Chapter 74 |
“How much longer are we going to have to wait here?” Trixie whined.
“At least until the army manages to get closer to Eldre’Thelas,” answered Krivax, not for the first time. “It’ll probably take them at least a few more hours.”
“We should be there fighting with the rest of them instead of staying here at the camp,” Vereesa complained sullenly, drawing a round of agreement from the other high elves surrounding them.
“Our role is just as important as any other, my love,” Rhonin soothed his wife. “Perhaps even more so. If we can assist Krivax in successfully completing his mission, then we’ll be in a much better place to handle these monsters.”
A round of dissatisfied grumbling passed through the camp, but it soon faded away. They accepted the truth of Rhonin’s words, even if it was unsatisfying to be forced to sit back while other people were fighting.
Seeing that the latest round of complaints was over, Krivax turned his attention back to the large scrying crystal that had been set up in the center of the Alliance camp.
Watching the battlefield from a bird’s eye view offered Krivax a gruesome perspective of the ongoing war.
Krivax knew that seeing so many people die against the Primals should have filled him with a combination of sorrow and horror, like similar scenes did during the Second War. However, those feelings were somewhat muted due to him growing accustomed to the violence of Azeroth, and were easily overshadowed by a stronger feeling of… accomplishment.
From the moment that he had reincarnated into this world, it had been his goal to push everyone to work together against the forces that threatened to destroy Azeroth. Not only because it was simply the right thing to do, but because it was the best way to ensure his own survival. Now, after the night elves had agreed to cooperate with the Alliance, everything that he had been working for was finally coming to fruition.
The opening hours of the campaign had been beautiful to watch, as the Alliance and the night elves exploited their air superiority to maximum effect. Nerubian fliers, hippogryph riders, gryphon riders, dragonhawk riders, and dragons had obliterated the enemy defenses through a deadly combination of dragonfire, magic, and explosives.
Naturally, the Primals attempted to respond by sending swarms of flying creatures that they had infected or launching massive vines into the sky to kill its airborne attackers. Unfortunately for them, it had taken the Primals far too long to gather a large enough swarm from across their territory to meaningfully threaten the Alliance forces.
By the time the Alliance air forces were forced to retreat, the path to Eldre’Thalas had been cleansed of as much corrupted plantlife as possible. The largest of the Primals had either been burned to ash or blown to pieces, but ground forces would still need to clear out numerous smaller Fel plant creatures.
From that point, the night elves and the Alliance proceeded with a relatively simple plan.
It was decided that they would need a proper stronghold in Feralas from which they could attack the Primals for logistical reasons. So, their first objective would be to secure Eldre’Thalas. Like most highborne cities, Eldre’Thalas was built directly over the most powerful leyline in the region and would thus allow their mages to access an abundant source of magic.
Tyrande insisted that their armies should advance separately, citing an unfamiliarity with the tactics and formation styles of the Alliance. It was a surprisingly diplomatic way of saying that the night elves didn't want outsiders getting in their way.
The night elves had agreed to join forces with the Alliance quickly only due to the seriousness of the situation. Krivax was under no illusion that they had suddenly become more tolerant overnight.
Still, the Cenarion Circle had offered several of their druids to help the Alliance advance. Looking at the scene in front him now, Krivax wasn’t exactly sure how necessary their help actually was.
Through the scrying crystal, Krivax watched as the Guardians of Nerub tore through the Fel corrupted creatures with ferocious efficiency. Their carapaces shone brightly with the Light, offering inspiration to the combined Alliance and tauren forces who followed in their wake. Anub’rehkan himself served as the spearhead of the offensive, the Light emanating from him causing many of the more intelligent Primals to shrink back. His razorsharp limbs destroyed those foolish enough to stand in the path of the column of troops.
Several members of the Blue Dragonflight flew to the sides of the advancing army, taking advantage of the protection they offered to destroy any of the corrupted vines or plant life attempting to encroach on them. Whenever the Primals attempted to send their flight capable forces toward the dragons, a combination of magic and gunfire would immediately blow them out of the sky.
Even as they advanced for hours through enemy territory, tauren shamans worked alongside priests from the Church of the Holy Light to heal wounds and keep the army moving.
