Chapter 68

Chapter 68

You know, this place isnt as bad as I expected, said Krivax as he watched a herd of kodo grazing in the savannah of the Barrens. The combat capable members of their diplomatic expedition had joined him on his journey outside of night elf territory and were now taking a short break near a small oasis to recuperate. I was sort of expecting something similar to the Badlands near Uldaman, but this place is actually rather beautiful.

Oh, really? Trixie said teasingly as she did some maintenance on her mechanostrider. She was the only person in their group who had managed to bring along their own personal mount, since the non-organic creation could be placed inside a specially created spatial bag. How beautiful is it compared to the forests of the night elves?

Krivax glared at Trixie with exasperation. He didnt need to turn around to know that Sentinel Velinde Starsong was listening to him closely. Moments like these made Krivax wish that Cenarius hadnt somehow given the leader of his Sentinel escort the ability to understand foreign languages.

The night elf forests are of course the most beautiful that Ive seen on Kalimdor, Krivax said with only slight embellishment before glancing up to watch Swiftwing chase one the local birds. But its always worth appreciating nature in all of its forms.

Krivax could sense Sentinel Starsong turn away from him before sending a few of her subordinates to scout their surroundings atop their sabercats, while Trixie snickered to herself. Although his words werent a lie, Krivax had been more than a little happy after he finally left night elf territory. Once the novelty of his visit had worn off, Krivax found that he wasnt enjoying his time among the kaldorei all that much. They hadnt grown any more friendly during his stay, and they were rather poor hosts.

Krivax still had to be polite, since he was a diplomat and the night elves were both very strong and very deadly if provoked. Honestly, he would rather be back in Dalaran at this point. Trixie had somehow picked up on Krivaxs discomfort and hadnt missed the opportunity to poke fun at him.

Of course, youre definitely having the time of your life, said Trixie, her voice tinged with amusement. The gnome peeked out the side of her mechanostrider toward their night elf escort before continuing, Im still surprised that you decided to stay here after we opened that portal given how much youre enjoying yourself.

Well, I did promise to help with the tauren situation, Krivax said after a moment. Besides, Im probably more needed here than on Northrend, despite the circumstances. I probably wont stay for much longer once Ive done everything I need to on Kalimdor.

The night elves had set up a heavily guarded location on the very edge of their territory and allowed Azjol-Nerub to open up a portal connected to Northrend. Krivax was no expert in spatial magic, but he had learned enough to open the portal with a little help from an artifact provided by Azjol-Nerub.

The representatives from the Eastern Kingdoms who had no business with the night elves other than visiting their lands or establishing superficial relations had already returned to the Eastern Kingdoms. No sooner had the portal opened than a messenger from Azjol-Nerub came through to inform him that Malygos had suddenly teleported the draenei and their spaceship to Northrend without telling anyone.

The High King was obviously very concerned about having a civilization, with technology more advanced than any other faction on Azeroth aside from the titan-forged, dumped on their doorstep. They obviously werent currently a serious competitor to Azjol-Nerub with their meager numbers, but Azjol-Nerub was a nation that considered things in the long term.

The High King and his council recognized that there was little they could do to prevent Malygos from doing whatever he wanted, but they wanted Krivax to try getting some concessions out of him anyway. They also needed to open up diplomatic relations with the draenei.

Krivax knew from his metaknowledge that the draenei were abnormally benevolent and friendly despite their history of hardship, so he felt comfortable leaving that to his subordinates. Anubrekhan would also be going, because he had apparently sensed their presence in the Light when they arrived on Northrend.

As for Malygos Krivax would have to speak to him later, although he doubted much would come of it.

That makes sense I guess, Trixie said with a shrug. Though Ill probably be staying here a lot longer than you. A bunch of uppity elves arent going to stop me from exploring a whole new continent!

I look forward to reading about your discoveries, Krivax said genuinely happy that Trixie was enjoying this trip more than he was. Still, exploring Kalimdor is going to be pretty dangerous. The centaurs are pretty dangerous from what Ive been told.

Bah! Itll be fine, said Trixie, waving her wrench dismissively. Well save the tauren no problem, and then theyll help us explore this place.

That easy? Krivax asked, amused at her conviction.

Definitely! Rhonin, Vereesa, and Falstad seem pretty competent. Plus youve got me, Trixie said with easy confidence and a cheeky grin. Besides, arent you supposed to be really powerful after being blessed by some super dragon? Thisll be easier than reversing the polarity on a trans-thaumaturgical oscillator!

