Rehgar Earthfury slid off the Worg he had rode on, eyes roaming the valley. A moment later, he...
Fur and Fire (RWBY/Warcraft)
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Chapter 1
ThatOnePsycho
Tilting his Vanes and Ennobling His Spires
Rehgar Earthfury slid off the Worg he had rode on, eyes roaming the valley. A moment later, he heard Bloodeye slide down after him, the gladiator staggering as he adjusted to dismounting for the first time.
A low whistle came from the Blackrock orc, his one eye following the path Rehgar's had just finished.
"Damn, whoever did this really had it out for 'em"
Rehgar nodded in agreement, carefully picking his way down the valley that the renegade Warsongs had once inhabited.
Now, there was massive fall of lava burning away at the opposite side of the valley, and a trench dividing it in two, leaving Rehgar undoubting of who had done this. A shaman.
"We're going down there?" Bloodeye asked, "haven't we done enough? You said we were to find them, so why don't we turn around?"
"And who would be the one to explain to the Warchief that we decided to turn around instead of finding out who did this?"
Bloodeye didn't respond, obviously accepting the point as he followed Rehgar down into the heated valley. The shaman raised his hand in a warding gesture.
"What?"
"You can't survive down there," Rehgar said, pointing down at the slowly hardening lava, "don't be tricked by stories, there isn't anything on Azeroth hotter than the raging power of a magma elemental. I can survive through my accord with the elements, you can't. Not everything can be beaten, boy."
Bloodeye snorted, dropping onto the rocks, "Then I'll be here when you get back."
"You better be," Rehgar responded, "I paid good money for you, I don't want my investment to go to waste for having to kill you."
Both master and slave were aware that Rehgar wouldn't actually do it, that if Bloodeye took off, Rehgar would do little more than a token search.
Rehgar descended into the valley, eyes scanning the destroyed camp. Burned bodies sat around, the green skin charred to black from the heat.
As Rehgar traveled further into the camp, he stretched his senses, trying to find any sign of life.
As he approached the smithy, Rehgar heard a disgruntled grunt, followed by the sound of metal on metal.
Rehgar leaned in, watching the human girl seated on a chair inside thrust a leg into the forge, before pulling it out and dropping an axe on the superheated chain.
Well, it looks like he had found their shaman.
"You," Rehgar said, drawing her attention, "what are you doing here? Humans aren't allowed in this part of Orcish territory."
The girl's head snapped up, a look of wild terror in her eyes, before she grabbed the blacksmith's hammer and threw it at him. As it left her hand, fire coiled around it.
Rehgar ducked under the flaming hammer, aware that it had seared his wolf pelt, before coming up and throwing a lance of lightning at her.
She tried to dodge it, only for the shackle around her foot to snap taunt, sending her crashing onto the ground. As that happened, Rehgar took a look around the room.
A small pile of furs sat in the corner near the bracket the chain was bound to, and a tray with meager scraps sat on the table.
"You!" Rehgar barked at the girl in Common, "how long have you been here?"
"You," she stopped, "you can talk like me?"
"What do you mean, girl?"
"They," she gestured at the outside, "they only speak that other language. I've guessed a couple of words, but nobody wanted to teach me."
"How long have you been here, girl?"
"I'm," she frowned, "I'm not sure. The days have blended together, you know?"
"Yes," Rehgar agreed as he walked over to the wall, examining the chain.
Rehgar was well aware of it, he had spent years in the gladiator pits of Highmaul, fighting other slaves for the amusement of the ogres.
"Tell me, girl, did you have something to do with the destruction of this village?"
"Why?" Rehgar saw her grab the axe, preparing to attack.
"Because if anyone has the motive to do this, it's a slave."
"I," she gripped her axe tighter, "I just want to be free again."
"Of course you do," Rehgar said, "they could only keep you bound so long as your heart was, and it wasn't, was it?"
"Wuh," the girl seemed taken aback, "what do you mean?"
"I mean that you don't want to be chained," Rehgar said, "so you would do anything to free yourself," Rehgar turned, making the wall binding the girl melt, "so I'll offer you a deal."
"What?" she said, eyes locked onto the free chain.
"Come with me," Rehgar said, "I'll teach you the way of the shaman, and when you decide you're ready to leave, you can."
"I," she looked torn, "I have someone I need to find. That's how I got captured, distracting them from her."
"Then I'll help you find her, if that's what you want," Rehgar held out his hand, "my name is Rehgar Earthfury, will you come with me?"
"I- Yes," she nodded, picking herself up, "I'm Ruby Rose."
---
Ruby sat next to Rehgar, doing her best to radiate her disapproval of the contents of their wagon.
"Ruby-" Rehgar started.
"I'm not talking to you," Ruby said in Orcish, turning her head away from him like Weiss used to do.
"Ruby," Rehgar repeated, "don't be petulant."
"I'm not being petulant," Ruby muttered petulantly.
"You never complained this much about Bloodeye."
"That's different," Ruby said, "Bloodeye wasn't really a slave, you paid him, half the time you paid him more than you pay me. Definitely more than you've paid Broll."
"Leave me out of this," the night elf called from his spot in the cage.
"Even Broll choose slavery," Ruby stopped, "ok, that sounded weird. But she's a teen, she'll be chewed up in the ring."
"What are they saying?" the young blood elf asked Broll.
"Be quiet," Broll snapped at her.
"Behave," Ruby called in Common, "you're going to have to cooperate if you want to survive."
"Oh, so now you decide to talk to us," Valeera complained, "who are you? What's a human doing with an orcish slaver?"
"Maybe she took a lesson out of your kind's book and turned traitor?" Broll responded.
Ruby snorted, "You know why I'm here, Broll," she said in Orcish.
"Yes," he agreed, "but that doesn't mean she needs to. How long until we reach Orgrimmar?"
"Another day, give or take," Ruby scratched her arm, "don't get too comfortable, Rehgar is probably gonna drag us off to another auction so we can have a team ready before Dire Maul."
"Of course I am," Rehgar said, "we won't survive another year if we don't have a team ready. Unless you'd go into the ring?"
"Not on your life," Ruby said, "I've still got things I need to do."
Rehgar grunted, "still hoping you'll find her?"
"I'm not giving up until I find out where she is," Ruby said, "I got a lead back there, they said someone carrying her weapon and Crescent Rose was heading towards Darnassus."
Ruby heard Broll sit up straight at the mention of the night elven city.
"Can you all stop with the whole 'talking in Orcish' thing? You know I don't speak it," Valeera complained, "actually, does the orc speak common?"
"So when are you leaving?" Rehgar asked, ignoring Valeera. Even the older shaman knew that Crescent Rose was too much of a red flag, neither of them had seen anything that could compare to the mech-shift scythe in the past three years.
"I'll stay until you finish your team, then I'm gone. If you're gonna start ramping up the slavery, I don't want anything to do with it."
Rehgar nodded, stopping the cart.
"What?"
"Do you hear that?"
Ruby strained her ears, catching the noise of a struggle.
"I'll go check," Ruby slid off the cart, grabbing the wooden scythe handle and pulling it from behind the cage.
She missed Crescent Rose.
As Ruby picked her way through the brush, she called for the wind to assist her in her search, the scent of whatever was fighting being carried right to her nose.
It didn't take much for the Elements to be willing to help Ruby, her and them having found an easy accord.
Stopping before the swamp, Ruby watched the human man struggling with a crocolisk for a moment, before throwing a ball of air at the six legged reptile, forcing it into the air as lightning tore through it on the back swing.
Ruby walked over to the man, helping him up.
"You alright?" she asked, "I'm Ruby, what's your name?"
"My name?" he said, clutching his head, "I, uh, I don't remember."
"Amnesia?"
"What?"
"You don't remember your name? What about anything else?"
"I-" he shook his head, "I don't remember anything."
"I- Ruby frowned, "I can get you to Orgrimmar, but you'll have to figure the rest out yourself. Come on, I've got a cart we can take."
---
Valeera snapped her eyes open as a hand planted on her shoulder, trying to lunge forward.
Broll kept his hand on her, pressing a finger to his lips and pointing outside, where several people talking in Orcish.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"We're at Orgrimmar, we'll be at the arena in an hour."
After a minute, the cart shuddered back into motion, carrying the group forward. Valeera watched as they entered the fortress city.
Orgrimmar was built into a long valley, metal walkways lining it to allow people to access several of the natural caves that had been converted into buildings, while more building sat in the valley proper.
After ten minutes the human woman jumped off the wagon, sharing a brief conversation with the orc, who threw her a coin purse and pair of letters as they continued past a market.
"What were they saying?" she asked Broll.
"Ruby's going to pick up some supplies for a trip she'll be making later, and Rehgar asked her to stop by the butchery and make a delivery."
"Ah," Valeera said, watching as the human disappeared into a throng of Orcs, Trolls, and Tauren. The other human, the one they had found on the road, looked like he wanted to follow her, before Rehgar suddenly spoke in slightly stilted Common.
"So, Crocbait. Ruby said you don't remember anything?"
"You can speak Common?" Valeera blurted out.
"Clearly," Rehgar said sarcastically, "Crocbait?"
"Crocbai-? No, I don't remember anything."
"Mh… Any sort of identifying thing on you?" Rehgar speech stumbled slightly as he said that, "a badge, locket, something like that?"
"No, I don't think so," the man said, patting himself down.
"How long do you think you'd been fighting that Crocolisk when Ruby found you?"
"I don't know? A few minutes maybe? Why?"
"Most humans wouldn't survive a minute, there are plenty of orcs that couldn't either. Think you would have won?"
"Maybe?" Crocbait asked, "I had caught sight of a broken plank, I figured if I could worm it under the thing, it's own weight would have impaled it."
"That could work," Rehgar agreed, "do you think you were a fighter, a soldier maybe?"
"I don't know, why?"
"I've got have an opening at my home, Ruby's headin' toward Darnassus, I also need a third member for my gladiator team. How about I hire you on? It'll be dangerous work, but the pay will be good and you'll have a roof over your head."
"Oh, come on-" Broll slapped a hand over Valeera's mouth, pressing his finger against his own again.
"That does sound nice," Crocbait agreed, "do I have to give my answer now?"
"No, you have a few days, but I do need it soon. I need to know if I have to get another gladiator so I can have the team ready for Dire Maul. Think about, would you? I'm good at guessing how good people are," Rehgar stumbled again, "and you seem like you could go far."
---
Ruby walked away from the Orgrimmar rookery, approaching Grommash Hold. As she approached the seat of the Warchief, two Kor'kron guards stepped in front of her. The bigger of the two sneered at her, exposing his gold ringed tusks.
"What do you want, human?" he asked in rough Common.
"I'm delivering a message to the Warchief."
The sneer grew wider, and the orc turned to the other, "the pinkskin thinks she's going to meet with the Warchief," he said in Orcish, electing a sniggering laugh from the other.
Ruby sucked her teeth, clenching her fist behind her back. The first thing she was doing when she met Blake again was retroactively agreeing with her on every matter of Faunus rights she had ever mentioned. She had lived in Orgrimmar for three years, why did so many people act like she was a second class citizen?
"What's the message?" he asked in common.
