Welcome to the sequel of The Odd Shaman Book 2. If anyone here has not read the first book... you will be heavily confused by what you read in the coming chapters. Still, suppose you have base knowledge and a versatile mind. In that case, you can figure out the personal relationships and the changes that have come to these known characters if you are patient enough.
It's not advisable, though, as I heavily recommend skimming through "The Odd Shaman Book 1" First.
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Anyhow, I will mainly use third person PoV in the 2nd book, as the constant first person started to feel... icky?
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-Prologue Chapter 1-
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[Location: ? - Year 25]
—
A behemoth of a ship fought against the water's surface as waves that seemed to be made of steel crashed against it relentlessly.
The sea can be a mesmerizing beauty but can also be a ruthless foe.
The vessel, caught amid a raging storm and a watery grave that seemed to swallow everything, struggled to stay afloat.
The waves were so high that they threatened to swallow the ship whole. The crew was at the mercy of the sea as the vessel was tossed and turned into a rag doll.
The uncertainty of their fates hung in the air, and every second felt like an eternity.
Especially so for the captain, who looked at the broken mast with a resigned expression, feeling as if his heart dropped the moment it slammed into the deck, crushing several of his men into a bloody pulp in the process.
*ROOOOOOOOOOOAR*
The captain, an aged human who had been exploring the dangerous seas for decades, did not even react as the colossal nightmarish creature in the distance roared in fury because he knew, he truly knew, there was no longer any hope of salvation as his men cried, begged, and pleaded to the light and other higher beings.
"CAPTAIN!" A lanky man with a short beard and an eyepatch called out.
This caused the captain to gaze toward his first mate, the latter with despair apparent on his face. However, something alien was in the man's eye, which did not fit their situation.
It was hope.
"LOOK!" The first mate shouted frantically as his hand pointed to the distance.
At first, there was nothing to see, but as the captain looked closer, he saw a thick mist approach as if it were alive.
Something lurked closer from behind the white fog, approaching their location in the middle of the storm.
Whatever was approaching behind the mist was towering over the size of the monstrosity like that of a mammoth to that of a horse, and the previously flailing monster seemed to recognize the threat if its sudden stillness were to be any indication.
The monstrosity that had been attempting to sink the large ship flailed its eight arms wildly as it tried to make itself bigger and look threatening to the incoming creature, which was barely hidden by the veil of mist.
But it was all for naught, as the Kraken-like monstrosity, with four crimson eyes radiating malice and a size of over 200 meters in length and 100 meters wide, was slapped aside as if it weighed nothing.
*BOOOOOOM*
"HOLD ON EVERYONE! BIG WAVE INCOMING!" The captain shouted as he saw the damned monster trying to sink their ship be slammed aside, leaving only a line of blood and guts in the direction it was sent hurling away like that a rock skipping the watery surface.
What happened next was a miracle no one had expected. The wave that had risen much taller than the ship suddenly retreated backward. For a moment, there was a tense silence.
Even the storm stilled from what happened next as a reverberating moan trembled over the ship, shaking every sailor from their stunned stupor.
The entire ship shook for a moment more until the sound of the being behind the mist went silent.
The dark clouds above slowly cleared, and for the first time in days, the men aboard the 'Behemoth' finally lay eyes on the sun peaking through the sky. Most cried in relief as they took this as a sign that our dangers were over.
But the captain looked sternly at the mist clearing around the creature that seemed to loom closer to the ship.
Then, as the mist finally cleared around the creature, the captain couldn't help but exclaim as his eyes widened to almost comical proportions, "A turtle!?"
"...Yes, his name is Shen-zin Su." A disarmingly calm voice explained from behind the captain, which made the crew and captain alike jump in freight.
Behind the captain stood a creature with a chubby stature, a straw hat, and a bamboo stick supporting his weight as he leaned into it while hiding his face.
"What brings such as yourselves to these turbulent waters? There should not be any land on any map leading anywhere in this part of the world..." The chubby bear-like man patiently inquired as he massaged his chin. An eye peeked out from between a small gap in the straw hat as he studied the crew.
"W-we a-are on a quest for Lord Medan of the city of Sanctum, to find an island within the mists and deliver a message..." The captain stuttered momentarily before standing up and politely finished explaining to the newcomer.
"Oho... to think someone still remembers... May I inquire what kind of message you are bringing? Ah, I am terribly sorry. My name is Shang, Shang Xi of the Wandering Isles. You can consider me a guardian of the waters you are currently traversing." The Pandaren, with the name Shang Xi, asked in a clear tone; it was no question but an order.
The captain, who stared at the newcomer for a moment more, gestured for the Pandaren to follow.
As the two went toward the captain's cabin, the crew stared at the panda-like man wide-eyed; the latter had a gentle smile visible while his bamboo hat covered the rest of his face.
As they entered through the doors of a beautifully decorated cabin, the captain walked over to a chest underneath a desk where a map of the known world was on display.
This map made the Pandaren quite curious as he walked over, spooking the captain briefly before he resumed his look for the message entrusted to him.
"Oh, that's new..." The Pandaren man whispered, then the captain rose up from the chest and held a clean white envelope with a red stamp holding the front intact. Clearly, the letter had yet to be read as it was sealed for such an occasion.
