We near the end of Bloodrott’s backstory, adventurers…
Again, I had ran out of room in Vol.2, which contained the largest of the chapters. I will attempt to keep them under 10 pages, aiming for 6-8 from here on out.
Here, you will bear witness of the slow declination of a character’s moral bounds and values… a degenerate, desperate to climb from alienation to acceptance in a suicide mission…
A link to Vol.2: The Life Before Deathlord Bloodrott Vol.2 - Lore / World’s End Tavern: Role-play and Fan Fiction - World of Warcraft Forums (blizzard.com)
Reddit chapter links: Character Story (Fan Fiction): Deathlord Bloodrott : r/wow (reddit.com)
Chapter 11
Amidst a sky of grey seeking cover from the morning sun’s rays, pink and gold linings caressed the clouds over the trees of the Ghostlands as the travellers below pressed on at a comfortable yet brisk pace.
Captain Valdross led the false Earthen Ring task force along the road with no Scourge presence to hinder them as he remained wary… For the Amani Trolls could no doubt be around every bush and tree. His partner, a ranger that managed to return to Tranquillien after the battle of yesterday, volunteered to assist his captain in this simple task. After hearing of their victory in his absence, the young Blood Elf elected himself as the second guide upon hearing of the Earthen Ring’s imminent departure, plagued with the feeling of wishing there was more he could have done whilst the battle was raging.
[Thalassian] “Surviving was the best thing you could have done, Tamaril. Remember that.” Captain Valdross reassured his Farstrider underling.
The Grimtotems noticed a clear divide of land on either side of the road. On it’s eastern side lay a much more natural landscape much less dotted with infected foliage and fauna, and on the western side, patches of land that looked barren and rotted with trees desperately struggling to retain their leaves, marked with the eerie bright-green spots usually found on such infected fauna. It was clear that the cobble-stone road served as a border between the Trolls and the Scourge the deeper south they progressed.
The Grimtotems remained silent to one another. It seemed the animosity had not yet dissipated from the events of yesterday. Kandra stayed at the rear of the group, whilst Ebo and Toros stood at each opposing side of the group, with Misko and Krag in the middle. Odenan, naturally, was at the fore of the group just behind the Blood Elven guides, as was Dagwa.
Suddenly, captain Valdross’ head snapped to a noise apparently only he could hear, deep in the bushels on the left side of the road ahead.
[Thalassian] “Ah! So she lives! Come lieutenant!”, the ecstatic captain demanded from the bushes. Noraldrys Amberquill emerged from the ditch, her armor and uniform sodden with dirt and battle. She emerged, none worse for the wear than one would expect from one spending a night in the bushes.
[Thalassian] “Indeed, captain!”, the lieutenant responded elegantly, [Thalassian] “I must apologize for the abscence, but I must inform you of potentially troubling matters I have learned as we retreated from that Scourge army…”.
Revealing an arrow the Grimtotems immediately recognized as of Night-elf make, the lieutenant began her rapport.
[Thalassian] “Seeing as I was cut off and forced to break for the south, I took it upon myself to keep eyes on the other potential foes that could be on the move, namely our Amani Troll neighbours to the south.”, she twirled the Night-elven arrow, expertly grasping it firmly in her now-formed fist.
[Thalassian] “It turns out, a small contingent of Kal’dorei have set up camp in An’owyn, just southwest of the Amani village of Zeb’nowa. Whether or not their presence is known to the Trolls is not my call to make, but I highly doubt the Trolls know of their existence. But now, we do.”
The captain nodded to his lieutenant, [Thalassian] “Excellent work Noraldrys! Clever tactics indeed.”, he praised as he was now in deep thought. After a few moments, he revealed his thoughts to those present.
[Thalassian] “The Kal’dorei presence in our lands have been somewhat strange, if not elusive in motive, and this is not the first of their… “sightings”, it seems, however, now we know of their base of operations…”, he continued, moving foward as he did.
[Thalassian] “And the trolls keep to their territory… odd indeed.”, the captain concluded his make of the situation. Remembering the task at hand, he began to explain his reason on the road this day.
He switched his tongue to that of Orcish, to the delight of his Tauren guests, “Ah yes lieutenant, I must explain my presence here. After our stalwart victory, we took this opportunity to escort our Earthen Ring guests to a place they would be most effective in their honor-bound mission to “cleanse the land”!”, he said with a slight smile toward the Grimtotems as the group progressed again down the road, “Join with us, lieutenant, so that you may disseminate all you have learned to me as we travel to Light’s Hope with our “Grimtotems”!”, the captain demanded.
The group continued forth save for the lieutenant, a look of great concern now marked on her face as her pace slowed to a stop.
“Grimtotems…”, she paused in thought. Her eyes danced back and forth between the false Earthen Ring Taurens, realizing the truth.
[Thalassian] “Captain, the Grimtotems are known enemies to the Horde.”
Immediately, with no warning, captain Ithenirin Valdross’ helmed skull was in the grasp of Odenan’s hand as his thin dagger entered the back of his neck and protruded out from his mouth.
Everyone was stunned with the surprise attack as the captain’s lifeless corpse dangled from Odenan’s grip, with Ebo’s wide eyes darting to his peers, as they did the same to eachother, Blood Elfs included.
[Thalassian] “BASTAR-”, Tamaril immediately shouted as he attempted to draw his blade, but was tripped by Toros’ massive shield swipe. The Blood Elven scout’s legs were forcibly kicked out, suspending him horizontally in mid air for but a moment before the sharp point of Toros’ blade was brought down into him, piercing leather, chained mail, undershirt, flesh, heart, then earth as the force of the strike pinned him dead where he lay.
With a shriek, lieutenant Noraldrys attempted a mortal draw with her long daggers, slicing into Ebo’s arms as he barely reacted to defend himself. The surprise caused him to falter, trip, and land on his back.
“KIM’JAAAEL!”, Ebo heard Lieutenant Amberquill shriek angrily from her scorn-filled face as she charged down at him, blades drawn. She came within a meter, blades ready to finish the vulnerable water shaman as her body fell forward onto him, the impact of her harmless corpse absorbed by Ebo’s mass.
Her blades fell foward out of her hands due to the momentum as her lifeless body rested on Ebo, shock taking hold of him as he noticed a dark Kal’dorei dagger protruding from the back of her head.
The culprit revealed herself. A tall, slender Night Elven woman dressed in the usual dark leather attire they are known to wear. Her leather armor hugged her lithe form as she slowly approached, stopped before the scene at hand, squatted with her arms resting on her knees with a sinister smile upon her attractive face, looking directly at Ebo.
Odenan began the introduction.
“Good throw…”, he stated to her in Orcish to test her as he discarded the Captain’s lifeless corpse from his dagger, his expressionless face remaining as tense as his Grimtotems in the presence of his new unpredictable acquaintance.
Ebo rose suddenly after discarding the lieutenant’s lifeless corpse and addressed his profusely bleeding arms, mending them back to full health with but a simple cast.
“Thank you, Tauren!”, she responded to Odenan in Orcish, to everyone’s surprise. Even the sarcastic tone she used was easily identifiable in her pronunciation.
“A Night-elf that speaks Orcish… You aren’t a scout at all!”, Odenan responded back as sarcastic as the Night-elf had been.
“So I will state the obvious. Why.”, Odenan began, cleaning the blood off of his dagger using the dead captain’s cloak.
“Is not the enemy of my enemy… my friend?”, she pleaded simply, eyeing down Kandra’s drawn arrow, ready to fire if she tried something “funny”.
“With benefits, apparently. You’ve revealed yourself now in a moment of need, so you’ve obviously been tailing us at some point on the road back there. You are part of the base your Blood Elven target mentioned… So why come forth?”
She stood up slowly, walking casually with a seductive step towards Kandra, who remained drawn at-the-ready.
“I have been condemned by my commander for not “following orders”. I escaped the camp and have been wandering ever since.”, she explained, stopping a mere arm’s length ahead of the drawn bow of Kandra. She cocked her head slightly, waving giddily with a bright smile on her face towards her. Ebo couldn’t put a finger on it as he witnessed the sinister undertones in her face and eyes.
“Interesting… so you found warriors and want us to take your revenge on your former camp.”, Odenan stated, marching towards the Night-elf interloper.
[Taurahe] “It goes without saying, I DO NOT trust her.”, Dagwa interrupted.
“Rude.”, the Night-elf responded towards Dagwa as she could not understand Taurahe.
