Chương 103: Chapter 81

Krivax hadn't known until now just how much he'd begun to find comfort in sensing the Life around him.

Having spent the past few hours walking through paddy fields filled with nothing but the stink of death, it was starting to become clear just how much Alexstrasza's blessing had changed him. Krivax felt as if he was being consumed by some kind of… spiritual sickness; a persistent discomfort that only grew worse the longer time went on. If Tirion's grimace was any indication, then Krivax wasn't the only person who wasn't enjoying their little adventure.

Vizier Hadix had teleported them as close as he reasonably could to the epicenter of Scourge activity without drawing attention, which was in the region of Pandaria referred to as the Jade Forest. Most likely due to its relatively defensible position and proximity to the continent's coastline, the Scourge had chosen to first conquer the so-called 'Tian Monastery' and make it their stronghold.

Given that it was relatively close to the Temple of the Jade Serpent, a stronghold of the August Celestials, the Tian Monastery also served as a useful forward operating base from which they could launch attacks against the natives.

While Krivax knew that this place must have once been quite beautiful, that was far from the case now. Blackened trees loomed ominously overhead, their branches twisted as if crying out against the dark taint that had consumed them. The once vibrant green grass had turned a sickly shade of gray, with tendrils of death's influence spread all throughout the landscape. The sparkling waters of the Jade Forest had grown murky and stagnant while undead lifeforms swam through them, creating eerie ripples on the surface.

It wasn't only the rivers that were patrolled by the undead either, as the Tian Monastery's proximity to the frontlines meant that the Scourge had invested heavily in its defenses. This close to their target, there was hardly anywhere that wasn't patrolled by ghoulish sentries or the occasional flying undead cloud serpent.

They'd made such progress through the corrupted forest only because the Scourge was more expecting angry Wild Gods than well-prepared invisible strike teams.

Of course, that wasn't to mean that there was nothing for them to worry about at all.

"Hold. Lifeweaver Masruk is signaling the presence of a shade ahead."

Krivax was pulled from his thoughts by Vizier Hadix's warning as their entire group stopped on the hill they had been climbing on their way to the Tian Monastery.

Turning his attention to Hadix, Krivax saw that the Vizier was looking off into the distance while wearing a set of modified gnomish goggles that looked incredibly incongruous on his arachnid face. Given that any unnecessary usage of magic beyond the spells and enchantments concealing them risked revealing their presence to the Scourge, it was reasonable that they would use as many non-magical items as possible.

However, that didn't lessen the fact that Vizier Hadix looked positively ridiculous with a bulky, eight-eyed contraption sitting on his head. Krivax had to stifle a laugh as Vizier Hadix chittered with annoyance as he fiddled with the knobs on the googles.

Thankfully, Krivax's draconic eyes were sharp enough that he could see Masruk far in the distance, flashing a variety of hand signs in their direction while flying in the air. Masruk's ability to fly had made him the perfect candidate for being dosed with an Elixir of Detect Invisibility and sent ahead to scout. Their greatest risk of being discovered were via the invisible shades patrolling the area that were themselves capable of sensing unseen intruders.

"It seems the shade is accompanied by several other ghosts," Vizier Hadix said after spending a moment interpreting the hand signs.

"We'll have to wait for them to pass before continuing ahead."

Their group was being forced to stop more and more often as they approached their destination, which was starting to become frustrating.

"Perhaps it's time for us to make use of the artifact we brought with us to sneak past them?" asked Tirion, apparently also growing impatient with their constant halts to avoid wandering shades.

"Your mortal biologies cannot tolerate prolonged exposure to Death magic without suffering irreparable damage," said Ironaya, the expression of her dwarf form stoic as she glanced at the paladin.

"This means that there is a limited amount of time that we can make use of it. We must wait until the last possible moment before activating the artifact, lest we limit its effectiveness at the most crucial moment."

Through the combination of Archaedas' vast knowledge of Titan technology and Malygos' unparalleled skill with enchantment, their group had been provided with several extremely useful devices to carry out their mission.

