' = Internal dialogue
ยจ= Normal speech
* = Sounds / Etc
-Chapter 45 Start-
[Back to MC PoV]
As Thorim and I flew toward the south, I saw a dot on the tablet move.
The dot on the tablet that is directly pointing south had started moving toward the southwest, which I now realized was the direction of Wintergrasp.
How do I know that? Well, unnaturally clear skies while being so far up in the sky an average person would have frozen solid gave an uncanny view toward the landmarks across Northrend.
So we changed our direction and headed directly toward the southeast, assuming either Jaina or Aegwynn were meeting up with one another there.
On the way, I had heard the general story of what had happened these last two years in Northrend. Long story short, after the whole Ulduar situation, the Keepers were hunted down, Mimiron ended up hiding deep underneath Ulduar, Freya retreated back to the Emerald Dream, and Hodir was killed after assisting the so-called heroes of Azeroth.
What followed was the utter extinction of the Sons Of Hodir, and soon after that, they started assaulting Thorim's temple. His wounds had come from two raiding parties that had kited two skeletal dragons to his location all the way from Icecrown.
The undead dragons instinctively prioritized the Keeper instead of some whimsy adventurer. This resulted in Thorim being caught by surprise as they had launched their assault.
He ended up losing his eye while dealing with the enormous skeletal dragon, as a rogue had gotten a lucky hit as he appeared out of nowhere and stabbed him in the eye. I could only assume it was the skill Shadowstep from his explanation.
The long scar across his face was from when the skeletal dragon used the opportunity the rogue had given it. It slashed him across the face with its sharp, bony claw.
His armor had been utterly torn apart when he had been knocked over by the other skeletal dragon. Several warriors, paladins, and death knights had rushed toward him. They attacked as he lay on the ground, trying to get the dragon off him.
What saved him, in the end, was his hammer, Krolmir. After so many years, the weapon had become part of Thorim himself. When it had felt Thorim starting to lose as he gained wound after wound, it had let loose a mighty storm around the raiding parties, even on top of Thorim himself. Still, the thunder that struck did not hurt the wielder at all.
As a result, the two raiding parties were wiped out, and the skeletal dragons turned to dust, leaving worn and tired Stormlord behind.
A few months later, as fewer adventurers attempted to take his life, one particular guild had set its eyes on him. While most adventurers focused on the Lich King's forces in Icecrown Citadel. This particular guild focused on downing Thorim.
This guild's name was... 'STDs are BoP'. It took most of my willpower not to break out in howling laughter when I heard Thorim mutter that with so much venom, as if they were public enemy number one.
I sincerely doubted Keeper knew what the words truly meant. This only fueled my dark amusement at the situation. Thorim the Stormlord, The Mighty Lord of Thunder, had been hunted by a bunch of clowns.
Thankfully, I managed to hide whatever gestures I had as I put my helmet down even further as Thorim continued.
After Thorim finished his tale, two joyful howls were heard under us.
Turns out, he had hidden his secondary weapon within a compartment inside his throne, where two small wolves had been deep into slumber; when he opened it, the two wolves were clearly dear to Thorim, as they now were gripped in each claw underneath the insanely large Proto-Dragon, howling in joy while being carried a thousand meters above the ground, clearly entertained by the situation.
Thorim now had his hammer behind his back and a large rifle in his hands, which honestly looked very intimidating, as the weapon increased in size to fit the wielder, making Thorim look like he was holding a hand-held tank.
Apparently, this was the famed Titanstrike, a weapon designed by his friend Mimiron long ago, and what I could recall was the beastmaster hunter's artifact weapon in the game.
As we kept a fast pace toward where the tracker showed the two dots were moving, I couldn't help but look down when I felt a surge of magic in the air.
When I looked straight down, I was met with the sight that made me blink owlishly at what resembled a swarm of flying bees heading directly toward us. With my improved senses, I could barely hear them yell with glee while pushing forward on their flying mounts to reach us.
Jepp, we were directly over Dalaran, which seemed ready for us somehow. The number of people heading our way was in the several hundred. They all flew on different flying mounts, some on drakes, wind riders, and helicopters. It honestly looked like the result of throwing a circus into a blender.
Thorim noticed me staring down and decided to do the same.
I heard an angry grunt from the Stormlord as he made the Proto-Dragon stop. He pointed his eight-meter-long rifle toward the swarm underneath us by angling himself to the side on his mount.
Then, a vicious crackling sound could be heard as the weapon lit up slowly until the impressive-looking weapon glowed with intense blue light. A wide-looking missile of thunder sped toward the throng of brain-damaged individuals below.
