Xavius's Curse

Kalei and Big Black hurried back toward the highlands, retracing the path they had taken earlier.

The closer they got to the highlands, the thicker the lingering shadow energy in the air became. A faint scent of blood permeated the atmosphere, making Kalei's heart leap into his throat—could something have happened to Thisalee while she faced Etherix alone?

When they reached the highlands, they found the battle had already ceased.

The corpses of five Felhound lay scattered across the ground, dark green blood soaking the earth. The surrounding stalagmites and stone pillars were toppled, some snapped in half and others smashed to pieces, a testament to the intensity of the fight.

Kalei scanned the area but did not see Thisalee. Fearing the worst, he quickly led Big Black to search for her, soon finding her behind a large boulder.

Thisalee had reverted to her Night Elf form. Her once-neat T1 Set was covered in dust and grime, and a trace of blood stained the corner of her mouth, making her look far more disheveled than before.

Seeing Kalei approach, she offered only a strained smile and remained silent.

Relieved to see she was merely exhausted rather than severely injured, Kalei asked urgently, "What about Etherix?"

Thisalee whispered, "After I wounded him with the high-level spell Starfall, he abandoned the Felhound and fled. I suspect he has escaped. How about you? Did you learn your father's whereabouts?"

"No. Sigh, that traitor refused to speak even in death!" Kalei then recounted the outcome of his battle with Ordos, omitting the true details of the fight and claiming he had ambushed Ordos while the latter was still wounded.

Upon hearing this, Thisalee comforted him, "Don't be too anxious about not finding out; we can think of other ways later."

"That's all I can do."

Kalei then told her about the counterattack Ordos had launched in his final moments.

Thisalee was silent for a moment before saying, "From what you've described, it seems that before he died, he sacrificed his eyes and a portion of his soul to a higher existence to cast some form of curse."

Kalei asked nervously, "A curse? It isn't a lethal one, is it?"

Thisalee shook her head. "Unlikely. A lethal curse is an incredibly powerful hex that generally requires the sacrifice of a potent life and soul. Given Ordos's state at the time of his death, he could not have triggered such a thing."

"That's good, that's good." Kalei let out a sigh of relief and continued, "Then what kind of curse do you think it is?"

Thisalee looked up, pondering for a moment before saying, "I suspect this curse is related to your eyes, intended to draw the gaze of a higher existence toward you."

A higher existence? Could it be Savatheras?

No, that was impossible. Savatheras was a hero-level powerhouse, but he lacked the ability to track targets from afar.

If not Savatheras, then who? After turning it over in his mind, only one possibility remained: Xavius, the Satyr king.

A chill ran through Kalei at the mere thought of Xavius.

Since the War of the Ancients, Xavius had ascended to become a powerful demigod over the long ages. He was certainly not someone Kalei could afford to provoke at his current level. If that creature set his sights on him, Kalei would be finished.

Seeing Kalei suddenly fall silent with a look of terror on his face, Thisalee asked quickly, "Kalei, what's wrong? Has the curse taken effect?"

Kalei snapped back to reality, steadied himself, and said, "No, it's nothing. Thisalee, if what you say is true and I have been targeted by some powerful entity, what should I do? Can I rid myself of this curse?"

Thisalee reassured him, "Don't worry. Although this curse is strange, it takes time to truly take effect. You can use this window to go to the Temple of the Moon and ask the priestesses to cleanse it."

Kalei replied, "Thank you, I understand."

The two discussed the curse briefly before turning their attention to their current situation.

Thisalee said, "We have lingered in this cave for too long. We must recover our mana as quickly as possible and escape, then report the news of Fel Fire Valley to Maestra. We must ask them to dispatch the Sentinel Corps to clear out the mountains; otherwise, it will be difficult to track those demons down once they scatter."

Kalei agreed.

Without further ado, they each ate a little food, drank some water from the Moonwell, and found a spot to sit cross-legged and recover their mana.

Dozens of minutes later, Kalei felt that seventy or eighty percent of his natural energy had returned, and Thisalee's complexion had improved significantly.

They did not delay any longer. Leading Big Black, they re-entered the underground river. This time, the channel was exceptionally calm; they encountered no obstacles and saw no signs of pursuers.

