"I bestow the power of nature and the Emerald Dream upon the High Elf. You shall gain access to the Emerald Dream and the potential to harness its energy!"
Ysera used her Green Dragon artifact, and the green power of nature merged into the nascent World Tree.
In an instant, the entire tree seemed to become ethereal, but the next moment it returned to reality.
And in this process, it had become firmly bound to the Emerald Dream.
An incredibly vast amount of Emerald Dream energy emanated from the World Tree, radiating towards all of Quel'Thalas and Lordaeron.
It was no longer just a tree, but had become the intersection of the Emerald Dream and the real world, a passage between the two great worlds!
"I bestow the power of magic upon the High Elf. No matter where you are, you will have a strong affinity for arcane energy. Your bodies will be able to store more magical energy, and your spellcasting abilities will be enhanced!"
Malygos spat out the focusing iris, and arcane energy from a thousand miles around converged, injecting into the World Tree through the focusing iris.
This transformed the tree into half a magic tree, with some leaves even showing signs of semi-crystallization.
Arcane energy and Emerald Dream energy radiated in all directions.
And deep underground, unseen, the World Tree's root system, as vast as its trunk and crown, had a portion that perfectly overlapped with the ley lines within a ten-kilometer radius, completely crystallizing and becoming conduits for ley line energy.
The ley line energy of all Quel'Thalas, Lordaeron, and the surrounding thousand kilometers continuously converged towards the World Tree through these energy conduits.
As a legendary mage, Kael'thas's mental power was extremely strong.
As a High Elf prince and a Kirin Tor councilor, he had repeatedly delved deep into the underground ley line systems of the Sunwell Plateau and Dalaran.
The ley line energy conduits beneath Teldrassil were even more complex than those two places!
"As expected of the Blue Dragon Aspect," Kael'thas once again truly felt the power of a high-level demigod.
Of course, even the Guardian of Magic, even with the power of the focusing iris, it was not easy to spontaneously create a ley line node that surpassed Dalaran.
He could clearly feel that Malygos's aura was much weaker than before, his face and eyes filled with fatigue, and his internal arcane energy was almost depleted, making it difficult to recover without several years.
This even moved Kael'thas somewhat.
Everything he did was full of calculations, and even the words he spoke earlier were very targeted.
He didn't think his thoughts could be hidden from the Blue Dragon Aspect, who had lived for tens of thousands of years, witnessed the vicissitudes of the world, and whose mental power was ten to a hundred times stronger than his own, but the other party still did it, paying so much.
He paid far more than the other three Dragon Aspects!
"They all say that besides Deathwing, Malygos is the most depraved and insane, but in reality, among the five Dragon Aspects, he is also the most emotional and temperamental." Kael'thas's heart also had a soft spot touched.
The Bronze Dragon Aspect Nozdormu, due to constantly monitoring the timeline, had an unknown number of tens of thousands of years of true lifespan when all timelines were added up, and because he had seen too many endings and fates, he was the most indifferent and elusive.
The Black Dragon Aspect Deathwing was known for his composure, calmness, wisdom, and cunning.
The Red Dragon Queen Alexstrasza was benevolent and loving, cherished all life, and had a great spirit of sacrifice.
The Green Dragon Queen Ysera had always been gentle and serene, living in the Emerald Dream for many years, thus appearing ethereal and hazy.
The Blue Dragon Aspect Malygos was originally cheerful and lively; among the five Dragon Aspects, he was the most talkative.
He was the eldest brother among the Dragon Aspects, the most responsible. Ten thousand years ago, after Deathwing's corruption, he was the one who rushed to the forefront.
Because of the deaths of his mate, offspring, and kin, he became silent, increasingly paranoid, and mentally unstable.
He was the biggest victim of that great war.
"If there's a chance, help Malygos solve his mental and reproduction problems, and prevent his destined death."
If Malygos died, the Blue Dragonflight would have no successor.
Matigosa was too impulsive, Arygos too insane, Azuregos too innocent, Senegos too old. Surely Kalecgos couldn't take the throne?
He's too weak, no way!
Kael'thas continued to "observe" the underground ley lines with his mental power.
Although the ley line system beneath the World Tree was larger than the Sunwell Plateau, the arcane energy gathered was somewhat inferior, precisely because of the lack of Well of Eternity water.
Well of Eternity water was the "engine" of the Sunwell.
Although Malygos had used magic to transform the World Tree into an alternative engine, it was ultimately not as good as the original, and the effect was much worse.
