Gai Laya sat upright in front of the dressing table, carefully examining her reflection in the mirror, her expression full of longing.
Eitrigg felt extremely awkward; his mouth was clearly rejecting his thoughts, acting out of control, and he said with great difficulty:
"Gai Laya, don't trust Thrall. You know his character. He will, he will..."
After hesitating for a long time, Eitrigg felt a chill run down his spine and his whole body went weak. In the end, he didn't say "I'll eat you up."
Gai Laya turned his head and looked intently at Eitrigg:
"I understand you mean well, but unfortunately you're just someone close to Thrall. I need a strong shoulder to lean on, and the great Savior Thrall is the one I've been looking for. I know what dangers I'll face by staying by his side, but it's all worth it. I'm willing to take any risk."
"No, no, Gai Laya, listen to me, tonight, Thrall will..."
Eitrigg still couldn't speak, his expression dazed, teetering on the brink of madness.
He had a strange feeling that countless ears were hidden next door, just waiting for him to tell the truth, then rushing out to subdue him and cut off his head.
"I will die. I will be hanged at the gates of Orgrimmar, alongside the fake Onyxia's head."
Eitrigg was afraid; the majesty of the Savior obliterated the beauty of love, melting it away like ice and snow.
"No, true love is priceless, above all else, and I must fight for it."
Eitrigg encouraged himself, speaking tactfully.
"Cairne Bloodhoof sent over several Tauren, all nobles from Thunder Bluff, of extremely high status. Do you know what they do?"
Gai Laya looked curious.
Eitrigg said coldly, "They will become Thrall's dinner. The Savior Thrall has a habit of never eating dead creatures. That means these Tauren will have to watch their flesh being cut off and eaten by Thrall while they are still alive. Do you know how cruel that is?"
Gai Laya's eyes widened in surprise, her beautiful eyes sparkling with countless little stars:
"Wow, this is the kind of man I admire! He's amazing! Am I fortunate enough to have dinner with Thrall?"
Eitrigg shook his head bitterly. "The Savior dislikes dining with others. Usually, he can only accompany us from afar. To receive a bone as a reward is an immense honor."
Gai Laya clenched his fists, squinted his eyes, and prayed:
"I would be most honored to have a bone from Thrall."
Eitrigg couldn't help but sigh; the yearning for power had bewitched Gai Laya.
"Gai Laya, have you heard me? In Azeroth, there's a rule: to be eaten by the Savior is the greatest honor."
Eitrigg had been quite direct, and Gai Laya seemed to understand:
"You mean, staying by Thrall's side might mean he'll eat me?"
Eitrigg nodded and whispered:
"Of those who accompanied Thrall all the way, only Vol'jin and I remain. Some of the others died in battle, while most received this great honor. Vol'jin is the chieftain of the Darkspear Tribe, protected by the Loa Bwonsamdi. Because of his wisdom and resourcefulness, he has always served us with utmost care. As for me, I can only say I was lucky."
After thinking carefully for a while, Gai Laya said, "I have confidence in myself. I'm sure I can do better than everyone else and gain the Savior's trust."
"It's over, completely over."
Eitrigg felt utterly hopeless, staggered, and trembled uncontrollably, but ultimately couldn't bring himself to say those words.
Gritting his teeth, Eitrigg made up his mind and grabbed Gai Laya's hand.
Gai Laya hesitated for a moment, but did not refuse.
"Gai Laya, you know how I feel about you. I'm a Veteran. I spent the first half of my life fighting battles in a daze, and the second half by Thrall's side. I've never lived for myself. Come with me, let's live a secluded life together, and from now on, we'll live without fear."
Gai Laya gently withdrew her hand, lowered her head, and said, "Eitrigg, I'm sorry, you can't give me the life I want."
Eitrigg, holding Gai Laya's shoulders, shook him violently:
"Wake up! Power may seem alluring, but it's a poisoned honey. It ruthlessly eliminates most people, leaving only a tiny minority at the top, enjoying the envious glances of others, unaware that they stand on piles of bones. I'm tired. I don't want to live like this anymore, and I don't want to see you drawn deeper into this vortex."
Gai Laya shook his head firmly:
"If I haven't tasted the power, wouldn't my life have been wasted? Millions of Orcs died in the Black Temple, Orcs fell in Zangarmarsh. If I give up, how can I face them?"
Eitrigg was completely out of options and could only forcibly hold onto Gai Laya:
"No, you must leave Orgrimmar with me tonight, no matter what."
Gai Laya easily broke free; without much effort, Eitrigg was sent flying.
The size difference between the two is too great.
Gai Laya turned around, leaving Eitrigg with only his back, and said coldly:
"Go away, Eitrigg. I'll pretend what just happened never happened. I don't want to see you again."
Eitrigg struggled to his feet, and the world before him changed, filled with countless lights and shadows.
In a daze, he saw the tall Grom Hellscream with a dog leash around his neck.
He saw King Terenas, whose head had been smashed by Thrall, Antonidas lying resentfully before Thrall.
Too much bloodshed, cruel betrayal, and slaughter; countless drops of blood stained Eitrigg's eyes.
Eitrigg staggered and, supporting himself against the wall, walked out of the room.
A gust of cold wind blew, Eitrigg regained his senses. The chaotic, fleeting images disappeared, and he was finally able to see his surroundings clearly.
"No, I want to tell Gai Laya the truth."
Eitrigg went to push the door to the dressing room, only to find it locked from the inside. He hesitated, wondering whether to force it open.
A guard walked over curiously and asked ingratiatingly:
"Lord Eitrigg, how can I help you?"
Eitrigg hesitated for a long time before finally lowering his hand and smiling with relief.
"Increase patrols; Gai Laya is someone the Savior values highly."
The guards repeatedly agreed, patting their chests to guarantee that they would complete the mission.
Eitrigg straightened his chest, his spirits instantly returning.
He once again became an indispensable life advisor to Thrall.
"The Savior's banquet cannot be without me." Eitrigg strode toward the chieftain's tent.
Upon seeing Eitrigg approach, Vol'jin smiled mysteriously and winked, saying:
"What, you failed?"
Eitrigg smirked coldly. "Women, nothing special."
Vol'jin stroked his fangs and chuckled, "That's more like it. I'm quite disappointed to see you so deeply involved. With our status, we could have as many women as we wanted."
Eitrigg looked away, his brow furrowed deeply.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Vol'jin asked.
"My heart aches," Eitrigg said. "It'll be alright after tonight."
The banquet officially began, Tauren Chieftain Cairne Bloodhoof, Darkspear Tribe Chieftain Vol'jin, Blood Elf Leader Lor'themar, and representatives from Undercity took their seats.
After a long while, the Savior Thrall walked in from behind, wearing a bright red robe.
After the Savior took his seat, the Troll Chefs filed in, pushing in one after another the dishes that moved along the walls.
The guests wore smiles and dared not breathe, except for Thrall, who ate alone.