Anveena

The hall stood solemnly, awaiting. Alleria and the others stared at the newcomer standing in the doorway. The Regent raised an eyebrow and asked Vareesa uncertainly, "Is it him?"

"Hmm..." the Ranger-General responded with a worried expression. Her attention was entirely on the visitor, who was now standing ramrod straight.

"Let him in!" Alleria shouted to the Spellbreaker guards outside the hall.

The man, whose head was hidden under his cloak, seemed to nod in response to her, then strode closer until he stopped in front of the three people in the hall.

His hood was pulled low, almost obscuring his face. He wore a simple travel jacket, but it was spotless. After bowing, he straightened up.

"Ms. Alleria," his voice was kind and amiable, yet it sounded very worried, like a frightened bird. "I apologize for this sudden visit, which may disturb your official business. But I have no choice."

As he spoke, he pulled down his hood. The Regent, the Ranger-General, and the Ranger-Lord all brightened up. They saw a face that combined the best features of humans and Elf, with dark blue hair falling to his shoulders and resolute blue eyes shining brightly.

However, his appearance didn't change Alleria's tone much; after all, he wasn't a human or an Elf, but a dragon—the same species as the Red Dragon that burned Quel'Thalas. "So..." Alleria's voice was cold and stern, "Who are you?"

"My name is Kalecgos," he replied. "I am the watchman sent to Quel'Thalas by Malygos Blue Dragon Aspect."

Kalecgos's words ignited the hidden fury in the hall. Alleria retorted sternly, "Watchers? What do you Dragons want? Do you intend to reduce our homeland to ashes again?"

Realizing his mistake, Kalecgos quickly explained, "No, please don't misunderstand, madam. I represent the Blue Dragonflight, not the Red Dragon." The mage glanced around, seemingly uncomfortable with the stares of the crowd. He then continued, "My primary task is to monitor the limits of the High Elf's use of magic; after all, the Blue Dragonflight's duty is to protect the magic of this world."

"The Sunwell was destroyed many years ago," Alleria said impatiently, turning her head away. She wanted to get rid of this uninvited guest as soon as possible; she had important things to do.

"Actually, you should know... the Sunwell is a vast source of energy. Even if it explodes... of course, it does disappear, but its essence remains, and as long as it is collected... it can be stored." He ended his speech somewhat hesitantly.

A deathly silence fell over the hall. Alleria had been avoiding Kalecgos's gaze until now, was completely focused on the blue dragon. Her eyes widened, as shocked as Vareesa and Lor'themar's.

"You mean you stole those essences and then hid them?" Lor'themar asked.

The blue dragon Kalecgos raised his head towards Lor'themar to express his anger. "I am not a thief, nor did I collect those essences; I was merely protecting them." Lor'themar simply gestured for Kalecgos to report to the Regent in detail.

"Your Highness!" Kalecgos stepped forward and said, "I know this will anger you. If you wish to hold me responsible, I have nothing to say, but now I must speak with you about the Essence. You must know..." He scratched his blue hair with one hand, "The power of the Sunwell is immense. Malygos Blue Dragon Aspect, has always been wary of mortals wielding excessively powerful magical energy. If he knew you..."

"I don't care what your master thinks, Blue Dragon," Alleria snapped. "The Sunwell has always been the property of the people of Dath'Remar. Now, in the name of the Regent of Quel'Thalas, I demand that you return those essences immediately, right now!"

A chill ran down Kalecgos's spine. He knew Alleria hadn't lied, nor was she putting on an act. He choked back a sob, his face completely filled with fear and unease.

"You mean you didn't get those essences?"

A chill seeped into the hearts of all the Alleria members. Before the Regent could react, Lor'themar had already taken two steps forward and grabbed Kalecgos the collar. The Ranger-Lord seemed to have forgotten the other's identity, and he roared, "You mean the essences are gone? You lost them?"

"I didn't," Kalecgos replied through gritted teeth. "Anveena is missing without my knowledge." He made a claw shape with one hand, Vareesa noticed. She immediately realized that the blue dragon was either preparing to transform or trying to use magic to repel Lor'themar, neither of which she wanted to see.

"I advise you not to move." The Ranger-General raised her bow and aimed at Kalecgos, who glared at her angrily.

"Enough!" Alleria shouted. "Lor'themar, let him go."

The Ranger-Lord reluctantly released his grip. Kalecgos rubbed the wrinkles in his collar, glaring angrily at Alleria.

"What's this about Anveena you mentioned earlier...?"

"That is the essence of the Sunwell. One of my companions sculpted it into the form of a girl. I have always protected her and hidden her well, but... but for some reason, a few days ago I went out to find food, and when I came back she was gone. I also smelled the scent of you Blood Elf, and I thought you had found her and taken her away. But just now, you demanded that I hand her over..."

Damn it! Alleria cursed inwardly. She was about to accuse Kalecgos of keeping things from the Sin'dorei all this time when a scream suddenly came from outside the hall, followed by a series of stumbling footsteps.

"What's going on outside?" Alleria asked the guards. Then, two Spellbreaker carried in a panicked Elf.

"Your Highness," the Elf tensed, "Dust is rising from the north... we've lost contact with Isle of Quel'Danas!"

"Enemies?"

The Elf didn't answer, nor did she need to. Alleria knew perfectly well. She scrutinized her pale-faced brethren, then looked at Kalecgos. She had a vague feeling that this matter was also related to the blue dragon, and her expression gradually changed. "What on earth is going on?"

"I saw a dragon fly towards the Sunwell, and then something strange happened."

"Guards, seize this spy!" Lor'themar shouted, pointing at Kalecgos.

"No! Wait, there must be some misunderstanding here."

"It's a misunderstanding! How dare you audaciously attack our holy land and even attempt to obtain the essence of the Sunwell!" Vareesa had never lowered her bow, and now she drew the bowstring even tighter.

Kalecgos wanted to argue, but the situation was dire; he was surrounded by guards outside the hall. In desperation, the blue dragon placed his last hope on Alleria, hoping the Regent would give him a chance to explain.

Alleria looked at him and could tell that his expression wasn't feigned. Besides, letting him say a few more words wouldn't be a waste of time.

"Seize your last chance, Kalecgos, or face the wrath of the Sin'dorei."

Kalecgos breathed a sigh of relief. He nodded hastily, swallowed hard, and said, "I am indeed not the only watcher in Quel'Thalas. There is also my colleague, Madigontha. Your men must have seen her, but she would not have attacked you without reason."

"That might also be because she felt that we had stolen the essence of the Sunwell, and she wanted to use this method to force us to hand over what rightfully belonged to us."

"Then why not just attack Silvermoon City?" Kalecgos stared at Lor'themar, this question was crucial and left everyone speechless for a moment.

"So what do you think of your colleague's behavior?" Alleria followed up with the question.

"She must have discovered something!" Kalecgos's mind raced, growing increasingly certain of his guess. "She must have found Anveena's trail, on the Isle of Quel'Danas."