Chương 19: Chapter 18

Anasterian appreciated the mess the court was in tonight. He'd known his niece's first official appearance attending would send ripples through the whole institution, but it was still fun to witness and be proven correct.

"Father." Nallorath nodded in greeting, as he stepped up to stand by Anasterian's side.

"Little Selessa is doing better than I expected."

"Not so little anymore." Anasterian grunted and took a sip of his wine that was stronger than what he usually drank. It still took some getting used to seeing her without the veil. Especially knowing the person behind those striking eyes was not just his niece.

"Yeah, I get your point." Nallorath made a sympathetic face.

"You know, I thought the statues in the new temple were just very, very inspired but abstract depictions of the Light in the form of a goddess figure. What I didn't expect was for those statues to be based on her." Nallorath was far from the only member of the court that had made the same observation. The giant statues were not exact likenesses of Selessa, but the similarity was rather noticeable, and many members of the court had attended the temple.

Religion had not been a major factor for the Quel'dorei society before, but now it was becoming an increasingly large influence. It helped that the church preached hard work, loyalty to your people and Quel'thalas, as well as offering a new path to rise to prominence. The members of the court couldn't help but notice that more and more Quel'dorei were joining the church, to become either healers or paladins, or just fervent worshippers as their ails were cured by the healers.

The church's power was growing, and they couldn't ignore it.

"She's handling the attention and the nobles very well. Much better than I do." Nallorath admitted after a moment. He was right. She was practically wrapping everyone here around her little finger. It wasn't just her appearance and charisma, although those two certainly helped.

"She's putting on a masterclass. Look how she acts. She listens, pays attention, makes everyone she speaks to feel special. Makes them feel heard. Asks intelligent questions. She also uses even the smallest expressions like weapons. Even a slight smile can feel like a favor or a reward when employed strategically." It also helped that her presence seemed to fill the entire banquet hall like a heavy blanket.

It was like she was the sun, and everyone else was one of the planetoids circling around the gravity well of her charm. If asked, every person in the room could pinpoint her location even while blindfolded. Queen Elessine also joined them with her own wine glass.

"Did you see the expression on your sister's face?" She was barely able to hide her pleased smirk. Elessine had never liked his sister. Few people that really knew Selenna did, aside from her obvious assets.

"I do believe she's not feeling great." Anasterian chuckled a bit, sharing some of the dislike, even if he'd learned to tolerate Selenna over the years.

"That's what it feels like, no longer being the prettiest flower in the garden. And it's all her fault for dragging Selessa to attend."

"How many times have you received requests for your niece's hand in marriage already?" Elessine asked.

"74. Despite my many attempts to disseminate the fact that she'll be the one to make any such decisions, and that she's not on the market currently." Anasterian shook his head at the stubbornness of the nobles. It wasn't uncommon for the parents of a young lady to arrange a marriage for their daughter, though it rarely happened against the explicit wishes of the girl in question. And for obvious reasons, those interested in Selessa made overtures to Anasterian instead of her mother or father.

Her father didn't care about courtly matters, and the less said about her mother, the better. Nallorath whistled.

"I think that might be a record of some sort."

"And the night is still young." Elessine added. Eventually, Selessa's social mingling brought her to the royal couple and Nallorath, who'd stuck together mostly to observe the spectacle.

"Having fun?" Anasterian asked with a teasing tone. Selessa's eyes struck him like a whip.

"I do not think fun is the term I'd use. In fact, please kill me now."

"So, you haven't suddenly found a desire to wed or spend more time at court?" Elessine teased as well.

"Shockingly, no I haven't." Selessa denied with a voice so thick with derision it almost became physical.

"I must say, you look fabulous." Elessine commended.

"A bit modest, but great nonetheless."

"Excuse me? Modest?" Selessa asked incredulously.

"I have about 30% of my décolletage out and the slits at the sides of my dress come all the way up to my waist! This is considered modest?" Indeed, she was showing a rather fair bit of cleavage, and she had nice, long, smooth legs.

"You're too used to being on the battlefield and not attending parties." Elessine laughed.

"As you can see, I have at least half of my bust out, and while I don't have slits, my skirt is short enough to compensate. My attire is considered moderate. Behind you, Lady Noraeen Drathir, a member of the convocation mind you, has 70% of her bust visible, and both her legs are completely visible. That's considered risqué, but not scandalous. I think court fashion took an interesting turn about 700 years ago. Having your tits on full display is gauche, but not exactly forbidden."

"Our people are insane." Selessa muttered while looking towards Anasterian. As they discussed, the rest of the room seemed to disappeared, and it seemed like he could just drown in her- "By the Sunwell, Selessa, stop doing that! It's highly distracting and not at all appropriate when you're targeting me." He managed to break the trance.

"Oh, woops. I got too used to talking with the others and forgot to reign things back in." Selessa said apologetically, and Anasterian could feel as if certain pull on his attention had suddenly disappeared. Didn't make Selessa any less attractive, but now he only noted it the same way he'd note it in any other person or a piece of art, and he could think of other things much more easily.

"Oh wow, did you just get lost in her eyes, oh husband of mine?" Elessine asked with a grin that told him he'd never hear the end of this. As if Elessine hadn't fallen victim as well.

"Preposterous!" Anasterian denied with fake indignation.

"Nallorath, how about you?"

"Huh? What did you say?" Nallorath also seemed to suddenly come out of a trance, and they could all tell he'd also been staring.

"What did I miss?"

"Nothing important." Selessa chuckled.

"Speaking of, any news I should be aware of? I've been a bit busy and isolated with the project."

