Elisande said something to Arthas, then very naturally picked up food to enjoy, her movements skilled and effortless, probably a thick-skinned woman.
After the rich aroma and occasional exclamations, there was a burst of gobbling, showcasing the full enjoyment that delicious food brings.
This made Vashj even more perplexed. Was it really that good?
"Lady Vashj, come sit and eat with us. We have some things we can discuss," Arthas said with a hearty laugh. His face was hidden, but his enthusiasm was undeniable.
After a moment of hesitation, Vashj still sat down. She swore it wasn't because of the damned food, but because they had matters to discuss.
As for skillfully picking up and devouring the naturally roasted pork chops, accompanied by a bowl of rich, endlessly flavorful pork belly and chicken soup, those were merely incidental.
Watching the two beautiful night elf women, utterly lacking in decorum, patting their bellies and exhaling, clearly having eaten too much and feeling stuffed, was quite amusing.
"Those strange insects to the south are called Ahn'Qiraj insectoids, minions of the Old God C'Thun. They existed even before the troll-Insectoid War."
"For any living creature, their ultimate fate is to be devoured by them. The Old Gods' power is immense, and their ability to corrupt hearts is even greater."
"None of that is the main point. We should think about how to get from here to Ulduar in the north, Lady. What do you think?"
He briefly explained their origins. As for convincing them to wage war against the Ahn'Qiraj insectoids?
It was obvious that it was impossible. Arrogant elves might wage war, but without profit, they wouldn't easily move.
Vashj rearranged the strands of hair that had been disheveled by the breeze, hooking them behind her ear with an indescribably elegant and charming gesture.
"There's a Kaldorei city in this area. It's a huge library with a dedicated teleportation array that can reach near Ulduar."
"I need to warn you, there are many powerful beings in Ulduar. Don't do things like you did just now again."
"The queen will be displeased, and you may not fare well."
Still, she couldn't go three sentences without mentioning the queen, truly the most loyal Lady-in-Waiting.
Looking at her pure and ethereal beauty, which bore no resemblance to the Lady of Serpents she would later become, it was truly a pity for such beauty to be ruined.
She was stared at directly, with admiration and also regret in his eyes.
Admiration was understandable, but what did regret mean?
Was she not beautiful enough?
She might not compare to the peerlessly beautiful, elegant, and noble queen Azshara, but beneath the queen, she prided herself on not being inferior to anyone, not even Tyrande, the junior priestess of the elune Sisterhood.
Perhaps because of the Well of Eternity, night elf women were transformed to be very alluring; there was hardly an ugly one among them, all were beauties.
Their figures were also excellent, tall and sexy, with luscious curves, generous and rich, a feast for the eyes, exuding arrogance and sexiness from head to toe.
Unlike those who flaunted themselves on the internet in later generations, with words like 'money' practically written on their exposed skin.
They were natural beauties, without filters, pleasing to the eye.
As for the males, it was hard to comment. Perhaps they were okay, some rugged, some effeminate, but truly handsome ones might not exist.
"I know. I'm just going to take a look. Once I arrive, I can return to Zin-Azshari to see your queen, and you can report back and complete your mission."
Arthas smiled, but unfortunately, his appearance was obscured by his helmet, making him a mystery.
Elisande patted her belly, finally full and stuffed this time.
"It's not far from Eldre'Thalas. We can use the teleportation array there to reach the Northern Fortress."
Eldre'Thalas?
That was Dire Maul in later generations, where some surviving high elves lived, though their strength was mediocre.
The next day.
The four arrived at the Northern Fortress via a fixed teleportation portal. Perhaps they were in a hurry, or perhaps they didn't want Arthas to glimpse the secrets within, so they even skipped the stop-and-tour part.
Stepping out of the fortress, the cold wind was biting, the howling bringing a shivering chill, and snow began to fall from the sky.
The fortress was still a long distance from Ulduar. According to the map, it should be in the Grizzly Hills area.
Further north was Zul'Drak, the territory of the Ice trolls, and beyond that lay endless steep snow-capped mountains. At the end of the continent was Ulduar, the Titan laboratory.
The Kaldorei Empire's expansion only reached this far; going further would mean engaging in battle with the trolls.
Although they didn't acknowledge trolls as their distant relatives, there was no need to go to war with them at present. While there were good ore veins here, it was too cold!
Accustomed to a life of luxury, bathed in the arcane energy of the Well of Eternity, the night elves truly couldn't endure such harsh cold.
Even if this territory were conquered, there wouldn't be much profit.
The dragonblight nearby was quite good; dragon skeletons were excellent materials for spellcasting and alchemy.
However, after observing the dragons stationed there, it seemed that dragon bones weren't absolutely necessary; there were other substitutes.
"Flying about ten thousand li north should get us there. If all goes well, it will take about three or four days."
As the guide, Elisande was the only one qualified to say this, as she had once led The Legion in battle here.
Vashj had also led armies in battle, but she fought in the east.
"Then let's set off. The sooner we go, the sooner we can return."
Arthas mounted Sinestra's neck. He couldn't fly, and the summoned whelps weren't fast enough.
"Alright."
Vashj also led an Ice Proto-dragon as a mount. Relying solely on magic carpets for travel would likely exhaust them within half a day.
Games are games; in reality, magic carpets consume magic every moment and cannot last for long.
Elisande also led an Ice Proto-dragon. Although this mount was ugly and didn't quite fit the aesthetic style of the high elves, at least it was durable.
Speaking of which, Proto-dragons and Chromatic dragons were once the same kind, considered distant relatives.
dragons that had not been blessed by Titan power looked like Proto-dragons, resembling whelps with a pair of bat wings.
The stamina of these mounts was quite impressive, making them an excellent choice for long-distance travel. Plus, they could provide some assistance in combat, making them both good quality and affordable.
Another reason was that other beautiful mounts, like the hippogryphs used by the elune Sisterhood, were not suitable for the north.
Their living habits made hippogryphs unable to adapt to the severe cold here. With sub-zero temperatures, let alone carrying people, they would freeze to death themselves.
It was out of necessity that Proto-dragons were chosen as mounts.