Live Like a Sun

Time flew by during the chase. Soon, the moon rose high into the sky, casting its clear, cold light over Kael'thas and his companion as they raced through the dark vegetation, leaving short shadows on the ground behind them.

"Pii~"

A loud, clear birdcall rang out in the distance. It was Xiao Ao. Against the dark sky, the phoenix, its whole body ablaze with orange flames, flew high overhead. Its sharp eyes spotted Kael'thas and his companion at once, and it beat its wings and swooped down toward him.

Didn't it bring help!?

The sight of its lone figure made Kael'thas's heart sink. But the next moment, his long, upright ears twitched, and he heard a familiar shout in the distance.

"Kael'thas! Prince Kael'thas!!"

The voice came from farther away in the darkness. It was Astromancer Solarian! It wasn't that Xiao Ao hadn't brought help; Xiao Ao had simply arrived ahead of the others!!

Kael'thas had no time to rejoice. His mount, Xiao Bai, ran toward the voice of its own accord, but then he heard the Troll Rogue's voice terrifyingly close to his ear.

"Did you think you were saved?"

A red light and a green light flashed through the bushes beside them. Kael'thas looked over in horror. It was the Troll Rogue! He was running at full speed, his feet crossing tirelessly over the ground. The light from his two daggers trailed his afterimage like a shooting star, and he was running no slower than Xiao Bai!

"Before you reach them!"

Squinting, the Troll fixed his two sharp eyes on Kael'thas. In the darkness, they looked as eerie as a pair of lanterns. He said in a shrill voice:

"I can still kill you once first, you wretched brat!!"

He abruptly became an afterimage and shot past Kael'thas, then planted both feet hard against a huge tree beside them. With a bang, the Troll's figure miraculously traced a deadly arc. Red and green intertwined in the night, as dazzling as a butterfly, slowly flying toward Kael'thas, who had intruded on its territory.

"Chirp~"

Xiao Bai cried out in terror and slammed on the brakes, but momentum carried it closer and closer to the Troll!

Time seemed to stop. Looking at the Troll leaping toward him and the dagger in his hand, wreathed in poisonous fumes, Kael'thas's mind went blank. I can't dodge! I can't dodge!!

His thoughts raced as he tried to jump off Xiao Bai, but his body couldn't keep up. All he could do was hurtle defenselessly toward the Troll.

"Charge!!"

In less than a ten-thousandth of a second, countless thoughts raced through Kael'thas's mind. Just then, a sturdy, bright-red figure flashed past him and forced his way directly in front of the Troll's daggers.

As Kael'thas raced forward, the wind from the figure blew his hair forward for the first time. His eyes widened. Through the golden strands dancing before him, he saw an elf Warrior with a sword in his outstretched hand. Leaning forward, his eyes shining with a fearless light, he became a streak of light and charged fiercely at the Troll!

"Audilon..."

He didn't even have time to call out the Warrior's name before a bang rang out. The Warrior knocked the Troll backward, and he landed on his back. Xiao Bai seized the chance to race past, leaving both of them far behind.

"Your Highness, run!!"

Audilon shouted. The green dagger had slashed a gaping wound in his right arm, and it was rapidly rotting. But he seemed not to notice at all and continued trying to charge at the Troll, his face full of killing intent.

But immediately afterward, pain shot through his right arm, and his whole body went numb. He slowed down and could no longer launch a swift attack!

Damn it!!

Amid the rushing wind, Kael'thas looked back. He desperately wanted to rush over, but doing so would only be courting death. Reason told him it would be better to meet up with the rescuers first, then come back for Audilon.

Xiao Bai carried him onward, but Kael'thas couldn't help bitterly hating his own helplessness.

"You think you can stop me?"

The Troll Rogue sprang to his feet, even more furious at being knocked down a second time. He looked at Audilon and sneered.

"You've already been poisoned. Stay here and wait for death!"

With that, he ignored Audilon and hurried after Kael'sen'thas. He couldn't afford to waste any more time; that fellow was the one he had to deal with first!

Kael'thas saw this and breathed a sigh of relief for the Warrior, then grew tense again.

Please don't catch up!!

As he prayed, Xiao Bai raced at full speed up a hillside. A few minutes later, he was delighted to see a red flag appear in the distance.

"Kael'thas!!"

A party of elves dressed as rangers appeared behind it. At their head was a young woman sitting sternly upright in the moonlight, a bow and arrows in her hands, her brows cold and her eyes clear, her golden hair dreamlike!

It's her! Sylvanas!!

She looked over intently, her face set in frosty anger. Without hesitation, she aimed at the Troll, nocked an arrow to her longbow, and drew the string. In an instant, Arcane energy surged madly toward her arrow.

A high-level professional!! No, that's not right!! She's a ranger on the verge of reaching legendary rank!!!

The Troll was horrified. Even from so far away, he could feel the deadly danger coming from that bow. Just how powerful was the elf opposite him!!??