"Give it a name, Kael'thas," Alexstrasza said.
A name, huh—
Kael'thas remembered Nordrassil, Vordrassil, Teldrassil, Shaladrassil, and decided to continue the World Tree's consistent naming style, saying, "Sundered Crown, Sundered Crown · Sun Crown!"
As the World Tree Sundered Crown grew into a colossal entity like a pillar of heaven under Nozdormu's temporal power, residents of Stratholme ten kilometers away all looked up to the north.
They saw a tree trunk hundreds of meters in diameter and a crown that blotted out the sky.
"Light above, what is that?"
"A tree, a towering tree taller than the Alterac Mountains!"
"How is this possible? How can there be such a tall and large tree in the world?"
"If this were cut down for firewood, it wouldn't be burned up in a hundred years, would it?"
"Quick, go report to the Highlord!"
In the city lord's mansion, Baron Rivendare was working hard for the proliferation of his offspring when he was suddenly interrupted by a barging guard.
"What's the rush? How do I usually teach you? Even if the sky falls, the earth collapses, or the Horde attacks, you still have to knock!"
"Get out, re-enter!"
Two minutes later, he pulled up his pants and said indifferently, "Come in, what happened? Speak slowly."
The guard opened the door, his voice as slow as possible: "Lord, a tree at least five hundred meters, no, a thousand meters tall, has appeared to the north!"
Baron Rivendare laughed: "Did an Ogre eat your brain? How can there be a thousand-meter-tall tree in the world? A hundred meters is rare!"
The guard became anxious: "It's true, how dare I lie to you? It's really a thousand meters, maybe two thousand meters, three thousand meters—"
"You're getting more and more exaggerated. Why don't you say ten thousand meters? Alright, where is it? I'll go take a look!"
Baron Rivendare walked out of the room leisurely, wondering, "Have I been working so hard for so long that the sky has darkened? —My Light, how is this possible!"
He looked up and saw the gigantic crown, like a canopy, covering all of Stratholme. He ran off, shouting, "Quick, have Master Mal'Ganis teleport to Lordaeron to report to His Majesty the King—no, I'll go myself!"
The moment Ysera connected World Tree Shandrasil to the Emerald Dream.
Far in the depths of the Emerald Dream, in the Rift of Aln, the "Nightmare King" Xavius, his massive dark-red body suddenly stood up, a look of shock appearing on his face, which had endured ten thousand years of torment, then turning into intense ecstasy.
"A World Tree! Someone has planted a new World Tree!"
"Ten thousand years! The opportunity I've been waiting for has finally arrived!"
Without hesitation, he immediately stretched out his giant claw, tearing through layers of dreams, forcibly opening a passage to the corresponding dream realm of Shandrasil.
Dense, vast dream power surged, transforming into hundreds of terrifying dream beasts, roaring as they pounced towards the newborn dream tree.
However, just as they approached, Shandrasil emitted red, green, and golden light, destroying the dream beasts.
"The protective power granted by the Titans!"
"It's Alexstrasza, Ysera, and Nozdormu again! It's them again!"
Xavius gnashed his teeth, his voice filled with venom.
He was the strongest mage in the ancient Night Elf Empire, second only to Queen Azshara; he was the Satyr King personally created by Dark Titan Sargeras; he was the Nightmare King personally corrupted by Ancient Gods N'Zoth; he was one of the most terrifying beings in this world.
However, even at his peak, he was no match for any of the Dragonflights.
Moreover, he had already died once, his body sealed in a large tree by Malfurion, and his strength was no longer what it once was.
The blessings of the three Dragonflights blocked the Emerald Nightmare, making it impossible for him to corrupt it remotely!
"My power is still not enough; I cannot truly break free yet."
"I need a World Tree without the Dragonflights' blessing!"
There were only a few World Trees in Azeroth.
Nordrassil and this newborn one had the Dragonflights' blessing and could not be corrupted.
Vordrassil had long been cut down, and that place was the battlefield where Ursol, Ursoc, and Ancient Gods Yogg-Saron clashed, making it difficult to interfere. Shala'drassil had a large number of satyrs imprisoned beneath its roots, and was heavily guarded by the Green Dragon and druids, so it could only be corrupted slowly, not hastily.
To achieve results quickly, the best way was to plant a World Tree that was not blessed by the Dragonflights and was connected to the Emerald Dream.
And those capable of this, besides the Green Dragonflights, were the Cenarion Circle!
"Cenarius and Malfurion are too strong and difficult to corrupt. The best choice is Fandral Staghelm."
