Their departure from Booty Bay as sudden as their arrival. As much as he would have loved to take his newly bred goblin with him, Anduin had to leave the baroness where she was so she could actually start the whole integration effort. He also left Aclysia with her, just to make sure she was that extra bit secure.
They returned to Stormwind by the night of the same day. The hulks speed was truly awe-inspiring and with its size and firepower, it would be a valuable asset in the next months. Only Mizzy was currently able to steer it, however, as the many measurements were enigmas to most. As such, it rested in the harbour and was basically delegated to be the High Kings personal vessel.
The engine itself, however, was approved to be built into future ships, of a smaller, more mass production friendly design. Once back in his court, Anduin put several actions into motion. The sending of a sizable marine force to Booty Bay, to once and for all destroy the Bloodsail menace and support Baela in her efforts to make the former pirate haven a province of the Alliance, first of all. Then, the start of subsidies to be sent to Booty Bay, so that they may expand through the rest of the Cape of Stranglethorne. The hostile Gurubashi trolls, twice smacked down for trying to abuse powers resting since the days of their empire, would have to cede the natural resources of the region. Too long had they been a threat to prosperity.
Time would tell how those efforts would go.
The rest of the navy had been informed, by magic or by messenger owl, of the successful elimination of the undead ships. Sadly, Jaina, Valeera, Vanessa, Tyrande, Maiev and Shandris were all still gone on their missions and it would take a bit for them to return. With Aclysia gone as well, many of his slaves were not there to keep his cock occupied during the long hours of administration. Thankfully, he still had three at home, so he wasn't really lonely on his throne.
After a few hours of relaxation, the High King began his next mission: the elimination of Stonard. Xal'atath informed him that her most elite void priests had already departed before they had even set out on the Master's Pride. They were to wait at Karazhan.
'Might as well conduct our business there first, my master,' the Old Goddess whispered to him as he soared through the sky on the back on griffon. She was the only one of his wives and slaves with him now, only a select few of his own bodyguards, knights, sentinels and watchers alike, accompanying him. For this mission, no large force was required.
'As I understand it, our business there may very well take months,' Anduin returned. 'Was it not your goal to scour Karazhan's depths for whatever secrets that still remain? Karazhan is deeper than any other place and holds more secrets than any other place.'
'You speak true, my love,' the black blade conceded. 'But I hope that initial business may take no longer than a single day, if even that. I implore you, trust me on this. I know my nature gives you little reason too, but...'
'Enough,' Anduin interrupted her in a soft tone. 'My trust in you is infallible, I can feel your love for me radiating like the Light itself has taken root in you. Your treacherous origins don't matter to me. If you are so certain that we will find what we seek the most immediately, then I will oblige you.'
'Thank you, my master,' she sighed lustfully, the firmness of his decision and his grace reminding her why she felt like this in the first place.
Underneath them, the golden of the Elwynn autumn leaves soon made room for the gloomy dark of Duskwood. It was a cursed and blessed land. The portal to the Emerald Dream, hidden underneath the massive mountain of towering trees at the heart of the land kept even the leaves in an endless state of green. However, the dark energies that had seeped out from Karazhan during the First and Second war, had tainted the land. Undead roamed, unable to keep their peace in the soil, what was fertile soil returned only crops that were wrong in some ways and endless mists hung between the trees, keeping everything a depressive, dim light.
Still, the people living there refused to leave and Anduin planned to elevate them from their plight once he had an idea how. After the gloomy landscape came simple desolation. Deadwind Pass had next to nothing living in it, only a few hard grasses, ogres with no other home and Kirin Tor mages guarding Karazhan. With good reasons, as the mysterious tower had a nasty tendency to spit out evils unknown or long thought defeated at random times.
They landed quickly and were approached by Kirin Tor mages. They snapped back when Xal'atath manifested from the void, only sensing her outworldish power. Although after the initial shock came desire, as they looked at the void elf, her light, greyish blue skin revealed in its entirety, as the thin purple dress she wore only surrounded her like a thin veil. Large breasts, smooth skin, a plum ass, they were for all to see. Ignoring them, knowing only her master got to touch, the Old Goddess went to greet her followers, who had put up camp nearby. Meanwhile, Anduin quickly explained the situation to them.
Leaving in an appeased, but not exactly happy, mood, the Kirin Tor mages went back to their watching duties. Like anyone else from their order, they called Dalaran their home, a mostly human city currently neutral in the conflict between Horde and Alliance. This would have to change eventually; such a powerful force couldn't be left flying around the place.
