Chapter 16 Chapter Sixteen

Aegwynn gloated as Jaina Proudmoore tried again and again to break through the demonic barrier. The little girl stepped out of Aegwynn's hut and stood at the edge of the ward—her own ward—trying to penetrate it at close quarters.Aegwynn did not want her to succeed. Zmodor obviously did not expect to meet Aegwynn here.Taking advantage of Proudmoore's opportunity to penetrate Aegwynn's barrier just now, he surrounded the two of them, which was already causing trouble.However, as long as the barrier set by Aegwynn is still there, he has nothing to worry about.But if the inside and the outside cooperate, his enchantment will collapse immediately, and then he will be in big trouble.

But that's nothing to worry about either.Aegwynn had long since lost the ability to fight demons with magic. Proudmoore tried again, but it didn't work.She took some jerky from the pocket of her cloak and ate it.Aegwynn nodded subconsciously, secretly praising.No matter who this little girl's teacher is, the practical skills he handed over to his disciples are enough to prove that he is a very rational and calm person.That's something Scarville -- wise as he was -- never considered.Aegwynn had starved three times while chasing a demon, and it was only then that she learned to carry food on her missions.

The little girl turned to face Aegwynn: "If the strength of the two of us is combined, maybe we can succeed." "Absolutely impossible," Aegwynn said with a painful smile, "my 'power' plus yours is still the same. My magic power has long... shrunk." Although the word "shrinking" is not so appropriate, But it can also answer Proudmoore's question. "It's a pity that there is no one outside as a support person." "A receiver of what?" Aegwynn's opinion of Proudmoore's master took a sharp turn for the worse. "Don't you know Mettle Penetration?"

Proudmoore shook his head: "Most of the Myrtle scrolls were destroyed ten years ago. I only learned the few preserved scrolls, and I haven't heard of the one you just mentioned." "What a pity." Aegwynn could only sigh.As long as she can stay here safely, it doesn't matter whether the barrier can be penetrated or not.Now she just wants to stay away from the devastated world that she hurt, and spend the rest of her days peacefully. "How did your mana become so weak?" Aegwynn sighed.She should have expected that she would reap the consequences. Next, maybe Proudmoore needs to know the whole story, even though it's just Aegwynn's own version.

Twenty-five years ago... Medivh placed his residence in the tower of Karazhan among the hills in the Redridge Mountains.Surrounded by vines and weeds—the strong, verdant woods of Elwynn Forest were no longer to be seen, and Medivh hacked them all down after living here—the hills below the tower looked like a Human head. Sadly, Aegwynn felt the metaphor couldn't be more apt.She walked to the tower on foot.She didn't want her son to notice her presence. The Guardians of Tirisfal are dead.Orcs are rampant on the continent of Azeroth, and the whole world is full of flames and wars.Who did this?

Her own flesh and blood. She didn't know how it all turned out like this.She gave birth to Medivh to let him continue his career, not to overturn it. It wasn't until she got to the door that she realized her son was inside, and so were the Moros, the housekeeper, and the cook—though the two were now sleeping in their separate rooms.But she sensed someone else.The soul of this man is entangled with the soul of her son.This man was defeated by her centuries ago. Aegwynn gave up the idea of ​​entering the door quietly and cast a wind spell. With a bang, the solid wooden door was instantly shattered into pieces by the strong wind.

Her son was standing just beyond the door.He inherited Aegwyn Gundam's stature and slender eyebrows, as well as Nieras Elan's stalwart shoulders and straight nose.The gray and black hair was combed back into a shiny ponytail, the black and white beard was neatly trimmed, and the auburn cloak fluttered in the strong wind... Looking at each other, Aegwynn couldn't recognize her son, because it looked like Medivh to the naked eye, but the master's superb skills told her that it was Sargeras. "How is it possible, I killed you!" Medivh laughed like a devil: "Mother, are you really that stupid? Do you really think that a little girl can destroy the great Sargeras? He used you. He used you to give birth to me. He hid in inside of you, and then—when you deftly seduced my father—he transferred his soul into my embryo. He was my inseparable companion, the teacher of my spiritual soul, the man you will never Parents who wouldn't let me have."

