Chương 27: Chapter 26

Selessa could feel the difference right away as she entered the special cells beneath the palace, maintained by the Spellbreakers. The walls themselves were reinforced with some materials that constantly drained mana. She couldn't tell details, and she wasn't sure she wanted to know. The walls were also covered in magical glyphs that prevented spellcasting and enhanced the draining effect. No one was allowed to bring any magical equipment inside, except for the magic resistant armor of the guards.

There were enough cells for a dozen prisoners on this floor, and she knew there were other floors beyond. Thelion guided her to the correct door, unlocked three separate locks, and held the door open for her.

"Only you're allowed inside. As you requested, I've cleared everyone from this floor. I will have to lock the door behind you, and I'll come to check on you in two hours."

"Roger that." She nodded simply and entered the cell. The Naga, they'd already managed to get that much out of her, had all six of her arms chained to the wall and ceiling with shackles made of black metal covered in runes similar to the ones on the walls. The position the Naga was in was far from comfortable, but that was the point. The creature looked up towards her hooded form.

"Have they sent the interrogator then? I might as well tell you, I will not be answering your questions." Her speech was identifiably old Darnassian, though somewhat mixed with a bit of hissing.

"Indeed, I am here to question you. And I'm sure you feel that way. Everyone worth interrogating does. You will change your mind." Selessa told her with a tone that was almost warm and gentle. The Naga's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"You think you can break me? My loyalty is unquestionable. I've been around long enough to see everything you can throw at me. I'm not afraid of pain." Selessa removed her hood, baring her face. That caused the Naga to jerk back, her face first filled with recognition, then realization, and then denial. A peculiar combination of emotions.

"As I said. I'm sure you feel that way. You will change your mind." She placed a finger on the Naga's cheek, and forced the witch to look deeply into her eyes. Just to reinforce how serious she was.

"Something you should know before we start. There are many kinds of interrogations, and many approaches to it. The sloppy interrogators rely on just pain. They can only break your body. This is a bad method, not only because it's barbaric, but because even if you're successful, the one you're interrogating will say absolutely anything to make the pain stop. And more often than not, they will say what the interrogator wants to hear, not the truth."

"The mediocre interrogators can break the target's spirit. The most simple methods include letting the target know that even should they be rescued, they will never be the same. Never be whole again. No matter the amount of healing they receive. A little more skilled interrogators at this level will also force the target to understand that their resistance won't make a difference, that all their losses and suffering are in vain.

The better ones can convince the target that the one they serve is not worthy of such dedication." She explained openly.

"Never! I will never betray!" The Naga cleverly avoided saying who or what she wouldn't betray.

"Again, I really believe you believe that. You will change your mind. The good interrogators will not only break the target's spirit, but their mind as well. They won't drive the target mad with pain. No, oh no. That's a failure. No, the methods of really good interrogators are much more insidious because they don't rely just on pain. Did you know that everyone can be conditioned, even if they know what's happening?

Pleasure and rewards like simple attention can be a powerful motivator while mixed in with pain and neglect. By the time a good interrogator is done, not only will the target tell everything they know, they will do so eagerly. They will try to find more things to tell, just to please the interrogator, to keep them around just a bit longer, because the interrogator has become the most important part of their life by the time they are done.

Not only will the target talk, they will do so eagerly and willingly, sparing no detail." She leaned in really close.

"And me? I'm a really, really good interrogator. I have methods you haven't even imagined." How could she not be? She'd spent enough time in contact with her demented cousins, the Drukhari, the Dark Eldar, who had turned torture into an artform, and were always more than happy to share their methods. They loved to brag about all the ways they broke their victims, before turning them into grotesque living trophies. She may not have enjoyed such tales, but she had listened. And learned.

And sometimes, only sometimes, had returned the favor to a particularly repugnant Drukhari who had turned his arts on her people. It was the path to Sai'lantresh and corruption, but sometimes you had to send a message.

"You look pensive." Anasterian pointed out, as the king's advisors were preparing to meet and deal with the aftermath of the attack. No Convocation this time, as some of the details were too delicate. Selessa hummed with a tone filled with displeasure, while wiping her hands with a clean cloth for the fifth time.

"Sometimes we have to do things we aren't proud of. It needs to be done, but it still leaves a bad taste in your mouth."

"I can agree with that." Queen Elessine joined in.

"And I saw the results of what you needed to do. You are a horrifying person sometimes." Her words were meant as a compliment.

"Also, when it comes time for me to go, please do it personally."

"What the heck?" Anasterian asked in obvious confusion.

"You wouldn't understand." His wife patted his arm in slight condescension.

"Am I the last one to arrive?" Sapphiron questioned as he pushed into the room, and after getting nods, sealed the door and wove a spell that isolated the room entirely"You are, but we didn't have to wait. First things first, Admiral Goldleaf, what's the situation at the harbor and the protective fleet?" Anasterian started the meeting. They were all gathered around a round table filled with refreshments and reports. The Admiral's presence was a slight change from their usual group.

"Two of our ships were moderately damaged and were sent for repairs, but otherwise the fleet is fine and performed excellently. The enemy ships couldn't fight on equal level, and the damage we suffered came mostly from the enemy magic users. The harbor is in much worse condition, as expected. There's a lot of structural damage, especially from stray spells, and the removal and burning of corpses is going to take a long time.

We estimate the repairs will take at least two weeks, and that doesn't include the improvements we've already thought of for the defenses. And the harbor will smell of burnt Murlock for weeks."

