8 Deal's a deal

"I played no part in the invasion. It's the work of traitors, not mine," I replied to Aegwynn, my voice strained with tension.

"Traitors?" she inquired, her eyebrow raised in skepticism.

"Yes, those who do not kneel in front of Kha-Beleth, the ruler of all demons," I responded, trying to sound convincing despite my obvious lie and the fear churning in my gut.

"Never heard of his name, must not be that important," she remarked casually, her tone dismissive.

"Be careful of your words, woman," I replied tersely, my frustration bubbling up.

She regarded me, her smile fading. "Do not mistake my kindness for weakness, demon."

I grunted in response, refusing to meet her gaze as I walked past her.

"Where are you going?" she called after me, her voice turning frigid.

"Leaving. If you're only here to trade insults, I see no reason to continue this discussion, Miss Aegwynn," I replied coldly.

"I'll let you live under one condition," she said, her voice chilling me to the bone. Suddenly, arcanic bindings appeared, restraining me.

"Who took over my son ?" she demanded.

My eyes widened in shock. Medivh was her son corrupted by the Dark Titan since his birth.

"Sargeras," I muttered, knowing the true orchestrator of Medivh's demise was the dark titan. It was all the fault of his mother, Aegwynn. She fought Sargeras' avatar and defeated him, but he had hidden a part of his soul in her. When she was pregnant, this part had entered the child and eventually controlled him. This led to the arrival of Orcs in Azeroth and the current situation plaguing the Eastern Kingdoms.

"I killed him. How could he defeat my child?" Aegwynn lamented.

"You only defeated a shard of him. It was a trap from the very beginning," I explained, struggling to breathe as the arcanic binding tightened around my body with her hand clasped.

"He used you to infect your child."

"And how do you know this if you have no part in this?" she demanded as she closed her hand more.

"I am a member of the Legion of Knowledge. We pride ourselves on knowing many things," I replied, feeling my body weaken under the bindings until suddenly, they disappeared and I collapsed to the ground.

"You pride yourself in knowing a lot of things? Then you'll accompany me, I have questions," she stated firmly as I rose to my feet.

I regarded her with a frown, wary of the danger that accompanying her might entail. Aegwynn was not foolish enough to trust a demon's word blindly and she wasn't known for her gentleness.

"What do I gain from this?" I inquired, studying her closely.

"You keep your life," she replied, her tone unwavering as the glow of her staff intensified.

"I can return to Sheogh upon death; you have no sway over me," I countered.

"There are fates far worse than death, demon," she warned cryptically.

Silence descended upon the area as we looked into each other eyes, I pondered for a while before coming to a conclusion

"It depends. Where are you going?" I inquired, curious about her destination.

"Karazhan," she replied. "I want to see what has become of these lands. And afterward, I'll go and discipline my unruly son."

"So I repeat my question, what do I gain from this? I won't accompany you if there is no gain attached to it," I insisted, seeking a clear incentive.

She pondered for a moment before a smile graced her lips. "Souls. I'll give you the souls of members of the Burning Legion or cultists that I've harvested over the years."

I nodded thoughtfully, considering her proposition. "So, I, Val-Beleth, will accompany you and offer my knowledge, Aegwynn, for up to a year. In exchange, you will provide me with souls each month from significant members of the Burning Legion or influential cultists," I proposed, my voice low and measured. A sense of anticipation lingered beneath my words, hidden behind the mask of my helmet.

"Do we have a deal?" I asked, my hand glowing with a fiery green flame.

"Yes," she replied with a smile, sealing our agreement with a handshake, marking the beginning of my first contract.

In that moment, I felt an odd connection with her, as if her presence had somehow merged with the terms of our contract.

"Why were those mages after you?" I asked, intrigued.

"They were trackers of the Council of Tirisfal," she replied calmly. "But don't worry, they've been chasing me for over twenty years because I broke a vow. I've never been afraid of them."

I grunted in response before falling into step behind her.

"Do you have a quick way to get to Karazhan?" I inquired, studying her closely.

"My son destroyed all the portals I had. The nearest one is in the Redridge Mountains," she explained as she began to weave arcane magic.

"I encountered some agents of the Burning Legion in Redridge. They won't be easy to deal with," I cautioned her.

"Minor demons like them are no threat. As long as they're not Dreadlords or Pit Lords, we'll manage," she reassured me.

"if you say so," I murmured quietly, falling into a contemplative silence as I watched her weave her arcane magic, trying to glean some insight from her technique. Before long, a portal materialized before us, revealing the familiar sight of the Redridge Mountains beyond. Without hesitation, Aegwynn stepped through, and I followed suit. Emerging on the other side, I was greeted by a scene of chaos and destruction. It appeared that the Legion's demons were attacking a small settlement where we had arrived. In the midst of the chaos, I spotted a young human girl, on the brink of being devoured by a felhound. However, she was shielded by an arcane barrier, and with a swift blast of pure arcane energy, the felhound was obliterated in an instant. Aegwynn wasted no time, her staff glowing with a violet hue as she unleashed a barrage of arcane missiles that rained down upon the demons, tearing them apart in a violent display of power. As I witnessed the devastation before me, I couldn't help but think, 'What a monster'.

