A Nerubian's Journey
Chapter 61

“Focus, Krivax! These new abilities of yours must become second nature if you ever want to make use of them in combat,” said Vizier Hadix, studying Krivax carefully as he attempted to create a water elemental.

“I’m trying. This really isn’t as easy as it looks,” said Krivax. It usually took an experienced mage around a year to learn how to conjure a water elemental, but Krasus was right when he said that it would come naturally to him. “I think I’ve made some good progress over the past few days.”

“Make better progress.”

Knowing that trying to argue with Hadix was a useless endeavor, Krivax focused on the matter at hand. It had only been a few days since the two of them happened to replace themselves in Kilah’kuk at the same time, and Hadix had already returned to old habits. The Vizier had quickly dragged him off to an expansive, well-lit room with a multitude of magical training dummies and began instructing Krivax on how to train his new abilities.

Picturing the image of the elemental in his mind, he began to summon the water that would make up the elemental while weaving the arcane spell that would hold it together. Feeling his Arcane magic answer his call, Krivax slowly willed the water to rise and take form within the bounds he’d given it.

At first, it was nothing more than a puddle on the ground, but it continued to rise as he focused on the spell. After the swirling mass of liquid had transformed into a towering water elemental as tall as Krivax, he let out a relieved breath and quickly channeled his Life magic into the creature. It wasn’t long before Krivax felt a connection between him and the elemental sprung into being and he knew that he had succeeded.

“That one went by pretty smoothly. How long did it take?” Krivax asked proudly, glancing toward Hadix.

“Thirty-seven seconds. Better than your previous attempts, but still too slow to be used in the middle of combat,” Hadix announced with a stern expression. “You need to be able to summon an elemental in the span of a breath if you intend to use them on a battlefield. Someone as young as you should never be able to learn such complex magic so easily, so I suggest you take full advantage of your ridiculous luck.”

Hadix’s reaction after he saw Krivax for the first time since his transformation had been one of intense exasperation. The Vizier had reprimanded him at first for getting involved in matters beyond his ability and accepting power from an incomprehensibly powerful dragon he barely knew, but Hadix abruptly stopped halfway through his lecture. According to him, trying to stop Krivax from being ridiculous was an exercise in futility.

Which was… probably true, but still hurtful!

“I see no point in further attempts to lower your casting time. That is something that you can practice without my guidance,” said Hadix, crossing his arms. They were both very busy managing their respective Divisions, so they both needed to manage their time wisely. “Now, we should focus on your ability to control and direct your water elemental during combat. In addition, you should also adjust to using your new Life-related abilities in combat. The best way to evaluate your current capabilities is through a short duel.”

Krivax felt a hint of nerves that quickly turned into eagerness. Hadix was right that a hands-on approach would be the best way to figure out what Krivax needed to work on. Besides, they were already in one of the Circle of Vizier’s secluded training chambers, so they would be able to practice without interruption. It had been a long time since Krivax had actually gone toe-to-toe with his mentor, so this would be a good way to see how far he had come.

Moving to opposite sides of the room, the two mages both took their positions before facing each other. Krivax directed his water elemental to stand by his side before creating a layer of frost armor around himself as he waited for the duel to begin.

“Are you ready, Krivax?” Hadix called out, his voice stern and focused.

“Ready!” Krivax eagerly replied.

With a sharp nod, Hadix signaled for them to begin. Krivax immediately commanded his elemental to engage Hadix while shooting a torrent of Life-infused flames in his mentor’s direction. Krivax willed his flames not to harm the elemental and a stream of both fire and water simultaneously rushed toward the older Vizier.

Hadix, still far his superior in terms of combat experience, simply teleported a few feet to the side and launched a massive orb of arcane magic at his elemental. Krivax barely managed to engulf that sphere in a wall of flames before it managed to hit its target. He replied with a volley of frost bolts and stone spikes in order to buy time to cast a ward against spatial magic.

