Shadow Trails in Azeroth

The Moon Temple is exceptionally peaceful tonight.

Especially when other parts of the city are very lively and noisy, the area where the Moon Temple is located seems particularly dim. However, the moonlight tonight has become brighter after darkening. This is regarded by the Moon God priests as a good omen. .

The trainee priests who finished their prayers at the Moon Well returned to their residential areas. These priests strictly followed their way of life. Although it did not go as far as asceticism, there were few other people except the priests who were on duty at night. He also goes out for a walk in the middle of the night.

Tyrande Windspeaker was in a good mood after leading the sisters to complete the prayer.

She is the night priest tonight, and after the sisters have fallen asleep, she continues her work in the Moon Hall of the Temple of the Moon.

The ancient altars need to be cleaned and cleaned, the candles in the hall need to be kept lit, and the incense in the meditation rooms of several teachers needs to be replaced.

Finally, all areas in the hall used for sermons should be cleaned.

Although Elune's faith continues to decline in Suramar, and the number of believers coming to the Temple of the Moon is getting smaller and smaller, but as Tyrande said to the sisters, the more difficult this moment is, they The servants of the Moon God must hold on more and more.

This may be a trial from Lady Elune.

Of course, as a favored disciple of the high-ranking priest, Tyrande actually knew some things that other trainee priests did not know. For example, the Sisters of Elune had decided to abolish the Moon Temple establishment in Suramar City in the next few years.

This is not the first time clerics have abandoned their temples.

Many years ago, Zin-Azshari's Moon Temple actually existed in name only.

The Queen's pursuit of magic affected her people, especially the nobles who called themselves the Highborne. They also gave up the ancient belief in the Moon God for the reason of following the Queen and pursuing power.

After all, compared to the arcane magic that can be mastered through learning, the system of divine magic based on faith is too obscure, and it is obviously very difficult to require high-ranking nobles to abide by the teachings of the Moon God.

It is difficult to reconcile power and faith, not to mention that the Elf Empire is not a theocratic country.

Especially after taking charge of a divine object like the Well of Eternity, Queen Azshara would never give up on the spread of arcane magic, whether out of considerations of centralization or a plan to enrich the country and strengthen its military.

This directly led to a large-scale "ebb" of Ms. Elune's faith in the cities where the Queen sent magical princes to govern.

But relatively speaking, in the vast territories outside cities, especially in small cities far away from magical nodes, Elune's faith is still the mainstream of night elf society.

From this point of view, the differentiation between the upper elves and the night elves is not just a simple issue of arrogance or class, but also a very complex and sensitive issue of faith.

But the good news is that the talented and ambitious Queen has no plans to completely expel the Moon God Faith. She needs the Moon God Faith to unite the vast number of low-level elves.

Therefore, although she and the high elves she commanded no longer believed in the Moon God, they did not directly oppose this ancient belief in any public place and allowed it to develop.

This makes the Sisterhood of Elune and the Queen's ruling group not hostile, although both sides are very wary of the other's presence.

But the bad news is that the differences between power and faith outline the areas of each other. In the city of the Moon God, such as Suramar, which once belonged to the faith and was built by the high-level priests thousands of years ago, the Temple of the Moon already belongs to There is no more dispensable existence.

Tyrande knew that her Temple of the Moon might be disbanded in a few years, but she did not feel regretful about it, and the priests would not be "unemployed."

More Moon Temples have been established in places far away from big cities, and those places need outstanding priests like them to preside over them.

"Perhaps I will be assigned to the Temple of the Moon in Val'sharah."

Tyrande wiped the ancient altar and thought:

"This is actually not a bad thing. Malfurion is learning the Druid ways with the ancient demigods in the forest there. I heard that they have developed a small hermit group.

Illidan also served High Lord Ravencrest in Black Crow Keep, which is not far from the Temple of the Moon.

Perhaps, the three of us who grew up together can meet again in that quiet and eternal woodland. Because of the expulsion of Cenarius, the conflict between Malfurion and Illidan has become more and more serious, which is really heartbreaking. .

But this may be an opportunity.

Ah, Lady Elune, forgive my random thoughts, I'm just worried about my friend, okay? Who is there? "

Just when the trainee priest was thinking wildly, the sound of opening the door interrupted her thoughts. Tyrande turned around and saw her companion Maiev Shadowsong walking into the hall holding the Moon God's Book.

