Memories: A child and Dragons

Written by Jacques McDermid Heyns
"Tales of Friendship, Adventure, Dragons and Magic..." is Azallae Nightfang's storyline.
"Memories: A child and Dragons" is the first part.
== Creator's/Writer's note ==
Keep in mind that these stories are not always 100% correct lore-wise. If I happen to make a big lore mistake e.g. "Illidan was Malfurion’s sister" then please, please, please... feel free to edit the story and add a note for me (so that I can fix my horrible mistake at some point), but please do not just change something because you think it is not correct according to the lore of the game.
Also, English is not my native language. Please excuse grammar errors, spelling errors etc. I will tend to the language to the best of my abilities (and the abilities of Microsoft Word).
In the end... Please don't read these stories and think to much about the lore and such. Simply enjoy and read with an open mind as you walk into the wonderful world of fantasy, where Dragons and Magic are as real as they can get...
== Timeline ==
These events took place about 9,000 years before Warcraft: Orcs & Humans.
Interested in the timeline? See the "timeline" from the official site (2004).
== The Tale ==
A long, long time ago when the world and the elves were already old, two elf children were born… A boy and a girl, a brother and a sister… Little did they expect, little did they know of the future and what it held for them. Azallae and Alonas grew up in the time just after The Great Sundering. At that current time they were among the very few elf children to be born in that era, for among the elves, the birth of children were rare due to the long lifespan of the elves.
After The Great Sundering the elves worked tirelessly to rebuild their ancient homeland. One day while her brother was away, busy with his druidic training, Azallae witness an event that she still carries within her heart and mind. That day three of the mightiest dragons that survived the Great Sundering came forth from their secret hiding places making their presence known to the world. Alexstrasza the red, Ysera the green, and Nozdormu the bronze descended into the elves homeland, to hold council with them about the future and to survey the fruits of the elves’ labour.
It was in this time that Malfurion and other elves of the council and the dragons debated about the creation of the new Well of Eternity after the first was destroyed in The Great Sundering, ripping the world apart. The dragons were alarmed to hear of the new Well, for they feared as long as the Well remained, the threat of the Legion returning would remain. So an alliance of elves and dragons were formed that day and oaths were sworn in the ancient language to protect the Well so that the Legion could never find their way back into the world.
Each of the three dragons gave a gift to the elves that day…
Alexstrasza, the Life-Binder, created the World Tree by placing an enchanted acorn into the Well of Eternity. The elves named the World Tree, Nordrassil, which meant "crown of the heavens" in their native tongue. Nordrassil would be the everlasting symbol of the elves' bonds and oaths and with time Nordrassil's life-giving energies would extend out to heal the rest of the world over time.
Nozdormu, the Timeless, placed an enchantment upon the World Tree so that the elves would never age or fall prey to sickness or disease as long as the World Tree remained alive and standing.
Ysera, the Dreamer, also placed an enchantment upon the World Tree by linking it to her own realm, the ethereal dimension known as the Emerald Dream. From the Dream, Ysera regulated the ebb and flow of nature and the evolutionary path of the world itself. As part of the oaths the elves swore, Malfurion and the elves of the druidic order were compelled to sleep for centuries at a time so that their spirits could aid Ysera in the Emerald Dream. Azallae’s brother, Alonas, joined the other druids in hibernation many years later when his druidic training was complete. Azallae though never slept with her brother or the other druids, for female elves were only instructed in the druidic ways many many many years later, after the demon Archimonde’s attack on the World Tree. At that time Ysera released the druids from their oath to sleep within the Emerald Dream judging that they would be more needed in the real world.
Though the elves were grieved at the prospect of such a big part of their population losing so many years of their lives to hibernation, they selflessly uphold their oaths.
After many weeks of council and debate and after the dragons bestowed their gifts upon the elves, just as the dragons were about to leave they heard of the two elf children.
A mere couple of hundred years old, Azallae never imagined that the dragons would call her to them when they learned of her and her brother. Elf children were rare and so they even perked the interest of the age-old dragons. It saddened Azallae that her brother was not present that day (as she was sure they would’ve wanted him to stand with her), but her sadness was soon replaced by overwhelming awe and an incredible feeling of… honour… when she stood before the three dragons.
The dragons spoke with Azallae through their minds – as dragons tend to do – while they studied her and examined her mind, which she let them do. She couldn’t have stopped them even if she wanted to. No mind wards were strong enough to stop a dragon to enter one’s mind if they would so wish. They also projected their words to the other elves gathered there…
“It’s been… a long time, since an elf child stood before one of us.” Nozdormu’s voice was deep, rich and his thoughts felt to Azallae as though they moved slowly, as slow as time itself.
Alexstrasza and Ysera nodded their agreement.
“Would you sing for us a song, little one?” Alexstrasza suddenly asks.
Ysera and Nozdormu seemed to like the idea as Ysera said, “The songs of elf children are particularly… soothing. Please sing for us, child of nature.”
With her mind Azallae replied, “As you wish mighty ones…” and from her robes she withdrew a small harp on which she started to play. Soon her voice joined the harmonious music of the harp and around her dragons; elves and nature alike listened to her song and music. Flowers bloomed around her and some of the elves joined her song, by softly weaving magical notes into the song's background and the three dragons hummed deep in their throats emitting a sound that almost sounded like “purring”.
Her song finished, the elves and dragons exchanged farewells and as they departed each dragon gave Azallae a blessing. Her heart full of wonder, she looked as they majestically flew away. Dusk was fast approaching and the colour of the sky was… mesmerising… and it bathed the departing dragons in the most glorious of colours, red, orange and yellow.
By the time Azallae could no longer see any of the three, the first of the stars of the night were already visible in the heavens. Content and happy beyond what she has ever been and most likely ever will be again, she made her way back to her home, listening and enjoying the sounds of the night around her.
== The next Tale ==
Memories: The Great Exile and the Sentinels
== Reference/Credit ==
Credit goes to where it is due.
In an attempt to help keep to lore and make sense of the sometimes crazy time-lines I use (sometimes just as they are) and adapt the in-game books found all over the universe of World of Warcraft. The pieces from these in-game books are bound to their respective copyrights and I do not claim the words from these books as my own work. Credit goes to their respective creators/writers.
This particular piece is an adaptation of the in-game book "The World Tree and the Emerald Dream".
--HaraTakumi 22:49, 13 January 2009 (UTC)
Category:Story