Chapter 730

Chapter 730: Clue or Command?

Returning to the Orc camp at night, Jesse took out the scroll concerning the Burning Legion’s Necromancer that he’d hidden in his demon bag.

His initial plan had been simple: summon a Doomguard, then use the scroll to force it to translate. If that Doomguard couldn’t manage it, he’d kill it or anti-summon it and try another one.

Now, Mor’zul had summoned a Doomlord instead, and this one was even enslaved to Jesse. It seemed things had become easier; a knowledgeable Lord was vastly superior to a mere Doomguard. The chance of deciphering the Ered’ruin language felt much greater.

Yet, the situation had actually grown more complicated.

Jesse needed to figure out whether Kallez knew what was on this scroll.

In other words, was this a command from the Demon Lord seeking a treasure, or was it a report from Dethmoora containing clues about the treasure?

If it was a command, the Burning Legion and Kallez himself already knew its contents. Normal interrogation would suffice, but it also meant the scroll held little valuable information.

After all, both the Burning Legion and Dethmoora knew about it, yet neither had managed to find the scythe using this information.

If they *didn’t* know, then this scroll was a report Dethmoora had been trying to deliver to Kallez, packed with crucial clues about the scythe.

That’s why she needed spell components, a ritual dagger, and a communication circle to reach her demon superior… The similarities between Mor’zul’s summoning incantation and the circle now strongly suggested the Burning Legion officer Dethmoora wanted to contact was Kallez.

So, showing this scroll directly to Kallez would achieve exactly what Dethmoora had failed to do.

Jesse had to consider that the Doomlord might one day break free from the binding circle, or even his enslavement.

If the scroll’s contents were truly critical, and Kallez, seeking to make up for his mistake and regain Kil’jaeden’s trust, told Kil’jaeden what Jesse had shown him, Kil’jaeden could send far more capable demons to seize Ulthalesh. Jesse would lose any advantage.

Jesse strongly suspected the scroll held vital clues. He recalled the black knights encountered in Eldre’Thalas; Medivh’s undead servants might have found Ulthalesh quickly after discovering Dethmoora’s scroll and taken it back to Karazhan.

If Dethmoora hadn’t been imprisoned, she might have found it herself.

Of course, until he figured out what all those dense Ered’ruin words meant, nothing was certain.

“Saenor, come out.”

“Does the Master need my help?” the imp crawled out of the bag. “I thought that Demon Lord could answer all your questions now!”

“Not yet,” Jesse said, unfolding the scroll. He glanced at the Demonic phrases like "trapped soul," "Necromancer," and "Nathrezim," then asked, “Does this scroll look like clues Dethmoora was trying to report to Kallez, or like Kallez describing what needed to be found to Dethmoora?”

Saenor studied the scroll for a moment. “How can I tell? Most of this is Ered’ruin, Master. I can’t grasp the tone.”

Jesse opened his demon bag, rummaged inside, and pulled out sheets of paper meant for his Deathwing report. “Copy every Ered’ruin character and word from this scroll onto these.”

“What does the Master intend?” asked the imp.

“Ask in a scrambled order,” Jesse replied. “Just these won’t do. I need other sources of Ered’ruin text to mix in, hiding the connections. Add the Ered’ruin from that scroll full of curses too. And all the text from Dethmoora’s other scrolls and circles. Mix it all in.”

Jesse considered writing to Amy. Maybe she could send him copies of any unclear Ered’ruin texts recorded by the Council of Tirisfal…

Perhaps he should visit the Doomguard Mor’zul’s group had captured. Even if it couldn’t decipher everything, it might provide some Ered’ruin words he understood, adding confusion.

Then, with the vocabulary thoroughly scrambled, he could have Kallez translate it, leaving him clueless about the context.

Early the next morning, Jesse left the Orc camp. Ahead on the cliff edge, Molofeel stared down at Kallez, who knelt motionless below.

The thick clouds over Blackrock Mountain had thinned since the night before. Under the scarce sunlight, the Doomlord’s yellow-brown fur and horns were clearer. Surrounded by green magical light, he looked less like a lord from the Twisting Nether and more like a giant, horned beast.

Sensing Jesse’s gaze, Molofeel glanced back. Seeing no trouble, Jesse walked towards Mor’zul’s tattered tent.