Then, the captain held the letter toward the Pandaren, who grasped it with his furry hand. The former slowly backed off, which made the Pandaren look at him with an eyebrow raised before turning back to the letter in his hand. Then, the seal broke, and it crumbled into several pieces that fell to the floor.
He then took out the message and unfolded it slowly.
The captain could see the chubby Pandaren's aged eyes through the gap of the hat, which seemed to be amused initially, but as he kept reading, his eyes slowly turned from a growing shocked expression to horrified a moment later. Then he closed his eyes and exhaled loudly as his straw hat tilted forward, covering his entire face.
"Sir, is anything the matter?" The captain asked carefully.
After a silence that seemed to drag on for what seemed like forever, the Pandaren tilted his straw hat backward, and his entire face could now be seen.
It was not the gentle face that the warm voice from before indicated but instead, a complicated expression filled with mixed emotions.
"No, but may I require your aid to seek out this... Medan?"
—
[Location: Outland - Shadowmoon Valley]
—
An orc wearing tattered robes glared up at an elf wearing a blindfold with hatred in his eyes.
"MY MASTER WILL CRUSH YOUR MEASL-"
*CRUNCH* *THUD*
Then, a gigantic red-skinned abomination stomped down on the orc; the sudden impact left the latter a soup of blood and bones deep into the dried-out dirt that absorbed the grisly death of the red-skinned orc with gusto, as this was where all signs of life had long since perished.
"Good riddance, these pests seem to be never-ending..." An elf with long blonde hair, glowing green eyes, and royal robes with fel flames hovering on each shoulder pad stated with a condescending tone.
"When do you require me and mine to infiltrate the aqueducts to the temple, Lord Stormrage?" A female naga with beautiful ruby-like armaments on her shoulders, her hair resembling a nest of snakes as it animatedly hissed at the surroundings, inquired as she gazed at the blindfolded night elf.
There was a silence now as the blindfolded elf was deep in thought. He then turned toward the naga and replied, "Soon, Lady Vashj, we still need to crush the conflict among our own forces. Then we can act upon taking down the automated defenses with the help of Akuma and his... Broken..."
"I will be preparing my engineers for the travel up toward the nether then, and I will stay around until that pit lord is dealt with. I honestly don't feel like spending more time on a run-down fortress," Kael'thas stated matter-of-factly as he turned around and made his way toward a tent, his insignia marked on it.
"The nerve..." Lady Vasj stated, her sharp teeth on full display as she glared at the departing blood elf.
"Do not mind him. Prince Kael'thas lacks vision and cares more about his people than our cause. We only need his help to conquer the fortress and solidify our hold on the region for now," the blindfolded elf said in a neutral tone without a hint of emotion.
"So be it, Lord Stormrage, I will retreat to my lodgings then, see you in the morning." Lady Vasj stated as she slithered away into the only remaining river in the region.
As the blindfolded elf stood by on the cliff's edge, his demonic wings unfolded to each side as he gazed intently into the skull in his hand, deep in thought while gently dragging a finger down a long scar on his shoulder, all the way down the abdomen, a nasty scar that marked a devastating loss, which made the blindfolded elf's blood boil at the thought.
Soon, his fel-infused eyes lit up as he gazed toward the towering black stronghold in the distance as thunder raged in the putrid green sky.
—
[Location: Lower Blackrock Mountain]
—
"Get yer' sorry arse back to the forge, ye' fuckin' twat!" A Dark Iron dwarf shouted toward his apprentice with eyes promising punishment for catching the apprentice slacking off at the cooler.
The apprentice kept his silence and walked over to the forge, his shoulders trembling in anger as his hammer met dark steel when the air filled with sickening smog struck his face.
"Yer' havin' trouble, Lord Argelmach?" A mocking voice sounded out from behind the two.
"Na', lil' shit is quite slow on the uptake, but he will have to do until the next shift," Argelmarch replied to the voice while not even bothering to turn around.
"What are ye' here for, General?" Argelmach asked with his back still turned.
"... There 'ave been reports of elemental constructs seemingly coming to life near the mountain's core... Do ye' have anythin' to do with that?"
This made the man known as Argelmach turn around slowly. Now, his attention was entirely on the General as he studied the new arrival for the first time.
"To think tha' almighty General Angerforge coming here to ask a golem-smith about me havin' anythin' to do with lightin' tha' entire mountain ablaze... Na' me golems here are the only ones I have attempted to attach a livin' soul to... but ye' might have a bigger problem than simply that..." Argelmarch conjectured.
The General simply listened as he pondered the words while Argelmarch continued, "It could mean tha' mountain is comin' to life... somethin' may have angered tha' Firelord and his plans... ye' know, even if ye think yer' in control... ye aren't, the elements cannot be trusted, as them' are volatile as them gnoll's findin' fresh meat durin' winter..."
The General whirled around, and suddenly, an axe found itself close to Argelmarch's throat, "Ye' be wise to avoid words like that in the future, Argelmarch! Tha' mountain has ears! Even if ye' survived because of yer' shamanistic reincarnation into a half construct, there is no doubt that if them' higher up hears ya' say things like these... yer' dead, permanently this time."
This didn't affect Argelmarch in the slightest as he was deep in thought, but suddenly, the walls shook, and from the ceiling fell a hooked golem directly into the apprentice's body, crushing him to a bloody pulp.
