' = Internal dialogue
ยจ= Normal speech
* = Sounds / Etc
-Chapter 42 Start-
While Jaina and I made our way toward the city gates, we observed what we had been able to achieve in the short time we had had since the last disruption of peace, the city was blooming, and slowly but surely, people were letting go of their old grievances with the other races, or the fear of what the unknown represented.
There had been a few scuffles among the newly arrived humans, but Belmont's new squads had been the ones to solve most of that. The five-person groups were doing solid work and had, by now, prevented a lot of disorder and chaos within the city after we had caught a few cultists that had managed to hide.
It turns out that with some coordination, these squads could utterly manhandle their targets after careful observation and planning. And were becoming a sort of police force we desperately needed.
Most of the guards were decorations, an illusion of peace. Still, with the new additions, this illusion had become real.
Now as we both near the gates, I could motion for one of the guardsmen that they should open the gate, and the guard yelled out, "BOB! OPEN THE DAMN GATES!" Apparently, Bob had moved here today. At this point, I felt Bob was just the guard's version of entertainment, as the chubby half-asleep dwarf mostly kept dozing off.
However, the man ended up spooked and, in a panic, did his job and dozed off into his chair again as the gate started to open.
As the gate opened, five robed figures became visible, two of them looking wary and annoyed because of the fact they had to wait outside the gates, while who I could assume was Rhonin had a wry smile on his face as he saw us; clearly his fellow colleagues had been pestering him since they had arrived.
The previous five individuals turned into six, as behind Rhonin appeared an elf, barely older than Valeera. Then Rhonin stepped toward us, put his hand forward, and said jovially, "Greetings, my name is Archmage Rhonin. My friends and colleagues call me Redhair."
I shook his hand, and he pointed behind him. He continued, "This is my nephew Arator, and the serious lady right there is Archmage Modera. The balding man beside her is Archmage Karlain, and the two behind them are their apprentices, who apparently do not know how to behave in front of their mentors." Rhonin finished while his eyes narrowed when he looked toward the new apprentices.
I then replied with a smile, "Well met, I'm Medan, city lord, sorcerer, anoma-Oof!" as I was going to continue, Jaina gently elbowed me in the side.
At the same time, Rhonin just brightened with a smile on his face when he saw our interaction, "Welcome to our city. My name is Jaina Proudmoore. I am pleased to make your acquaintance.
However, shall we continue our talk in the designated meeting room we have set up?" Jaina said with a forced smile after my introduction. Her face was strained while trying to hold her laughter as the two Archmages behind Rhonin were gaping as they finally registered the enormous wall of magic before them.
This was much like Jaina's reaction the first time we met, only that my magic was amplified many times compared to back then.
Rhonin had given me a glance but then turned toward Jaina, nodded, and waved his fellow mages and nephew through the gates. We went through the streets toward Belmont's Inn, where the teleporter was.
The mages following behind us, staring at every single thing they encountered, the tauren selling their carpets, the night elves, which of whom had been rarely spotted even by the oldest of mages, they were utterly awed by the city, and the different races interacting with each other so casually, except the two apprentices though, they kept whispering to each other about how primitive the tauren were, and how Dalaran would never give access to animals like them.
Rhonin's bright smile had become very strained from having to listen to the two during our walk.
When we finally reached the Inn, I knocked on the front door as Belmont's personal assistant Daylia opened the door and did a short bow before waving us inside.
I did what I usually did when I entered Belmont's Inn and waved toward the shadows. The mages following behind us thought there was something wrong with my head until tiny hands waved back from the darkness, making their eyes go wide.
Rhonin, though, just laughed, more amused than anything. He had probably sensed them before.
This made me reconsider my first impression of the red-haired Archmage. He might seem overly friendly, but underneath the exterior is a man who has experienced more than most and has the skills to back up his carelessness.
Instead of becoming an arrogant piece of shit, he had instead adopted confident and boisterous traits, which put him on my top list among the allies I wanted on my side.
Without a doubt, he was here with motives in mind. Still, I doubted he would push anyone around and instead observe to see if we were valuable allies. It's what I would have done in his situation.
As Caylia led us to the teleportation room, the Archmage named Modera entered the teleporter. She was gone with a hum in the air, and one by one, then, each Archmage and their apprentice entered.
Then Rhonin, his nephew, and Jaina entered when all the visitors had entered, and I joined last.
As I go stand in the little cylindrical chamber, I was met with a blue light as the teleporter activated, and the next thing I saw was the professionally decorated war room. The room was a simple one, with a large table in the middle, displaying the three regions in an illusionary display while marking our current location with a red glowing dot.
