Gou is a dark elf in Warhammer

After arranging everything, Eltharion began to stand on the deck like an outsider. Perhaps because he had seen many big scenes, his figure was out of tune with the tense atmosphere before the war. Amid the whistling sea breeze and the rustling of sails, he seemed calm, indifferent, and even a little detached.

He reached out his hand and gently soothed the silent beast beside him - his comrade, his close friend. As if sensing the coming war and killing intent, his friend was folding his wings slightly and mumbling softly. He slowly stroked the tough feathers on his friend's neck, his fingers were a little cold, but his movements were extremely gentle.

Then, he suddenly laughed out loud, and his smile revealed a bit of complexity, a bit of relief, and even a bit of bitterness as if he knew that fate had played a joke on him.

Like fate or something, after going through so many experiences, Eltharion finally chose the griffin in a passive way. He still named his partner "Stormwing". As for whether it was the one in a certain timeline...

Princess Azora, the daughter of Prince Eldir of the Kingdom of Terrenloc, said with emotion when she went to Elsin Arwen to rescue the Daughter of Eternity: "I envy Eltharion's mount very much, and I also admire the loyalty of that monster to him."

The griffin, this creature, is a miracle of nature and magic.

They have sharp heads like birds of prey, wild but elegant golden pupils; lion-like bodies and limbs, allowing them to move between the air and land like hunting gods. Their broad and powerful wings are enough to easily stir up storms in the sky and sweep up dust on the ground. They are not just beasts, but also judges on the battlefield.

Griffins are precise and elegant killers. They do not kill out of anger, nor do they kill out of greed. They are calm and deadly, but never kill indiscriminately. They are not cruel beings, but the embodiment of extreme efficiency.

Their beaks are hooked, as sharp as a moon blade, and can easily tear through armor; their front claws are made of steel, and they are like swords when fighting with enemies. In their spare time, they will repeatedly grind their claws on rocks to keep them sharp - a primitive but wise habit.

The Griffins of Ulthuan Crater are creatures of noble bearing and extraordinary intelligence. Their wild appearance may make strangers mistake them for just another beast in the mountains, but all Asur know that these creatures rarely show their brutal nature as long as they do not harm the beings they regard as kin. In the Elthalin language, the word "Griffin" can also be translated as "wild perfection", which aptly reflects the deadly elegance of this creature.

If you want to tame a griffin as your partner, you must find the eggs and be present when the cub breaks out of the shell. It is best if there are only the cub and the partner, and the partner must leave a first impression on the cub. But this is only half the battle. From then on, feeding, training, running-in, and coexistence must be done by the partner alone. The whole process is full of dangers and challenges, and the loser may even be directly attacked by the cub.

Of course, this partner refers to human beings.

The elves, however, have a slight advantage in this regard due to their natural affinity with wild animals. They can capture griffins when they are young and establish a long-term spiritual and emotional connection. Once this bond is formed, it can never be severed unless one party dies.

It seems simple, but it is not simple at all. How to find eggs and cubs is a big problem. Griffins often choose extremely secluded and steep mountains as their territory. Their hunting grounds are hundreds of kilometers in radius. Their eyesight is extremely amazing. They can easily catch a flying bird several kilometers away, let alone a team of intruders.

If you are crossing the griffin territory normally, the griffin will not bother to pay attention to you. But if you are an invader, you will be finished whether they do anything to you or not.

As for domestication and breeding... domesticated griffins are very difficult to breed. The breeding method of cats and dogs does not work on griffins. After all, griffins are one of the smartest beasts. In addition to being loyal, fully trained griffins can even predict various commands. In addition to being smart, they also have their own dignity and pride.

Originally, Eltharion had no intention of going to the crater to look for a mount. During that time, he had almost completely absorbed himself in the war preparations. He was completely focused on training the army, organizing the troops, and replenishing the troops. He knew that time was running out, and he didn't have the time.

however……

On a dreamless morning, he was awakened from his light sleep by a strange noise. A guest appeared in the courtyard of the watchtower and asked to see him by name.

