A Nerubian's Journey - Chapter 88

In the original timeline, the prideful vrykul had submitted themselves to the Lich King when they saw his overwhelming might and had decided that he could only have been a god of death.

Krivax could now understand why they had been so awed.

He had never allowed himself to underestimate the Lich King during his planning, assuming that he would be at least as powerful as the Aspects. But now that Krivax had finally had the opportunity to directly sense the Lich King’s power, he estimated that Gul’dan was actually both weaker and stronger than the leaders of the Dragonflights. Weaker because as heart-stoppingly terrifying as the waves of necromantic magic being emmated from Gul’dan were, the Aspects all held similar strength and had been honing their skills for twenty-thousand years.

Teleporting away from a sweep of Frostmourne that would have easily cut through every single layer of his defensive magic with little effort, Krivax could tell that Gul’dan wielded his power like a brute.

His evidence for this was that he was still alive despite the Lich King having spent the past few minutes chasing him across the battlefield. Krivax sincerely doubted that would have been the case if Gul’dan had taken the time to adjust and grow into his recently acquired power.

However, the Lich King’s personal combat ability had never been the reason why he’d become a threat to the entirety of Azeroth. The real danger of the Lich King, of any necromancer in fact, had always been in their control over their undead servants.

And that was something which Gul’dan proved himself to excel at with terrifying proficiency. Not only did Krivax need to avoid being skewered by Frostmourne, but he was also forced to withstand constant attacks from every direction from a variety of undead creatures.

Krivax just barely managed to cast a telekinesis spell and take control of the volley of high elven arrows moments before he turned into a pincushion. A flick of the wrist buried them into the joints of a Death Monk who’d shattered the carapace along his leg with a roundhouse kick. Krivax simultaneously used his Life magic to burn away the rot-inducing necromantic magic left behind by the Death Monk and pierced the immobilized undead’s skull with a spear of ice.

Krivax wasn’t allowed even a single moment to relax before he was sent flying by an undead Sea Giant hitting him in the side with an enormous club.

He was then forced to teleport away again as he sensed the Lich King launch a wave of necromantic magic in his direction which rotted everything in its path. Unfortunately, he’d chosen to teleport atop a small cliff being held by the Alliance, which gave Krivax a perfect view as a dozen soldiers were instantly killed and turned into undead by the Lich King’s attack.

Gul’dan seemed to have fixated on Krivax to a degree that anyone around him got caught in the crossfire. The battlefield was in a state of utter and complete chaos, both the living and the undead furiously clashing in what would likely be the most important conflict of the war. The Lich King had managed to break a portion of the Alliance’s defensive lines when he teleported next to Lothar and attempted to end the battle before it could really begin, allowing the Scourge to freely pour in.

Krivax knew that there was no hope of actually killing Gul’dan before the Alliance’s heaviest hitters finally arrived, Illidan, Keeper Archaedas, and Prophet Velen being the most important among them. That being the case, Krivax’s top priority was pushing the Lich King back so that the Alliance could reestablish their defensive lines and survive until reinforcements arrived.

Even that more limited goal would be outside of his grasp against such an overwhelming enemy, but fortunately for him, Krivax wasn’t fighting alone.

Gul’dan was currently slaughtering his way through swaths of brave Alliance soldiers while he dramatically marched toward Krivax rather than simply teleporting to his side, likely because the arrogant bastard enjoyed showcasing his dominance on the battlefield. Krivax lacked the means to save the lives of the countless soldiers falling to Frostmourne, but their sacrifices would not be wasted.

“You! Contact your commanders and tell them to send air support,” Krivax barked out to the highest ranking soldier in his proximity before turning toward the rest of the nearby forces. “Infantry, form a perimeter! Ranged combatants, focus your attacks on the Lich King! Slow him down at any cost!”

Krivax made his voice as authoritative and loud as possible, trusting that his tone would spur the troops into swift action. He also hoped that Gul’dan, the egotistical monster that he was, would hear him as well and feel compelled to continue his dramatic march toward Krivax.

Fortunately, he seemed right on both accounts as a mixed Alliance force quickly surrounded him in formation with close ranged fighters fending off the Scourge while the rest unleashed everything they had on the Lich King.

Krivax could swear he saw Gul’dan smirk beneath his helm as bullets, artillery, and spells that would only normally be used in a siege rained down upon him ineffectually. Earthen spikes summoned via geomancy shattered against his armor, enchanted arrows were either dodged with uncanny speed or swatted away by Frostmourne, and massive fireballs simply dissipated upon contact with an invisible barrier of dark magic.

It became even more clear that the Lich King was relishing in his display of power when he suddenly began cackling and unleashed a ray of necromantic magic that seemed to momentarily darken the entire battlefield. Before Krivax could react, he heard a high elf mage next to him begin screaming as his body withered and decayed before a soldier was kind enough to bury a sword in the mage’s heart, ending his suffering.