When I teleported into the room, the two apprentices were ordered to stand behind their mentors. At the same time, Rhonin, Karlain, and Modera took a seat. Jaina waved me over to sit beside her on the opposite side of our visitors' table. Belmont sat beside Jaina with his trademark grin, which unnerved some visitors.
As we sat in our chairs, Rhonin said, "Let me start by saying thanks to Lady Jaina. Without such brilliant luck, we would undoubtedly not be here today.
Some of my old friends have mentioned your skills and potential and had nothing bad to say regarding your developing magical abilities. However, I must admit you have risen above many of the retired archmages I am still able to stay in contact with." Rhonin looked at Jaina while considering something after he told her this but turned around and faced me instead.
"Recently, there is a rumor that remnants of Lordaeron ended up on the continent of Kalimdor. This rumor kept mentioning a new city that was wealthy beyond measure and had many resources, which they had taken from the deceased Lordaeron nobles.
However, we realized this rumor did not favor the migrators, as a hefty bounty had been put on Calia Menethil's head. The bounty is so extravagant that several of mine were even tempting to claim it because of previous grievances with the Menethil, especially so after their families were brutally murdered and are now being risen as mindless undead as we speak." Rhonin said while scratching his brow.
"I do understand their resentment, but it is severely misguided. There is also a bounty on your head Lord Medan, which is around the same amount of gold as a reward. However, the ones who put it up in what remains of the Eastern Kingdoms are, to this day, anonymous. Still, we have reasons to believe that these bounties are just there to pester you, as the publisher and the one who listed it has gone into hiding." Rhonin completed with a sigh.
This was news to me, though it didn't take a genius to guess who had published the bounties. I wasn't worried in the slightest. If there were anyone who was going to be troubled by this, it would be the ones trying to claim the bounties.
"That aside, I am very pleased to see a place such as this thriving after what the people have gone back in Lordaeron. Just seeing the people mingle among other races puts my mind to ease, considering the bounties weren't the only rumors which have been spread. It does seem someone is out to get you, Lord Medan." Rhonin said jovially but had gained a questioning tone toward the end and was obviously curious.
"Well, when you make a place like this, and it somehow works out? You are guaranteed to make powerful enemies wherever you go.
In my case, I'm just having a minor skirmish against a black dragon." I told Rhonin while smiling.
He looked taken aback momentarily until his face lost all smiles, and asked, "May I inquire who this black dragon is?"
"Sure, I don't see why not, let's continue the meeting, and we can talk later. The others seem a bit bored." I said while looking toward the apprentices, who clearly were new to meetings like these.
Rhonin accepted what I said as it was, something for later. Then he started, "We are here to secure resources to rebuild Dalaran, now it is in ruins, but the foundation is still there, and we have already started rebuilding it with the few resources we have.
Our only defensive measure is a powerful emergency barrier that was never activated during the siege, and we lack pretty much everything to rebuild." Rhonin summarized with a sigh.
This time Jaina replied suspiciously, "So that's why you brought two Archmages plus yourself? Just to secure resources to rebuild the ruins? I am sorry to be blunt, but are you treating us as if we are fools?
Back when I was an apprentice, the only times an Archmage went out by themselves to do anything, it meant trouble. When three appear at our doorstep, that means something truly troublesome is going on.
If we are here to only sit and stir around without telling the entire story, then you have traveled here for naught." Jaina said with firm finality in her voice.
This brought a reaction from two apprentices standing behind Karlain and Modera: "How dare you question the Kirin Tor! / You should be honored to assist with rebuilding Dalaran!" They shouted simultaneously, resulting in Rhonin's magic to flare up. He shouted, "You two! If you cannot behave, I will ensure your exile from the order after you have already failed the initiate test we prepared for you upon our arrival here!"
Then he calmed down slightly as he stared down the two. While their mentors looked disappointed, the two young adults looked pale as they were looking toward their mentors and waiting for their support.
{Just a young master with the known syndrome, yea... warcraft have them too...}
"My patience has been stretched thin since before we arrived here. You two no longer have any reason to participate in this meeting." Rhonin said with finality as he started to summon a portal.
That was when he noticed that it did not work. No portal was forming in front of him.
Then he turned toward me with newfound respect and asked, "Lord Medan, can you allow me to deliver these two back to Dalaran?"
I shrugged, then pointed toward the teleporter on the other side of the room and said, "On top of the panel, if you press the button, you should have a fifteen-second window to make your portal."
Rhonin looked toward me and smiled gratefully as he rose to his feet and grabbed both of them by the scruff of their necks and dragged them toward the teleporter, then pressed the button and chucked them with some force through the portal he had just opened, which closed right after they passed through it.