"A letter from Rehgar Earthfury," Ruby said, raising the letter, "I'm also supposed to speak with Farseer Drek'thar."
Ruby saw the Kor'korn's eyes widen at the reference to Rehgar, and he reached out for the letter, only for Ruby to store it away.
"I'll be going in now," she said, sidestepping him.
"I didn't say you were allowed in, pinkskin," he growled.
"I didn't know you chose who met with the Warchief, I'll be sure to pass that fact along to him," Ruby said, watching the Kor'korn's grip on his axe tighten.
She understood why Blake did this to Weiss, it was really fun annoying people like this.
"You aren't going in," he repeated.
"Sir," Ruby called out to a passing undead with red eyes, "were you aware that the Warchief isn't informed of messengers sent to deliver important letters?"
Duck.
Ruby fell slightly as an axe attempted to take her head off, turning towards the orc.
"Ignore the pinkskin," he barked in orcish, "she doesn't kno-"
"What would the Warchief think," Ruby asked loudly in orcish, "if he knew that his guards believed that they were more knowledgeable about wha-"
Left, right, left, right, right.
Ruby dodged the flurry of axe swings, the impression warning her seconds before each strike came.
"Sir," Ruby said as loudly as possible, "I apologize, Rehgar didn't inform me that the true power of the Horde was the man guarding the Warchief. Allow me leave, and I'll go inform him that he should contact you next time he wishes to speak with the Warchi-"
Block!
Ruby threw up a barrier of rock, before uncoiling the chain whip she had long taken to carrying in Orgrimmar out from under one sleeve and lashing out with it, flames following in its wake as it struck the axe.
"What!?" the orc growled.
"What's going on here?" a familiar voice demanded, allowing an old, blind orc out of the hold, "why are you fighting a Kor'kron, Ruby?"
"He wasn't letting me in Drek'thar," she shrugged, "I came to let you know that I would be leaving soon, and to deliver a message to Thrall."
---
Thrall looked over from where he had been quietly conversing with Vol'jin about the war brewing near the gates of Sithilus, eyebrows raising slightly as Drek'thar walked in with a pair of bowed head Kor'kron and Ruby Rose.
"What happened?" Thrall asked, slightly resigned.
"These two," Drek'thar gestured to the orcs, "decided to take it upon themselves to keep Ruby from entering."
"Called me pinkskin, too!" Ruby piped up, a slightly forced grin on her face.
Thrall winced, well aware of how the former slave hated to be called pinkskin, since it was the only thing her masters had referred to her as.
"Saurfang? Would you take these two back to the Valley of Trials? They clearly haven't learned enough."
The guards shared a look of horror. Being sent back to the Valley of Trials was a heavy punishment, a way of declaring that their mentors had failed to instill enough knowledge in them.
"Warchief!" one yelled, "you're not taking this pinkskin's sid-"
"Don't call her that. What if she had been an envoy from Theramore, or Stormwind? You would have caused an incident. Go," Thrall watched them be escorted out, turning to Ruby, "I'm sorry about that."
"It's not your fault, Warchief."
"I've told you before, you don't need to call me that. You aren't a sworn member of the Horde, but you are my friend."
"Then you should hurry up and find your name, I'm not calling you slave, ever."
Thrall laughed slightly, "but if I don't know it, is it truly my name?"
"That's a question best left to the philosophers of my profession, Warchief."
Thrall nodded, "What did you need, my friend?"
"I'm delivering a pair of letters, one from Jaina that she asks for you to read alone, and the other from Rehgar."
Thrall took the letter, storing the one with the seal of Theramore emblazoned on the front in wax, before opening the one from Rehgar.
"What's it say?" Vol'jin asked.
"He says that he plans to retire from managing his gladiators if they win at Dire Maul, and is offering his services as an advisor in the place of Nazgrel," Thrall said as his eyes scanned the rough orcish words, testimony to the fact that his people had once held even other orcs as slaves, that some, including Rehgar, still did. A part of their history that Thrall wished to put an end to once and for all.
Putting the letter away, and resolving to think about it later, Thrall turned his attention back to Ruby.
"Anything else?"
"Yes," Ruby was examining Doomhammer, picking it up from its place on the pedestal next to Thrall, practically fondling the warhammer, "I'm leaving soon."
"Rehgar running you ragged again?" Thrall asked.
"No," Ruby shook her head, "I'm leaving for Darnassus, I got a lead. I came here to thank Drek'thar for his help teaching me these last few years."
Thrall saw Drek'thar frown, the older orc stepping forward, "You shouldn't get your hopes up, it's been six years."
"She had Crescent Rose, even if it isn't her, I want my baby back."
"And if is her? What will you do?"
"I don't know," Ruby said, placing the hammer down, "but it doesn't matter. I'll just happy to see her again."
"You could return to Orgrimmar, you will always be welcome here," Thall threw out, trying to find some way to help his friend, "you could do mercenary work, or assist us."
"Maybe. Do you know a quick way to Darnassus? I'd like to head out as soon as I can."
"A portal from here to Theramore, and then from Theramore to Darnassus," Thrall said instantly, it was what he did on diplomatic meeting with the night elves, "just say the word and I can have one opened."
"I'll think about it," Ruby said, "I need to head out now, there's things I need to buy before the shops close down."
---
Ruby walked through the halls of the Ring of Valor, a torch held aloft, the only light in the dark pits. At each of the grates, Ruby briefly leaned down, checking the people in each oubliette.
After a while, Ruby found who she was looking for, placing the torch in a holder. The shamaness dropped the sack in her hand, unlocked the grate with her copy of the key, and then dropped down, grabbing her sack as she did.
"Wake up," Ruby hissed, nudging Valeera with her foot. After a moment, the blood elf snapped up, looking around bleary eyed.
"Wuzzit?" she asked.
Ruby reached into the sack, throwing a cooling loaf of bread at her. Valeera caught it, looking down at it.
"Bread?"
"Yeah," Ruby said, waking Broll too, passing another loaf to him. Then she pulled out a knife and a glass jar with strawberry jam.
Ruby unscrewed the top, grabbing Valeera's bread, cutting it, and adding a generous amount of jam to it before giving it back.
"Eat," Ruby insisted, "you'll need plenty of energy tomorrow, training starts then."
"Why do you care? We're your slaves."
"You're Rehgar's slave, I'm not having anything to do with the slave trade," Ruby said, perhaps a bit too sharp.
The trio sat in uncomfortable silence, the two gladiators eating their food in silence, before Ruby sighed.
"Sorry," she said, "I just, I have a bad history with slavery."
"How?" Valeera asked.
"I spent three years a slave," Ruby said, "you two have it lucky, Rehgar's a good guy, despite what you might think, he normally gives slaves a cut of the profit, they'll keep you fed enough so you don't get weak, and you'll always have a way out if you decide to take it in the arena. That's more than I had."
It had taken months to regain the weight she had lost, longer still to get back into shape.
"What did you do?" Valeera asked, her food gone, "they didn't-?"
Ruby blinked in confusion. Didn't? Didn't wh- ewww.
"No!" Ruby let put a full body shudder, "Dust and Spirits, no! Why would you assume that?"
"Well," Valeera tugged at her sleeve, "you're a pretty human."
Pretty? Ruby wasn't pretty. Yang was pretty, Blake was pretty, Pyrrha was pretty.
"Most orcs would sooner jump off a cliff than lay with a pinkskin," Ruby stood, dusting off her lap, "I need to go, Rehgar's still waiting for meats for dinner."
The house Rehgar owned wasn't far from the arena, the gladiator pit having been central to the two shamans and their deceased friend's lives.
Ruby walked into the house walking into the kitchen. As she did, Rehgar looked up from where he was teaching their houseguest how to play Hearthstone.
"About time you got here," Rehgar stood up, storing his cards and taking the bag. Ruby slid into the chair, pulling out her deck as Crocbait grabbed his cards and started to shuffle them.
"Sorry, got sidetracked," Ruby finished shuffling her deck, playing a card. A miniature illusion of an air elemental burst from the card, dust whipping around it.
Rehgar grunted, grabbing a knife and starting to trim the fat, "stew sound good to you?"
"Yeah. What about you?" Ruby asked the other human, who was squinting at one of his cards, before he placed it.
A guard clad in plate mail appeared on the card, Ready for action!
"That's fine," Crocbait said as Ruby put down a totem token, which launched a fireball at the guard as she ended her turn.
They continued in relative silence, only the simulated sounds of battle breaking them from it, when Crocbait played a card.
Behold! The might of Stormwind! the man cried, lifting a battle standard up. At the same moment, Crocbait's eyes bugged out and his elbow slipped off the table. This sent the man's chin crashing into the table, knocking several pieces off.
"Woah!" Ruby cried, running about the table to check him for an injury, "are you alright?"
"Yes," he said around the fat lip he had given himself. Ruby ran a finger along it, the healing water circling around her outstretched finger and sealing the injury, "I'm sorry about the table."
"It's fine," Ruby said, "I'm pretty sure the stew is almost done, anyways."
"Ah," he said, "Ruby, are you good at fights?"
Ruby's eyebrows met, "I'd say so, yeah."
"Do you want to spar after dinner? I want to see how well I can myself."
"Sure."
---
The human currently going by the name of 'Crocbait' was standing across from Ruby, a blunted sword in his hand. Ruby had a hand scythe in each hand, deftly spinning one around her left wrist.
"Sinister?" He asked, a lesson from Anduin rising up.
"Come on, up you go," a large hand gently wrapped around his upper arm, lifting him to his feet, "try again!"
"I don't get it," he complained, reaching down and grabbing the training sword in his right hand, only to drop it with a stifled yelp as Anduin's blade struck him across the hand.
"Left hand, again."
"This doesn't feel natural," Crocbait complained, but did as he was told, "I don't get how anyone could fight like this."
"There are those who it comes to naturally, and if you ask a priest, or a lord who has never stepped onto the battlefield, they'll tell you that it is a sign of cravens and those consorting with spirits and demons."
"You don't think that?"
"Would I be teaching you to fight with it if I did? No, I don't know how the idea rooted itself into the faith, but those lords think that way because they hate to fight against them in duels and tourneys, what good is armor on your left side if the blade comes from the right?"
Crocbait tried to deflect the blade, feeling his arm protest even though Anduin was holding back.
"Then why teach me it?"
"Because what good is armor on their left side if your blade comes from the right? And if they wear armor on their right, well, you still know how to fight with your right hand, eh? Those are the really dangerous ones, boy, those that can fight with both hands. There's a probably a word for that, it's probably a long one, too. I don't know, never cared for fancy words myself, best leave that to the scholars and bards."
"What if they're wearing armor on both sides?"
"Kick 'em over, then find a chink in their armor and kill them before they get up. Armor's heavy, that's something a soldier can tell you better than any bard."
Crocbait's lips pulled into a frown. Who was Anduin?
"Huh?" Ruby asked, stopping her trick, "what's sinister?"
"Left handed?"
"Ambidextrous," Ruby said.
"What?"
"I can use both equally well," Ruby said, proving it by doing the trick with both hands at once, "always have."
"Just in fights?"
If Anduin had liked people who were 'ambidextrous' as much as that one memory implied he did, he would have probably killed a man to be born like that.
