Chapter 16

(POV Neptulon "The Tide Hunter", Water Elemental Lord)

"I can make you equipment that can help you increase your defense, control, and powers over water. In return I only wish for your blessing, Water Lord."

So that's what you want. My blessing in exchange for a powerful team...

"I SUPPOSE YOU WANT SOMETHING ELSE, BURNING STONE."

"In order to make you the equipment, I will need the stones and earth from the deepest part of the ocean. This will ensure that its power is tied to water and cold. If you can get them in large quantities it would be best, for I must experiment a bit to make sure the material is as desired."

So he also wants the stones from the deep... It's dangerous to give weapons to my enemy.

"Lest you worry, I promise to swear under your blessing, that I do not desire control over elementals, none of them. My only desire is to protect Azeroth from all dangers that may lurk there."

He's sincere, but I still feel like there's something he's not telling me...

"WHAT ARE YOU HIDING FROM ME, BURNING STONE. I KNOW YOU'RE NOT LYING TO ME, BUT THERE'S MORE".

I watched curiously as he seemed to be thinking. I knew there was something else, but what is it?

"I have seen that after the darkness enslaves us, it will be a long time before they are confronted and defeated. One of them will die and the rest will be imprisoned, but the darkness will never leave this world. I must make sure that Azeroth is not in danger, and I will, I swear it!"

I felt he was sincere, but he was hiding more.

"WHAT ELSE ARE YOU HIDING? THAT YOU DON'T FINISH TALKING".

"I'm afraid I can't talk any more. For I have not seen, for a long time."

That's true... He hides more things, but it doesn't matter. For now I'll settle for knowing that he won't get involved in the power struggle.

"VERY WELL, BURNING STONE. I'LL BRING WHAT YOU ASKED FOR, BUT YOU'D BETTER NOT CHEAT ME OR YOU'LL SUFFER MY FULL WRATH."

"I wouldn't dare, Water Lord."

True, but it still doesn't say it all... This guy is worse than Al'Akir.

"I'LL BE BACK IN A WHILE WITH THE MATERIALS YOU ASKED FOR. UNTIL THEN STAY CLOSE, BURNING STONE".

I confirmed his acceptance and left. It's time to check if this guy is trustworthy.

(POV A manipulative mind that still doesn't understand that he's not fooling anyone)

*SIGH*

"Repenting so soon, Earthforge?".

Mother Stone's question took me by surprise.

"I have no regrets, Mother Pétrea. I just find it difficult to deal with you.

Mother Stone stared at me for a few moments and then said to me.

"There is more to what you have said despite telling the truth. What are you hiding, Earthforge, why do you not wish to tell?"

"If I'm being perfectly honest, I fear that changing what I've seen could lead us all to a worse fate. I want to protect Azeroth, I must protect Azeroth! My life, my dreams, everything! depends on Azeroth being safe. I apologize "Mother Stony", but I am not yet strong enough to change everything that will happen. Still, I want you to know that I will give my all in my fight for the world, and so will I."

Looking her straight in the eyes and trying to convey as much sincerity as I could.

"For keeping everyone safe. Please believe me, Mother Stone."

She looks deep into my eyes. I'm sure she's looking for something, however slight, to doubt me. But what I have told her is true. I'm not ready to change the entire future without irreversibly influencing history, to the point where I may end up wiping out Azeroth because of my foolishness.

"I believe you, Earthforge. But tell me one thing. What does Azeroth mean?"

What... it can't be that they don't know the name of the world. I, I've always believed that they knew the name of this world and its meaning. I was even curious and planned to ask them at some point about it. At no point is it explained what "Azeroth" means, but I remember that it all started with a realm, then a continent and in the end the titan soul, or in short, the world itself. But it was never specified what it means, nor since when the world is called that... Not that I know of at least.

*SIGH*

It doesn't matter. Since I have changed this, I might as well make it up. So I turned to look into her eyes once more, and told her what I have always thought it meant.

"To me Azeroth means, "Hope" and "Home".

That should always have been their meaning. For all heroes in the future have always fought for Hope, but beyond that, they have always fought for Home.

...

A long time later.

"I HAVE HERE WHAT YOU ASKED FOR, BUT I WILL WARN YOU ONE LAST TIME. IF YOU HAVE MADE ME DO ALL THIS JUST TO TRICK ME THEN NOT EVEN THE PROTECTION OF THERAZANE CAN SAVE YOU FROM MY WRATH, BURNING STONE".

"Don't worry so much, Water Lord. I'll keep my promise, I'm just afraid you won't keep yours."

"HAHAHA, YOU WON'T FOOL ME WITH THAT, HOT STONE. BUT I WILL PLEASE YOU AND BLESS YOU FIRST, SO YOU KNOW YOU CAN NEVER ESCAPE ME!

*sigh* it's better this way.

"It would be advisable, as it would help me to find the best way in which water can be affected and amplified."

"THEN HAVE MY BLESSING, UPON THE OATH WHICH THOU HAST SPOKEN. NOW THOU SHALT BE BOUND TO THY WORDS FOREVER, THOU FIERY STONE".

I felt a great amount of power coursing through me. A new power had begun to manifest in me. I had to concentrate on controlling it and guiding it as I wished for this clash of elements would make me unstable, at least until I obtained the other two blessings.

I was unsteady because my flame was now weaker than water. For the blessing of an Elemental Lord, whose powers are almost divine, are not to be trifled with. If I were a normal elemental I probably couldn't have sustained all this power, but since I talked to Therazane my control over my bodily power increased, and now it's at medium level. Right now I can take this imbalance and maintain it thanks to Therazane's blessing. Using his blessing, I place the fire below and the water above, creating a momentary balance. Until I receive the others, I will be like this, unbalanced and unstable.

