Imminent Disaster

"Do you have any idea what you are doing?" Maiev grabbed the other by the collar, roaring in fury, her face twisted by rage.

"Coming here was the limit of my ability." The newcomer struggled to finish the sentence, then stood there in silence. Maiev released him; she knew he spoke the truth. He had already lost the Queen's trust, and the only reason he retained his position as Captain of the Guard was the face the Queen gave him for his past merits. Why was Maiev so furious? Because she had witnessed the most terrifying, most inhumane act since her birth. A massive hound—dog head, dog body, dog claws—the only thing different were the two horns upon its head. It was devouring! Eating living Kaldorei! It was not that Maiev had never seen elves eaten; the Troll would do such things. This hound was consuming her own kin, yet standing nearby were more of her own kind, laughing, admiring, and worshipping. They were so respectful to this hound; it was they who delivered their own kin to be eaten! Look at their expressions, as if saying, "Is it delicious? Would you like some more?" Maiev was incensed; she could barely control herself. She recalled her uncle's words: "In the face of great events, one must remain calm." She forced herself to cool down, compelled herself to keep watching. She wanted to remember the faces of these elves who harmed their own, to remember them one by one. She wanted to remember these slaughtered kin; they left nothing behind, swallowed alive just like that. They roared, they screamed, they wailed, but it was all in vain, cast out by their own kin to be ruthlessly devoured by the great hound. The great hound had eaten its fill, the great hound was satisfied, and the great hound let out a long breath. "Very good, the meat today was tender. Continue to send more like this tomorrow. I will not treat you poorly; Hakkar always keeps his word. Now, let us begin!" Everyone knelt, and that look of piety made Maiev feel sick! The great hound named Hakkar began to cast a spell; the two horns on its head began to glow with a purple light—yes, the same purple light as the Arcane, only deeper, more concentrated. These scumbags were enjoying this light! They used their own kin to trade for their own pleasure! No, that was not Arcane magic; Maiev could smell it. There was a sickening stench within it—it was chaos, a scent Maiev resisted from the bottom of her heart. "This is a demon!" Maiev realized instantly; this was the demon her uncle had mentioned! They used disguised Fel magic to lure the mages, to make them fall, to make them lose themselves, to turn them into devils! "Damn you, Azshara! What have you done!"

"Was it Azshara who gave the order?" Maiev's tone was icy.

"No, Azshara does not deign to communicate with it; she speaks directly to its master. This was arranged by Xavius." Dath'Remar's tone was calm, as if he were narrating something that had nothing to do with him.

"Damn bastard, traitor! The scum of the Kaldorei! For power, he would do anything!" Maiev was on the verge of going Berserk.

"The situation is dire. Hakkar is constantly summoning his minions through the energy of the Well of Eternity; it is a more terrifying power! They feed on the Arcane!" Dath'Remar was moved; his previous calmness was a facade, a sign of his own inner numbness. Now it was different. He himself was a mage; he knew how terrifying those Felhound were. They could interrupt spellcasting, and their tentacles could drain the Arcane energy from a mage! They were the bane of mages! There were more and more of them; if they could not be contained, the Kaldorei's thousands of years of magical civilization would be destroyed in an instant!

"Do they... do they eat mages?" Maiev asked tentatively.

"Not yet, but it is coming. Hakkar has made the request more than once, but Xavius has not agreed."

"He is afraid he cannot suppress the Council of Mages, is he? Even he has things he fears? Why didn't you secretly notify the Council of Mages?"

"It is useless. The high-ranking mages of the Council of Mages are with the Queen; they have no energy to spare for this. They are already deep in the temptation of these extraterrestrial beings."

"Then why did you come here? Why tell me?"

"I do not know. I do not know who to trust. I am afraid; I am truly afraid. I am a mage too, and when I meditate, I hear those seductive voices. The higher the rank of the mage, the clearer they hear it! But I am afraid; I do not want to become like them! I am a Kaldorei, I am a proud Highborne, I cannot betray my people just to seek power for myself. Maiev, help us. Not everyone is like this. Tell Saruman, tell Gandalf, beg them to find a way. We need help. I beg you!" By the end, Dath'Remar knelt and hugged Maiev's legs. He wept. It was unimaginable that a proud Highborne would weep. He was under such immense pressure; it was such a terrifying thing that he had nearly collapsed.

