Chapter 13 The Last Guardian Chapter 12 The Age of War Comes

Within a few days, the library was restored to its original state.Books that have become more broken have basically been placed where they should be placed.The good news is that those precious (trapped) books are on the upper floors, untouched by this disaster.That is to say, it took some time to repair the bookshelves. Garona and Khadgar converted the vacant animal pen into a carpentry cabin, trying to repair (some of them had to be redone) the damaged bookshelves inside. As for the demon, there was still no trace.Aside from the damage it caused: the iron paw print was still on the desk, and the Kings of Azeroth was badly damaged, probably from its mouth.But it didn't leave any blood or mutilated body at Medivh's feet.

"Maybe it was saved by someone." This was one of Garona's assumptions. "It was dead dead before we left," Khadgar replied nonchalantly, remembering whether he had put the epic in the top row or bottom row of romance. "Maybe the corpse was taken away," Garona said, "Someone must have brought it in, and then that person brought the corpse out." "How to explain the blood stains." Kaga reminded. "Use magic to eliminate it," the half-orc was quite confident in his reasoning, "maybe it was done by a clean demon." "There is no such magic, it is against the law of magic." Khadgar said.

"Maybe it's not your kind of magic, not the kind you've learned before," Garona said. "There are many kinds of magic. The old shaman in the orcs used one kind of magic, while the warlock used another kind of magic." Same thing. So maybe it's a magic you haven't heard of." "Impossible," Khadgar denied. "No matter what kind of magic there is, there is always a trace, the trace of the caster—their residual energy field. I can sense this field. And my magic tells me, Only two people in this tower have cast spells lately, one is myself and the other is Medivh. I also checked the guardian barrier, and Medivh is right - they are all functioning normally. No demons can break through These enchantments, whether by magic or other methods."

Garona shrugged: "But there are always exceptions to everything. For example, the existence of this tower itself is unreasonable, right? Maybe here, the old laws don't apply at all." This time it was Khadgar's turn to shrug his shoulders: "If it's true, then we may be in more dire trouble than I imagined." The relationship between Khadgar and the orcs seems to have improved a lot due to the restoration of the library.In terms of voice alone, she was almost human.But she had been refusing to reveal who her boss was, and Khadgar had to be wary of that.So always pay attention to the questions she asks and the topics she often touches on.

He also tried to trace her external contacts, and he used magic to set up a detection network in the guest room area.to track her outings and letters.But nothing suspicious happened.If so, she must have somehow evaded Khadgar's spell - and that was impossible.The other party even promised him that information would be shared equally. If she really did something with the information collected here, she would definitely not be so frank. Garona really kept her promise and began sharing her knowledge of the orcs with Khadgar.Khadgar was gradually able to picture the orc ruling system (in terms of strength and combat effectiveness) and the many clans in his mind.Sometimes the envoy would bring in her own personal views on the clans, such as which leaders she classified as idiots and which ones only wanted to go to war.Khadgar quickly had an intuitive impression of the tribe she described—regime changes were extremely frequent, and the consciousness of survival of the fittest prevailed.

The Blood Hollow clan is a big conservative faction in the tribe.They have a strong membership and a long history of conquest, but have shown signs of fading slightly since the ruler of this generation - Kilrogg • weaker.Garona points out that in orcish polities, older rulers are often more pragmatic, which is often misinterpreted by younger generations as cowardice.Kilrogg had beheaded three of his own sons and two grandchildren.Because they all feel that they are more suitable to be chiefs. The Blackstone Clan seems to be a large branch of the tribe, and the leader is called Blackhand.He was nominated for Chiefs automatically after all the contenders had been beaten.The clan split off, each knocked out a tooth, and called themselves the Blackfang Clan.Pretty goofy name.

Of course, there are other clans, such as the Twilightspear who are obsessed with destruction.The Burning Blade seems to have no leader, but it is more like a non-government armed force composed of chaotic elements in the tribe.The rest are small clans, such as raids led by a warlock.Khadgar suspected that Garona was behind the Raid because of her sketchy description of the clan. Khadgar took as many records as possible, and summarized them into a report to Lothar.Letters from all over Azeroth have surged, and Hordes seem to be pouring out from all over the Black Marsh.Orcs, who existed only in legends a year ago, are now everywhere, and Stormwind Keep is fully armed to face the threat.Khadgar kept the worsening news from Garona, but reported to Lothar in detail everything he had collected, down to the rivalry between the clans and their favorite colors (for example, Blackstone was somehow like red).

