Chương 50: Chapter 40

"Are you ever going to stop fussing, brat?"

"Vizier Hadix, I don't think bringing you your potions could be considered as 'fussing,'" Krivax said in exasperation.

"I'm perfectly capable of getting them myself. I could teleport to and from the Queen's cavern half a dozen times in the time it takes you to walk there."

"Well, I suppose it's a good thing that you don't have to," Krivax calmly responded while placing the aforementioned potions down on a table next to Hadix's web hammock. Krivax normally wouldn't feel comfortable rebuffing Hadix so casually, but his mentor had been acting… uncharacteristically distracted over the past week. Glancing at the older Vizier when he failed to respond, Krivax noticed that Hadix was once again lost in thought and staring off into space.

It was something that had been happening frequently ever since Hadix had gotten pulled apart by one of Deathwing's traps. Krivax felt his mood sour as he recalled the events that happened just a week ago. It was only now that Krivax realized that he had built Hadix up to be some kind of indomitable figure in his mind. The Vizier was a skilled and ancient wizard who had always seemed able to handle everything that came his way.

Even if Krivax had known intellectually that Deathwing was far outside of his weight class, he'd never truly considered the possibility that Hadix would be so heavily injured by some pre-set defenses. He could still remember the panic that he had felt when Hadix had suddenly teleported into his room, bleeding heavily from his missing limbs. After he simply collapsed onto the floor without saying anything, Krivax had even thought that the Vizier might be dead.

Krivax felt a hint of shame when he remembered how long he had stood there in frozen shock; his slow reaction could have very nearly cost Hadix his life. It was only after he felt the growing pool of blood touching his feet that Krivax had pulled himself out of his stupor and sprung into action. The first thing that he had done was send Masruk to bring a healer from the Church of the Holy Light as discreetly as possible.

Krivax was extremely glad that Azjol-Nerub had a decent relationship with the Church thanks to Anub'rekhan because they had not hesitated to do so. The second thing that he had done was inform Vizier Crinis and Archmage Runeweaver of the situation. The first was because she was nominally his superior, and the latter because he needed the Kirin Tor's help to keep the issue quiet.

Krivax had not had any idea at the time how much Deathwing had known about Hadix's attempt to investigate his manor, or how bad things would get if everyone knew about the Vizier's injuries. Given those circumstances, Krivax had felt that it was best to err on the side of caution. So it was that Hadix's injuries were tended to, they all secretly went to the safety of the nerubian enclave in Dalaran, and his teacher started to receive further treatment.

Still, Krivax knew that this event likely sent shockwaves through both Azjol-Nerub and the Kirin Tor. A diplomat, especially one as powerful as Hadix, being injured by a 'human' noble was no small matter. The only thing stopping it from turning into a gigantic political shitstorm was the need for secrecy. After waking and hearing about how Krivax had handled things, Hadix had given him rare praise for 'performing well and clear-minded during an emergency,' but Krivax did not feel any pride.

Not when he had known the danger that the Vizier had been walking into and failed to say anything. Not when he still couldn't bring himself to say anything, even after the fact. It felt like every time that Krivax considered sharing what he knew, his mind turned to the worst possible outcomes.

"What nonsensical thoughts are going through that head of yours, Krivax?" asked Vizier Hadix, pulling him from his thoughts. Krivax turned his attention back to the Vizier and was relieved to see that he had finished drinking all of the potions. Most of the potions did normal things like dulling pain or protecting him from infections, but two of them were a bit more esoteric. One of them was provided by the Order and was used by Hadix to clean his wounds of the Void.

There was absolutely no sign that Hadix was suffering from any kind of… magical infection, but the Vizier refused to take any chances. The other was from a series of potions that Hadix would need to take over the course of several weeks. These potions would prepare his body for the magical ritual that would regrow his limbs. While these potions were rather miraculous, they had the unfortunate side effect of making Hadix too tired to do much.

Predictably, the Vizier despised being seen as helpless and was not the most pleasant of patients.

"I'm just thinking about how we're going to move on from here," Krivax lied.