“Quick reaction. It seems that flames come to you the fastest after your transformation,” said Hadix, sounding vaguely impressed as he continued to launch constant attacks toward Krivax. “Don’t forget to give orders to the elemental. You should never allow your opponent to take the initiative.”

The elemental isn’t the only way I can get back the initiative…

With that in mind, Krivax had it rush his mentor without any concern for the damage it might take. As his mentor was dealing with the elemental, Krivax took the opportunity to prepare his next course of action.

Hadix hadn’t been there when Queens were testing the limits of his ability, so the Vizier didn’t fully know what he was capable of. That was why it was so effective when Krivax pulled on half of his reservoir of Life magic in a single moment and exploded in a nova of fire that covered the massive training room in flames. Hadix reeled back in momentary shock, likely having forgotten that Krivax’s flames burned only what he wanted them to, and summoned a triple-layered barrier far stronger than his previous ones.

Krivax didn’t let up and used the surprise to his advantage. Moments later, all of the fire in the room streamed toward the barrier and engulfed it in a towering inferno that blocked out all sight. Krivax then completed the geomancy spell he’d been casting to sink the earth beneath Hadix’s feet and throw him off balance. Such a spell could have easily been something more lethal if this weren’t a friendly spar, and Krivax felt proud of himself for managing to catch Hadix off guard.

At least until he heard Hadix’s characteristic drawl a few feet behind him.

“That was rather impressive. If you improve your wards against spatial magic and remember to check for illusions, you may actually be able to threaten mages superior to you in experience,” Hadix remarked with a rare hint of pride as he dispelled the magic hiding him from sight. “Although, it would have been far harder to teleport out of the barrier if you were truly willing to burn me and keep the room engulfed in flames. Should that plan you mentioned to me earlier regarding the golem prove fruitful, I suspect you would make for a threatening combatant, Krivax.”

Feeling slightly embarrassed at his oversight but still happy with Hadix’s assessment, Krivax nodded in gratitude. “Thank you, Vizier Hadix. I’ll remember to be more thorough in the future.”

“Good. Now let’s begin again. The only method to properly form these habits is through continuous practice.”

The next hour was very illuminating as Hadix pointed out each of Krivax’s deficiencies as they continued to duel. Every time he tried to overwhelm Hadix with his newfound abilities, the seasoned Vizier managed to replace a clever way to surprise him or exploit a weakness he hadn’t previously noticed. Things did get a bit more difficult once Hadix realized how quickly Krivax was now able to regenerate from his wounds.

Learning how to fight through pain was a lesson that Hadix apparently found very important to teach…

Once they were finally done, the two of them stood in the center of the now battered training room. Krivax was surprised to replace that he felt completely fine while Hadix was beginning to show signs of exhaustion. He had learned over the past hour that his regeneration and inexhaustible stamina were some of the most significant advantages he had gained from Alexstrasza’s gift.

His Life-infused fire was useful too as he could easily throw out a stream of fire while casting a different spell, but simply being able to outlast his opponents was an incredible boon. On the other hand, Krivax learned that he needed more effective offensive options against enemies who could defend against or simply avoid his current attacks.

His fire was powerful, but that meant nothing if Hadix simply sank into the ground, created illusionary decoys, or teleported out of the way. Krivax already had a few ideas on how he could remedy the situation, but it would take some time to bring everything together.

“Thanks for the help, Vizier Hadix,” Krivax said sincerely, knowing he wouldn’t have been able to identify these strengths and weaknesses quickly without the Vizier’s help. “I’ll continue to practice conjuring those water elementals. I feel like I would be in a better place if I could just create a dozen of them like Archmage Modera.”

“I’m sure you’ll eventually succeed, against all common sense and reason,” Hadix dryly replied, a hint of amusement in his eyes. “It’s a shame that I must return to the Eastern Kingdoms so quickly. We could have made a significant amount of progress if we had more time.”

“Oh? Have you made any progress on replaceing the Void artifact that the Aspects mentioned?” Krivax asked curiously, suddenly reminded of Hadix’s ongoing mission.

