Chapter 5:

When I first met with Kaal Soulreaper it had been quite difficult for me to stay calm. But what would you expect? After all it was the first time I met an orc and nobody had the decency to give me a heads up...

No matter what their heritage, I probably would never have expected that an orc turns out to be the leader of the warlock guild of Undercity, the domain of the Forsaken. And although I assumed correctly that his physical strength was hovering at a minimum, for an orc that is at least, his muscles were still most impressive.

The robe which was supposed to hide away this body of a brute was as red as blood with a few parts around the chest that were toned pitch black. The two other warlocks next to him were also wearing a similar vestment, despite minor differences. I presumed that this had to be some sort of uniform for them. Of all three Kaal was the only one who wore shoulder pads, both of them showed a large demonic skull with four horns attached. In his giant green fist he clutched a wooden staff with a human skull on top of it. Below there were a total of four spikes that all seemed as sharp as razors if you had the chance to take a closer look at them. The staff itself was rather short, I guess you could use it as a mace too if you had to. A quite suitable weapon, for an orc that is...

The first time we met he was already quite impressed by the strength I had achieved. This letter Maximillion handed me for him must have been filled with a lot more praise than I had imagined. So he didn't lie after all... Kaal really liked recommendations of his.

Yet the orc also told me instantly that this strength would be worth nothing as long as I had only a puny imp under my control. The true power of a warlock is easily measured by the number of demons he has under his control. Most warlocks tend to have different ones, four hereby being the magic number. Except for those few individuals who took a different path - some who studied the demonic arts intensely breached this number and achieved power over even a fifth one.

But there are of course a few ones that can summon six or even seven different creatures from the twisted nether. Everyone who was able to go even further, had died so far. At least that is what the rumors state... In any way... more is always possible. Limit being your own foolishness, which left me with conclusion: 'Live strong or die weak.'

Soulreaper also said that he would assist me in obtaining these four core-demons, but everything I tried or did to get further was none of his responsibility. I kind of liked the sound of that...

Some warlocks on the other hand focused on being able to summon lots and lots of demons from the same type, imps for example. They prove to be the easiest by far. Kaal continued to describe how a few warlocks had a legion of imps under their service, some of them were even capable of summoning more than one at the same time. As I had figured out on my own already, a sole imp may not be a fearsome opponent, but 30 of these little creatures at once are able let a rain of fire go down on you that you will never forget.

The three demons I still would have to acquire were what he called a voidwalker, a succubus and a felhunter. When I would be able to summon all four of these 'basic demons', I would lose the status of an apprentice and be a fully trained warlock in his eyes. He also hinted on that I would receive a robe from the warlocks' guild afterwards. He didn't try to describe it for he assured me it would be far more fun if you didn't spoil the surprise of how they looked. I didn't question him, but having seen members of the warlock's guild, I guessed you had to be a bit mad if you wanted to become a part of this. In any case to hear something like this was surely the last thing I would have expected from an orc.

After Soulreaper had finished his little fashion excursus, he again began focusing on the demons I needed to enslave. In my case, he decided summoning the voidwalker first would prove to be easiest. Kaal then filled me in on how the Scarlet Crusade had a small outpost at a tower directly to the north-west of the Undercity. It had been a powerful warlock named Egalin who was the first one to ever summon a voidwalker into this realm without the aid of somebody else. The way he managed to do this was written down in a book, which had been stored in Undercity. Yet in tragic turn of events it had been stolen by an agent of the Scarlet Crusade only few days ago from that point in time. Apparently the spies of the Basheequeen had reported in that the book in question had been taken to the Scarlet outpost out there, unfortunately the scouts sent our afterwards weren't able to find too much else. Some of them not even returned...

If I was able to recover said book, Kaal told me he would personally teach me how to summon such a creature of the void. Without much thought invested I agreed to his proposal and went off.

