Among the Wild Gods who all took bestial forms, Arthas was the most unusual. Aviana, the crow demigoddess, sat beside him. She looked no different from a human woman—skin white as bone—and smiled at him with a teasing glint in her eyes.
Demigods were flesh and blood, too; they felt joy, sorrow, love and hate. Picking a mate from a crowd of beasts was hard—if the spark wasn't there, no amount of merit could force it.
"Hello, I'm Aviana. In the War of the Ancients you fought splendidly and even saved my brood. I thank you from the bottom of my heart."
She inclined her head just enough to lift the spirits—enough to make a man swear eternal war on vice!
"It was nothing. Your young need your guidance. If ever you require help, speak up. I've never been good at refusing a beautiful woman."
Arthas cocked a brow—lush peaks, generous bounty; clearly the gods favoured him.
"Hehehe!"
Aviana raised a jade hand to smother her tinkling laugh. A snow-white wing brushed him, feather-light and ticklish.
"Then thank you in advance. There is something I need, but not today. In the Emerald Dream a greater threat awaits. When you have time, come to my roost—fine vintages, conversation till dawn, and if we tire we can simply sleep."
Sleep? The vegetarian sort or the carnivorous sort?
Vegetarian sounded dull; carnivorous, however, sounded very interesting.
Malfurion stepped to the dais; a single glance and every Wild God shut his muzzle.
It was respect for him, and for Elune behind him. Legend said the white stag Malfurion was Moon Goddess Elune's mate; together they had sired the half-stag Cenarius.
You might snub Malfurion, but you did not snub Moon Goddess Elune—she was a true superior deity, not a half-rate demigod like the rest.
"Friends, the Nightmare tormenting the Dream troubles us all. It corrupts dream-creatures and spills into reality; our young go mad, slaughtering one another."
"If we do not stop it, revival and return to Azeroth will be impossible. So let us unite and crush the Nightmare."
"We are all children of Azeroth; our mother suffers. For her sake and our own—who stands with me, who against me?"
For a moment no one spoke—neither yea nor nay.
"I stand with you."
Of course Arthas agreed; the crisis could not be dodged. Sooner or later the Nightmare would seep from the Dream into the Eastern Kingdoms. Every creature had to sleep, and in sleep the Nightmare gnawed at the mind, turning the sane into raving fiends.
It had to be ended; all Azeroth was at stake. Running was pointless—the Nightmare would find you eventually.
Like a core-blast that shatters the world. Homeless refugees fared worse than strays—look at the orcs; calling them strays was almost polite.
"I stand with you as well."
Beside him Aviana spoke. She disliked being unable to revive, and having met so intriguing a demigod, it might be time to consider a mate.
If the heart had stirred before, she would seize the chance—ten or eight offspring first, details later.
"We agree."
The brothers Ursoc and Ursol set down their honeycomb, licking sticky chops. Facing apocalypse, even bears grew serious.
"This old pig agrees."
Agamaggan, shrunk to common boar size, grunted. Brave piggy feared no hardship.
Not a single dissenting voice—those who might object had long since been struck from the rolls and banished from the Emerald Dream.
Malfurion nodded, a human smile flickering across his stag muzzle.
"The plan is this: we will hold the Nightmare at bay outside the Rift of Aln while Malfurion leads druids inside to slay its lord, Xavius, who grows mighty within."
He turned to Arthas and inclined his antlered head.
"I ask you to enter the Rift, help strike down Xavius and seize a fragment of his essence. The Nightmare must be slain in both Dream and reality at once to annihilate it."
"Fandral Staghelm already tracks Xavius in the waking world; with Queen Ysera's aid they can pin him. Tell us when, and we will strike together. Thus the Nightmare will end—peace for centuries."
Arthas nodded. No great bother. Hunting relics or solving riddles was tedious; playing executioner was simple. He never liked Xavius—a bootlicker. After learning the Way of Nature he would fix Azshara's form and perhaps step into demigodhood himself.
More importantly: offspring. Azshara had waited long; she deserved a child—the finest gift.
"No problem. I'm good at that."
True enough; compared with other Wild Gods he lacked polish, having ascended only by saving Azeroth.
Some laws only demigods understood—no tutor, no time to learn, hence his rough edges.
In short, he needed a teacher. He glanced at Aviana; she had the perfect look—stern instructress, classroom rewards, what could be better?
