Khadgar had been unwell for months.

It began shortly after cleansing the Fel from Medivh and Karazhan and he'd attributed it to how much mana it had taken to perform such a task. Truly, it had left him sleeping fourteen hours a day for a week to recover, but he never felt as though he'd truly recovered.

The Fel had been purged from his system with the Light; had been blasted outward through the lands surrounding Karazhan.

He'd had plenty of rest and quality food and as much support from friends and the Stormwind castle staff as he could ask. 

Despite it all, Khadgar struggled daily with his health, both physical and mental. He was nearly constantly fatigued, his joints hurt, and his appetite was as weak as his stomach had become. At least he'd finally lost some of the scholarly chub that he'd felt insecure about for years.

He withdrew from his friends considerably and threw himself into research and magical studies, ensuring those around him that he was fine and just still mana-drained from Karazhan. His past actions ensured that they believed him.

It was a toss-up on whether sleep was restorative or disruptive; he would have nightmares about violent battlefields, about Fel-empowered orcs, about demonic mages and the mind-twisting hell of the green pool he'd fallen in.

On days that he felt particularly terrible he would take a gryphon ride to Stone Cairn Lake. He sought the solitude and peace of the monolithic island where he could lean against his resting mount, drawing on her warmth as his body ached, he felt feverish, and he couldn't truly focus on his scrolls or scribe work.

His gryphon nudged him in concern as he groaned softly and trembled against where her feathers ended and met fur. She released a low chirp and cocked her head before warbling gently.

"I-I'm okay, girl." A rough shudder coursed through him and he gripped his forgotten journal while releasing a pathetic whimper.

What am I doing out here? Why do I keep turning away from my friends?

He ran his shaking hand across her neck feathers, knowing full well that she could sense his suffering.

This is what Medivh did. Sanctioned himself from everyone. Didn't reach out when he was unwell.

He felt overcome with heartache; his chest hurt as he released breathy, gasping sobs. He wanted to blame the stress of reliving Medivh's tragic death. He needed that to be the reason, because his increasing mood swings couldn't mean he was getting sicker.

He couldn't deal with getting worse than he was.

He wouldn't be able to hide it if he grew worse.

This is your sign, Khadgar, he tried to convince himself. You need to stop hiding this. You need help. Ask your friends.

He clutched the journal to his chest and allowed himself to roll to the cool ground, speaking shakily before he lost his nerve.

"Anduin. Bluebell, g-go get A-Anduin." He shivered violently and began to wonder if it truly was more than just extended mana deprivation.

He watched his gryphon leap into the air and bolt Westward for Stormwind. He grasped weakly at the grass, feeling more achy and feverish by the minute.

By the Light, what is wrong with me?

The passage of time wasn't right. Every time he opened his eyes the sky had grown darker. He was passing in and out of unconsciousness without realizing it.

"Khadgar!"

A rough shake of his shoulder.

"Khadgar!"

A less than gentle patting of his cheek finally roused him to lucidity and he opened his eyes to gaze up at Lothar. He was visible only from the lantern in his free hand and appeared to be dressed warmly for the cool autumn evening.

Khadgar hadn't thought to bring anything warmer than his mage's cloak, and he'd been sweating and growing more damp and frigid by the moment.

"You're like ice," Lothar breathed. He quickly removed his cloak to cover his ill friend. "Tell me what happened."

"Andu-uin," Khadgar shivered, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to will the words up and out of him. His body shuddered as though it was a gate he was trying to force open. "I'm--I'm not well," he finally managed.

"Yes, I can see that," Lothar tried to offer Khadgar a humored tone. It missed the sick man entirely. "Spending time out here dressed like this? No wonder you're ill."

"No," Khadgar gasped, not feeling any better for Anduin's warm cloak swaddling his body. He still hurt immensely; felt tortured right down to his heart and soul. Tears began streaming down his cheeks. "I-I'm not well. I-I haven't been--since Medivh and I--" 

"You've been hiding this from us?" Lothar asked after Khadgar began gasping for air; tried to speak through the panic and the pain inside him. "Why didn't you come to us?"

"I couldn't!" He cried, his joints burning with fire; his skin crawling as though there were flames of frost licking at him. It was beginning to feel almost like--almost like something he had experienced only once, when this all began--

"Auuugh, I-I'm on fire, it-it feels like the Fel all over again!" Khadgar tremored in Lothar's grasp, hindering the man's efforts to try and move him to gryphon-back for transport.

"We're going to get you home for help," Lothar said as he tried to move Khadgar to Bluebell's back in between spasms. He should have brought help, but he'd seen Khadgar slowly growing thinner and thought he could lift him easily. And when he saw the loyal gryphon, the past several months of allayed concern for Khadgar's dwindling state finally resurged and made him just rush out to the mage. "But you have to stop fighting me, Khadgar! Come on, stand up."

"I can't," Khadgar wheezed. His body ached more than the past several months combined. He couldn't move. He looked up at Lothar with scared, pained eyes. "H-help me, Anduin, please."

Lothar's eyes widened and he pulled back in alarm, releasing Khadgar which led to the man slumping to the ground. The lantern swung in his hand, its flickering light casting eerie shadows on the sick man which only added to the unsettling glow of green in his eyes.

No. Khadgar had purged the Fel from his system in Karazhan--

Hadn't he?

"Please," Khadgar gasped, the green dimming and strengthening as he gazed desperately up at Lothar. "Oh Light, I'm really sick aren't I..."

"Yes," Lothar rasped, trembling as he glanced to the West before back to Khadgar to see the eyes suddenly losing their green glow. "Yes, I'd say you are."

Khadgar heaved panicked breaths as Lothar and Bluebell worked together to get him onto her back. She released a loud chirp and tilted her head in worry, but diligently bolted toward Stormwind as soon as Lothar mounted and secured the mage in his arms. It was becoming more easy, since the pain--and apparently, Fel--had overloaded his system and left him mostly limp.

"I'm sorry," Khadgar coughed as they flew. His weak voice was barely audible above the whipping wind. "I didn't think I was really sick... I really thought it was mana drain..."

