22. When Argus the Shellbound Knight Came to Court Amidst Roaring Thunder, Destiny Silently Approached

“Ah, I’m so full...”
Captain Nari clutched her belly and groaned in distress. Riding swiftly atop her Tabby ram, she couldn’t help but grumble to Dick beside her:
“If I’d known we’d be marching through the night, I wouldn’t have eaten so many lamb chops earlier.”
“I’d love for you all to get a good night’s rest, but duty calls,” Dick sighed.
“And who would have guessed someone so young could eat so much? You polished off a whole rack of ribs! Is your stomach really that big?”
“I’m a skilled hunter, don’t underestimate me,” Nari retorted.
“How else could I hunt if I wasn’t well-fed? But you’re right, Krokuun is a bit primitive, yet the food here is quite good.”
“Yeah, yeah, the grilled fish is delicious! I love it,” Imira chimed in from the other side.
“It’s so much better than the Academy’s cafeteria! Vera should recruit some cooks from Krokuun; those cafeteria ladies treat us students like pigs,” she added.
The twins remained silent.
Yet, for once, they found common ground with their less competent senior.
“But I heard there’s a bunch of magical rats in the kitchen that keep stealing pastries,” Farya contributed a humorous tidbit from the Academy.
While guiding the wild Tabby rams of Krokuun with gentle tugs on the reins, she whispered:
“The upperclassmen even nicknamed those rats the ‘Muffin Marauders.’ Apparently, every weekend when magical muffins are distributed, there’s always a ‘lucky’ one who ends up with a rare muffin marked by tiny paw prints. Those cunning rodents do it on purpose!”
“That’s no myth,” Dick, a faculty member, corrected.
“Those muffin-stealing magic rats have been at the Academy longer than you. Technically, you should call them ‘senior.’ How they got here is a mystery—probably the summoning department’s doing. Who knows which dimension they pulled those magical critters from, and they even made nests in the kitchen storerooms.”
“Heh, hearing these city stories is quite entertaining,” Jaid, the chief cavalry captain leading them, interjected enthusiastically.
“Looks like you’ve had an interesting life, Dick.”
“Yeah, I work as security at the Academy, double as their physical trainer, and moonlight as an undercover agent in cult groups on orders from the ambitious headmaster. I’ve even experienced having my throat slit...” Dick drew out the words.
“Believe me, Jaid, you’ll never encounter such maddening troubles in Krokuun your whole life.”
“Then why not come back? If city life’s no good, returning home is an option. Though there’s little opportunity here, life’s simpler,” Jaid suggested.
“Here, at least, life’s peaceful. No need to overthink. And with your reputation, plenty of eager grassland girls would be glad to throw themselves at you. We don’t have the city’s restrictions—you could marry ten if you wanted! Haddon’s always worried about Krokuun’s population shortage, so you’d be contributing to your homeland’s growth as the ‘Holy Spear.’”
“If I had a few hundred years left to squander, believe me, Jaid, I’d definitely come to Krokuun to relax. With you watching my back, I’d find a few muses to tend the herds. Ah, what a comfortable life that would be.”
Dick smiled, glancing up at the serene night sky and the brilliantly clear starry river stretching across the grasslands.
He murmured softly,
“Too bad we probably don’t have that much time.”
His voice was barely audible, nearly lost in the prairie wind. Jaid, engrossed in a discussion with sharpshooter Barath about bows and crossbows, didn’t catch it. But Nari, born from the assassin’s enclave and a skilled ranger with keen hearing, did.
She cast Dick a peculiar glance.
Since the journey began—no, ever since Dick spoke once with Sachil at the Lura Temple—she sensed a heavy burden weighing on him, as if some invisible force were relentlessly chasing the newly minted Brigadier Guard, leaving him no moment’s respite.
Coupled with Captain Targas’s stern orders for her, representing the assassin’s enclave, to accompany Dick in Krokuun in search of the legendary artifact, and the fact that two Grand Magistrates were personally invested in this matter, Nari felt an indescribable unease growing within her.
She could almost feel a storm forming before her eyes...
One fierce enough to engulf herself and everyone around them.