*SPLAT*
"What have I told ye' about securing yer' workplace, you fool! That coulda' crushed us both!" General Angerforge shouted angrily.
"Na' I placed it there because I need a new apprentice. That marks a tenth seismic distortion today, General. Is there anything else goin' on down in the Molten Core ya' keepin' to yourselves?
"Tha' Is classified for now Argelmarch, what's been discussed here today is also classified... Understood?" Angerforge clarified as his hand went to his waist, where a sharp axe hung.
"Aye, aye, now get outta my workshop, ye' ol' cretin." Argelmarch waved his threat off nonchalantly as he returned to the golem that fell on the now-deceased apprentice.
Scoffing in anger, General Angerforge made his angry exit out of the golem manufactory area.
—
[Location: Upper Blackrock Mountain - A Certain Dragon's Lair]
—
"Most curious..." A handsome raven-haired human male with mesmerizing red-ish yellow eyes commented at the sight before him.
Before him lay several misshapen bodies in all states of disrepair.
One in particular, who seemed to be a crossbreed between dragon and dwarf, had lost all his limbs and head because they literally fell off his body as if made of wet tissue attached to a waterlogged body.
Another seemed to take on the traits of blue and yellow, clearly a mix of a blue dragon and a yellow dragon, yet this one seemed to be still living, albeit barely.
The blue portion of its body was still flailing wildly, while the yellow part seemed to have shrunk, resulting in it reverting to the whelpling stage. This effectively tore the blue part into pieces, making half its body disproportionate due to the lack of mass.
Its one side bled profusely as its organs slowly poured to the floor like a thick soup running out of a leathery container.
The last body was of a human female treated as a living egg chamber; her eyes were glazed over and lifeless, yet she still breathed.
And she would have been perfectly fine if it were not for the fact that monster-like beings were crawling out of her stomach while tearing her open from the inside with their claws as they breathed their first and last breath as they exited her body and turned into corrosive goo which burnt and sizzled the flesh they escaped from.
In the last moment, the woman seemed to have come back to life, albeit momentarily, as her eyes cleared, and she let out a gurgly wail as blood filled her throat.
Then she turned toward the one responsible for her fate and gave Nefarian one last glare that if it could kill, he'd be a dead man, before the light in her eyes faded, and her limbs fell limp to the cold stone floor.
Neferian, however, was grinning at the sight with delight. "Ahh, the sweet taste of progress... I wonder if experiment-32 works with orcs instead..." He whispered to himself gleefully while pondering about his newfound knowledge.
He was so rudely interrupted as the large set of metal doors opened behind him.
This made Neferian turn his gaze slowly to meet the newcomer.
It was an orc wearing an eyepatch with a glowing red glaive sword on his back.
"... Lord Neferian, I am here to inform you that the ritual is ready and that the mountain is waking early, our infiltrators have intercepted several reports stating that the enraged elementals you have returned to the mountain have had a chain reaction in the lower levels." The orc said while he looked slightly put off by the smell and the mutilated corpses casually placed on the stone floor in front of Neferian.
"Hmm, so the elemental toxin is indeed working as intended..." Neferian stated as he gazed away from the orc and into the night sky from the open balcony at his side.
"Lord, if I might be so bold, when do you plan to give us what you promised? Your sudden disappearance kept you from fulfilling your end of the bargain." The orc asked carefully.
This made Neferian chuckle as he looked at the orc, who was instinctively reaching for his weapon while attempting to speak respectfully to a being who could effortlessly make the rest of his life and that of his entire warband a living hell.
"Soon, the hatchery is progressing to the point you will have your own drakes within a short time, though I must ask a favor of you, Warchief Blackhand..." Neferian replied casually.
This made the orc Blackhand wary; the last time he got a personal request, it was disastrous for him and his brother.
"My spies within the remaining human capital have failed to return to me with news of my sister's corpse whereabouts. It has been over four years since the last report related to her at all. See if you can do something about that. If you do, I will reward you and your people with something that may enable you with the very power to conquer Azeroth." Neferian explained with a glint in his red eyes, blazing with malific intent.
—
[Location: Silithus]
—
"KEEP THE BUGS AWAY FROM THE HEALERS! WE ONLY NEED TO HOLD THE POSITION A FEW MORE MINUTES AT WORST!" A tall tauren wearing full plate armor with a winged hydra insignia on his chest roared in fluent common as he swung his enormous mace down onto the head of a bug-like creature.
Hundreds of insectoid creatures swarmed out of a gigantic hive; some looked like wasps, some resembled oversized ants shooting acid, and some even lurked beneath the sands and attempted to catch the ones above with their steel sharp maw and leg blades.
Then, as a fight between insect and humanoid creatures clashed for an entire minute, the battle started to look bleak for the latter.
But the humanoids kept at it, morale not weakening.
"RETREAT!" The tauren shouted as a smoke signal flared in the sky.
The human leader commanded the group to flee as fast as possible while staying in formation and fending off the insectoid horrors, which clawed at the soles of their boots.
*BOOOOOOOOOOM*
The ground shook, and wails could be heard from all around the group as insects fell to the ground as if their lives were slowly disconnected from their very bodies.
Then, the giant Hive tumbled forward, released from its previous grip on the mountain it had been clutched to as smoke rose into the orange sky.
The sound of insects dying increased alarmingly as some of the party members bled from their ears.
