At the Whispering Pond, thousands of elves packed every corner of the grounds. The entire estate buzzed with voices like a bustling marketplace.
A mass of pitch-black fog drifted across the sky, blocking the bright sunlight. Milky-white spotlights shone down, and mist swirled over the open-air stage.
People whispered to one another, discussing the strange sight on the "speaking platform."
A deep, piercing guitar note silenced the entire estate.
A figure abruptly appeared beneath the spotlight, and as he appeared, the guitar solo grew increasingly rapid.
His hood concealed his face. Gray patterns adorned his gold-and-white robes, giving them a richly layered appearance, and two golden wings folded back from his oval pauldrons.
Anyone with a discerning eye could see that this equipment was extraordinary, and it was. This sacred, noble priest set was none other than the [Vestments of the Avatar].
The figure threw back his hood, revealing a handsome face. His high golden ponytail fluttered in the wind. The corners of his mouth curved into a cocky smile as sacred radiance enveloped his body. He slowly floated into the air, then roared:
Surrounded by the enemy,
Surrounded by enemies,
the wolf among the hounds
A battle wolf faced the hunting hounds.
Thunder turns to silence, sek-ta
Thunder and lightning fell quiet,
the hundred to bring me down.
And I had already fallen.
As though showing off his technique, his fingers blurred, and guitar notes rained down like a raging storm.
Backstage, the elf playing the drum kit was drenched in sweat, doing everything he could to keep up with the singing onstage.
The audience stood dazed for a moment. A few seconds later, thunderous cheers erupted.
"Sig Nicius! Oh my god, he's my idol!"
A female elf cried out excitedly, then her eyes rolled back and she fainted into her companion's arms.
The same thing kept happening. Anselon, who was responsible for maintaining order, directed his apprentices to carry away the unconscious civilians one by one.
If I die upon this day, in battle I will fall
I had prepared everything. If I were to die today, I would give my life on the battlefield.
Hear me brothers, gather up the wolves, to battle we will ride.
Listen to me, brothers. Take up your weapons and fight!
As he sang, Signicius showily unleashed [Holy Nova]. Golden Holy Light enveloped the entire stage, and the atmosphere grew even more heated.
Al: Good grief, he's doing the entire hype crew's job all by himself.
STORM!!
Storm!!
EARTH!!
Earth!!
FIRE!!
Flames!!
Arcane!!
Arcane!!
The Power of the Quel'dorei
The power of the Quel'dorei
The furious guitar music was deafening. The instant the final syllable faded, Signicius smashed the guitar in his arms against the ground with all his might. The guitar, broken in two, fell below the stage, and the crowd immediately scrambled to grab it.
He knelt on one knee and raised both hands. The overflowing Holy Light surged even higher. Every elf present felt all their fatigue vanish. The injured elves stared in amazement at their healed wounds, growing even more fervent as they screamed Signicius's name at the top of their lungs.
Fengdelor shook his head with a wry smile, looking at his former star pupil with a complicated expression.
"That fellow actually used Divine Hymn for a performance. That really is his style."
A smile spread across Anasterian's imposing face. More than two thousand years of rule had forced him to weigh the pros and cons of everything he did, conceal his feelings from his subjects, and remain constantly vigilant toward the council while drawing people into his own faction.
He had thought his heart had long since turned to iron, but Signicius's performance today made him feel as though he had "come alive" again. His long-sealed heart pounded fiercely, as though he had returned to those youthful days beneath his royal father's protection.
"Young fellow from the Sig family, come forward."
Anasterian's expression regained its majesty, and he beckoned to Signicius.
"Y-your Majesty."
Signicius lost his earlier wild abandon and grew reserved.
"Your performance gave me the illusion of being young again, but..."
Anasterian paused, his expression turning stern.
"A good guitarist does not damage his own guitar. You should protect her as you would your lover."
"In view of the mistake you have made, I must punish you."
"Yes... Your Majesty."
Signicius's expression dimmed as he answered meekly.
Anasterian took a guitar from the spatial bag hanging at his waist and handed it to the dumbfounded Signicius.
The guitar glittered in the sunlight. Two winding brown antennae adorned its headstock, and its tail split in two from the nut. The entire instrument resembled a golden butterfly spreading its wings to take flight.
"This Golden Dawn Guitar accompanied me through half my youth. Your punishment now is to take her with you and live out the remaining half for me."
Standing where the others could not see him, facing only Signicius, Anasterian held one hand before his chest and discreetly made a "rock" gesture. Then his lips moved slightly without making a sound.
At that moment, Signicius held the Golden Dawn Guitar in his arms, tears streaming down his face, because he had understood what Anasterian said to him.
"Forever young, forever moved to tears."
Al stole a glance at the [Phoenix King's Golden Dawn Guitar] in Signicius's hands, feeling a little envious before letting it go. Let the resentment from his previous life scatter on the wind. Only this guitar was worthy of Signicius, and only Signicius was worthy of this guitar...
The song Signicius sang was excerpted from The Tauren Chieftains' "The Power of the Horde." The last line should have been "the power of the Horde," but for the sake of the plot, yours truly changed it to "the power of the Quel'dorei."
It's a very good heavy metal rock song. Anyone interested can give it a listen.