Arthas took the book of magic, and only after confirming it was what he wanted did a smile return to his face. "Deal. I'll take the Dragon Eggs to be cleansed of corruption. I'm not good at Incubation, and the guardian is already angry and won't let me use the Titan Facility. So the Incubation progress will be very slow. You need to be mentally prepared."
"I know," Malygos cut off Arthas's explanation. "Tarecgosa will assist you. You can tell her if you have any requests, as long as you get the Dragon Eggs hatched. I've waited ten thousand years; I don't mind waiting another ten thousand. Boy, don't disappoint me. And don't forget about Sindragosa."
"I've never forgotten," Arthas said with a shrug. In any case, this sort of thing wouldn't happen quickly, so he could just take his time.
Malygos teleported away. He rarely spoke with others unless it was necessary.
Arthas, on the other hand, beckoned to Tarecgosa, looking at the blue dragoness before him. She was an impressive woman, one who would sacrifice herself for the safety of the world. Not many people could do that, let alone face death so selflessly.
"Athena, from now on, she will be your nanny. You must learn a lot about magic from her, so you can help me in the future, okay?"
"Awoo!" The Whelp Athena was about the size of a medium-sized dog. Her blue scales flowed with a magical luster, and occasionally, a flicker of lightning could be seen zipping across them.
"Hello, Athena. I'll be in your care from now on," Tarecgosa said excitedly. Seeing a new member of her kind was an extremely rare event for the Blue Dragonflight. There was nothing wrong with being a nanny. Besides, the Blue Dragon Aspect himself had said that Athena's power would be terrifying once she grew up. She would be a pillar of the Blue Dragonflight!
Arthas stretched and yawned. "I need to rest for a bit."
"Come on, follow me to the Obsidian Sanctum. I've prepared a room for you," Onyxia said with a smile, linking her arm with her husband's. She felt very uncomfortable here; the surrounding blue dragons were very hostile towards black dragons. This hostility wouldn't change in a short time.
In the upper reaches of the Nexus, this was Malygos's domain for rest, work, and cultivation.
Senegos, the old blue dragon in the guise of an old Troll, watched Arthas fly away on Onyxia's back, his eyes carrying a hint of gravity. "This human prince is truly unique. He won't lift a finger unless there's a profit to be made. He will absolutely not do anything without benefits."
"Hmph, that's precisely why I'm at ease. He's right. A transaction where goods are exchanged for payment is the most reliable kind." The Blue Dragon Aspect did not deny Arthas's character. It was right not to have much fondness for him, but it was also true that their cooperation was very pleasant.
"I hope he can help cleanse the corruption from the Dragon Eggs as soon as possible. The Blue Dragonflight is still too weak. I can feel that the temporal rifts are increasing. If they are not contained, countless demons will soon pour through. Magic must be controlled. The abuse of magic will lead to more and more spatial rifts." The old blue dragon was worried. Dealing with these matters was very tricky and troublesome. Every so often, a blue dragon would die because of it, yet they had no way to increase their numbers, which was the most frustrating part.
"It seems we still need to collect the energy of the Ley Lines. These humans, hmph, we shouldn't have taught them magic in the first place." The Blue Dragon Aspect snorted, the thought flashing through his mind. But he quickly recalled what Arthas had said. Would he become a public enemy like Deathwing? Collecting Ley Line Energy and depriving mortals of the right to use magic—wouldn't that make him a public enemy of every race?
Although the Blue Dragon Aspect was not afraid of mortals, he did not want to fall out with them either. He found that these mortals still had some skills. If they could be utilized, like Arthas, it would be beneficial for the Blue Dragonflight.
"We can try to collect some to reduce the power of their magic. Only mages who can use the Ley Lines can unleash the strongest power. This can be handed over to that human prince, as a way of winning him over. I feel there's no harm in cooperating with him. Although he's a bit lecherous and a bit merchant-minded, he is indeed perfect at getting things done," Senegos commented very objectively, without praise or slander, just stating the facts.
"We can. I'll look into it." The Blue Dragon Aspect seemed to have thought of a good idea and smiled strangely. Then he paused, as if realizing he hadn't smiled in a long time. Not since his wife had died. Although he had other consorts, his wife's position was irreplaceable.
In the Eastern Kingdoms, the sounds of battle still shook the earth.
However, compared to before, the Horde had shifted from attacking to retreating. After joining up with the main force, Orgrim had finally managed to block the Alliance's offensive. Good news had also come from the Blackrock Clan: the traitor Gul'dan had been killed, and his skull had been brought back.
"We have to find a way to preserve the Horde's embers," Orgrim said, looking at the chaotic camp. The Orc soldiers were beginning to weaken as the power of the Demon Blood faded. Years of continuous warfare had overdrawn their potential, and coupled with the side effects of their Fury, their strength had been completely exhausted over several years.
"Surrender?" A ridiculous thought flashed through Orgrim's mind. He had seen the Burning Blade Clan and the Shattered Hand Clan. The soldiers of these clans were all clad in armor and equipped with fine weapons. They were not treated differently. Besides opposing the Horde, they had also begun to recruit other smaller clans. This caused the Horde's morale to continuously drop, yet there was absolutely nothing they could do about it.
At that moment, a set of footsteps approached from outside the tent.
Saurfang walked in, holding his battle axe. "Warchief, the Bloodhoof Clan has made contact with us. The Dwarves and Gnomes of Khaz Modan still haven't come out. They've been beaten into submission."
"Has Eitrigg been found?" Orgrim asked. During the retreat, Eitrigg had gone missing. He didn't believe an old soldier like Eitrigg would get lost. It was more likely that he had become disappointed with the Horde and gone into seclusion. It wasn't just other Orcs; even Orgrim himself felt a little tired.
"No." Saurfang shook his head, his expression also downcast. Eitrigg was his close friend as well.
"I heard from some clans that he seemed to have gotten lost in Alterac. Garona, from the former Shadow Council, also went missing!"
"That half-Draenei, half-Orc?" Orgrim asked.
"Yes."
"Don't worry about her. As long as she doesn't become an enemy of the Horde, it's fine." Orgrim was tired. He couldn't see a future for the Orcs. Resisting stubbornly would only lead to annihilation, but there was no guarantee of any benefit in surrendering either. He was caught between a rock and a hard place.