As I left the city through the ruins of Lordaeron, the imp by my side was happily squeaking. "Once maaaaster haaaas aaaaa new pet, maaaaster will give Pipfip time off. Pipfip will not haaaave to waaaalk aaaalong with useless undead aaaany more."

I gave him an angry look, but the imp didn't even think of stopping. I accepted that you could enslave them, but you couldn't stop them from talking.

The watchtower with the outpost wasn't too far away, although it presented itself more as a ruin. Yet I could already see the scarlet sets of armor from far away, shining through from in between the trees. Something was tingling in my fingers. Come to speak of it, I think that was the first time I ever felt it, this urge to kill, although I was far from being able to understand or even name it at that time.

To my surprise there weren't too many people at the tower. Two guards at the entrance and a total of three people roaming the area, I had a wild guess and took it for given that I'd find a few more inside the structure. With this first impression I might have felt save, but it also unnerved me. I just couldn't get rid of the feeling that the book wasn't here anymore, which luckily was not the case as I was soon to find out.

I approached the ruins directly without seeking cover or trying to avoid a fight. Kaal had taught me a couple of quick, easy spells right after I got to know him and now I wanted to see what these spell were capable of.

The first guard quickly spotted me. She was a fine young woman, blonde hair, wielding a sword and a shield. "Filthy undead! DIE, minion of the Scourge!" Screaming these words she came charging towards me without any second of delay. I on the other hand casually kept drawing closer. I knew I would be discovered soon enough, with or without the screaming. This shout of her would surely also have alarmed the other soldiers around here and the screams she was about to let out in pain and agony would set loose only more people chasing me.

Yet I had made up my mind. I wouldn't run. I did so long enough! This time was different, the shadows would lend me their strength and I knew it. The feeling of certain superiority arose and I cherished it for only a second before something turned more important. I wanted to taste blood.

The imp by my sided wanted to attack her, the balls of fire already forming in his ill-portioned hands, but I ordered him to stay calm, to refrain from what he was doing.

Although I never let the little demon attack, he still was a strong companion by my side. His presence enhanced my stamina and magical proves to a degree unfathomable by mere trash.

As the woman almost had reached melee range she raised her sword ready to land the killing blow with a single strike. I whispered a formula in demonic that I had learned when I was still in Deathknell and the woman stopped in her tracks immediately. It took a second but then she started screaming in agony letting go of her sword, ultimately falling to the ground unable to protect herself any longer.

I took my time watching her for a while. I wanted to see what the spell did. My eyes followed every moment as she lay there on the ground, her flesh twisting in pain. She spat out blood once or twice and the curse already began inflicting real physical damage to her. Yet another sign of my strength...

It made me wonder what I would be capable of using 'Shadow word: Pain', but I was a warlock now, thinking about that was useless. I had my own equivalent for the spell... and I was using it already.

After having seen enough I focused again on the situation at hand and looked around. The two guards at the entrance of the tower were still standing there, only difference now they had their weapons drawn. The two other soldiers were still out searching for me, hectically searching the area.

The woman lying next to my feet was still screaming. It almost seemed as if it was never to stop and one part of me began pitying the weak, still I didn't want to finish her off just yet. The other two still had to find me and she was my little bait.

I didn't know why exactly, but a smile came to my rotten lips.

One of the two other warriors finally managed to spot me. Alright..., I have to admit, it wasn't fair to begin with. I stood behind the trunk of an old tree and the female soldier had fallen right behind it so you probably couldn't see her at all.

Yet not too bothered about such pettiness, I sent a shadow bolt flying at the one warrior who had spotted me. I can't exactly recall where it had hit him, but I remember that he flew backwards and all you heard of him was a loud gargling. Finally even the last one had seen where I was standing, not that this would have been too difficult now, my hands were glowing in a strong and dark violet. The woman besides me was still wincing in pain. I didn't know if she would die or if the effect would wear off after some time. But well, I left her lying there and she was smart enough not to charge at me again... so, who knows what happened in the end except for her?

