魔兽争霸官方小说:仇恨之轮-Cycle of Hatred(英文版)-第24部分

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airship；　but　it　was　heading　northeast。　The　troops　have　arrived；　but　I　don　t　know　what　the　colonel　had　in　mind　for　
em。　Please　advise。　　　

Kristoff　sighed　as　he　put　the　stone　back　on　its　pedestal。　Damn　that　woman！　　

What　woman？　　Duree　asked。　

Colonel　Lorena。　Who　did　she　take　with　her　on　the　airship？　　
　
Without　hesitating；　the　old　woman　called　up　the　answer　from　memory。　Peculiar　though　her　manner　might　have　
been；　the　woman　was　incredibly　efficient。　Major　Bek；　Captain　Harcort；　Captain　Mirra；　and　Lieutenant　Noroj。　Oh；
and　Corporal　Booraven。　　

Frowning；　Kristoff　asked；　Why　did　she　bring　a　corporal　along？　　He　had　specifically　told　the　colonel　to　have　her
senior　staff　on　the　airship　and　to　send　the　troops　along　by　boat。　Then　a　memory　started　niggling　at　him。　I　know　that
name　from　somewhere。　　

Duree；　bless　her；　came　to　his　rescue。　She　s　the　one　they　called　the　goodluck　charm；　back　during　the　war。　A
sensitive；　if　I　m　rememberin　　right　can　sniff　out　magic　at　a　hundred　paces。　　

Right；　of　course。　　Kristoff　remembered　that　Booraven　who　had　been　a　private　during　the　war　not　only　was　able
to　detect　demons　that　couldn　t　be　seen　with　the　naked　eye；　but　also　could　tell　when　someone　had　been　possessed　by　
a　member　of　the　Burning　Legion。　She　also　was　always　able　to　find　Lady　Proudmoore；　or　any　other　wizard；　a　skill　
several　generals　made　use　of　when　the　lady　was　difficult　to　track　down　during　a　chaotic　campaign。　

At　once；　Kristoff　realized　what　Lorena　had　in　mind。　Damn　her！　　Letting　out　a　long　sigh；　he　muttered；　And　damn
myself　as　well。　　

What　was　that；　sir？　　Duree　asked。　

Nothing；　　Kristoff　said　quickly。　He　couldn　t　afford　to　explain　things　to　Duree。　That　ll　be　all。　　

Sounding　confused；　Duree　said；　All　all　right；　sir。　　Looking　at　him　strangely；　she　left。　

For　his　part；　Kristoff　stared　out　the　large　window。　It　was　hazy　today；　and　he　couldn　t　see　more　than　a　league　or　two
out　on　the　Great　Sea。　

Belatedly；　Kristoff　realized　that　the　mistake　was　truly　his　own。　He　had　let　the　colonel　s　hostility　toward　him
which　had　always　been　there；　going　back　to　the　days　of　the　war　affect　his　own　reactions　to　her。　He　treated　her
with　the　same　contempt　she　treated　him　with；　an　indulgence　that　was　acceptable；　if　sometimes　counterproductive；
when　they　both　advised　the　lady；　but　suicidal　when　he　sat　on　her　throne。　Part　of　the　point　of　the　symbolism　of　the
raised　throne　was　that　the　leader　had　to　be　above　everything　else　including　the　petty　rivalries　of　the　court。　

The　very　arrogance　that　had　done　in　Garithos　and　so　many　more　before　him；　had　done　in　Kristoff。　If　the
chamberlain　had　treated　Lorena　with　respect；　she　might　have　done　as　he　asked。　Because　he　didn　t；　she　took
Booraven　with　her　to　once　again　serve　the　purpose　of　finding　Lady　Proudmoore。　That　explained　why　she　headed
northeast：　to　Durotar；　where　the　lady　was　taking　care　of　the　thunder　lizards。　

Much　as　it　galled　him；　he　had　only　one　recourse。　The　plan　had　to　go　ahead；　with　some　small　variations。　They　might
cause　problems　later；　but　by　then　the　die　would　be　cast。　The　only　way　for　Jaina　Proudmoore　to　see　that　the　orcs　
were　not　to　be　trusted　was　to　accelerate　the　inevitable　war　between　them。　