Krivax knew without a doubt that this kind of advance would have been impossible for any singular power to achieve on its own. Cooperation had allowed them to take advantage of each faction’s unique strength and respond to the Burning Legion’s plot with unprecedented force.
Seeing this realization of his vision was something that Krivax found deeply satisfying.
“It’s a shame that we can’t join them,” said Masruk, his disappointed voice pulling Krivax out of his thoughts. “That fight looks like a good one.”
“You know, there wasn’t anything stopping you from joining Anub’rekhan,” Krivax said with amusement, glancing down at his friend. “I doubt that my part in the plan will be as entertaining for a battle maniac like you.”
At first, Krivax had expected that he would be sent to the front lines to either help push back the Primals or help heal the injured, but it had been decided that he would be deployed in his role as a diplomat. After all, somebody needed to go into Eldre’thalas and make contact with the highborne, and Krivax was the least likely to get himself killed trying.
Krivax could have still potentially followed along on the front lines, but their delegation needed to be in decent condition once they entered Eldre’Thalas rather than have been fighting for hours. He would be fine, but the rest of the delegation would be completely exhausted.
This was why Krivax was currently waiting in an Alliance camp alongside his personal guards, his traveling companions, and several mages from Quel’Thalas. Once the Alliance military secured a safe location near the barrier surrounding Eldre’Thalas, their group would be teleported in, and the magisters would help create an opening into the city. After which, their group would do everything they could to convince the elves to work alongside the Alliance.
Unfortunately, Krivax knew a lot less about the highborne in Eldre’Thalas than he wished. Their city must have been destroyed at some point in the original timeline, because Krivax remembered this place as being overrun by ogres and renamed Dire Maul.
Recognizing that he needed more information, Krivax turned to the high elf delegation and decided to ask them. Even if Quel’Thalas was on the other side of the ocean, the high elves still had more in common with the elves of this city than anyone else since both of their societies were built on arcane magic.
“Is there any news on why the highborne have refused to leave their city?” Krivax asked Vereesa. Since she knew him better than any other high elf and was a member of a very influential family, Vereesa had been designated the leader of their delegation. “If we’re going to convince these elves to help us, then I need to know as much as I can.”
Vereesa traded an unsure look with the other high elves before answering. “It’s hard to say, Krivax. There doesn’t seem to be anything blocking the leylines or making it impossible for them to leave the city. The fact that they haven’t left despite their defenses being nearly overrun makes little sense.”
It was good to hear that there wasn’t anything wrong with the leylines, but that didn’t answer his question.
“Do we have any ideas at all?” Krivax asked hopefully. “I really don’t want to go in there completely blind if I can help it.”
“Our current theory is that their city possesses a font of magic that they cannot abandon,” Vereesa offered hesitantly. “If these highborne are anything like us, then their people would be incapable of sustaining themselves in the long term without a source of magic. I couldn’t imagine how our people would react if they were forced to leave behind the Sunwell. However, any competent mage should be able to sense such a font of power from miles away.”
That theory made sense to Krivax. He had always known that high elves had an innate addiction to arcane magic, but traveling with Vereesa for the past few months had made him realize exactly how bad the situation was. The only reason that Vereesa hadn’t turned into deformed and insane creature after being away from the Sunwell for so long was due to expensive mana crystals provided by her kingdom.
These crystals, alongside frequent donations of arcane magic from her husband, provided Vereesa with the magic that she needed to sustain herself.
Krivax knew from his metaknowledge that the night elves and the naga were the only races descended from the highborne who weren’t hopelessly addicted to Arcane magic, and only because they converted to using Nature and Void magic respectively.
“That makes sense,” Krivax said after a moment of thought. “These guys would need a large source of arcane magic if they want to survive. If that does turn out to be the case, then is Quel’Thalas willing to offer them refuge?”
Krivax needed to know now what kind of bargaining chips he could offer.
Fortunately, Vereesa immediately nodded in agreement. “That won’t be a problem. Our people sympathize with the highborne. We know what it’s like to lose everything and start anew. We’ll provide them with refuge and access to a stable source of magic, if need be.”
