Shadow Trails in Azeroth

On the first day without the company of Sky, the stinky pirate had to complete the long journey from Hoswald City back to High Mountain.

Taking into account the strange terrain of Highmountain and the equally strange hilly terrain of Stormheim, it is conservatively estimated that it will take three days to complete the trip by land.

The spoiled pirate is no longer the hard-working orc killer he once was, and having him spend three days on the road is as uncomfortable as killing him.

Fortunately, Hades and his party gained some very rude "female friends". Without any effort, Black borrowed the Storm Dragon from the Scood Ashir clan.

Although this kind of dragon that controls wind and thunder is smaller in size, its flying speed is not slower than that of the giant dragon.

It carried the stinking pirates from Stormheim and arrived at Thunder Totem in Highmountain, the main city of the Highmountain Clan, in the afternoon of the same day.

As mentioned before, the tauren of the Highmountain are divided into four large clans, living in various areas of the Highmountain and shouldering different missions of the same race.

The Kaoling clan that holds the Thunder Totem is the largest among them. It also controls the artifacts of the Kaolin tauren and is responsible for fighting against any foreign enemies and worshiping their ancestors.

When Blake rode the storm dragon close to this huge city built on the mountain with natural caves and tauren nomadic style tents and wood, he was almost regarded as an intruder.

If he hadn't shouted a few more words in Tauren language, he would have been shot down by the vigilant Beefmen guards with defensive ballistae.

After all, Thunder Totem is very close to the border between Highmountain and Stormheim. In the past thousands of years, the relationship between the Highmountain Ox and the Vrykul was not very good.

And he also rides a storm dragon that is unique to the Vrykul.

To pull the wind is to pull the wind, but the recognition is too high.

This is why he has never been willing to become a "Dragon Knight".

Fortunately, the pirates raised the eagle claws from behind and waved them in the air. The frightened guards immediately rushed to report to their chief.

Soon a tall, mature tauren wearing clan armor and an eagle feather crown walked out, surrounded by a group of big tauren wagging their tails.

He is holding a halberd in his hand, which is very similar to the original eagle's claw, but the chief's biggest feature is that he is carrying a huge totem pole behind his back.

The thing looked very heavy at first glance, almost as tall as the tauren that was nearly three meters tall. It was like a pillar of a house, full of the heavy majesty of a brute warrior.

The totem of the tauren chief in front of me is carved with eagle, bull and moose head sculptures using exquisite techniques, and dyed with bright colors. It looks very ancient and very powerful.

The pirate keenly noticed that his totem was almost exactly the same as the Thunder Totem, the huge totem pole erected in the center of the city facing the sky, in terms of its carving features and the arrangement of the beast's heads.

This seems to represent the identity of the tauren in front of him.

Blake also knew that totems were just decorations in most cases.

But when necessary, the tauren will take them off and use them as convenient and ceremonial weapons, roaring and smashing every ignorant person who dares to challenge them.

It’s not just the Kaoling cattle that have the tradition of carrying totems.

The pirates knew that in the Desolation Lands of Kalimdor, the rare but powerful Bloodhoof tauren also had this tradition.

But not every tauren can have their own totem.

This thing is like a medal of the human army. Although it looks almost the same to outsiders, the Tauren clan has its own complicated and detailed system for the awarding and classification of totems.

In short, if you encounter a tauren warrior traveling with a totem in the wild, for the sake of your own life, don't go up and provoke him.

If you dare to mess with the bull, you will pay the price!

Of course, in this area of ​​​​Highmountain, the consequences for those who dare to mess with cows are even worse.

Usually the cow and the angry bull she summons will be mixed with each other. Unless your surname is Marcus, it is not recommended to provoke these guys with horns on their heads and tails on their backs.

"Outsider, is what you are holding in your hand an eagle's claw?"

The old tauren walked ten steps away from Blake and asked angrily in Salas with an accent. This is the "innate skill" of the Gaoling oxen.

As a powerful race that fought side by side with the Kaldorei in the War of the Ancients, they can skillfully use a difficult-to-pronounce language like Thalassian.

"Yes, but not quite."

The pirate put the Wolf's Edge in his hand on the ground and replied to the tauren chief in front of him. His pure Hashuru language made the chief in front of him widen his eyes.

He also changed into the language of the tauren and asked:

"Early this morning, I felt Orn'hara's roar of joy as the wings of the hunt spread across the skies of Highmountain, carrying a message to the Highmountain clan.