"THE FUCKIN' INSANE BASTARDS DID IT! DRINKS ON ME TODAY LADS! NOW LET'S GO CLAIM OUR BOUNTY!" The tauren warrior roared as he flung his mace on his shoulder. His party looked at him quizzically, the majority still clearly deafened from the insectoid death throes.
—
[A few miles away from the Hive]
—
"It's going better than expected, don't you think?" A gnome stated more to herself than to her companion standing at the side as he studied the sight of the Hive falling apart as it struck the ground.
"... It is... debatable..." a tall elven male with blue eyes and long brown hair that was carried in a ponytail behind his head stated matter of factly without looking down at the gnome at his side.
"Lord Nozdormu... are you still certain we should avoid "That" point in the timeline? Ah! I don't mean it like that... It's just... I-" The female gnome started but was interrupted by Nozdormu, "Yes, Chromie, getting in the way of "That" might as well doom not only us but countless others if the man himself finds out, which he will if we take it upon us to show that undoing it a possible outcome."
Chromie only sighed and said dejectedly, "If only I could go back in time and undo that one mistake..." This statement made Nozdormu chuckle as he opened a portal back toward Caverns of Time and walked through it, with the gnome following close behind. She was clearly disappointed in herself as she sulked.
—
[Location: Durotar - Orgrimmar - Ring of Valor]
—
*CLANG* *THUD*
The sound of metal meeting metal resounded throughout the arena, with crazed yells coming from the vast circular arena. Rows upon rows displayed plenty of different races cheering at the brutal battle unfolding within the ring.
With a blood-curdling warcry, a large orc charged at a high elf wearing thick black-gold colored plate armor with a neatly carved insignia of a hydra with wings on his chest.
The high elf wore a silver-gray gauntlet that covered the entire arm up to the shoulder but was flexible enough to seem like leather armor. The elf grasped a black buckler with static covering its edges; without any signs of holding back, the orc swung a large axe made of silver-looking steel in an overhead maneuver to directly split open the elf's skull, which had an eerily calm demeanor displayed through the visible on the helmet.
*THUD*
With a surprising burst of speed, the high elf stepped closer toward the orc, much taller than himself. Instead of meeting the axe head with his shield arm, he swung his gauntlet arm. He met the axe's handle, which made a resounding *Crack* to be heard throughout the arena as the orc's wrist bent in the wrong direction while the bone-like handle exploded into splinters that embedded itself into the orc's face and torso with a wet squelch.
But that was not the end, as the high elf now had a cunning glint in his eye as his shield arm was covered in a pulse of lightning that coalesced with the shield's own magic.
An arc exiting his hand made the very air crackle as a purple-black lightning bolt shot toward the still-reeling orc's abdomen.
*Bzzt* *BOOM*
The orc was flung violently toward the wall as his skin was singed with burns. The orc's brown-colored skin had turned greyish-black in the spots where the lightning bolt had struck.
"THE BATTLE HAS CONCLUDED. SHEATHE YOUR WEAPON AND EXIT THE RING FROM THE LEFT ENTRANCE!" The orc who shouted was wearing yellow spikes pauldrons, a long black beard cascading slightly down his chest, which was armored with neatly adorned mail armor. He, while holding a hammer in his hand, commanded as he gazed sternly toward the victor and gave a brief nod.
This made the high elf tilt his head in respect toward the Warchief watching over the match.
The audience roared with triumph at the battle they had witnessed as the healers entered the arena and tended to the loser of the match before quickly carrying the orc out of the arena with haste.
As the Warchief gazed down at the orc being prepared to be carried out of the arena, he sighed as he sat down on the throne and put his hammer down at his side.
"The young ones are certainly making the upcoming generation look like a troubled bunch..." He muttered while grabbing a goblet of ale at his side and took a big gulp.
"In all fairness, Garrosh was practically begging to be put in his place, Warchief Thrall." The high elf from before spoke in a calm tone as he made his way toward a seat at the Warchief's side.
"Bwahaha, the youngling is right! Though it was a shameful display by my son to taunt you into accepting his challenge, young Arator. A warrior should not aim to be deceitful but instead straightforward and unyielding to the challenges before them."
A voice came from the opposite side from where the high elf Arator first appeared.
"Grom... you could have stopped the match before it could begin, why did you not?" Thrall asked as he lifted his palm to his chin and leaned onto the throne.
"His mistakes should be his own; he has been a respectless twat since we made that brief visit to Draenor and brought the remaining Mag'har back with us. Experiences like these should teach him to not judge others as the consequences of his actions come back to bite him... It will be his end one day..." Grom Hellscream replied dejectedly as he watched his son be carried out of the arena with a fresh set of scars and pieces of wood impaled all around his body.
One significant change in the Horde's leadership occurred within these last four years: Grom had aged and could no longer act on his bloodthirst or achieve death in glorious battle, but the biggest change was the fact the aged warrior lacked both an arm and a leg.
Which, somewhat made the aged warrior change for the better. Gradually, Grom Hellscream, the awe-inspiring warrior, had turned from an orc who went into battle with only his axe and lack of wits into one who had become an actual advisor to the Warchief of the Horde.
This happened three years ago. Grom had become a laid-back observer for the younger generation, intent on leaving behind his legacy to the one he deemed worthy of it, which as of now was none as his own son was turning out to be an exact replica of himself but without certain qualities in regards to one's honor.
