Demon Hunter

Their soft hands gently touched Illidan's face, washing away his burned and disfigured skin, except for his eyes. The sweet scent of lilies and other flowers wafted past his nostrils. He stirred, finally awakening from his unconscious state. To escape the excruciating pain, he had induced himself into a coma. The pain had lessened considerably, becoming bearable, but Illidan wondered if it would ever completely disappear.

But the moment he awoke, he felt a sharp pain in his head. The Elf gasped for breath, shielding his eyes with his hands; the most striking feature of his entire being was his eyes. He tried his best to block out the light, but to no avail; the swirling energy and ever-changing colors before his eyes made him dizzy. This was Sargeras's gift to him; he could now observe the world with malevolent and magical Spectral Sight. But the price for this gift was high, and the Night Elf dared not recall the agony.

Tyrande, Malfurion, Cenarius ... the Elf thought of many people, wondering how these people he knew would react to seeing him like this—this was his biggest worry.

Illidan cleared his mind of distractions, trying his best to calm himself down. At first, he couldn't do it at all; the world around him seemed to have fallen into endless chaos.

This state didn't last long; it took Illidan a long time to adjust. The colors were no longer chaotic, and the raging power flowed in an orderly fashion. The natural energy contained within all things, living and dead, began to transform into concrete forms.

He finally found himself lying on a cushioned chaise lounge. The chaise lounge was smooth and soft, giving him an extremely comfortable feeling. Illidan closed his eyes, then suddenly opened them, and saw three people standing beside him, all of them women. He gazed at them, and their faces gradually became clear. All three were Night Elf, young and beautiful, dressed in luxurious and alluring robes.

He then carefully examined the woman who had been cleaning his wounds, and noticed that this Female Elf was very different from the other two. Illidan could sense her silver hair and her cat-like eyes.

The Female Elf removed her hand from his face. She set Wen aside and took out an object—a black silk handkerchief.

"This is prepared for you, Lord Illidan..."

He immediately understood the purpose of the item. His heightened vision made him temporarily forget how he was supposed to look at others. Illidan accepted the shroud and wrapped it around his eyes. As he expected, the shroud did not diminish his newfound vision.

"You look much better now!" the woman whispered. "You should go to see the Queen looking your best..."

"Thank you, Fashki ..." Azshara's voice suddenly came from inside the room, "You may all leave now."

Fashki then fell silent, bowed, and left the room with the other two maids.

Azshara shimmered with a dazzling silver light. Illidan stared intently at the queen, and only now did he understand why she was so beloved by all her people.

"Your Majesty." Illidan rose from the recliner and knelt on one knee.

"Please rise! There's no need for such a grand gesture." She appeared beside him in an instant, her movements so swift that even Illidan didn't notice. "How are you feeling?"

After Azshara sat down, her gaze drifted toward Illidan.

Illidan scrutinized her closely. Azshara radiated an intense light. These qualities precisely demonstrated the Queen's true power. No wonder so many Elf were captivated by her charm.

"You have made a very deep impression on me, Illidan Stormrage! I don't think anyone can withstand Sargeras' power, but you have succeeded. Perhaps he knew you could, otherwise why would he bestow such a precious gift upon you?" Azshara said. "It is only a pity that you have lost such beautiful golden eyes."

"I...I made it through, Your Majesty."

"I'm really curious to know how you got through that. Could you tell me about it?" She ran her fingers lightly over Illidan's shroud. "What were you thinking when you were receiving the power of Fel?"

Illidan frowned, looking down in the direction of her hand. What was he thinking? Illidan remembered two green beams shooting from the portal, searing his golden eyes. The Night Elf clearly remembered the scene she had witnessed: the realms of the universe, endless demons, and... destroyed worlds. At that moment, Illidan could only lament in anguish at their sheer number; the demons invading Azeroth were merely the tip of the iceberg of the entire Legion. Even if they achieved victory on Azeroth ... it would be meaningless.

Sargeras's words echoed in Illidan's mind: No matter how hard the world tries, it cannot avoid failure.

"I only felt pain, endless pain. In the pain, I couldn't think, I just wanted it all to end quickly." Illidan's tone was low, trying his best to avoid letting Azshara see that he was hiding something.

The Queen covered her mouth and chuckled, "I know it's painful; I can hear your voice even when I'm fast asleep."

"It was my fault for disturbing your sleep, Your Majesty."

Azshara stood up, studying the intricate, dark patterns on Illidan's body. The queen sensed a mysterious magic within the patterns— Sargeras's magic—permeating the Night Elf before her.

"There is a reward after suffering."

Illidan, previously unaware of the changes within himself, believing only his own eyes were aware, was now utterly stunned by what he saw. Sargeras seemed to have truly brought Illidan under his command. Illidan cautiously touched the pattern. Instantly, he felt an energy surge within him, rapidly coursing through his entire body—a power akin to that of a demon.

"You are now truly favored by him... and naturally by me as well," Queen Azshara whispered.

"Please forgive this untimely interruption, Light of Light," someone whispered at the door, their voice almost threatening.

Illidan tensed instantly, while Azshara remained calm. She straightened up, brushed her thick hair behind her ear, and gazed at the uninvited guest at the door with a dazed and weary look. "What is it, Varos?"

Unlike the alluring glow emanating from the Queen, the Varos Guard Captain emitted a black light, reminding Illidan of demons. Illidan knew this man was likely just as treacherous and ruthless as the demons.