Aegwynn couldn't believe it was true.How could she be so ignorant and bewildered? "You killed Elder Tirisfal!" "Didn't you say they were helping asses?" "That's not the point! They don't deserve to die!" "Of course they deserve to die. Mother, you didn't teach me so much. You are always busy performing the task of guardian, and you don't have time to educate the son who came to this world to inherit your position. You are so busy When I took the time to confirm whether your son was still alive, he knew from you that those old guys are idiots. Look, mother, I have learned."

"Stop pretending, Sargeras," Aegwynn yelled. "Stop speaking in my son's voice!" Medivh looked up to the sky and laughed loudly: "Don't you understand, little girl? I am your son!" He raised his hands: "I am your end point." What happened next happened even faster than Aegwynn had expected.She couldn't remember specific details, except for a few fragments.She only knew that she was becoming more and more unable to deal with the magic of Medivh—or Sargeras, to be precise—and he became more and more able to counter her. Scarred and covered in blood, Aegwynn collapsed exhaustedly on the stone steps in front of Medivh's door, barely raising his head.Her son stood tall on it and said with a sneer, "Why do you look so sad, mother? You created me! In order to bypass Tirisfal's arrangements and pass on your own abilities, you gave birth to Me. You did it. From the moment you destroyed Sargeras's body, he was safe and free in your body. Your power fulfilled his dream. Now your wish has come true. Medivh smiled smugly: "Another thorn in Tirisfal's side, huh?"

In an instant, Aegwynn's blood turned cold.This was her original vision for Medivh's future, she never said it out, and naturally she never told Medivh.After the child was born, she did seldom stay by his side, mainly to protect him—she couldn't let the outside world know that she had a son in Stormwind City, and she was afraid that the enemy would use him to blackmail her.Not only that, after Medivh was twelve years old, she dared to tell the world that this was her son. At that moment, she stopped all resistance.She didn't want to live any longer in a world she had completely betrayed.Eager to prove to the world that she was doing a good job and that Tirisfal had made a mistake in ousting her, she single-handedly brought about a great demonic victory.