"As a matter of fact, there is!" Elessine exclaimed happily, letting the previous matter rest. For now. She'd tease Anasterian and Nallorath later.

"The humans have apparently gained their first Light users. Only a handful of people healing the sick and the wounded for now, and they don't seem to be showing the same sort of explosive growth in skill as you or our healers and paladins, but it's there. No hint of battlefield applications either." Selessa nodded with a hum before stealing a glass of wine from a nearby server by just floating it over with a bit of Arcane.

"It was inevitable once they saw us use the power. The Light is not exclusive to us, no matter how much we'd prefer otherwise. The question is, how much can they utilize it? Communing with the Light without any instructions is challenging, and I have direct help from the Naaru. Not sure how much help they're getting. Depends on their aptitude, I suppose."

"On the same vein, the human mages have returned to their homes. They can't spend decades learning the Arcane from us due to their short lives." Nallorath added.

"They aren't going to challenge our mastery any time soon, but they're at the starting line at least. That said, much of our Arcane development has been stagnant as well, so unless we get more serious, our advantage might not last as long as we think."

"Indeed. King Thoradin has also taken a concubine and has an heir on the way. The humans work fast. Apparently they're already doing well in building their new capital city, Strom. Located in the southern borders of our continent. They're calling their new nation Arathor, named after the area their new city is located at, the Arathi Highlands." Elessine reported.

"Although, now that I think about it, I'm not sure which name came first. Might be that the area got renamed after the country."

"How's the Starwell project going?" Nallorath shifted the topic.

"We're starting to get there. I think we could create a prototype already, but it would be an inferior product. In a year or two we could do a lot better." Selessa speculated with a thoughtful expression.

"I'd say we're not in a great rush. The first people not part of the military are only now taking their first steps outside the bounds of Quel'thalas." Anasterian was prepared to wait as long as it took.

"Something just occurred to me. Could you give us a bit of privacy?" He directed the question towards Elessine and Nallorath. Nallorath just nodded while Elessine gave a teasing smile.

"Just don't get lost in her eyes again." Anasterian scoffed before guiding them towards an alcove with a bit more privacy.

"We talked about a certain…ability you had to influence those under your command. Would that affect the entire new area if you were placed in a position of authority over it and the inhabitants. Even if you didn't do the direct day-to-day management?" One of Selessa's eyebrows shot up.

"Theoretically, yes. Though you already know I'm going to be busy." Then for some reason her eyes seemed to focus on something in the air for a moment before a slight bit of shock flashed through her expression.

"What? Don' bother hiding, I know you had an epiphany of sorts." Anasterian asked.

"Well, let's just say that the answer is yes. The entire area would be affected." She summarized, clearly not willing to reveal more. Anasterian considered pressing the issue, but so far Selessa had brought nothing but positive things and he was going to give her a lot of leeway while that continued.

"Right. I know you're going to be busy, but if the effect can apply, I'm considering combining your current plans with mine, and you can always delegate. Even if only a bit of that ability of yours will rub off, then taking the land over and turning it useful is going to become much easier. So, be on the lookout. I'm liking this idea more and more. It combines well with some of my other plans!" He'd been concerned about succession matters, but this provided a nice way to deal with it. He knew. Everyone knew.

There was no way he wouldn't have realized by now that Selessa would make for a better ruler than Nallorath, even if there was still a possibility for that to change and he was easily young enough to have more kids. Yet, he couldn't just bring himself to push his son to the side. This provided a nice outlet. If he put Selessa in charge of the new land as a sort of 'test' and she proved to be just as effective as he expected, then there would be nothing that could be said about her becoming the ruler after him.

It could even become a sort of tradition. Let potential succession candidates take over the outer territories to learn. Yes, this could work.

[Congratulations! You have unlocked a new branch of perks in the Politics skill. Enjoy!] She had to re-read the announcement. A quick glance, which she couldn't completely hide from Anasterian, at the new perks caused another reaction she was unable to fully hide. These perks were insane! Partially because they were unlocked all the way to level 17. They all fell under the broad umbrella of 'demesne'.

Where the perks she'd had access to before improved the people under her, these directly improved whatever area she ruled over, be it a simple holding or an entire kingdom, as well as the people living on the land. Good thing she had so many perk points available. Three points went straight to three connected perks. Improved Resources, Rare Resources, and Treasure Trove all improved the resources found in her demesne.

The first one directly increased the amount and quality of normal resources found, while Rare Resources guaranteed the availability of many resources that were not found in most places. Treasure Trove meant that even the rarest of resources could be discovered. The key word being discovered. She didn't know if the System created them out of thin air, or just helped in finding what was already there, but the obvious implication was that the land would be rich with bounty.

Speaking of, Fertile Land didn't improve just the land, but the people as well, turning both fertile. Esprit de Corps improved the martial spirit and ability of those living in her demesne, which made it an automatic take. Conflux improved the magic and ley-lines of her land over time. Endless Plenty meant that the land, the resources, and the animals recovered and regenerated rather quickly from any depletion, and was likely connected to the Fertile Land as that one was a prerequisite.

Hardy Stock made it so the people and the land itself in her demesne were resistant to all sorts of plagues and natural disasters, as well as able to deal with extreme weather and other hardships like famine more easily. Having personally experienced the 'gifts' of Nurgle, she knew the importance of disease resistance. There were at least a dozen other perks she wanted to take, but those were the most urgent ones, and they also worked nicely together and didn't require her personal participation.

If Anasterian really went through this plan, he'd be in for a surprise…

Later on, Anasterian found her again on one of the many balconies, cooling off and having some time for herself.