"The situation is more than a little complicated."

"Obviously, the Order will need to do everything in its power to destroy the creature wearing the skin of Daval Prestor," said Hadix, his tone grim. One of the first things that Vizier Hadix had done after waking up was contact the Order and tell them about what had happened. He wanted them to immediately put together a kill squad composed of all their most powerful members, but something like that would take time if it ever happened.

"Do you think that they'll be able to move quickly enough?" asked Krivax.

"Didn't you say that the Order hasn't been able to send people to the Eastern Kingdom because the High King is watching them too closely? If Daval Prestor is as powerful as you say he is, it doesn't seem likely that the Order will be able to organize a team to confront him anytime soon." Hadix took a moment to quietly consider the matter before he responded with a voice full of conviction, "Even if we are forced to rely on the aid of the Kirin Tor, we must do everything we can to see it dead.

There's no telling what kind of damage such a powerful creature could do if left to its own devices." Oh, I think I can imagine it just fine… A lull grew in the conversation as both Hadix and Krivax both found themselves considering the severity of the situation, until the silence was suddenly broken when Hadix decided to address the elephant in the room, "Are truly you not going to ask, brat?"

"Do you truly want me to ask, Vizier Hadix?" asked Krivax, studying his mentor's expression. Vizier Hadix had not tried to hide that he had personally used the Void during his investigation at Deathwing's manor. Even if he wanted to, Hadix had already taught Krivax how to sense the Void well enough that he could faintly sense it in his mentor. Krivax had not made a big deal about it due to Hadix's injuries, but it wasn't exactly something that they could avoid talking about forever.

"I thought that I had properly explained to you how dangerous the Void was. You should have demanded an explanation from me the moment that I told you." Well, alright then… Since Hadix seemed to want to talk about it now, Krivax decided that it would be best to just address the matter directly, "Why do you know how to use the Void? Does the Order know that you can use it?"

"Of course they do," said Hadix, scoffing.

"They're the ones who rescued me from the insane fool that taught me how to use it in the first place."

"Who taught you?" Krivax asked curiously. Hadix assessed him for several moments before responding, "This is not normally information that I would share, but I believe it is a story that you need to hear. The Void's influence in the Eastern Kingdoms is far more powerful than I imagined, and you need to understand how subtle and corruptive it can be."

"I understand, Vizier," Krivax said solemnly. Hadix nodded at him before he began telling his story in a voice that was too neutral to not be forced, "Much like you, I was recognized to be exceptionally talented at learning magic, and managed to catch the attention of a powerful Vizier who wished to take me on as an apprentice. His name was Elder Yel'rin, and he was the leader of the Lost Knowledge Research Division, and he was one of the most knowledgeable and influential Viziers in the capital."

As he spoke about his old mentor, Krivax felt like he could hear a bit of melancholy creep into Hadix's voice.

"Elder Yel'rin was a Vizier who was extremely dedicated to the acquisition and spreading of knowledge. Where many Viziers might have chosen to hoard their knowledge, Elder Yel'rin did not hesitate to teach me everything that he knew," said Hadix, his gaze distant as he recalled old memories.

"Without him, I can confidently say that I would not have grown to become half the mage that I did. He freely taught me magic that most mages had never even heard of. I grew to admire him more than any other Vizier in the kingdom." Despite his words, Krivax couldn't see anything resembling admiration in the Vizier's expression. He already had a good idea about where this story was headed.

"One day, Elder Yel'rin informed me that the Lost Knowledge Research Division had unearthed a network of ancient tunnels that predated the Sundering. He said that he was excited to teach me a new form of magic that he had discovered while studying artifacts that were discovered inside, and that he needed my help to learn more about it."

"Why didn't the Order stop him?" asked Krivax.

"I'm sure they must have known that tunnels from before the Sundering would be dangerous." Hadix shook his head, more somber than Krivax had ever seen him, "The Order naturally monitors such old tunnels and the artifacts that come from them, but Elder Yel'rin was extremely influential at that time. It was not difficult for him to secretly acquire what he needed without anyone knowing. The Order did not realize what was happening until long after the first sacrifices."

