Chapter 3 Chapter II Assembly

Lucan Foxbrook (1) hasn't closed his eyes for days.This is his choice, or he has no choice.He even kept downtime to a minimum.For on this endless voyage, even the briefest pause might lull him to sleep.Still, from time to time he would bend his legs and pass out, and the moment he fell into a dream, the idea that he could no longer go on entered the mind of the young sandy-haired cartographer. And the nightmare of pain... the nightmare that swallowed him with the same virtue, the places he used to pass through, Gold Town, Westfall, and his own Stormwind City... Lucan dressed like a soldier, and in fact he had been a soldier—albeit for a short time, even though he had never fought in a single battle.But now, in his early thirties, he looked like he was standing right in the middle of the battle.His dark brown hair has become dusty, the lines on his shoulders and legs are frayed, and the leather boots he wears are faded and cracked.

The cartographer was no better physically than his outfit.While he strives to maintain his aristocratic demeanor, the pallor of his skin and the shaggy hair on his face that hasn't been shaved for days make him more like a creature rotting away from the Scourge of the Undead.Only his eyes were still shining with a green light similar to the color of cat's eyes. All the tools he had bought, the bag of meager supplies, the blankets for sleeping, had been lost in his bewildered wanderings.Luke can no longer remember where he landed last time, the dream and the nightmare overlap, he can't even figure out whether he is alive or dead, whether those memories are true or not...or all this is actually just after he was swallowed into the nightmare residue.

Trees grew thick where he walked, but not even the diamond-studded mountains of Azeroth caught his attention now.All Lucan thought about now was to move on. He blinked for the first time in minutes. The surrounding scenery suddenly became emerald green with a hint of light blue.The mist is like a blanket, wrapping this crumbling figure.Many strange symbols disappeared, leaving the cartographer's surroundings looking like an unfinished landscape painting.But despite such an amazing change around him, Lucan staggered on, seemingly uninterested in it. He blinked again, and the ground around him returned to normal...but the details changed.The road was no longer the one he had walked before. Yes, the forest was still the same forest, but a village that he had never seen before appeared in his sight.Moreover, the breath of the sea breeze slid past the tip of his nose, quietly passing through the landscape.

Where Lucan passed was a stone marker with symbols he couldn't make out, and he didn't even realize that they were actually a kind of writing.However, this kind of writing is very familiar to the night elves, and they can know where this road will lead them at a glance. Auberdine - An even colder wind was blowing towards Blore, and he and the tauren were on their way to the assembly that Hamuul had spoken of.The two druids lowered their heads, facing the direction of the wind as if facing an enemy.Hamuul said nothing, but the tauren grunted in a certain direction, as if responding to the night elf's unease.

The leaves rustled.Blore raised his head and looked over curiously. The druid was stunned.His eyes widened in horror. Teldrassil had changed.The huge branches were still covered with leaves, yes, but many were withered and withered, while others were dark and curled.The whole tree, even the green parts, are wrapped in sharp thorns. Hamuul's voice beside him came to Blore's ears, but it felt as if it were thousands of miles away.The leaves continued to curl and grow darker, and even the fruit—a loathsome harvest—changed.Bloated branches bear berries the size of a head, dead white in color, and give off a stench of decay.Even if they were to starve to death, no druid—night elf—would dare step forward and bite them.

The horrific metamorphosis had spared nothing, and many cracks had appeared in Teldrassil's bark.Through them you can even see the throbbing veins with black sap flowing within them.The sap dripped little by little, and then merged into a trickle. Tiny pests danced on the World Tree, and myriads crawled in and out of the trunk, implying greater corruption within the tree. "No..." Blore growled, "don't..." Darkness, spreading from Teldrassil, quickly passed over the two druids.Without turning around, the night elf immediately realized that the darkness had broken through Teldrassil's confinement and extended towards the central continent.The disease of this giant tree is eroding the land.

