Dawn of the Dragon

Epilogue

Khargol limped out of the shadows, making his way slowly to the portal to the Twilight Highlands. He had disguised himself well, such that Vol'jin's guards hadn't looked at him twice as he'd entered Orgrimmar's gate and made his way through the city. Just as well no one recognized him. He didn't want to explain how he ran away from Go'el, who should've been his slave rather than his enemy. He also didn't want to explain his failure to keep that damned black dragon from helping Go'el, or her success at becoming that wretched flight's new Aspect. If she could be called an Aspect at all.

Khargol kept from spitting at the thought of Athena and her wretched kin, who now had the Alliance and the traitors to Garrosh as her allies. Just as well she believed him dead. Now he could formulate a back up plan, one designed to eliminate not just the blacks, but every dragon that wouldn't heel to him, to Garrosh.

He stepped through the portal to the Twilight Highlands and emerged into the bottom of a tower in the Horde outpost there. Mostly run by the Dragonmaw, the staunch allies of Warchief Hellscream, Khargol was confident that he'd find allies here, or at least someone who could heal the wound in his gut. The wound Athena had given him when she'd made her foolish promise. That thought made him chuckle.

He walked out into the sunlight and took a deep breath of Highland air. He thanked his ancestors for this second chance. He promised he wouldn't fail them - or the Warchief - a second time.

A hand settled on his shoulder.

A knife slid in between his ribs.

Agony coursed through his body, but he couldn't scream, couldn't cry out. Utterly paralyzed.

Athena gently pulled her sharp nails from Khargol's chest and wiped the blood off on his robes. She turned him so he could see her, and she smiled gently at him. "I made you a promise, Khargol. I always keep my promises."

He choked on his own blood.

"Oh, you'll get your release. But it won't be quick in coming. I promised that I’d repay you in kind for the suffering of my brothers and sisters. Everything that was done to them would be done to you." She lifted his chin so he had to look into her crimson eyes. "I don't have that kind of time. So, I made a decision, and you're going to suffer for it. Believe me, you are going to suffer."

She stepped back and without her support, Khargol collapsed to the ground, his entire body on fire. Athena, leader of the Black Flight, stared down at him dispassionately, her crimson eyes twin fires that seared his very soul. "You'll be able to scream in the end. I promise you that, and you know I always keep my promises. Just so you can hear your end coming. Because when you stop screaming, that's when you'll die."

Khargol watched her walk away, watched her vanish. She wasn't even going to watch him die, wasn't going to stay and gloat. Khargol tried to laugh, but all that came out was blood.

And, as she'd promised, in the end, Khargol screamed.

End