魔兽争霸官方小说:仇恨之轮-Cycle of Hatred(英文版)-第15部分

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succumb　to　the　notion。　It　is　one　of　the　reasons　why　we　are　often　so　tiresome。　　That　last　had　been　said　with　a　small
smile。　

You　re　not　like　that；　though；　are　you？　　Jaina　had　asked。　

All　too　regularly；　　had　been　the　mage　s　reply。　The　trick　is　to　recognize　the　flaw　in　yourself　and　work　to　correct
it。　　Then　her　mentor　had　told　her　of　mages　past；　such　as　Aegwynn　and　Medivh；　the　last　two　Guardians　of　Tirisfal；
both　of　whom　had　let　their　arrogance　be　their　downfall。　Years　later；　Jaina　would　work　alongside　Medivh　and　see　
that　he　at　least　had　redeemed　himself。　His　mother；　Aegwynn；　was　less　fortunate。　The　first　female　Guardian　and
someone　Jaina　had　admired　for　most　of　her　life　her　one　mistake　in　her　centuries　as　Guardian　was　to　believe　
herself　to　have　defeated　Sargeras。　In　fact；　she　destroyed　only　his　avatar；　and　allowed　the　demon　to　hide　within　her　
soul；　remaining　there　for　centuries　until　Aegwynn　sired　Medivh；　and　then　Sargeras　moved　to　him。　Medivh　had　been
the　vessel　for　Sargeras　s　invasion；　and　for　the　orcs　　presence　in　this　world；　all　because　Aegwynn　was　arrogant
enough　to　believe　that　she　could　have　defeated　Sargeras　alone。　

Jaina　had　taken　those　words　to　heart；　and　so　always　doubted　her　own　surety。　She　still　admired　Aegwynn　without　
her　blazing　the　trail；　the　only　response　to　Jaina　s　attempts　to　study　magic　would　have　been　laughter；　instead　of　the　
swayable　skepticism　she　was　met　with。　And　she　had　swayed　Antonidas。　

Sometimes　that　selfdoubt　worked　against　her　she　hadn　t　listened　to　her　instinct　that　Arthas　had　turned　for　far
longer　than　was　wise；　given　Arthas　s　descent；　and　she　always　wondered　if　things　would　have　been　different　if　she　d
acted　sooner。　But　mostly；　that　had　served　her　well。　It　also　made　her；　she　hoped；　a　wise　leader　to　the　people　of　
Theramore。　

When　Thrall　had　told　her　of　the　destruction　of　a　section　of　the　forest　that　surrounded　Thunder　Ridge；　she　had
known　immediately　that　magic　was　at　work；　and　powerful　magic　at　that。　She　had　hoped；　however；　that　she　was
wrong　in　that　assumption。　

That　turned　out　to　be　a　forlorn　hope。　She　went　straight　to　the　forest　in　question　from　her　chambers　in　Theramore；
and　as　soon　as　she　materialized；　she　could　practically　smell　the　magic。　Indeed；　even　without　her　magically　
enhanced　abilities；　she　d　have　known　that　magic　was　afoot　here。　Before　her　was　a　range　of　stumps；　stretching　
almost　as　far　as　a　human　could　see；　before　disappearing　over　the　hill　that　led　down　to　the　ridge。　The　top　of　each
stump　was　on　a　perfectly　straight　line　with　all　the　surrounding　ones　it　was　as　if　a　giant　saw　had　gone　through　all　
the　trees　at　once。　More　to　the　point；　the　cuts　were　all　pletely　even；　with　no　flaws　or　breaks。　One　could　attain
such　a　level　of　perfection　only　with　magic。　

Jaina　knew　most　of　the　mages　who　still　lived。　The　few　besides　herself　who　were　capable　of　this　were　not　on
Kalimdor。　What　s　more；　this　magic　didn　t　have　the　feel　of　any　of　those　she　knew。　Every　wizard　wielded　the　forces
of　magic　differently；　and　if　one　was　sensitive　enough；　one　could　tell　the　differences　from　one　mage　to　the　next。　This
felt　like　no　mage　Jaina　knew。　And　it　gave　her　a　mildly　nauseous　feeling；　which　led　her　to　think　that　it　might　well　be　
demonic　magic。　The　nausea　didn　t　necessarily　mean　demonic　magic；　of　course；　though　the　presence　of　the　Burning　
Legion　s　wizardry　had　always　made　Jaina　ill。　But　so　had　Kel　Thuzad　s　when　Antonidas　first　introduced　them　in　the　
third　year　of　Jaina　s　apprenticeship；　and　that　was　when　the　archmage　was　one　of　the　finest　mages　in　Kirin　Tor　（long　
before　he　turned　to　necromancy　and　became　a　servant　of　the　Lich　King）。　
　
Besides　which；　the　source　of　the　destruction　was　of　less　import　than　its　result：　thunder　lizards　were　now　roaming　
unfettered　through　Drygulch；　and　possibly　beyond。　Jaina　needed　to　find　a　remote　place　to　relocate　them　where　they　
wouldn　t　rampage　all　over　the　farms　and　cities　the　orcs　had　built　here。　