The one that Tirion was referring to was an artifact that could mask any Life magic being produced by their bodies and inundating them with an aura of Death magic in a relatively safe way. Combined with a few simple illusions, they would be able to make for a reasonable facsimile of an undead.

Naturally, this wouldn't be enough to fool any competent necromancer, or even some of the more vigilant undead, but that didn't matter too much. The vast majority of undead were not particularly vigilant, either being entirely unthinking or having significant portions of their mind corrupted by the magic sustaining them.

The creation of a truly intelligent undead required the personal efforts of an exceedingly powerful necromancer, such as the Lich King. Some of the Dreadlords were likely also skilled enough in necromancy to accomplish such a feat, but wouldn't dedicate their time and effort unless the situation demanded it.

Fortunately for them, Pandaria, unlike the Eastern Kingdoms, lacked a strong necromantic tradition. Monks could be trained to wield death magic, but they were simply much less likely than the mages of Dalaran or Quel'thalas to start digging up graveyards and experimenting with forbidden magic. As a result, the Scourge almost certainly had much fewer necromancers than they would have liked.

That being the case, the artifact should be enough to get them through many of the Scourge's defenses, and thus needed to be used as wisely as possible.

All of them understood the stakes of their mission, so Ironaya's warning was enough to convince them that it would be better to wait. It took longer than they would have liked, but Masruk eventually signaled a short gap in the patrols, allowing them to move forward.

This pattern happened several more times in increasingly short succession before they managed to make their way to a small hill that gave them a good vantage point of their destination. While Tian Monastery may have once been a place of peace and meditation, it was clear that the Scourge had been hard at work turning it into a fortress of the undead.

A tall wall of blackened stone, imbued with necromantic magic, had been erected around the monastery's perimeter. Its ramparts were occupied by undead carrying bows and crossbows, completely still in their movements as they awaited any sign of intrusion. The entire stronghold was silent, save for the sounds of bones clinking together and the low moans of mindless undead as they walked in and out of the former monastery.

While the sights were somewhat intimidating, the Scourge stronghold was far from the Icecrown Citadel that they'd managed to construct in the original timeline.

A bit further in the distance, Krivax could see legions of undead being organized and sent off to war. Pandaren wearing dark robes and carrying staves glowing with dark energy supervised them and tended to their degrading bodies. If Krivax were to guess, these pandaren were most likely the Scourge's new necromancers, trained to wield the dark magic that now animated them.

However, none of these were the focus of their mission.

Krivax turned his sensory abilities to the inner portions of the monastery. While Alexstrasza's blessing allowed him to sense Life magic most clearly, necromantic magic felt to him like a cold, gnawing void, a stark contrast to the warm embrace of a living creature. This meant that while deeply unsettling, he could still pick out individual undead and track their movements quite clearly.

A similar principle allowed him to clearly sense the malignant energy of the demon hidden within the sea of undeath. Predictably, the Dreadlord was in the largest structure of the monastery, a large pagoda built atop a hill that had likely once served to house the head monk and the monastery's most sacred artifacts.

Krivax didn't hesitate to share this information with the rest of his companions, knowing that they would need to come up with a plan now that they had pinpointed their target.

"I suppose it was too much to hope that we would catch the demon while it was inspecting its monstrosities or otherwise away from its lair," Tirion said with a disappointed sigh, studying the large numbers of undead surrounding the pagoda.

"I doubt we'll simply be able to walk up to the demon and capture its soul, even with the artifact."

"No. We should be able to enter the monastery without much issue, but actually approaching the demon will require a more intricate approach," Vizier Hadix agreed, his many eyes scanning the area and searching for any weakness.

"The undead near the pagoda are clearly more alert and coordinated. It seems that there are quite a few lieutenants stationed there, powerful undead with some level of intelligence and autonomy."

"It's a shame that we need to be close to the Dreadlord if we want to capture their soul. Otherwise, we could just use our bomb to destroy them all," said Krivax as he gestured toward Masruk to come join the rest of the group.

