The Maelstrom (part 8)

Many very powerful beings make use of avatars for various reasons. Sargeras made one to trick my mother into thinking she could defeat him. Yogg'Saron made one named Sara to lure adventurers into his lair. There are plenty of reasons to make an avatar, but to do it right one needs access to tremendous amounts of magical power and energy. You can make an avatar look like whatever you want and perform whatever task you need done, but the one thing that really makes an avatar and avatar is the fact that it is connected to its creator. Connected is not strong enough a word, though. The fabric of the avatar's being is intrinsically woven into its creator's mind.

As we stood outside the door of Queen Azshara's chamber I briefly wished I'd had an avatar to go in my place. The queen is an ancient and powerful being, as beautiful as she is deadly. As leader of the Kaldorei, no man could resist her charms. It was said that she made use of some powerful spells to enhance her perceived charm. If I had an avatar, he would be immune to such spells. I could enter into her presence without fear of being swayed by her charms.

But that was thouands of years ago. Did she retain such charms as leader of the Naga? Did she even retain her beauty? Or was she a hideous, twisted shadow of her former self?

The chamber doors opened and the maid beckoned us inside. What she said sent a chill down my spine.

"She'd been expecting you."

I almost refused to enter. But that would render my entire journey pointless. I looked at Sharaniss. He nodded and entered without reservation. That put me at some sort of ease. For about three seconds.

Sharaniss entered before me. As I passed over the threshhold, the first words I heard out of the mouth of Azshara were "It's good to see you again, Ith'Quorel."

My brow furrowed. To my knowledge, the only one who had just entered the room besides me was named Sharaniss. Indeed, as I entered the room I saw only Sharaniss and Azshara...

Azshara! Indeed, her beauty had not been defiled by the ages of arcane change! Her face lit the room, and snakes fell gracefully down her petite neck coming to a halt upon her ample bosom. Her arms, just as graceful, protruded from four parts of her stunning torso which blended into a winding tale that formed a sort of nest. A couch for her to lay upon comfortably. The Light of Lights, she truly was. But part of me wondered if my admiration for her was merely the effect of one of her spells.

"Enter, Prophet," she said, "Tell me your message."

I had been thinking of what to tell her. Something that would convince her to see me through to the Rift. I was unsure if it would work, but I tried. "Light of Lights," I said, "I am old and dying. History tells us of the Well of Eternity, a powerful source of magic discovered by your people millennia ago. I seek this Well."

When she smiled, my heart lept. I felt I might die by sheer excitement! But her condescending tone quickly quelled my longing heart. "A fair story. But you needed lie. Ith'Quorel has told me the truth."

"Forgive me," I said, "But I know this Naga as Sharaniss."

Sharaniss spoke up: "I may have lied about my name before," he said. "You understand, I did not know if you were friend or foe." His tone was shifty and suggestive. I felt like I never knew him at all. Like he was lying at this very moment.

"I was a fool to trust you," I said.

"Most humans are fools," Ith'Quorel responded.

"Wait!" Azshara cut in. Her eyes were crazed. Her gaze shifted as though trying to catch a thought. "I sense... I sense... Him..."

"I was right, then," Ith'Quorel said, a smile on his face.

"No..." she said with a snarl, "You weren't."

For the first time she rose from her position and swam to me. She put her nose in my face. Her eyes glowed like bright blue torches. They peirced my being and searched my soul. Searched for something they could not find.

"He is not here," she said at last, rage building in her beautiful face, "HE IS NOT HERE!!!"

My mind raced. In an instant I knew what she was talking about. There was only one person who, looking into my eyes, you could possibly be looking for and not find. Quietly, I whispered: "You mean Sargeras..."

She ignored me and addressed Ith'Quorel. "You told me He resided within the body of this mortal! You've lied to me!"

"I did not lie to you!" Ith'Quorel demanded in a surprisingly insolent tone. "Magus Medivh is the body that houses the fallen Titan, Sargeras!"

"You are mistaken!" I spoke loud as I could, "The demon that once inhabited my spirit no longer troubles me! Sargeras has been defeated! I stand before you as living proof!"

Behind Ith'Quorel was a window with a heavy drape over it. The Naga that I believed I knew snarled and let out a roar as he violently opened the large window. It led out into the Rift. Light streamed into the chamber. The torrent of the storm raged outside and blew loudly into my ears. It is into this bright, violent, arcane storm that Ith'Quorel jumped and was out of my sight.

I turned to face the queen whose face was uncharacteristically shaken. She was staring out the window. Then she turned to glare at me.

I tried painfully to speak above the noise of the storm. "What could you possibly want with Sargeras!?"

"My new master promised retribution!" she said, "And you have robbed me of it!" Menacingly, she drew nearer. I stood my ground.

"If you saught the death of Sargeras, then we have a common enemy! We could band together and stop death and destruction around Azeroth together!"

"You fool! Sargeras' death would only have been the first!"

Azshara swung her tail at me! I was able to duck, but the tidal force it brought with it carried me to smack against a far wall. I recovered quickly and readied a spell. Buffering it in my mind, I taunted my opponent: "I won't be the next, octopus."

A barrage of arcane force flowed from my hands and struck Azshara square in the belly. Wave after wave of missiles pushed her farther and farther back, screaming with each blow. I swam as quickly as I could toward the window, but she caught me in her tail and brought me closer to her.

I concentrated, and a wave of force emanated from my person, weakening her grip and allowing me to slip away. She tried to close her window with the magical force of her own mind, but I was ready with a fireblast that pushed through the window and allowed me access to the outside.

I was inside the Rift! I could feel its magical energies flow through me like an untamed cascade! Brightly it shown even up onto the surface! Above me, in the distance, I could see the swirling tip of an underwater tornado! The glass from the broken window, shattered, flew around me like butterflies around a flower. They eventually fell down into the Rift. The walls of earth that were formed by the explosion of the Well of Eternity all those years go seemed to lift their hands in praise of an unseen god. But as my gaze fell into the core of the Rift... I did see it.

A tentacle rose from out of the canyon, and I heard Azshara laugh! It struck me, but unwilling to to be thrown against the edges of the Rift, I grabbed it and held on for dear life. When it came to stop, I let go and realized I was being pulled farther and farther down. The walls of the Rift rose higher and higher above me, and as I looked down I stared straight into a single, gigantic eye!

I tried swimming, but I was not strong enough. Farther I fell until I realized, the only thing that would get me out of this was magic. I drew from the Rift more magic than I had ever used. I pulled at the fabric of the arcane and let it flow through my very being like music through a grand master. The water, no, reality itself bent around me and just as a tentacle was wrapping itself around my center, I released the spell, blowing the tentacle to a thousand pieces and propelling me up, up, up to the surface of the ocean!

As upward I traveled, I felt the force of the changing water pressure threatening to tear me apart. I drew even more magic from the Rift and created a shield of water around me so tight it would maintain the pressure of the depth from which I came until I was able to slowly release the shield.

I was free. As I broke the surface, I flew up into the center of the Maelstrom, the eye of the storm. The only place in the Great Sea that is completely calm, save for the twirling waters beneath. For a moment, I allowed myself to float in mid air. I looked around at the eye wall. The storm raged around me, but I was at piece within my shield of water. I knew what the Naga felt. For deep with my core I felt a singular dread, despite my safe position.

Azeroth must be warned. Eventually. Their troubles need not be compounded at the moment. But through this journal, let it be known: if we seek peace on our planet, our task will not be completed in Northrend. If at all.