"For Elune," Relara whispered, and released the arrow.
The spiritual arrow tore through the air and hit the Soul Gem dead center.
The red crystal began to crack. Silver light poured out through the fractures, growing brighter and brighter. The gem started to shake violently in the air.
"Run!" Avrus shouted.
The Soul Gem exploded.
A massive burst of silver and red light erupted from the ritual circle. The shockwave knocked Relara backward, and she had to shield her eyes from the blinding flash. Magic crackled through the air like lightning.
The light gradually faded, and Relara saw something amazing.
A ghostly figure was rising from the destroyed gem. It was a night elf man in ancient robes.
He looked as if he couldn't believe he was free, and then turned to Relara.
"Thank you, young huntress," he expressed. "Ten thousand years I have been imprisoned in that cursed gem. You have given me the greatest gift… release from endless torment."
Relara stared at him in awe. "You're... you're one of the souls Athrikus trapped?"
"I am. Or was. Moros Dawnshade, once a scholar of Zin-Azshari." The ghost smiled sadly. "I trusted the wrong person when the world was ending. But you have freed me from that mistake."
The magical backlash from the explosion was spreading through Night Run. Corrupted wisps scattered in all directions like startled birds. In the distance, felhounds howled in confusion.
"I must go now," Moros said. "Elune calls me home at last..."
The ghost faded away, leaving only a feeling of peace behind.
Relara smiled, dismissed her spiritual bow, and grabbed Avrus by the arm. "We can't stand still. Which way?"
"Follow me!" He led her away from the ritual circle, but after only a few steps, he stopped. "Wait. You said wisps were leading you. Can you still see them?"
Relara looked around. The blue wisps were there, though they seemed agitated by the explosion. They were darting back and forth before finally settling on a path that led toward the eastern edge of the settlement.
"This way," Relara said, taking the lead.
They ran as quietly as possible through the narrow paths between buildings. The celebration behind them had turned into chaos. Satyrs were shouting orders and running toward the destroyed ritual circle.
Relara used Shadowmeld as they approached a crossroads. Her body faded from sight, becoming one with the shadows of the night. A satyr guard ran past them, his hooves clattering on the stone.
He looked right through her.
She waited until he was gone before becoming visible again. Avrus nodded approvingly.
The wisps led them deeper into the settlement's outer ring. Here, the buildings were smaller and more spread out.
Relara could see the forest beyond the last row of structures.
They were getting close.
That's when three satyrs stepped out from behind a corrupted tree.
"Well, well," one of them said, grinning nastily. "Look what we have here. A missing prisoner and a traitor."
The lead satyr wore a necklace of night elf ears around his neck.
Relara recognized him… Gorthak, one of Chief Lorax's lieutenants.
He'd been the one to carry her into Night Run, and also the one forcing the other Sentinels to drink Warsong Oil every morning.
"We always knew something was wrong with you, Avrus," the second satyr said. He had ritual scars carved into his arms that still bled green ichor. "You never joined the feeding frenzies. Never took your turn..."
"Shut up, Malthorn," Avrus growled.
The third satyr, smaller than the others, pointed at Relara. "Chief Lorax is going to be very angry when he finds out his prize got loose. Xavathras spent precious materials preparing those tattoos."
Avrus snarled and raked his clawed hands across Gorthak's throat before the demon could draw his weapon.
The necklace of ears scattered across the ground as dark blood pooled around the satyr's hooves.
He collapsed, choking on his own blood.
Malthorn slashed at Avrus with a curved blade that had runes carved into the metal. Avrus caught the weapon's handle with his bare hands, ignoring the cuts on his arm, and shoved the attacker backward into a tree. The satyr's eyes went wide as Avrus drove his claws deep into his chest, piercing his heart. He slumped against the bark, dead.
The third one tried to run.
"No you don't!" Relara shouted.
She manifested her spiritual bow and put three arrows into his back before he made it ten steps. The satyr collapsed face-first into the dirt, his hooves twitching once before going still.
"Nice shot," Avrus said, shaking blood off his claws.
"Thanks." Relara looked at his wounded arm. The cuts from Malthorn's blade were deeper than she'd thought. "Are you hurt badly?"
"I'll live. We need to keep moving." Avrus wiped his hands on his leg fur.
"This way," Relara pointed toward a gap between two fallen trees.
Behind them, she could hear more satyrs shouting. The explosion of the Soul Gem had definitely gotten their attention. Heavy footsteps pounded against the ground as search parties spread out through the settlement.