“I haven’t. There are some reports from the captured orcs of a human female wielding the weapon that the dragons mentioned, but the human seems to have disappeared completely,” said Hadix, his expression twisting into disgust at the mention of the Void. “If this ‘Xal’atath’ is as powerful and cunning as the dragons claim, then replaceing it will be difficult, but I will succeed eventually.”

Krivax nodded in agreement. After sharing his metaknowledge with the Aspects, they decided to delegate many of the tasks that they couldn’t immediately accomplish either to their Flights or mortal organizations. Hadix’s pursuit of Xal’atath, a powerful Void entity bound to a dagger, was one of those delegations.

“I see. Things have been really busy for the both of us recently, and I doubt that’s going to change anytime soon,” said Krivax, already feeling mentally exhausted as he remembered what was going on in the Eastern Kingdoms.

Ironforge and Gnomeregan had both been sent into an uproar after the discovery of Archaedas, especially after the Keeper sent invitations for both nations to send him their brightest scholars. Dalaran was similarly going through many changes after Kalecgos of the Blue Dragonflight and Chromie of the Bronze Dragonflight expressed their willingness to teach a few mortals their magic. The Red Dragonflight had openly announced their desire to recruit skilled warriors as Dragonsworn and Krivax had even heard rumors of the Green Dragonflight being seen near Gilneas and Kul’Tiras.

Krivax was glad that the immortals seemed to be invested in working with the mortal races after they heard his warnings. Azeroth was going to need all of the advantages that it could get. However, it did make his job as a diplomat much more complicated when every nation in the Eastern Kingdoms seemed to be embroiled in a frenzy of political changes.

The two of them spoke for a while longer on a variety of topics before Krivax informed his mentor that he needed to leave.

“Hmph. Do you have somewhere important to be? I was led to believe that the Queens had finished their latest round of tests,” Hadix asked inquisitively.

“They have, but I thought that I would take the opportunity to go visit Azjol-Nerub’s shipyards near Kamagua. After all, one of the ships being built there is going to be the one to take me to Kalimdor,” Krivax responded, his voice eager and filled with anticipation.

“I see. I’m sure that the shipyards are the only reason that you’re taking time away from your duties to go to Kamagua, and not simply because you want to visit the walrus people,” Hadix drawled, his disbelief obvious.

“That’s just a nice side benefit,” Krivax replied insincerely.

Truthfully, he just wanted to see all of the changes that had happened in Kamagua over the past couple of years since he first made contact with them. Krivax knew that he wouldn’t always have time to revisit the places and people he’d connected with, so he had every intention of taking advantage of the opportunity while he could. The only way today could be better was if Masruk could have come along with him, but his friend always seemed busy whenever Krivax got into contact with him.

Hadix simply shook his head, knowing Krivax all too well. “Very well, enjoy your little detour. Just remember that you have duties to attend to. The world is growing stranger by the day, and it won’t stop turning while you are engaging in frivolities.”

“I understand, Vizier Hadix. I’ll only be there for a day at most,” said Krivax, managing to keep a straight face despite his excitement. “Thank you again for the training session.”

“You’re welcome. Now, go on your little trip before you start pacing around like an excited hatchling,” Hadix said, shooing him away with a flick of his hand. “Just don’t forget to continue practicing what we’ve gone over today.”

Krivax nodded and quickly exited the training chamber, ignoring the stares of passing nerubians as he stepped out into Kilah’Kuk and began making his way to the city’s portal hub. The vast majority of nerubians had still never even left their underground kingdom, so it was no surprise that a nerubian who looked as weird as he did drew attention. It didn’t help that he was quickly becoming one of the most well-known nerubians in the kingdoms.

He had long since gotten used to strangers staring at him and paid it no mind.

Aside from Krivax suddenly becoming the center of attention, Kilah’Kuk hadn’t changed very much since he’d last been in the city. The goods available in the local marketplaces were notably more diverse and there were several new foods being sold, such as shellfish and termites, but the general atmosphere of the city remained the same. Krivax knew he wouldn’t enjoy staying in Kilah’Kuk for the rest of his life, but he couldn’t help but feel a sense of comfort walking through its familiar streets.

