Chapter 12 Chapter 11 To the Big Shade

Faint light from outside brightened the cave, thanks to Tyrande.However, the faint light from the outside world made the dragon feel a little restless. "This is not normal," he murmured. "The sky should be brighter than this." Eranikus closed his eyes for a moment, his expression became serious, and then opened them again and said, " You shouldn't stay here, I've seen the situation outside, the clouds that originally covered the sun are getting thinner and gradually replaced by the mist that should be the third, this is not normal...I feel...I feel a nightmare It's getting closer..."

The Green Dragon seldom refers to the realm by its name, though those names have existed since ancient times, and to him there has always been nothing but fear. He made no mention of the fate of his queen Ysera, which gave Blore a sense of foreboding.Eranikus still had his queen and consort in his thoughts, but he refused to accompany them to Ashenvale—a major point of contention throughout the night. Eranikus retained his pseudo-elf form, as if to rot away once more into his original self.The dragon had ordered them to leave on more than one occasion, but neither the druid nor the high priestess had done so, not even when threatened.Obviously, they knew that the situation in the Kingdom of Dreams was very serious, and they needed the help of those who knew more about the situation in the Kingdom than Blore.Fortunately, for his own reasons, Eranikus did not want to hurt them.

"I'm already very patient." The dragon roared, his back turned to them, "Before I throw you out, leave me now." "You could have kicked us out of here more than once," Blore pointed out, "but you didn't." "Don't take my pain as weakness," Eranikus retorted, turning to the night elves. "I don't regret it either! You know I've done a lot of bad things. There's a limit to my patience. of……" Lucan felt like the end of the world was coming when he heard this.The subject under discussion had nothing to do with him in the first place; but he knew that the situation was getting worse, more and more out of his wish, and he had been dragged into it.

He wished inwardly that this would at least be quiet for a while.But the cartographer eventually caved in.The night elves are still arguing with the dragons—constantly arguing.Lucan decided to walk away from them, not too far away, as long as he could be quiet. Eranikus blocked the way the three of them came in, so Luken walked in the opposite direction.He picked a tunnel at random, long enough to insulate the quarrel.He wanted to leave more and more. Although he was not as stealthy as the druids and high priestesses, he left the place unnoticed.Breathing much more smoothly, Luken staggered along the narrow, potholed passage.

The voice still sounded behind him, Luken was not satisfied, and walked forward again.The bickering gradually turned into noise, but that wasn't enough. Luken moved away from the light, but the dim light overhead allowed him to at least see clearly.Instinctively, he strode over. He found an exit to the outside world.The place outside the exit is not much brighter than the inside of the cave, and the tentacles of the mist have crept into the passage.Despite being cautious, Lucan couldn't help but keep walking.It shouldn't be dangerous to walk outside.If this seems like a betrayal, backtrack right away.

With such a theory in mind, Lucan left the passage.What caught his eyes was a blurry landscape, and at first he thought it was the emerald world of the age of sake that he had dreamed of.And when he actually stepped in here, he started to get scared. After spending the night in Shandong, it made Luken feel a little relieved to be outside the cave.I'll be here just a moment, he promised.Maybe... maybe they'll know what to do then... One thing he was sure of was that it didn't want to come to Ashvale to fulfill it at all.He has realized that in some ways, this place is connected with the dream kingdom.Luken didn't tell the night elves that the closer he was to the nightmare, the stronger the feeling of being constantly drawn between Azeroth and the nightmare.Everything related to the dream kingdom is calling to him.

Lucan finally understood why he had entered this place in the first place.He seemed to be headed for the dragon from the start, because Eranikus was not only part of his astonishingly terrible past—a past that Lucan still clings to—but the dragon, at least In the past, used to be an integral part of nightmares.Everything in the past seemed destined to lead him on a path to other kingdoms... which he was afraid to avoid. The cartographer paced up and down.All night long he tried to understand why the power was upon him while the others were trying to reach certain agreements.An orphan growing up in Stormwind, he already expected his life to start and end the way most people do.Magic and monsters have nothing to do with him.His only wish to travel was to draw a better map and have the king sign his own name on it.Luke had nothing else to think about.