In the center of the courtyard, a giant eagle with wings spread out and a magnificent body stood quietly in the morning light. Its feathers were interwoven with golden brown and copper red, as if the sun was burning in the air. Only its head was a sacred pure white, like a snow-covered holy peak. Its cold eagle eyes looked around, and many Asur who were confused were surrounding it, in awe and confusion.

What’s even more shocking is that there is not just one.

Beside him, there are two giant eagles that are almost equally powerful, noble and beautiful. They are not ordinary creatures, but Erashil, Aerith and Irian, the descendants of Talion, the legendary "King of Eagles". They are the freest and most mysterious bloodline in the sky of the crater.

The one who came to visit and asked to see Istharion by name was Elathil.

Without any greetings or any mysterious prophecies, it told Isharion directly in Elsalin that it would take him to the crater to meet some friends.

Thus, an adventure story worthy of being sung by bards began.

During that journey, Eltharion stood on the top of the crater's wind ridge for the first time, and flew with eagles for the first time. He saw the giant eagles communicate with each other telepathically, and witnessed how they established a short mental bridge with the griffins, sharing their power and will, and constructing a unique "resonance field".

When he returned to the courtyard, he was holding a griffin cub that had just hatched and whose wings were not yet fully grown. The cub stared at him with bright eyes, full of trust and attachment. His brothers and friends were either holding griffin cubs like him, or had become partners with the giant eagle, which made his father very envious.

This incident also earned him great prestige. After all, Ellahil specifically called for him, not anyone else.

From then on, Eltharion possessed the "Storm Wings".

Not by chance, but by choice.

A gift heavier than a present, a bond harder to avoid than fate.

As a product of the fusion of the forces of chaos and order, griffins are not creatures that evolved naturally. They grow quickly, can carry people to fly at the age of three, and can go to the battlefield at the age of five. Their lifespan... no one knows, because most griffins die in wars and bloody battles before they are old.

Their appearance also varies. Most griffins have a hybrid appearance of birds and large cats. Some have tiger stripes, while others have leopard-like spots.

And Eltharion's "Stormwing" and his brother's "Thunderwing" can be said to be the big guys among the griffins. They are the largest, most fiercest and most kingly type of griffins - the tiger-striped griffon.

Whenever Eltharion recalled all this, it always felt like a dream that was not real. The process was too dramatic, the development was too abrupt, but the result was undeniable.

More than once he thought of what Dacus had said to him: "You have potential."

This also always reminded him of his journey to the Temple of Asuryan and his time in Naggaroth.

Perhaps, all his choices had already been quietly put into place on the chessboard of fate, but he had not noticed it at the time.

The smile had not yet faded from the corners of Issarion's eyes, but his gaze had already been cast towards the distant sea. Above the vast expanse of blue, a heavy and murderous aura was quietly gathering.

The fleet has completed the final formation change.

In the early morning light, three huge Great Eastern-class cruise ships stood steadily at the front of the formation like three mobile sea fortresses. They each led a column, piercing the southwest sky in a triangular shape, like three sharp blades about to pierce the enemy formation, quietly gathering strength and ready to roar at any time.

Next to them are ten Druch warships. These warships are not arranged densely, but are distributed on the left and right wings of the Great Eastern-class cruise ship, staggered in a column of two ships, interlocking layer by layer to prevent any leakage.

This Druchi fleet was the spearhead of this attack, the first blade to cut into the enemy formation, split the enemy fleet's defense line, and tear apart the battle situation at sea.

The second layer of the formation was the Asur Fleet. Unlike the sharp and cold Duruchi, the Asur Fleet was more elegant, but it was a fatal elegance. The ships were mainly blue and silver, gliding quietly on the sea like morning stars in the waves. Although these ships were not warships, they were more numerous. They would not compete for the first merit, but would only strangle the enemy with a thunderous force after the enemy formation was broken, turning chaos into an end and expanding the breach into destruction.