"Sacrifices?!"

"Yes. Artifacts were not the only thing that Elder Yel'rin found in those tunnels. At the lowest part of those tunnels was some kind of… creature. Even so many centuries later, I still do not know how to describe it," said Hadix.

"It felt as if it had been birthed from the Void itself. Until just a week ago, I had never again felt anything so utterly malevolent." Krivax shuddered at the description. It was likely that Hadix was talking about a N'raqi, or faceless ones, a race of eldritch creatures that had been created by the Old Gods.

"Whatever it was, it offered knowledge to Elder Yel'rin in exchange for either sacrifices or followers, a task that he was entirely too successful at accomplishing," said Hadix, his voice returning to its forced neutrality.

"I learned how to harness the Void from said knowledge, fractionally at least, but despite my misgivings about using it and the effect it had on me at the time I trusted my teacher above all else. Eventually, the Order learned the truth of what was happening and decided to approach me. I did not believe them, and I foolishly decided to personally confront Elder Yel'rin." Krivax experienced a quick burst of sympathy for Hadix. It was extremely obvious that such a confrontation could not have ended well.

"I learned that not only were the Order's claims true, but the creature had also told Elder Yel'rin how to find more of its kind. I do not wish to share the details, but suffice to say he and I came into conflict and I was the only one to survive." Krivax remained quiet, unsure of what to say.

"After that, the Order recruited me into their ranks, managed to kill the creature, and acquit me of any wrongdoing," said Hadix, his gaze losing the unfocused luster that they had taken on throughout the story and focusing on Krivax.

"I had not used the Void since, locking away its tempting whispers behind centuries of arcane discipline and self-control… until recently. I tell you this because you must understand how capable that Void is at twisting people into monsters. The moment that you sensed it in me, you should have begun keeping your distance." Krivax continued to remain silent as he considered what he had heard.

It was an awful story that exhibited the kind of horrible things that could happen in Azeroth, but he was not actually as naive as Hadix believed. If anything, the story just made him glad that had not been forced to go through anything similar.

"I will take your words to heart," Krivax said earnestly.

"But I genuinely don't believe that you are anything like Elder Yel'rin. That fact that you've been able to resist the Void's temptations for so long is proof enough for me." Vizier Hadix stared at him for several moments before scoffing and leaning back in his hammock, "One day, your soft heart is going to get you into trouble, Krivax. You're entirely too trusting." Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

Despite the rebuking words, Krivax felt like he could hear a faint fondness in his mentor's voice. Oh, Vizier Hadix. If only you knew how wrong you were… Trust was not something that he'd ever had an abundance of. After that, the two of them discussed the Kirin Tor and their ongoing investigation into Daval Prestor for several minutes before Hadix grew tired and Krivax decided to leave the room.

As soon as he left, Krivax was confronted with the figure of Masruk as his friend followed him back to his room"Are you okay?" asked Masruk as soon as they were alone. They both knew that the past few days had not exactly been the easiest on Krivax.

"No, not really," said Krivax, not elaborating further as he slumped over in exhaustion.

"Is it anything that you can talk about?" Krivax wondered how he should respond to that. Should he just say, 'Hey, this world is super terrifying,' or 'I'm scared that I've made everything worse and we're all about to be killed by an insane dragon?' After he realized that he wouldn't be receiving a response, Masruk merely nodded in acceptance, "Even if I'm not as smart as you, I'm not an idiot. I know that you and Vizier Hadix are doing things that you can't tell me about.

Things that are important and weigh on you heavily." That didn't surprise Krivax at all. Masruk had been there on more than one occasion when Krivax was covering for a missing Hadix. Not only that, but Hadix had not been shy about kicking Masruk out of a room whenever he wanted to speak with Krivax about something related to the Void. Yet throughout it all Masruk never argued or complained; he simply did his duty with the same stoicism that he had possessed since they were just hatchlings.

Masruk simply supported him all the while like the true friend he was… and it always made Krivax feel both grateful and guilty to have him in his corner.

