My Spring Has Arrived?

The world wouldn't change for one person, and the Earth wouldn't stop turning for you. Zhakun was destined to become history, and the road ahead was still full of thorns. Azar became an honorable civil servant and began the daily grind of clocking in at work. How did you feel about going to work? Was it as uneventful as drinking plain water? If you ran into a beautiful woman on your way, wouldn't you get excited? And if she entered the same building as you, wouldn't your heart beat a little faster? If you were even luckier and she pressed the same elevator button as you, wouldn't you start imagining things? That was exactly what was happening to Azar now. He was following a woman with an incredible figure, and he'd been doing so for quite some time. To keep her from noticing him, he'd even used Shadowstep. Azar kept telling himself, "That's enough. It's time to go to work." But his body didn't seem to be listening. Before he knew it, he'd walked into the Tribal Council Hall. He'd meant to congratulate himself for having enough sense not to follow her any farther, but when he looked up, he saw the girl had come here too. Stay calm, boy!

"Ah, Azar, you're here too. Perfect. Let me introduce you. This is Azshara, the High Sorcerer's prized student." The Chieftain warmly introduced her to Azar.

But he was already half-dazed. He'd been captivated by her from behind, and now that he saw her face, Azar felt his blood surge and his cheeks flush. A warm trickle seemed to be rushing straight toward his nostrils. Heavens, the gods had finally smiled on him! After years of seeing Troll women, today he'd finally met a real beauty. The Troll before him—no! She'd almost entirely shed the traits of a Troll. She was an Elf! She was Azshara! The future queen of the Elves, Light of Lights, and the spark that would ignite the War of the Ancients. Countless titles flashed through his mind, but at that moment, Azar was simply dazzled. She was truly beautiful, every bit the most stunning of the Night Elves. As the saying went, after three years in the army, even a sow looked like Diao Chan. He watched her long hair fall casually over her shoulders. It was so smooth and lustrous. He wanted to touch it! Her skin was a faint purple, seemingly glowing ever so slightly. So soft! He wanted to pinch it! Her big eyes blinked as if they could speak. Ah, she'd electrocuted him. Her tall figure was simply perfect: a slender waist, golden proportions, long legs, and lovely curves. He wanted to rush over, bundle her up, and carry her home! A pair of crystal earrings dangled from her delicate earlobes, sparkling brightly. They could not only blind him, but also accentuated her otherworldly grace. Dear Power of Order, the time had come to test you. Could you rein in his lust? Could you suppress the male hormones surging through him? Hurry, hurry, hurry! Azar needed you. The Power of Order seemed to hear his call. A cool current instantly coursed through his body, and for a brief moment, his mind cleared.

"I've heard so much about you. It's an honor to meet you, beautiful Miss Azshara." Hey, Azar! Be a gentleman! A gentleman! Don't make that leering face.

"Thank you for the compliment, Warrior of the tribe. You're the one everyone in the tribe knows about. As for me, to be honest, I rarely make an appearance. How did you know who I was?" She answered politely, but her question at the end was a little teasing. Azar caught a fleeting glimpse of mischief in her eyes. So playful? In an instant, his mind started wandering again. Was she flirting with him? He couldn't take it! Nosebleed, get back in there!

"Uh..." He had a leering look on his face and couldn't come up with an answer.

The scene grew awkward. Azar was just about to change the subject when he heard Azshara's bell-like laugh. "First Champion, I was only joking. Don't take it to heart." She gave him a slight bow to show she was sorry.

"Hahaha, it's so much fun being around you young people. I feel young again myself. Ahahaha!" The Chieftain even joined in teasing them.

"It's good for the young ones to spend time together. The future belongs to them," the High Sorcerer said with a smile. "Azshara, haven't you wanted to meet our First Champion for a long time?"

"Teacher, how could you say that?" Azshara's face turned bashful. Having a little secret like that revealed—only the person involved could truly understand how it felt.

So demure? Was this really Azshara? Oh, right! She wasn't the future queen yet; she was just a young girl. Still, why was she here? He held back his questions and waited for the leader to speak. (An essential workplace skill: act a little slow in front of your boss and wait for him to explain. Then understand everything instantly, making yourself seem less intelligent than your boss, but still clever and full of potential.)