But her profession taught her to plan before acting, so she said nothing then, only pulling the reins tighter on her Tabby ram, racing across the endless grassland to keep pace with Dick, determined not to fall behind.
Though her riding skills were excellent, the Tabby rams of Krokuun were ferocious beasts, clearly unwilling to submit to “delicate” city riders. They constantly bucked and twisted, eager to throw these greenhorns to the ground as a “grassland welcome.”
Compared to these rugged creatures with curved horns, reputed to have fought shadow leopards in packs, the Tabby rams of Mak’Areli were docile as children’s toys.
True to his upbringing, Captain Jaid led them by the stars and the wind alone, without any aids, navigating accurately through the night. After hours of swift galloping, he successfully guided them to an entrance of the Petrified Forest.
Though it was past midnight, the group did not rush to enter.
They intended to rest briefly and summon Governor Haddon and his shaman apprentices.
Haddon hadn’t joined them riding Tabby rams across the plains, partly because the shamans needed time to prepare materials for navigating the Petrified Forest.
Also, as governor, it wouldn’t suit him to be out gallivanting with a bunch of young riders at night. If anyone saw that, the next day’s tabloids in Mak’Areli would be relentless.
Though Krokuun was the most destitute governorate in the Eredar civilization, Governor Haddon ranked among the top fifteen power players in the Eredar hierarchy.
Governors held real power over both military and political affairs. Moreover, Haddon’s millennia-long friendship with Grand Magistrate Velen and his unique status as leader of the shaman priests gave this humble local elder political clout few could imagine.
From this perspective, Dick’s starting point, as Haddon’s “adopted son,” wasn’t so low after all.
When Archimonde brought him from Krokuun to serve as head of security at the Arcane Academy, it was likely to use him as a political link to Governor Haddon, the “political crocodile.”
And that wasn’t even old Haddon’s limit.
According to the official history of the Dark Portal, centuries later, when the Dark Titans launched another corruption campaign against the Eredar, Governor Haddon had risen to become Chief Advisor to Grand Magistrate Velen.
He then presided over the Council of Governance, on par with Targas, ranking at the very top beneath the Grand Magistrate.
Though simple and unambitious, Haddon’s career was remarkably successful, his character as steadfast and unyielding as the horns of a Tabby ram.
Even after sacrificing himself to cover the Grand Magistrate’s escape—missing the chance to board Velen’s fleeing ship—he led Eredar who refused to submit to demons deep into the remote border mountains of Krokuun, persisting in a grueling two-thousand-year resistance against corruption on the polluted world of Argus.
His noble and unwavering spirit was the backbone of the Eredar civilization.
“Plant the totems!”
After a brief rest, Jaid confirmed the scheduled time by the stars, then retrieved two ancient totem poles crafted from precious gems from his Tabby’s saddlebag. He tossed one to Dick, and together they drove the elemental-imbued totems into the forest’s petrified earth before stepping back.
The twins, usually disdainful of such old-fashioned elemental traditions, curiously studied the energy changes on the totems.
Before their astonished eyes, the earth elemental vibrations resonated rhythmically, and with the trembling ground, Governor Haddon and seven shaman apprentices appeared as if teleported before them.
The mysterious, ancient elemental magic amazed the twins.
They had spent most of the night crossing the plains, but Haddon had traveled from Naslax Castle to here in mere minutes.
Almost like teleportation.
“The decline of elemental traditions is not because elemental power is weaker than arcane or holy light,” Dick explained, seeing their puzzled expressions.
“The main reason is ‘elemental attunement’ is a rare talent, even rarer than arcane affinity. Gifted children with magic tend to be recruited early by Arcane Academy subdivisions and led into a more structured arcane path.
“In contrast, the path of the elements relies heavily on oral tradition and natural insight, making it much more obscure.
“But I’m certain, you two ‘bad girls,’ if you dare to challenge old Governor Haddon, he’d have you crying in less than a minute—especially here, close to the cradle of civilization, where elemental power converges. This is the shamans’ territory.”
“Don’t flatter the old man, Diakum. The shaman way is fading, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.”
Governor Haddon was philosophical.