It didn’t take long for Krivax to reach the portal station near the city’s Warrior compound. The station was far busier than the first time he had visited, with nerubians entering and exiting the building in a constant stream of movement. The portal to the outpost near Kamagua had been practically abandoned just a few years ago, but now Krivax had to wait nearly a half hour before he could make his way through.

Once he was done with the administrative process and stepped through the portal, Krivax was struck by how many skitterers there were constantly moving through the outpost. He had known that there was a steady stream of trade going to Kamagua and then Kilah’Kuk, but seeing it in person was still impressive

As Krivax made his way toward the gate leading to the surface, he realized that the tunnels had even been expanded to accommodate the increase in traffic. Once he presented his credentials to the Spiderlord guarding access to the surface, the Gatekeeper looked down at him with a wary gaze.

“I remember you, Vizier Krivax. You’ve become rather famous since I last saw you. Your great service to Azjol-Nerub is well known and we are all very grateful,” said Gatekeeper Gruth’ib, his deep voice echoing through the caverns. Krivax remembered him too, as the Gatekeeper was the first Spiderlord he had ever directly spoken to. “But I certainly hope you don’t intend to do anything that would bring even more attention to this outpost. It has already grown far busier than I would prefer.”

“I’m just heading out to visit the shipyards and see how things have progressed,” Krivax reassured the Spiderlord. “I don’t think anything I do should affect you too heavily.”

“Good. I don’t want any unnecessary chaos,” Gruth’ib grumbled as he opened the gate, allowing Krivax to pass. “Enjoy your visit, Vizier.”

“Thank you, Gatekeeper,” Krivax said gratefully, nodding his head in respect before making his way to the surface.

The first thing that he noticed was that several nerubian buildings had been constructed around the entrance of the tunnel, with several guards and administrators examining any incoming wares. Not only that but a road leading south toward Kamagua had been constructed, complete with patrols of guards to defend against the Howling Fjord’s local wildlife.

The combination of the road and Krivax’s newly increased strength and inexhaustible stamina meant that his journey went by far quicker than he expected, and it wasn’t long before Krivax could see tuskarr kites flying in the distance. As he approached the tuskarr outpost overlooking the Isle of Spears and guarding the Ancient Lift, Krivax couldn’t help but laugh as he saw a young tuskarr warrior do a double take once they spotted him. The guard quickly rushed into one of the buildings and emerged a few moments later with an older tuskarr who Krivax was glad to see.

The armor being worn by Orfus was far better than it was a few years ago; his spear even had several new enchantments upon it. Krivax was happy to see that time had treated the tuskarr warrior well, but he could tell that Orfus didn’t recognize him at all. Given that Krivax had been a regular nerubian, a mere Initiate, and wasn’t bright red the last time they had seen each other, that wasn’t much of a surprise.

“Welcome, traveler!” Orfus called out hesitantly, squinting up at Krivax as he studied him. “You’re not like any nerubian that we’ve ever seen, even among the Viziers. What brings you to the Isle of Spears?”

“Hello, Orfus. It’s been a long time since we’ve last met,” said Krivax, amused as he saw the confusion growing on the tuskarr’s face. “It’s me, Krivax. I’ve gone through a few transformations over the past few years, but I was in Kilah’Kuk for business and thought that I’d pay Kamagua a visit.”

Orfus stared at him for a moment, his eyes widening as recognition finally dawned on him. “Krivax! I… I can hardly believe it’s you! You look so different. It’s been far too long, my friend! Welcome back!”

Krivax chucked in delight. “It’s good to see you as well, Orfus. I’m surprised that you believed that it was me so easily.”

“Well, relations between us and Azjol-Nerub have improved a lot over the past few years, but I still haven’t met any nerubians as friendly as you,” said Orfus with a chuckle. “Besides, there’s something about your voice I’d recognize anywhere. Come, I will take you aboard the Ancient Lift and show you around Kamagua and Iskaal. Things have changed a lot since you left.”