"Oh, it's definitely not mana drain, kid." Lothar clutched Khadgar closer as Bluebell steered for him. In the night sky, the moon glowed just bright enough to reflect off Khadgar's brown eyes when he opened them tiredly to gaze up at Lothar. A look of peace finally crossed his features and he relaxed in Lothar's embrace. "Kid?"

"Hmm...mhm."

Lothar sighed and focused on the next course of action. He knew he'd have to summon healers and mages alike to get Khadgar the help he needed...

If he could even be helped.

Guards came to their aid as soon as they landed. Bluebell was returned to her roost while Khadgar was carted off to the infirmary, looking much worse in the castle lighting than the faint lantern light had shown.

Lothar immediately summoned his sister and informed her of what had happened and exactly what he had seen in Khadgar's eyes, leaving her shocked and horrified.

This was their friend.

"Can we help him, Anduin?"

"I don't know, Taria." Lothar ran a hand across his face and shook his head. "Khadgar was our foremost expert on the Fel, and now..."

"I thought he had purified himself of it at Karazhan?"

"So did I!" he cried in frustration. He shook his head and paced around. "He shouldn't have any in his system!"

"We don't know exactly how the Fel works," she reminded Lothar. "It's entirely possible that it's something that... that can't be fully removed."

"No," he shook his head with a pained smile. "Don't say that. We can't afford that. We can't lose Khadgar."

"Brother..." Taria placed her hand on Lothar's arm, calming him instantly. "I'm sorry. You've lost too many people."

"I can't lose him too," Lothar trembled. "He's my friend. We can't lose him."

"I know. Why don't you go sit with him? I'll summon the healers and send for mages."

He nodded faintly and thanked her with a weak smile, turning to head off to his friend's side.

The next several days saw the leader of the Alliance spending most of his time on counsel with Khadgar's healing team. The outlook wasn't good.

The young mage's rest was fitful and he often awoke with a gasp or a cry with that same sickly green glow in his eyes. It often made his nurses recoil, though with diligence they returned to administer soothing balms to reduce his aching and pains and to keep down his persistent fever. He refused to eat, though he tolerated the infusions that reduced his pain further and eased his perpetual state of anxiety.

The mages weren't able to offer much help either. Even those of the Kirin Tor were unable to offer answers on the Fel and how it could be cleared from the system.

"Anduin," Khadgar rasped as he gently shifted in his bed, knowing any more vigorous movement would cause his pain to flare immensely. His tired brown eyes opened to find Lothar immediately sitting to attention and leaning next to him. "You're s-still here."

"Why would I leave?" Lothar reached forward and brushed a stray hair from those hollow eyes. Light, how he missed the life they once had. "Are you feeling any better?"

Khadgar simply offered a humored smile and closed his eyes, then knitted his brows as if to answer Lothar's question. "Thank you... for staying with me. Even i-if I'm not me anymore."

"You're sick, Khadgar. I can't expect you to be bothering me with your scrolls and spells and stories when you're like this."

"You know what I mean," Khadgar sighed and rolled his head gently, and then; "was I really a bother?"

"Never once." Lothar's heart ached at watching his friend wither away, slowly, in pain and mental capacity. Each day, he spoke less and endured more pain and fever and cried himself into dehydration repeatedly.

Each day, the light left his eyes more; brown and Fel alike.

Khadgar was dying, and nobody knew how to help him.

"Anduin," Khadgar mumbled, fluttering his eyes open again and grimacing before sucking in a shaky gasp. He needed tea, and Lothar understood instantly and helped him drink some. "I--I want a F-Fel crystal."

"I'm sorry, you want what?"

"I'm already infected," Khadgar reasoned with his increasing mumbling. He rarely enunciated as clearly as he once did; he simply hadn't the energy for it. "It could be our last chance to s-study it thoroughly."

"Khadgar... you're too unwell to study anything. You're barely well enough to remain awake."

"Please," Khadgar begged, just a bit of the light returning to his brown eyes. It wrenched at Lothar's heart, but not as much as his next words. "It could be my last chance to be useful."

Lothar closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then gave his friend a nod. "Alright. You'll get your crystal."

A smile spread over Khadgar's too-thin face. The first truly relaxed smile he'd had since being confined to the bed by his own failing body.

And for the rest of the day and night it took the mages to procure the crystallized Fel, he finally had restful sleep.

"Khadgar." Lothar helped his friend sip on the tea, trying to keep him hydrated and calm in between the nurses' application of the external balms and the gentle washcloth bathing. Khadgar was drifting in and out of lucidity for the entire event; despite his restful sleep, the pain still ravaged his weakening body and his once-strong mind. 

"Khadgar." Lothar waited until those brown eyes turned to him and slowly, much too slowly flickered with recognition. "Hey. We've got your Fel crystal."

"Fel crystal," Khadgar repeated in a whisper, staring at Lothar for several moments before closing his eyes yet again, sucking in a ragged breath that shook his whole body, and exhaling just as shakily. The pain was definitely worse today. He opened his eyes again, their green Fel-glow weak and instantly dying out to reveal the clouding pain in his natural brown. "Yes... right. Let... me see it."

"Are you sure about this?" Lothar picked up the wooden box from the table near them. He tried to hide his own heartache when Khadgar grit his teeth in pain.

"Yes. Sit--s-sit me up." And then, barely coherently due to his low mumbling; "‘m so tired."

Lothar helped his friend sit up in the bed. He was appalled by just how resoundingly weak the man had grown in a few days' time. It was like moving a lightweight training dummy.

Khadgar sighed raggedly and gazed down at the box which appeared in his lap. Lothar opened it for him, revealing a glowing green shard of the crystallized Fel.

"Fel," Khadgar mumbled, the corner of his mouth twitching in a sardonic smile. "Killing Azeroth. Killing... me."

Lothar swallowed and tried not to think about the obvious truth too much. He wanted to enjoy what might be Khadgar's last lucid moments. 

Light, what he wouldn't give to help his friend.