While directing his apprentices to gather the totems and calming the surrounding earth spirits to bless their journey, he remarked casually:
“Whether shaman, arcanist, or paladin, all who wield power paths are guardians of Eredar civilization. If the shaman’s decline leads to prosperity in other paths and races, I accept it.
“Take these two young ladies, their talents leave me in awe.
“Unfortunately, the elements don’t favor them—they’re too clever.
“Here’s a secret for you.
“The elemental spirits have never liked overly clever Eredar... perhaps because they were once exploited by the ancestor wizard Augurak.
“Legend says Augurak made a pact with the world to control the elemental spirits present since creation. But he despised their rebellious nature, and their wars brought disasters across the world.
“Knowing such instability couldn’t foster true civilization, he used them.
“He let the four elements reshape the earth’s surface through conflict, while stable, ancient energies born from the world itself arose beneath the ground.
“That was the origin of arcane magic!
“Augurak thus founded the Eredar arcane tradition, weakening the elements in their strife. He also found the ancient artifact Atama Crystal in the mountains of Mak’Areli, using it to defeat the unruly elemental lords, ushering Argus into an era of stability.
“Since then, Eredar civilization flourished.”
At this, Haddon paused, taking up a simple stone staff from an apprentice. Waving it rhythmically, he shared an ancient shaman tale:
“This forest is said to be where the ancestor wizard sealed elemental power. Augurak made a mysterious pact with the elements: the four elements would guard a sacred stone capable of communicating with the World Soul, until the day the World Soul awakens from its slumber in the stellar core. Then, the elements would be free to reshape their leader anew. Perhaps that freedom is now.
“Perhaps even tonight.”
“What are we waiting for then?”
Impatient Jaid, long tired of local legends, cracked his whip and urged:
“Old Haddon, let’s enter the forest at once, find the sacred stone, and awaken the ‘World Spirit’ beneath our feet. If that Dark Titan is as powerful as Diakum says, and its demons endless, then we warriors must rely on the World Spirit’s favor to stand against it!”
“Let’s go!”
Haddon nodded silently.
Time was pressing. He even skipped the traditional shaman rituals, waving his stone staff to envelop them in a miraculous “earth-walking” effect, allowing them to traverse the petrified forest’s paths fused with elemental energy.
Within ten minutes, they reached a canyon near the forest’s center.
But beyond this point, earth-walking would no longer work.
“The elements here do not answer my call,” Haddon said from the ground to the group emerging from the earth behind him.
“This canyon is where I once guided Sachil. According to ancient shaman traditions, we cannot enter this sealed land of primordial elements at will.”
“Old Haddon, this is urgent. Now’s not the time for traditions,” Dick urged, surveying the terrain.
“If you didn’t believe in the World Soul, you wouldn’t have guided us here. You realize the warning signs of crisis. We came for hope—how can we stop now?
“Sachil described this place to me!
“I need to find a half-exposed mountain terrace inside the canyon, near the ruins of an ancient temple, located at a mid-to-upper level of a cave labyrinth near the ridge. The terrace is an irregular triangle with four or five cave entrances—a transport hub.”
Dick precisely described the camp’s features. Haddon nodded, waving his stone staff to sense the earth, but with no elemental response, the old shaman resorted to a “forceful” method.
Skilled shamans were no weaklings letting elemental spirits run amok; their relationship with the elements was delicate.
When necessary, shamans could compel elements to aid them.
This offended the rebellious elements, requiring tedious pacification afterward to avoid the worst “elemental wrath.”
Dick’s accurate knowledge wasn’t from Sachil’s hints but from countless visits here.
Though the terrain would differ millennia later, the mountain range’s general direction remained. He knew the canyon was a complex cave system like a maze, where one could easily get lost.
But once the “Krokuun Camp” from his memories was found, he was confident of locating the tunnel hiding the “sacred stone.”
Indeed, this sacred stone appeared in the official Dark Portal lore!
But only in a minor quest line, easily missed by those disinclined to read texts.
Dick, however, was an “old hand” who couldn’t be fooled by such obscure details. With his precise “search parameters” and the earth’s aid, the old shaman quickly confirmed Dick’s described location.