“Afraid, mortal? Good. You’ll soon wish that I had aimed for you instead,” Gul’dans malicious voice boomed across the battlefield as he continued his relentless approach. By now, the Lich King had reached the bottom of the cliff where Krivax was positioned.

If he wanted to launch his attack, then he couldn’t afford to wait any longer.

“Nothing to say? Perhaps if you beg, I’ll allo—”

The Lich King’s monologue was interrupted as Krivax finished casting the geomancy spell that he’d been working on from the moment that he’d teleported onto the cliff. Gul’dan fell with an almost comical shout of surprise as a massive chasm opened beneath him.

“Now! Attack!” Krivax shouted as he reached into his spatial bag and threw every single alchemical weapon that he’d been able to gather into the chasm. Every mage close enough to attack unleashed their most devastating spells on the Lich King while several gnomish flying machines flew over the chasm and unloaded their munitions.

The earth shook as the Lich King was bombarded with enough firepower to level a large town, even causing a few Alliance soldiers to lose their balance due to its intensity. A deafening cacophony of explosions filled the air as the Alliance continued its onslaught long after the most resilient of enemies would have already been destroyed. Even Archmage Krasus flew above the chasm in his dragon form and spewed forth an inferno of vermillion flames onto the Lich King.

The attacks only ended when the flying machines above ran out of arcane bombs and every mage had almost completely exhausted themselves.

An air of anticipation hung over the battlefield as the Alliance’s mages hurried to disperse the cloud of dust that had risen as a result of the attacks. Even those soldiers who were fighting for their life against the Scourge threw occasional glances toward the chasm. Krivax had no doubt that the Lich King had survived as he could not only see that the howling, magical blizzard surrounding them still continued unabated, but he could also sense the terrifying waves of necromantic magic emanating from within the chasm.

Still, he had hoped that the Alliance’s combined assault had dealt Gul’dan a significant blow and weakened him.

When the dust finally began to clear, Krivax saw that the chasm had been widened drastically, expanded by the attack. The sheer concentration of arcane magic used against the Lich King had caused violet crystals to form along its sides. However, Krivax was unable to get a good view of what exactly had become of Gul’dan.

Just as he was about to cautiously approach the edge of the chasm to investigate, Krivax was suddenly interrupted by the sound of Masruk shouting his name and his senses blaring in warning.

“Krivax!”

It was only because he was somewhat anticipating the Lich King’s attack that he didn’t immediately die when Gul’dan teleported next to him. Still, he wasn’t quite fast enough with leaping away to completely avoid Frostmourne.

The pain that he felt when the tip of the Lich King’s cursed blade cut into his abdomen was the worst thing that he’d ever experienced in his entire life. It was even worse than having his leg completely crushed by Neltharion and the wound seemed to tear away at him on a spiritual level.

Krivax was more grateful than ever for having received Alexstrasza’s blessing, which was the only reason why his body wasn’t being eaten away by necromantic magic.

Gul’dan was clearly no longer in the mood to hold back as he reappeared on the battlefield in a deadly explosion of dark energy and wore an expression of apoplectic rage. Portions of his magical armor had been damaged and the demonic body of whichever Dreadlord he’d possessed had clearly seen better days.

Black ichor seeped from the Lich King’s wounds, his last remaining horn had been shattered, and he sported a multitude of other signs of damage, but Krivax wasn’t sure that it mattered. Not when Gul’dans movements seemed completely unaffected by his wounds, his eyes glowed bright with a cold blue fire, and he’d clearly lost interest in any more unnecessary bluster. The Scourge rallied around their master and seemed to descend into a frenzy as they surged forward and tore at the Alliance forces with renewed fury.

The frontlines immediately turned into a desperate struggle for survival for the Alliance, but Krivax couldn’t afford to pay too much attention to them.

Instead, his focus was only on the Lich King swinging his blade down at Krivax with lethal precision like a silent avatar of Death. Gul’dan didn’t even blink as Masruk descended from the sky and knocked Frostmourne off course with his spear, merely striking Krivax’s friend with his free hand and sending him flying across the battlefield. He was forced to shield Masruk’s skull with an arcane barrier from a spike of ice that would have impaled it.

Krivax frantically threw an alchemical flask on the ground between him and the Lich King, causing a dome of silvery liquid to rise up and encased him in a protective shield. This same flask had saved Krivax from Ironaya, but the Lich King proved himself far more dangerous than a Titanic Watcher when Frostmourne cut through the barrier as if it was mere mist.

Krivax was saved once again as Archmage Krasus swooped down on the Lich King and bathed him in dragon fire. Gul’dan counterattacked by creating a devastating spike of ice that shot up from the ground and threatened to impale Krasus mid-flight, but the Archmage promptly disappeared in a flash of violet light before several illusions of him reappeared around the Lich King.

