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And then… a sound louder than thunder stilled not only the sisters, but every proto-dragon in the vicinity.

The sound erupted again, shaking the rocky ridges upon which Malygos and many of the other hunters perched. Several of the proto-dragons were cowed, and Kalec felt even Malygos fight not to prostrate himself.

Only then did Kalec realize that the incredible noise was a gigantic roar.

A vast region of the overcast sky broke away, descending with astonishing swiftness. The velocity caused the clouds to quickly scatter, revealing a sight that truly could daunt not only a proto-dragon, but even the most powerful of Kalec’s own kind.

This was supposed to be a proto-dragon, but so immense was its size that not even a dragon could be chosen for an adequate comparison. Kalec could think of no creature save one that could be used… and that would have meant comparing Galakrond to himself.

Even though Kalec had never seen the gigantic Galakrond in the flesh, the remote possibility that he would not have recognized this titanic being had been eliminated by Galakrond’s name racing over and over through Malygos’s mind. In addition, through his host’s brief glimpse away from the Father of Dragons to the other proto-dragons, Kalec saw that not one of the hunters remained in the sky. Galakrond now commanded the world above, and there was no proto-dragon foolish enough to challenge that rule.

He swooped down, passing over the entire region in a matter of seconds. In Galakrond’s wake there came a vicious wind that even tore several proto-dragons from their roosts and sent more than one meal toppling to the ground far below. Galakrond’s roar was no less ground-shaking miles away, forcing Malygos and the sisters to grip their perches tighter.

For such a colossal creature, Galakrond turned with remarkable agility. Once more, he passed over the now-panicking herd, but this time with intent. Galakrond seized up two caribou in each of his much larger hind paws and scooped up another whole in his gargantuan maw, then rose up. The grazer in his mouth vanished down his gullet and a moment later so did both of those in his left hind paw. By the time Galakrond leveled, all five of his catches were well on their way down to his stomach.

But five was not enough. Galakrond veered back and lunged toward the scattering prey. This time, however, he suddenly pulled back. Confused at first, Kalec watched as the bending of the vast wings during the halt created a windstorm that sent dozens of beasts rolling uncontrollably.

Before several of the caribou could rise to their feet, Galakrond plucked them up. With at least eight claimed that Kalec could see, the Father of Dragons soared back into the clouds.

It was not until several seconds after Galakrond’s departure that the first proto-dragons dared move. There was no renewal of the hunt; not only were the caribou scattered so far and wide that pursuit would have required too much effort, but most of the proto-dragons were still too shaken up by Galakrond’s startling manifestation. Some took to the sky themselves and fled for calmer climes. Others remained subdued.

The Father of Dragons… Kalec could still not believe the stunning image. To witness Galakrond alive was something he could never have imagined.

The blue knew little of Galakrond save that he had been one of the largest beings to roam Azeroth and that he had represented the shift from proto-dragon to true dragon. It was not that Galakrond had actually fathered all true dragons—that was a myth somehow spread millennia ago—but that after him had come the five Aspects and their respective dragonflights. Proto-dragons had all but vanished after that.

There were other legends concerning Galakrond, but, in truth, Kalec understood that only his three counterparts knew the truth. He had never thought to ask them about the Father of Dragons, but now wished that he had.

Yet, Kalec’s momentary awe soon gave way again to his anger and frustration—and growing concern—over his being trapped in these ancient visions. Each one seemed more and more lifelike, as if his own time were the fantasy and this scene now were the true present.

Not for the first time, he tried to will himself back, but nothing changed. He continued to be an insignificant, unnoticed phantasm trapped within Malygos. Not even Alexstrasza or Ysera—both of whom in the future would have abilities that should make them sense his presence—so much as glanced in curiosity at the male beside them.

I will be free! Kalec abruptly roared, though his roar went unheard by any save himself. Bereft of a throat—or a body—he felt like nothing but a memory remembered by no one.

Laughter filled his—or rather, Malygos’s—ears. Kalec at first thought that someone mocked him, but instead, the laughter was aimed at the other proto-dragons by a charcoal-gray male a bit larger than most, who actually sneered at the others.

“Little hatchlings!” he bellowed. “Afraid of the sky! Afraid of the ground! Galakrond laughs at you for being afraid, and I, Neltharion, do, too!”

Some of the proto-dragons hissed at the gray male, but no one challenged him. By their glances, they knew him to be strong and able to back up his taunt. Even those proto-dragons who clearly had little more intelligence than their prey appeared to know better than to fight—

Neltharion? The name finally penetrated. Kalec sought in vain to seize control of Malygos’s body as the newcomer, still laughing, flew off. Where Galakrond had been a startling, unsettling thing of legend, this gray male represented a danger to the future of all life on Azeroth. If there was a creature more evil than Neltharion, Kalec could not think of one.

Of course, by the blue’s time, the gray male would be better known by his more apt title… Deathwing.

Can we pleeeeease keep this thread focused on the story itself and not have it devolve into Knaak-bashing?

02/06/2013 10:53 PMPosted by Dreignei

Can we pleeeeease keep this thread focused on the story itself and not have it devolve into Knaak-bashing?

I can do that. I can't say the same for the others.

02/06/2013 10:59 PMPosted by Lorthuron

I can do that. I can't say the same for the others.

I'll try to start a real discussion then

Proto-drakes can apparently talk, even though WotLK painted them as simple animals. Or perhaps Neltharion is somehow special? I'm getting that impression he's "the kid from school who follows the schoolyard bully around". You know the type I'm talking about.

Woo! Kalec, my second favourite Knaak character!.

He's really not as bad as the forums paint him as.

