The poet said:
Of all the things in this world, there are three you must never have:
The moon in the water, the flower in the mirror, and you in a dream!
Of all the things in this world, there are three I love:
The sun, the moon, and you!
The sun is the morning, the moon is the evening,
And you are every morning and every evening!
Whenever you smile,
It becomes spring!
Arthas felt as if he'd been struck by Hammer of Justice. He stood frozen in place. She wasn't breathtakingly beautiful, but everything about her was exactly to his taste! How could anyone be so wonderful? The gloom of the past seemed to scatter on the wind.
Just then, a grizzled old face leaned close to him. "Arthas, hurry inside. Go meet everyone. The ceremony's about to begin."
Arthas awkwardly pulled his gaze away from Jaina's little face and tried to compose himself. After greeting the officers, he sat beside Uther as a trainee Paladin.
When the Archbishop saw that everyone was ready, he immediately announced the start of the ceremony! The earlier proceedings went smoothly, but when it came time for the initiates to be baptized in order, everyone was surprised. Taelan Fordring, who should have been first to receive Baptism and drink the Holy Water, had been placed last.
The first in line was Renault Mograine.
Next came Sally Whitemane, Bridget Abbendis, and Demitia, with Taelan Fordring last.
Tirion Fordring frowned. He glanced at his old superior, Mograine, but Old Mograine's face was expressionless. Tirion knew Mograine well. He looked around and noticed quite a few unfamiliar faces.
Taelan Fordring found the arrangement strange, but didn't think much of it. He was busy familiarizing himself with the magical nodes here, focusing on another world: the world of energy. There were so many supernatural beings here, with all kinds of energy signatures. Whenever he lowered his Holy Light shield, that strange sensation weakened.
At last, the ceremonies for the first four were complete. Renault and Bridget had awakened to the Holy Light without a hitch and become Initiate Paladins, while Whitemane and Demitia had become Priests.
Archbishop Alonsus Faol had Taelan Fordring stand before the Holy Emblem and drink the Holy Water.
He stood before a massive book and solemnly began to speak:
"Under the call of the Holy Light, we gather here to bestow its power upon our brother."
"He will grow in its grace."
"By the power of the Holy Light, he will enlighten the people."
"With the power of the Holy Light, he will overcome the darkness."
"With the wisdom of the Holy Light, he will lead his people to build a new home!"
Taelan Fordring listened quietly to the Archbishop's address. He had prepared a prayer of his own.
The Holy Water had no taste at all. It only seemed to shimmer with tiny points of light. Taelan Fordring sensed a little Holy Light energy within it, and it was very gentle.
It seemed that Baptism used the Holy Light energy in the Holy Water as a bridge to help the person being baptized connect with the Holy Light.
After drinking the Holy Water, Taelan Fordring placed his hand on the copper Holy Emblem bearing the sun symbol. At the Archbishop's instruction, he released his own Holy Light, forming a shield and gradually expanding it! It was the first time he had released his Holy Light without holding anything back! The enormous energy formed a transparent shield that kept growing, until it enveloped the entire chapel!
Everyone below was stunned by the sight! They felt the Holy Light's protection around them, and the cold receded. Normally, after drinking the Holy Water, the initiate placed a hand on the Holy Emblem and used it to call upon their own Holy Light. To dispel the Holy Light was to sever the user's connection to it, just as Uther had done to Tirion in the original story.
Taelan Fordring felt that strange, warm power again. It even began to grow hot! Yet the Holy Light still did not answer him. Was it because he was a transmigrator who didn't belong to this world? Or because his Holy Light didn't come from faith—or, in other words, from a Naaru?
Just then, Alonsus Faol suddenly said in a low voice, "Send your Holy Light into the Holy Emblem!"
Taelan Fordring channeled his Holy Light into the Holy Emblem.
Everyone was astonished that the Holy Light had not answered him. After all, Taelan had already mastered its power. Suddenly, someone in the crowd said, "The Holy Light didn't answer him. That means his faith isn't pure!"
Another person chimed in, "Renault and the others all received an answer from the Holy Light. That means the problem lies with him!"
At that, everyone's gaze shifted between Renault Mograine and Taelan Fordring. Was the boy simply too young, or was his faith too weak for the Holy Light to accept him?
Karandra immediately spoke up to protest. "That's not true! You can't just make things up!"
Someone else in the crowd said, "Then why did Renault and the others receive an answer from the Holy Light, while he didn't?"
Karandra flushed red. Tirion Fordring quickly held her back. In a low voice, he said, "It's not over yet. Wait a little longer!"
Taelan Fordring continued pouring his Holy Light into the Holy Emblem. It seemed like a bottomless pit. To keep the energy flowing, he had to shrink the shield, and those on the outskirts began to feel the chill of Lordaeron's winter again!
Arthas, seated beside Uther, asked, "Is he going to fail?"
"He's still too young! Tirion should have trained him more strictly!" Uther said, then gestured for Arthas to be quiet.
The moment Arthas spoke, everyone's attention turned to him.
Jaina, who had been clenching her little fists and cheering Taelan Fordring on, suddenly said, "That's not true! Even if the Holy Light doesn't answer him, he's already a Paladin!"
Arthas thought Jaina's voice was as lovely as a lark's, but it carried a hint of a sob. Clearly, she wasn't as confident as she sounded!
"I... I didn't mean it like that..."
It was Arthas's first time speaking to Jaina, and he stumbled over his words. But he was always straightforward. "Isn't it obvious? He's still young. He should wait a few more years!"
Jaina snorted! She shot Arthas an angry glare, then turned away and ignored him.
Arthas felt utterly miserable!
Catherine pulled Jaina into her arms, steering her away from Arthas's gaze! Spending too much time with the Prince of Lordaeron, or even getting into a quarrel with him, wasn't a good idea! The Prince seemed like a very direct person!
Just then, a young man behind Arthas leaned in and said, "Your Highness, that's the little Princess of Kul Tiras, Jaina Proudmoore." He knew that Arthas had met Jaina before, but didn't know her well.
He was hinting that Arthas should stop needling her. As the Prince's bodyguard, Falric knew very well that the Princess was on good terms with Tirion's family! They had even gone on vacation to Caer Darrow together recently!
Everyone was talking at once. Onstage, Taelan Fordring had poured all his Holy Light into the Holy Emblem. His shield had vanished, and everyone had gone from the warmth of spring into the depths of winter. Karandra's emotions had also been on a roller coaster, swinging from hope to utter despair.
Jaina, who had been watching Taelan Fordring intently, lowered her head too. But then she suddenly noticed the profile of an angel appear on the back of her hand! She followed the source of the light with her gaze:
A pane of glass high up in the church suddenly lit up.
Penglai wishes everyone a happy Lantern Festival!
Before you continue