Shadow Trails in Azeroth

Whoosh, whoosh

The late night tide laps against the dark coast. There is no moon in the sky tonight, the clouds are dense, and there is no starlight at all. The Silver Pine Forest, which has just suffered a disaster, looks gloomy when viewed from a distance.

There are little nocturnal crabs crawling around on the coast.

They gather together, forage in the moist sand, and enjoy simple and pure animal happiness. But soon, a strange vibration came from the night water, causing the frightened little crabs to run around.

Amidst the turbulence of the sea, the black ghost ship floated up from the sea. This time it floated much more gracefully than before, probably because the Nagfar ship's spirit was nurturing its own consciousness, allowing her to learn it too. The importance of manners.

Like the lady of the sea.

The seawater is discharged and suspended on the sea surface. The dragon skulls decorated around the ship flow out the seawater, and by the way, some unlucky fish and shrimps stuck on the deck are also thrown back into the sea.

Blake, who yawned, stood by the carved railing on the second floor of the stern of the ship, looking at the coast in front of him. Under the gloomy sky, he could vaguely see the light shining on the small pier on the coast.

Like a ghost lamp in the night.

Lean closer!

Blake patted the railing and ordered:

Take our distinguished dean and tutors home. I'm really convinced. I can obviously open the portal to go back by myself, but I have to come and pick him up.

These elves are so pretentious!

Isn’t my time money?

Despite such complaints, the stinky pirate who was summoned by Dean Lan Yue still came here in a hurry, obviously not wanting to make his mentor angry.

Of course, there are also some personal reasons.

The Nagfar sailed gracefully, turning around as it approached the changed coast, almost touching the shore.

Fortunately, the ravages of Deathwing caused serious collapse and deformation of the coastline in northern Xinjiang, and the water depth was generally expanded. Otherwise, this difficult docking operation would be difficult to complete.

Click

Under the order of First Officer Seifer, the two Knights of the Immortal Sea lowered the planks of the ship and placed them on the edge of the trestle of the severely collapsed small pier in front of them. Blake straightened his clothes and came to the side of the ship to greet them in person.

Soon, Dean Alya Blue Moon, who was holding the Holy Staff of Alunes, led her instructors and students from the mission one after another onto the ship.

Huh? Where is our golem?

Black first saluted the dean to express respect, and then asked in a low voice:

I remember they weren't destroyed in the Catastrophe of Dalaran.

Those hulking golems were given to our Kirin Tor friends.

The graceful dean pushed up his crystal glasses and said softly:

Their city is destroyed, and they will need golems to clean up the disgusting void residue. Having those things patrolling around can also make the workers cleaning the giant pit feel at ease.

Master Antonidas made a request to me, and I left the golem there.

Just give it to me for free?

Blake's eyes suddenly widened and he said with a heartbroken expression:

You don't want a penny?

vulgar!

The dean glared at her hopeless student and said:

How can the friendship between spellcasters be measured by money! Moreover, the things you did in Dalaran make me feel uneasy. Giving a batch of golems as a gift can make me feel calm while meditating.

Dean, you have been dead for more than 10,000 years, how can you still have any conscience?

Blake retorted in a tangled tone:

You can get a lot of things back by selling those golems to the goblins. Our own academy hasn't been built yet, so you are in the mood to feel sorry for others.

Dalaran just looked miserable.

The reconstruction of the Magic City can get the full support of the six kingdoms and the Holy Light Church. There is no shortage of resources and money, but we, the spellcasters who are not loved by our grandma and uncle, are short of it!

There is no majestic main body of the academy. When we go out, we have to be poked in the back by people saying that we are wild mages. I don’t want to have such bad treatment.

It's not that there was no gain at all.

Seeing that the dean was embarrassed by Black's complaint, Archmage Elan next to him helped out and said:

Nathalath Academy reached an agreement with Dalaran. Because the reconstruction of Dalaran took a long time, they temporarily rented a large manor in the city of Andorhal in the East Wilder region as a teaching place.