"You seem lost in thought. I should mention, you've done your part. I don't think anyone would begrudge you for leaving at this point." Selessa smile softly, leaning against the railing with her elbows.

"Just feeling a bit nostalgic."

"Really? I was under the impression that you didn't have much time for parties in your previous life." Anasterian questioned.

"We didn't. Not really. Just the politics, and the talk of marriage and kids." She shook her head.

"Not that you mention it, I feel compelled to ask. I know we've brushed near the topic before, and you haven't answered, but I feel I'd be remiss if I didn't broach the topic again. Did you ever have family? Kids of your own?" Anasterian remembered the topic coming up before and her avoiding it aside from generalities. She hesitated a bit before answering.

"You remember how ours was a race practically on the cusp of extinction? As such, it was our duty to bring about the next generation. And I was old enough to have done my duty several times over. By the end, things were really bad, and I can't tell you if any were still alive by the time I died. They do live in my memory. I was not a great parent. Too lost in duty." She finally admitted with a sad tone.

"Though that wasn't really rare, and most children were raised communally for that very reason. Ours was a society that was based on focus and dedication to a single mastery at a time, and children complicated things. To us, extremes were the norm, and kids made that difficult."

"Is that why you have such a reaction to even the thought of marrying now?" Anasterian asked carefully. She still had that unwavering focus, even if she could direct it at more than one thing at a time now. She wobbled her head uncertainly.

"It's part of it, but not the main reason. I just abhor the thought of marrying someone for any reason other than true affection. I've already done my duty in that regard. I have no desire to do it for the fourth time. If I do find someone, and there is offspring as a result, then I'll be happy, but until then, I have no plan to acquiesce to any demands on this front. There are many things I'm willing to do and sacrifice for our people, but this isn't one of them. No matter what the political ramifications."

"Understood." Anasterian nodded in agreement.

"I wasn't planning on accepting, but now I have even more reason to reject such proposals."

"Good. You were right. I've had enough of this party. I'll return to the workshop. The sooner we get a working Starwell, the sooner we can really start taking over Alah'thalas." She declared.

"Light-home? Works for me. I'll make the announcement tomorrow." Anasterian smiled. He'd pushed her to come up with a name, and now she had. That was good enough for now, and it fit.

Selessa never really enjoyed the Convocation sessions, though luckily she didn't need to attend most of them. Only those that discussed matters of real importance.

"The first settlers have started building in the newly named Alah'thalas." Melevedon Solaris read off a written report. He mostly handled things relating to the economy.

"They're experiencing some adverse effects from not being within range of the Sunwell. The symptoms grow worse over time, but they can luckily be easily countered with a sufficient supply of mana. Either mana potions or gems can work in a pinch, though the most effective method is to return back to Quel'thalas for at least a week. That's about the time it takes for their bodies to absorb the required saturation of ambient mana to return back to Alah'thalas."

"What sort of symptoms are we talking about?" Noraeen Drathir asked. As a magister, she couldn't even imagine living in a low mana environment. She was also the flightiest of the Convocation members, sometimes supportive, sometimes opposing things on pure principle.

"General tiredness, weakness, sluggishness, and the usual effects associated with malnourishment." Ron'vith listed off a scroll.

"Notably, the effects can be staved off by a mana-rich diet as well. The effects are not fast, and we can deal with the symptoms, but it is holding people back from moving to the new land. Until the problem is fixed, the number of settlers will be limited."

"What's the situation with the runestones and the weather control magic?" Melevedon questioned. Ron'vith leaned forward.

"About 80% of the runestones are in place, and we expect them to all be done by the end of next month. They're all enchanted, but optimal placement is providing some challenges because some of them need to be placed in the mountains, particularly in the south. The dragonhawks have difficulty carrying such heavy burdens and we can't obviously teleport them either. We have to move them manually. The weather control magic is prepared, but it can't be applied until we can increase the ambient mana to power it.

On the positive side, there seems to be a nascent world tree just south of Alah'thalas, in the troll infested Hinterlands. The tree can more than easily work as an anchor for the magic, though that does risk the trolls disrupting the spell if they find out. We might need to guard the location. On the other hand, we don't have to wait for a new one to grow." Anasterian frowned and leaned forward in a more aggressive stance, having been content to observe proceedings so far.

"Where did the tree come from?" Ron'vith shook his head.

"We can't be certain, but the tree doesn't seem to be more than maybe a thousand, thousand-and-a-half years old. There's only one group that can plant one. The Kaldorei."

"So. It was planted while Quel'thalas existed, and relatively recently in our history as well. They meddle in our backyard without so much as even deigning to inform us." Anasterian's expression was rather thunderous.

"They show their disdain for us once again."

"It would appear so. We know they don't hold too high of an opinion of us. Although, that opinion might have shifted recently." Ron'vith pointed out.

"That would require the Kaldorei be capable of changing, which we know to be a baseless hope. Their opinions don't shift so quickly." Anasterian was clearly not pleased.

"How's the progress with the Starwells?" Rathuron Brightwing asked, looking towards Selessa and Ron'vith, partly to change the subject. He didn't want a potential conflict with the Kaldorei.

"Well, we're ready to test on my side. The enchantments have been designed, and the materials are ready. We're just waiting on Lady Selessa now." Ron'vith deflected. He'd done a great job at teaching her, and she was quickly becoming one of the most gifted enchanters in Quel'thalas.