Khadgar also tried to report what he knew to Medivh, but Medivh was strangely uninterested.In fact, the communication between the astral mage and Garona is not as frequent as before.Sometimes Medivh even went out without saying a word.Even when he was there, he seemed increasingly unapproachable, sitting alone in his observatory chair, gazing at the night skies of Azeroth.Khadgar felt even more distant from him than when he first came.He became moodier, more assertive, and less willing to listen than before. Others noticed his withdrawn temper, too.Every time he left the astral mage's room, Moroes shot Khadgar a painful look.Garona brought up the subject while reviewing a map of the known world (since it was from Stormwind, so they talked about Lordaeron incorrectly).

"Is he always like that?" she asked. Khadgar replied flatly, "He's more moody." "Yeah, but when I first met him, he was full of life and positive. Now he looks like..." "Irritable?" "Corrupt." Garona said with some disgust. Khadgar couldn't argue. In the afternoon of that day, Khadgar reported a new message to the astral mage, all of which were secret letters in purple, all of which begged Medivh to help deal with the orcs. "Orcs are not demons," Medivh said. "They have flesh and blood. This kind of problem should be solved by fighters, not mages."

"The situation is very urgent," Khadgar said. "I heard that the army has withdrawn from the area around the Black Swamp, and refugees are pouring into Stormwind City and other places like a tide. They are already approaching here." "So they want the Guardians to run to save them right away. It's a pity that I have to stay in this tower to watch over the demons of the Twisting Nether. Now I want to fight another nation and another people in order to save them? A trade conflict broke out between Azeroth and Lordaeron, are they planning to recruit me to be a negotiator? We don’t need to worry about this kind of thing.”

