Bugs

Gizzlok returned to Nathanos's tent, his excitement expressed in his rapid footsteps. "The plan is going smoothly, Master."

"Regar agreed to the exchange?" Nathanos's voice sounded somewhat muffled. Anyone who knew him would know that this was not his voice. After being overheard talking to Gizzlok yesterday, Nathanos had become much more cautious.

"As you said, he agreed, but what I don't understand is why you still want me to take the Druids away, leaving that Female Elf alone?"

"Things have changed, Gizzlok. Send a message to Meryl immediately, and then..." Nathanos thought carefully before saying, "Tell Belmont to contact the spies of the Eastern Kingdoms and have them spread rumors."

"Yes, Master, but there's another problem."

"Explain."

"Your operation is top secret; even the other high-ranking officials don't know about it. How am I supposed to explain this to them?"

The Witherer's eyes trembled slightly, like flames flickering in the shadows. "Four words: This is an order!"

"Understood, understood! It's your order!" Gizzlok replied, knowing it wouldn't be wise to offend the Witherer. "I also have the map given to me by Regar the Wrath of the Earth. Would you like to take a look?"

Nathanos took the map and unfolded it. The Goblins wanted to ask how he could see it in such dim light, but in fact he could.

"The transaction location is Stagnant Oasis?"

"Yes, Master, I've checked it, there's nothing wrong with his map."

"Very good." Nathanos carefully put the map away and returned it to Gizzlok. "I hope this Regar won't disappoint me."

"May I ask, Master, what exactly is the next step in your plan?"

The Witherer let out a cold laugh, making the Goblins feel as if a pair of eyes were piercing through his entire body from behind.

Have you ever heard of Dire Maul?

In Mulgore, a land of lush pastures and gentle breezes, a brown-haired Tauren leaned against a flame, from which wisps of pink smoke rose. He muttered to himself, throwing leaves into the fire, which burned even more fiercely. Thick smoke billowed, enveloping the cliffs around him.

As the moonlight streamed down, one could see that he was an elderly Tauren, his brown eyes bloodshot, looking utterly exhausted. Without help, he could barely stand, and walking was a faltering affair.

However, even the fiercest warriors must show him respect. In the traditions of the Tauren, and even the Horde, the Shaman holds a very high position.

Now, at fixed times, Gain Cloud Song performs ancient rituals, listening to the voice of Earth Mother and seeking guidance from the elements.

The voice still echoed in his mind. The Tauren valued a sense of family. Normally, the elementals would only discuss trivial matters, everyday things, but now they were becoming increasingly uneasy, sensing danger...

But what exactly is the danger? He doesn't know yet, but the elements can tell him.

"Homage to the Spirit of the Breeze! Tonight, I ask you to join my ceremony and deliver the wisdom of the great Earth Mother into the ears of her child, Gain Cloud Song, who longs to hear it."

It was a quiet night, but now, Gain felt a gentle breeze ruffling his fur. He pricked up his ears, and at least for the moment, he thought he could hear a soft murmur.

Gain reached into a small pouch at his waist and tossed out a few dried, black leaves. Most of them were said to have been plucked from the same tree by the ancient Tauren. His companion, Kador Cloudsong, had warned him against using them unless absolutely necessary.

The Shaman threw them into the fire.

In an instant, flames roared up, emitting a blue light. The Orcs immediately frowned, leaning forward and desperately breathing in the fresh air.

"Homage to the Spirit of the Flame!" Yun Ge raised his staff in reverence before the small bonfire. "Radiant flames. Tonight, we ask you to join our ritual, to warm me with your uplifting inspiration, and to tell me why you are so uneasy?"

The flames suddenly flared up, and Gain felt the intense heat emanating from the wall of fire. After asserting its presence, the flames subsided and returned to normal, crackling gently as they burned.

Now, the Shaman turns to the west, facing the river, and asks them to cleanse the Tauren's doubts with the source of life.

"Welcome, Spirit of Life," Yun Ge cried out. "You are in the flames of our blood. I beseech you to join my ritual. Hearts sink into trickles, blood surges into the distance."

Gain continued to breathe deeply, calming his turbulent emotions. He raised the earthen goblet beside him. It was filled with a dark liquid that reflected the starlight. This would allow him to see—if Earth Mother desired it. Drink it, and he would see the answer. It didn't taste too bad; it was made with Silverleaf, Briarthorn, Earthroot, and some other herb.