Krivax let out a sigh of relief. That was at least one problem that he didn’t need to worry about. For the next few hours, Krivax watched as the Alliance drew ever closer to the boundary of Eldre’Thalas. The Primals were steadily drawing forces away from their siege to counter the Alliance, which was slowing the advance down heavily.
The progress was brutal and grinding, but they eventually managed to get close enough to Eldre’Thalas.
“I think that’s close enough,” Krivax announced loudly, glancing toward the high elf mages. “Please open a portal to the front lines so that we can begin making our way through the barrier.”
“Really? Are you sure about this, Vizier Krivax?” one mages asked with surprise. “The front lines are still very active. It may be safer to wait for the conflict to subside a bit.”
“It’s safe enough, I think we should be fine,” Krivax assured them. “Besides, they look like they could use some help. You’ve all made it clear that I’m not the only one who's tired of sitting back safe while everyone else is fighting for their lives. The sooner that we secure the cooperation of Eldre’Thalas, the more lives we’ll be able to save.”
“Well thank goodness for that,” Trixie spoke up, stretching as she stood from where she had been sitting. “I was starting to think I’d have to sit here forever. I get that you’re some important person nowadays, but wars aren’t supposed to be this boring, Krivax!”
There was an immediate chorus of agreement from the others, who were indeed looking at the ongoing conflict with a mixture of impatience and concern. After everyone spent a few minutes preparing for themselves for battle, the mages quickly began casting their spell, and a shimmering portal soon sprang into life in the center of the Alliance camp.
“Watch each other's backs, everyone!” Krivax said as his guards strode through the portal first to secure the other side. “Once we’ve secured the area, our goal is to immediately break through into Eldre’Thalas!”
As soon as he stepped through the portal, Krivax immediately realized that the battlefield was far more chaotic than it had looked from the Alliance camp. The first thing Krivax noticed was the acrid scent of burnt vegetation and the sight of thick, cloying smoke surrounding them. A cacophony of battle cries, exploding magic, and the roars of angry dragons filled the air.
Krivax immediately released his golem from the spatial bag and directed it to assist Anub’rekhan with the multiple Genesaurs attacking the nerubian paladin. After that, Krivax put most of his focus on helping as much as he could to turn the tide of battle, throwing large streams of Life infused flames across the battlefield that mended wounds and burned Primals to ash.
The much needed reinforcements brought by their arrival quickly bolstered the morale of the Alliance forces. Their group was small, but contained many powerful individuals who could significantly influence the battle. While Krivax and his companions fought, the high elf mages were hard at work trying to create an opening in the barrier surrounding Eldre’Thalas.
Creating a small opening in a barrier without destroying the entire thing was rather delicate work, so Krivax did his best to ensure that no Primals would disturb them. It was difficult work when every random plant and infested wildlife was trying to kill them.
Masruk in particular helped them fend off the creatures for quite a while, constantly jumping spear first between enemies with powerful flaps of his wings, his enhancements preventing him from growing tired. Krivax was amazed at his friend's incredible awareness as he seemed to effortlessly dodge away from Primal attacks and move swiftly through the battlefield.
Azjol-Nerub had not been stingy when supplying him with equipment, so each swipe of his enchanted spear tore through the bark skin of a Primal, sending splinters flying through the air.
Krivax soon lost himself to the chaos of the battlefield until, after what felt like an eternity, a triumphant cheer erupted from the group of high elf mages. Their combined efforts had finally resulted in a small, shimmering hole in the protective barrier. Krivax hesitated for a moment as he looked around the battlefield, but Anub’rekhan had managed to slay one of the Genesaurs and was quickly regaining control of the battle.
There were still several infested dragons and other powerful creatures threatening the Alliance, but their group had already helped change the tide.
Krivax momentarily considered leaving behind his golem to help out, but decided against it. He doubted that he’d get into a serious fight while in Eldre’thalas, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Besides, it would probably be helpful as a show of force if the highborne were uncooperative.
Once he returned the golem to its spatial bag, Krivax signaled to the rest of his group and they made their way through the barrier and into Eldre’thalas. Krivax took a moment to ensure everyone had crossed over, and then with a glance and a nod from the high elf mages the breach in the barrier sealed up behind them.
Almost immediately, the sound of the battle was cut off and replaced by an eerie silence that was broken only by the sound of heavy breathing.