Krivax chuckled warmly. Im sure youre right, Trixie. Weve got this.

Trixie seemed to be in a good mood, so he didnt bring up the fact that the centaur would likely continue being a problem long into the future. Krivax was not delusional enough to believe that he could somehow convince them to stop being genocidal lunatics through the power of his natural charisma.

The two of them continued chatting for the next fifteen minutes as the rest of the group ate from their supply of rations and filled up on water from the oasis. They had prepared more than enough supplies to last their entire journey, but there was no sense in being wasteful. Krivaxs personal guard took turns patrolling for any danger and keeping the wildlife away from their temporary camp.

Azeroth was a world where wildlife could become extremely dangerous. No one wanted a surprise visit from a herd of territorial thunder lizards.

Just as they were finishing up their short break, Krivax sensed one of Sentinel Starsongs scouts rushing back to camp to report to their leader. Although the scout spoke too quickly in her native language for Krivax to fully understand, he was not surprised when Sentinel Starsong approached him with a grim expression.

Something wrong? Krivax called out to Starsong, grabbing the attention of the rest of the group.

My scout reports seeing signs of combat to the southwest, Sentinel Starsong reported, the translation magic converting her words to strangely accented Common. Tracks indicate that ten to twenty tauren are being pursued by a significantly larger force of centaur.

Krivax hummed thoughtfully at the news. It was surprising that they had already run into tauren refugees after less than two days of travel. If the centaur had truly pushed the tauren this far east already, then things must be worse than he had expected. Knowing that there were lives in danger, Krivax turned quickly to Falstad and asked for his assistance. Can you and Swiftwing scout ahead to get a handle on the situation? The two of you have the best chance of finding them quickly.

Aye, sure thing, said Falstad, already whistling to call the griffin down from the air. Well find those bastards real quick and show em what a real fight looks like!

With that, Falstad and Swiftwing took to the skies, the griffin's powerful wings casting a brief shadow over the camp as they headed toward the reported signs of conflict. Krivax watched them go before addressing Sentinel Starsong. We should follow them as a group as swiftly as possible. I dont want to be too far to help once Falstad finds the tauren.

Sentinel Starsong simply nodded in understanding before turning to give orders to the rest of her sentinels. Krivax didnt need to give any orders to his personal guard, as they were already packing up the camp and making preparations for a fight.

Vizier Krivax, how sure are you that we can handle this without sustaining significant casualties? Vereesa asked solemnly once they started moving. She and Rhonin were both mounted atop extra sabercats that had been reluctantly brought along by the night elves. Ive not fought the centaur before, but it is obvious that the flat terrain of these lands is perfect for creatures with the lower body of a horse. It sounds that we will be significantly outnumbered as well.

Indeed, Ive no doubt that we would win, but I would not see our expedition die if it could be avoided, said Rhonin, quickly agreeing with his wife.

Krivax nodded in understanding. Their worries were completely reasonable, even if he didnt really share them. The simple truth of the matter was that Krivax had become powerful enough that a few dozen centaur wouldnt really be a threat so long as there were no exceptionally powerful individuals among them.

Krivax said as much to Rhonin and Vereesa. They seemed somewhat skeptical of his claims, which made sense to him given that he probably didnt act like how most powerful individuals on Azeroth presented themselves.

Even if someone gets hurt, I shouldnt have any problem healing anything short of death, Krivax said in what he hoped was a reassuring voice. I really dont think we have anything to fear.

Krivax might one day be able to even resurrect the dead, but the Red Dragonflight was not very enthusiastic about teaching him that kind of magic. Plus, there were many limitations on true resurrections, including the recency of their death, the strength of their souls, and many other factors.

Im glad to hear that, Vereesa said, her shoulders slumping in relief. Having a capable healer will make a significant difference. Ive seen battles that would otherwise be impossible to win become trivial thanks to the presence of a powerful healer.

Rhonin said nothing, but seemed similarly relieved. For the next hour, they traveled relatively quickly while using scrying magic to keep track of Falstad and Swiftwing. It didnt take them long to see the signs of conflict that the scouts had noticed, but the centaur and the tauren had already moved on a long time ago.

Eventually, Falstad flew back to the group, his face etched with grim determination.

Found em, he announced as Swiftwing landed with a thud. The tauren are up ahead and are runnin from the centaur, but they look like civilians. Theyre not gonna hold out much longer.

Krivax felt his stomach clench at the news. Thank you, Falstad. How many centaurs are there?