The Shaman relaxes his body and gazes into the distance.

His surroundings were no longer those of Mulgore, and the breeze on his face was no longer the gentle caress of Thunder Bluff. His hooves landed on soft earth. No, not earth, but yellow sand—a desert! Why had the elements forced him to witness this?

The Tauren bent down, scooped up a handful of yellow sand from the ground, and let the wind carry it away. This was the wind's guidance! Gain Yunge walked in the direction the sand was drifting. Along the way, he saw many underground structures, neither Tauren nor Orcs in style, but rather... Night Elf. Amidst the ruins, the most striking was a Night Elf- style watchtower, surrounded by swirling black winds. Gain knew the wind was invisible; he was puzzled and focused his attention. The wind swirled and danced, like musical notes, like the rhythm of magic.

Insect!

Gain saw clearly: they were insects, the Swarm. Moreover, as he continued forward, what Gain Yunge saw became increasingly unsettling. Mountains transformed into pillars of the Swarm, nauseating worm-like limbs sprouting from the rocks, trembling slightly from time to time. Dark purple crystals emerged from the earth. Many things looked quite wrong. In the desert depressions, the ground was covered with purple-sweet-colored spots, teeming with insect eggs.

"What are all these?" the Shaman asked involuntarily.

The answer to everything lay behind a sand dune. At first, Gain didn't notice, assuming it was normal to see a mirage in the desert. But he immediately sensed something was amiss. This wasn't a real desert, or rather... it was reality reflected into the spiritual world; there was no illusion, and the most direct evidence was the shadow itself. Gain Yunge saw the city walls, granite walls that soared into the clouds. The city gate was hexagonal, and to its left was a ceremonial altar with gongs and drums inlaid with insect patterns.

This is the ruins of an ancient city, a magnificent city. But it has been forgotten.

Gain took a breath. He was still puzzled as to why the Elements had shown him this.

His reverie was interrupted by a familiar buzzing sound. As Shaman, Gain was accustomed to listening to all kinds of sounds, observing the earth he loved, and the creatures that lived on it. So when the cacophony of insect chirping began, he was not surprised. But the sound was coming from behind the city walls, and it was growing clearer and louder.

The blinding desert sunlight cast bright spots on the city walls, but these were quickly obscured by a sudden, dark shadow. It was a beetle, but its size rivaled that of a giant spider in the forest.

Gain blinked. Then came the second, the third, and a swarm! A deluge of insects flew out, obscuring the sun's rays. The hexagonal gate opened, and towering stone statues emerged, each step shaking the earth. Humanoid creatures with dragonfly wings mechanically turned their heads, as if searching for food. The Swarm crawled across the mountain peaks, devouring every vestige of life they could see.

The Tauren was stunned. By Earth Mother, what was this? Gain couldn't understand it. He finally awoke when an insect raised its claws and charged at him.

But he still thought of the scenes in his dream, and he understood their meaning.

"I must tell the High Chieftain," he muttered to himself, then thought of the Night Elf structures buried deep in the desert. "The Night Elf! Yes, the Night Elf!"

The ecosystem of the Stagnant Oasis was even better than Nathanos had imagined. After the transaction, he was locked in a caged wagon, along with Valishgunar. This Female Elf had been staring at Nathanos ever since she was imprisoned. But Nathanos ignored her; more interesting than her alluring beauty was the southern part of the Barrens.

I wonder how the transformation of Razor Ridge is going.

"You are not a gladiator," Valeera asked, her human language sounding very awkward, clearly indicating she was unfamiliar with it.

Nathanos chuckled silently and said to her in Sauras language, "If you hadn't followed Gizzlok and eavesdropped on my conversation with him, you wouldn't be here. You could have left with your two companions; Gizzlok would have taken you with him, but alas..."

"So you knew!" Valeera's eyes widened in surprise. "What is your purpose? Why did you take Lo'gosh and Broll away, and even me?" The Female Elf frowned. "You want to get close to Regar Wrath of the Earth?"

"The more you know, the faster you die!" Nathanos warned. He caught a glimpse of the Female Elf's eyes and a sudden pang of heartache shot through him. Was it from Fel Addiction?

He closed his eyes, forcing himself not to think too much. He was now an Undead, fighting only for the dead.

The caged carriage, pulled by a Kodo Beast, was traveling under the cover of night towards the next arena— Dire Maul.