The next several minutes were a blur as Krivax fought for his life, with Archmage Krasus and Masruk occasionally interceding when necessary to provide crucial support. Thanks to the attunement to Life magic that they all shared, the three of them were some of the few people who could withstand the Lich King’s presence for long periods of time. Krivax knew that he needed to keep Gul’dan occupied long enough for the remaining Alliance soldiers to regroup and the more powerful members to arrive onto the battlefield.

Unfortunately, Gul’dan simply overpowered them to a vast degree. It was all that Krivax could do to prevent the Lich King from causing massive collateral damage to the Alliance frontlines without losing his life. Worse yet, it soon became clear that Gul’dan was growing accustomed and more adept at using his new powers the longer that the fight progressed. Every swing of Frostmourne grew increasingly precise, his movements lost the faint awkwardness that even Krivax’s untrained eyes could notice, and he began using spells more complex than the crude blasts of necromantic energy that he had favored earlier.

Chains of darkness erupted from the ground and snared any Alliance soldier who drew too close, eating away at their flesh even as nearby Scourge descended upon them. Necrotic plagues that spread from soldier to soldier, forced Krivax and Krasus to invest a portion of their attention to purging them with Life-infused flames lest the virulent infections consume the Alliance ranks entirely. The Lich King even tore the souls from the fallen dead and turned them into ethereal wraiths that shrieked as they swooped through the ranks of the living.

Gul’dan didn’t hesitate to exploit his undead servants as well, magically sacrificing them to empower his spells and slowly heal his wounds.

Faced with such an enemy, Krivax’s entire world narrowed down to just trying to stay alive.

When Archmage Krasus lost most of his tail and a part of his leg to Frostmourne, Krivax’s confidence began to falter.

When Masruk lost several chunks of his abdomen to the ravenous maws of undead ghouls, Krivax could barely hold back his desperation.

When Krivax was forced to amputate one of his arms after it was infected by necromantic magic that his Life energy couldn’t contain, he became certain that he was about to die and resolved to fight until his last breath.

It was this state of complete concentration that prevented Krivax from noticing the changes that were happening on the battlefield, and why he was so surprised when reinforcements finally arrived. The transition from feeling as if the entire world was being engulfed by the Lich King’s suffocating darkness to the sudden and overwhelming presence of Light cutting through that darkness was nothing short of rapturous.

“Argh!”

The Lich King let out a cry of pain and fury as concentrated beams of radiant Light suddenly pierced through the shroud of necromantic magic shielding him and burned away at his flesh. Krivax turned to the source of the attack and saw the figure of Prophet Velen standing tall, his hands outstretched and channeling searing beams of Light as draenei paladins descended upon the ranks of the Scourge.

Frostmourne swung wildly and nearly punished Krivax dearly for his momentary distraction before it was suddenly intercepted by a familiar warglaive.

Black ichor spilled across the ground as Illidan Stormrage struck with such speed and precision that even Gul’dan seemed momentarily taken aback by it before he recovered. Illidan was one of the few people who’d fought the Lich King one on one in the original timeline and nearly emerged victorious. Even if the current balance of power between the two was much more lopsided due to Illidan lacking the demonic enhancements he’d possessed in that timeline, he still pushed Gul’dan harder than anyone else on the battlefield.

The Lich King attempted to alleviate the sudden pressure on him by directing a large portion of the Scourge to reinforce his position. That proved ineffectual when a long line of heavily armored nerubians shining brightly with the Light trampled over the Scourge, led by Anub’rekhan, who was like an unstoppable juggernaut that even the most powerful undead were unable to halt.

“For the Alliance!”

Strom’kar proved itself as a truly legendary blade as Lothar brought it down against Frostmourne in a thunderous clash without shattering. Several more of Stormwind’s elite soldiers attacked the Lich King from all directions, assisting the Alliance’s Supreme Commander. Unfortunately, Gul’dan was only surprised for a moment and immediately pushed Lothar back with unnatural strength before cutting down the valiant soldiers with contemptuous ease.

Unlike Lothar, they lacked Strom’kar and the greatest enchanted armor that the Alliance could produce, meaning that no amount of skill could save them from Frostmourne’s edge.

As Gul’dan began to stalk toward Lothar while trading blows with Illidan, Krivax immediately directed a large number of nerubian flyers to swarm the Lich King. Gul’dan attempted to blast them away with a simple outburst of necromantic magic, but his attack was countered as a whirling inferno of Life-infused flames erupted beneath him.

“Cowardly vermin!” Gul’dan bellowed as he swiftly bisected one nerubian flyer and back-handed another, causing it to explode in a shower of gore. His voice was filled with fury as Krivax’s flames did little more than irritate him. “Come and face your destiny! No matter how many allies aid you, your fate has been sealed!”

