Chapter 16 Chapter fifteen

Anduin realized that Magni's admiration was not empty talk.Of those who witnessed and participated in the ceremony in the Throne Hall, Anduin was the only human—indeed the only one who was neither dwarf nor gnome.Magni wore his most formal piece of ceremonial armor.The amiable dwarf that Anduin loved is gone, and today's Magni has completely become the image his people need. Although he is not tall in Anduin's eyes, he looks like a king from head to toe .Anduin also put on the best of the clothes he had brought, but still felt a little out of place.Fortunately, he knew many of the dwarves.

But one dwarf was not present, and he was thinking of her day and night.He wondered what Eileen would have thought of the ritual if she had been alive, whether she would have thought it was just a silly superstition, or a practical way of seeking information?He'll never know. Magni's gaze swept across the assembled crowd.There were not many people involved in the ceremony - high priest Rohan, several herbalists, senior explorer McGrath, and advisor Belgram of the Explorers' League. "Wish my brothers were here," Magni whispered, "to witness this. But there's no time to tell them. Come, let's go. Every moment we delay will only make poor Azeroth Si suffers more."

Without further words, he strode towards a door facing the entrance of the throne hall.Anduin had noticed the door before, but had never asked about it, or even heard it mentioned.Magni nodded, and two attendants came forward carrying a huge iron old-fashioned key.Another brought out a great ladder; the gate was so massive that even Anduin, who was taller than the dwarves, couldn't reach the keyhole.The dwarves climbed the ladder carefully, and lifted the great key into the lock.Together they worked hard to turn the key, and with a muffled creak, the lock swung open.The dwarves climbed down again and pushed the ladder aside.

Nothing happened at first.Then the gate slowly opened towards the onlookers themselves under the effect of magic, revealing the darkness behind. The two servants who opened the gate put aside the huge key and led the small procession into the sloping passage behind the gate, lighting the candlesticks on the wall along the way.The air was cold and damp, but not stale.Anduin realized that there must be a huge open area beneath Ironforge. They walked down the corridor in silence.The passage is perfectly straight, without any twists and turns, and the dwarves will not make detours.A squire went ahead of the procession, and when they reached the end of the passage a brightly burning brazier was waiting for them.Behind the corridor was a huge cave, which made Anduin gasp.

He had expected the neat corridor behind the door, but what he saw now shocked him.The platform under his feet diverged into two forks.One was an upward staircase, carpeted and looking strangely new.The other is a simple stone path going down.What took Anduin's breath away were the walls and ceiling. The walls and ceiling are inlaid with clear and shining crystals.The braziers and the torches held by the attendants illuminated them, making the crystals appear to glow pure white themselves.Although Anduin knew it was an illusion, the beauty of this natural creation combined with the clean lines of the dwarven masonry was truly beautiful.

"These crystals—they're so pretty." Anduin said softly to Rohan who was walking beside him. The priest chuckled. "Crystal? These are not crystals, boy. All you see are diamonds." Anduin's eyes widened, and he raised his head abruptly to gaze respectfully at the shimmering ceiling. Magni strode up the steps resolutely, to a platform wide enough to accommodate several times the number of people.He turned and nodded expectantly. "I don't think it was an accident. Just when we needed it, this stone tablet with important information turned out." He said, his voice echoing in the cave. "Nearly everyone here today lost a loved one three days ago. Reports from across Azeroth indicate that something is not quite right. The earth is shaking with pain - it cries for help. We are dwarves , we are the sons of the earth. I trust the last words left by the earth spirits, and I believe that what I do now—this ritual too ancient to describe—can allow me to heal this poor wounded world. With my blood In the name of bone, in the name of earth and rock, let the ritual begin."

Anduin felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.Although Magni's speech came from the heart, something tightened in his throat.He had felt that way when he descended the passage into the Heart of the Earth, and it was even stronger now, before entering a mysterious ceremony. Belgram stepped forward with a scroll in his hand.McGrath stood beside him with his hands behind his back.Standing beside them was Raina Shizhi, the dwarf herbalist, holding a crystal vial filled with a cloudy liquid.Belgram cleared his throat, and began to speak a language that was so obscure that Anduin trembled.Somehow the place feels colder now.

McGrath translated his words to Anduin line by line.The young prince remembered that Magni had read the same words to him yesterday. "Returning to the mountains, don't ask why. My people are the spirit of the earth, born in the land; the soul is drawn by the dream, and the heart and pain are shared; the sky and the earth are blue, and the long songs are crying. After a long time away from home, I want to There is no way back. The descendants of the earth, what is the reason?" home.Azeroth is indeed their homeland, Anduin couldn't help thinking as Belgram continued to read the instructions about preparations.Home wasn't just Stormwind, or a place to stay with his father, or Aunt Jaina.Home is this land, this world.Here they stand now, in the heart of the earth surrounded by diamonds and rocks, feeling sheltered and not oppressed.Magni is about to speak to a wounded Azeroth to find out the best way to heal it.What a noble purpose.