"Maybe we should use it to create a distraction after we ensure that the demon can't just teleport away?"

Aside from the artifact designed to hide their life force, their group had been provided with several other items as well. The most important artifact was naturally the one-of-its-kind Soul Gem being carried in Hadix's robes that would suck in the souls of any demonic entities that died near it. While the rest of their artifacts were primarily derived from Titan technology, the Soul Gem had actually required the assistance of someone capable of wielding Fel magic in its creation.

The negotiations that convinced the kaldorei to permit Illidan's participation in its creation had been tense and relied a lot on the Dragonflights to serve as mediators. As a result, there were quite a few important political matters riding on the results of this mission.

The second was a much more traditional Titanic artifact that would instantly prevent spatial magic from working over a very large area. If there was one thing that the Titans were good at, it was their ability to shut down magic they didn't want to function.

After all, there was a reason they'd been able to successfully seal away several world-devouring eldritch gods.

The last device was much more simple than any of the other artifacts, a mana bomb infused with Aspect of Magic's potent arcane energies. The bomb would be suitable for destroying the pagoda and everything inside of it, along with most of the surrounding structures, if not for the fact that doing so would ensure the Dreadlord's escape into the Twisting Nether.

"It would be far better if we used the weapon to destroy the undead protecting the demon than as a mere distraction," Vizier Hadix immediately refuted, his tone thoughtful.

"We are formidable, but not so formidable that we can fight through an entire fortress before being overwhelmed by the enemy's reinforcements. We must also ensure the demon is prevented from fleeing before we make our attack known."

Given how cunning the Dreadlords were said to be, that made sense to Krivax. They certainly couldn't count on the demon willingly staying in the fortress for several minutes while the monastery was blowing up around them.

"Could we perhaps make use of your nerubian magic to tunnel beneath their fortifications and into the enemy stronghold?" asked Tirion, turning a curious gaze to Hadix.

"I've seen your people use many such tactics against the Horde during the Second War to great effect, after all."

"Even from this distance, I can sense wards designed to detect any approach from beneath the monastery. We would be encircled within moments of trying to dig our way inside," Vizier Hadix responded grimly.

I suppose it was too much to hope that the enemy wouldn't have learned about our capabilities, Krivax thought to himself with disappointment.

Although… that does give me an idea.

"Watcher Ironaya, how quickly can you activate the anti-teleportation artifact, and how apparent would its effects be to the Dreadlord?" Krivax asked, his thoughts racing as a plan began to form in his mind.

"The artifact's activation would be immediate, and its effects obvious to any competent mage," said Ironaya, her voice monotone as she responded.

"The Dreadlord will realize that he's being targeted within moments."

Krivax nodded, taking a moment to gather his thoughts as the pieces of his plan began falling together. Hadix was right that they needed to cut off any escape routes before launching their attack, which would inevitably alert the demon. That being the case, their target would almost certainly surround themselves with as many powerful undead as they possibly could.

However, if they were to intentionally set off the underground wards farther away from the fortress after activating the anti-teleportation artifact and alerting their enemy, then the Dreadlord should divert at least a portion of their forces to repel the perceived threat. Such a group of undead would be the perfect target for their mana bomb.

"There would still be a significant number of undead standing between us and the Dreadlord," Vizier Hadix warned once Krivax finished sharing his plan, expression thoughtful as he considered the matter.

"Our enemy will not be foolish enough to send away the entirety of his defenses, especially once he realizes he's been trapped."

"Whatever foul undead remain will fall to the Light," said Tirion, determination clear in his voice.

"The Silver Hand will allow me to cut through them like a scythe through wheat."

The paladin was substantially more confident than Krivax, but he was probably correct to be so. The combined might of their group was enough to destroy large numbers of undead, and with the enemy forces substantially weakened by the bomb they should be able to carve a path to the Dreadlord.

Their group discussed the plan for a while longer, going over the details and laying out the potential issues that were likely to arise. Ultimately, they decided that while it wouldn't be easy or quiet, such a plan was their best shot given the circumstances.