Khadgar didn't have much strength left, but he at least found the energy to reach for and grasp the crystal weakly in his hand. He gazed down at it as though it would contain the secret to eradicating it from their world and from himself.

If he could think coherently, he'd have wondered why he even wanted the crystal for study. He couldn't test it with magic or mineral solutions. He could barely tolerate existing, let alone move.

The crystal glowed brighter in his hand and seemed to cause his grip on it to tighten as though by reflex. Lothar watched in surprise and then alarm as the crystal crackled and arced out energy that traveled up the mage's arm and into his eyes, reigniting the faded Fel there.

"Khadgar?" Lothar called out for a healer and a mage to assist in whatever was happening.

"Fel..." Khadgar breathed out as he seemed to absorb the energy from the crystal more rapidly by the second. His green eyes glowed brighter and his body almost seemed to straighten and strengthen. He inhaled shakily while the healer and mage watched as he grinned and seemed to drink of the crystal until finally his hand was empty.

"By Elune's light," the healer murmured in amazement. She started as Khadgar turned his gaze on her and shrank back in reflex. She felt a touch of relief when those eyes snapped to Lothar as he spoke.

"Khadgar?"

"Anduin." Khadgar placed a hand to his temple and groaned softly. "Everything feels... a bit better. I can think again... but not well. I...I think I need more Fel."

"Fel heals him?" The mage said in alarm. "How can this be?"

"I don't know, but our only chance to find out is to keep him alive. We need to get him more Fel."

"My Lord," the mage prefixed apologetically; "Is that wise? We've seen that the more Fel one is exposed to, the more it twists and corrupts them. We could do more harm than--"

"More harm than allowing him to wither and die?" Lothar snapped angrily. He was desperate to not lose his friend. Even if the man was corrupted by Fel to a degree which none of them yet knew. "Get me Lady Taria."

"Y-yes your grace, please forgive me, right away."

Khadgar chuckled as the man ran off, causing Lothar and the healer to look at him in surprise.

"You have them groveling at your feet, Your majesty." Khadgar released a derisive laugh, but then his green eyes flickered back to brown and he gasped out in pain. Immediately the healer was at his side and helped to lie him down and get comfortable once more.

The abrupt shift in attitude definitely shocked them both. It made Lothar wonder just how much the Fel was affecting his friend.

The hunt for Fel had begun. Crystallized Fel, liquid Fel sludge, and Fel-scarred tree bark were all being sought out for the king's mage Khadgar.

Taria had immediately been keen on the idea when she saw how much more alert Khadgar was, although as soon as the green glow returned to those eyes and he shot her a wicked smile, she had to argue against the idea with Lothar.

"You may still lose him brother, only in a much worse way. In a way so perverse that Khadgar himself would never want to go."

"If it starts to go that way, we'll halt the whole process. But we at least have to try."

"How do you know it won't fully corrupt him like Medivh or Gul'dan?"

"Medivh wasn't aware of the Fel corruption until it took over, and when it did, he wasn't himself. Khadgar was. And Gul'dan is a bitter, wicked creature. Khadgar is not."

"You've seen how he's acting under the influence of the Fel," she reminded him. "It's very unlike him."

"I'm hoping it's only because he's still unwell."

"Unwell! Is that what we're calling Fel corrupting the soul?"

"Taria, please." Lothar glanced in to see Khadgar sitting up again, on his own, and drinking the medicinal tea. He still looked beyond exhausted but he had the barest of life back in him. "We must at least try. In case it can work."

She sighed and glanced at their friend as well, watching him stiffen mid-sip as a gasp of pain escaped his body. His eyes glowed green again and he gently laid back down with a weary groan.

"Alright. But the moment he takes a turn for the worse..."

Lothar swallowed and nodded. "I know."

More nuggets of Fel had been acquired and delivered to the kingdom by the evening. With Taria, several guards, and a mixed group of healers and mages on standby, Lothar gave the first piece to Khadgar; another shard of crystallized Fel.

"Ohhh," Khadgar almost seemed to moan pleasurably as he caught sight of the crystal in his lap. His eyes glowed green and he grasped the shard as he quickly began the process of absorbing its dangerous energy. It disappeared much more rapidly than the first crystal, and he licked his lips as though he'd just finished a plate at a royal feast. "More."

"Khadgar." Green eyes snapped to Lothar as he spoke. "How are you feeling?"

"Better with every crystal." Khadgar grinned broadly and tilted his head back to stretch. Just as quickly he bent forward again as his body arced out pain in response, as though the Fel was giving him energy but not healing him. He grimaced and panted a bit from the pain. "But it's not enough. I need more."

"Are you sure that having more Fel inside of you is a good idea?"

"I...don't know," Khadgar admitted. His eyes still glowed brightly green. He glanced around at all of the people watching him like an explosion waiting to happen. And now that he could think clearly, he knew it wasn't unreasonable. "But it's all I have to help right now."

Lothar glanced at Taria who nodded at the next mage. A vial of the toxic Fel sludge was delivered to Khadgar.

Surprising them all, he hungrily uncapped the vial and swallowed the whole thing down like a mana potion. He squeezed his eyes shut as his esophagus burned from the caustic liquid, but just as quickly his throat tissue knitted itself back to health and the sludge seemed to rejuvenate him further.

"Burns like Dwarven Ale," He coughed with a grin. "Tastes just as bad, too."

One of the mages couldn't help but chuckle despite herself, though she at least looked apologetic about it.

"And how are you feeling now?"

"Are you going to ask me that every time?" Khadgar snapped irritably at Lothar. "If you have more, just give it to me. You can see it's helping."

"Everything but your mood and your manners," Lothar insisted. "Perhaps we should stop for now."

"Not while I'm still in pain, sire," Khadgar sneered and slowly moved his body from the bed to stand. Though the guards and mages were at the ready, his words seemed to be truth; he could barely stand on his own and every step he took was slow and clearly caused him great pain. "Tell me where they are and I'll help mys--"

His body suddenly gave out and collapsed, and it was only a healer's quick reaction that kept him off the floor. He was returned to the bed with Lothar's aid where the Fel-cocky man was left trembling and gasping in pain and weakness.

