Disaster Looms

"Do you know what you're doing?" Maiev grabbed the other man by the collar and roared furiously. Her face was twisted with rage.

"I've already pushed my luck just coming here." The man struggled to get the words out, then stood quietly, waiting. Maiev released him. She knew he was telling the truth. He had already lost the queen's trust, and the only reason he'd kept his position as captain of the guard was that the queen had shown him mercy for his past service. Why was Maiev so furious? Because she had witnessed the most horrifying, inhuman thing she'd ever seen. A gigantic dog—with a dog's head, dog's body, and dog's paws. The only thing that set it apart from an ordinary dog was the pair of horns on its head. It was eating elves! Eating them alive! Maiev had seen elves being eaten before; Trolls did that. But this dog was eating her own people, while more of her kin stood around it, laughing, watching in delight, and worshipping it. They treated the beast with reverence. They were the ones who had offered their own people up to be eaten! Look at their faces. It was as if they were saying, "Is it tasty? Would you like some more?" Maiev was furious. She could barely control herself. She recalled her uncle's words: "When faced with great matters, keep calm." She forced herself to settle down and keep watching. She would remember the faces of the elves who had butchered their own people, every last one of them. She would remember her slaughtered kin, too. They had left nothing behind; they had been swallowed whole. They had roared, screamed, and wailed, but nothing had helped. Their own people had thrown them forward, and the great dog had devoured them without mercy. When the dog had eaten its fill, it seemed satisfied. It let out a long breath. "Excellent. The meat was tender today. Bring me more like that tomorrow. I'll reward you well. Hakkar always keeps his word. Now, let's begin!" Everyone fell to their knees. The pious looks on their faces made Maiev sick. The great dog called Hakkar began casting a spell. The two horns on its head glowed purple—a shade like Arcane Magic, only darker and richer. These scum were basking in that light! They had traded their own people for this pleasure! No, that wasn't Arcane Magic. Maiev could smell something disgusting in it: chaos, a scent she instinctively rejected. "It's a demon!" Maiev understood at once. This was the demon her uncle had once mentioned! They lured mages with their disguised Fel magic, making them fall, lose themselves, and turn into monsters! "Damn you, Azshara! What have you done?!"

"Was this Azshara's order?" Maiev's voice was cold.

"No. Azshara considers it beneath her to speak with Hakkar. She talks directly to its master. This was Xavius's doing." Dath'Remar's tone was calm, as if he were recounting something that had nothing to do with him.

"Damn that bastard! Traitor! Scum of the Kaldorei! He'd do anything for power!" Maiev was about to lose her temper again.

"Things are bad. Hakkar is using the Well of Eternity's energy to summon more of its followers. They're an even more terrifying force! They feed on Arcane energy!" Dath'Remar's composure finally cracked. His earlier calm had been an act, a sign that he'd become numb inside. But now it was different. He was a mage himself, and knew how terrifying the Felhounds were. They could interrupt spellcasting, and their tentacles could drain the Arcane energy from mages! They were the bane of every mage. Their numbers were growing. If they got out of control, thousands of years of Kaldorei magical civilization would be destroyed!

"They... they eat mages?" Maiev asked tentatively.

"Not yet, but soon. Hakkar has demanded it more than once, but Xavius hasn't agreed."

"He's afraid he won't be able to control the Council of Mages, then. So he can be afraid after all? Why don't you quietly notify the Council?"

"It wouldn't help. The Council's high mages are with the queen. They don't have the time to deal with this. They're already caught up in the allure of those alien creatures."

"Then why come here? Why tell me?"

"I don't know. I don't know who I can trust. I'm scared. I'm really scared. I'm a mage, too. While meditating, I heard those seductive voices myself. The higher your rank, the more clearly you hear them! But I'm afraid. I don't want to become like them! I'm Kaldorei. I'm a proud Highborne. I can't sell out my people just to gain power. Maiev, help us. Not everyone is like this. Tell Saruman, tell Gandalf. Beg them to find a way. We need help. Please!" At the end, Dath'Remar fell to his knees and clung to Maiev's legs. He was crying. It was hard to imagine a proud Highborne weeping like this. He must have been under tremendous pressure. Whatever he feared had nearly driven him to the brink of collapse.

