Act II: An Unwelcome Return

I left him for dead… the man to whom everything I owe…
Oh dear brother forgive me… forgive me for leaving you so…

Where am I...

Darkness surrounded Mangix from all sides. It was a dead silence. Mangix quickly began to feel around the floor to find out where he was. The ground felt hard, and jagged. His heart was pounding, and his pulse was racing. His memory was completely blurred, and his body felt exhausted. The Pandaren's hand reached for his staff, but to his surprise it was not there. As a matter of fact, his keg of Ale was even missing. The last thing he remembered was running. He had run for his life, but from what he wondered.

Wait... I remember seeing daylight... what am I doing here?

He felt around the floor once more to somehow find an exit to this vile place. He could actually smell the stench of death here. He tried to get up onto his feet. No sooner had he lifted himself, did he hear a loud splash nearby. His ears stood upright, and tried to track what was moving. A "hissing" sound soon followed. Mangix felt a cold, chilly breeze sweep over him. The Pandaren suddenly had a feeling of Deja Vu. A dim light began to materialize in front of Mangix. It slowly began to spread in all directions, and take the shape of a person Mangix knew all too well.

The Pandaren's voice croaked, "Remmy?"

The ghostly figure opened its mouth to speak, "Remmy? Who is this Remmy you speak of?"

Appalled, yet scared Mangix desperately tried to form words, "Remmy... it's ... me... your brother..."

A sneer formed across the apparition's face, "Remmy is no longer among us."

Mangix lashed out in pure anger, "He's not dead you hear me! He isn't! He can't be!"

"But he is... and it's all your fault"

That last statement hit a bit of a sour note. Anger boiled in the Pandaren's veins. His voice bellowed across the caverns, "No, he isn't! You can not take him!"

Like an enraged beast, he pounced on the specter with sheer raw carnage. His claws tore the spiritual being to shreds. Blood spilled as he ravaged his claws in his bestial fury. The Pandaren began to lose the last vestiges of any control of his actions. His mind was no longer his own, his will no longer under his control. Mangix brutally slashed at him with his razor sharp claws. He raised his right paw up high, and then tried to dig it into the spiritual body before him. His hand struck cold, hard stone. To his astonishment, the apparition had disappeared. He raised himself to his hind-legs, and quickly scanned his environment for movement.

A calming voice spoke out from the darkness, "Do not fear me, it is I brother."

Tears of joy began to stream down Mangix's furry face as he dashed towards the sound of the voice.
It was none other than the ghostly specter he had seen earlier. His mouth was gaping wide, even though strangely he did not seem as scared as he did last time. Rather than the menacing look it gave him in their lost encounter, it was more... peaceful. It felt almost like...

No... It can't be... it... can't be...you ... can't be...

The ghost began to slowly take the silhouette of a horse, and transfigure itself into a centaur like pose. It shone a stark white from its spectral body, which seemed to emit a soothing aura. Its lips curled, and it spoke to Mangix in a calm comforting voice, "Take heart young one. Do not be afraid"

Joy turned to horror as it began to dawn on him what had happened. The stories he had been told as a youngling, were now becoming a reality. The tales spoke of a wandering soul in constant torment. Always restless, always searching for the soul to set it free. Once it found its victim, it would torture its soul with its own, and form the victim's spirit as a part of its own. Eternal torment would be the fate of the spirit, until the Tormented Soul found yet another host to feed upon.

Remmy... what have I done...

The spirit that stood in front of him smiled peacefully at him, as if nothing had happened.
A voice inside his head began to scream wildly. It screamed of how Mangix was a coward, of how he should have tried to help. It was too late now... Remmy had become one with the Tormented Soul.
The ghostly figure bowed its head down slightly, as if to mourn. It then spoke in a voice that made the Pandaren shudder with fear,

"Torment around me. Torment in me. Torment be with me. And let us conquer our foes. They do not understand our pain. Do you? No. And for that, we shall make them feel the torment... The torment that inhabits my soul..."

The Curse of Shadows...

Another voice was suddenly heard in the mind of the Pandaren, "And you are next..."

Before the Pandaren could react, the ground beneath him began to rumble and shake. A single spiral of fire began to dart in the room around him. The air begun to saturate, and feel heavier than ever. The spirals of flames danced over and under each other in perfect harmony. Suddenly, the air around them ignited and raised a column of fire around him. The flames begun to take the shape of a helix, and twisted and bended around each other. A sudden burst of energy ruptured the ground beneath, and the cavern began shaking wildly. Erratic tremors flooded the cave now and immediately then flares imploded around him. Bursts of flame energy exploded around him, until he could feel the fire consuming him. The flames were digging deep, and he was too terrified to move. He stared long and hard into the Tormented Soul's eyes, silent and unmoving.

Forgive me Remmy... forgive me...

Mangix roared in agony as his fur finally ignited. Instead of fighting the pain, he succumbed to it. He dropped to the floor, exhausted and weak. He closed his eyes, and waited for death to take him away.
Instead, he felt a drop of water fall upon his face. He opened his eyes, and could hardly believe what he saw. He was outside in the real world again, the Land of the Living, the Land of Pandaria. Dazed and confused he scurried to his feet and tried to make sense of all that had happened.

