魔兽争霸官方小说:仇恨之轮-Cycle of Hatred(英文版)-第25部分

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

Her　son　stood　on　the　other　side。　He　had　inherited　Aegwynn　s　great　height　and　her　eyes；　from　Nielas　Aran　came　his
broad　shoulders　and　elegant　nose。　His　grayflecked　hair　was　tied　back　in　a　respectable　ponytail；　and　he　kept　his　salt
andpepper　beard　well　trimmed。　His　maroon　cloak　flowed　behind　him　in　the　breeze。　

Yet　the　being　that　stood　before　her　was　unrecognizable　as　her　son。　For；　though　her　eyes　saw　Medivh；　her　entire　
wizardly　being　saw　only　Sargeras。　

How　is　this　possible？　I　killed　you。　　

Medivh　laughed　a　demonic　laugh。　Mother；　are　you　truly　that　much　of　a　fool？　Did　you　really　think　that　a　mere　girl
could　destroy　the　greatness　that　is　Sargeras？　He　used　you。　Used　you　to　make　me。　He　hid　within　you；　then　when
you　so　ably　seduced　my　father　transferred　his　essence　to　my　fetus。　He　has　been　my　constant　panion　my　
mentor；　the　parent　you　never　let　me　have。　　

Aegwynn　couldn　t　believe　it。　How　could　she　have　been　so　blind？　　You　killed　the　council。　　

Did　you　not　always　say　that　they　were　fools？　　

That　s　not　the　point！　They　didn　t　deserve　to　die！　　
　
Of　course　they　did。　You　didn　t　teach　me　very　much；　Mother。　You　were　always　far　too　busy　with　your　duties　as
Guardian　to　actually　raise　the　son　you　brought　into　the　world　to　succeed　you。　But　one　lesson　you　did　impart　on　one　
of　the　rare　occasions　when　you　bothered　to　acknowledge　my　existence　was　that　the　council　were　fools。　It　was
Sargeras　who　taught　me　what　the　final　fate　of　all　fools　must　be。　You　see；　Mother；　I　learned　all　my　lessons　well。　　

Stop　pretending；　Sargeras；　　she　said。　Stop　speaking　in　my　son　s　voice。　　

Medivh　threw　his　head　back　and　laughed。　Don　t　you　understand；　little　girl？　I　am　your　son！　　He　raised　his　hands。
And　I　am　your　end。　　

What　happened　next　happened　far　more　quickly　than　Aegwynn　would　have　imagined。　She　remembered　very　little
of　the　details；　which　was　probably　a　mercy。　All　she　knew　for　sure　was　that　she　had　a　harder　and　harder　time　
countering　Medivh　s　or；　rather；　Sargeras　s　spells　and　that　he　had　an　easier　and　easier　time　countering　hers。　

Weakened；　battered；　bleeding；　Aegwynn　collapsed　to　the　stone　floor　of　Medivh　s　keep；　barely　able　to　lift　her　head。
Her　son　stood　over　her；　laughing。　Why　do　you　look　so　sad；　Mother？　I　am　exactly　as　you　made　me。　After　all；　you
sired　me　in　order　to　circumvent　the　council　and　carry　on　your　heritage。　You　did　that。　From　the　moment　you
destroyed　Sargeras　s　physical　form；　thus　freeing　him　to　reside　within　you；　your　heritage　was　to　facilitate　Sargeras　s
will。　Now　you　have　fulfilled　your　purpose。　　He　grinned。　One　final　poke　in　the　eye　to　the　council；　eh？　　

Aegwynn　s　blood　turned　to　ice。　Those　were　her　thoughts　upon　Medivh　s　conception。　She　had　never　used　that
phrase　aloud；　certainly　never　to　Medivh。　She　had　indeed　been　a　minor　presence　in　his　life　at　first；　mostly　for　his
own　protection　she　couldn　t　afford　to　let　it　be　known　that　her　son　was　in　Stormwind；　for　fear　that　her　enemies
would　use　him　against　her。　Indeed；　she　only　revealed　that　she　was　his　mother　when　he　had　passed　puberty。　