“Girl, you don’t know the half of it.”, Dagwa shot back menacingly.
[Taurahe] “We need to establish a base of operations anyway… this is a good opportunity to do so, with the good Farstriders neutralized…”, he waved to the three Farstrider corpses on the road, [Taurahe] “… We can begin to organize our work to obtain the weapon.”
“Fill me in, Tauren?”, She quipped.
“We need a base, and will gladly take yours.”, Odenan explained to the curious Night-elf scout.
Ebo recalled the notice board back in Tranquillien. He remembered the bounty he tucked away in his chest pocket, and pulled it out, eager to show Odenan.
“What’s this, water-boy?”, Odenan said, unfolding the notice and reading it’s contents. Ebo heard the Night-elf whisper to herself “water-boy”, with a giggle.
“Wanted…”, He began out loud, pacing, “The Riverpaw Pack Gnoll, Blackfang. Relative of Hogger, begin bracket, “leader of the Gnoll forces of Elwynn Forest”, end bracket-”, he looked up with a casual raise of his eyebrow before his audience, returning his blue eyes to the notice in his hands, “-Theft and slaughter of countless livestock in Goldshire, Duskwood, Thelsamar, Hillsbrad-wherever these are-, Thirty plus counts of murder in multiple territories of the Eastern Kingdoms (more suspected). Pillaging and looting of various homesteads along the main roads of the Eastern kingdoms. DO NOT engage alone. Last seen in Quel’thalas after a brief skirmish with Silver Hand Paladins as of… It’s dated one month ago. Reward… this can’t be right. This must be a mistake… Five hundred gold.”
All the faces of those present were alight after hearing the value of the bounty. Odenan, unable to believe it himself, continued after a quick re-reading of the bounty.
“…Alive. Half value if Blackfang is deceased upon delivery. Yeah, that’s the catch right there. A Gnoll that dangerous WON’T be brought in alive. Highly unlikely, so they over price the “alive reward” to grab more attention to the bounty.”, Odenan surmised, continuing the remainder of the notice.
“Bounty paid at the following places; Stormwind, Ironforge, any Farstrider Lodge, Menethil Harbor, Thelsamar, Hearthglen, Southshore, Light’s Hope…”, he stopped there, looking up towards all those present, a gleam in his eye.
“… What?”, the Night-elf guest rapidly bounced her gaze along all the Grimtotem Tauren present, clearly unaware of the plot formulating in Odenan’s mind. After a few moments, the Grimtotem commander nodded, and began in Taurahe.
[Taurahe] “We have our way into Light’s Hope… yes… this can work…”.
Misko spoke up, stating the obvious.
[Taurahe] “And bring it in alive? How do we do that.”
Krag had an immediate answer ready, [Taurahe] “Gnolls are really shrewd, and really simple. The correct bribe will easily sway a gnoll, regardless of their status… just think of a Goblin, just very large, very simple, and very savage.”
[Taurahe] “We will need to find it first.”, Dagwa intervened. Kandra intervened as well, her drawn bow still at the ready should the Night-elf make her move…
[Taurahe] “Gnolls are easy to track and find.”, she stated, her gaze still upon the Night Elven castaway as her arms remained steadily drawn.
“So… what?”, the eager Night-elf asked of the Grimtotems, begging to understand what was being said.
“First things first, numbers.”, Odenan said tucking the folded notice in his pocket and walking over to the scout, “What kind of forces are we looking at?”.
“A small scouting outpost. Ten at most. Some may be in reconnaissance about the land, scouting the Scourge, over by Zul’aman, over by that Quel’dorei village on the hill.”
“Ten… “at most”… you don’t know the numbers of your own force?”, Dagwa sternly interjected.
“Yes, AT MOST. Some may be out scouting, I just said.”, the Night-elf retorted, clearly annoyed.
[Taurahe] “Annoying little pissant, why should we bother-”, Dagwa hissed, followed up by a hushing arm cast by Odenan.
The Grimtotem leader immediately walked toward the corpse of Noraldrys Amberquill, pulled the dagger from her skull, and scraped a patch of land with his hoof, revealing a blank, dirt canvas on the ground before them. He expertly flipped the dagger about, and offered it back to the Night-elf scout.
“Draw out the positions of your tents and scouts, miss…?”
“…Tyrande Moonwhisper.”, she hesitantly replied.
“Hmph. Yeah. Sure.”, Odenan responded with amusement. He addressed the trio of former Farstriders on the ground adjacent to them.
[Taurahe] “Ebo, Toros, Misko, get these off the road and into the Scourge side, out of eyesight and as far into their territory as quickly as you can.”
The two shamans and the protection warrior nodded in unison, lifting a corpse each and proceeded into the dying land west of the road.
Great. Ebo thought, wading through bushes and disappearing with Misko and Toros over a hill.
After a few minutes of silent travel, and past a mound of dead bushes, the corpse haulers found a nestled area of blighted ground surrounded by decaying trees that long lost their leaves, the peak of a Scourge tower among the bare canopy.
[Taurahe] “let’s get these to where the Scourge can find them.”, Misko stated, sliding down the steep yet shallow slope.
As the trio slid down onto the blighted ground, a short rumble was heard as multiple crypt-fiends unburrowed before them.
With the corpses immediately discarded, Toros brandished his sword and shield and jumped on the nearest Nerubian, crunching it under the force of his plated boots and hacking down toward it, ensuring it’s true death. He followed up with a charge to another Scourge wretch.
Misko summoned forth a bolt of lava and hurled it toward a distant crypt-fiend, it’s many eyes and face now covered in molten slag as it danced about in bursting flames. He began to retreat from the ditch a moment thereafter.
Ebo, had attempted the same strategy as Toros, engaging the crypt-fiend adjacent to him, crushing it under hoof while a bolt of arc lightning exploding from Ebo’s hand into the thin exoskeleton neck of the undead Nerubian. It’s head popped clean off with a bang as the wriggling corpse slowed it’s flailing to a halt.
[Taurahe] “LET’S MOVE!”, Misko shouted to the pair still engaged in the ditch with the awoken crypt-fiends. His focus now loomed at the alerted Scourge forces making their way over to them, the ghouls charging forth over the hill and trees with shamblers following in their wake. He spotted the hooked peaks of a meat-wagon making it’s way towards them as it’s crew began loading a diseased corpse in it’s launching well. A Deathholm necromancer accompanied the wagon, pointing a withered finger to their position.
The protection warrior was engaged in battle as the Crypt-fiends administered their scarab minions upon the armored Tauren. Shaking the majority off of him with ease, he charged forth, slicing into another crypt-fiend. It was a moments notice before it’s undead brethren came to replace it as many ghouls leapt upon the plated juggernaut. He systematically dispatched the small ghouls one at a time as Ebo made his way out of the ditch.
As he made it to the top, Toros’ blade landed before him. He turned around and seen the Protection war beginning to be swarmed by the undead, with the one ghoul being whipped about on his sword arm, and others being flung off his wall-shield.
Misko had been ahead in retreat by now and Ebo would soon follow, if Toros had not called out to him.
[Taurahe] “SWORD.”, he demanded loudly with an extended arm toward Ebo above. Most of the ghouls lay thrown about for the time being in the short moment of reprieve he had, with summoned scarabs closing in on him.
Ebo picked up the blade and faced the now swarmed Grimtotem. He stood still with his gaze locked to Toros’ for a moment down into the ditch below, sword in hand.
[Taurahe] “Ebo?”, a look of fear and concern replaced the once emboldened face of Toros. It was the first… and last time Ebo would witness how Toros Bramblesmash looked afraid, as he was swarmed by even more ghouls tearing his armor apart and sinking their jagged maws into his exposed flesh.
[Taurahe] “EBOW’JI!”, Toros cried out for the last time as the swarm of Scourge began to pile on the dying protection warrior.
Seems I’ve made your choice for you, Kandra…, Ebo thought as he turned away and began his retreat. Three steps in, he heard the sharp clank of a machine.
The meat-wagon had released it’s payload toward him with the corpse closing down on him. He ducked and rolled hard as the impact of the corpse scattered it’s slaughtered body about, littering the area where he once stood. A brown-haired forearm rolled by him as he made his way on his hoofs. He managed to witness some of the oddly fresh body parts, covering his face with his robes in attempts not to breath in the plague that would no doubt be lingering on them.