Ever since the apprentice mage finished his studies, Aegwynn hadn't cried again.The heart-piercing pain of a child's birth, the grief of a parent's death, and the frustration of losing a fight with demons—none of them could make her shed a single tear.Compared with these pains, she has a more tenacious will.But now, looking up at the son who was standing in the wind and laughing loudly, tears had already covered her face. "kill me." "Let you be released so easily? Don't be stupid, mother. I said I was your end, but not your grave. Letting you die will not make up for the sins you have done to me." Then he began to chant the incantation. Eight hundred years ago, Tirisfal passed on the guardian's magic power to her. This was the most wonderful moment in her life, as wonderful as a blind man suddenly seeing the light of day.When she passed on the magic power to Medivh, although it was no longer beautiful, watching her offspring grow up rapidly gave her a sense of satisfaction.It was so quiet and comfortable at that moment, like a person slowly falling asleep. Now, all the magic power has been cheated by Medivh. Suddenly, Aegwynn felt as if his eyes were blinded, his ears were deafened, his feeling was numb, and his whole body wanted to die—not at all. Not like falling asleep, but falling into a coma. But her consciousness was still clear, and she knew what was going to happen next.If she stayed here, Medivh - presumably Sargeras - would surely have her imprisoned.She would be shut up in the dungeon under the tower, where she would see and hear and feel every evil deed of this demon in the guise of his own son. She suddenly remembered something - she was still very young, which meant that Medivh hadn't taken away the anti-aging magic. She knew there was help.She pulled herself together with difficulty, slowly released the anti-aging magic, mixed them, transformed them, and reunited them into an instant teleportation spell.They took her out of here. After a while, her hair turned gray, her face was wrinkled, and her bones seemed to be falling apart.She found herself in Kalimdor, on a grassland surrounded by mountains. Proudmoore said quietly, "This must be terrifying to you." "Yes." Aegwynn shivered.In fact, there were more horrors than this later, but it was enough to kill Proudmoore.She has always wanted to ask Medivh to understand, to get a reason from him, why he did those things - just like Sargeras also needed a reason.But now she felt that there was no need for Proudmoore to know more - the whole story only showed one fact: she was really stupid.Aegwynn continued: "After coming here, I used the last bit of magic power left to protect myself. I built this hut, opened up a garden, and dug a well. Only Sargeras and his troops were stationed in the I only use the enchantment when it is nearby." "I'm not surprised at all." Proudmoore said this in a strange tone—as if she knew something Aegwynn didn't. "What does it mean?" Before hearing Proudmoore's answer, Aegwynn heard another voice.Proudmoore heard it too, and they both turned to look south at the same time.The voice sounded very familiar. Aegwynn hadn't heard such a noise for many years. After a while, her conjecture was confirmed.The noise came from the exhaust of a giant spaceship.The spaceship was flying here from the Scar Heights, and it stopped right above the barrier.Aegwynn speculated that there must be a mage on board, or at least someone with supernatural abilities. A rope ladder was thrown from the ship's landing pad, and then a man in steel armor began to climb down, getting closer to them. Aegwynn recognized the colonel from the markings on the armor. To her surprise, this person turned out to be a woman.Aegwynn gave Proudmoore a puzzled look. The little girl smiled and said, "Since a woman can be the guardian of Tirisfal, why can't she be a colonel?" Aegwynn was speechless and could only acquiesce. "Ma'am," the woman jumped to the ground from under the rope ladder, "I'm afraid I have brought you bad news." She stopped and gave Aegwynn a disapproving look. "Colonel Lorena, this is Magna Aegwynn, just say what you have in front of her." The Colonel nodded, and went on talking.Jaina Proudmoore spoke clearly with authority.Although Aegwynn was full of displeasure, he had to admit that this woman gave her a good first impression.It is impossible for a woman to sit in such a high position without experiencing some hardships—her intuition told her that Lorena must be more capable than the two male colonels, just look at the determined expression on her face.If such a powerful person trusted Proudmoore so much, then Proudmoore might be a more courageous and exemplary leader than she imagined. But maybe it's just some personal hero worship on this little girl's part. Lorena said: "Ma'am, I'm sure the Minister of Internal Affairs, Christopher, is a member of the Burning Blade clan. He has long conspired to increase the strength of the Northpost and provoke a dispute between orcs and humans." Proudmoore's face pulled long: "Christopher? I can't believe it." The Colonel took a few minutes to tell them all that had happened during Proudmoore's departure from Theramore. After speaking, Aegwynn asked, "When did the Burning Blade Clan start doing this?" "I'm not sure yet," Proudmoore said. "I guess the Burning Blade clan must be related to the former orc tribe, but why?" "Because Zmodor organized these orc believers to form the Burning Blade clan. In