Chapter 72

Chapter 72

Krivax carefully studied the face of his opponents, searching for any sign of weakness.

The room was tense as everyone waited for him to make a move. Krivax knew that if he could sweat through his carapace, then there would be a puddle forming beneath him by now. Summoning his courage, he took a deep breath and decided to take a risk.

Raise, Krivax stated calmly as he pushed the makeshift poker chips across the table.

The evil little gnome in front of him let out a devilish smirk as she looked at her own cards. It had only been a few days since Krivax had taught his traveling companions the rules of poker using a deck of cards that he had commissioned in Dalaran. Card games were not a foreign concept in the Eastern Kingdoms and seemed to be especially popular in Gnomeregan according to Trixie.

Given that she had taken to it like a fish to water, Krivax definitely believed her.

This games getting a wee bit too costly for my liking. Im out, Falstad grumbled, flinging his cards onto the table with a huff.

Vereesa tapped her fingers rhythmically on the table for several moments before letting out a sigh and sliding her cards into the discard pile. Im out. I dont like the look in Krivaxs eyes.

Rhonin followed the lead of his wife, calmly discarding his cards as well.

Krivax felt a nervous anticipation as he stared down Trixie. He had an amazing hand and wasnt bluffing at all. He hoped that the mischievous smile on Trixies face meant that she underestimated his hand and would bet more chips.

I fold, big guy, Trixie finally announced, flipping her cards face down onto the table. You look like you have a strong hand.

A sigh of disappointment escaped Krivax as he collected his winnings, turning his cards over to reveal that he had four queens. The cards were ornately designed, each of them displaying the regal figures of various Queens from the Eastern Kingdoms.

Trixies eyebrows shot up in surprise, but she didnt lose her grin. I was right to fold, then. But dont you get too comfortable!

Trixie quickly proved that she was right to be confident in the next round. Krivax had a decent hand and thought that Trixie was bluffing when she raised the bet. He ended up losing twice what he just won, when the tiny gnome revealed that she had a straight.

As his heart fell, Falstads booming laughter was the first sound that Krivax heard. Ah ha ha! Seems like the lass has got your number, Krivax!

She does seem to have a talent for this, Rhonin said as he chuckled in amusement.

How do you keep doing this?! Krivax exclaimed, no longer able to hold himself back. Everytime I try to bluff, you see right through me, and every time I get a decent hand, you somehow have a better one! Do those goggles of yours allow you to see through the backs of my cards or something?

Trixie threw her head back and laughed, the sound high and clear. Nah, Krivax. I dont need any fancy tech for that. Im just good at reading you. I can practically see the gears turning in your head!

Reading me? Im a giant spider person! How could you possibly read me? Krivax protested, completely baffled by the gnomes statement.

Oh, youre right. I cant read your face or anything like that, Trixie explained as she pulled the chips toward her. Youre just really cautious and predictable when you play is all. If youre raising when the stakes are high, then youve probably got a good hand. Youre not a fan of taking risks.

Krivax let out a huff of annoyance. His time as a diplomat had gradually allowed him to become better at lying and seeing through other peoples intentions, but that skill didnt seem to translate to poker.

Fine, whatever, Krivax said mulishly as he dealt the next hand. Just you wait, Trixie. Your winning streak isnt going to last for long.

Their game continued on like that for a while, with Krivax and Trixie taking it most seriously, while Falstad drank some beer that hed paid a gross amount of money to import from Ironforge using Azjol-Nerubs portal network. Vereesa and Rhonin were busy sneaking loving glances at each other in a way that they probably thought was subtle.

It wasnt until Falstad was thoroughly drunk and the two lovers were barely paying any attention to the game that Trixie asked a question in a more serious tone. So, how much longer until we catch sight of whatever threat youre worried about, big guy?

Krivax hummed thoughtfully as he folded for this round and answered the question. Well, it should be anytime now. I warned Cairne and recommended that he send scouting parties a bit farther out, but we havent heard anything yet.

