After all their preparations, a pale glow had begun to spread across the horizon. Dawn was drawing near—the time when the Furbolgs were sleepiest and least alert. It was the perfect moment to strike.
The group wasted no time and immediately set out.
Only three members of the Bristlelimb Tribe joined Kale and the others on this mission.
The first was, of course, Ugo, chief of the Bristlelimb Tribe. The second was Ulu, a berserker. The third was a Shaman named Una.
Kale and the others had no objections. With Ugo there, it was as good as having ten Furbolg berserkers. The other Furbolgs could come or stay behind; it made no difference.
Led personally by Ugo, the group slipped out of the valley where the Furbolgs were hiding. They followed a narrow path along the back of the mountain until they reached its foot.
The forest on the mountain's far side was dense, and thick fog hung in the air.
Under the morning light, the group made their way through the fog.
After walking for more than half an hour, they came to a dense thicket. Beyond it stood a cliff covered in vines, indistinguishable from the surrounding rock.
Ugo stepped forward and felt around the cliff for a moment, then suddenly pulled aside an inconspicuous clump of vines. A huge tunnel entrance lay hidden behind them!
Ugo grinned and beckoned to the group. "The secret passage is right here. Let's go in."
They stepped closer and saw that the passage was enormous. Even the entrance was five meters high and three meters wide, just large enough for Ugo's massive body to squeeze through. Who knew what had possessed the Furbolg chiefs of old to dig such a huge passage?
By now, the White Lady and the Blue Child had both vanished beyond the horizon, and the sun's first rays had risen. It was the perfect time to act.
Without hesitation, they followed Ugo into the passage, with Ulu bringing up the rear.
They had been walking for a while when the sunlight faded, leaving the entire passage pitch-black.
Although the Night Elves and Furbolgs could see in the dark, they still needed at least a little light.
Fortunately, Kale, Jinli, and Una could all cast spells, so they had no need to worry about a light source.
Jinli, near the front of the group, snapped her fingers and cast a simple Light spell. A bright orb floated in the air, illuminating the path ahead.
They continued forward. Not a word was spoken; everyone did their best to remain quiet. Even the leopards and stags beneath them breathed more softly, so as not to alert the enemies lurking farther ahead.
Fortunately, their worries were unfounded. Just as Ugo had said, this really was a secret passage, one known only to the chiefs.
There wasn't a single enemy inside. Now and then, a snake or bat slithered or fluttered through the passage, startling them.
After nearly twenty minutes, Ugo, at the front, came to a stop.
He stood still and turned around, lowering his voice as much as he could. "We've reached the end of the passage. I'm about to open the stone door blocking it. There may or may not be enemies on the other side."
"If there aren't any, we can keep moving. If there are, attack immediately and wipe them out. Don't let those Corrupted send word."
"If we can't stop them from sending word, I'll hold them off while you turn right and follow Ulu. Use the map to guide you. The Magic Tree is that way. Understood?"
They all nodded to show they understood.
Once Ugo had finished giving instructions and everyone was ready, he turned back and reached out with his huge claws. He felt around for a few moments, and a deep rumbling echoed through the passage. Then a heavy stone door slowly slid aside, releasing a wave of stench, a foul mixture of shadow and decay.
As they watched the door open, everyone held their breath, their hearts in their throats.
"Charge!" Ugo alone was bold enough to act without hesitation. With a low shout, his massive body shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.
Jinli followed close behind, with Kale and Arenia right after her.
Beyond the stone door was a chamber where the Furbolgs usually slept.
Four Corrupted Furbolgs lay sprawled across the room. They had just fallen asleep when they suddenly heard a noise from the wall. Before they could work out what was happening, a massive figure burst in and mercilessly swung its huge claws, killing two of them in quick succession.
The other two Corrupted Furbolgs had only just begun to react when Jinli, following close behind Ugo, drew her bow and fired two arrows in one breath. Both struck their targets in the throat.
At such close range, the arrows pierced the two Corrupted Furbolgs' necks. They died before they could even struggle.
Watching Ugo and Jinli dispatch all four Corrupted Furbolgs with lightning speed and ruthless efficiency, the others couldn't help admiring their strength.
But there was no time to celebrate. After the Corrupted Furbolgs died, a strong stench of blood mixed with the foulness of shadow power spread rapidly. That unnatural smell would soon draw the attention of the other Furbolgs.
Without stopping, they followed Ugo at top speed out of the chamber and ran down a passage to the right, along the route marked on the map.
They hadn't gone far when a shrill howl rang out behind them.
Ulu, running at the rear, growled, "We've been spotted. Hurry!"
Even without Ulu's warning, they knew to pick up the pace.
After that first shrill howl, more howls began ringing out all around them, followed by the pounding of feet.
Some Corrupted Furbolgs appeared ahead in the passage, but against Ugo's massive frame and strength, they were no more than paper tigers. He beat them all to death.
The Corrupted Furbolgs ahead couldn't stop the group, but those behind them were beginning to catch up in numbers.
A Corrupted Furbolg, a third smaller than Ulu, reached out and touched his back.
Ulu furiously swatted him away, but even more Corrupted Furbolgs charged at them without fear.
Arenia, following behind Kale, straightened up and called ahead, "How much farther?"
Ugo was busy clearing the way and had no time to answer.
Kale caught his breath. "Lieutenant, not much farther. I can already sense a powerful force of shadow just ahead."
Arenia breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Linda and the other three. "Sisters, cover us! Shoot the Corrupted Furbolgs and help Ulu escape their pursuit. Don't let him fall behind."
At once, Linda and the other three turned and drew their bows.
Now the fearsome power of the mounted archers became clear.
The powerful Corrupted Furbolgs were helpless against the mounted archers, falling one after another beneath their arrows.
With Linda and the others helping him, Ulu finally broke free of the Furbolgs and caught up with the group.
Una, who had been walking ahead of him, noticed his injury and cast the Furbolgs' unique Rejuvenation spell on him, healing his wound.
A roar sounded from ahead, followed by the crashing of masonry and the shattering of a door.
Looking ahead by the light of Jinli's spell, the group saw that they had reached the end of the passage.
A brick-and-stone doorway stood at the end. Ugo had just smashed the door, frame and all, to pieces.
Ugo burst out of the passage, panting. He turned to the others and said, "We've made it. Get out quickly. I'll hold them off."
Without hesitation, the others squeezed through a narrow opening beside Ugo.
Once everyone had made it out, Ugo waited at the passage entrance and poured all his strength into slamming the walls several times. The immense force made the walls on both sides collapse at once, completely blocking the passage. The Corrupted Furbolgs trapped behind it roared and cursed in fury, but for the moment, there was nothing they could do.
Seeing Ugo bring down the passage and block the Furbolgs' pursuit, the others breathed a quiet sigh of relief and began assessing their surroundings.
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