Maestra

Kalei pondered for a moment, but finding no clear path forward, he set aside his worries and continued on his way.

Four or five hours later, the group arrived safely at Maestra.

In the game, Maestra was merely a small outpost, but in the real Azeroth, it was a major military stronghold situated in the west of Ashenvale.

The town not only housed elite sentinel units, experienced druids, and devout Priestesses of the Moon year-round, but also served as a thriving community for nearly fifty thousand civilians.

Kalei and his three companions traveled along the winding mountain path toward the town, encountering squads of fully armed sentinels patrolling on various mounts along the way.

Unlike the game settings in Kalei's memory, the real Night Elf sentinel forces were not composed entirely of women; there were many robust male warriors among them. Similarly, there was no shortage of women among the druids. Only the profession of Priestess of the Moon remained consistent with rumors, being almost exclusively held by women, with male priests being extremely rare.

Most sentinels chose the agile and swift Saber as their mount, while more powerful sentinels were qualified to ride the Stag.

These Stags stood over two meters tall, stretched over five meters in length, and weighed more than a rhinoceros, making them two to three times the size of a Saber.

Kalei had never seen such Stags in the game, so he was not entirely certain of their origin.

However, he had learned from some gossiping Night Elves that these deer were inextricably linked to the strongest Wild God, Malorne. (The so-called Wild Gods refer to divine individuals born on the continent of Azeroth for various reasons who transcend legendary power. Besides Wild Gods, these individuals include the five Dragon Aspects, the nine Titan Keepers, the four August Celestials guarding the continent of Pandaria, and powerful Loa worshipped by some trolls.)

Some Night Elves rumored that these Stags shared blood ties with Malorne, while others claimed they were simply blessed by the goddess Elune, sharing the power of moonlight with the strongest Wild God.

Regardless, these Stags were magical creatures of extraordinary origin that inhabited Mount Hyjal, the highest peak on the continent of Azeroth. They were highly intelligent, possessed immense physical strength, and could wield lunar magic.

Many Night Elf hunters longed to form a pact with these powerful creatures, making them partners in their growth and combat.

But the Stags did not easily agree to such requests; they would put these Night Elves to the test, and only those who met their requirements in both strength and character had a chance to form a pact.

Before long, the four arrived at the town entrance. After passing the sentinels' routine inspection, they headed to the mount rental station.

This facility served both as a place to rent mounts and a stable to board them.

On the massive wooden platform of the rental station, many mounts were sitting, standing, or lying about. Most of these were Sabers and Hippogryphs, with a small number of Stags and Frostsabers, and even a rare Moonshadow Owl.

An owl is, by definition, a bird of prey.

In Azeroth, owls were not only magical creatures that coexisted with Night Elves like the Sabers, but were also symbols of the moon goddess Elune.

Owls came in various sizes; small ones could be trained as scout sentinels, while larger ones could be raised as pets or messengers. One of the largest and most mysterious types of owls could even be trained as a powerful mount, and these were known as Moonshadow Owls.

Kalei was equally ignorant of the origins of the Moonshadow Owls; he only knew that they inhabited the World Trees across various regions of Azeroth, and it was difficult for the average person to have any interaction with them.

Adult Moonshadow Owls fully displayed the nature of owls as birds of prey. They were larger than Hippogryphs, more agile in movement, and proficient in quite a bit of lunar magic. They flew silently and possessed excellent night vision; once they appeared on the battlefield, they were essentially powerful, silent hunters.

It was a pity that these owls were few in number and difficult to tame; otherwise, the Night Elves could have used them to form a powerful, elusive aerial force that even dragons would fear.

Several Night Elves were responsible for tending to the mounts on the platform. One female elf saw the four approaching, walked up quickly, bowed, and said, "Good night, everyone. I am Alona Lightfeather, the manager here. Would you like to rent some mounts?"

Kalei's mother, Velina, explained their purpose.

Alona Lightfeather smiled and said, "Certainly. You can board your Sabers here, and we will arrange for Hippogryphs to take you to your destination. For the four of you, a round trip will only cost eight Moon Coins."

Do not be surprised; Night Elf society also used currency. However, their money was neither gold nor silver, nor paper notes, but a type of Moon Coin passed down from ancient times.

It was said that this currency was crafted from a special blue tree that grew beside Moonwells. The craftsmanship was exquisite, making the coins feel incredibly light and thin, and they contained a small amount of magic, making them inherently valuable.

The group was well aware of the market rates and, without haggling, paid the fee readily.

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

The four Sabers clearly understood what their masters were doing; they obediently followed the attendant's instructions.

Afterward, Alona Lightfeather led the four to four Hippogryphs.

Do not be fooled by the fragile performance of Hippogryphs in the Warcraft game; in reality, they were quite majestic and powerful.

An adult Hippogryph was nearly twice the size of a Saber, with a wingspan reaching eight meters. Since these creatures were also magical, if a real fight broke out, the aerial ace Gryphons raised by the dwarves might not necessarily be their match.

Kalei and the others had ridden Hippogryphs many times before, so without waiting for instructions, each chose one and mounted up.

These Hippogryphs were specially trained and were quite docile even when encountering strangers, showing no signs of aggression.

Alona Lightfeather waited for the four to settle in before giving a casual wave.

The four Hippogryphs received the command, lifted their heads, let out a sharp cry, and then spread their wings, leaping into the air in the blink of an eye.

As they flew, the Hippogryphs automatically used magic to resist wind resistance, allowing them to fly fast and steady. The passengers felt almost no turbulence, making it a truly rare aerial experience.

Although the group had ridden Hippogryphs many times, they were still thrilled each time. As they admired the night view of the forest rushing by beneath them, they couldn't help but let out excited shouts.

Kalei's feelings were not much different from theirs. Although he had been a powerful lord in the game who could summon wind and rain, riding phoenixes and sitting on Star-drakes, those feelings were ultimately artificial. How could they compare to the sensation of truly soaring through the sky? He joined his companions, fully enjoying the thrill of free flight.

Walking from Maestra to Astranaar would take several days, but by Hippogryph, it took only an hour or two.

As the capital of Ashenvale, Astranaar was a true metropolis, home to at least two hundred thousand Night Elves.

It was already the middle of the night, but the city remained vibrant.

From the air, Kalei could see the city's lights illuminating the entire sky, and occasionally, the sound of string and woodwind music drifted up from below.

The four Hippogryphs knew they had reached their destination. They let out a nimble cry to signal their passengers to prepare, then began to fold their wings and descend toward the ground.

Before long, these large creatures landed smoothly on a specialized platform on the outskirts of the city. The platform's attendants were already waiting there to receive the Hippogryphs.

Kalei and his three companions patted their backs, thanked the great beasts, and left them with a sense of lingering attachment.

As Lox walked, he looked back at the Hippogryphs and said, "I find these big guys incredible every time I see them! I really envy their ability to fly freely in the sky. I wish we could fly like that without needing mounts someday."

Kalei laughed at this and said, "That's not hard. As long as you study diligently, become a high-level druid, and learn shapeshifting, you can fly however you want."

Lox rubbed his chin and said, "A high-level druid? That is indeed a dream of mine, but I don't intend to realize it just yet. Right now, I just want to be a master fisherman."

Kalei wanted to roll his eyes at him. He wanted to warn this "master fisherman" about the cruel situation to come, but he ultimately held back; for now, he didn't want to invite any trouble.