"Yes, you're doing much better," Lothar allowed some of his own sarcasm through. "One more dose and you'll be ready to dance at the next party."

"Oh," Khadgar huffed as he tried to find his voice; "b-be quiet."

"Not as tolerant of jokes as you used to be, hm? Is that the pain talking or the Fel?"

"Does it matter?" Khadgar's brow seemed to be knitted in perpetual pain. His eyes flared to green again. "The Fel is clearly helping."

"Yes, Khadgar, it does matter. Because what's the point of living if you're no longer you?"

Khadgar opened his mouth to hotly argue, but he closed it and allowed the truth to wash over him. He sighed and trembled silently as pain flowed through him; he allowed humility to sink in as well.

"I'm sorry. The Fel is... it's affecting my mood. But I don't think it's severe." The green blinked out of his eyes once more to be replaced by pained brown. "It's not like the Font. It's not twisting my soul into pain incarnate. It's just making me a little more...aggressive."

"And you want more of it?"

"It's mild," Khadgar reasoned; "unlike the pain."

"Was your pain always quite so bad since Karazhan?"

"No," Khadgar admitted uneasily. "It's gotten worse over several months. I don't know what's caused it, unless my body needs Fel energy since the Font and I've just been without it for too long."

He scrubbed his eyes with his palms and sighed in frustration. "I wish I knew the answers to all of this. I really do."

"Us too kid," Lothar breathed out, then cautiously nodded to Taria. She carried over a larger wooden chest filled with vials of Fel sludge. "Until we figure it out more... Cheers."

Khadgar uncapped one of the vials and greedily drank it down, his eyes flashing to green as the energy flowed through him. He had opened the second before he turned to Lothar and motioned to their audience of people.

"Are they all here for me? In case I get out of hand?" There was an unsettling coldness to his voice that made Lothar wish he'd reconsidered this Fel idea. Despite what Khadgar's reaction could be, he couldn't lie to the man. He merely nodded in reply.

Khadgar scanned them all, though his piercing green eyes hovered on Taria for longer than the rest. He then turned back to Lothar and nodded as well. "Good."

Half of the vials were consumed with little time between each dose. He looked to be getting stronger each time, though his breathing and posture reminded Lothar of an aggressive fighter ready to lash out as soon as someone spoke to him.

He was incredibly concerned, and from a glance at his men, they were ready to contain the unstable mage.

"Auuugh," Khadgar suddenly hissed as he clutched at his stomach. The vile sludge finally caught up with his weakened constitution and he keeled over the bed, vomiting up the mixture of medicinal tea and inert, mud-green sludge. A second round of stomach spasms fully emptied him, and the remaining vials shattered amidst the mess as the box slid off his lap.

"Khadgar!" Lothar helped his friend to lay back down on the bed while the bravest and most loyal of the healers helped to clean him up. She wiped the edges of his mouth and dabbed away the few tears that almost seemed to glow near those bright green eyes.

She barked out an order to another healer for tea to settle the stomach and had it within moments.

"Calm yourself sir," she said soothingly and helped the shaking, wheezing mage consume the tea. "There you go."

She had barely stepped away when Khadgar's hand slid out over the edge of the bed, dangling over the mess. The ruined liquid Fel began to glow and flow up to his fingertips. He absorbed the energy straight from the sludge, reminding Lothar of how Khadgar had sucked the Fel energy straight out of Medivh in Karazhan.

"Khadgar," Lothar whispered, watching as the six or so doses were absorbed all in one very potent stream of energy. "Be careful. Don't overdo it."

"Stop telling me what to do!" Khadgar suddenly lashed out angrily with rage in those radiating green eyes. He gritted his teeth and turned to Lothar, his right hand brimming with green energy encircling it like a twisted, Fel-cursed arcane spell at the ready.

The others in the room readied their weapons and spells, and Khadgar turned his ire onto them. He growled and conjured a barrier between them and himself immediately, though Lothar was still much too close to the corrupted mage for their liking.

"Khadgar!" Taria cried out amongst the other voices. She watched as he held out his hand and absorbed whatever Fel remained in the room from the collected crystals and tree bark, empowering him as much as the fallen vials had done. "Khadgar, please, control yourself!"

"I am in control!" He roared in such fury that she and Lothar alike stepped back. He grit his teeth and cried out in a mix of pain and anger, but before Lothar could try to restrain or aid him, blue light engulfed Khadgar and he was gone.

The Fel barrier dropped immediately and allowed Taria to rush to her brother's side. They stared where Khadgar had just been for only a moment, but quickly their leader barked out orders to search the grounds for the mage.

"If you find him, do not provoke him," Lothar insisted. He thought back to the rage in those green eyes hissing out wisps of Fel. "We don't know what he's capable of, or how he'll react."

Khadgar's teleportation to his quarters was brief. He needed substantial clothing, not the thin patient's linens he'd been wearing in the infirmary.

Despite the Fel channeling through his system, he was still in constant pain. The Fel made it easier to bear but also seemed to amplify it into a vehement roar within his being. He was sure that wasn't helping his rage, if he was honest with himself.

He could think clearly, although rationality was another notion entirely. He had but one goal in mind; to escape Stormwind and find a pocket of Fel out in Azeroth and absorb it all. Either it would cure him or kill him, but at that point he didn't feel he had any other choices.

He'd already scared his friends. The guards and mages in the infirmary were about to subdue him, and he knew he wouldn't get another chance to seek Fel energy after that. Running was his only choice.

He scornfully laughed at himself as his legs threatened to buckle under him. His body was still pathetically weak despite the malignant lifeblood coursing through him.

Running, Khadgar, yes. You can barely stand.

He gathered a few small supplies into his satchel. Stale bread, a few gold coins, and several mana potions were safely stowed inside. He took one final gaze around the room littered with books, scrolls, minerals and glass bottles of varying design and contents.

It may have been his last sight of the place he'd called home.