His drastic change had come to be when the Kul'tirans had come to the shores; the helplessness that followed made the aged orc have an epiphany as he slowly descended toward the sea floor after losing what was essentially his warband to the slaughter at the shore.
—
The Kul'Tiran fleet had just torn the goblin fleet apart, and Grom volunteered to lead the first assault to repel the invading force.
This resulted in catastrophic results for the aged orc.
Before they could even board a nearby enemy ship, his group of aged men and women was blasted apart by a hail of cannon fire.
Luckily, it seemed that fate had other things in mind for Grom, as he sank to the bottom of the waters when a certain hydra pulled him to the surface.
But before the Kul'Tiran fleet could reach shore, Jaina Proudmoore had appeared in the skies before her father's army and initiated a ceasefire, and the proud Admiral seemingly had no choice but to comply.
Even the orcs hesitated to leave the matter be, as they had the most casualties.
Some even attempted to attack Jaina in the heat of battle, as they had not been able to satiate their thirst for revenge upon the Kul'tiran forces.
The Admiral and the Horde's lack of choices was made abundantly clear as a 100-meter-tall hydra suddenly peaked its three heads calmly out of the water, then rose to its full height and hissed manacingly at the Horde forces refusing to back down.
The Kul'tiran fleet later left the shores and returned to Kul Tiras after Jaina explained the situation and what would happen if Kul Tiras disturbed the balance that was slowly taking shape; even if the Admiral resented what the Horde was, he was powerless to destroy the growing Horde.
The Admiral, Jaina's father, even attempted to force her to choose between the savages and her homeland in an attempt to get rid of the spawn from beyond the Dark Portal.
Even if Jaina had all the reasons in the world to do so, as she still held contempt for several lead figures of the Horde, she told her father to come and visit Sanctum and continue the talk there.
Her father, Admiral Proudmoore, never showed.
—
"Young Arator, thank you for not inflicting heavier wounds onto Garrosh, even if, by old orc tradition, it would be what he deserved for not being able to back up his words that lacked honor," Grom said with a genuine thankful tone toward the young high elf.
"Don't worry. I was never in any real danger, so going too far in a duel when our difference in skill is this vast... It's not how I'd like to deal with a situation like this one." The young high elf responded as he gazed down at the arena as new contestants entered the ring.
Grom sighed as he sat down at Thrall's side, and the three sat silently for the next few minutes as the match below ended.
""THE BATTLE HAS CONCLUDED. SHEATHE YOUR WEAPON AND EXIT THE RING FROM THE RIGHT ENTRANCE!" Thrall shouted as he stood and gave the winner a brief nod in affirmation of his hard-fought win.
"That reminds me, young Arator. Have you heard from Medan lately?" Thrall asked as he gazed at the new contestants arriving.
"Hmm, not sure what I can tell you, but he is... busy, very busy..." Arator said thoughtfully as he gazed at the new contestants.
"Hoo, that man can't sit still..." Grom helpfully pointed out, which made Arator nod slightly, not that the two orcs could see, but that comment was more accurate than they had any right to know.
—
[Location: Deadwind Pass - Karazhan - Banquet Hall]
—
Two shadows raced throughout the dim but ghastly hall lit with ancient candle-lit flames that swayed as the battle unfolded below.
Their weapons met with violent clangs that resounded throughout the hall. One wore crimson armor and wielded a green glowing dagger in each hand as she flipped backward as if participating in an elegant dance.
Then a dagger came into existence where her throat had just been as her head tilted further backward while she smiled gleefully.
"Hmm, the master will return shortly. Will you not simply let me prepare for his return, dear guest? The other shadow calmly spoke as his pale skin came into view; his eyes were hollow, his face sunken in, leaving it looking like old, saggy leather, and his arms and bones had no flesh. He wore half a butler's uniform while the rest were in tatters, revealing the sight of the man who had fallen victim to the nastiest fates.
"Duh, you have tried to slit my throat each time I attempted to let you! Obviously, we have two entirely different opinions of the word 'preparation'!" The female wearing crimson exclaimed as she parried another blow and sank into the shadows.
"My dear guest, I am growing tired of your unwillingness to comply; if you do not want to listen to my words, then I believe the time for polite conversation is over."
As the grisly-looking man rushed toward the corner of the room with unnatural speed, suddenly, a light barrier made the man pause. That was enough for the magic to bind itself to him, and his limbs were shackled by chains of light, which burned themselves deep into his wrists and ankles with a sizzle. The man, however, did not even react.
"Valeera... Lord Medan made you promise to not play with your opponents after you let yourself be caught off guard by that alchemist..." A soft voice spoke as he walked past the corner where he had been watching the fight unfold.
"Bah! That alchemist was no threat! He would never reach the canister before his head would have fallen off his shoulders anyway!"
"...Valeera..." Anduin pleaded with a smile threatening to reach his face.
"...Fine, fine, but you better not tell father..." Valeera said while pouting, waving one hand in Anduin's direction.
"Dear guests, are you here for dinner this fine evening?" The man, or rather half-man, asked with a tone filled with warmth and expectation.
"No, Castellan Moroes. I am sorry about this, but we will find a way to free you from this fate soon," Anduin said with sadness.