"Everything," Ruby said, "writing, cooking. Rehgar!" Ruby switched to Orcish briefly, looking to the door.
As she quieted down, Rehgar walked out of the house, settling in a chair on the porch, and leaning forward, "alright, Crocbait, let's see what you can do. Ruby, don't go to hard on him."
Too hard on him? What was that supposed to-
Crocbait ducked as one of the scythes flew at him, feeling the displaced air send his hair dancing. Looking up, he brought his sword up to parry her other scythe several times, feeling static form with each attack as he did so.
Finally Ruby hooked her scythe around his blade, locking them into place, and drove her fist into his gut.
Crocbait gritted his teeth as a burning tore through his stomach and down his legs, leaving him numb even as his body was screaming at him to move. Left with no choice, the amnesiac human did the only thing that made sense.
He dropped his sword, reaching behind him with his other hand.
Ruby's eyes widened, the sudden lack of tension caused he to stagger forward as the bizarre wind carried her other scythe right into Crocbait's hand.
Doing a half spin so he was behind Ruby, Crocbait reached down, scooping up his sword while he finished his turn.
He got a blast of cold wind to his face for his troubles, leaving him batting his stinging eyes as he used both weapons to deflect Ruby's one.
Eventually, Ruby's right arm lashed out, wrapping tightly around Crocbait's left, and pulled it tight, forcing him to drop her scythe.
Tightening his grip on his sword, Crocbait smashed the hilt into Ruby's skull until she let go.
Crocbait charged forward, stopping his sword before Ruby's throat as one scythe looped around the back of his neck and the outer edge of the other pressed against the front.
Crocbait panted, trying to keep the grin off his face as they stood their for a moment, neither one wanting to be the one who lowered their blade first.
"Alright" Rehgar called, "that's enough! I don't need to clean one of your bodies off the ground!"
Crocbait lowered his sword, looking over to the orc, "is that position still open?"
"Why? You want in?"
"Yeah," Crocbait grinned, "that was fun."
"Wait," Ruby was looking between them, "what position?"
"On the team," Rehgar said, standing, "I offered it to him while you were out, figured that if we could get someone quick, you wouldn't have to wait for long before heading out."
"Are you sure?" Ruby asked Crocbait, "it won't be like this, you could die out there. What if you have a wife or kids?"
"I'll," Crocbait stopped, "I'll deal with that when I come to it, you should go, if you've got something to do."
"But-"
"Go," Crocbait insisted, "I'll be fine, I'll have something to do, until I remember what's going on."
"I-" Ruby stopped, "Ok. I'll go, see you at some point."
As Ruby turned away from them, Rehgar suddenly called out to her, "Girl!"
"What?"
"I don't care how this turns out, I want to see you back here before Dire Maul, you hear? This is your house as much as it is mine!"
"I'll-" Ruby lowered her head, switching to orcish again as an almost musical string of words escaped from her lips.
Rehgar responded in kind, before Ruby walked over to the cart, grabbing a full sized scythe, and heading down the path.
"What was that?"
"An old orcish thing, I don't know how to say it in Common, so don't ask me. It's traditionally said from a child to the clan head and farseer at the end of a fostering. Before they go to return to their family."
Rehgar stood on the deck for a bit longer, head facing the end of the street, until Ruby turned disappeared through the gates. The orc pushed himself off, pulling open the door.
"Come on, Crocbait, I'll teach you how to play another game, maybe one with gambling."
---
"I'll take a couple of tuna," Blake said, handing over a bag of copper gryphs.
"That all today?" James, the fishmonger, asked, grabbing the bag, taking out a few coins, and handing it back to Blake.
"Yeah," Blake took the rolled up fish, storing them in her pack. She would be glad to to return to the apartment she had been renting in Darnassus.
"Blake," James said suddenly, "someone came by the docks the other day, was looking for you."
"Who?"
"A human, probably around your age. She was asking for you by name too. I said I'd tell you she was looking for you if I saw you," the immigrant said, "she gave me the address of the inn she was staying, wrote it down, too. Didn't know you'd moved so far up into the world that you had people who can write lookin' for ya. Ya want it?"
"Sure," Blake held out her hand, taking the note.
"Give me a second," James crouched, fiddling with his lockbox, "she said she'd been looking for you for a couple of days, seemed relieved when I said I knew ya. Dressed weird."
"How weird?"
"She was wearing a big red cloak, fur lined, with black clothes. Here you go," James held out the note, letting Blake grab it.
Opening it, Blake felt her eyes widen at the familiar scrawl, eyes scanning the address.
"You alright?" James asked.
"Fine," Blake said, fighting to keep the look off her face as she picked the tunas back up, "I'll see you later."
Blake turned, rushing quickly back to her house, dropped the fish in the cooler, grabbing Crescent Rose, and heading further into the city.
It took Blake the better part of two hours to find the large inn, built from white marble in traditional night elven style.
Breathing in, Blake steeled herself, and walked in, looking around for the innkeeper. People were seated at chairs around the room, playing games and drinking.
"Can I help you?" an elf called from the bar, "If you're looking for a room, we're all out at the moment."
"No- I mean… I'm look for someone who's staying here. In room," Blake checked the paper , "ten."
"Left side," he said, pointing towards the place, "end of the hall."
Blake headed that way, before stopping before the door. Taking a deep breath, Blake lifted her hand, knocking on the door.
"One moment!" the voice on the other side called, "I'll be right there!"
Blake held her breath, waiting for the foot fall to approach, before the door swung open.
"Sorry I just- Blake?" Ruby's voice cracked at the end of her question.
"Ruby?" Blake asked in return, "Is this- you're really here?"
"Yeah," Ruby suddenly exploded forward, wrapping Blake into a Yang-esque hug, "I missed you. Come in, we need to talk."
A low whistle came from the Blackrock orc, his one eye following the path Rehgar's had just finished.
"Damn, whoever did this really had it out for 'em"
Rehgar nodded in agreement, carefully picking his way down the valley that the renegade Warsongs had once inhabited.
Now, there was massive fall of lava burning away at the opposite side of the valley, and a trench dividing it in two, leaving Rehgar undoubting of who had done this. A shaman.
"We're going down there?" Bloodeye asked, "haven't we done enough? You said we were to find them, so why don't we turn around?"
"And who would be the one to explain to the Warchief that we decided to turn around instead of finding out who did this?"
Bloodeye didn't respond, obviously accepting the point as he followed Rehgar down into the heated valley. The shaman raised his hand in a warding gesture.
"What?"
"You can't survive down there," Rehgar said, pointing down at the slowly hardening lava, "don't be tricked by stories, there isn't anything on Azeroth hotter than the raging power of a magma elemental. I can survive through my accord with the elements, you can't. Not everything can be beaten, boy."
Bloodeye snorted, dropping onto the rocks, "Then I'll be here when you get back."
"You better be," Rehgar responded, "I paid good money for you, I don't want my investment to go to waste for having to kill you."
Both master and slave were aware that Rehgar wouldn't actually do it, that if Bloodeye took off, Rehgar would do little more than a token search.
Rehgar descended into the valley, eyes scanning the destroyed camp. Burned bodies sat around, the green skin charred to black from the heat.
As Rehgar traveled further into the camp, he stretched his senses, trying to find any sign of life.
As he approached the smithy, Rehgar heard a disgruntled grunt, followed by the sound of metal on metal.
Rehgar leaned in, watching the human girl seated on a chair inside thrust a leg into the forge, before pulling it out and dropping an axe on the superheated chain.
Well, it looks like he had found their shaman.
"You," Rehgar said, drawing her attention, "what are you doing here? Humans aren't allowed in this part of Orcish territory."
The girl's head snapped up, a look of wild terror in her eyes, before she grabbed the blacksmith's hammer and threw it at him. As it left her hand, fire coiled around it.
Rehgar ducked under the flaming hammer, aware that it had seared his wolf pelt, before coming up and throwing a lance of lightning at her.
She tried to dodge it, only for the shackle around her foot to snap taunt, sending her crashing onto the ground. As that happened, Rehgar took a look around the room.
A small pile of furs sat in the corner near the bracket the chain was bound to, and a tray with meager scraps sat on the table.
"You!" Rehgar barked at the girl in Common, "how long have you been here?"
"You," she stopped, "you can talk like me?"
"What do you mean, girl?"
"They," she gestured at the outside, "they only speak that other language. I've guessed a couple of words, but nobody wanted to teach me."
"How long have you been here, girl?"
"I'm," she frowned, "I'm not sure. The days have blended together, you know?"
"Yes," Rehgar agreed as he walked over to the wall, examining the chain.
Rehgar was well aware of it, he had spent years in the gladiator pits of Highmaul, fighting other slaves for the amusement of the ogres.
"Tell me, girl, did you have something to do with the destruction of this village?"
"Why?" Rehgar saw her grab the axe, preparing to attack.
"Because if anyone has the motive to do this, it's a slave."
"I," she gripped her axe tighter, "I just want to be free again."
"Of course you do," Rehgar said, "they could only keep you bound so long as your heart was, and it wasn't, was it?"
"Wuh," the girl seemed taken aback, "what do you mean?"
"I mean that you don't want to be chained," Rehgar said, "so you would do anything to free yourself," Rehgar turned, making the wall binding the girl melt, "so I'll offer you a deal."
"What?" she said, eyes locked onto the free chain.
"Come with me," Rehgar said, "I'll teach you the way of the shaman, and when you decide you're ready to leave, you can."
"I," she looked torn, "I have someone I need to find. That's how I got captured, distracting them from her."
"Then I'll help you find her, if that's what you want," Rehgar held out his hand, "my name is Rehgar Earthfury, will you come with me?"
"I- Yes," she nodded, picking herself up, "I'm Ruby Rose."
---
Ruby sat next to Rehgar, doing her best to radiate her disapproval of the contents of their wagon.
"Ruby-" Rehgar started.
"I'm not talking to you," Ruby said in Orcish, turning her head away from him like Weiss used to do.
"Ruby," Rehgar repeated, "don't be petulant."
"I'm not being petulant," Ruby muttered petulantly.
"You never complained this much about Bloodeye."
"That's different," Ruby said, "Bloodeye wasn't really a slave, you paid him, half the time you paid him more than you pay me. Definitely more than you've paid Broll."
"Leave me out of this," the night elf called from his spot in the cage.
"Even Broll choose slavery," Ruby stopped, "ok, that sounded weird. But she's a teen, she'll be chewed up in the ring."
"What are they saying?" the young blood elf asked Broll.
"Be quiet," Broll snapped at her.
"Behave," Ruby called in Common, "you're going to have to cooperate if you want to survive."
"Oh, so now you decide to talk to us," Valeera complained, "who are you? What's a human doing with an orcish slaver?"
"Maybe she took a lesson out of your kind's book and turned traitor?" Broll responded.
Ruby snorted, "You know why I'm here, Broll," she said in Orcish.
"Yes," he agreed, "but that doesn't mean she needs to. How long until we reach Orgrimmar?"
"Another day, give or take," Ruby scratched her arm, "don't get too comfortable, Rehgar is probably gonna drag us off to another auction so we can have a team ready before Dire Maul."