A large leg attached to a hip with a tail…
Many, many intestines flung about…
A hoof…
A brown mane attached to a somewhat intact torso and head bearing two elegant horns…
Melana Tallgrass’ emotionless face staring a thousand yards behind him, mouth agape…
Ebo couldn’t believe what he saw before him.
His former lover used as artillery, diseased and slaughtered as she was.
He sank to his knees, his eyes fixed on the face that once was Melana Tallgrass as he began to crawl back to her.
Her pretty face now disfigured and lame.
Her matted hair strewn above her lifeless eyes…
Her pretty, pretty hair…, he thought as he began to stroke it back.
It seemed her report never made it back to Thunderbluff.
[Taurahe] “EBO GET THE F*^& AWAY FROM THERE.”, Misko shouted as he gripped the water shaman in his embrace and whipped him toward the retreat.
[Taurahe] “No, I can’t leave her…”, Ebo stated with concern as he rose to his hoofs and made his way back to her slaughtered, plague-ridden remains. Misko barred his path.
[Taurahe] “NO, YOU FOOL-”-OUGGF-
Misko’s wide eyes looked down, a searing sharp pain in his chest just under his ribcage. Toros’ blade lay deep in him, with Ebo’s hand firmly at it’s hilt. Ebo’s breathing began to intensify, his eyes as wide as Misko’s as they stared each other down momentarily before Misko coughed blood before them, taking one last gasping breath before falling forward, blade protruding from his chest.
That numb feeling took hold of Ebo’s mind as he found himself autonomously running back toward the main road.
He eventually came about his party, witnessing them hovered over the plans Odenan and “Tyrande” had seemingly finalized.
Odenan looked about him, and asked where the other two Grimtotems had gone.
[Taurahe] “Cough cough- I was… she was back there…”, Ebo managed to get out before entering a hacking fit. It seems a small bit of the plague had finally took root in him.
[Taurahe] “What?.. She?”, Odenan attempted to make sense of what was said to him.
[Taurahe] “I…****cough- Scourge… Toros swarmed…”, Ebo attempted to communicate between coughing fits. Odenan sighed heavily, momentarily in thought. Kandra turned away from the group as Dagwa kept stern seething eyes upon Tyrande. Krag muttered an “oh no” as he sank to one knee.
[Taurahe] “And what of Misko, where is he…HEAL YOURSELF FIRST.”, Odenan sternly demanded through Ebo’s coughing fit, clearly annoyed.
Ebo focused as much as he could, purging the plague from him as he sank back down to his knees in heavy breaths.
[Taurahe] “I…”, Ebo hesistated for a moment, [Taurahe] “I killed him.”
Odenan remained still, intent on listening to Ebo’s reasoning as Dagwa muttered “what?”. Krag shook his head in disbelief while keeping eyes on his long time friend. Kandra had leaned up against a tree with her head hung low. The Night-elf remained ignorant to the Tauren language as Ebo began again.
The water shaman, remembering that he took it upon himself to act like a true Grimtotem, slowly stood up with conviction in his voice.
[Taurahe] “He talked of defecting to the Horde just prior. He would tell Thunderbluff of Magatha’s plans, I… I had to do something.”, Ebo lied through his teeth.
“Misko…” Dagwa muttered in disbelief with a shake of her head as she peered into the ground. Krag exhaled a heavy sigh with a closing of his eyes. Kandra remained still against the tree, looking down, as Odenan nodded at the water shaman.
[Taurahe] “…Good.”, he simply stated, [Taurahe] “Better to root out traitors now than suffer their hindrance later on, as we reform the Tauren nation.”
Ebo exhaled in relief.
“What is our plan now?”, he inquired towards the Night-elf as the shock slowly wore away on him.
“Without a distraction and additional ranged support, our tactics will have to change.”, concluded Odenan as he turned toward the Night-elf scout.
“I take it the big one and the other shaman didn’t make it?”, Tyrande surmised with the absence of Toros and Misko.
“A correction of loyalties. Though, you wouldn’t know anything of the sort.”, Odenan responded as Tyrande rolled her eyes.
“The sun will reach it’s Zenith in a matter of hours.”, she observed with a hand over her eyes, “It is around this time that they send their scouts towards the scourge, with the lone scout returning from the Quel’dorei village on the hill.”
“Tranquillien, it’s called.”, Dagwa corrected. Arms crossed.
“Whatever… If we are to strike it should be now.”
“Then it is now, move out”.
Chapter 12
The frame of a Tauren is quite large, made evident of the thundering steps heard when they near. And yet, with enough training, they can be as quiet as the most subtle of Rogues.
The reluctant party made their way near a bordering mountainous terrain shrouded in foliage. Such a path was nothing out of the ordinary for a Grimtotem Tauren such as Ebo. He reminisced of the stony paths of Stonetalon mountain as the group made their stealthy approach toward An’owyn. Seems he would be assaulting another Night-elf outpost, even in this distant, strange land so far from home.
He could not process the events of the past hour. He put two of his clan-mates to death and felt that he should be proud?
No. They are rivals. Enemies to me that had to be dealt with…
Yet, still, he could not shake the feeling of guilt marred with grief.
He grew up with Misko and Toros. He tended their wounds, stocked their family’s water basins in the village when scheduled to do so, and even played with them among the outskirts of the village in their youth.
And now they lay dead. Most likely to be used as material for the Scourge army…
He didn’t know what to feel anymore. He remained on edge as they approached a nestled area hidden along a ridge of bushes within a dense formation of trees.
Odenan halted the group as they spotted a pair of Night-elves in the camp their eyes had the luxury of spying upon, unnoticed. With a slew of hand signals to the party, Kandra made her way silently to another tree, staying low as her careful hoofed feet spread the weight of her body softly into the ground without a sound.
Krag and Dagwa were directed to approach from the opposing side as the group began to encircle the encampment. The Night-elf turn-coat disappeared from sight as they normally did when fighting in a forest, her last whereabouts heading toward the camp.
[Taurahe] “We’re up.”, Odenan muttered quietly to Ebo at his side as the two began their way toward the camp.
“RAAAAGH!”.
Krag roared as the corpse of a Night-elf scout flew from the bushes to the right of Ebo, landing before Odenan, their skull clearly crushed-in at one side.
[Taurahe] “WE WERE SPOTTED, ATTACK!”, Dagwa informed from the thick of the foliage.
Odenan released a frustrated grunt as he brandished his dual hatchets, rising up and charging forth as he expertly twirled them into his palms. Ebo was at his flank with his channelling staff at the ready.
Arrows hissed towards and away from Kandra, engaging the defending Night-elves as they skirmished back and forth in the thicket of the forest.
One of Kandra’s arrows found its mark as it pierced the neck of the Night-elf closest to Odenan. He finished the poor, suffering defender off, charging forth with a violently powerful swing of his hatchet, it’s wide arc granting the Kal’dorei archer instant, merciful death.
Dagwa exploded from the bushes, in melee combat with a druid of the claw in bear-form. Her hooves steadily back-pedalled under the force and weight of the druid forcing her in retreat with his claws pushing against the mace and axe she resisted with.
Krag slammed down an earth-binding totem meters away behind the druid of the claw, it’s effect soon to take place on the camp-turned-arena as he turned to engage the Night-elf scout beset upon him from the bushes.
Three Night-elven scouts appeared out from behind tents among the encampment as they made ready their deadly blades and glaives to defend their base of operations. Among the trees, arrows whistled back and forth as Kandra skirmished among the unseen scouts that were not accounted for.
Ebo readied a bolt of water, forming a source from the surrounding area’s latent moisture. With an extension of his arms a fairly large bolt of water surged into the ground before the druid of the claw that was locked in a grappling struggle with the Grimtotem enhancement shaman. Ebo followed up as fast as his hooves could afford him, racing past Odenan who deflected blows from two of the totem-hindered defenders that recently joined the fray.
Dagwa realized the strategy at hand and with all her might, cried out and booted the bear-form druid square in the chest, recoiling herself away for but a moment, disengaging the two from battle. Ebo’s growing electric charge in his right arm was brought down into the puddled water beneath the recovering druid of the claw. The surge of electricity jolted the bear-form druid back into his original Kal’dorei form as he crumbled into the water, clearly shocked and unconscious.
[Taurahe] “WELL STRUCK.”, Dagwa shot a momentary praise towards the water shaman as she immediately turned to help Odenan in the heat of the melee at hand.
