Azeroth Monster Manual

“Hiatus? What does that mean?”

The dwarf Amor stood somewhat puzzled on the outskirts of the crowd, his good eyesight allowing him to easily read the common human language on the notice board. ♦ ♦     ♦ ♦

“Damn it, Amor, let’s hurry and return the griffon we rented. I think we should still be in time.”

The gnome Tommy anxiously tugged at the dwarf’s sleeve.

… …

The two took a carriage to the temporary flight transfer station outside of Lordamere Town, but the scene of a sea of people before them completely dashed their hopes.

“Damn the Kirin Tor, they made us lose a full ten gold coins.”

After a long wait in line, the two still returned the griffon they had just rented to the beaming flight administrator. In that short moment, the shrewd human deducted a day's rental fee for the griffon.

Dalaron, or rather Antonidas’ unilateral hiatus, caused heavy losses to a group of opportunistic adventurers. The streets and alleys of Dalaron were filled with slander and abuse towards the Archmage, leaving the city law enforcement team helpless.

They wanted to arrest a few typical examples and throw them into the Violet Hold to calm the farce, but unexpectedly, it backfired. The rumors of Antonidas being afraid of war intensified, and the "deserter theory" was rampant for a time.

Modera was frantically dealing with the mountain of administrative affairs at hand, mostly cases of troublemakers being arrested and people cursing Antonidas in the streets, but she could only bite the bullet and take over.

Kael'thas and Ansirem's open defection and Krasus' departure without saying goodbye put the burden of all of Dalaron on her, a weak woman.

“Archmage… Your Excellency, where exactly did he go?”

Modera thought anxiously as she wrote furiously. This was already the second day of Antonidas’ disappearance. If this continued, all of Dalaron would become chaotic.

Silvermoon City, Sunfury Spire.

Anasterian warmly embraced the Grand Magister before him, which made the apprehensive Antonidas somewhat stiff.

“My old friend, could it be the cold wind of Alterac that blew you here?”

Anasterian smiled brightly, but Antonidas did not feel a trace of warmth from those old eyes.

Lowering his head slightly, Antonidas bowed. Standing before him was the most powerful ruler of a nation in Azeroth today, the Sun King Anasterian, who deserved this courtesy.

“Sit.”

“I am being impolite, Your Majesty.”

The Grand Magister slightly adjusted his mage robes and gladly took a seat.

Anasterian smiled slightly. Without him making a move, a group of delicate-looking maids poured in from outside the mage tower, elegantly placing the refreshments and black tea in front of Antonidas.

“Old friend, you must stay in Quel'Thalas for a few more days this time, so that I, as the host, can do my best to fulfill my hospitality.”

“The warm wind of the Eversong Woods makes me feel happy, Your Majesty. If I have time, I would be happy to stay for a few more days.”

… …

The two spoke and laughed amiably, occasionally discussing the customs and cultures of the elven and human kingdoms, or citing classics to talk about past events. Antonidas spoke clearly, and there was a convincing power in his words.

Anasterian was gentle and courteous, and his words made people feel like they were bathed in a spring breeze, unconsciously creating a good impression.

The two were really like two close friends who had not seen each other for many years, and finally had time to get together.

Antonidas was anxious in his heart, but he did not show it on his face. However, as time passed, and as the Sun Strider was about to set, and the Sun King also asked people to prepare dinner, he finally couldn't help but speak:

“Your Majesty, I came this time to talk to you about the next cooperation.”

“Oh? Aren’t we already cooperating?”

The Grand Magister was a little embarrassed. He was the one who first tore up the agreement with the Sun King. Now that the person involved brought it up in person, thanks to his long experience in politics, his face was also tempered to be extremely tough, so he didn't blush.

“I want to re-sign the agreement with you. Dalaron can give up two council seats…”

Anasterian had a playful smile on his face, but he didn’t take the initiative to answer. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the human in front of him. For them political creatures, the word trust was more like an interesting joke.

He just wanted to hear what bargaining chips the cunning Archmage of Kirin Tor could offer to make him tempted.

Antonidas stopped talking and pondered something in his heart.

Anasterian was a little disappointed. At first, he was angry about Antonidas's move to tear up the treaty, but after learning about Ell. Sarona's actions in Dalaron, it gave him a new idea.

Perhaps gaining the right to speak in Dalaron was not so important anymore. This made him once regard the Kirin Tor's council seat as a chicken rib, and instead focused all his attention on Ell. Sarona.

“Old friend, let’s not mention these mundane matters tonight, let us drink and be merry.”

Anasterian put on a smile on his face, just wanting to perfunctorily pass it off, but unexpectedly, a word from Antonidas almost made him completely lose his composure.

“The right to use the Eye of Dalaran for 10 years, the Kirin Tor will not interfere with any actions of Quel'Thalas after using the Eye of Dalaran…”

“Clang”

The knife and fork in the Sun King's hand fell to the ground, but he ignored them, just staring at the human in front of him, wanting to see from the Grand Magister's expression whether he was lying or not.

“Then… what is the price?”

Anasterian couldn't help but gasp. The Sun King was over 2,800 years old this year. His age was even longer than Antonidas' family history. With his extensive knowledge and strong memory, he of course understood what the Eye of Dalaran represented.

That artifact, which was very well protected by Dalaran, even they themselves had not figured out how to use it in the long years, only knowing that it was a magical gem with powerful energy.

And this mysterious gem has always been a problem for the Sun King.

Quel'Thalas has a vast land and abundant resources. Anasterian's private exhibition room has many rare treasures, even legendary weapons are countless.