"Nothing like an actual battle to see how things shake out under real strain." Ranger-General Alleria Windrunner stated laconically, ignoring the last comment. After all, she didn't have to stick around in Silvermoon.

"While regrettable, that's true." The Admiral confirmed.

"Despite being warned by the Autarch, we were not quite prepared for underwater enemies. Had the brunt of the attackers been directed at the fleet instead of the harbor, the ship losses would've been much worse. Our new cruisers would've done well, and did perform well, but our older destroyers would not have fared as well."

"Notably, we managed to keep the losses in check mostly because we countered their casters so well, but I believe that was mostly because they didn't expect us to have trained so thoroughly to deal with such threats. They will likely do better next time." Thelion added.

"Even so, most of our losses in the harbor came from the spellcasters. Our Sin'dorei dealt well with these Naga warriors and the Murlocks were much less of a threat. The threat level might change if the number of Naga soldiers grows as they were formidable opponents even when outnumbered."

"What were our losses?" Anasterian asked with a grimace. Queen Elessine pulled out a report.

"A little under a thousand civilians that didn't manage to evacuate in time or holed up in their houses instead of evacuating. We lost just shy of seven hundred soldiers, and thirty Sin'dorei, of which Saint Selessa managed to bring back two-thirds of the Sin'dorei, and a few dozen of the soldiers before she had to stop." She nodded towards Selessa.

"Considering the scale of the attack, and that we were caught by surprise, it could've been a lot worse."

"Alright then. Selessa, what did you manage to find out?" Anasterian asked. This was the important part.

"Let's get the wild news out first. The Naga, as they are called, are in fact what remains of the Highborne that served under Queen Azshara during the war against the Burning Legion." That caused everyone to sit up straighter.

"Further, the old Queen is in fact still alive, and now titles herself Empress of the underwater Empire of Nazjatar."

"That…explains a few things." Sapphiron commented.

"You didn't know about this?" Anasterian looked at the Blue Dragon. Sapphiron shook his head.

"We had some suspicions about something weird going on under the ocean, but not any details, and not by whom."

"How did they become the Naga?" Queen Elessine questioned.

"A fair question, and the prisoner didn't have all the details. She was one of the Queen's handmaidens during the war by the way. When the Well of Eternity exploded, and everyone in the area was about to drown, the Queen made a deal with some power that turned them into the Naga in exchange for their servitude. From what I was able to gather and read between the lines, it would be reasonable to believe that power was one of the Old Gods, maybe the one whose location is unknown.

I managed to find out that their capital is right around the old ruins of Zin-Azshari, which would place them somewhere in the vicinity of the Maelstrom." She revealed.

"They're not exactly willing servants, but they do serve."

"That makes things difficult." Anasterian stated the obvious.

"Indeed. It would be hard enough to retaliate against an underwater opponent, not to mention one that's located in the most dangerous place on the planet." Thelion summarized.

"The prisoner. Did you get her name?" Anasterian suddenly asked.

"Some of the Queens handmaidens were rather famous for their skill and power."

"I did. Lady Lyrande. I don't recall any mention of her." Selessa had done some research.

"I see. One of the lesser handmaidens then. Maybe that's for the better. Some of them were powerful enough that the battle wouldn't have gone quite that well if they'd been participating, assuming they haven't lost their powers." Anasterian was both relieved and concerned.

"Apparently she was sent because this attack was meant as a test. The prisoner was not aware of all the details, but she was supposed to gather information on our capabilities and response for future. That's why they mostly used Murlock tribes they've enslaved, as it wasn't meant as a serious attack. Something slightly worrisome is that the attack on the harbor wasn't the main point of the whole exercise, but the attack on the portal hub.

Had that attack gone through, they would've capitalized by attacking one of our colonies more seriously. According to her, the Naga aren't really prepared for a proper war yet either, but they needed information in preparation for one. The power behind them seems to be pushing them to create trouble for us, as our use of the Light has caused some concern." Selessa recounted her results.

"Now, keep in mind that she might not be fully in the know on important details. The good news is that the Naga aren't high in number as they started off with just the surviving servants and followers of the Queen. Their numbers have grown since, but they're not exactly numerous even now and they can ill afford to lose too many of their number."

"What of the ships and the ghostly enemies there?" Admiral Goldleaf asked.

"Ah, yes, the Kvaldir. They are the ghostly spirits of the Vrykul of Northrend. Apparently, the plan is to eventually rouse the slumbering Vrykul and send them against us, but for the meantime, they have to use the Kvaldir. Apparently there's some power in Northrend working together with the Naga. No real details further than that. However, rousing the Vrykul isn't quite that simple. They went to sleep for a reason or were put to sleep by the Dragon Aspects, who aren't keen on the idea of their danger resurfacing.

So, in this case the dragons are doing us a favor by keeping them asleep. Whatever else you might think of the dragons, they aren't pushovers when they set their mind to something." The prisoner's knowledge on the matters of Northrend had been quite limited, and Selessa had to fill in some details based on her own knowledge.

"This vague helper in the north doesn't sound very promising, but out foothold there is very limited." Anasterian speculated.

"We may need to deal with that problem later. What can we do now? Actual actionable suggestions please. And what are the dangers to us that we need to be aware of?"

"Well, we need to do more to fortify our harbors and naval positions. If we're expecting attacks from underwater, then we should probably try and develop some sort of early warning magic." The Admiral suggested.

"While I agree, the issue is that these Naga and Murlocks aren't the only ones to move underwater. And we don't want an alarm every time a school of fish swims by. I'm not saying it can't be done, but it won't be simple." Sapphiron explained with a grimace.

