We're back! I'm pleased to present ''Lion's Sorrow', the penultimate story in the 'Lion of the Alliance' saga. As always, thank you to all the wonderful readers of this story, old and new. I am incredibly grateful for and humbled by the support for this work, and I hope you all enjoy the endgame.
Auriana
"Your Majesty?"
Auriana Wrynn was so engrossed by the dense tome resting on the desk in front of her that she failed to heed the royal servant's gentle prompt the first time he spoke. It was not so much that the book itself was all that interesting - quite the opposite, in fact - but more that she was determined to memorise as much of its contents as possible.
She was seated in the back corner of Stormwind's Royal Library, in a velvet-lined wooden chair that had surely been carved for someone twice her size. Despite the inconvenience of her gown, Auriana had her right knee tucked up to her chest and her left butterflied out to the side with her foot curled back under her rear. There was something about the odd position that made it easier to read, and she was glad that she was alone, lest she be forced to sit in a more 'queenly' position. It was difficult enough to parse the wordy legalese and fine print of the text in front of her, and she figured she may as well be comfortable.
Varian was soon to depart Stormwind on a week-long trip to Ironforge, to act as a third party observer in a series of negotiations between the three ruling clans of Ironforge. While it had been some time since Moira Thaurissan's return to the city and the reintegration of the Dark Irons into dwarvish society, there were still tensions brewing below the surface. One of the main points of contention were the laws of the city itself, which currently did not include sufficient protections for the Dark Irons. Moira had proposed to the Council of Three Hammers that the city's laws be overhauled, both to formalise rights for her people and likewise to remove or revise some of the other outdated ordinances.
The other Hammers had agreed, though one of their conditions had been the involvement of the High King as a neutral, unbiased party to negotiations. Varian would therefore spend the next week in the city as a guest of the Council, and while he was not exactly eager to sit through hours of lengthy legal discussion, he understood the necessity, and would never dream of shirking his duty.
It also didn't hurt that Moira had promised him the full hospitality of the dwarves, which she had defined to Varian as 'his weight in beer and boar'.
In his absence, Auriana would be left to rule Stormwind; Varian having decided it was the perfect opportunity for her to develop her skills as a monarch. Auriana had never discharged her duties as Queen without Varian's direct guidance, however - and frankly, she was terrified. Varian had tried to ease her fears by pointing out she had commanded her own garrison on Draenor for over a year, but Auriana had insisted it wasn't the same. Making decisions in the heat of a battle or within the structure of a clear military hierarchy was one thing; being the ultimate authority responsible for guiding the fate of one of the largest cities on the planet was something else entirely. She would, of course, have Anduin, Genn Greymane, and the city's Provost to advise her, though that did little to soothe her jitters.
As the date for Varian's departure had drawn closer, Auriana had spent more and more time holed up in the Royal Library, poring over every last book concerning the laws of Stormwind that she could find. It was dull, tedious work, though occasionally she had stumbled across a particularly interesting or amusing piece of information - such as the fact that it was illegal in Stormwind to keep a donkey in a bathtub, unless the donkey in question was wearing knitted socks. She had no idea what specific event had prompted the necessity of such a law, but she was thankful for such little moments of levity - if nothing else, they kept her from drifting off to sleep.
Today, Auriana had arrived at the Library right after breakfast, and had spent the rest of the morning buried in a veritable pile of books. Varian was due to leave the next day, and even after a week of hard work she felt as if she had barely made a dent in the Library's law collection. Still, she was not one to give up easily, and she had driven herself into such an intense state of concentration that she had entirely failed to notice that she was no longer alone.
"Your dreams will be destroyed."
Startled, Auriana glanced up, and finally noticed the fresh-faced servant in royal blue livery standing to attention on the other side of her desk. His expression was perfectly calm and pleasant, entirely at odds with what Auriana had heard him say, and she shook her head, certain she had to have been mistaken.
"What?"
"I said, you have a visitor, my lady," the servant repeated smoothly; his brows creasing in faint confusion.