*SIGH*

"Thank you for your blessing, Water Lord. Now if you will excuse me, I will begin to fulfill my promise."

I absorbed the materials he brought me and locked myself inside a mountain that "Mother Stone" had made for me. Of course, I had asked her permission and also apologized before doing so. Although now that I have this blessing I think I can more easily control the heat I release.

Neptulon had brought me a lot of materials, but not enough to allow me to keep many for myself. But I don't need too many. Now just by having them near me I'll know directly how to make that kind of mineral and it also allows me to increase its hardness, flexibility, or amount of certain minerals in its composition. All this thanks to the blessing of "The Stony Mother", which apparently gives me many advantages in my forge and makes it easier for me to change the shapes.

Hahahaha, from now on I will be able to create my stone body as I prefer without needing elementals to increase its elemental flow and resonance. I just need samples of all the most powerful minerals in their realms and elements, so I can recreate them. With some time of course. But all this can only be given by the Elemental Lords.

Anyway, now I will concentrate on these materials.

...

It took me a while to improve the materials Neptulon had brought me. This was the fault of my lack of practice and control over my new power, but nothing that a few days didn't solve the problem. I was experienced in controlling elements, and getting used to a new one would only be a momentary problem.

As soon as I got used to it and acquired enough practice I started to evaluate the stones and minerals of the deep oceans.

Thanks to the fact that I now have Neptulon's blessing, I understand that apart from having a high concentration of earth element, they also have the water element. Increasing one element over the other was likely to cause instability. So I had to strengthen both, enhancing the magical output of the water element to amplify its use, and at the same time, that of the earth element to increase its toughness.

Finding the best combination of minerals didn't take me long, and I only needed Neptulon to bring me 3 times the amount I had brought to complete his armor and enchanted jewels.

My forging skill was not based on engraving runes or anything like that. My forging is based on increasing the concentration of the energy of the elemental nature present, enhancing the output of the element to amplify the spells that use it, and at the same time harmonizing the elements present in the material so that its use does not cause it to malfunction. This is due to the struggle between elemental energies. In short, elemental forging.

I was giving parts of the armor to Neptulon so he could try them and understand that I wasn't cheating him. Even so, I kept some of the leftover materials, because I had a future use for them, like any good protagonist, hahaha. I can only say that they were not few. Even so, the best thing was that I learned how to create the materials in case I needed them in the future, since I couldn't ask Neptulon for them. At least, not anymore.

The equipment that I made for the "Lord of the Water", were. A chain necklace with a bluish pearl, which according to him was formed in the deepest part of the ocean, inside a crack where the coldest water flowed, but at the same time there was an active volcano... Mysteries of the world how a pearl is formed in such circumstances and without an oyster...

The point is that that pearl alone could raise or lower the temperature of the water, just by its presence. Its hardness wasn't a game either... That pearl was broken, and I feel that it was made by "RITO" itself.

Anyway, with that pearl I learned that "natural treasures" do indeed exist. Just as the Chinese cultivation novels insist. But I have yet to see a flower that, just by crushing it, I can become as strong as a semi-god by consuming it, hahaha.

Well, both the necklace and the belt used that pearl. It was gigantic so it wasn't hard to use part of it, but first I had to compress it a lot to increase its hardness while connecting to it so that I could change everything I wanted and it would keep a beautiful and elegant aesthetic shape, but without looking feminine or made for a woman.

The chains used to tie both the necklace and the belt were made of a special metal that was created under a submarine mountain that had some cracks where the water flowed. Under these circumstances, as a metal does not rust only has an elementary energetic explanation. In short, a magical explanation and not exactly scientific.

The mineral itself was very hard, but nothing that my fire and will could not mold. In the end the chain helped the energetic flow of the water and concentrated it with each link, gathering the elemental energy of the environment passively and increasing the regeneration of the wearer...

After finishing the jewelry I went straight to focusing on the armor for his forearms. I used the same metal to make them, as it would surely help him a lot to be able to use extra elemental energy. This extra energy was stored in all his armor pieces.

My personal touch to change the appearance of the canon was some metal tips with small pieces of the pearl. This decoration with use, was for the tentacles on his head and was supposed to help him calm down faster, think calmer and recover his energy faster. They also helped to attack with them in case Neptulon decided to make use of his tentacles for once. And not just swing them when he wants to act like a lifeguard from the movie Baywatch.

Hahaha, imagining that gave me a lot of fun, because Neptulon doesn't have legs, but it doesn't matter. Just imagining it amuses me... I guess I won't be able to see Neptulon in the same way from now on. But I won't show it, I don't want to die so virgin... I mean, young. Hahaha.

I also made him gloves out of the leftover metal I hadn't "saved" for my use. They were very small links of metal and almost looked like chain mail for hands, but using them improved the speed at which he used his spells, as well as storing elemental energy and being a good protection for his already hard scaled hands... I guess you can never have too much.

Author's Note: What do you guys think of this chapter. This chapter if today's, so there's little chance I'll update more, but I might consider it if 20 people comment on the chapter.

Chapter slightly edited thanks to "KrooMorn".

Thank you, "KrooMorn", for your help. ^^

I invite you to comment on any inconsistencies, I will do my best to correct them. ^^

I invite you to comment, because each comment is a motivation to continue writing. Give your impressions, your advice, your CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. We can all destroy, but only the wise can guide. I wish you a great day or a good night. ^^.