"I'll workshop something with Ron'vith. He might have ideas I haven't thought of."

"We should probably build a wall between the Silvermoon harbor and the city proper, so that the city won't be in such danger if the harbor is attacked again. It will require some re-modeling of the city, and will make transit a bit more difficult, but it's doable." Elessine suggested, and everyone nodded in agreement.

"The Fortress of Dawn is already quite fortified, as is The Sunspire Anchorage. Ironically, the attacks by Murlocks forced us to fortify most of our new coastal positions already. Silvermoon and to a lesser extent Isle of Quel'Danas are the outliers. They can both use more defenses, as you can never be too safe, but they're not exactly undefended either."

"We also have to be careful with our portals and teleportation. The attack on our portal hub made it quite clear that the Naga are capable of interfering with our portals, especially those crossing the sea." Anasterian added with a frown.

"Since this is Queen Azshara we're talking about, we have to assume they know as much about the Arcane as we do. That means that cross-ocean teleportation is a potential hazard for those doing it. We should try to limit it as much as possible. How likely is it that they are able to pierce through the Runestone network and drop forces in, say, Alah'thalas via portals?" He looked towards Sapphiron.

"They could likely do the first part, but they still need to spend time attuning to local ley-lines and the location, just like the rest of us. Portal magic is unforgiving in that way. And even if Azshara spent some time in the area in the past, we've moved the ley-lines since then. Ironically, the creation of Starwells and Alah'thalas have made the area much safer. That said, if they can slip in a skilled enough mage who can spend the time here, it's not impossible.

And while we have good security, stopping a skilled enough mage is not simple." Sapphiron explained.

"We could add anti-portal wards, except in areas we designate, but that's going to affect us as well, and it would take time."

"Rivers." Admiral Goldleaf suddenly interjected.

"The Naga can swim up rivers. They could infiltrate that way. The waterfall at Sunspire Anchorage makes that place safer as long as we keep an eye on it, but the river between us and the Mon'keigh has no such natural barriers. And if they really wanted to, they could swim up all the way from the South, through the Mon'keigh controlled lands." Selessa snapped her fingers and pointed at the Admiral.

"Good catch. I missed that one entirely." That caused the Admiral to look quite proud of himself.

"We should be able to secure the rivers." Sapphiron speculated.

"Creating wards to monitor them is much easier than monitoring the entire sea surrounding Silvermoon. We could even come up with some kind of mechanism that would allow fish, turtles, and that kind of thing to pass, but would alert us if something else came into contact with it."

"I think I know someone who might enjoy a challenge like that." Selessa smiled, thinking of the Gnomes.

"This is all fine, but all we're doing is defensive. Wars are hard to win with just defense and giving the enemy all the initiative." Alleria pointed out the obvious.

"Well, striking at underwater cities near the Maelstrom is a bit challenging. Even if we can cast a spell to allow breathing underwater, fighting in such obvious enemy territory would be insane." Anasterian pointed out.

"Maybe not a war, but we could strike at them." Selessa muttered.

"We're simply not using enough imagination. I can think of several ways to attack the city if we find the exact location. Most of them don't even require magic. Just physics. Even if water slows objects, the time-honored tradition of dropping something heavy on them still works. Then we could cause hydrostatic shockwaves. Certain magical means might be able to flash-boil water in an area, causing all sorts of nasty effects. Pollutants could also work, although I'm hesitant to poison the water in a large area.

That tends to backfire. In spectacular ways. And that's just off the top of my head. I'm sure we could think of plenty of other methods, given enough time. I'm not saying it would be easy, but we're not incapable of striking back." Once again, those gathered discovered that Selessa's mind could come up with rather inventive methods of dealing death.

"Are you sure about this?" Anasterian questioned, staring over the ruins of Zul'Aman.

"No, but it has to be done." Selessa replied.

"The biggest way the Naga might be able to hurt us is through the dark being under Zul'Aman. We're assuming they're being controlled by an Old God, and one of the strongest servants of those beings is here."

"I was under the impression it was dead." Talanas pointed out.

"Beings like that are not so simple. Yes, it's dead, but that doesn't mean it has to stay that way. The only way to kill it for good is to purify the area and the corpse of the influence of the Void. If the Naga managed to slip through and resurrect the creature, we'd be in real trouble. We might be capable of fighting armies now, but fighting powerful beings like this is still an issue." Selessa countered.

"And you'll be stuck here until you're done?" Queen Elessine confirmed.

"Yes. Once I start, I can't stop without losing the progress I've made." Selessa nodded. The insidious thing about corruption like this was that cleansing it was both a slow, and slippery process. Any purification you managed would be countered if you stopped, and at worst you could make things worse.

"How long?" Anasterian asked.

"Hard to say. I've arranged for priests and paladins to rotate to here to come and lend their power and faith to help me, and the time I need depends on their contributions as well. I can't pull all of them away from their duties though, especially since many of them do important work elsewhere. Years. Potentially decades." She finished. It sounded like a huge amount of time for mortals, but for elves and Aeldari it was not. She'd spent similar times recovering from wounds in her previous life.

The taint of the Warp could be difficult to remove as well.

"I'm simply worried that having you engaged here for such a long time will generate issues elsewhere." Anasterian pointed out.

"If they have no intention of striking here, and instead will try to attack us elsewhere, we won't have our war leader."