Aviana shifted under the stare—what was that look about? Nothing wholesome, clearly.
Malfurion rattled off tasks; every Wild God had a role—clearly long planned.
Had they waited for Arthas, or would they have acted anyway?
He did not ask; the answer did not matter as long as the job was done.
The gathering broke up; each departed to prepare. No songs, no dances—apparently none were fond of festivities.
The date was set for the third day; the next two days would be spent in preparation—loose ends to tie up, gear and items to collect. The spread of the Nightmare had become urgent, and it had to be dealt with while the demigods were gathered.
When the meeting ended, Arthas was invited by Maiev to visit Aviana's dwelling.
It lay on a cliff peak within Moonglade: a waterfall spilled down the mountain, green vines draped everywhere. The base of the cliff had been hollowed into a pool of crystal-clear water—and, oddly, it was hot.
The cascade above was icy, yet here the water steamed; it made no natural sense.
Moonglade was vast, home to many Wild Gods. Some shunned company and preferred solitary roosts; the druids kept these sites inviolate, feeling closer to any god born of nature.
Back at her Wind-Blade Crag, Aviana dove head-first into the pool, resurfacing moments later to flick green hair from her eyes. She gestured invitingly, her smile alluring.
"Forgive me—only in this spring do I feel the Nightmare's gnawing fade. If you two don't mind, join me."
Two harpy handmaids swooped down, setting a floating tray upon the water: a jug of wine and several plates of snacks—life's small luxuries.
Maiev glanced at Arthas and shook her head.
"Count me out."
She was already turning away when Arthas simply picked her up and tossed her in.
Splash! Maiev surfaced stunned. What was this? Aviana's invitation had been mere courtesy—offered only because Maiev was present, not from any real desire.
It was like a neighbor dropping by at dinner: the host politely says "Sit and eat," but the real message is "Leave now, you're in the way." A hint any sensible person would take.
Arthas changed into swimwear and stepped unceremoniously into the pool. Stone benches lined the side; leaning back, he found the rock oddly soft—some special mineral?
"The stone may not be that special."
Aviana smiled.
"Indeed—it's vine-jade rock, formed when plants fossilize. Vines still grow beneath, radiating heat to make this natural spring."
"You're Maiev, yes? Relax—we bear the Kaldorei no ill will. Perhaps you've guarded yourself so long you carry wounds. Set the armor down; speak if you wish. Silence can be its own prison."
Quite the little counselor, Arthas thought.
He nodded in agreement.
"Exactly. Shed the armor and enjoy the spring. If I hadn't thrown you in, you'd never have come. Loosen up—if anything happens, I'll take the first hit."
Maiev muttered, unbuckling her Warden plate. Only the man she liked could get away with it; anyone else would already be bleeding.
Reserved, shy, yet daring—hard to square with the Maiev of old. Ten thousand lonely years had shaped her, but things would mend, drop by drop.
"I feel I've failed you—done nothing to help."
Sentimental words; the Maiev of the past would never have voiced them. Love, it seemed, bred doubt.
Curious—and amusing.
Arthas admired the two contrasting bikinis; bold choices lifted the spirit. At her remark he gave a rueful laugh.
"Your strength isn't measured by that. Do what you can—no need to compete. By your logic half the world should die of shame for not giving their lives to save Azeroth."
"Relax. Joy itself is worth the price. You ease my loneliness—your presence is a gift."
"During the War of the Ancients, Sinestra did the same for me. She didn't need to fight—she only stayed. Companionship was what I needed most. Do you understand?"
He simply couldn't live without women; the Black Dragon Queen had been ecstatic those nights—pure bliss.
Maiev frowned. It sounded simple enough—any woman could fill that role.
"Anyone could do it, couldn't they?"
The waterfall kept falling, vanishing into the pool without raising a ripple.
Aviana, amused, lifted the jug and poured three cups. She drifted closer, resting a hand on Arthas's shoulder.
"A toast—join us, Maiev?"
They clinked glasses. The drink was light and sweet, more a wine than the fiery brew dwarves loved—suited to gentler tastes.
Arthas squeezed Maiev's shoulder and drew her over, resting her cheek against his.
"Stop fretting. I need someone I feel for; without that, numbers mean nothing. Companionship is tedious—thank you for staying."
"I'm not a one-woman man. If we love each other, I'll take you as mate and we'll have children. So yes—I like you. Feel lucky."
