Love and Family

The next day, Tirion Fordring and Daelin, accompanied by their wives and children, bid farewell to the Barov family, bringing this trip to Caer Darrow to an end.

Taelan Fordring finally saw the painting he had been looking forward to for so long.

A family of four stood by the shores of Caer Darrow Lake: a tall, sturdy husband, a virtuous wife, a handsome boy, and a beautiful girl. They leaned against one another, their faces wreathed in happy smiles, a portrait brimming with domestic warmth.

Unlike the original, Rivelle had written "In Dreams" in calligraphy at the bottom right corner of the painting and inscribed her own name upon the stone pillar of the Caer Darrow bridge.

The painting was exquisite, the figures rendered with vivid, lifelike detail. The sense of mutual trust between the family members was captured to perfection. The great artist was extremely satisfied with this work.

"Ding! You have obtained the oil painting In Dreams!"

You have altered your own destiny and that of Jaina, gaining 20 World Power.

Congratulations on completing the legendary quest:

Jaina's Redemption (Phase II)

You have gained 2 skill points; you now have 7 skill points remaining.

When they returned last night, Jaina had looked like a scolded kitten, having been interrogated by Lady Katherine all evening. But it had to be said, Jaina was truly stubborn. She insisted that it was her persistence in going hunting that led the three of them to be captured by the Gnoll Warlord and subsequently attacked by Syndicate Rogues. Then, she had played the cute card with her mother, and quite blatantly shown her parents the Crescent Staff that Taelan Fordring had given her! This staff was a rare treasure in the Eastern Kingdoms. She hadn't mentioned a word about the important notebook or the ledger!

Taelan Fordring had craftily swapped out his damaged armor. On the way back, he had pushed his mana reserves to the limit to activate his Prayer Aura, healing everyone's wounds. Thus, a pyrrhic victory was transformed into a resounding triumph, allowing him to escape the nagging of his mother, Karandra.

Once the carriage cleared Caer Darrow, Jaina slipped into Taelan Fordring's carriage, and the two finally found the time to seriously examine the parchment book co-authored by Thalassian, Feathermoon, and Gogri.

The book was crafted from an unknown beast hide, its four corners inlaid with a metal that was both incredibly light and bright, much like Taelan's Dragon Codex.

It was not as thick as the Dragon Codex, nor did it have a shoulder strap or a metal casing; its cover was filthy, stained with mud and even traces of blood.

Taelan Fordring sensed a reaction of natural energy from the pages. This was a book imbued with nature magic. It was precisely because of this magical protection that it had survived to this day, though it would likely reach the end of its lifespan within a few years.

It was not like the Dragon Codex, whose casing was forged from Mithril—a metal stronger than steel yet light as a feather, and a conductor of magic to boot. The weight of that book came entirely from its vast number of pages. Its spine was inlaid with a magic circle, at the center of which sat a pure Azeroth Diamond. Around the perimeter of the circle were six slots, the topmost already holding a Greater Arcane Crystal. These gems represented the six primal forces of the world; by inserting the corresponding gems, the Dragon Codex could provide attribute bonuses to the user. The circle itself required the user to charge it, and it could be powered by Arcane, Holy Light, or natural energy alike.

The owner had to input energy to maintain the circle's operation for the book to remain perfectly preserved. The circle would record the mana fluctuations of the owner, and only the owner could open the casing to read the contents within.

This diary of a novice Druid clearly lacked such functions; it served only to protect the pages. The caster of this book must have been a master; even after ten thousand years, it was still protecting the tome.

Taelan Fordring turned the pages, the parchment filled with neat Thalassian script. Skipping the explanations of the Druidic path and the spell models for nature magic at the front, the latter half contained magic from the ancient High Elves.

Although some spells had since been superseded by better alternatives, the Frostfire Bolt and the Blizzard capable of altering weather patterns were absent from the current arcane system. Magic in that era required the use of spell components!

Taelan Fordring suggested that Jaina find parchment to transcribe the sections regarding magic. Once she mastered modern magic, these records would serve as the best research material. The precious Druid spells were a pity, however; neither of them could utilize natural energy.

The very end of the book contained Gogri's diary. Written in an ancient Thalassian that required guesswork to decipher, it recorded the daily musings of this high-ranking Warlord.

For instance, this entry, written three months ago:

The White Lady has risen into the sky; today is a good day! Broken Tooth caught a human wearing tin plating! Does he not know that this sort of thing is the favorite of the Wardens? He shouted some strange syllables, something about how his master would not let us off!

Broken Tooth is Snamain's most capable subordinate! There are a whole dozen Wardens alone! Sooner or later, I will have one too!

Another passage was even more interesting:

Another new moon! It is as beautiful as the moon on my staff! I also caught a fellow wearing tin plating. He refused to let go of his backpack even until his death! Inside, there was only a waffle and a letter that wouldn't open, which the humans call a missive. It is a pity it was not written in the noble language of the moon; I would never read a letter from such a low-born race.

What bad luck today! The elite guards of Caer Darrow went north, and I ate a Fireball. It only scorched my backside, though!

In truth, this Gnoll named Gogri was quite formidable! Although Taelan Fordring's level was low, he was a hero unit capable of using several powerful magical items. The Blessing of the World Tree provided him with increased health and precision, the Power of Nephalem granted him powerful skills from the Diablo series and true damage, and the Violet Pendant provided him with mana; an elite guard was no match for him!

As the two were reading Gogri's humorous daily entries, Lady Katherine suddenly knocked on the carriage door and stepped inside.

She looked at the two children with a grave expression; she was a very well-bred mother. She did not take the diary they were reading, but instead said to Taelan Fordring, "Taelan, I feel that you two are hiding some secret from us. Some things are not as simple as they seem. The current King of Lordaeron is old, yet the new heir has not come of age. Everything is an unknown. For the sake of territory, power, and strength, anything can happen! I want to hear you explain exactly what happened yesterday! Since returning, not only has Jaina been preoccupied, but that young lady from the Barov family has also been very unnatural!"

Taelan Fordring knew that among the adults, the Grand Admiral and Tirion Fordring were masters of warfare and possessed immense strength. Yet, in the political landscape of World of Warcraft, they both lacked the ruthlessness and keen insight of true politicians, relying entirely on the prestige built through personal valor and their own peerless strength on the battlefield.

As for his mother, Karandra, she lacked political awareness entirely. She was a virtuous wife and mother, having nothing to do with power or authority. Only Katherine was not only exceptionally clever but had long navigated the intricate relationships of Kul Tiras.

He knew that although his combined age across two lives was not insignificant, he still did not fully grasp the mindset of the people of Azeroth. Therefore, he decided to tell Katherine about what happened yesterday and seek her advice.

Posted first, edited later! It's a bit cold. My hands are freezing! Please vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Thank you!