Krivax ignored Gul’dan as he struggled to maintain the inferno and give Lothar the chance he needed to recover. Lothar seemed to have learned just how outmatched he was from the previous exchange, because he took advantage of Krivax’s distraction to join the others rather than recklessly engage alone.

When Krivax was finally unable to maintain his attack any longer, Gul’dan killed all of the flyers swarming him with a burst of dark magic as expected, but was then almost immediately pushed several feet back by Anub’rekhan charging him horn first. The Lich King managed to cut a wide wound through the Spiderlord’s carapace with Frostmourne, but the Light allowed him to shrug off the injury and continue his relentless assault.

Moreover, having someone who could endure Gul’dan’s blows was invaluable and allowed everyone else who had been previously unable to approach a chance to join the fray.

High Thane Magni Bronzebeard let out a furious warcry as he swung his legendary warhammer down on the Lich King’s knee, causing him to momentarily collapse. Gul’dan attempted to retaliate with a lightning quick swing of Frostmourne that would have taken the High Thane’s head, but he was blocked by Strom’kar as Lothar saved Magni at the last moment. Behind the High Thane, lines of dwarves and nerubians were firing rifles from behind hastily erected earthen defenses to keep the undead forces at bay.

Gnomeragan’s leader, Mekkatorque, heroically charged into battle and trampled undead while piloting what seemed to be a steampunk mech suit. Mekkatorque fired salvos of rockets and arcane beams from a weaponized mana crystal while gnomish tinkers unleashed a variety of inventions and contraptions against the Scourge.

Krivax was briefly dumbfounded when he saw Trixie cackling as she rode a massive, spider-like automaton equipped with flame throwers and sonic cannons.

Krivax took a moment to collect himself and let out a breath of relief. The presence of Lothar, Magni, and Mekkatorque likely meant that the Alliance had stabilized the rest of the front against the Scourge now that reinforcements had arrived.

In fact, Krivax could sense Keeper Archaedas off in the distance using his extraordinary geomancy to bury countless undead, even as countless more took their place.

Even with all these powerful figures engaging the Lich King, Krivax could tell that Gul’dan was still holding his own and could potentially emerge victorious through sheer endurance and attrition. Still, this gave Krivax a much needed moment when he wasn’t about to be bisected by Frostmourne in order to come up with an actual plan to permanently deal with the Lich King.

At least, that had been Krivax’s hope before he sensed a large group of Scourge soldiers suddenly break off from their current fights and begin charging in his direction. It was clear that the Lich King hadn’t forgotten about him despite Lothar and the others engaging him.

Just as Krivax was about to reluctantly sacrifice more of his energy to deal with this new wave of undead, the majority of them were abruptly frozen to the ground by a wave of ice magic before a barrage of expertly aimed arcane missiles blew apart their skulls. Those that survived were promptly finished off as Masruk descended from the skies like a hawk spear-first, impaling the remaining undead with deadly accuracy.

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“Apprentice, are you well?” asked Vizier Hadix, using telepathy to communicate over the cacophony of combat as he teleported to Krivax’s side. Masruk took back to the air and began to protect the skies above them.

Krivax was glad to see that Hadix was alright. He’d been concerned when the Alliance’s strongest combatants had taken so long to respond to the Lich King and had worried that something terrible had happened. Krivax took a moment to extend the telepathic link to Masruk, who sent back a feeling of gratitude as he flew and fought above them in the air.

“As well as I can be given the circumstances,” Krivax responded as he launched several fireballs at the Scourge threatening to overrun the Alliance’s defensive lines. “Please tell me that our superiors have come up with an actual plan to deal with the Lich King? It would be best if we could put him down as quickly as possible.”

Gul’dan was being heavily suppressed by the combined might of the Alliance now that everyone had arrived, but he was still causing large numbers of casualties and bolstering the Scourge’s ranks with every passing moment. Elite warriors made for powerful undead, and Krivax could already see that the Scourge forces attempting to protect their master were becoming more and more of a problem.

“Less of a plan. More along the lines of ‘gather all of the strongest mages who aren’t already occupied’ and hope that their combined efforts will be enough to put down the monster for good,” Vizier Hadix responded with the mental equivalent of a disdainful scoff. “The Aspect of Magic apparently gave the Alliance an artifact, which could stably channel the magic of many mages and direct it into a single beam of Arcane energy. It’s crude… but I suppose it would be unreasonable to hope for more on such short notice when we planned to end the Lich King while he was still trapped in his prison. Our only problem is that we lack the means to ensure the enemy doesn’t escape after sensing such an obvious build-up of magic.”