The family heirloom Flame Strike hanging on his waist is in this category, but he is still very annoyed, why is it that a mere Dalaran can possess the artifact he dreams of?

“The breeding technology and pig breeds of the Arakkoa.”

Antonidas finally revealed his fangs. In his discussions with the Sun King, the bargaining chips were merely a facade to conceal his true intentions. In his heart, he desired only two things: A-Yew and Jin Ke La.

Returning to Dalaran, he would still have a chance to obtain Jin Ke La if he won the match against A'Er Sarona. And now, it was time for another transaction with the Sun King.

The cunning Archmage, seemingly defeated time and again in his duel with the elven youth, actually had the scales of victory tilted towards Dalaran all along.

Like a true hunter who always appears as prey, Antonidas was now that seasoned hunter. He cast aside all pretense and stated his true demands.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

The Sun King immediately rejected Antonidas's words.

However, the Archmage did not show the slightest hint of agitation. Instead, he calmly began to cut the A-Yew ribs on the crystal plate.

"I must say, the A-Yew ribs from Sarona's farm are truly tender. Wouldn't you agree, Your Majesty?"

Antonidas chewed the pork ribs elegantly, occasionally uttering a word or two of praise. He knew that the initiative had returned to his hands.

"Name another condition, Antonidas. I will not agree to this one."

Anasterian was conflicted, but he understood that the initiative seemed to be out of his hands. He knew that A-Yew leather was a strategic resource of great importance.

The importance of A-Yew was even greater for magical kingdoms like Dalaran and Quel'Thalas. Obtaining a steady supply of magic resistance equipment meant gaining significant influence.

However, the breeding technology and the pig breeds were in the hands of that young man. If Antonidas were to trade with that young man... then his own insistence would be meaningless.

Moreover, the young man's complex identity and the positive reputation he had cultivated among the people made it impossible for Anasterian to resort to underhanded methods.

The matter seemed to have entered a dead end once again.

The Sun King was torn between his emotions and reason. In principle, he was unwilling to trade away A-Yew, but he understood that exchanging a virtual bargaining chip for tangible benefits was what a qualified monarch should consider.

"I will not trade away the A-Yew breeding technology, but I can provide Dalaran with a batch of pig breeds."

As soon as he said these words, both rulers breathed a sigh of relief.

"Pleasant cooperation."

"If the Eye of Dalaran falls into the hands of Quel'Thalas, we will surely uncover the true secrets of this artifact. And the powerful energy of this artifact will become Quel'Thalas's sharpest spear, against those who dare..."

"Even if the Eye of Dalaran, such a peculiar object, falls into the hands of the elves, it will only be a white elephant. Even the great Alodi could not understand the artifact, I don't believe Anasterian has the ability to do so."

The two toasted each other, celebrating the newly reached agreement, but their eyes darted around, wondering what they were plotting in their hearts.

"After this, the gap between Dalaran and Quel'Thalas will truly narrow. A-Yew leather, a strategic resource that can be produced in large quantities, must not be controlled solely by the elves."

"As long as we win that 'war,' the Kirin Tor will simultaneously obtain both Jin Ke La and A-Yew, two wondrous items. With these two items, Dalaran will..."

Antonidas was helped away by two elven maids, the Archmage's face flushed red, as if he were truly drunk.

On the other hand, Anasterian...

The Sun King sat silently on his throne, lost in thought.

He saw through Antonidas's intentions, but he also understood that he could not control Jin Ke La and A-Yew himself.

Even as the ruler of a nation, the saying 'the vassal of my vassal is not my vassal' perfectly explained his current predicament.

'Perhaps I should bind him to the Sunstrider chariot?'

"But the Sunstrider bloodline is withering. Since Father's passing, only Kel'Thas and I remain. Wait..."

The more Anasterian thought, the more excited he became, as if he had finally come up with a good idea.

"That girl, Lianda, doesn't seem to be married yet?"

Lianda Sunstrider, a distant relative of the Sunstrider family. Although her bloodline was diluted, she certainly carried the Sunstrider name.

It was fortunate that His Majesty the Sun King had a good memory. He could still remember the name of that baby girl born 300 years ago. Although Lianda was still young, her seniority was actually one generation higher than Anasterian's.

'Once the Eye of Dalaran is in hand, it's time for that boy A'Er to return to Silvermoon City. And Lianda, it's been 300 years since I've seen her, I wonder if she's grown ugly or not.'

A'Er: Kel'Thas, from now on, I'll call you brother, and you'll call me grandpa.

PS: Post first, then edit.

I caught the bugs myself. I just carefully studied the 7.0 Fire Mage artifact questline {I didn't look carefully at the beginning} and found that Anasterian was not Dasrema's grandson, but Dasrema's great-grandson. I apologize to everyone here. The following is the relationship between the Sunstrider family, from largest to smallest.

Dasrema Sunstrider {High Elf ancestor} - Feromilon Sunstrider {Second Generation} - Anasterian Sunstrider {Third Generation} - Kael'thas Sunstrider.

Also, the full name of Flamescythe is Feromilon Flamescythe, which is the artifact that Dasrema named and forged after his son.

The following text is excerpted from online materials:

Although not yet confirmed, according to generations of rumors, Feromilon first appeared in the dream of the young High Elf Prince, Dasrema Sunstrider. In the young prince's dream, this arcane blade emitted a scorching light, causing enemies to be reduced to ashes and blood to flow like rivers.

After waking up from the dream, Dasrema informed the famous magic blacksmith Luminarian of the characteristics of this sword, who completed the weapon on his arcane furnace.

The author will revise some of the previous erroneous chapters when he has time.