About three dozen, Id say, Falstad answered after a moment of thought. Bunch of bloody cowards, attacking folks who cant defend themselves. Id have intervened myself, but there were too many of the bastards.

Krivax could tell that everyone was itching for a fight. Nobody was interested in standing back while innocent people were being senselessly killed. Lead the way to the centaur, Falstad. Well follow behind in formation.

Falstad nodded and Krivax didnt hesitate to sprint ahead at top speed. With his massive size along with his physical enhancements, he was easily able to match the speed of the rest of the group's mounts, and it wasnt long before Krivax could hear sounds of violence. As they neared the scene of the conflict, the telltale signs of battle became increasingly apparent. The ground was churned up, the air stank with the scent of blood, and broken weapons and corpses littered the ground.

The tauren must have had at least a few warriors with them at first, because Krivax could see several dead centaur laying in the dirt as well. As they crested over a hill, Krivax managed to get his first sight of the tauren and felt his heart drop when he realized that he was too late. The vast majority of the tauren had already been slain, and all that were left were a handful of survivors who were being sadistically toyed with by the centaur.

Krivax had always considered himself a relatively even-tempered person, and had grown even more so during his time as a diplomat. He could deal with people speaking to him rudely, empathize with people who were truly unpleasant, and calmly handle people threatening to kill him.

However, the sight before him was one that pushed Krivaxs temper beyond its limits. The remaining tauren were visibly injured and cowering against a pack of laughing centaur. The scene filled him with rage.

Krivax distantly heard someone calling his name, but his mind was already fully focused on the centaur as he charged forward with violent intent. The centaur were quick to notice the fourteen-foot-tall nerubian charging at them, and only hesitated a moment before they roared in challenge and countercharged at him in return.

The Sentinels entered the battle by planting arrows directly into the skulls of a half-dozen centaur with pinpoint accuracy, and Swiftwing landed near the few remaining tauren to offer them protection. However, Krivax was completely focused on the centaur, who continued to mindlessly stampede toward the largest threat they could see with spears raised high. A few of them attempted to shoot him with arrows, but the shield created by his enhanced bracelet was more than strong enough to deflect such weak attacks.

Continuing to ignore the arrows, Krivax waited until he was close enough to the centaur before casting the spell he had been preparing from the moment he began his charge. In a blink of an eye, Krivax vanished from sight, only to materialize a moment later amid the surprised group of centaur.

What in the name of the Sunwell Vereesa trailed off, her eyes widening.

By Elune said Sentinel Starsong, her normal composure leaving her.

The silk golems body was absolutely massive, having been designed so that someone as large as Krivax could hide behind it. The threads that made up its bodies danced around each other, casting curious pulsating shadows under the sunlight. The silk that made up its body was the strongest that Azjol-Nerub could make, and cost more than the yearly budgets of some minor Divisions.

Its silk was strong enough that it could even withstand the blows of Anubrekhan without use of the Light, and was resistant enough to magic that Hadix had difficulty harming it without his most powerful spells. The golem was even powered by a massive mana crystal that Azjol-Nerub had harvested from the Crystalsong Forest at great expense. If not for the unique properties of Krivaxs Life magic, it would be far too powerful a creation for someone like him to animate and control.

That's Thats certainly something, Rhonin muttered, at a loss for words.

Krivax felt a hint of smugness and wanted to enjoy their reactions a bit longer, but he knew that he couldnt wait. The centaur had obviously spotted them by now and were yelling wildly in their direction. With a mental command, Krivax sent the silk golem forward as he followed closely behind it. They moved at a speed faster than most humans could achieve, but still far slower than a centaur.

It wasnt long before the centaur reacted to the approaching threat, releasing a volley of arrows and bolts of lightning sent by their magic users. Many of the arrows were enhanced by primitive air magic, but it didnt matter. Their attacks were about as effective as pebbles being thrown at a mountain, doing nothing to slow the silk golem's advance.

A few of the centaur, braver or stupider than the rest, attempted to attack the golem at close range with their axes and spears. They quickly learned better when the golem caught them, its four arms deceptively fast and stretching beyond what should be physically possible. The centaur warriors were swiftly crushed within the golems grasp before being discarded aside like rag dolls.

Vereesa and the Sentinels fired back a volley of arrows at the centaurs, killing many of them with unnatural precision.

Jeesh, you really dont play around, huh? Trixie muttered as she followed Krivax safely behind the golem. Any plans to leave some fun for the rest of us?