Ebo witnessed Krag with heavy wounds emerge from the bushes, clearly the victor. He cast a mending spell upon his long time friend as the earth shaman inhaled deeply with his eyes closed, his hemorrhaged shoulder and arrow pierced legs no longer a problem.
Such quick and successive casting from a varying array of magical schools took a toll on Ebo’s mana force. He sank to a knee to take a breather mid-battle. It was going well, as he looked to Kandra at the treeline to Odenan and Dagwa putting down the remaining camp defenders, to a pair of green Troll feet inside a tent, kicking wildly in some apparent struggle.
Odd… A prisoner-
Just then, the druid of the claw that was unconscious moments ago exploded from the puddle and charged towards Ebo in an instant, dagger drawn.
A blur of a shadow appeared behind him and intercepted his attempt at revenge, his snarling face securely fastened in a death-hold by their Night-elf compatriot, “Tyrande”.
“…THORIBAS!”, Ebo heard him shout his final words to his assailant as she slit his neck open and loosed him to the ground to bleed out.
Odenan turned and gave her a slight look for a brief moment and turned back to secure the area, giving orders to Dagwa and Krag as he entered the command tent before him.
Ebo tried to guess at the curse his would-be assassin hissed at his savior, but instead thanked Tyrande nonetheless.
“You’re welcome, water-boy!”, she stated with unsettling glee as she began to pilfer the pockets of the dead.
Kandra entered the encampment with two arrows embedded in her armored arm with no complaint in her silent approach. She seemed disturbed upon approaching the group, and actively avoided Ebo as she sought out Dagwa to mend her wounds.
Ebo knew why and didn’t even bother to question her. His heart sank at the notion as he closed his eyes and lowered his head as he remained on one knee.
Krag had a sense of what was going on.
[Taurahe] “Ebow’ji.”, he addressed his friend, kneeling down adjacent to him.
Not this s#$t.
He wanted to be beyond it.
Beyond feeling remorse for his actions to enable the better future he wanted for himself.
Beyond having to worry about his lowly place in the tribe.
It all weighed so heavily on his conscience.
[Taurahe] “Krag.”, his voice exhaled brashly, heavy with annoyance. His long-time friend studied him with stern eyes. Ebo felt the gaze of the earth shaman upon him at the corner of his eye as he continued to stare forward to the forest trees.
[Taurahe] “So, you are just… murdering those who annoy you these days, are you?”, Krag came across with the harsh accusation.
[Taurahe] “Seems that way, does it not?”, Ebo retorted, clearly not in the mood to talk.
[Taurahe] “I will be perfectly clear from here on out. I am NOT OKAY with you murdering our tribe-mates this day.”.
Whatever.
[Taurahe] “I don’t need you to be okay with that. We have our orders, and we will accomplish them, by any means necessary.”, Ebo began in a monotonous manner, [Taurahe] “I just need you to do your job.”.
Krag’s breathing increased in pace and intensity for a few moments as he glared at Ebo who would not look him in the face. With a slam of his maul into the ground, he stood up and walked away to secure the perimeter.
Odenan exited the tent, a stack of Night-elf documents in his caress. He held one about him in particular. From where Ebo was, he could make out a wanted posting.
“So, criminal?”, Odenan suddenly looked up at “Tyrande” who’s eyes widened slightly for but a moment, before coming to terms with being discovered who she truly was…
[Darnassian] “Had enough of praying to Elune back in Darnassus, “Tyrande”? Or should I say-”, with a flick of his wrist he jettisoned the vellum document towards the Night-elf fugitive. It fell before her as it begun to soak in the blood-drenched, wet ground.
[Darnassian] “Fen Riverglow.”, Odenan expelled in an unimpressed tone as her eyes lowered with a half-smile as she glanced her look to the side, [Darnassian] “Not a bad place to hide and start over, is it? Let me guess, you put your rogue abilities to the test and stowed away on the first ship out of Darnassus?”.
[Darnassian] “Something like that.”
“Seem’s our lovely little Night-elf has a past.”, Odenan relayed to his Grimtotem troops, “A criminal… Thoribas… on the run.”, he finished with a grin.
“Ya ya… so I lied. We took this outpost didn’t we?”, she said, looking around for approval. The tent Ebo had noticed with the kicking Troll feet began to shuffle as the entire troupe turned to the commotion.
Odenan approached with caution as everyone else present made ready. He neared the flapped entrance and was met with the last charging Night-elf defender. Were it not for the Troll’s foot responsible for tripping the ambushing defender, Odenan would have an elegantly curved point of Kal’dorei steel ran through his heart. He promptly took advantage of the tripped attacker and crushed the thin of his neck under hoof with a mighty stomp.
Ebo heard a grunt from the inside of the tent, followed by laboured breaths.
“In ‘ere, mon”, a weakly voice directed the liberators toward it.
Whipping open the tents revealed a lone Amani Troll bound on a prisoner pole. The stab wounds in the centre of his mass did not leave him long for this plane…
“Ebo.”, Odenan addressed the Grimtotem healer with a quick point of his horns in the direction of the tent.
“You speak Orcish?”, Ebo inquired, studying the wounds of the Amani Troll for a moment as he readied a massive healing wave.
“I ovah hear ya mon… so a little bit, mon, -Cough little bit. We Shadowpine joined… da Horde way back when mon, waaaay back when- GASP*”. Ebo’s casted wave of restorative life energy enveloped the gravely wounded Troll, mending his wounds and restoring him back to full capacity.
“… You a big cow mon… mon!”, the bound Amani Troll stated as he sat upright, eyes wide with the surprise of seeing a Tauren for the first time, “Where ya come from?”.
“Across the sea. So… the Amani are still with the Horde?”, Ebo asked to deduce the allegiance of the captive Troll before him.
“No mon, no no no… dat ship be sailin’ pass, looong time ago. We join da Orcs when dey first came and smack da Humans back down good mon, real good. Dat’s how I know da Orc-speak mon. And you? Joo wit da Horde now, cow mens?”.
“No.”, an immediate answer sternly escaped Odenan as he continued to hold the tent flap open.
“Gooood mon good. And dat pretty littol ting ovah ‘der? Her people sneaky-tall, mon. Catchin’ me bein’ sneaky and tie me up… Bad, bad mojo mon, real bad!”, he added, studying Fen as she rolled her eyes, “I prolly die soon if ya hadn’ show up, mon. Mah name be Rekku. My pa a chief near Zeb’nowa.”
Ebo shot a look towards Odenan who nodded slightly. Rekku deemed it his time to ask questions.
“How joo know da Orc-speak? Cow mens know da Orcs?”
Odenan moved towards the bound Troll and cut loose the bindings on his arms and torso, “It’s a long story… perhaps we can tell it along the way to your village?”
Rekku had led them a fair distance toward Zeb’nowa, a territory near the once formidable Troll empire city of Zul’Aman. His father was a chief of one such village on the outskirts of Zeb’nowa. Although the Shadowpine Trolls were a tribe of their own, they ultimately fell under the leadership of the Amani.
The wayward group approached as guests of the Shadowpine trolls, who, as curious as they were, lined up to see the never-before-seen Grimtotem Taurens. However, prior to this they had agreed with Rekku to make no mention of Fen as she took to hiding in the shadows, provided they would not say anything about Rekku being captured by the “Elves”. Such a dishonor would not sit well with Rekku’s father, Chieftain Ja’har.
“… An’ he fought off tehn scourge at a time before joo had ta step in, ya say?”.
Chieftain Ja’har recounted the “epic” tale, with a raise of his eyebrow, of how his son Rekku held off a scourge assault force by himself before being helped by the big “Cow mens”.
“The boy held his own, chieftain, before we arrived.”, Odenan reassured the skeptical father.
“Well den! I did taught him good, mon. At da very least he stop one more headache todeh, since the Zandalari come visit. Deh all up in Zul’Aman right now discussin’ some’tin’ big. I be stuck here playin’ babysittah until dey dun’ talkin’ mon.”, the chieftain looked around as if watching for someone, “She be back tonight… but ya feel free to stay for a day or two, cow mens.”.
Odenan pondered briefly, and since they had no means of provisions for the time being, he opted to indulge in this opportune gesture.
“We were on our travels to fight off the Undead in this land to the South… and we are on short supply… by the way, you mentioned a… uh, “she”?”.
Rekku interjected after hearing of Odenan’s query, “You be findin’ out tonight when she be back from da hunt…”. His eyes widened slightly as he slowly panned away with a slight look of worry. Even Chieftain Ja’har closed his eyes and shook his head as he lowered it slightly.
