Chapter Seven: Black Comedy
Years before the Events of Orcs and Humans:
One of the worst things about being a Goddess was that you could see where things were headed.
Nozdormu might have had power over time, but Alexstrasza could see the future herself. She just had to influence it the old-fashioned way. Right now, Alexstrasza knew exactly where this was going.
They were approaching a crisis point. If the meeting that was about to happen didn't go well, she'd have to use a fallback plan. A fallback plan that might require sacrificing an entire continent to kill one demon. If things went well, on the other hand, she might be able to stall until the younger races were stronger. Powerful enough to win against Archimonde without the need for the Battle of Mount Hyjal.
It all came down to this — a meeting in a cozy little room with a desk and lots of good books. Her quill was scratching over some papers, trying to get them half done. The papers were for effect, and the effect could push things in her favor.
But it all came down to choice.
"Queen Alexstrasza, Aegywynn is here to speak with you." said a servant.
Alexstrasza leaned back in her chair. Korialstrasz was gone, sent to take a place among the Kirin Tor under the alias Krasus. A necessary step to prevent the organization from slipping off the right path. But it had made things lonely. "I see.
"Send her in."
Alexstrasza prayed to whatever powers outranked her that Aegywynn be polite. If so, she could put down her pen, and they could talk like normal people. But, of course, here she came, radiating an aura of blue magic: her pale hair and unearthly beauty on full display.
Did she think she impressed anyone? Alexstrasza did take on an appealing form by nature, but she didn't go around making displays. "Queen Alexstrasza, I am here to demand an explanation."
Alexstrasza sighed and kept writing the letter. It was addressed to Krasus and was informing him of a severe famine. If the Kirin Tor could use their magic to transport shipments of grain for sale, it could save thousands.
Not that Aegywynn, the Guardian, was aware of this.
"Alexstrasza-" began Aegywynn.
"I don't care how important you think this is, Aegywynn." Said Alexstrasza, feeling exhausted. "If I don't sign these documents, a lot of people could starve to death. So you'll sit down and wait, or leave." If she did leave, there was really no point in having this discussion in the first place. Anyone that heartless would be a lost cause.
But Aegywynn did sit down, which, on a positive note, meant disaster might be averted. On a more somber one, Alexstrasza was going to have to talk with Aegywynn. As she put her seal down, she reflected that there had been a time when this had been easy.
Alexstrasza remembered a troubled young girl who'd had vast amounts of responsibility. She'd wanted to help and advise her, but where had that girl gone?
Oh wait, she hadn't gone anywhere. That was the problem.
"Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?" asked Alexstrasza, finishing her work. "How can I help you?"
Aegywynn shifted beneath her gaze. She really hadn't changed at all, had she? Years of careful advice, of trying to teach had done nothing. It was the lack of change which made Alexstrasza regard their meetings with dread.
"My powers as Guardian of Tirisfal are diminishing," said Aegywynn.
Alexstrasza felt all the more depressed. For both reasons. "Well, old age does take it's a toll on humans sooner or later. We wouldn't have a process for transferring those powers if it wasn't necessary from time to time.
"I imagine you ought to seek a successor, soon."
"I have plans in motion for that already," said Aegywynn.
It wasn't cute when she pretended to be in absolute control of the situation anymore. Alexstrasza had let go of the illusion of control millennia ago in the War of the Ancients. "Of course you do, though I must wonder why you are coming to me at all if things are in hand. Your reports speak about how you are purging the Guardians of Tirisfal of corruption."
That was a good way of saying that the Guardians were seeking employment elsewhere. With new mages guilds popping up across the world, there were other options.
Aegywynn shifted again. "It is... about the recent invasion by demons."
"Oh yes, that," said Alexstrasza, remembering that battle. Things had fallen apart for a bit, owing to the collapse of the Guardians in that region. "It was a result of a death cult that sprang up. You don't need to worry; I redeemed several critical members. The reigning governments have arrested most of them on charges of banditry.