After all, there had always been a limit to how close they would be able to get without being forced to fight the rest of the way through. At least this would allow them to destroy a considerable portion of their enemy before that confrontation would occur.

"Very well. If there is nothing else, then we should avoid wasting any more time," Vizier Hadix said decisively once they had gone over every aspect of their strategy.

"Watcher Ironaya, activate the artifact. We will need to hide any sign of Life energy in our bodies if we are to continue any further."

Ironaya gave a short nod before retrieving an orb inscribed with dense Titan runes along its surface from her personal spatial bag. Krivax knew nothing about how it functioned, but he had no doubt that it was a masterpiece of artificing that any Archmage would kill to study.

For a single moment a series of magical spells too complex for him to understand passed between Ironaya and the orb before the artifact activated, most likely some manner of verification magic known only to the Titans and their creations. However, Krivax didn't have much time to consider the matter before a wave of energy washed over the group, leaving him feeling… profoundly wrong.

The potent pool of Life energy that Krivax had felt within him from the moment he'd been empowered by Alexstrasza was abruptly suppressed. It wasn't gone completely or even diminished, but the comforting warmth that he'd grown used to was suddenly hidden away from him.

Instead, he felt utterly cold. The chill of Death affected him not only physically, but also mentally as his very emotions seemed to grow more… distant.

Krivax already hated the sensation and couldn't wait until it was over. If being an undead felt even a fraction as horrible as what he was experiencing, then the Scourge were even more of a tragedy than he'd first thought.

"We must move quickly, lest your mortal bodies die in truth," Ironaya cautioned, stirring their group from the temporary stupor they had been plunged into.

Vizier Hadix immediately began covering them in illusions of undead creatures to avoid drawing attention. Before long, Hadix, Krivax, Tirion, and Ironaya all looked the part of undead pandaren monks, their bodies carrying distinct signs of decay and undeath.

Meanwhile, Masruk looked like one of the large cranes native to the area that had been killed and added to the Scourge's forces. With the magic in place, Masruk didn't hesitate before spreading his wings and began flying to his position above the stronghold while carrying the mana bomb within its specially made spatial container.

All of them would need to ensure that they did nothing that would reveal the illusion, such as bumping into something with their real bodies. While Krivax might look like a barely six-foot-tall corpse, he was still a giant spider person who was more than double that height.

With their disguises firmly in place, the group began their approach to the Tian Monastery. It didn't take long before they were close enough to be spotted by the undead surrounding the stronghold. Much to his relief, the combination of illusions and death magic was enough to prevent the mindless creatures from paying them the slightest amount of attention while they shambled past.

Even through his dampened emotions, Krivax felt more than a little tense as they passed by the walls surrounding the monastery. The majority of his focus was on ensuring he didn't step on or bump into any of the undead surrounding them, while also ignoring the foul smell of decay as best he could. Krivax occasionally also noticed some of the more intelligent undead, usually either naga or pandaren monks, glance at them with curious expressions.

However, any interest directed toward them was almost immediately replaced by utter apathy as the undead returned to their duties.

Seeing this, Krivax couldn't help but wonder how much of their success so far was due to their group's competence and how much was owed to the lack of motivation among the undead. A combination of the Scourge's shortage of necromancers and the Lich King's absence significantly weakened their control over the undead hordes.

Unfortunately, the undead surrounding the Dreadlord's central stronghold were almost certainly the most intelligent and loyal, meaning their group was attracting more and more attention the closer they got to their target. While they might appear and feel no different from any other member of the Scourge, four unfamiliar undead walking into a fortified area were still quite conspicuous.

Not only that, but it seemed like the Scourge was smart enough to place some of its more vigilant sentries atop the monastery's many pagoda's. Krivax could tell that one of the closer sentries was focused on them, likely having noticed some inconsistency.