"If you cannot tell me more, then I will not ask. I only wish to tell you one thing. If you are ever in danger and need my help, you will have my support." Krivax looked over to Masruk and was immediately able to tell what he was thinking. It was obvious that his friend was worried that Krivax would end up bleeding out on the ground like Hadix without having any way to know the cause. As both a guard and a warrior, this must be something that grated heavily on his instincts.

"Thank you, Masruk. I don't deserve a friend like you," said Krivax, suddenly filled with emotion. Masruk shook his head in denial, "You might not see it, but you've done more to change my life than anyone else, Krivax. If not for you, I'd probably be just another warrior in Kilah'kuk, and would have never gotten the chance to see all that I have. And for that, you have my eternal thanks." Maybe the ignorance would have been better…

"Masruk, I think that—" anything that Krivax was even thinking about saying was cut off as his magical senses felt something suddenly reach out, grab him, and bypass all of his passive defenses as if they did not even exist. The last thing he saw was Masruk's shocked expression and outstretched hand before he vanished in a flash of light. The mood in the Chamber of Air was grim as the Council of Six listened to the report being made by Archmage Runeweaver on the ongoing investigation into 'Lord Daval Prestor.'

Ever since Vizier Hadix had been grievously injured while attempting to investigate the noble's manor, the Council had been taking the matter far more seriously. Most of them recognized the Vizier as someone who likely held the skill of an Archmage, so the fact that he had been injured was no small matter. They were all extremely fortunate that they had been successful in keeping the affair under wraps and that it had not escalated into a diplomatic incident.

Krasus found his thoughts wandering to the events that brought them here. He had been at his home while having a conversation with Lord Malygos through a scrying spell about their efforts to locate the Dragon Soul when he suddenly received a summons from the Council of Six. Once they all gathered, Krasus quickly learned that Vizier Hadix had been severely injured during his investigation, teleported to his student's room in Capital City while missing several limbs, and immediately passed out on the floor.

Apparently, Krivax decided to ask Archmage Runeweaver to assist him in discreetly transporting the injured Vizier to the nerubian enclave in Dalaran and keeping the matter quiet. Runeweaver immediately agreed to help and then used his authority as a member of the Council of Six to teleport Vizier Hadix through the city's wards and brought him to the enclave.

There had been a bit of discussion on whether or not Hadix should be sent to En'kilah to receive medical attention or if the nerubians would send a Queen to the city's enclave, but they eventually settled on the latter option. To think that the nerubian Queens could even regrow limbs with their magic… Although it would take a significant amount of time for Vizier Hadix to regain his limbs, it didn't take long for him to wake up after receiving medical treatment.

It was only then that Archmage Runeweaver learned the full story and then called for an emergency meeting of the Council of Six. On that day, Krasus became as certain as he could reasonably be that Daval Prestor was Deathwing. The Council of Six decided to make their investigation into Prestor their top priority, and Krasus immediately reported the news to the Aspects.

It took some time, but the Aspects had eventually agreed on a plan for how they intended to deal with Deathwing, one that filled Krasus with a strange mix of anticipation and uneasiness. Between the two groups, his recent days had been filled with many extremely important meetings, such as the one he was currently attending. Despite their busy schedules, the Council of Six had decided to meet within the Chamber of Air rather than holding the meeting over a scrying spell.

"As a result of our investigations, I believe we can determine that Lord Daval Prestor is very likely to be a powerful wielder of magic," said Archmage Runeweaver, pulling Krasus' attention back to the present.

"How so, Archmage Runeweaver?" asked Prince Kael'thas, leaning forward in his seat.

"I believe it is reasonable to reach this conclusion, simply on the fact that any attempt to study him through magic has failed to reveal anything," said Archmage Runeweaver. House Prestor was ostensibly a small family of no significant renown, so there was really no reasonable explanation for why they could not scry Lord Prestor.

"While it is true that he could possess some kind of powerful anti-divination artifact, even that would be extremely suspicious."