The second jet of shadow magic then flew towards the other guard. Seemingly unable to miss its target, it whirled around once and then hit the guard in the shoulder. It pierced right through the body, letting the guard also fly off backwards, his blood being spread widely. One of them was dead for sure, two more lying on the ground in agony at least. The body count started rising ever so slightly...

Was this really the Scarlet Crusade I had admired for so long during the time when I was alive?

Then the time came to test the first fire spell I had learned in Undercity. Kaal called it 'immolate'. Basically speaking you use the normal heat around something and enhance the temperature by infusing magic. If you do well, this spell will set your opponent ablaze without you having to either touch him or generate flames on your own. Actually rather easy spell, although it sounds far more complicated... but who am I telling...

Slowly I continued to approach the tower. Both remaining guards try their best to get me and attacked in combined effort, knowing that this should increase their chance of succeeding. Fools...

Casting immolate only takes up a few seconds and depending on the caster maybe even less.

The first of the two guards was set on fire before he even had fully left the ruins. The second one became another victim of my curse of agony.

I looked around one more time, checking whether that had been all of them. Three guards were now lying on the ground screaming in pain as the flesh and bones turned, one guard was definitely dead and the fifth one was running off in desperate search of water. I never bothered finding out what had happened to him in the end.

There were more important things I needed tending to, so I walked right up the slope to the tower and entered the ruins.

"Who dares to enter the realm of Captain Narval?" He gazed at me from crazed eyes. "Foul minion of the Scourge! I shall bring rest to your unholy existence and avenge my men you have taken!"

A lot of big words for only another man ridden by fanaticism...

In the back of the circular room I spotted a chest, it was located underneath a destroyed staircase. Something told me that I would find what I was looking for inside that chest...

My eyes shortly wandering up I could see the clear sky over Tirisfal.

I didn't pay too much attention to the man standing over to the side. And he didn't move an inch on his own either for a while. I suppose he had hoped to scare me away by shouting at me. It was only with the first step he took, that I looked over towards him.

I knew this man, I definitely did...

Yet we were on different sides now. I spoke the short cast and lay a spell on him called corruption. Another rather simple thing, but effective if you like toying around...

It activates the shadow energies flowing through the target. The stronger the spell and the stronger the shadow energy inside the target, the greater is the effect. I didn't put too much effort into it, so the spell shouldn't have been too effective on its own, mainly because he was only a mere warrior. Yet I had already hoped for a bit more than that, simply because he was member of the Scarlet Crusade.

The spell causes a painful stinging and itching just underneath the skin, so usually people with a strong will are able to just simply ignore the effects without much to it. But somebody with a less persistent mind will start to focus on that and he will start scratching him or herself in response.

Usually the targets will do the greatest damage to themselves by themselves. Captain Narval proved to be no exception to this. The moment the spell had been applied onto him, he stopped immediately and started scratching himself everywhere. The pain this spell creates grows stronger by the minute, although this is mostly because of the victims scratching off their own skin.

"What is this? What have you done to me?" He started screaming as his fingernails dug deeper into his flesh and the first few layers of skin were already scraped off his arm. Bare flesh became clearly visible and blood streams formed, running down from the wounds dripping to the floor.

His death was drawing closer and closer due to his lack of spirit and will power.

How ironic.

I opened the chest and took the book out of it. Without looking back I left the destroyed tower and headed for the front entrance of the Undercity again, the grimoire in my hands and the screams of the tormented following me for quite a while as I strolled through the dark woods.

I opened the book and to my surprise all of it was written in demonic. I tried to read a few sentences but after the second one I already had to stop. This language was strange at first although I came to understand it as time passed. Main thing being for one who does not comprehend it, it will hurt when hearing it.

'X amir maev shi azgalanda il lok zenn.'

The imp next to me squealed happily as I read those words out loud. Somehow the world around me started to grow colder than usual for a couple of moment, but I didn't give too much on that. Skipping through the pages I found myself only understanding minor parts of the text written in the book.