"So now that that is dealt with let's return to business? Oh, also, I apologize on their behalf. I know you have heard them badmouth your city for a while now. I deeply thank you both for your patience regarding our student's continuous bad behavior." Rhonin and the two Archmages expressed genuine regret for bringing them as he said this.
"There's no need. I don't care about their outburst in th-" I was interrupted by the familiar sound of the teleporter activating, and with a brief flash of light, Aegwynn appeared, and I groaned loudly.
The reactions of the archmages weren't instant. The only one who reacted was Rhonin, who stood there and gaped like a fish for the next ten seconds. Then Aegwynn spoke while looking at me, "Dear grandson, I have been able to- Oh, sorry, am I interrupting something important?" The silence was deafening until I shook my head and replied, "No... Not really, might as well have you participating..."
I just pointed at my side as she came over with a smile and whispered, "I felt the teleporter allowing the use of portals, so I thought I'd join this little meeting of yours."
She might be here if not just for the shock factor that a guardian with more than one thousand years of experience resides in this city.
Rhonin kept looking back and forth between Aegwynn and me for a while, trying to process what he had heard. A city lord he has never heard of before is the grandson of one if not the most powerful guardian to ever walk Azeroth.
This undoubtingly put his priorities toward allying with us to another level. As Rhonin visibly calmed down, he sighed.
"When we came here, I did not expect to encounter you of all people, Lady Aegwynn. We had heard not a word about you for some years.
Some even believed you to have perished." Rhonin said as he gazed toward the ex-guardian and smiled.
This made both the Archmages on his side suddenly realize who had entered the room. Both just kept their gaze on Aegwynn. Until one of them rose up from the chair.
"It's an honor to finally meet you, former guardian." The female Archmage named Modera said as she rose and did a polite bow in the direction of Aegwynn and sat back down.
Archmage Karlain just nodded politely, then turned back to Rhonin and remained silent.
The young high elf at the side whispered into Rhonin's ear, but we could hear him as loud as day, "Who is that scary old lady?" The teen asked, making Rhonin almost choke on his saliva, then covered the adolescent elf's mouth with his palm while looking at Aegwynn with panicked eyes.
"I'm no one important young one, just an old woman with a lot of experience." Said Aegwynn with a gentle smile while looking at Arator, not offended by the elf's remark. She wasn't a typical drama-infused old woman who had to punish everyone if they mentioned her age.
Rhonin visibly calmed down and sighed again, which has often been recurring upon his arrival here.
The young elf just nodded and smiled back once he realized she wasn't as scary as he first had assumed, if only he knew.
"Ehm, Archmage Rhonin, if you wouldn't mind, could you please explain why you are here again?" Jaina said, with passive expression, as if displeased with the fact she knew the three Archmages from Dalaran had ulterior motives.
Rhonin was silent, seemingly considering something, then said, "After the Scourge's attack on Lordaeron and subsequent destruction of Dalaran, we need resources to rebuild, and every step on the way, we have been hindered by strange temporal disturbances, our allies have just strangely lost everything they were willing to give us, at the exact time we reached out for them for help.
I have suspicions, but it is not easy to prove, and it sounds utterly insane for me to say this. Still, I suspect we are being sabotaged by enemies called the Infinite dragonflight, whom I have had the displeasure to meet once, as no doubt none of you know what I speak, which was why I had difficulties bringing it up." Rhonin finished as he waited for our reactions, and when he got none, he just looked at us strangely.
"Well, I expected them to be up to something. It has been way too silent lately regarding whatever they were doing... Also, Archmage Rhonin, have you been in touch with the Bronze dragonflight lately? I do understand if you haven't, considering their situation is even worse than yours..."
Rhonin paled and was going to say something but was interrupted by a new voice, "Mr. Anomaly, there is no need to frighten them with false information. We have everything under control. But... I might have to ask you for help right now..."
The voice said as bronze runes appeared in a circle on the floor behind me, and Chromie made herself known, still fully geared and looking prepared for battle.
I groaned yet again but sat upright soon after and asked, "So, let me guess, the Infinite dragonflight are currently sabotaging important events all over Azeroth?"
Chromie walked up to the table and gazed at the map while I was saying this and just nodded as she started pointing toward specific locations as small yellow pylons appeared, then replied, "Well, yes, it seems that they attempted to contact the Twilight Hammer cult, the black dragon residing in the Blackrock Mountains, and... Our biggest issue to date... The Aspect of Magic, Malygos." Chromie said as she slowly kept making small yellow pylon markers until she reached Northrend but hesitated as she mentioned Malygos.
