Chapter 11: The Tales of a Lone Wanderer

A lone wanderer I am, wandering, and searching across distant lands for an eternity

Not knowing what I truly seek, I keep longing to find what it is that will bring me serenity

Act I : Memoirs of an Exiled

It seems aeons have come and gone, ever since that fateful day
The day that changed my life, the moment that left me in dismay

The cold air blew harshly into his soft coat of fur. In the rain he stood, gazing at the dark sky above. The sun lay hidden behind dark, clustered clouds. He gently took his hat off, and fiddled with it in his paws. The rain was coming down fast, with a howling wind to match. There were visible signs of exhaustion, and depression on his face. The Pandaren took a deep sigh and treaded lightly past the tiny puddles of water which had collected in ditches. He held his staff dearly close, never leaving his sight off it for a second. Every now and then, his eyes darted into the forest searching for something that kept gnawing at the back of his mind. The final words of his brother would remain scarred forever in his memory...

"Remmy, do you think we'll be able to find her?" said Mangix in a grim tone.

"Perhaps, perhaps not. However, every second we waste worsens our predicament." spoke Remmy in a mournful voice.

With a great sigh, Mangix heaved his keg of ale onto his back. They had been searching for hours now, with no sign of Jen anywhere. While Remmy quickly put out the fire, Mangix went closer to examine the cavern walls. Jen, the elder sage's daughter was last seen wandering outside the Cave of Shadows. There had been not a trace of her since daybreak. Some say they could hear her screaming from the cave, while some say that they saw her ghostly form. The sun had long disappeared beneath the horizon, its glorious luminosity masked by the shadowy glimmer of the rising moon. It was his ever helpful brother Remmy who decided to lend his aid in the search for Elder Hamaan's "pride and joy".

Remmy... must you always meddle in affairs that don't concern you?

Mangix felt an odd sort of comfort whenever he was in Remmy's presence. Perhaps it was the brotherly bond they shared, or perhaps it was the warmth of his caretaker. He had never met his parents, and Remmy was the only family he remembers. A shadow suddenly stirred in the dark. The hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stood, and his feet felt as they had melded with the stony floor. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw it was just Remmy carrying the lantern.

"Lets get a move on Brother, time is of the essence" said Remmy impatiently

"Of course, it's not like we should be waiting for daylight." said Mangix sardonically.

Remmy just gave him a cold, hard stare and walked past. Mangix hurriedly scurried towards Remmy desperately trying to keep up. He was never the athletic type; let alone used to strenuous hiking. They streaked past the rocky walls, quickly scanning any possible passages they might find. Like clockwork, Remmy never stopped and continually moved. Mangix however, panting and heaving tried to keep up with Remmy's quick pace.

A shrill high pitched scream suddenly broke the silence. It was easily audible, but completely impossible to understand. Just as Mangix opened his mouth to speak, Remmy darted off into the pitch darkness. Mangix, tried as he might, could not keep up with Remmy. He came to a steep drop directly in front of him. In his haste, the Pandaren lost his footing and tumbled into the abyss below. He landed with a thud on the cold, hard slabs of stone. He shifted his massive weight onto his massive paws, and strained to lift himself up. He silently muttered a curse under his breath, and quickly got up to his feet.

"Brother! Help me!" said a distant voice. Mangix heaved his keg onto his back, and hurried in the direction of the voice. A dim light came into his view from the pitch black. It quickly darted from corner to corner, and abruptly disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.

Mangix darted franticaly towards his brother's voice. He dashed past the long and twisting caverns and stone archways. Soon he reached upon a tremendous chasm. He pulled out his oak staff off his back, and quickly scanned his surroundings. Seeing no movement, he contently placed his staff back in its place. He squinted a little into the void below, and noticed a fading light deep below in the vast trench which could possibly been emitting from his brother's lantern. How far the drop was, he was not sure. Placing both arms around the round Keg he always carried, he lugged it off his back, flipped open the lid and let its contents pour out. The ale nearly gushed out, and flowed down the steep walls.

Shutting the lid, he began to prepare himself. He hated doing this, but he was left with no choice. The Pandaren dove into his spiritual mind, and centered on his hidden energy. He closed his eyes and went deep into meditation. Mangix focused on that faint amount of energy, hardly there, yet locked secretly within. This hidden power the Elders called "Ki Energy." Only a talented few could manipulate this energy and that only after being given special training. Mangix was said to have great potential, but he neither cared of heeded their constant urges to train his so called "hidden power." Nevertheless, Remmy forced upon him his knowledge over the elements of fire, earth and storm or rather as the Elders called it; Firaya, Gaya, and Inuya.

