Thrall - Christie Golden [55]
“And,” Nozdormu sighed, “an agent of the infinite dragonflight.”
“How do you—?”
Nozdormu held up a commanding forepaw. “In a moment. I have listened to your ssstory, and knowing what else I know … I have come to a very disturbing conclusion. A conclusion,” he said, addressing not just Thrall but the gathered bronzes, “that will be difficult to accept. But accept it we must. My children … everything is connected.”
The bronzes exchanged glances. “What do you mean, Father?” asked Anachronos. “We know that meddling in the timeways can have dire repercussions.”
“No, no, it isss far bigger than that … farther reaching … almost inconceivably so. And this connection concerns usss. The dragonsss. Good, at least, has come of my being trapped in each moment. I have been held captive by the illusion of time. And in that captivity, I bore witnesss. I have ssseen things germinate, gain strength, and manifest. And I tell you, it is no accident.” He took a deep breath and regarded them steadily.
“All the events that have occurred to harm the Aspectsss and their flights over the millennia—they are not coincidence, or simply random happenssstance. This altering of the timewaysss, the construction of a monster out of Blackmoore. The Emerald Nightmare, which harmed so many. The attack of the twilight dragonflight, the madness of Malygosss and even Neltharion—they are all intertwined. Perhaps even entirely orchestrated by the same dark handsss.”
For a moment, no one spoke. So many events—connected? Part of a far-reaching conspiracy so vast, it had taken aeons to manifest?
It was Thrall who broke the silence. “To what end?” he asked. Some of these incidents he hadn’t even known about. It was almost too huge for him to even comprehend.
“To destroy the Aspects and the flights forever. To eliminate all chance of order and stability.”
He turned to Thrall, bringing his great head down to the orc’s level. Sorrow was in those amazing eyes as he spoke.
“I had become lost in the timeways, Thrall. Trapped in every moment. Do you know why I was there in the first place?”
Thrall shook his head.
“I was there to try to understand how sssomething dark came to be. How to prevent that. You asked me how I knew that the infinite dragonflight was behind Blackmoore’sss creation and liberation.”
He hesitated, then looked away, unable to meet Thrall’s blue-eyed gaze.
“I know this because … I sssent him after you.”
TWELVE
What?” Thrall at first thought this was some kind of joke, a draconic attempt at mortal humor. But Nozdormu seemed very serious. Thrall was both furious and completely confused. Even the other bronzes drew back and murmured among themselves.
Nozdormu heaved a great sigh. “It was given unto me to know the very hour and method of my own death,” he said. “I would never sssubvert it. But only one of the pathwaysss to my destiny can be correct. And in one unfolding future, I became the leader of the infinite dragonflight. That was why I became lost in the timewaysss, Thrall. I was ssseeking understanding of how such a thing came to be. How I, who have always striven to honor the great duty the titans charged me with, could have fallen so far astray.”
Thrall nodded, though he was still shocked and more than a little wary.
“Did … you discover how to prevent such a thing from happening?” he asked.
Slowly, Nozdormu shook his massive head. “Unfortunately, not yet. One thing I do know, and that isss that all the flightsss must unite against this current menace. Ysera was right: you have certain abilities, waysss of thinking, waysss of ssspeaking, that move others. You have helped so much already, yet I must ask you to help more.”
Help the future leader of the infinite dragonflight? Thrall hesitated. And yet, he could sense nothing of evil in Nozdormu. Not yet anyway. He sensed only worry