The entire joint fleet is like a steel behemoth, with triple breathing, triple will, and one link after another. The construction of the vanguard, center army and harvester has been completed.

On the sea, the sound of the tide was no longer gentle, as if sensing the approach of war, the waves began to surge.

The sea breeze blew up the flags, and the horn had not yet sounded, but the will to fight was already surging in the air like thunder and lightning.

It was as if this was not a fleet, but a long sword of divine punishment that was about to strike down, unsheathed and unstoppable.

After watching for a while, Eltharion's gaze moved towards the stern of the ship. He saw that the spellcasters were already in position at the other end of the deck.

Kaia, Aedanna and Anurion formed a triangle structure, standing in the center. Around them, a circle of weavers, spellcasters and storm weavers had formed a formation. Kailier and other spellcasters were in the outer circle, surrounding several heavy boxes lifted from the raider.

Caryl was squatting there, opening one of the boxes. As if she had sensed something, she raised her head the moment Eltharion looked at her, and glared at him like an arrow, as if warning him, or venting her remaining anger, before retracting her gaze and continuing to focus on her preparations.

Eltharion just shook his head slightly. He knew that Caryl was still upset about everything that happened before, but...

The next moment, the box was completely opened.

Several blue or green mystical balls were exposed to the sea breeze, like stars falling to earth, emitting a faint but pure light. The halo of the ball spread, reflecting every inch of the deck's texture, and also lengthened and distorted the shadows of the casters. The blue-green glow was like the awakening of the wind of Gillen and the wind of Aegir.

Eltharion took a deep breath, turned around, and nodded to his brother who had already calmed down Stormwing - everything was ready.

At this moment, on the deck on the other side, several key figures were forming a circle of resonance around the outer circle of the ceremony.

Marin, "Daughter of Fire" Leandra, the woodland lord Delina from Anmir, as well as the woodland lord Morana from Modren and the woodland lord Arida from Tierses who stood on the side of Daxus in that battle, stood together on the periphery of the formation.

Further away, a figure in an emerald green robe stood as still as a mountain. It was Terra, the current prophet of Athel Loren, the new generation of forest revelator after Liv. Her gaze was tranquil, yet it could penetrate the veil of time.

The spell weavers and spellcasters formed a circle, and inside and outside the circle, magic arrays and energy converged like the tide. The entire ship seemed to have become a part of the ritual, a carrier of power.

Others like Zoya, Evelynn, Heglia, and Tavarria need to continue to defend Athel Loren as forest lords, while weavers like Med Tomalin cannot leave Athel Loren because of the need to protect it, a bit like Ivan guarding the Golden Pool.

Of course, the biggest star is not these spellcasters, but the demigod, the walking incarnation of Hoeth, Salir! His presence alone slows down the sea breeze, the sea surface is like a mirror, and even the wind of magic bows its head.

The wind of Gillen exists in the vast ocean, but it does not spread evenly throughout the seawater like the wind of Aegir. It concentrates locally and forms clumps, giving rise to the prosperity of life and bringing colorful seaweed forests and jellyfish kingdoms.

In the places where Gilun is most concentrated, the seawater that carries it can be given life and consciousness - the sea element.

Wild sea elementals are terrifying beings, and though they are infused with the winds of Gillen, they are not gentle or merciful in their disposition. They are violent and ferocious, reveling in their own power and vitality, often causing harm to those who stand in their way. They delight in destruction, destroying ships and summoning whirlpools. They attack sailors with a ravenous fury, sweeping them into their own churning waters and drowning them.

After the founding of the Imperial School of Eight Winds Magic, the legend of the Sea Elementals sparked a heated debate among the mages of the Emerald Academy. Some believed that they were related to the Rusalkas, nature spirits that manifested in the form of living water. Others speculated that they were the elemental incarnations of Gillen, the ancient and superior will of the sea.

