The Maelstrom (part 5)

Nazjatar, the capital city of the Naga, was built from the vast ruins of the ancient Kaldorei city of Zin'Azshari. After the Well of Eternity imploded, the city which surrounded it, Zin'Azshari, was drawn to the depths of the sea and a great rift was errected around the ruins of the well. The surviving Kaldorei, changed by the Well's energies into Naga, reconstructed the city into the walls of the great rift and renamed it Nazjatar. These two cities hold only two things loosely in common: pieces of their architecture, and the rule of the beautiful queen, Azshara.

Riding up onto the edges of the city, it was clear that the architecture had some elven influence, but it made some definite marks of its own. The great, sharp hills of the Rift were visible in the distance surrounded by a great palace surrounding what looked like bright sunlight beaming from inside deep canyon. The buildings, including the palace, looked like coral. They were well-crafted, and organic in their design.

Sharaniss looked back at me as we approached some guards who kept a wary eye on this new sorcerer in their midst. I nodded, silently agreeing that I would play along.

"I'm taking this prisoner to the palace," Sharaniss said, "he claims to have valuable information for the queen."

The guard nodded and let Sharaniss pass. Perhaps a little too easily. It was at this moment I fist became troubled about my situation. I perceived at the surface that the Naga perhaps expected me. It was odd to think they might, but stranger things have happened.

On the other hand, just being in this area was giving me a paranoid feeling. I mean, more paranoid than normal. Usually I can give a reasonable justification for fear, but the feeling I got now... it was deeper and more unexplainable. Like an outside force was planting fear in my soul. I was more aware of everything that might be a threat. And even that itself bothered me.

Through the streets of Nazjatar we went. The place was understandably filled with Naga. And they were all staring at us. Numerous times I thought I heard whispers of my name... but they couldn't possibly know... could they? Several of the female Naga had snakes for hair. I heard that the eyes of the snakes allowed the female to see in all directions. But it seemed every... single... snake eye... was pointed at me.

I tried to shake off this madness, for madness it was, indeed. I focused on the walls of the great rift ahead and thought of what great power might be emanating from its depths. Power great enough for even a great fallen Titan to lust after. Power that drew Sargeras to invade Azeroth with orcs. An invasion I could not stop.

It was all my fault. There I sat helplessly in my own body watching as a greater evil than anyone has ever known drew demonic forces onto a peaceful land, wiping out all in their path. I could have done something. I should have done something. I was too weak, or at least I convinced myself that I was. Or maybe Sargeras convinced me. But if he did, I still believed him. I failed Azeroth in that moment. A moment I could never have back.

Violently, I snapped myself out of this line of thought. Here I was trying to focus on my adventure and suddenly I was thinking paranoid thoughts of dire events past! I knew full well that my mistakes had been atoned by my actions in the Third War. And I knew even better that if the Orcs had not come to Azeroth, she surely would have fallen to the scourge! I had not felt this irrational in all of my life. Logic was part of my being! There was only one time I may have bent even closely to the insane apart from possession... that was in the Howling Fjord...

"Sorcerer!" Sharaniss called to me. Evidently it wasn't the first time he tried at my attention.

"Yes?" I replied. Looking ahead, I saw that we were at some grandly adorned coral gates.

"This is as far as I can take you. Do not let the gate walls deceive you. There is an invisible magical dome protecting all sides of the palace and the rift. What you seek is the source of the light coming from inside the rift."

For the first time since entering the city, I looked... up. The great light before me shot up to the surface of the water like a beacon and swirled in the tempest storm that surrounded it. Becoming more aware of my surroundings, I felt a tidal pull attempting to push me off of my turtle mount. What might have been wind in the air was a continuous wave of water under the sea. The rift caused the water to swirl around it like a tornado. And I finally knew the origin of the unending storm above.

"No one is allowed inside," Sharaniss explained, "without an express invitation by the queen with her royal seal."

"What does this seal look like?" I asked.

Sharaniss tilted his head slightly. He pointed at the gates which had an ornate design drawn into the bars. It seemed to be an octopus with the body of a woman. A beautiful woman, at that. It was surrounded by a circle with ancient Kaldorei writing along the edges.

I focused on the image and positioned my hands in front of me as though holding a small object. And then, suddenly, I was holding a small object. A ring with the royal seal of Azshara appeared in my hands as I smirked at Sharaniss whose lizard-like eyes had gotten noticeably wider.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Accompany me inside and you may find out."