"You helped Azeroth before, didn't you? Lothar said that without you, Azeroth would have ceased to exist..." "Lothar is an idiot," Medivh muttered, "an old hen who only looks at everything and thinks it is dangerous. Ryan is a little better, knowing that no one can break through his city wall. As for the council, those so-called powerful mages, now Knowing that arguments consist of slaps and chokes all day long, and a gang of scum invaders can't deal with it when things come to an end. No, young trust, this is just a small trouble. Even if the orcs did take over Azeroth, they would need Guardians, I'll just stay here and continue to be their guardian." "Teacher, that's..." "Heaven-defying? Blasphemy? Betrayal?" The astral mage sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers, "Maybe. But I am a person much older than my actual living age. Power has taken its toll. Please allow me to rebel against the cogs of fate a little for the rest of my life. Go on. I will continue to hear your sad stories tomorrow." Before he closed the door, Khadgar heard him add: "I'm so tired of worrying about everything in the world every day. When can I be myself?" "The orcs have attacked Stormwind," Khadgar threw the grim reality at Garona three days later. The orc stared at the red letter in front of him, as if he saw a poisonous snake. "I'm really sorry," she said finally. "It's impossible to get them all to obey orders to stop fighting." "This attack of the orc army was blocked," Khadgar said, "and was driven back by Lion's troops at the gate of the city. According to the letter, they seem to be the blood of the Twilight's Hammer and Kilrogg The two clans of the cave. It seems that there is no good coordination between the main attacking forces." Garona snorted like a dog, and said, "The Twilight's Hammer never uses force in a siege. Kilrogg's move is obviously to get rid of a competitor, and it's nothing more than using Stormwind to borrow a knife to kill someone." .” "That is to say, even in the middle of the attack, they are still arguing and plotting with each other," Khadgar thought in his heart. It was after reading his report that Lothar might have made a plan to disintegrate the attack. Garona shrugged, "Human beings are not much better." She pointed to the pile of books on the accusation case, "In your history, you can see speeches that justify various inhumane crimes. The so-called nobility Blood, blood, and glory cover every kill, plot, and genocide. At least the Horde makes no secret of their naked desire for domination and power." She was silent for a moment, then added, "I don't think I can help them." "Orcs, or Stormwind?" Khadgar asked. "It's all," Garona said, "I declare in advance that I don't know that they attacked Stormwind City, if you want to imply this to me. But anyone with a little bit of judgment should know that the strategy of the Horde has always been the first priority." Destroy the biggest target at once. You should know this from our previous conversation. You also know that they will definitely come back, reorganize the team, kill a few ineffective leaders, and when they come next time they Will bring more people." "Yes, I can imagine that," Khadgar said. Garona added: "And you've written a letter to the warriors in Stormwind." Khadgar felt that he did not show a strange expression, but the orc envoy laughed and said, "Sure enough, you really did it." Khadgar felt his face turn a little red now, but continued his topic, "Actually, I have a question, why haven't you sent a report to your master yet?" The green-skinned lady sat on a chair with her head upturned: "Who said I didn't post?" "I said," Khadgar said, "unless you're a stronger mage than I am." A slight twitch at the corner of Garona's mouth gave her away. "So far you haven't reported anything to those behind your back, have you?" Khadgar asked. Garona was silent, Khadgar was also silent, and the library suddenly fell silent.After a while, she finally said, "Well, to put it simply, I am now hesitating about which side I should be loyal to." "I thought you had no concept of loyalty," Khadgar said. Garona ignored him: "I was sent here by my master, or ordered to come here. The man behind the scenes is a warlock named Gul'dan. He is an orc who knows magic. He is also the leader of the raid. In the tribe He has great influence in the world. He is very interested in the mages of your world." "And the strategy of the orcs always tends to attack the biggest target first. Medivh." Khadgar said. "Gul'dan said that Medivh was a special case. Perhaps through some secret prophecy or meditation in front of his usual censer, he somehow came to this conclusion." She avoided Khadgar's eyes." I met Medivh a few times in the wild, and then he allowed me to come here as an envoy. I planned to inquire about the news here, and try my best to find a way to report Medivh's strength to Gul'dan. So you start from Right from the start - I'm a spy." Khadgar took the chair across from her. "You weren't the first," he said, "so why didn't you report it to him again?" Garona fell silent again. "Medivh—" she said finally, and then paused again, "Grandpa he—" paused again, "he saw through everything from the beginning, yes, but he still told Everything I want to know. Well, most of it, at least." "I understand," Khadgar said, "I have exactly the same experience and feelings." Garona nodded: "At first I thought it was just that he was too self-righteous and too confident in his own strength, just like many orc chiefs I know. But the fact is not the case at all. It seems that he feels that teaching me those Knowledge, he decided that I would be changed by it, he decided that I would live up to his trust." "Trust," Khadgar said, "what an important word it is to Medivh. He seems to radiate that feeling. Standing next to him, you feel how he knows what he's doing .” "Yes," Garona said, "and orcs are naturally obsessed with power. So I thought I could lie to Gul'dan that I was locked up and could not reply to him. Then I could stay here forever learn from him, and eventually-" "You don't want him to come to any harm," Khadgar concluded. "Allow me to borrow Moros' catchphrase, 'Ah,'" Garona said, "he put so much trust in me, and he trusts you as much. Last time I saw you spying on him with an illusion spell I told him about it. I also slandered you in front of him saying that you might be casting a