"The Kirin Tor will take the spellcasters, and the masquerade will be restored." Or what was left of it.
"I wonder if you do not put too much faith in hiding these matters," said Aegywynn. "People deserve to know the threat they face."
Not this again. If Aegywynn cared about people knowing the truth, it would take a few letters to the right people to release it. As it was, she'd taken the far less efficient route of running the order into the ground. Thus why Alexstrasza had arranged for the Kirin Tor.
"When I judge they are capable of fighting said threat, I will reveal it," said Alexstrasza, deciding to play the part. "Tell children too much, too soon, and you'll only terrify them."
"In any case, about the coming of the Burning Legion," said Aegywynn. "I want to know what measures are in place to prevent another invasion." She'd obsessed over those prophecies. Aegywynn wanted to be known as the greatest Guardian ever. She did not want to stall the legions plans, or defeat them simply. Aegywynn wished to destroy the legion, to 'win' so to speak.
"You are in charge of those measures, Aegywynn," said Alexstrasza.
"Spare me." scoffed Aegywynn, showing that same arrogance she had picked up as she grew older. "I know well that you Dragon Aspects are merely utilizing me for one part of the war. You say I am the Guardian of Azeroth, and yet the Western Lands are still barred to me. My predecessor might have been content to remain blind but-"
"Just stop!" said Alexstrasza in exasperation.
"What?" said Aegywynn.
"Aegywynn, you're only embarrassing yourself," said Alexstrasza. "Do you think I didn't know about those adventures you had in Kalimdor? You've been setting yourself up as an Oracle. You've spread the word about how you saw the threads of creation when they were woven.
"Speaking as one who did, I didn't see you there."
Aegywynn froze in place, staring at her. Her eyes widened. "You knew."
"I knew," said Alexstrasza. "Contrary to what you believe, I am not blind. I gave you one restriction in your operations. Do not go to Kalimdor. And you broke it."
Aegywynn was obviously taken aback, but her mind quickly came up with excuses. "You never explained why-"
"I shouldn't have to," said Alexstrasza, feeling tired and miserable. "I am a Goddess, Aegywynn, endowed with divine power before the breaking of this world. I fostered humanity when it would have otherwise been wiped out. I organized the alliance between elf and human and set in motion the founding of Arathor. The Guardians of Tirisfal were founded by me.
"The fact that I've done that should earn me some respect. I told it was a terrible idea, and you ignored me, going to set up your own little religion."
"And yet you took no action to stop me," noted Aegywynn.
"Why do you think your powers are diminishing?" asked Alexstrasza.
"That was..." began Aegywynn.
"You swore an oath to uphold the safety of all races, without personal desire," said Alexstrasza. "You broke that oath for your own personal desires.
"So now your power is deserting you.
"Haven't you ever wondered why there have never been any rogue Guardians of Tirisfal?"
Aegywynn held her gaze. She was trying to find a way in which this was not her fault. "I assumed you picked ones who would obey without question and never change the status quo."
"You assume a great deal," noted Alexstrasza. "Those Guardians of Tirisfal who slip into darkness lose their power. It is divinely gifted and cannot be used for evil."
"Evil?" said Aegywynn, voice sounding angry.
She was overreacting as always. "I'm not saying you are evil, Aegywynn. Only that you are selfish and have been getting dangerously reckless."
"I had no choice!" snapped Aegywynn.
That was an interesting statement. "And why not?"
"You..." Aegywynn now looked more like the child she'd been at first. "You never acknowledged me. When I became Guardian of Tirisfal, you promised that you would share the greater secrets with me! Like all my predecessors before!
"I've spent my entire life, hundreds of years, purging demons and saving people!
"And... I...
"You never told me anything. I had to find out on my own?"
Was Alexstrasza supposed to feel sympathetic here? She wasn't for some reason. It was a strange experience for a goddess who loved all things. Perhaps it was because discipline was part of love. However, young Aegywynn looked, she was centuries old.
