Chapter 698

Chapter 698: Return to Dalaran

Like Vereesa, Jesse hadn’t expected Azuresong Mageblade to be restored by Malygos using his own scales. The scales of the Dragon Kings were incredibly precious; every one that fell from them was exceedingly rare. It was even rarer for a Dragon King to personally select one to craft a weapon.

Jesse should have known this. After Grim Batol’s destruction, he’d actually thought about scouring the ground for Deathwing’s scales…

…that had truly been wishful thinking.

Thanks to Vereesa securing the help of the dragonhawk knights in Dalaran, Jesse could stay in Lordaeron a few extra days and spend more time with his parents.

He could sense it—despite his father constantly complaining about his mother’s family being annoying, and his mother always dreaming of escaping this place, Lordaeron was still the land that had raised them.

Having tasted all its sweetness and bitterness here, leaving brought an indescribable feeling.

So, Jesse couldn’t bring himself to rush them. After all, when he’d first arrived in Stormwind, he hadn’t expected to buy such a fine, suitable house within just three to five years.

He’d originally thought he might have to struggle right up until the Scourge invasion, with his family only willing to move once they felt the plague closing in. And that was if things went smoothly. Trying to earn enough through work… they might well have ended up renting a place together. Of course, once the Scourge ravaged Lordaeron, renting would have seemed like easy living by comparison.

With time far more plentiful now, there was no need to force a quick departure. It was better to let them prepare mentally and pack properly.

After roughly five or six days in Tirisfal, Jesse and Vereesa sailed back to Dalaran. Arriving at Dalaran’s harbor on the afternoon of December 16th, they found the city’s Feast of Winter Veil celebrations already underway.

However, Jesse and Vereesa were eager to see Amy and check on her progress learning Sympathy, so they skipped the street entertainments run by goblins and gnomes.

Truthfully, before coming to Dalaran, Jesse had thought about taking Vereesa to enjoy the festivities, but any enthusiasm for that had been thoroughly dampened by that incident with the stone-skipping in the royal city’s canal.

He couldn’t give the Ranger-General another chance to show off.

That evening, the two knocked on Amy’s door. Amy answered almost instantly, pulling them inside and shutting the door swiftly. She poured tea in silence, sat down, took a deep breath, and looked at them. "I know what you did."

"You actually… defeated Deathwing? When I first heard, I could barely believe it. Deathwing? The father of black dragons? That ancient evil who’s threatened the whole world?"

Frowning, Amy pressed, "Jesse, do you know *what* Deathwing is? If you did, you couldn’t have said nothing when you saw me before. Vereesa Windrunner… same for you. You couldn’t possibly not know who Deathwing is?"

"How could we not know?" Vereesa replied. "Deathwing appeared and destroyed half of Grim Batol with one spell, turning valleys into burning hellscapes… Dozens upon dozens of whelps and adult dragons attacked him, yet he emerged almost unscathed. At that moment, no legend could match seeing it firsthand. I’m sure Jesse’s understanding runs even deeper than mine."

Listening to Vereesa, Jesse felt transported back. His bootless feet seemed to burn again from charcoal and ash, Deathwing’s voice echoing once more in his mind.

The voice of death, doom, and betrayal. — *I give you one last chance, Seso…*

"Let’s not talk about this."

"Huh." Amy paused, startled. Vereesa looked over too.

The words had burst from Jesse almost without thought. Immediately, he knew his tone had been too harsh. He wasn’t facing Deathwing now, but Amy Malin, kin in all but blood.

Damn it, what was he doing?

He glanced at the scar on his arm, now utterly devoid of power, and sighed softly.

"I’m sorry," the female mage murmured. "I thought you’d be happy, having overcome such a foe."

"I *am* happy," Jesse said. "I survived that catastrophe. Most importantly, Vereesa and the others survived too. It’s not that I don’t want to talk to you, or that I think what we did was insignificant. It’s just…"

Jesse wouldn’t admit he was running from the memories. Even though Deathwing’s shadowy disturbance had long faded and his scar no longer hurt, some wounds didn’t vanish just because they’d healed.

Amy said, "Maybe my experiences pale next to yours, but I think I understand. After returning to Stormwind from Nethergarde, I lay awake night after night, those demons… Anyway, forget that. Sorry, Jesse. You came about Sympathy, right? I think I’ve almost got it."

"Only a few days?!" Vereesa gasped.

"How long did it take you to learn magical tracking from the Reliquary?" Jesse asked.

"A good while," Vereesa answered, then quickly added, "Though I wasn’t learning it *just* for Kalimdor with you."

Amy allowed herself a slightly smug smile. "Alright, I admit I’ve neglected my usual studies lately, focusing entirely on magical tracking. A bit of a detour, but worth it, I think."

Jesse asked, "How do you know you’ve mastered the spell?" "Don’t ask, Jesse," Amy deflected. "I just know."

"Understood." Jesse nodded.

Amy cleared her throat. "So, who do you want me to track?"

Jesse took a sip of tea. "Specifically, a Quel’dorai. A Magus."

"A *Magus*?" Amy looked between them. "That… is no simple task."

"It isn’t," Vereesa said. "That’s why we need you, Amy. But you don’t need to take risks hunting for his magical items to trace him. Just enter the Grand Library in Dalaran and help Jesse find… Actually, Amy, can you access the section holding the Council of Tirisfal records?"

"I can," Amy confirmed. "I have clearance for that part of the library."