Their group had already discussed the matter earlier and decided they couldn't risk speaking to any of the intelligent undead. Most of the Scourge's intelligent undead spoke either Nazaj or Mogu, the languages of the naga and pandaren respectively, and would notice any strange accent or usage of translation magic.

That was a risk they couldn't afford to take, so at the point when they were attracting too much attention, Vizier Hadix discreetly began to lead them down a path away from the central stronghold and toward a less occupied action of the monastery. Both the forge and the training grounds seemed to be in constant use, so their best option was to head towards one of the mediation gardens, which had largely been abandoned by the Scourge.

"This seems to be as close as we can approach without being exposed," Vizier Hadix said under his breath as he swept his gaze through the garden, finding only dead plants and tainted soil.

"It will take me some time to trigger the underground wards sufficiently far enough from us so that the bomb does not threaten our safety. You all will ensure that I am undisturbed."

Krivax was about to nod in agreement before he suddenly sensed something in the distance that caught his attention.

"That may be a bit difficult," Krivax said solemnly, drawing the attention of his companions.

"One of the sentries on one of the pagoda's was paying close attention to us earlier, and I can now sense several of them quickly moving in our direction."

"Then we must destroy the undead as quickly as possible," Ironaya said without hesitation.

"We cannot allow ourselves to be discovered."

"True, but I fear that we lack the ability to do so without revealing ourselves," said Tirion, glancing toward the several undead flying above the monastery.

"Calling upon the Light in this dark place would be like lighting a lighthouse in the night. Even if we attempt to act subtly, we risk being noticed by the abominations above us."

Krivax felt the same way. While their location was somewhat secluded, it wasn't so far away that a sudden burst of violence wouldn't draw attention.

"I can handle it," Krivax announced as he reached into his spatial bag and retrieved a flask filled with a dark alchemical liquid.

"I'd hoped to use the elixir given to me by Archmage Kel'thuzad on one of the more powerful undead, but it seems like we have no choice but to use it now."

Vizier Hadix only hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.

"Very well. Go and hurry back. We should be ready to proceed by the time you return."

Krivax didn't need to be told twice and immediately set out to meet the scout as Hadix began casting his spell. It didn't take long after leaving the garden before he caught sight of the undead sentries who were approaching them, three nagas carrying wickedly sharp glaives.

"You, what are you doing here?" the largest of them hissed, its voice dripping with suspicion.

"I don't recognize you, monk. Lord Mal'Ganis ordered that none but his most trusted are to approach the Inner Sanctum. Identify yourself!"

Krivax directed his illusionary body to bow, even as he approached the naga at a calm pace and removed the stopper from the flask. While there was no visible indication, Krivax could sense a mass of magic immediately surge from the flask and toward the closest undead.

"I will not ask again! Identify yourself, or… or…"

The undead's voice trailed off as its gaze slowly lost focus, the elixir's magic taking hold. The other two, sensing something amiss, seemed as if they were about to attack before they also suddenly became still, their eyes glazing over.

Krivax nodded in satisfaction as he glanced at his surroundings, realizing that none of the other undead had noticed the brief confrontation. From the perspective of anyone watching, it would have appeared as though the sentries had simply stopped to converse with the disguised monk.

"Return to your post and act as if everything is normal," Krivax ordered the naga after he was certain Kel'Thuzad's alchemical concoction had successfully stripped the undead of their will.

"Once Mal'Ganis announces an incoming attack from underground, I want you to rally as many of the Scourge as possible and lead them toward the point of attack."

That hadn't been a part of their plan, but there was no sense in letting an opportunity to lead more undead to their destruction via mana bomb go to waste. The naga, now completely enthralled by the elixir, nodded in unison before departing.

Krivax had been somewhat skeptical when Archmage Kel'Thuzad and Queen Kithix had told him what the elixir could do, but he shouldn't have been surprised. With the resources of Azjol-Nerub, Kel'Thuzad's talent in necromancy, and a directive to create as many anti-undead weapons as they possibly could, the results were bound to be potent.

The Scourge would no doubt evolve and adapt, but ample warning had given the Alliance plenty of time to prepare, and they had not wasted it.