"According to the prisoner, the Naga aren't ready for war either. Sometimes we have to take risks. And it's not certain the project would require my full concentration the whole time. I might be able to speak with someone who needs advice. In fact, please do come and keep me some company occasionally. Oh, and someone warn the bloody Kaldorei that their old queen is still alive. Besides, this is good practice for you to handle things without relying on me. Just don't fuck it up."

After exchanging some advice, she settled down on top of the seal they'd created before when they destroyed Zul'Aman. She had decided to use her draconic form for this project, partially because it gave her the opportunity to get used to it, and partially because it was less susceptible to attacks than her normal form. Besides, she was able to admit to herself that being unable to bathe or change clothing in her elven form for potentially years would not be great for her image.

She could cleanse her draconic form with magic, but it would be less effective in her real form and any clothing she wore. She most certainly wasn't going to do it naked. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work. She planned on utilizing the power of Light in the seal to speed up the progress. No point in letting the power go to waste after all. Purifying the darkness was in some ways similar to herding cats or trying to sweep a floor covered in dust.

If you tried to be too forceful or commanding, the darkness just flowed around you and went back to the areas you'd covered before. Instead, she had to slowly gather the dark power towards the corpse of the C'Thrax in the center, until she managed to surround everything with the Light. Then she could start the slow and tedious process of cleansing the power of the Void she'd gathered. She quickly discovered she might have been too optimistic about the process.

The C'Thrax had obviously been stronger in the Void than she was currently in the Light. Even while dead, the creature managed to resist her efforts to cleanse it, and the Void didn't want to go quietly. The dark power thrashed and fought back, attempting to escape her containment. This would be a long and tiring process, requiring more of her concentration than she had initially expected.

Sister Ophelia and Sister Seraphina had eagerly volunteered to spend the entire time with her, but she'd rejected them and told them to take turns at least. With her tied up here, she needed them out there to make sure things ran smoothly. Brother Vyas alternated with the two in their vigil, one of the three always present. The Sin'dorei had also wanted to remain to guard her, but they especially were needed elsewhere to keep their people safe.

They could not help, and in fact there was a danger the Void might attempt to corrupt them if they stayed close. Luckily she didn't have to do the whole thing entirely blindly. The Naaru had dealt with similar issues in the past and supplied her with the instructions. The process was also a great way for her to continuously commune with the Light, helping her strengthen her connection with the fundamental force.

Tyrande looked at Nallorath with a frown, and for once she agreed with Maiev.

"You've been telling us for years now that the Autarch is too busy to meet us. What could possibly be so important and take so long?" Her annoyance was increased by Malfurion going back to the Emerald Dream once again, which meant she no longer had his support.

"This is quite disrespectful." Maiev added.

"You fulfill your role as an ambassador adequately, but we need to talk about the ramifications of Queen Azshara being back."

"I can put you in contact with King Anasterian, even if he can't come here." Nallorath offered instead.

"While that would be better, you've made it quite clear that the Autarch is your military leader, and this is a military matter." Tyrande pointed out rather reasonably in her mind. The prince gave a deep sigh and activated some sort of artifact that seemed to somehow isolate the area even more than it had been before. It was as if they had been cut off from reality. Tyrande had never seen magic quite like that, and even Maiev's eyes narrowed in suspicion behind the visor of her helmet.

"This information doesn't leave this room." The Prince stated, rather than asked.

"Of course. We can obviously keep a secret." Maiev snapped almost angrily.

"When they were performing a list of all the worst ways the Naga could attack Quel'thalas, one in particular stood out. Beneath the old capital of our old enemy, the Amani trolls, lies the corpse of a particularly dangerous creature of the Void. The Autarch was concerned the Naga might attempt to rouse the creature and send it against us." Nallorath revealed.

"How dangerous?" Maiev asked, her tone sharp.

"They called the creature a C'Thrax." He stated, causing Tyrande to suck in a breath between her teeth. The information on the creatures of the Void was limited, but the Kaldorei were aware of the existence of the warbringers and generals of the Old Gods. These were beings that could fight the most powerful forces of the Titans on equal footing, and even one of such beings would do great destruction to any nation.

"And your Autarch is doing something about this risk." Tyrande guessed.

"She's using the Light to cleanse the creature's resting place and corpse. A project that has taken years, and likely will take many more." Nallorath nodded.

"That is not a small undertaking." Tyrande nodded with approval.

"And I can see the risks." She was quiet for a moment.

"I might be able to help. The power of Elune can be mighty indeed in such matters." Nallorath looked at her in surprise.

"I'm sure she would appreciate the help, though I must point out that once you start, you can't stop. Even with your help, it could be many years." Tyrande nodded in understanding.

"I'm aware. There are others that can handle things in my absence, and it's not like my services are required often. And I must admit it would make things easier if your Autarch was available in case trouble finds us." She thought slightly bitterly about the fact that her mate Malfurion often disappeared for hundreds, if not thousands of years.

"I shall be your escort then." Maiev suddenly declared. As little as she liked Tyrande, they couldn't afford to lose the priestess currently, and Tyrande would be going into the heart of the Quel'dorei power. Accidents could happen.

Maiev would always be suspicious of those using magic. Suspicion was in her nature, and the war against the demons had only heightened her wariness. As had the subsequent war against the Satyrs. The many insane sorcerers and demons she'd hunted down in the thousands of years that followed did nothing to ease her mind. So, when she decided to go to Quel'thalas as Tyrande's escort, she knew she'd being going into the heart of all that she despised. The Quel'dorei didn't just practice magic openly, they celebrated it.

