Chapter 681: Chapter 681: Nothing to Fear
The Eye of Dalaran, a supreme arcane artifact, the treasure of Dalaran!
Upon hearing this name, even someone as composed as Antonidas couldn't maintain his equanimity.
The possession of the Eye of Dalaran by Dalaran was not a secret, but the news that a malevolent supreme warlock coveted it made the leader of the Kirin Tor uneasy.
"Duke! This news is no laughing matter. Where did you get it? What does the Horde want with the Eye of Dalaran?"
Facing a stern Antonidas, Duke explained, "In the library of Karazhan, I found the Book of Medivh!"
"Medivh!" Antonidas murmured, feeling a slight twinge in his stomach.
The Book of Medivh? The tome of the greatest mage in the world, the one who helped the orcs open the original Dark Portal, containing all the arcane secrets every mage dreams of—was it now in Duke's hands?
Antonidas envied him, despite being a step away from demi-godhood as a Sunreaver; without an accident, that step would remain an insurmountable chasm forever.
If he had the Book of Medivh, perhaps there was a chance.
But he knew Duke, as Medivh's successor, wouldn't even consider lending him the book for a glance.
Meanwhile, Duke indeed found this artifact of a book without much effort, right in the center of Medivh's study—on the day he cleared the last hostile boss in Karazhan.
Like flipping a switch, this book, recording most of Medivh's potent magics, appeared on a shelf before Duke. It was a massive, sturdy tome with a red cover bordered in brass, emblazoned with the crest of a flying raven.
Regrettably, Duke could only read a small portion of its pages. The rest were sealed by a formidable magic, the system indicating they would only unlock for a Sunreaver.
Now, before Antonidas, Duke presented an illusion of one such page.
On the page was depicted a gateway identical to the Dark Portal in the Cursed Lands, but it wasn't there—its surroundings suggested it was in an unknown world.
"This is..."
"According to the demonic language I've deciphered, there are two Dark Portals: one in our Azeroth, the other on the orcs' home planet of Draenor. They correspond to each other! Although you and I have closed the Dark Portal, what we shut was merely the door itself. The breach made in Azeroth's spatial barrier during its creation wasn't mended."
Antonidas stroked his white beard, digesting Duke's words: "Continue."
Duke pointed at the ethereal book page: "If someone were to glean the perfect construction of the Dark Portal and the spatial coordinates of Azeroth from the Book of Medivh... If a powerful force could re-activate the Dark Portal, like the Eye of Dalaran..."
"And a controller..." Antonidas finished the thought.
"Then the reopening of the Dark Portal would no longer be just a figment of imagination," Duke concluded.
"Any leads on that controller?" The leader of the Kirin Tor frowned.
"Yes! The scepter used by Gul'dan—the Scepter of Sargeras! According to the orcs' prisoners, Gul'dan led his clans to abandon the Horde and went to the Tomb of Sargeras in the Endless Sea, hoping to gain the fallen Titan's power from Sargeras's corpse. Clearly, he failed. The orc prisoners said Gul'dan was overwhelmed by demons that emerged from the tomb."
The Tomb of Sargeras, just the mention of it brought a headache.
If it were peacetime, Antonidas wouldn't mind rallying a bunch of bored mages for an adventure. After all, Dalaran's mages either died in laboratory explosions or various fatal accidents. Those who met a natural end were one in a hundred.
"What's the stance of the Wyrmrest Accord?"
"The dragons seem temporarily unable to enter there. However, Alexstrasza has promised to send a squad to monitor the area and slay any emerging demons."
Antonidas heaved a sigh, "It seems we have no good solutions for the short term."
"Right! I came especially to remind you to safeguard the Eye of Dalaran. In my view, as long as the three artifacts don't all fall into Nezhoz's hands, the Alliance won't face greater danger. At least for now, we're spared a third Dark Portal War."
"Alright, thanks for the notification. I'll immediately convene a meeting of the Kirin Tor to discuss this matter and upgrade the protection level of the Eye of Dalaran."
After a few more words, Duke left.
Through the portal, Duke returned to Karazhan and met the recuperating Alleria. Without a word, he enveloped the noble and wild female elf in his embrace.
"Hmm? Duke, what's the matter today?" Alleria sensed something amiss.
After a moment's silence, Duke suddenly said, "Alleria, do you believe in fate?"
Alleria's radiant golden hair seemed to glitter as her sensuous red lips curved into a smile born of her heart, "I do believe. If not for the guidance of fate, how could I have hopelessly fallen in love with you, a human child?"
"Do you believe then, that fate can be changed?"
Resting her head on Duke's shoulder, Alleria savored the tranquil embrace, feeling his strong heartbeat against her chest, "Two years ago, when Stormwind fell, didn't many believe that destruction was humanity's only fate before the mighty Horde? And who led them to counterattack and ultimately to victory?"
Duke smiled.
Right! There's nothing to fear!
Even if according to original history, it would be Alleria joining the Alliance expedition to Draenor and then vanishing in that terrible explosion, considered dead by the Alliance...
But what of it?
I've already changed the fate of too many.
Llane, Lyrastrasza, Lothar...
Those who heroically sacrificed themselves in history are now alive and well.
Llane is teaching young Prince Varian.
Lyrastrasza is cheerfully exploring the world.
Anduin has just won the arm-wrestling championship in the military.
Oh! The only one tipped off to die earlier, it seems, is Nesario.
What have I to fear?
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