Krivax huffed in amusement. This world is far too dangerous to play fair, Trixie. I intend to always do everything I can to stack the odds in my favor.

As if to prove his point, Krivax heard a deafening roar of challenge come from the centaur. One individual stepped forward out of the crowd, significantly larger than the others and equipped with a massive two-headed spear that glowed with powerful elemental magic.

That must be their leader

The large centaur charged at them, seemingly unafraid despite what happened to the last few of their kind. As the golem grabbed for it, the centaur leader jumped aside and dodged it with surprising grace and swung at its arm. Krivax was mildly surprised to see the spear cut through several layers of silk, and wondered at the origins of such a powerful weapon.

The centaur struggled to pull its spear out of the sticky strands that made up the golem, but managed to do so after a brief stuggle. Unfortunately for them, it was already far too late. The centaur leader was quick enough to leap away from the spike of earth that rose beneath its hooves, but they didnt manage to dodge the golem as it lunged for them.

That didnt take very long, Krivax commented mildly as the centaurs corpse hit the ground after being cut down into several pieces by the sharp silk threads. He heard the rest of the centaur cry out in surprise and anger at their leaders defeat. If you have anything that you want to throw at them, now is the time. The sooner we send them running, the sooner I can get to healing the injured tauren.

Krivax emphasized his point by launching spears of ice into the centaur lines.

Right! Cant let you have all the glory, can I? Trixie yelled in agreement, smiling widely. The gnome pulled a small device from her back that resembled a strange gun with a large circular barrel. Say hello to Trixies Personalized Lightning Bomb!

Krivax watched as the small gnome pulled the trigger and launched a small spherical object that landed amongst the centaur before exploding in a brilliant flash. Several of the centaur instantly collapsed as streaks of lightning criss-crossed through their ranks.

That seemed to serve as a signal, as everyone unleashed everything they had against the centaur. Rhonin continued to launch powerful missiles of arcane magic while the archers unfailingly hit their targets. Falstad was forced to act cautiously due to the heavy presence of ranged threats, but he and Swiftwing didnt hesitate to pick off any centaur that strayed from the group.

The centaur attempted to fight back even after the death of their leader, but their attacks continued to be ineffective against Krivaxs golem and they were steadily driven away from the tauren. Eventually, they must have finally understood the futility of their current strategy because one of them blew on a large horn and signaled for them to retreat.

Once the order was given, the centaur didnt hesitate to turn around and charge away from the battlefield, leaving behind the corpses of their fallen comrades. When he was certain that they were gone, Krivax began making his way over to the tauren encampment.

He was pleased to see that his personal guard had successfully escorted Hestal and his group back to the tauren sometime during the battle. As he approached, a sizable old male tauren with an equally sizable totem harness strapped along his back stepped forward. The tauren also carried a large halberd as he spoke in a rumbling voice.

Welcome, stranger. Hestal has informed me of what you did for him and the others, and I have seen the proof of his words with my own eyes. You must truly have been sent by the Earth Mother. I am Cairne Bloodhoof, Chieftain of the Bloodhoof tribe and High Chieftain of the Shuhalo.

Wow, that was fast, Krviax couldnt help but think.

Its an honor to meet you, High Chieftain. I am Vizier Krivax of Azjol-Nerub, Krivax said with sincerity. Cairne was one of his favorite characters in Warcraft and meeting him in real life was a great experience. However, he unfortunately had more important things to worry about. I dont mean to be rude, but I believe we should cut these introductions short. Im sure that you have many among your people who are injured. I am a powerful healer, so it would be best if Im brought to them quickly. I swear to you that I mean no harm.

Cairne immediately nodded in eager agreement. Your intentions have been made clear by your actions, outsider. I am more than willing to bring you to those who are critically injured if you are able to save their lives. We have lost far too many shamans and spirit walkers in recent times, so they are in desperate need of assistance.

With initial greetings over faster and smoother than Krivax expected, Cairne turned around and began leading him into the tauren encampment. As he made his way through the crowd, Krivax saw that many of the tauren looked up at him with awe filled expressions. Although, there were also many who were openly grieving over those who they had lost in the attack.

It reminded Krivax too much of the Second War.

But unlike back then I now have the power to help put a stop to this

Tichondrius watched idly as the enormous undead creature that now served as their mobile base lashed out against the tentacled beast tainted by the Old Gods, a kraken he believed it was called.

Azshara had been quick to send her servants once the Lich King began slaughtering isolated settlements of naga, but it seemed that she had not yet fully understood the scope of their power. Otherwise, she would have sent a far more sizable force against them.