She's locked onto me! Damn it, I can't escape! But I can still kill this prince!!

The Troll was terrified, but he immediately gritted his teeth and activated Sprint, determined to drag the High Elf prince down with him before he died.

With a tearing sound, something ripped in his lower leg, and a ripping pain followed! He had used Sprint for too long tonight. The Troll knew that this Sprint, coming so soon after the last, would very likely be the last one of his life!

But that was exactly why he couldn't fail again!!

"You little brat, die!!"

As though someone had shoved him hard from behind, the Troll's body swayed, then tore through the air like a gust of wind. His voice remained where he had been, but his body rapidly closed in on Kael'thas!

Two meters, one meter, half a meter, thirty centimeters!!

The Troll's two daggers were almost touching Kael'thas. It was finally about to end. He grinned viciously and launched his final attack without hesitation.

"Last Stand!"

"Charge!!"

The same brilliant red, the same dazzling radiance.

Just as the daggers were about to stab Kael'thas, Audilon once again stepped in front of the Troll!

He swung his sword across.

With a clang, his broadsword blocked one of the Rogue's daggers, but the other continued thrusting forward beneath the blade.

"I... how could I break my word!!"

The Warrior's eyes reddened, and he let out a hoarse roar. Holding his sword against the dagger with his left hand, he gritted his teeth and used that momentum to wrench his body around.

"Chirp! Chirp!"

Audilon slammed into Xiao Bai, knocking it sideways and throwing Kael'thas clear off.

"!!"

But in the next instant, Kael'thas paid no attention to being thrown from Xiao Bai. The wind roared in his ears as his body flew through the air, but his pupils contracted involuntarily, and his eyes widened in shock...

"Pfft..."

The dagger mercilessly pierced the Warrior's chest with a faint sound.

As though it had sounded right by his ear, Kael'thas would never forget that sound for the rest of his life...

Because that sound seemed far too slight to mark the passing of a life.

The Troll's eyes widened too. He stared at Audilon in shock, because only now... did he realize...

Amid the rain of blood...

This Warrior's right arm had long since been severed...

This unfamiliar elf was indeed just like his profession, a Warrior. He stood upright before him, letting blood pour from his chest and right arm, yet there was not a trace of regret in his dimming eyes.

No wonder you were able to catch up. So you cut off your own right arm...

For the first time, the Troll felt that he should regret it: regret his carelessness, and also regret that he should have learned to admire someone with so little strength...

"Pfft..."

A few seconds later, the sound of an arrow piercing flesh reached the Troll's ears. It was a similar sound, only this time it was his own.

So strong...

His insides shattered in an instant, and his life rapidly ebbed away. The world seemed to spin upside down. The Troll's hands loosened their grip on his daggers, and he slowly fell.

"...Was it worth it?"

He murmured softly. It was unclear whom he was asking, but his voice reached Audilon, who was still standing.

"It was!"

Audilon answered softly. The poison had entered his internal organs, and he understood that no one could save him.

His vision slowly darkened. Audilon seemed to hear Kael'thas crying. Unable to stand any longer, he fell backward and landed against a small body.

"Your Highness, let go of me. I'm filthy..."

Struggling, Audilon spoke softly. He didn't want his blood to stain the prince's noble robes red, but the arms holding him tight and the coldness against his face told him that the young prince was shaking his head and crying.

"Sob... no... you're clean..."

The sobbing voice still carried a trace of childish softness. So this prince really was crying?

"Your Highness, did I fulfill our promise...?"

"Sob... yes, yes... you did..."

"Then why are you crying? Cough... I fulfilled our promise. You should be happy, shouldn't you?"

"Your Highness..."

With difficulty, he reached out his only remaining hand, wanting to wipe away Kael'thas's tears, but his ebbing life had left his hand cold and unwilling to obey him.

"Your Highness, can you promise me one thing?"

He caught his breath, then swallowed the blood in his mouth and asked with difficulty.

"Sob... yes!"

Having received the answer he wanted, Audilon pulled his lips into a smile.

"Your Highness, I... hope you can live on... live like a sun..."

Like a sun, living in radiance all his life...

"Boo-hoo... sob!"

Kael'thas suddenly cried louder. It wasn't mature at all; it seemed he really was a child.

Audilon wanted to say something to him about it, but he had spoken too much, and his mouth seemed too tired to open. A pair of hands took hold of his hand. They were soft; it was a girl...

Is it Solarian...?

In the legends told by his elders,

astromancers could let the dying see images of the future, like a painting. Such a painting appeared before Audilon's eyes.

A painting that looked very dark, very sad, and very beautiful...

Is that so... I see...

That was the radiance of flames, the radiance of the sun...

So... what I saved was... all of Quel'Thalas...

Solarian...

The most loyal girl besides me...

If you can hear my thoughts,

can you promise me one thing?

Please...

You must, you must protect...

our king...