Then, a loud explosion from the sky that sounded like a torrential rain ripped his attention away from the rotting bark, and Blore looked again at the canopy. The leaves were whistling furiously—which he mistook for the sound of a storm—and the branches swayed back and forth, as if to shake off the dangerous leaves and set themselves free. They succeeded, and thousands of terrible leaves began to fall like raindrops, but what fell was not water droplets. The fallen leaves also changed shape, becoming a night elf-like creature, only smaller, darker, and greener than night elves.Their legs are like beasts, and their northern parts are like tauren. They are terrifying in appearance, and their narrow heads have no other features except a bunch of twisted and ugly horns.These creatures let out a nerve-wracking hiss, forming an endless torrent, chasing the two druids——

"Blore Bearskin, are you all right?" The night elf seemed greatly stimulated, and staggered back.But when he regained his courage and opened his eyes, he found that the World Tree had returned to its original appearance.The trunk is still, and the leaves are growing on it intact, green and lush. Hamuul leaned over, the bull-headed expression full of concern.Blore nodded hesitantly, and there were bursts of horns sounding in the distance. He was finally relieved and stopped thinking about what happened just now. "We've got to keep going," Blore urged. "The rally is about to begin."

The tauren blinked and followed the night elf.After a while, the meeting place decided by Fandral appeared before their eyes. Although Blore has participated in many gatherings recently, it is obvious that there are many more druids here than in other meetings, and more people are coming here.Two special figures caught his attention. A woman was talking to another man with a straight face.The man looks confident and does exude great strength.He kept clasping his hands, as if anxious about something.Despite their different reasons, Archdruid Renfral and Naralex stood together apologetically.Reveal (2) has been working to save the flora and fauna of Alterac Valley from the last war between the Alliance and the Horde, but the carnage that stands in her way is not only the two armies fighting, but also an orc shaman Priests are in the way.After the battle, she vowed to restore the valley to its former life.Years later, she is still working hard.

Once a victim of that grand ambition, Naralex now seeks a life of his own with a group of others who share his fate.He once entered the barren and barren land, and with the exquisite magic weapon, he tried to bring the water to the depths, conquer the scorching heat there, and create an oasis.But something nefarious has usurped his job and his many trusted companions.People caught in the trap quickly degenerate... twisted, evil, and only interested in spreading darkness.Naralex himself fell into madness, sanity, madness, sanity, this endless repetition, until he was accidentally rescued by an adventurer.