"I've reached a point where we could create a working Starwell, but it would not be optimal in effectiveness yet. The more time I get to iterate and test, the better the end result. I believe we have enough water from the Sunwell for two Starwells, and we'll have to wait for a decade for a third one if we create a suboptimal one now. We can do it anytime we want to, the only question is how long do we wait while I improve?" Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

She'd been training Crafting, Magical Crafting, and Bonesinging for a year and a half now. She'd personally just turned twenty, and her focused efforts had managed to improve all three to level 7. The progress was greatly slowing down though, to the point she was considering using the points she gained from EXP to speed up the progress.

She knew it was only a matter of time, and she was actually progressing stunningly fast when compared to her other Attributes and skills thanks to her Perks, but she was under time pressure. She still hadn't pulled that trigger, and likely wouldn't, but the temptation was there. And she knew the danger of temptations.

"How much time are we talking about and what sort of improvement are we expecting?" Melevedon asked.

"A year perhaps, and I'd say the improvement in effectiveness could be up to 30%." She revealed, mostly because reaching level 8 would allow her access to new perks. The jump from level 7 to level 8 was also rather sizeable in most skills as it marked the difference between an expert and a master.

"Only a year for 30% is a pretty easy choice." Ron'vith gave his approval.

"We're not in that much of a rush."

"The caveat is that I'll have to mostly focus on the project." She added another point of consideration.

"Meaning the project with the military will be pushed forward." Ranger-General Alleria added.

"We've been drawing up basic plans for the mandatory military training for everyone with my husband. We could use your feedback on that one."

"Ok, am I the only one that questions the necessity for such a drastic change?" Rathuron asked, looking at the other members of the Convocation, without gaining much support.

"Asking everyone to spend a decade training in the military is not a minor thing despite our lifespan." Noraeen pursed her lips.

"As little as I like it, I see the benefits and the necessity. We live long lives. The benefits of every citizen having military training are undeniable, and we could use a standing army aside from just the rangers. It was one thing when the Ban'dinoriel protected our borders, but now we have a lot more land to cover. There are already whispers of Murlocks, Gnolls, Kobolds, and even the occasional troll that managed to make it over the mountains.

Not to mention the fact that we have to project strength to the humans." Melevedon nodded in support.

"They're grateful and fearful of our strength now, but they are shorter-lived. In a few generations their gratitude will wane, and the strength we showed against the trolls will be forgotten, dismissed as a legend. They'll start looking over the border and wondering why they couldn't have some of our resources. Having enough strength will deter any such thoughts and keep things at least cordial if not friendly. Even if we never have to use the military, just having it is quite beneficial."

"There's also an economic aspect." Selessa added.

"Everyone needs to take part in training, but some will remain as professional soldiers. It's a good way to get out of bad economic situations. Even with all our resources and magic, we still have poverty and people in desperate situations. Third and fourth sons not able to inherit the family business could find another path in the military. Giving them an alternative aside from turning to crime and banditry is preferable.

Besides, we'll indirectly subsidize professions that would be necessary during wars, since our troops need supplies, weapons and armor, clothes, several materials for building fortifications, and so on. And if you think the trolls were the last military threat we face, then boy do I have some bad news."

"Alright, alright. It's going to be expensive though." Rathuron waved the metaphorical white flag in surrender. The Convocation was rarely this in sync on anything. Part of his disinterest was that his house was one of the few martial houses due to their control of the dragonhawks. This would create other such houses.

"It will be, but it's a good thing we have a lot of new land and resources to exploit and fund all this development. And most of the costs will go back into the economy and flow back as taxes." Melevedon waved the concern away, and as he was the head of the richest House in the kingdom, that meant something.

"I think it's a good idea." Lorien Carmine, the Red Dragon, spoke for the first time since the session started. And he'd chosen an odd time to make his contribution.

"Really? You're for it?" Noraeen asked incredulously.

"I would've thought the Red Dragons out of everyone would oppose such obvious militarization, and potential loss of life." House Carmine's loyalties were no longer a secret or a matter they refused to talk about. Lorien shook his head.

"In general, we might be, but there are also threats in this world as Lady Selessa mentioned. Threats we who are in the know usually don't talk about. Threats we fight against in secret. It might be useful if the Quel'dorei were capable of fighting such threats as well." He revealed his point of view.

"That's…surprisingly pragmatic." Anasterian added as well. Lorien shook his head wryly.

"It is true that we like to maintain a status quo and protect life, but the Quel'dorei are in an upheaval and the world is changing. Might as well direct that change into a productive direction. We can be pragmatic when necessary." What he left unsaid was that Queen Alexstrasza was paying a lot of attention to the Quel'dorei and a certain Saint in particular, knowing that a lot of things in the future might hinge on the decisions made by the elves in the next few decades.

"Truthfully, our desire for status quo was mostly to limit any damage that might be caused by great changes, but there's little point trying to stand in front of an avalanche and ask it politely to stop."

"I believe we have a decision then. Details to be hashed out later." Anasterian used his authority to finalize the decision.

"I hope this works." Anasterian muttered, standing between Sapphiron and Selessa, as they all observed the final preparations for the activation of the first Starwell. Ron'vith directed the magisters as they poured sacks of mana gems and mana-infused water into the Wraithbone fountain. All of the gems disappeared as soon as they entered, all the mana being drained by the white material of the fountain, before slowly flowing back and infusing the water further.

Sack after sack of gems were poured in, the results of hundreds of magisters donating every gem they could spare for the effort, and still the ravenous Wraithbone ate it all and demanded more. All the while Ron'vith was grinning almost maniacally. In his mind, the more mana the fountain ate, the better the end result.

"Oh, it'll work. The only question is how well." Sapphiron reassured the king.