Ugh. I wish itd hurry up and show itself, Trixie grumbled as she distributed the next round of cards.. These tauren are nice and all, but Im ready to move on and see the rest of Kalimdor. Didnt those elves say that there were some cool ruins to the east? We should head on over there.

Im already surprised that youve stayed as long as you have, Krivax admitted, hiding his pleasure as he realized that hed gotten a really good hand. The tauren allowed us to open a portal near their new settlement. Theres not much stopping you from heading back to the Eastern Kingdoms and planning a new expedition later.

Cairne Bloodhoof had shown himself to be far more trusting than any other leader Krivax had met so far. He had prepared a whole list of arguments for the tauren chieftain on why they should allow Azjol-Nerub to create a portal near the newly created Stonebull Village, but that proved unnecessary. Cairne had simply claimed that he trusted Krivaxs judgment and helped him pick out a spot near the closest leyline.

Similar portals agreements with Dalaran, the night elves, and Stormwind had all taken long negotiations, and the portals were heavily guarded to ensure that Azjol-Nerub couldnt easily invade their territories. The tauren, on the other hand, had welcomed them with open arms and were remarkably relaxed about people using the portal.

The High King and his council had been very pleased with this turn of events. The more access points that they had to Kalimdor, the more options were available to Azjol-Nerub, especially if it meant that they didnt need to deal with the night elves. There had been some worry that the kaldorei would attempt to prevent Azjol-Nerub from making any more portals on Kalimdor.

Fortunately, Tyrande and Cenarius had enough shame that they wouldnt tell the tauren what to do on their own land.

Even now, Krivax could sense the presence of a nerubian caravan delivering goods between Stonebull Village and EnKilah.

Eh, I wouldnt be much of an explorer if I left the moment before you guys faced off against some unknown threat, Trixie responded with a nonchalant shrug. Besides, Ive got a feeling that all of this is going to turn into something big.

Krivax couldnt help but pause with worry. He knew that they were likely about to face the schemes of the Burning Legion. So, it would no doubt be something big, but he obviously hadnt shared that particular information with Trixie.

Why do you say that? Krivax asked curiously, carefully studying the gnomes expressions.

Well, I managed to get in contact with my folks back in Gnomeregan after you opened the portal, said Trixie, her eyes somewhat distant. Most gnomish families didnt have access to scrying tools, but High Tinker Mekkatorque allowed Trixies family to use the scrying crystal normally used by Gnomeregans diplomats. They didnt know many details, but they told me that the High Tinker and his advisors have been real tense lately. They have the feeling that somethings about to go down.

Krivax held back a wince. Malygos had only shared information about the Lich King with the leaders of the Alliance. They had managed to keep it silent so far, mostly to avoid spreading panic and to prevent the Burning Legion from finding out exactly how much the Aspects knew.

Still, it wouldnt be long before rumors started to spread. They were only just approaching two years since the end of the Second War, so nobody would be happy to hear that more conflict was on the way.

Krivax didnt know exactly how close Malygos and the Aspects were to finding a way into Pandaria, but he desperately hoped that they would be able to get to the Lich King soon and prevent them from becoming a threat to the rest of Azeroth.

My sister, Sylvanas, said something similar, Vereesa said suspiciously as she finally turned her eyes away from her husband. King Anastarian ordered her to place the kingdoms forces in a state of military readiness among other things.The original appearance of this chapter can be found at Ñøv€lß1n.

Krivax could tell from Vereesas tone that King Anastarian was doing more than that. As the younger sister of the QuelThalas Ranger-General, Vereesa was almost certainly privy to a lot of information that she couldnt freely share.

Krivax was glad to see that the elves were being more proactive than usual.

The Council of Six does seem to be abnormally busy lately, Rhonin murmured, his tone thoughtful as he also noticed the same pattern that Trixie and Vereesa had. It does feel like something is brewing.

