Tobias

"I see the island you mentioned."

"How so?" Nathanos snapped out of his reverie and looked at the mage's profile. The way Meryl had been so engrossed in looking at the southern end of the map had given him a vague idea of the answer.

Meryl said with a slightly surprised tone, "Actually, it's not an island, but a continent, a continent shrouded in mist, in the southernmost part of Azeroth."

What's on land?

"I only saw a group of Pandaren, that must be their home, a vibrant and thriving place."

"How far?" Nathanos asked the most crucial question.

"It took me five whole days to see it, but the most troublesome thing wasn't the distance, it was the fog." The mage shook his head, deciding to personally lead Nathanos to witness it. He tapped his staff on the ground. A blinding light burst from the tip of Atiesh's staff, and the Witherer found himself standing on a vast ocean. However, he could neither feel the sea breeze nor hear the sound of the waves.

"Look!" Meryl pointed ahead.

Nathanos, too, was astonished by the strange sight when he looked over. Above the sea, an inexplicable fog almost completely obscured his vision, and despite the bright sunshine, it did not dissipate. It resembled a storm, but showed no sign of spreading.

"This is definitely not a natural phenomenon," Nathanos said. "You said that continent lies beyond the fog."

Meryl nodded. "I almost wanted to give up, but thankfully magic kept guiding me, and it took me a long time to find my destination."

"So, the purpose of this fog is to prevent outsiders from approaching the land inside?" The Witherer said sarcastically. "You've really given me a tough time. Oh well, as long as I have a definite location, that's fine." With a wave of his hand, Meryl's fantasy vanished instantly. "Now I need to get to the matter at hand."

"What you up to?"

"Prepare for going to that continent. Before that, there's one more thing I need to do." Nathanos gave Meryl an enigmatic smile. The mage frowned slightly, sensing something was wrong.

A hawk soared through the gloomy sky.

Tobias Mistermantho glanced at the landscape, leaped over a low, rough city wall, and paused atop it for a moment, carefully surveying his surroundings. Gilneas's high walls, like mountains shrouded in darkness, guarded and isolated its kingdom. Though the twilight made the view somewhat hazy, the walls blended seamlessly with the mountains, as if they had grown from within them. Looking at the city, numerous towers shone brightly, the domes of the main tower clearly reflecting the shadows of the lower-lying houses.

This wasn't the first time he'd seen such a sight. A day earlier, he'd glimpsed it from the city's west gate. Frankly, it was a miracle of sorcery on a desolate land, a masterpiece of Gilneas craftsmen's skill!

He sat down, making sure he wouldn't be spotted while still observing the pedestrians in the alleyways. His eyes caught quite a few people; the residents were still going about their daily lives. This was good; at least it showed the Gilneas weren't succumbing to fear because of the kingdom's shadow.

Thinking of this, Tobias began to hate and loathe himself. He glanced at the puddle at his feet, but he couldn't see his face clearly out of the corner of his eye. However, the gray hair reflected on the water almost immediately made him furious.

He realized, countless times: this wasn't a nightmare, it was real, he had become a monster.

There wasn't a soul on the battlements; it was as if abandoned, with only the howling wind whipping through the snow. The King had sent most of his soldiers to patrol the streets. Tobias paused for a moment, then immediately felt extremely hungry. He took out the hard bread he had prepared beforehand, along with clean water, and ate alone, lost in thought. At this time, the patrolling guards would likely come to his house to check— the King did this to ensure the safety of the people. During the day, he would calmly stay at home and open the door for the soldiers, but not at night; he couldn't control the change in his personality.

The chewing process filled Tobias with dread. His mouth was stretched out, the sound of dozens of sharp teeth grinding together was quite grating, and his claws and limbs were strong and powerful. As he swallowed a mouthful of bread, Tobias felt only dissatisfaction in his stomach; meat was what he needed more than grain. He hurriedly shook his head, suppressing his inner craving. This was dangerous; it only meant he was becoming more and more like a wild beast.

After a considerable amount of time, estimating that the guards had finished questioning the citizens, Tobias tossed aside his emptied water pouch, let out a long sigh, and looked down at the city walls below. He pushed off with his legs, his entire body arcing through the air as he plummeted towards the tower below. If he were still human, this would have been tantamount to suicide, but now he was different. The instant he landed, he felt a surge of power coursing through the air, as if his feet had shattered the tower's floor. Then, he leaned forward, landing on all fours, and began to weave through the twilight of Gilneas City.

The only sound in his ears was still the whistling of the wind, but Tobias sensed something was wrong! Was that the sound of an arrow shot from a bow? He jerked to the side, twisting his body swiftly. An arrow flew past his eyes, its sharp tip nearly grazing his nose!

Tobias immediately looked in the direction the arrows had come from, but saw nothing. The attackers had concealed themselves. He gritted his teeth; whoever they were, he had been discovered, and he needed to get out of there immediately. If the King's scouts found him, everything would be over. Fortunately, Tobias didn't hear anyone shouting an alarm. He was puzzled; why weren't they doing so?

With a side somersault, Tobias entered the intricate alleyways of Gilneas. The tall buildings provided him with the safest cover, rendering even the most skilled archer useless.

After regaining his balance, he moved at lightning speed through the familiar surroundings. He would be safe once he got home. The journey wasn't far, but Tobias still felt somewhat unsafe.

His suspicions proved correct; just around the corner from home, his path was unmistakably blocked. He then saw clearly who was attacking him. The attacker wore a black cloak, his armor was light yet defensive, a short sword hung from his belt, and he gripped a longbow with an arrow already nocked.