"They're getting closer," Avrus said, breathing hard.
Relara nodded. The wisps were leading them toward what looked like the edge of the settlement, but they still had to get past the outer defenses. She could even spot corrupted Ancients of War blocking several potential escape routes.
A howl echoed through the night. Then another.
"Felhounds," Avrus cursed. "They've picked up our scent."
The demonic hounds came charging through the forest, their eyes glowing red in the darkness. There were at least six of them, and they were moving fast.
Relara raised her bow and started shooting. Her arrows of silver light punched through the first felhound's skull, dropping it instantly. The second one leaped at her, but she rolled to the side and put three arrows into its ribs.
Avrus grabbed a fallen branch and swung it like a club, smashing it across another felhound's head.
The creature yelped and stumbled, giving him time to drive his claws into its throat.
But more were coming. Relara could hear them howling in the distance, and could even count at least a dozen approaching them from the red eyes burning in the darkness.
"We need to hurry!" she whisper-yelled.
"There!" Avrus pointed toward a gap in the outer defenses. "There's the old drainage tunnel!"
Relara drew her bow and nocked three arrows at once… a technique her mother had drilled into her for decades. Each arrow glowed with silver light as she released them at different angles. The arrows curved through the air, striking three felhounds that had been trying to flank them.
Before they could relax, a massive felhound, larger than the others, came crashing through the underbrush. Its claws were as long as daggers, and fel fire dripped from its jaws.
She tried to shoot it, but the creature was too fast. It knocked her bow aside and skewered her with its massive horns.
Relara gasped as she was slammed into the earth and the felhound's razor-sharp teeth shredded the pale flesh of her shoulder and exposed the white gleam of bone beneath. Red blood spilled freely from her torn muscles as she cried out in agony.
"Get away from her!" Avrus roared.
The satyr threw himself at the massive felhound, his hooves crashing into its flank. Wild snarls tore from his throat as he ripped at the demon. His claws found the creature's eyes, gouging deep wounds as he tore and bit like a rabid beast. The felhound howled as Avrus shredded its face to ribbons, dark blood coating his hands and face.
The felhound tried to shake Avrus off, but the satyr held on. Green-yellow flames burned in his clawed hands, searing into the demon's flesh. The smell of burning meat filled the air.
Relara struggled to push herself up from the ground.
The massive horn had punched clean through her chest, missing her heart by inches.
She was barely alive. And she was furious.
The fel tattoos across her body began to glow with sickly green light. Relara felt the life-draining power pour through her veins, and this time she didn't fight it. She embraced it.
"You want to hurt me?" she snarled. "Let's see how you like it!"
She nocked an arrow and infused it with the life-draining energy from her tattoos. The silver light turned a twisted green-black as she released it. The arrow pierced through another felhound, and immediately the creature began to wither. Its life force flowed back to Relara, healing some of her wounds.
It felt amazing.
Relara's pupils dilated as she drew arrow after arrow. Each shot drained another felhound, their life energy flooding into her body.
The pain in her shoulder faded. The hole in her chest began to close...
A group of satyrs came charging through the trees, drawn by the sounds of battle. Relara turned her bow on them with a wide grin spreading across her face.
"Come on then!" she shouted. "Feed me your lives!"
Her arrows tore through the satyrs like they were made of paper. One tried to dodge, but an arrow pierced through his eye. Another raised a shield, and she shot around it to drain the life from his legs.
They collapsed one by one, their life force healing the last of her wounds.
When the last satyr fell, Relara walked over to his twitching body. She knelt down and bit into his throat, drinking deeply of his blood. The coppery taste filled her mouth, and she felt the life energy surge into her tattoos to fill them back up.
This was what strength felt like. This was what it meant to take control.
The massive felhound finally threw Avrus off and staggered away, half its face missing.
The satyr hit the ground hard, green-yellow flames still flickering around his claws. Dark blood covered his white skin.
Relara blinked, and suddenly the bloodlust faded. She looked around at the drained corpses on the ground. At the blood on her lips.
What had she done?
"Avrus!" She rushed to his side. "Avrus, are you hurt?"
The satyr was breathing, but barely. Deep claw marks covered his chest and arms. One of his legs was bent at an unnatural angle…
"I'm... I'm fine," he wheezed. "Did we get them all?"
Relara pressed her hands against his worst wounds, trying to stop the bleeding.