Krivax nodded happily and followed Orfus as they made their way to the Ancient Lift, cheerfully greeting the tuskarr guards that they passed along the way. Surprisingly, there were quite a few people waiting to take the lift down to the Isle of Spears, including several nerubians, so Krivax took the chance to observe the tuskarr island from his high vantage point while he waited his turn.

Both of the two tuskarr villages on the Isle of Spears, Kamagua and Iskaal, were larger than he remembered, with numerous new structures having been built since his last visit. Kamagua’s port in particular was much more expansive with several trading ships from the Eastern Kingdoms visibly docked nearby.

With his powerful vision, Krivax turned his attention further south to the smaller, unnamed island south of the Isle of Spears and saw Azjol-Nerub’s primary shipyard. There was a large dockyard in which several ships were under construction, as well as several nerubian warehouses nearby. This location had been chosen due to its relative proximity to the Howling Fjord’s abundant lumber and the tuskarr villages for their expertise. Although Azjol-Nerub was primarily relying on hired experts from the Eastern Kingdoms to teach them how to build ships, the tuskarr had helped a lot during the initial stages of construction.

It was eventually their turn to take the Ancient Lift and Krivax stepped onto the primitive cable car with Orfus. As they began making their descent toward the Isle of Spears, Krivax noted that the Ancient Lift had gone through a few improvements. Its rope was now made of sturdy nerubian silk and the wooden platform they were riding on was now covered in enchantments designed to reinforce its structure.

When they finally reached the Isle of Spears, Orfus led Krivax to the bustling village of Kamagua and reintroduced him to the curious tuskarr villagers.

As they made their way through the village, Krivax noted that the majority of the tuskarrs were now wearing a combination of fur, leather, and silk clothing made from nerubian Iceweave. Many of their buildings had been expanded and reinforced, and there was an overall atmosphere of contentment and peace among the villagers. The marketplace was busier than he remembered, and tuskarr merchants were haggling over prices with merchants from Azjol-Nerub and the Eastern Kingdoms.

Krivax even spotted a dwarf arguing with a tuskarr over alcohol, which seemed to be a kind of mead if he wasn’t mistaken.

Orfus continued to proudly show off each of Kamagua’s improvements until they were interrupted by a familiar voice. “Orfus, were you so excited to show Krivax through the village that you forgot to bring him to see the Chieftain? I’m too old to be chasing the two of you down.”

Orfus blanched as he turned to see Elder Wumni, glaring at the two of them as she leaned against her staff. The elderly tuskarr had aged further since Krivax had last seen her, but she still carried herself with the same dignity that he remembered. “My apologies, Elder Wumni. We just got a bit… carried away.”

Wumni snorted but smiled warmly as she turned to Krivax. “It’s good to see you again. I remember saying that our last meeting wouldn’t be the last we saw of one another. I’m glad to see that I was correct, Krivax. You should have sent word that you would be coming so that we could have arranged a proper welcome. How long will you be staying?”

“It’s good to see you too, Elder Wumni. I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to send word, but my visit was a tad bit spontaneous. I’ll only be able to stay for a day or so, but there’s no need for any kind of celebration. I just wanted to pay you all a visit and check on Azjol-Nerub’s shipyard,” said Krivax, his tone warm and friendly.

“No need for a celebration? Do you think my people are so ungrateful or do you not understand how much you have done for us?” Wumni frowned, her gruff voice making her displeasure clear. “It’s thanks to trade with Azjol-Nerub and the Eastern Kingdoms that we have more than enough resources for us all to survive the harsh winters. It’s thanks to the shipyard that the murlocs have been driven away from our villages and our fishermen can safely travel farther to catch fish. Our young ones are learning trades that we could never have dreamed of before, and our warriors are better equipped than ever. You aren’t leaving this village without at least a small feast.”