He's not a coward, not at all, but he's not an explorer who goes beyond his dreams, either. The last thought pained him so much, could it be that my dream was the problem? ! The clatter of stones made him look around, and that's when Lucan realized he had gone farther than he thought.The passage not far behind him has become blurred at this time. He turned and hurried down the passage. Suddenly a huge figure grabbed him from behind.He smelled something worse than his own.Luke saw the hand holding the handle of the axe.He was so out of breath - and so frightened that he forgot to call for help - that he noticed that it was a huge, thick green hand.

"Orcs—" he gasped, muttering to himself.He tried to take another breath, but this time he couldn't get any air.At this point he began to feel dizzy and his vision became blurred. Everything turns...green. Along with it all, the pressure on his chest disappeared.However, a powerful force pushed him to the ground again.Luken landed on his face, and the ground felt softer and more comfortable than he had imagined. "Yes..." A voice sounded, although it was very deep, it could be heard that it was a woman. "I'm approaching... where the Emerald Shadow..."

"Emerald?" Luken whispered.He looked up.To his horror, the voice spoke the truth.He's already in another world... only this time he doesn't just pass through. Before the poor cartographer could recover, he was pulled up and suspended in the air again. This is an orc, a woman, but her appearance is not flattering to Lucan.Her mouth was very wide and her nose was short and collapsed.Those eyes that stared intently at him were the only feature that could be called attractive.In fact, if such facial features were on a human face, it would be enough to attract attention. With an ax against his chin, the orc snarled, "Take me to him."