"Father, plant a new World Tree, and you can bridge the gap between life and death, resurrecting me—"
For a thousand years, he continued to manipulate the power of the nightmare, transforming into "Valstann Staghelm," who had died in the War of the Shifting Sands, appearing clearly in Archdruid Fandral Staghelm's dream with endless sorrow and longing.
Far away in Kalimdor, in a secluded forest dwelling.
Fandral Staghelm suddenly awoke from a nightmare, cold sweat soaking his temples.
"Valstann, my child. —"
He clenched his fists, the confusion, pain, and struggle in his eyes gradually replaced by a near-obsessive determination.
He could not discern whether the recurring call in his dream was the true voice of his son from the realm of the dead, an illusion born from a thousand years of grief over his lost child, or a seduction from a powerful entity of the Void, Shadow, or Chaos factions.
But none of that mattered anymore.
As a father, he truly wanted to resurrect his son; this had become his obsession, far exceeding his responsibilities as an Archdruid and a member of the Cenarion Circle, to protect Azeroth and the Emerald Dream.
As long as he could resurrect his son, he was willing to give everything, even his life, even the entire world!
Fandral Staghelm was not the only one to awaken from a dream; Malfurion Stormrage also did.
For ten thousand years, he had been in a deep slumber within the Emerald Dream, using its energies to repair the world devastated by the Burning Legion and the Great Sundering of the Well of Eternity, sacrificing time with his beloved and the chance to have offspring.
Only when a world-altering event occurred in Azeroth or the Emerald Dream would he awaken from his dream.
Such as the Satyr War led by Xavius ninety-three hundred years ago,
Such as the Worgen Curse that spread during that war.
Such as forty-five hundred years ago, when Fandral Staghelm, without the permission of the Dragonflights and the Cenarion Circle, cut branches from Nordrassil and planted six giant trees, whose roots reached deep into the underground prisons of the Ancient Gods.
Such as the War of the Shifting Sands a thousand years ago.
And now, he once again awoke from his slumber, because he sensed a new World Tree being born, and he also sensed three familiar yet powerful forces.
He quickly went through the dream portal to Moonglade, where he met his teacher, the son of the white stag Malorne and the Moon Goddess Elune, the adopted son of Green Dragon Queen Ysera, "King of the Forest" Cenarius. "It's the power of Mother Ysera, Alexstrasza, and Nozdormu; they are blessing the newborn World Tree," Cenarius said.
Malfurion frowned deeply: "Why? Why are they planting a new World Tree? Has another world-threatening catastrophe occurred?"
Minor incidents like the Orc invasion were considered mortal wars, insignificant.
No matter how many people died, it would not pose a threat to the world itself, and would not be enough to awaken him.
Cenarius shook his head: "Let's go and see."
The energy of the Emerald Dream and the blessings of the Dragonflights radiated thousands of kilometers away as the World Tree's leaves rustled.
Silvermoon City, Sunstrider Royal Court.
King Anasterian was holding a royal council to discuss the deployment of the southern expedition and diplomatic matters with the human and dwarven kingdoms.
Suddenly, a wave of energy swept through like a shockwave.
A part of it surged into them, making them feel physically robust and mentally invigorated, their aging bodies like withered trees coming back to life, radiating new vitality.
Anasterian felt as if he had become a hundred years younger.
"This is—the power of life, the power of time, and the power of nature and dreams!"
He suddenly stood up, the contents recorded in his textbooks during his schooling flashing through his mind, and he exclaimed in surprise: "This is the power of the Red Dragon, Green Dragon, and Bronze Dragon!"
"This power is nourishing our bodies!"
"I feel time flowing backward in my body; I'm becoming younger!"
"I'm becoming stronger!"
The council members, with an average age of over three thousand years, all exclaimed.
Chief Archmage Belo'vir's eyes shimmered with the light of the Sunwell; he quickly cast a spell, using the network of mage towers and runestones throughout Quel'Thalas to determine the energy source: "Thalassian, this energy comes from west of Thalassian!"
Anasterian said in a deep voice: "The three Dragonflights have come to Quel'Thalas; something big must be happening. Let's go and see!"
Deep in the Zul'Aman mountains.
"Whoosh!"
Lirath Windrunner led an elite squad, tracking the largest remaining force of the Amani Tribe after their defeat, and finally found their lair today.
Suddenly, her pointed ears twitched, and she cried, "Found them!"
At the same time, she drew her bow and fired an arrow, which pierced the chest of a Troll Headhunter, pinning him to an ancient tree.