Unfortunately, when he regained consciousness, he was unable to piece together the slightest clue about the perpetrator.As for the Barrens, although calm had been restored there, Fandral also ordered that no druid, including him, be allowed to set foot there.The archdruid said that in the War of the Ancients, the cataclysm turned this place into a desert in the end, and now there is no reason to waste life and energy there.To be honest, even out of respect for Azeroth, this barren land should be preserved. Their eyes turned to the others, the ones who had just arrived... who brought back some shameful memories for Blore.The more a druid understands the coordination of nature and his own calling, the more obvious the golden light emanating from the various creatures of Azeroth will be in his eyes.The archdruid has said so before. But what Blore could see was only silver light—although there was a trace of sky blue in this silver light, for people farther away, these lights seemed even more insignificant. Shaking his head dejectedly, Blore walked towards the pair.But at this moment, the second round of horns sounded, indicating that the druids should go to the place where the sound came from.A druid with a green tattoo turned to Teldrassil with the goat's horn down on his left forearm. Where the trumpeter was facing, the wrinkled bark rippled.Blore shuddered, suddenly remembering the terrible vision.But the bark was only cracked—a crack big enough for the night elves to get in...or walk. The druids bowed their heads in respect as Fandral Buckhelm strode out in command.His eyes gleamed golden, and he nodded in greeting to those who came.His clothes are simpler than most night druids, and his upper body shoulders only have simple, beast-like wooden shoulder pads, which will look a little crude in the eyes of druids.The open-finger braided gauntlet extends to the elbow, and the wooden part at the bottom is exposed from here. Fandral walks barefoot, showing that he is at one with Mother Nature.The waist held its only luxury—a buckle set with a huge ruby, and an engraved ring hung from it—and the long, dangling bark of a tree wrapped it. "The forest is the lifeblood of the world," Fandral chanted. "The forest is the lifeblood of the world," repeated Blore and the other druids. "Teldrassil is the lifeblood of the world..." Blore and the others repeated his chant again. "I'm very glad that you all responded to this call so quickly." The arch druid paused and made such a voice. "I must be honest with you. Teldrassil is sick..." The news immediately unnerved the rest of the druids.Indeed, the facts that Fandral said were not particularly surprising, but it was the Arch Druid who told the truth so nakedly that they were all the more surprised.Although every druid participated in its creation, Teldrassil's growth came from the support of Fandral, so he knew much more about the health of the world tree than other druids. Fandral Staghelm was the first to suggest planting a second World Tree, but Malfurion was terribly opposed to it.But no matter how much Malfurion objected, Fandral's loyalty to him remained the same. Fandral walked in after knowing the terrible fate of the archdruid.With little opposition, he became the spiritual leader of the druids.And his first task—he declared it alone—was to save their beloved mentor. Under his protection, the elder druids of the Cenarion Circle decided to leave the unconscious Malfurion in his lair in Exalted Moonglade.There, there is the most natural energy in the world, and the sisters of Elune who are in charge of magic surround him, keeping his body in the healthiest state.Thanks to the loving care of the sisterhood, he will not suffer from hunger or dehydration.Everyone has the same expectation, hoping that the powerful man can return to this world by his own strength. However, Fandral did not simply pin his hopes on this.The Council is trying not only to preserve his body, but to retrieve his soul - even if it fails each time.They even sought help from the Priestess of the Emerald Dream—the great dragon Ysera—to no avail.She in the dream, Ysera summoned by the druid, also failed to make any contact with him. Until recently, these were the secrets of the night elves, druids, and all Sororities.In any case, the mounting problems led Fandral to warn his fellow druids -- all for the sake of clan continuity -- how dire their situation was.Therefore, he summoned a multitude of druids to this abrupt assembly, for the highest reasons.Blore believed that all the druids present, like himself, were wondering if the meeting was about saving Malfurion. However, Teldrassil is also an important problem, at least for night elves it is unusual.The original intention of creating the second world tree is to allow the night elves to regain eternal life and gain stronger power.But Fandral also hinted that the magical tree could locate the dreamwalker so that the druids could begin their rescue. If Teldrassil's illness was really that serious, then... Blore frowned, and the same expression came to Hamuul and the others. Fandral strode through the crowd, his gaze swept across the crowd and fell briefly on Blore.Although he knew the archdruid hadn't meant it, it still brought back terrible memories of that defeat in Blore.Although, that memory has never been far from his mind. The elder druid smiled, like a father to the children. "But don't let despair take hold of you, my dear friends," he said. "I didn't call you here just to tell this doom—" "Is there still hope?" a druid shouted without thinking. "It's not just hope!" Fandral said rightly. "I have summoned you to this place, the roots of Teldrassil, to help heal the World Tree!" He