jdhmnovel Chapter 689 Night Elves in the Tauren Camp
Chapter 689 Night Elves in the Tauren Camp
The following morning, before the island's mist had completely dissipated, the enormous red dragon spread its wings, carrying Elwynn and his companions, and departed from the temporary base, heading east into the vast interior of Kalimdor.
Akalitha's flight was smooth and powerful, the fiery dragon's might dispelling the chill of the high altitude.
The powerful airflow whistled past their ears, but was blocked by an invisible dragon force, allowing the passengers on the dragon's back to calmly enjoy the scenery rushing past below.
At first, beneath our feet stretched the endless Firas primeval jungle.
The lush greenery covered the earth like a thick blanket, and the towering ancient trees stood like giants, their huge canopies stretching as far as the eye could see, resembling a surging green ocean.
The winding river, like a silver ribbon, meanders through the dense forest, occasionally reflecting the golden light of the sun.
In this vast forest, a huge, ancient yet dilapidated group of elven ruins stands out—that is the Doomhammer, where they had just fought a bloody battle.
From the air, that area resembles a dark scar on green velvet, telling a tragic tale of millennia.
The fierce battle and the deafening roar of yesterday's collapse still seemed to echo in their ears, stirring up a complex and indescribable emotion in the hearts of those looking down.
"No matter how many times you see it, Firas's pristine beauty and grandeur are breathtaking."
Green Shadow sighed softly, for as a druid, she could feel the immense vitality emanating from this ancient forest.
“But countless dangers lurk beneath the surface,” Shandis added, her sharp gaze sweeping across the forest below like that of a vigilant sentinel. “Trolls, satyrs, and all sorts of forgotten beasts—this forest has never truly been at peace.”
As Akalitasa continued flying eastward, the scenery below began to change dramatically.
The breathtaking greenery receded rapidly like the receding tide, revealing a desolate landscape.
We've arrived at the Thousand Needle Stone Forest.
Looking out, it is a vast, lifeless loess plateau.
The earth is like cracked ancient skin, covered with deep ravines and fissures.
What is most breathtaking are the countless enormous stone pillars, rising from the ground like a forest, at varying heights.
These stone pillars are composed of weathered sandstone and present various peculiar shapes. Some look like giant mushrooms, some like sharp swords soaring into the sky, and some like castle towers sculpted by an invisible giant hand.
They stand silently on this barren land, enduring millions of years of wind and sand erosion, forming a unique geographical wonder on this continent.
Sparse shrubs and brambles dot the stone pillars and loess gullies like spots, adding to the desolation.
"Wow!"
Alvin couldn't help but exclaim in genuine amazement. Even though he had traveled to many places, he was still awestruck by the breathtaking artistry of nature before him.
"This is the Thousand Needles Stone Forest? It's incredible! How did these stone pillars form? It's as if the entire earth was lifted up and then cleaved by a giant axe! This landscape is more magnificent and rugged than any epic battleground of giants!"
His pupils reflected the boundless forest of stone pillars, filled with awe for the power of nature.
Green Shadow smiled and explained to him, “Legend has it that in ancient times, this place was once a fertile land. But violent tectonic movements and unimaginable natural disasters caused the earth to uplift and fracture. After countless years of relentless erosion by wind and sand, the soft soil was taken away, leaving only these hardest rock cores, which eventually formed the ‘Thousand Needles’ we see before us. This is a scar on the earth, and also a monument to time.”
Just as they were captivated by the spectacular scenery of the Thousand Needles, Shantis's sharp eyes caught an anomaly on a particularly tall, relatively flat-topped stone pillar below.
"Look over there,"
She pointed in that direction.
"It's a minotaur camp."
As everyone looked, they indeed saw some animal skin tents and wooden watchtowers erected on top of the huge stone pillar, with totem poles standing tall and some tall minotaur figures moving about inside.
They had clearly noticed the red dragon soaring through the air, and some of the minotaur warriors warily drew their weapons, but did not show excessive hostility.
Looking at the camps built atop those precipitous stone pillars, Elwynn couldn't help but grumble, "Speaking of which, why do the Tauren like to make their homes so high up? It's like this in Mulgore, and it's like this here too. Aren't they tired of climbing up and down every day with their massive bodies? Is it so they can be closer to the spirits of their ancestors?"
Upon hearing this, Green Shadow chuckled softly and shook her head: "Not entirely, Elwin. Tauren are a race that loves the earth, but they are also intelligent hunters and warriors. The main reason for establishing their camp on such a precipitous high place is its defensive advantage. You can imagine that any enemy attempting to attack them would have to face the difficulty of climbing steep stone pillars, while they could easily throw spears and roll boulders from above. At the same time, the high vantage point provides an extremely wide field of vision, facilitating vigilance and hunting, and allowing them to spot distant threats or prey early. This is not about alienating themselves from the earth, but rather the wisdom developed to better survive on it."
"I see."
Alvin suddenly realized and admired the Minotaur's philosophy of survival, which was adapted to local conditions.
Just then, Stella, who had been silently observing, suddenly narrowed her azure eyes and pointed to the edge of the minotaur camp: "Wait, look there! That person waving at us, he doesn't seem to be a minotaur!"
Everyone immediately focused their attention on that direction.
Sure enough, next to a smaller totem pole at the edge of the camp, a figure that appeared much thinner than the minotaurs was vigorously waving its arms at them in the air.
The man was wearing a suit of leather armor that allowed for easy movement. He was tall and slender, and most importantly, he had purple hair and long ears that clearly belonged to a night elf!
"A Kaldorei?"
Sandy's brows furrowed immediately, her face filled with confusion.
How did he end up in the minotaur camp?
"He seems to want us to land."
Akalita's voice came from ahead.
"What should we do? Ignore him?"
"Um......"
After thinking for a moment, Erwin made a decision immediately.
"It's alright, let's go down and take a look. It shouldn't take much time."
This is indeed extremely unusual.
Although the night elves and tauren tribes are not hostile to each other, and even cooperate in some areas, the fact that a night elf could so naturally blend into a tauren camp and even greet him suggests that there is an unusual story behind it.
“Akali, slow down, lower your altitude a little, but stay alert.”
Alvin immediately gave the order, his curiosity piqued as well.
In response, the red dragon let out a deep roar, slightly adjusted its wings, slowed its circling speed, and lowered its altitude, allowing them to see the waving figure more clearly.
It was indeed a young male night elf, with an anxious expression on his face.
"He seems to know us? Doesn't this guy look familiar?" Alvin asked.
"It's Naralex Windseeker, a druid."
"Green Shadow suddenly said."