The arrow whistled through the air, making a short sound, like a charging horn.
Thousands of Trolls emerged from caves in all directions and from the mountain forests, surrounding them.
A very old Troll Witch Doctor walked out of a cave in the nearby mountain wall, his voice hoarse, and he grinned, "Lirath, you've fallen into our trap! Kill her to avenge our Warlord and Warlock Lord!"
"No, you're the ones who've fallen into our trap!" Lirath smiled broadly.
As soon as she finished speaking, hundreds of Dragonhawk Riders swooped down from the clouds, and thousands more High Elf Rangers charged in from a distance.
A great battle erupted!
The High Elves, with their absolute advantage in numbers, equipment, and troop composition, quickly annihilated this group of Trolls.
Vereesa frowned deeply.
Just as the battle began, a strange, complex energy swept through the area.
The situation was urgent at the time, and she didn't have time to sense it, but now she realized that the energy seemed to have strengthened their bodies?
"General, our army has twenty-seven wounded and three dead. Those three dead ones are a bit—peculiar," the adjutant reported.
"So few? Peculiar? It seems to be related to that energy just now. Take me to see!"
She quickly walked over and saw three bodies laid flat on the ground. Above each body floated a ball of blue-green light, and within the light were three ethereal figures—were those their souls?
"General, two forces are pulling at us. One is full of the aura of death, leading to another world, and the other is full of the aura of nature, leading west!" one of the souls said.
Lirath pondered, "The world of death, could it be the legendary Shadowlands? The aura of nature, to the west, could it be the source of that energy just now?"
She took a deep breath: "A few of you, come with me to escort them west. The rest of you, continue!"
A moment later, Malygos's blessing brought powerful arcane energy, which, along with other energies, radiated to even more distant areas.
Eastern Silverpine Forest.
Alleria gathered all her soldiers, preparing to march south with the human allied forces, but she saw many of them were exhausted and mentally drained, some even with expressions of pain on their faces. She asked, "Is it mana addiction acting up?"
"Yes, General, we have been away from Quel'Thalas for three months already!"
"From the Well of Eternity to the Sunwell, our High Elf bodies have always been transformed by arcane energy, and we can no longer live without it. Arcane energy is as important to us as air and water!"
"This place is too far from Quel'Danas Island; the Sunwell's energy doesn't radiate this far!"
"Although there is a faint radiation of arcane energy from Dalaran, it's far inferior to the Sunwell; it's not enough!"
The soldiers complained one after another.
Alleria rubbed her temples, feeling a headache.
Besides the shockingly low birth rate, the powerful Kingdom of Lordaeron, and the Amani Trolls, another reason restricting Quel'Thalas's development and growth was mana addiction.
Only in the Sunwell's radiation zone was the arcane energy sufficient to counteract mana addiction.
High Elves could not leave the Sunwell's radiation zone for too long, otherwise, mana addiction would inevitably act up, not only drastically reducing their physical and mental strength but also causing extreme pain, which few could endure.
In the great war 2800 years ago, the High Elves clearly won a great victory, yet they could not expand everywhere like humans, whose territory increased tenfold, precisely for this reason.
The reason she hadn't suffered from mana addiction was because of Thas'dorah.
This artifact flowed with the Sunwell's energy, and no matter how much energy she consumed, it would be replenished immediately.
"His Highness's various schemes over the past few months, anyone with eyes can see are aimed at expanding south."
"But if the problem of mana addiction isn't solved, how can we expand?"
"His Highness is being a bit naive."
Alleria shook her head and said, "Teleporters, open the portal. Everyone will take turns going to Sunwell Plateau to absorb mana. Inform Marshal Lothar, should we depart three days later?"
Before she finished speaking, she felt an energy sweep through her body, and her fatigue vanished. She heard the soldiers' joyful shouts.
"Arcane energy, such dense arcane energy!"
"I feel like I've returned to Quel'Thalas!"
"Don't you feel your physical condition has also improved a little bit?"
"Our resistance to mana addiction seems to have increased?"
Alleria's spirits lifted, and she said, "No need to go back. Depart according to the original plan!"
Kael'thas's image appeared in her mind.
Although there was no logical reason, she just felt that this matter was related to the Prince!
Dozens of kilometers away, Lordaeron Royal Palace.
"Antonidas, you really shouldn't have agreed to the High Elves withdrawing the Runestones!"
"Lordaeron still has tens of thousands of Orcs. Without magical barrier protection, what if they organize an attack?"
