The process of excavating the dragon bones went smoothly. Although the lingering resentment around this frozen lake made everyone feel heavy-hearted, with Alexstrasza personally leading the excavation, Sindragosa's remains were soon fully unearthed.
Even though more than two thousand years had passed, no living creatures ever approached the dead zone of Icecrown Glacier. Sindragosa's remains were in the same position as they were at the moment of her death.
From the state of the skeleton, it was clear that her neck bone had suffered significant damage, and part of her sternum was recessed and fractured. These were likely the causes of her demise.
A direct hit to the neck and chest by the Dragon Soul? Andreas sighed silently. It's a miracle she had enough strength left to call out to Malygos, though it's a pity she received no response.
As the bones were removed, the thick, almost tangible resentment seemed to fade slightly.
Arygos used Arcane spells to keep the skeleton in its complete form, and the dozen or so dragons began their silent flight back to Dragonblight.
Not long after the dragons departed, a bolt of lightning suddenly descended from the sky, and a figure stepped out from the flash.
This was a giant with metallic skin. His body was covered in exquisitely crafted armor and clothing, making him look like a being of high noble status.
"Dragons? Why would they come to the desolate Icecrown Glacier?"
Stroking his chin, the metallic giant looked at the massive crater at his feet, his eyes filled with confusion.
"Forget it. It likely has nothing to do with me. Better return to Ulduar as quickly as possible."
Turning toward the eastern side of Icecrown Glacier, the giant transformed back into a bolt of lightning and vanished.
Andreas, who had already flown some distance away, looked back as if sensing something, just in time to see a golden bolt of lightning flickering toward the Storm Peaks east of Icecrown.
"Lightning?" Andreas frowned and thought for a moment. Thorim? No, Thorim should still be in a state of mourning-induced depression. So... Loken?
After a brief consideration, Andreas shook his head and gave up on the thought.
He had no intention of provoking Loken at the Storm Peaks—at least not yet.
Loken, who possessed Ulduar and the Forge of Wills, could easily mass-produce Titan-forged loyal to him with the press of a button. Without sufficient power and troops, a reckless march into the Storm Peaks would be suicide.
Alexstrasza and the other dragons brought Sindragosa's remains to the Azure Dragonshrine in Dragonblight, where Arygos and Saragosa personally and solemnly buried the bones.
However, considering the subsequent plan, the newly dug pit was temporarily left uncovered. The two blue dragons immediately opened a portal to return to the Nexus in Coldarra.
Andreas didn't know how long it would take for the Blue Dragonflight to drag the maddened Malygos over. According to Alexstrasza's bitter estimate, it would take at least several days.
That being the case, Andreas intended to set aside the matters of Wyrmrest Temple for a while.
Harris from the Moonflower Garden had sent a letter; the high-ranking officials of Shandaral had invited him for a discussion.
While Andreas and the others were excavating the bones, Onyxia had taken the time to visit the Obsidian Dragonshrine.
According to her, Nefarian was miserably grounded by Sintharia and was forbidden from leaving until his strength was on par with Arygos'.
"That guy was wailing about how he wanted to do research and didn't want to be a brute who only relies on muscles."
"...Why does your expression look like you're gloating?"
Onyxia quickly retracted her curled lips and put on a poker face. "You saw wrong."
Andreas shook his head, caught between laughter and tears. Is the relationship between these two siblings good or bad?
Nefarian's miserable life had nothing to do with him, but before leaving, Andreas offered a word of advice to Sintharia anyway.
"Don't push him too hard. If his rebellious streak grows to the extreme, Nefarian might sneak away, and it will be difficult to find him again. Even worse... he might return to Deathwing's side."
It is the nature of all living things to want their children to succeed. Because the shadow of Deathwing was constantly pressing on her heart, Sintharia's actions were inevitably a bit rushed.
Upon hearing Andreas' warning, she was suddenly startled.
"...What should I do then? I can't just let him run around everywhere."
"That's not necessary," Andreas suggested with a smile. "Doesn't Nefarian like doing research? Just satisfy this request alongside his training. As long as he has something he's interested in to work on, he probably wouldn't agree to go out even if you asked him to."
Andreas had never actively looked into Nefarian's primary research direction, but the fellow seemed to have been influenced by Deathwing's pressure in recent years; his research projects all seemed related to biological fusion.
However, he wasn't so radical as to use his fellow dragons for experiments. According to Onyxia, he had recently been secretly studying Proto-Dragons captured from Howling Fjord behind Sintharia's back.
These ancestors of the dragonkind possessed physiques no less powerful than the dragons themselves, but their intelligence was their fatal flaw. Many dragons didn't even acknowledge these low-intelligence, stupid beasts as their ancestors.
"Proto-Dragons?"
Andreas suddenly felt some interest in Nefarian's research, but there was likely a long way to go before results were achieved. He kept this matter in mind for future attention.
...
Shandaral was one of the six major cities of the Night Empire, but because it was located in a frigid environment, its total population was even smaller than that of the secret city of Eldre'Thalas in the southern border.
Andreas had made a point to check the records: before the War of the Ancients began, Shandaral's population was approximately 800,000.
After a brutal war and over 2,000 years of hardship plagued by internal and external troubles, according to Harris, the current permanent population of Shandaral was just over 500,000—a truly tragic state.
Moonsong Forest was situated between Dragonblight and the Storm Peaks, bordering Zul'Drak to the east and Icecrown Glacier to the west, perfectly located in the central hub of Northrend.
If the surrounding forces were friendly, Shandaral's geographical advantage would allow its residents to enjoy the dividends of being a trade hub.
Unfortunately, aside from the dragons in Dragonblight to the south who could be considered friendly, no one dared live in Icecrown Glacier, the Titan-forged in the Storm Peaks were not to be trifled with, and the trolls of Zul'Drak were incredibly savage.
Situated in a land of constant conflict, Shandaral was walking on thin ice. The magic addiction on the verge of erupting was enough of a headache, and the ice trolls of Zul'Drak would occasionally come to pillage.
Fortunately, Queen Azshara had considered the troll threat before building the city. She had planted several Giant Runic Trees around Moonsong Forest; these magical trees could correspond with each other to generate a defensive barrier to shroud the forest.
Limited by energy shortages, Moonsong Forest had almost never opened its defensive barrier in the last 2,000 years, except during the most frenzied periods of troll invasions.
However, the existence of these Giant Runic Trees served an even more important purpose—regulating the temperature to a certain extent.
Compared to other surrounding cold areas, the climate of Moonsong Forest was much warmer. The golden grasslands and towering boreal plants gave this forest a unique charm.
Shandaral was located in the central-eastern part of Moonsong Forest. When Andreas arrived with his guard squad, people were already waiting outside the city.
Among the officials responsible for the reception, the leader was the first elderly elf Andreas had seen in his life.
His hair and beard had turned completely white, and his brow and face were lined with wrinkles, giving him a very aged appearance.
However, the old man's etiquette was beyond reproach. Andreas returned the greeting using the noble etiquette he had learned from Celeste and Leticia.
The elder gave a refined smile and said, "A pleasure to meet you, Lord Andreas Moonshadow. I am the Governor of Shandaral, Roddik Wintermoon."