Krivax chuckled, unable to deny the warmth he felt at the Elder’s insistence. “Alright, Elder Wumni. If you insist, then I would be honored to attend a feast. I’m just glad that things have been going well for your people.”

“Good. Now, come with me. We’ll pay our respects to the Chieftain and then I’ll show you to the shipyard myself,” Wumni said, turning around and beginning to walk toward the Chieftain’s hut. Krivax and Orfus followed her, the latter still looking slightly sheepish for forgetting about the proper protocol.

The Chieftain’s hut was larger than Krivax remembered, likely having been expanded to accommodate the increased activity in Kamagua in recent years. Given how tall he now was, Krivax was glad that he only had to bend down a little to pass through the entrance. Inside, Chieftain Atuk was engaged in conversation with several advisors and merchants, discussing matters of trade between Kamagua and the Eastern Kingdoms.

The Chieftain was just as glad to see Krivax and enthusiastically welcomed him to Kamagua. After the two of them spent some time catching up, Elder Wumni pulled Krivax away so he could visit the shipyard and the Chieftain could return his attention to the disgruntled merchants. As the three of them made their way out of the Chieftain’s hut and toward the dockyard, Krivax was startled when he felt something small suddenly crash into one of his legs.

Krivax looked down and saw a tuskarr child stuffed into a little fur coat looking up at him quietly and raising their arms. It took a moment for him to recognize the child, but when he did Krivax immediately reached down and gently lifted the child with a single hand.

“Karfu! You’ve grown while I was gone. How did you recognize me so easily?” Krivax asked, genuinely curious as he looked at the young tuskarr.

Wumni snorted as she watched the scene unfold. “That one will start training with me and the other Elders once he comes of age. The spirits favor him, and they likely told the boy of your arrival.”

Karfu was as quiet as he hugged his arm and merely looked around the village in curiosity from his new high vantage point. Krivax chuckled warmly and placed the tuskarr child on his shoulders before they continued on their way to the dockyard.

Although the nerubian dockyard was built on a different island, Azjol-Nerub had constructed a large bridge connecting the two to better facilitate the transport of people and materials. Krivax recalled having to ford it the normal way back when he helped the tuskarrs dislodge the murloc village and being very thankful he had magic to keep himself warm and his robes dry when he did so. This was much more convenient in comparison.

Once they finally reached the dockyard, Krivax took a moment to admire the hard work that had gone into its construction and continued operation. Azjol-Nerub was a nation uniquely blessed with resources and manpower, and it was clear that they had put both to good use in quickly creating a shipyard comparable to those of the more experienced seafaring nations. The main dock was vast and filled with the hustle and bustle of nerubians, tuskarrs, and hired experts from the Eastern Kingdoms.

Krivax could see several ships in various stages of construction, their frames slowly taking shape as nerubians climbed all over them and worked diligently on every part of them. Nearby, he could hear the sound of wood being processed into planks before being steamed into shape by rollers to make them ready for use in shipbuilding. Krivax could see several smaller wooden ships that seemed already completed, while the larger ones were still being built and contained significantly more metal in their frames. Currently, it seemed that several nerubians were sheathing the bottom of the hulls in copper.

However, there was one ship under construction that caught Krivax’s attention in particular. Nestled in the center of the dockyard and receiving the most attention was the frame of a massive ship, significantly larger than any of the rest. Several Viziers could be seen around the frame and Krivax could even sense enchantments that reminded him of those placed on Azjol-Nerub’s ziggurats. The amount of resources that were being put into the vessel was immediately obvious, and Krivax knew without a doubt that he was looking at the kingdom’s future flagship.

“I truly don’t understand why all of you outsiders prefer such large ships,” said Wumni, her disapproval clear as she scowled at the still-building ship. “They’ve been working on that thing nonstop for months.”

“Well, I hope they make this ship in particular as large and powerful as they can,” said Krivax, his eyes not leaving the ship for a moment. “After all, I’ll be sailing on it to Kalimdor as soon as it’s ready.”