To　that　end；　he　picked　up　the　stone　once　again；　this　time　with　both　hands　rather　than　one；　which　the　stone　registered
as　a　desire　to　send　a　message。　This　time；　the　stone　glowed　blue。　This　is　Chamberlain　Kristoff。　I　m　afraid　our　worst
fears　have　been　realized。　Both　Lady　Proudmoore　and　Colonel　Lorena　have　been　taken　by　the　foul　orc　cult　known　as
the　Burning　Blade。　The　orcs　must　be　made　to　pay　for　this。　Major　Davin；　you　are　to　take　charge　of　all　forces　at
Northwatch　and　prepare　for　war。　　

When　he　put　the　stone　back　down；　the　glow　faded；　its　message　sent　through　the　aether　to　its　counterpart　in　the　keep。　

After　that；　he　retreated　to　the　chambers　to　finish　the　work　he　had　been　in　the　middle　of。　However；　the　stink　of　sulfur　
permeated　the　air　as　soon　as　he　arrived　at　the　entryway；　which　meant　that　Zmodlor　had　arrived。　

Galtak　Ered　nash。　Report；　Chamberlain。　　
　
Kristoff　wrinkled　his　nose；　both　because　of　the　smell　and　in　general　disgust。　He　hated　being　involved　with　demons；
and　if　the　stakes　weren　t　so　high；　he　would　just　as　soon　run　this　creature　through。　But　another　lesson　of　leadership
Kristoff　had　learned　was　that　sometimes　one　had　to　make　strange　allies　in　order　to　serve　the　greater　good　of　one　s
people。　That　was　why　Lady　Proudmoore　had　taken　the　extraordinary　step　of　bringing　human　and　orc　together　in　the　
first　place；　and　why　Kristoff　now　had　to　take　the　same　step　with　Zmodlor。　It　was　a　temporary　alliance　with　a　minor
demon　who　meant　little　in　the　grand　scheme　of　things。　In　truth；　Kristoff　was　using　Zmodlor　playing　on　the
creature　s　vanity　and　bowing　and　scraping　before　him　in　order　for　him　to　do　precisely　what　Kristoff　wished。　

All　goes　according　to　plan。　The　people　of　Theramore　are　primed　to　attack　the　orcs　and　destroy　them。　　

Good。　I　will　derive　great　pleasure　from　seeing　those　foul　traitors　wiped　from　this　world。　　

As　will　I。　　Kristoff　meant　those　words。　Zmodlor　had　been　a　useful　ally　to　Kristoff　because　the　two　of　them　shared
a　fervent　desire　to　rid　the　world　of　orcs。　And　when　this　was　all　over；　and　the　orcs　were　no　longer　a　factor；　Kristoff　
fully　intended　to　rid　the　world　of　Zmodlor　as　well…。　

May　our　hearts　　desires　e　to　us　sooner　rather　than　later；　Chamberlain。　Farewell。　Galtak　Ered　nash。　　

Nodding；　Kristoff　repeated　those　two　words　in　Zmodlor　s　native　tongue　that　translated　as：　All　hail　the　Burning　
Blade。　　

Sixteen　

A　egwynn　watched　with　bitter　amusement　as　Jaina　Proudmoore　tried　to　break　the　demonic　wards。　The　girl　had　left
Aegwynn　s　hut　to　go　to　the　periphery　of　the　wards　which　were　in　the　same　location　as　the　previous　ones　and　try　
to　perate　them　from　close　up；　at　which　Aegwynn　didn　t　expect　her　to　be　any　more　successful。　

Zmodlor　obviously　had　no　interest　in　meeting　Aegwynn　again；　since　he　d　gone　to　the　trouble　to　trap　her　here　once　
Proudmoore　dispersed　the　old　wards。　After　all；　as　long　as　those　wards；　which　were　up　due　to　Aegwynn　s　desire；
were　in　place；　Zmodlor　had　nothing　to　worry　about。　But　if　the　wards　went　down；　he　d　be　concerned；　and　so　would
have　a　backup　in　place。　