"Ron'vith may not be my equal in weaving magical spells, but he is undeniably the smartest man I've ever witnessed when it comes to enchanting and magical artificing. To him, it's an art as much as science." Selessa nodded in agreement. Even with all her advanced knowledge, System assistance, and the fact that her Crafting, Bonesinging, and Magical Crafting had reached level 8, she could barely follow the enchantments Ron'vith had laid on the fountain.

He'd laid down several layers of enchantments in fact, the Wraithbone allowing for more than any other material, and just the resonance and amplification patterns were works of sublime beauty. The man was an artist and an innovator combined when it came to his field of expertise. Enchanting and ritual magic were his forte. After hours of preparation, Ron'vith seemed to be satisfied, and activated the enchantments, first connecting the fountain to the natural ley-lines.

Then he used the stored mana to fully power the complex enchantments, before bringing out the vial of water from the Sunwell, pouring it into the mix. The whole fountain suddenly gained a glow of power that hadn't been there before. Then they all felt it. The familiar warmth they'd gotten used to while living in Silvermoon. The glow of power was reminiscent of the Sunwell, and the effect slowly gained in power as the cascading and amplifying effects of both the enchantments and the Wraithbone kicked in.

Selessa had sacrificed three perks just for this project. Amplification, and Grand Amplification greatly improved the magical effect produced as a result of the material, and Great Works just improved the effect and results of any large-scale projects created with Wraithbone. And the effects were worth it.

"That's…magnificent." Anasterian whispered.

"It's practically identical in effect."

"Not quite identical, but very close. Maybe 90% of the original Sunwell." Sapphiron estimated, just as excited.

"Though the power is still climbing. I'd guess it'll eventually stabilize even closer to the original." To him this was a perfect experience the Blues could replicate for their own use later on, assuming he could get her daughter to cooperate. The Sunwell had been the source of their power and the most sacred place of the Quel'dorei society for thousands of years. And now they had created another one.

"Excellent work. This is officially a grand success." Anasterian patter both Selessa and Sapphiron on the back, while shaking hands with the approaching Ron'vith.

"All of your names are going down in history."

"Thank you, your majesty." Ron'vith was practically radiating self-satisfaction and joy at the success.

"We can still do some work to make the next one even better, but the fundamentals are there." He was the type to both want to leave a legacy, and to explore these kinds of grand works just to see what could be done. He explored magic for its own sake, not so much to gain power.

"Did you have another vial of the Sunwell water?" Selessa suddenly asked.

"I do. We have one more. Why?" Ron'vith asked, slightly caught off guard, still in celebratory mood.

"May I examine it?" She asked.

"This is the first time I've been so close to any water from the Sunwell, and I thought I sensed something." Sapphiron suddenly looked at her sharply, but didn't stop Ron'vith, who just handed over the vial. Selessa allowed all her senses and not just her eyes examine the contents of the vial, and it didn't take long for her to see the similarities to other substances she'd seen and experienced before.

"I see." She gave Sapphiron a sneaky look.

"Did you know about this?" The way she emphasized 'you' made it clear to the dragon she was referring to the Blue Dragonflight and not just him personally.

"Some things. We aren't aware of the details, but the general gist of it, yes." Sapphiron admitted, confusing Anasterian and Ron'vith further.

"Do you want to tell them, or should I?" She asked with a slight smile.

"You can do it. I want to hear your speculation and can then add any details you may have missed." Sapphiron grimaced.

"Tell us what?" Anasterian asked, now getting worried and somewhat irked.

"The reason the Sunwell, and now the Starwell are as they are. I've read the histories of our people and the Sundering. The Well of Eternity. There's a reason why it was such a seemingly endless fount of power. Even in this vial is a bit of the essence from a higher being. I don't just mean a Loa, or probably even the Wild Gods. I mean an even higher-level existence. It is likely that the original Well of Eternity was formed because the being in question bled into it." She explained.

It was hard not to see the similarities with certain objects imbued with the power of the Aeldari Pantheon, or conversely the profane artifact tainted by the essence of the four or even their Greater Daemons. Even some of the artifacts used by the Mon'keigh and their faith were similar, although theirs were a little different. Anasterian and Ron'vith both frowned.

"Are you suggesting the existence of something like Elune, the Kaldorei Goddess?" The latter asked.

"Not necessarily, though she would more than likely qualify." She shook her head.

"Those of us communing with the Light sometimes touch the minds of the Naaru, beings that are like the representations of the fundamental force of Light. I suspect other fundamental forces have similar beings." She glanced towards Sapphiron, who nodded in confirmation.

"Wild Gods, Titans, even the Burning Legion." He supplied.

"Right. Something like that, but a very powerful one. Although…this essence seems somehow…neutral. As if pure unaligned magic." She finished with a nod towards Sapphiron.

"The old stories tell us the demons were here for something. Might've been this or whatever this blood came from." She waved the vial slightly.

"So, what are the implications?" Ron'vith went directly to practical applications.

"Well, I can sense a very faint intent in the essence in this vial. I can't tell you what the complete intent is, but part of it is protection and propagation. The reason the Sunwell becomes diminished when water is taken is not because there's less essence, but because the intent is protecting itself. It focuses on propagating itself completely, not just partly, and taking some of the water drains that intent.

On the other hand, there's no reason why even this bit can't have the same power as the original given enough time to recover." She speculated.

"Why did the Sunwell not become another Well of Eternity then?" Anasterian asked shrewdly.