"Of course I am," Rehgar said, "we won't survive another year if we don't have a team ready. Unless you'd go into the ring?"
"Not on your life," Ruby said, "I've still got things I need to do."
Rehgar grunted, "still hoping you'll find her?"
"I'm not giving up until I find out where she is," Ruby said, "I got a lead back there, they said someone carrying her weapon and Crescent Rose was heading towards Darnassus."
Ruby heard Broll sit up straight at the mention of the night elven city.
"Can you all stop with the whole 'talking in Orcish' thing? You know I don't speak it," Valeera complained, "actually, does the orc speak common?"
"So when are you leaving?" Rehgar asked, ignoring Valeera. Even the older shaman knew that Crescent Rose was too much of a red flag, neither of them had seen anything that could compare to the mech-shift scythe in the past three years.
"I'll stay until you finish your team, then I'm gone. If you're gonna start ramping up the slavery, I don't want anything to do with it."
Rehgar nodded, stopping the cart.
"What?"
"Do you hear that?"
Ruby strained her ears, catching the noise of a struggle.
"I'll go check," Ruby slid off the cart, grabbing the wooden scythe handle and pulling it from behind the cage.
She missed Crescent Rose.
As Ruby picked her way through the brush, she called for the wind to assist her in her search, the scent of whatever was fighting being carried right to her nose.
It didn't take much for the Elements to be willing to help Ruby, her and them having found an easy accord.
Stopping before the swamp, Ruby watched the human man struggling with a crocolisk for a moment, before throwing a ball of air at the six legged reptile, forcing it into the air as lightning tore through it on the back swing.
Ruby walked over to the man, helping him up.
"You alright?" she asked, "I'm Ruby, what's your name?"
"My name?" he said, clutching his head, "I, uh, I don't remember."
"Amnesia?"
"What?"
"You don't remember your name? What about anything else?"
"I-" he shook his head, "I don't remember anything."
"I- Ruby frowned, "I can get you to Orgrimmar, but you'll have to figure the rest out yourself. Come on, I've got a cart we can take."
---
Valeera snapped her eyes open as a hand planted on her shoulder, trying to lunge forward.
Broll kept his hand on her, pressing a finger to his lips and pointing outside, where several people talking in Orcish.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"We're at Orgrimmar, we'll be at the arena in an hour."
After a minute, the cart shuddered back into motion, carrying the group forward. Valeera watched as they entered the fortress city.
Orgrimmar was built into a long valley, metal walkways lining it to allow people to access several of the natural caves that had been converted into buildings, while more building sat in the valley proper.
After ten minutes the human woman jumped off the wagon, sharing a brief conversation with the orc, who threw her a coin purse and pair of letters as they continued past a market.
"What were they saying?" she asked Broll.
"Ruby's going to pick up some supplies for a trip she'll be making later, and Rehgar asked her to stop by the butchery and make a delivery."
"Ah," Valeera said, watching as the human disappeared into a throng of Orcs, Trolls, and Tauren. The other human, the one they had found on the road, looked like he wanted to follow her, before Rehgar suddenly spoke in slightly stilted Common.
"So, Crocbait. Ruby said you don't remember anything?"
"You can speak Common?" Valeera blurted out.
"Clearly," Rehgar said sarcastically, "Crocbait?"
"Crocbai-? No, I don't remember anything."
"Mh… Any sort of identifying thing on you?" Rehgar speech stumbled slightly as he said that, "a badge, locket, something like that?"
"No, I don't think so," the man said, patting himself down.
"How long do you think you'd been fighting that Crocolisk when Ruby found you?"
"I don't know? A few minutes maybe? Why?"
"Most humans wouldn't survive a minute, there are plenty of orcs that couldn't either. Think you would have won?"
"Maybe?" Crocbait asked, "I had caught sight of a broken plank, I figured if I could worm it under the thing, it's own weight would have impaled it."
"That could work," Rehgar agreed, "do you think you were a fighter, a soldier maybe?"
"I don't know, why?"
"I've got have an opening at my home, Ruby's headin' toward Darnassus, I also need a third member for my gladiator team. How about I hire you on? It'll be dangerous work, but the pay will be good and you'll have a roof over your head."
"Oh, come on-" Broll slapped a hand over Valeera's mouth, pressing his finger against his own again.
"That does sound nice," Crocbait agreed, "do I have to give my answer now?"
"No, you have a few days, but I do need it soon. I need to know if I have to get another gladiator so I can have the team ready for Dire Maul. Think about, would you? I'm good at guessing how good people are," Rehgar stumbled again, "and you seem like you could go far."
---
Ruby walked away from the Orgrimmar rookery, approaching Grommash Hold. As she approached the seat of the Warchief, two Kor'kron guards stepped in front of her. The bigger of the two sneered at her, exposing his gold ringed tusks.
"What do you want, human?" he asked in rough Common.
"I'm delivering a message to the Warchief."
The sneer grew wider, and the orc turned to the other, "the pinkskin thinks she's going to meet with the Warchief," he said in Orcish, electing a sniggering laugh from the other.
Ruby sucked her teeth, clenching her fist behind her back. The first thing she was doing when she met Blake again was retroactively agreeing with her on every matter of Faunus rights she had ever mentioned. She had lived in Orgrimmar for three years, why did so many people act like she was a second class citizen?
"What's the message?" he asked in common.
"A letter from Rehgar Earthfury," Ruby said, raising the letter, "I'm also supposed to speak with Farseer Drek'thar."
Ruby saw the Kor'korn's eyes widen at the reference to Rehgar, and he reached out for the letter, only for Ruby to store it away.
"I'll be going in now," she said, sidestepping him.
"I didn't say you were allowed in, pinkskin," he growled.
"I didn't know you chose who met with the Warchief, I'll be sure to pass that fact along to him," Ruby said, watching the Kor'korn's grip on his axe tighten.
She understood why Blake did this to Weiss, it was really fun annoying people like this.
"You aren't going in," he repeated.
"Sir," Ruby called out to a passing undead with red eyes, "were you aware that the Warchief isn't informed of messengers sent to deliver important letters?"
Duck.
Ruby fell slightly as an axe attempted to take her head off, turning towards the orc.
"Ignore the pinkskin," he barked in orcish, "she doesn't kno-"
"What would the Warchief think," Ruby asked loudly in orcish, "if he knew that his guards believed that they were more knowledgeable about wha-"
Left, right, left, right, right.
Ruby dodged the flurry of axe swings, the impression warning her seconds before each strike came.
"Sir," Ruby said as loudly as possible, "I apologize, Rehgar didn't inform me that the true power of the Horde was the man guarding the Warchief. Allow me leave, and I'll go inform him that he should contact you next time he wishes to speak with the Warchi-"
Block!
Ruby threw up a barrier of rock, before uncoiling the chain whip she had long taken to carrying in Orgrimmar out from under one sleeve and lashing out with it, flames following in its wake as it struck the axe.
"What!?" the orc growled.
"What's going on here?" a familiar voice demanded, allowing an old, blind orc out of the hold, "why are you fighting a Kor'kron, Ruby?"
"He wasn't letting me in Drek'thar," she shrugged, "I came to let you know that I would be leaving soon, and to deliver a message to Thrall."
---
Thrall looked over from where he had been quietly conversing with Vol'jin about the war brewing near the gates of Sithilus, eyebrows raising slightly as Drek'thar walked in with a pair of bowed head Kor'kron and Ruby Rose.
"What happened?" Thrall asked, slightly resigned.
"These two," Drek'thar gestured to the orcs, "decided to take it upon themselves to keep Ruby from entering."
"Called me pinkskin, too!" Ruby piped up, a slightly forced grin on her face.
Thrall winced, well aware of how the former slave hated to be called pinkskin, since it was the only thing her masters had referred to her as.
"Saurfang? Would you take these two back to the Valley of Trials? They clearly haven't learned enough."
The guards shared a look of horror. Being sent back to the Valley of Trials was a heavy punishment, a way of declaring that their mentors had failed to instill enough knowledge in them.
"Warchief!" one yelled, "you're not taking this pinkskin's sid-"
"Don't call her that. What if she had been an envoy from Theramore, or Stormwind? You would have caused an incident. Go," Thrall watched them be escorted out, turning to Ruby, "I'm sorry about that."
"It's not your fault, Warchief."
"I've told you before, you don't need to call me that. You aren't a sworn member of the Horde, but you are my friend."
"Then you should hurry up and find your name, I'm not calling you slave, ever."
Thrall laughed slightly, "but if I don't know it, is it truly my name?"
"That's a question best left to the philosophers of my profession, Warchief."
Thrall nodded, "What did you need, my friend?"
"I'm delivering a pair of letters, one from Jaina that she asks for you to read alone, and the other from Rehgar."
Thrall took the letter, storing the one with the seal of Theramore emblazoned on the front in wax, before opening the one from Rehgar.
"What's it say?" Vol'jin asked.
"He says that he plans to retire from managing his gladiators if they win at Dire Maul, and is offering his services as an advisor in the place of Nazgrel," Thrall said as his eyes scanned the rough orcish words, testimony to the fact that his people had once held even other orcs as slaves, that some, including Rehgar, still did. A part of their history that Thrall wished to put an end to once and for all.
Putting the letter away, and resolving to think about it later, Thrall turned his attention back to Ruby.
"Anything else?"
"Yes," Ruby was examining Doomhammer, picking it up from its place on the pedestal next to Thrall, practically fondling the warhammer, "I'm leaving soon."
"Rehgar running you ragged again?" Thrall asked.
"No," Ruby shook her head, "I'm leaving for Darnassus, I got a lead. I came here to thank Drek'thar for his help teaching me these last few years."
Thrall saw Drek'thar frown, the older orc stepping forward, "You shouldn't get your hopes up, it's been six years."
"She had Crescent Rose, even if it isn't her, I want my baby back."
"And if is her? What will you do?"
"I don't know," Ruby said, placing the hammer down, "but it doesn't matter. I'll just happy to see her again."
"You could return to Orgrimmar, you will always be welcome here," Thall threw out, trying to find some way to help his friend, "you could do mercenary work, or assist us."
"Maybe. Do you know a quick way to Darnassus? I'd like to head out as soon as I can."
"A portal from here to Theramore, and then from Theramore to Darnassus," Thrall said instantly, it was what he did on diplomatic meeting with the night elves, "just say the word and I can have one opened."
"I'll think about it," Ruby said, "I need to head out now, there's things I need to buy before the shops close down."
---
Ruby walked through the halls of the Ring of Valor, a torch held aloft, the only light in the dark pits. At each of the grates, Ruby briefly leaned down, checking the people in each oubliette.
After a while, Ruby found who she was looking for, placing the torch in a holder. The shamaness dropped the sack in her hand, unlocked the grate with her copy of the key, and then dropped down, grabbing her sack as she did.
"Wake up," Ruby hissed, nudging Valeera with her foot. After a moment, the blood elf snapped up, looking around bleary eyed.
"Wuzzit?" she asked.
Ruby reached into the sack, throwing a cooling loaf of bread at her. Valeera caught it, looking down at it.
"Bread?"