Not　that　it　mattererd。　Aegwynn　was　long　past　the　point　of　being　able　to　fight　demons　magically。　

After　her　latest　failed　attempt；　Proudmoore　reached　into　her　cloak　and　pulled　out　some　jerky。　Almost
unconsciously；　Aegwynn　nodded　her　approval。　Whoever　mentored　the　girl　was　sensible　enough　to　teach　her　the　
practicalities。　That　was　something　Scavell；　for　all　his　brilliance；　had　never　covered。　It　wasn　t　until　the　third　time　she
collapsed　from　hunger　following　the　pursuit　of　a　demon　that　she　thought　to　bring　food　with　her　on　such　missions。　

Then　the　girl　turned　to　face　Aegwynn。　Perhaps　if　we　bine　our　forces；　we　can　do　it。　　

Not　bloodly　likely。　　Aegwynn　laughed　bitterly。　Adding　my　　forces　　to　yours　would　give　you　the　same　result。　My　
magical　abilities　have　long　since…atrophied。　　The　word　was　inaccurate；　but　was　sufficient　for　the　purposes　of
answering　Proudmoore　s　question。　A　pity　there　s　no　one　on　the　other　side　to　serve　as　a　conduit。　　

A　conduit　for　what？　　

Aegwynn　revised　her　estimate　of　Proudmoore　s　teacher　back　downward。　Don　t　you　know　Meitre　s　peration
spell？　　

Proudmoore　shook　her　head。　Most　of　Meitre　s　scrolls　were　destroyed　ten　years　ago。　I　learned　the　ones　that　were　
salvaged；　but　that　one　doesn　t　sound　familiar。　　
　
Pity；　　was　all　Aegwynn　would　say。　It　mattered　little　to　her　whose　wards　were　up；　as　long　as　they　kept　her　safe　
here。　She　wanted　nothing　more　than　to　live　out　the　rest　of　her　days　away　from　the　world　she　d　already　done　too
much　damage　to。　

Why　are　you　so　weakened？　　

Aegwynn　sighed。　She　should　have　expected　that。　

Then　again；　perhaps　Proudmoore　needed　to　hear　the　entire　story。　Or　at　least；　Aegwynn　s　own　verison　of　it。　



Twentyfive　years　ago…　　

Medivh　had　taken　up　residence　in　the　tower　of　Kharazan　in　the　Redridge　Mountains；　located　in　a　series　of　hillocks。
Surrounded　only　by　vines　and　weeds　the　old　trees　of　the　Elwynn　Forest　no　longer　made　it　up　this　far；　they　had
died　after　Medivh　took　up　residence　the　tor　on　which　Medivh　had　his　keep　was　shaped　exactly　like　a　human　skull。　

Aegwynn　found　the　shape　to　be　sadly　appropriate。　She　approached　the　place　now　on　foot；　having　no　desire　to　do
anything　to　alert　her　son　to　her　approach。　

The　Guardians　of　Tirisfal　were　dead。　Orcs　now　rampaged　throughout　Azeroth。　War　had　broken　out　all　over　the　
world。　The　source　of　all　this？　

Her　own　flesh　and　blood。　

She　didn　t　know　how　it　was　possible。　She　had　sired　Medivh　to　carry　on　her　work；　not　unravel　it。　

Only　when　she　arrived　at　the　gates　did　she　feel　it。　Her　son　was　present；　she　knew　that　much；　as　were　Moroes；　the
house　servant；　and　the　cook　though　the　latter　two　were　both　asleep　in　their　respective　chambers。　But　she　felt　
another；　one　whose　essence　was　intertwined　with　that　of　her　son。　One　whom　she　had　defeated　centuries　ago。　

No　longer　bothering　with　her　attempt　to　arrive　subtly；　she　cast　a　wind　spell　that　slammed　into　the　gate；　gale　forces
shattering　the