"It sort of did, just on lesser scale. Probably because it was not the intent in the original. The purpose wasn't to create several new Wells of Eternity but one. Several vials were drawn according to the story, but only one was brought here by Dath'Remar Sunstrider. What happened to the others, I do not know. If the water from the other vials were added to the Sunwell, then we'd likely get another Well of Eternity, but as it is, we only have a part of the intent.

The intent in that part is still active in the Sunwell, and the intent carries into the new Starwells, given enough time to recover between each use. It's the gathering of intent that requires time to recover, not the lost essence. Infusing the intent into a simple vial is not quite so simple, and the Sunwell isn't exactly an intelligent being either. We're only dealing with essence, not a complete mind and personality.

The upside is that the power in the new Starwell will keep improving as the intent becomes whole again." She speculated, knowing that a lot of it was guesswork.

"The power is still rising, if slowly." Ron'vith muttered quietly in confirmation.

"With that in mind, the experiment exceeded our expectations. Do we even need more than one Starwell for Alah'thalas?" Anasterian questioned.

"Hmm, Alah'thalas is geographically larger than Quel'thalas, and the effects of the original diminish quite a bit at the edges of Quel'thalas. We also positioned this one poorly if we wanted to utilize just one." Sapphiron pointed out. They were currently near the border with the human lands, because they expected this area to grow into a trade hub faster than any other potential city locations.

"The eastern part of Alah'thalas would barely be affected, if at all." The well was also already tied to the ley-lines so it couldn't be moved.

"If we were to create another one on the eastern edge, or at the very least near the center, then we'd be covered." Ron'vith suggested.

"Although, we aren't in a rush since this one is already easing things for most of the area."

"Will the human lands be affected?" Selessa asked, not wanting Mon'keigh to benefit from her work. Ron'vith and Sapphiron both grinned.

"No. We created the enchantments on the fountain and the runestones to interact together. The veil the runestones create reflects all of the power back to our lands. Now, if the runestones were damaged, then things would be different." The latter explained.

"Good. In that case, I can finally focus on other things. Let me know when you want to create another well, so we can get it done. I have some city planning to do, and an army to train." Selessa decided.

Tyrande Whisperwind sat on the edge of the large fountain of the Temple of Moon on Mount Hyjal, allowing her fingers to dip into the water reflecting the two moons above. As with many of their temples, this one didn't have a complete roof either, allowing moonlight and nature to enter the temple. These temples were built to accommodate nature, not keep it outside.

"Apologies for being late." A familiar warm voice brought her out of her idle thoughts.

"That's fine, daughter." Tyrande smiled lightly at her adopted daughter and a Commander of the Sentinels, Shandris Feathermoon.

"Huntress Shadewarden has not contacted us yet."

"She's the one sent to watch over the Quel'dorei, isn't she? Haven't heard reports on them for several decades, and with the recent death of a Loa, I suspect there's a lot to report." Shandris sat on the edge of the fountain next to Tyrande, close enough that their knees almost touched, a slight display of familial affection, a rarity among the aloof Kaldorei.

"Yes, I got a report a bit over ten years ago and the Amani trolls were riling things up at that time. She was given permission to assist our banished kin if things turned into a war." Tyrande added. It was rare for the Kaldorei to meddle in the affairs of their estranged cousins. The Quel'dorei maintained an embassy of sorts on the edges of Kaldorei territory, as they had been banished originally as punishment and thus not allowed to enter Hyjal. There were other reasons of course, but that was the official line.

Contact with the ambassador was sparse, maybe once every decade, and the ambassador had not been seen for a while.

"Oh, here we go." Shandris whispered as the moonlit pool of the enormous fountain formed the image of the Huntress and the member of the Unseen Path, an order of the world's greatest hunters, archers, rangers, beastmasters, and trappers, dedicated to the protection of Azeroth and its people.

"High-Priestess. Commander." The huntress in question bowed towards the source of the reflection, likely a pool of water of some sort as well.

"I have…a lot of news."

"We suspected that to be the case. We all felt the passing of Nalorakk." Tyrande went straight to the salient point.

"Quite. I'll need to provide a bit of context for any of this to make sense though." The huntress launched into an explanation of the events from her point of view, starting with the surprising militarization of the Quel'dorei well before the war.

"So, you're saying our cousins could tell a war was coming and took active steps to prepare?" Shandris asked with a frown.

"Military steps and not just magical ones?"

"Indeed. I only have secondhand information and my own observations, but it would seem most of their society turned into war footing with almost alarming alacrity. Artisans focused on creating weapons and armor, while enchanters plied their crafts to those weapons instead of their usual frivolous pursuits. Every village and town started training militia. Their ranger corps got flooded with applications, and they even founded an elite unit directly to counter the trolls, called the Farstriders."

The huntress explained.

"That's not like them. At all." Shandris commented, her frown deepening. Their cousins were simply too arrogant to take something like the trolls seriously. A mistake they didn't make this time, apparently.

"I have to concur. I would've expected our cousins to be content to hide behind walls and magic to defend themselves." Tyrande nodded in agreement. The Quel'dorei were very similar in nature to her own kind, as they used to be one people, and she'd often felt her own people were too passive and didn't take any potential threats seriously enough. It vexed her, as she would rather take a more active role in matters, as she'd done during the war against the Burning Legion.

"That's the beginning of a trend and the least of the changes." Huntress Shadewarden warned them, and went into the new Church of Light.

"So, they now have another source of magical power aside from the Arcane?" Tyrande homed in on the bit of information. Some of the abilities mentioned by Shadewarden sounded eerily familiar to her own abilities.