Returning to the group, Krivax relayed the success of his mission. Vizier Hadix, who had been busy with his spellwork, looked up with a nod of approval.

"Good. Then it is time that we proceed with the next phase of our mission. My spell has been prepared. You are free to activate the anti-teleportation artifact when ready, Watcher Ironaya."

Without comment, Ironaya retrieved another orb similar to the one from before and began the process of activating it. Everyone including Krivax and Tirion steeled themselves for what was to come. They'd reached the point where subterfuge could no longer get them any further, and would soon be fighting for their lives.

Krivax could feel the moment that Ironaya finished activating the artifact, causing a palpable wave of energy to wash over the entire monastery. Vizier Hadix didn't waste any time, swiftly finishing his geomancy spell and sending a small shockwave running through the eastern side of the monastery.

The effect of this was near immediate, as the demonic presence that Krivax had been focusing on grew extremely agitated. Moments later, countless undead creatures began swarming toward the apparent point of attack as they prepared for an invasion.

Undead monks jumped across the rooftops of their former home while cloud serpents circled the area and armored naga arranged themselves in defensive lines. There were even several giants who had squeezed themselves through the streets of the monastery and were preparing to unleash their wrath on any intruders. The Scourge had mustered an impressive defense in a very short time, and even the most powerful of invading forces would have suffered immense casualties just trying to push through it.

Mal'Ganis is about to realize that he has made a very poor decision, Krivax thought with some glee.

Before the Dreadlord could further analyze the situation and realize that he'd been tricked, several things happened in quick succession.

First, Ironaya deactivated the artifact suppressing their Life energy and covering them in necromantic energy, much to Krivax's relief. Following that, Vizier Hadix immediately released the illusions covering their group and signaled toward Masruk's figure above the Scourge forces. Finally, their group began creating their most powerful barriers around themselves while Masruk flew away from the epicenter of the bomb as quickly as possible.

The moment the mana bomb made contact with the ground, it detonated with an ear-splitting explosion of arcane magic that utterly obliterated any undead in its immediate vicinity. The shockwave from the explosion was nothing short of cataclysmic, tearing apart undead and destroying any nearby buildings. Debris went flying in all directions at breakneck speed, adding another layer of destruction that rippled through the Scourge's defenses.

Krivax winced as what seemed to be the roof of a temple crashed against their barriers, sending a shower of shattered tiles and splintered wood in all directions. The force of the impact was immense, but their combined barriers held firm and absorbed the brunt of the explosion's aftermath.

As the dust began to settle, the devastation became clear. A massive crater filled with crystallized arcane magic now occupied the space where the bomb had landed, torrents of wild arcane energy still crackling and sparking within. The surrounding area was a waste land of broken buildings and inanimate corpses, with the Scourge forces that had been so hastily assembled completely destroyed.

The few that remained were wandering aimlessly, the spells that controlled them disrupted by sheer potency of the bomb's arcane magic.

"The enemy is in disarray. It is time for us to attack," said Vizier Hadix, his voice pulling everyone's attention back to the present.

"We must capture the demon as quickly as possible before they can reorganize."

With that, Hadix began charging toward the central stronghold while destroying any undead in his path with a flurry of arcane spells.

Ironaya didn't hesitate to follow suit, reverting to her true Titanic Watcher form and simply stomping on any undead unfortunate enough to draw near.

Tirion followed moments after, retrieving the Silver Hand and releasing a potent nova of Light that bolstered his allies and burned away the undead.

Masruk danced through the skills, his spear a flurry of motion as it pierced the skulls of the airborne undead attempting to swarm them. He would also occasionally reach into his spatial bag and drop gnomish bombs atop any large group of undead beneath him.

Krivax summoned his silk golem and sent it rampaging among the undead while summoning walls of Life-infused flames on the path behind them that protected them from any undead attempting to ambush them. Several of the less intelligent undead ran in regardless, causing them to catch aflame and quickly disintegrate.