Auriana was sure that he had said something else, though it wouldn't have been the first time she had been so absorbed by a task that she had failed to listen properly. It had been a long morning, and in the end she decided to chalk it up to overwork and the general state of exhaustion she had found herself in ever since the spectacular events of the Tournament in Northrend. She rubbed a weary hand across her eyes, only to immediately brighten as she recognised the tall, white-haired figure now standing a few feet behind the young servant.
"Khadgar!"
Invigorated by a sudden rush of fresh energy, Auriana broke into a wide grin and leapt to her feet. She had not seen her old mentor since the day of her wedding, and she quickly rounded the desk to greet him properly. Khadgar returned her smile and pulled her into a bearlike embrace; gripping her so tightly against his chest that she could see nothing but the taupe of his tunic, nor smell anything save for the earthy redolence of his cologne.
It was a little difficult to breathe, but Auriana didn't mind. Khadgar's naturally steady presence was a welcome distraction from her work, and for the first time in a good long while, she felt settled and calm.
"It's been far too long, my dear. Are you well?" he asked, gently sliding his hands down to her shoulders and studying her from head to toe with a warm but critical eye. "You look... skinny."
"Maybe you've just had a few too many mana buns, yourself," Auriana retorted, though her tone was playful.
"Perhaps - I will not deny that I have something of a sweet tooth." Khadgar released her arms, and gave himself an experimental poke in the belly. "Though my predilection for tundra berry jam aside… are you sure you're alright?"
Auriana's smile faded. She was well aware that her face had been looking a little too gaunt of late; her colouring a touch pale and her collarbones too sharp. Varian had gently raised the issue on more than one occasion, but try as she might, she could not seem to work up much of an appetite.
It had been six weeks since the climactic battle that had marked the untimely end of the Grand Tournament; six weeks since Rohas Anguile had been arrested and Thorne had ultimately killed himself rather than face capture. Preparations for Anguile's trial had been ongoing, and while Auriana had not been required to face the Duke in person since she had orchestrated his arrest, she had been called before Stormwind's Master of Laws to give her testimony. Mathias Shaw and his SI:7 agents had also been busy tracking down the traitors exposed by Thorne's ledger, and between that, and the trial, and Varian's looming absence, Auriana supposed it only made sense that she was out of sorts… not that it made her feel any better.
Abruptly realising that both Khadgar and the servant were staring at her, Auriana shook herself out of her brooding thoughts. She nodded her thanks to the servant to let him know that he was dismissed, and waited until he was well out of earshot before she finally answered Khadgar's question. While she believed the royal staff to be generally trustworthy, the court gossips were bad enough as it was, and she didn't want to risk adding fuel to the fire by speaking too candidly.
"I'm… tired," she admitted. "Very tired. I don't seem to have recovered from what happened in Northrend."
She gestured for Khadgar to take a seat, and resumed her own.
"Ah, yes," he remarked, removing a bulky leather satchel from his shoulder and placing it on the table before him. "Jaina may have mentioned that."
"You spoke to Jaina about the Tournament?" Auriana asked, both surprised and not a little apprehensive.
"I did. About a week ago, I think. Or was it three?" Khadgar shook his head. "In any case… she described your battle to me in great detail, including your misadventures with her ward and your little trick with the wolves. I'm impressed, pure arcane workings have never been your strength."
Auriana recalled the surge of raw electricity that had coursed through her body the moment she had shattered the anti-magic ward during the battle in Northrend, and a strange sense of longing welled in her heart. At the time, she had felt like she had the power within her to conquer the entire world, and yet now she felt as if a single fireball would be beyond her. It was infuriating, to say the least, especially when the healers insisted that she was physically fine.
"I'm sure Jaina and Kalec were pleased to have presented me with a learning opportunity…" she snorted.
She tried to keep her tone light, to divert Khadgar's attention from her painful confession, but even though it had been some time since their last conversation, he knew her far too well to be convinced.
"You're worried about your magic."
Auriana paused, unable to look him in the eye. "Yes. I am."