“Everyone, follow me!”
Old Haddon brandished his stone staff and shouted:
“That place is very concealed, with many forks—don’t fall behind.”
They steeled themselves, entering the “forbidden land.” As the ancient legends said, even Jaid, a pure cavalryman, felt the oppressive elemental power surging around him.
The elemental power sealed by the ancestor wizard did not welcome these outsiders, perhaps because the elemental pact was not yet fulfilled.
The overactive elemental energy weighed heavily on Dick’s heart, quietly confirming a grim suspicion.
Silent, he followed Haddon deeper into the confusing cave maze, where they found the abandoned temple of Augurak.
The architecture was unmistakably ancient, from civilization’s dawn tens of thousands of years ago, but there was no time for archaeological curiosity.
After nearly twenty minutes of struggling over crooked ridges and through three complex cave systems, Haddon, pale from elemental resistance and needing support from Jaid and his apprentices, finally led them to the destination.
As Dick described, it was a semi-enclosed terrace with cave entrances in all four directions.
Dick stood facing due north, then turned southwest.
There, a small cave entrance only wide enough for one person slanted upward, cleverly hidden and easy to miss.
“Here,” he beckoned to the others, then was the first to crouch and enter.
The passage was narrow at first, forcing Dick to stoop, but soon it widened. After rounding a bend, all darkness was banished.
Before him stood a massive, irregular, milky-white stone, smooth as jade.
Opaque like crystal, elemental forces of wind, fire, water, and earth visibly swirled around it, while sparkling starlight encircled the sealed cavern, creating a dreamlike scene.
The sacred stone...
Though dozens of times larger than the human-head-sized stone Dick remembered, size was no issue.
This was undoubtedly the artifact.
A relic capable of communing with the slumbering stellar soul—perhaps better called a “Primordial World Artifact.”
At an ancient throne before the stone lay the decayed skeleton of an Eredar, preserved in a dignified pose even in death. Judging by its weathered garb, it was the ancestor wizard Augurak himself.
This was it.
The dreamland of Argus’s stellar soul, the birthplace of the Eredar, the destiny of the world and their civilization... he had found it!
“What’s next?”
Jaid, holding his whip, was neither shaman, mage, nor paladin—lacking the knowledge to decipher deeper meaning. After respectfully bowing twice to the sacred stone and the legendary wizard, he turned to Dick quietly:
“We’ve found the sacred stone and the mythic wizard. What now? Should we move the stone?”
“Next... we attempt communication.”
Dick removed his gauntlets and handed them to Tramont. He flexed his fingers, eyeing the sacred stone enveloped in ancient elemental power.
“Hopefully ‘Argus’ isn’t in a bad mood; otherwise, you’ll be saying your goodbyes to me next second. Not even the invincible holy shield would save me.”
“Is it really that dangerous?”
Farya, leader of the five, asked in surprise.
“Absolutely,” whispered Imira, the holy light priestess, explaining to her muscular companions:
“Brigadier General Dick is about to make spiritual contact with the World Soul. I don’t know what that entails, but imagine a child casually touching a shadow leopard’s tail. The gap between them is immense!
“One wrong move, even without malice, would shatter the general’s spirit instantly.
“This is a mythic life nurtured by an entire planet as a cradle—calling it a ‘stellar deity’ is no exaggeration.”
“According to shaman lore, only the ‘chosen’ can speak with the World Soul.”
Dick stepped toward the stone and said:
“The ancestor wizard shaped the petrified forest as it is now to isolate and protect others. The price for casually touching the sacred stone is dire, especially for the curious and unruly.
“Mortal notions of good and evil do not apply to such a towering stellar soul.”
“But Diakum, are you sure about this?”
Haddon, helped to stand after finishing his elemental prayers, looked worriedly at Dick:
“The elements here ignore us—they are ancient, likely placed here in Augurak’s era. This is just the first line of defense guarding the sacred stone and the World Soul. You could die crushed by the elemental spirits’ pressure, and we wouldn’t have time to save you.
“Since we’ve found the stone and confirmed the legend, shouldn’t we wait for the Grand Magistrates? With Velen’s exceptional spirit power, he might succeed in this communication.”
