Maestra

Kalei thought it over, but couldn't come up with anything. He had no choice but to set aside his worries and keep going.

Four or five hours later, they arrived safely at Maestra.

In the game, Maestra was just a small outpost. In the real Azeroth, however, it was an important military town west of Ashenvale.

The town was home not only to an elite Sentinel Corps stationed there year-round, experienced Druids, and devout priestesses of the Moon Goddess, but also nearly fifty thousand civilians, forming a thriving community.

Kalei and the others followed the winding mountain road toward town. Along the way, they often passed fully armed Sentinel patrols riding all kinds of mounts.

Unlike the game lore Kalei remembered, the real Night Elf Sentinel Corps wasn't made up entirely of women; plenty of agile male warriors served among them. Women were also common among the Druids. Only the priesthood of the Moon Goddess matched the rumors: the vast majority were women, and male priests were exceedingly rare.

Most Sentinels chose nimble, agile Sabers as their mounts, while the more powerful ones were qualified to ride Stags.

These Stags stood over two meters tall and measured more than five meters from nose to tail. They weighed more than a rhino and were two or three times the size of a Saber.

Kalei had never seen a Stag in the game, so he didn't know its origins very well.

Still, he had heard from some gossipy Night Elves that these deer had a close connection to Malorne, the mightiest of the Wild Demigods. (Wild Demigods were divine beings born on the Continent of Azeroth for various reasons, beings who surpassed even legendary champions. They included not only the Wild Demigods but also the five Dragon Aspects, the nine Titan Keepers, the four celestials who guarded Pandaria, and some of the powerful Loa worshipped by certain Troll tribes.)

Some Night Elves claimed the Stags were related to Malorne by blood. Others insisted they had merely received the Moon Goddess Elune's blessing, sharing in the power of moonlight alongside Malorne, the mightiest of the wild demigods.

Whatever the truth, Stags were magical creatures of extraordinary origin, living on Mount Hyjal, the highest peak on the Continent of Azeroth. They were highly intelligent, possessed tremendous physical strength, and could wield moonlight magic.

Many Night Elf hunters longed to forge a bond with one of these powerful creatures and make it a companion on their path of growth and in battle.

But Stags didn't agree to such requests lightly. They put the Night Elves to the test, and only those who met their standards in both strength and character had a chance of forming a bond with them.

Before long, the four reached the town entrance. After a routine inspection by the Sentinels, they headed for the mount rental station.

The station offered both mount rentals and boarding.

On the enormous wooden platform, mounts sat, stood, or lay about. Most were Sabers and Hippogryphs, but there were also a few Stags and Frostsabers—and even a rare Moonshadow Owl.

An owl was a kind of bird.

On Azeroth, owls were not only magical creatures who lived alongside the Night Elves, much like Sabers; they were also symbols of the Moon Goddess Elune.

Owls came in all sizes. The small ones could be trained as scout sentries, while the larger ones could be raised as pets or messengers. One especially large and mysterious kind could even be trained as a powerful mount. These owls were called Moonshadow Owls.

Kalei didn't know where Moonshadow Owls came from, either. He only knew they roosted in the World Trees found in various regions of the Continent of Azeroth, and ordinary people rarely had any dealings with them.

Adult Moonshadow Owls fully embodied the nature of birds of prey. They were larger than Hippogryphs, more agile, and skilled in a number of moonlight spells. They flew in silence and had excellent night vision, making them fearsome silent hunters on the battlefield.

Unfortunately, these owls were few in number and difficult to tame. Otherwise, the Night Elves could have formed a powerful, elusive aerial force with them—one that even dragons would have feared.

Several Night Elves were in charge of looking after the mounts. When one of the women saw the four approaching, she hurried over and greeted them. "Good evening, everyone. I'm Alona Lightfeather, the manager here. Would you like to rent mounts?"

Kalei's mother, Velina, explained what they needed.

Alona Lightfeather smiled. "Certainly. You can leave your Sabers here, and we'll arrange for Hippogryphs to take you to your destination. For four people, a round trip will cost just eight Moon Coins."

Don't be surprised: Night Elf society used currency, too. Their money wasn't gold or silver, or paper bills, but a kind of Moon Coin passed down from ancient times.

It was said that the coins were made from a special blue tree that grew beside Moonwells. Their craftsmanship was exquisite, and they were so light and thin to the touch. Each held a small amount of magic, making it valuable in its own right.

They knew the going rates at the rental station well, so they paid without haggling.

A Night Elf nearby came to collect the payment, then led their Sabers away.

The four Sabers clearly understood what their owners were doing. They obediently followed their instructions and went with the attendant.

Alona Lightfeather then led the four of them to four Hippogryphs.

Hippogryphs might have seemed fragile in the Warcraft game, but in reality they were majestic and imposing.

An adult Hippogryph was almost twice the size of a Saber, with a wingspan of up to eight meters. And since they were magical creatures, they might even be a match for the dwarves' aerial champions, their Gryphons, in a fight.

Kalei and the others had ridden Hippogryphs plenty of times before. Without waiting for anyone to tell them what to do, each picked one and climbed aboard.

These Hippogryphs had all been specially trained. They were docile around strangers and showed no signs of aggression.

Alona Lightfeather waited until all four were settled, then casually waved a hand.

At her signal, the Hippogryphs raised their heads and let out piercing cries. Then they spread their wings, sprang into the air, and shot skyward in the blink of an eye.

As they flew, the Hippogryphs automatically used magic to counter the wind. This let them travel quickly and smoothly, so that the passengers barely felt a bump. It was a rare and wonderful flying experience.

They had ridden Hippogryphs many times, but each flight still set their hearts racing. They gazed at the forest nightscape streaming beneath them and couldn't help shouting with excitement.

Kalei wasn't any less thrilled than the others. In the game, he had once been a Highlord who could command the winds and rain; he had ridden phoenixes and astral dragons. But that had all been unreal. How could it compare to the feeling of truly soaring through the sky? He joined his companions in savoring the exhilaration of free flight.

The trip from Maestra to Astranaar took several days on foot, but only an hour or two by Hippogryph.

Astranaar, the capital of Ashenvale, was a true city, with a population of at least two hundred thousand Night Elves.

It was already the middle of the night, yet the city was still lively.

From the air, Kalei could see the city lights illuminating the whole sky. Every so often, strains of music drifted up from below.

The four Hippogryphs knew they had reached their destination. They gave a clever cry to warn their passengers to brace themselves, then folded their wings and descended toward the ground.

Soon, the great beasts carried the four of them down smoothly onto a special landing platform on the outskirts of the city. The platform attendants were already waiting to take the Hippogryphs in.

Kalei and the others patted the Hippogryphs on their backs and thanked them. Somewhat reluctantly, they left the great beasts behind.

As they walked, Lox looked back at the Hippogryphs. "Every time I see these great beasts, I can hardly believe my eyes! I'm so jealous they can fly freely through the sky. I wish we could spread our wings and fly without mounts someday."

Kalei laughed. "That's easy. Just train hard, become an Archdruid, and learn shapeshifting. Then you can fly however you like."

Lox rubbed his chin. "An Archdruid, huh? That is one of my dreams. But I'm not ready to make it come true yet. Right now, all I want is to become a master fisherman."

Kalei could only roll his eyes. He wanted to warn the "master fisherman" about the grim days ahead, but in the end, he held back. For now, he didn't want to make trouble for himself.