This made Tyrande smile. She stood up and said to Maiev:

"You are finally back, Maiev. The sisters are all worried about you. Huh? Who is this?"

The trainee priest soon noticed that Maiev did not return to the temple alone. Behind her was a tall man wearing traveler's attire.

She thought it was Maiev's brother Jarod, but she soon discovered that it wasn't.

"Don't mind me, Miss Tyrande."

Blake said in a hoarse voice:

"I am just a lost person who came to Elune's temple to seek a moment of peace of mind. I would like to ask Miss Maiev to preside over a confession for me and complete my prayers when the moon phases change.

So, could you please leave for a moment? "

"this"

Tyrande hesitated for a moment, glanced at Maiev, who had her head lowered, and said:

"But Maiev is not the night priest tonight. My sisters should go back to rest now. If you have any pent-up emotions in your heart, maybe you can talk to me about it?"

"No, you remember wrongly, Lord Tyrande. Tonight's Night Priest is Maiev Shadowsong. You are just worried about her safety, so you are waiting here."

Blake said softly:

"But Maiev has come back, so you can go and rest. You have also been busy for a day. Ms. Elune hopes that you will rest and take care of yourself to take on heavier and greater responsibilities.

You really need to get some rest. "

"Uh I. Well, what you said does make sense, Your Excellency."

Tyrande still wanted to refute.

But she quickly nodded and showed her gentle and healing smile. She put down the rag in her hand and said to Maiev who raised her head:

"Then, my sister, I leave it to you tonight."

After saying that, Tyrande rubbed her forehead and walked towards the rest area of ​​the priests. She even yawned regardless of her appearance, which made the young Miss Maiev's eyes widen.

After Tyrande left, Maiev walked to the altar and carefully inspected the magical enchantment in the Hall of the Moon, but found no details of impact or damage.

She stared at Blake standing under the altar with an incredible look, and she whispered:

"Who are you? How can you disturb people's hearts so easily in the holy place blessed by Lady Elune? I. I must have been disturbed by you, otherwise how could I bring strangers to the temple so easily? ?”

"Don't worry, Maiev."

Black didn't pay attention to Miss Priest's vigilance, and he didn't intend to explain anything. Although he wanted to complete a romantic life with Maiev from the first sight in this era, he didn't have much time after all.

Under Maiev's gaze, Pirate Pirate half-knelt on the mat used for prayer in the most standard posture of a Moon God believer. He lowered his head and said softly:

"I said, I just want to make a confession and complete a prayer in this place where the moon is watching. I don't mean any harm."

After saying that, the pirate pointed to the cushion beside him and motioned for Maiev to come over and pray with him.

The priestess hesitated.

She had just seen Tyrande Windspeaker, the most talented among the trainee priests and the most beloved by the Moon Goddess, being influenced by Black without any warning. She knew that this stranger was not her, no matter what his purpose was. An ordinary trainee priest could stop it.

In order to prevent this dangerous and mysterious figure from affecting others, maybe I should appease him?

Maiev thought.

Until Master Tomorrow returns to the Moon Temple, the power of the high-level priests will be enough to drive away this dangerous person.

Driven by such thoughts, Maiev tried hard to calm down. She walked down the altar with slightly trembling legs and stood in front of the mat five positions away from Blake.

"Come here."

The pirate praying with his eyes closed said:

"You are so far away, can you hear my confession? For a clergyman, this is a very serious mistake, my priestess."

"I"

Maiev wanted to tell the increasingly mysterious bastard.

She's not unprofessional, she's just simply scared!

She was just an ordinary girl who was born and raised in Suramar City. She had left Suramar only a handful of times, and the most important people she had ever seen was the one time Lord Ravencrest came to the Moon Temple for an inspection.

She doesn't have the experience or strength to deal with dangerous people.

The pirate noticed the uneasiness in Maiev's heart. He turned to look at the worried priestess, shrugged, and reached out to knock on the ground next to him.

The next moment, under Maiev's wide-eyed gaze, a ray of bright moonlight shone through the high window of the Moon Temple on the cushion next to the pirate.

The lingering moonlight shines with holy light and seems to be an invitation.

