A Nerubian's Journey

Chapter 28

Krivax closed the book on Dalarans laws as soon as he finished reading the portions on magical duels and moved to return it to the bookshelf filled with recently purchased books that Hadix thought would be useful for his students continued education.

Call him paranoid, but while Hadix might be confident that he was more than capable of handling anything that came his way, Krivax wanted to learn everything he could beforehand.

Apparently, magical dueling was a tradition that had been brought to Dalaran from Quelthalas, unsurprisingly, and was a method that mages sometimes used to settle disagreements. It made sense to Krivax, in a society that had access to potent magical healing and powerful arcane defenses, fighting to prove a persons magical competence or to resolve a feud would naturally be more common than on Earth.

Especially given the fact that Azeroth was an extremely dangerous place, which naturally led to cultures and people that were generally more hostile, combative, and martial-focused than Earth.

Of course, there was a bit of bureaucracy involved in scheduling a magical duel that had taken them two days to arrange. Both of the participants had to go in front of an official and give their consent by signing a contract stating the terms of the duel. There was also a hefty fee to pay for the facilities and all of the supporting personnel, which Flametrail had insisted on paying in full due to some kind of cultural expectations placed on the challenger, but the duel itself was a relatively straightforward matter.

The duel would take place in a venue prepared for such occasions, a small stadium that would allow interested parties to watch. Both of the participants would be protected by the stadium's numerous defensive enchantments, and there would be mages and healers ready to intervene as soon as things looked to be going wrong, but there otherwise were few rules other than to nonlethally defeat your opponent in magical combat.

There was a rule that prohibited the usage of magical items, which Krivax had worried would extend to spellweaving, but an administrator had ensured him it didnt after learning what spellweaving was. The fact that spellweaving reserved a portion of the caster's mana and only imbued magic into silk temporarily put it into the same category as protection spells that were crafted beforehand.

It was much closer to precasting a spell than permanently enchanting an item.

As long as both participants were informed of the situation, then spellweaving didnt break any rules. When Arcanist Flametrail was made aware that Hadix would be spellweaving, he hadnt seemed to care, and Hadix was more than willing to take advantage of that arrogance.

I still dont understand why that elf would be dumb enough to challenge you, said Krivax, huffing in frustration. Didnt you make it abundantly clear that you outclass him, Vizier Hadix?

The Vizier was hanging from one of the webs attached to the wall of their assigned lodgings while weaving a spell far more complex than Krivax could understand into a long strand of silk. He wasnt even done with his spellweaving yet, but the silk already glowed with an unreasonable amount of arcane energy.

Theres a possibility this scenario was arranged by the citys leadership in order to test my abilities. If that is the case, then this an acceptable outcome because it will allow me to show some of what we are capable of, but the most likely explanation is simply that people often make irrational decisions, said Hadix as he prepared himself for the coming duel. That is especially true when they are highly emotional. Besides, if our historical records on the elves remain accurate, making detrimental decisions due to their own arrogance is a feature inherent to their species.

Krivax very carefully did not react to that hypocritical statement as he watched Hadix continue his spellweaving.

Hmph. Dont think that I dont know whats going on in that odd little mind of yours, said Hadix, huffing in amusement. Arrogance is only arrogance when it is undeserved. Otherwise, its simply having a good understanding of ones capabilities. The difference between me and that elf is that unlike him, my understanding of myself in comparison to others is accurate.

I have no idea what youre talking about, Vizier Hadix, said Krivax, trying his best to keep a straight face and sound as genuine as possible. I was not thinking anything derogatory about you at all.

I see that those lessons I gave you in how to properly lie have had some effect, Hadix said dryly, turning his attention away from his weaving to glance at him. Perhaps if you continue practicing for a few decades, you might become a skilled enough liar to make me second guess myself.

Yes, Vizier Hadix, I have no idea why I thought you were arrogant. How odd of me.

So youre certain that theres no possibility that you will lose? Krivax asked curiously.

While he had studied under Hadix for a significant amount of time by now, he did not actually know that much about his mentor. Krivax knew that Hadix was more powerful than the average Vizier, but he didnt know how powerful that was, nor had he actually seen a full-on battle between two fully mature mages.