"Correct. They've also founded a faith, similar to Elune, and the adherents in particular seem very focused on improving their people and their position in the world. I can confirm that the warriors using this Light are formidable, even if they're still only finding themselves and the limits of their power for now. It is this faith and their leader in large part that seems to be driving the changes in the Quel'dorei society." Huntress Shadewarden confirmed.

"Not sure if that's a good thing, though I suppose it beats their use of the Arcane." Shandris speculated.

"Continue." Next the huntress went into the early phases of the war, the destruction of Zul'Aman, the massacre of Zul'Mashar, and the siege of Thalassian Pass, including the death of Nalorakk.

"Wait, wait, wait. You're telling me, the proud Quel'dorei let a young girl less than twenty summers old lead their armies into battle?" Shandris asked in obvious confusion. The thought of the Quel'dorei marching to battle in the first place was odd.

"Well, she is a religious leader, as well as the niece of the King. Currently she's pretty much destined to become the next ruler, assuming she outlives the relatively young King. And the results do speak for themselves. She was also the one to slay the Loa, although with heavy support from others." Huntress Shadewarden added.

"Still. That's a lot of power for someone so young. And someone untested." Shandris was very concerned by the idea. Such power was usually tempered by wisdom as power tended to come with age.

"Well, it seems to have worked. I'm assuming from your report that the war is over? That didn't take long." A three-year war was quite short actually.

"Oh, the Autarch led the Quel'dorei into a complete and dominant victory in less than a year. The trolls were broken completely and almost wiped out while sieging a human settlement. They were attacked in the back by the Quel'dorei forces, who crushed the trolls. This despite the fact that their Warlord was apparently influenced by the Void. No, the reason I only reported now is because they've added a large area to their kingdom called Alah'thalas, and they've managed to create a second Sunwell.

Now they're starting to train up their armies in earnest while also settling their new land."

"They've been busy." Tyrande allowed after a moment of silence.

"And they're poised to stay busy for a while."

"Can't say I'm sad to see the Amani gone. Are our cousins making any hostile movements towards the humans, or anyone else for that matter?" Shandris focused on the military side. Was this new military posture a prelude to future conquests? If so, she might have to prepare.

"No. The humans were their allies against the trolls, and the Quel'dorei seem content to see how long that state of affairs remains. Their rangers are making some effort to curb the population of races such as Gnolls and Murlocks, but no major operations yet. I suspect they're saving such things for their military forces still in training. I would not expect them to make any large movements until that training is done.

Incidentally, they've instituted a system similar to our Sentinel forces, in that every Quel'dorei is expected to serve at least ten years in the military, with the occasional refresher later on to keep their skills sharp. The former Autarch just announced the formation and training of an elite force consisting of those that will dedicate their lives to war." Huntress Shadewarden went over the details she'd heard.

"That's not a bad plan." Tyrande commented. Their own society was very segmented with a large portion of their men becoming druids, while most women became Sentinels. There were obvious parallels.

"Maybe we could learn something?" The trick was, because the Kaldorei were immortal, their numbers increased even slower than Quel'dorei, and because two thirds of their race were focused on war and druidism, their society wasn't exactly developing. Maybe they should encourage the Sentinels to have some hobbies at least?

"Is there a need for us to do something about this?" Shandris wondered.

"No, I believe not." Tyrande decided.

"Not big moves anyway. Send some more observers to keep an eye on things."

"There is one more matter." Huntress Shadewarden said with a carefully controlled tone.

"It seems there's a relatively new Great Tree just south of the new borders of Quel'thalas. A tree most likely planted there by us." That caused both Tyrande and Shandris to frown.

"We're going to have to have a word with Druid Staghelm, aren't we?" Shandris finally asked.

"So it would seem." Tyrande replied, not too pleased by the prospect.

Selessa was quite pleased by the turnout. Over ten thousand Quel'dorei had gathered at her call, all arranged into neat ranks in front of the stage she was standing on with Talanas. The vast majority of those that had gathered were veterans of the Troll War, and most of them were part of the initial forces she'd used to harry and attack Zul'Aman. The forces she'd spent the most time commanding. Three hundred paladins also stood in the front rank, although their presence was a little different.

"Ladies, lords, brothers and sisters. As you know, I've called you here for a single purpose. To create a new elite military force for our people. I want to create an unshakable bulwark, the mailed fist of our people, a force to stand between those vulnerable and the monsters that would prey upon them in the night. The war against the trolls showed us the value and necessity of military force, and the importance of martial spirit.

In that war, we took mostly civilians and turned them into militia and somewhat adequate soldiers. Now, we need to take the next step and create warriors." Her voice was carried to everyone even without the aid of magic. Charisma was such a cheat attribute.

"Today, on this stage, I will make you two promises. The first one will not be pleasant. You will face hardship and suffering. Not all of you will make it. To become true warriors, you will need to endure a level of training that can turn you into living weapons. That means, I will need to break you before I can rebuild you. And it will be just as unpleasant as it sounds. You can quit at any time. Not everyone has what it takes. That is not a shame, just the reality.

I will not scorn or look down on those that do quit. You tried, which is more than most can say. You will be compensated for your time, and I will wish you well on whatever else you might decide to do." Her voice was soft and understanding.

"However, to those that can withstand the training, I will promise you that you will become the strongest and most deadly warriors on this world. Each and every one of you will be worth more than a hundred normal soldiers. I will turn you into assets that can take on something like the Loa and emerge victorious. You can hold your head high as the protectors of our people and the Light, and you can be secure in the knowledge that you are the best.

You can be confident that you can stand against any threat the world throws at you, and that you've done everything you can to secure our future. I promise you a purpose." No one had come here expecting anything less, but her words still managed to buoy everyone's spirits.