Then, as if nodding at Anduin's response, Moroes seemed to tilt his head forward as a sign of acknowledgment, instead, his head fell to the dust-filled marble floor, decapitated cleanly by Valeera's strike.
The hall was eerily silent as Anduin couldn't help but sigh; Valeera just shrugged and sheathed her daggers at her side.
"You know, this is the fifth time Moroes actually acknowledged you..." Valeera explained as she dragged the Castellan back toward a beautiful red chair, gently sat him up, and set the head on the armlet after removing the dust.
"I know... I just hope we get further this time... I want to put the old man to rest..." Anduin replied with a sigh as he sheathed his mace and attached his libram to his hip, which lit up a small area around him with gentle light.
"Yeah, I wouldn't mind releasing the one who has taught me so much from his service to this forsaken place... Also, do you think your father is fine with you joining me in my so-called 'adventure' this week?" Valeera inquired mischievously before walking over and peeking around a corner while Anduin stood patiently behind her.
"Of course... not, but what can he do about it? The last time he tried to prevent us from going, he woke up to find his toilet enchanted shut with him stuck in it... in the middle of the night... and you used this chance to escort me out of the keep without the royal guards knowing any better..." Anduin said, reciting the event with a wry smile.
"Luckily for both you and I, YOUR father has common sense and knows how to push my father's buttons to make him forget about the weekly kidnappings without resorting to violence..." Anduin explained while fighting a smile from coming to his face.
Clearly, the prince of Stormwind truly did not mind joining Valeera on her adventures. Even as dangerous as their battles were, the pair's experience as a team grew rapidly over the last few years.
Anduin had taken it upon himself to plead to his father to join the prestigious college in Sanctum.
At first, this was denied vehemently, as his father wanted the gentle boy to become a battle-hardened warrior like himself.
It did not take long until Varian relented, as even he could not deny his son's gentle nature. However, that did not stop him from acting like a petulant child to prevent his son from attending college to become a priest and later a paladin.
This continued for several months until the warrior-king of Stormwind did what would essentially be in the best interest of his kingdom and son. No one in their right mind could say that the warrior-king was an intelligent man, which was proven when the king refused to listen to reason.
Hence, that marked the first and far from the last time Valeera had vented her frustrations at the warrior-king of Stormwind after the latter did not take her father's words to heart.
After weeks of being exposed to Valeera's trickery, the king was annoyed that whoever was actively sabotaging his training, daily life, and private life never left a trace, except for the maids and chefs, who couldn't help but laugh and look the other direction whenever the king inquired why.
He even threatened the maids and chefs for keeping quiet about the situation, but that was a bad idea; a king does not simply threaten the ones preparing your food and bath and performing all necessary duties within an entire castle without consequence.
This was one of the worst things the warrior-king had done at the time, resulting in a ragged-looking man pleading for their return a few weeks later.
Even though he had hired rogues, alchemists, and mages, they could not prevent the prince's weekly taste of freedom.
Even the mages who had come to Stormwind these last few years were flabbergasted at the ridiculous situation. Their traps did not work, and neither did the alarm system they had designed explicitly for such a situation.
It was safe to say the warrior-king did not take much longer to allow his son to become a Paladin-in-training at Sanctum, but this was mainly due to the king's shame.
Even if he knew that a Sanctum rogue was taking his or her time to do all this actively, he had no proof.
"So, what will Lord Medan do when we have found the artifact? Do you know anything about that?" Anduin asked as Valeera held up her palm, indicating that Anduin should wait.
"Yeah... but that is classified, Anduin. Even if I want to share it with you, I won't. It's not that I don't trust you; instead, Dad is slightly paranoid due to the episode two years ago." Valeera explained as she kept her gaze forward and moved swiftly. She grasped Anduin's hand while they made their way deeper into the ghostly halls of Karazhan.
—
[Location: ? ]
—
"YOU HAVE DESECRATED THESE GROUNDS FOR FAR TOO LONG, MORTAL! I CAN SENSE THE SHADOW ON YOUR VERY BEING! THERE CAN BE NO REST FOR THE WICKED!" A gigantic green dragon roared incoherently as it stomped the ground, tearing trees from their roots and destroying the lush green landscape around it.
A figure of a man stood tall before the dragon as its wrath was made known to the world.
The man on the ground sighs and looks up. His one glowing eye, radiating magic, looks at the dragon with slight sympathy.
"I had high hopes that we could have solved this after presenting you with the solution that could have prevented the dream from deteriorating further, but it is clear now it would be a mercy to give you your deserved sleep after your mind has been warped by the very madness you were to protect it from."
The man said out loud, keenly aware that the dragon did not pay heed to a single word he spoke.
The dragon made that fact known as clouds of green suddenly came into being around the two; any path of escape also disappeared as a green barrier of malevolent natural magic appeared like a dome around the surrounding area.
The man sighed again and gazed up into the sky.
When his gaze returned to the dragon, an ominous green glow emerged underneath the eyepatch.
Then, one moment, the man stood and gazed at the dragon; the next, he vanished from the spot.
This seemed to confuse the dragon, whose manic eyes widened when it felt a light tap on its neck, "I give you your deserved rest in regret of not being able to bring you out of the nightmare you sought to keep at bay. Sleep well, Ysondre." The man's tone was slightly remorseful, and his hand seemed to fade in and out of existence before lightly tapping the dragon's scaled neck with his palm displaying an eerily black light for the briefest of moments.