Although Gilneas officials also provided Shadowfang Castle outside Burnwood Village as a temporary residence for the mages, the two places combined could not accommodate the young mages currently under the Kirin Tor's command.

Therefore, the six-person council made a request, hoping to divert some low-level mages to study at Nathalas College, which in disguise increased our student source.

Although the number of young mages who are willing to come has not yet been counted, it is conservatively estimated that there will be no less than 400 people.

What's the use?

Blake rolled his eyes and said:

“That’s an ‘exchange student’!

After learning the knowledge, they still have to go back to the Kirin Tor, and it's not really for us. The Council of Six is ​​very scheming and asked us to help them train mages.

No, this has been agreed with them. After the one-year exchange student career is over, if those young mages are willing to stay at Nathalas College, their student status will also be transferred together.

Prince Farodis will now explain:

The young mages in Dalaran are all carefully selected and are extremely talented children. This is much faster than our laborious search for apprentices.

Even if only half of the four hundred people remain, it will be enough to serve as the foundation for Nathalas College to reestablish its inheritance ten thousand years later.

Well, that's pretty much it.

Picky Blake was finally satisfied.

He quickly remembered another thing, looked around, and asked in a low voice to Dean Lanyue:

Have the Holy Light Demonic Patterns of Pope Alonsos Fao been completed? Most importantly, have they given the reward?

Why are you thinking about money! This is not the mentality that a spell caster should have.

Dean Lan Yue shook his head and warned:

“Dependence on material things is a betrayal of the spirit, and you must always remember that.

As for that set of magic patterns, during the few days we stayed near Dalaran, we have completed the magic pattern imprinting on the Pope based on your evil magic patterns.

The respectable old man is currently resting in the city of Lordaeron.

He needs to undergo a second imprinting in two months, and his condition currently appears to be stable.

But based on the speed at which the holy light energy is activated in his body, even if all the magic patterns are imprinted, it will only give him three to five years at most.

He is in Lordaeron City now?

Blake blinked, glanced around, and said:

Then you go back first. I'm going there. I have some important things to talk to the old man about. In addition, Dean, when you go back, you may sense that there is something under the sea of ​​Tol Barad. .

Don’t panic, it’s a ‘friend’.

Don't take the initiative to disturb it. That guy has a gloomy and weird personality, and he is having a tantrum because he was just forced to accept a job.

That alien creature that appeared in the Battle of Gilneas?

Dean Lan Yue raised her eyebrows and said with interest:

“This matter is now spreading like crazy in Northern Xinjiang, and various details are constantly being disclosed, although Gilneas officials insist that they have won and taught the arrogant pirates a lesson.

But according to my conversation with His Majesty Faao, which battle was your final victory?

And the Pope is very dissatisfied with your act of casting a curse on the northern lords. When he was carving the magic pattern, he told me privately that this is not what a Templar assassin and a prince in trouble like you should do.

You still ask me to discipline you well.

Curse? No, no, no, that's not a curse.

Blake immediately retorted:

That's power! That's Pava! Darius will thank me in the future, because I opened a new branch for him in his precarious and directionless path as a warrior.

What I gave him was enough to last him a lifetime.

Of course, power is always acquired with pain.

As for victory

Well, it’s not really a victory.

Our losses are about the same as those of the Gilneans, but compared to their slow recovery, our fleet will soon receive a wave of extreme reinforcements.

From now on, the Palatine Sea and the outer sea of ​​Gilneas will be our territory.

I don't think the Gilneans will have the leisure to come to the sea to cause trouble for us in the future.

Haha, wolves should be in the forest and fighting to the death on land, right?

The sea has never been their domain.

Well, if you want to hear it, mentor, my first mate will explain the battle to you in detail on the way back. Now please allow me to take my leave.

He stepped back and whistled.

The loyal Hippogryph neighed a few times, flew up from the comfortable bird's nest specially built for it on the platform behind the stern of the ship, circled around the pirate twice, and then carried him towards Lordaeron. Speeding away in the direction of the city.