It wasn’t difficult for Krivax to see why that would be an issue. Every mage on the battlefield had likely sensed the moment that the Lich King shattered all of their anti-spatial magic wards and teleported directly next to Lothar. That display of power showed that there was little that the Alliance could do to prevent Gul’dan from simply disappearing if he felt the tide of battle turning against him.

Only the Lich King’s unbridled arrogance prevented him from teleporting away from the several powerful figures attempting to kill him.

Needless to say, that was a big problem. Not only because it would prevent all the Archmages from actually hitting the Lich King with their combined magic, but also because it completely removed the possibility of actually finishing Gul’dan off.

Krivax’s mind raced as he attempted to find a solution to this issue while he and Hadix continued to fight against the surrounding undead. He hadn’t been lying when he said to Gul’dan that he’d been preparing for this moment for most of his life. That meant that Krivax knew a bit more about the strengths and weaknesses of necromantic magic than the average mage, and he had put a lot of thought into how he would counter a threat like the Lich King.

Magic in this world was strange in that each variety of magic both countered and was countered by its opposing force. For example, Light was strong against both Fel and Death, but was always at its strongest when wielded against a being of the Void. However, those who wielded the Light were more susceptible than most to the Void’s whispers.

The Arcane magic used by the Alliance mages held no particular advantage against the ridiculously powerful Death magic that Gul’dan could bring to bear… but it might when used together with Death’s natural counter.

Alexstrasza had once told him that she’d gifted Krivax with a portion of her power not only as an expression of her gratitude, but also because she trusted that he would use it in a way others would not. Krivax hadn’t fully believed that he could live up to such expectations at the time, but he had never stopped trying to harness his bestowed power to its fullest potential.

Now was the moment to discover if those efforts would be enough. A feeling of uncharacteristic calm and determination rose up within Krivax as he realized what he had to do.

“Vizier Hadix, I have a plan. There’s a spell that I’ve been working on that may be able to prevent the Lich King from destroying our wards,” Krivax explained, his voice steady and confident. “I’ll need to be protected while I cast the spell, preferably with you and Archmage Krasus nearby.”

The spell was derived directly from one taught to him by Vizier Hadix, which meant that he could likely assist if something went wrong during the casting. Archmage Krasus’ presence would be helpful simply because he was the only other figure on the battlefield adept with both Arcane and Life magic.

Vizier Hadix studied him for several moments before seemingly finding what he was looking for and nodding in agreement. Krivax sensed Hadix creating several telepathic connections that stretched toward the Alliance’s rear where its mages were all stationed and knew that it wouldn’t be long before people were sent to guard him.

When a massive red dragon flew around them and created a protective ring of fire that destroyed dozens of Scourge, Krivax immediately started the process of casting his spell.

With practiced ease, Krivax used his three remaining hands to weave a long thread of silk into a complex pattern while imbuing it with Arcane magic. Silk could play many roles in nerubian magic, from storing spells, serving as a strong receptacle for enchantments, or being used as a sort of reagent for powerful spells that could usually only be cast via rituals.

Krivax intended to use it for the last role, similar to how Vizier Hadix had done during his duel with the elf in Dalaran. It was one of the more complex forms of magic practiced in Azjol-Nerub, but Krivax had been blessed with a good teacher and ample motivation to practice over the years.

The sounds of dying soldiers, roaring dragons, and the Lich King’s furious bellowing seemed to fade into the background as Krivax dedicated the entirety of his focus to weaving one of the most important spells of his life. Each movement was meticulous and precise as Krivax’s silk was imbued with Arcane energy and started shimmering with a violet hue.

Krivax felt a surge of accomplishment when the spell finally ‘clicked’ into place upon its completion, ready to be deployed with a simple command, but he didn’t relax. If it were so easy, then any of the vastly more experienced and talented mages that the Alliance had at its disposal would have already handled the matter. What would really allow this spell to be effective was the inclusion of the Aspect of Life’s power.

Taking a deep breath, Krivax pulled on that reservoir of Life and carefully infused the silk with its essence. He knew that combining different kinds of magic was technically possible, but doing so was extremely difficult and often produced results that were worse than its constituent parts. Instead, Krivax aimed to create a protective envelope of Life over the core Arcane spellweave, which would in turn synergistically amplify the Life while being protected from the Lich King’s necromantic counterattacks.

Unfortunately, even this relatively safe means of combining two separate varieties of magic was fairly difficult to control and usually ended up failing in an explosive fashion.

As Krivax reached the conclusion of his spellweaving, the silk’s glow changed from violet to a bright crimson radiant enough to draw attention from across the battlefield. A part of his mind registered the sounds of combat intensifying around him, but all of this was ignored in favor of ensuring that the spell didn’t fail. When the silk between Krivax’s fingers began emanating potent waves of energy, and he felt like he’d infused all the Life magic that he safely could, he knew that it was time to act.