Tried as he might, Remmy was largely unsuccessful in his teachings. Mangix was a stubborn one, and ignored nearly all of his lessons. Remmy, disheartened yet annoyed, continued his lessons hoping to change his brother for the better but alas, his stubborn resolve could not be shaken. There was only one particular technique out of all of Remmy's lessons which intrigued him. It was the ability to combust the air particles in an area, and then ignite it according to his will. Such an art was difficult to master, but with time Mangix was able to control this spell of Firaya in his own way. However, practice never always went perfect and he would occasionally let plants and houses catch fire leaving Remmy to compensate for the damages. Remmy was always there for Mangix whenever he needed him, whether it be a brotherly role, or be it the role of a guardian.

A sudden jolt of energy burst though his body, and a spark flickered from his paws. Mangix concentrated much harder now, but this time he ran his paw across his tongue. The energy instantaneously rushed through his veins, growing in power every second yet burning him from within. The energy had started taking its toll on Mangix's stamina, but he persevered. He quickly cocked his head back, and let the energy charge upwards. He jerked his head forward, and let loose a mighty breath of intense flames. The dancing flames sifted through the air and just barely hovered above the viscous liquid. They collapsed onto the floor, and lit the ale ablaze. The flames quickly spread, and sped down the steep incline at a rapid pace.

The whole cavern was easily visible now. Mangix quickly side-stepped to avoid the flames from touching his hind-legs. Not too far from his left, he spotted a rope tightly bound around a massive boulder. He gave the boulder a quick shove to see if it was firmly placed. Next he tugged onto the rope to confirm if it was fastened securely. Admiring the handiwork of his brother, he quickly got onto his knees in order to climb down the rope. He gave one last peek at the intricate folds and knots he brother had so skillfully done. With both paws steadily on the rope, he shinnied down quickly to the dark depths lay beneath. The flames along the side of the wall had already begun to die out. Mangix cheerfully thought to himself, "Should've used more alcohol."

It was not soon after that his feet touched solid ground. After staring at the grandeur of the massive walls he had just climbed down from, he bellowed with laughter. Each laugh reverberated several times before it showed any time of growing faint. Mangix quickly grew quiet, and red with embarrassment. Nonetheless, he walked towards the dim light he thought to be a lantern. As he continued further across, he began to note that the pathway became narrower until it reached a point nearly impassable. He reached for his oak staff and held it in defiance against what may lie in the murky darkness. A high pitched shriek suddenly started him and caused him to lose his footing. With great dexterity he restored his balance but desperately tried to keep his staff from falling off the edge. He reached outwards, only to fumble it out of his hands and watch it drop below. He grumbled in frustration, but decided eventually to proceed onwards with caution.

Strange...why haven't I heard the staff land yet? Am I going insane? Oh Remmy... where are you?

The pathway opened up into what appeared to be a small cove. As Mangix entered, a cool breeze swept over him. Strangely though, it did not feel pleasant. It felt more as if someone had scraped a bag of ice against his spine. Trying to shake off the feeling, he entered the cove. What he saw next, shocked him to his very core. There stood Remmy, a staff held high against a ghostly specter grinning sadistically at him. Remmy appeared to be looking firm, yet scared at the same time. Mangix's eyes however, were fixated on the creature. Its ghostly and unearthly presence luminated the entire cave in an eerie white glow. Blood dripped from its fang like teeth.

The entire cave was rumbling as it darted speedily across the room. For something so gigantic and massive it moved unusually quickly. Suddenly, it stopped in mid-air and gazed at Mangix with its bloodshot eyes. It spoke in a slow yet hissing voice, "His soul has been marked by the Curse of Shadows"

It licked its lips in pleasure as it crumbled a part of the cavern ceiling. Several of the rocks were dangerously close to crushing Remmy beneath. Remmy tried to jump away, but a rock burst from the ground and gouged his leg. He rolled awkwardly on the floor. Clutching his leg, he writhed and wailed in pain. The rocks were about to collapse onto Remmy when the creature stopped them from falling. Instead of crushing Remmy, it seemed to just stare at him. There was not even a tinge of emotion in his face. It looked vile, and heartless. It turned towards Mangix once more.

It spoke in a harsh tone, "Your soul shall be marked as well. There is nothing that can keep you from me. You are mine alone, do you hear me. YOU ARE MINE!"

The ground rumbled, and the cavern walls began shaking with ever increasing intensity. The color drained from Mangix's face as he continually stared at the atrocious beast. Unmoving, yet trembling stood Mangix, a ghostly pale of his complexion.

"Brother... help me!" came a feeble voice that brought him back to reality.

Instead of doing what his conscience told him to, he took a step back.

"Brother... I need your help... please..." spoke Remmy in a trembling voice.

Horrified, and utterly dumbstruck, Mangix began to hastily turn around. Shamelessly, he darted away. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him. All the while he darted across the cove; he could hear Remmy's pleads for help and the Beast mocking him with laughter. Remmy's wails of agony began to echo in his head, and flashes of his memories flooded his mind. Guilt over-filled him as he abandoned the last of his family, yet he never looked back. Tears filled his eyes as the cries of pain grew louder, but he did not dare to stop. He just run as fast as he could, and never once looked back.

Remmy... I'm sorry...