Gasp!
Shameless, rustic sweet-talk—so blunt it made her ears burn.
Maiev rolled her eyes, half moved, half mortified. What demon had possessed him?
Aviana listened, intrigued. She'd found Arthas pleasant; the invitation had been a test, and so far he passed.
Watch how a man treats those beside him and you know his worth. Her asking Maiev had been no whim—demigods were hardly love-starved fools, merely subtle.
"You two are an odd, delightful pair. I've seen many lovers, but your bond feels fresh—and good."
For Maiev, this night was the most impressive and unforgettable. Facing her inner self for the first time, worrying about her lack of strength holding them back, that hesitation made her feel uneasy and fearful.
This was also the night she opened her heart and truly gave herself without reservation to the man she had long admired.
During these three days, some of the Wild Gods went out, while others slept soundly in their nests.
Accompanied by Aviana, Arthas toured her territory with Maiev, listening to her explain the origins of becoming a Wild God. Many Wild Gods were deities naturally nurtured by Azeroth, carrying a trace of divinity.
Long before the War of the Ancients, the Titan Keeper Freya often took animals that had not yet become Wild Gods for walks. They settled in Un'Goro Crater and wandered around the surrounding areas.
Unlike other Keepers, Freya leaned more toward the side of life rather than order. Her definition of order was not as rigid as Odyn's, and most Wild Gods had a very good relationship with her.
Aviana was the same, though she was one of the first Wild Gods to come into contact with the Night Elves. Back then, she was just a messenger crow responsible for delivering letters to Elune. Over time, she developed divinity and awakened as a Wild God.
Before becoming a Wild God, she went through a long—no, an extensive—period of time to acquire divinity.
She couldn't say much about her insights into the Way of Nature, only that she was doing things to maintain the peace of Azeroth. Delivering letters was very dangerous; crows in the ancient era were not outstanding. There were Pterodactyls, Falcons, and other overlords of the sky. Crows were just ordinary creatures, at the bottom of the food chain, nothing significant.
Regarding the help the Way of Nature could provide, she could only speak of her experiences and insights. It seemed she naturally became a Wild God, and it was much the same for the others; they basically followed this pattern.
Hearing this, Arthas had an epiphany. Was it just about living long enough?
"Ding! Detected Aviana teaching the Way of Nature. Current progress: 50%."
It seemed he could learn just by listening to someone brag? This system really had something to it. It seemed that after the battle at the Rift of Aln, he could seek guidance from other Wild Gods.
As for cooperation, of course it was possible. These Wild Gods didn't much like staying in the Emerald Dream; it was just an area for awaiting resurrection. No matter how good the dream was, it was still a dream, and staying too long could drive one mad.
This wasn't just talk; it was said by the boar Wild God, Agamaggan. He had been here for ten thousand years and was nearly bored to death.
As expected, the area here was almost identical to the continent before the Well of Eternity explosion in the ancient era. The outer perimeter was the ocean, and whether the other side of the ocean circled back remained to be investigated.
It was worth mentioning that some areas were inaccessible even to Wild Gods, appearing to be sealed off. The Emerald Dream wasn't just this; perhaps this was only a part of it, with even more vast regions yet to be explored.
Maiev accompanied him like a virtuous little wife these past few days, mostly sitting aside listening to Aviana's stories. Her eyes would naturally fall upon the man before her; that broad back brought an infinite sense of security.
Her pale purple lips curled into a happy smile. She had never thought she would find a mate, and that he wouldn't even be a Kaldorei. Having her wish fulfilled, what was the next step? To be a supportive wife?
No, she planned to turn the Warden Force into her private army, hand over her work to her deputy, Cordana, and focus on conceiving. She wanted a child first; only with a child would her heart feel at ease.
In Kaldorei tradition, there was no concept of favoring boys over girls or vice versa.
Whether it was a boy or a girl, they were the same, each having their own direction of development. Neither was better than the other, and there was no saying that a married daughter was like spilled water; they were family from beginning to end.
Look at Tyrande's smug expression; wasn't it just because she had given Arthas a child? That's why she was never in a hurry. Even after meeting Jaina and Sylvanas, she always maintained a calm demeanor.
You say you are also Arthas's mate? But I have already given him a daughter. What about you?
That one sentence defeated everyone; this was the source of Tyrande's confidence.
