It doesn't take long.

Sarah petted the coarse fur of her new companion. "Tell me, who do you serve?," she said. "I serve you, mistress. What do you command?," the bear replied. Sarah smiled at her new ****'s eagerness to please. "Do you know where the druid is? He looks like me, but is taller and has more muscles." The bear sniffed the air. "I do not smell him, but one such as you describe often wanders to the south. "Take me there!," Sarah commanded as she climbed on top of the bear.

The bear started walking and then sped up until it was effortlessly running through the undergrowth. After a few minutes, he slowed down and then came to a full stop. "I smell him now. the scent is strong, he is close," the bear growled quietly. "Perfect," Sarah replied. "This is what we're going to do." She told the bear about her plan to fake a chase. The druid would protect her and focus on the bear. Meanwhile she could take him down from behind.

***

Fendoriaen was walking in a clearing he liked to visit. The place calmed him down more than the surroundings of the temple ever could. This place was pure nature and it is where he felt most at ease. He pondered the affliction ailing the sleeping Night Elves, as he often did when he came here. It started two moons ago, when one of the priestesses fell into a deep slumber. She had a fever and was writhing and moaning in her sleep.

Elves didn't usually get ill, so whatever this was it wasn't natural. The temple tried everything, from nights filled with prayer to all kinds of local remedies. When the second priestess fell ill, they knew they had to summon outside help. A messenger owl reached the temple in Darnassus. Fendoriaen being one of the most proficient with sleep magic was summoned before High Priestess Tyrande. She asked him to investigate.

Fendoriaen couln't refuse the High Priestess, even if he was already ankle-deep in his own research. After preperations were made, a portal was opened for him to the stronghold of Feathermoon. He went through. A boat ride and a few days of hiking later he arrived at the temple. The total number of priestesses affected now numbered three. He requested the healing centre be quarantined in case it was contagious and he set up his study there.

For days he worked tirelessly to find out what ailed the women of the temple. They seemed to be in some sort of unnatural dream state. Fendoriaen regognized the signs from his fellow druids dreaming the Emerald Dream. He searched the Dream himself but found no trace of the women. Nor had the animals seen anyone on two legs pass through. But he did find the area well suited to contemplation and meditation.

Days passed with no solution as a fifth priestess was brought in. Fendoriaen had tried multiple potions, some of his own invention. But nothing seemed to rouse the women from their slumber. It didn't help that he had to clean and examine their bodies on multiple occasions. The girls were true beauties and Fendoriaen started to feel pent up. The Dream gave him solace, allowing him to keep his urges under control, by meditating for hours on end.

Today a new patient was brought in. A human girl that was assaulted by some kind of creature when a magic spell went awry. When questioned, she felt that the girl wasn't telling him everything. Fendoriaen could feel a dark presence about her and decided that putting her to sleep would be the best way to examine her and make sure. Knowing she would be asleep for the next day and night, he decided to first meditate on the matter.

It was when he was doing this, sitting in a field of sweet-smelling yellow flowers, that he heard a scream. "Help! Is anyone out there?!" Fendoriaen quickly rose and searched for the source of the sound. From the bushes a green-haired Night Elf appeared. Her brown-green robe was full of thorns and tears as she ran straight towards him. Fendoriaen was about to stop her when a huge bear emerged from behind her, chasing her and gaining on her. Its eyes glowed red and its teeth were showing.

He didn't hesitate to raise his arms and start channeling natural energy. "Get behind me!," he screamed. The woman ran past him as he put himself between the evil creature and the distressed woman. The bear stood on its hind legs and roared, ready to charge at him. Fendoriaen released his spell as thorny vines emerged from the ground and started wrapping around the bear.

A bolt of pure nature magic hit it in the face, sending it backwards into more waiting vines. The bear was fully trapped now and the woman was safe for the moment. Fendoriaen turned around to check on her and stared right into her face. An evil smile was on her lips as she fired a wave of pure, dark purple shadow energy right at him. The druid fell backwards, reeling from the shock. The last thing he saw was the Elf standing over him and another flash of purple. Then all became black.