And yet she went. Not just to protect her old rival, although she did think that losing Tyrande as things stood would be quite detrimental to the Kaldorei as a people. As much as she disliked the priestess, she recognized that Tyrande was one of the few pushing their people forward. No, she went because she wanted to see the land of magic with her own eyes.

As they were led through the portal, something the Quel'dorei used sparingly now that they were aware of Queen Azshara's continued existence, she was glad to notice that the Quel'dorei were taking all possible precautions in using these portals. The entry and exit points were both heavily guarded, both by these magisters and the Spellbreakers that specialized in shutting down hostile magic.

The surroundings of the portal were also fortified, and when they came out on the other end, Maiev noted that the building housing several of the portals was located separately from the city of Silvermoon. Anyone exiting the portal would essentially land into a kill zone, as they would be attacked from all sides from the surrounding walls. And the walls themselves were heavily enchanted. She also had to admit that Silvermoon was a beautiful city.

Not her style, at all, as it was all shining gold, ostentatious spires, blatant displays of magic, and bright colors. Yet, it was undeniably an architectural marvel the likes of which the Kaldorei did not have. Even the old cities like Zin-Azshari or Suramar paled in comparison, despite Queen Azshara's obsession with beauty and perfection. There was a fundamental difference in style. The cities of the Kaldorei Empire worshipped the moon and the night, and were solemn with understated beauty.

The Quel'dorei worshipped the Light and the sun, and their city was bright, colorful, and very blatant in its beauty. There was no modesty or subtlety to be found here. Not on the outside at least. Maiev recognized the person who had been sent to greet them. The Sin'dorei warrior, Thalorien Dawnseeker, a leader of sorts among the new warrior caste of the Quel'dorei.

"High Priestess Whisperwind. Warden Shadowsong. I'm here to guide you to the Autarch's location. The question is, do you want the short way, or the long one?"

"Can you elaborate on the two options, Captain Dawnseeker?" Tyrande asked diplomatically. She remembered the man as well. He had dueled an Ancient, so that was understandable.

"Due to the disturbances caused by the Autarch's work, we cannot teleport directly to the location in question. We can go the slow way, taking Hawkstriders. It's a long way, so it would take a couple weeks of travel, though along frequently traveled roads. We get to sleep in comfort and you get to see both Silvermoon and Quel'thalas. Something to consider as it has been some time since Kaldorei have been frequent in our kingdom, aside from the occasional… shall we diplomatically call them observers?" Spies.

Tyrande had obviously sent spies. As she should have.

"The shorter route is to take Dragonhawks and fly a more direct route. The trip will take a couple of days, and we'll have to camp since we'll be traveling over less frequently traveled areas. The old troll lands are not favored after all. Since we'll be flying, you won't see much except from the air." The warrior explained, his tone neutral enough to not reveal his own thoughts on the matter.

Maiev wasn't quite sure if the man wanted them to arrive quickly, so as to help the Autarch as soon as possible, or as late as possible because he didn't trust them and didn't want them interfering. She could appreciate his suspicion. She would've been the same. Tyrande glanced at Maiev, seeking her input.

"I think we might as well take their invitation to see the land." Maiev shrugged, pretending not to care. She wanted to better observe the Quel'dorei and their kingdom.

"The Autarch has managed without us this long, I don't think she'll suddenly collapse if we're delayed a week." Tyrande didn't seem to quite agree, but she'd asked and now it would be rude to just totally ignore the advice offered. Which had been Maiev's intent in the first place. The warrior simply nodded and guided them to stables nearby, where they were mounted on Hawkstriders. Riding one took a bit of getting used to, as the balance of the tall birds was quite different when compared to riding a Nightsaber.

The birds were quick and resilient though, and were quite responsive to instructions. The ride through Silvermoon confirmed Maiev's earlier assessment, though the prevalence of magic was even higher than she'd expected. She could sense the presence of the Sunwell, which reminded her eerily of the Well of Eternity. Not that the Kaldorei had much room to talk, considering they had a second Well of Eternity under the World Tree Nordrassil. However, the Quel'dorei seemed to use magic for everything.

Every item, building, even some pastries were filled with magic. However, there was something she had not expected. The Quel'dorei seemed much more industrious than she'd assumed. It shouldn't have been such a surprise considering how quickly they'd built and expanded their fortress in Kalimdor, yet it was. Everyone seemed to be working hard, and they were much, much more focused than she'd ever seen the Kaldorei be.

They also seemed to be happy, which was a stark contrast to her own people, who seemed to be constantly melancholic and lost in the past. There were also a lot more of them in this single city than she'd expected. How many Quel'dorei lived in this kingdom? As they exited the city, she noted that the prevalence of magic didn't change. The roads themselves seemed magical, while the nature was controlled and managed. She knew Malfurion would've had a fit.

"There's very little natural about this nature." Tyrande commented as well. The warrior leading them nodded.

"There are many reasons for that, not the least of which is the climate. You might not realize how far North we are. When we were exiled, we lost countless people to winter and starvation. Quel'thalas is our way of saying never again." He explained.

"Eternal spring and abundant food." He gestured around himself. Maiev had not been aware of the issues the Quel'dorei had faced, but to be fair, she didn't care. As they traveled, the organization in the kingdom became clearer and clearer. Villages and towns were placed at regular intervals, all studiously patrolled. They spotted rangers striking out from nearly every town and village to keep dangerous wild animals at bay, and most towns also had a magister or two to deal with magical trouble and larger issues.