“Woo! Now that’s a way to get the blood pumping,” Trixie panted as she leaned against her shrink ray, her eyes wide with a mixture of exhaustion and adrenaline.
“Yes, it was,” Krivax agreed, allowing everyone only a few moments to catch their breaths before he urged them to move on. “We have to get going. Every moment that we waste is another that our people are fighting against an inexhaustible swarm of monsters. We have to convince the highborne to allow them to use this city as a stronghold.”
Once they were ready, the delegation cautiously began to make their way through the outskirts of Eldre’thalas and into the city proper. It likely wouldn’t be long before the highborne noticed the breach in their barrier and sent a team to go investigate, so Krivax took the opportunity to get a good look at the city itself while he waited.
Eldre’Thalas was a strange city, simultaneously grand and degraded, with several grandiose marble-pillared buildings along the outskirts covered in vines and moss. The inner buildings were obviously well-maintained, but the city’s population must have been significantly smaller than it was before the Sundering. The vast majority of the outer districts had been left abandoned to be reclaimed by the wilderness.
It gave Eldre’Thalas an almost surreal beauty, a once powerful city desperately clinging to the faded reminder of a glorious past.
Their delegation moved through what seemed to be a long-abandoned residential district. Imposing mansions lined the path, their edifice a mix of ivy-covered stone and gnarled roots that had grown into the infrastructure over the centuries. After a few minutes of walking, Krivax detected someone approaching them from deeper in the city.
“Our welcoming party is on their way,” Krivax announced to the delegation. “Don’t make any hostile moves, but be sure to stay on your guard. We have no idea how these people will react to us.”
If these elves were anything like all of the others that Krivax had met over the years, then a friendly greeting was likely off the table. If not for the urgency of the situation, then Krivax would have wanted to find a much more diplomatic way to make contact with the highborne than blatantly trespassing in their city.
They didn’t have to wait long before a group of highborne appeared past the corner of a ruined building with weapons raised high, only to stumble and gawk once they spotted the delegation. Given that none of them had ever seen a nerubian, their reactions weren’t particularly surprising. Krivax in particular was the focus of most of their fearful stares, so he decided to do what he always did in these kinds of situations and greet them as friendly as he could.
“Hello, there!” Krivax called out in the language of the night elves, which should still be intelligible to these highborne. “My name is Krivax, ambassad—”
Krivax sputtered in shock as a fireball splashed harmlessly against his face.
The sudden attack left the delegation momentarily stunned, until the shock passed and everyone began shouting and reaching for weapons. Krivax hurried to wave them down before anyone could retaliate.
“Everyone calm down, I’m not harmed! We’re here to make friends, not enemies!” Krivax yelled in common over the cacophony of angry shouts. He was grateful that the highborne hadn’t chosen to throw something more damaging to him than fire.
Once he was sure that the delegation wasn’t going to attack the people who they were here to make contact with, Krivax turned back to the highborne and spoke again in kaldorei. “As I was saying, I am Krivax, an ambassador currently representing the Alliance. We are here because we wish to work with your people to fight the creatures attacking your city.”
“What manner of beast are you?!” asked one of the highborne, looking up at him incredulously. “How did you enter our city?”
Krivax barely held back a sigh as he answered. “I’m a nerubian, a race of people who are members of the Alliance, a military coalition of various nations and races united for a common cause. We were able to pass through your barrier with the assistance of the quel’dorei.”
Krivax gestured to the high elves next to him and saw the highborne slightly relax. It seemed that pointing out that the scary spider people were in the company of elves had been enough to reassure the highborne that they weren’t going to be immediately attacked.
The highborne took a moment to discuss amongst themselves, their eyes flickering between the various members of the delegation, before the most finely dressed among them stepped forward.
“I am Prince Tortheldrin, ruler of Eldre'Thalas,” announced the apparent leader of the highborne, his voice holding an air of pridefulness and caution. “Am I to understand that you are affiliated with the strange creatures fighting the corrupted plant life attacking our city?”
Krivax briefly wondered why the man was a prince instead of a king, but quickly pushed those thoughts away as he answered with a respectful bow. “That’s correct, Prince Tortheldrin. Those ‘strange creatures’ you speak of are members of the Alliance fighting alongside the tauren tribes, the kaldorei, and the Dragonflights against a threat we believe to have been wrought by the Burning Legion.”