What’s got him so… spooked…
“Very well. We can set up camp nearby as to not disrupt or interfere in your duties-”.
Chieftain Ja’har interrupted Odenan, “Nonsense mon! Ya save mah son, we gotta have a PARTAAAAY!”, he spun around as he shouted to those of his tribe that had gathered around to see the Tauren. Upon hearing the notice, the constituents of Zeb’nowa erupted in cheers and danced about as many scrambled away to prepare for the festivities of the night.
“Oh… juss… ya be careful if ya meet ‘er tonight… joo see mon… joo see…”.
Who is this “she”?
The Grimtotems discussed the plan within their camp-ground just within the border of Zeb’nowa a few hours prior to sun-down, when the tribal party was said to begin. For Ebo, it was an awkward time to be around his tribe-mates. Krag did all things possible to ignore his presence and Kandra had taken to be as far away from him as she could get at this time. Dagwa, as always, seemed neutral to Ebo, but even then, she took no measure to engage in conversation with him. Even trying to converse with Odenan was an empty cause, for it usually resulted back to discussing plans of the mission, and working towards the new Tauren “order”. Something Ebo was having difficulty “buying into”, given the resulting treatment from his peers after losing Misko and Toros so suddenly. It would take time to process the death of two of their tribal members, and some Forest Troll party wasn’t going to make everything better… Even Odenan was beginning to sense the tension in the air, at which point he pulled Ebo aside and gave him a small task.
[Taurahe] “I won’t put it lightly Ebo. Losing two soldiers in this mission to a simple body dump doesn’t sit well with the others, and me especially. Mind you, had I known Misko’s imminent defection I would most likely have killed him on the spot. Toros died a warrior and I would like to think he bought you time to escape, though I know you two did not like eachother…”, Odenan held a gaze for a moment or two, to the point where Ebo started to feel an awkwardness to the locked stare, yet, he feared the consequence of backing down now.
Odenan switched to Orcish, “…Regardless, I’m sending you to clear up the mess at An’owyn, and to make it more presentable, if not, operational. It will serve as OUR outpost now as we prepare for the acquisition of Ashbringer. You are to help and escort him.”, he said as he directed his voice toward the nearby bushes and trees.
“Ya ya, sneaking around is boring anyway”, came the quieted voice of Fen from the nearby bush. By looking at it, there was no way one could tell if she was in there at all.
Ebo exhaled from deep within.
“This will give you a chance to give the rest of them space. I will speak to each of them about this. You had best clear your head in the time given. I expect you both back before the sun falls. It shouldn’t take you too long.”, He looked upon the water shaman for a brief moment before continuing again, this time in Taurahe;
“You have been loyal to the cause thus far. I would even go so far as to say you were essential to the core of this endeavour. I recognize that. Even if you are but a water shaman. Should we succeed in this mission, you WILL find your rightful place at the end of all of this.”
Ebo nodded slightly. He turned and left back towards An’owyn, eager to let off some steam, yet, reluctant to be travelling with a Rogue at his back. A Night-elf rogue at that.
He most likely did this on purpose, to give hope to the others that Fen might want to make an attempt on my life, Ebo thought, rolling his eyes as he entered the treeline-Forest of Zeb’Nowa.
Whatever. She got what she wanted from us. An’owyn is going to be her home most likely once we leave this… disgusting land.
Ebo wasn’t afraid, if anything, he was more relieved to be away from the Grimtotem crew. Even if it was to do “clean-up”.
The trek back to An’owyn was surprisingly peaceful. Fen revealed herself from the shadows when they were a good distance away from prying Amani eyes. She kept poking fun at Ebo periodically, asking why he got the name “Water boy”, and asking if he would want to try a steak from that of Alliance livestock after explaining it made for one of the most tastiest meats she ever ate. He mused with a raunchy response, based on his… “cow-meat”. He was met with a “good one” from Fen as she continued poking the annoyed and stressed water shaman.
They reached the corpse-laden former Night-elf base of operations and began to do as instructed.
Fen went for a more thorough approach of her prior-hastily-attempted body-looting as she helped pile the corpses into a shallow grave Ebo had displaced using water to “mudden” the earth. Once they were all placed in, he directed the mud back into the pit, creating a slurry that would submerge the bodies, settle, and bury over time.
“Efficient!”, Fen jested as Ebo finished the task.
“It doesn’t bother you we killed a dozen or so of your kin?”, Ebo questioned as he turned to tidy up the campground.
“Please… I killed more on my way here. All of them in my way to freedom.”, she said with a casual tone, studying the point of one of her daggers.
Ebo picked up the strewn about documents near the main tent, “How does one become a criminal in Night-elf society? Don’t you all live in that big tree off the coast?”
“Teldrassil? The crown of the earth!”, she began with a smile looking downward, “Would you believe I was once considered to be a priestess of Elune…”.
Ebo arranged the log-seats in a ring pattern, encircling a would-be camp fire that was yet to be set up.
“Quite the honor, I take it?”, he continued his task, all the while uninterested to hear what some Night-elf once did.
“One of the highest! Higher than some “water-boy”!”, she teased yet again.
Ebo took a seat on one of the logs, clearly having enough of it.
“Yeah? Good for you. I take it your life didn’t involve being cast to the side because you were extremely good at something your people considered weak and tertiary? I assume you were bullied day in and out in your studies at the “temple of the moon”, or what have you? No. You grew up, tender love and care in that tree, did you not?”, Ebo inquired and waited for an answer that did not come. He used the silence to continue the berating.
“And here you are, a fugitive of your people. Running from what could have been a cozy life of love and praise, gaining reverence among your people. Acceptance. Not like me… Not having to deal with constantly being looked down upon. Not having to deal with being forced to the edges of society to simply be “out of the way”.”
Ebo looked down and continued, “No. No amount of mastery in my element will gain me the love of my people I had never once experienced on a day to day basis. Only respect of my uses and abilities that serve them forward onto tomorrow. It is not fair.”
“IT IS NEVER FAIR.
LIFE.
IS NOT.
FAIR.”
Fen screeched at Ebo, shaking while taking in deep breathes. Whatever social mask she wore had been obviously removed. A few moments of silence lingered among her angered face, her breathing barely under control to continue again.
“I had been the best student. The brightest initiate. I was under tutelage from Tyrande Whisperwind herself! And then there was my sister.”.
She began with a slight shake in her voice, “We had enrolled at the same time, studied the same teachings, yet I was always the more dedicated to my “Goddess” because I actually wanted, more than anything else, to serve and uphold in the name of Elune. I spent my every waking hour in junior-service to my Goddess. I was ready, and I absolutely mean READY, to live a life in servitude to Elune. To bring praise and reverence along the likes of High Priestess Tyrande for the thousands of nights she had done so for my people, even if it was just recently in Darnassus. But no. Somehow, someway, they chose my sister over me. They said my path was not in the light of the moon, but in the shadow of the night.”, Fen’s voice shook less with frustration as she continued.
“… So I murdered her.”, She said with false ease, “Slayed her in our home before the night of her inductance. Teldrassil is a big tree, but a small world. So I hid in the darker recesses of the tree. Met with Satyrs. Hung around them for a bit. Went back and forth to Darkshore and Rut’theran village to lay low here and there, then, opportunity struck as I got wind of some Alliance effort in “the land of the High borne”. Life isn’t fair, so you do what you must to get what you need. And in some cases, that which you desire. It is just that simple.” She finished, her usual demeanour returning back to her.
“Fair enough for you?”.
Ebo nodded slowly, bearing silent judgment best withheld in this moment. He began again, if anything, to avoid the awkwardness that would surely become of the two going forward.
“I take it… THIS… is to be your new home now?”. He stated, looking around at the former Night-elf encampment.
“It’s better than hiding IN a society that scorns your existence. But at the same time, it will do nicely.”, she surmised.
Ebo chuckled slightly, “Well then, so be it. Let’s get your new place finished, we’re almost done anyway.”
The pair had worked on what little there was left to set up. A re-arranging of the tents, the camp-fire constructed with present material, and the stashing of arrows and weapons with valuable loot. It did not take them long, yet, the sun was hovering over the horizon, ready to hide itself for another night. They had left to Zeb’nowa right on schedule, and on the way, Fen revealed to Ebo she was among the newest generation of Night-elves born in Ashenvale. Shortly after the Third war, where the Burning Legion nearly took Hyjal, Teldrassil was made on an island northwest of Darkshore. She moved to Darnassus to pursue the life of a priestess of Elune once she became of age, which she revealed to Ebo to be 23 years.