She'd had plenty of time to grow out of this. "Are you done?"
"Am I done?" asked Aegywynn, sounding furious.
"I never told you anything because I knew that if I did, it would be shouted to the high heavens," said Alexstrasza. "You've made a show of yourself and made the Guardians of Tirisfal a household name.
"You're welcome in every court on the continent. People write to you, asking you to honor them with knowledge. And you give out little tidbits to your favorites. You sell the knowledge of the arcane to your sycophants." Granted, Alexstrasza had suggested some of them hit her up for information. But that didn't change the facts.
"It is-" began Aegywynn.
"Right now you're going to say that it is better if they know the truth of the enemy they face," said Alexstrasza. "That is a valid perspective.
"But it is not yours.
"If you felt that the Guardians of Tirisfal were obsolete, all you would have had to do was give out your knowledge. You could have picked out certain documents and had them released gradually. Made a trial of your plan and acted from there.
"You didn't do that because you aren't a hero. You're a glory hound."
"Who are you to lecture me on heroism?" snarled Aegywynn, and Alexstrasza already knew what she would say. You who-"
Alexstrasza cast a spell, and Aegywynn's words went silent. She strove to speak, and nothing happened. She tried to stand up, but her limbs would not obey. "No, no, no, I'm not taking this speech. Not from you. From a soldier who has watched his kingdom fall down around his eyes, I'll endure his slings and arrows. He would have earned that much. But you, Aegywynn, have lived a charmed life.
"You were given free room and board and training with magic for free. You've never had to worry about starving to death, or disease, or even old age. You have not lost any close friends, because you've never had any close friends. You slept with the other apprentices to get them to take a dive during the tests. You slept with the masters to get them to favor you.
"Then you had the nerve to hold a grievance when they didn't take you seriously.
"From there, you proceeded to ruin most of their careers, out of spite. You did a great many good deeds, I'll admit, but it was your underlying reason that was the problem. You were so dead set on proving yourself that you failed your responsibilities.
"For centuries, I tried to convince you to work with the others. You ignored me. I tried to convince the Order to work with you, but you behaved as a Queen. I warned you several times, but you ignored me.
"Now the Order of Tirisfal is all but dead. A consistent lack of leadership on your part has seen many mages jump ship for greener pastures. The Kirin Tor and the Wizards of Stormwind will soon make them obsolete.
"And all the while, you were tossing fireballs and blowing things up so you could show off." She released the silence spell.
Aegywynn's eyes were wide open, and she seemed to be trying to find something to say. She'd thought she'd gotten away with all those things with none the wiser. "You... how..."
"I'm not blind, Aegywynn," said Alexstrasza flatly. "The irony of all this is that you didn't have to cheat. You probably would have passed with flying colors and been known as a fine mage. But then you'd have to leave it to the next generation to make the first female guardian, wouldn't you?
"And now things have come full circle.
"I wonder, Aegywynn if it ever occurred to you that the child you bear in your womb might have wanted to be a baker. Or a knight in shining armor." Hadn't Alexstrasza been trying to make this a civil conversation?
"I..." said Aegywynn.
To hell with civility. "Why are you here, Aegywynn? To fish for information? Perhaps get some last-minute acknowledgment that I've never taken you seriously?
"Don't worry, I've never taken you seriously. I've tolerated you and spoken soft words to get you to try and make something of yourself. And you've shot me down every time.
"Are you the worst person I've ever met?
"Because I feel like I dislike you more than Sageras and his broods. Most of the demons are just acting true to their nature. Given how their worlds are corrupted they probably couldn't have turned out any other way. What's your excuse?"
Aegywynn shuddered visibly. Even she knew what if meant if the Aspect of Life mildly disliked you. "You don't have to answer that if I heard every excuse you've come up with, we'd be here another nine months.
"So, why don't we cut to the chase.
"You've come here for information. I'm not going to give you any. Not because you're evil, per se, but because you're a spoiled womanchild who never grew up. And I can't trust you." Why had she even bothered trying for that possible future? Had Alexstrasza expected to have a productive conversation with Aegywynn? What was she thinking?