As I walked on I skipped to another random page of the folio which showed a strange kind of circle with various instructions added around the image. An interesting picture especially as the lines seemed strangely glazed for whatever reason.

After finally reaching the ruins of Lordaeron again was quick to enter the elevators down to the Undercity, though I still had to get used to that.

It took a while for me to find my way to the mage quarter again, although the city seemed to be almost perfectly symmetrical, you lost orientation pretty quickly. I ended up asking someone for help again, before I had found the right way.

Back in the mage quarters inside the Temple of the Damned, as it was called, I handed the book over to Kaal Soulreaper. He was obviously impressed how quick I was in returning with it. He only wanted to know whether I had any problems getting it. "Nothing mentionable..." I replied briefly with a cold voice. His expression showed approval and would be quick to carry on.

"Follow me warlock apprentice and face a creature from the void itself, soon to become your follower."

We left the building and turned left. A single Forsaken was already awaiting us.

"We have several copies of how to make such a summoning circle, yet the ritual itself is only written down in this book." The old orc thought for a moment. "There is another copy in Orgrimmar. Yet it was vital to recover this grimoire from the Scarlet Crusade. None could imagine what they might try to make of it..."

The circle was shining forth in a bright violet toning. I guess it had been already prepared for my return.

"I will now conduct the summoning, be prepared. As soon as the demon arrives in this world, it will surely start to attack and seek its freedom. It feeds on shadows and feels hardly any pain so be sure to have a strategy for defeating it." He told me that just a moment before the summoning itself took place. That miserable old bastard!

My imp was jumping around my feet as Kaal recited the words I had already said out loud on my way here.

'X amir maev shi azgalanda il lok zenn. (I call upon you, creature of the void.)'

He went on with seemingly similar sentences.

Inside the circle a blue cloud was appearing. It slowly formed as it looked as if the shadows were gathering at that particular point. Dark blue arms came reaching out of the sudden shade and as soon as the head had emerged, violet bracers with a golden lining appeared on the wrists of the demon. Its eyes were emitting a white light, probably the only thing about this creature not solely darkened. The rest of the gathered shadows then formed the bulky body of the creature, its shape in constant motion.

"Kar refir xi revola no? (Who dares to summon me?)" The voice sounded hollow and was extremely dark. The sole presence of the demon was chilling the air around us.

For a moment it looked around, Kaal then directed it to me with some kind of magic.

I thought myself prepared and sent a shadow bolt at the demon and it hit the creature directly in the dark blue chest. Yet the reaction was not the way I had hoped for it to be. The shadow energy was absorbed entirely letting the voidwalker turn darker and enhance it in size. I made a few steps backwards, the demon obviously taking its time.

Shadow magic was of no use now, so I had to resort to fighting with fire.

For the very first time I ordered Pipfip to attack something. Happily he jumped up and down. The first fire bolt flew towards the creature of the void only a moment later. It had not too much of effect on the voidwalker, but it was better than blowing it up even more making it stronger and stronger.

I set my immolate on it and backed up a bit further. It slowed down a bit more. It was definitely not the fastest demon in this world. ..

And in fact, when I look back on it now, I could say that this probably was one of the most boring fights I've ever had to engage into. I just kept backing off from the creature and used the immolate spell Kaal had taught me.

Eventually the demon stopped and somehow fell down, if shadows can fall over that is. The moment I was sure of my victory I ordered my imp to seize fire.

I came closer again, but didn't let my guard down just yet. As I stood over the creature I demanded to know its name. In response it briefly uttered something that sounded like 'Belmon'.

As soon as he had become my new pet I dismissed him from this world and he gladly returned to the twisted nether. Kaal then came up to me and complimented me on making such great progress so incredibly fast. He even said that I would already be ready for acquiring a third demon, the seductive succubus. And he also told me that the leader of the mage guild, a banshee named Kaelystia, would be able to help me with my task.

But before he sent me off yet again, he explained two new spells to me. He meant I would be ready for them now.

So much work to do...