Chapter 784

Chapter 784: The Angry Flames

In Ironforge, day and night were indistinguishable, but the liveliness outside indicated the time; the more bustling it got, the later it was. When the whole city quieted down, it meant morning was near. When the noise returned, it suggested it was almost noon.

Jesse took off his shirt and followed Rueg into the room where the Dark Iron puppet was located. He could still hear the sharp laughter of dwarves occasionally erupting from the narrow window.

Rueg looked at the scars on Jesse’s body and said, “You didn’t quite match my idea of a human mage; you resembled a warrior or an adventurer instead.”

“I really wasn’t much of a mage,” Jesse admitted.

The dwarf shrugged and said, “Yesterday, it had been simple to have the flames help enchant your weapons. After all, fire elements always want something to burn. Today, we’d try something tougher: summoning fire elements to protect you.”

Malin had mentioned that using Arcane energy to control fire elements to destroy enemies was easy, like with the Scorch Curse or Fireball. However, forming flames into a Fire Protection Barrier was something else entirely.

“So what should I say?” Jesse asked.

Rueg replied, “You can try saying, ‘Endul, Windar, Logar, Menita.’ This means, ‘Flames, please appear and protect me.’”

“That didn’t sound too hard,” Jesse said.

Rueg chuckled, “Making requests is always easy. You might as well ask King Bronzebeard for a jewel from Azeroth and see if he granted it.”

Jesse nodded and gazed out the narrow window at the flickering flames. He closed his eyes and intoned, “Endul, Windar, Logar, Menita,” seriously experiencing the process of communicating with the unseen fire elements, trying to sense their presence in the air as if truly conversing with someone.

He felt warmth spreading around him, and when he opened his eyes, streams of flames were already swirling about him.

This reminded him of the Fire Protection Barrier Malin had released, though it wasn’t as brilliant and even seemed… thick.

“The fire elements instantly fulfilled your wish!” Rueg exclaimed in surprise. “I don’t understand; did you secretly offer some sort of tribute to the Fire Lord? Do you know other Dark Iron Dwarves?”

“Want to know how I did it?” Jesse asked.

“Of course!” Rueg said. “Even among the Dark Iron Dwarves, few are favored by the flames, especially not many in the Thorium Brotherhood.”

As the flames gradually subsided, Jesse extended his hand and said, “For thirty gold coins, I’ll tell you.”

Rueg put on a stern face, and Jesse added, “Or let me take that elemental language dictionary with me.”

The dwarf said, “I’m just curious; if you don’t tell me, I won’t lose anything. Maybe it’s because I can’t do it myself. Don’t think you can trick me, you sneaky warlock.”

“Then I won’t say a word,” Jesse replied.

“Can you sense the fire element responding to you?” Rueg asked.

“I had a vague feeling that as I finished that prayer, it was as if someone was answering my call,” Jesse said.

Rueg warned, “I’ll tell you again: that wasn’t a chant. Strictly speaking, it was a prayer, a wish. If you treated it as a chant… this would severely hinder your communication with the fire elements. It’s my fault; I shouldn’t have compared it to a chant before; that was a teaching error on my part.”

“Here’s the deal: I can tell you the prayers that I or other Pyromancers use to summon flames for protection. However, now that you already found the knack for conversing with flames last night, I’d prefer you seek their help yourself. Since you don’t yet understand the language of Kalimdor, you can express what you want, and I’ll help you translate it into the elemental language. Then you can try repeating it.”

Jesse pointed at the puppet and said, “Help me translate this: Flames, destroy that Dark Iron puppet.”

Rueg laughed and replied, “I don’t think that will get a response, Seso. It sounds like a command; there’s no respect in it. Elements appreciate respect, which is why our prayers are always respectful… I can help you adjust it a bit.”

With that, the Dark Iron Dwarf raised both hands and briefly called out something in the elemental language, then stretched out his palm toward the puppet. Instantly, a fireball erupted from the puppet, sending out black smoke and showering sparks that burned for a moment before disappearing.