However, regardless, human mages, who serve as second-in-command, have never been able to develop a ritual that would allow them to summon sea elementals, although some mages claim to have briefly bend them to their will.

In fact, the inference of the Jade Academy mages is correct, but they only mastered certain theories, not to mention putting them into practice. Practice is as far away as the stars, out of reach, and ultimately can only wander between pages and words.

Things were different on the elves' side. When Serene was active in the Palace of Flowing Water, it was filled with water fairies who kept her company. As the daughter of the sea, summoning sea elements was a piece of cake for her. It was as simple as breathing, flowing like instinct, like an echo flowing in her blood.

Kaia, Adianna and Marin learned a lot from Master Xia during their study in Chapeiuto, and they learned even more from Serene. Every class is a spiritual contact with the sea; every meditation is the ups and downs of the soul in the waves.

Summoning sea elements is one of them, and the sea elements summoned are different from wild ones. They are stronger and more controllable, not as violent as wild ones. They are no longer raging disasters, but conscious wills, willing to go with the summoner.

A week ago, Marlene had the idea of ​​summoning sea elements, but she was in the ocean desert area at the time, where the energy was thin and the water breath was intermittent. Later, for various reasons, she gave up the idea.

just now……

As the syllables of the chanting fell, circles of light blue ripples began to rise in the magic circle, like water waves on a mirror, rippling outward layer by layer. Each ripple carried the rhythm of the magical wind, stirring up a mist-like glimmer in the air.

Dark clouds gathered in the sky, and the originally clear sky became dark and heavy as if suppressed by some will.

The next moment, the sea responded to the call of the sky.

The entire sea surface began to rise, and an invisible force expanded underwater, as if the thousand-year-old slumber of the seabed had been disturbed. The turbulent waves rose up around the ship, and the sound was low and grand, like an ancient chant echoing in the ears. It was not an ordinary wave, but an echo from the abyss, the whisper of the sea itself.

In an instant, the water around the fleet seemed to be drawn away by an invisible force, gathering, swirling, and rising. A ball of pure blue water rose from the sea surface and slowly condensed into shape.

At first, they were just translucent water masses, floating in the air like souls. Then, their outlines began to become clear, and gradually the shapes of heads, torsos, and limbs emerged, but their shapes were not fixed, like waves, or like wave columns twisting in a storm, carrying the power of tides and the breath of the ancient deep sea.

The sea element was born.

The surface of the creature was constantly surging with ripples, and it seemed as if it contained the pressure and anger of the entire ocean. It opened its eyes, and its azure blue pupils were without pupils, but bottomless, as if anyone who looked at it would instantly fall into the loneliness and eternity of the seabed. It had no words, but the movement of lowering its head seemed to be an acknowledgment, indicating that it had accepted the call from the elves. It was the embodiment of an ancient contract, a mysterious bond between the Storm Weaver and the ocean that had lasted for thousands of years.

Afterwards, more water columns rose up one after another, two, three, five... A total of five sea elements nearly twenty meters high appeared on the left and right of the fleet. Their sizes were slightly different, some were as smooth and heavy as the tide, while others were as sharp and turbulent as the waves, but this did not prevent them from being like the messengers of Matheran.

Then, the sea elements arrayed around the fleet started moving, rushing towards the sea where the greenskin fleet was like an arrow from a bow. The waterway was cleared by these elemental spirits, and the surging undercurrent was guided into a sharp blade. They slid into the sea, turned into killers in the tide, and rushed towards the enemy at a speed beyond common sense, tearing a gap and clearing obstacles for the already moving elven fleet.

The wind began to swirl, and the sea began to hum. This was the wind's lament, the water's appeal, and the moment when the prayer between the sky and the sea was answered.

This is the embodiment of the oldest and purest bond between elves and the sea.

And this is just the prologue. (End of this chapter)