom?" Neltharion said aloud, his eyes going wide. If she was their mother, then—

"Let's go watch them," Alexstrasza whispered into his ear after leaning down to him. "Besides, I think it's your turn to keep watch on those sneaky kids of ours anyway."

He stood up, still processing all that she had revealed to him. He still knew it was a dream, but that did not make hearing that he had children with Alexstrasza any easier...

As he followed her, he watched the whelps fly ahead, the two eager to continue their game of tag. Neltharion suddenly felt himself being pulled from the dreamworld, but he did not want to go yet.

"Wait up!" he called to the two dragons, chasing after them as his vision faded. They looked back just in time for him to catch a glimpse of their faces, but they were gone in a flash.

Neltharion ran his tongue around his mouth, slowly stirring as he opened his maw for a deep yawn. He took in a breath as he did, feeling rather groggy. Flexing his wings, he tried to stretch the rest of his body, feeling the blissful relaxation of doing so.

"So," Alexstrasza's silk-like voice floated to his ear, "you're finally up."

Neltharion huffed, shifting his neck to get a good view of her. He was greeted by a warm smile on her smooth, ruby face, her eyes locked with his. He also found himself smiling, feeling a warmth in his cheeks that he rarely felt.