Noise outside his door alerted him to how soon he'd be discovered. He quickly teleported from the room once more, leaving behind a telltale blue haze to confirm the guards' suspicions.

He arrived in the gryphon roost nearest his girl's stall. She squawked excitedly and inadvertently alerted the stable master to their presence. Khadgar, not knowing if he'd been informed of the runaway mage's threat, threw him back with a harmless arcane blast.

Bluebell waited impatiently as her nearly spent mage used the last of his energy to haul the nearby saddle onto her back and secure it. He fell against her side as his body buckled and caused her to chirp worriedly. He patted her neck and laboriously climbed aboard, panting heavily and trembling as he finally made it.

"There he is!" cried one of the guards down the hall. Khadgar knew it was do or die. He urged Bluebell to the skies and clutched with all his might as she launched them both out to freedom.

He gazed behind him as Stormwind slowly shrank in the distance. He hoped his plan would cure him and that he could return to the magnificent city once more, and all of his friends within.

As he took a route that most gryphon riders wouldn't, he thought back to the magic he'd used inside the castle. His eyes widened in realization. He hadn't drawn any portals or shouted any verbal incantations. He'd summoned everything by sheer will alone, something even those in the Council of Six struggled to do.

"What am I," he whispered quietly, staring down at the rough mountain channels below. "Am I even still human?"

He hated that he had to take Bluebell through the jagged peaks to weave in between the walls of the range. He couldn't risk being seen or followed before he'd accomplished his goal, and that meant a more difficult flight for his loyal mount.

In risking being seen on exiting the cover of the mountains, he found what he needed. A patch of land on the outskirts of Elwynn forest that had been ravaged and abandoned by Orcs, the Fel presence was still rampant and toxic in the area.

Khadgar directed Bluebell toward a safe edge of the vacant camp. He needed to do it twice because even she knew something was off about the area. 

Together they landed with Bluebell voicing her protests to him vocally and with body language. She only squawked louder when he dismounted, and practically shrieked when he slumped to the ground.

"It's alright girl," he assured her while taking a moment for his ravaged body to rest. He sighed and knew that if he didn't make himself get up now, he never would again. He struggled to his hands and knees and gazed around at the poisoned land, then turned back to his mount who was still pacing uneasily near him. "Bluebell girl," he waited until she tilted her head at him. "You've been a great friend. Go home now."

She squawked in protest and gazed at the poisoned land, then at her weak and trembling rider. She gave a shake of her body and pranced around with clear opinion on the matter.

"I can't have you here when I do this. I don't know if it could hurt you. I don't know if... I could hurt you. You have to go."

She released a shriek of protest, and he couldn't help but hang his head and laugh weakly.

"You really are the best gryphon a mage could ask for." He felt his resolve growing weaker; he knew he needed to absorb the Fel before it called out to him and became an involuntary act. "Go home, Bluebell. I'll be fine here."

She pranced back and forth in clear argument before squawking her displeasure, but then trotted forward to preen his hair from his face before nuzzling him. Only when he smiled at her did she finally chirrup and leap into the air, leaving Khadgar alone once more.

He clenched his fists in the soft dirt; he could feel it crumbling beneath his fingers. Though he was still on the edge of the camp where the land appeared fertile; underneath the taint was spreading and killing the land, even though the Fel-spreader was gone. He gritted his teeth angrily at the Orcs, but mostly at their twisted warlock who began the crusade against their world.

He fought against the rage inside of him; even as his body burned and ached due to the battle at Karazhan that caused his affliction. He trembled and gazed out at the wrecked landscape. His eyes flashed green as the sludge pools and scarred trees began to illuminate further.

A sound of running footsteps came behind him. Before he could think to erect a barrier, a man appeared near his side. 

"Sir! Sir, are you alright? I heard a gryphon. Did you fall from your mount?"

Khadgar turned to gaze at the man and realized with relief that he wasn't one of the city guards at all. He seemed to be a humble peasant just looking out for his fellow man, but the Fel in Khadgar's eyes quickly caused the man to stumble backwards in alarm.

"Sir," he tried once again, much more uneasily this time; "Do you need--"

"Leave," Khadgar hissed and gritted his teeth as his eyes glowed angrily. He watched as the man ran off more quickly than he'd arrived, ensuring to Khadgar he'd be safe from whatever happened.

I may die, but that doesn't mean anybody else should go with me.

He could feel the tendrils of the Fel energy slowly snaking toward him. He pulled his hand away and severed the connection, wanting the choice to be his alone.

If these are my last thoughts as a human... Khadgar gazed at the sky above him; at the brilliant blue which reminded him of his favored arcane magics. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Let them be of friends.

The amount of Fel within the land was far beyond what could be seen on the surface. Like the roots of a strong tree, it had reached out and polluted the land far below it, its twisted and gnarled roots crystallizing even the soil itself.

Khadgar was not prepared for the overabundance of energy. He simply began absorbing it into his body with the intention to suck the land dry until there was no more Fel in the area. It quickly became apparent to a rational mage just how toxic the land had become and how foolish the endeavor would be.

Unfortunately, as the Fel built within him, rationality was rapidly chased out.

Raw, unceasing, terrifyingly violent power built within his body. He ached to a degree which he'd never felt before; his soul screamed out in a murderous rage. 

It was too much for him, but he could not stop.

A deep dark part of him knew that despite the power ripping him apart from the inside, he would not stop.

Powerful crackles of green, blue, red and white magics swirled around his glowing green body which led to quite the sight when Lothar appeared with several other mages and guards. Bluebell landed nearby, having found them mid-search and guided them there.

Upon seeing her mage in such a state, she began squawking and jumping around in alarm. She was a loyal creature, but intelligent enough that she dared not approach him due to fear. Her commotion was silenced by Lothar's gryphon who was much more disciplined than the young girl.

"Khadgar," Lothar breathed in alarm. The sight was tragically beautiful, and he only wished he'd found the mage before the act could be set into motion.

It reminded him so much of the Font, but this wasn't a small pool of tainted magical energy. This was pure twisted essence of corruption itself to a magnitude of what no mortal could ever hope to survive.