curse on us. But he said he already knew and was not angry. He also said that curiosity is your good side. He was always on the side of his people." "And you cannot lay hands on such a man," Khadgar said. "Hey. He makes me feel like a human being. I haven't felt that way for a long time. It's been a long time. Grandpa, Medivh, the astral mage, seems to have a dream far more lofty than conquest and rule. He has such a powerful Power, he could have easily wiped out all of us orcs, but he didn't. I think he believes in something greater. I want to believe in his dream too." The two sat in the library in silence for a long time.Even the sound of Moros or Cook walking through the hall in the distance can be clearly heard. "But recently..." Garona said, "Has he always been like this before?" She talks a lot like Lothar—always asking questions that she actually wants to ask with feigned indifference. "It's true that he's always been so mysterious. But I've never seen him so...depressed before." "Hidden," Garona added, "neutral. Until now, I still think he will stand on the side of the Kingdom of Azeroth. But now that Stormwind City has been attacked, he still hasn't acted..." "Maybe he wanted to give the Kingdom of Azeroth a test or exercise," Khadgar said carefully.Although he already understood Garona's feelings, he still didn't want her to know about the affairs of the council. "He always takes a very long-term view of things. So sometimes people feel that he is completely out of touch with the world." "Maybe that's why he looks distant," Garona said.After a long silence, she said again, "I don't regret the Horde's failure to invade Stormwind City. You can't break such a fortress from the outside. You have to start from the inside and slowly dismantle it." "Fortunately you are not the general on that side." Khadgar said "Chief," Garona corrected, "Hearing what you say, I want to go and see it." "Thanks, this information is very helpful," Khadgar said before stopping, and Garona looked up at him. "You look like someone asking for help," she said. "I never asked you about the power and station of the tribal army..." "Because then your purpose of inquiring about the military situation will be too obvious." "But," Khadgar said, "they were extremely surprised by the number of orcs that came out. Although Stormwind City was temporarily saved, they thought it was impossible for the Black Swamp to accommodate such a large number of soldiers. They are still fighting for the Swamp Doubts about the number of troops in the "I have no knowledge of the deployment of the army," Garona said. "I've been here since the beginning, to spy on you, remember?" "Yes," Khadgar said, "but you also talked about your homeland. How did you get here? By some kind of magic?" Garona sat for a while in silence, seemingly trying to sort out her thoughts.Khadgar had thought that she was going to confuse him with a few words or simply change the subject or even answer the wrong question.Yet she said, "Our world is called Draenor. A wild world, full of wilderness, cliffs, and barren vegetation. Desolate, stormy..." "And blood-red skies," Khadgar added. Garona looked at the young mage: "Have you communicated with other orcs? Could it be a prisoner? I didn't know that humans also captured orcs as prisoners." "No, an illusion," Khadgar said.The memory was as far away as a previous life, "similar to the one you saw when we first met. That was the first time I saw orcs. I remember they were huge in number." Garona snorted like a dog, and said, "I'm afraid you've seen far more than what you've said, but you've undoubtedly seen a representative picture. Orcs have a strong reproductive ability, and the proportion of newborns is very high." High, as most of them do not survive to adulthood. "It's a hard life, and only the strongest, the hardiest, the most cunning survive. I'm the third, yet outcast, living on the fringes of the clans. Raiding this time, At least they issued the order." "instruction?" "We went on a long march, every warrior and every man available. Peons and swordsmen alike, were ordered to take their weapons, tools, and goods to Hellfire Peninsula. There, there was a huge The portal that Gul'dan and the most powerful warlocks maintain. It is a portal that can break the barriers of the world." Garona licked a fang.More details came to mind: "It's a huge stone building that was transported there after it was built to serve as the frame for that spatial rift. In the rift was a black whirlpool, like oil stains floating on the surface of a dirty lake. I feel like the rift was ripped open by stronger hands, and Gul'dan and the warlocks are merely maintaining it. "Countless strong warriors trembled when they faced the terrible space between the gateposts, while the chiefs and leaders of the clans fanatically preached what lies behind the gate. A world of abundance, a world of beauty, a world full of A world of weak creatures, a world easily ruled. That's what they tell us. "There were still people who refused to obey orders, and some of them were killed, and the rest were forced through the door with an ax behind them. In the space between the doorposts." Garona fell silent for a while: "That space is called the Twisting Void, and it lasts forever. I felt like I had experienced an infinitely long moment, and then with a strange light, I appeared again, and I came to a Crazy new world." Khadgar interjected, "The Black Marsh is a disappointment compared to the paradise they promised." Garona shook her head: "I was terrified when I first saw the blue alien sky. On this land, it was full of vegetation as far as the eye could see. Some people couldn't accept this fact and went crazy. Most of them After taking refuge in Huo Ren, countless new recruits were added to Huo Ren's fiery red triangular flag that day." Garona touched her thick chin: "I was scared too, but I survived. And I found that my bloodline made it easier for me to approach humans. My team ambushed Medivh. He killed everyone, but Let me go, and let me go back alive to report to Gul'dan. Later, Gul'dan sent me here to be a spy, but I found myself... very difficult... to betray the old grandfather's secret." "Hesitating about who to pledge allegiance to," Khadgar commented. "But I still have to tell you," Garona said, "I really don't know how many clans have flooded into the Dark Portal. I don't know when they will counterattack