Ignoring the potential diplomatic headaches that this might cause him in the future, Krivax was actually feeling a bit excited to watch the duel. What kind of person wouldnt want to watch a fight between two wizards?

Certainty does not exist when it comes to a fight between two mages, Hadix said firmly. Theres every possibility that I will lose, although that remains exceedingly unlikely.

Krivax was surprised by the Viziers answer, he had expected the Vizier to say something like, Dont insult me by asking ridiculous questions, Vizier Krivax. That pathetic elf couldnt harm me if he lived for another millennium!

That isnt the answer that I was expecting to hear, Krivax said honestly, curious to hear the Viziers perspective.

There are many among the Circle of Viziers who would have given you an answer more similar to the one I suspect you were expecting, said Vizier Hadix, his tone uncharacteristically solemn and his gaze far off. But that is merely because they lack experience in actual combat. There were many times throughout the years that I have seen members of the Order die to those under the sway of the Void, even when the enemy was weaker than them. In combat, anything is possible, and that is why it is wise to deal with your enemies quickly and quietly or avoid a fight whenever possible.

Krivax wasnt quite sure what to think about that, it certainly wasnt what he had been expecting from the Vizier.

If that is the case, then why did you antagonize that elf and accept his request to duel?

Because, Krivax, aside from the fact that his incompetence offended my sensibilities, there is very little that irritates me more than a teacher who fails to take their responsibilities seriously, especially one who teaches magic, Hadix hissed out, his tone filled with anger simply at the thought of it. If a mage agrees to teach the next generation, then there should be a minimal expectation that they do not sabotage their students through either incompetence or disinterest.

Krivax paused as he stared at his mentor, considering what the Vizier had just said.

For all of the time that he had known Hadix, he always considered him to be relatively uncaring about most matters of morality. Oh, he knew that Hadix wasnt some kind of monster that trampled over people for no reason, but he also knew that the Vizier didnt have the slightest qualms about getting his hands dirty if he needed to.

The fact that Hadix felt strongly about this topic was not something that Krivax had expected. Even if he did care about the sanctity of the teacher-student relationship, Krivax wouldnt have expected him to get so riled up about it.

Although looking back, his mentor had always treated matters of his education seriously. From the moment that Krivax had first come under the Viziers tutelage, he had never failed to answer his questions on magic with relative patience. If Krivax wanted to learn something and Hadix was busy, then he was always provided with an appropriate spellbook, which were all fairly valuable, or Hadix would get back to him later.

He also acted responsibly with the other members of the Surface World Research Division as far as Krivax could tell.

To him, that just seemed like common decency, but he could also remember hearing examples of Viziers treating those under them with much less decency during his time in Kilahkuk.

He was a bit curious about how strongly the Vizier felt on this topic, and he could tell that Hadix was lost in his thoughts and wasnt paying him very much attention, so he decided to see if he could learn more.

Well, I suppose I should be grateful that Arcanist Flametrail is simply incompetent, said Krivax, keeping his tone casual. I doubt I want to know what you would have done if hed been sabotaging his students intentionally.

Hadixs expression immediately grew menacing enough that Krivax felt a shiver of dread go through his carapace.

No, you do not.

The Viziers tone was dark enough that Krivax abandoned any intentions to probe Hadix further. Though he had gotten used to the Viziers dominating presence, he still wasnt brave enough to dip his mandibles into what looked like a personal subject.

Seeing that Hadix was in no mood for further conversation, Krivax decided that it would be a good idea to bury himself in his spellbooks until it was time for them to leave in a few hours.

Elder Vizier Malabs Advanced Ward of Mental Protection was much more difficult to learn than Krivax had initially hoped, so most of his recent efforts were dedicated to learning the Orders Anti-Divination magics.

Soon enough, one of the delegations warriors was knocking on the door and informing them that the venue had been prepared for the duel. The walk to the stadium was a quiet one, although Krivax could feel his excitement growing as they made their way through the streets of Dalaran and grew closer to the stadium.

When they reached their destination, a large building not too far from the Violet Citadel, the two of them were quickly ushered in separate directions by a few guards. Hadix was escorted to a preparation room and Krivax found himself being taken to the seating arrangements prepared for him and Vizier Crinis.