It was a difficult thing to admit, even to a friend like Khadgar. She despised feeling weak, and she couldn't help but to fear that she had permanently damaged her powers by siphoning off the anti-magic ward. She had been unable to articulate the depths of her concern to Varian - as much as he tried, he was not a mage, and there were some things he would never truly comprehend. Khadgar, on the other hand, understood exactly what she stood to lose, without the need for lengthy explanation. His pale blue eyes narrowed in sympathy, and he gave her a reassuring pat on the hand.
"It's been six weeks since the Tournament, and I'm… sluggish. I gave myself a literal heart attack fighting Archimonde, and it didn't take me nearly this long to recover," Auriana added, hating how bitter and whiny she sounded even as she spoke the words. "But… you didn't come here to listen to me gripe."
"I promise you, I don't mind," Khadgar assured her. "What are friends for, if not to provide a willing ear for our troubles? As always, I am honoured that you are willing to confide in me… especially given that we haven't had much opportunity to speak since your wedding."
"That's not on you alone…" Auriana countered, flashing him a brief, rueful smile. "I've been so busy… I don't know if you've been keeping up with everything that's happened here in Stormwind recently, but it's been… a lot."
"Jaina filled me in on some of the details when we spoke, and I saw your Master Shaw making arrests in Dalaran," Khadgar confirmed. "I only hope that the coming weeks and months will not be quite so eventful for you."
"As do I… though let's just say I'm not holding my breath."
Auriana stretched out her legs beneath the table, and pushed her law books to one side. She felt some measure of relief from confiding in Khadgar, but she didn't want to dwell any further. Her magical strength would surely return in time… as difficult as it was, she just had to be patient...
"So," she said briskly. "What brings you to Stormwind?"
Khadgar glanced back over his shoulder towards the library entrance. "Is Varian about?"
"No, actually - he's out in Westfall. He's in discussions with Gryan Stoutmantle and the Westfall Brigade about improving some of the fortifications around Sentinel Hill."
"A pity. Though perhaps it's better I explain this to you in the first instance."
Auriana leaned forward on her elbows, and rested her chin on the back of her crossed hands. "Explain what? Have you found Gul'dan?"
"Not exactly. I have been searching for him, as you well know, but he has proven to be quite elusive."
Khadgar did his best to hide it, but Auriana could hear the frustration in his voice plain as day. He had been hunting the alternate timeline Gul'dan ever since his escape from the battle at Hellfire Citadel; well aware of how much damage the warlock's prime counterpart had caused. Unfortunately, Gul'dan had all of the Twisting Nether to hide in, and even a mage of Khadgar's calibre and experience would be hard pressed to find such a powerful warlock if he didn't want to be found.
"To that end, I entered Karazhan, in the hope that I might find something to aid in my quest."
"Isn't Karazhan still sort of… uh… spooky?" Auriana asked.
She knew there had been a handful of successful expeditions into Karazhan since the Guardian Medivh's demise, though it was widely known that the tower was dangerous, and not to be entered unless circumstances were truly desperate. Khadgar was probably one of the few people alive who could hope to brave the cursed citadel and survive, but even then, it was hardly a stroll down the Eventide.
"I would not suggest that one linger there overlong," he agreed, "But the tower is safe enough, and it contains knowledge of the Nether and the Burning Legion that even the Kirin Tor themselves do not possess. I felt it was worth the risk."
"Did you find anything?"
Auriana assumed that if Khadgar had managed to get a direct fix on Gul'dan he would have led with that information, but there were still many other interesting things he could have learned from Karazhan.
"I did not find what I expected," he admitted, "And it soon occurred to me that, dangerous as he is, Gul'dan is only a small part of the true problem."
"The true problem being the Burning Legion itself?"
Khadgar nodded. "Gul'dan is a formidable opponent, yes, but he is merely a symptom of a far more insidious disease. If it were not him, it would be another - the Legion has no shortage of skilled, ambitious warlocks who would be more than willing to prove themselves to their hellish masters by conquering Azeroth. Hunting down the Gul'dans of the universe one by one is… an inefficient strategy, at best."