Never heard a peep from the Thane, though me an him dont talk much, Falstad slurred, his eyes glumly fixated on his empty mug. Reckon itd be worth botherin him for an update.

Slowly, all eyes turned to Krivax, who was focusing hard on his cards and trying not to squirm.

Is there anything that you can share, big guy? Trixie asked, forgetting completely about the game as she leaned toward him. Out of all of us, youre the one whod know if were about to be invaded again. Does it have somethin to do with those strange goat people in Northrend?

Krivax wished that he could just tell them everything, but the last thing he wanted was for some dreadlord to catch wind of how much he knew. The Burning Legion wasnt aware that they had been preparing heavily for their arrival, and he wanted to keep it that way.

Still, there was no real harm in offering a warning.

I cant get into it, but theres a chance that things are going to get pretty bad, Krivax said hesitantly, choosing his words carefully. Im pretty sure that the Aspects are going to do everything they can to help, but you all should prepare for some difficult times ahead.

His words seemed to cast a shadow over the rooms mood.

Rhonin let out a deep sigh, leaning into his wifes side. I was hoping things would stay calm for a while longer after the Second War was over.

I doubt anything bad will happen in the Eastern Kingdoms for the next few years at least, Krivax said, hoping that he could ease their minds.

They felt twisted and warped, a malignant perversion of nature that wanted to do nothing more than to spread itself as far as it could. Worse yet, the corruption was beginning to seep into the land itself, infecting the soil and vegetation in a way that only a powerful druid could cleanse.

Theyre definitely corrupted by Fel magic, Krivax announced to the group as they approached the battlefield. By now, they could hear the sounds of battle as the quilboars fought fiercely against the invading creatures. Itll make them strong and extremely vicious. Be careful!

Hearing a round of affirmations, Krivax didnt hesitate to charge ahead of the group at his full speed and open the spatial bag in which he kept his golem.

Detheroc hummed in satisfaction as he watched the Fel-corrupted Primals, as the natives of Draenor referred to them, spread across the land and attack the primitive quilboar.

The speed at which the hivemind had managed to spread in every direction from where hed first planted it in Feralas was truly astonishing. If not for its complete inability to be controlled, Detheroc would have recommended that the Legion use this weapon against every world that it wished to conquer. Unfortunately, Fel corruption was not enough to stop the Primals from being hostile to any demon that approached it.

Already, the Primals had managed to cover nearly all of Feralas, the only exceptions being the highborne city of EldreThalas and a small portion in the north that was protected by the Green Dragonflight. Neither of them had any hope of withstanding the onslaught of plant life that was constantly assaulting their positions for very long.

The kaldorei would almost certainly respond to this threat very soon, but defeating it would not be an easy or a quick task. Detheroc had fought several hiveminds throughout his existence, and he knew personally how tedious a task it was to destroy them completely. If even a single portion of the Primals managed to survive, the kaldorei would need to fear its resurgence.

Looking at them now, Detheroc was certain that the Primals would be effective at weakening the kaldorei and distracting the Aspects. They had little problem slowly overwhelming the quilboar, and were hardy enough that they could ignore the gryphon riding dwarf harassing them from above.

The hivemind didnt seem to have an adequate response to flying enemies, but it seemed intelligent enough that Detheroc expected it to develop one soon enough.

Satisfied with his observations, Detheroc idly cast a scrying spell and turned his attention to the other group of approaching mortals, and the reason why he had chosen to watch this battle in person.

Truly a fascinating creature, Detheroc thought with admiration as he studied the strange nerubian. I wonder why the Dragon Queen chose to grant this mortal a portion of her power. She is not known to do so often. Does Azjol-Nerub have a close relationship with the Dragonflights?

Simply looking at the mortal filled Detherocs mind with questions. He could learn so much if he managed to search through the nerubians mind.