After yesterday’s battle, the surviving warlocks clearly held Jesse in high esteem. They greeted him warmly, calling him "Sir" or "Master." These warlocks were straightforward; they respected demonstrated power, while mere reputation rarely won them over.

Mor’zul sat before his tent, examining scrolls that seemed to detail Ered’ruin demons.

Hearing Jesse’s footsteps, he looked up. “Jesse, I’m curious. Was your demon enslavement chant different from ours? It was too chaotic yesterday to hear clearly.”

“It was the same,” Jesse said. “That’s how I caught the Dark Iron Dwarf’s intent.”

“Did you learn it from Dethmoora?” Mor’zul asked.

“Essentially,” Jesse replied. “Are you upset I killed Dethmoora?”

Mor’zul smiled faintly. “What did The Slaughtered Lamb crowd say? Do they think I fell for that female warlock, Dethmoora Darkeye?”

“I’ll be honest. Back then, I deeply admired Dethmoora. About six or seven years before the Dark Portal opened, like many drawn to the forbidden, I saw the power of the trolls’ Shadow Magic in Zul’Gurub. Driven by resentment… or motives I couldn’t voice, I took this path. Dwarves in Ironforge told me of demons, so I began studying summoning. That’s when I found Dethmoora’s writings, even met warlocks who claimed to know her. From them, I learned much about demons and the Twisting Nether.”

“The scroll to summon the Demon Lord Kallez came from then. Many warlocks dreamed of bringing him to Azeroth to teach us demonic magic… I’m the only one left now. I went to The Slaughtered Lamb hoping to gather a group to summon Kallez, but they only cared about Shadow Magic. They weren’t interested in powerful demons; they were useless to me.”

Jesse remarked, “Your summoning of Kallez didn’t seem like calling a teacher.”

Mor’zul explained, “Dealing with demons teaches you they aren’t truly superior. I realized this after meeting orcs and more demon servants after the Dark Portal. From then on, I stopped revering these Twisting Nether abominations. I sought knowledge *about* the Nether from them, and to make them tools, not masters or idols.”

He paused. “In the end, the Dethmoora I longed to meet… was a demon herself.”

“A demon disguised as an elf,” Jesse stated.

Mor’zul nodded. “That explains her demonic knowledge. Truly disappointing.”

“The summoning is done,” Jesse said. “Time to fulfill your promise, Mor’zul.”

“Share what we know,” Mor’zul agreed. “Come back to Moonbrook with me, Jesse. I’ll show you all the spells and demon lore I’ve gathered. Or is there something specific? I recall you mentioned wanting to summon a demon.”

“Right now, I’m more interested in your summoning circle,” Jesse replied. “As for summoning, didn’t you capture a Doomguard? With Kallez summoned, you can take me to it, right?”

“Of course,” Mor’zul said. “The summoning circle records are in Moonbrook. Want to see the Doomguard now?” According to Bolvar Fordragon, Jesse had to reach Stonewatch Keep before February – less than two weeks away.

He needed to gauge the time. If it took too long, he’d have to wait until after Stonewatch’s campaign against the gnolls. “Where is it?” Jesse asked.

Mor’zul replied, “In a small village by the Nazferiti river, south of Lakeshire. ‘Short Staff’ Gladys keeps her records there; she has a basement. It’s remote, away from Lakeshire. Maginor Dumas doesn’t pay it much mind. We brought the Doomguard there from the Black Morass, bypassing the kingdom’s guards.”

“That doesn’t sound far,” Jesse said. “How long to get there?”

Mor’zul answered, “If we leave now and head south over the Redridge Mountains, about three or four days.”

After returning to the Kingdom of Lordaeron and getting used to flying on dragonhawks or gryphons, Jesse felt impatient with walking speed.

Even riding Aarna back to Moonbrook had tested his patience.

If it took three or four days to reach the village, he wouldn’t have time to return to Stormwind. He’d need to see the Doomguard, then head straight back to Lakeshire and on to Stonewatch Keep.

He patted his pocket, confirming the court mage emblem was there. “If you take me, who guards the Storm Altar?”

“Elaine can handle it. She controls the circle better than I do, Jesse,” Mor’zul replied.