The shamans are still communicating with the ancestors, who tell us that today is a day of glory.

But we didn’t understand the joy of our ancestors until you appeared.

Highmountain has lost it for too long."

"Okay, don't be polite, Chief Ulan."

Blake stretched out his hand to interrupt the polite words of the highly diplomatic chief in front of him. He clapped the eagle's claw in his hand and said:

“I came here to give it back to you, and I promised a brave and fearless soul to bring his story back to his hometown.

Let your lineage high priest come over and I will tell him this story. "

"Is he the only one who can listen?"

Chief Ulan Gaoling laughed and looked very honest. He glanced at the eagle claw in Blake's hand and said:

"I guess that is a great story. As the warchief of Highmountain, I also want to hear the legend described by those who have experienced it."

"Of course, Warchief."

The smelly pirate was not dissatisfied. He picked up the flagon and said:

"Not only can you listen, but you can even bring your little daughter to listen with you. If you can bring the Holy Hammer of Kazgoroth to me to watch, I will be happy to tell you this story from beginning to end.

Of course, after I finish telling my story, I'm going to have a private chat with your Blackhorn elder.

I think he would like it. "

"The Holy Hammer cannot be shown to outsiders."

The tauren chief shook his head stubbornly and said:

"That is a great power used to resist disasters, not a collection for people to enjoy. I will send someone to ask Elder Black Horn to come over and record this story.

Please wait a moment. "

After saying that, Ulan Gaoling called a tauren shaman and whispered a few words.

The shaman nodded, turned around and called on the power of the elements to transform himself into an illusory moose, and quickly rushed out towards the upper level of the city with Thunder Totem.

A few minutes later, an old tauren with pure black skin, huge antlers, wearing simple robes, and holding a soul lantern was carried over by the moose.

The moment he appeared, Xal'atath exclaimed in Black's ear:

"A black dragon disguised as a tauren? Or a pure-blooded black dragon that has not been contaminated by Deathwing's corruption? Oh my God! I knew that following my little master would open your eyes all the time.

I thought there were no pure-blooded black dragons in this world.

But why is it hanging out with the tauren?

Is this the awakening of some strange hobby? "

"Shhh."

The pirate hissed silently in his heart and said:

"I will tell you this story later, let me fulfill my promise to Narmus first."

After saying that, Blake took a step forward, held up the Alpha Wolf's Edge in his hands in a ceremonial manner, and took a few steps towards the great chief and the Black Horn Elder.

As he walked, he said:

“This sacred hunting object returns to its hometown today, back to the hands of its people.

But what you want to remember is not me, the outsider who returned the sacred object, but the last guardian of the talon, Narmus Gaoling. Don't regard him as a loser anymore, but tell your descendants that that is A great warrior!

He made a big mistake in the past because of his recklessness and lost his own life, which also caused the great heritage of Highmountain to lose its halo and come to a gloomy end.

His soul has been tortured by his failure to this day, and he spends his days in self-pity and regret.

But the descendants of Huon Highmountain will never be defeated by hardship.

The loser Narmus Highmountain also ushered in his moment of redemption after a long wait. He teamed up with the servants of Odin, the King of War, and set foot on Hell with courage.

He fought against the souls of Hell under the coercion of Hell Queen Hela.

He personally beheaded the evil General Helagal, and used his lost holy objects and his own anger as a sword, leaving his own legend on that cursed land.

He did nothing when he was alive, but he did great things after his death.

He washed away his shame with his own hands, and brought the glory he longed for to his compatriots and descendants. Oun'hara and the wild gods witnessed all this.

I also witnessed everything.

He has enough qualifications to be recorded in the long history of Highmountain. Every child of the Highmountain clan must listen to his story to draw strength and courage.

He has been blessed by Ounhara and has returned to the ranks of his ancestors, running in the endless wilderness with the glorious warriors in the eternal hunt.

I personally tell you today this story about failure and persistence, filled with warriors who can be killed but will not be defeated. I want you to continue writing after the story of Narmus Gaolin ends. His ending.

That's why I'm here today. "

Blake showed a rare seriousness.

He handed the Alpha Wolf's Edge to the inheritance elder of High Mountain and said in a solemn tone:

“Choose a good owner for it.

Never forget the story of the last Talon Guardian.