Huh, same age as me!
It seemed it mattered not a person’s race when it came to the kind of life they were dealt. Tauren, Night-elf, Troll, Orc, Human… Only the blood carrying them forward, permitting them to dictate what kind of person they could ultimately become in this world.
But Ebo had made his choice. From here on out, he was Grimtotem. There was no going back now. For better or for worse, he was “all in” now.
Chapter 13
Seems everywhere we go, everyone wants to throw us a party…
The deeds of the Grimtotem have been well rewarded ever since setting hoof in the Ghostlands… all under the shadow of their malicious true motives.
Take what you can get, I guess.
The Shadowpine Trolls danced and beat their drums in steady rhythm under the pleasant breeze of the night. The large figures of the honored Grimtotem guests were a-glow in the orange luminescence of the bonfire before them. Chieftain Ja’har and his son Rekku sat adjacent to them, along with what looked to be a witch doctor and Ja’har’s personal guard.
Ebo sat closest to the Troll hosts, with Odenan beside him, with Krag beside Odenan, Kandra beside Krag, then finally Dagwa at the tail-end. The malaise about the Grimtotem group that previously lingered was lessened greatly upon Ebo’s return to their camp after the clean-up with Fen. Whatever Odenan relayed to the others surely had an effect. The elated energy of the Trolls and the beating drums temporarily pounded out any remaining animosity between his peers and him.
The Trolls offered fresh hunted meats and gathered berries of the land, as well as smoked and seasoned fish, which were compliments of the visiting Zandalari that had stationed in Zul’Aman for the time being.
“So, the Zandalari tribe pays tribute to the Amani quite often?”, Odenan questioned Ja’har as he finished his toke on the elaborately beautiful decorated pipe.
Every word that left the chieftain’s mouth was caressed in smoke, “No, no. Dey come an’ try an’ unite us wit da udduh tribes. Dey offah big Loa powah mon.”, he exhaled all the remaining smoke into the air before them, “Zul’jin be talkin’ wit em as we make ready da war on dem littoh Elves.”
“And what of your undead neighbours, the Scourge? Surely they do not just leave you alone to attack the Elves.”, Odenan further inquired.
Ja’har laughed at the notion, “Of course not mon. But, when dey come an smash da Elf’s pretty littoh Sunwell, we stay back an’ cheer… REAL LOUD.”, he finished with a smile, which dropped as his attention shifted to the freshly slain Dragon-hawk carcass thrown before him.
The huntress stood before them, her blood stained attire covering little of her green hued skin, muscles rippling underneath with every movement. An impressive sight. Ebo knew Troll women were among their greatest hunters but this tall, formidable figure before him stood as intimidating as she was attractive. Her crimson, flowing, curling hair hid the blood of her freshest kill that drenched it. Her attention was immediately taken by the five Grimtotem Tauren before her.
The Huntress’ crazed gaze erupted in a sharp “GASP” as she exclaimed something in Zandali. Chieftain Ja’har sheepishly instructed her to speak Orcish, yet first, introduced her.
“Dis be a niece of Zul’jin, Tallawah da Red. Dey speak the Orc-speak, Talla.”
“I WANNA HEAR HOW DA COW-SPEAK!”, she demanded, clapping her blood-drenched hands rapidly as her prey’s blood splattered about with each clap.
Dagwa smiled with a muffled chuckle, and Odenan mused the Amani Huntress’ request.
[Taurahe] “We are here to recover at your people’s expense and to take your supplies for the mission ahead.”, Odenan said with a grin.
“OOOH WHAT HE SAY! WHAT HE SAY!”
Krag piped up after a short awkward silence from the rest of his Grimtotem peers.
“He uhhh, said you are a skilled hunter to take down such a beast, and are as deadly as you are beautiful”.
Talla emitted a high pitched, giddy cheer as she leapt like a tigress over the fire onto Krag, who was not expecting to be tackled any time soon. The pair fell back off the stump Krag had been sitting upon as Talla straddled and pinned Krag to the ground. Dagwa and Kandra’s mouths dropped at witnessing the feat, while Odenan twisted his torso towards the action with a smirk. Ebo’s attention was caught by the troll witch-doctor pointing and laughing at the debacle, while the chieftain and his son chuckled away.
“MMMMmmm, my big Cow-man.”, she said with a bite of her lip. Krag was stunned to say the least as he lay on his back while the blood drenched Troll huntress embraced him warmly.
“Ohh no no, she like you good, mon!”, chieftain Ja’har said in between laughter.
Krag rose to his hooves with Talla clinging herself to him. He tried to get her off, but like a steel trap, the more he tried to remove her, the harder she clamped down. Only when Rekku swished around a small keg of a fruity alcoholic drink did Talla finally let go with a gasp and leapt to the keg. Like a stick of dynamite he made sure to be clear of the blast zone as he placed the keg on the ground. She opened the tap and let the sweet beverage pour into her.
Ebo was fascinated at the spectacle, and now understood why the Trolls spoke in hushed tones in regards to Talla. She was unstable, yet powerful enough to evade any kind of attempt to contain her.
No wonder Ja’har seemed like he was under stress… they probably dropped her off on him so she wouldn’t disrupt the other Troll envoy in their city.
It all made sense now.
The night danced on as Talla’s fresh kill was hauled away. The sweet, alcoholic beverage was plentiful among the party, another one of the compliments provided by the Zandalari envoy. Ebo sneakily placed a small keg towards the nearby bushes as Fen’s small, quick, and deft Night-elf arms abducted the much needed beverage into the bush that contained her stealthy presence.
Poor Krag was continually harassed by Talla, as she pulled him up constantly to the bonfire to dance, easily pushing other dancing Trolls out of the way. Dagwa and Kandra were surrounded by Amani Trolls asking a variety of questions from the curious audience before them.
Odenan, naturally, had the ear of the chieftain as they discussed the events of tomorrow over drink and smoke. The chieftain agreed to part with a cargo wagon given to them by the Zandalari, and several days worth of supply, as well as whatever was used in the campground set up for the Grimtotems. Seeing as the goal of the Grimtotems was to engage in eventual combat, Ja’har was more than jovial to gift to them the services of Tallawah the Red, if only to be rid of her from his village. Odenan agreed, happy to receive another target for the enemy, or asset he could use to complete the mission.
Eventually, the festivities died out with the fires that kept the village lit in the dark of night, signalling the communal bed time for the majority of the Shadowpine tribe as they sought out their huts and longhouses. Rekku addressed his rescuers, imparting upon them good tidings and a final “Good luck, mon. Ya gun’ need it”.
The Grimtotems followed the Shadowpine example and retreated to their campground, with Tallawah the Red clung to her latest fascination, Krag. There still remained the task of who would be hauling the cargo wagon back to camp, which Ebo elected to uphold the lighter of the two burdens.
Nearing their tents, Talla had revealed to the Grimtotems a key detail to their plans…
“Big cow-man keep me safe from big mean Gnoll…”, she said, clinging to Krag’s arm.
Collectively, in soft glow of the torch-lit path, the Grimtotems turned their heads towards the Oblivious Huntress. Odenan was quick to inquire.
“Big mean Gnoll… whereabouts would this Gnoll be? Did you fight him?”
“He hide in da forest near da dead ones on da big paht through da mountains. Me hunt a big Lynx and was gonna get da kill… den he bust outta da bush an’ get it first. I told him it be MY kill…”, she said angrily with her fists clenched at her side, “So I try to scare him away, but he be too big… too savage. We fight but he be wearin’ heavy armor, and all I have is me knife an’ spears against his heavy, heavy spikey ball-and-chain.”, she finished with a stamp into the soft ground, clearly frustrated. She seemingly collected herself in an instant, and made a request of her new found “Cow-mens”.
“Me want big cow-mens to fight dat big bad Gnoll.”, she said, clinging once more to Krag.
Ebo, and most likely the rest of the Grimtotems, couldn’t have agreed more. There was one problem. They needed to get the Gnoll to cooperate…
She’s will most likely lose it when she learns of our plan…
Odenan informed the currently-calm huntress of their mission, in the best possible way he could, to avoid an outburst that was most certain to happen, should the wrong thing be said.