“Flame Shock,” the dwarf introduced. “It was quite similar to the phrase you wanted me to translate. If we removed the respect… ”

He raised his hands again and shouted a shorter sentence, releasing Flame Shock toward the puppet again. This time, aside from a gust of hot wind, the puppet faced no attack.

Rueg sighed, “Being rejected by the flames feels quite uncomfortable; you can experience it for yourself.”

Jesse nodded and called upon the fire element with the respectful prayer Rueg had revised, raising his hand and pointing at the puppet. Embraced by the fiery warmth, he felt an intense flame gather from the air, causing an eruption centered on the puppet, which vibrated in response.

Though its power didn’t match Rueg’s summon, Rueg still nodded in satisfaction and said, “Not bad, not bad! This was exactly how it should be. You really were a good candidate for being a Pyromancer, Seso, and Ironforge was indeed a great place to learn to become one! Now, you can try without the respect; you must also get used to the feeling of the fire elements occasionally not responding to your summons. At that time, remember to rely on yourself.”

“Flames, help me destroy that puppet.”

Jesse said it in Common first, then repeated it in the elemental language Rueg had spoken the second time, pointing at the puppet. As he communicated with the fire again amid the heat from deep within Ironforge, he sensed the flames’ emotions!

He clearly perceived the flames’ disdain and their unwillingness to help him, but they were not silent; it wasn’t a lack of response.

The fire elements expressed their feelings through the rumbling sounds deep within Ironforge — they disliked his command and his attitude.

However, Jesse still felt a sudden surge of heat surround him, accompanied by fiery insults and reprimands hurled at the puppet before him, and this explosion was even more intense!

Boom!

The armor plate fell off the puppet’s chest with a clang, startling Jesse, who was still experiencing the fire element’s emotions, and even shocking the dwarf.

This Flame Shock was far more powerful than what Jesse had attempted to release before, but he also clearly felt the heat of the fire withdrawing rapidly from him.

“The elements are angry, Seso.” The dwarf leaned out the window to look outside. “Your disrespect has angered the elements!” Jesse replied innocently, “I just wanted to try… and I was doing it based on your guidance.”

“I honestly thought the elements wouldn’t respond to you at all!” Rueg sighed. “But it’s not a big deal; you can try to seek the elements’ forgiveness. I believe this is only temporary. After all, elements only expect something from you, so when you disappoint them, it’s because most fools have no capital to anger the elements!”

“So what should I do?” Jesse asked.

Rueg answered, “Wait for a while to calm the flames’ anger, or perform a simple sacrificial ritual to appease them. We definitely didn’t have time to do so much today, Seso. Why didn’t we call it a day here? I was a bit hungry and wanted to eat something. Don’t be in such a rush; I’m honestly telling you that your progress was already quite impressive. Perhaps it was because you had previously learned some fire magic, or maybe the fire elements were scared of you, afraid to defy your commands… In any case, communicating with elements was chaotic; their moods could be unpredictable. I’ll clean up this room; you can step outside.”

“One more thing,” Jesse asked, “Have you heard of a spell that can reveal a transformed black dragon?”

“Uh?” As Rueg picked up a broom and leaned against the wall, he said, “A spell to reveal a black dragon? I don’t know, but I do know there’s an ancient spell that can suppress black dragon magic, capable of breaking black dragon illusions. That spell should also dispel their transformation; is that what you mean?”

Jesse couldn’t say for sure; he was completely clueless about the spellstone he had only encountered a little in the game.

The dwarf continued, “Shadowforge City is at war with the Blackrock Orcs who have occupied Blackrock Spire. Somehow, those Orcs managed to find black dragons to assist them… So, Shadowforge City has been searching for ways to suppress the black dragons. They obviously have some clues, and the news has reached us, but we’re merely a group of blacksmiths and merchants, knowing no more than the folks in Shadowforge City. Why? Is a black dragon planning to get revenge on you?”

“Not yet, but I have to consider that possibility,” Jesse replied.