Which was in fact just a section of the stadium stands that was filled with large cushions. It wasnt exactly easy to make a chair for a nerubian after all, so Krivax supposed this was the best that they could figure out.

I guess they must be pretty comfortable at least because Vizier Crinis is looking pretty cozy.

The female Vizier looked more than a little pleased, laying down on a large cushion and reading through her notes. Crinis had taken it upon herself to learn more about Dalaran and their government over the past few days in preparation for their important meeting with the Council of Six. Krivax had noticed a marked increase in respect for Dalaran from the Viziers in comparison to the amount of respect they had for everyone else in the Eastern Kingdoms.

Krivax greeted the Vizier and moved over to his own cushion nearby, folding his legs under himself and lowering his body as his warrior escorts, including Masruk, took defensible locations nearby while doing their best to remain unobtrusive.

Krivax had wanted to chat with Masruk while watching the fight, but the warrior in charge of his protective escort made it clear that he couldnt spare his friend while Vizier Hadix and Anubrekhan were away. It was fine for his friend to hang out with him while they had the overpowered Vizier or Spiderlord by their side, but when that wasnt the case, Masruk needed to spend more time doing his guard duty and less time making conversation.

It wasnt ideal, but Krivax understood the necessity, there would be plenty more opportunities for them to chat when it was more appropriate to do so.

Oh I like this.

The moment he sat down, Krivax was immediately surprised to find that the cushions were enchanted. He wasnt exactly sure what spell it was enchanted with, but he could tell that it was supernaturally comfortable, warming, and contouring itself to his body just the perfect amount.

It wasnt as good as a well-made cocoon blanket, but it was still really nice.

God, I love magic. It almost makes it worth it to be reborn in a deathworld thats facing multiple future apocalypses.

After taking a few minutes to enjoy the cushion, Krivax decided to take a look around the stadium to see if he could see anyone else that he recognized. After all, he was certain that there were more than a few important people who would be interested in watching Vizier Hadix participate in a duel.

There were many people in the stadium, mages, and non-mages alike, most having likely come to see the newcomer take on the home team as it were, including several important-looking individuals who were wearing emblems of the Kirin Tor on their robes, but nobody that Krivax recognized. Unfortunately, just because he was familiar with some of Dalarans most important members due to his metaknowledge, that didnt mean that he would recognize them after they became real people.

Of course, the person that Krivax most wanted to find was Krasus, but he had no idea what the Archmage actually looked like.

Just as Krivax was about to give up looking through the crowd and pull out some bugs to eat while waiting for the duel to begin, he was nearly thrown from his seat in shock by a voice speaking up next to him from seemingly thin air.

Vizier Krivax, how are you enjoying your arrangements? Archmage Runeweaver asked calmly, having approached Krivax sometime while he was distracted. I apologize, but this is the best we could do on such short notice given your physiology.

Archmage Runeweaver, I wasnt expecting to see you here, said Krivax, widening his mandibles together in a gesture of surprise. After their initial tour, he hadnt seen very much of the Archmage given that someone as important as him obviously had more important things to do than babysit their delegation.

Well, I do find myself feeling a bit guilty for failing to ease tensions between Vizier Hadix and Arcanist Flametrail during their argument. You are members of a diplomatic delegation, after all. Though to be honest, I also find myself curious about the results of this bout, the Archmage admitted. We rarely get to host mages outside of Dalaran and Quelthalas after all. It would be interesting to see how our peoples compare in magical combat.

I doubt there is anything that you could have done to interrupt the argument after it had already started, Archmage, Krivax said genuinely, understanding his mentor well enough to know that he wouldnt have listened to the Archmage. As for the match, what do you think about Arcanist Flametrail's chances?

Well he did not earn his rank and position lightly, I can say with confidence, said the Archmage, creating a chair-shaped arcane structure with a wave of his hand and sitting down next to him, the previous seats having been removed due to the nerubians needs. While he is not an Archmage he is still a member of the Kirin Tor and was made a teacher because of his experience and study of wards of nearly all kinds. I hear he even knows a thing or two about the defenses of QuelThalas itself, the most potent in the known world. That is most likely why he took Vizier Hadixs criticism over his skills and knowledge so personally.