"Yeah," Ruby said, waking Broll too, passing another loaf to him. Then she pulled out a knife and a glass jar with strawberry jam.
Ruby unscrewed the top, grabbing Valeera's bread, cutting it, and adding a generous amount of jam to it before giving it back.
"Eat," Ruby insisted, "you'll need plenty of energy tomorrow, training starts then."
"Why do you care? We're your slaves."
"You're Rehgar's slave, I'm not having anything to do with the slave trade," Ruby said, perhaps a bit too sharp.
The trio sat in uncomfortable silence, the two gladiators eating their food in silence, before Ruby sighed.
"Sorry," she said, "I just, I have a bad history with slavery."
"How?" Valeera asked.
"I spent three years a slave," Ruby said, "you two have it lucky, Rehgar's a good guy, despite what you might think, he normally gives slaves a cut of the profit, they'll keep you fed enough so you don't get weak, and you'll always have a way out if you decide to take it in the arena. That's more than I had."
It had taken months to regain the weight she had lost, longer still to get back into shape.
"What did you do?" Valeera asked, her food gone, "they didn't-?"
Ruby blinked in confusion. Didn't? Didn't wh- ewww.
"No!" Ruby let put a full body shudder, "Dust and Spirits, no! Why would you assume that?"
"Well," Valeera tugged at her sleeve, "you're a pretty human."
Pretty? Ruby wasn't pretty. Yang was pretty, Blake was pretty, Pyrrha was pretty.
"Most orcs would sooner jump off a cliff than lay with a pinkskin," Ruby stood, dusting off her lap, "I need to go, Rehgar's still waiting for meats for dinner."
The house Rehgar owned wasn't far from the arena, the gladiator pit having been central to the two shamans and their deceased friend's lives.
Ruby walked into the house walking into the kitchen. As she did, Rehgar looked up from where he was teaching their houseguest how to play Hearthstone.
"About time you got here," Rehgar stood up, storing his cards and taking the bag. Ruby slid into the chair, pulling out her deck as Crocbait grabbed his cards and started to shuffle them.
"Sorry, got sidetracked," Ruby finished shuffling her deck, playing a card. A miniature illusion of an air elemental burst from the card, dust whipping around it.
Rehgar grunted, grabbing a knife and starting to trim the fat, "stew sound good to you?"
"Yeah. What about you?" Ruby asked the other human, who was squinting at one of his cards, before he placed it.
A guard clad in plate mail appeared on the card, Ready for action!
"That's fine," Crocbait said as Ruby put down a totem token, which launched a fireball at the guard as she ended her turn.
They continued in relative silence, only the simulated sounds of battle breaking them from it, when Crocbait played a card.
Behold! The might of Stormwind! the man cried, lifting a battle standard up. At the same moment, Crocbait's eyes bugged out and his elbow slipped off the table. This sent the man's chin crashing into the table, knocking several pieces off.
"Woah!" Ruby cried, running about the table to check him for an injury, "are you alright?"
"Yes," he said around the fat lip he had given himself. Ruby ran a finger along it, the healing water circling around her outstretched finger and sealing the injury, "I'm sorry about the table."
"It's fine," Ruby said, "I'm pretty sure the stew is almost done, anyways."
"Ah," he said, "Ruby, are you good at fights?"
Ruby's eyebrows met, "I'd say so, yeah."
"Do you want to spar after dinner? I want to see how well I can myself."
"Sure."
---
The human currently going by the name of 'Crocbait' was standing across from Ruby, a blunted sword in his hand. Ruby had a hand scythe in each hand, deftly spinning one around her left wrist.
"Sinister?" He asked, a lesson from Anduin rising up.
"Come on, up you go," a large hand gently wrapped around his upper arm, lifting him to his feet, "try again!"
"I don't get it," he complained, reaching down and grabbing the training sword in his right hand, only to drop it with a stifled yelp as Anduin's blade struck him across the hand.
"Left hand, again."
"This doesn't feel natural," Crocbait complained, but did as he was told, "I don't get how anyone could fight like this."
"There are those who it comes to naturally, and if you ask a priest, or a lord who has never stepped onto the battlefield, they'll tell you that it is a sign of cravens and those consorting with spirits and demons."
"You don't think that?"
"Would I be teaching you to fight with it if I did? No, I don't know how the idea rooted itself into the faith, but those lords think that way because they hate to fight against them in duels and tourneys, what good is armor on your left side if the blade comes from the right?"
Crocbait tried to deflect the blade, feeling his arm protest even though Anduin was holding back.
"Then why teach me it?"
"Because what good is armor on their left side if your blade comes from the right? And if they wear armor on their right, well, you still know how to fight with your right hand, eh? Those are the really dangerous ones, boy, those that can fight with both hands. There's a probably a word for that, it's probably a long one, too. I don't know, never cared for fancy words myself, best leave that to the scholars and bards."
"What if they're wearing armor on both sides?"
"Kick 'em over, then find a chink in their armor and kill them before they get up. Armor's heavy, that's something a soldier can tell you better than any bard."
Crocbait's lips pulled into a frown. Who was Anduin?
"Huh?" Ruby asked, stopping her trick, "what's sinister?"
"Left handed?"
"Ambidextrous," Ruby said.
"What?"
"I can use both equally well," Ruby said, proving it by doing the trick with both hands at once, "always have."
"Just in fights?"
If Anduin had liked people who were 'ambidextrous' as much as that one memory implied he did, he would have probably killed a man to be born like that.
"Everything," Ruby said, "writing, cooking. Rehgar!" Ruby switched to Orcish briefly, looking to the door.
As she quieted down, Rehgar walked out of the house, settling in a chair on the porch, and leaning forward, "alright, Crocbait, let's see what you can do. Ruby, don't go to hard on him."
Too hard on him? What was that supposed to-
Crocbait ducked as one of the scythes flew at him, feeling the displaced air send his hair dancing. Looking up, he brought his sword up to parry her other scythe several times, feeling static form with each attack as he did so.
Finally Ruby hooked her scythe around his blade, locking them into place, and drove her fist into his gut.
Crocbait gritted his teeth as a burning tore through his stomach and down his legs, leaving him numb even as his body was screaming at him to move. Left with no choice, the amnesiac human did the only thing that made sense.
He dropped his sword, reaching behind him with his other hand.
Ruby's eyes widened, the sudden lack of tension caused he to stagger forward as the bizarre wind carried her other scythe right into Crocbait's hand.
Doing a half spin so he was behind Ruby, Crocbait reached down, scooping up his sword while he finished his turn.
He got a blast of cold wind to his face for his troubles, leaving him batting his stinging eyes as he used both weapons to deflect Ruby's one.
Eventually, Ruby's right arm lashed out, wrapping tightly around Crocbait's left, and pulled it tight, forcing him to drop her scythe.
Tightening his grip on his sword, Crocbait smashed the hilt into Ruby's skull until she let go.
Crocbait charged forward, stopping his sword before Ruby's throat as one scythe looped around the back of his neck and the outer edge of the other pressed against the front.
Crocbait panted, trying to keep the grin off his face as they stood their for a moment, neither one wanting to be the one who lowered their blade first.
"Alright" Rehgar called, "that's enough! I don't need to clean one of your bodies off the ground!"
Crocbait lowered his sword, looking over to the orc, "is that position still open?"
"Why? You want in?"
"Yeah," Crocbait grinned, "that was fun."
"Wait," Ruby was looking between them, "what position?"
"On the team," Rehgar said, standing, "I offered it to him while you were out, figured that if we could get someone quick, you wouldn't have to wait for long before heading out."
"Are you sure?" Ruby asked Crocbait, "it won't be like this, you could die out there. What if you have a wife or kids?"
"I'll," Crocbait stopped, "I'll deal with that when I come to it, you should go, if you've got something to do."
"But-"
"Go," Crocbait insisted, "I'll be fine, I'll have something to do, until I remember what's going on."
"I-" Ruby stopped, "Ok. I'll go, see you at some point."
As Ruby turned away from them, Rehgar suddenly called out to her, "Girl!"
"What?"
"I don't care how this turns out, I want to see you back here before Dire Maul, you hear? This is your house as much as it is mine!"
"I'll-" Ruby lowered her head, switching to orcish again as an almost musical string of words escaped from her lips.
Rehgar responded in kind, before Ruby walked over to the cart, grabbing a full sized scythe, and heading down the path.
"What was that?"
"An old orcish thing, I don't know how to say it in Common, so don't ask me. It's traditionally said from a child to the clan head and farseer at the end of a fostering. Before they go to return to their family."
Rehgar stood on the deck for a bit longer, head facing the end of the street, until Ruby turned disappeared through the gates. The orc pushed himself off, pulling open the door.
"Come on, Crocbait, I'll teach you how to play another game, maybe one with gambling."
---
"I'll take a couple of tuna," Blake said, handing over a bag of copper gryphs.
"That all today?" James, the fishmonger, asked, grabbing the bag, taking out a few coins, and handing it back to Blake.
"Yeah," Blake took the rolled up fish, storing them in her pack. She would be glad to to return to the apartment she had been renting in Darnassus.
"Blake," James said suddenly, "someone came by the docks the other day, was looking for you."
"Who?"
"A human, probably around your age. She was asking for you by name too. I said I'd tell you she was looking for you if I saw you," the immigrant said, "she gave me the address of the inn she was staying, wrote it down, too. Didn't know you'd moved so far up into the world that you had people who can write lookin' for ya. Ya want it?"
"Sure," Blake held out her hand, taking the note.
"Give me a second," James crouched, fiddling with his lockbox, "she said she'd been looking for you for a couple of days, seemed relieved when I said I knew ya. Dressed weird."
"How weird?"
"She was wearing a big red cloak, fur lined, with black clothes. Here you go," James held out the note, letting Blake grab it.
Opening it, Blake felt her eyes widen at the familiar scrawl, eyes scanning the address.
"You alright?" James asked.
"Fine," Blake said, fighting to keep the look off her face as she picked the tunas back up, "I'll see you later."
Blake turned, rushing quickly back to her house, dropped the fish in the cooler, grabbing Crescent Rose, and heading further into the city.
It took Blake the better part of two hours to find the large inn, built from white marble in traditional night elven style.
Breathing in, Blake steeled herself, and walked in, looking around for the innkeeper. People were seated at chairs around the room, playing games and drinking.
"Can I help you?" an elf called from the bar, "If you're looking for a room, we're all out at the moment."
"No- I mean… I'm look for someone who's staying here. In room," Blake checked the paper , "ten."
"Left side," he said, pointing towards the place, "end of the hall."
Blake headed that way, before stopping before the door. Taking a deep breath, Blake lifted her hand, knocking on the door.
"One moment!" the voice on the other side called, "I'll be right there!"
Blake held her breath, waiting for the foot fall to approach, before the door swung open.
"Sorry I just- Blake?" Ruby's voice cracked at the end of her question.
"Ruby?" Blake asked in return, "Is this- you're really here?"
"Yeah," Ruby suddenly exploded forward, wrapping Blake into a Yang-esque hug, "I missed you. Come in, we need to talk."
Chapter 2
ThatOnePsycho
Tilting his Vanes and Ennobling His Spires
Before anyone asks I do plan to have Weiss and Yang show up... but it'll have to wait a few chapters.
