The summoned Meteor Shower lived up to its name, a cataclysmic barrage of five enormous meteorites, each rivaling a Fel Reaver in size, imbued with searing flames and crushing gravitational force. They slammed into the green dragon with relentless fury!
Aowu!
Amidst the earth-shattering explosions, the green dragon's wail was a sound of pure agony. A thick cloud of smoke billowed out, engulfing the altar and the surrounding area in a choking haze. The very stones of the ancient altar were scorched black, testament to the raw power unleashed.
"Roar!"
The green dragon, battered but defiant, burst from the heart of the inferno, unleashing a roar of furious pain. "Who dares?! Who dares to ambush the great Emeriss!"
Her voice, a surprisingly feminine growl, dripped with rage. But her appearance belied her arrogance. Flames licked at her scales, emitting a sickening, sizzling sound. Her right wing hung limply, broken by the meteoric assault. A third of her tail was gone, the severed end still oozing dark blood.
Emeriss? Galen recognized the name. Mushroom Dragon? So it is her!
Emeriss's blood-red eyes, filled with pain and fury, locked onto Galen, instantly identifying the night elf as her attacker!
She opened her massive maw, and a torrent of green, smoky, toxic breath erupted forth!
Galen reacted instantly, leaping backward to evade the deadly cloud. The air shimmered with the noxious fumes, a testament to the dragon's corrupted power. As he landed, his hand flashed to his waist, drawing the Wind Sword!
Boom!
His lithe form hit the ground, his thigh muscles coiling and unleashing a burst of speed that left a crater in the ancient stone. Galen transformed into a streak of emerald afterimages, hurtling towards the wounded dragon!
Emeriss, realizing her toxic breath had failed to find its mark, snapped her head around, her movements surprisingly swift for her size. Seeing her breath weapon was ineffective, she shifted tactics, resorting to a more insidious attack!
"Taste the flavor of corruption!"
With a furious roar, Emeriss's body pulsed with an unnatural green light. In Galen's path, the very ground erupted, sprouting a grotesque forest of rotten, pulsating mushrooms!
Heh! Unleashing her ultimate move, is she?
Galen's body contorted in mid-air, undergoing a rapid, almost violent transformation. His bones creaked and shifted, his skin rippled and sprouted thick fur. His face elongated, his nose and mouth merging into a wide, whiskered maw. His teeth lengthened into razor-sharp fangs, his eyes narrowed into predatory slits!
He landed, no longer a night elf, but a magnificent, giant panther, its fur a deep, midnight blue, interwoven with silver streaks. Silver-white stars and moons were etched into its powerful forelimbs, glowing with an inner light.
The panther's speed was breathtaking, dwarfing even Galen's already impressive night elf agility. It weaved effortlessly through the treacherous maze of corrupted mushrooms, its powerful muscles propelling it forward with incredible force. In the blink of an eye, the distance between the transformed Galen and Emeriss closed.
With a final, explosive leap, the giant cat launched itself onto the dragon's broad back. But instead of tearing into the dragon's vulnerable neck with claws and fangs (he was still adjusting to the raw power of his feline form), Galen reverted to his night elf form, his reflexes honed by years of combat. He grabbed a jagged bone spur protruding from the dragon's back with one hand, anchoring himself against the dragon's thrashing movements. With his other hand, he drew the Wind Sword!
Pfft!
The double-edged blade plunged deep into Emeriss's neck, finding the chink in her armored scales. Galen channeled arcane energy into the sword, and the Wind Sword's core surged with power. A blinding blue-white lightning bolt erupted from the blade, coursing through the dragon's body!
"No!"
Emeriss convulsed, a spasm of agony wracking her massive form. Her entire body seemed to lose its strength, her once-powerful limbs collapsing beneath her.
"I will not die," she gasped, her voice a ragged whisper. "My soul will be reborn in the Emerald Nightmare… Accept this… this… unchangeable fact… Azeroth… will become… one with the Nightmare..."
Finally, with a heavy thud, Emeriss's head fell, her eyes closing amidst a frenzy of pained murmurs.
"Heh! Reborn in the Emerald Nightmare, huh?" Galen's lips curled into a grim smile. "Did you get my permission?"
"Collect the spirit!"
This time, Galen didn't wait for the Origin Heart's prompting. He issued the command directly, his voice ringing with authority!
The translucent, ghostly form of the giant dragon's soul was forcibly extracted from its broken body, pulled upwards by an unseen, irresistible force!
As Emeriss's soul appeared on the list of the Altar of Kings, Galen began to work with practiced efficiency, retrieving magical components from his pack and laying out the intricate patterns of a resurrection array.
After a series of precise movements and arcane gestures, Galen re-summoned Emeriss's spirit, binding it to her physical form and resurrecting her.
"It's been a while since I used this resurrection ritual," he muttered, a hint of self-deprecation in his voice. "Slightly rusty, perhaps…" The last time he had performed this ritual was at the Frozen Throne, when Kel'Thuzad had usurped Arthas's body. Two years had passed, and the process was, by his estimation, thirty seconds slower than before...
Emeriss's dragon body twitched, then shuddered. She struggled to open her eyes, her pupils now a normal, healthy yellow.
Now that her soul was under the Origin Heart's control, the corrupting influence of the Nightmare's power had been purged. The madness that had twisted her eyes had vanished, replaced by a returning clarity.
"Greetings, Highlord," the green dragon rasped, her voice weak and strained. Her injuries were grievous; she was on the brink of death once more!
Galen swiftly uncorked a vial of potent Spring Water, pouring it into her maw. Then, he laid his hands upon her, channeling a rapid sequence of healing spells: Rejuvenation, Regrowth, and three Lifeblooms.
The Three Flowers Convergence worked its magic. The wounds on Emeriss's body visibly began to knit together, scales reforming, broken bones mending.
Half of Galen's night elf avatar's power was derived from the Lifebinder Freya's energy, making his restoration spells exceptionally potent.
The revitalized green dragon rose to her feet, then, with a fluid motion, transformed into a tall, elegant female night elf, her features still bearing a hint of draconic majesty.
"How do you feel now?" Galen asked, his tone surprisingly gentle.
"I am… much better, Highlord," she replied, her voice filled with a mixture of awe and gratitude.
They had been locked in a life-or-death battle moments before, yet now, she stood before him, her life restored, her loyalty sworn. The sensation was surreal, almost dreamlike.
Like taming Pokémon, Galen mused, a wry smile playing on his lips. Catch them with Poké Balls, then use them to fight your enemies.
"In that case," Galen said, his voice firm, "activate the Dream Portal. Take me into the Emerald Dream."
The Emerald Dream was a realm of unique properties. Only a select few – the Green Dragonflight, certain druids, and those specifically granted passage – could traverse its ethereal pathways.
Through information gleaned from Freya, Galen knew that he could use the temple's Dream Portal, combined with specific spells and rituals, to achieve a state of oneness with nature, assuming a "Dream Form" that would allow him to enter the Dream.
Emeriss looked out from the altar, her gaze sweeping across the corrupted landscape below. The Emerald Dragonkin, writhing in their nightmarish torments, filled her with a profound sense of guilt. She had failed in her duty to protect this sacred place.
But now, knowing Galen's true identity and the extent of his power, she felt a surge of hope. She was confident that he could cleanse the Emerald Dream of its corruption.
"As you command, Highlord!" she said, bowing her head in submission.
As Emeriss prepared to activate the Dream Portal, a figure appeared in the southern sky, soaring towards them on the back of a magnificent hippogryph!
"Brother Galen!"