Zoram

Kalei rode nonstop along the main road through Ashenvale all night, finally reaching Zoram Town before dawn.

Like Maestra, this town was merely an outpost on the western coast of Darkshore in the World of Warcraft game. In reality, however, it was an important military stronghold.

Besides the Sentinel Corps, Moon Priestesses, and Druids, more than forty thousand civilians also lived in the town.

Kalei had visited Zoram a few times before, so he knew the place well. The sky was still dark, and morning mist clung to the streets like a gauzy veil. He took Big Black with him and headed along the stone-paved road toward the town's council headquarters.

The headquarters here was much like the one in Maestra. Its main building was a reception hall, with a two-story wooden office building behind it. The accommodations stood on either side of the offices, and a garden lay outside.

Kalei entered the grounds, left Big Black with the mount keeper at the entrance, and went into the reception hall alone.

The hall was filled with the fresh scent of pine needles and herbs. There was hardly anyone inside—only a short female Druid standing behind the counter, sorting scrolls.

Hearing someone come in, she quickly looked up and greeted Kalei. "Good evening, brother of nature. I'm Shalan Windrunner. How may I help you?"

Kalei smiled. "I'm Kalei Nightdew. The council headquarters sent me here to help investigate the beast attacks. Could you register me and arrange accommodations?"

Shalan set down the scroll in her hands and exclaimed, "Kalei... Are you the hero Kalei from Maestra Town?"

Kalei scratched his head, a little embarrassed. "That would be me, though I wouldn't call myself a hero."

"No, my brother. I've read your report. Your deeds absolutely deserve the title of hero. Please allow me to pay my respects." She clasped her hands before her chest and bowed to Kalei.

Kalei hurriedly returned the gesture. "Really? I'm honored."

Shalan smiled. "You honor the council as well."

"Did you just come from Maestra? Would you like a cup of Morning Dew Wine to quench your thirst? We brew it with dew gathered from the forest. It's wonderfully refreshing."

"Sure, I'll have a cup."

Shalan quickly took a wineglass from the cupboard and poured him a cup of Morning Dew Wine.

Kalei took the glass and sipped. The wine was slightly sweet, with a faint fragrance. It slid down his throat and instantly washed away the weariness of the journey.

He took a few more sips and praised it. "That's excellent wine. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Please wait a moment while I register your information."

Kalei picked up his glass and watched her write in a notebook with a feather quill. He smiled and asked, "Don't you need to check my badge?"

Shalan didn't even look up. "I don't think so. No one would pretend to be our hero."

Kalei wasn't so sure about that, but he didn't say so. He knew that ever since the Night Elf Empire had collapsed ten thousand years ago, Night Elf society had been held together by morality and faith rather than cold, impersonal laws.

Shalan soon finished registering him and handed him a key. "I've registered your information. The house at the far right of the accommodations is unoccupied, so you can stay there while you're in Zoram. It has a lovely view—you can see the ocean right from the window."

"Thank you. Do you provide meals here?"

"Of course. Just like in Maestra, we provide meals every day for council members staying here."

"That's great. About how much does it cost to eat here each day?"

"Meals aren't expensive, but the council provides the most lavish meals for heroes like you free of charge, so you don't need to worry about the cost."

Kalei hadn't expected his good reputation to come with perks like these. For a moment, he was taken aback.

But he thought it over and understood. In a society guided by morality and faith, giving someone a good reputation without offering any material benefits would seem insincere—and wouldn't last long.

Once he understood, he accepted the treatment with a clear conscience. At the same time, he felt the weight of his responsibility grow.

After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Your side reported the beast attacks in the nearby forest, right? What exactly is going on?"

Shalan considered the question. "We did report it, though calling it a rampage is a bit of an exaggeration. The main issue is that, starting about half a month ago, beasts have been coming out of the forest to attack people passing by."

"At first there were only one or two cases, but then they became more and more frequent. The number has been rising almost every day. Now there are ten or twenty cases a day, and people have started getting hurt."

Kalei was surprised. "It's that bad? Is there anything unusual about the animals?"

Given the Night Elves' relationship with nature, creatures closely connected to it generally wouldn't attack them unless something unusual was going on.