As a very talented Moon Priest, Maiev can easily tell that the moonlight is not an illusion but truly comes from the power and grace of Lady Elune.

"It might give you some courage, Maiev, come on."

Blake closed his eyes again, made a gesture of prayer, and said in Salas:

"I will never hurt you. I just have some words that I want to pass on to a person who has passed away. Saying these words will bring peace of mind to me. Isn't this the responsibility of the Moon God Priest?"

"Why can you use Elune's power?"

Maiev whispered:

"Are you also a follower of the Moon God?"

"So be it."

Although the bright moonlight was right next to Blake, the light never shone on the pirate, like an obvious dividing line that separated the moonlight and shadow.

In this scene, he said:

"But there is no one else in the Moon Temple tonight. There is only a priestess who is ready to soothe the soul and a fragile soul waiting to be soothed."

Perhaps this sentence touched Maiev.

Or maybe it was the moonlight floating around the pirate that gave Maiev confidence. In short, after a few seconds, the trainee priest adjusted his breathing and walked forward, half-kneeling on the mat under the moonlight.

She felt the warmth and protection that penetrated into her soul in the moonlight, which quickly relieved Maiev Shadowsong's worried mood.

She glanced at Blake who was praying next to her with curiosity.

She whispered:

"Is there anything you would like to convey to Lady Elune?"

"Lady Elune? No, these words are not for Luna."

Blake shook his head and said:

"I have made an agreement with Ms. Elune that she will not pay attention to any of my actions here, and she will not eavesdrop on any of my words here.

She would not risk irritating me to satisfy her petty curiosity, so there is no Elune, Maiev, here.

It's just you and me here.

You must think I'm crazy, but there's no need to break my heart by saying it. Be patient. I have a lot to confess. Where do we start?

Well, let me think about it."

The pirate opened his eyes, rubbed his chin, and said:

"Let's start from the end of the last parting. I regretted it the moment after you left. Maybe I should be more determined, maybe I should harden my heart and throw myself into the sunless sea instead of letting you Disappear from my life and become the beacon that guides me in the distant night.”

"what are you talking about?"

Maiev couldn't understand what the person next to her was talking about like she was dreaming, so she whispered:

"Maybe you should tell me all the ins and outs. Who left you?"

“Someone I love dearly and who loves me dearly.”

Blake sighed and looked at the Luna sculpture in front of him under the moonlight. He said:

"Don't be afraid, Miss Maiev. Although I am not a good person, my story is very exciting. I will tell you the truth, but I think one night is definitely not enough.

So, let's make a deal.

You listen to me tell my story, listen to my confession to the deceased, and remember this story and tell it to the right person at the right moment.

Don't worry, I won't let you do it in vain. "

The pirate glanced at the frowning priestess beside him, grinned a weird smile and said:

"Every time you listen to a story, I will grant you a request."

"I don't think I need you to do anything for me, sir."

Maiev moved her body uneasily. The priestess instinctively felt that she was trapped in something strange, and she wanted to get rid of it.

She pursed her lips, looked at the quiet night around her, and said:

"But that's not impossible. If I finish listening to tonight's story, can you promise not to hurt my sisters or anyone else in this city?"

"Of course, if this is a request from Maiev Shadowsong, then I will comply."

Blake nodded and said seriously:

"But I hope you think carefully, Maiev, and don't waste every wish you have. In the coming events, every wish you have will have a great impact on this world.

I may not know everything.

But at least in this era, there are only a handful of people who can stop me.

Shh, don't ask me who I am.

By the end of the story I tell you, you will know who I am. Now, can we start repenting? "

"Um."

Maiev hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath, nodded to Black with the proper priestly manner, and said:

"Then, tired, fragile and mysterious soul, I am ready to hear your confession."

"me."

Blake closed her eyes.

In the shadows beyond Maiev's shining moonlight, he whispered:

"I was a prince, and I joined a war that engulfed my civilization."

The quiet night ran quietly outside the Moon Temple shrouded in moonlight. In the description at the beginning of the story, the moonlight in the sky was gentler. The astrologers of Suramar saw the changes in the moon phases, but they were completely Unable to interpret, all this can only be regarded as the beginning of an unknown change.

But perhaps no one thought that this change would brew and explode so quickly.

And who could have predicted that this would be the last quiet night?