Auriana could practically see the wheels in Khadgar's head turning as he laid out his rationale. He had already given so much of himself in his determined hunt for Gul'dan, so if he had suddenly decided that there was another, better course of action, then her curiosity was well and truly piqued.
"So what do you propose?"
"I want to hide Azeroth," Khadgar explained, after a heavy pause.
Auriana blinked, and for the second time that day, she wasn't sure whether she ought to trust her own hearing. "You want to… what?"
"I want to hide the planet, magically speaking. There is only a vanishingly small possibility that the Legion will ever stumble onto our physical location in the Great Dark Beyond, but if our history is any indication, Azeroth has more than enough fools willing to pave the way to our doorstep by other means."
Khadgar's upper lip curled in a rare show of open fury and contempt - not that Auriana begrudged him his anger in the slightest. Her own experiences with the warlock coven during the Draenor expedition had been a sobering reminder that there would always be those who put their own selfish desire for power over the lives and freedoms of the rest of the universe.
"The Legion can use portals, or be summoned directly to Azeroth."
"Yes - and sadly, we've seen it time and time again. The Well of Eternity, the Dark Portal, the Sunwell… it never ends," Khadgar agreed, a grim scowl twisting his features. "Twice now, Azeroth has repelled a Burning Legion invasion, and won many smaller skirmishes besides. But our luck will not last forever. Someone will eventually succeed in an attempt to summon the greater Legion where their diabolical predecessors have failed… and I, for one, would rather not simply wait for the inevitable. What if we did not have to live in fear? What if we could prevent anyone from ever opening a portal to our world… or from it?"
Auriana raised her eyebrows. Although her skills had improved significantly over the years, portal magic was not her strength, and she lacked a deep understanding of the magical theory behind portal creation to know whether what Khadgar was suggesting was even possible.
"That's… uh… ambitious…" she said, for lack of anything more intelligent to say.
"I will confess, it was not entirely my idea..."
Khadgar gave her a significant look, and Auriana frowned as she realised what he meant.
"Medivh?! Khadgar..."
"Medivh spent his entire life wrestling with Sargeras for control of his soul. He did a great many terrible things, but the part of him that remained human never lost sight of his duty as Guardian," Khadgar argued, cutting off Auriana's vehment protest. "In his more lucid moments, he speculated on many solutions to the problem of the Burning Legion."
He reached into his satchel, and withdrew a tattered leather diary.
"As I'm sure you're aware, the Book of Medivh was lost to the forces of darkness a long time ago... but while we may no longer possess any of his spellbooks, there are other records of note to be found in Karazhan."
Auriana picked up the diary, noting the faded raven embossed on the cover, and began to flick idly through the ink-stained pages.
"The book you now hold is one of Medivh's journals. I'd never given his personal writing much regard - admittedly, most of it is insane, paranoid rambling - but there are some valuable insights hidden within the gibberish."
"Such as?"
"Well, whatever else he may have been, Medivh was an incredibly gifted mage. And he had a particular talent when it came to portals."
Khadgar reached into his bag once more, and withdrew a second object - this time, not a book, but rather a faintly glowing purple crystal almost a foot in length and shaped like a crude teardrop. It was solid, too, heavy-looking, though Khadgar cradled it between his palms as if it were made of fragile glass.
"What is that?"
Auriana could feel arcane power radiating off the crystal like heat, and she leaned in for a closer look. Up close, she could see the crystal's surface was engraved with thousands of tiny, meticulously carved rune marks, though she could not for the life of her have identified each one.
"I discovered the crystal in a hidden vault within Karazhan, after finding reference to it in Medivh's journal. He called it a 'keystone'," Khadgar explained. "I believe its original purpose was to act as a conduit for an enormous portal of some sort."
"Where did he get it?"
"That, I do not know."
"Doesn't that bother you?" Auriana asked, not bothering to hide her scepticism. "For all we know, it could be demonic in origin… a means of opening a second Dark Portal, or something far worse..."