The shieldmaidens of Scold Athiel can bear witness to this story, and Orn'hara the Hunting Wing can vindicate his name.

Rejoice, tauren.

After countless heroic stories and countless hours, you have given birth to a legendary warrior. "

The pure-blooded black dragon disguised as a tauren blinked.

He hung the soul lantern in his hand on his waist and took the eagle's claw with the same solemn gesture.

The moment this hunting sacred object returned to the hands of the Highmountain people, the roar of the eagle and the roar of the three-headed dog in its war spear shook the entire Thunder Totem.

Such a vision proved that what the pirates said was true, and as the high priest of the inheritance, Black Dragon could naturally feel the changes in the hunting sacred objects in his hands.

Although the appearance is completely different from the eagle's claw in memory, and although its power is much worse than when it was at its peak, the inside is exactly the same.

Elder Blackhorn also noticed that Narmus' name had been engraved in tauren characters on this fierce-looking hunting spear.

This is an Eagle Claw tradition.

The sacred hunting objects were once engraved with the names of those glorious guardians. Now the reborn eagle's claws only have this name on them, but it is like being reborn from the ashes or reforging a broken sword.

After losing its former power and glory, it has abandoned the past and ushered in a new beginning.

"This might be an inspiration."

Black Horn stroked the Wolf's Edge in his hand, and said angrily in a tauren tone:

"Thank you, Traveler, we will not let go of Narmus Highmountain's efforts. The story of failure using him as a warning should have its ending rewritten, and we will do it soon.

But I sense your mysterious connection with this war spear.

Maybe it's not up to us to choose its owner. It already has its own owner. "

The tauren smiled and returned the Eagle Spear to Black. He flicked his tail and said:

"For such a sacred object, it is never the user who chooses it, but it chooses the user. Thank you for returning the sacred object to Highmountain, but if this is the choice of Eagle Claw, then we will also bring Accept it with reverence.

It shouldn't be left here, but should enjoy endless hunts with its owner.

It's calling you.

Mighty hunter, accept it and become the taloned defender of Highmountain. "

"this"

Blake hesitated and said:

"Isn't this against the rules? This is your inheritance after all."

"How can a truly great inheritance rest on a weapon? How can Gaoling's inheritance be such an inconvenience?"

Black Corner asked back:

"If it doesn't want to, then we will only dishonor Huon Highmountain's legacy by forcing it to stay. The Highmountain clan has never been shy about sharing our glory with others, travelers.

Your legend will also become part of the legend of Highmountain through the medium of Eagle Claw.

This is all good for us. "

After speaking, Black Horn looked at Chief Ulan Gaoling. The latter was obviously hesitant, but after seeing Black Horn’s persistence, he nodded and said:

"Accept it! Accept the blessings of Highmountain, great hunter, and we will sing the song of the hunt to you."

The pirate was silent for a few seconds and suddenly asked:

"Wait, I feel like there is some trap hidden in your words.

If I take this war spear and become the Talon Guardian of Highmountain, then when you are in danger and turn to me for help, will I still have to come and fight for you? "

Black Horn and the warchief looked at each other, and the two honest tauren nodded at the same time.

The chief said plausibly:

"Being a Guardian of the Talon means that the entire High Mountains are your hunting ground, and it is the duty of every outstanding hunter to protect your own hunting ground. It is also the duty of the Guardian of the Talon to protect the Highmountain clan."

Black Horn, on the other hand, was a little more tactful. This evil tauren said softly:

"But don't worry too much, Lord Guardian, we can solve most of the troubles by ourselves. Only the most terrifying ones require you to fight side by side with us.

for example

That treasure house that we have guarded for tens of thousands of years. "

The words made the pirate blink.

He glanced at the Alpha Wolf's Edge in Black Horn's hand. After hesitating for a few seconds, he reached out and picked it up and said:

"Okay, I accept it, but as the guardian of the Eagle Claw, I also have the right to recruit tauren boys who are eager for adventure to go to the Endless Sea to promote the majesty of Highmountain, right?

I don’t want much either.

Let's gather two hundred people first.

In addition, Lord Blackhorn, since you mentioned Deathwing's treasure house, I would like to ask you to take me there in person. No matter what trouble there is, I will solve it.

As you said, this is the job of the Talon Defenders.

I think, as a defender of Eagle Claw, I should still have such a little power, right? "