gave an encouraging smile. "Once Teldrassil is back to health, we can resume our search for Malfurion Stormrage—" "But how do we heal Teldrassil?" someone yelled. "Use this." The archdruid opened his hands.It was an object everyone knew... Blore looked at it, gasping in amazement. Fandral holding the statue of Remulos This item is a bit of a misname, I don't know who gave it the name of a deity.Or, it was shaped like a nursing green dragon, sculpted by Remulos himself—the immortal and visionary son of Cenarius.Remulos has the lower body of an adult stag, but on the front legs, where the shoulders should be connected to the neck, there is a strong, powerful human-shaped chest, and the split deer hooves are as strong and powerful as his father.Remulos is half forest beast and half night druid.But that was the only resemblance he had, the bases of his palms were leaves and raptor-like wooden claws, and his hair and beard were all leaves, bushes, and moss. Remulos is also the guardian of Moonglade.In fact, Blore wondered if the immortal druid would be there in person, since Remulos hadn't been to any assembly for some time.Rumor has it that he is finding Malfurion in his own way... While the idol doesn't have much artistic value, such a powerful magical device would certainly have healing druid spells...before it could do more damage. Finally, Blore could no longer restrain his emotions. He shouted recklessly, "Arch Druid, forgive me... Isn't this what we worked hard for?" Fandral turned around and looked at Blore sternly. "Your concern is understandable, good Blore. Ainasha's death was not your fault. You did save many lives and defeated those demons." Blore didn't back down from Fandral's words, although they restored him a bit of calm.A human face came to mind, the face of a dark-haired man with a determined heart.He suffered even more than his night elf friend.Varian Wrynn stood by Blore's side as he struggled to escape the grip of the cursed sculpture and recover from his mad furbolg state.They had formed an indissoluble bond when they were slaves and gladiators.Varian acted as if his past had been reduced to ashes, the memories of being king of the human realm... Fandral turned to Blore again, and he held up the statue, facing the World Tree. "Once upon a time, we cultivated it from a fruit to the perfect behemoth it is today! This cost us a huge price, but the return is equally rich... This is a new home, with abundant water and food, and There is a barrier against the enemy..." The druids nodded.Blore noticed that Fandral hadn't mentioned their loss of immortality, and Teldrassil's growth hadn't restored them so far.He felt that the Archdruid might be very sensitive to this issue. The archdruid held the statue and stretched out his hand to the crowd closest to him, and the night elves immediately took a step back. "But because of her sacrifice, Teldrassil exposed herself to disease! Now, it needs our help again! In return... it will show us the way to our great teacher!" Van Dahl's enthusiasm infected others, and they all agreed. "The Emerald Dream is being quickly consumed by the Nightmare..." His voice became more solemn, commenting on the dire situation they all faced. "There is no news of any priests recently. After that stupid attempt last time, I hereby prohibit anyone from entering the dreamland..." Fandral glared at the audience below to see if anyone dared to object. "For Malfurion's sake, let him see no more deaths..." He brought his hands to his chest, drew a circle, and added two vertical curved stripes inside.They represent Cenarius' antlers, while the entire symbol represents Cenarius' Ring. The druids held hands, preparing for the upcoming ceremony.Blore put aside his worries, and mundane thoughts, and tranced himself into healing mode.Besides Blore, Hamuul did the same. Fandral turned to face Teldrassil, his palms pressed against the huge tree trunk, his fingers gliding over the rough bark. Inside the world tree, something stirred in the chaos, it was like a part of the druid's body, everyone could feel it.Even in healing mode, Blore could sense that something enormous was entering the assembly... The essence of Teldrassil touched everyone who healed it, rising within them. The World Tree is not only the home of the night elves, it is also related to the health of the entire Azeroth.The disease affected not only the surrounding environment, but also the mainland on the other side of the island, not even the air and sea water.And more importantly, a sick Teldrassil could no longer reconcile the balance between nature and corruption. The ground shook, but no one felt the slightest fear, even if the huge tentacles broke through the ground. But it wasn't any tentacles that stretched out.In its place, Teldrassil's roots were buried deep in the earth.Each root is facing a druid, like a giant snake ready to attack at any time.None of the druids chose to flee. They knew that Teldrassil was not here to hurt them, but to seek their help. A huge root has been entangled with Fandral.Then, on the main stem of the rhizome, countless fibrous stems also germinate.These rhizomes, like vines, wound around the arch druid's body until half of his body was covered by them. But this is just a special case - because of the great power of the archdruid, no doubt - this is the way druids get close to the various plants on Azeroth.But some were invisible from the outside, those vines spread all over the druid's body, almost becoming one with them. Fandral held the statue of Remulos forward.It exudes a green halo, not only representing the light of the green dragon, but also the giant beast itself.Not even Remulos himself knew which green dragon he had