Aegwynn conjured an orb and handed it to me. "68 souls of minor demons," she announced, her tone matter-of-fact as I accepted the orb in my hands. "For every 50 souls, I want an answer to one question, and for every 200 souls, I want important knowledge," she continued, her gaze steady as we began to levitate.

"That wasn't part of our original agreement," I protested as I watched the village grow smaller below us. In response, Aegwynn conjured another orb and handed it to me. "The soul of a Doomguard for the new clause of the contract," she stated firmly.

"Fine," I grunted reluctantly, taking the orb containing the soul of the Doomguard. With a deep breath, I began channeling the soul back into my sword, while keeping the souls collected from the village safely stored within the orb.

The journey continued for about an hour as we soared above the mountains and skimmed over the Elwynn Forest. In the distance, Stormwind came into view, surprisingly unscathed by the ongoing conflicts. It appeared that the Horde had yet to reach the city, and the skirmishes I had witnessed in the Redridge Mountains were just minor clashes between the factions.

"Wait, where are we headed?" I questioned, noticing Stormwind growing closer with each passing moment.

"After what you told me about Sargeras, I'm going to seek aid from the king," Aegwynn explained, her tone determined. "I've heard that the last scion of the Arathi bloodline serves as a general there. He'll surely assist me," she added as the city loomed larger on the horizon.

'You, the arrogant mage, seeking help from a warrior,' I thought to myself with a concealed smirk beneath my helmet.

We continued to fly for another ten minutes until we were hovering above Stormwind. The city sprawled beneath us, its size and appearance far grander and more imposing than its virtual counterpart.

"Hmm, the barriers here are quite effective, but not against someone like me," Aegwynn muttered before making a swift gesture with her hand. Instantly, a small aperture opened in the barrier, allowing us to pass through with ease.

As we materialized in what appeared to be a lavishly decorated throne room, a hushed murmur swept through the crowd of well-dressed onlookers. Some mages nearby began to prepare spells, but with another flick of her hand, Aegwynn dispelled them effortlessly.

'The arrogance of mages knows no bounds,'I muttered to myself, amused by the display of power.

As dozens of guards brandished their swords, forming a protective barrier around their king and queen, an elderly man in imposing armor stepped forward, wielding an enormous sword.

"You brats truly don't respect your betters," Aegwynn declared, her words echoing through the throne room. Instantly, all the mages in the court ceased their actions, collapsing to the ground, panting and drained of mana.

"No more mana for you until I say so," she announced sternly, her authority unquestionable.

She turned her gaze from the old man to the king. "We need to talk," she declared, her eyes scanning the room. "A bit more privately if possible."

The king raised an eyebrow, his expression skeptical. "First, present yourself, milady, and then perhaps I will honor your demand."

"I am Aegwynn," she stated simply, causing a stir among the assembled crowd. "You grew up with my son, so I'm sure you know a bit about me."

The king's eyes widened in recognition. "The mother of Medivh, I see. So this is where his incredible power comes from. And who is your strange friend?"

I straightened up, meeting the king's gaze. "Val-Beleth, member of the Legion of Knowledge, currently serving Lady Aegwynn," I introduced myself, noticing the effect my deep voice had on some of the audience.

The king nodded, a hint of curiosity in his eyes, before turning his attention back to Aegwynn. "Then, Lady Aegwynn, it would be my honor to speak with you," he said with a smile. His wife and child rose from their seats, casting wary glances at us before leaving with a retinue of guards through the door behind the throne. The nobles followed suit, understanding the king's unspoken message.

Left in the room were Anduin, the king, Aegwynn, myself, some guards, and a few mages.

"I have sources that all point to my son for the chaos that is ensuing in the kingdom," Aegwynn declared, her gaze unwavering as she fixed it on the king.

The king appeared to ponder her words, his expression thoughtful, while Anduin shook his head in disbelief.

"I saw that Medivh was different when I went on the reconnaissance mission to confirm the rumors of strange beasts," Anduin interjected, "but to accuse him of something so horrible..."

"It's the truth, my Lords. Medivh, after his slumber, is not himself but a demon controlling his body," I affirmed, echoing Aegwynn's argument.

"As Val-Beleth mentioned, we must send a party to confront him and banish the demon back to the Twisting Nether. I am powerful, but facing my son, who inherited my power along with the demon's, alone would be futile. And with him at Karazhan, the odds are even more stacked against us," Aegwynn added, her voice resolute.

The king pondered for a moment, exchanging a glance with Anduin, who nodded in agreement. Turning back to us, the king smiled with determination.

"Then it is decided. Tomorrow, we ride toward Karazhan with the finest warriors of the kingdom. Lady Aegwynn, if what you say is true, we will confront this demon and free my friend from its grasp," he declared solemnly, his voice echoing with resolve.

I nodded in agreement, acknowledging the gravity of the task ahead. Aegwynn offered a grateful smile to the king.

"Thank you, friends of my son," she said warmly, her eyes briefly meeting mine with a hint of appreciation.

The king turned to me with a sense of hospitality.

"My guards will escort you to your chambers, esteemed guests. Rest well tonight, for tomorrow will be eventful," he said as the guard started to escort us but I saw that some of them were quite scared of me.

–

Well that'll be all

Bullshit Master at work, good job Val

See you soon