“Vizier Hadix, tell the Alliance mage’s that they need to be ready to unleash their attack,” Krivax urgently said through their telepathic link.

Trusting that his message had been received, Krivax focused intently as he turned toward the Lich King and finally cast the spell.

The silk threads within his hands immediately burst forward in a dazzling display and began weaving itself into a crimson web that gradually enveloped a large area around the Lich King. Several Scourge were caught in the spell’s path as it expanded, resulting in those portions of the web suddenly igniting with Life-infused flames that ate away at the necromantic magic binding the undead, burning them to ash. Just like Krivax’s flames, which healed allies and burned enemies, the web left the Alliance unscathed as it utterly ravaged the Scourge surrounding the Lich King.

Archmage Krasus seemed to understand the nature of Krivax’s spell with a simple glance and unleashed a massive wave of Life-infused dragonfire into the web above. The effect was immediately obvious as the entire sky seemed to be set ablaze with a cascading inferno that traveled along the web.

It was an awe-inspiring spectacle as countless aerial undead flew into Krivax’s web and disintegrated by purifying flames. Krivax could scarcely believe that he was the one responsible for such a feat, but that wasn’t even the most important effect of his spell. Shouts of triumph erupted among the Alliance ranks as their morale soared

Krivax turned his attention to the Lich King and nearly joined in on the cheering. The Alliance had reestablished their wards as soon as Krivax finished his spell, which infuriated Gul’dan if his efforts to destroy them were any indication. However, the Lich King’s Death magic seemed to be pulled in by Krivax’s web and was promptly burned away.

“Most impressive, Apprentice. You’ve adapted my Siphoning Spellweave quite adeptly,” said Vizier Hadix, a rare hint of pride in his voice as he assessed the vast web that enveloped the battlefield. “Not only that, but you’ve made it all the more formidable by creating a self-defense mechanism within the spell. How are you able to provide enough energy to destroy so many undead and counter that much Death magic?”

Krivax would have blushed if he was capable of it, not used to his mentor so bluntly complimenting his efforts.

“It’s a combination of Alexstrasza’s Aspectral power being uniquely potent, Archmage Krasus’ assistance, and modifications that I’ve made to the spell,” Krivax explained as he watched the Lich King attempt to destroy the spellweave dome overhead with increasing frustration. “It isn’t capable of reacting to anything except Death magic, which means that I was able to heavily specialize the spell components for that exclusive purpose.”

Krivax’s spellweave would actually be fairly fragile if it was targeted by a concentrated burst of Fel or Void magic, but that had been a necessary weakness in order to create a spell capable of countering Gul’dan. It was highly unlikely that a being of pure Death like the Lich King would use a type of magic that he was less proficient in, especially one as unsubtle and power hungry as Gul’dan.

“Still, I can’t keep this up forever and there’s a non-negligible chance that our enemy discovers the spell’s weakness the longer this drags on,” Krivax continued hastily as the Lich King began fighting back with renewed intensity, easily slaughtering an elite soldier who intercepted an attack meant for Magni. “Even weakened, Gul’dan is still too much for us to take down head on. The Alliance’s mages need to hurry the—”

Krivax was suddenly interrupted by an intense swell of magic that nearly overwhelmed all of his senses. He had no doubt that even the most inexperienced of mages would be able to feel the magic being gathered all the way in Dalaran.

The Lich King could definitely sense it, as he abruptly ceased his assault and turned his gaze in the direction of the gathering magic before attempting to make a strategic retreat. Gul’dan had tried to run the old-fashioned way when his teleportation failed, but Krivax reacted instantly by using geomancy to open the ground beneath the Lich King’s feet.

As powerful as Gul’dan may be, that didn’t allow him to ignore gravity.

The Alliance forces who were within the potential kill-zone of the incoming attack began fleeing the area while the most powerful necromancer to have ever walked Azeroth fell helplessly up to his waist into the ground.

When the combined spell, channeled by the strongest members of the Kirin Tor, Circle of Viziers, and the Magisters of Quel’thalas finally struck, it did so with cataclysmic force.

A violet sphere manifested in the skies directly above Gul’dan and unleashed a blinding column of pure Arcane energy that plunged down onto him like a meteor. Krivax was certain that he felt the leylines around Dalaran warp and the very air itself seemed to scream as the overwhelming power of the spell tore through the atmosphere, creating a maelstrom of arcane forces that swirled violently around the impact site. The ground shook with such ferocity that it felt as though the world itself might fracture, and a shockwave of raw magic radiated outward.

Despite all of this, the Lich King shouted defiantly with Frostmourne raised high against the devastating attack. The potent Death magic of a being that many would worship as a god clashed with the raw Arcane power unleashed by the Alliance.