Understanding that time was of the essence, Krivax immediately laid out the entirety of the situation. He could already tell that this prince was the kind of person to be more difficult to those he perceived as weak, so he made sure to put forward special emphasis when he mentioned the dragons. He had learned by now that diplomacy on Azeroth was much smoother when the other party knew that you weren’t to be messed with.
Sure enough, the arrogance on Prince Tortheldrin’s face slowly gave way to caution. “We had suspicions that these abominations were affiliated with the Burning Legion. Their Fel magic is unmistakable, but how do we know that you aren’t enemies sent by the Legion to infiltrate our great city, creature? The Legion is no stranger to using such trickery.”
Great city? Nobody cares enough about these rundown ruins to go through all that effort, Krivax thought to himself.
Krivax spent the next few minutes reassuring the highborne that they weren’t affiliated with the Burning Legion, diplomatically pointing out that their barrier wasn’t strong enough to keep out the Alliance, so such deception would be unnecessary. The highborne were just as stuck up and full of themselves as Krivax had expected, but there was a distinct and profound weariness that seemed to hang over the elves.
As much as the Prince didn’t want to be seen as undercutting his own authority to outsiders, Krivax could see the desperation among the highborne giving way to reluctant hope.
Once the conversation calmed down a bit, and the Prince was no longer accusing them of secretly being demons, Krivax decided to move the conversation onto more important topics. He didn’t want to directly ask the highborne why they were refusing to evacuate their city, because that would imply the unpalatable truth that they were too weak to defend it. So, Krivax instead chose to offer help.
“I intend no offense, Prince Tortheldrin, but there are some among my delegation who insist I make this offer,” Krivax said as he gestured toward the high elves. “The quel’dorei would like to offer your civilians refugee while we face this crisis. Please rest assured, Quel'Thalas possesses a font of magic capable of easily sustaining your people.”
As soon as he was done speaking, Krivax knew that he had made the correct decision. The highborne immediately broke out into excited chatter, hope and relief clearly visible on their expressions. Even Prince Tortheldrin was staring at the high elves with desperate desire.
“W-we are perfectly capable of providing for our own people, but it may be for the best if we accept your gracious offer,” Prince Tortheldrin said with a conceding tone, as if he was doing them a great favor.
Krivax let out a sigh of relief. The Prince could act as arrogant as he liked so long as he agreed to cooperate with the Alliance. It was obvious now that the highborne valued access to the Sunwell more than their pride, and that was good enough for Krivax.
Just as he was about to respond, Krivax flinched as an ear shattering roar echoed from within Eldre’Thalas, silencing all conversation and causing the buildings to shudder.
Prince Tortheledrin’s face immediately grew pale before becoming red with rage as drew his sword and whirled on them. “Deceivers! I knew this farce was too good to be true! How dare you release the demon on which my people rely to sustain themselves!”
The Prince’s accusation was first met with confusion by the delegation, before they suddenly understood and that feeling became one of horror.
“You fools feed on a demon? Have you completely lost your minds?!” Vereesa shouted, her incredulous voice cutting through the panicked whispers of the highborne.
“How easy it must be for you to judge us,” Prince Tortheldrin haughtily snapped back, venom dripping from every word. “Have you ever felt the desperate hunger for magic as you starve? The thirst that can never be sated? We did what we had to in order to survive!”
Before anyone could react, another hate filled roar echoed throughout the city.
“We don’t have time for this,” Krivax said, desperately hoping that the highborne would see sense. “Please, allow us to help you fight off this demon. The Burning Legion is the mutual enemy of every being on Azeroth.”
“Immol’thar has not escaped his bindings once in the many millennia that he has been bound and remained well hidden from the outside world,” Prince Tortheldrin spat, palms white as he gripped his sword. “Am I supposed to believe it a coincidence that it does so the very moment that you invade our city, outsiders? Do you think I’m a fool?!”
“Of course not,” Krivax lied as he placated the angry prince. “In fact, I also doubt that this is a coincidence. We have reason to believe that the Burning Legion sent a Dreadlord to oversee the creatures attacking your city. If that is the case, then the demon was most likely freed to sow chaos among us and kill the brave soldiers defending Eldre’Thalas.”
