Azeroth, is that the name of this world? Is it Azeroth?
Tulani's gaze unconsciously turned again to the charred lands of Blackrock Mountain and Burning Steppes. Although it seemed that Azeroth had also suffered a catastrophe similar to Draenor when viewed from here, the Soulbinder truly felt that this world was not merely as it appeared before her eyes.
"You said you saved me? But why did you save me…?"
Tulani didn't know how she had traversed the dark cosmos to arrive on another planet, but she could imagine that accomplishing such a feat would certainly not be without a price.
She didn't know who exactly rescued her from Agona Pool, nor did she know Arthas's purpose.
But to expend such great effort to save a stranger could no longer be explained by kindness and benevolence. Even Tulani, who believed in the Holy Light and had a pure heart, couldn't help but harbor suspicion and doubt regarding Arthas's intentions.
However, Arthas was surprisingly direct with Tulani, "Perhaps you've also thought of it. Indeed, your identity is very helpful to our cause. This is half the reason why my Death Knight rescued you from the pile of demons."
Her identity?
Tulani was somewhat unable to understand Arthas's words. What identity could she have? A Draenei priestess, an Auchenai, or a Soulbinder? But these identities were not special or noble, and after Auchindoun's destruction, she was just an ordinary priestess.
She truly didn't know what someone like her could be wanted for. Even if she were captured by demons, her fate would be to be immediately killed and her soul thrown into a furnace as fuel.
Arthas saw Tulani's confusion. He walked to the Draenei's side with his hands behind his back and said in a calm tone, "Are you wondering what identity you have that could be exploited? It's actually very simple, because you might be the first Draenei to enter Azeroth with both your mind and body intact."
Tulani was clearly stunned for a moment, but she quickly pressed on, "Are there other Draenei in Azeroth besides me?"
Apparently, in the entire sentence, she only focused on Arthas's implication that there were other Draenei in Azeroth.
Arthas nodded, "This is not incomprehensible. When the orcs first invaded Azeroth, they also brought a large number of Draenei prisoners of war. It's very normal for some of them to have escaped during the chaotic process of the Orc invasion and defeat."
"Them? Are they okay?"
Tulani held a glimmer of hope. Arthas clearly knew that there were Draenei living in Azeroth, so perhaps this portion of her compatriots could still be found.
But soon, Tulani was dealt a blow.
Arthas shook his head this time, denying Tulani's idea, "The torment the orcs inflicted upon the Draenei, the hardships during their escape, and the harsh environment of the place where they currently live—most of them have already lost their minds."
"Lost… their minds?"
Tulani shivered suddenly. She suddenly realized what Arthas might be about to say.
"Without the protection of the Holy Light and magic, how could a group of unarmed prisoners of war survive in a harsh swamp? Moreover, they had Orc pursuers behind them at that time, and the orcs had not been completely defeated. Furthermore, the swamp they were in was inherently a perilous place."
Arthas's words extinguished the last glimmer of hope in Tulani's heart. She could well imagine the suffering her compatriots endured during that period, eventually becoming one of The Lost Ones.
"The Lost Ones, Broken, that's what you call these guys, right?"
"They? They are still our compatriots." Tulani said this with hardly any conviction. She hadn't forgotten how her own people had driven those who underwent strange changes out of their camps.
The reason why Draenei become The Lost Ones and Broken remains a mystery to this day. Even Prophet Velen is unclear why these Draenei suffered such hardship, and there is no way to reverse this change.
It's like a malignant disease hidden within the Draenei race; no one knows when it will erupt in someone's body, twisting a beautiful Draenei into a "hideous" monster.
Due to her unique experiences and identity, Tulani had previously encountered The Lost Ones. Unlike the Broken, who are more thoroughly corrupted and have almost completely lost their minds, acting purely on instinct, most of The Lost Ones still retain noble hearts. It is only the changes in their bodies that cause them immense suffering.
Just imagine, anyone, for unknown and irreversible reasons, turning into a deformed monster despised by everyone. No matter how kind or noble you are, you would still feel the ostracism and hatred from others.
Therefore, some Draenei felt both sympathy and fear towards The Lost Ones, because they didn't know if they would turn into the same deformed creatures by approaching them.
But Tulani was very certain that this "curse" of The Lost Ones was not spread through contact. It was something that even Prophet Velen and the scholars hadn't figured out, so it was even more impossible for her to fully understand it.
She only came to this conclusion through her own personal experience—many Draenei refugees who fled with her inexplicably became The Lost Ones. If this were truly a contagious malady, she should not have been spared.
But the fact was, Tulani remained normal, not becoming deformed and ugly.
Regardless, when this kind Soulbinder heard that her kin, stranded in Azeroth, had all become The Lost Ones or Broken, she still couldn't hide her sadness and disappointment.
"They finally escaped the clutches of the orcs, why must they still endure such a fate… Holy Light… please tell me…"
Tulani murmured a prayer, calming her somewhat negative and dejected emotions.
"If the Holy Light could truly tell you the answer, then Prophet Velen wouldn't be equally helpless about it."
Arthas's single sentence made Tulani's face turn pale with surprise. She stared intently at Arthas, seemingly not understanding why this human knew so much about Draenor and her people.
At the same time, she couldn't help but interject, "The Holy Light may not be omnipotent, but it still brings us hope in our most desperate moments."
Arthas smiled upon hearing this, casually raising his hand, "The Holy Light might become a faith, but it's not that it brings you hope, but rather your hope summons the Holy Light."