---
Blake sat down in the plush chair, practically feeling herself sink into it. The twenty three year old Faunus watched Ruby leave the room, before coming back with another chair.
They sat there for a few minutes, before Blake couldn't take it anymore and blurted the first thing that came to mind.
"I'm sorry."
'For what?" Ruby asked, her voice low.
"I- I thought you were dead," Blake said, "and I didn't try to find the orcs who did it. I didn't look for you. I should have done something."
"Anything else?"
"I know you're probably angry at me," Blake continued, "and you have every right to be. I really should have looked for you," the small part of Blake's mind that remained rational realized that she was repeating herself, "it must have been hell to find me, and I should have at least tried to look for you."
"Anything else?" Ruby repeated.
"What do you want me to say?" Blake hissed, anger starting to bubble up, "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were alive, or where the orcs were camped, and even if I did, attacking them would have just gotten me killed. Is that what you wanted?"
"No," Ruby shook her head, "I just wanted to make sure you got everything off your chest. You're bad enough when you've had a couple of days to let things build up in your head, I can't imagine how bad it would be after six years."
"...What?"
"I'm not angry at you Blake, I never was. We both knew that distracting the orcs without a weapon should have been a suicide mission, and I would have been angry to find out you had gotten yourself killed attacking them."
"Oh…" Blake sat there, feeling lost, "then… How did you survive? And where have you been the last six years? I waited for you for a month, before the last of the money from the bounty on that satyr ran out and I had to go looking for a new mark."
Bounty hunting had been the easy answer to their money problems, it didn't take much to transfer the skills they had gained through their one semester at Beacon (and Ruby's two years at Signal) from hunting Grimm to hunting various criminals. Orcs, trolls, humans, dwarves. From what Blake had gathered, Kalimdor was even less populated that the Eastern Kingdoms, and that meant every criminal with a bounty, a bit of money to spare, or the skill to sneak aboard a ship and stay hidden until the end of the voyage, was rushing away from the Eastern Kingdoms and to the new frontier. Then you had the people coming to Kalimdor to make an honest living, and needed things like satyrs, centaurs, murlocs, and quilboar eliminated.
"I spent the the last three years in Orgrimmar or trying to find you, and I spent the three years before that a slave to those orcs."
Blake felt her stomach plunge, staring at Ruby. A slave? Ruby had spent three years a slave because of her?
"Y-you what?" Blake asked, silently hoping she had heard wrong, or that Ruby was telling a bad joke.
---
"Blake-"
"A slave?!"
"Blake-"
"You were a slave!?"
"Blake, calm down-"
Blake leapt from her seat, starting to pace in complete defiance of the concept known as 'calming down'.
"I should have gone looking for you," Blake repeated for the fourth time in ten minutes, pacing back and forth with increasing speed, "I should have spent that money on mercenaries and hunted them down, I shou-"
"The Warsongs."
"What?" Blake asked, stopping her pacing to look at Ruby.
"The orcs," Ruby supplied helpfully, "they were an offshoot of the Warsong clan. Not part of the Horde, they broke off because Warchief choose to settle in Durotar."
"How do you-?" Blake suddenly cut herself off, looking around the room like she was checking for something, before leaning in, "Ruby, you said you had been living in Orgrimmar, right?" the cat faunus' ears were moving so much that it was causing her bow to move.
"Yeah," Ruby said, looking around to try and figure out what had Blake spooked.
Reaching out, Ruby asked the elements if they saw anything she was missing. An amused thrum that seared the mind from Fire, but little more, an unyielding certainty that there wasn't from Earth, Air stretched her senses, allowing her to hear a mouse hidden in the walls, to smell the mead and meats at the common room at the end of the hall, and Water sent a calm apology that it couldn't help more.
Ruby closed her eyes, thanking the spirits with a slightly bowed head, before opening her eyes to look at Blake. The faunus hadn't moved much, Ruby's communion having happened in seconds.
"You," Blake looked around again before dropping her voice lower, "you didn't join the Horde, did you?'
Oh, right, Alliance city.
Another rush of burning amusement from Fire. Ruby dutifully ignored it.
"No," Ruby said, "I didn't know where you were, or if you had joined the Alliance, so I wanted to be able to make a clean split if I needed to."
Blake looked shocked, "You didn't join the Horde… because of me?" a dusting of red appeared across her cheeks, "but, you have to have made some friends in Orgrimmar, right?"
"Not many," Ruby responded, "most orcs don't like humans," which reminded her… "by the way, when we make it home, I'm gonna help you with any Faunus rights projects you want to do, I've spent the last three years being treated as a second class citizen. It sucks, it really, really sucks."
"You're staying?" Blake asked, looking thunderstruck.
"Of course I am," Ruby said, "why wouldn't I? I didn't spend years looking for you so we could talk for a hour and split back up. Why?" apprehension filled the shamaness, "do you want me to-"
"No!" Blake said, "I just- you're really not angry with me?"
"Why would I be angry with you?" Ruby asked again, she really didn't get it, "we promised to stay together. I'm not breaking that promise. Come on, we should get some sleep, we've got a lot of catching up to do in the morning. You can use the spare bed," Ruby pointed to the bed that had both sets of linen sheets across it, "I paid for this room for a month, I didn't expect to find you this quick, so we have time to plan things ou-" Ruby's eyes landed on the red box next to Blake's chair, mind finally registering it's existence, "Crescent!"
Surprisingly, there wasn't the impulse from Fire that normally accompanied Ruby taking a while to notice something.
"Oh," Blake grabbed it, handing it over, "Yeah. I've been taking care of her, just in case, you know, or if a bounty required a bigger round than what Gambol Shroud can use. It's not easily getting bullets from her, but it shouldn't be-"
Ruby threw her arms around Blake, squeezing tight.
"Ahk!" Blake struggled, "how are you so strong?"
"Learned hand to hand, and restarted the routine I did to get enough strength to pick up Cress in the first place. She's not light."
---
Valeera groaned at the line for food, wrapping an arm around to bruises forming on her upper abdomen. The arena's cafeteria was first come, first serve, and it wasn't looking like Team V (if nobody was giving them a name, she was doing it herself!) was going to be eating today. Except Crocbait. Since he wasn't a slave, he could just leave and go get food somewhere else. Lucky bastard.
How the hell was this 'keeping them well fed'? They weren't-
"Girl," at that, Valeera looked over to where her owner was gesturing for her to come over, "Come on. Now."
Valeera did, following him out of the room with a baleful look backwards. Looks like there was no chance of them eating today.
As the trio of gladiator trainees followed Rehgar through the halls, Valeera finally voiced a question that had bugged her over the past couple of days.
"Where's Ruby?" Valeera hadn't seen the human since their first day in Orgrimmar, though Valeera thought that might be because she didn't have much stomach for slavery.
"On a trip," Rehgar grunted in Common. After his sales pitch to Crocbait, the orc had swiftly tapered off the amount of Common he used, using a translator when possible, and as few words as needed when it wasn't. Valeera wasn't sure if he used more when Crocbait and him left, and didn't really care, "She'll be back before Dire Maul. Come on, I want to eat."
Oh, now he was just rubbing it in! Valeera stewed in quiet rage as they walked towards a door guarded by two ogres and a goblin sitting at a desk.
A quick discussion in Orcish (she guessed) and the goblin stood up, grabbing three metal rings from the desk, before another barked order from Rehgar had him put one back.
The goblin walked over to Broll, pulling the ring apart and clamping it onto his leg, before doing the same to Valeera.
"Right," the goblin said, "these are simple. You try to leave Orgrimmar, they shock you, if you aren't back by nine, they shock you. If you try to make a run for it, you'll run into one of those two and they'll shock you. Capiche?"
"Uh," Valeera said, "what?"
"Understand?"
"Yeah?" Valeera said.
"Alright," he turned to Rehgar, saying something in Orcish, before opening the door.
Valeera blinked as they stepped out into Orgrimmar, the setting sun casting long shadows through the valley.
"What are we doing?" Valeera asked, following Rehgar.
"Eating," he said, "you need food. I need you in top condition for Dire Maul, and that means keeping you fed."
"Thanks?" Valeera said, feeling confused. He was giving them food?
"I don't want your thanks. I'm only doing this because if you don't win, I don't get paid, and then I'll be the one not eating. Come on, let's get that food."
---
Blake's eyes flickered open, and she jerked up, grabbing Gambol Shroud from where it leaned next to her bed.
Where was she? What was- Ruby! Blake looked around scanning the room. Where was she? Had she left? Maybe she actually had-
Blake's eyes aligned on Crescent Rose and a red fur trimmed cloak.
Except for their first day as a team at Beacon, Blake couldn't remember a day where Ruby hadn't worn her cloak. Even if she was willing to abandon Crescent Rose for some reason, she wouldn't leave without her cloak.
Blake poked her head out the room, looking down the hall. Still nothing. Blake doubled back, grabbing Ruby's cloak as she looked at the clock in the corner. Seven in the morning. A bit earlier than she would normally wake up, but they could get some food.
Walking down the hall and into the common area, Blake made a beeline for the woman currently manning the desk.
Azeroth's relationship with technology confused Blake at times. You had people using old-fashioned ships, messaging birds, and equally old fashioned book binding methods, then you had mass produced weapons, robots, a tram in the Eastern Kingdoms, and nearly modern inns.
"Hello," the night elf smiled nervously, eyes flickering up at Blake's bow, "have we met? I don't remember meeting, but I'm not the best with faces, and I normally run the midnight shift anyways. Sorry, I'm rambling. Can I help you?"
"I'm looking for my friend," Blake said without missing a beat, "Ruby Rose."
"Can you give me a description? I don't get people's names very often."
What was with this girl?
"Short brown hair? Silver eyes?"
"Oh!" she looked relieved, "Yes. She's out back, by the pond. She's been there for the past couple of hours. Meditating, I think."
Meditating? Since when did Ruby meditate? Ren had tried to teach them at one point, and only Blake and Pyrrha had shown any interest. Ruby had left early on.
"I'll go find her," Blake turned, heading through the back exit.
A beautiful garden dominated the back of the inn. Heavy trees stretched above Blake's head, somehow growing strong despite Teldrassil nearly blotting out the sun above them. Shrubs lined the walkway from the door to the garden proper, before splitting off and forming a perimeter around it.
Blake walked further through the garden, stopping to examine some of the flowers. Her mother would have loved these.
That was Blake's single greatest regret now that she was stuck on another world, that she had never met with her parents after she broke away from the White Fang. That she might never get the chance to say she was sorry. Were they angry at her? Did they think she hated them?
Blake sighed, standing back up and heading towards the pond, at the same time other questions of Remnant bounded around her head.
Had Nora and Ren ever gotten together? What about Jaune and Pyrrha? How were Adam and Ilia? And what about Weiss and Yang? Had Ozpin allowed them to stay at Beacon, despite half the team going missing? And more importantly, if they did manage to get home, how would Blake be able to look Yang in the eye and say that Ruby had been a slave because of her?