"Kael'thas doing this shows a complete disregard for Lordaeron's safety and a complete disrespect for me, the leader of the Alliance!"
King Terenas complained incessantly.
This was a private meeting, with only him and Antonidas present.
Many such private meetings had occurred in the past two months, though the other party wasn't always Antonidas, but also leaders of other kingdoms or heads of major powers and organizations.
Antonidas was helpless and speechless.
The Runestones originally belonged to the High Elves and had nothing to do with him; how could he control them?
Moreover, Lordaeron City's defenses were strong, and there were still tens of thousands of defenders. The scattered tens of thousands of Horde members found it difficult even to contact each other; how could they organize and attack Lordaeron?
Terenas, aren't you just looking for an excuse to keep the Runestones in Lordaeron and exploit the High Elves?
Give up that idea soon; Kael'thas is not to be trifled with!
Seeing Antonidas remain silent, Terenas moved on to the next topic: "Antonidas, my old friend, we are all humans, and our Seven Kingdoms are one!"
"Only by uniting can we confine the High Elves to Quel'Thalas, prevent them from expanding south, and preserve human territory!"
"The ownership of Alterac Kingdom's territory is an internal matter for us humans; the High Elves have no right to interfere!"
Antonidas forced a smile and said, "High Elves are few in number and suffer from mana addiction; they cannot expand south—huh?"
He felt a strong surge of arcane energy from the northeast!
"Baron Rivendare requests an audience!" a guard reported from outside the palace gates.
Antonidas quickly excused himself: "Terenas, since you have state affairs to handle, I will return first."
He wanted to go there immediately to see what had happened.
"It should be to report on oil transport or troop deployment, right? This isn't Lordaeron's business, it's the Alliance's business. Let's listen together."
Terenas smiled and said, "Let him in!"
Baron Rivendare scurried in, his face panicked: "Your Majesty, north of Stratholme, within Quel'Thalas's territory, a several-thousand-meter-tall tree has appeared! I suspect it's related to the High Elves!"
Below the World Tree, Shandris.
Kael'thas looked at the four Dragon Aspects and sincerely thanked them: "Your Majesty Alexstrasza, Your Majesty Malygos, Your Majesty Ysera, Your Majesty Nozdormu, on behalf of Quel'Thalas and all High Elves, I thank you for your help!"
He straightened up and solemnly promised: "The Red Dragonflight, Blue Dragonflight, Green Dragon, and Bronze Dragonflight will always be friends of the High Elves. No matter what requests the four Majesties have, no matter what dangers the Dragon Race encounters, the High Elves will assist with all their might!"
Ysera smiled gently: "I'll remember that. I imagine I'll come looking for you before long, so don't try to shirk your responsibilities then."
Kael'thas knew what Ysera was worried about and said: "Your Majesty, rest assured, my promise is always valid. Whether in reality or the dream, whether the enemy comes from the Twisting Nether or the depths of the dream, the High Elves will fight alongside the Green Dragon."
Nozdormu's eyes flickered, the power of time flowing within them: "That day will come, Kael'thas. I see your entanglement with the timeline; your silhouette appears in both the past and the future."
Kael'thas frowned.
Past? Future?
The War of the Ancients or the opening of the Dark Portal?
The Battle of Mount Hyjal or the End Time?
As the guardian of time, Nozdormu must know many secrets, even having seen his own "past" and "future."
He wanted to ask, but knew Nozdormu would certainly say nothing.
Time's invitation would not be late; what was meant to come would always arrive.
Malygos's somewhat tired face broke into a smile, and he nodded slightly; he had not misjudged him.
"You cannot help with my problem, and you certainly cannot help with the Blue Dragonflight's crisis."
He urged: "The High Elves are the most frequent users of magic in this world besides the Blue Dragon. I hope you can use magic cautiously, to protect rather than destroy this world. That would be the greatest help to us."
Kael'thas's expression was serious: "Rest assured, the High Elves have always been dedicated to protecting this world; the Tirisgarde Council and Dalaran are ironclad proof! As for you and the Blue Dragonflight—"
He cast a spell to transmit his voice: "I know what you care about most is the reproduction of the Blue Dragonflight. There are indeed no Blue Dragon capable of breeding for you, but there are other Dragon Race, such as—"
He glanced at Alexstrasza.
"Kael'thas, you're doing this on purpose, aren't you? You know your whispered message is meaningless in front of us."
Alexstrasza glared at Kael'thas, then looked at Malygos: "Krasus told me that when he asked for your help, he mentioned this matter?"