Honestly, she'd be better off putting a firebolt through her. She could abort the whole future right there. The problem was that doing that would throw all the planned futures they had set up into a lake of fire. Even Nozdormu wouldn't be able to predict what happened.
And the next stage of the cycle had to take place. If certain people weren't born...
Well, it could make even larger problems. So Alexstrasza stood up and walked past her. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Mommy has a meeting with an actual adult. Casting a love spell on Nielas Aran so you could bear his child, then walking out without removing it, was very mean. I have to remove it before he does something rash in his manufactured grief.
"I'd ask you to do it yourself, but, well, you've never taken responsibility for any of your actions before. Why would you start now?"
And she walked to the door.
"That's it?" said Aegywynn.
Alexstrasza stopped. The incredulous statement made her realize that she was on the verge of giving up on Aegywynn. Alexstrasza had made a point of never giving up on anyone, so this was actually serious. It was the primary justification for which the fiasco that was the old timeline had been tried.
Even so, Alexstrasza was having a difficult time coming up with an alternative. Then she remembered something she'd written up in her spare hours. She turned to Aegywynn. "That's it.
"Oh, that's right. I'm an all-loving goddess, and I'm obligated to give everyone a chance at redemption, no matter how long a shot." She walked back to the table, grasped what she'd written, and handed it to Aegywynn. "Here's a list. Pick a name. You'll train one of those students as the new Guardian of Tirisfal and pass the power on to them."
Aegywynn took it and looked over it. As she did, she frowned, then looked up. "It just says Kel'thuzad."
That was right, Alexstrasza hadn't gotten very far in the list. Oh well, improvise. "Yes, the boy is about twelve. He's of peasant stock and got into the Kirin Tor through sheer genius. He has a strong friendship with Antonidas, one of the rising stars. His thirst for knowledge is endless, and he is skilled, but the enmity of noble-born mages follows him.
"I believe him being made Guardian of Tirisfal would be an excellent first step. There his connection to Antonidas will prove a strong foundation. In the Kirin Tor itself, however, he's liable to go down a dark path. Social stigma will cause him to become isolated."
If Kel'thuzad became Aegywynn's student, the two would actually work well together. Both were notable for limitless ambition. Alexstrasza saw a possible future where Medivh's was discovered by Kel'thuzad. The young prodigy used his abilities to exorcise the spirit. The Guardians of Tirisfal became a powerful force for good. Medivh became a powerful mage, and Kel'thuzad the next, and greatest of all the Guardians.
"You said you had a list of names," said Aegywynn.
"I said I had a list, and I wanted you to pick a name off it," admitted Alexstrasza. "However, I have no faith in your ability to make rational decisions, so I only wrote the one I think is the best choice.
"You could go to Dalaran now and look around, and run an alternative candidate by me. But it would require me to clear it."
Aegywynn shifted. "I... I should be able to pick my own successor."
It was time to put down an ultimatum. If Aegywynn made a half-hearted attempt at redemption this late, it would be as bad as staying defiant. "And you can.
"But if you want to get my respect, you'll have to redeem yourself in my eyes. So unless you can make a convincing case on behalf of another student, it's Kel'thuzad or the King's Road." Alexstrasza wasn't even asking her to restrict herself to Kel'thuzad. Just that Aegywynn put the work in to find a successor, or, alternatively, choose the one Alexstrasza thought best if she didn't want to.
Several alternate possible futures flashed before Alexstrasza. She saw one where Aegywynn befriended Kael'thas Sunstrider. He became the Guardian and did much the same as Kel'thuzad. Though some were concerned about elvish dominance. In another, Antonidas was chosen and did well in his career. Kel'thuzad tired of his treatment by the rest of the Kirin Tor. He joined the Guardians instead, or perhaps-
"But... he's a peasant and... and a boy," said Aegywynn.