Unfortunately, even a portion of Alexstraszas power likely made the mortal difficult to capture through means of force. This was why Detheroc had decided to follow the Primals closest to the mortal, so that he could evaluate its abilities and decide on his next moves. Fortunately, he didnt have to wait very long as the mortals had already detected the Primals and were rapidly moving to counter them.

Confirming that the mortals were still approaching, Detheroc ended the scrying spell. As a nathrezim, his scrying magic was far too advanced for any of the mortals to detect, but Detheroc didnt see the need to take such a risk.

Strengthening his concealment spells, he prepared himself to watch the upcoming confrontation with great interest.

Before long, the group of mortals arrived while being pushed along by the wind. There was a short pause as they evaluated the situation before the nerubian led the charge, moving far quicker than any of his companions. He then opened some manner of spatial compressing storage device to release a rather impressive golem, one made entirely of silk and powerful enough to fight the largest of the Primals.

The nerubian then let loose a stream of flames that radiated potent Life magic. Detheroc wasnt particularly surprised when the fire proved to not be overly effective against the Primals. Before it had been infused by Fel magic, the hivemind had been composed primarily of Spirit and Life magics.

Burning it with Alexstraszas flames was akin to burning a Pitlord with Felfire. It could work, but not as effectively as one might hope. The mortal seemed to realize this as well, switching to much more effective attacks composed primarily of ice magic.

The rest of the mortals soon charged into the fray, their war cries echoing through the ravine.

Detheroc watched with rapt interest as the battle unfolded. The tauren were mighty warriors, strong enough that they were easily able to cut through many of the Primals. Their magic was also quite effective, despite how primitive it was, allowing them to summon several fire elementals amongst the Primals. The few mortals from the Eastern Kingdoms were also quite a bit more skilled that Detheroc expected.

Unfortunately for them, the Primals were a force that Kiljaeden had specifically prepared to distract the most powerful entities on Azeroth.

As one was cut down, its corpse would create more plant life that joined the hivemind and spread across the ravine. Soon, tauren warriors would find tendrils and roots wrapping around their legs as they fought, attempting to pull them to the ground and devour them. The corpses of the quilboars were consumed and used as nutrients to expand the hivemind.

It was not dissimilar to how it would feel fighting a necromancer, though with Life instead of Death.

Still, the mortals were making steady progress against the Primals. Detheroc didnt find this surprising, as most of its forces were currently focused on EldreThelas. This was merely a preliminary engagement for the hivemind to assess its future enemies. Detheroc had found the Primals to be surprisingly intelligent, and expected them to find a way overcome anything that impeded their growth in time.

Slowly, the mortals began to whittle the Primals down and Detheroc was preparing himself to leave, until he suddenly sensed another group of Primals approaching from the south.

Oh? How unexpected, Detheroc thought with amusement. I wonder why it chose to do this. Perhaps it's attracted by the allure of Alexstraszas magic?

He could sense that the hivemind had sent another force, significantly stronger than the first. Detheroc was eager to see how the mortals handled it.

The ravine began to rumble as the fresh wave of Primals approached the battlefield. Monstrous plant creatures marched constantly forward, their menacing forms twisted by the corrupting influence of Fel magic. Their sizes varied from that of a large wolf to the four-legged behemoths that stood tall over even the largest tauren warriors.

Detheroc could see a wave of fear pass through the mortals, but they didnt falter. Unfortunately for them, bravery was not enough to overcome insurmountable odds. The fighting went on for quite some time and the nerubian was powerful enough to destroy several of the largest Primals, but the mortals gradually began to grow exhausted.

Deciding that he needed to hear how the mortals were dealing with this turn of events, Detheroc cast a spell that would greatly enhance his hearing. He expected to hear cries of despair or frantic orders to retreat, but he instead heard something quite different.

Keep calm! Reinforcements have almost arrived!