Do you know if he has any experience in combat? asked Krivax, curious about the mage who had challenged his mentor.

I dont know, Runeweaver admitted easily. Quelthalas does not share information like that about their mages easily, for all that we are likely the kingdom with the best relations with them, but it is very likely that he has. The elves have been at war with the ZulAmani, forest trolls, for most of their existence, much longer than the human kingdoms have stood. This means that many of their magisters have no lack of practice when it comes to combat and centuries if not millennia to hone their skill.

It does not matter how much experience the little elf has, interrupted Vizier Crinis, not bothering to look up from her notes. The gap in ability between him and Vizier Hadix is simply too vast for him to overcome.

As you say, Vizier Crinis, said Archmage Runeweaver, obviously not taking her words to heart. Given that he didnt have any experience with Hadix, it wasnt surprising that the Archmage was just writing her words off as arrogant blustering.

Krivax and Runeweaver made small talk about the upcoming duel for the next several minutes before he had the idea of asking the Archmage if he could point out important figures in the crowd. The man didnt see any particular problem with it, given that most of these figures would be meeting with their delegation in the future, and easily agreed.

Unfortunately, while Runeweave pointed out many people in the crowd, Krivax found that he didnt recognize any of their names. Just as he was beginning to lose hope of seeing any lore-important individuals, the Archmage spotted a particular elf on the far side of the stadium.

Hmm I could have sworn Kelthuzad would have shown up. He must be busy with his experiments, muttered the Archmage before raising his eyebrows in surprise. Oh, I wasnt expecting to see Prince Kaelthas without his usual escort.

Krivax immediately turned to where the Archmage was gesturing and saw an elf man looking effortlessly handsome, as most elvish men did but this one especially so, dressed in an ornate, red robe, and leaning back comfortably in his seat. He seemed to be chatting amiably with a middle-aged human man sitting in the seat next to him, who Runeweaver identified as one Archmage Drenden, and looking exactly like a man that didnt have a care in the world.

It was hard to believe from looking at him now that in a potential future this guy would go nuts on Fel juice, and still would if Krivaxs actions didnt change things for the better

Krivax was just about to ask Runeweaver to tell him more about Kaelthas when he was interrupted by the sudden activation of the enchantments on the stadiums walls. Krivax watched in amazement as a massive arcane barrier slowly rose to separate the audience from the dueling arena.

It didnt take long after that before Vizier Hadix and Arcanist Flametrail were both teleported into the barrier, causing chatter among the audience to immediately pick up.

Then a magically amplified voice rang out across the stadium, its source unknown but its function not in doubt.

In accordance with the rules and regulations of Dalaran in regards to the matter of duels of honor let it be known that Arcanist Flametrail of Quelthalas and Dalaran has legally and fairly brought forward a challenge to Vizier Hadix of Azjol-Nerub, of which the latter has freely accepted. The stakes of this duel have been decided by the former and state that should Arcanist Flametrail prove victorious that Vizier Hadix must apologize for insults given, while Vizier Hadix has not given any terms for victory, the nameless announcer explained to the audience, causing the crowd to grow quiet.

The announcer seemed to remain quiet for several moments, allowing everyone to absorb the information before their voice rang out across the stadium once again.

This is a duel until one side surrenders or is unable to continue battling, with every effort to be made from both participants to refrain from intentional killing blows or the use of forbidden magics within this contest of skill. The usage of magical items is expressly forbidden. Do you accept these terms? the announcer asked the aforementioned participants.

Upon the honor of my house, I accept these terms, Arcanist Flametrail readily agreed, his voice also magically amplified, most likely by the magics of the arena itself.

I agree to these terms, said Vizier Hadix shortly, his voice cold and firm as he stared down at his opponent.

Then, without further ado, let the duel commence! the announcer yelled out, signaling the start of the fight.

The moment that the announcer finished speaking, Arcanist Flametrail didnt hesitate to immediately send a massive ball of fire flying across the arena. The pyroblast was far bigger than anything that Krivax could have produced, and it was cast quicker than he had thought possible.