Krivax had no idea if that was true, but it seemed like the most plausible explanation for what actually happened.
There was a moment of stunned silence as the highborne pondered his words and talked among themselves. The arrogant Prince didn’t seem any less furious, but one of his advisors, an older man by the name of Magister Kalendris, seemed to be arguing in their favor and was slowly getting through to the Prince.
If Krivax had to guess, the advisor was likely reminding the Prince about how exhausted their own forces must be after fighting off the Primals for weeks. Given how dangerous a demon capable of sustaining a highborne city for millennia must be, it was unlikely that they were in a position to turn down assistance.
After a tense few moments, Prince Tortheldrin finally sheathed his weapon.
“Very well, Ambassador Krivax,” he began, sounding as if every word was being physically ripped from him. “Your assistance in dealing with the demon would be highly appreciated. But be warned, if you betray us in this time of great danger, know I will personally remove your head and claim it as a trophy.”
Krivax wasn’t particularly concerned. This wasn’t the first time that his life had been threatened. At this point, he was starting to consider it a staple of elvish diplomacy.
“Understood, Prince Tortheldrin. We wouldn’t dream of crossing you,” Krivax said, hoping to deflate the tension in the air.
The Prince gave a curt nod before turning to his guards and giving orders. After a few moments of preparation, Tortheldrin began leading them toward the western portion of Eldre’Thalas where the sounds of screams and battle were the loudest.
As they delved deeper into the city, Krivax noticed the buildings becoming more immaculate and less overtaken by nature. The grandeur of the highborne’s past was still evident, albeit faded by time.
The sounds of the demon’s roars gradually grew louder, and it wasn’t long before Krivax managed to get his first look at the creature.
The demon had possessed a pair of cyclopean heads with large, dripping maws attached to a muscular body that vaguely resembled a canine’s. There were several hateful tentacled eyes protruding from the demon’s back, each looking different directions as the monster searched the city for more prey. It was a horrifying sight, made worse by the fact that the demon was more than twenty feet tall and bulkier than most Spiderlords.
“How is this possible? The demon should still be drained!” yelled Prince Tortheldrin, staring at the monster in utter disbelief.
“Whoever freed the demon must have given it a source of Fel magic before letting it loose on the city,” said Magister Kalendris. “It’s far too powerful, your highness. Even if we can kill it with the assistance of the outsiders, too many of your subjects will be killed during the fight. We must return it to its prison and drain its power.”
Krivax focused on the demonic beast and had to admit that the man had a point. He was confident that they could take down the demon with enough effort, but that kind of fight in the middle of a populated urban area would inevitably lead to heavy casualties. Luring it back to its prison was a sensible decision, so long as they could actually activate the containment measures once it was inside.
“Do you know how damaged the prison is?” Krivax asked hurriedly, his eyes still glued on the snarling beast as it tore through the highborne desperately trying to fend it off. “It seems unlikely that the Dreadlord would leave the spells containing the demon operational after going through the effort to free it.”
“We took containment procedures regarding the demon very seriously,” Magister Kalendris assured him. “Even if the main pylons powering the prison were sabotaged, there are many contingency measures in place that could be activated by those well-versed in the arcane. Still, it would be wise of us to inspect the prison’s condition before moving forward with the plan. It should only take us a few moments, and will inform us on the best strategy to engage the demon.”
Krivax considered the proposal for several moments. It seemed like a reasonable plan if what Magister Kalendris said was right, and he had no reason to believe otherwise. Still, he didn’t really like leaving the demon to rampage unopposed and briefly considered splitting up the group, sending some of the mages to investigate the prison while the rest of them distracted the demon.
Unfortunately, he didn’t fully trust the highborne not to do anything stupid. They were quite obviously more than a little crazy if they had spent the past several millennia sipping on demon juice in their isolated city.
No, it’s best if we stick together and get this done as quickly as possible, Krivax thought ruefully. I can’t afford to hesitate any longer.
“Agreed. We’ll inspect the prison and ensure its readiness before engaging the demon, but we have to move swiftly.”