The sky lighted up for a moment before the impact hit. *BOOOOOOOOM* and the people under us were blasted in every direction. Some dismounted, which I soon recognized was already dead paladins just waiting to hit the ground.
Too bad for Thorim, though. He had only hit their first wave as more ascended from down below at rapid speeds. These sure were persistent, and honestly, I could understand why, when dying has no consequence, you no longer care about setbacks like death.
This world honestly confused me. So far, all the people I had seen were... were animated, like ordinary people. However, somehow, they still acted like the players did when I considered this a game. I believed by now that this was an amalgamation of different worlds as a result of the End Time.
With all this pondering, I put aside my semi-existential crisis, and a grin starts forming without realizing it.
I looked toward Thorim and said, "Let me deal with the next packs of flying bugs, yeah? I want to see if I have gotten rusty lately."
'After all, it has been a long time since I have done some proper PVP.'
Deciding to have a little fun, I remove my control over my flight as I lean backward and fall as my grin widens in anticipation.
When I feel a sense of weightlessness, I put my hands closer to my body to increase the speed of my dive downward. While I do this, lightning flows through my entire being as a thin purple haze starts forming around me.
As I close in on the people who seem to be waiting for me in anticipation, I spread my hands wide. Phantasmal armor surrounds me as claws of lightning start to take shape as the air crackles violently with lightning.
The next moment, time seemed to stop as I punched the air in front of me as hard as I could, the mass of people stilled, eyes wide, not in terror but in pure, unadulterated glee.
'What the fuck' was the only thing on my mind before the sky lit up as a thunderous *ROOOOOOOOOAR* ripped through the air before the so-called adventurers under me were struck by millions of tiny threads of lightning, which weaved through the forces all at once, leaving a majority of them falling off their mounts, dead upon impact.
Many were turned to ash from the impact as well, but one paladin seemed to have managed to use his bubble while yelling toward the sky, "What the flying fuck are the devs thinking!? How are we supposed to fight in the air!?" That was all I heard before he disappeared through a cloud and disappeared from view.
I was honestly a bit disappointed, but what did I expect? Flying at us like a swarm of moths desperate to reach the sun probably didn't scream high intelligence either.
Then, I decided to enable my flight again, ascending toward the looming Proto-Dragon in the sky.
When I finally arrived beside Thorim, I was met with an undescribable look as he said, "Impressive lightning tiny one, almost as good as my own." Then he went completely silent as we made our way toward the marker, pointing more toward the east than before.
I laughed internally at Thorim's stoic stance after my lightning stunt. We kept flying at a decent speed when I could see the mountains rise far up to separate the different areas.
We could see Wintergrasp from here, or at least the vulcanic zone of it, as a small volcano released puffs of smoke far into the sky.
I smiled from the nostalgia as we kept our pace toward the warzone, somehow getting the feeling that whatever we were going to do here would ultimately be quite entertaining.
[Aegwynn PoV]
As I kept being bombarded by siege vehicles while being pelted with different objects hitting my barrier and promptly turning to dust, I decided to take another approach.
I reach my hand toward the sky, and Aluneth appears like a mirage out of thin air. Everything around me has been almost slowed down to a halt.
When my loyal companion falls into my hands gently, I feel my magic swell as my body feels lighter, my heart is thumping rapidly, and a smile of joy appears on my face.
Then, a field of pure arcane magic forms around me, and I close my eyes for a moment in concentration. I could feel everything: the enemies charging right at my destination with no regard for their own lives, the excitement coming from the enemies, and their disregard for their own well-being as they threw themselves at me like lambs to the slaughter.
'How peculiar...' I pondered as I gazed toward the incoming throng of different races trying to reach me, though they were frozen in my empowered, slow time.
'Time to show them what proper arcane explosion looks like.'
Then, a high-pitched screech was heard as the barrier around me exploded outward, enveloping every enemy, vehicle, animal companion, elemental, and demon within the area stilled.
Almost as if hit by an invisible attack of pure death, their eyes lost focus shortly after the shockwave of pure, intense, arcane magic had struck.
I could see in slow motion that the pets of most people without any sort of defensive measure were straight up being slowly removed from existence.
As the intense wave passed, most of the enemies before me were decimated to the point of no return. Strangely enough, some rose and dashed toward me yet again.
'What are these? Mindless zombies?' I thought before I sent dozens of empowered arcane missiles their way, and they fell face-first to the ground, devoid of life.
