Reforged Chapter 67: The Black Hourglass

In high spirits, King Llane slapped his thigh on the throne and laughed, "Alright, Medivh, my old friend, Guardian of Azeroth. There should be no formalities between us. But since you said you have a gift, let's see what you've brought."

A nearly cruel smile appeared on Medivh's face, giving Llane a sudden sense of foreboding. Anduin, too, couldn't help but step forward.

As friends who had known each other for decades, they shouldn't react this way. But the terrible, ominous aura leaking from Medivh caused them to instinctively resist his approach.

Medivh didn't move; instead, he conjured a large hourglass the length of his forearm, and placed it into the hands of the gift officer.

It was a bizarre, transparent hourglass.

Encased in a pale brown birchwood frame was a glass hourglass. Inside, the sand was an ominous black!

The black sand emitted an aura of doom and destruction!

"Shh! Shh! Shh!"

The sand poured continuously, but the upper part of the hourglass emptied very slowly. It seemed less like an hourglass and more like a strange magical device counting down.

Upon seeing this symbolic hourglass, Duke felt his heart pound violently, as if it were about to burst from his chest. At the same time, his black pupils shrank to their smallest size, staring intently at the hourglass.

"Hey! Medivh, I knew something was off about you from the moment I saw you today. What are you up to?" Anduin Lothar stepped forward, and somehow, he had quietly donned a suit of armor. Although ceremonial, armor was still armor, and he had only been wearing knightly attire earlier.

Now, the future Lion of Azeroth, Anduin Lothar, subtly blocked the path between Medivh and Llane. With his left hand on the sword's hilt, he stood ready to draw the weapon at any moment.

"Old friend, if this is a dark joke, it's in poor taste, especially during tonight's New Year's feast!" Llane spread his hands, seemingly trying to defuse the situation.

Medivh remained ungrateful, his face displaying clear mockery and derision.

"You'll find out what this is," he said, his slender, bony finger tapping the hourglass. As the gift officer watched in astonishment, under the gaze of Duke, the royal family, Anduin, and the nobles, the black hourglass overturned.

"Clatter!" The huge hourglass fell bottom up.

Logically, the sand should have flowed in the opposite direction under the force of gravity.

But it didn't!

Defying gravity, the sand continued to flow from bottom to top at an unchanging pace, grain by grain, in handfuls.

Everyone's gaze froze, and every heart in the room seemed to forget to beat.

Fear, unease, and deep confusion gripped everyone.

The intense negative emotions nearly made Llane's chest burst. He placed his left hand on Anduin's right shoulder armor, as if to pull him aside and confront Medivh face to face. But Lothar's tensed muscles told Llane that the captain of the royal knights was already in battle mode.

King Llane stiffened.

Without doing anything to Llane, Medivh's face showed endless arrogance and a hint of evil.

Not saying another word, Medivh let out a laughter resembling a night owl's "Hahaha," and with a snap of his left fingers, he vanished in an instant.

.

Transforming into countless black crows, swirling through the sky and screeching with their cacophonous caws, the birds left the astonished nobles behind.

In the air, countless black crow feathers drifted down, casting an ominous and chilling aura over the entire assembly.

A banquet?

Could the banquet continue? Even as the chief steward tried to lighten the mood by having the orchestra play lively music, it was all in vain. Anyone who saw the black crow feathers and the hourglass that somehow caused the sands to flow backward could not help but feel uneasy.

Unable to hide his frustration and confusion, King Llane Wrynn attempted to persist with the banquet. However, this attempt lasted a mere fifteen seconds before he nodded to those below and departed with his family.

Following closely behind the king was the ever-loyal Anduin Lothar, as well as dozens of fully armored royal knights who had arrived at the scene. They formed a moving fortress, escorting the king away.

There could be no good banquet.

The nobles were in a terrible mood, and they dispersed one after another.

"Let's go," Duke Marcus said to Lady Jones and Mage Norton, intending to leave.

Suddenly, three figures deliberately blocked their path.

Duke Marcus hesitated for a moment, realizing that he did not recognize the noble with the brown, center-parted hair leading the trio. The high-ranking noble nodded at Duke Marcus.

"Hello, I am Bolvar Fordragon."

Hearing this name, Duke Marcus felt a shiver run through him. Bolvar was not just some ordinary character!

In the history of Azeroth, Bolvar would eventually become the Regent Lord of Stormwind, responsible for taking care of the young King Anduid Wrynn.

Later, Bolvar would be betrayed and ambushed in the fight against the Scourge. His entire expeditionary force would be wiped out, and he would barely survive in an inhuman form. The Lich King attempted to turn him into a Death Knight, but Bolvar resisted with his great willpower. After the Lich King's death, he would willingly become the next Lich King to contain the Scourge's power, despite his broken body.

Bolvar Fordragon could be said to be the epitome of a paladin and a role model for human virtue.

Duke Marcus couldn't help but feel deep respect for such a figure, even though he hadn't yet achieved his later greatness.

"Hello, I am..."

Seeing Duke Marcus's sudden change in demeanor, Bolvar didn't pay much attention, as he had more pressing matters.

"Sir Marcus, may I come closer for a moment?"

Duke Marcus nodded with confusion, and Bolvar approached, whispering, "I apologize for interrupting your plans, but Sir Anduin Lothar specifically asked for you to join me in the inner palace to discuss the recent events with His Majesty."

Duke Marcus felt bewildered. Was he already being targeted by Lothar and King Llane Wrynn?

He turned to Mage Norton, who understood the situation: "I'll take Lady Jones home first. Windsor and your coachman will wait for you there."

"I apologize, but Mage Norton is also summoned by His Majesty," Bolvar added.

Lady Jones performed a graceful curtsy, understanding the situation: "I'll have the guards escort me back then."