Torches flickered and the thump of
boots echoed through the hallway as Commander Drexus Zoldac of the Watch Guard
strode down the corridor toward the war room, followed by his soldiers. Castle
guards and servants flattened themselves against the wall, their expressions a
mixture of fear and grief. Hours before, the people of Pandaren had celebrated
their victory in the war against the Vastanes. Cheers of celebration, though,
became wails of sorrow as the palace and the city of Orilyon crumbled into
chaos.
“How did he get in?” Drexus asked.
“We’re still working on that,
Commander Zoldac.”
Drexus stopped and slowly turned
toward the guard, who glanced up at him and winced. “Work faster,” he warned.
The guard swallowed, nodding.
Drexus continued down the corridor,
clenching his jaw, trying to rein in his anger. Two soldiers saluted as he
pushed open the heavy wooden doors into a room buzzing with activity. Council
members argued near the fireplace and his generals surrounded a large oval
table studying a map of Pandaren. They stood to attention, saluting as Drexus
approached. Kenneth Brenet, head advisor to the king, sat in a corner holding
his head.
One of the council members hurried
over. “Is it true? Is King Valeri dead?”
“It’s true,” Drexus said. He
ignored the questions yelled at him and walked across the room to put a hand on
Kenneth’s bony shoulder. “They need you, now more than ever.”
Kenneth nodded, set his shoulders,
and approached the center of the room. Drexus stood at his side, arms crossed.
“Attention, please,” Kenneth said,
silencing the room. “As many of you suspect, the king is dead, murdered in his
study this evening.”
Murmurs filled the room.
“How?” someone called out.
Kenneth looked up at Drexus, who inhaled,
resting his sizable hands on the table as he regarded each council member,
noble, and general. “An Air Spectral killed King Valeri.”
Gasps and shouts of anger
reverberated off the stone walls.
“I thought the Spectrals were on
our side,” one of the council members said.
Drexus fisted his hands. “So did
we.”
“What do we know about the
Spectrals?” Kenneth asked.
General Charlys stepped forward,
her eyes darting to Drexus. “There are two main types of magic, physical and
mental. A Spectral with physical magic can either control an element or is an
Amp.”
“What are Amps?” one of the nobles
asked, nearing the table.
“Amps, or Amplifiers, have
unnatural speed and strength,” the general said. “The Mentals are a little
trickier, but we’ve determined there are five types: Shields, Healers,
Vaulters, Trackers, and Psyches.”
“Psyches?” Kenneth looked from the
general to Drexus.
“They can move objects with their
minds,” Drexus said.
“How do you have this information?”
“When the Spectrals joined forces
with the Watch Guard, I assigned General Charlys to obtain as much information
about them as possible, just in case.”
“With that kind of power?” a
councilman said. “How are we going to defend ourselves? Naturals can’t fight
against magic.”
Drexus’s eye twitched at the whine
in the man’s voice. “I’m currently working on something that will neutralize
their power. But first, we need strong leadership. I think Kenneth Brenet
should rule as steward until the council deems it unnecessary.”
The murmurings grew, and a few council
members’ faces turned red.
“What about Queen Valeri?” one of
them asked.
Drexus refrained from rolling his
eyes. “She’s grieving the loss of her husband, and with her diminished health,
we cannot expect her to take the throne.” He sensed a shift in the room as men
and women nodded their heads—a shift in his favor. “Who supports Kenneth Brenet
becoming steward of Pandaren?”
Hands raised, and Drexus smiled.
Kenneth stared at the men and women
surrounding the war table. “This is an honor. I can never measure up to our
great king, but I will do my best. And my first act as steward is to put into
law that all Spectrals will identify themselves and their powers. We have to
know who they are and what they can do.”
The room bristled with fear.
“All in favor?” Drexus said.
The motion passed unanimously.
Kenneth turned to Drexus. “Whatever
you’re working on, get it completed as soon as possible. In the meantime, our
priority is to defend the kingdom.”
Drexus led Kenneth away from the
table. “Do I have your support to do whatever is necessary?” he asked.
The thin man stared up at him with
wary eyes and nodded.
Drexus kept his expression blank.
“I’d like permission to create an elite group of soldiers specifically trained
to fight the Spectrals.”
“What do you propose?”
“Hunters.” Drexus glanced over his
shoulder, savoring the warmth of victory radiating through him. “Lethal
assassins who will ensure the Spectrals comply with our new laws.”
The steward held Drexus’s gaze.
“Fortify our army, Drexus. And train your assassins. Create a force that will
breed fear by the very mention of their name.”