"Smelt good medicine and drink it into the stomach. When you read this mantra, there is no heart. Ask the mountains and there will be an answer. Return to the original and return to the original. Return to the mountains, return to my hometown." Reina now stepped forward and handed the bottle of cloudy potion to Magni.The dwarf king took the crystal clear flask without hesitation, brought it to his lips and drank it in one gulp.He wiped his lips and handed the bottle back to Rainer. McGrath handed him a scroll.Though not as fluent as Belgram, Magni read aloud the ancient language above, while McGrath translated.

"The origin of the earth is in my heart, the two become one stronger than gold, there is it in me, it has me, listening to the echoes of the mountains." Magni returned the scroll, spreading his arms earnestly, closing his eyes and frowning in concentration. No one knows what will happen.Will Gunsan suddenly speak?If so, what would it sound like?Will it be told only to Magni?What will he hear?Can he talk to it?he-- Magni flung his eyes open, wide in surprise, and a small smile appeared on his mouth. "I...I heard..." He raised his hands to his temples. "Voices echoing in my head. A lot." He chuckled, with a look of surprise and success. "Not just one voice...dozens, maybe hundreds. All voices from the land!"

Anduin trembled slightly, and a smile appeared on his own lips.Magni is right!He could hear the earth speaking to him. "Can you understand?" Belgram asked excitedly, "What are they talking about?" Magni suddenly raised his head and arched his body back.He looked like he was going to stagger back, but his legs seemed to be rooted.No, not rooted... Anduin realized that his black boots were becoming crystal clear, as if suddenly made of glass—as if his feet had suddenly become made of glass— —or rather, crystal-like...diamond-like... Back to the hills... No, oh no, it can't be— Suddenly Magni's feet trembled, and a layer of stone formed on them.It began to flow up like living magma, along his legs, his body; and creaked to form crystal rock spines, as if Magni Bronzebeard had become a statue of himself crystal like.Magni raised his arms above his head in a long, silent cry.Diamond-like lava flowed over his arms, wrapping his whole body tightly.Magni screamed in horror, the sound chilling.However, the magma poured into his mouth relentlessly, making his screams stop abruptly, and he was completely frozen before he even had time to close his eyes. Everyone stared at the scene in front of their mouths, but Magni resounded throughout the Diamond Cave, and Sen Han's piercing and unheard-of horror scream made everyone start to act. Rohan begins to cast healing spells.McGrath and Belgram rushed forward and grabbed Magni's arm, foolishly trying to pull him out.But things happened so fast, it was too late now.Magni's screams fell silent, and he looked transformed and imprisoned in stone.He held his head high and stretched his arms, his neck was throbbing with painful veins, and his whole body was covered with an uneven layer of shiny crystals, like a strange costume. Anduin broke the shocked silence. "Is he... can you..." Rohan approached Magni, closed his eyes and put a hand on the king's arm.Next, he backed away shaking his head, a tear trickling from under his eyelid. Anduin stared at him, suddenly felt a burst of disbelief, just like when the trembling earth buried Irene under countless boulders.But...it's impossible! He shifted his gaze to McGrath, who was also dumbfounded. "I'm sure," he murmured, "it wasn't taken literally...we've checked all the information..." "You mean—it worked? That's what the ritual is supposed to do?" Anduin cried, his voice sharp with shock and horror. "Not literally," said McGrath, who looked like a frightened hare. "But we—we did—did execute without error..." Anduin couldn't help rushing forward.With a loud cry, he drew out his ceremonial dagger, and slammed the hilt at the stone statue's shoulder before anyone else could stop him.The hilt of the sword shattered under the blow, and a small piece flew out in a whirling motion.He dropped the dagger in his hand, covered his painful right hand, and stared intently at the stone statue. There was no trace of it.Magni has been transformed into one of the hardest materials known. Anduin stared at the diamond statue, which was once a strong and healthy dwarf.At this moment, some words from the ceremony came to his mind.My people are earth spirits, born in Sri Lanka... I have been away from my homeland for a long time, and there is no way to go back... Return to the origin and return to the same place as before.Back to the mountains, back to my hometown. Dwarves are creatures of the Titans.Magni became what he was supposed to be—and at the cost of his life. "He's home," said Anduin, choked with grief.Tears welled from his eyes, blurring the image of Magni Bronzebeard.The firelight shone on the stone statue, and Anduin could only see the beautiful sparkling light jumping and shining in front of his eyes. He took a breath and blinked hard, tears streaming down his cheeks.The kind dwarf only wants to do what is best for his people, he wants to speak to a wounded world to find a way to heal it.And for such a noble purpose, he lost them in the end. What should the dwarves do next?