"Khadgar! You must stop!" Lothar cried out to his friend. "You will destroy yourself!"

Green eyes slowly turned to see Lothar, but they held no recognition. Only raw Fel power.

"Khadgar!" Lothar risked a hand on Khadgar's shoulder, but the sparking energy quickly zapped and singed flesh that left him stumbling back in pain. "Augh!"

"Sir!" A guard quickly checked over his hand, but a mage assured them it would heal. They turned as they felt the earth tremble underneath them; gawked as the warcamp grounds began to crumble.

The Fel energy was rapidly depleting in the area and Khadgar had begun to howl in agony.

"Khadgar," Lothar gasped, backing away. He knew he couldn't help the man and none of the mages had an answer for him.

The howl turned into a deafening roar as his voice seemed to split and become almost demonic. Everyone around him stumbled back further; half from alarm, half from fear.

A familiar sound accompanied the blue protective dome around Khadgar. Lothar watched as the last of the Fel entered his friend, and time seemed to pause as those green eyes turned to him once more.

The demonic roar was drowned out by a deafening explosion within the blue barrier. It dissolved and left a cloud of green haze, revealing Khadgar's limp form with his clothing all but burned away.

"Khadgar!" Lothar ran forward to check on him. All feared the worst, but Lothar quickly found a pulse. "He's still alive!"

Bluebell squawked in concern and paced around near the others until Lothar called her forward. He mounted her with Khadgar in his arms, much as they'd done when his Fel corruption was first revealed. She immediately launched herself toward Stormwind with utmost determination to get her master help.

"Lothar," came the faint voice as the mage roused from slumber. "Anduin..."

Lothar quickly sat at attention as he shook off the faint whispers of sleep. He reached forward and placed his hand on Khadgar's arm. "I'm here. How are you?"

Khadgar gazed over with tired, but thankfully again brown eyes and offered a smile. "Better than I thought I'd be. I thought that would kill me."

"It nearly did." Lothar grabbed a tea for Khadgar, knowing a pain-relieving infusion wouldn't be amiss even if the young man hasn't expressed any discomfort yet. "One of the healers had to restart your heart."

"Really?" Khadgar blinked in surprise.

"Several times, in fact." Lothar tapped Khadgar's chest. "Apparently, too much magical energy can disrupt the heart's rhythm."

"Oh, yeah," Khadgar mumbled, grabbing for the tea again to drink it down thirstily. "That's something we learn at magical school too."

"Do you actually call it magical school?"

"No, but I thought it would make you smile." Khadgar smiled to match Lothar, but he winced immediately afterward. "I haven't been too good to you as a friend."

"It's a good time to start anew," Lothar assured him. His smile faded as Khadgar grimaced again. "Are you in pain?"

"Mmm. It's starting to creep back in again. I was--I was really hoping that Fel stunt would cure me."

"You slept restfully for an entire day and didn't seem to have any pain during that time. Perhaps it did help."

"Great, it only helps when I'm unconscious. Some quality of life that is." Khadgar groaned softly and closed his eyes.

"Well we can't use the Fel again," Lothar murmured. "Lest you become unstable, escape again, and succeed in actually killing yourself this time."

"So the cycle begins anew and I begin my journey of withering away until I die?" Khadgar shook his head in anger. "There has to be something more we can do."

"You know we've already tried everything we can, Khadgar."

"There has to be another way!" He cried, his eyes glowing green once more.

So he hadn't purged the Fel from his system this time, either.

Lothar gazed into those green eyes as they faded back to brown and left Khadgar drained once again. The mage slumped in his bed and sighed.

"So I'm cursed to die." On receiving silence from Lothar, Khadgar stared out the open window at the beauty that he once enjoyed. "My body is going to slowly break down and ravage me and take my mind with it, and not even Fel can fight it--"

Lothar jumped slightly when Khadgar sat up straight with realization.

"That's it! That's it! What if it's not the Fel causing this? What if the Fel actually is helping?" He turned to Lothar. "I need the Kirin Tor."

"What? What's going on?"

"In Karazhan, it wasn't just the Fel that infused my body, it was all of the concentrated magic in the Font as well. What if absorbing all of that energy is what's causing this illness? What if the Fel is acting as an immune response and trying to fight against the magic?" Khadgar ran his hand through his hair as his eyes glowed green once more. "Maybe that's why the illness progressed so much. I still had access to magic and mana, and by the Light, we kept feeding me mana because we thought that's what I was lacking. But I had no Fel to counteract it and I was progressively getting worse."

"And what can the Kirin Tor do?"

"They can try to suppress or remove the magic that's causing this. It might be infused with the Fel, too; removing one might remove the other."

"What if they have to take away all of your magic?"

Green gave way to brown once more and he locked eyes with Lothar. Khadgar offered a pained smile in return.

"At least I'll live."

Once the Kirin Tor had received word of Khadgar's feat and recovery, they had agreed to see him. One of the mages that had seen Khadgar absorb the enormous amounts of Fel, purge it from the environment and his system, and survive, had personally volunteered to teleport Khadgar and Lothar to Dalaran.

"I doubt you're even well enough to make the trip," Lothar mused as he honored Khadgar's request and aided his friend in dressing. Khadgar refused to enter Dalaran and seek council of the Six while wearing his linen medical clothing, no matter how much every movement made him wince and hiss and nearly caused him to collapse in exhaustion. Lothar helped Khadgar get one arm through the sleeve of his robe, but the mage simply sighed raggedly and hung his head when asked for the other. "Why not have them come to you?"

"No offense Anduin, but Stormwind doesn't have what Dalaran does. I might need all of the Kirin Tor for this, and the leylines there will be more conducive to identifying, and hopefully removing, whatever is causing all of this." Khadgar finally got his other arm through the robe and sighed for the umpteenth time since he began, but he was finally fully dressed. "I simply must go to them."

"And you're sure about this?"

"No. But it's all I have left." Khadgar offered his friend a weak smile, nodding and barely remaining upright when Lothar lifted him to standing.

