Nightmare Lord

The giant of the storm stood proudly upon the earth.

Calling it standing was not entirely accurate. His legs had completely vanished, replaced by a violent vortex of air supporting his upper body. He had condensed an imposing suit of armor from elemental power, still in that tasteless dark purple.

From afar, he looked like a hurricane wearing armor.

The demon's head remained, seemingly only enlarged several times over, but there was not a trace of flesh left within it.

Flames were fading from his hooves. That damned old cow's final counterattack had achieved some meager results; the demon's hooves had not yet been fully converted into elements, but that no longer meant anything.

In a sense, that damned fellow had nearly overcome the most pathetic curse imposed upon this planet.

He had attained the liberation the Neferset clan among the Tol'vir of distant Uldum had long dreamed of.

And he had not needed to beg for the favor of a wind elemental lord, because he had transformed into an existence beyond such things—not an ordinary storm elemental, but a terrifying... Gale Lord.

Though wind was not known for its aggression, the last person to anger a Lord of Wind had seen his city vanish into dust.

Far to the south, beyond Skywall, lay the hidden throne of the wind elementals.

Countless unfathomable Lords of Wind lurked within that city of exiles, but the birth of one of their kind would not fill them with joy. On the contrary, the newborn sovereign would likely encounter endless hatred and fury.

The Gale Lord curiously surveyed this brand-new world. He tried reaching out to touch it, to sense it, like an ignorant infant, until he caught a familiar yet unfamiliar scent.

That scent turned his expression from curiosity to fury.

He glared angrily at those tiny, foul-smelling rifts, then smashed down with a savage punch!

The barrier scattered into ashes, then reassembled with a shriek, only making that nauseating stench even stronger.

The most familiar scent... the scent of the Emerald Nightmare!

"Xavius! You pitiful bastard! Have you started wagging your tail and begging everywhere like a stray dog again?"

The Gale Lord's fury gave rise to a raging storm. Lightning poured down like rain, madly destroying everything in sight.

Yet this childish tantrum was answered by a burst of wild laughter.

"Pity? Hahahaha! Is that the new word you learned after wasting ten years of your life?"

"I have to admit, that is quite creative. How had I never noticed that you were so good at currying favor? Next time, I will be sure to send you an invitation to a ball at the Eternal Palace. You can put on a fine performance before Her Majesty the Queen."

"Or is this not some ridiculous joke? Does the so-called prize truly exist?"

"Wait, do not tell me yet. Let me take a good guess at what the great genius gained from ten years of effort. Those greedy, pitiful subordinates? Or that utterly laughable form?"

"No need to answer. Before that, allow me to confirm something—you know that a fool called Deathwing formed an alliance with the esteemed Queen, correct?"

The voice in the void paused slightly, then laughed mockingly.

"Now that is interesting. If you want a cup of water, you simply take one and drink it. Why spend ten years drawing a fresh cup?"

"Vel'th, oh Vel'th, my dear Vel'th, your performance has forced me to revise my opinion of you. An easily satisfied... little man."

The storm suddenly calmed, and Vel'th smiled.

He had always understood the nature of the so-called Nightmare Lord. Until he achieved his true objective, he would never show his real face.

He was a pathetic creature,

A coward frightened out of his wits by life itself. He was too afraid to seek revenge, forever hiding in the deepest corner of dreams, gazing upon all things in the world with hateful disgust.

Vel'th despised this fellow. A ruler could be cunning, cruel, or deceitful, but he could never be afraid.

And now, he had appeared before him. Everything was already clear.

"Do not make me laugh, Nightmare Lord. Did you truly think I had not been watching everything happening in that pathetic prison of yours?"

Vel'th laughed scornfully. He said cheerfully, "Someone is looking for you. Am I wrong?"

"It is someone we both know. He once used a tiny acorn to erase the will of a god. Think about it! A godslayer in mortal flesh!"

"And he... has come looking for you."

The great Nightmare Lord, a rat with its tail tucked between its legs, had been scared witless by that insignificant commoner, Malfurion Stormrage.

"Do you know what you are saying? My... disciple?"

The Nightmare Lord's voice turned cold.

"Of course. My mind is exceptionally clear. Do you want to know what else interesting I learned over these ten years?"

"The wisdom of the grasslands, my respected teacher. When a gazelle tries to escape a lion's claws, all it needs to do is outrun the companion ahead of it. See? Quite easy, is it not?"

"Sometimes, shining too brightly is not a good thing either, Nightmare... Lord."

Even the raging winds seemed to hold their breath. Just as the oppressive atmosphere nearly burst apart, the Nightmare spoke again.

"In that case, my dear student, this pleasant conversation can be declared over."

"But before that, allow me to ask an interesting question..."

"Do you like it, my gift?"

The air remained silent. Amid the gathering dark clouds, fury seemed to be brewing.

"What a bore. I do not even know what you are talking about."

Vel'th's expression darkened. He suddenly had a very bad feeling.

"My dear student, there is a saying: teach an apprentice and starve the master. You have indeed inherited my talents exceedingly well. The student has truly surpassed the master."

"But my proud disciple, there is one thing you alone did not inherit—my finest quality."

"Yes, it is the one thing you never deigned to learn... how to survive cautiously in this world."

"Just as you think Twilight's Hammer is nothing more than a child's toy, and Cho'gall is merely a lowly, ordinary ogre."

"I am not surprised at all. He may be lowly, but he is by no means ordinary."

Just as Xavius had said, Vel'th had inherited every talent of the Nightmare Lord. So he immediately understood why he had obtained that organization's hidden secrets so easily. It should have been deeply suspicious, yet his pride had clouded his mind.

More than that, several additional clues could now be linked together.

For example, what exactly had happened beneath the yellow sands of Silithus?

He had thought it was trouble caused by Xavius that had drawn the attention of his former kin, those long-eared fellows. But now he was no longer so sure. It seemed some other reckless fool had left behind a mess and pinned it on the Nightmare Lord.

Ha, this was truly far too interesting!

If he ever had the chance, he truly wanted to meet the genius who had toyed with the Nightmare Lord!

"It seems Malfurion made a foolish mistake, but what does that have to do with me? You know I would be more than happy to watch you make a fool of yourself, right?"

A teasing voice drifted through the air. Vel'th could practically see that disgusting fellow hiding in his nest, smugly wagging a finger.

"No, no, no. I think you have misunderstood one thing. You have no idea whom I truly serve."

The God of Flesh? Honestly, that was a difficult question. Vel'th smiled sarcastically. The Nightmare Lord had served so many masters that one hand would not be enough to count them all!

"Why did I mention Cho'gall? Was it merely to anger you?"

"No, no, no... That pitiful ogre's mission has already ended. My employer has ended his cooperation with him, because the one he served made a very terrible mistake. It will expose our true mission to the eyes of the world too early!"

As Xavius finished speaking, the temperature in the air abruptly plunged to freezing, and then thunder erupted.