Shaking her head, Blake focused on where Ruby was sitting in front of the pond. The younger girl, woman, Blake corrected herself, Ruby was a full grown woman now, had her legs folded under her, her head bowed as slow, rhythmic breaths came. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Beside her sat a pair of boots, like she had come out wearing them.
"Ruby?"
Nothing. Ruby didn't make any gesture to show that she had heard Blake.
Blake sighed, walking over to one of the chairs and sitting down. She should have brought a book.
---
Ruby's eyes snapped open at the shuffling noise, and she threw aside the furs she had been sleeping under, eyes locking onto the ghostly wolf at the foot of her bed.
"Really?" Ruby asked, "It's," she checked the clock, "five in the morning. This can't wait?"
The wolf turned, walking past the bed where a halo of black hair and a pair of furry ears were visible, before walking straight through the wall.
"Looks like we're doing this now," Ruby sighed, casting a longing look at her bed before she grabbed her combat boots and pulling them on. She also grabbed the necklace she kept her various totems on, putting it on as she went.
She exited the room, making sure that she wasn't too loud as she pulled the door shut, before turning to the wolf, which was impatiently pacing. As she turned to it, it promptly turned and continued to walk.
"You could at least tell me what's so important," Ruby grumbled as she followed it to the foyer.
The wolf went straight for a door in the back, passing right through the night elf currently carrying dishes. Ruby dodged around her, giving a polite smile as she followed the spirit animal out of the inn.
Eventually, the wolf walked over the pond, before turning and resting on its haunches.
"Alright," Ruby said, "you got me out here. What is it?"
The wolf pointed its paw at the shore of the pond. Ruby looked over to it, confusion mounting. Why did the Spirits have to be so confusing?
"You want me to stand there?"
The wolf shook its head, pointing again.
"You want me to meditate?" Ruby asked. There was only so many shaman-y things the wolf could want.
Sure enough, the wolf nodded.
"I don't have any incense," Ruby protested weakly, even as she took off her boots and folded her legs beneath her. While she didn't absolutely need some, it helped her get into the mindset needed to enter a trance.
The wolf merely cocked its head, and Ruby sighed, closing her eyes and settled her breath into a stable rhythm. She pictured a candle flame in front of her, like she was back with Drek'thar in the Valley of Wisdom.
It would help if she knew what she was supposed to be doing. Farseeing? Calling a soul from the Shadowlands? Conversing with the spirits?
Ruby continued breathing, shutting out everything around her. The animals rushing through the trees, the wolf prowling around her, the wind blowing through the garden. Focusing on the flame. Opening herself up, allowing herself to be carried far away.
Suddenly, Ruby was standing on a rocky outcrop. Looking out, Ruby saw two massive armies of elementals marching on each other. Flames blazed from one end of the battlefield, turning the night to day. A giant twisting vortex of fire towered over the lesser elementals, turning to a humanoid upper torso at the top, which held a massive cudgel in one hand.
Marching towards them as a tide of stone, from creatures as small as pebbles to one that were the size of mountains. Larger than even them was a rotund woman made of stone. She flicked her hand and the earth reshaped itself to divert a storm of fire.
This, a voice came from the Earth, is what it was like at the dawn of this world. The four Elemental Lords and their lessers waged endless wars, scouring all life from Azeroth while we focused on… larger matters, hidden deep within my womb. But then They came.
As if on cue, four stars blazed forth, falling in four corners.
On that day, everything changed.
Ruby staggered as she was suddenly displaced, before catching herself and focusing on the new area.
They were surrounded by ice and water for as far as the eye could see, leaving Ruby a perfect view of the massive water elemental struggling with equally massive tentacles covered in grinning maws as an army of bugs ran below them.
Their threat was so great, the waves carried the message, that the four Elemental Lords decided to forge a truce, least they be swallowed whole. However…
The elemental's trident made a massive sweeping gesture, crashing the tentacles through the ice and dragging the bugs to sea.
It was for not. Therazane was the first to fall, for They had rooted Themselves deeply within the earth that she controlled. Al'Akir was next, offering himself willingly, and with him, Ragnaros the Firelord. Neptulon fought valiantly, but in the end, even the Tidehunter was incapable of fighting forever.
More tentacles burst from the earth, knocked the trident from the elemental, before grabbing him tight and smashing him against the ice as more wrapped around him.
...but then another group came.
Ruby was displaced again, watching an army of metal and stone march on a massive city built around a mountain. Standing between them and the city was another elemental, wind this time. It and one of the stone men were throwing bolt after bolt of lightning at each other while mantis-like creatures fought with men with lion heads.
The Titans, they called themselves, Wind carried into her ear, and they had come to order our world, to force it to follow their patterns. Al'Akir stood between their creations and the strongest of the Old Ones. The battle they fought lasted for years that took minutes, and minutes that took millennia, for the Titan's Highfather, Aman'Thul, was a master of temporal magic. But it didn't matter, for all Al'Akir needed to do was hold them off. Or, that's what he had thought, the wind died suddenly.
A hand reached from the sky, easily grabbing the mountain at the heart of the city, and tearing it out of the earth.
Long, fleshy tendrils were slowly ripped out with it and Ruby realized that the mountain was a living creature. A shimmering purple liquid rushed to fill the hole in the earth. Al'Akir looked up in bewilderment, before taking off and flying away as quickly as possible, followed by the man he had been fighting.
Several of the stone giants rushed around the crater, yelling in another language as a second hand came down, gripping the still thrashing creature, yanked it the rest of the way out, and tore it to pieces. Pitch black ichor splattered onto the ground, and where each drop touched earth, black and white creatures grew to fight the remaining giant.
The Titans were afraid to harm Azeroth like that again, Wind picked back up to her, drawing her eyes to where a giant woman was pointing, giving orders to the smaller, lion headed ones, so they did not kill the other three intruders, instead dragging them close enough to death to shackle the creatures while they sealed the Elemental Lords away.
Ruby's feet sunk into sand suddenly. Before her stretched a great wall, disappearing beyond the horizon on either side.
What you would consider long ago, Fire scorched her mind, not taking any of the care the others had, when this whole world was Kalimdor, the Old Ones' servants took this prison, waiting for it to awaken. When it did, due to the meddling of the creatures that created the place where your physical form sits, the dragons were only capable of sealing it, for the guardians that should have come to help did not.
"But," Ruby broke her silence for the first time, "I don't get it? Why tell me this?"
The creature will break free soon, if something is not done. The 'Alliance' and 'Horde' are gathering supplies to launch an assault on it first. Champions from every nation on Azeroth will be there. Including you.
"But, if the Titans couldn't kill-"
Do not mistake 'would not' for 'could not', Fire cut her off, the corruption is weak, so we will burn it away now.
"What about Blake?" Ruby asked, "I- I just got her back. I don't want to leave her this quickly."
It took a moment for Fire to respond, and it came softer than normal, like a warm day, instead of a raging inferno, I did not say you had to leave her behind, young pup. Ask her to come with you. This need to be done, if it isn't, in front of her appeared five people, Jaina, Warchief, Crocbait, a blond haired boy that Ruby didn't recognize, and Blake, Your friends, flames consumed Jaina and Warchief, your family, the boy and Crocbait were eaten too, and everyone you love with be consumed or enslaved, Blake's expression slid off her face, her eyes becoming downcast as some sort of black and red flesh coiled around her.
Go, fight this war, and know the elements of Azeroth march with you.
"But, what if I'm not re-" before Ruby could finish the sentence, she was staring at the pitch blackness of her own eyes. Well, that was a way to make it clear this wasn't a negotiable part of their pact if Ruby had ever seen one.
Ruby stood up, ignoring the pins and needles in her legs, and turned around.
Blake was dozing in a chair… a bowless Blake was dozing in a chair.
"Oh boy," Ruby said tiredly under her breath, wondering if she could get a few more hours of sleep in, or if the Elemental Spirits (Fire, really) would complain next time they actually spoke.
An impulse that Ruby was too tired to interpret came from one of the Spirits.
Ruby bundled up Blake, deciding that if she was gonna get dragged into a war for them, the least they could do was allow her a few hours of extra sleep.
Another impulse, one that Ruby was going to interpret as agreement.
---
Crocbait walked into the valley, looking around at the many holy men gathered.
An orc and troll in furs pushed passed him, their head practically touching as they had a quiet, hurried argument under their breath as they rushed towards a colossal tent built on a island in a huge pond at the end of the valley. On either side of the valley were artificial streams carrying water from the lake and into Orgrimmar proper.
"I guess this meeting is really important?" he asked Rehgar. The orc merely grunted in response.
Rehgar looked exhausted, his face drawn. Whatever this was about had caused him to cancel training for the day.
"Rehgar!" the call was followed by a couple of Orcish words, and Rehgar stopped to allow a female tauren to catch up. Rehgar, if anything, looked more irritated at having to talk to her.
They stopped at a natural intersection, at which point Rehgar spoke in Common, "Druids are that way," he pointed to another collection of tents, "Light is that way," he pointed at a modest, half complete chapel, "good luck."
Crocbait was left standing alone as the other two continued toward the giant tent. After a moment to think, he went towards the chapel.
As he looked around, he couldn't notice how different it was from the few fragments of memory he had. Of a woman with flowing blond hair in a breathtaking dress holding a baby swaddled in blue as they walked up the steps to a cathedral. Who were they? His mother and brother? His wife and son?
There were a few orcs, goblins, and trolls standing around, but the majority of people were undead, heads bowed in quiet reverence.
One of them spotted Crocbait, making his way over. He was swathed in the white of the clergy, a rosary wrapped tight around his charred left hand, A line with two fragmented half circles dangling from it.
"Hello," the undead said softly, "I am Gallus Brightgrave, can I help you, my child?"
"Hello… Father?"
"That was the title I held in life, yes. Do you need assistance? We don't see many humans here, but the Church does not, should not, be blinded by such differences. Unfortunately, I cannot give too much, lest I be declared a traitor, but if you need an ear, or a place to stay, or even some food, I can supply that."
"I was hoping to speak to someone. I have amnesia, Father Brightgrave. I woke up on Kalimdor without any memories a week and a half ago."
"Truly?" Brightgrave stopped, "I apologize, that made it sound like I don't believe you. What is it you need from me? Spiritual guidance? Healing, perhaps? I'm far from adept at healing scars of the mind, but I have several colleagues here that are extremely skilled in it."
"Just to talk at the moment, I have fragments of memory, and I was hoping... I was hoping-"
"That I could help you put them together?"
"Yes."
"I can try. Come, talk with me while we walk. What would you say the oldest memory is, if you had to guess?"
"A city on fire, I was running through it with a woman and a man named Anduin, while the orcs sacked it-"
---
Shargresh walked into tent where the shaman of the Horde were congregating. Everyone had been plagued with nightmares of an unblinking eye and a burning need to go south.
Seated inside a ring of stones were several of the most powerful shaman of the Horde, and Shargresh quietly ran through them in his head as he took a seat near the back, where new shaman were being crowded.
Drek'thar, farseer of the Frostwolf clan, Rehgar Earthfury, gladiator master, Zur'ak Firefist of the Darkspears, Muln Earthfury, High Shaman of the Tauren, and Magatha Grimtotem, elder crone of her tribe.
"Rehgar," Magatha called lightly, "I've been meaning to ask, where's your apprentice?"