Tulani first blinked in confusion, and then she saw a scene she could not believe at all.
A pure, bright, and flawless light rose from Arthas's palm, slowly ascending into the sky until it disappeared into the thick clouds.
Just then, a gentle breeze stirred, and the patch of clouds illuminated by the Holy Light rising from Arthas's hand was slowly parted by the light, revealing the clear blue sky behind the clouds.
Tulani was stunned, unsure if it was from seeing the long-unseen blue sky or from witnessing the Holy Light summoned by Arthas.
This Draenei "prisoner" rubbed her eyes and incredulously looked at Arthas again, "So…"
She had been wondering why she felt an inexplicable closeness to Arthas; it turned out he was also a wielder of the Holy Light!
Arthas didn't speak for the moment, merely looking up at the scattered clouds: it seemed Ragnaros had indeed rolled away and could no longer affect the climate of Burning Steppes.
After a while, Tulani finally couldn't help but ask, and it was a barrage of questions, "You also believe in the Holy Light? But why did that Death Knight call you His Majesty? What exactly do you want me to do?"
"Don't worry," Arthas said slowly upon hearing Tulani's questions, "I will answer them one by one, but let's talk about your situation first."
Tulani nodded. After discovering that Arthas could also summon the Holy Light, she suddenly felt less resistant. Perhaps it was because she believed deep down that someone recognized by the Holy Light would at least not be an evil person.
"What I want you to do is very simple: convey my greetings to Prophet Velen and invite him to Azeroth."
This plan of Arthas's made Tulani a bit slow to comprehend. After an "hmm," she stood stunned for a long time before hastily replying, "Let me see Prophet Velen… but I am just an ordinary Draenei. Why would the Prophet see me? As for your other request, I can't help at all."
To her surprise, Arthas was not discouraged. Instead, he took Tulani's arm, and with a gentle pull, he unlocked the magical shackles on her, allowing Tulani to once again call upon the power of the Holy Light. The Arcane ring that translated languages was considered a gift.
Tulani flexed her wrists and hands, and she also realized that she could once again receive a response from the Holy Light. The restrictions Onyxia had placed on her no longer existed.
"Aren't you afraid I'll escape or attack you?"
Arthas almost wanted to laugh. Tulani must not be young, yet she gave off such a naive impression? Logically, a Draenei who had experienced the Shattrath massacre and various subsequent events should be full of caution towards strangers.
"Since you consider yourself a follower of the Holy Light, you wouldn't harm your savior. Moreover, during this time, aside from forcibly keeping you here, we haven't done anything to coerce you."
Arthas said naturally, "Your identity is very special, and you cannot move freely in Azeroth. After all, you are a creature that has never appeared in the public eye of Azeroth, which is why I had Onyxia keep you under control and also check if you could adapt to Azeroth's environment."
So, the blood and tissue samples taken from her were for this purpose?
Tulani always felt her experience was a bit fantastical. She was imprisoned by a "woman" who looked evil, and a terrifyingly oppressive Death Knight stood guard, yet the boss of these people turned out to be a kind-faced paladin?
Thinking of this, she immediately used the Holy Light to thoroughly examine her mind, to see if she had been blinded by some evil magic.
Arthas also didn't speak, just watched Tulani summon the Holy Light, watched her cleanse her mind with the Holy Light, and then watched the Holy Light's glow gradually fade.
"No magical influence, right?" Arthas said, and without waiting for Tulani's reaction, he continued, "As for Thassarian—that Death Knight currently guarding the entrance to the terrace—he was once my loyal subordinate and died fighting against demons."
"Fighting against demons… Could it be…" Tulani seemed to finally understand the root of all the problems.
"As you thought, we and the Draenei share a common enemy, which is the Burning Legion. I think this reason alone should be enough for you to talk to the Prophet."
"The Burning Legion…"
This hateful and despicable name was etched in the heart of almost every Draenei, and they were the source of all calamities and misfortunes.
However, Tulani replied somewhat dejectedly, "Perhaps you are not lying, but, as I said, I am just a very ordinary Draenei. The Prophet is busy with affairs and hardly has time to see me."
"He will see you." Arthas replied with conviction this time, his words becoming serious and unquestionable, "Because only by working together is there any hope of defeating the Burning Legion. Or do you want your compatriots to live out their lives forever in that world that could be destroyed at any moment, or on those few spaceships?"
Tulani's spirit tensed involuntarily. She noticed that Arthas's aura was completely different from before; she was almost overwhelmed by the power emanating from Arthas, making it difficult to breathe.
"No, perhaps you won't even be able to barely survive, because the Burning Legion has already set its sights on the shattered Draenor. Do you want to continue barely surviving in a Broken world, or choose to join us and utterly defeat those damned Legion scum?"
The rapid-fire questions made the Arcane bracelet's power flicker almost incessantly. Tulani was stunned by what he said, but she couldn't shake the feeling that Arthas wasn't speaking to her directly, even though she was the only one in front of him.
Just as this strange thought flashed through Tulani's mind, Arthas's tone suddenly softened. He returned to his initial amiable demeanor, though his conviction remained firm, "If you understand this point, then the Prophet will definitely see you, Tulani."
Tulani pursed her lips. She didn't know why Arthas was so certain, but she still replied, "But I also need to return to my own world first and find my people."
Arthas looked at her and said slowly, "It won't be long. Until that day comes, you will stay with me. That way, at least your safety can be guaranteed."