Reaching　under　her　cloak；　she　pulled　out　the　map；　one　of　two　items　she　had　taken　off　the　mess　on　her　desk。　She　had
decided　upon　the　Bladescar　Highlands　as　the　ideal　place　to　relocate　the　lizards。　Located　in　the　southern　portion　of
Durotar；　due　east　of　Ratchet；　the　highlands　were　remote；　separated　from　the　rest　of　Durotar　by　mountains　that　the　
thunder　lizards　would　be　hardpressed　to　navigate。　Plus；　the　region　had　plenty　of　grasslands　for　them　to　graze；　room
for　them　to　stampede　to　their　heart　s　content；　and　a　mountain　stream　that　was　almost　as　big　as　the　river　they　had　use　
of　in　Thunder　Ridge。　The　lizards　would　be　safe；　and　so　would　the　population　of　Durotar。　

Her　initial　thought　was　to　move　them　even　farther　away　say　to　Feralas　on　the　other　side　of　the　continent　but
even　Jaina　s　abilities　had　their　limits。　She　could　teleport　herself　there　easily　enough；　but　herself　and　hundreds　of
thunder　lizards　was　more　than　even　she　could　handle　over　such　a　distance。　

She　then　removed　the　other　item　from　her　cloak　a　scroll　containing　a　spell　that　would　enable　her　to　sense　the　mind
of　any　thunder　lizard　on　the　continent。　She　spoke　the　incantation　and　then　cast　her　senses　outward。　Unlike　most　
reptiles；　thunder　lizards　had　a　herd　mentality　akin　to　that　of　cattle；　so　most　of　them　had　stayed　together　even　as　they　
departed　their　home。　Sure　enough；　she　found　the　bulk　of　them　milling　around　the　river　that　fed　Drygulch　Ravine。
They　were　in　a　docile　phase　right　now；　which　simplified　Jaina　s　life　considerably。　She　was　prepared　to　magically　
put　them　into　such　a　phase　if　need　be。　Thunder　lizards　were　either　docile　or　stampeding　they　didn　t　really　have　
much　of　a　middle　ground；　and　teleporting　them　while　stampeding　would　be　a　good　deal　more　problematic。　Still；　she
preferred　not　to　disturb　the　animals　　routine　any　more　than　necessary；　so　she　was　glad　they　were　in　the　more　
cooperative　mode。　

For　a　caster　to　include　anyone　but　herself　in　the　teleportation　spell　required　line　of　sight　at　least；　according　to
most　scrolls　one　would　find　on　the　subject。　However；　Antonidas　had　told　Jaina　that　one　could　also　do　it　if　one　was
in　what　he　called　line　of　mind。　　It　required　the　mage　to　reach　out　and　touch　the　thoughts　of　whomever　she　wished
to　teleport。　This　was　a　lot　riskier；　as　there　were　many　whose　minds　were　difficult　or　dangerous　to　touch。　Other
mages　and　demons　generally　had　protections　against　such　things；　and　even　someone　particularly　strongwilled
would　probably　be　able　to　resist。　

No　such　impediment　existed　with　the　thunder　lizards；　however。　Right　now；　their　minds　were　focused　on　one　of
three　things：　eating；　drinking；　or　sleeping。　In　addition　to　running　very　fast；　those　activities　were　generally　all　that
occupied　a　thunder　lizard　s　mind；　except　during　mating　season。　

Still　and　all；　it　took　several　hours　for　Jaina；　standing　in　the　razed　forest；　to　reach　out　with　her　mind　to　each　thunder
lizard　in　Drygulch；　as　well　as　the　stragglers　that　had　wandered　off　toward　Razor　Hill。　

Grass。　Water。　Eyes　close。　Rest。　Lap　up。　Chew。　Swallow。　Sip。　Sleep。　Breathe。　　

For　a　moment；　she　was　almost　lost　true；　the　lizards　　thought　patterns　weren　t　plex；　but　there　were　hundreds　of　
them；　and　she　found　herself　overwhelmed　by　their　instinctive　need　to　eat　and　drink　and　sleep。　

Gritting　her　teeth；　she　reasserted　her　own　self　over　that　of　hundreds　of　thunder　lizards。　She　then　started　to　mutter　the　
incantation　for　the　teleport　spell。　

Pain！　Searing　whitehot　agony　sliced　through　Jaina　s　skull　as　soon　as　she　uttered　the　final　syllable　of　the　spell。　The　
ruined　forest　melted　before　her　and　then　slammed　back　into　form　immediately。　A　milder　pain　shot　through　Jaina　s
left　knee；　and　only　then　did　she　realize　that　she　had　stumbled　to　the　ground；　her　knee　colliding　with　the　nearest
stump。　

Pain。　Hurt。　Hurt。　Hurt。　Run。　Run。　Run。　Run。　No　more　pain。　Run；　no　pain。　　
　
Sweat　beading　on　her　forehead；　Jaina　resisted　the　urge　to　start　running　through　the　forest。　Something　happened　to
the　teleport　spell；　but　Jaina　couldn　t　take　the　time　to　find　out　what　just　yet；　because　the　pain　she　felt　when　the　spell　
was　ruined　was　transferred　to　the　thunder　lizards　via　their　mental　link。　It　was　serving　to　put　them　into　a　stampeding　
frame　of　min