"Do you not wish to take them with you?" Xal'atath asked, waiting for Anduin at the immense towers entrance. Karazhan didn't look like too much from the outside, a creepy building that was half-ruined at some parts, but the power it radiated was unmistakable. Under it flowed the second greatest bundle of leylines on Azeroth, only surpassed by the home of the blue dragon flight.
"I do not think I will need any help with you on my side," Anduin had to laugh and point at her resting priesthood, "you seem to think the same, Atha."
"No harm will come to us," she confessed with a smug expression and they entered. Cobwebs and the sound of rusty doors squeaking were their first greeting. Everything around had the splendour of past glory to it, from the tiled floor to the paintings. It also seemed like there was much more inside than the tower should have been able to hold naturally.
"I must admit that I can feel nothing but the raw power," Anduin said as they wandered deeper, ignoring the occasionally appearing phantoms, locked in endless dance. The mere presence of the High King expunged the delusionary undeath of many of them, finally bringing them to the afterlife. "This place is filled to the brim with arcane and fel, neither of which I understand particularly well."
"I have my knowledge about the arcane," Xal'atath hummed, gliding a hand over a painting, whose colours rippled like the surface of water at the touch, "but not much more than your precious first wife. Unsurprisingly, the Shadow is where I draw my greatest knowledge from. However," the turned a corner and suddenly found themselves in a library, "our host will surely know more than either of us."
Between rows upon rows of bookcases, stood many phantoms. All of them appeared the same, a translucent man in a red cowl, large golden pauldrons decorated with raven feathers. They grabbed physical books without a problem and began reading. Except the one closest to Anduin, who turned and revealed a tired, once handsome face under the hood, a pointy beard on his chin. "High King Anduin Llane Wrynn," that phantom spoke and all others looked up.
"...Medivh?" Anduin wondered out loud. The Last Guardian had been sighted again and again since his apparent death before Anduin was even born.
"Perhaps," another phantom answered. "One of us might be. It has been too long since I was able to give my shattered mind a definitive form." A third phantom continued. "My history and my spirit are too entangled with Azeroth to ever truly let go of this world. Yet, what Sargeras did to my mind has damaged me even in undeath." A fourth phantom suddenly appeared from a blind angle. "Many of these shards you see might not even be truly me, but Nathrezim taking my shape. High King, this is why your appearance here is necessary."
"...I understand," Anduin nodded and summoned the Holy Light a nova of golden light exploded from underneath his skin, passing through most objects and phantoms without hindrance. Yet, the very first phantom he spoke too, amongst many other, began to scream, the bright green of fel energy crackled out of eyes and mouth and moments thereafter they dispersed into swarms of bats that themselves disintegrated into gold glowing ash.
The remaining phantoms calmly put their books away and all walked into the one already close to Anduin. Melding together, individual accounts of knowledge, shattered from the greater whole, formed a single being once more. Medivh looked at his hand, still translucent but noticeably less so. "I have not been this complete since my time as the Prophet, I thank you, High King, even if this state is not to last. Sooner or later I will shatter again and with the Nathrezim around, I cannot possibly risk one of them infiltrating my erudite mind."
"Yet, you seem like you have work for me, further, that you know me," Anduin was confused by this. The Last Guardian had been a friend of his grandfather. Two generations lay between himself and the mightiest mage to ever walk Azeroth.
"I have foreseen your arrival, like I have had a lot of events revealed to me in my solitude here," Medivh answered, stepping back into the library. "This is a timeline I thought impossible. Of the many that were revealed to me, one of ceaseless grinding of Alliance against Horde seemed much more likely. Who is now your first wife should have been leading a raid against Zandalar at this very moment. Yet, things have shifted. Down a path I find both amusing and hopeful. You may be the great uniter this world needs, High King, although your success is not guaranteed." He pulled a book out seemingly at random and then returned with it. "That an Old God is enthralled by you is a very good sign, however."
Anduin took the book, wrinkles forming on his forehead. The demonic runes that decorated the heavy leather binding only seemed menacing to him. "What is this?"
"A book about the summoning of many lustful demons," the Last Guardian answered nonchalantly. "I don't know what you will do with it, but it will find more usefulness with you than settling dust with incorporeal me."
"Is that all you want me here for then?" Anduin was still confused.
