Chapter 786

Chapter 786: Dark Iron in Bronzebeard

Fire Affinity and familiarity with the fire element were two different things.

Jesse learned this slowly after arriving in Ironforge and meeting this Pyromancer from the Thorium Brotherhood, gradually picking up the elemental language and speaking with the elements.

The blessing of the Red Dragon Queen gave Jesse strong flame affinity, but that didn’t mean he could quickly understand or talk smoothly with the fire element.

The fire element was willing to answer his call and obey his commands, but how they understood those orders and carried them out precisely needed better familiarity. This was what Jesse needed to learn from the Dark Iron Dwarves.

But according to Rueg, for a while, the flames might not respond to his calls.

In that case, he might as well control fire with Arcane. After all, whether it was the Scorch Curse or Fireball, even if the power varied each time, he could always cast them as long as he had magic left.

Compared to that, elemental power seemed too unreliable. No wonder Dalaran had little interest in the Shaman path. Still, just one or two simple tries didn’t prove much.

The strongest Shamans could shake oceans, move mountains, and summon fearsome elemental lords like Ragnaros the Fire Lord or Al’Akir the Wind Prince.

Giving up after just one Flame Shock and making a Fire Protection Barrier showed impatience.

Besides, the Arcane path was tough for Jesse.

The next noon, Jesse and Rueg went to a tavern outside. It was the lowest tavern in Ironforge, matching the dirty, cramped, and rundown look of that level, nothing like the cozy little taverns in the upper lodging area.

The dwarf patrons here looked stern too, some even unfriendly.

Living with this Dark Iron Dwarf, Jesse had almost forgotten his skin and hair color. But entering the tavern, the Bronzebeards all glanced over at once.

Rueg didn’t seem to care. He sat down scratching his neck, the rough sound grating in the sudden quiet.

He looked up at the counter—no one was there, the sommelier gone.

Jesse sat across from him and whispered, "I want to try calling the elemental power again."

"You’ve angered the elements; they won’t answer this time," Rueg said. "But I agree you should try. You haven’t really tasted rejection yet, have you? Even when you upset them… they at least responded."

As he spoke, the Dark Iron Dwarf spotted a female dwarf sommelier at the counter. He waved and asked, "What’ll you drink, Seso?"

"Light beer," Jesse said.

"Good choice," Rueg said flatly. "Ironforge light beer’s different from others, so same for me."

"Then two black breads and a bowl of meat soup, any meat," he added to the sommelier. "I heard Ironforge has a famous dish called haggis."

"Haggis," Rueg said. "Just lamb guts stewed with oats and whatever spices are handy. Nothing special. What’s special about lamb guts? Their Dun Morogh has plenty of goats."

"You think we don’t understand Common?" a dwarf nearby snapped. "Sorry," Rueg raised a hand. "Just complaining."

"Being allowed in Dun Morogh is Magni Bronzebeard’s mercy!" a Bronzebeard Dwarf warned.

Jesse didn’t grasp what happened at first. He thought the Bronzebeard was mad because Rueg implied Ironforge dwarves were like goats. Then he realized it was a Dark Iron Dwarf mentioning Dun Morogh.

Another dwarf said in Dwarven, "Behave, Chestnut!"

Rueg smiled and nodded slightly at him. When things calmed, he muttered, "Sorry, Seso, I should’ve held my tongue."

Jesse stayed quiet. As an outsider, he shouldn’t stir more trouble.

Two dwarves nearby whispered. Jesse thought he heard "Thorium Brotherhood," but he wasn’t sure—he’d only learned Dwarven for a week.

The awkwardness felt long, but time flew. The sommelier brought the beer and food fast.

Rueg dipped bread in the meat soup and ate. After the goat remark caused trouble, Jesse lost interest in Ironforge’s haggis. He just ordered wild boar jerky and black bread for a quick meal.

Ironforge food was sweeter and saltier than Stormwind’s, leaving his mouth feeling off.

But worse was the silence from the Dark Iron Dwarf opposite him.

As the tavern grew lively, Rueg stayed quiet, finishing his food fast, gulping his beer. Jesse, used to chatting while eating, felt uneasy.

After eating, they left quickly, hurrying back to their place.

Once downstairs, Rueg yelled Geya’tan’s name, threw his clothes on the stone platform, rushed into the room with his succubus. Low growls and moans soon came from inside.

Jesse ignored him. He decided to try calling the elemental power again, aiming for rejection as the Dark Iron Dwarf suggested.

He went to the puppet room at the hall’s end. Using the prayer Rueg taught him, he called the fire element for destruction. As he shouted, he felt hot power gather again—less strong and sure than before.

Jesse swept his hands, slamming flames onto the puppet. A thud shook it, joints creaking.

Though weaker than his last Flame Shock, it felt stronger than his pure Scorch Curse.

Thudding footsteps came from behind. Rueg ran over and asked, "What happened? Did you hear that noise? Where was the blast? The Great Furnace? We’re right under it—if something’s wrong, we’re doomed!"