"To—from whom?" "That shameless, despicable murderer! A demon that threatens everything. That night elf named Malfurion Stormrage!" Luken tried to lift his chin up, but the ax was stuck firmly underneath.Gritting his teeth, he answered, "I don't know—don't know where to find him!" This answer annoyed the orc quite a bit.Luken wondered why he hadn't been able to sneak back to Azeroth this time like before.He concentrated...but nothing happened except the orc pressed the ax harder against his jaw. "You know! Last night's vision told me. I saw you there when he killed the great and loyal Brox—" "I don't—don't—know you're here??" He paused, the sting under his chin telling him the ax had started to bleed him. "Every time it tells me what to do! I'm very close to my goal now, human! I want to avenge my blood...you can help me, or you will end up like the night elves." Luke knew what she meant.He murmured cautiously, "Okay...I'll take you there." The ax dropped a little.The orc stepped forward, her breath almost as strong as the smell of her body.She looked at him, thinking of other things, "I must take revenge... I dreamed that you would come out, and I dreamed of this place. Everything is true! Malfurion's death is coming..." She turned him back so he could lead the way.It was only then that Luken could see clearly where he had stumbled and fell half to death before rushing out. Closest to them is a landscape of unspoiled natural beauty.Long grass spreads across the fields, dotted with hills and lush trees.This is clearly an untouched place by civilization.There are many traces of wildlife, especially distant birds.It was a dream, he thought. The cartographer noticed that he couldn't see the bird clearly when he looked around.All are far away.The trees in the direction they were facing could not be seen, so Luken turned his head and looked in one direction. Luken was dumbfounded.Although the sight in front of them was still some distance away, it shook him so much that he wanted to go back to the world to escape what was in front of him...but he couldn't. The orc seemed indifferent to the sight in front of him that no creature could ignore—a sight that no creature wanted to see.She thrust the ax against Lucan, pushing him roughly forward... into the nightmare. Eranikus trembled, "Get out of the way!" He circled around, "Where did that man go?" All quarrels are over.The three started looking for Lucan.Blore was the first to spot the clue, "He went this way." Tyrande followed the druid, but Eranikus went in the opposite direction.The night elves didn't have time to think about the dragon, which seemed unusually steadfast in its refusal to help them. A moment later, Blore entered the passage.The mist was thicker, reminiscent of Auberdine. "Did you see him?" asked the priest. "No, it's all very chaotic, he should be not far away." Tyrande put one hand on his chest, praying as he breathed.The fog began to recede, as if pushed back by an invisible hand. But where it was revealed, no sign of the cartographer was soon to be found.The druid began to study the ground again, and soon found the faint trace left by Luken on the ground. "He's gone down the road, but it looks like he's gone a long way. He—" Blore stopped, and then he pressed his head to the hard ground for some detail. "There are marks of other creatures... From the looks, I guess it's an orc." "Orc? Here?" The huge flapping of the wings behind them caused the night elves to turn around and slash upwards.High above, the huge body of the green dragon appeared there in the most majestic posture.Aspects are supposed to be larger and stronger than normal dragons.And Eranikus is so smooth and slender compared to other dragons.He hovered, his huge web-like wings extending to either side.Two large horns grow behind the top of the head.His narrow jaw was open, revealing eerie teeth as long as Blore's arm.Below his chin, a patch of hair gave Eranikus a deep expression. What is even more astonishing is that Eranikus shimmered all over, appearing out of place with the surroundings.This adds an ethereal feel to the behemoth.It all says something about his relationship with the Emerald Dream, despite all the trouble it caused before. Eranikus overlooks the whole area. "There's no sign of anyone anywhere, and to be honest, I'm nearly blind like some mortal creature." The dragon hissed.It goes without saying that in this situation, he dared not look at the world through dream vision.It's too risky to be associated with the Emerald Dream like that...and nightmares. "The entrance is closed again." "He was taken," Blore explained. "By an orc, as it should be." The behemoth bared its sharp teeth, "He must have tried to use his rare skill (1) to escape." "If that's the case...he's bringing the orcs here," Tyrande pointed out. Circling, Eranikus raised his head, "I smell an orc here, but a small smell, probably just an orc. No orc would be so stupid as to come to me..." He hissed again "They don't look like night elves." Blore didn't think so. "Why would an orc stay here for days? What do they want from this place?" "It may be a coincidence." The high priestess replied, "but I would rather believe that someone wanted the orcs to appear here in the first place. The appearance of the orcs, and the appearance of Luken, plus his and Eranikus past It's unbelievable that all this is just a coincidence..." The green dragon let out a low rumble.He stared at the night elf, "I will lead you into Ashenvale and show you the way! That's all." Although both elves are very grateful to the green dragon.But the Horde asked anyway, "But why did you change your mind? Why did you go where you were afraid?" Eranikus stared at the empty sky, seeming to be thinking about something.Finally he said, "Because I don't want something to be there...that's why that orc got to Nightmare." Druid wondered, "But why?" The dragon looked very disturbed, so disturbed that the night elves gradually became more and more disturbed, and their voices