Detheroc blinked in surprise and turned his attention farther north to find that the nerubian spoke the truth. Moving quickly across the fields of Mulgore was a sight that caused Detherocs mood to plummet.

A group of nerubians, many of which were glowing with the Light, were charging towards the battle. They moved with the familiar determination and unwavering conviction that Detheroc had come to expect from the Lights zealots. Each of them wore polished plate armor adorned with a purple and gold web emblem that implied that they belonged to the same organization. Leading them was one of the large variants of nerubians that they referred to as Spiderlords, covered in an additional layer of armor plates.

Has Azjol-Nerub formed its own order of Light wielding warriors? Detheroc thought, feeling suddenly unnerved by the sight in front of him. That could become a problem.

The nerubians were already a highly communal race that could reproduce extremely quickly. If they were to dedicate themselves to the Light Detheroc couldnt help but shudder at the thought. Given the strength of the Light emanating from the Spiderlord, it was clear that conviction was not something that the nerubians lacked.

There was some irony in seeing a race created by the Old Gods growing close to the Light, but Detheroc couldnt bring himself to enjoy it.

Among the Light wielding nerubians was also a new variant of the creatures that Detheroc had not yet seen. It only took a single look for him to realize that the nerubians had created this new variant through studying the one enhanced by Alexstrasza.

The creatures ran on four hairy legs, possessing a single set of arms and two dragon-like wings along their back. The nerubians' carapaces were varying shades of red and their abdomens extended in a flat tail segment that was covered in scales. There were two small antennae above the creatures' many eyes, and Detheroc could sense a source of Life magic within the creatures' thorax.

Detherocs mind immediately began racing as he contemplated the implications of what he was seeing, and he didnt like the conclusions that he was reaching. Azjol-Nerub was a far bigger threat than he or his fellow nathrezim had ever realized

That conjecture was immediately proven true as the nerubian reinforcements collided with the Primals spears first, glowing brightly with the Light. The Spiderlord tore through the Primals like paper, its powerful physique and skill in battle immediately apparent. The Light it wielded was also frightfully successful in weakening the Fel magic of the Primals and rallying the mortal forces.

Detheroc learned the name of the creature when Alexstraszas chosen mortal called out their name.

Anubrekhan! It's good that youre here! Ill help you take down the big ones.

The performance of the other Light wielding nerubians was just as worrying. It was apparent to Detheroc that Azjol-Nerub had been training and developing these forces for at least a few years. They moved with coordination that spoke of significant training and were skilled in using the Light in battle, not only to enhance their own strikes but also to heal their wounds.

Given that the Light was even more effective against undead than Fel corrupted beings, these nerubians would be a serious threat to the Lich King.

Detheroc turned his attention to the new variants, watching as they displayed a greater degree of strength and defensive abilities than he expected. While they did not wield Life magic as proficiently as the nerubian chosen directly by Alexstrasza, they were able to regenerate from serious wounds very easily.

Detheroc wouldnt be surprised if their abilities began to expand as the nerubians learned more about how to make proper use of Life magic. If Azjol-Nerub was able to mass produce this new variant, then the kingdom would become a serious impediment to their plans.

Detheroc was so lost in his thoughts that he was only brought back to reality when he heard another exclamation from the nerubian he had first come here to watch. Masruk, is that you?!

A quick glance revealed that nearly all of the Primals were destroyed, and the mortals were now speaking amongst one another and tending to their wounded. The tauren chieftain was even speaking to the one of the quilboar while Alexstraszas chosen was frantically examining one of the new variants.

Detheroc kept a portion of his attention on their words in the event that he could learn something of use, but the rest of his mind was already planning on how to deal with this unexpected turn of events.

This was definitely something that his fellow nathrezim needed to know about. It was fortunate that Detheroc had discovered this before Azjol-Nerub deployed its forces against the Lich King directly.

The Primals would secure them enough time to plan a way to deal with these troublesome spiders.