"Has High Priest Vandellor arrived? Our voodoo-infected elven warriors need his assistance." Grand Magister Belo'vir examined the injuries of an elven warrior infected with voodoo.
Halduron Brightwing looked toward the second floor of the temple, where a young elven priest was treating the wounds of an elven warrior. A faint halo emanated from her hand, enveloping the voodoo-infected warrior.
"The High Priest has gone to the Farstrider Enclave, where there are even more wounded." Halduron sighed and continued, "The Holy Light can only alleviate the injuries of our companions, treating the symptoms, not the root cause. We need a solution, a way to completely dissolve this voodoo."
Belo'vir nodded slightly and said, "Don't worry, there will always be a way. Where are our scouts? Have them meet me here."
Halduron understood that the Grand Magister had come here to help them resolve this crisis. Whatever the request, he would do his best to meet it.
"Krean, send out a signal flare to summon the Tranquillien scouts gathering intelligence." Halduron ordered the ranger standing behind him.
While the mentor busied himself with directing the next move, Leylin listened intently while surveying the half-recumbent voodoo-infected elves. Their faces were no longer smooth and fair, but now mossy, a dark green with an unbearable dampness. It looked disgusting, but Leylin and the priests showed no disgust towards their companions.
The Grand Magister had summoned all the mages and arcanists in Sanctum of the Sun; they had a more important task to work on. Leylin couldn't help, so he simply followed the path around the temple wall and ascended to the second floor.
There was only one priest, and Leylin remembered her: Liadrin, whom he had met not long ago.
The elven priestess diligently cast [Holy Light], enveloping the elven warrior's body to alleviate the warrior's pain. Leylin approached, but Liadrin didn't notice. Only after Liadrin finished healing did she notice Leylin standing blankly behind her.
"If you don't want to be ignored, come help," Liadrin said with a hint of irritation. The days-long healing mission would have been frustrating for anyone.
Unable to vent her frustrations on the wounded, she could only vent them on this idle mage.
"What can I do?" Leylin asked.
Liadrin gestured to the food containers on the table. "The soldiers have been greatly weakened by the plague. Feed them some food, talk to them, and tell them not to give up, that there is still hope."
Taking the food from the table, Leylin squatted before the nearest elven warrior. It was a female elven warrior, sprawled on a long rug, looking very weak.
"Get up and eat something," Leylin gently cut the food into small pieces and placed them to the warrior's mouth with a fork.
The elven warrior's vital energy was very weak, the voodoo sapping her strength. She struggled to open her eyes, waved her hands, and forced a smile. "I don't need it. I can't eat."
"How can that be? Grand Magister Belo'vir has arrived at the temple, and the troll witch doctor who created the voodoo has been found. I believe we'll be able to rescue everyone in a few days." Leylin comforted the weak elven warrior.
The elven warrior nodded slightly, and she opened her mouth slightly, beginning to swallow the food. Her lips moved slowly, and the strength to chew the food was very weak.
Leylin simply crushed the food directly into the pain killer potion and let the wounded drink it. On the second floor of the temple, Leylin felt the aura of death lingering around him. These elves harmed by the voodoo could leave this world in an instant.
The sunset disappeared into the jungle of the Ghostlands, and the sky darkened. After Leylin cared for all the wounded and finished a simple dinner, he breathed a sigh of relief and sat on the platform outside the temple.
Liadrin stood beside him and asked, "Is everything you said true? Did Grand Magister Belo'vir really find the troll who created the voodoo?"
"Indeed. When Thalorien Dawnseeker came to the Mage Tower today to find the Grand Magister, he had already identified the troll witch doctor, Ral'jin." Leylin replied.
Liadrin breathed a sigh of relief and sat down. "I hope everything goes well. These Amani trolls not only create voodoos, but also raided our camp. We elves haven't suffered such heavy losses in a long time."
Since entering Sanctum of the Sun, Leylin had sensed a heavy atmosphere. The situation was clearly not optimistic.
"Trolls raiding our camp? Isn't that seeking death?" Leylin knew the fighting power of these Amani trolls. They were no match for these well-trained rangers and warriors, let alone mages.
Liadrin glanced back at the wounded, gripping the sword at her waist. "That was the case before, but ever since this voodoo appeared, we've been losing ground. We must constantly guard against it seeping into our bloodstream, otherwise we'll be infected. We've been on the defensive all the time during the battle, and we've suffered greatly."
And what about Vereesa? Leylin's heart sank.
"What about the new group of rangers? Have they been ambushed?" Leylin's gaze, scattered across the distant forest, instantly focused on Liadrin's face.
"They were stationed at the Farstrider Enclave, the area hardest hit by the troll infestation."
Shit!
Leylin's mind drifted off, and he asked, breathing rapidly. "Where's Vereesa? Has her team been ambushed?"
Liadrin remembered clearly that this time, all members of the Silvermoon Council were dispatched for this very mission. The Windrunner family's newest ranger, her team had been captured by a troll chieftain named Kel'gash.
This cunning chieftain had used a highly anesthetic fog as a prelude to a surprise attack, taking advantage of the prevailing winds that day to successfully raid the Farstrider Enclave.
Liadrin hesitated, watching the nervous Leylin, unsure whether to tell him the truth.
"She should be in the camp, but I don't know exactly." Liadrin, a believer in the Holy Light, clearly wouldn't lie. Leylin was clear-headed and knew whether Liadrin was telling him the truth.
"Priestess, I hope you can tell me the truth." Leylin tried hard to regain his composure, but he obviously couldn't do it. He felt more and more that something had happened to his little sister.
Liadrin thought for a moment and found that concealment was not a solution. She told Leylin the truth directly.
A few simple words completely explained what happened to Vereesa's ranger team. Leylin closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
His heart was beating faster, and Leylin could no longer bear it. He ran down the stairs and came to the bottom floor of the temple.
Seeing Leylin's expression, the grand magister greeted several mages and stopped his student.