To make a woman willing to bear children and carry on the lineage meant that she had already fallen in love.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
The Wild Gods assembled, accompanied by Druids. Dryads skipped ahead to clear the way, and owls stood guard nearby; everything proceeded in an orderly fashion.
There was little concept of time here. The sky would occasionally be emerald green, but most of the time it appeared dim. There were no sunrises or sunsets, only an unchanging firmament. No wonder Agamaggan said staying here too long would drive one crazy; it felt like a cage.
In the dark, Arthas seemed to hear the call of the world soul—a signal for help.
But he didn't know why it was calling for help; there was no further expression.
A patch of darkness suddenly appeared before his eyes, a crisscrossing zone where the sky looked gloomy. Beneath the gloomy sky, giant tree roots extended from all directions. Around them was a plain, with a pond on the left and a mountain fire erupting on the right. Mountains stood tall to the north, while whistling rifts lay to the south.
All the roots extended from every direction to the center, as if guarding or protecting something. Now, there was nothing in this area, only a mass of black mist that shouldn't exist and was out of place with its surroundings, looking very much like the Nightmare that shouldn't be there.
He clutched his head in pain. This was information transmitted to him by the azeroth world-soul. What was going on?
"What's wrong?"
Aviana noticed his abnormality. After spending a few days together, their relationship had become friendly. Her clothing was light, and she didn't have much guard between men and women; she was truly generous and bountiful!
"It's nothing. I seem to have heard some illusions. Do you think it's possible the Titans are lying to us, and everything we see is shaped by them?"
Arthas tried to ask. These Wild Gods had a good relationship with the Keeper Freya. Denying the Titans was equivalent to denying Freya. Freya's role was more like a nanny who raised these Wild Gods since they were young; their feelings were naturally deeper than average.
He originally thought Aviana would oppose such a statement, but to his surprise, she thought seriously after hearing it and nodded in agreement.
"It's possible."
"Huh? You don't think I'm talking nonsense?"
Hearing this, Aviana rolled her eyes in a very human-like manner and straightened her back, her movements creating a dazzling sight.
"Have you forgotten I am Elune's messenger? To let her favorite follower bear your child proves she thinks highly of you. So I believe what you say, but don't tell the other Wild Gods yet. They won't necessarily listen to you and might even start a fight."
"You could tell Malfurion and Cenarius; they are followers of Elune and will be more inclined toward you.
We believe in Moon Goddess Elune, not the Titans."
There were also gaps in belief among the Wild Gods. Since Aviana became a Wild God after being blessed by the Moon Goddess, she naturally believed in the Moon Goddess rather than those unknown Titans.
At this point, Arthas's gossiping heart burned. He leaned close to her ear, almost whispering intimately, his eyes fixed on her deep cleavage.
"They say Malfurion is the mate of the Moon Goddess. Is that true?"
Aviana turned her head and happened to kiss him. It was very soft and brief. She turned back as if nothing had happened, but her neck quickly flushed pink, unable to hide her embarrassment.
"I don't know. That's what Malfurion says, but the Moon Goddess has never appeared, nor has she descended upon Azeroth. It's a higher form of blessing, using Malfurion's body to create a brand-new life. If you must say 'mate,' I suppose it counts.
"Just listen to that; don't go spreading it. He always identifies as the Moon Goddess's mate; he's a smug, face-loving old fellow. If you expose his claim, he'll attack you in a fit of rage."
Maiev watched this scene from behind. In the past, she would have spoken out in provocation. But now that her wish was fulfilled and she had truly become a mate in soul and body, she was quite open-minded.
Arthas also acted as if nothing had happened, as if the little interlude just now didn't exist.
"Ahem, the other Wild Gods must have some guesses too, but they just can't beat him, so they don't say it, right?
"
"That's how it is. Anyway, just don't say it out loud. If he likes being smug, let him be. It just so happens there are many things that need him to do; isn't it good to give him some motivation?"
Aviana blinked playfully. Everyone liked being lazy, but things had to be done. Compared to the carefree Wild Gods, the father-son pair Malfurion and Cenarius were truly models of hard work—no, they were workaholics.
Talking and laughing along the way, by their time estimation, only five days had passed. After five days of traveling without rest, they finally reached the area.
Upon arrival, the Druids didn't idle. Instead, they coordinated with Cenarius to begin setting up a magic circle, arranging it around a giant world tree to compress the surrounding Nightmare back.