This isn't Gilneas attire. Tobias thought carefully; in Gilneas, even a hunter only uses a gun, bows and arrows aren't common here.

Tobias couldn't make out the other person's appearance under the black cloak, but the pointed ears peeking out from the hood confirmed the other person's identity— Elf! No! His enhanced sense of smell due to his own transformation told him that things might not be so simple; there was a putrid smell, carrying the aura of death.

Just as he was about to speak, the Elf's voice rang out, sounding as cold as her identity. "Look at you, what a pleasant surprise."

Tobias then realized that he no longer had a human appearance; he had originally planned to change back after returning home. "Remnants of the Scourge? They're here?" His voice sounded very unfamiliar, rough and harsh, making Tobias feel very uncomfortable.

"You can talk?" the Elf, somewhat surprised.

Now Tobias' second secret has been exposed.

"I've heard that Worgen curses only drive people insane and cause them to lose their minds, but you seem perfectly normal. Can you tell me why?"

"None of your business!" Tobias growled, sounding more like an animal than a human for a moment. He took a step closer to the one blocking his path, as if about to attack.

"I think we'd better not make too much noise," the other person said. "A patrol of soldiers will be passing through here in two minutes."

This made Tobias raise an eyebrow. He couldn't make a move here. He might be able to kill this "intruder," but that would waste a lot of time and cause a commotion.

"One more thing, I am not a member of the Scourge. My name is Veronalara, a Forsaken."

Tobias had never heard of the Forsaken; he could only lament how long Gilneas had been isolated from the world.

"By the way, guess how I knew you'd be passing through here?" Veronalara smiled faintly, and as the patrolling guards' footsteps became clearer, she leaped onto the roof of the civilian quarters on the left. "We'll meet again, Tobias Mistermantho. I hope you're prepared for the changes this kingdom will undergo."

Memories were scattered by a cool, soothing breeze that swept through the tall oak trees of the Black Mire Forest, a brief, peaceful respite descending upon the quiet forest, leaving Tobias Mistermantho with solitary thoughts. Despite the food shortages of the past few weeks, Tobias refused to give up. Compared to the cold, cramped atmosphere of Gilneas, the Black Mire Forest seemed much more pleasant.

War has never ceased in this kingdom; the sound of gunfire is as familiar as one's own breath. The Capital City recently fell entirely to the Worgen, and the Horde seized the opportunity to occupy vast swathes of Gilneas. The Black Mire Forest, which Gilneas originally avoided, has become a refuge for refugees and a base for the resistance.

"I've been looking for you, Mistermantho." One of Tobias's companions approached. Many Worgen who had regained their sanity had accepted their transformations, and this was one of them. Lord Darius Crowley, formerly the commander of the Northgate Rebels, had now submitted to the King and was responsible for guarding Gilneas. Crowley's Worgen form still sported his signature beard, and his neat brown hair was slightly graying, yet his sharp eyes revealed an energy comparable to that of a young man.

"What are your orders, lord?" Tobias asked.

"I just had a fight with Ivar. He insists on taking back Greymane Manor, saying that with its strategic location and terrain, the Horde occupying the Capital City will be attacked from both sides. What do you think?"

Ivar Bloodfang, the leader of the wolf pack, is Crowley's lieutenant and commands an elite force known as the Bloodfang Worgen. Before surrendering, Ivar caused the Horde considerable trouble. After surrendering, he dedicated himself to defending his homeland, but those who know him well know that he has a short temper and is prone to impulsive actions.

"His foresight is not without merit, but there is no way out at the Greymane Manor. Once the Horde discovers us, we will be in danger."

Crowley nodded, then sighed, "It's a pity he's already set off; in his eyes, any risk is worth taking."

Tobias blinked and watched as Crowley turned and left.

"Where have you been? I've been waiting for hours."

When Tobias got home, he found someone waiting for him inside.

"Sorry, Staven. I just went for a walk." He closed the curtains to prevent the moonlight from triggering a reaction within him. Turning from human back into Worgen was easy, but turning back was not.

"What do you think of my plans?" Staven suddenly asked, clearly the reason he had appeared and was waiting for Tobias to return.

Tobias stood there stunned for a moment, trying to recall what his brother's plan was, and then he thought of their last conversation.

"I thought it was just a joke."

In an instant, Tobias could see the disappointment on Staven's face. "I'm not exaggerating. I plan to smuggle myself out on a fishing boat going out to sea."

"Are you crazy?" Tobias quickly grabbed Staven, afraid he would slip away at any moment. "This is unacceptable. The King has decreed that no one is allowed to leave Gilneas."

"King? Genn Greymane is nothing!" Staven struggled to break free from Tobias's grasp. "Look what he's done! He's imprisoned us behind a high wall and summoned monsters to harm us..."

A bitter taste lingered in Tobias's heart, and the word "monster" from his family was a recurring nightmare. What would he do if he showed him what he had just done? Tobias immediately banished this terrible thought and defended the King, and himself, saying, "Summoning the Worgen was to resist the Scourge. We succeeded; we did what even Lordaeron couldn't."

"You mean trading one enemy for another? Don't be silly, Tobias. Think about the disaster the Worgen have brought us, think about it!" Staven shoved him aside and stormed off.

The tense atmosphere didn't disappear with Staven's departure; Tobias clearly sensed that another consciousness remained. He sat painfully on the floor, using his Will to control the urge to transform.

His thoughts drifted back twenty years. He had witnessed firsthand the cruelty and bloodthirstiness of the Worgen on the battlefield, and even years after the war, their atrocities lingered like a nightmare, casting a shadow over Gilneas.