created was sealed inside the idol—this was Ysera's secret.But no matter which giant dragon you choose, it must be extremely powerful, there is no doubt about it. Broll and Teldrassil trembled as the statue's magic touched the roots of Broll and Teldrassil.But his trust in the archdruid overcame his terrible memories of the artifact.Thus, magic seeped into the druid's mind and soul. He merged into Teldrassil. Teldrassil accepted him. Blore could no longer hide the joy that poured into his heart.He felt that all of Azeroth had opened up to him, that the roots of the World Tree had spread far and wide.His vision rushed out of the island, out of the surrounding ocean... Before his consciousness could reach any farther, however, something pulled him back and he felt weak.However, Fandral's consciousness filled his mind, keeping him—and others—safe, just as the archdruid had planned. The power of the druids is continuously flowing into Teldrassil, nourishing it and giving it strength.With so much will and desire, Blore was sure that whatever was eating away at the roots of this great tree would be reduced to ashes, and as the archdruid said, it He will definitely help them rescue Malfurion— Not long after remembering his mentor, Blore's consciousness was stimulated.A darkness crept in his mind, just as he had seen the horrific corruption of Teldrassil before.Blore tried to shake off the familiar discomfort, but it kept expanding— Blore Bearskin... The calling of his name shattered the druid's last calm.Does he know the voice?Could it be— Teldrassil had lost contact with him.Blore let out a gasp and dropped to one knee.In a blur, he sensed other people around him, including Hamuul.So the previous call was made by Hamuul?No, the voice was unreal: and now, in his mind, it was gone without a trace. Can't concentrate anymore, it's like a dream, his reason has collapsed, only his subconscious is left... Hamuul put a hand on his shoulder.Blore looked up, surrounded by druids, most of them his friends. "I'm fine," he told them, feebly. "Sorry I interrupted the ceremony—" "This has nothing to do with you," Naralex explained, standing beside Blore, in a very confused tone. "Hamuel noticed that you were bending over, so the people closest to you came over, but it wasn't you who made us stop halfway..." Naralex and Hamuul helped him to his feet.Blore blushed with embarrassment. "If it's not my fault, then what is?" But the moment he opened his mouth, he felt from the surrounding land that there were not just druids anymore.In front of him, something was approaching quickly. Blore looked towards Fandral, with his back turned to Teldrassil, staring to the left of the druids.Now he understood that it was the approach of these outsiders that stopped the archdruid from chanting the spell. A group of newcomers marched without hesitation towards the assembly, their leader behind them.Although they were also night elves, no one would mistake them for druids. They are all women, and they are obviously believers of the church. The scabbard around them and the quiver behind them are all empty.Blore guessed they disarmed out of respect for the druid's call.But judging from their flexible and elegant figures, they are not only proficient in all kinds of weapons, but also masters in unarmed close combat. Although there were only eleven of them, the church they belonged to must be much larger.Robes of silvery moonlight wrapped around them, reaching down to their ankles: long, graceful silver teardrops cascaded from the bodice, each studded with blue beads.Near the waist, a connected arched belt clasps the crest.The robes are very spacious, floating with the movement of the air current, enough space and mobility to allow them to freely dance various fighting arts.Even without a knife or a shot, this eleven-man team is still a well-made army. Their leader quickly - almost impatiently - scanned the druid.She stretched out her hands... The gray sky suddenly cleared, and the two huge moons of Azeroth shone down on the land. "We didn't just come with trouble, did we?" Tyrande Whisperwind asked politely. "However, this is not a place where meetings are often held..." "Members of the Sisterhood of Elune, you are always welcome here," Fandral replied. "However, even if the druid gathering is of no special significance to the high priest of the Moonlight Goddess, the leader of the night elves..." "It doesn't matter, even this unusual place," she responded, and Fandral frowned with her tough attitude, and the druids became agitated, "If it wasn't for the goddess Elune herself to show me the terrible truth." The druids began to talk about it.Fandral waved his hands for silence.Frowning tightly, he asked. "What 'horrible truth,' my high priest?" Tyrande choked up a little, this news seemed a bit special to her. "Malfurion is dying..." "Ridiculous! We guard his lair, and the priestesses you kissed tended to his body day and night. There is no reason for such a dire situation—" "Still, it happened," she replied. "His situation has changed. Malfurion is dying. We must act quickly." Before Fandral could react, Blore found himself shouting. "So what should we do, High Priest?" Tyrande's voice was as hard as steel. "First, we're going to Moonglade." Remark: (1) The original book is "Lucan Fox Blood", which is a free translation. According to the habit of literal translation of names in WOW, and referring to the translated name of the Translator's Priory, it is revised to "Lucan Foxbrough ".All "Lucan Foxbrood" that appear after this article are changed translations. (2) The original book is "Elephrael", but this part is a proofreading omission, the correct name should be "Elephrael", so it is revised.