At　that　moment；　she　ceased　all　resistance。　She　no　longer　wished　to　live　in　a　world　that　she　had　betrayed　so
thoroughly。　In　her　eagerness　to　do　her　job　right；　to　prove　the　council　wrong　in　their　dismissal　of　her；　she　had　led　to
the　victory　of　demonkind。　

Not　since　she　finished　her　apprenticeship　had　Aegwynn　cried。　The　birth　of　her　child；　the　death　of　her　parents；　the　
losses　against　demons　none　of　it　had　made　her　weep。　She　had　always　been　stronger　than　that。　Now；　though；　tears
flowed　freely　down　her　cheeks　as　she　looked　up　at　her　son；　who　laughed　at　her　anguish。　

Kill　me。　　

And　let　you　off　the　hook？　Don　t　be　a　fool；　Mother。　I　said　I　was　your　end；　not　your　death。　Allowing　you　to　expire　
would　not　begin　to　atone　for　what　you　have　done　to　me。　　Then　he　muttered　an　incantation。　

Eight　centuries　ago；　the　council　had　given　her　the　power　of　the　Guardian；　and　it　had　been　the　most　wonderful
experience　of　her　life。　It　was　what　it　might　have　been　like　for　a　blind　person　to　see　for　the　first　time。　When　she　
passed　that　power　on　to　Medivh；　it　had　been　less　wonderful；　but　still　she　had　a　feeling　of　satisfaction　in　creating　her
legacy；　and　the　departure　of　the　power　had　been　smooth　and　pleasant；　like　drifting　slowly　to　sleep。　

Now；　though；　her　power　was　being　ripped　from　her　by　Medivh；　and　it　felt　like　being　struck　blind；　deaf；　and　dumb。
Her　entire　body　felt　deadened　it　was　less　like　falling　asleep　and　more　like　falling　into　a　a。　

But　she　remained　awake　and　aware　of　all　that　was　happening。　And　she　realized　that　if　she　stayed　here；　Medivh　or；
rather；　Sargeras　would　keep　her　here。　She　would　reside　in　the　keep　s　dungeon；　no　doubt；　able　to　see　and　hear　all　
that　went　on；　be　made　aware　of　every　foul　deed　that　her　son　performed　in　Sargeras　s　name。　

She　also　realized　something　else　she　was　still　young。　Which　meant　that　Medivh　had　not　taken　the　deaging　magic
from　her。　
　
That　was　her　salvation；　she　realized。　She　gathered　up　the　remaining　tatters　of　her　concentration　and　unleashed　the
magic　of　the　deaging　spells；　grabbing　it；　harnessing　it；　and　reforming　it　into　a　teleport　spell　that　would　take　her
away　from　here。　

Moments　later；　her　hair　having　gone　white；　her　skin　having　wrinkled；　her　bones　having　grown　weaker；　she　found
herself　on　Kalimdor；　in　a　grassy　region　in　the　mountains　of　the　continent　s　eastern　coast。　



Proudmoore　s　voice　was　quiet　when　she　said；　That　must　have　been　terrible　for　you。　　

It　was。　　Aegwynn　shuddered。　In　fact；　it　was　worse　than　that；　but　she　had　simply　hit　the　high　points　for　
Proudmoore　s　benefit。　She　had　actually　tried　to　reason　with　Medivh；　and　tried　to　get　an　explanation　from　him　as　to
why　he　did　what　he　did　as　if　Sargeras　needed　a　reason。　But　she　saw　no　need　to　burden　Proudmoore　with　that
much　the　point　of　the　story　was　to　show　the　depths　of　her　own　stupidity。　She　continued：　When　I　came　here；　I　
was　able　to　use　what　little　magic　I　had　left　to　determine　that　there　was　no　one　around。　I　built　my　hut；　planted　my　
garden；　dug　my　well。　The　wards　didn　t　go　up　until　Thrall　and　his　people　settled　nearby。　　