"Even if it's unlikely, it's still a possibility," said Archmage Modera, although she sounded as if she didn't believe it herself. None of Krasus' colleagues were taking the news of this matter very well. If Daval Prestor was truly a powerful magic user, then that lent credibility to the rest of the claims made by Vizier Krivax. If there was an organization that had used magic to prevent Stormwind from receiving aid against the Horde, then the Kirin Tor had failed in their duties in a catastrophic fashion.

The kingdoms had always trusted Dalaran to protect them from rogue wizards, but it was looking more likely that their trust had been misplaced. As far as Krasus knew, Archmage Modera in particular had once had family in Stormwind.

"The wards on Prestor Manor are as powerful as Vizier Hadix has claimed," Antonidas said grimly.

"Despite my best efforts, I was unable to see past the outer-most layer. Even if Lord Prestor might possess some manner of artifact protecting him from magical observation, the wards on his manor are enough evidence that he is at least affiliated with an extremely powerful mage." The rest of the Council grew silent at the Grand Magus' words. If the Grand Magus was referring to a mage as 'extremely powerful,' then it was clear to everyone gathered that they had stumbled onto something big.

If only they knew what they were up against. Although… I suppose they won't remain ignorant for much longer.

"How are we going to handle this?" asked Kel'thuzad. He always was one to prefer action over words.

"Lord Prestor must be confronted. We cannot afford to ignore such a dangerous enemy in our midst while we are at war," Krasus said truthfully. As far as he was concerned, Deathwing was by far a more significant threat than the Horde, and the Council of Six would need to help in dealing with him.

"It's not easy to form a strategy against an enemy with unknown capabilities," said Prince Kael'thas.

"We do not have the time to conduct a full investigation," Antonidas said firmly. It went without saying that such an investigation would risk any one of them being grievously wounded or killed, if Vizier Hadix was an example.

"No matter how powerful this Lord Prestor might be, I sincerely doubt that he could stand up to the might of multiple Archmages." Krasus looked around and saw that everyone seemed to be in agreement with the Grand Magus. All of them were extremely powerful individuals, so it was difficult for the Archmages to believe that there could be a threat that they could not handle.

"You would be mistaken, mortal." Just as the Council was about to begin discussing some kind of plan to attack Prestor, they were suddenly interrupted by an unfamiliar voice. Dramatic as always… Krasus watched in exasperation as a portal opened in the center of the Chamber of Air. He must have greatly underestimated how tense the war had made his colleagues because more than half of them were already throwing spells the moment an elf-shaped figure walked through the portal.

Archmage Modera summoned a half dozen water elementals throughout the chamber, Runeweaver instantly created a swirling firestorm around the intruder, and Kel'thuzad attempted to activate the chamber's defensive wards. If they understood who they were facing, then they would have known that attempting to harm Lord Malygos with magic was far beyond the abilities of any mortal, no matter how skilled and accomplished.

With a wave of his hand, the Aspect of Magic simultaneously counter-spelled each of the Archmages' spells. The elementals disappeared as quickly as they had appeared, the firestorm fizzled out of existence while leaving behind nothing but smoke, and Kel'thuzad suffered a magical backlash as his connection to the wards was severed. While that alone was enough to raise the perceived threat of Lord Malygos among the Council, Krasus knew that the Aspect could have done much worse.

The smoke left behind by Runeweaver's firestorm quickly began to clear and the mortals were able to get their first look at Lord Malygos' mortal form. Like many of the Aspects, his preferred mortal guise possessed distinct features that made it obvious that he was more than he seemed.

Lord Malygos took the form of a regal blue-haired high elf with brightly glowing eyes and spikes of ice protruding in a neat row along the sides of his jaw as well as a row of horns that started at his forehead and disappeared into his hair. Krasus recalled that in the past Lord Malygos' mortal form looked more like a normal highborne, but had since changed it. Most likely due to… his dislike of them after the War of the Ancients.

"Who are you, intruder? How did you pass through the chamber's wards?" asked Antonidas, gripping his staff as oppressive waves of magic emanated from his body.

"Be honored, mortals. You are the first of your kind to stand in my presence in ten millennia," said Lord Malygos, stepping further into the chamber and closing the portal behind him.

