As the Green Dragon Queen finished speaking, a herd of ten thousand "grass mud horses" galloped through Rhodes's mind. This was absolutely insane.
What does this mean? Are you trying to turn me into a stud? "Establishing a connection with the bloodline" is just a polite way of saying "let's make some new dragons," isn't it?
Is the Green Dragon Queen always this direct? Rhodes was momentarily at a loss for words.
"Ahem... Queen Ysera, my head is spinning a bit. When you talk about establishing an 'intimate connection,' are you explicitly asking me to... produce hatchlings with you?" Rhodes asked, bracing himself.
Is this a perk of the job? Am I really supposed to say no to this?
Ysera paused, realizing she might have been a bit too blunt, but she nodded and added, "Naturally. As the Green Dragon Queen, I must make this request—for the future of my flight, and also, Rhodes, for your own good."
"For my own good... Your Majesty, I think I follow," Rhodes said, coughing awkwardly.
You're certainly looking out for me. Any man would find this "beneficial."
Truth be told, by Night Elf standards, Ysera was a top-tier beauty. She stood on equal footing with Tyrande and Queen Azshara, and her looks far surpassed Vashj's.
"You clearly don't understand, Rhodes," Ysera said, shaking her head. "What I mean is that there are very few beings in all of Azeroth capable of bearing your offspring. You haven't realized that yet, have you?"
She realized the boy was thinking about the physical pleasures of procreation. While that had its merits, the real issue was biological compatibility.
"Is there something wrong with me, Queen Ysera?" Rhodes asked.
"There is nothing 'wrong,' but your vitality is simply too immense—it's like comparing a dragon to a mortal. The more powerful a lifeform, the harder it is to reproduce, unless they find a partner of similar or slightly lesser strength. With your current life-tier, ordinary mortal women simply cannot bear your children. If you wish to have offspring, you can only look to me, my sister the Life-Binder, or perhaps a female demigod who wields the power of Life."
The Red Dragon Queen controlled Life, and Ysera controlled Nature; both were demigods on the Life side of the cosmic scale. They could bear Rhodes's powerful heirs, whereas any other race attempting it would only produce "flawed" offspring.
"So... besides you and the Red Dragon Queen, I can't have children with anyone else?" Rhodes was genuinely shocked.
Are you kidding me? This is a bit of a trap. Back in Lordaeron, he had successfully conceived an heir with Queen Calia. But looking back, as his power grew, he had noticed a lack of results with Jaina and his elf companions. According to Ysera, only beings on the level of the Dragon Aspects, the World-Soul, Elune, or perhaps Aviana could successfully conceive with him now. And as he got stronger, that list would only get shorter.
"That's not exactly good news, Your Majesty. To be honest, I have several mortal partners."
"Demigod-level beings often have many partners; it is the norm. Your mentor, Cenarius, has had many relationships with Night Elves and Dryads. However, the offspring they bore him—the Keepers of the Grove and the Dryads—are merely ordinary lifeforms. Tell you what: if you agree to weave your bloodline into the Green Dragonflight, I can grant a blessing to your partners, giving them eternal life."
This was a simple task for an Aspect. Unless killed, an Aspect has no lifespan limit. They only age if their power wanes—blue dragons without magic, green dragons without life essence, and so on. She could grant a Draconic Blessing of Life, something other Wild Gods lacked the authority to do. This would grant Rhodes's mortal partners immortality, and if their life energy ever ran low, Rhodes himself could replenish it.
Rhodes fell into a brief silence. This was a lot of information to process.
First, the "side effect" of his promotion—reproductive limits. It was a regretful but inevitable consequence of his ascent. Second, the "trade"—his bloodline in exchange for the "Eternal Life Blessing" for his loved ones. It was a very practical deal. For a Dragon Queen, this kind of blunt "interest exchange" was likely the standard way of doing business.
The minds of deities and transcendent beings often bypass mortal sentiment and ethics, focusing instead on results, legacy, and the future of the species. Rhodes weighed the options and quickly realized there was no downside.
Does this even need a second thought? This is a total win! Aside from a bit of protein, I lose absolutely nothing.
His partner would be the Guardian of the Dream, a majestic, immortal Queen. And she might even bring the Red Dragon Queen into the mix. The thought was... a little exciting. As for "emotions"? Rhodes wasn't a prude. Besides, the Aspects likely didn't have romantic feelings for him; they just wanted his bloodline.
"Your Majesty's vision and grace are admirable," Rhodes said. "To hesitate on such a mutually beneficial proposal would be pretentious of me."
"Excellent. Then you agree?" Ysera nodded, satisfied with the terms.
"However, your blessing might have to wait ten thousand years. My partners aren't on this timeline. In ten thousand years, I will personally come to the Emerald Dream to find you. Is that acceptable?"
"I almost forgot," Ysera said. "Since you are from the future, that works well. If we have children, I will keep them within the Emerald Dream. I do not intend for them to walk Azeroth until you reappear in your demigod form ten thousand years from now."
Time was a complex thing. To avoid trouble from the Bronze Dragonflight, it was best to keep the loop closed. Once the heirs were born, she would raise them in the Dream and present them to their father once he "officially" arrived in the future.
"So... when do we start?" Rhodes asked, rubbing his chin.
"Whenever you like. You may call me Ysera; there is no need for titles between us. Shall we take our dragon forms, or stay like this?" Ysera asked with a slight smile.
"Let's stay in our Night Elf forms, Ysera. I'm not quite used to the dragon shape yet," Rhodes said. Seriously, I wouldn't feel a thing in dragon form.
"As you wish." Ysera smiled and swept her hand, laying down a vibrant emerald barrier. "Now, let us begin. Let me see this Progenitor Dragon King bloodline... I shall take the results to Alexstrasza as well."
The barrier quietly unfurled, completely sealing the area. Ysera stepped closer, her emerald eyes fixed on Rhodes. She reached out, her fingers hovering near him without touching, but Rhodes felt a warm, deep field of life force emanate from her, gently enveloping him.
"Relax, Rhodes," Ysera's voice echoed in his mind with the ethereal quality of a dream. "This is not merely mortal procreation; it is the resonance of life's source. It is the interweaving of your bloodline and my Dream power—the breath of the Progenitor Dragon King within you meeting my Guardian strength."
Rhodes took a deep breath, suppressing the instinctive restlessness brought on by the sudden intimacy. He understood—this was a high-level exchange of energy and cosmic laws between transcendent beings. He focused, releasing the surging life force within him and allowing the gold-green radiance to flow out, softly meeting Ysera's emerald field.
Inside the barrier, time lost its meaning. Light and shadow shifted, and life energy rose and fell like a tide. Ysera's silhouette seemed both holy and primal. Rhodes could feel the draconic essence within him—born of Galakrond and refined by Azeroth—being guided and melded with the vast, ancient, and vibrant bloodline of the green dragons.
It was a process that transcended physiology, feeling more like a deep harmony of souls and life-force. After an unknown amount of time—perhaps a moment, perhaps days—the resonance reached its peak.