Khadgar shook his head. "I do not sense the taint of the fel upon it, and from his notes, I gathered that Medivh made significant modifications to the stone itself. This is not its original form."
"I'm guessing that's what the runes are for… though there are markings here I've never even seen..."
Auriana brushed a hand across the crystal's largest facet, and she shivered with both anticipation and dread as its magic pulsed eagerly against her fingertips.
"Neither have I."
"I assume you know what it does, then, or you suspect?"
"As I said, I believe it's original purpose was to open a great portal," Khadgar explained, his voice taking on the particular scholarly timbre that it always did when he was explaining complex magic, "But Medivh modified it to effectively repel the same magic. This crystal could make it impossible to open a portal to or from Azeroth, even if you were to use a powerful source of energy like the Sunwell."
"A key to lock the door, rather than one to open it," Auriana mused.
"Precisely."
Auriana sat back in her chair, her mind racing as she tried to process the enormity of Khadgar's plan. It would be effective, certainly - the greater entities of the Legion, such as Archimonde, Kil'jaeden, and Sargeras himself, could not be summoned to Azeroth except through the use of extraordinary means, and if Khadgar's spell could truly prevent the misuse of Azeroth's most powerful places and artifacts, the Legion would effectively be rendered impotent. Of course, that did not guarantee that they would never find a way around Khadgar's spell, and there were other considerations besides.
"If portals cannot be opened to or from Azeroth, we would be cut off from the rest of the universe," she pointed out. "The orcs, blood elves and draenei might have something to say about that. They still have kin on Outland."
There had been Alliance and Horde allies left on the alternate Draenor, too, though Azeroth's remaining forces had eventually been recalled when the draconic magic that had allowed a portal to remain open across time and space had begun to destabilise.
"The plan is not without its limitations," Khadgar admitted. "We would be isolated, as you say. We cannot activate and deactivate the spell at will - once cast, the only way to nullify the spell is to destroy the keystone, and we do not possess a second."
"Could you make one?"
Khadgar considered the question seriously. "I don't believe so. I don't possess an unmodified keystone to work from, and even then I'm not sure I could replicate Medivh's runework. There are some magics that are a mystery even to me."
"I wonder who made the original…"
There were only a few beings in the universe capable of creating something so powerful - Khadgar did not believe it had been the Legion, so that left the Titans, or perhaps even a naaru. Auriana was not surprised to learn that Medivh had been in possession of such an object, though that didn't necessarily fill her with confidence. Khadgar was an incredibly skilled mage, but by his own admission even he didn't truly understand the modifications Medivh had made to the crystal. Auriana could see the value in his plan, but also the dangers, and she wasn't quite so willing as he to trust in a wild idea birthed from the tainted Guardian's mind.
Khadgar noticed her hesitation, and he leaned forward across the table; the dim light of the Library catching his pale eyes in such a way as to give them an almost otherworldly sheen.
"I understand your reticence. It is no small thing that I have proposed… but is it not worth the price for protection from the Legion? Forever?" he urged. "At the very least, it might buy us time to solve the problem of the Legion more permanently, without the constant fear of invasion. They have made it clear that Azeroth is of great importance to their plans, and whether it is Gul'dan, or Kil'jaeden, or Sargeras himself who leads the charge, they will not stop until Azeroth is naught but fel-tainted rubble."
The passion in Khadgar's voice was palpable, and he rapped his balled fist against the desk in emphasis. It was sometimes easy to forget that beneath his genial and irreverent exterior, he possessed a deeply serious mind… and there was nothing he considered more important than Azeroth's safety. For all Auriana's doubts, that was one thing she could always count upon.
She met Khadgar's gaze, almost transfixed by the earnest power of his stare. "And you truly believe this keystone can be retooled for such a purpose?"
"Yes, I do," he said simply. "I understand your concerns regarding the keystone's origin - I share them, in fact - but I have put it to every test I can think of, and I believe it to be both safe and capable of achieving our ends. And all it would require to project a planet-wide nullification field would be a sufficient amount of energy."