The kraken died instantly as a portion of its head was destroyed by the giant undead turtles jaws. Before the rest of the naga could understand what was happening, the kraken had already been reanimated and was crushing them with its mighty tentacles. It wasnt long after that the attacking naga were all dead and joined the rest of the Lich Kings growing army by swimming alongside their fortress.

They had already gathered a sizable force, killing any useful sea creature they came across and raising them into undeath. That kraken was far from the first, along with several whale sharks, sea giants, and an assortment of other powerful sea creatures. Azeroths seas had a delightful assortment of underwater monstrosities for them to choose from.

Turning away from the now concluded fight, Tichondrius made his way back toward the structure he and his fellow nathrezim had claimed as their dwelling. The Temple of Five Dawns was a somewhat impressive structure given that it had been constructed by primitives. The large pagoda was now inundated with Death magic, its formerly bright colors gradually growing dark as necrotic energy twisted it into darker hues. Bones and skulls had been fused into the wood and stone creating a sinister atmosphere, while the stone floors had been replaced by dead coral alongside the ever-present blight.

Tichondrius found himself enjoying the sight of the defiled temple, and decided that the Scourge would build its future structures in a similar image.

Soon after he entered the building, Tichondrius was greeted by the voice of MalGanis. We shall not last long in the open seas if we continue to attack Azshara so brazenly. It is only a matter of time before she sends a force that we cannot withstand.

That is already quite clear to me, Tichondrius scoffed. As if he needed someone else to explain something so plainly obvious. This is merely to grow our initial forces. Azshara has always been an opportunist. So long as we do not threaten any of her vital interests and begin causing chaos elsewhere on Azeroth, she will be content to ignore us and take advantage of any opportunity she can find.

Then what is our next step? MalGanis asked somewhat impatiently. The three brothers have finished creating the concealment magic connected to this creatures bound soul, but it will not hide us forever. Our enemies are clever and powerful in equal measure, after all.

Tichondrius hummed in agreement. The vast depths of Azeroths seas and the strength of their concealment magic would prevent that vast majority of enemy forces from finding them, but that was not a perfect solution. The Aspect of Magic would no doubt be able to find them eventually, and then he would bring the rest of those cursed dragons. Fortunately, Tichondrius had already formed several plans to secure them the time that they needed.

They had even been gifted an unexpected boon when they examined the memories of the so-called pandaren.

The mists surrounding Pandaria are powerful enough that even Lord Kiljaeden was unable to see through them, said Tichondrius, faintly impressed that the mortals had accomplished such a feat. It will take even Malygos a significant amount of effort to pierce through them, while we can enter and exit at our leisure. We will begin our conquest there.

Tichondrius had experienced Malygos intelligence firsthand during the War of the Ancients. He had no doubt that the Aspect would realize where they had gone once the surviving mortals spread news of the Lich King. The troublesome dragon had always been one to take any advantage that he could sink his claws into, and would be a dangerous enemy.

However, Tichondrius had every intention of delaying such a confrontation for as long as possible.

Call for the brothers. I have assignments for them, Tichondrius ordered. The three of them were currently creating an array of wards around Guldan, both to defend the Lich King and monitor any magic coming from him.

Someone as power hungry as Guldan would inevitably attempt to betray them once he thought he could get away with it. Tichondrius grinned at the thought of torturing the Lich King after he predictably turned on them after they passed the Mists and out of Kiljaedens sights

A hint of annoyance passed through MalGanis eyes at being relegated to a messenger, but he soon left regardless. Varimathras, Balnazzar, and Detheroc arrived soon after, emerging from the shadows of the temple. The three of them should have no difficulty creating the necessary distractions that Tichondrius had in mind, although he expected it would take some time.

Ive already informed you before we arrived that you will be sent to cause chaos across Azeroth, Tichondrius began, his gaze steady on the trio. Weakening the mortal forces of this world is essential to ensuring our success. As such, two of you will be assigned to different continents to discover the best way to do so. Azeroth has always been a world separated by political divisions, so this should not be a difficult task. Varimathras will travel to Northrend, while Balnazzar will be sent to the Eastern Kingdoms.

They hid it well, but Tichondrius could see the hint of confusion that passed through his fellow nathrezim at the obvious exclusion.

And what of Kalimdor? Detheroc was the first to ask.

Tichondrius smiled wickedly at the question. Lord Kiljaeden provided me with something that will thoroughly distract those cursed kaldorei. Something quite fascinating that he found on Draeno