THE EMERALD DREAM

In the lush, verdant landscape of the Emerald Dream, a solitary, bulky green dragonkin was on the prowl. It appeared focused with senses attuned to the magical energy that flowed through the realm.

Suddenly, the dragonkin halted amidst a small grove of unknown plant life with eyes wide and nostrils flaring. A wisp of a dark, unsettling presence had caught its attention. A demonic energy that was foreign to the natural balance of the Dream.

Without further hesitation, the dragonkin veered towards the energy.

Days later, the wisp of energy that the green dragonkin had begun tracking had turned into a unavoidable beacon.

And after cresting a small hill, it knew it had found the source of the seeping demonic energy as it gazed downhill into a large basin. The dragonkin took the time to carefully circle the lip of the basin.

Detecting nothing out of the ordinary and with wary determination, the dragonkin finally began to pick its way down the steep slope, through grasping roots and thorny brambles.

Eventually, the dragonkin found itself in a rather large grove of unusual trees where the energy was strongest. And after wandering about the grove, it focused on one particularly stout arboreal specimen.

This, this was the presence it had been searching for! A presence it never expected to actually locate. But recent events had led the dragonkin here.

"My my, never thought I'd actually find you Xavius.", in the Eredun tongue, common language of the Burning Legion.

And suddenly the demonic presence permeating the area recoiled from both the question and the dragonkin.

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With a low growling chuckle, the green dragonkin faded into mist, revealing a smirking winged-demon in its place. Mal'Ganis.

The recoiling energy paused, then surged back, wispily coalescing before the waiting dreadlord.

It was a large wisp, but demonic, glowing eerily with ephemeral horns and two glowing red orbs for eyes. A incorporeal form, but still identifiable to Mal'Ganis.

Xavius. The first satyr. A night elf transformed by Sargeras, the Dark Titan himself.

A tool of the legion that had gone missing since the first invasion ten thousand years prior, presumed dead. Yet when Alpha Prime had revealed to Mal'Ganis that the night elves imprisoned their enemies within the Dream, the dreadlord had an epiphany.

Illidan had been imprisoned, the Druids of the Scythe had been imprisoned, and Alpha Prime knew of satyr that had been imprisoned. So... night elves did not tend to kill other night elves, but sentenced them to an eternal sleep in this realm! And if there were satyr in the Dream, why not the leader of the satyrs?

However, the worgen had not known if Xavius had been imprisoned here. Which is why Mal'Ganis had decided to explore the Emerald Dream for himself. He had to know. He was tasked to know.

The satyr on Azeroth generally served the Legion willingly, but their numbers were few. But Xavius had been gifted a weapon to create additional satyrs.

Which was why the dreadlords even knew of him. Xavius's location or that of his weapon was knowledge that was to be pursued from the barest of hints.

The demonic wisp flickered, "One of the Nathrezim. You were to find me?"

Mal'Ganis nodded curtly, "If you survived. But I had expected to find your physical body imprisoned within this realm. Not... this." And maybe the weapon, but no such luck.

"I was not imprisoned. My body... was... consumed... outside... by Malfurion's magic. But I survived..."

Mal'Ganis frowned, "Then how did you get here. And why?"

"Through a servant. For revenge." That was the only explanation Xavius offered, before the demon wisp went silent.

Against Malfurion, the dreadlord deduced, but the will of the Legion trumped mere revenge.

"I will see to it that you are provided a new body. In return, you will create new satyrs to serve the Dark Titan. If your dagger still exists." Now the important part, "It still does, right?"

"Yes..."

No more information seemed forthcoming, to Mal'Ganis's disappointment. Which was a smart move from Xavius's standpoint. The weapon was far more important than the first satyr himself, but if the dreadlord couldn't have access to it without Xavius, Xavius still had value.

And maybe Xavius could reveal more about this realm.

"Now tell me more of the..."