Lothar carried Khadgar back to the chess hall, where his subordinates rejoiced. Lothar's return signaled the defeat, or even death, of the demonized Medivh!
They quickly surrounded him, and priests were ushered forward to heal the battle-worn warrior.
Gavinrad and Windsor gently lowered Khadgar. They were astonished by his aged appearance.
"Sir, who is this?"
"This is Khadgar!"
"Khadgar was a teenager. How did he become like this?" Gavinrad and Windsor had fought alongside Khadgar in Gran Village and struggled to reconcile this old man with the youth they knew.
"He's afflicted by a demon's aging curse," Lothar explained, "a hero, whom I was powerless to help." He felt a deep regret for Medivh's acknowledged disciple, whom he considered a junior.
"Dispelling the curse will be difficult," Galen said, entering with Kael'thas and his group, "but I can alleviate its effects." Galen recalled the aging curse that had struck Khadgar twice. He's lucky Sargeras used incomplete curses. A full one would have turned him to dust.
"Galen, you can help?" Lothar asked.
"Yes. Tell Khadgar I await him in Arathi, where I can delay his aging." Galen intended to use the water from the Spring of Life, which was now plentiful in Crusader Fortress, diluted and used for irrigation.
"Thank you, Galen. Khadgar is the only magical advisor I trust after this," Lothar said.
Durin and Aragorn arrived, carrying a package. Galen had asked them to retrieve Gandalf's charred remains.
Lothar saw the remains and then Galen holding the fragments of Trol'kalar. He knew the sword's significance to the Trollbane family.
"I'm sorry, Galen," Lothar said, "you sacrificed so much to help us defeat Sargeras!"
"Yes," Galen replied, holding the broken sword with a pained expression. "Trol'kalar is broken. My father will kill me."
Lothar gently reminded him, "And Master Gandalf... I'm sorry for his death."
"Oh, that," Galen said, glancing at the package. "It's just a puppet clone. The teacher isn't dead, but his soul is injured and needs to recover."
"I see," Lothar replied, relieved. A powerful archmage isn't easily replaced. It's good to know Galen didn't lose him.
"The materials must be expensive," Lothar added. "Stormwind will compensate Master Gandalf for the loss, and Llane won't be stingy about the materials to reforge Trol'kalar."
Galen's eyes lit up. Lothar is generous! Truly a descendant of the Arathor Emperor!
Galen addressed everyone present, including the high elves and the Iron Horse Brotherhood: "Please keep Medivh's opening of the Dark Portal a secret. Tell the world that the Demon King invaded Karazhan, and Guardian Medivh died fulfilling his duty."
"Galen, why?" Lothar asked, assuming he wanted to protect Medivh's reputation.
"Aegwynn can resurrect Medivh," Galen explained. "His soul is beyond mortal, and his return is likely." Besides, I might need to summon his spirit someday. Best to lay the groundwork now. He wondered if the Altar of Kings would interfere with Aegwynn's plans.
"That's wonderful!" Lothar exclaimed, delighted.
"Lord Lothar," Galen cautioned, "resurrection is difficult. Tell Aegwynn that Master Gandalf can help if she faces difficulties."
"I will. Any hope is welcome!"
"Good. We should leave. Stormwind needs you, and the nobles await you downstairs."
Lothar and his men, unlike Galen, couldn't teleport. They had to ride back to Stormwind.
"Lothar, Garona is alive, but missing. Sargeras might have done something to her, making her a threat to Stormwind." Galen knew the legendary assassin was corrupted and would assassinate King Llane.
Lothar's expression hardened. Both he and Llane were fond of Garona, but he wouldn't let her harm his king. Llane was vital to Stormwind's resistance.
"Capture her alive," Galen advised. "Don't kill her."
"Why? It will be difficult enough to stop her, let alone capture her!"
Galen hesitated. It was a secret, unknown even to Khadgar. But he decided to tell Lothar, attributing it to Chromie.
He leaned closer and whispered, "Garona and Medivh were very close in Karazhan."
"Close?"
"Yes, very close." Galen emphasized the words and winked. Lothar understood.
"My mentor, Gandalf, studied souls," Galen continued, "and said Garona has two souls in one body."
"Two souls?" Lothar was confused. He realized he didn't truly know Medivh.
"Yes. Unlike possession, her extra soul seems newly born."
"Are you saying...?"
"She's pregnant!" Galen declared.
"Pregnant? Medivh has an heir! Hahaha!" Lothar laughed out loud, confusing his men.
"Let's leave. Kael'thas will portal us to Stormwind from outside Karazhan."
"Good. Let's get the nobles from the second floor, then."
At Karazhan's entrance, Galen's paladin guards waited with a nightmare-like warhorse, wreathed in green flames.
It was Midnight.
Galen had always wanted Midnight. Now, he had it, though it was still wild from the death of its master, Attumen.
Kael'thas quickly opened a portal to Stormwind's Mage Tower. The nobles rushed through, eager for safety.
Galen gave Lothar a triangular potion. "Invincible Potion. Seven seconds of invulnerability."
"Like the one you used against Sargeras's attack?" Lothar recalled Galen's charge.
"Yes. Give it to Llane. It could save his life. Also, take this Refuge Scepter. It teleports the dying to Minas Tirith, where Aragorn and I can heal them."
"Stormwind won't forget your help, Galen. Do you still have those fast-build sentry towers?"
Galen produced a magic bag. "Fifty sentry towers. Just throw them down. They cost 50,000 gold."
A joke. I'd give them away for free. The longer Stormwind holds, the stronger I become!
Lothar snatched the bag and hurried toward the portal.
"Put it on Llane's account... good day!"
Lothar fled, leaving an echoing sentence.
"He's robbing me!" Galen realized. "That's years of profit!"
A blue shield appeared around Karazhan as Aegwynn activated its defenses, preparing for Medivh's eventual resurrection.
"Let's go, Kael. I'll show you Minas Tirith!"
Galen shouted at Karazhan, "Aegwynn! If you need help with Medivh, come to Minas Tirith! My teacher, Gandalf, knows about souls and might be able to help!"
Then, Galen teleported himself, Kael'thas, Aragorn, and the paladin guards to Minas Tirith.
In Karazhan, Aegwynn, watching them through a crystal ball, was moved.
The mage who extinguished the hellfire is alive! Medivh has an heir! And I have a lead on his resurrection!
Invigorated, Aegwynn felt a renewed sense of purpose!
In Minas Tirith, a magic circle appeared above the central three-level castle, and Galen and the others arrived.
After their intense battle in Karazhan, the prosperous human city felt like a different world.
"Your Highness! Councillor Rommath! Duke Galen!" someone shouted.