World of Warcraft: The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm Page 0,58

next to him.

The priest chuckled. “Crystals? Lad, these are no crystals. Ye’re looking at diamonds.”

Anduin’s eyes widened, and his head whipped back up to regard the gleaming ceiling with new respect.

Magni was purposefully striding up the stairs to a broad platform large enough to accommodate a group several times their size. He turned and nodded expectantly.

“I think it no accident that right when we needed it, we have uncovered a tablet that contains information that might be of great help,” he said, his voice echoing in the cavern. “Nearly everyone present here today lost someone he or she loved dearly three days past. Reports come from all over Azeroth that summat is mightily wrong. The earth is wounded, an’ is shaking—cryin’ out fer aid. We are dwarves. We are of th’ earth. I have faith in the word of the earthen. I believe that what I do here—this rite that is unspeakably old—will let me heal this poor, hurtin’ world. By my blood an’ bone, by the earth an’ stone, let this be done.”

The hair on the back of Anduin’s neck prickled. Even though Magni’s speech had been spontaneous, there was something about it that made his breath catch. He felt that just as he had descended into the heart of the earth, so he was about to descend into a ritual that was deep and unfathomable.

Belgrum stepped forward, a scroll in his hand. Magellas stood beside him, his hands clasped behind his back. Beside these two stood Reyna Stonebranch, a dwarf herbalist, holding a crystal vial full of a murky-looking liquid. Belgrum cleared his throat and began to speak a strange language that sounded hard and blunt and made Anduin shiver. It seemed colder here now, somehow.

After each phrase, Magellas translated for Anduin’s benefit. The young prince remembered Magni reading the same phrases to him just yesterday.

“An’ here are the why an’ the how, tae again become one wi’ the mountain,” intoned Belgrum. “For behold, we are earthen, o’ the land, and its soul is ours, its pain is ours, its heartbeat is ours. We sing its song an’ weep fer its beauty. For who wouldna wish tae return home? That is the why, O children o’ the earth.”

Home. Azeroth was truly home to all of them, Anduin thought as Belgrum continued with the specific directions on how to prepare the draft. Home wasn’t Stormwind, or even with his father, or Aunt Jaina. Home was this land, this world. Here they now stood, in the “heart of the earth,” embraced by diamonds and stone that felt sheltering rather than oppressive. Magni was about to speak to the wounded Azeroth and find out best how to heal it. It was truly a noble goal.

“Wi’ a finger’s pinch o’ the soil that nourished them, consume the draft. Speak these words wi’ true intent, an’ the mountain shall reply. And so it shall be that ye shall become as ye once were. Ye shall return home, and ye shall become one with the mountain.”

Reyna now stepped forward, handing the muddy-looking elixir to Magni. Unhesitatingly the dwarven king took the transparent, slender vial, brought it to his lips, and drank it down. He wiped his lips and handed it back to Reyna.

Magellas now handed him a scroll. With a bit more hesitation than Belgrum had displayed, Magni read aloud in the ancient language while Magellas translated.

“Within me is th’ earth itself. We are one. I am o’ it and it o’ me. I listen fer th’ mountain’s reply.”

Magni handed back the scroll, then spread his hands imploringly. He closed his eyes and furrowed his brow in concentration.

No one knew what to expect. Would the mountain suddenly begin to talk? If so, what would its voice be like? Would it speak only to Magni, and what would he hear? Could he speak to it? Would—

Magni’s eyes flew open. They were wide with wonder, and his mouth curved in a soft smile. “I … I can hear …” He lifted his hands to his temples. “Th’ voices are in me head. Lots o’ ’em.” He chuckled softly, his expression one of stunned joy and triumph. “It’s not just one voice. It’s … dozens, maybe hundreds. All the voices o’ the earth!”

Anduin shivered, his own lips curving in a smile. Magni had been right! He could hear the earth itself—themselves? It was so confusing!—speaking to him.

“Can ye understand them?” asked Belgrum excitedly. “What are they saying?”

Magni suddenly threw his head back, arching. He seemed to try