became louder, "Okay, we'll ask the little druid... well, we'll ask... ..." He landed on the ground, his head turned, implying that the two climbed up his neck.Having ridden dragons before, Tyrande followed orders without hesitation.Blore frowned, but went on.There's no way his speed can keep pace with the dragon. When they were ready, Eranikus took to the sky.He circled for a moment, then flew in the direction the druid thought was Ashenvale. "How long will it take us to get there?" cried Tyrande. "How long will it take us to reach Ashenvale?" "It won't be long, but it may be a long time!" The dragon roared back, "Stick it to my neck, hold on tight!" They flew through the skies at speeds that almost took the night elves' breath away.The wind could be harder to beat, so Eranikus put his neck around to give them some protection. Blore looked to the ground from the right.And what they saw worried him even more. There was fog everywhere.It's not like a thick blanket, but it's not scattered here and there, either.In fact, the scene reminded him of something. Being a druid, he remembered.The branches... the fog looks like the branches of the evil tree... He remembered that these were very similar to the area with jagged leaves.At the same time, he also remembered the various situations he had encountered before. He tried to connect the two. He keeps flying.Hills become the enemy of busy trees.The weather has cooled down.The woods gradually increased into the verdant forests Blore had experienced on previous travels. "I see it..." Eranikus told them, "the great shade is ahead..." The distance that is "right ahead" to the dragon means that his passengers are still a few minutes away from seeing.Immediately after... "I see it," Tyrande cried. Blore tapped her on the shoulder in agreement.In the end, he also saw the tree of dreams. Dwarfed in comparison to taller trees of its kind, it is still tall in the area, like a powerful king.From a distance, the tree appears to be in order, despite the haze that hangs over its base.Its huge branches stretched a mile wide.Many creatures live in its boughs, including many of its guardians.It is the only tree of its kind here, and the others grow in the dreaded Crystalsong Forest, a mysterious place in cold Northrend.There, in addition to the regular tree species, there are clusters of crystals.Or the Hinterlands, east of the Eagle's Nest, home of the Wildhammer dwarves.And the dark and dangerous Duskwood and the dank jungles of Feralas. There are dream entrances in these places, but for druids, especially Blore, Ashenvale is by far the safest place. However, as they got closer, the dragon said, "This area is barren and empty, and I don't see a single person, night elf or..." "That's impossible." Blore said, "Although the druid has been summoned away, there should be others staying here!" "We should take a look." Eranikus circled and landed. As the dragon descended, the night elves looked first at the tree's massive roots... and the entrance they most hoped to see. Where the vines encircled the carved columns was their final destination.A gravel path lay in front of them, leading to the big tree. The entrance is circular.It is surrounded by roots of various shapes.They form an arch, one around the other.Then there's the violet bezel that exudes energy. This is the key point to pay attention to.At the entrance, a rotating emerald power block changes frequently.These streaks appear to burn with strands of miniature green lightning. This entrance was where they hoped to find Malfurion, and why they sought this place.The path to the Emerald Dream and the Nightmare - the only sure path - lay open before them. But they have other concerns. "As you said." Tyrande said to the dragon. "There is no one here. There should be many guards." "Are they heading east?" Blore suggested. "The Horde has become very arrogant and wants to cut down the forest here. Malfurion has been worried about this for many years." "That's a possibility." Long took a step back, "But most of the people guarding here are under the orders of the queen...they won't leave without the order of the queen..." A boulder fell on Eranikus' back, and he let out a terrible and painful growl.Unaware, and with two night elves in tow, he hadn't raised his defenses against such a primitive but powerful attack. As the dragon tried to recover, a second stone fell on him.Eranikus rolled toward the entrance, toward the columns. The night elf turned to the enemy.Broll transformed into a ferocious bear, while Tyrande wielded the Moonblade. A huge figure appeared in the forest, which seemed to be the product of these big trees.His body is covered with thick bark and has long leaves like a beard.Two fangs protruded from the mouth, and the eyes were full of anger.Not to the night elves, but to the dragons. "Damn..." His voice was like the sound of wood rubbing against wood. "You can't pass..." "Ancient War Tree!" the high-ranking priestess shouted. Blore snapped back into his original shape.He ran towards the hulking figure, unafraid of the terrifying claws that gathered like huge sharp shards that could pierce a druid. "Nayyar (2)!" Blore yelled with all his might, "Hey, Ancient of War, Protector of Ashenvale and Ringsong Temple. You know me, you know me!" The ancient tree hesitated.The mighty creature wore only a piece of armor that looked more like decoration than defense. Menacing faces and enigmatic patterns adorn them.In fact, old trees require little protection.There's not much that can hurt them.The ancient trees are the first generation of creatures of Azeroth, the first generation of guardians. Nayar raised his head and looked at the Druid.His face was as pitted as a hound's, but his eyes showed great intelligence.In fact, the ancients have taught the night elves many skills. "I know you, yes. Night elf, you are a wanderer, you are my friend Blore Bearskin..." Nayar lowered his head slowly, "I have always felt sorry for the death of you young people Very