Prince Tortheldrin nodded to Krivax solemnly before turning to his advisor. “Magister Kalendris, lead the way.”
Krivax, alongside the delegation and the prince’s retinue, followed Magister Kalendris toward the demon’s prison. As they passed over the highborne corpses that the creature had left in its wake, Krivax noted that the prison was tellingly close to the wealthier parts of the city. The highborne aristocrats must have been severely addicted to the demon’s magic if they were so willing to risk their own safely.
Eventually, they made their way into a tunnel that led deep into the earth, the magical enchantments imbued into the walls producing a soft glow to light their path. It was eerily quiet, a stark contrast to the chaos and destruction that they could still distantly hear from above.
The tunnel opened up into a cavernous circular chamber, the remnants of intricate arcane glyphs etched into the stone floor, and massive arcane pylons positioned around the perimeter. In the center of the chamber was a smaller circular area contaminated with residual Fel energy where the demon had once been contained.
Magister Kalendris and the rest of the mages immediately began investigating the damaged pylons as their prince stayed behind to glare impotently at the destroyed prison. Krivax didn’t know all that much about arcane pylons, so he decided to instead make his way deeper into the chamber and study the containment spells themselves. It didn’t take long for him to realize that Magister Kalendris hadn’t exaggerated their contingencies.
Aside from the central barrier, which had been quite obviously sabotaged, there were also several layers of redundant barriers throughout the chamber ready to be activated so long as the pylons were repaired or an alternative source of magic was provided. Although they were weaker than the central barrier, they would last more than long enough.
Soon, Krivax lost himself to his thoughts as he began to think over the best way to bring the demon back to the chamber. He didn’t know how intelligent the creature was, but it almost certainly wouldn’t want to return to the room in which it had been trapped for millennia.
We’ll just have to lure it as much as possible and then force it the rest of the way. My golem should be strong enough to herd the thing here so long as I have a bit of help. Oh, maybe we can make use of portals? It’ll be a bit difficult with the ambient mana, but Rhonin is fairly skilled with spatial magic. The barriers are designed to activate quickly, so we just need to get it here for a few mom—
“Krivax!”
Krivax was violently pulled from his thoughts as he was tackled to the side and felt heat for the first time since Alexstrasza empowered him. It took a moment for him to realize that Masruk had pushed him away from an inferno of bright green Fel fire that had completely engulfed the spot where he had just been standing.
Krivax looked up and saw another wave of Fel fire threatening to consume them and instantly conjured a barrier of arcane magic that only barely held off the assault. Once the fire subsided, he hurried to help Masruk up and they both turned to see what had attacked them.
Krivax immediately felt his heart drop as he saw that the chamber’s defenses had been activated and he and Masruk had been neatly separated from the rest of the delegation by a shimmering arcane barrier. He could see several members of the delegation attempting to destroy the barrier while the rest fended off an ambush from various demons.
However, none of the demons on the other side of the barrier were as dangerous as the demon that Krivax and Masruk were now trapped with.
“Greetings. I am known as Detheroc, and I must commend you, mortal,” said the Dreadlord, a cruel smirk curling his lips as he shed the form of Magister Kalendris. The Dreadlord was far fatter than Krivax had expected, his stomach bloated and neck filled with large jowls. Strangely, it didn’t make the demon any less intimidating. “You did not make this easy to arrange. It took quite a bit of planning. Unfortunately for you, I am far too—”
Suddenly, Krivax faintly sensed an unfamiliar presence rooting through his mind.
Krivax immediately attempted to impale the Dreadlord on a spike of stone that erupted beneath his feet, which was quickly destroyed with a laugh and swift stomp of the demon’s hoof. The demon moved far faster than his appearance would suggest.
Fortunately, Krivax had already successfully reinforced his mental shields as much as possible while the Dreadlord was distracted.
“How sensitive. You noticed me quicker than expected,” Detheroc said with a derisive chuckle. “Still, you won’t be able to stop me from ripping every single secret out of your mind for very long. From what I’ve already seen, I was right to single you out. What an unusual creature you are…”
Krivax had barely enough time to panic at what the Dreadlord might have seen before the demon launched a fresh barrage of spells in their direction and he and Masruk were forced to fight for their lives.