It didn't stop.
"I can't..." she whispered, tears running down her cheeks. "I can't heal you. I don't know how to fix this."
Avrus reached up with one trembling hand and touched her face. "It's alright, Relara. I'm glad I could help at least one person escape a tragic fate."
"Don't talk like that," she said fiercely. "You're going to be fine. We're both getting out of here."
Even as she spoke, she could see the light fading from his eyes.
That's when the moon above them began to glow.
Relara looked up in wonder as a beam of pure silver moonlight fell from the sky. The light was warm and peaceful, nothing like the harsh fel magic that had corrupted this place.
"Elune," she breathed.
The moonlight grew brighter and brighter until Relara had to shield her eyes. The silver radiance poured down from Elune herself, bathing Avrus in divine light.
Relara immediately fell to her knees, pressing her forehead to the ground in reverence. This was Elune's direct intervention. The Moon Goddess was here, in this corrupted place, working a miracle.
The light was so pure it made her fel tattoos burn, as if the corruption was trying to hide from Elune's presence. Relara kept her eyes down, not daring to look directly at the radiance.
She could hear Avrus crying out, but not in pain. His voice was filled with relief.
The light began to slowly fade, and when Relara finally raised her head, she gasped.
Avrus was no longer a satyr!
He knelt in the grass as a night elf man with pale skin and long purple hair. His hooves had become feet again. His horns were gone. The fel corruption that had warped his body had been completely purified by Elune's blessing.
All his wounds were healed too, there wasn't even a scar where the felhound had torn open his chest.
Tears welled up in Relara's eyes as she stared at the miracle before her.
The affection in her heart for Elune felt endless right now...
Elune had given her three blessings to save her from Night Run. To save her from becoming a demon. She hadn't stopped there, the Moon Goddess had even fulfilled the deepest wish of the man who helped her escape.
"Thank you," Relara whispered to the night sky. "Thank you for everything."
Avrus was staring at his fingers like he couldn't believe they were real while tears ran down his cheeks.
"I… I thought I was lost forever," he choked out through his sobs.
"She never abandons her children," Relara said softly.
Avrus nodded, wiping his eyes. "I can feel her light again. After so long in darkness, I can actually feel it."
Relara slowly shook away her own tears and stood up.
She could hear more satyrs shouting in the distance. They were getting closer.
"We need to go," she said, reaching down to help Avrus to his feet. "We can't take the risk of staying here and being discovered."
Avrus took her hand and stood up. His legs were shaky at first, like he wasn't used to having normal feet again.
"You're right," he said. "The drainage tunnel is just ahead. If we can reach it, we'll be outside the settlement's defenses."
Relara looked around for the blue wisps. They were still there, pointing toward the gap in the outer defenses that Avrus had mentioned earlier.
"This way," she said.
They ran through the forest as quietly as possible. Behind them, Relara could hear the satyrs finding the bodies of the felhounds and their fallen comrades.
Angry roars bellowed through the night.
"There!" Avrus pointed ahead.
The drainage tunnel was a narrow opening in the hillside, partially hidden by corrupted vines. It looked like it had been built by night elves long ago, before the satyrs took over this area.
Relara squeezed through the opening first.
The tunnel was dark, but it was definitely leading away from Night Run. She could feel fresh air from the other end.
Avrus followed her, and they crawled through the tunnel as fast as they could.
When they finally came out on the other side of the hill, the forest was entirely free of corruption.
"We made it," Relara breathed.
Avrus looked exhausted, collapsing against a tree. "I can't believe we actually escaped."
"What about the other Sentinels?" she asked. "Yyne and the others?"
His expression darkened. "I'm sorry, Relara. There's nothing we can do for them now. The corruption has taken hold of their minds."
Relara clenched her fists. She hated leaving them behind, but Avrus was right.
Going back would just get them all captured again…
"Where do we go now?" she asked.
"Raynewood Tower," Avrus said. "It's the closest Sentinel outpost. We can warn them about what's happening here."
Relara nodded and looked down at the fel tattoos covering her body.
Elune had healed Avrus, but Relara's corruption remained.
Maybe the Moon Goddess wanted her to carry this burden for a reason. Maybe she was meant to use the life-draining power against her enemies.
The thought made her smile.
"Let's go," Relara said. "I have a lot of people to kill."
..
A/N:
Fun fact, did you know that Avrus Illwhisper was canonically one of the very few cases of a demon losing his demonhood in WoW?