Their group was few in number, but their combined might was overwhelming to the Scourge's shattered defenses. Each step they took was met with resistance, but their group was able to very quickly push their way to the central stronghold.

"Go, slay the demon and capture his soul," said Ironaya as she shattered an undead sea giant's skull with a swing of her massive hammer and stood by the stronghold's entrance.

"I will prevent any reinforcements from entering. I will not grow tired, and only the strongest of blows can harm my form."

Krivax nodded, directing his golem to fight alongside the Titanic Watcher and Masruk as he, Tirion, and Hadix charged into the fortress. Their non-organic forms meant that Ironaya and his golem were well-suited to last against a tide of undead, but even they would fall if Mal'Ganis was not captured quickly.

"Paladin, to the front! Krivax, guide us toward the Dreadlord," Vizier Hadix called out as he teleported away from a group of undead monks who had attempted to ambush him, reappearing behind Tirion.

"Gladly," said Tirion, eyes glowing brightly as his grip tightened on the Silver Hand.

"For the Light!"

Krivax could sense Mal'Ganis moving through the upper levels of the fortress, his malignant presence pulsating with both shock and fury. After relaying this information to the group, the three of them began swiftly ascending the fortress. The Scourge that moved to stop them were very formidable, many of them monsters that could have potentially killed dozens of soldiers on their own.

However, the decision to equip Tirion with the Silver Hand quickly proved its worth. The legendary weapon, imbued with the purest essence of the Light, cleaved through undead with ease, its radiant glow drastically weakening any nearby undead.

"The hallway to the left!" Krivax shouted as Hadix froze a torrent of water sent their way by a naga sea witch and sent the jagged ice structure crashing back toward her.

"We're nearly there!"

As they drew closer to their target, they ran into several brutal magical traps that had been quickly set up by the Dreadlord. It wasn't anything they couldn't handle, but it was enough that Tirion and Krivax took a moment to heal their wounds. Once they were ready, the three of them stepped into the chamber where Mal'Ganis awaited.

The chamber itself was quite large, and was clearly used as a place for the Scourge to plan its operations. Maps of various regions of Pandaria were pinned to the walls, marked with symbols and notes that indicated strategic points and troop movements. On the other side of a large obsidian table stood Mal'Ganis and what were likely several of his strongest undead subordinates.

A part of Krivax had expected to be greeted with villainous prattle similar to when he'd fought Detheroc, but one look at Mal'Ganis expression told him that wouldn't be the case. His eyes, glowing with malevolent green light, were filled with pure rage and hatred. The demon only spoke a single word as he prepared to unleash his fury.

"Die."

With a wave of his hand, a stream of Felfire so hot that it melted everything in its path surged towards their group. A pair of undead monks, more fluid in their motions than any they'd previously encountered, lunged toward them. A patchwork monstrosity of flesh, bone, and too many limbs let loose an unearthly scream before charging from the side, its wail tearing at Krivax's mental defenses.

Tirion let out a roar of challenge as the paladin met the Felfire head-on, the Silver Hand shining brighter than it ever had. The hammer's radiant glow quickly overwhelmed the flames, causing them to harmlessly dissipate before Tirion charged the seemingly shocked Dreadlord and engaged him in direct combat.

The undead monks were met with a barrage of highly accurate arcane missiles that forced them to jump away and deflect the attacks with magic enchanted blows. Hadix swiftly took advantage, weaving a series of spells with a speed and precision that put his opponents on the defensive.

Meanwhile, Krivax focused on the patchwork monstrosity, launching a stream of Life-infused flames to disrupt the dark energies that held the creature together. Unfortunately, it soon became clear why Mal'Ganis had chosen to keep this particular abomination close at hand, as it very quickly regenerated any damage done to its person. It also seemed to exude some kind of diseased gas into the air that would have already caused Krivax to grow sick if not for his empowerment.

Realizing that it would take far too long to deal with the thing by himself, Krivax launched it across the room with a blast of arcane magic and froze it to the wall. Following that, he turned to assist Hadix, surrounding the Vizier in a pillar of flames that healed him and prevented the undead from drawing closer.