"Shall I call Alandrys in?" Lothar asked as Khadgar regained his breath from the motion. He received a nod after a moment and quickly left Khadgar's side to fetch the other mage.

Oh, Light, I hope this works. Something has to work. It took everything in Khadgar to remain standing alone. He managed despite his body aching and burning merely from existing. This can't be simply from mana excess or drain, or purely from Fel.

Lothar returned with Alandrys who bowed to them both politely before beginning to draw the portal to Dalaran.

Khadgar watched while the floor illuminated as the talented young woman channeled the arcane energies that would teleport all three of them to the beautiful floating city.

Not long ago I casted a teleportation spell without glyphs. In a short time, I may never use magic again. It was sobering, but for Khadgar, it would be worth it.

Upon arrival, Lothar dealt with the usual mild disorientation he'd come to expect from teleportation. Khadgar, on the other hand, had dropped to his hands and knees and began gasping in pain.

"Khadgar?" Lothar knelt next to him to find green eyes that were flickering weakly. "What is it?"

"The Fel," he gasped. "It's weak. I-I think I purged too much in the forest. I'm sapped."

"Can you make it inside the Volet Citadel?" Alandrys asked in concern.

"No," Khadgar managed and squeezed his eyes shut; "I can't. I can't move."

"I was hoping we wouldn't need this," Lothar uttered as he reached into one of his pockets. He pulled out a Fel crystal and offered it to Khadgar. "Take it."

"But you said I can't..."

"You need it Khadgar. Take it, and then we'll see the council."

Khadgar nodded weakly and grasped the crystal, slowly absorbing its energies until it had vanished. His eyes glowed a bright green once more, attracting gasps from passersby who took a closer look.

"Can you stand?"

"I think so." Khadgar stood with their aid and walked stiffly up the stairs with their support.

"What I'd like to know is why we didn't just teleport inside the building?" Lothar inquired.

"We can't." Khadgar swallowed as he tried to keep his light breakfast in his stomach. It was the first he'd truly eaten in a week. And the trek up the stairs, after teleporting, after the Fel, and while in such pain; it was making holding onto the food very difficult. "There are wards around the building to protect against that."

"Ah. Of course there are. You mages have thought of everything, haven't you?" 

"That's what we do best," Khadgar said with a wincing smile. "We think."

"Well, let's hope your thinking was correct." Lothar aided his tiring friend inside the citadel.

"I shall summon the council," Alandrys announced as Lothar found his friend a seat. She ran off and left them alone once more.

"Is the Fel helping?"

"I know you can read me better than that," Khadgar chuckled. The pain hadn't left his face since they'd arrived in Dalaran, Fel energy or not. "I'm so tired of the pain, Anduin."

"I know, Khadgar." Lothar squeezed his friend's shoulder. "I know."

The rest of the day was hell for Khadgar. He endured their magical examinations and tests, of being charged with mana and then drained once again. He had been worn thin just making the trip to see the archmages, but making it through the battery of magical probing had taken all of his patience and strength. More than once his eyes had flared green in pure anger and he'd had to fight to put that green glow away--though the fire in his spirit stayed.

When their examinations finally ceased and they deliberated, Khadgar was left to rest on a dais. He had all but collapsed when placed there, and even Lothar wasn't present for company while he suffered immensely.

Alandrys at the least was with him and conjured a bit of wine to lift his spirit. She helped him drink it, and then made sure he was comfortable when he asked to just rest.

Barely an hour had passed when he was approached by one of the council. They seemed to identify exactly what was causing the problem and would attempt to remove it from him.

Khadgar had smiled even when warned that in doing this, he risked being depleted of all magical ability.

"I will choose life over magic," he told them weakly, though his words held the inner conviction and strength that allowed him to blaze his own path and defeat Medivh. "I always will."

"Very well. We must regain our full strength for the ritual. We begin tomorrow morning."

Khadgar nodded and rested his head on the soft pillows with a faint smile. "Thank you."

Lothar had been given a room near the citadel to stay in, though Khadgar had to remain within the mages' walls.

A proper stable magical environment, the high mages had told Lothar, but he knew better. He could see how they looked between him and Khadgar. They knew Lothar had slipped him Fel upon their arrival.

At least he knew Khadgar was receiving proper care and comfort at the citadel. He'd met the kind druid who would be tending to the drained mage. Those were the kindest lavender eyes he'd ever seen from an elf.

Lothar sighed again as he tried to rest in his room. He knew his friend was in pain no matter what the druid did to ease it, and no matter how the other mages attempted to suppress whatever magical curse he was under.

Lothar finally left his room to visit the local apothecary. He needed a potion that would allow him sleep and knew alcohol wouldn't be a good idea when he was so concerned about Khadgar.

He just didn't realize the potion would work so quickly.

He awakened shortly before the crack of dawn, feeling more refreshed than he had since learning of his friend's curse. He had barely drank the potion down before it took effect, causing him to collapse in a heap on the bed, clothing and all.

He checked the time and quickly made himself presentable before rapidly making his way to the citadel.

"How is he?" Lothar asked the druid who looked quite tired from her nighttime ministrations.

"Resting. He hasn't slept." She brushed a stray hair out of her face and then glanced back at her charge. "Your friend enjoys the company of those with paws. Perhaps a pet is in order for him."

"A pet?" Lothar would consider it, but how this information was gleaned was more curious to him. "How did you discover this?"

"I have seen the comforting effects of feline purring on ill patients before. And well, my feline form aided in his comfort as well."

It dawned in realization that Khadgar had snuggled with the elf during the night. No wonder she had a sheepish look when greeting Lothar.

"But it did help his pain?"

"It was all that did, I'm afraid." She gazed over at Khadgar who was slowly and fitfully shifting under the luxurious blanket. "I pray to Elune that the mages' cure works for him."

"As do I," Lothar agreed with her. He thanked her again and turned to Khadgar, unsurprised but still saddened to find him trembling as he endured the constant pain. He looked feverish again; though they all knew now it was of a magical nature and couldn't be treated through normal means. "Khadgar."