"I am Malygos, Aspect of Magic and leader of the Blue Dragonflight." Krasus held mixed feelings as he studied the reactions of his colleagues. A part of him had always felt a little guilty over hiding his true nature from the people who he otherwise trusted. It felt a bit surreal that the Aspects had decided to involve themselves directly with the mortals, but they had reluctantly decided that this would be the best course of action.

Combined with the evidence brought forward by Stormwind and Azjol-Nerub, Vizier Hadix's injury was enough to convince the Aspects that Daval Prestor was almost certainly the mortal guise of Deathwing. From there, they had immediately begun arguing about what they should do with this information. As long as Deathwing still had possession of the Dragon Soul, attacking him head-on would be a foolish endeavor.

In order for the Aspects to be able to confront Deathwing, the Dragon Soul would need to be located and retrieved by mortal hands. Otherwise, there would be an unacceptable risk that one of Deathwing's mortal servants would use it to take control of the other Aspects. If that were to happen, then there would be no one in Azeroth who could even hope to stand against the corrupted Aspect. The only problem was that they did not know with certainty where the Dragon Soul actually was.

However, they did have a decent idea. Deathwing would by necessity need to keep the Dragon Soul in a well-guarded location that he could easily access. It would be useless if some mortal was to sneak off with it, or if it was too far away for Deathwing to actually use if he was ambushed. With that in mind, the Dragonflights had mobilized all of their mortal servants and were searching every location that they could think of.

With Lady Ysera searching through mortal dreams for anyone who had seen the Dragon Soul and Lord Malygos using his arcane knowledge to search as well, Krasus had no doubt that they would eventually find it.

"You claim to be a dragon?" Prince Kael'thas asked in surprise. Out of all the mortal races in the Eastern Kingdoms, his kind were the ones who knew the most about dragons.

"Did you not hear what I said, elf? I am far more than just a dragon," Lord Malygos said with an annoyed expression before calming down a moment later.

"Although I suppose I should not blame you mortals for not understanding the significance of my titles. Your ignorance is not truly your fault." Krasus barely held back a weary sigh. He really wished that Lord Malygos had not insisted on being the one to approach the Council of Six.

"Then please, educate us," Krasus said quickly before the conversation could devolve any further. He could already see most of the Council was growing increasingly offended, aside from Kel'thuzad, who was staring at Lord Malygos as if he wanted to peel him apart and learn his secrets.

"I'm sure we would all like to know why you are here." Lord Malygos huffed disdainfully before returning to the subject at hand, "I've come to inform you all about a force that threatens not only you but all of Azeroth. This would not normally be something that concerns the mortal races, but due to certain circumstances we must work together if any of us wish to survive."

The Council of Six was silent as they processed Lord Malygos' words; while they were skeptical, they had all seen his power firsthand and could not casually dismiss him. Even now the Aspect of Magic radiated more power than any of them had ever sensed in their life.

"What threat are you referring to?" Antonidas asked after a moment of silence.

"Why does it threaten all of Azeroth, and why would someone as powerful as you need our aid?"

"Good questions, but I am not fond of repeating myself," said Lord Malygos.

"This matter needs to be known by the nerubians as well. We shall continue after I summon one of their representatives." Krasus could tell that the Archmages were surprised, and he couldn't help but sympathize. He didn't trust the nerubians anywhere near as much as he did his colleagues, especially when they were his prime suspects for who sent the anonymous letter.

The only reason that Lord Malygos was insisting on their inclusion was that they needed as many powerful individuals as possible to help secure the Dragon Soul, and Azjol-Nerub was a very powerful nation. It also helped that Lord Nozdormu had pushed for this course of action, and when the Master of Time decided to actually give advice about the future, it was wise to listen. Before anyone could object, Lord Malygos casually waved his hand and Vizier Krivax appeared next to him in a flash of bright violet light.

Krasus was not an expert in nerubian body language, but the way that the Vizier was frantically looking around made it clear that he was utterly bewildered. Well, that and the first thing that came out of his mouth…

"What the hell?!"