Chapter 711

Chapter 711: Andorhal

Andorhal sat on a peninsula surrounded by a great river. The grain trade from Tirisfal and Eastweald passed through here, making it a prosperous town during the Arathor Empire.

By now, it had grown into a sizable town. Compared to it, Goldshire seemed like a small village, and even Moonbrook paled in comparison.

The Holy Light Cathedral in the town was a well-known landmark throughout Eastweald, standing opposite the town center as one of the two tallest buildings.

Just after crossing the bridge, Jesse saw the lovely clock tower and the distant spire of the cathedral. Upon arriving, his first move was to stash away his rings and change clothes.

His noble blue Stormwind attire made him too conspicuous. He found a small inn on the town’s edge, booked a room, switched to old clothes, tucked away the black dragon’s cloak, and put on the mountain lion hide cloak from his bag.

When he stepped out again, night had fallen, and a cold rain started.

The rain felt icy, like shards of ice or small hail. Quel’Thalas was far behind, and the Sunwell’s power was long gone.

Pulling up his hood, he walked over soft, cold mud along several streets. Most people hurried home. Gray stone walls, wet stone and wooden buildings, ancient crumbling homes, wide streets, and cracked stone bricks paved long ago surrounded him.

Jesse wandered street after street, paused by the river, and used Detect Demon to search for traces, but found nothing.

Did the warlock’s servant avoid rainy outings?

As he walked, he spotted a general store and decided to buy a candle. Inns here didn’t provide as many common items as those in Dalaran.

Jesse wasn’t in Andorhal for honorable deeds and avoided using Light Spell or other arcane means for light. His arcane talent left easy-to-track traces. After tracking Dar’Khan with Amy in Dalaran, he knew to stay cautious when hiding his identity.

"Buy a candle, boss," Jesse said, stepping inside.

"From the royal city? Here, have two," the shopkeeper replied, eyeing Jesse. "Hey, heard the king was sick?" Had he caught the Tirisfal accent?

Jesse realized he was helping Ursula hunt demons. Since Ursula wanted local warlocks to know Stormwind was involved, he should act the part.

He needed to watch his accent.

"Yes," Jesse said. "With the paladins and bishops’ help, he should recover soon."

"So, not serious?" the shopkeeper asked, pulling out candles.

"Not serious," Jesse said. "I heard he was even holding a banquet in the palace."

"By all that is holy, some good news at last," the shopkeeper said. "Heard about Khaz Modan? The one called Ger… Grim Batol." Jesse added.

"Yes, that name, the orc-occupied fortress," the shopkeeper said. "Heard it was destroyed, which should be good, but the orcs think King Terenas II sent mages to do it, so they summoned demons and cursed the palace. Now it seems just a rumor. Hope our kingdom survives this calamity. Orcs, dragons, now demons—who knows when it ends."

"Haven’t heard of palace demons," Jesse said, glancing at him. "But I heard demons lurk in Andorhal."

"Demons? Impossible," the shopkeeper said, shaking his head hard. "Likely another rumor."

Jesse stared briefly, and the shopkeeper grew uneasy.

"Well, I heard a Dark Iron Dwarf lives west. Dark Iron Dwarves love strange things, and over time, it turned into demon rumors. Andorhal is peaceful; no evil monsters ever, not even orcs dare cause trouble in the forests. So, I wish these outsiders would leave… not you, sir. I mean dwarves, elves, those odd folk."

"I agree, including those red-robed Arathi in the southern forests," Jesse said, taking the candle. "But… for the Alliance. Thanks for the gift, boss."

The shopkeeper smiled. "For the Alliance."

Andorhal’s west was more prosperous than the east. Jesse thought the Dark Iron warlock would hide in a poor, obscure spot, so he searched the east harder but found him active west.

Since it wasn’t midnight yet, he decided to search west. Greed waited south and said he could wait two or three days, but Jesse didn’t want him sitting idle.

Despite a better lead, Jesse found nothing.

Andorhal wasn’t Goldshire; he couldn’t just walk a street and use Detect Demon easily. His detection couldn’t cover the whole area at once, so missing something was normal.

Greed might really laugh at him.

Time passed, and Jesse grew tired. Then he spotted a large inn-tavern up the street, bigger than his small eastern inn.

It sparked game memories—the Andorhal inn ruin housing the bronze dragon Chromie.

Chromie couldn’t be there now, and demons likely weren’t inside, but Jesse still went in.

He entered the hall, removed his hood, and scanned. It was packed; rain-soaked people leaned on walls and windows, watching.

The tavern was old but spacious, smelling of damp earth and sour wine. Uneven floor tiles were covered in mud and water. The owner and customers shouted in thick Eastweald and Stromgarde accents in Common, with loud drunken laughs now and then.

Though Jesse had never been to Andorhal, it felt like coming home.