Half an hour later, the underground river suddenly became turbulent. A powerful force surged from downstream, as if an invisible hand were violently pushing them forward.

Before Kalei and Thisalee could react, they were swept up by the torrent and carried out of the underground river's exit, splashing into an open lake.

By the time they crawled onto the shore, the sun had already risen above the horizon.

Warm sunlight shone through the trees onto their faces, making them feel for the first time how wonderful the sun could be. Even Big Black, who usually disliked the light, stretched out comfortably in the warmth.

Kalei sat on the ground, letting the sunlight wash over him, and sighed, "Finally out. I thought we were going to be trapped underground forever!"

Thisalee stood in the shadow behind him and laughed, "You didn't have much faith in the path I chose."

"I didn't have faith in my own abilities," Kalei shrugged, speaking candidly. "If it weren't for you, Big Black and I would have become a meal for the Satyr long ago."

"You did very well," Thisalee said earnestly. "Your tactical thinking was clear, and you were decisive in battle. I even learned a few things from you. We can exchange pointers more often in the future, but not today—we have more important things to do."

"You're right, Thisalee." Kalei sat up and looked at the lake in front of them. "Where is this? It looks familiar, but I can't quite place it."

Thisalee said, "It should be Lake Falahim. Have you never been here?"

Kalei replied, "Oh, so it's Lake Falahim. My father brought me here once or twice, but I've long since forgotten. How far is this place from Maestra?"

Thisalee said, "It's not close. If you ride a Saber at full speed, it will take two or three hours. If you travel slowly, it will probably take six or seven."

Kalei frowned. "That far?"

Thisalee nodded. "It is a bit of a distance, so I must be going. I need to get to Maestra as soon as possible to report the reconnaissance results and have the council notify the Sentinel Corps to enter the mountains for a sweep."

"Since you have a curse, don't follow me. Go straight to the Temple of the Moon in Maestra and find the priestesses to have them cleanse it for you."

Kalei said, "Alright, that's the plan."

Without further words, they split up. Thisalee transformed into a medium-sized Black Raven and took flight from the ground, vanishing into the northern forest in the blink of an eye.

Kalei mounted Big Black and hurried toward Maestra.

Big Black, beneath him, knew his master bore a curse; without needing a reminder, he endured the harsh sunlight and galloped wildly toward the town of Maestra.

They tore through dense forests, crossed rushing streams, and vaulted over low hills, soon setting foot upon the Ashenvale road.

Yet, shortly after entering the Ashenvale road, a surge of intense unease suddenly welled up in Kalei's heart.

Sitting upon Big Black's soft back, he watched the towering trees on either side blur past; that sense of unease grew ever stronger, as if countless eyes were staring fixedly at him through the gaps in the gloomy woods.

Who were the owners of those eyes? Were they Satyr sent by Savatheras? Or remnants of the Burning Legion? Or perhaps both?

Had they been sent by the Satyr lord Xavius? Had this powerful traitor already discovered him?

Just then, he suddenly heard a dull, distant voice drift from afar: "Yes, I have already discovered you, little worm!"

"Who is it?" Kalei shouted, his right hand gripping Big Black's back while his left hand clutched his staff tightly, scanning his surroundings with vigilance. Yet, beyond the dense forest, there was nothing—only the "rustling" of wind through the leaves.

But that voice continued to emanate from the distance: "You know, don't you? You know who I am."

Xavius! Kalei had not expected to encounter this Night Elf traitor so soon, and a wave of terror instantly surged in his heart.

There was no helping it; he could not help but fear, for Xavius was far too powerful for him right now.

He saw no sign of Xavius, nor did he smell the distinct stench of a Satyr; merely hearing the opponent's voice felt as if an invisible force had gripped his heart, making him almost unable to muster the will to resist.

He could only clutch his staff and urge Big Black to run faster, desperate to escape the reach of the other's control.

Big Black felt the threat as well; without needing Kalei's urging, he exerted all his strength to gallop forward.

Yet, no matter how he and Big Black ran, that powerful traitor followed like a shadow, his voice growing louder and louder until it began to boom in his ears like thunder.

"You cannot escape, worm. My eyes are always upon you; no matter where you flee, you cannot escape the fate of being sacrificed."