The Tomb of Sargeras : The Tomb ' s Fury The Tomb of Sargeras < br > By Robert Brooks Part Three : The Tomb ' s Fury Colossal waves of energy crashed together , spinning into a bulging vortex of arcane and fel power . The massive chamber pitched and heaved , torrents of fire billowing through it , yet Khadgar and Gul ' dan did not waver , did not flinch , did not even blink . Instead , Khadgar smiled , showing teeth . His arms were thrust forward ; his chin was raised . There was no trickery here . Just an endless rush of pure , raw power . Where their fury collided , fire erupted . The air itself threatened to ignite . If it did , everything inside the tomb would be destroyed . Including Khadgar . Including Gul ' dan . And neither one was backing down . " — GUL ' DAN , STOP THIS . — " That hated voice again . Kil ' jaeden . Gul ' dan bellowed , " Stay out of this ! " " — OBEY ME . WITHDRAW . — " " I can kill him ! " Gul ' dan raged . Khadgar grinned , sweat beginning to shine on his forehead . " Who is that , Gul ' dan ? Who holds your leash ? " Gul ' dan responded with a wordless roar , hurling even more power at the archmage . Sparks flew , but Khadgar deflected the energy with a hoarse laugh . " Which of your masters have we not slain yet ? " Kil ' jaeden ' s voice gripped Gul ' dan ' s mind . " — END THIS ! NEITHER OF YOU CAN DIE THIS DAY . — " " What ? ! " " — DO IT NOW ! — " It was not simply an order ; it was an ultimatum . Gul ' dan would obey , or he would find himself cut off from the Legion . Immediately . So he obeyed . Gul ' dan flung his arms wide , spreading his power into a thin sheet of pure fel fire . Khadgar ' s attack smashed through it , but as the sheet collapsed , it unleashed a blinding explosion of light . Khadgar shielded his eyes . When the glare faded , Gul ' dan was gone . Khadgar straightened and brushed off his shoulders . Threads on his robe had begun to smolder . " I know you ' re still here , Gul ' dan , " he said . " You have nowhere else to go . " Gul ' dan skulked in the shadows . The little trick he had used against the Watchers would keep Khadgar from physically seeing him , but Gul ' dan knew the archmage had other ways to find him . " I cannot finish your task without his sensing it , " Gul ' dan quietly said to Kil ' jaeden . " Let me kill him . " " — HE WILL DO ANYTHING TO CLAIM VICTORY . THAT WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US . LATER . — " Gul ' dan had no idea what that meant . But now he knew the Burning Legion had plans for Khadgar as well . And that led to interesting questions . " Do they truly believe they can turn him ? If they succeed , will they have any need of me ? " Treason once again sounded quite appealing . Gul ' dan kept moving through the darkness . Khadgar was beginning to cast out glowing arcane orbs , banishing the shadows bit by bit . He was also filling the chamber with words . " How important are you , Gul ' dan ? Is it Kil ' jaedenwho commands you ? Or just one of his lapdogs ? " His voice seemed to come from every stone at once . A clever idea . It disguised his location . Gul ' dan quickly worked out how to imitate that . A small touch of fel , and his own voice boomed throughout the chamber . " Khadgar , I never thanked you for your help . The Iron Horde would have been difficult to cut down on my own . You and your friends were most useful , " he said . Khadgar laughed . " Yes , and it all ended so well for you . I ' ll provide you with that sort of help anytime . " He spun , and a blast of fire zeroed in on Gul ' dan . Stone pillars evaporated , and rocks tumbled from the ceiling , rumbling down like an avalanche . Gul ' dan did not move , letting the chaos settle . The attack had missed only by a few paces . Maybe he hadn ' t cloaked himself as well as he had hoped . . . But after a moment , Khadgar turned away . A lucky guess , nothing more . Gul ' dan had a clear shot at Khadgar ' s back , yet he was forbidden to take it . This was absurd . Perhaps he would be allowed to make a mistake in the heat of battle . " Kil ' jaeden might be furious , but he still needs me " , he thought . When the moment was right , Gul ' dan would test his theory . Until then , he needed to hurry along this task . No more fumbling around with each step . " Kil ' jaeden , tell me what ' s in this tomb and how to unleash it , " Gul ' dan whispered . There was silence . And then , finally , Kil ' jaeden relented . " — LISTEN CAREFULLY . — " He did . As Kil ' jaeden spoke , Gul ' dan couldn ' t stop a smile from twisting his lips . Khadgar slowly walked around the center of the chamber , making no effort to mask his footsteps . This area was massive . Rows of pillars stretched into the darkness , faintly glowing from half - awakened runes . There was no end to the places where Gul ' dan could hide . It would be easier to draw him out than to hunt him among the shadows . " Are you frightened , Gul ' dan ? " There was no response . Khadgar hoped each word , each step , was like a dagger piercing the warlock ' s pride ; Gul ' dan had not seemed pleased by the order to retreat . " Is the Burning Legion guiding him " that " closely ? " Khadgar kept his voice light . " Have you ever had to personally defeat a prepared adversary ? Someone who knows exactly what you are ? Your other self certainly never did . He campaigned from Draenor to Azeroth and laid waste to entire cities , yet he always had others do that sort of dirty work for him . This must be so uncomfortable for you . " A faint rustling . Skin rubbing against cloth . That was all the warning Khadgar had . Gul ' dan was raising his hands . A roaring wall of green fire raced toward Khadgar ' s exposed back . He let it approach . Its heat was on his neck before he made a simple gesture . Arcane magic froze the air solid around him , surrounding him in a barrier of ice . Gul ' dan ' s fire barely melted a few drops of it . With a snarl , Gul ' dan retreated into the shadows again . Khadgar smiled . Another gesture , and the barrier shattered into a thousand tiny shards , sprinkling to the ground with a musical sound . Khadgar shook off the sudden chill and resumed his pacing , his boots crushing ice into puddles . " Almost had me there , " he said . A muffled grunt of pain floated through the chamber . Khadgar couldn ' t help but laugh . " Didn ' t have permission to strike at me ? How does the Legion ' s discipline feel , Gul ' dan ? Are you ready to be a good pet now ? " The orc ' s voice was near to bursting with suppressed rage . " Do you believe in fate , human ? " he asked . An odd question . " I know " your " fate , " Khadgar said . " What about redemption ? " " Redemption ? For you ? No , " Khadgar snorted . " No , not for me , " Gul ' dan agreed . " Your kind of redemption bores me . It bored the son of Hellscream , too , from what I hear . " That was true enough . " What " do " you want ? I can ' t imagine being a puppet appeals to you . " " I want my enemies to burn , " Gul ' dan said . " Lovely , " Khadgar said . No further attacks were coming from the shadows . Gul ' dan was stalling . Khadgar inspected the chamber . A nearby pedestal shimmered , drawing his eye . He " did " recognize the runes on it . They were ancient Highborne work . During the War of the Ancients , when the Legion had taken steps to open a portal here — which would have created a second front , of sorts — it had required a significant magical effort to seal it off . That was exactly what he was looking at : one of the five seals . He knew of them only through his studies . Khadgar leaned over to examine this one . It was fascinating work , so precise , even though it had been hastily wrought . It was still active , rippling with violet light as it — There was a noise . The seal flashed green ; then it went dark . Khadgar stared . After a moment , acrid smoke rose from it , but its light had faded permanently . The seal was gone , broken before his very eyes . Khadgar felt an itch at the back of his mind . Gul ' dan . Even though he was hidden , he was breaking the seals . And when they were all gone ? " The Legion wins . " Khadgar couldn ' t wait any longer . He formed energy into a shoulder - high teardrop shape , then filled it with power . Two arms appeared , and the arcane elemental opened its eyes . " I serve , " it said . Khadgar pointed toward the shadows . " Someone is hiding . Kick some rocks until you flush him out , " he said . " I obey , " the elemental said . It couldn ' t actually kick anything — no legs — but it floated over to the eastern corner without asking questions . That was nice . Elementals could be terribly literal . It couldn ' t help but stumble over Gul ' dan eventually . But why stop with one ? Khadgar summoned more . It was time to put pressure on the warlock . " And on his masters , hopefully , " Khadgar thought . He suddenly had a new idea . Distraction could take many forms , after all . " So , Gul ' dan , " he said , " I have to ask — has the Legion told you how you died ? " " That wasn ' t me , " Gul ' dan thought . But his annoyance battled with his curiosity . Did the archmage actually know the other Gul ' dan ' s end ? Kil ' jaeden seemed to read his mind . " — IGNORE HIM . — " " I am , " he hissed , still in pain . After Gul ' dan had attacked Khadgar , his disobedience had earned a swift response . That made him all the more furious . " Highmaul slaves were treated better than this , " he raged silently . He glanced around the chamber . None of Khadgar ' s constructs were near him . Gul ' dan was using only a trickle of fel power , far too slight for even Khadgar to locate . But that was all the warlock needed . Kil ' jaeden had revealed the truth of this tomb . The original structure had been warded against demon ic trespassers many thousands of years ago , but Gul ' dan was no