In the middle of The Great Sea, deep beneath the surface, lay a city named Nazjatar, crafted in the Highborne style and integrated with the coral formations of the seabed.
This was the main stronghold of the naga, with naga Guards, humanoid from the waist up, serpent-tailed below, constantly patrolling its periphery.
In the mines below, many enslaved aquatic creatures toiled under supervision.
Murlocs, Fish-men, Makrura, and Tortollans, among other intelligent beings, worked laboriously; the whip would crack down if they slowed even slightly.
"Three lashes shatter the lazy soul, but don't hit your own, officer."
In the deepest part, a royal palace, perfectly merged with elven architecture and submarine coral, gradually emerged.
Here, not a single reflective surface could be seen; anything that might cast a reflection had been removed, leaving the space feeling empty and desolate.
The queen disliked mirrors, simply because she did not wish to see her own face.
Once the Light of Lights, her unique charm and peerless beauty alone could captivate countless night elves.
Even Tyrande, the current High Priestess of the Sisterhood of elune, was profoundly shaken by Azshara's beauty upon their first meeting.
Her pure beauty and inherently lofty demeanor compelled reverence.
Alas, after transforming into a naga, her beauty was less than a tenth of its former glory, becoming grotesque and terrifying; perhaps a trace of allure remained, but it was ultimately misplaced.
"You say that lowly, degenerated Vrykul wants to cooperate with me? Hmph!"
A cold voice echoed, speaking the ancient Darnassian language. The seawater in the palace churned, and the surging currents indicated the queen's fury and disdain.
"My mistress, the Bael'dun tribe did convey his intention to cooperate, and…"
Vashj paused, seemingly to capture the queen's attention, before continuing:
"And there are magical image records. That human single-handedly defeated Mannoroth, slaying that ugly beast with the aid of the Twisting Nether."
Yes, a beast.
Even though they had brought the Burning Legion, Azshara's impression of them was always that they were beasts, ugly and crude.
Only that fellow named Archimonde could elicit a sliver of caution from her; the others were insignificant, mere ants.
Azshara fell silent. She might not think much of Mannoroth, but she had to admit he was formidable; even her own handmaiden could not defeat him.
Demons could not be truly slain; they would resurrect even if killed.
The ability to slay a demon indicated that the opponent possessed a secret even she was unaware of.
Watching Arthas' battle in the arcane reflection, there was no elegance whatsoever; he was as crude as a beast.
Soon, the appearance of Fel energy caught her attention.
Fel, arcane, Holy Light, and Death, along with the blessing of an unknown power.
A single human could wield four mutually conflicting primal forces; this was something even she could not achieve.
Azshara could use the power of Shadow, but her primary strength remained arcane; two vastly different powers could not possibly be used without conflict.
Especially the domineering Fel energy, which could suppress Holy Light and sever its connection to the caster.
"Oh? An interesting ant, heh heh."
Faint ripples spread across the water; at this moment, a surge of curiosity arose within the naga queen.
A degenerated species, whose entire history was shorter than a single strand of her hair, could actually produce such a powerful being.
Indeed, it was intriguing.
"Vashj, what do you think?"
It seemed like a question, but she had already made up her mind.
Having served the queen for ten thousand years and firmly maintaining her position as chief handmaiden, reading expressions was merely a basic skill.
She bowed her head even more humbly, gazing at the coral on the floor.
"A lowly creature, not worth mentioning."
"Heh heh, my Vashj, I am pleased that you think so."
"However, even the lowest of creatures has its uses."
"Tell him that if he can go to Kalimdor and slaughter those traitorous commoners, I will reward him with unimaginable benefits."
Azshara lightly tapped, and the water mirror before her shattered.
Cooperation? He was merely an ant!
At least, until she saw a bargaining chip that truly moved her, cooperation would not be established.
"As you command, my mistress."
Vashj was about to retreat when she heard the queen's voice again, immediately stopping and bowing to listen.
"Wait, you will go personally, to help him, and also to supervise him!"
"As you command, my mistress."
Meanwhile, on Mount Hyjal.
A mature night elf, clad in a simple yet elegant Moon Goddess robe, was praying. At first glance, one might think she was frail, but the solid muscles beneath her robe would put any man to shame.
A High Priestess could be a priestess, ride a white tiger as a ranger archer, or wield a scythe and transform into a Moonlit War Goddess!
"High Priestess, the Green dragonflight has sent word that the Burning Legion has invaded again; Archimonde has returned."
Shandris, her adopted daughter, dressed in exquisite light armor, silently walked up behind her.
Tyrande remained in quiet prayer; nothing could interrupt her devotion to elune.
After her prayer concluded, she turned around. Her mature yet refined face was striking, and the glow of the Moon Goddess bathed her, dispelling any impure thoughts of defilement.
Could there truly be such a holy priestess in the world?
"Elune has told me that those demons have returned."
Tyrande's voice held a touch of weariness. After a moment of calm, she began to give orders.
"Recall the Sentinel forces from the southern outpost and establish defenses in Ashenvale."
"Additionally, inform the Wardens that the demons have returned, and we will need their help."
"I will personally awaken the Druids. This war will be brutal, but no matter what, protecting the world is our responsibility."
Blessed by the dragonflights with the World Tree, connecting to the raging arcane energy of the second Well of Eternity, all Kaldorei were granted immortality and immunity to disease. This was their right, and their duty was to protect the world!
"Yes, High Priestess."
Shandris' anxious heart finally settled, returning to calm; it seemed that with the High Priestess' leadership, any difficulty would pass.
The night elf race was powerful. Having forsaken the arcane, which had invited the Burning Legion's invasion, they also mastered the path of nature, which was no less potent than the arcane.
With the Sentinel forces primarily devoted to elune, the Druids who revered nature and could harness savage wild power, and the well-trained Warden forces, plus numerous natural allies...
It could be said that the night elf race was currently the strongest power apart from the dragonflights, without exception; not even the naga could compare.
Watching her adopted daughter leave, Tyrande sighed softly and turned to the Warden's Barrow, to find her compatriot, her sister who had once competed with her for the position of Moon Priestess, Maiev the Warden!
When she arrived at the barrow, she was informed that Maiev had led a small team to the continent of Lordaeron in the Eastern Kingdoms to pursue a powerful demon that had suddenly appeared.
"Indeed, is she going to seek out that mysterious powerful one?"
Her tone carried a hint of certainty, as if she had known him for a long time.