At that, Auriana let out an incredulous, unladylike snort. Apparently, Khadgar was a master of understatement as well as a master of magic. While no expert, she was skilled enough a mage to have a sense of just how much energy it would require to create something akin to the Dark Portal, and what Khadgar was suggesting was a far greater piece of magic still.
"'All' it would require… Khadgar, you know as well as I do that even if that crystal works the way you think it does, the amount of energy required to effectively protect the entire planet would be… astronomical."
"Medivh came to the same conclusion. He never solved the problem, which, according to his notes, is why he abandoned his research. But I believe someone else may have provided us with the answer." Khadgar leaned back in his chair, and tented his hands in his lap.
"Who?"
"Malygos."
"The Nexus," Auriana realised, sitting up straighter as she considered the possibilities.
Perhaps Khadgar's plan was not so far-fetched after all...
"Malygos's tampering with the Nexus not only redirected the Azeroth's leylines, but amplified their power," he agreed.
"And you think the Nexus could power the keystone."
"Oh, not just the Nexus alone," Khadgar said seriously. "I also intend to use Karazhan, and a third structure, preferably situated in Theramore."
Once again, Auriana found herself at a loss for words. Khadgar certainly did not think small.
"You… you realise, of course, that Theramore is still a giant, smoking hole in the ground."
"I do. We'd have to rebuild. But Jaina founded her city well. There's a natural confluence of leylines there, and their power was only enhanced by the residual energies of the mana bomb."
Khadgar reached into his satchel for the third time, and withdrew a half-dozen parchment scrolls. He spread them out over the table with great care, and spun them around so that Auriana could properly read.
"You want to build your own nexus tower… in Theramore crater..."
The first scroll was marked with a map of Azeroth's leylines, clearly showing the confluence of power around the Nexus, Karazhan, and Theramore; all of which had been circled and annotated in Khadgar's steady hand. The other scrolls were quite different, however, each outlining what appeared to be schematics for his proposed nexus towers. The detail on each was meticulous, and Auriana vaguely wondered just how long Khadgar had been working on his plan.
"Essentially, yes. I will need to make some modifications to the existing structures, as you can see, but I will then be able to use the three nexus spires - Coldarra, Karazhan, and Theramore - to focus and amplify the power of Azeroth's leylines through Medivh's keystone in order to, for all intents and purposes, render the planet magically 'invisible'."
"That's… some plan," Auriana remarked, though some of her scepticism had begun to give way to cautious optimism. "I'm not sure how Jaina will feel about you building a nexus on the grave of her city, however. I'm not sure how I feel about it. Have you told her of your intent?"
Khadgar shifted evasively in his seat. "Not as such. You're actually the first person I've come to."
"Me? Why?"
"I can advocate for my plan to the Kirin Tor and the blue dragonflight - and to the Sunreavers, I suppose - but I will not be successful without the full support of the Alliance and Horde leadership. As both an Archmage of the Kirin Tor and the Queen of Stormwind, you are uniquely positioned to assist me in communicating my intentions to both factions."
Auriana thought back to her last conversation with Vol'jin, and let out a rueful sigh. "I think you're overestimating the extent of my influence with the Horde. Especially after what happened in Northrend…"
"Perhaps. Perhaps not." Khadgar shrugged. "At the very least, I believe you will be instrumental in convincing Varian, and through him, the Alliance."
"Assuming I support your plan."
"It had not occurred to me that you would refuse," Khadgar admitted, his nose wrinkling in consternation.
"I'm not refusing," Auriana clarified quickly. "I just don't think it's a decision to be undertaken lightly. And if I'm going to convince Varian, or anyone else, I'm going to need to understand what I'm talking about. Can I keep these?"
She gestured to the scrolls. It would take more than a cursory examination to grasp the specifics of Khadgar's proposal, especially if she were required to translate his notes into something that Varian or other non-mages could comprehend.
"Yes, of course. I made copies."
