A Deal on the Mountaintop

Dragons are said to be proud creatures, but Krasus was willing to use magic to take Nathanos to the top of a mountain, where the view was wide open, quiet and deserted, perfect for a secret conversation.

"You'd better hurry up and say what you want to say, time is precious!"

"You know, I'm already quite surprised that so many people have returned to ten thousand years in the future, but they all have their reasons. For example, that Orcs Broxigar. I know he came back here after entering the time vortex with me and Rhonin. But what about you? How did you get back to this era?" Krasus acted like a judge in a courtroom, treating Nathanos like a criminal.

"Are you interrogating me, Krasus? Why should I answer that question? You should pray I'm not your enemy now, or I'll donate your bones to the Explorers' League!"

"I see you still don't understand your current predicament, Undead. Do you know that every word and action you take here could potentially change the world ten thousand years from now!"

Nathanos laughed loudly. "You think I'm so easily intimidated, Red Dragon?"

Krasus was enraged; even he, who always called himself a mage, had moments when his veins bulged. "This isn't a threat, it's a warning! If you dare misbehave here, I will annihilate you!"

"A dragon that can't even revert to its original dragon form dares to spout such nonsense!"

"What? Why are you..." Krasus exclaimed in surprise, "... it's Rhonin..."

"Stop guessing. If you wanted to threaten me, wouldn't it be easier to transform into a dragon? And you've done nothing but talk. Besides, I heard Broxigar say that he was very weak when he came to this era, which is enough to show that you are just like him."

Krasus nodded somewhat helplessly. After returning to the future, ten thousand years later, he never transformed back into his dragon form.

"Moreover... a powerful god once told me that no matter what I do here, I cannot change what has already happened." Nathanos spread his arms, showing Krasus his Undead form.

"Nonsense! Who told you that..." Krasus's eyes turned cold, and he immediately realized something, "Was it the Lich King?"

"Don't mention that name in front of me. I can only tell you that I am not the Lich King's lackey!" Nathanos replied through gritted teeth.

"Who told you that?" Krasus awaited the Undead's answer, his mind racing. He couldn't think of anyone other than the Lich King who would give a guide to an Undead.

Nathanos recalled the imposing figure of the Xuan Niu Xizao, and he vaguely felt that the power of that god was no less than that of Cenarius, but he could not confirm his thoughts.

"None of your business!"

"You!!!"

The Red Dragon mage glared at him, and just when Nathanos thought he had won, Krasus also revealed the same smile, giving the Undead a bad feeling.

"Flaws are mutual, you naive Undead! You can see through my secrets, and I know you just as well!"

Upon hearing the last sentence, Nathanos instinctively raised his bow, while Krasus, clearly prepared, conjured a fireball in his hand. The Undead's urge to attack the mage stemmed from his knowledge of Krasus's next move. And as he expected, the Red Dragon called out his name.

"Nathanos Marius!"

"How did you know?" the Undead questioned.

"You're starting to get nervous!"

"That won't stop me from shooting an arrow through your head!" Nathanos drew his bowstring. Krasus realized that if he didn't do something soon, he would really have to fight Nathanos.

"The duty of the Red Dragon is to oversee all life on the continent of Azeroth. Ever since Lordaeron became a paradise for the Scourge, Her Majesty Queen Alexstrasza has been extremely concerned about the situation there. She sent me to monitor that land. Coincidentally, I witnessed the process of you being buried by your lover and saw your determination to crawl out of the ruins of Marius Farm."

Nathanos slowly released his grip after hearing this. He had assumed Broxigar had betrayed him, but the Orcs hadn't. These words stirred up the darkest memory of Nathanos's life. It was a tragedy, and also the beginning of another journey. To escape the pain brought by the memory, Nathanos chose to imprison his past self forever deep within his heart, even trying to forget his own name. He longed to give himself a new name, but couldn't find a suitable one. And now... his name, along with the surname that filled him with deep guilt, had been uttered from another person's mouth, and it might very well become a bargaining chip for that person, because Nathanos didn't want the world to remember him anymore.

"What do you want to do?" The Undead lowered its hand completely.

"Finally, you're willing to talk properly." Krasus withdrew the magic from his hand. "I can keep it from everyone else, especially people you know, about your survival."

"I am already dead!"

"Alright, alright! You're dead, obviously. I want to make a deal with you."

The Undead turned its face to the side and said impatiently, "I'm listening!"

"Do not act on your own. From this moment on, you and that Orcs Broxigar Saurfang must obey my orders! Understand?"

This request made Nathanos clench his fists. He really wanted to kill Krasus right now. He had the opportunity to do so, but he couldn't explain it to Rhonin. If Rhonin told anyone else about it, he would lose all trust.

"I can't make the decision myself; you'll have to consult Broxigar."

"Don't worry about that!" Krasus snapped his fingers, his smile identical to the one Nathanos had worn when he thought he was about to win this verbal battle, though their outcomes differed. "While we were arguing, Malfurion was persuading that Orcs. The Druids saved his life, so getting Broxigar to agree will be easy. Do you think he'd rather cooperate with an Undead or a living one?"

Nathanos gave a bitter smile hidden behind his veil. "It seems this was all part of your plan, wasn't it? I really underestimated you, Red Dragon. But you should be careful. You know my identity. This is a ticking time bomb strapped to your body. If you ever break your promise, I will kill you with my own hands!"

The Undead turned to leave, not caring what Krasus thought; he only wanted the dragon to remember his words.

"There's one more thing."

The Red Dragon frowned. Nathanos's threatening words had angered him, and now it seemed he had other demands.

"Broxigar ...is not like you!"

Krasus frowned even more as he looked at the portal through which Nathanos had entered, pondering the meaning of those words.