07-26-2020, 11:10 PM
"That is correct," Itharius said, tapping a long finger against the oak skin of his cheek. "Lady Torastrasza has informed us that the Red Dragonflight seeks to leave the Demon Soul in the custody of you, a mortal sworn to one of the Five Flights. That it would be safer in your hands than in our own joint custody, in spite of the same flight's failure in spearheading its defense."
"Come now, Lord Itharius," Nalicia purred, "Let us not allow our bias to cloud our judgement. We are, after all, responsible for plotting the course of not only our own flights, but the future of Azeroth itself."
"Bold words," Torastrasza scowled, unwilling to let the Black's honeyed words cloud her mind. "You speak of taking responsibility when you refuse to acknowledge it was your own flight that attempted to steal it!"
Nalicia widened her doe-like eyes, a hand on her breast. "Tora, dear... you wound me. I can take no more responsibility for the actions of renegade members of my flight than you can the lives of mortals murdered by the hands of others." She blinked rapidly at the Red Ambassador, almost pouting as she pleaded. "Must you scorn me and twist my words when I seek to support you?"
Torastrasza grit her teeth. "...That was not my intention, ambassador."
"Enough," Itharius said, his voice an imperial squelch on the bickering ambassadors. "Torastrasza. For the sake of all present, please repeat the intentions of your flight, that none may misinterpret them. It is neither our intent nor our desire to listen to squabbling over candorous blathering."
Torastrasza nodded. "Of course, Ambassador Itharius." The red wyrm cleared her throat before stepping forward. "As previously stated, it is the desire of the Red Dragonflight, and of Queen Alexstrasza the Life-Binder, that the Demon Soul be kept in the custody and protection of Gilveradin Windrunner, Draig'cyfail, until such a time that the artifact can be permanently, and utterly, destroyed."
That notion was seemingly enough to draw forth the attention of Sapphiragos. "I beg your pardon, Ambassador... but did you said destroy the demon soul? We cannot touch it, let alone destroy it. And not for lack of trying, mind you."
"It is nearly impervious, yes, but you have all seen the faint scar upon its otherwise smooth surface. The disc can be damaged, and if it can be damaged, it can be destroyed, and the powers of the Aspects that was stolen by Neltharion can be returned to their proper places."
"Yes," Nalicia said, "I wholeheartedly agree. Deathwing was always the most powerful among the aspects, even when they were all at full strength. As long as the disc exists, they would be powerless to stop him were he to return, even if they could set aside their differences and fight together in concert, of course."
Alexstrasza joined her ambassador in staring daggers at Nalicia. Her pointed observation was far from welcome, even if it was true.
"Even now," Torastrasza continued, "some of the most resourceful and cunning among our Flight search this world that is our charge, combing the depths for answers. Surely, if we work together on this, the truth will reveal itself to us."
Nalicia raised an eyebrow. "Who, pray tell, leads your investigation? There are certainly those among the Black Dragonflight that would love nothing more than to see the powers of the Demon Soul returned to their rightful places."
Torastrasza frowned again. "I am not at liberty to discuss those details, Ambassador Nalicia."
"Oh?" Nalicia said, glancing passed her fellow ambassador and at the Dragonqueen herself. "Perhaps Lady Alexstrasza can illuminate these details for us, then?"
"I am not a part of this discussion, Dearest Nalicia," Alexstrasza said, her voice kind with the slightest sting of smugness. "My dearest sister, Tora, speaks with my authority. If she is not at liberty to discuss, then neither am I."
"I believe we all agree that the Demon Soul should be destroyed, if such a thing is even possible," Sapphiragos interjected, bringing attention back to the issue at hand. "But we are not here to discuss that, nor the mechanics of how one could even conceive to do that. We came here to discuss the mortal, yes?"
"That is correct, Ambassador," Itharius said, his voice deep with irritation. "Let us remain on task, Ambassadors. Even if we were to destroy the Demon Soul, such a task could take thousands of years to discover, let alone accomplish." He glanced back at the blonde elf standing before them, his eyes glittering at the disc in his hand. "Why should we allow such a dangerous artifact to rest in the hands of a mortal, a child no less, who not only knows not what powers he meddles with, but who is Dragonsworn? When we first entrusted the Demon Soul to protect it so many years ago, we decided to all do our part to ensure its protection."
"Ahn' tha' worked well last time, obviously," Thaxdormu interjected, gesturing to the Demon Soul before them. "Took 'em a few thousand years tae find it, but 'ow long d'you think it'll take 'em the next time?"
"All the more reason to place it somewhere safe, not in the hands of a fragile, biased mortal. Precedent states it cannot be guarded by a single Dragonflight - if it were, it would still be held - safely - within the Emerald Dream. What makes things so different this time?"
"Times change, Ambassador," Thaxdormu said, crossing his arms. "Gotta adapt tae tha change, or et'll swallow you whole. 'Sides... Dream ain't so safe nowadays, eh?"
It was Itharius's turn to glare. "The Emerald Dream is ours to safeguard, just as the Timestream is yours. You should know better than to meddle in the affairs of the other flights, ambassador."