"I arranged this meeting so you could get to know each other. You're both among the most gifted young people at sensing Arcane power. I hope you can learn from and exchange ideas with each other, and develop the power of the Arcane as soon as possible, so you can contribute to the tribe's rise. You've surely noticed that she possesses the power to change our tribe's fate. It's up to you to find a way to put that power to use. This is the tribe's top priority, and you must give it your all."

"Yes, Chieftain," Azar replied earnestly.

"I'll do everything I can," Azshara said firmly.

"We've built a research facility beside the Well of Eternity. Azshara will take you to see it in a moment. That'll be where you do most of your work from now on," the High Sorcerer said, his expression turning serious again as he looked at Azar.

"Falco will take over your guard duties. From now on, you and Azshara will study the Well of Eternity together. You'll be in charge, and Azshara will be your assistant."

The leaders had only to move their lips, while their subordinates ran themselves ragged. The Chieftain had finished assigning their tasks, and now it was time for the two young people to work themselves to the bone.

The two bowed and took their leave. They walked out of the Council Hall and headed toward the Well of Eternity. To avoid awkwardness, Azar took the initiative and started a conversation.

"Um... Miss Azshara."

"Just call me Azshara." She turned to him with a smile. "Can I call you Azar?"

"What? Oh, I mean, sure." Azar was making that leering face again.

"Azar, what were you going to ask me just now?" Her voice was so lovely. It was as clear as a lark's song, yet had a woman's distinctive softness.

"I wanted to talk with you. About the Arcane."

"Mm." She paused briefly, as if gathering her thoughts, then continued. "Actually, not long after I first arrived here, I sensed that something was different about this lake. It gave off a kind of energy, and I was drawn to it. It was an energy I'd never encountered before. At first, I thought it was because my body was exhausted from the great migration. Later, I realized that wasn't it. It was always around me, wrapping around me. I told my teacher about the feeling. He said he'd felt something similar, too, and told me not to be afraid, just to report my feelings to him regularly. Later, I noticed that my body was slowly changing as well. Oh, when you first saw me, were you surprised because of this? I've become different from most of our people. It seems that most of the people from our home have changed, too. My teacher secretly gathered us together, mostly sorcerers and children. With the Chieftain's permission, he led us in studying it. We named this new energy the Arcane, meaning the power of order. More members of the tribe have gradually sensed the Power of the Arcane, but most of them are children, and few are adults. As far as I know, you're the first Warrior to sense the Arcane. Aren't you supposed to believe in the Power of Fury, like Zhakun?"

"I don't know. Maybe the Power of Fury in me barely awakened. Maybe my body had only just recovered then. Or maybe it's because I live close to the Well of Eternity?" Azar couldn't exactly tell her he was an outsider who knew everything about her. Luckily, she didn't seem to mind. She gave a light laugh, an apparent response to his lame joke, then continued, "We've made quite a few discoveries in our study of the Arcane. When I saw your final strike that day, I clearly sensed a pulse of Arcane energy. So I suggested to my teacher that he bring you into the research. You don't resent me for that, do you? After all, you'd have better prospects as the Chieftain's head guard."

Looking at her candid expression, Azar replied earnestly, "I don't mind. I should be thanking you. I think the future of our tribe matters more than my own prospects. Don't you agree?"

She gave a light laugh, seemingly agreeing with what I'd said.

"I've had my say. Now it's your turn."

After their earlier conversation, Azar had relaxed as well. He told Azshara everything he knew about the Power of Order, holding nothing back. They spent the rest of the journey chatting back and forth. Sometimes she listened attentively; sometimes she knitted her brows in thought; sometimes she smiled and nodded. Azar deliberately slipped in jokes to make her laugh. She would sometimes smile with her lips pressed together, sometimes throw her head back in laughter, and sometimes pretend to get angry and refuse to walk. When she got worked up, she would chase Azar and pummel him with her little fists.

The two young people enjoyed each other's company on that stretch of the journey. But all good things had to end. Neither of them wanted to, but they had arrived at the facility.