sad……" These words made Blore clenched his fists, he didn't let Gu Shu see this.Even though the night elves are very short in terms of life, the ancient tree lives by the second.For Nayyar, Ainasha's death was unforgettable as if it had just happened.Nayar didn't mean to remind Blore...and the druid never forgot. But Nayar's attention returned to Eranikus, who had regained his composure.The dragon spread its wings and roared at the ancient tree.Although the ancient tree looked smaller, the guardian looked directly at Eranikus without feeling a trace of fear. "Corrupted guy, I warn you..." "I'm only here to bring them both to help my queen and their friends—and yours. Malfurion Stormrage!" "Storm..." Nayyar looked puzzled, "We can feel his disappearance...his presence..." He stared at Eranikus. "With yesterday we felt your approach...and the rancid smell you brought..." The dragon flinched a little.His reaction was obviously because Gu Shu's words touched him. "He's freed from corruption," Blore defended Eranikus. "It's our ally and friend again. You have to realize that." "No!" Nayar raised a strong hand. "I saw him turn back into a demon! He—" The huge tree monster blinked. "No...that was a nightmare...one of many. He doesn't look so evil...but..." Seeing that the ancient tree was still hesitating, Blore asked a question that had troubled him for a long time. "Nayar... where are the other Guardians?" The forest guardian's expression became serious. "Some went to the east, some to the north, some to the south. Others...the ones left behind me...the others fell asleep and never woke up..." He shook his head, "I put them Stuck away...I'm getting tired...I might join them soon." "What happened?" Nayar told them that the Guardians—the ancients, the night elves, the dragons, the dryads, and especially the green dragonflight—had not been under Ysera's command for a long time.They are getting more and more worried.Things get worse when a Dryad named Sheldrin (3) leaves the Moonpool and finds them.These moonpools—connecting nature with magic and the Light of Elune—are places of healing and water.Mages and other wizards can restore their magical powers, a gift from the Moon Mother to the guardians of Azeroth.Sheldrin has been holding on to the North. "I know her," said Blore, smiling. "She's a joker and a wisecrack..." Nayar shook her stout head, "When she came, the sense of humor was gone, and she issued a warning—to those mysterious assailants who were looking for the Moonpool. Sheldrin only called them shadows, and she said they were Reminds her of something else." No one noticed that Tyrande took a breath, and she asked, "Where is she? Better talk to her." "It's impossible." Gu Shu replied, "She has been sleeping for two days." He proceeded to tell them all that had happened.After receiving the news from the dryad, Gu Shu and other guardians divided into several groups and headed to Moon Pool and other strategic locations.They separated from Nayar to secure the entrance. "There are more than a dozen...all of them are strong, especially the giant dragon and the dragon family...At that time, we didn't know the deep sleep that could not be awakened, and everything happened after we parted..." "You are like a pawn on a chessboard at the mercy of others." Eranikus pointed out, showing a hint of pleasure in the mistakes made by others in his tone, "Hmph!" Nayyar clearly didn't care about what the dragon said, and he didn't defend himself and his friends.On the contrary, Gu Shu pointed at the entrance and said, "I won't stop you guys...go ahead, if you think it's right to do so..." "I wouldn't be so stupid as to break in there! It's the two of them who are going in." Nayar also showed contempt for the dragon, which Eranikus ignored.Leaving the dragon alone, the Keeper of the Forest said to Blore, "Brother of the Forest, I could have been with you...but someone has to be here...except him..." "I understand, I'm going alone—" "Let's go together," Tyrande interjected briefly. As usual, Blore did not quarrel with the High Priestess.Blore shrugged, "Then let's go together!" Eranikus moved aside, and the night elf strode toward the gleaming energy. Tyrande cheered, "It looks so...beautiful." "It used to be like this." "How do we get in?" "Just walk in." Druid replied, "Then make every preparation." "I will at any time." "That's it, goodbye!" Nayar said, the ancient tree raised a thick hand, "the smell of corrosion has been floating around..." "Nightmare covers most of the dream world," Eranikus pointed out irritably.When the two of them were about to enter, he became even more nervous. "I have never felt such a strong aura of malice. Once you go in, I will leave immediately." It was Blore who took the lead. He stopped and looked at the dragon one last time. "We appreciate your help." "Not for helping you, but for leading you into a terrible disaster, little night elves." Tyrande, looking at the entrance, interrupted, "Blore, there is a situation—" The entrance suddenly glowed, the emerald energy darkened, and then swelled, expanding to surround the two of them. As the night elves tried to make sense of what had happened, there were bursts of laughter in their ears.A ferocious head seemed to be looming towards them in the mist.Like the incoming energy, the creature has a hideous shade of green. "We have been waiting for you..." said the dragon. Remark: (1) In the original book, it was "rare situation". After comparing with other translations, it was confirmed that it was a translation error, and it was changed to a more accurate "rare skill". (2) The original book is "Narrif". After comparing other translations and databases, it is confirmed that it is a name reference error. The tree "Nayar", so it was changed to "Nayar", and all "Nayar" that appear after this article are the changed translations. (3) The original book is "Shardrin". After comparing other translations and combining the female identity of the dryad, it was changed to the more accurate "Shardrin".