"No. The beasts are perfectly normal. None of them have been tainted by dark forces."

Kalei frowned. "If they haven't been corrupted by dark forces, could there be a shortage of food?"

"I don't think so. A month ago, Feleria Nightwing, a senior council member, conducted a detailed survey of the nearby forest. She said there were plenty of berries, mushrooms, and herbivores. She found no signs of a food shortage."

Kalei frowned even more deeply. Leaning against the counter, he tapped his fingers on it unconsciously. "They haven't been tainted by dark forces, and there's no food shortage, yet they're attacking people for no reason. That's strange..."

Kalei thought it over for a while but couldn't come up with any leads. By now it was light outside, and soft morning sunlight streamed in through the hall's windows. He said, "This doesn't seem simple. I'll go settle into my lodgings first and start investigating tomorrow night."

"All right. I'm sorry to trouble you with this, Kalei. If you run into any difficulties during the mission, don't hesitate to come to us."

"Sure. Until next time, Lady Windrunner."

"Until next time, Kalei."

Kalei left the hall and followed Shalan's directions to his lodgings.

The house was small, with one bedroom and one living room. Its furnishings followed the Night Elves' usual simple style. Apart from the necessities, there were no decorations at all.

Kalei opened the door and went to wash up. When he came out, a young male Night Elf had brought him a basket of food.

Kalei accepted it and opened the basket. Inside were not only his favorite Moon-Marked Venison and Roasted Bear Steak, but also Magic Cinnamon Bread, Golden Dew Honey, and other foods. There was even a small bowl of fresh Berry Salad, with red and purple berries piled together in a way that made his mouth water. It really was a hero's treatment.

Kalei thanked the man, set the food on the table, and dug in while it was still hot. As he ate, he thought about his mission.

But no matter how much he thought, he couldn't get anywhere. He stopped speculating and decided to investigate in person the next day.

He made up his mind, quickly finished the feast, tidied himself up, and went to bed.

The next day, after breakfast, he followed the plan he'd made the night before. He mounted Big Black, left Zoram Town, and rode out onto the main road beyond the town to patrol back and forth, hoping to see the beast attacks for himself.

He rode up and down the road, seeing plenty of beasts but hardly any Elves. The beasts in the forest must have been causing such trouble lately that the Night Elves in town were afraid to come outside.

Since he couldn't find any other Elves, Kalei decided to use himself as bait and see if the beasts would attack him.

The beasts could clearly sense that he was a Druid who protected nature. They bore him no ill will, and whenever he approached, they turned and ran back into the forest.

Kalei tried communicating with a bear and a wolf, but his abilities weren't good enough yet. He couldn't hear the thoughts these ordinary beasts voiced in their hearts, so he couldn't communicate with them.

He was a little frustrated, wondering if he should go into the forest and take a look.

Just then, a commotion of shouts and screams came from the west, mixed with the shrieks of women and children.

"Help! Run!"

"Get ashore! Don't stay by the water!"

Kalei quickly rode Big Black toward the sounds.

They hadn't gone far before they burst out of the forest.

Beyond the forest lay a flat stretch of beach, and beyond that, the quiet sea. Veiled in fog, the ocean was impossible to see in its entirety.

A dozen or so Night Elves had been playing by the water, but now they were all fleeing toward shore in panic, their faces full of fear.

Kalei's heart sank. He thought the attackers might be Naga Sirens—Night Elves corrupted by the Old Gods after the War of the Ancients—or the chattering fishfolk.

He hurriedly rode Big Black to higher ground and looked toward the beach to see what was attacking them. But there was nothing on the sea except churning fog and waves slapping the shore. He saw neither Naga nor Murlocs.

He stopped a passing Night Elf and asked what had happened.

The Night Elf panted, "It's not Murlocs or Naga. It's fish! The fish in the sea have gone mad and started biting people. They bit my leg!"

The fish were going mad and biting people too? What was going on? It was one thing for the animals in the forest to go mad, but the fish had gone mad as well—and they were all attacking Night Elves. That was really interesting. Could they all have a grudge against Night Elves?