02/06/2013 11:07 PMPosted by Dreignei

Proto-drakes can apparently talk, even though WotLK painted them as simple animals. Or perhaps Neltharion is somehow special? I'm getting that impression he's "the kid from school who follows the schoolyard bully around". You know the type I'm talking about.

It's possible that the leader Proto-drakes were smart and the others aren't.

02/06/2013 11:11 PMPosted by Ximothy

It's possible that the leader Proto-drakes were smart and the others aren't.

I didn't think they were leaders of anything yet. Although you're right, seems they aren't all smart: "Even those proto-dragons who clearly had little more intelligence than their prey appeared to know better than to fight—"

02/06/2013 11:07 PMPosted by Dreignei

Proto-drakes can apparently talk, even though WotLK painted them as simple animals. Or perhaps Neltharion is somehow special? I'm getting that impression he's "the kid from school who follows the schoolyard bully around". You know the type I'm talking about.

I figure he's speaking whatever passes for language to proto-dragons and, since Kalec is observing via Malygos, he can understand the meaning behind Neltharion's particular grunts and growls seamlessly.

02/07/2013 12:32 AMPosted by Frosthawk

I figure he's speaking whatever passes for language to proto-dragons and, since Kalec is observing via Malygos, he can understand the meaning behind Neltharion's particular grunts and growls seamlessly.

I agree with this. The same way dolphins have their own language of squeaks and clicks, the Proto-Drakes could be an above-average intelligence animal who speak through grunts and roars.

This reminds me of Stormrage.

The Dragon Aspects should not have been Proto-Drakes. They should be Titan-Engineered Dragons who were then selected from their flights by the Titans to recieve a portion of their power.

Galakrond should be a titan construct as well.

Ugh,just let Neltharion-Deathwing STAY DEAD!

02/07/2013 07:03 AMPosted by Makco

Ugh,just let Neltharion-Deathwing STAY DEAD!

This is the ancient past.

02/07/2013 07:18 AMPosted by Lorthuron

Ugh,just let Neltharion-Deathwing STAY DEAD!

This is the ancient past.

I mean in the way of reusing a character badly beaten by poor written history in Cataclysm.

02/07/2013 07:24 AMPosted by Makco

This is the ancient past.

I mean in the way of reusing a character badly beaten by poor written history in Cataclysm.

It's Dawn of the Aspects. He's going to be there.

It looks to be interesting. They seem to be making Neltharion seem evilish from the very start and I don't like that at all.

It could just be Kalec's perspective on him but eh.

The Dragon Aspects should not have been Proto-Drakes. They should be Titan-Engineered Dragons who were then selected from their flights by the Titans to recieve a portion of their power.

Galakrond should be a titan construct as well.

Why.

Just saying something without any reasoning means little.

So, I guess we can finally get a concrete account of when the Titans touched down on Azeroth.

There is so much I want to know about primordial Azeroth.

So, I guess we can finally get a concrete account of when the Titans touched down on Azeroth.

There is so much I want to know about primordial Azeroth.

Not necisarilly, it would depend on if the titans had a hand with Galakrond and when the story ends.

It looks to be interesting. They seem to be making Neltharion seem evilish from the very start and I don't like that at all.

It could just be Kalec's perspective on him but eh.

The Dragon Aspects should not have been Proto-Drakes. They should be Titan-Engineered Dragons who were then selected from their flights by the Titans to recieve a portion of their power.

Galakrond should be a titan construct as well.

Why.

Just saying something without any reasoning means little.

Because that's not how the Titans work. They spent hundreds to thousands of years shaping a world. They do not take a pre-existing speices and cast polymorph spells at them to turn them into what they want. They especially don't take individuals like Alexstraza and Malygos and utterly warp their being.

Un'goro Crater and Scholar Basin point to them creating an ecology and from there seeing how things develope, presumably introducing stimuli to hasten or direct things over a period generations.

At the most, the Titans had devices that would alter and splice the genes of a dragon's egg, as was the case with Wrathion and the process seemed to have really pissed him off royaly. Now imagine if he were a fully matured adult. Not only that, imagine he's a proto-drake and not a black dragon. The change is incredibly dramatic and proto-drakes are fairly intelligent and especially prideful animals.

You put them through a process that makes Wrathion's look like a bath and they're going to crazy.

You know the Mogu-Flesh Shaping? That is what I imagine would happen if the Titans weren't meticulious when engineering a world. You end up a with warped killing machine like the Saurok or you end up with Grummies who may not be particularly freakish but also turned against their creators almost immediately.

Now, me, I imagined that all the dragon aspects would have been raised in their broods as we know them. They would have developed naturally and eventually become leaders of their flights, exemplifying the charactistics that define their flight.

Then the Titan Pantheon would approach each of them individually, ask if they wanted to bear the burdeon of guardianship, and then bequeath a piece of themselves to them. Because, you know, you'd swear up and down that the Aspects didn't have a piece of a god in them for all practical purposes given their portrayal in WoW.

Especially the way Kalecgos and !@#$ING THRALL became Aspects!

Here's some Galakrond + proto-Aspects artwork if someone's never seen it before: http://www.wowpedia.org/images/6/67/Dawn_of_the_Aspects_cover.jpg

02/07/2013 08:38 AMPosted by Cbredbeard

Because that's not how the Titans work. They spent hundreds to thousands of years shaping a world. They do not take a pre-existing speices and cast polymorph spells at them to turn them into what they want. They especially don't take individuals like Alexstraza and Malygos and utterly warp their being.

Except obviously they do because that's exactly what they did.

02/07/2013 12:32 AMPosted by Frosthawk

I figure he's speaking whatever passes for language to proto-dragons and, since Kalec is observing via Malygos, he can understand the meaning behind Neltharion's particular grunts and growls seamlessly.

Ok yeah that makes more sense.