{If only she knew how right she was...}
As I finally look at the current area, I realize there is a small gap within a set of large double doors heading inwards toward the mountain, where a glowing light can be seen radiating the entire inside with yellow light.
There were large gaps south, east, and west, leading to a barely visible workshop if the smoke coming above was any indication.
One giant abomination roamed on the other side of the wall to the south as sounds of combat came from there. I saw a glimpse of its body rush toward what looked like a pale blue horned creature holding a purple-looking shield.
When I realized that there was another swarm of people like those I just fought coming my way, I prepared myself again.
The stampede of people came from the east, and soon, I could see the signs of the enemies coming through the narrow gateway.
When the first person arrived, I realized it was the same sickly-looking man I disintegrated minutes ago. Now I realized he was an undead, as his hood was behind his head while a metallic jaw hung off a few bolts on the side of his face.
'Oh, so I am fighting the undead while they are being allied with... Orcs, trolls, tauren, and some kind of fel-infused elf with green glowing eyes? Interesting.' Were my thoughts as I conjured an arcane construct, just like my apprentice's water elementals but much more solid looking.
In fact, it had a sliver of Aluneth's consciousness within its core, which further empowered the construct.
'The fact they throw their lives away makes sense now. Are they connected to the Burning Legion, perhaps? Only they can connect their souls to the twisting nether and re-enter our world like this... Except that process takes years... If not centuries, how can these creatures do the same within minutes?' I pondered as I watched my arcane construct decimate the masses heading my way like insects.
I was honestly not impressed. These cretins obviously only relied on their way to maintain their lives after dying to fight, which ruined any joy in fighting them.
Sighing after killing hundreds of people for the second time, I gazed up at the sky when I realized someone was flying in my direction at rapid speeds on a familiar-looking carpet.
'Oh, my apprentice already found her way here?' I smiled as she made her way down. However, something interfered with her ability to fly as the carpet shrank. I could only see her yank it out of the air as she started falling.
Sighing yet again, I point Aluneth toward her, grab her with telekinesis, and pull her toward me with a low *Eep* as my student lands on her behind on the hard ground.
"Was that really necessary?" Jaina whined while rubbing her behind from the slight fall.
"No, but you really need to use slow-fall better. If you used that and a blink toward me, you'd be on the ground immediately instead of landing on your ass like a newly apprenticed mage." I told her with a smile.
Then I take the tracking stone from my pocket and realize that the third dot is closing on our location quickly. "Also, dear apprentice of mine, I will leave the next wave of enemies to you. Take this as a test from me. If you deal with it as easily as I think you should, I will teach you an interesting spell." I told her as I leaned back on the wall while Aluneth hovered before me, making an illusion that hid me from view.
What I felt when Jaina was so utterly flustered about the situation amused me to no end. I am truly thankful that my grandson found me such an entertaining apprentice.
[Jaina PoV]
Sometimes, I hate my mentor.
She can sometimes sense my current state of mind and uses that to make amusing situations whenever possible.
Somehow, I think she sensed my growing horror when I faced the people in this... Event, they truly recognize me... The older version of me gives me goosebumps just thinking about it when I consider what kind of gazes came my way when I appeared in Dalaran.
And now the Ex-Guardian wants me to fight them?
'My life has become a rollercoaster of emotion ever since I got to know Medan. I wish he were the one I found first...' I thought as I saw the incoming enemies pressing through a narrow entrance.
So I conjured three water elementals who stood five meters tall on both sides. In front of me, I noticed how the enemy stopped momentarily, as if looking for my mentor, before turning to me as their faces went from a pondering one... To a hungry one.
'No, no, no, not dealing with that again!' I thought as I frantically started casting one of my new powerful spells in their direction and pulled my magic. A large, dark cloud slowly started taking shape above.
At first, nothing happened, as those monsters kept pushing one another to get through the narrow pathway, but then the snow started falling. One of them looked up as a snowflake gently landed on one of the adventurers, who had stopped and put out her palm to study the phenomenon.
Then, with a *thud*, the woman who had received the small snowflake in her hand saw her arm fall from the elbow. The entire arm was frozen solid in a slightly purple ice cube as it separated from the woman's body with a meaty *pop*.
What happened next was pandemonium. As people were stuck on the other side, the water elementals I conjured up were also starting to turn into ice. Still, somehow, the three did not lose any mobility this way, as their movements were fluid and smooth while casting or physically attacking the incoming monsters.
Watching a previously weak construct of magic slap the living shit out of the depraved creatures in front of me was one of the better things to happen since my arrival in this... Nightmare.