"I went through the same thing. It started when I broke through the seventh circle. Each time I advanced, the voices became clearer. What about you, Saruman?"

"Are you an idiot? Am I weaker than you? I'm stronger than you, all right? Even if only by a little. Whatever you experienced, I definitely experienced too."

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

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

"That's all?"

"That's all. Didn't Her Highness teach you? You're the center of your own world. No pie falls from the sky; everything has to be earned with your own two hands."

"All right, everyone, stop." Daphne's voice was low this time. Everyone looked at her in confusion, waiting for her to continue. Her expression was grave. She slowly rose and walked to the middle of the group, then carefully took a small bundle from inside her clothes and opened it. Inside was a letter.

"His Highness gave this to me before he left." Falco, who had been looking down, suddenly raised his head, his eyes shining. Maiev's expression remained stern, but her hands clenched so tightly that veins stood out. Saruman looked calm, too, but he had crushed his pipe. Gandalf's mouth hung open. His cigar fell onto his robes, but he didn't notice. By the time he did—

"Ah..." Gandalf shouted. Everyone glared at him.

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

"His Highness told me to open it when we needed it. I knew how precious it was, so I never opened it. Do you know? Ever since you chose me as your leader, I've been under tremendous pressure. Maiev, His Highness's own niece; Falco, His Highness's senior disciple, though you keep denying it; and all of you—Saruman, Gandalf, and Anla of the Temple of the Moon. You're all powerful in your own fields. Being put in charge of you all has really weighed on me. I gritted my teeth and carried on. I wanted to build Caesar into something great. I wanted to pass on His Highness's ideals and spread his teachings to more of the Kaldorei. But today, everyone, I'm going to open this. I can do no more. I need His Highness's guidance. Please bear witness with me."

Everyone nodded silently, watching Daphne and giving her courage. Under their gaze, she slowly opened the letter and unfolded it.

Dear Daphne,

My dear apprentice, you've finally come to me. Have you run into some trouble? Don't worry. Let me guess. Are lots of boys chasing after you, and you can't decide which one to choose? Well, that's easy. Pick Falco. He's a good man, the kind you can spend your life with.

Everyone was thrown into confusion. What did that have to do with anything? Daphne blushed. Falco's face darkened. Maiev thought, Uncle, are you kidding me? Gandalf said, "Your Highness, I'm a good young man, too." Only Saruman kept his cool. "Keep reading. Stop messing around."

All right, I won't tease you anymore. I know you're facing something urgent, and if it's enough to make you panic, it must be something very serious. Maybe Eldre'Thalas, maybe Kalimdor, or maybe the Well of Eternity. Haha, I got it right, didn't I? So what is it? Let me think... Did that damned woman Azshara cause trouble again? I'll beat her to a pulp! Is she spending all day in bars? No, wait—has she become so immersed in Arcane magic that she can't pull herself away? Damn it, I knew this day would come! How far has she gone? Has she contacted Sargeras? Kil'jaeden? Or Archimonde? Has she opened a Portal? That foolish woman! I told her not to keep listening to those seductive voices. And now she's made a huge mess! Listen to me: if she's building a Portal, start the spell formation at once. The world will explode! Tell my daughter not to get involved. Cenarius, his father, and the dragons will handle it. Your survival comes first! If it's just a dog, you don't need to panic yet. You still have some time. First, gather water from the Well of Eternity—the concentrated essence. Gandalf knows how, so put him on it. Get as much as you can. Go to Suramar and find Yamila. Suramar will become an island, and that damn Council of Mages will seal themselves away. Without Arcane energy, Mana Addiction will drive those fools mad. Give her a bottle to use when the time comes. Damn it, why did I have to see so much? I don't even know where to begin. Anyway, protect yourselves! Tell Legolas to protect my daughter, no matter what happens! Otherwise, I'll haunt him even after I'm dead. Daphne, stay alive. The world is going to end. The Kaldorei are finished. Tell Saruman to protect the magical tomes and preserve a spark, so we can rise again someday. Ahhh, I'm going crazy. I don't want to say any more. I'm a coward. I can't do anything myself, and I'm running away, yet I've put this burden on your shoulders. I'm sorry, Daphne.

Maiev was crying. Daphne was crying. The three men lifted their heads. Yes, they were trying to keep the tears from falling.