Darkshore was one of the Night Elves' main territories, and Beryl Bladesong had been born on that long, narrow stretch of coast.
Her father was a Druid who spent two and a half days in bed every day, while her mother was a hardworking orchard grower. The couple often had minor disagreements because of it, but theirs was still a harmonious, happy little family.
Beryl grew up carefree on that beautiful coast, but everything changed one summer night.
Beryl was shaken awake by her panicked mother, who dragged her into the cellar beneath their home.
The roars and clashing weapons outside told her that the town was under attack.
She remembered what Uncle Haike had said not long ago about rumors of pirates in the area, but no one had believed the nonsense of a drunken fisherman. Besides, Blue Spring Town was not far from Auberdine, and the navy at Auberdine's port was no slouch.
But now it seemed they were useless after all, letting the enemy attack right on their doorstep!
The sounds of battle soon died away, and the enemy's cheers told the mother and daughter in the cellar how it had ended. Before they even had time to despair, intense heat and thick smoke seeped through the cracks into the cellar.
Fleeing would only put them in the enemy's hands, and the thought of such a fate made them shudder. Mother and daughter clung tightly to each other and lost consciousness in the smoke.
When she woke again, she was locked alone inside a coffin-like wooden box. The sound of waves and the constant rocking told her she was at sea.
She counted the days by the single meal pushed through an air hole each day. When she carved the forty-first notch into the wood, the sea voyage finally ended.
As she was being unloaded from the ship, she heard the pirates talking about the "black market" and "making a fortune" and the like.
She could no longer remember how many times she was imprisoned and sold on, but the last group transporting her was attacked on the road. Just when she thought she had finally been rescued, a Dreadlord's cage awaited her instead.
In Bessarius's dungeon, she recalled the Druidic teachings her father had often spoken of. She devoted herself to understanding their principles and actually managed to sense the Nature Spirits.
Where there were plants, there were Nature Spirits. Using this, she made the purple lilac mushrooms mature and the glowing moss shine to guide Unas. In truth, that was the limit of what she could do.
Now she had finally been rescued, but the fellow prisoners who had been captured by the Dreadlord alongside her, who had kept her company, encouraged her, and cared for her, had all been tortured to death. She would never forgive the demon who had tormented them.
Once, when the Undead Mage came down to take someone away, she had secretly planted a spore in his boot. No matter how far he fled, she could sense him.
As they tracked the Undead Mage, Unas merely asked out of curiosity, "As far as I know, the Night Elves' homeland is on the other side of the Great Sea. What did you come all the way to Lordaeron for?"
Beryl poured out her tragic experiences all at once, like beans spilling from a bamboo tube. Listening to her chatter on, one would never have thought she was telling her own story.
Unas was at a loss for words. He wanted to offer some comfort, but did not know where to begin. The soldiers behind him fell silent too.
"Ha ha, why are you all looking so mournful?" The one responsible for their expressions started laughing at them instead.
Unas did not know whether to laugh or cry. The old elf woman had probably suffered some mental shock, which was why she had become so crazy.
The group passed several more intersections in silence before Beryl suddenly stopped. Her long, slender pointed Elf ears twitched twice as she said, "Someone's catching up from behind. They don't seem to be enemies."
No red dots appeared in Sense Undead, and Beryl said they did not seem to be enemies either. They could only be allies, then.
As a precaution, Unas had left a mark at every intersection, so anyone behind them could follow the marks and catch up.
"Take a break and wait for them," Unas ordered.
Although there was an eighty percent chance they were not enemies, they still chose a narrow stretch, and Unas took out his shield and assumed a defensive stance.
After a tense wait, the footsteps drew closer. He shouted back, "Who's there? Identify yourself!"
"Captain Unas, it's Hans." It was indeed Hans's voice.
Some of the tension left Unas. As the footsteps and the scraping of armor grew louder, a firelight gradually appeared, followed by several figures.
But Hans was not in the lead. Instead, it was a tall, thin young man in silver-white armor. Unas found him very familiar.
Hans squeezed out from behind the tall young man and introduced him to Unas. "This is Lord Korfax, a Paladin."
"Hello," Unas greeted him politely, realization dawning. This was the fellow who had clashed head-on with an Infernal by the lake to protect the frost magic circle.
Afterward, he had even flown into the air and fought the Dreadlord for several exchanges, only to be kicked away by Tyrosus when the demon blew himself up.
He was a formidable Paladin, but he should be injured now, and he did not look well.
After Hans explained, Unas learned that once the battle on the surface had completely ended, Pulhart had organized several more groups and sent them into the cave to aid them.
Korfax's group had encountered the great throng of captives heading for the surface. He could not be much help looking after women and children, so he had brought his men and Hans down to assist Unas, who was guarding the rear.
By then, Unas had already set off in pursuit of the Undead Mage. Finding him gone, they had followed the marks he left behind.
"Where are you going? Why aren't you returning to the surface?" The tall, thin young man nodded in response to Unas's greeting, then immediately questioned him.
Unas was a little annoyed, but he still told the truth and explained that they were going to avenge Beryl.
"Your reckless behavior makes you completely unfit to be a leader. The lives of the soldiers under you all depend on you." Korfax slapped the hilt of his sword, then changed tack. "But I admire that kind of behavior. Scum like that needs to be eliminated quickly!"
Hearing that, Unas felt as though he had gone from hell to heaven. He stammered, "Then... shall we go?"
"What are we waiting for? Hurry up!" Korfax strode forward, looking eager to get going.
The two groups joined together and continued onward. Unas nudged Hans behind him and asked quietly, "What's with this guy?"
Hans lowered his voice. "Don't you know? Korfax is nicknamed 'Brute.' He acts entirely as he pleases, freely settling favors and grudges. He's violated military orders many times because of it and been demoted all the way from centurion to private, but no one dares actually treat him like a private."
"He's also a battle maniac. He looks badly injured, but he still forced himself to come down and help you. Now that he's found a target, he's even less likely to give up. With his impulsive nature, we'd better be careful he doesn't lead us into a ditch..."
"Ahem!" Korfax suddenly coughed twice. It was hard to tell whether his injuries were acting up again or he had overheard their whispers and was expressing his displeasure, but it frightened Hans into silence.
Unas, however, felt more at ease. Whatever else might be said, Korfax had struck him as an extremely formidable man. With Korfax charging ahead, he could take it easy and relieve some of the pressure.
After countless twists and turns and who knew how many more intersections, the group ventured deeper and deeper, and the air grew colder and colder. At some point, the cave walls on either side had become smooth, with intricate writing and murals appearing on them.
No one could read the writing, but the murals were straightforward. Taken together, they told the story of a godlike giant who beat up all manner of little monsters and received the worship of the people.
Simple, fine lines brought the story vividly to life. It was not at all like the demons' style, but more like the ruins of ancient humans.
What connection did this have to whatever Bessarius had been digging tunnels everywhere to find?
The question in his mind grew ever larger, but Unas put it aside for now. Their primary target was the Undead Mage, and after walking for so long, they should not be far from him.