Chapter Text
"For the record," Jezriyah said as soon as they were alone, "I don't trust her either."
Alleria heaved a sigh. "Thank goodness someone is listening to me."
"But…" Jezriyah would have laughed at the crestfallen look on Alleria's face if the situation weren't so dire. "…I think playing along for now is our best bet."
"And being her pawn?! Her champion, like she keeps calling you?"
Jezriyah stopped short. "I," she intoned as seriously as she could, "am nobody's champion but the Horde's and Azeroth's." She calmed her voice a bit. "But so far… Xal'atath doesn't tend to just lie. She tells the truth in a way that works even better than lying. I don't doubt she could lie if she wanted to - but so far, it's not how she does things."
Alleria's head tilted, making her ear-tips bob a bit.
"I do think her idea with the ribbons is the best way to get in and stop Dimensius. I do believe she wants us to get in and stop Dimensius." Jezriyah took a breath. "But I don't think she just wants revenge. I think she plans on — I don't know how the Void works, you know that. But I think she plans to succeed him somehow. Absorb his energy or become his vessel or… something."
Alleria's brow furrowed. "And we want to help with this, why?"
"Because she's also right about Dimensius comin' for Azeroth. I don't know what it is about our world, Alleria, but you know as well as I do that evil from other dimensions just loves us." Jezriyah sighed. "So we're on the chopping block either way. We let Dimensius destroy us, or we destroy Dimensius and let Xal'atath come after us afterwards."
Alleria sighed. "You have a point… but she may be too strong to stop then."
"Maybe. But she'll be just as arrogant, and ain't nothing easier to turn against an enemy than their own ego. Garrosh Hellscream taught me that."
Alleria looked back from her view of the Oasis as Jezriyah walked closer. "Well. You were right, if that's any comfort."
Jezriyah managed a hollow chuckle. "I'd rather be wrong the rest of my life if this is what bein' right gets us."
Alleria offered a brittle smile, then looked back out at the reborn K'aresh.
They stood in silence for a long moment before Jezriyah spoke again. "For what it's worth, I still think we did the right thing."
Alleria sighed. "I'm not so sure. I don't know what the alternative would have been… I just hate having helped Xal'atath."
"I know." Jezriyah tentatively rested a hand on the elf's shoulder. "She's made it a point to get under your skin from the start. You got more reason to hate her than any of us, and she hates you right back. No shame in admitting to that."
"I've tried my best to keep that from clouding my judgement. But that may just be one more way I've failed us all."
"Alleria." Jezriyah's voice was soft, but stern. "I know you elves hold high standards for yourselves, and you Windrunners most of all. But believe it or not, you are mortal."
Alleria gave her a sharp glare. "I have failures older than your great-grandparents, troll. We are not the same."
"Oh sure, you're thousands of years old, rub it in." Jezriyah dropped her arm obligingly. "But I was at Dalaran too, you know. I didn't save any more people than you did."
The silence crept in for another long moment before Jezriyah spoke again, more softly. "Ain't no use litigatin' anything that just happened. We made choices under pressure. No telling what would have been different if we'd made different ones. We is where we is, and we got what we got. Azeroth be under threat now, and I be ready to do as much as I can to protect her. An' as far as that goes, I know we are the same."
Alleria nodded softly, but didn't respond, still watching the wildlife.
Jezriyah figured that was as good as she was going to get right now. "Alright. I promised Ve'nari some help with the slatebacks. But you know how to find me." She turned away, and got ready to get back to work.