The area that had just been gently tapped shuddered, and then the surroundings trembled the very next moment.
The bewildered green dragon was forced to its knees by an unseen force before a thin line in space formed as lightning crackled; an intense white flame seemed to merge into it, and then the space seemed to flicker as a shockwave made the air crack open to reveal a dark void within.
*BZZZZZZZZT* *ZIIIIP*
The dragon's eyes widened as its vision spun before realizing what had happened; its mind had reached a state of clarity it had long since believed impossible.
As its head fell toward the dirt, a waterfall of crimson graced its vision from the side.
Its eyes were locked on the figure, blurring into view a distance away. In its last moments, the dragon weakly moved its maw and mouthed its last words, 'Thank you.' Then its eyes grew dull, and it entered an eternal slumber.
*THUD*
"I'm sorry it had to be this way," the man said as the green glow underneath his eyepatch slowly lessened in intensity.
The dome of corrupted nature magic shattered like glass moments after the dragon's head hit the dirt. Its corpse now glowed with gentle moonlight as it swallowed up its form within its gentle embrace.
"This one also was too far gone, huh..." A man who appeared from the shadow behind the one wearing the blindfold said with a regretful tone.
This man had sharp features, short black hair, and a seemingly permanent grin, yet his eyes told a different story as he gazed at the dragon's head before him.
"...Yes, unfortunately, the entrances to the dream are now officially free of their dragon protectors." The man wearing the blindfold replied while gazing at the dragon slowly de-materializing into white particles.
"Well, at least we will protect the gateways by covering them with our people as their new guardians." The man covered in shadows explained as he walked beside the other man.
Then, after a brief silence, the blindfolded man sighed and flickered his wrist as a portal of purple appeared before the two.
Both men promptly walked through the rift of purple in silence.
—
As the both of them appeared on the other side, the portal closed when the man previously darkened by shadows asked, "Up for a drink?"
His nonchalant attitude made the other man sigh and nod briefly before they walked toward a large gate.
Two geared warriors stood there, their chest plates carved with the insignia of a winged hydra.
Both stiffened and stood straight, their poleaxes ramrod straight into the ground.
They gave a brief bow when they saw the figures of the two approaching men.
"Lord... We-" One of them stuttered before the man previously cloaked by shadows said, "At ease, we're just returnin' from a quest that you both have not been informed of for a reason. Here's my token." He then handed one of the guards a small black coin, and the guard scanned it by holding a similar coin against its surface, but his coin was made of dull bronze.
Soon, the guard nodded and signaled the other guard to unlock the gate silently.
*Thump*
Then the gate slowly opened, and the two casually walked onto the silent streets.
Soon, they passed by several guardsmen on patrol who gave them both a brief but respectful bow as they continued with their business.
Upon finally reaching their destination, both sighed, opened the doors, and walked over to the bar, where a woman with bright yellow glowing eyes stared at them like a hawk the moment they entered through the creaking set of double doors.
Her skin was exotic brown, the bright-eyed woman's face was that of a cold beauty, her hair was a dark purple, and her gaze gave off the aura of a predator as she stood there, scrutinizing each detail on both of the men's attires, which were dusty and covered in dirt.
The entire bar was empty, and the woman standing in the barista outfit could have seen like she would have been the cause of that if first impressions were anything to go by.
"Oy, Brighteyes lass, you doin' well?" The cheerful man, besides the one with the blindfold, exclaimed in good spirits.
The woman who went by as Brighteyes seemingly just looked at the one who spoke while maintaining the same hawk-like stare. Still, after a brief moment, she gave a slow nod and gazed at the other man.
"Hello, sis. I'd like a Moonglow mixed with a Proudmoore special." The man wearing the blindfold across one eye asked with a gentle smile; the woman, keeping the same expression even now, gave another brief nod before she turned around and found a keg with a silver lining. Her hands blurred as she reached for a vial of blue, then poured both onto a large mug and put it down before him.
"This sister of yours is becoming better than me at operating my bar. Whatever shall I do, Medan?" The other man spoke jokingly as he pointed toward a specific drink that the woman noticed. The woman gave a brief nod and then went to work.
"Belmont, you're wrong; she IS better than you at operating a bar," Medan replied as he sighed satisfactorily after taking a large sip of his glowing drink.
"Eh, nah, she ain't. Still ain't got my charm, you see?" Belmont said while waving his hand in front of his face until the woman came over and gave him his desired drink. She slugged him on top of the head before returning to clean one of the mugs while maintaining her calm, hawk-like stare.
"See what I mean!?" Belmont complained as he massaged his scalp.
Medan only snorted and kept silent while enjoying the beverage.
Belmont copied the gesture as the silence stretched on. The two sat comfortably until Belmont broke the silence after a few minutes when he asked with a serious tone, "Medan... are ya' still hung up on the whole mind-control shebang?"
Medan gave a brief nod and leaned back. His gaze was now fixed on the ceiling, which had engravings of major events carved into it.
"Well, I doubt you would be, too, if your family had been exposed to such magic," Medan replied. He leaned forward and took another large sip, his one eye seemingly looking at nothing.
"True, true, but there's nothin' to do about it now; ya already told me about what we can do when the time is right, though," Belmont said as a dagger twirled around his right hand while he was drinking from the mug with his left.