Alexstrasza stared at her, her jaw dropped. Everything Aegywynn had been done had been motivated by discrimination against her. Real or imagined, that had been her defining motive. And now she was rejecting a chance to fix her mistakes out of simply sexism. She couldn't possibly be serious.
Then Alexstrasza saw all those possible futures instantly severed. Aegywynn was going to reject the whole thing out of hand. All because Alexstrasza had recommended a male. Thus becoming what she hated.
And just like that Kel'thuzad and Antonidas stayed in the Kirin Tor. They advanced, but political pressure caused them to become estranged. Kel'thuzad's insatiable thirst for knowledge leads to him being stripped of his titles. So he went to Northrend. He fell into darkness, and so many others fell into darkness with him. Entire civilizations would be destroyed — the land scarred beyond recognition, and unending war consuming the world.
And Aegywynn? She went on to bear a male child.
It was... actually pretty funny.
Alexstrasza began to chuckles. It was low at first but grew louder. Her shoulders began to shake as chuckles became laughter. Laughter became hysterical howling. Aegywynn stepped back in terror as Alexstrasza the Lifebinder collapsed to her knees. She was unable to stand back up again. Tears fell from her eyes as she made the signs to teleport to Stormwind.
Appearing before the gates, she could not control the black mirth spilling out of her. All that had been done, all the carnage and destruction was Aegywynn's fault. Billions were going to die, and all Alexstrasza could do was laugh.
Why?
How could she, the all-loving goddess, laugh at this? Had some screw that had been worked at for years on end finally gotten knocked loose? Or was this some mania her releasing the endless frustration?
One of the best things about being a Goddess was that you knew where things were headed.
Present Day:
Detheroc and Balnazzar were cowering against the far side of the cell. Alexstrasza remembered what had happened just now? Hadn't Balnazzar been making smug declarations that he would cooperate for now? She'd come in, and he'd immediately start playing the part of cloak and dagger.
If Alexstrasza had used her usual approach, she might have gotten him to accept defeat. But it would only lead to an endless game of cloak and dagger, ending with one side dead. So she'd tried for something else.
So she'd begun to consider how best to get off on the right foot while they talked and had said nothing. Then she'd got lost in thoughts, remembering Aegywynn. Then she'd reflected that she'd been harder to get to repent than these ones. After that, the memories never stopped. And somewhere along the line, she'd begun to laugh with her past self.
Now she was chuckling on her knees while the Dreadlord's had their backs flat against the wall. "Why are you laughing?!" asked Balnazzar in obvious terror.
Alexstrasza realized she was behaving a bit unprofessionally. She wiped the tears away and stood up. "I... I'm sorry I just...
"You wouldn't understand the context. So are you willing to-"
"Yes! Yes, we agree to all terms!" said Detheroc. "Now get out of here, you maniac!"
"Thank you," said Alexstrasza. "I'm going to be relying on both of you to cure the plague as well as assist in any other fashion I request. Naturally, you'll be kept under guard, for your own safety.
"Can I say you've made the right choice."
And she walked out. Around her were hundreds of guards, standing by with drawn swords. Whitemane was at their head. Alexstrasza blinked. "Is something the matter?"
"...I was interested in observing your methods," said Whitemane. "How did you extract a confession so quickly? I usually have to work at prisoners for an hour before-"
"I won't even dignify that with a response," said Alexstrasza before walking out.
Author's Note:
Okay, I had no idea how to write the meeting between Alexstrasza and the Dreadlord's. I tried writing it several times and couldn't come up with anything. Then I had an idea for an alternate universe fic and realized I wouldn't have time to write it.
I also wanted to write a scene between Aegywynn and Alexstrasza. My fics have built up their interactions for some time. So I could do payoff for that and advance the plot.
Also, it is canon that Aegywynn slept around with her fellow students. Given what a morally bankrupt jerk she behaves like, I could see her sleeping with a teacher to get chosen as Guardian. If anything, it makes his attitude toward her make more sense since he seemed confident he could control her.