Discussion
"Lord Snyder, do you really have a way to save our people?" Elisande asked.
"Of course, Elisande. Haven't some of your people already begun to develop a morbid craving for magic? That's because the disappearance of the Well of Eternity took away the source of magic that had long since become part of the Highborne's lives. As time passes, the effects will grow worse, and the stronger someone is, the more severely they'll be affected. Haven't you two already felt your own craving for magic growing a little stronger? I can cure your magic addiction at its root." Seeing that the two looked somewhat confused, Snyder took a bottle full of spring water from his magic backpack. The bottle was ordinary, but the water inside gave off a faint golden glow. (The author couldn't find a description of the water of eternity, so the author made this up.)
Prince Tortheldrin and Elisande froze as they looked at the water in the bottle. They had been Highborne nobles during the elven empire, so there was no way they had never seen the Well of Eternity. With this bottle of well water, their people's magic addiction would be easily solved, but when they saw such precious water stored in an ordinary bottle, they couldn't help looking at Snyder in anger.
"Snyder! Don't you know it's sacrilege to put water from the Well of Eternity in a bottle like that? A bottle like that can't be used to collect the water at all. As time passes, the magic energy in it will grow weaker and weaker!" Prince Tortheldrin roared furiously, like an enraged lion, while Elisande glared at Snyder beside him.
"My friends, don't be angry. My magic backpack can stop time to keep things fresh." As he spoke, he put the bottle of spring water back into the backpack, because Prince Tortheldrin and Elisande looked ready to devour an elf. The moment the water went into the backpack, reluctance showed in both their eyes.
"I think I've proved my sincerity. What do you think?" Snyder looked at them. The two exchanged a glance, then knelt and bowed to Snyder in a gesture reserved for Queen Azshara alone and swore aloud, "I, Elisande/Prince Tortheldrin, pledge my loyalty to Snyder Rain. I will never betray him and will obey his commands." When they had finished, they looked at Snyder.
"Rise." Snyder helped them both up, his face full of smiles.
"Lord Snyder, when will you give us the spring water so we can save our people?" Prince Tortheldrin looked anxious. His eyes were sunken because he had spent nights searching for a way to solve the magic addiction. He had found a method in a book to summon demons from the Twisting Nether and extract Arcane energy from them, but there was no need for it now. Snyder had water from the Well of Eternity, which was much safer than summoning demons.
"Don't be in such a hurry. Have you made the preparations I asked for?" Snyder asked.
Both of them blushed, at a loss for words. "It looks like you haven't prepared anything. You didn't listen to me." In truth, they couldn't be blamed. If they had known earlier that Snyder had water from the Well of Eternity, they would have listened to him long ago. Besides, Snyder was a Shaman. Although he had also trained as a magic swordsman, a class that combined mage and warrior, his main discipline was still that of a Shaman, and he was a born Shaman.
When Snyder was born, the elements of Azeroth had all rejoiced. The four Elemental Lords had even offered their power of their own accord to bless the newborn Snyder and ensure he grew up healthy. He was Azeroth's favored child, and the Elemental Lords were born of Azeroth's will. The unusual signs that accompanied his birth had alerted Queen Azshara, and so he had been brought to live in the palace at a very young age. That was why Snyder had water from the Well of Eternity, and more than one bottle of it. As a child, Snyder had spent his time studying in Azshara's palace, except when he returned to visit his parents. It was during those visits that he had met Tyrande, the Shadowsong siblings, and the Stormrage brothers.
To help Snyder grow, the elements had left patterns of power on his body. Fierce fire elemental patterns covered his arms, helping him destroy all his enemies; heavy earth elemental patterns covered his torso, making his body indestructible; swift wind elemental patterns covered his legs, letting him run far faster than ordinary people; and gentle water elemental patterns helped him balance the other three elements so that he could grow up healthy. (The patterns only appeared in battle and were normally invisible.)
Such talent gave Snyder a high standing with Malfurion and the others, who were close to nature. Although the elements were not spirits of nature, they too were a manifestation of Azeroth's will, so Malfurion and the others respected Snyder. But they believed he had one flaw: he did not think magic was harmful to the Night Elves. Snyder believed that power was neither right nor wrong, only the people who used it could be. After all, the demon invasion had happened because the Highborne's abuse of magic had drawn Sargeras's attention to Azeroth. As a result, most Night Elves now feared magic and believed it should be forbidden.
That was also why Prince Tortheldrin and Elisande had thought Snyder was making fun of them. Had they not been wary of his possession of the strongest army, his tremendous achievements in the war against the demons, and his nominal leadership over Suramar and Eldre'Thalas, they would never have come.
"Come here, you two. Once I return from the blessing ceremony tomorrow, we'll set sail for this place." Snyder spoke as he walked over to the map and pointed to a spot on it. Prince Tortheldrin and Elisande came over to look. The place he pointed to was an expanse of sea, still some distance from the Eastern Kingdoms, the nearest land. Both were puzzled.
"My lord, I have a question. Why are we moving there? It's an expanse of sea. Are we going to live underwater?" Elisande asked. Prince Tortheldrin, standing beside her, was equally confused.
"Of course not. We won't live underwater. If there's no land, we'll create some." As a born Shaman and a humanoid Elemental Spirit, Snyder had used the power of the elements to sketch the rough outline of the shattered continent of Kalimdor after the cataclysm. Snyder knew that a continent had sunk there, and that all he had to do was raise it to make it their new home. (The sunken continent here is not the one where the Tomb of Sargeras is located, but a continent that has never appeared before and exists only in this book's setting.)
"Tomorrow, after I attend the blessing, I'll take Prince Tortheldrin by ship to this area and raise the continent. Elisande, you and your people must establish a stable magic portal in Suramar to ensure my people can pass through safely, and provide ample supplies. Maiev will take over all of Suramar City's defenses tomorrow. I don't want anything to go wrong. After you return today, begin gathering all the troops who answer to you. Opening up a new home often comes with blood and tears."
"Prince Tortheldrin, bring me the whole of the Highborne's legacy."
"Understood, my lord." Prince Tortheldrin nodded.
"My lord, we have no stable source of magic energy. I'm afraid we won't be able to maintain the portal for long," Elisande asked worriedly. When it came to the power to save her people, words could not shake Elisande.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of the energy problem. You only need to carry out the tasks I've given you."
At those words, the two paused briefly, then nodded in agreement.
"Head back early. Time waits for no one." Snyder turned his gaze back to the map and began sketching.
The two bid him farewell and left.
It was not until late at night.
Snyder put down his pen and went into the bedroom. Seeing Maiev still packing things into the magic backpack, he couldn't help feeling helpless.
"If you keep packing, the whole room will be empty."
Hearing Snyder's words, Maiev stopped and looked at him.
"Let me go with you on this expedition," Maiev pleaded, looking at Snyder.
"No. This time I need you to take the crystallized water from the Well of Eternity to use as the portal's magic energy, and lead the remaining troops to protect it. Prince Tortheldrin and Elisande's loyalty remains to be seen, and I need someone I can trust to keep an eye on them. Besides, you're the mistress of Darnassus. Tomorrow, elves from Darnassus and Eldre'Thalas will fill Suramar, and you need to keep order in the city." Snyder held Maiev and gently stroked his lover's hair.
"All right, I'll do as you say." Hearing this, Maiev said nothing more and simply pressed close against her lover's chest.
The night passed without a word.