The military infrastructure was all new, and it was obvious that every member took their jobs very seriously. Maiev knew that while a random Kaldorei Sentinel currently might be able to defeat a random Quel'dorei soldier, she also knew that was mostly due to experience. The Sentinels, despite how much she appreciated their efforts, had also grown complacent like the rest of the Kaldorei society, and that showed in their work.

If the Quel'dorei military could maintain this level of professionalism, the gap between their experiences could be narrowed. The Quel'dorei also seemed to be better equipped, and magic undeniably gave them an advantage on that front. She had no doubt that most of the gear worn by the soldiers was enchanted. The same could not be stated for the Sentinels, even if their glaives usually had basic enchantments to allow them to return when thrown.

There was also an interesting transition when they moved from Inner to Outer Quel'thalas. It was clear the towns and villages closer to Silvermoon were older, and the new towns showed a lot more deliberate organization and planning. These were not places where buildings were built organically. In fact, many of the new towns were strikingly similar, as if working off some kind of standard design. The placing of the core buildings was almost identical, as was their design.

This too was something Tyrande also noticed, and asked the warrior escorting them.

"Ah, that. The Autarch is big on standardization, as it makes things simpler in emergencies and makes repairs and supply easier. The standard design was a joint venture between her, King Anasterian, and the Ranger-General. Outside the standard design, the people are free to express themselves, and the insides of the buildings are a bit more unique than the outside. We don't force the design on anyone, but all the new settlements have adopted it after they noticed the benefits.

It makes things simpler when you go to a new town or a village and can immediately know where to go to find the important places. The fact that the layout of towns has become rather standard even outside the design is a bit of a coincidence, but it makes logical sense I suppose. Once you start with the same core, people end up making very similar choices. The real differences come from the specific specialties of each settlements."

He emphasized his words by pointing at a lumber mill where several Quel'dorei were hard at work even early in the morning, and indeed such buildings were not terribly common in other settlements. Although…

"We've seen quite a few lumber mills in the last few towns." Tyrande echoed her thoughts.

"Yes. That's mostly because Alah'thalas is poor in lumber, and the magical forest of Eversong is a great source. Naturally, the locals take advantage by shipping lumber south as they get a good price. On the other hand, Alah'thalas is much richer in different foods and other agriculture, which would be more challenging in a forested environment like this. The locals do grow some of their own food to remain somewhat self-sufficient, but they trade lumber for the rest.

They also had a large number of quarries before Alah'thalas founded their own." Thalorien explained.

"Alah'thalas is the area south of us, the area you added to the kingdom after the war, yes?" Tyrande confirmed, receiving a nod. Light-home. Maiev could see the connotations. She had heard from some of the locals that the area known as Alah'thalas was administered by the Autarch, and had a strong connection with the faith.

"Your people have adopted the religion rather quickly." Maiev pointed out. Since the man was not a paladin, she thought she might get a more interesting answer.

"Hard to argue with results. The Saint has also given our people a new future, and a better direction than the one we were heading down before." He looked at Maiev rather pointedly.

"Surely you've seen the difference with what you knew of us in the past. You can't argue that the changes have not been for the better."

"I suppose that remains to be seen." Maiev said.

"So far things look positive, but it's hard to know the long-term results. Some things that look good in the short term turn out to be an issue later down the line. Believe me, we have many examples among our own people." Her voice grew a bit bitter, as she thought about the druids. At first, the presence of the druids was an undeniably boon, and protectors of nature were necessary.

But Maiev agreed with Tyrande that having a third of their population asleep at a time was not a good thing for their people and culture as a whole.

"That may be, but I believe it takes our own choices to turn something positive into a detriment. It is our daily choices that form those long-term results. And it is that very thing that the Saint and the Light have most helped us with. To make better choices in our daily lives. It is a constant process, but I have faith." He sounded genuine, and Maiev couldn't really say he was wrong either.

The rest of the trip to the ruins of Zul'Aman was uneventful, and both Maiev and Tyrande could sense their destination long before they arrived. They could feel the first hints several days before, but by the time they arrived, it was like a blazing beacon of power right in front of them. Standing on the road leading up to the scorched remains of the temple city was a female paladin in golden armor, with her sword stabbed into the stone and her hands placed in top of the pommel.

The white-haired woman was clearly the one to decide who got to approach and who didn't. There was something familiar in the woman's eyes, and the way she assessed both Tyrande and Maiev. She did it in a way very similar to how Maiev herself judged others. This was someone who hunted traitors and dangerous individuals regularly.

"This is as far as I can go." Thalorien said as they were about thirty meters from the waiting woman.

"The Autarch has decreed that no one who isn't a servant of the Light is allowed to approach, due to the danger of being corrupted." He looked towards Maiev.

"I'm not sure if you'll be allowed to approach either. High Priestess Whisperwind is favored by Elune, so she should be safe, though it is not up to me to decide."

"We shall see." Tyrande said simply, dismounting the hawkstrider before walking towards the awaiting paladin.

"Halt." The woman said simply.

"Any unauthorized approach is forbidden. Identify yourselves and state your business."

"High Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind, here to assist the Autarch in cleansing the Void. I have some experience in similar things, and I believe I can help. I believe you were informed and my coming was approved." The paladin's stern look turned towards Maiev.

"Maiev Shadowsong, here to ensure her safety. To allay any fears, I lead the organization hunting down those misusing magic among our people." Maiev said with politeness that surprised Tyrande. That was because she could appreciate the need for such measures and someone else doing the same job she did. The paladin considered for a moment, before giving a sharp whistle. Several other paladins in golden armor approached, taking her place.