“No use,” Dick shook his head.
“Legend or demigod, mortals’ silly rankings mean nothing before the World Soul’s power. If Argus refuses to communicate, not even the Grand Magistrate with a Naaru can force it.
“You don’t think the World Soul will favor mortals for their worldly status, do you, Governor?
“It’s not we who nurture Him, but His generous allowance for us to be born and thrive on His shell. We must revere the great and approach this pilgrimage rightly.
“I dare say, no Eredar is better suited than I am.”
He wasn’t boasting.
If his past lives counted, he had many experiences communicating with the World Soul—though he wondered if Argus’s temperament before falling to the Void was as gentle as “Ai-chan’s.”
“Everyone, step back to a safe distance!”
Dick warned.
“No matter what happens, don’t approach recklessly. The World Soul’s power tolerates no offense. If I don’t turn to stone the moment I touch the sacred stone, that means contact succeeded.”
“I’ll bless you, child.”
Old Haddon patted Diakum’s shoulder softly:
“At first, I thought you came just to complete a mission. Now I’m sure you’re driven by a burning faith. We’ve come this far—no pressure. Do it like a Krokuun man: boldly and without hesitation!”
“Mm.”
Diakum nodded and slowly stepped forward, entering the flowing water around the sacred stone under watchful eyes.
He reached out to the stone, wrapped in shifting streams of red, yellow, white, and blue light. The moment his fingers lifted, visible flames, ice, wind, and earth enveloped his body.
The ancient elemental guardians of the World Soul were exerting their power—not to harm, but to warn and repel, like loyal bodyguards to a great lord.
Indeed, the ancient elements were the primal embodiment of the World Soul’s power—the oldest cosmic energy, capable of assuming all forms through endless combinations. Generally, the orderly arcane energy present in the physical universe was a derivative of elemental power.
Of course, arcane energy, elemental energy, and raw arcane force were distinct concepts, not to be conflated.
In Azeroth, elemental rebellions were often triggered by Void interference. Elsewhere, few elements dared directly oppose their creators.
At least on Argus, before Dick, the primordial elements remained loyal servants of the slumbering World Soul.
Dick clearly felt the mounting pressure.
The closer his fingers came to the stone, the stronger the elemental force pressed upon him.
This exponential pressure triggered a holy light reaction. The golden flaming “Naaru’s blessing” on his forehead flickered as his radiant energy emerged, countering and suppressing the elemental assault.
This was a trial.
It did not require great power from the supplicant, but they could not be a helpless mortal. Mortals couldn’t feel the World Soul’s rhythm and risked offending supreme power through ignorance.
“Look at Dick’s feet!”
Farya exclaimed, drawing everyone’s attention downward.
His hooves, legs, and tail were turning to stone—earth elemental bonds rapidly encasing him in rock.
Dick felt numbness creeping up his legs. Knowing this was his last chance, he gritted his teeth, resisting the crushing pressure, and thrust forward, touching the jade-like surface of the sacred stone with both hands.
The elemental power erupted in fury—a chaotic storm of wind, fire, water, and earth roared, shattering the totems stuck in the ground one by one. The twins’ shields tore as easily as paper.
“Do not resist! Do not fight back!”
Governor Haddon shouted:
“Retreat! Show no hostility! The ancient elements are judging us.”
Diakum heard the governor’s warning but had no time to heed it.
Before his eyes, dazzling golden runes sprang to life, arranging themselves to convey a vital message:
[WARNING!
Your actions now strongly affect the fate of Argus. The moment of destiny has arrived! “Holy Light Doctrine: Hand of Fate” activated! Force enhancement applied!
NOTICE!
You are contacting a special entity, classified as ‘Cosmic True God: Juvenile Form.’ Such beings are beyond fate’s river. Deep contact triggers the ‘Other Shore Veil’ supplemental protocol. Please make every choice carefully.]
“Hmm...”
The destiny choice enhancement instantly freed Diakum from the elemental bonds. Protected by the holy light’s power, he knocked lightly on the stone’s surface, as if tapping on the door of fate.
He said,
“Argus! Wake up—I’ve come to talk!”