"Here, your aptitude and talents do not matter. Here, your past and your previous successes and failures do not matter. Here, your family or lack thereof doesn't matter. Here, your origins do not matter. All that matters is that you have the spirit and tenacity to stick with the program, and I will forge you all into a blade that will not dull, a shield that does not break, a bow that does not miss. And everything I ask of you, every effort, every hardship, every challenge, I will go through with you.

To be one of us, you need to really be one of us and go through the same trials and tribulations. No exceptions, even for me. This too, I will promise you." She gestured at the paladins at the front rank.

"The warriors of the Light are here to make sure we all survive the ordeal. And to push us harder. They are all allowed to go through the program with us, and in their stupidity, they've all volunteered to participate." This elicited chuckles from those gathered.

"Which brings us to another point. If you have the power of the Light, or the Arcane, or any other such advantage, do not think that it provides you with an opportunity to shirk off. No, the only advantage it will give you is the ability to work even harder. Those that work the hardest will inevitably raise to the top, so grab whatever advantage you can. And if you have no advantage? That only means you need to replace that lack of aptitude with more hard work.

Every advantage can be overcome with effort and smarts. I'd say work smarter not harder, but here you will have to do both." She paused for dramatic effect.

"Welcome to the most difficult thing you've ever had to do." The first phase of the training was relatively simple. To get anything else done, she needed to get the physical capabilities of the trainees to a much higher level, and hopefully eventually to their peak. That meant a lot of physical training. Every other day involved heavy exercises combining strength, agility, and stamina in a mix that maximized everyone's ability to push themselves beyond their previous limits.

Long runs, obstacles, lifting heavy objects, stretching, and nutrition. The basics of physical training didn't change that much, only the efficiency at which it was done, and she knew how to get the best out of every muscle group. She had spent thousands of years either training as an Aspect Warrior personally, or training others to become one. Combined with her training as a Warlock and then a Farseer, training others was in her blood.

The Aeldari had mastered such things a long time ago, and adjusting to the physique of Quel'dorei wasn't that challenging. Accounting for the effects of magic was a bit harder, but only required trial and error. She also knew the importance of rest and recovery, as that's when the growth happened, which was why every other day was focused on technique and learning. Technique with swords, shields, spears, hammers, axes, staves, wands, and yes, even bows were on the menu.

Those in the program were expected to master all weapons, before focusing on a couple. The learning was focused on tactics and strategy, anatomy, and logistics, but not only those. Farstriders gave lessons on tracking, wilderness, monsters, and survival. Knights taught lessons on mounted combat, which were then debated, refined, and improved upon. Magisters were brought in to give lessons on magical combat, and Spellbreakers on how to fight against mages.

Neither revealed their secret techniques, but they did give a good basis on how to fight random magic users. The training was also designed to build camaraderie through shared adversity. Selessa made sure to give everyone a good taste of what they'd be learning before pushing them too hard, which turned out to be a good decision because no one had quit even after months of training.

It did help that all of the participants were also personally loyal to her, and most of them were believers in the Light who saw her as a religious figure. Her Perks also helped enforce that loyalty, as well as helped them push harder and find new talents within themselves. Seeing yourself continuously improve was a powerful motivator. The effect of the Perks was also quite obvious.

It was one thing to serve under her command, but the effects were amplified when each and every one of them were personally trained by her on a daily basis. As it happened, training people was also an excellent way to for her to improve, and the improvements came fast and hard.

STATUS: Level: 10 5000/10000 EXP 9 Base Points/2 Advanced Points/1 Mastery Points Body: 5/11 (2 Unspent Perk Points) Athletics 5 (1 Unspent Perk Point) Iron Lungs Heavy Weapons 4 (1 Unspent Perk Point) Cleaving Strikes Durability 3 Immovable object Reflexes: 5/12 (1 Unspent Perk Point) Light Weapons 5 (1 Unspent Perk Point) Swift Strikes Nervous System 5 (1 Unspent Perk Point) Keen Eye for Hidden Subtlety 3 Arcane Shots Charisma: 17/17 (+2 Max due to Eyes) Politics 17 Competent Underlings Superior Subordinates Shared Vision Intelligent Improvisation Unleased Potential Unlimited Potential Above and Beyond Inspiring Loyalty Improved Resources (+) Rare Resources (+) Treasure Trove (+) Fertile Land (+) Esprit de Corps (+) Conflux (+) Endless Plenty (+) Hardy Stock (+) Social 5 (2 Unspent Perk Points) Pleasure 1 Crafting: 8/12 (+) (1 Unspent Perk Point) Magical Crafting 8 (+) Master of Disassembly Superior Runework Talented Enchanter (+) Master of Efficiency (+) Creation 1 Nature 2 Eye for Errors Eye for Improvement Bonesinging 8 (+) Difference of Kind Amalgamation Amplification (+) Grand Amplification (+) Great Works (+) Regeneration (+) Stronger Than You Think (+) Discipline: 6/12 (+2 Max due to Past Experiences) (1 Unspent Perk Point) Commander 6 (1 Unspent Perk Point) Battlefield Awareness Ambush Expert Cavalry Tactics Squad Leader 2 Sensei Soldier 3 One With Your Steed One With Your Steed II Magic: 6/13 (2 Unspent Perk Point) Light 6 Severe healing Baptism of Light I Baptism of Light II Arcane 6 (1 Unspent Perk Point) Massive Spells Master Conjurer Spellbreaker 5 Magic Sight Anti-Magic Zone Projected AMZ