However, Vizier Hadix seemed far less impressed than Krivax felt, as he merely scoffed derisively and shattered the enormous fireball into three streams of flame that he sent flying back to his opponent from multiple different angles.

The Vizier let out an appreciative hum as the flames dissipated harmlessly the moment they impacted a shimmering ward surrounding the elf, who cast a spell that caused multiple identical images of himself to appear throughout the arena.

Hmm. Clever, it seems that Flametrail has mixed multiple mirror images with his illusions. Something like that takes more than a little skill, muttered Runeweaver, sounding reluctantly impressed.

Whats the difference between a mirror image and an illusion? asked Krivax, beginning to feel a little worried as he watched all the magically created imitations begin casting a spell.

An illusion is just that, an illusion created by a mage that is incapable of affecting the real world, the Archmage explained, not pulling his eyes away from the fight. A mirror image on the other hand, is a replication of a mage that possesses the genuine ability to cast magic, albeit in a reduced form and at a high cost in mana. Casting both at the same time makes it difficult for an enemy to discern which attacks are real and which are fake, and all this on top of trying to figure out which one is the real caster.

As if to emphasize the Archmages point, every single image finished casting the moment he was done speaking, resulting in a massive barrage of fireballs simultaneously flying toward Hadix from every possible direction.

Krivax could feel the intense heat from where he was sitting, even through the stadiums barrier. He was certain that if it were him in Vizier Hadixs position, then the only possible result would be him becoming a very crispy spider. He could feel his worry for his mentor grow.

That worry proved unnecessary, however, as the massive barrage of fireballs passed through Hadix as if he wasnt even there, smashing into random parts of the arena instead. Most of them were indeed illusions, but several of them burst into explosions of fire that disrupted several of the Arcanists illusions.

It seems Flametrail isnt the only one who enjoys using illusions, said Runeweaver, sounding slightly surprised. That was masterfully done. Not even I managed to detect it until it was disrupted. And to cast an invisibility spell at the same time, thats not easily done.

Sure enough, the image of Vizier Hadix flickered and dissipated, seeming to leave the images of Flametrail standing in the arena alone.

To his credit, Arcanist Flametrail didnt hesitate to begin constructing a magical barrier around himself, but his efforts were immediately shown to be useless.

Exclamations of surprise could be heard throughout the stadium as Vizier Hadix seemed to appear from under Flametrail, the ground of the arena flowing around him as if it were mud as he ascended from below. The Vizier grabbed the surprised elf with all four of his hands and lifted him off the ground before pulling him toward his arachnid face, mandibles open wide.

Krivax had never seen a person lose all color in their face faster than Arcanist Flametrail did. He was certain that it would be a long time before the elf lived down the shriek of fear he let out as he hastily teleported himself to the other side of the stadium.

Hadix, on the other hand, seemed to be in much better spirits, if his mocking laughter was any indication.

How dare you?! shouted Flametrail, his expression twisting from one of fear to deep anger.

Vizier Hadix didnt bother to respond, other than by casting a quick spell before stomping on the ground with both of his forward feet, causing the stadium to shake as the earth cracked and spikes of earth rose to skewer all of the illusions and mirror images.

What a powerful display of geomancy! How is that possible? exclaimed Runeweaver as he rose from his seat, his eyes growing wide.

Arcane magic lent itself to easy manipulation of fire and ice for reasons that Krivax didnt fully understand, maybe arcane magic just lent itself to temperature regulation, but manipulating the earth was much harder and was generally something much more common among shamans.

However, Azjol-Nerub was an underground kingdom and thus had a lot of motivation to develop their ability to manipulate the earth via arcane means.

Archmage Runeweaver wasnt the only one who was surprised; Flametrail also seemed to be stunned as he looked around at the multiple spikes of earth rising out of the ground.

Hadix didnt seem interested in giving his opponent a chance to recover as he once again opened his mandibles wide, allowing a huge swarm of hissing locusts to emerge from his mouth and fly across the stadium in the elfs direction.

Flametrail yelled out what Krivax assumed was a Thalassian swear word and frantically threw a stream of fire at the swarm, revealing it to have been an illusion and causing it to dissipate.