Had it just been a dream?

Yes, a dream it must have been. None of it had ever happened, it could not have. Of course, Remmy was not gone. He was probably back at Camp Moualagasha waiting for him. He gazed to his right, and across the horizon was the clear contrasting shape of a cave entrance. To his left lay charred coals, perhaps from a burning campfire. The sun shone brightly above, and was a welcome change to the gloomy nightmare he thought he had. At least, he thought it was a nightmare.

Even though a voice in the back of the Pandaren's head kept telling him otherwise, he refused to believe the reality of what he had seen. Mangix quickly combed the area for any of his missing possessions, but as luck as had it; neither his staff nor his keg could be found. He groaned and started walking on the path back to Camp Moualagasha.

Perhaps Ill find some answers there

Little did he know that he answers he would find were to entirely different questions.

Mangix pushed through the bushes and shrubs, never stopping to find his bearing. He knew this island like the back of his hand. After all, he had been on the Isle of Pandaria since a cub. Time had come and gone so quickly that it had become hard to keep track. So many memories there were, some joyous, some solemn. He treaded through the jungle wild growth, and eventually came upon a clearing. He darted across the clearing to the lake on the other side, and swam as quickly as he could. He wanted to waste not even a second, for the worst might have happened. Once he reached the other side of the lake, he finally came upon the mountain pass leading into valley of his village. A cool breeze suddenly swept over him, giving him that same eerie feeling he'd encountered before. With a lump in his throat, Mangix crept through the pathway taking heed of any subtle changes around him.

Camp Moualagasha, at last.

He had finally arrived, but to his astonishment, the guards were nowhere to be seen. As he walked down the trail leading to the heart of the village, he stepped into something "wet". There, beneath him lay a fresh trail of blood. It appeared to be from a struggle as the victim's blood was smeared almost as if he were dragged down the path. Mangix shuddered at the very thought of what might have happened, and proceeded with the utmost of caution.

Where is everyone?

What normally was a hustling village seemed a ghostly vacant today. Not a person could be seen, nor any sound could be heard. Mangix's ears suddenly shot upwards. He could hear something, barely audible, from the far side of the village just over the hill. As he got closer, the inaudible sounds became chanting whispers. His eyes suddenly grew wide with alarm when he noticed more than half the village residents were present. Women, children, even the Elders were standing there.

Why everyone crowded around the Hill of Justice...but... this is is where they...execute those who go against the Elders... What's going on?

As soon as Mangix stepped up the incline, all the Pandarens shifted their gaze to them. Their stares quickly broke into quiet murmurs, and subtle pointing. Many gawked at him with disgust. Appalled by their strange behavior, Mangix scanned the scene that lay ahead of him. They were sure enough gathered around for a witnessing a slaughtering, the village's executioner, Rayanor, was lingering nearby with the "Sword of Justice" held firmly in his hands. Upon closer inspection, he noticed speckles of blood around the edges. Mangix shifted uneasily while peering at the glinting razor sharp blade before him, and acknowledging its deadly intent.

It was Elder Hamaan who finally spoke, "You're too late."

Stunned by his seemingly random remark, Mangix inquired, "Late for what Elder?"

He lowered his head slightly and spoke gravely, "Remmy is not among us. I'm afraid he..."

Right then, something changed inside Mangix. He couldn't tell what it was, but something inside him was changed. Suddenly, life had no purpose. Life was meaningless, nothing mattered anymore. The world began to blur around him, and there was only one thought in his mind.

Salvation...

The voices in his head began to grow, and become louder with each passing second. Elder Hamaan was still speaking, but Mangix could barely make out what he was saying. His head began to throb, and his world was spinning. His mind focused on what it was the voice was saying...

You belong to me...Obey me!

Like an enraged wildebeest, he pounced on Elder Hamaan. Clawing and scratching, trying to inflict any physical pain he could. His mind blocked out the screaming of "Demon" and crying of "Possessed" from the crowd around him. He felt energy surging into his veins, he felt powerful... and hungry. His intention was clear, and the death of those around him would be his salvation. He felt sharp jabs into his soft skin, and piercing into his delicate flesh. He persevered, and continued to bore his claws in deeper. His breaths became slower, and his strength was already fading. He sank his sharp teeth into the Elder's neck with clear precision, and then swung his head backwards while snapping his massive jaws shut. The Elder's screams of pain ceased, and he lay silent in a puddle of his own crimson blood.

The Pandaren let out a huge bestial roar, and turned to his next victim. Blood oozed from his skin, but he did not care. His eyes fixated at Rayanor, and gave him a painful stare. The white drained from Rayanor's face as he began to realize what was about to happen. Mangix flung all those that had begun to try to sub-due him. Mawing and slaying all those who stood in his path, Mangix began to charg towards Rayanor, his deadly claws flashing the light of the morning sun. Rayanor swung blindly at the crazed Pandaren with his massive blade, and it struck through flesh and bone. The Pandaren screamed in utter agony as it crushed through bones, but his intention remain unphased. He raised his massive paw to block the next incoming strike, and made a slashing motion at Rayanor's face.

Salvation for you... my brother