“I refuse!” the Lich King roared at the top of his lungs, his voice thunderous as he fought against the onslaught. “I am Gul’dan! I am death incarnate! My destiny cannot end here…”

To Krivax’s horror, he could sense the spell beginning to flag and it looked as if the Lich King may actually last long enough to survive the attack.

Krivax immediately pulled on the last embers of his power. Streams of Life-infused flames erupted from his three remaining hands and surged toward the Lich King and added to the Alliance’s assault. Krivax’s actions seemed to serve as a signal for everyone who wasn’t busy fighting off undead. Powerful bursts of Felfire from Illidan, incandescent beams of Light from Prophet Velen, and all manner of spells, projectiles, and artillery rained down the Lich King to erode his defenses. Krivax’s web further weakened the Lich King’s ability to defend himself by siphoning off any build up of Death magic.

The fact that Gul’dan survived even a few moments of such a relentless and coordinated attack was a testament to his immense strength. But ultimately, even he couldn’t withstand the combined might of the Alliance and Frostmourne shattered with an ear-splitting crack that resounded across the battlefield.

Gul’dan disappeared underneath violet light as the souls of his victims escaped the fractured runeblade and turned on him with their fury. His screams lasted for only a moment before they were overwhelmed by the sound of the Alliance’s spell detonating in a brilliant explosion once the Lich King’s defenses were fully breached. The explosion radiated outwards, engulfing the area in a blinding light and a blast wave of magic that obliterated any remaining undead nearby.

A profound silence followed the cacophonous destruction, as even the Scourge seemed to suddenly pause in an eerie stupor. This moment lasted until an Alliance mage summoned a wind that blew away the residual dust and revealed a creator that contained what remained of the Lich King.

Shards of Frostmourne were scattered across the crater’s base while the once-mighty figure of Gul’dan lay motionless, his armor shattered and demonic body unnaturally twisted. The only part that remained undamaged was the Helm of Domination, which had slipped off the Lich King’s head and lay amidst the debris. Krivax only had a moment to take in the scene before the intelligent undead among the Scourge suddenly scattered in every direction and the other undead all began attacking everything, including each other, in their vicinity.

Without the Lich King or the intelligent undead to guide them, the Scourge was completely uncoordinated and it wasn’t long before the Alliance managed to dismantle the remaining undead. The battle, which had been a desperate struggle for survival moments ago, now turned into a swift and efficient cleanup operation.

When it was finally over and the last undead in the area had been vanquished, an exhausted silence fell over the battlefield before it was broken by the sound of cheers.

“For the Alliance!” Supreme Commander Lothar shouted as he raised Strom’kar into the air.

A fervorous chorus echoed his cry as everyone from the most stern high elven magister to the lowliest foot soldier enjoyed the moment of triumph. Nerubians, humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes and draenei all united in their victory, forgetting any past conflict or discord as they celebrated the end of a grueling battle and the destruction of a force that threatened all of Azeroth.

Even Krivax couldn’t help but open his mandibles wide and join in the celebration.

“For the Alliance!”

The next few minutes passed in a jubilant blur for Krivax as everyone continued to revel in their hard earned triumph. Masruk joined him as he celebrated and even Vizier Hadix seemed more pleased and relaxed than Krivax could remember seeing him. The sense of unity and joy was infectious, and for a moment, Krivax allowed himself to bask in the shared euphoria and forget the toll of battle.

But eventually, the cheers and exultations eventually subsided and the somber reality that they were standing in a landscape littered by the fallen began to sink in.

Whether they be dead naga taken from Azeroth’s seas, the residents of Pandaria who had been unprepared for the Lich King’s invasion, or the brave soldiers of the Alliance who fell to protect their homes, the evidence of the Scourge’s cruelty was everywhere.

A solemn quiet settled over them as the Alliance began to organize and address the aftermath of the battle. Only the shuffling of armored boots and the occasional cries of sorrow could be heard as the dead were gathered and identified so they could be delivered to their loved ones.

Still trying to come to terms with this incredible victory, he and Masruk assisted with the Alliance casualties for a while after Krivax sealed the worst of their wounds with healing flames. The two of them offered each other silent support whenever they came across particularly grim scenes or needed help with a burdensome task.

Their friendship was such that words were unnecessary in a time like this.

When Krivax suddenly felt an urge to double check that Gul’dan was truly dead and gone, Masruk followed him without comment.

As he found himself standing over the corpse of the monster responsible for so much suffering, Krivax felt incredibly fortunate that he had not lost anyone dear to him in the battle. He felt a near overwhelming amount of relief that it was finally over. The Lich King could no longer be a threat to Azeroth or Azjol-Nerub. He was finally safe from the doom that had haunted and driven him. It almost didn’t feel real… that the goal he’d been working toward since he hatched had finally been accomplished.