"Anduin?" Khadgar opened his eyes and gazed up at Lothar, looking more tired than he had in quite some time. His eyes were their native brown, but they were bloodshot and crusted with failed attempts at sleep. "Is it morning?"

"Yes, it is. I heard you haven't slept." He reached forward and ruffled that messy brown hair, earning a faint smile despite the man's misery. "Although just one look at you makes that obvious. You look terrible."

Khadgar laughed at that, though it was punctuated by a gasp and a miserable groan. "Today I lose the curse. Or my magic."

"No matter what happens, you're still my favorite spellchucker."

Khadgar smiled again and then gazed blearily at the daylight as it shone through the glass window. 

"I'll leave you with your new pet to get ready," Lothar teased, hoping he was out of earshot of the druid. Although with elven ears being so long, he was probably pushing his luck. He didn't miss the faint blush on that feverish face. "At least now I know you're a cat person."

The first jab had made Khadgar laugh, so Lothar made one further comment about fur in the bed to elicit another. He didn't know how much longer Khadgar would be with them, despite the optimistic outlook of the mages that would be stripping his tainted magic.

Khadgar needed all of the laughter he could get and Lothar seemed to be the only one who could pull him out of his pain-laced exhaustion for it.

"I have to go in now," Khadgar stated as they reached the ritual sanctum. He was barely holding consciousness, but Alandrys was there once more to assist him inside the room for the ritual. "Anduin... thank you."

"You're my friend, Khadgar."

"I know. And you've shown it better than I have." Khadgar's eyes flared green again; too weak for the crystal he was given just the day prior. "I hope this works, and I can be a good friend to you again."

"It will work. I know it will. You don't give up so easily." Lothar pulled Khadgar into a hug before releasing him to Alandrys' care.

Khadgar smiled, the Fel green replaced by a quick flash of blue in those hopeful eyes. He entered the room with Alandrys, shuffling more than walking, until the door closed and Lothar could see no more.

"Oh I hate waiting," Lothar hissed as he began pacing immediately. "How long will this take..."

"It could take as little as one hour, and as long as all morning," Alandrys answered behind Lothar, causing him to jump. "Although with how little energy Khadgar appears to have with which to fight the process, it may be on the shorter side."

"You were just in there--I thought teleportation didn't work in here?" 

"It does when the council enacts it." She smiled apologetically for startling him. "I am not a part of the ritual, I was only to assist Khadgar into the sanctum."

"How uh," Lothar wouldn't fool himself into thinking the ritual would be easy on his friend. "How painful is the ritual?"

"It's a modified form of punishment used to strip magic users who abuse their abilities," she explained. "I've heard it described as peeling away part of your soul. You never feel quite right afterwards. Many go mad from the process, either immediately or over time."

Lothar gaped at her in horror. "He never told me that. And he suggested that?!"

"He is very strong-willed," Alandrys said admirably. "He rejected many things about training here within the Kirin Tor. It's one of the reasons he left. I believe he will survive the ritual, and its aftereffects."

His very soul, Lothar reflected on her words. He is cursed whether this works or not.

"Come. I know it's early, but perhaps a strong drink with breakfast will ease your worry."

There was absolutely no way Lothar would leave that citadel until he learned of Khadgar's state. And Alandrys knew exactly that, which was why she held up a tray of conjured food and drink.

"Come. We will remain nearby."

He nodded numbly and remembered to thank her for her kindness as they sat for the meal.

Alandrys was right; the wine was strong and it did help set him at ease, as did her company. She was nowhere near the variety of mage he'd come to enjoy in Khadgar, but she was kind and enjoyed talking about the training of a mage which gave him more insight into Khadgar's tutelage.

Before too long, the crackle in the air calmed and the door to the sanctum opened. Lothar leapt from his seat to check on Khadgar, only to find his unconscious friend being carried out by healers who'd been teleported into the sanctum for aid.

"Is he alright?"

"We won't know until he awakens," the elder mage announced. "We believe it was a success. We extracted the twisted magic and Fel infusion from his body. And we are hoping his innate magic is still intact."

"Good, yes," Lothar breathed, and then nodded at the mage. "Thank you."

He was offered a nod before being dismissed. 

Khadgar was again in the room he'd spent the night, only it was midday and he was finally getting the rest he'd been denied.

Naturally, Lothar settled in at his side to wait. To pass the time he skimmed the shelves and picked out one of the tomes on the basics of magic. It was the easiest of reading available in the room, and he didn't know how long Khadgar would be out for.

All of that day and half the next, it would have seemed.

Khadgar's groan shook Lothar out of his concentration on the final chapter of the book.

"Khadgar!" Lothar approached and placed a hand to his friend's forehead, relieved to find it cool to the touch and no pain in those brown eyes when they gazed back at him. "How are you feeling?"

"I don't want to say it out loud," Khadgar sighed, "in case it's too soon. But... the pain of the curse is gone."

"Oh, thank Elune," Lothar breathed. "Thank the Light."

"Praying with the elves are you?" Khadgar smiled tiredly. "I do think they could make great allies if we understood them better."

"So says the mage, and they quite dislike magic."

"Magic is as natural to the world as druidry or shamanism. We just manipulate the energies of things. S'why teleportation and barriers are completely safe."

Lothar chuckled. Khadgar seemed to more or less be back to himself. "Good to have you back, spellchucker."

The night passed with no adverse effects on the formerly Fel-afflicted mage. He was sore all over from enduring the pain for so long, and from having arcane energies coursing through the core of his being to strip away ones that were poisoning him. It didn't stop him from finally getting up and around, albeit slowly at first, to get cleaned up to go out for dinner.

"You're looking much better," Lothar commented as they settled in at the nearby tavern. "Like you finally have the light in you again."

"It's good to no longer be in pain," Khadgar confirmed. He took a big drink of ale as it arrived. "Thank you for staying by my side through all of this."

"You would do the same." Lothar took a big swig as well, smirking as Khadgar's smiling gaze met his.

"What?"

"You could do with a haircut."

Khadgar's jovial laughter was music to Lothar's ears.