The cloud of icy death did not let up until every opponent was immobile or dead. Still, when the cloud finally disappeared, I looked toward the mass of frozen bodies.
Most survived that spell, but it wasn't meant for killing, only to make them unable to move.
However, my developing magic and the boost of Medan's magic truly went above and beyond in potency when combined like this.
I kept my guard up while my elementals kept a guarded stance around me as I walked. I went near the narrow gateway and gazed through.
I was met with a sight I'd much rather unsee, as it reminded me of when the Scourge first arrived and slaughtered the people of Lordaeron.
Hundreds of bodies missing legs and arms were crawling toward me without regard for their lives. This made me apprehensive at the realization that I had utterly mangled living people for no other reason than finding their gazes lecherous and disgusting.
"Jaina dear, I know what you are thinking, do not doubt your own actions, these things in front of you are just one step in the right direction, and by no means do these cretins deserve your pity.
Then my mentor paused and continued softly, "You cannot let things like these halter your progress or make you doubt yourself. There is no place at his side if you fall to such thoughts. If any creature of any kind wants to take your life, they are ready to lose their own in the process.
Might make right. Remember that, dear apprentice."
'She's right... I cannot dwell on things like these... They obviously wanted me dead for some reason or another...' Sighing while having an internal debate, I decided to put my previous thoughts away and deal with the situation.
'Might make right, huh... I guess it does...'
As I was going to finish the bundle of crawling creepy torsos heading my direction, I looked up where a gigantic blue dragon was descending.
I prepared myself for another fight until I got a better look at the shapes coming my way. I could see the flying form of Medan speaking to something sitting on top of the dragon; this put my mind at ease, and I sighed.
[Back to MC PoV]
"Yes, we are currently on a mission to take down Malygos, who has gone mad and is cooperating with some time travel shinanigan dragon off-shoots from the bronze flight under the name of infinite dragonflight.
Though there are bound to be complications even with that in mind, primarily due to a warning given by the bronze, apparently the Aspects are involved..." Which caused Thorim's eyebrows to rise before he slumped further into the saddle.
Then I continued, "These Infinite dragons are also the servants of the Old Gods trying to wreak chaos around Azeroth."
"The two I brought alongside me were split up upon entry to your chaotic world, so we should meet up with them before moving further to the west, where Malygos should be located according to what I know," I told him. At the same time, we gazed down into the warzone called Wintergrasp.
Thorim was just shaking his head after having processed what I had just told him as he, too, gazed downward and dumbfounded by the need for constant conflict and war just to get access to the vault under the mountain.
He was even more dumbfounded when I told him that these so-called heroes fought over this place eight times per day, or at least that was what I could recall about Wintergrasp, which might be wrong in this world, however.
When we finally closed in on where the two white dots were pointing, I could see a dark cloud hovering above the entrance to the vault. Hundreds of moving body parts lay on the opposite side of the narrow doorway. I soon realized it was just a bunch of torsos without legs or arms trying to get through but to no avail.
'Damn, that's actually worse than anything zombie-related I have ever seen...' I thought as I finally saw who was doing all this. With a steely look in her eyes, Jaina gazed directly at the result of her spell before turning up toward us, and I could see her eyes light up with relief.
"So, ready to meet the rest of the group?" I asked casually toward the large Keeper beside me. He simply nodded and kept his remaining eye on the adventurers below, seemingly pleased at the sight.
Somehow, I felt our flight become much harder to control as we neared the ground, but it was manageable. Thorim's Proto-dragon seemed to ignore it entirely, though.
As the cloud disappeared, we landed on the ground. The Proto-drake released the wolves as they moved away from its legs.
This made Jaina look toward us curiously. Thorim got off his dragon, standing fifteen meters tall, as he looked around before he set his eyes on the mage in front of him and said, "Hail tiny one, my name is Thorim, what is yours?"
Jaina stood there with her eyes wide, looking at the Stormlord before doing a courtly bow and said, "My name is Jaina Proudmoore, pleased to meet you... Thorim."
After a brief pause, I looked behind Jaina, where I could sense an illusion of sorts, and then slowly, the shape of Aegwynn made herself known. The Keeper realized she had been hiding nearby without him realizing as he followed her with his gaze.
"My name is Aegwynn Magna. I am too pleased to meet you, Keeper, however..." Aegwynn introduced herself before pointing behind us as a throng of enemies tore down a wall in the distance and made their way toward us.
"Shall we perhaps get out of this place before continuing our talk? I do not feel like fighting opponents that do not die when killed."
We flew out of there as loud voices kept yelling, "Where the loot goin'!?"
-Chapter 45 End-