"I will take you to her, though do keep in mind that should you make any even vaguely threatening moves, you will be struck down without hesitation." Fair enough. As they went deeper into the ruins, or what little was left of them, everything seemed to be glowing with golden Light. Every stone and blade of grass was suffused with the energy. The Quel'dorei had done a very thorough job at dismantling the troll city, as there wasn't a single place where a stone block remained on top of another.

Much of the remaining stone was cracked and covered in soot. Everything wooden had burnt long time ago, although some new life had sprouted since. It was also likely the the amount of ash had reduced significantly during the time the Light had taken over the area. The paladin led them to an open area where a relatively small golden dragon was laying on top of the stones, surrounded by a dozen priests and paladins channeling the Light into the dragon.

The dragon itself seemed exhausted, but also filled with extreme focus and determination. Maiev recognized the horns on top of the dragon's head, and it didn't take much to guess who that was. None of those present reacted to their arrival in any way. Tyrande wasted no time and knelt in front of the dragon, sitting on her ankles and seemed to slip into a focus-filled meditation, while nothing seemed to happen.

Maiev looked at the proceedings for several minutes, but since nothing seemed to be happening, she gestured to the white-haired paladin so they took a bit of distance, enough to talk without disturbing those focusing on the cleansing.

"Can you tell me what's going on? My magical senses are not sharp enough to follow the details. And who are you?" Maiev asked.

"I am Seraphina, commander of the Knights of Retribution. It is our job to strike at those that wrong our people, and to hunt down the heretic, the traitor, and the foul races that would do us harm. We administer justice and destroy demons and the Void whenever and wherever we find them." Seraphina hesitated for a moment.

"You've seen paladins in silver armor, no doubt. They are the Knights of Protection. You can guess their role from the name."

"You serve a function similar to the watchers I lead then." Maiev nodded.

"As for what's going on, the corpse of the Void creature is fighting back despite its demise. It is perhaps ironic that the Saint's attempt at cleansing has roused the enemy to new resistance." Seraphina pursed her lips in distaste.

"It is not pleasant to admit, but the creature is stronger than even the Saint currently. I have no doubt the Saint would've surpassed the creature eventually, allowing for safe cleansing, but circumstances forced her to rush things. Luckily, this is the Saint. Any of the rest of us would've failed. She is winning, just more slowly than we anticipated. The long struggle is also taking its toll on her.

We support her as much as we can, and we rotate people in and out constantly, but this is a fight she has to wage mostly on her own."

"And I assume losing concentration even for a moment, to rest for example, would undo the progress made." Maiev guessed.

"Indeed. Such is the way of dealing with the servants of the Void. A moment of hesitation of lack of vigilance will lead to corruption." The paladin replied simply.

"Have there been any trouble? Attempts at outside interference?" Maiev continued to question.

"I'm asking because I suppose the best way for me to contribute is to help you secure the area." Seraphina made a complicated face that made Maiev instantly curious.

"Not interference exactly. We had some trouble with the dragons a couple of times, and we had to shoo a couple of them away. They were not interfering with the cleansing itself, but we do not know what they were doing here either."

"The dragons?" Maiev asked, clearly confused.

"This should be something they'd support."

"That's what we thought as well, which is why we weren't too harsh in driving them away. As I said, they were not interfering with the process, but they did get into the perimeter. Their purpose eludes us." Seraphina said with frustration.

"Why are we here again?" Saragosa asked, as they'd been gathered for a meeting once again. Usually the Aspects, or their representatives, gathered at Wyrmrest maybe once every few centuries. Aside from Visage Day rituals, though usually those didn't require participation from multiple Aspects.

"Two reasons. Once of which was provided by one of yours, Sapphiron." Nozdormu explained. Saragosa knew he'd taken over handling the affairs of the Blue Dragonflight, but she was still a bit vexed that one of hers was reporting to a Bronze.

"And what did he have to say that's so important?" Ysera and Alexstrasza were looking at the Bronze Aspect as well, with an expression that implied they were not fully informed either. They obviously knew something, just not everything.

"Apparently our new connection with the Quel'dorei has borne surprising fruit. The servants of the Void have attacked them several times. Ysera is already dealing with corruption in the Dream that had been completely undetected before." Before Nozdormu could continue, he was interrupted by the Green Aspect.

"I have identified the source of the corruption, and I have a suspicion of the architect behind the it." She said simply, before just dropping the topic. Nozdormu cleared his throat.

"As I was saying, we have received surprising results. One of those attacks was conducted by an aquatic serpentine race calling themselves the Naga. When the Quel'dorei interrogated a prisoner, that prisoner claimed the Naga were led by no other than Queen Azshara. The same Queen Azshara that summoned the Burning Legion using the Well of Eternity."

"By the titans, how is that traitorous bitch still alive!" Saragosa exclaimed. The almost total decimation of the flight had been the direct result of Azshara's folly.

"According to the prisoner, they were almost killed when the Well exploded and were about to drown, but they were made an offer by the what we assume to be a representative of the Void. Their new form and survival are the result of accepting that offer. I believe we now know where the missing Old God might be." Nozdormu revealed.

"That would explain a few things that haven't made sense before now. This is both good news and bad news. Locating the missing Old God is positive, but Azshara being alive is anything but. Even we should be careful about engaging her." Alexstrasza added.

"Well, isn't it a good thing our new allies have a vested interest in dealing with this issue then?" Nozdormu asked with a self-satisfied tone.

"We can just provide support if and when necessary."

"We should still prepare just in case." Saragosa suggested, not willing to leave the matter to the elves.

