She looked at the green-skinned Orc corpses on the ground, their muscles twisted in death, her eyes filled with disgust and a trace of imperceptible fear. "You say you wish to see Lord Cenarius?"
"Yes, ladies. Time is of the essence," Rhodes said with a grave tone. "We need to see the Demigod immediately to reveal a greater conspiracy targeting him and this forest."
"These Orcs are merely the prelude to a vast disaster," Capurnia added.
The Sentinel Captain fell into a brief silence. Her gaze swept over the companions standing behind Rhodes, each radiating a powerful aura: Uther, shining with the Holy Light; Jaina, surging with arcane energy; Capurnia, still carrying the scent of fire; the floating Djinn Solmra; a holy Angel; a ferocious Wyvern; and the three silent, towering Treants radiating an ancient and strange natural aura.
This combination of forces was too bizarre, too powerful, and too... mixed. However, they had indeed saved her people and mentioned the Burning Legion and a plot against the Demigod, which she could not ignore.
"Lord Cenarius's residence is not a realm mortals can easily tread upon," the Sentinel Captain finally spoke, her tone still wary. "Furthermore, I must report to my superiors first. You may wait here..."
To be honest, modern Night Elf society harbored an extreme resentment toward Arcane magic. Since several people before her were practitioners of the Arcane, she felt compelled to report to her superiors before deciding whether to lead them to the great Demigod.
The High Elves on the other continent were still studying the power of magic; perhaps the Burning Legion had been attracted back by the High Elves' sorcery. Almost as a default prejudice, all Sentinels believed that the High Elves' continued pursuit of magic was what had drawn the Legion back.
"There is no time to wait, everyone. You should know the marching speed of the Burning Legion," Rhodes spoke up. "We must see Lord Cenarius. These Orcs are the best evidence; Lord Cenarius will be able to distinguish if this is the power of Fel."
A gentle, deep voice—resembling the forest itself whispering—rang in everyone's ears, filled with a soothing, peaceful power:
"The forest feels a great unease, and senses... the aura of an ancient enemy. Sentinels of Elune, bring our guests to me!"
The voice was not loud, yet it echoed clearly in everyone's mind.
"Lord Cenarius! We understand, we shall bring these people to you at once." The Sentinel Captain and all surviving Night Elves immediately knelt on one knee, their faces filled with immense reverence and a hint of relief.
They realized the Demigod already knew everything happening here and had personally issued the summons; there was no longer any need for hesitation. The Demigod would handle everything; they no longer needed to question. If the Burning Legion truly returned, would they need to awaken all the sleeping Druids?
Rhodes, Capurnia, Uther, and Jaina glanced at one another. The power of this Demigod was truly formidable!
"Please follow us. Since you have flying mounts, just keep up." The lead Sentinel whistled, and several Hippogryphs flew in from the distance.
Night Elf patrol Sentinels were generally equipped with Hippogryphs. Though the Night Elves had not seen major development over the past ten thousand years, their equipment and mounts were well-maintained—after all, every member of their race was immortal.
Rhodes summoned four Wyverns to carry the group behind the Hippogryphs. Led by the Sentinel Captain, the group headed deeper into the forest, while several soldiers selected well-preserved Orc corpses to bring along as evidence.
The towering ancient trees emitted a soft glow of life. The deeper they went, the more intense the grand and tranquil natural power became. Finally, they passed through an archway naturally formed by massive vines, and the view suddenly opened up.
It was a forest clearing surrounded by colossal ancient trees. In the center was a spring of crystal-clear water radiating faint life energy.
By the spring stood a majestic figure. With antlers atop his head and a Night Elf upper body joined to a cervine lower half, he was the Father of the Forest—the Demigod, Cenarius.
The Demigod was exceptionally tall, standing half a head taller than even the Treants. His gaze swept across the crowd, finally coming to rest on Rhodes.
"So it is you, Rhodes. We have not met in ten thousand years! How have you been?" The first sentence Cenarius spoke shocked everyone present.
Everyone looked at Rhodes in disbelief. The sorceress Jaina, in particular, narrowed her eyes; she had previously suspected Rhodes of being a Guardian, only to be brushed off by him. Now, the Demigod had practically confirmed her suspicions.
"Rhodes, you... you've met a Demigod? You know Lord Cenarius?"
"Heavens! How is this possible? Ten thousand years ago?" Everyone stared at Rhodes as if they were meeting him for the first time.
Only the Night Elf Sentinels appeared relatively unfazed. What was ten thousand years? Many of them had lived that long themselves; the birth rate among Night Elves had been very low during that millennium.