Ironmaw (IC--Closed RP)

Lore World's End Tavern: Role-play and Fan Fiction
85

Tolbyas smiled back as the captain echoed his sentiments. “Well that is a shame. Hopefully the addition of another crew will hasten our search.” He bowed to leave and stepped away from the pair. He glanced around and wondered where the young Ezari had ran off to.

Tolbyas turned back towards the captain when he heard someone calling about a portal, but shrugged as the captain seemed nonchalant about it. Where was he going again? Tolbyas shook his head. That was right, he was to study Ezari. Where did she go?

Tolbyas set off to get to the below decks where he caught sight of Ezari speaking to a gnome and making her way down the hall.

86

Kaledane listened to the Captain of the vessel speak, hearing about a portal opening in a vessel, but nothing happening, such things still didn’t sit well.

Grabbing his sword, he walked inside, heading his way to where the gnome mentioned of a portal, he appeared to be followin the night elf from earlier.
he noticed what was a priestess walking down towards a room, “what exactly happened here?”
was his thoughts.

He took his shield and gently tapped the wooden wall too get attention on him.
“You there elf.” he put his gaze on Tolbyas
“I’m going to check out on that portal nonsense, doesn’t sit right with me, you are welcome to join me, but i want you to keep an eye open for anything suspicious”.

If the gnome left to head towards where the portal opened up, he would follow the gnome to the spot, inspecting the area.

87

Lux pouted as Rudy was ignored. “…D’oh.” She glanced to Lucille, “So that plan’s just gone t’hell. Wanna go ‘n find somethin’ else t’do, then? Maybe go 'n see what’s up with our crewmates?”

“Honestly, I’m thinking of finding us a cabin soon. Unless you’d like to sleep out here,” she teased, chuckling. She nodded towards the wall where they sat, “Very comfortable, you know.”

“Yeh, yeh. Y’go 'n do your cabin scavenge. I’m gonna go make some friends. Should prob’ly call Syddy to, soon, huh…” she considered it. “…I’ll do that later. Friends first. See 'ya later, Luce.”

Both got up, going in their separate ways. Lucille head off down to where ever the cabins were, hopefully, humming a Kul Tiran shanty to herself. Lux went to the deck where a small group had begun to split. “Heya, folks.”

88

She looked Bryah over for a moment looking for any hint of treachery or trickery. After a long moment she seemed satisfied and answered. “I will accept your offer. She could have been severely punished for not attempting to take me in. I am glad that our encounter did not result in violence. I am afraid the rest of the alliance would not be so… understanding.” She said the name with disdain. “Be careful Bryah, loyalty is a fickle thing these days. I will watch out for you. The others I can not guarantee.”

89

Aorasia watched the exchange with the crew member with some manner of amusement. “Prehaps a bit too alert.” She commented. “I got naught fer me crew. Its best ye signal them now least they start gettin’ worried. In th’ meantime let us study th’ waters we be goin’ t’ be searchin’.”

This ‘portal’ thing interested the pirate though. She had seen some magicky circles in one of the harbormaster’s offices when she made port, but always believed the stories that they transported people clear across Azeroth as little more than an old fishmonger’s tale. She would have to take a look at such a device.

Author's Note

Short post is short x.x

90

Like previously, the elf’s stance shifted once more. Gone was the upright and reserved (and a little haughty) posture of Kawisa, and back was the aggressive posture of Raiku.

“That stuck up brat.” Raiku spat out as she walked away.

Calm down, Raiku. She has been blinded by the Light that she serves. Its not the first time I’ve experienced people who choose to follow the Light to the exclusion of all else, and I doubt it will be the last. Kawisa cautioned, content to let the netherdrake in control once more.

Still, I’m surprised that she is also a dragon. Raiku commented.

There are many known dragons who take on human guises. One of the leaders of the Kirin Tor, high-ranking mages who run Dalaran, is a blue dragon. Kawisa informed.

Raiku mentally scoffed. Why would a dragon ever want to take on a form like this?

Ease of using humanoid buildings, not making people panic at the sight of a full grown dragon standing on their doorstep, hiding. Plenty of reasons. Mainly depends on the dragon.

Raiku shook his head as a human made their way down the stairs.

"Heya, folks."

Raiku looked at the girl for a moment. She seemed a little too bubbly, but at least she wasn’t a Light-worshiping prude like the last conversation partner.