next time. I don't know what the portal is. How. But you, Khadgar, can find out." Khadgar was at a loss: "Me?" "Your illusion," Garona said, "you seem to be able to summon the illusion of the past, and even the future. When I first met you, I saw you summon the illusion of Medivh's mother. We suddenly came to Stormwind, right?" "Yes," Khadgar said, "so I always thought the demon in the library was real—the vision didn't change the surroundings." Garona interrupted his explanation with a wave: "But you can summon the visions. You can see the rift when it first appeared. You can find out who brought the orcs into Azeroth." "Hey," Khadgar said, "I bet this person is also the mage or sorcerer who summoned the demon. That makes sense, the two things are connected." He looked at Garona, "You know Well, I've never thought about that before." "I'm happy to continue to provide questions," Garona looked very happy, "as long as you can provide answers." Another empty dining room.The previous summoning circle had been swept away by the industrious Moros, and Khadgar had to reconstitute it with crushed rose quartz and amethyst powder.Garona lit the candlestick protruding from the wall, and stood with him in the center of the circle. "Before you," he said to the orc, "this may fail." "You will succeed," Garona said, "I saw you do it once before." "Summoning an illusion should work," Khadgar said, "but there's no guarantee it's the one we want." He made his handprints and began to chant the spell.He tried his best to do every step well, this time with Garona watching, he didn't want to make a fool of himself.Finally he unleashed his gathered fel energy, and at the same time he shouted, "Tell me the origin of the rift between Draenor and Azeroth!" A strong wind enveloped them, and the surrounding environment suddenly changed.It's warm here, and it's night at the same time, but looking out from the window (this residence has windows), the night sky is red, that's the color of long-dried blood, and only a few faint starlight can penetrate this layers of sky. This is where someone lives, perhaps an orc chieftain.There was a blanket on the floor, and a huge slab that served as a bed.In the center of the room is a dim bonfire.The stone walls were covered with weapons and a number of closets, one of which was open to reveal bags of items, some of which might have been looted from humans or some sort of humanoid. An orc tossed and turned on the bed, then sat up suddenly, as if awakened from a nightmare.He stared in horror at the dark corner of the room, and under the faint light of the stars, his savage, war-marked face could be clearly seen.Even by orc standards, his face was rather ugly. Garona panted heavily: "Gul'dan." Khadgar nodded, "He shouldn't be able to see you." This person is the warlock who sent Garona to investigate.He was looking around this time, looking very honest.Suddenly, he curled up and hid in the blanket, speaking in a trembling voice. "I can still see you," he said. "Even now, I thought I was awake. Maybe I just dreamed I was awake. Come on though, monster of dreams." Garona grabbed Khadgar's shoulders, and Khadgar could feel her sharp nails digging deep into his flesh.But Gul'dan wasn't actually talking to them.Instead, he trembled at a ghost that had just floated into his field of vision. This ghost is very tall, taller than the three people present, and it has a pair of broad shoulders.It was looming, erratic, as if it wasn't there at all.It wore a hood, and its voice was high-pitched and distant.Although the only source of light in the room was the fire, the ghost had two shadows—one facing the opposite direction of the fire, and the second pointing in the other direction, as if illuminated by some other light source. "Gul'dan," said the ghost, "I want your people. I want your army. I want everything you have to help me." "I called all my soulguards, monster," Gul'dan said, and Khadgar could hear a shudder in the orc's voice, "I called all my warlocks, but they are terrified in your presence. I have even summoned my almighty master, but not even he can stop you. You have been tormenting my dreams, and now you have come, you, monster of dreams, into my world. What are you Who are you, what are you?" "You are afraid of me," said the tall figure, and the voice made Khadgar feel a pair of cold hands caressing his back, "because you don't know me. Look at my world and understand your fear. Then, You don't have to be afraid anymore." After speaking, an air ball appeared beside the tall, hooded figure.As smooth and bright as soap bubbles.Floating in the air, about a yard in diameter, it displayed a living world—blue sky, green earth. This cloaked figure shows Azeroth. Another bubble emerges, a third, a fourth.Grain farm illuminated by the summer sun.A black swamp full of canals.Snowy glaciers in the Northlands.The ornate towers of Stormwind Keep. And a lonely tower standing in the middle of the crater, clearly emerging under the moonlight. He was showing Karazhan to the orc warlock. And the last bubble disappeared as soon as it was formed, it was a dark scene under the vast expanse of waves.It is both illusion and reality, fleeting.Yet Khadgar felt the power.It was a tomb, or tomb, at the bottom of the ocean. It seemed dead and silent, but it glowed with turbulent power like a strong heart.The image existed for only a moment, and then disappeared immediately. "Gather your troops," said the cloaked figure, "gather your armies and warriors, slaves and allies, and send them across the Twisting Nether. When you're ready, it will be yours." Khadgar shook his head.The sound was like a thousand thorns piercing his heart.He immediately understood who that person was, and a sense of helpless fear rose in him. Gul'dan knelt down to the man and clasped his fists together: "I will, I will, for your supreme power. But who are you, and how can we get to that world?" The figure raised a hand, lifted its hood, and Khadgar shook his head helplessly.He really wanted to look away, he knew who it was but he didn't want to see it with his own eyes. A deeply wrinkled face with gray eyebrows.A powerful intelligence and a certain danger swayed in the emerald green eyes.Garona beside him gasped heavily. "I am the guardian," Medivh said to the orc warlock, "I will open the way for you. I will crush the wheel of fate that binds me and completely free myself from it."