Unknown Creatures

"Haka?" Azshara stared with interest at the monster that emerged from behind the door.

"As far as I know, you are the Elf Queen who seeks eternal perfection." Haka approached Azshara; he was so tall that Azshara had to look up at him. "My master will grant you what you desire, but now, I must complete some preparations."

The Elf Queen looked embarrassed. She waved her hand and left her maids and guards, walking towards Haka's hellhounds. She was not worried about the threat of the tentacles at all, and knelt down in front of them with a curious smile.

One of the hellhounds burrowed its fearsome head under her palm, while the others surrounded Azshara, much like the docile Night Saber to the Night Elf.

The queen stroked their rough skin a few times, then told them to go to the side. The two hellbeasts immediately obeyed and sat down by the wall.

"I am Azshara, Queen Azshara of the Night Elf. Here... I warmly welcome you and your master."

"Truly wise words from an enlightened ruler, Your Majesty. It is an honor to meet you. My master sent me here to assist you in preparing for the opening of the portal so that the supreme god may descend." Haka's voice hissed.

Upon hearing the words "God," Azshara instantly became excited. "Fantastic! Don't be shy, make yourself at home. I apologize for not being able to keep you company today. From now on, please report all progress on the portal to me immediately. Sargeras will assist you and provide whatever you need."

Haka nodded in satisfaction and turned back to the vicinity of the portal.

The Queen's gaze remained fixed on the Hound King. Unable to contain her excitement, she said to Sargeras, "This is truly thrilling! This Haka... I've never seen anyone like him before. I must say, I'm extremely satisfied with the surprise you've prepared. And that Supreme God, he's something to look forward to. Do a good job, Sargeras. I don't want anything to go wrong."

"I will personally oversee this, Your Majesty. I will ensure that nothing goes wrong."

Captain Varos of the Royal Guard reported to the Queen as usual. Aside from Sargeras, he was her most favored person—and this was evident in more than one way. His brand-new uniform, adorned with gold ornaments on his chest, were all recent gifts from Azshara. Nominally still just a captain of the guard, he actually wielded more power than many. Before the Queen, Varos appeared docile, but those who knew him knew he was ruthless and treacherous.

As Varos entered the Queen's bedchamber, he removed his cloak. The Queen's servants immediately bowed to him and then withdrew.

"What's wrong, Varos?"

Varos, who was addressed by his name by the Queen, tried hard not to blush. "Your Majesty, I have important news. Our patrol in Suramar City has captured two intruders. They are not Elf, nor Troll, nor even... any race we have ever seen before."

She immediately stood up, her eyes wide open, her full lips parted, and asked, "A new creature?"

"Yes, the light of light. A muscular beast, and another..." Varos frowned, searching for the right words to describe it, but he couldn't find a decent adjective to describe a corpse. "And the other one, you'll have to see for yourself."

"Then I should go and see, and perhaps receive the praise of the people of Suramar City!" Azshara declared loudly as she stood up. At that moment, servants rushed forward to catch her, the long silver fabric trailing on the ground. Two slits were cut at the hem, revealing glimpses of her long, smooth legs as the queen walked. Azshara was alluring, and the captain of the royal guard knew he was just one of her subjects, but he didn't mind.

Suramar, the second largest city of the Night Elf, second only in size to Sintalari.

Tyrande could finally have some time to herself. As a priestess of the Temple of the Moon, she needed to be fully focused. But no one wants to be concentrating on their work every moment; they need rest. The Moon Goddess's benevolence and compassion were the primary reasons Tyrande was willing to serve her.

The priestess, dressed in a long, silver hooded robe, hurried through the temple's magnificent marble hall without uttering a word. Looking up, she could see a mural depicting paradise, exquisitely painted. Tyrande, passing by the faintly visible sculptures of goddesses, had always believed them to be statues of the Moon Goddess Elune before becoming a priestess. However, High Priestess Diganah told her that these statues belonged to former high priestesses, and that the Night Elf had never actually seen Elune.

Outside, the cool night breeze made her feel more comfortable. Tyrande stepped down the smooth steps and joined the crowd, returning to her peaceful and simple life.

Suramar City wasn't as magnificent as Azshara's Palace, but it had its own unique charm. As Tyrande entered the main square, a dazzling array of colors greeted her. Vendors displayed a multitude of goods; high-ranking Elf wore glittering robes studded with diamonds; Elf of slightly lower social standing wore elegant clothes of various colors. Everyone in the market wanted to present their best self.

Compared to these people, Tyrande preferred conservative clothing. Although other Elf would laugh at her for her tacky taste, she felt that Night Elf simply preferred a wider variety of colors.

In the center of the square, a group of Elf had gathered. They were mostly making gestures, pointing, swearing, or making sarcastic remarks. Tyrande was curious and wanted to see what was going on.

The onlookers didn't notice her. It seemed that what they were looking at must be very unusual. She slowly squeezed through the gaps to the front of the crowd.

The two cages being observed were made of very sturdy refined iron. In the cage on the left was a wild beast. Because of its strength, the cage creaked and groaned intermittently. The creature in the other cage was quiet, but Tyrande seemed uneasy; as a priestess, she easily sensed the deathly aura emanating from it.

The onlookers Elf discussion.

The Elf standing in front of her refused to move. But she was still very curious and could only peek through the gaps to see what was going on.

"Make way, you fools! Her Majesty the Queen has arrived!"

'Your Majesty?' Nathanos opened his eyes. Broxigar was still roaring beside him, but he fell silent when he saw the Elf kneeling down.

In Nathanos's memory, most Night Elf had purple skin; he had never seen a blue-skinned Night Elf. The Night Elf queen was breathtakingly beautiful, her golden eyes gleaming in the night, and her semi-transparent silver-white dress exuding elegance and grace, accentuating her curvaceous figure.

As Azshara approached, she did not order her subjects to rise, and they dared not make any rash moves.

"What is this?" The Queen glanced at Broxigar and then fixed her gaze on Nathanos.

"Nobody knows," Varos replied. "The forest patrols and Moon Guard went to great lengths to get them here."

Azshara instinctively reached out to touch the Undead in the cage. She had never seen such a creature before. But Nathanos did not grant her wish; he turned his head away, presenting his profile to Azshara.

The Elf Queen wasn't angry; she simply pulled down the collar of her robe that covered the lower half of the Undead. One after another, terrifying black lines spread across its skin like a virus. Azshara had never touched such a cold creature; she couldn't even feel its pulse or heartbeat.

"Is this... a dead person?"

"Indeed, Your Majesty. But I believe you should not touch such filthy creatures."

"Filthy?" Azshara turned to Varos, whose face was contorted with jealousy. "This is a corpse, Varos. Yet he can move freely just like us. Don't you find that amazing?"

Varos was speechless; he simply nodded slightly.

"I'm very curious about the principle behind this, and his eyes are like rare rubies. Can he understand what I'm saying?"

"I'm afraid that won't work, Your Majesty. The guards interrogated them, but they didn't get anything out of them."

"Very good." Azshara stood up, pointed at Nathanos, and said, "Take him to my chambers. I want to study him carefully. Then..." She squinted at the iron cage, "Give him a new cage, one made of gold."