Reforged Chapter 68: The Sinister Overture

Walking down the lengthy corridors of Stormwind Keep, Duke and Norton were in no mood to admire the beautiful hallways. Although the murals on the walls were exquisite and the gold ornaments were magnificent, what they noticed was that every royal guard had donned their battle armor.

As the royal ceremonial guards, each guard had a set of ornate armor specifically for ceremonial use. Delicate carvings, flowing capes, and bright blue plumes on the helmets could catch the eye, but Lothar, who knew the art of war, understood that every constraint on the battlefield could mean the difference between life and death.

And there were so many?

This set of armor was extremely simplistic. Not only was it easy to move in, but even the patterns were merely hand-painted onto the armor, as opposed to embossed designs that would create air resistance when swung. A fragile robe was worn over the armor purely for the sake of appearance.

The guards' eyes were filled with vigilance, and they even had backup lanterns at their feet.

Stormwind Keep – a stronghold that combined both palace and fortress.

Upon reaching the innermost part, Duke was surprised to find that, in addition to the sixteen muscular royal guards, there were also two mages with strong magical fluctuations guarding the entrance.

Sky Mages!

The fact that the esteemed Sky Mages were brought in to guard the entrance showed just how much of an impact Medivh's actions had on King Llane.

When Bolvar led Duke and Norton in, one of the guards took out two scrolls, and one of the mages gently tapped the scrolls, immediately producing two holographic images of Duke and Norton in midair.

Under the bright lights, eight guards stared wide-eyed at Duke and Norton for a full five seconds before nodding in unison to let them pass.

The moment the door opened, Duke and Norton heard the sounds of Llane and Anduin's heated argument.

"By the Emperor Thoradin, Anduin, are you overreacting? We've known Medivh for over 30 years."

"It's precisely because we've known him for over 30 years that we all think he's dangerous! Now, either we're both blind and insane, along with every guard and noble present, and we're seeing an illusion, or something happened to Medivh!" Anduin likewise stared fiercely at King Llane, his anger palpable.

"We should be finding Medivh to clarify, not sitting here doubting him like a despicable villain!" Llane slammed his fist on the sturdy table.

"Did he respond to your call, Your Majesty? You just revealed the King's insignia to summon the Guardian in the magical communication – did he respond? In the past, even when he was traveling alone, he would at least send a magical reply!" Anduin's anger was evident, and like a lion with its paws bracing on the table, he roared at the king without holding back.

At this point, an elderly man wearing court mage robes beside Llane interjected, "The magical communication is not faulty; the Guardian is refusing to respond."

Llane was suddenly speechless. He slumped into his throne, rubbing his brow in annoyance, and then he noticed Duke and Norton, who had just entered the inner council chamber under Bolvar's guidance.

"Enough, let's put Medivh's news aside for now until we confirm there's a major issue. Now, I know of Norton's wisdom as a mage. Anduin, can you tell me why Sir Marcus was also invited?"

Anduin * Lothar seemed to restrain his temper as well. He glanced at Duke thoughtfully and said, " Because I noticed that, at the instant the black hourglass appeared, his reaction was the most unique among everyone present."

King Llane furrowed his brow, "Alright, let's ask again: aside from Duke, is there anyone here who knows what this black hourglass is? What does it symbolize?"

Around the table, there were at least ten white-haired old men. They were either recognized scholars, historians, or learned old mages. Each of them, including Norton, shook their heads after examining the hourglass once more.

The next moment, all eyes were focused on Duke's face.

Duke knew he was in big trouble.

"Indeed, he is the only one who knows the truth. If my deductions are correct, this is the infamous hourglass from later generations, symbolizing the countdown to the opening of the Dark Portal for the first time, when the orcs invaded the continent of Azeroth.

But can he say it?

Can he publicly accuse the king's childhood friend, the world's strongest mage, Azeroth's Guardian, Medivh, of having his soul possessed by the leader of the Burning Legion, Sargeras?

If he reveals this too soon, he'll be a hero.

If he reveals it too far in advance, he'll be a demon, and he'll be sent to the stake.

Before his journey, in the Middle Ages, such a thing was not uncommon. Copernicus proposed the heliocentric theory and was burned alive. If Duke is sent to the stake, who can guarantee he won't be discovered after his resurrection? Wanted by all seven kingdoms at once?

After much deliberation, Duke looked up and said solemnly, "The moment I saw the hourglass, I saw a vision."

"A vision? What kind of vision?"

At this moment, Duke channeled his inner Oscar-winning performance.

At this moment, Duke became a prophet!

His voice became ethereal and elusive, "Omens! Death! And war!"

Everyone knew the hourglass was sinister, but the words "death" and "war" were serious. How long had it been since a real war occurred on the continent? Skirmishes with trolls in the north were frequent, but those were mostly small-scale conflicts. Outposts being attacked or border stations being overrun.

But there hadn't been a battle involving thousands of people.

Yet Duke brought up the word 'war'?

"The vision I saw was only a brief moment. It was of brave Stormwind soldiers being crushed to a pulp by a massive monster wielding a hammer larger than my body."

As soon as Duke finished, an old man taunted, "Are you sure you didn't see your own naga?"

This was a direct attack.

Duke immediately added the man to his list of enemies to be eliminated from the House of Fordragon, but he still spoke humbly, "I apologize, but it was a giant monster with two arms and two legs, just like you. However, you would only come up to its waist."

Without saying more, Duke bowed to the king.

If it weren't for Medivh's outrageous behavior, this would have been a slanderous statement.

King Llane looked at Anduin Lothar, who shrugged and said, "See, I'm not the only one with such a dangerous premonition."

At that moment, Lord Bolvar Fordragon also stepped forward, "I apologize, Your Majesty, but please allow me to speak candidly."

"Go ahead."

"At that moment, I too felt that Medivh held contempt and hostility towards Your Majesty and the entire kingdom."