There were still plenty of undead infesting the waters of Lordamere Lake, a Dreadlord who was unaccounted for, and an uncontrolled Scourge that would need to be dealt with, but none of those were likely to result in the annihilation of his home. Krivax wasn’t certain if that home was Azjol-Nerub or Azeroth in general, but he felt a sense of… security that he hadn’t known for a very long time.

Krivax was so lost in his thoughts that he failed to notice the colossal figure of Archaedas until the Keeper was by his side and reaching down toward the Helm of Domination.

“I had worried greatly that the Lich King would choose to flee and restricted myself to fighting the Scourge to avoid this,” Keeper Archaedas said as he collected the ominous helmet in his comically oversized grasp. “I’m glad that I chose to do so as it would have been catastrophic if this cursed artifact remained unbound. You have done well in protecting the Makers dominion, mortal.”

Krivax took a moment to recover from his stupor before he studied the Helm of Domination with a weary gaze. He didn’t know much about the artifact other than the fact that whoever wore it would become the next Lich King and gain control over the Scourge. In the original timeline, the helm needed to be worn by someone at all times to prevent the undead from rampaging through Azeroth.

Fortunately, the Scourge probably hadn’t grown large enough yet for something like that to be necessary.

“Are you certain that you can contain and protect it?” Krivax asked with a trace of uncertainty as Keeper Archaedas opened a portal in the air and placed the artifact somewhere unknown. “That thing is incredibly dangerous in the wrong hands.”

Keeper Archaedas remained as impassive as ever, but Krivax could have sworn that there was something judgmental in the Keeper’s bland expression when he glanced at him.

“I have constructed facilities capable of imprisoning entities powerful enough to swallow entire worlds,” said Keeper Archaedas, his tone carrying the slightest hint of affront. “You will be dust and bones long before this artifact ever again sees the light of day.”

With that delightful statement delivered, Keeper Archaedas walked away without another word, seemingly uninterested with the shards of Frostmourne and the Lich King’s corpse. When the Keeper was gone, Krivax took in his surroundings and saw that he wasn’t the only one standing around the crater where the Lich King had died. A group of mages from across the Alliance were gathering to secure the potentially dangerous corpse and section off the area from unauthorized personnel.

Vizier Hadix, who was one of the nerubian mages participating in this effort, noticed Krivax looking in his direction and began approaching him.

“Finished reveling in your achievements, apprentice?” Vizier Hadix, his dry tone belied by the trace of pride glimmering in his many eyes. “I wouldn’t normally encourage such indulgences, but I believe that your efforts warrant it. There would have been significantly more casualties without your contribution.”

“Thank you, Vizier Hadix,” Krivax said with genuine gratitude before his voice turned sly. “That is the second time today that you’ve complimented me. Should I be concerned that you’re going soft?”

“Not at all. This much is to be expected of someone who was trained by a mage such as myself,” said Vizier Hadix, his mandibles clicking together in amusement. “Now if you’re quite finished standing over the corpse of your vanquished enemy, I believe we should go. There is still much to do, and Azjol-Nerub requires your continued services.”

Masruk perked up and said something that Krivax would have never expected to hear from his friend. “Krivax and I have seen enough battle for today and should not join the Alliance’s future combat operations any time soon.”

“And you won’t. In light of the Alliance’s unified victory, High King Anub’arak has decided to offer the services of Azjol-Nerub’s Queens in restoring the lost limbs of all those who lost them today,” Vizier Hadix explained, seemingly unbothered by Masruk’s protective behavior. “Both of you require such services, and Azjol-Nerub needs its head diplomat to help coordinate this ambitious project. Krivax will also soon be assigned to help organize the effort to free the trapped Aspects.”

That made sense to him . Even if this was the conclusion of a long journey from Krivax’s perspective and he wanted to take some time to enjoy it, he doubted that anyone else would see it that way. High King Anub’arak would surely have plans for him, and there were still significant challenges to face in the aftermath of the Lich King’s defeat.

Despite this, Krivax still felt lighter than he ever had during his second life.

With a nod of understanding, Krivax prepared himself to embark on a new chapter in his life and followed Vizier Hadix as the three of them made their way to meet High King Anub’arak.

As he did so, Krivax’s mind wandered to the many unspeakably powerful forces out there that threatened Azeroth as the Lich King once did. From the Burning Legion’s infinite demonic armies to Old Gods slowly escaping their prisons to the countless other world-ending forces lurking in the shadows, Krivax was certain that he had many other adventures in his future.

But after seeing the Lich King fall to the united efforts of the Alliance, he had no doubt that Azeroth was more ready than it had ever been to rise to the occasion.

Since that is the case, I think it’s time that I finally change my priorities a bit, Krivax mused as he glanced toward his best friend, who looked at him with a questioning expression. Once this latest round of diplomacy is dealt with, I think it’s time that I finally take that vacation…