“Greetings.” He replied simply.

91

Khalloy gently caressed Glinda and although the chicken quite couldn’t feel it the way you or I would, it did bring a slight level of comfort to her.

Khalloy seemed a little lost in thought still where she was before. She was then hit with a rather sudden idea. To check out the rooming quarters. “Do you suppose there’s adequate rooming on this ship?” She asked the chicken.

Glinda didn’t respond with anything more than a non-committal twitch of her wing.

Getting up and gathering her things she carried Glinda with her as she navigated the ship once more, heading towards the cabin area. Now would possibly be as good a time as any to get to know a few of her ship mates, they would likely be out here for a good while. “Good day.” She said to no one in particular.

92

The vulpera examined the barrels closely, trying to plug his nose to the wretched stench as he did so. They were more sturdy than the tauren had guessed, but there seemed to be some kind of lid. He took out a dagger and tried to pry it open to drop a seed inside before moving on to the other barrels after a minute or so with each. He couldn’t spare much time with the attempts, he knew, as the guards could return at any time.

Regardless of if he succeeded or not Runas would move away from the room after trying each barrel, poking his head out to check for any guards before leaving the room. Should he see one he’d try to distract it by tossing a pebble or nail - whatever was at hand - before sneaking out of the room and trying to lock the door without anyone noticing.

The rogue tried to make his way out of the belly of the ship without being discovered to think about the progress he’d made in his plague-removal attempts.

93

“I will accept your offer. She could have been severely punished for not attempting to take me in. I am glad that our encounter did not result in violence. I am afraid the rest of the alliance would not be so… understanding.” She said the name with disdain. “Be careful Bryah, loyalty is a fickle thing these days. I will watch out for you. The others I can not guarantee.”

Bryah nodded, a deep frown creasing her brow. Her people knew the sting of betrayal all too well. “Unfortunately, that is something I know all too well. There’s a reason I have a circle of friends that is limited to the people I grew up with. They are the only ones I can trust to have my back when I need it. Prove yourself trustworthy to them, and you will have a group of people willing to drop everything to help you out when you need them.” She reached up to stroke Scarlet’s brilliant plumage, then shrugged her shoulder. “Kari didn’t tell me much about you. Just the basics, like your name, a description and a little of what happened. If you feel comfortable telling me, I’d like to know why you accepted the val’kyr’s gift, and anything else you care to share.”

95

She looked at Bryah curiously. Very few in the horde even spoke to her, fewer still had the guts to ask such a question. She smirked for only a moment. “I will answer a few questions, but not here. Below deck we can get some privacy.” She said leading the Ranger below deck if she so chose to follow. They would enter a storage room where she would sit atop a large crate and await Bryah’s questions.

96

Bryah nodded and followed the dark ranger below deck to what looked like a large storeroom filled with crates. She wrinkled her nose at the smells coming from some of the large wooden boxes and found her own crate to sit on. The floor of the storage area became fascinating to Bryah as she thought for a moment about what she wanted to ask.

She raised her head and gave Lynara a friendly smile. “So why did you accept the val’kyr’s gift? You could have stayed dead and saved yourself all the hassle and aggro from the alliance.” Her cheeks darkened in embarrassment and her eyes again found the floor interesting. “Sorry, I’m just trying to understand it all. I never got that chance when Mother turned up as a death knight. It took me years to accept it. I’m sure Kari felt the same with her aunt.”

97

“So why did you accept the val’kyr’s gift? You could have stayed dead and saved yourself all the hassle and aggro from the alliance.” Her cheeks darkened in embarrassment and her eyes again found the floor interesting. “Sorry, I’m just trying to understand it all. I never got that chance when Mother turned up as a death knight. It took me years to accept it. I’m sure Kari felt the same with her aunt.”

Lynara was taken aback from her sheer brashness. Then Bryah looked to the floor, her face reddening. “That is a long story.” She began. She eyed the door before looking back and taking a breath. “I fought in the war of thorns. I watched from the beach as the horde burned Teldrassil. I remember that we sent nearly all our forces to Silithus at the behest of King Wrynn. We listened to their boy king and as a result we were left trapped in Darkshore after watching thousands perish.”