"You said you had another reason for us to gather." Nozdormu looked a little bashful.

"Ah. Right. So. Most of us are already aware, but as a result of the new threat, Selessa is dealing with as issue the Amani trolls kept hidden for a long time. There is a corpse of a C'Thrax under where the troll capital used to be located at, seeping Void corruption. She had decided to deal with the corruption and the corpse by cleansing both."

"That's not an easy task, though I suppose she is better equipped to deal with it than most." Saragosa admitted.

"If she does succeed, that does hold promise though. She might not have the power now, but she might eventually have the power to do the same to the Old Gods."

"She will." Ysera stated mysteriously but confidently.

"That is something we considered as well, which is why we were keeping a close eye on the attempt." Alexstrasza took over the explanation.

"They've managed to hide the attempt fairly well, and even we know about it only because of Sapphiron. However, while we were observing, we noted something. The area she was performing the cleansing in is completely saturated with the power of the Light. Nozdormu had an idea."

"Why do I suddenly feel I'm going to regret hearing this?" Saragosa asked rhetorically.

"Well, it wasn't actually my idea. Soridormi was the one who gave me the idea. I mentioned is passing that it was a shame that Selessa had no plans of expanding her flight. She pointed out that we could always have her bathe some of our eggs in her essence if she's against the act itself." Nozdormu explained. Soridormi was his Prime Consort. The type of a newborn dragon was usually determined by its parents. However, that wasn't necessarily always the case.

There were several instances where eggs from other flights had transformed into another due to external influences. Specifically, they knew Neltharion had created more Blacks by corrupting the eggs of the Reds after he'd become incapable of procreating himself.

"No! You didn't!" Saragosa exclaimed, realizing where this was going.

"We did." Alexstrasza admitted.

"I admit it was not fair since she is not capable of resisting at the moment, but we just wanted to see if it was possible. If it was, then we could present the option to her. Nozdormu just wanted to see if it could be done, while I want to give the new flight a chance to flourish."

"You did it without her approval or knowledge?" Saragosa was horrified.

"How many?" She didn't get an answer right away.

"How many Alexstrasza?!" She demanded more firmly.

"All three of our flights donated ten eggs." Ysera answered with a tone that implied she was barely following the conversation.

"Ok. That's not too bad. I'm assuming only a few hatched, and maybe one or two were golden?" Saragosa was relieved. It wasn't uncommon for only one or two in ten eggs to hatch, especially in suboptimal conditions.

"Yeaaaaaaaah, that's what we assumed as well. We placed the eggs just after they were laid, and allowed them to stay under the effect of the Light for a few years, and we pulled them out just before hatching. They all did. Every. Single. One." Nozdormu was very pointedly looking away.

"A-all of them?" Saragosa asked, suddenly thrown off pace in a very different way. She licked her lips.

"How many of them were golden?"

"Exactly half. As in five from all of our flights. And none of the whelps were diminished." Alexstrasza said with a slightly hollow voice.

"None of them? Well, I mean, I suppose not. Their Aspect didn't give her powers to the Demon Soul." Saragosa said with a weak voice.

"No, you misunderstood. When she said none of them, she meant NONE of them, not even those from our flights." Nozdormu corrected.

"So." Saragosa said carefully.

"Not only do we have fifteen whelps from the Gold Dragonflight that their Aspect doesn't know about, we also have fifteen whelps from our own flights that are not diminished." She was quiet for a few seconds.

"Could you smuggle in a bunch of Blue eggs? We really need new blood…"

STATUS: Level: 13 3000/13000 EXP 12 Base Points/2 Advanced Points/1 Mastery Points Mandatory Perks: Beauty Over Brawn Body: 11/15 (5 Unspent Perk Points) Athletics 10 Iron Lungs Strength of a Dragon Body of Eternal Dawn Unbreaking Stride Eternal Sunstrider Heavy Weapons 10 Cleaving Strikes Blade of the Rising Sun Unyielding Vigil Fury of the Chosen Bladestorm Durability 10 Immovable object Dragon's Fortitude Unageing Regeneration Healing Factor Reflexes: 10/15 (4 Unspent Perk Point) Light Weapons 10 (4 Unspent Perk Points) Swift Strikes Nervous System 10 Keen Eyes Keen Eye for Hidden Dragon's Perception Sentinel's Eye Danger Sense Dawn's Reflex Subtlety 5 (1 Unspent Perk Point) Arcane Shots Charisma: 18/18 (1 Unspent Perk Point) 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: 10/12 (2 Unspent Perk Point) Magical Crafting 10 (1 Unspent Perk Point) Master of Disassembly Superior Runework Talented Enchanter Master of Efficiency Creation 1 Nature 2 Eye for Errors Eye for Improvement Bonesinging 10 (1 Unspent Perk Point) Difference of Kind Amalgamation Amplification Grand Amplification Great Works Regeneration Stronger Than You Think Discipline: 7/12 (1 Unspent Perk Point) Commander 7 (1 Unspent Perk Point) Battlefield Awareness Ambush Expert Cavalry Tactics Squad Leader 5 (1 Unspent Perk Point) Sensei Soldier 6 (2 Unspent Perk Points) One With Your Steed One With Your Steed II Magic: 11/16 (4 Unspent Perk Points) Light 11 (2 Unspent Perk Points) Severe healing Baptism of Light I Baptism of Light II Draconic Magic: Light Arcane 8 (1 Unspent Perk Point) Massive Spells Master Conjurer Arcane Subtlety Spellbreaker 5 Magic Sight Anti-Magic Zone Projected AMZ