Rhonin was close to catatonic right now. He no doubt knew who Malygos was and ignored the two other enemies she had mentioned, no doubt tuning them out and processing the news that Malygos was assisting the Infinite dragonflight, it usually would be an utter disaster, but I sensed that Chromie was somewhat in a teasing mood.
"Well, that aside, what I meant to say is... Three End-Time events have appeared underneath the Caverns Of Time." Then she pointed toward her medallion, which displayed one grain of sand falling down very slowly until it reached the bottom, and continued, "If we do not solve these three conflicts within one week, there is a high risk of events regarding the ones I mentioned to result in them coming true and even more catastrophic consequences will follow, without a doubt.
Because the Infinite dragonflight cannot directly contact either of these factions before these End Time events either come to pass in their favor or interference by other mortals." Chromie said with a sigh.
"So what your telling us is that unless we defeat all these so-called End Time events, the real Malygos will have the direct assistance of the Infinite dragonflight?" Rhonin said as cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
"Well... Yes? I still do not know why the Infinite dragonflight has suddenly decided to do such a thing as ally themselves with others like this, as it has never really happened before to this degree. I can only presume it is to cause chaos, as it normally is..." Chromie said as she had a finger on her chin while pondering this.
"Well, this sure complicates things, doesn't it? Chromie... Are you sure you are not just doing this to delay me from dealing with my current target? It does feel that you brought this up knowing I had to set aside everything just to deal with this new scenario?" I said as Chromie stilled but shook her head slowly, which made me narrow my eyes and keep staring at her as she became increasingly uncomfortable.
I sighed and let up the pressure on Chromie, and for a moment, I looked toward the window and asked, "So what about the demons reaching for Mount Hyjal? Is this part of why you are bringing these events up right now? I mean, come on, Chromie, your flight control fucking time to a reasonable extent." I turned around and looked at her again. This time she recoiled visibly at the accusation.
'So... It was that, huh, it seems the butterfly effect is coming at us with full force...'
"You can't expect to achieve any good-will from me or anyone here if what your trying to do is deceive us, I agreed to help you before that is true, but continue trying to manipulate me or those around me while making us deal with your problems, and I promise you... I will end our cooperation right here, right now." I said with an emotionless look directed at Chromie, who looked down the entire time as she listened to me speak.
Aegwynn, Jaina, Rhonin, and the other Archmages listened intently to our conversation. Jaina had started to look angry when she realized what Chromie had been trying to do, while Aegwynn just nodded as she had expected it to be the case.
Rhonin and the two Archmages were silent the entire time, they seemed to have some knowledge about what we were speaking of, but the implications of them were finally settling in.
"... I ... Apologize. I will admit that I wanted some events to happen as they were meant to, but I have not muttered a single lie. There are some events that can move the entirety of Azeroth in the direction of its complete and utter doom, and Mount Hyjal is one of those. If not handled properly, it can make the night elves extinct within twenty years." Chromie admitted and revealed her reasons for her previous action.
I continued to look at Chromie, I understood her reasons, but we had made some kind of partnership a week ago. With this breach of trust, I knew it'd be best to be wary, no matter what, regarding the Bronze flight.
This also meant that anything related to what I considered canon timeline was thrown out of the window, with my approximation of what date Archimonde would be starting his assault on Mount Hyjal being seven months away, being shortened down potentially to one week was devastating.
Looking toward Aegwynn, I considered how to complete the enormous task ahead. She smiled and smiled, "So Chronormu, when do we start? I prefer to deal with the End-Time scenarios as quickly as possible."I said while maintaining a neutral tone.
Chromie visibly reacted to me saying her true name as her eyes widened before returning to normal quickly.
She said, "Within a few hours, I can make you a portal to the Caverns Of Time, so you can prepare."
"We are coming along. There is no way you can deal with all these events alone!" Rhonin exclaimed. His two fellow Archmages nodded as well. All three had a serious demeanor.
"We are coming along too. I cannot let my grandson deal with everything on his own after all, and it would be odd if I were to leave my apprentice going along without me as well. " Aegwynn said while gazing toward Jaina, who was just going to speak up but looked down as her ears reddened.
I just smiled at Jaina's direction, then turned toward Rhonin and said, "Let's discuss our contribution to help Dalaran recover once we have solved these immediate threats, no doubt this takes priority." He nodded with a grim face.
So I went toward the teleporter, and the last thing I heard before I teleported down to the first floor was Belmont whispering, "This is why I fucking hate mages from Dalaran. They always bring trouble..."
'I guess a week was the only peace and quiet we'd get for a while now...'
-Chapter 42 End-