Orfus and Wumni both raised their eyebrows before glancing at the ship with newfound appreciation.

“Better you than me,” Wumni said after a moment of silence. “Come, I’ll show you around and then we can return to Kamagua for your feast.”

Krivax nodded and took one more glance toward the ship that would soon be taking him on his next important mission before following Wumni. The ship was a stark reminder that he didn’t have much time before the diplomatic mission to Kalimdor, so he might as well enjoy himself while he could.

Zul’jin used his talons to tear through the throat of the chieftain who thought they could challenge him.

Before the fool could regenerate his wound, Zul’jin opened his mouth and breathed out a stream of fire that had the troll screaming and thrashing on the ground. When the former chieftain was nothing but a burnt-out husk, Zul’jin turned around and glared at the surviving members of the Razzashi tribe. “Who wants to fight next? Will ya serve me, or will ya die?”

Zul’jin sneered as the weaklings cringed under his glare and felt no satisfaction when they submitted to him. The Razzashi tribe was one of the weakest tribes in Stanglethorn Vale and was barely able to survive as is. Zul’jin had easily torn through their strongest ‘warriors’ and challenged their chieftain for control of their tribe. It was far from the empire that Zul’jin intended to build, but it was where he had been forced to start.

Irritated, Zul’jin returned to the Razzashi tribe’s pitiful village and ordered their witch doctor to tell him everything he knew about the various tribes throughout Stranglethorn Vale. It was about what he had expected and did nothing to put him in a better mood. Once the witch doctor was done, Zul’jin threw the former chieftain’s family out of their home and settled into his new dwellings. The son of the man he had just killed glared at him with hatred in his eyes, but Zul’jin didn’t care.

Just as Zul’jin settled down and was about to consider his options for conquering the other tribes and turning them into an empire worthy of troll-kind, he felt the presence of Jan’alai appear next to him.

“Why so frustrated, little warlord? I would expect you to be happier after your success,” said the Loa, her amused voice echoing in his mind.

“Dis is nothin’ to be proud of,” Zul’jin snarled, his frustration obvious. “Da Razzashi were weak, and conquerin’ them was too easy. Da Bloodscalp and Skullsplitter tribes be stronger. Their cities, Zul’Mamwe and Zul’Kunda, are well-defended. I need more power if I’m going to conquer them.”

Zul’jin didn’t even bother mentioning any of the tribes who were under the protection of a Loa.

Jan’alai chuckled at his predicament, her voice dripping with condescension. “You always want more power, don’t you? Always unsatisfied, little warlord. But fear not, I may have some… interesting news for you.”

Zul’jin narrowed his eyes at the Loa, his curiosity piqued despite his annoyance at her mocking tone. “What news is that, Great One?”

“Well, I happened to overhear that the mighty Ysera of the Green Dragonflight has driven those pesky Hakkari cultists out of the Temple of Atal’Hakkar,” Jan’alai said, her voice taking on a sinister edge. “They were trying to summon Hakkar the Soulflayer, which would require a significant amount of magical power. I’m not quite sure what form that power takes, but I think we can both agree it would be put to better use in our hands, no?”

Zul’jin considered her words, his mind racing with the possibilities. He’d heard stories about Hakkar, and Loa like that would need a whole lot of Mojo to summon. Whether the cultists intended to gather that Mojo through sacrifices or some other dark rituals, Zul’jin wanted their power for himself.

He turned to Jan’alai, determination burning in his eyes. “Tell me more about these Hakkari and how to replace them. Their secrets will be ours.”

Jan’alai grinned, her malicious glee clear in her voice. “Oh, I think we’re going to have a lot of fun with this, Zul’jin. I’ll help you track them down, but be warned, they’re as desperate as they are dangerous…”

Zul’jin nodded, accepting the risks. He knew that the path to power was always dangerous, but he wouldn’t let anything stop him. With Jan’alai’s guidance and his own cunning, Zul’jin would replace the Hakkari and claim the power to unite the Gurubashi tribes under his rule.