She took a moment to allow Bryah time to process the information. Her hands went to the cloth covering her throat. She pulled it down to show the scar. Sown shut and aided with dark magic to mend the flesh beneath. “We were awaiting Alliance reinforcements, already over due. My commander gave us the signal to attack the horde caravan. They had an ambush set up and she walked us right into it. With no reinforcements we stood no chance. A rogue stabbed me here.” She pointed to a spot on her upper chest. “Then dragged me into a clearing. A brown skinned orc huntress said something I couldn’t understand before cutting my throat. I choked on my own blood before oblivion took me. All I could feel was hate.”

She looked at Bryah, her eyes narrow. “Death is not a pleasent thing. Dying is not the glorious event they would have you believe. Your physical sensation is replaced with raw emotion. All I could feel was anger, hatred, and pain. Pain at the thought that my last daughter was dead. Hatred for those who burned Teldrassil. Anger for the Alliance, and Goddess who abandoned my people to their fates. The Val’kyr offered me a second chance at life. No mention on the strings attached though. So in this world of pain and anger I took the way out. I sought a way to return to the Kaldorei and they attacked me. I realized they abandoned me as well… all of them save Kari. So, now you have the context you desired. Answer me this question Bryah. I know what happened to Quel’thalas. Can you tell me that if you were in my position you would have remained dead? I often wonder for all those I killed, if they would choose to remain dead or not.”

98

Bryah stared at the floor for several moments as she tried to think of what her choice would be in that moment. She shook her head and raised her eyes. “I don’t know what I would do in that situation. I hope I’m never forced into making such a terrible choice.”

She thought for several minutes before asking her next question. After asking such a difficult question to start with, she wanted to make her next one a bit easier. “You’ve had a lot of adjustments to make in a short amount of time, but those adjustments aren’t over. Once the fighting is over, you will have to find a way to live among the horde during what passes for peace between the two factions. Have you thought about what you will do when this war is over?”

101

Tolbyas smiled at the soldier. “On my way to inspect suspicious people now.” He waved as he made his way towards the cabins. Tolbyas made his way down and saw Ezari farther down the hall. Between him and her was quite the gathering. Two gnomes, an elf, and a human.

“Fancy meeting all of you here.” Tolbyas chuckled. Though his voice sounded cheery, his eyes were cold. He scanned the area rapidly, assessing each person’s position. It seemed… the void addled elf and Ezari were here prior to the others, though the one gnome could have been at the same time. Tolbyas thought for a moment, remembering seeing the void elf heading down below shortly after Ezari. Did he know her?

Tolbyas filed his findings in his mind as he continued to step towards the group, his eyes now warm. He kept Ezari in his sight, though without staring directly at her. After all, there was only this hall of cabins, she did not have many places to hide.

“Seems to be a party.” Tolbyas grinned. “Are we all here to select rooms? Anyone know if there are enough or if we need to find a friend?”

103

Lynara looked at her curiously. “You think the war will end?” She shook her head. “I am a warrior. I was a warrior my entire life. I will continue until I meet my end one final time.” She sighed as she looked Bryah over with a quick flick of the eye. “I doubt I will ever be able to return to Kaldorei lands nor would I want to.” She looked at Bryah. “I feel that once everything is said and done Kari and I will have another confrontation. Her own code will force her hand. When that day finally comes I am certain only one of us will survive.”

She stood to her feet signaling the end of the conversation. “I have enjoyed this chat. Perhaps in the future we can have more. Until then remember what I am over who I am. Especially around the other forsaken.” She left the Store room heading back up to the deck. She felt a gnawling pang inside. Unable to place a finger on the feeling she buried it.

104

The apothecary offered a sharp salute, ambling away with his apprentice as Bryah approached.

The ironvine seeds quickly went to work; the wood and iron of the casks creaking and groaning from the strain before bursting open with a sharp pop. Leftover drops of blight splattered around the room, hissing with a sinister sizzle as the smell of decayed plant matter began to fill the hold. A voice called out in inquiry, before footsteps began pounding rapidly towards the hatch. As a sharp warhorn rang out though, they halted, altering course instead for the upper deck.

After briefing the sin’dorei ranger and giving the sea charts another quick study, Tor’ghar returned to the ship’s wheel, making a few minor adjustments and settling in for the long voyage. It wasn’t long, however, before one of the crew called out from the crow’s nest.

“Captain! We be havin’ a problem!” yelled a troll member, pointing towards the ship’s stern. In the distance, an angry-looking storm was rapidly approaching.