Thaxdormu shrugged off the Green Dragonflight Ambassador's comment and turned to Gilveradin. "We could argue 'bout this all day. I say we give the boy a chance tae speak, aye? So, Lad... you've heard these old snakes bitin' ah' each other's throats fer a bit now... what do you think, eh? Think yer up tae the task what's been thrown atcha, er do ye ken a better plan?"
"Come now, Lord Itharius," Nalicia purred, "Let us not allow our bias to cloud our judgement. We are, after all, responsible for plotting the course of not only our own flights, but the future of Azeroth itself."
"Bold words," Torastrasza scowled, unwilling to let the Black's honeyed words cloud her mind. "You speak of taking responsibility when you refuse to acknowledge it was your own flight that attempted to steal it!"
Nalicia widened her doe-like eyes, a hand on her breast. "Tora, dear... you wound me. I can take no more responsibility for the actions of renegade members of my flight than you can the lives of mortals murdered by the hands of others." She blinked rapidly at the Red Ambassador, almost pouting as she pleaded. "Must you scorn me and twist my words when I seek to support you?"
Torastrasza grit her teeth. "...That was not my intention, ambassador."
"Enough," Itharius said, his voice an imperial squelch on the bickering ambassadors. "Torastrasza. For the sake of all present, please repeat the intentions of your flight, that none may misinterpret them. It is neither our intent nor our desire to listen to squabbling over candorous blathering."
Torastrasza nodded. "Of course, Ambassador Itharius." The red wyrm cleared her throat before stepping forward. "As previously stated, it is the desire of the Red Dragonflight, and of Queen Alexstrasza the Life-Binder, that the Demon Soul be kept in the custody and protection of Gilveradin Windrunner, Draig'cyfail, until such a time that the artifact can be permanently, and utterly, destroyed."
That notion was seemingly enough to draw forth the attention of Sapphiragos. "I beg your pardon, Ambassador... but did you said destroy the demon soul? We cannot touch it, let alone destroy it. And not for lack of trying, mind you."
"It is nearly impervious, yes, but you have all seen the faint scar upon its otherwise smooth surface. The disc can be damaged, and if it can be damaged, it can be destroyed, and the powers of the Aspects that was stolen by Neltharion can be returned to their proper places."
"Yes," Nalicia said, "I wholeheartedly agree. Deathwing was always the most powerful among the aspects, even when they were all at full strength. As long as the disc exists, they would be powerless to stop him were he to return, even if they could set aside their differences and fight together in concert, of course."
Alexstrasza joined her ambassador in staring daggers at Nalicia. Her pointed observation was far from welcome, even if it was true.
"Even now," Torastrasza continued, "some of the most resourceful and cunning among our Flight search this world that is our charge, combing the depths for answers. Surely, if we work together on this, the truth will reveal itself to us."
Nalicia raised an eyebrow. "Who, pray tell, leads your investigation? There are certainly those among the Black Dragonflight that would love nothing more than to see the powers of the Demon Soul returned to their rightful places."
Torastrasza frowned again. "I am not at liberty to discuss those details, Ambassador Nalicia."
"Oh?" Nalicia said, glancing passed her fellow ambassador and at the Dragonqueen herself. "Perhaps Lady Alexstrasza can illuminate these details for us, then?"
"I am not a part of this discussion, Dearest Nalicia," Alexstrasza said, her voice kind with the slightest sting of smugness. "My dearest sister, Tora, speaks with my authority. If she is not at liberty to discuss, then neither am I."
"I believe we all agree that the Demon Soul should be destroyed, if such a thing is even possible," Sapphiragos interjected, bringing attention back to the issue at hand. "But we are not here to discuss that, nor the mechanics of how one could even conceive to do that. We came here to discuss the mortal, yes?"
"That is correct, Ambassador," Itharius said, his voice deep with irritation. "Let us remain on task, Ambassadors. Even if we were to destroy the Demon Soul, such a task could take thousands of years to discover, let alone accomplish." He glanced back at the blonde elf standing before them, his eyes glittering at the disc in his hand. "Why should we allow such a dangerous artifact to rest in the hands of a mortal, a child no less, who not only knows not what powers he meddles with, but who is Dragonsworn? When we first entrusted the Demon Soul to protect it so many years ago, we decided to all do our part to ensure its protection."
"Ahn' tha' worked well last time, obviously," Thaxdormu interjected, gesturing to the Demon Soul before them. "Took 'em a few thousand years tae find it, but 'ow long d'you think it'll take 'em the next time?"
"All the more reason to place it somewhere safe, not in the hands of a fragile, biased mortal. Precedent states it cannot be guarded by a single Dragonflight - if it were, it would still be held - safely - within the Emerald Dream. What makes things so different this time?"
"Times change, Ambassador," Thaxdormu said, crossing his arms. "Gotta adapt tae tha change, or et'll swallow you whole. 'Sides... Dream ain't so safe nowadays, eh?"
It was Itharius's turn to glare. "The Emerald Dream is ours to safeguard, just as the Timestream is yours. You should know better than to meddle in the affairs of the other flights, ambassador."
Thaxdormu shrugged off the Green Dragonflight Ambassador's comment and turned to Gilveradin. "We could argue 'bout this all day. I say we give the boy a chance tae speak, aye? So, Lad... you've heard these old snakes bitin' ah' each other's throats fer a bit now... what do you think, eh? Think yer up tae the task what's been thrown atcha, er do ye ken a better plan?"