This seemed to be enough to tip the tides of battle, as it gave Hadix enough space to cast several spells that slowly boxed the agile undead into a corner of the room. A subsequent stream of fire from Krivax very quickly turned the creatures to ash. Krivax called for his mentor to help him destroy the patchwork monstrosity next, but decided that it was best to simply solidify and reinforce the frost trapping it.

When Krivax was finally able to turn his attention to the fight between Tirion and the Dreadlord, he was unsurprised to see that their portion of the chamber had been completely destroyed. Felfire lingered everywhere, while both combatants had sustained several gruesome wounds. Mal'Ganis was quite clearly the more skilled warrior, dancing between Tirion's swings with a grace borne from millennia of experience, but it was also clear that he was losing.

Dreadlords were extremely formidable demons, but their strongest weapons had always been their minds.

Tirion, on the other hand, was one of the most powerful paladins on Azeroth and had been gifted the weapon of a Keeper. He was a warrior who had managed to successfully lead an assault against the Lich King at the height of his power during the original timeline. What he lacked in skill, Tiron more than made up for in determination and his connection to the Light.

"Why won't you die!" Mal'Ganis bellowed as his claws left a wound in Tirion's side.

Ignoring his injury, Tirion struck the Dreadlord with single-minded focus, his blow sending Mal'Ganis flying across the chamber.

"I will die only when the Light no longer needs my service, monster."

Neither of them willing to waste an opportunity, Krivax and Hadix both attacked the downed demon with their most powerful attacks, causing Mal'Ganis to scream in pain as his body was slowly torn apart. After several moments, Krivax noticed an enraged look in the Dreadlord's eyes and immediately summoned an arcane barrier, expecting one last desperate attack.

However, Krivax was nearly struck dumb with shock as Tirion charged across the chamber and brought the Silver Hand down on Mal'Ganis' head with enough force to shake the room. The paladin's blow unleashed a surge of Light that briefly blinded Krivax and forced him to look away.

When he looked back, Krivax was greeted by the sight of a glowing Tirion standing over Mal'Ganis' headless corpse. Krivax immediately turned his attention to Hadix, who had already retrieved the Soul Gem from his robes and was examining it with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Mal'Ganis has been captured," said Hadix after several tense moments, causing Krivax to nearly double over in relief.

"I can sense his putrid soul quite clearly within the Soul Gem. He is... less than pleased."

Good, Krivax thought spitefully.

After what happened with Detheroc, this was a victory that he had needed. Krivax still wasn't quite sure what the Burning Legion had managed to learn from his memories, but now they had the chance to regain the advantage that he might have lost them.

If they were lucky, then Malygos will have already returned from the Isle of Thunder and they would be able to hand the Soul Gem over to him. The Aspect of Magic would be their best bet at extracting information from the demon.

Given that the Lich King could be planning a counterattack at this very moment, much of that information could even be extremely time sensitive.

"There is no time to waste," said Hadix, already leading them out of the chamber as he returned the gem holding the captured demon to his robes.

"We must meet with Ironaya, deactivate the anti-teleportation artifact, and flee this place before the Scourge can regroup and mount a counterattack."

Krivax and Tirion both nodded in agreement, following behind the Vizier as they quickly made their way out of the fortress. The number of undead had increased dramatically since they had entered the stronghold and were swarming over Ironaya and Krivax's golem while Masruk was on the ground stabbing at them with his spear. All of them sported significant injuries, with Masruk even having lost one of his wings.

Upon seeing this, Tirion immediately let loose a blinding wave of Light that caused the undead to recoil and give their allies a brief respite. Ironaya immediately deactivated the anti-teleportation artifact, and the rest of them defended Hadix while the Vizier began casting the spell to take their group away.

They were all exhausted from the battle, but still managed to hold their ground long enough to disappear from the Scourge stronghold in a flash of light, with the soul of one very angry Dreadlord as their prize.