“Tomorrow, you can show us where we need to go to find the Gnoll, and set him straight. For now, we rest. You fight the undead with us now, Tallawah the Red.”, he studied her reaction for a moment, a difficult task given the darkness of the forested night, only the soft glow of the distant torch dimming her facial features and well developed muscles on her arms. He continued once he considered it safe to proceed, “…But to fight the dead we need the Humans to give us their weapon. Do you know of the Light’s Hope Chapel, to the lands South of here?”
Her eyebrows furrowed at the mention of Light’s Hope, still clung to Krag.
“I don’t like da holy Humans down ‘dere.”, she stated simply.
“Well… we need to give them that big ugly Gnoll for that weapon. The Humans want him dead too, so we will trade.”
There was a long silence as a song of crickets played about, with the soft crackle of the torch playing along side the symphony of tension.
“But… da Humans want me too.”, she revealed.
Well, this just keeps getting interesting. Of course she would have a bounty.
Another song of crickets serenaded the contemplating audience. Odenan devised a plan on the spot, yet as crude as it was, presented the best chance of success.
“We will disguise as travelling bounty-hunters. I doubt many of the Silver Hand Paladins had many run-ins with our kind. Fen, are you there?”, he asked around towards the bushes.
“Ya, unfortunately”, she replied softly and quietly.
“I knew ya was out ‘dere, SNEAKY LITTOH ELF.”, Talla stated angrily, turning towards Fen’s direction in the dark with a knife drawn.
Dagwa made quick to calm the Troll huntress down, “Talla dear, hey, hey…”, she said, grasping the angered hunter’s wrists in her large hands, “She is fighting the dead with us. She is not like the other Elves you fight. She is a different elf.”, she said, struggling with Talla’s attempt to withdraw her arms away from Dagwa’s firm, unbreakable grasp as the upset huntress maintained her furrowed face towards the direction of Fen.
Odenan looked at Krag, nodding his horns in the direction of Talla. Sighing heavily, Krag obeyed, and walked over to the upset huntress to re-assure her.
Kandra remained ever silent as Ebo darted a look toward her. She said nothing after a brief stare from her hooded face, completely pitch black in the dark of night. She made her way to her tent, brushing past Ebo muttering, “After the mission.”.
Hmmph.
After a brief exchange from Odenan to attempt to smooth things between the Night-elf and the Troll, the peace once again persisted in this unlikely group. Fen was given a bedroll and slept in the cargo wagon Ebo had hauled to the campsite. Talla crawled into the tent with her “big cow-man” Krag to stay safe from the “sneaky elf”. Odenan and Dagwa retired to their tents as well. Ebo exhaled longingly towards the dark of night.
Come what may, I WILL make sure we succeed, he thought as he ducked into the retreat of his tent.
There it was.
The glowing, shining sword the Paladins had raved about back in Tranquillien.
It sat, down a long hallway of marble stone columns, upon an ornate pedestal just waiting to be picked up and wielded for the glory of the Grimtotem tribe.
He did not hesitate, briskly striding forth towards his goal down the magnificent corridor before him, clad in dark, heavy plates and thick, heavy-weaved under-armor.
A blood elf Paladin tried to charge forth from behind a column, attempting to bar his path. He raised his channelling staff, or so he thought it was before it appeared into his field of vision; a long sword… a heavy, awful thing with runes ornately pressed down the body of the blade. He struck heavily, breaking the Paladin’s guard and cutting him down.
Out of my way…
He continued forth, this time Tallawah the Red came charging forth from around a column. He cut her down as he did the Blood elf.
Again he pressed forth.
Cold… why so cold… even in all this armor…
From around a column stepped Dagwa, charging forth to attack him.
You would dare stop me from COMPLETING THE MISSION?!?
He ran her through with the blade, dumping her body to the ground and pulling his blade from her corpse.
He continued forth and this time Krag stood, barring his path.
Ebo was met with an Earth-shock, which he almost did not feel at all. Like some juggernaut he stepped forth. Krag summoned spikes of earth before him and shot them forth toward Ebo, crashing into his armor and damaging him slightly. Like the Paladin before, he sliced through his former friend’s armament and cut him down.
He felt more anger than he did regret.
You should have just did your job…
From the side, Fen stood leaning up against a column, nodding with approval as Ebo glanced in her direction, passing her.
THOK
PLUNK
Arrows embedded themselves in his armor, piercing his chest-plate. Kandra stood in the way, loosing arrow after arrow at the steadily-approaching, heavily armored Ebow’ji Darkcloud. Each arrow was more painful than the last as he strode ever closer.
She did not balk.
She did not retreat.
He swung at her, breaking the weapon in two, flinging it to the side.
She stood defiant, her face in a soft furrow of stern, angry disapproval looking directly into Ebo’s eyes. He forced her to a knee and raised his dreadful blade to prepare a downward stabbing motion to her chest, her face never changing her judging look.
You… You dare.
He plunged the blade, with ease, through her body as she fell to the side, no expression of pain to be seen.
Just those stern, judging eyes as they closed for the last time.
Like the water he would normally control, he forced the blood on his blade to swirl about the hilt, which entered his arm, eventually healing the wounds he previously endured.
And there it was.
Just before him.
Just a few more strides and the goal was his.
He stepped forth, so eager to claim his prize.
He stepped again, a feeling of immense draining force encompassing him.
He stepped yet again, feeling empty and nearly devoid of energy.
As if completely Inert.
It seemed the closer he got to the sword, the more diminished he became.
I**t’s just laying there, within my grasp!
He fought with all of his will to acquire the sword in his grip, his arm slowly rising toward it.
At the very last moment, Odenan appeared between him and the blade and placed his hands on his shoulders.
“Get up.”
I cannot, it seems impossible! I will not fail the mission-
“Ebow’ji, it’s time.”
Odenan stood at his tent’s entrance, his figure silhouetted behind the morning sun.
“We will prepare for the trek ahead. It shouldn’t be too far from An’owyn.”, He informed the waking water shaman as he carried on, the tent’s fabric blocking the morning sun once more.
Such odd dreams these days…
Ebo emerged from the tent with his gear, ready for the day. He immediately dismantled and packed away the tent’s bedding and frame within the fabric he wrapped it in, placing it with the other tents on the cargo wagon.
“MMMmmm, it be a good morning, mon!”, emerged Talla from Krag’s tent, stretching while completely naked. Ebo immediately raised his arm and averted his gaze from Talla’s impressive physique. Odenan, who was present at the campground, studied her with a raised eyebrow, then eventually looked away.
“What, mon?”, she inquired genuinely.
Dagwa came running over with a blanket she had yet packed away, wrapping up Talla and telling her to get some clothes on. Kandra’s wide eyes stared into the ground before her, a slight smirk on her face.
[Taurahe] “Better check on Krag you know… if he’s still alive…”, Dagwa mused to Ebo.
Krag emerged right on queue, dishevelled all around with his dark mane in a mess. He remained quiet as he placed left over food from the night before on a rock beside the morning campfire, clearly not one for words this hour. He tossed the bundle of Talla’s gear and cloth-piece-with-belt on the ground in a wordless manner. He closed his eyes that accompanied a slow exhale.
“I not cold, silly…”, Talla withdrew the cloth enshrouded on her and began to casually stride down the path to the village centre, “Me gotta get mah killin’ gear.”, she shot over her bare shoulder.
Odenan chuckled and shook his head, addressing the group as they prepared for the day ahead.
“What a wild woman. Unruly. Hard to contain…”, he paused to take a gulp from his drinking flask.
“The perfect distraction.”
The path to the cave that Blackfang resided in was littered with the bones and carapace of various creatures, each of them gnawed clean.
Just south of An’owyn, and just off the west of the main road, lay a small thicket of bushes and dying trees. One could easily miss the mountain path along a well camouflaged trail and mistaken it for a jagged hill-side. If one had a great sense of smell, they could differentiate the smell of dead land and corpses from a day-old kill.
It was the nose of Tallawah the Red that led them to their newest “recruit”.
“Ready the carcass.”, Odenan quietly instructed to Dagwa and Ebo as he peered over a rock toward Blackfang, who was rummaging through a pile of junk he had collected from his prey.
A few shields, weapons, and a small armory’s worth of armor. All of it providing the necessary clanging metal noise to get the jump on the unsuspecting former Riverpaw pack Gnoll.
The party had taken Talla’s freshest Dragon-hawk kill and prepared it nicely for their Gnoll guest. Despite Talla’s wild attitude, it was clear from her stealthy approaching technique that she was indeed quite the hunter. Her crazed eyes now wore the look of one with intense focus.