I　m　not　surprised。　　There　was　an　odd　tone　to　Proudmoore　s　voice　when　she　said　that　as　if　she　knew　something　
Aegwynn　didn　t。　

What　s　that　supposed　to　mean？　　

Before　Proudmoore　could　answer；　Aegwynn　heard　something。　Proudmoore　heard　it　too；　as　they　both　turned　to　face　
south。　It　sounded　familiar；　but　it　was　a　noise　Aegwynn　hadn　t　heard　in　years。　

Moments　later；　her　suspicion　was　confirmed：　the　noise　was　made　by　the　displacement　of　air　by　a　massive　dirigible；
which　was　now　ing　around　one　of　the　Bladescar　peaks。　It　stopped　right　in　front　of　the　wards　and　hovered。
Aegwynn　assumed　a　mage　or　at　the　very　least；　a　sensitive　was　on　board。　

A　rope　ladder　fell　from　the　undercarriage；　and　a　figure　in　plate　armor　started　to　climb　down。　As　the　figure　came
closer；　Aegwynn　recognized　the　insignia　on　the　armor　as　that　of　a　colonel。　

To　her　shock；　the　figure　was　a　human　female。　She　turned　and　gave　Proudmoore　a　questioning　glance。　

The　girl　smiled。　If　a　woman　can　be　a　Guardian　of　Tirisfal；　why　can　t　a　woman　be　a　colonel？　　

Aegwynn　had　no　choice　but　to　concede　the　point。　

Milady；　　the　woman　said　as　she　came　down　off　the　bottom　rung　of　the　rope；　I　m　afraid　I　bring　bad　news。　　She　
then　looked　askance　at　Aegwynn。　

Colonel　Lorena；　this　is　Magna　Aegwynn。　You　may　speak　as　freely　to　her　as　you　would　to　me。　　

The　colonel　nodded　and　started　to　speak。　Apparently　the　word　of　Jaina　Proudmoore　was　enough　for　this　colonel。
Aegwynn　grudgingly　admitted　to　being　impressed。　A　woman　didn　t　rise　to　such　a　position　without　a　great　deal　of
hard　work　she　suspected　that　Lorena　was　twice　as　good　as　any　male　colonel；　simply　because　she　would　have　to　be
to　succeed。　If　someone　that　talented　trusted　Proudmoore　so　implicitly；　then　Proudmoore　may　have　been　a　more　
impressive　specimen　than　Aegwynn　had　been　willing　to　credit。　

Perhaps　there　was　something　to　the　girl　s　hero　worship　after　all。　

Lorena　said；　Ma　am；　it　is　my　firm　belief　that　Chamberlain　Kristoff　is　a　member　of　the　Burning　Blade　that　he　has　
conspired　to　increase　our　forces　at　Northwatch　and　provoke　the　orcs　into　a　conflict。　　
　
Proudmoore　s　face　fell。　Kristoff？　I　don　t　believe　that。　　

But　the　colonel　spent　the　next　several　minutes　explaining　what　had　happened　in　Proudmoore　s　absence　from
Theramore。　

When　she　was　done；　Aegwynn　asked；　　When　did　this　Burning　Blade　start？　　

We　re　not　sure；　　Proudmoore　said。　We　think　it　s　related　to　a　former　orc　clan。　Why？　　

Because　Zmodlor　started　a　cult　called　the　Burning　Blade。　In　fact；　the　sword　he　was　going　to　use　to　sacrifice　the
children　he　d　imprisoned　was　covered　in　oil　and　was　to　be　set　alight　when　the　sacrifice　menced。　Since　Zmodlor　
is　around；　it　s　possible　he　was　involved　with　those　orcs　as　well。　　

Lorena　spoke　up　before　Proudmoore　could　respond　to　that。　　Milady；　why　are　you　behind　these　wards？　I　brought
Booraven　with　us　to　track　you　down；　and　she　said　there　were　wards　up　so　we　could