Malygos nodded.
What moved him was not just Kael'thas destroying the demon soul and potentially helping him regain his lost power, but also the hope of reproduction.
The Dragon Race's moral concepts differ from mortals. If she could help the Blue Dragon solve their reproduction problem, Alexstrasza would not refuse—she had many consorts and wouldn't mind one more.
And it didn't necessarily have to be through mating.
Alexstrasza is the guardian of life; she might have the ability to solve the problem in other ways.
For example, by strengthening the vitality of a certain female Blue Dragon, making her strong enough to withstand his savage impact and life essence.
"We'll discuss this later."
Alexstrasza looked at Kael'thas: "Now then, you can make your last request."
Kael'thas smiled: "I still need to think about it. Vereesa, Lana'thel, Liadrin, you go first."
"Speed, I want speed!"
Vereesa had clearly thought it through. She raised titanstrike and said: "The power of this artifact is sufficient, but its firing rate is not enough, and the bullet's flight speed is not enough. I want it to be faster!"
Speed is power, speed is attack power, speed is everything.
As long as the speed is fast enough, even the strongest enemy cannot dodge and can only take hits passively.
As long as the firing rate is fast enough, even the weakest attack can accumulate into terrifying burst damage, not to mention titanstrike's power is already formidable!
Originally, she was still deliberating whether to enhance her survival capability, as staying alive was essential for dealing damage.
But Kurdran's choice reminded her:
It's better to specialize in one area than to be mediocre in all!
The Prince's words also reminded her:
She has many companions; a whole family, nation, and race behind her. She never needs to fight alone.
She only needs to focus on offense; her companions will protect her safety!
"Speed? A good choice. As you wish."
Nozdormu's voice rang out.
The Timeless Sands burst into brilliant golden light, falling onto titanstrike, leaving a deep golden hue that formed the contours and rifling of key parts.
"Try it!"
Vereesa aimed at a boulder a hundred meters away and continuously pulled the trigger, her fingers a blur.
Golden light instantly tinged her fingers, and the Bronze Dragon's power accelerated the flow of time for her fingers, as well as the speed at which the Thunderfire bullets formed and flew.
Within one second, she fired five shots!
The five Thunderfire bullets seemed to teleport, hitting the boulder a hundred meters away almost simultaneously with her pulling the trigger.
Golden light, along with the impact of the Thunderfire bullets, permeated the boulder.
The terrifying power shattered the boulder into hundreds of tiny fragments, scattering in all directions.
Strangely, the trajectory of these flying fragments was visible to the naked eye, and their speed was much slower than imagined!
"The power of time flows within titanstrike, accelerating your firing rate and bullet flight speed."
"Any target hit by a bullet will experience a slowdown in the time flow of its surrounding space. The slowdown ratio depends on the target's energy level, up to ten times," Nozdormu said.
"That strong?" Kurdran exclaimed, instantly feeling his doomhammer was no longer as impressive.
He deeply suspected whether he could defeat Vereesa now.
He was confident he could smash Vereesa's arm with one swing.
But before that, Vereesa's bullets would likely blow his head open!
Kael'thas smiled: "Vereesa, you are probably the fastest marksman in all of Azeroth. I think you deserve a resounding title: Time Ranger."
"Time Ranger? That sounds wonderful, thank you, Prince!"
"And of course, thank you, great Time-Keeper!" Vereesa curtsied happily.
"Your turn, Lana'thel." Kael'thas reminded her.
Like Vereesa, Lana'thel knew exactly what she needed.
She held up the earth guardian's scale and the shattered scales respectfully: "Life-Binder, esteemed Your Majesty Alexstrasza, I request that you imbue these two artifacts with the power to absorb life, so that I may always maintain the most abundant vitality, becoming Quel'Thalas's most solid kingdom bulwark, fighting tirelessly for the High Elves!"
"Protection? As you wish."
Alexstrasza infused her Flame of Life into the artifacts, turning them into one-way conduits for transmitting life.
Any flesh and blood life attacking the earth guardian's scale, or hit by the shattered scales, would have a portion of its life force taken away.
And this life force would all be transferred to Lana'thel!
"Taking others' lives to replenish one's own."
Kael'thas's gaze was a bit strange: "Lana'thel, from now on, you are the Blood Countess."
"I am your Life Guard, Your Highness," Lana'thel whispered.
"And what about you, Liadrin?" Kael'thas looked at the now gradually maturing leader of the Knights of the Sun.