"I assume we'll need time and materials to build your spires."
Economics had never been a particular interest of Auriana's, but since becoming Queen, she had gained an increased understanding of and appreciation for the intricacies of trade on Azeroth. Even at a glance, she could tell that Khadgar's towers would be expensive, both in terms of the labour cost, and the necessary materials themselves. Any structure designed to channel and focus such an extraordinary amount of energy could not be constructed of simple iron - only certain substances could safely conduct magic, and as a general rule they were hard to come by.
"Yes. Though I estimate that we can have the nexus network fully operational within the year, assuming we are able to commit the resources of all major political organisations on the planet," Khadgar said, flipping one of the scrolls over to show a series of intricate alculations scrawled on the back.
A thorough plan, indeed.
"You really don't do things by halves, do you?" Auriana remarked.
She grinned to let him know that her observation was meant to be affectionate, but Khadgar did not return her smile.
"There is not a man, woman or child on Azeroth who has not had their life tarnished by the Legion in some way. If we can prevent the suffering of future generations, is it not our duty to act?" he asked, his eyes aflame with solemn determination. "There is no consequence of this plan that can possibly be worse than losing Azeroth to the Legion's evil."
"You're right, of course," Auriana agreed, sobering.
She glanced over the detailed scrolls scattered across the desk before her, and back to Khadgar. The keystone crystal cradled between his palms cast a strange lattice of refracted light and dark shadows across his face, making him appear incredibly old and oddly timeless all at once. Auriana could see deep, careworn creases at the corner of his eyes that had not been present at her wedding, and she wondered just how much he had sacrificed of himself of late in order to bring his plan to fruition. Whether it worked or not, Azeroth was lucky to have him.
"I will put this to Varian," she added gently, "And ensure that it is given the due consideration that it deserves. I cannot promise that he will endorse your plan, but it will not be because I failed to impress upon him its importance."
Khadgar inclined his head. "That is all I can ask for. Thank you."
He carefully placed the crystal and Medivh's journal back in his satchel, and rose to his feet. Auriana rose with him, stepping around her desk so that they were once again standing only a few feet apart. While not as tall as Varian, Khadgar still towered over her, and she had to stretch to place a friendly hand on his shoulder.
"You don't need to leave immediately, you know," she offered. "I'm not sure exactly what the time is, but lunch can't be that far off…?"
"Alas, as partial as I am to your chef's slow-cooked lamb, I have places to be," Khadgar said, his voice coloured by a tone of true remorse. "I have made arrangements to speak to Jaina and the rest of the Council of Six. The Burning Legion will not rest, and neither can I."
Auriana frowned up at him. She both understood and respected Khadgar's devotion to his cause, but she wondered if his dedication were starting to border on obsession. Despite the fact that he had done more to safeguard Azeroth than almost anyone else alive, he had clearly taken his inability to find Gul'dan to heart, and she feared that he might push himself too far in an attempt to rectify his perceived failures.
"We all have to rest sometime, Khadgar."
He did not respond in words; instead, he simply raised an eyebrow and peered past Auriana to the towering pile of law books that dominated her desk.
Point taken.
"I know, I know, I'm a massive hypocrite," she sighed.
Khadgar chuckled, and some of the tension lining his face eased. He reached up to where Auriana's hand still rested on his shoulder, and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"It is good advice," he conceded. "And it is advice I shall be more than happy to take - once Azeroth is safe. I've heard there's a goblin resort somewhere in southern Feralas that serves a liqueur that makes you feel as if you can see through time."
Auriana couldn't help but to smile. Obsession or not, Khadgar's relentless determination and refusal to accept the world for anything less than he thought it could be was inspiring. It was one of the things she had admired most about him, and she personally owed a great deal to his dogged optimism. She certainly would not have survived the Draenor campaign without him, and she supposed that if there were anyone who could save Azeroth through the power of sheer conviction alone, it would be Khadgar.
"Well, then - if this plan of yours works," Auriana swore, a renewed sense of hope suffusing her weary bones, "The first round is on me..."