When Varos saw Azshara and Illidan sitting on the recliner, he was instantly enraged. She stood up and reached out to touch Illidan's cheek, which only fueled his fury.

"I've come here to report, Your Majesty. The raid on Blackrock Spire at the front has failed again, and Tichondrius, the leader of the Demon Lord, has already..."

"Enough said!" Azshara said, sitting back in her chair, still frustrated. She couldn't understand why they had failed, especially with the sacrifice of an important demon leader.

"The rebels are stronger than we imagined, my queen. Besides Ravencrest's rebels, many forest demigods have appeared, so..."

Azshara stared intently at the wound on Varos's face, convinced that he wasn't lying.

"Soon there will only be one god in this world, Varos. But I still hope that we can resolve these troubles when Sargeras arrives."

"Understood, Your Majesty. I will go to discuss this with Sargeras immediately."

Azshara waved Varos away impatiently, and the latter glared at Illidan before leaving.

"My captain of the guard is very loyal, isn't he?"

Illidan turned around and found the Queen's eyes fixed on him. "Yes, Your Majesty."

"But I think you will be more loyal than him."

If Fashki's eyes are like a cat's, then Azshara's eyes are more like a venomous snake; being stared at by her always makes one feel as if their innermost secrets will be laid bare. Illidan was only fortunate that Azshara didn't possess mind-reading abilities.

"I will, Your Majesty, I mean what I say," Illidan replied confidently, then realized that Azshara had given him a task, which would be a good opportunity to test him. "Give me your orders, Your Majesty."

"Oh, of course," Azshara said coyly, looking at him. "I heard you participated in the first battle of Blackrock Spire and caused us quite a bit of trouble." As she spoke, she ran her hand over the black patterns on Illidan's body.

Although he knew she was just putting on an act, Illidan responded nonetheless. Striving not to be swayed by her seductive words, he replied, "Yes, Your Majesty. But in that battle, I witnessed the power of Fel, so now... I have turned to the light."

"A wise decision." Azshara smiled indulgently at him. "Actually, I'm not here to interrogate you about this. What I want to know is, among those who fought alongside you, was there... a dead one?"

'That Undead?' Illidan immediately understood what Azshara wanted to know. 'Yes, Your Majesty, there is indeed such a person as you described. He calls himself 'Undead,' and he is very intelligent and skilled in many arts, but I don't believe he belongs to any particular race. I can sense a kind of magic on him that I have never seen before, which is bound to his soul.'

"So I want to know what kind of magic that is, Illidan."

Illidan bowed to the Queen. "I understand your meaning, Your Majesty. I will bring that Undead to your side, with the power my master has bestowed upon me."

The queen laughed haughtily, nodding repeatedly, and said, "You may depart now, Illidan Stormrage."

Without a word, Illidan strode out. He knew Azshara. Even if the queen suddenly attacked him, Illidan wouldn't be surprised, but Azshara clearly wouldn't do so.

Where should he go now? Illidan looked up and locked onto the sun's position; the sunlight was no longer blinding to him.

To find the Undead, Illidan had to return to Blackrock Spire, a decision that filled him with trepidation but was nonetheless necessary—a sacrifice was required to gain Azshara's trust.

It was a hard-won but timely victory. Garrid didn't shout like the others; he knew there were many more battles to come, and he didn't know how many would survive.

"We knew that an excellent captain of the guard, Shadowsong, would surely unite us as one."

"You mean me?" Garrid quickly shook his head. "Master Cenarius, you trust me too much. I'm just an ordinary officer, and my ability to command troops is just a stroke of luck."

"I'm afraid we need you even more now, Garrid Shadowsong. The Tauren and other races have arrived, but we need you to show them the respect of the Night Elf. Only then will they respect us in return. The war is not over yet, Azeroth still needs their strength."

The Night Elf slumped his shoulders in resignation. "I—I will do my utmost, Master. That's all I can say."

The demigod nodded. "That's exactly what we wanted to hear, Captain Shadowsong."

"I will reorganize the resistance, Master," Garrid said. "But what will you do next? I'm talking about the other demigods."

"The Legion will remember this crushing defeat, but they have not lost yet. They will soon return, and the next time will be even more brutal."

Garrid nodded. Broxigar snorted impatiently; he secretly hoped for more demons. The bond between him and the Oak Axe was growing stronger every day, and he needed more Demon Blood to satisfy his needs. Besides, Broxigar had also proven to them through his actions that he was a trustworthy ally.

"I don't know your name yet, Tauren Warrior." Garrid glanced behind the Tauren, where the white stag Aethel was chewing on the only clean green grass on the ground.

"My name is Huln Highmountain, Commander of Shadowsong."

"Hello, Huln, but please call me Garrid as well. Commander sounds like an old man."

Huln's thick lips curved upwards. "Very well, Garrid." The Tauren turned to the King of the Forest. "And thank you for your guidance, Great Cenarius."

"Huln, I have traveled the continent of Azeroth and know your race quite well. You hold the Earth Mother in the highest esteem. Now, the world is suffering from calamity and needs your strong arms. Please stay."

"I understand, Cenarius. I will obey Garrid's command." Huln raised the Eagle Claw, Spear of the Wild Gods, stained with Demon Blood, high in his hand. With this weapon, he earned the respect of everyone present.

'Excellent, another powerful ally!' Garrid laughed happily. It would be even better if there were more allies!

"Lord Garrid."

"What is it, soldier?"

"That 'Undead' that disappeared before... he's back!"