There was a huge crack on the world tree, ten meters wide. Inside was deep darkness, with mist swirling in a vortex. Inside was the Rift of Aln.
Aviana also went to set up the formation. Wild Gods didn't need much rest; even after fighting for a day and a night, they could still maintain enough energy.
The Dryads collected unique dew. This dew contained a special essence, similar to the Night Elves' Moonwells, capable of healing wounds and mental fatigue. It was very miraculous.
Arthas sat on the grass, taking out frostmourne and using a cloth to wipe the rune engravings on it, looking toward that deep darkness. Next, he would enter the Rift of Aln to kill Xavius. That place was absolute Nightmare territory, with home-field advantage; Xavius's strength might have already surpassed that of a Wild God.
High or low strength only meant different difficulty levels; it wasn't the key factor in deciding victory or defeat. Any powerful being could be killed in a strange way by a creature with lower strength. It was just very difficult, and ultimately, it depended on the outcome of the battle.
"You stay outside with Aviana. If she needs to fight, stay at the edge of the formation. Do not leave, and remember, do not rush out. The Nightmare will deceive people's hearts and might even transform into the image of your dying brother to lure you away. Just remember, no matter when or what the situation is, do not leave the protection of the formation."
Seeing the man's serious gaze, Maiev's heart stirred. She nodded firmly, stepped forward to hug him, and kissed him without avoiding the onlookers.
"I know. I won't hold you back. I will work hard to be a mate who accompanies you."
Not being able to help but also not holding him back was the absolute minimum. An incompetent teammate was just incompetent, but a "pig" teammate could truly be the death of others.
Just then, a whisper came—a sneering anger.
"Jie jie jie, you senseless beasts. Just because people outside call you Wild Gods, you think you're actually deities? Senseless beasts, lowly ants."
"Wouldn't it be better to just keep struggling? Why come to my kingdom to die? Heh, very well. I will turn you into prisoners of the Nightmare. Come forth, my servants, and tear them apart!"
In an instant, the originally peaceful emerald forest suddenly changed its style, becoming crimson and hideous, with scattered bloodstains and dried dark red patches. Strange eyeballs appeared on many tree trunks, constantly turning. When stared at, a chill rushed from the soles of the feet to the top of the head, and an uncontrollable fear spread through the heart!
Thud, thud, thud!
Every step brought a tremor to the ground. In the distance, corrupted ancient trees stood up. These trees, symbols of wisdom, were covered with the dark red marks of the Nightmare, and their trunks were filled with dense eyeballs, making one feel nauseous.
Beside the ancient trees were some corrupted Nightmare Treants, very similar to the Treants summoned by Druids, but with a different skin.
The Dryads were also corrupted by the Nightmare into Nightmare Dryads. Their four hooves turned dark red, and the spears in their hands emitted an unsettling aura.
Nightmare Spiders, Nightmare Grove Wardens, Nightmare Lashers, Nightmare Mist-Walkers, Nightmare Faceless Ones, Nightmare Imps, Nightmare Satyrs, and Nightmare Demons all made their appearance. Most of the life races, seen or unseen, were there.
And leading them was a giant Nightmare Dragon—Eranikus!
He was Ysera's mate, one of the oldest Green Dragons, now corrupted into a Nightmare Dragon and a lackey of Xavius.
No wonder Xavius would boast about keeping them all here. Looking at the Nightmare monsters covering the hills and valleys, even with numerous Wild Gods present, this would be a tough battle!
"Azeroth is with you!"
Arthas held frostmourne high. Holy Light, which should have been impossible to appear in the Emerald Dream, descended from the sky, piercing through the gloomy clouds and falling upon every member of the allied forces, dispelling the chill and restoring confidence and courage.
"Beautifully done!"
Aviana was the first to praise him. Her impression of this man was very good. If there was a chance, after her resurrection, visiting his kingdom would be an interesting affair.
"Arthas, Malfurion, you two enter the Rift of Aln to defeat Xavius. Leave this place to us. With me here, these monsters won't get in to hinder you."
"For Elune! Everyone, hold your ground! Do not leave the formation!"
"For Elune!"
The Druids cast Shapeshift one after another. Some turned into Great Bears to act as tanks, some into Moonkin to deal damage using the power of the Moon Goddess, and others maintained their original forms to act as healers using natural power.