Dean Blue Moon watched Blake disappear into the gloomy night. Behind her, Prince Faroldis said softly:

This behavior reminds me of what Azshara did to my people. Unleashing a curse on a nation may have gone too far. You should counsel him.

It was the Gilneans who started the war, Faroldis.

The dean shook his head and said:

In the era of Queen Azshara, what happened to the troll clans who took the initiative to provoke the Elf Empire? You are also a magic prince who has presided over foreign wars. You should know how cruel the Queen's response to provocation was.

It's just a non-lethal curse.

What's more, aren't the night elves' druids and moon priests here?

After all, isn't the werewolf curse a poisonous wine created by their abuse of power nine thousand years ago?

Whatever they cause, they handle it themselves!

My disciple just detonated this hidden danger in advance, just like he did in Dalaran.

Evil?

Evil indeed.

But the result is good, and that's enough.

I have no reason to criticize my disciples, and neither do you, Farodis. Isn't he still looking for a way to lift the curse for you and your people?

The dean made a gesture to Sephiel, who took over the command of the ghost ship.

The pirate dragon cheered, symbolically turned the steering wheel, and the black ghost ship set sail gracefully. After leaving the coast, it sank under the tide in the rolling water.

The night was still gloomy, and there were several crows chirping in the Silver Pine Forest, making the dark forest even more desolate.

It seems to have sensed the future.

A moment of silence for this land in advance.

——

In a church in the upper city of Lordaeron, His Majesty Fao was praying alone in the dark for the earth beneath his feet and the suffering people.

But tonight, the old man no longer showed the weakness that he had been in for a while. He seemed to have suddenly become more energetic, and even his slightly bent waist straightened tonight.

Even the voice when praying became full of energy.

Under the linen priest's robe he was wearing, on his old body, there were some very sacred and mystical lines shining.

This set of holy light magic patterns that have just been imprinted has only completed the first stage of basic imprinting, but it can already help the pope effectively absorb and control the activated holy light.

It is like a layer of insurance that separates the pope's vitality from the activated holy light, so that this sacred power will not make Fao feel heavy pressure anymore.

Although the act of tattooing is not in line with the Pope's values, considering that his life does not belong to him alone, and the call of the Holy Light will not come for several years, after repeated thinking, His Majesty still Accepted this weird treatment.

Just after reading a scroll for blessings and prayers, the old pope under the icon of holy light raised his head.

He coughed and said:

Perhaps you should choose a suitable time to visit me, such as at noon, let the sun shine and let the warm breath dispel the haze on your body.

I know, I know, sunshine is the best disinfectant for the soul.

Blake walked out of the shadows and casually sat on the first row of chairs in the church. He put his hands on the side and looked at the old pope who still maintained his praying posture. He said:

I heard that you were very angry with me, so I went out of my way to explain. The curse on Lord Darius is not a curse, and you cannot dispel it with the power of holy light.

But druids and Luna priests are familiar with it, so you don't have to worry; the blight will eventually be contained.

Its emergence will inject new power into the Gilnean people.

It may take several years of chaos, but I believe that after they turn the curse into strength, the overall strength of the alliance will leap to a new level.

Human beings will truly have the ability to compete with aliens with strange talents in this grand world.

You swear an oath in the name of your surname. Under the witness of the Holy Light, say what you just said again. The people of the Holy Light will never deceive their compatriots!

The Pope said reluctantly.

Black shrugged and swore an oath in the name of House Proudmoore as the old man asked.

He has no psychological pressure because he is not cheating.

He truly believed that the werewolf plague would transform the Gilneans.

Although that process will be painful.

One month and eleven days later, it is the wedding of Arthur Waycrest and Miss Meredith. I believe the old Earl Waycrest has made a request to the church.

But I received no response from the church to this request.

Blake looked at the Pope and said:

“Since your current situation has stabilized, I think it’s time for you to fulfill our previous agreement, Your Majesty.

I have prophesied the dark side of the Church of Storms to you, and I will be happy to prove my prophecy with facts as long as you choose to go to Kul Tiras.

If you are still hesitant and want to break the contract.

That.

I can only 'find a way' on my own.