fact, he captured those children for sacrifice, and the sword that was going to kill these children was covered with oil. The sacrifice began , and the sword will shine. Zmodor is near now, and perhaps he has spies among the orcs too." Before Proudmoore could react, Lorena asked, "Ma'am, why did you end up inside these barriers? I brought Braveen along to help me track down your whereabouts, but She said that these enchantments have high mana, we can't get through them, but—why didn't you penetrate them?" "I don't think I can get out. When I first got here, I was able to penetrate some powerful barriers. But now these barriers are the demonic barriers set by Zmodor that Aegwynn just mentioned. I'm afraid I don't have the ability to penetrate them." "It's unfortunate," Aegwynn said, "If it's my enchantment, I'll let you pass right away." Proudmoore snorted: "Stop pretending, these are not your barriers at all, they are Medivh's." Aegwynn stared at Proudmoore, probably opened his mouth wide in astonishment, "Why—" "As soon as I got here, I recognized that the magical fluctuations of these enchantments belonged to the members of Tirisfal. After penetrating it, I can be sure that it is the magic of which Tirisfal member, because I have encountered it before. .I have long wanted to tell you that I knew Medivh—the man who brought humans and orcs to this land, the man who convinced us to unite against the Burning Legion. I am very familiar with his magic." Lorena rushed to say: "Madam, time is running out, we must take you out of here, we must find a way." Proudmoore looked at Aegwynn: "Yes, please teach me the Mettle spell now." The Queen pointed to Colonel Lorena and said, "We now have someone to respond to." "Great," Aegwynn said happily, "Does this mean that you can let me be quiet?" "I don't think that's possible." Aegwynn blinked: "Be clear, please?" "You're coming with us." Aegwynn snorted and said, "Me?" "Yes. You will always be Magna, always the guardian who stands between us and the demons. It is your duty to go with us." "How did you come to this ridiculous conclusion?" "You said that these barriers were set by Zmodor, which means that he has taken the initiative to attack now. We all know that he is the leader of the Burning Blade clan, and now the Burning Blade clan is destroying me and Thrall according to your son's plan. And you thought you defeated him eight hundred years ago, but you didn't, your work is not done, so you are responsible for—" "Do you know what responsibility is?" Aegwynn yelled, "Eight hundred years ago—" "Yes, I know what you've done before, Magna. Although you told me you never tried to escape the responsibility of the Guardian. Anything you did - from fighting Zmodor, From fighting against Tirisfal to giving birth to Medivh—it’s all because of your belief in your own abilities. Although you have made many mistakes and experienced many failures, you have never shirked this responsibility, even now " Proudmoore shook his head, and continued, "You ask me to know what responsibility is? I will tell you now, I know more than you. You have never been responsible to anyone except yourself. But I guide My people go to fight, and after that, I'll rule over them - now, those who believe in me need me, and this is all caused by a demon you think you have killed. Everything we create will be because of you Your self-pity and ruin, Magna." "I think I have the right to determine my own destiny." "Just because you made Medivh return to his humanity?" Aegwynn was once again impressed by Proudmoore's intelligence and sensitivity.She found herself at a loss for words. "We've always known how Medivh came back from the dead after being killed by Khadgar and Lothar. Only magic can do it, and one or two people can do it. But if we do, we will admit it. You just It is said that I exhausted my mana in the fight with Medivh, but there is still one thing that can replace this seemingly necessary magic, and this is the affection between mother and child." Aegwynn nodded, staring at the continuous mountains of Scar Heights in the distance. "With the last of my slow-aging magic, I used the well water to find out what was going on outside. I saw my son killed by his apprentice and best friend - I saw Sargeras abandon him. So Well, it took me years of work to bring him back to life. After this was done, I was almost dead. That's why these enchantments are all set by Medivh - I don't have the strength to cast spells anymore, and I can't do anything It's gone." Aegwynn looked at Proudmoore, "This is my last fight. Queen Proudmoore, I cannot make up for my mistakes one by one." "I don't think so. You raised a son who saved the whole world. Although he experienced some twists and turns, he did what you should do and lived up to your expectations. He broke the rules and convinced me and Thrall united to attack the Burning Legion. Sargeras didn't teach him these things, nor did he learn them after he came back from the dead—you gave them to him." Lorena listened impatiently to their tirade, apparently, her respect for Queen Proudmoore suppressed her desire to act as a warrior: "Ma'am—" "Of course," Aegwynn said, "The colonel's opinion is correct. Zmodor must be defeated—this time it must be defeated thoroughly." She sighed instead, and then said: "Colonel Lorena, get ready , may hurt you. Queen Proudmoore, please read to me." Next, Aegwynn began teaching Proudmoore the spell of Mettle's penetration.