The Unspoken Condition
Nathanos waited at the place he had agreed upon with Meryl. He had not slowed his pace since leaving Orunok's dwelling, and had been swiftly crossing the plains and highlands.
The mage's task was to monitor the spies infiltrated among the Forsaken. Nathanos was somewhat worried that Meryl, a being who had lived for thousands of years, might still have a concept of time, but he needed specific information about the spy so that he could formulate a plan in advance.
An emergency has arrived from Nagrand. The Horde's Great Chief has personally come to Garadar on the plains. If an assassination is plotted and the Alliance is framed, Azeroth will likely be in chaos for quite some time.
However, Nathanos only thought about it; he wasn't foolish enough to create chaos. Right now, the Alliance and the Horde's attention was Outland, which already provided the Forsaken with considerable room for development. Moreover, Thrall was once a highly skilled gladiator and is now a powerful Shaman. Even Nathanos himself admitted that he might not be able to defeat him.
After waiting for a long time, the Witherer Meryl still nowhere to be seen. Could something be holding back the mage?
Having grown accustomed to Meryl's raven form, Nathanos focused his attention on the sky, hoping to find the "raptor's" shadow. However, the creature emerged from its hiding place behind a boulder, and Nathanos realized that Meryl might have already arrived.
"I've calculated that you've been standing here for at least ten minutes."
"You were bored and hid in the shadows, spying on me for ten minutes."
"You must be wondering why you didn't notice me, right?" Meryl walked up to Nathanos with a smile, appearing quite pleased compared to the latter's gloomy expression. "All it takes is adding some demonic power to the invisibility spell."
"You'd better use your power with caution, Meryl," Nathanos warned. Meryl had always remained silent whenever Nathanos asked the mage about the demon within him.
"All is well, the Witherer," Meryl said with a smile.
"Whatever," Nathanos waved his hand. "Now I want to hear some good news."
Meryl nodded and said, "As you said... it is indeed the missing black dragon, but what's interesting is that Onyxia's mother, Sinestra, is also here. What's even more interesting is that I heard her say she wants to research a creation that can deal with the five chromatic dragons."
"A five-colored dragon?" The Witherer's interest was piqued. "What does Sinestra plan to do?"
"You'd better see for yourself. I have a spell that will let you see everything," the mage said, and began chanting the incantation without waiting for Nathanos's consent.
The Witherer felt as if he had been struck on the head. He closed his eyes, and a blurry image appeared in his mind. He heard two similar-looking people talking in the darkness, and he saw one of them summon a strange Dragon Egg.
'This thing?' The Witherer suddenly remembered what happened in Grim Batol many years ago. Could it be that the black dragon planned to use the Dragon Egg formed from his union with the Queen of Dragons for the research that Meryl mentioned? However, Nathanos clearly remembered that the three Dragon Egg laid by Alexstrasza could not hatch.
"That thing clearly can't hatch," Nathanos said after witnessing everything. He didn't seem surprised, which puzzled Meryl. "The dragon said that too, so why is she still planning to use this Dragon Egg for her own purposes?"
"But she also said that the Dragon Egg contains the purest power of the Life-Binder. If she transfers this power to a living being, then the Red Dragon's power will have no effect on that being. Just imagine, what will happen when she gathers the essence of the other Dragons...?"
That would be an unstoppable force. The five dragonflights are the most powerful in Azeroth. If their power were to merge... Nathanos couldn't even imagine it.
Where is this dragon now?
The Witherer was met with strange looks, and Meryl, who gave the look, paused for a moment. "Why are you asking this? Do you want to give up on the Curse Cipher?"
"No!" Nathanos's eyes widened. "I must get the Curse Cipher, but I will not give up any opportunity to enhance the power of the Forsaken. Meryl, find a way to get that Dragon Egg from that dragon. I want to... tamper with it."
Meryl laughed after hearing this, "You really know how to make trouble for me, Nathanos. I'll get on it right away. It will take quite a while. If we can't just take it by force, then we'll just have to wait for an opportunity."
"You are permitted to act freely." Nathanos had originally hoped that Meryl would accompany him on his journey to find the Curse Cipher, but now he felt that acting separately might be more efficient.
"I have no objection." The mage's voice softened. "But can you manage alone? After all, there aren't many people available here."
"We can find manpower." Nathanos took out a crushed Shadowmoon Tuber from his waistband. He had obtained it from Orunok, the old Orcs who had woven it into a specific shape as a token to recognize his three sons.
"You've gained Orunok's approval?" Meryl asked. "What were his conditions?"
Nathanos recalled the rage Orunok displayed when he heard Ner'zhul was still alive, a rage that seemed to seep into his very bones. He demanded that Nathanos tell him of the Lich King's eventual destruction. That was all... but Nathanos knew the old Orcs had other things to do.
Orunok had three sons, Grom'tor, Atol, and Burak, all of whom were sent to find the Curse Cipher. What did they want the Curse Cipher for? Nathanos never asked this question throughout the entire expedition.
"Let's leave the cost aside for now. At least Orunok won't be an enemy, nor does he seem like the type to go back on his word." Nathanos's deliberate concealment made Meryl frown. The mage fell silent, showing no intention of leaving.
"Is he asking you to do something against your will?"
"No!" The Witherer refused outright. "He didn't mention any conditions, but I felt he just didn't say them verbally. Perhaps the timing wasn't right."
When is the right time?
"Perhaps it will be after we gather all three pieces of the Curse Cipher," Nathanos casually remarked, but then it all became clear. He realized he had overlooked a crucial point: the Curse Cipher was divided into three pieces. This meant that without piecing it together, the power couldn't be used, and this process was far more complex than a simple jigsaw puzzle; the secrets involved were perhaps known only to Orunok. If Nathanos, after obtaining the code, refused the Orcs's unspoken condition, it would be a wasted effort.
The author would like to explain why updates have been a bit slow lately, with only one chapter each day (the day before yesterday, yesterday, and today). This is because the author has already started writing much later in the story and is saving these ideas in advance to avoid forgetting their best aspects. Later chapters will bring more and better inspiration, making the writing process smoother.