demon . Not quite . There was so much power here , not all of it Legion - derived . It had been layered and inverted and hidden away so skillfully that only one person had ever discovered it before . But after ten thousand years of inattention , these seals , wrought from titan power by imperfect mortals , had tiny weaknesses . Fatal weaknesses . The Legion could not touch the seals , but the demons had studied them . The wards ' ancient designers had crafted them so they would kill whoever tried to break them , but Gul ' dan knew exactly how to crack open all five seals safely . One had already fallen , and Gul ' dan still lived . The Legion was giving him true instructions . " Four left . " Gul ' dan strained and felt something give way . The entire tomb quivered . Another seal was gone . " Three left " . He looked up at Khadgar , who tilted his head but did not seem to understand the magnitude of what had happened . Breaking the seals was not as dramatic an event as Gul ' dan would have guessed . All of the power the Legion had prepared to open this portal seemed to call to Gul ' dan from a distance . It had been dormant too long . It needed to be claimed . Interestingly enough , Gul ' dan was beginning to suspect that the Legion was unaware of the " other " source of power down here . But though he could sense it , he couldn ' t wield it . That made it irrelevant . For the moment . Khadgar ' s voice intruded on his thoughts . " The Horde — the first Horde — had stormed across Lordaeron . You abandoned them to come here . " One of Khadgar ' s elementals floated close to Gul ' dan but didn ' t see him . " This island was beneath the ocean . You raised it up . Very impressive . " Gul ' dan focused on his task , fingers twitching unconsciously . His fel power maneuvered deep within the tomb ' s runes , seeking the third seal . " There it is . " Gul ' dan tried to grip it . He couldn ' t . It was slippery . Every time he attempted to pry open its weak point , he missed . It was like trying to untie a knot of spider ' s silk in the dark . With his toes . " And as a reward for your loyalty , do you know what happened to you , Gul ' dan ? " Khadgar asked . Suddenly , Gul ' dan ' s magic slipped from his grasp . The third seal did not just break ; it shattered . A deep rattle sounded throughout the room , and then a crash followed on its heels . Gul ' dan froze . Khadgar ' s constructs stopped moving . A low hum rose , and a dim hue , flashing between green and violet , began to shine from every stone in the chamber ' s floor and walls . Not only had Gul ' dan cracked open the third seal , but he had accidentally broken the fourth as well . It was likely a miracle it hadn ' t killed him . There was only one seal left . Kil ' jaeden ' s pleasure was unmistakable . " — WELL DONE . DESTROY THE LAST . — " Gul ' dan hesitated . The final seal felt different . He probed it , but there was no weak point . It seemed unbelievably strong , and with each passing moment , it grew more powerful . The tomb itself was bolstering it . Arcane energy was surging into the seal . This was too complex to be an accident . Someone had anticipated this moment and created a mechanism to stop it . Another source of power was involved ; Gul ' dan sensed it . It was that other mortal , the one who had claimed this place centuries ago . This was her work . " Kil ' jaeden , what is happening ? " Gul ' dan whispered . There was no response . More light filled the chamber . Gul ' dan could feel that Khadgar was preparing an incredible amount of arcane power . The aarchmage was clearly aware that something massive was under way . " " Now " I know why this place feels so strange , " Khadgar said . " I haven ' t felt anything like this since my apprenticeship . I don ' t know why I sense a Guardian ' s might , Gul ' dan . . . " Khadgar unleashed energy . Gul ' dan braced himself , but the arcane magic did not wash outward . It manifested in midair . A glowing wedge , three times Khadgar ' s height , shimmered and sparked , its angles forming a fine edge . Khadgar rotated his hands , and the edge aimed straight at the floor . The archmage ' s voice was strained but determined . " . . . but I see what it ' s trying to do . " The arcane elementals raced to the wedge . Their arms became one with it . " And I think I ' ll help . " Gul ' dan felt a wordless wave of alarm roll in from Kil ' jaeden . The elementals pulled downward . The wedge slammed into the ground , cracking the stone floor . The entire chamber heaved . Gul ' dan fell over . " — KILL HIM ! KILL HIM NOW , GUL ' DAN ! — " So much for Kil ' jaeden ' s plans . Gul ' dan rose to his feet , letting his black cloak fall from his shoulders . There was no need to hide any longer . He discarded all of his tricks . " I obey , Kil ' jaeden , " the orc said , raising his hands . Khadgar saw him immediately . " So it " is " Kil ' jaeden , " he said , smiling . His own hands thrust forward . Khadgar ' s and Gul ' dan ' s powers met in the middle with a deafening thunderclap . The heat of their battle softened the stone beneath them . The arcane elementals lifted the wedge again . The chamber shook . Pillars collapsed . The elaborate mechanisms meant to open a portal were shivering and unraveling . The wedge went up and down . The swirling violet and green hues flickered . The place was near to breaking . Khadgar might well bring down the entire chamber , and with it , the Legion ' s portal . Gul ' dan hurled attack after attack . Khadgar deflected them all . He had no need to risk a counterattack . He was winning . " Kil ' jaeden , " Gul ' dan whispered , " I need the tomb ' s power . " " — NO . — " " There is one seal left , and it is being protected ! I cannot break it " and " kill him ! " The words lashed Gul ' dan ' s tongue . " He has had " decades " to study me . He can hold me off for too long . " " — YOU WILL BETRAY ME . — " Gul ' dan forced more power into his attacks . Khadgar wavered but held firm . Gul ' dan growled in frustration . " Khadgar will destroy the tomb . The Legion will never have a chance to use this place again . Trust that I want to see this fool dead , or trust that all of your plans will burn . " Sweat dripped down Khadgar ' s face . " I forgot to finish my story , " he said . " When you entered the Tomb of Sargeras , you died in an ambush . " Gul ' dan could feel Kil ' jaeden ' s indecision . " The Deceiver knows me too well , " he thought . But then , there was something new , a lake of fire in another realm , suddenly within reach . . . " The other Gul ' dan did not die by the Alliance ' s hands , nor by the Horde that he betrayed , " Khadgar said . Gul ' dan could not help but listen to him . " He entered the tomb and was torn limb from limb by demons . I suppose the Burning Legion had no more use for him . " The words struck Gul ' dan numb . Long ago , he had been an outcast on Draenor , with no ambition but to find his next meal . The Legion had opened his mind to a simple truth : strength could not be ignored . He never hungered again . Khadgar had just shown him another truth : Gul ' dan ' s strength would cease to be useful . It was not merely possible that the Legion would discard him . It was a certainty . It was fate . And then power surged into him . Khadgar was still talking . " I wonder what they will do to you , Gul ' dan , when they are finished . " He paused . The humor left his voice ; he must have sensed the change . " What are you doing , warlock ? " Gul ' dan stopped his attack on Khadgar and turned his might toward the final seal . All of his own strength . All of his lent power . Gul ' dan snatched up the seal in a fel fist . . . . . . and crushed it . Its lethal energy lashed out , fizzled against his own . Just like that , the wards were gone . The Burning Legion ' s reservoir , enough strength to shatter the barriers between worlds , was free , rushing toward the portal buried deep within the island . That strength never arrived . Gul ' dan claimed it first . Fire filled Gul ' dan ' s mind . He cried out , his hands clasping his head , eyes squeezed shut . He forgot Khadgar . He forgot the tomb . His defenses fell , and Khadgar ' s arcane fury washed over him . Gul ' dan didn ' t feel it . He was suffocating in power . Drowning in an endless ocean . It was vile . And it was beautiful . He drank deeply . He felt pain . And then he found his balance . He felt control . This . . . " this " was real power . " This " was what he had wanted all along . " This " was what the Burning Legion had promised him : strength that could not be ignored . Yet all the demons had given him until now were " scraps " . Why give more to a disposable fool ? Gul ' dan opened his eyes . " Goodbye , Archmage , " he said , lifting only a finger . Khadgar encased himself with ice . Overwhelming fury erupted . The chamber pitched like a ship on a heavy sea . The arcane elementals and their wedge evaporated in a heartbeat . The block of ice , and the archmage within it , was but a pebble in a hurricane . Yet no matter how hard the warlock squeezed it , it did not shatter . That surprised Gul ' dan . He felt as if he could crack open the entire world if he so desired . But it was a small shortcoming . Khadgar could die later . Gul ' dan waved his hand , and the ice was hurled through the doorway , out of his sight . Then he collapsed the door ' s arch . Tons of rock crashed down , sealing the chamber shut . If Khadgar still lived , he was no longer a problem . Gul ' dan had won . The power within him was unimaginable . The possibilities , limitless . Yet Kil ' jaeden still thought he could issue the orders . " — YOU MADE A PACT , GUL ' DAN . FINISH YOUR TASK . OPEN THE WAY FOR US . — " Gul ' dan took a deep breath , savoring the moment . " No , Kil ' jaeden , " he replied . " I will not . "