The mage seemed to show an expression of relief, which instantly became panic as two intertwined orbs of arcane magic came flying through his flames and smashed into his body, knocking him off his feet and sending him tumbling across the ground.

Krivax was impressed to see that Flametrail actually managed to cast a shielding spell while rolling across the ground that saved him from the next barrage of arcane magic that followed immediately afterward.

Oh for a moment I believed that your people were actually able to summon swarms of man-eating insects at will, muttered the Archmage, sounding a mixture of relieved and tired as he sat back down.

No but I do know some Spiderlords who like carrying them around on their person, Krivax idly mentioned as he watched the very exciting fight.

Of course you do

From that point onward, Flametrail focused almost completely on defense, leveraging his expertise in warding magic to survive an onslaught of spells coming from Vizier Hadix. This eventually resulted in the elf panting in exhaustion as he stood inside an impressive barrier of arcane energy.

Flametrails almost completely out of mana but if that barrier is as powerful as it looks, I wouldnt count him out yet, said Runeweaver, leaning forward in his seat.

Whys that Archmage? asked Krivax. Things seem pretty hopeless for him from my perspective.

Just as Runeweaver was about to answer, Flametrail brought both of his palms together and closed his eyes.

Krivax had no idea what the mage was doing at first, but he was soon able to understand when Flametrail began to breathe in a strange pattern and a vortex of mana started swirling around the elf.

Flametrail is using a technique called evocation, explained Runeweaver without prompting. It allows for a mage to regenerate a large amount of mana in a very short amount of time. Its normally not something that is safe to use during combat, for obvious reasons, but this might be the perfect scenario. If he manages to regain all of his mana, then hell be in a much better position to fight Vizier Hadix, whos likely running low on mana himself by now.

Krivax doubted that Flametrail would be able to win, even if he did regain all his mana, but as soon as he saw Vizier Hadix pull out the spellweave he had been working on earlier, he knew that he wasnt going to be able to find out.

The silk glowed brightly with arcane energy, and was woven into a shape similar to what most people would usually expect from a spider web

If this is the extent of your capabilities, then I see no reason to continue this farce, said Hadix, throwing the silk into the air.

Krivax watched in amazement as the silk immediately expanded into a massive web-shaped dome that surrounded both him and Arcanist Flametrail. Its effects were immediate as the vortex of mana that was previously circling around Flametrail began to fly off on its own and into the web.

Pieces of Flametrails barrier began to crack like glass and also began floating toward the web.

What is this?! shouted the panicking Flametrail, immediately using some of the mana he had regained to throw a ball of fire at Hadix. The fireball barely reached a few feet before redirecting itself into the web, dissipating harmlessly the moment it made contact.

This is something of my own creation, said Hadix, sounding smug. Simply put, any magic you cast while under its effects will find itself stuck in my web, so to speak.

Impossible!

Flametrail frantically threw spell after spell at Hadix and even tried running out of the magical web barrier, but every spell he cast was useless and he barely managed to get himself unstuck the first time he tried physically touching the web.

It wasnt long before Flametrail was once again completely exhausted, but this time without any barriers to protect him from the telekinetically thrown rock that smashed into his stomach, sending him doubling over in pain.

You cannot win. Concede while you are still conscious enough to do so, said Vizier Hadix, fully prepared to follow through on his threat.

Arcanist Flametrail snarled in rage and shot a furious expression toward Hadix, but after a few moments he seemed to collect himself and realize that he had no other options.

I concede.

And thus the duel is decided! The victor, Vizier Hadix of Azjol-Nerub! declared the magical announcer the second after Flametrail conceded, the arcane barrier around the arena lowering and magical letters projected into the air spelling out the winners name for all to see.

And despite one of their own losing, Krivax watched as the stands exploded into cheers at the impressive display of magical combat, even the Archmage next to him standing and giving a respectful applause.

Told you, Vizier Crinis smug voice sounded out as she also raised and followed the crowd's lead by giving her colleague a polite round of clapping as well.

As for Hadix, he simply took everything in with a huff and made his way to the exit while his opponent picked himself up and did the same with as much grace as he could, likely off to see a healer about his many bruises.

All the while Krivax cheered for his teacher, a new level of respect welling up inside him.

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