"Ya' also think he's being silly, right? Brighteyes?" Belmont asked the hawk-eyed woman, who stared at him for a few seconds before giving a brief nod.
"See? Even your sister agrees, and she's the most stoic of your entire fuckin' family combined." Belmont joked while pointing his dagger toward Medan, who couldn't help but snort.
Even Brighteyes had a response as the side of her lips twitched briefly.
"... You're right as always; anyhow, how are the kids?" Medan inquired with a knowing glint in his eye.
"Bah! Those imps seem to like you better than they like me. They want to become mages and shamans instead of charming rogues, which is obviously your fault." Belmont replied with fake hurt in his tone, then he grinned and let out a brief laugh, which Medan mirrored.
After an hour, when both Belmont and Medan had drank at least several dozen mugs of alcohol, which didn't really affect either of them, the door opened behind them. Brighteyes's gaze shot toward the newcomer. Then, the moment she saw the arrival, she looked back down at the mug she was previously cleaning.
"So... It's here you're hiding..." A voice said with slight venom in her tone as she approached.
"Dearie, I'm just doing what a good advisor does, liftin' my boss's spirits! But through alcohol, that still counts, right?" Belmont added cheekily.
Which seemed to be the wrong response. The female wrapped her muscled arm around his neck and squeezed tight.
"Pai-Pained d-dear, I-I-I a- am in g-g-great pain!" the rogue forced out of his mouth before turning purple and promptly passing out.
She holstered him over her shoulder and looked over at me, then said in a tone that begged the question of why she even bothered with the man, "Sorry, Lord Medan. I should keep my husband on a much tighter leash as of late, but the young ones are currently taking up most of my time..." Medan waved his hand casually and said, "Don't worry. He might be a bad influence sometimes, but having him around helps."
She only snorted before saying, "That might be true, though. You should visit soon; it's been a few weeks since they last saw you. Anyhow, my time is truly limited. Say hello to both Jaina and Lanira for me, will you?"
Medan nodded with a smile, then turned around and left the building, carrying a snoring Belmont holstered on her shoulder.
"That leaves me and you, then, sis. How are you? Are you doing better lately?" Medan inquired. For the first time since Medan's arrival, the woman's stern facade seemed to drop, and she smiled widely, then her hand tapped her throat as a magic rune lit up.
She spoke in a low, artificial voice, "Yes, the people here are nice. I had several customers today, and they said the drinks here were the best in the city... It felt nice to be complimented."
Her statement made Medan smile as well, and they both sat in silence and talked in brief conversations for another hour before Medan stood up, gave her a one-handed hug, and exited the midnight bar.
Medan then walked through the streets toward the largest building in the city.
As he opened the doors, he entered and was met with the aroma of freshly cooked food.
With a sigh, a helpless smile came onto his face as he walked toward the kitchen where a dryad lay asleep on a large pillow in the corner.
Without waking her, he took the prepared meal, exited the kitchen, ate the meal as he made his way out, and then placed the plate on the bench outside the kitchen entrance.
Then he walked toward the teleportation device on the side of the room and went to his final destination of today, the master bedroom.
When he arrived at the bedroom, he was met by a yawn and the voice of the person occupying the bed. "Medan? When did you get back?"
Medan gazed at the beauty illuminated by soft candlelight and replied, "A few hours ago, Belmont convinced me to take a boys' night out, so I ended up paying my sister a brief visit to see how she was doing."
The platinum-blonde woman nodded briefly while yawning. "Then come over here and keep me warm, love," she said with a warm smile.
Medan then went over to the bed and undressed. He accompanied the woman underneath the blanket. She then crept closer and was embraced between his arms as she smiled in comfort.
She then fell asleep as she felt the familiar warmth. However, Medan's eyes were open while he gazed at the woman in his arms. He pulled the woman close to his chest, feeling her soft breath and the smell of her hair as he fell into his longest sleep in three years.
—
-Chapter 1 - Prologue - End-
—
Long time no see everyone, I decided to post this as people actually seem to want a sequel to the series. But I do have to warn everyone, I do not have much time to write, and my interest in this is limited. Release dates will be... varied, as I am still not happy with how this one turned out.
I will have to point out that I will be trying to fix all those plot holes I left behind in the first book, even if most of them are a product of bad communication between me and you, knowledge, and my own vision of things, and the reasons for said plotholes I can excuse and give solid reasons for, but then again, the fact that the feedback I received had barely anything positive to say in regard to all things that presumably did right, made me realize that I no longer really cared for feedback on a certain level.
Instead, I kept what I wrote for myself as a hobby as a result.
This inevitably caused my standards for what I wrote to skyrocket, and my will to write to diminish greatly, as I was never happy with what I ended up feeling good about before, and conjuring events/plots/actions was never the same.
So it should not come as a surprise that I feel chased out of the platform, and may not even post the full story as I simply can't force myself to handle criticism based on the very fact that most people who criticize stuff don't even back shit up with logical reasoning at times, but the same can be said regarding my own logic, I am not perfect.
It was my first official fanfiction, what do you want from me? Perfection? :D
-Anyhow, I lost half of this book after a corrupted harddrive and my google account tearing itself a new one, so I decided to share what I had around. If I can't get around to write more than 20 chapters, just consider it an extended epilogue to the series.