"I have had that experience too. It started when I broke through the seventh circle; each breakthrough was clearer than the last. How about you, Saruman?"

"Are you stupid? Am I weaker than you? I am stronger than you, alright, even if only by a little. What you experienced, I surely experienced as well."

"Then what did you do?" Maiev asked curiously.

"I just told it, 'Go to hell!'"

"It's that simple?"

"It is just that simple. Did the Master not teach you? You yourself are the center of the world. There is no such thing as a free lunch; everything must be earned with your own two hands."

"Alright, everyone stop." Daphne's voice was very low this time. Everyone looked at her in confusion, waiting for her to continue. Her expression was heavy. She stood up slowly, walked into the center of the group, and carefully took a small package from her bosom. She opened it slowly to reveal a letter.

"This is what the Master gave me before he left." Falco, who had been looking down, suddenly raised his head, his eyes shining. Maiev's originally stern expression remained stern, but her hands clenched tightly, veins bulging. Saruman's expression was calm, but he crushed his pipe. Gandalf's mouth hung open, and his cigar fell onto his robes, but he did not notice until—

"Ah..." Gandalf let out a shout, and everyone glared at him!

"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to, I got burned."

"The Master told me to open it when there was a need. I knew it was precious, so I never opened it. Do you know? From the moment you chose me as your leader, I have been under immense pressure. Maiev, the Master's own niece; Falco, the Master's eldest disciple, though you never admit it; and you, Saruman, Gandalf, and Anla of the Temple of the Moon, you are all powerhouses in your own fields. Letting me lead you, I really feel a lot of pressure. I gritted my teeth and persisted. I wanted to manage Caesar well, I wanted to pass on the Master's will, and spread his ideas to more Kaldorei. But today, everyone, I am going to open it. I am powerless; I need the Master's voice to guide me. Please witness this for me."

Everyone nodded silently, watching Daphne, giving her confidence. Under their gaze, she slowly unfolded the letter.

My dear Daphne:

My good apprentice, you finally came to find me. Have you encountered some difficulty? Don't worry, let me guess. Are there many boys chasing you, and you can't decide who to choose? Hmm, this is easy to handle; just choose Falco. He is a good man and someone you can entrust your life to.

Everyone was in disarray. What was this? Daphne blushed, Falco's face turned black, Maiev thought, Uncle, are you kidding me?, and Gandalf thought, Master, I'm a good lad too. Only Saruman had a better mindset: "Keep reading, don't mess around."

Alright, I won't tease you anymore. I know you have urgent matters. Things that can make you anxious must be very, very big things. Like Elrethalas, like Kalimdor, or perhaps the Well of Eternity. Haha, I guessed right, didn't I? What is it? Let me think... Is that dead hag Azshara causing trouble again? Just wait until I beat her up. Is she spending every day in the bar? No, immersed in the Arcane and unable to extricate herself? Oh my god, I knew this day would come! How far has it gone? Has she communicated with Sargeras? Kil'jaeden? Or Archimonde? Has she opened the Portal? This stupid woman, I told her long ago not to listen to those decadent sounds, and now look, a huge disaster! I tell you, if she is building a Portal, start the magic circle immediately; the world will explode! Tell my daughter not to meddle; Cenarius and his father and the dragons will handle it. You all should prioritize survival! If it's just a dog, don't be afraid for now; you still have some time. First, go collect the water from the Well of Eternity, the concentrated essence. Gandalf knows the method; let him handle it. Get a lot of it, go to Suramar and find Yamila. Suramar will become an island, and those damn mages of the Council of Mages will seal themselves off. When the time comes, without Arcane energy, Mana Addiction will drive those fools insane. Give her a bottle to use at a critical moment. Damn it, why do I have to see so much? I don't even know where to start. In short, protect yourselves! Tell Legolas, no matter what happens, protect my daughter! Otherwise, I won't let him go even as a ghost. Daphne, just try to survive. The world is going to end, the Kaldorei are going to end. Tell Saruman to protect the magic tomes and preserve a spark of Coreflame so we can make a comeback later. Ah, ah, I'm going crazy. I don't want to say any more. I am a coward. I am powerless myself, I am running away myself, yet I put the burden on you. I'm sorry, Daphne.

Maiev wept, Daphne wept, and the three men raised their heads—yes, they were trying to keep their tears from falling.