Tor’ghar signaled to the shamans to cease their ritual, scowling as he noted the sea was rougher than it should be. He trudged over to the railing, peering into the depths below for a moment before recoiling and letting loose a sharp blast on his warhorn.

"BATTLESTATIONS! WE’RE UNDER ATTACK!" he roared; the crew scrambling into position as serpentine shapes appeared near the ship, working their magic to further slow the vessel. Naga.

105

The gnome blinked, looking rather disappointed at the lack of need for a poultry-izer. “Well this is technically where the engineers stay, but if you really need–hey, where’re you going?!”

“Well fine, be that way then!” the gnome huffed, storming off towards the portal section and grumbling under her breath.

“Aye, I’ll have word sent right away,” Mithrian replied, motioning of the few quel’dorei rangers over and quickly explaining the situation in Thalassian. The ranger nodded, tossing both captains a quick salute before jogging below decks to see to a gryphon mount.

He turned his attention back to Aorasia, opening his mouth to speak but quickly cut off by a voice from the crow’s nest above.

“Fog’s rolling in captain! What are your orders?” called the lookout, sounding rather uneasy.

Mithrian frowned, unhooking the spyglass from his belt and peering at the horizon. There was indeed a thick bank of fog ahead, though it was difficult to tell how far it stretched. It wouldn’t be long, however, before both ships breached its borders.

“That’s odd…” he remarked, lowering the spyglass and offering it to the Pandaren. “The weather was supposed to be clear. What do you make of it?”

106

Myorga snapped from her daydream at the ship’s railing by the lookout’s call from above. Mostly it was because she heard the lookout say the word ‘captain’, but also because as she basked in the warmth of the sun on the ship’s deck, she came to the realization that the lookout had said the word ‘fog’.

And also because as they traveled in the direction of Kul’tiras, fog wasn’t necessarily a good thing, not that it was anyway, but from her recollection of her recent travels to Kul’Tiras, she’d heard of entire fleets able to hide in thick blankets of fog until they were very nearly on their prey, able to strike quickly and suddenly. She shuddered at the thought of a naval battle. She turned to see what Mithrian would say.

Her suspicions were at least partially confirmed: This fog was the result of foul play.

She sniffed the air around her but couldn’t detect anything but the smell of the sea air and the occasional whiff of salt and whatever material they used to water-proof the deck of the ship.

You could probably smell more, if you let me out– came the voice from inside her again. She mentally told it to shush, and debated whether to tell the ship’s captain about her knowledge of fog and Kul’Tiran fleets. On one hand, he was the ship’s captain, and so all crew and passengers were expected to trust him. On the other hand, she could be withholding valuable information that could prove to be the salvation or the detriment of their own small fleet. She shuddered again at the thought of a naval battle.

At last, her mind was made up, she turned, clicked twice with her tongue and sprinted up the stairs to the top deck where the captain was peering through his spyglass with Loba quick at her heels.

“Captain Skyshatter, sir”, she blurted out without so much as a hint of a salute, “I believe I may have valuable information regarding this fog, sir. If you may, I would offer what I know.”

107

Lux nodded. She eyed him for a few moments with a tilted head. Always so gothic, those Void elves… “So. How’re you doin’ this fine… sail, I guess.?” She looked around, playing with the rune on her belt for a few moments in the silence. “…That works. Anyway! I’m Lux. What’s your name?”

Half regretting not bringing Lux along with her, Lucille glanced around the area. It seemed like a decent enough ship, it hadn’t sunk yet. She wasn’t really that concerned about the idea, really, either. Just the company would have been nice, except for the group she’d run into. It was growing by the second, it seemed. All the better for her. No reason to make an awkward introduction.

…She’d leave that to the new figure coming down the hall. They seemed like more of the talkative type, anyway. “Seems to be a party. Are we all here to select rooms? Anyone know if there are enough or if we need to find a friend?”

Lucille shrugged. “No idea, here, unfortunately. I don’t want to assume, since that might just get some hopes up or something, but.” She glanced to one of the doors. “…May as well just look, if anything, really. Besides. I don’t know about you, I already have one. A friend. I mean.”

108

Khalloy shook her head. “Don’t know anything about the rooms, pal. The name is Khalloy if anyone cares to know. And this,” She holds up the chicken in her hand. “Is Glinda, the cutest little destroyer of worlds you’ll ever meet.”

The chicken shook her head, letting out a sigh. Ever boastful, that one. She thought to herself.