The remainder of the Grimtotems and Fen circled quietly into position while Blackfang’s back was turned.
Odenan nodded to those around him, as he finally broke cover and approached.
[Common] “Are you the one they call Blackfang?”
The startled Gnoll quickly snapped his face to his uninvited quarry. He rose up, eyes fixed with an intense, sickly stare on Odenan. He was almost as large as Ebo was, bearing heavy grey plates for armor that had seen plentiful use and action against the Scourge in the Ghostlands… and otherwise.
Blackfang said nothing as he slowly turned to face Odenan. He growled slightly, his eyes darting rapidly to the large two-handed chained mace on the ground before him. It looked more akin to a wrecking ball with spikes than it did a mace.
That explains why all the bones up here seem broken and fragmented.
The others slowly revealed themselves to the gnoll, who growled more intensely as he studied the strange, large, black-haired cow men encroaching on his territory.
[Common] “BACK.”, the sickly looking Gnoll barked demandingly.
Talla revealed herself from the boulders, weapons at the ready. Blackfang immediately bared his teeth and growled with even more intensity, the whites of his eyes showing as he did so.
To add to the many scars witnessed about his face, Ebo noticed the thinning hair on his exposed body that was not clad in plate. The bags forming under his eyes, the cracked lips and ragged breathing. It was clear that Blackfang had taken to eating some of his Scourge enemies out of desperation. As if more evidence was needed, Ebo spotted a half eaten Nerubian just inside the entrance to the adjacent cave.
With no word of warning, the massive Gnoll darted to his weapon and roared towards Talla. She stood with intensity, at-the-ready for a charge as the Gnoll began to swing the spiked ball over his head, preparing the momentum required to crush his opposition to pulp. The tell-tale yelping of a Gnoll began as Blackfang strode forth, beginning his charge to finish the battle he and Talla once started.
Krag and Dagwa moved in to intercept.
The massive spiked ball collided with the flat side of Krag’s maul, hurtling and recoiling the earth shaman quite the distance as Dagwa blocked an unsuspected kick at the last moment, crossing her arms to gaurd and stumbling back to catch her balance.
The Gnoll’s eyes widened as he sniffed, catching scent of Fen who managed to creep in beside him. With a clawing back-paw, he turned as if it was a reflex and narrowly missed the Night-elf rogue as the large claws parted some strands of her twilight coloured hair mere inches from her face. She faded to invisibility with wide eyes as she jumped back to disengage from the fight.
Kandra loosed a strategic arrow into the broad part of Blackfang’s shoulder plate. The projectile’s metallic point collapsed under it’s own force upon the surface of the hardened steel. It was clear, Blackfang’s armor was of superior quality. Or just really thick.
Luckily for Ebo, such heavy armor and weaponry would require a lot of respiration to wield and bear.
With an orb of water large enough to envelope the face of Blackfang, he surged it forth at the Gnoll, who turned to face Odenan. It collided, taking the brute by surprise for but a moment as his head jerked back momentarily.
Ebo coerced the water to engulf the head of Blackfang, preventing the momentarily-confused Gnoll from breathing. He tried to shake the water off but Ebo’s mastery over the element clearly rebuked any attempt to be rid of the lethal liquid. Dropping his mighty weapon to the ground, Blackfang began to swat away the water orb that hovered on his face, his claws swishing harmlessly though as currents formed in his private cranial aquarium.
The Grimtotems, Talla, and Fen began to witness panic take root in the Gnoll as it stumbled about, incapable of breathing. In desperation, it attempted to heavily ingest the water.
Big mistake…I have you now.
Ebo slowly strode forth and directed the water to remain stationary within Blackfang’s throat and lungs, his face holding a stern and confident intensity that showed no remorse for the Gnoll as his arms were raised forward, channelling the cast to subdue the brute.
Blackfang fell to his knees and attempted to claw into the dirt to bury his face in it.
The group took advantage of the situation, with some taking control of a flailing limb and with Ebo stomping on the Subdued Gnoll’s left hand, anchoring it firmly into the ground under hoof.
With the beast on his stomach, Ebo looked to Odenan, who returned an approving nod.
Ebo jettisoned the lethal water from Blackfang’s coughing lungs with a wave of his arms. The Gnoll breathed in heavily, eyes staring forward, parallel to the ground, growling with hatred on each recovering breath as he was held down by the massive Taurens and Fen, with Kandra, Odenan and Talla remaining at-the-ready, at a distance.
Blackfang began to violently attempt to struggle free. Ebo summoned forth another large water globule before him.
[Taurahe] “Feeling thirsty?”, Ebo said as he hovered the orb just above the Gnoll’s head. It was safe to say, Blackfang got the hint and was “compelled” to listen.
[Common] “Where were we.”, Odenan began as he knelt down to talk to the growling Gnoll. He dropped the Dragon-hawk carcass before them which immediately demanded the attention of Blackfang, rendering him silent and complacent for the time being, his nostrils flaring with rapid sniffs.
[Common] “I have a deal to make with you. Do you understand?”, he directed at Blackfang, who remained eerily calm.
[Common] “I’ll take that as a yes. The Alliance. Do you know that you are wanted by them?”.
[Common] “YES, I AM WANT BY HUMANS. I KNOW.”, the brute responded.
[Common] “Well, It turns out they have something of ours that WE want. So I will make a deal with you.”, Odenan began, pausing to think for a moment.
Blackfang remained eerily receptive and ever-still under the firm grapple of his captors, licking his chops once in a while to keep the drool at bay that collected on the ground beside his mouth. It was clear, he had not eaten anything “fresh” for some time. Ebo dared not let up the pressure of his hoof on the Gnoll’s paw.
[Common] “Come with us to Light’s Hope chapel, and pretend to be a prisoner.”, Odenan instructed, then studied the creature for a moment. Satisfied with the complacent result, Odenan began again.
[Common] “Once there, you can have every bit of food they have, and as much gold as you can carry, should WE get what we came for.”, Odenan looked towards his troupe, nodding to release Blackfang.
[Common] “I offer you this entire carcass as incentive.”
The Grimtotems each took a step back save for Ebo, as Blackfang rose to his knees and looked around cautiously, studying his attackers momentarily before greedily tearing into the carcass before him.
Ebo heard a muffled laugh from the throat of Odenan, emitting a barely audible “hmn, mmn, mmn.”, indicating Odenan knew he had the Gnoll right where he wanted him, as Blackfang voraciously tore off mouthfuls of meat, growling like a savage canine as he did so.
Odenan leaned in closer.
[Common] “The Troll woman will pretend to be prisoner too. This will trick the Humans as they let us behind their walls-”.
[Common] “Oohhhh you sneaky-mean. Just like uncle ZUL’jin…”, Talla angrily pouted, frowning intensely as she slammed her foot into the ground, turning and stomping away. Kandra followed close, attempting to calm down the upset huntress who made it clear that she did not like whatever was said. Dagwa leapt after her.
What did he even say!?
[Taurahe] “Krag.”, Odenan said as he directed his horns to the path Talla stomped down towards.
Krag’s face dropped to a slight sadness as he silently pleaded with Odenan that he clearly didn’t want to console the Troll woman. Odenan closed his eyes, and with a shake of his head he pointed and snapped to the path, simply stating: “For the mission.”
An exaggerated exhale escaped Krag as he turned and marched to the path.
Ebo heard what sounded like a growling chuckle under Blackfang’s loud chewing.
[Common] “As I was saying… once we are behind the Human’s walls, we will cut your bindings free, and you will help us crush and destroy every puny Alliance soldier you see. Like I stated before, you can have all that is theirs, but you WILL let us take what we came for.”, Odenan rose to his hooves, towering over the feasting Gnoll.
[Common] “Deal?”.
[Common] “DEAL.”, The Gnoll spewed forth from a bloodied maw that went back to consuming the carcass before it. Ebo filled a helmet from the junk-pile with conjured water and placed it before the feasting Gnoll.
Odenan studied Blackfang’s messy, disorganized campground, asking; [Common] “Any questions?”
Blackfang paused for a moment, turned to look back to his cave with the long dead Nerubian corpse, then turned back to Odenan.
[Common] “WE GO NOW?”
Chapter 14 will be the last chapter! and will be named: “The Heist”!
The Life before Deathlord Bloodrott Vol.4 - Lore / World’s End Tavern: Role-play and Fan Fiction - World of Warcraft Forums (blizzard.com)