The silence that fell seemed unnaturally thick, and Shargresh's eyes scanned the next circle of shaman. There was one for each of the shaman in the circle except Rehgar.
"She isn't near Orgrimmar at the moment," Rehgar said, "but I will inform her of the decision we come to at the earliest possible time. Now, I take it you've all been having the dreams too?"
Everyone in the circle nodded grimly, as did Shargresh and a spattering of different shaman around the room. Then a long silence fell, the five merely staring into the fire in the center of the tent. It felt like everyone else was almost… out of place.
"Hamuul was advocating sending troops the same way," Muln said, "whatever this is, the Cenarion Circle is also worried about it."
"The Warchief is weighing his options too," Drek'thar added, "we should send some people, even if he doesn't formally decide to. It's what the elements want."
"And what of the ancestors?" a voice called out.
"They don't have anything to say," Rehgar grunted, "and why would they? If this is an Azerothian problem, what would spirits from Draenor know? What about you, Huln, Magatha, Zur'ak? Have your ancestors said anything?"
"No," Muln said.
"I haven't heard anything from them," Magatha seemed to shift uncomfortably.
"Da Loa have spoke ta me," Zur'ak said, "quiet whispers, gentle urges. Dat'll have ta do."
"And what do they say?" Drek'thar asked.
"I'll give ya a guess, like those humans are so fond o' doing."
"They want us south."
"Dey be scared, have ta be, if they're talking to me again," the witch doctor said, "Bwonsamdi hasn't spoken to any o' us since Zalazane took our home from us, angry dat da drums no longer play for him, dat da offerings don't come in when a Darkspear dies," the flames snapped and hissed, throwing the troll's face into shadows and for a moment, his voice seemed to drop several octaves, "it takes a lot to scare da god o' death, if he's willing ta break his silence, we should deal with it."
"Then let's vote," Muln said, "We should go."
"I agree," Drek'thar immediately added, "I might not be able to go myself, but we should send someone."
"I'll go," Zur'ak said, "along with any shaman here who wants ta come."
"Rehgar? Magatha?"
"I'll send Ruby," Rehgar grunted.
"And I'll send Jeven. When do you plan to leave?"
"As soon as possible, so anyone who plans to go should get any supplies and allies dey want now."
Shargresh slipped out, heading to find Duraro and Crom.
---
Blake sat down in the plush chair, practically feeling herself sink into it. The twenty three year old Faunus watched Ruby leave the room, before coming back with another chair.
They sat there for a few minutes, before Blake couldn't take it anymore and blurted the first thing that came to mind.
"I'm sorry."
'For what?" Ruby asked, her voice low.
"I- I thought you were dead," Blake said, "and I didn't try to find the orcs who did it. I didn't look for you. I should have done something."
"Anything else?"
"I know you're probably angry at me," Blake continued, "and you have every right to be. I really should have looked for you," the small part of Blake's mind that remained rational realized that she was repeating herself, "it must have been hell to find me, and I should have at least tried to look for you."
"Anything else?" Ruby repeated.
"What do you want me to say?" Blake hissed, anger starting to bubble up, "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were alive, or where the orcs were camped, and even if I did, attacking them would have just gotten me killed. Is that what you wanted?"
"No," Ruby shook her head, "I just wanted to make sure you got everything off your chest. You're bad enough when you've had a couple of days to let things build up in your head, I can't imagine how bad it would be after six years."
"...What?"
"I'm not angry at you Blake, I never was. We both knew that distracting the orcs without a weapon should have been a suicide mission, and I would have been angry to find out you had gotten yourself killed attacking them."
"Oh…" Blake sat there, feeling lost, "then… How did you survive? And where have you been the last six years? I waited for you for a month, before the last of the money from the bounty on that satyr ran out and I had to go looking for a new mark."
Bounty hunting had been the easy answer to their money problems, it didn't take much to transfer the skills they had gained through their one semester at Beacon (and Ruby's two years at Signal) from hunting Grimm to hunting various criminals. Orcs, trolls, humans, dwarves. From what Blake had gathered, Kalimdor was even less populated that the Eastern Kingdoms, and that meant every criminal with a bounty, a bit of money to spare, or the skill to sneak aboard a ship and stay hidden until the end of the voyage, was rushing away from the Eastern Kingdoms and to the new frontier. Then you had the people coming to Kalimdor to make an honest living, and needed things like satyrs, centaurs, murlocs, and quilboar eliminated.
"I spent the the last three years in Orgrimmar or trying to find you, and I spent the three years before that a slave to those orcs."
Blake felt her stomach plunge, staring at Ruby. A slave? Ruby had spent three years a slave because of her?
"Y-you what?" Blake asked, silently hoping she had heard wrong, or that Ruby was telling a bad joke.
---
"Blake-"
"A slave?!"
"Blake-"
"You were a slave!?"
"Blake, calm down-"
Blake leapt from her seat, starting to pace in complete defiance of the concept known as 'calming down'.
"I should have gone looking for you," Blake repeated for the fourth time in ten minutes, pacing back and forth with increasing speed, "I should have spent that money on mercenaries and hunted them down, I shou-"
"The Warsongs."
"What?" Blake asked, stopping her pacing to look at Ruby.
"The orcs," Ruby supplied helpfully, "they were an offshoot of the Warsong clan. Not part of the Horde, they broke off because Warchief choose to settle in Durotar."
"How do you-?" Blake suddenly cut herself off, looking around the room like she was checking for something, before leaning in, "Ruby, you said you had been living in Orgrimmar, right?" the cat faunus' ears were moving so much that it was causing her bow to move.
"Yeah," Ruby said, looking around to try and figure out what had Blake spooked.
Reaching out, Ruby asked the elements if they saw anything she was missing. An amused thrum that seared the mind from Fire, but little more, an unyielding certainty that there wasn't from Earth, Air stretched her senses, allowing her to hear a mouse hidden in the walls, to smell the mead and meats at the common room at the end of the hall, and Water sent a calm apology that it couldn't help more.
Ruby closed her eyes, thanking the spirits with a slightly bowed head, before opening her eyes to look at Blake. The faunus hadn't moved much, Ruby's communion having happened in seconds.
"You," Blake looked around again before dropping her voice lower, "you didn't join the Horde, did you?'
Oh, right, Alliance city.
Another rush of burning amusement from Fire. Ruby dutifully ignored it.
"No," Ruby said, "I didn't know where you were, or if you had joined the Alliance, so I wanted to be able to make a clean split if I needed to."
Blake looked shocked, "You didn't join the Horde… because of me?" a dusting of red appeared across her cheeks, "but, you have to have made some friends in Orgrimmar, right?"
"Not many," Ruby responded, "most orcs don't like humans," which reminded her… "by the way, when we make it home, I'm gonna help you with any Faunus rights projects you want to do, I've spent the last three years being treated as a second class citizen. It sucks, it really, really sucks."
"You're staying?" Blake asked, looking thunderstruck.
"Of course I am," Ruby said, "why wouldn't I? I didn't spend years looking for you so we could talk for a hour and split back up. Why?" apprehension filled the shamaness, "do you want me to-"
"No!" Blake said, "I just- you're really not angry with me?"
"Why would I be angry with you?" Ruby asked again, she really didn't get it, "we promised to stay together. I'm not breaking that promise. Come on, we should get some sleep, we've got a lot of catching up to do in the morning. You can use the spare bed," Ruby pointed to the bed that had both sets of linen sheets across it, "I paid for this room for a month, I didn't expect to find you this quick, so we have time to plan things ou-" Ruby's eyes landed on the red box next to Blake's chair, mind finally registering it's existence, "Crescent!"
Surprisingly, there wasn't the impulse from Fire that normally accompanied Ruby taking a while to notice something.
"Oh," Blake grabbed it, handing it over, "Yeah. I've been taking care of her, just in case, you know, or if a bounty required a bigger round than what Gambol Shroud can use. It's not easily getting bullets from her, but it shouldn't be-"
Ruby threw her arms around Blake, squeezing tight.
"Ahk!" Blake struggled, "how are you so strong?"
"Learned hand to hand, and restarted the routine I did to get enough strength to pick up Cress in the first place. She's not light."
---
Valeera groaned at the line for food, wrapping an arm around to bruises forming on her upper abdomen. The arena's cafeteria was first come, first serve, and it wasn't looking like Team V (if nobody was giving them a name, she was doing it herself!) was going to be eating today. Except Crocbait. Since he wasn't a slave, he could just leave and go get food somewhere else. Lucky bastard.
How the hell was this 'keeping them well fed'? They weren't-
"Girl," at that, Valeera looked over to where her owner was gesturing for her to come over, "Come on. Now."
Valeera did, following him out of the room with a baleful look backwards. Looks like there was no chance of them eating today.
As the trio of gladiator trainees followed Rehgar through the halls, Valeera finally voiced a question that had bugged her over the past couple of days.
"Where's Ruby?" Valeera hadn't seen the human since their first day in Orgrimmar, though Valeera thought that might be because she didn't have much stomach for slavery.
"On a trip," Rehgar grunted in Common. After his sales pitch to Crocbait, the orc had swiftly tapered off the amount of Common he used, using a translator when possible, and as few words as needed when it wasn't. Valeera wasn't sure if he used more when Crocbait and him left, and didn't really care, "She'll be back before Dire Maul. Come on, I want to eat."
Oh, now he was just rubbing it in! Valeera stewed in quiet rage as they walked towards a door guarded by two ogres and a goblin sitting at a desk.
A quick discussion in Orcish (she guessed) and the goblin stood up, grabbing three metal rings from the desk, before another barked order from Rehgar had him put one back.
The goblin walked over to Broll, pulling the ring apart and clamping it onto his leg, before doing the same to Valeera.
"Right," the goblin said, "these are simple. You try to leave Orgrimmar, they shock you, if you aren't back by nine, they shock you. If you try to make a run for it, you'll run into one of those two and they'll shock you. Capiche?"
"Uh," Valeera said, "what?"
"Understand?"
"Yeah?" Valeera said.
"Alright," he turned to Rehgar, saying something in Orcish, before opening the door.
Valeera blinked as they stepped out into Orgrimmar, the setting sun casting long shadows through the valley.
"What are we doing?" Valeera asked, following Rehgar.
"Eating," he said, "you need food. I need you in top condition for Dire Maul, and that means keeping you fed."
"Thanks?" Valeera said, feeling confused. He was giving them food?
"I don't want your thanks. I'm only doing this because if you don't win, I don't get paid, and then I'll be the one not eating. Come on, let's get that food."
---
Blake's eyes flickered open, and she jerked up, grabbing Gambol Shroud from where it leaned next to her bed.
Where was she? What was- Ruby! Blake looked around scanning the room. Where was she? Had she left? Maybe she actually had-
Blake's eyes aligned on Crescent Rose and a red fur trimmed cloak.
Except for their first day as a team at Beacon, Blake couldn't remember a day where Ruby hadn't worn her cloak. Even if she was willing to abandon Crescent Rose for some reason, she wouldn't leave without her cloak.
Blake poked her head out the room, looking down the hall. Still nothing. Blake doubled back, grabbing Ruby's cloak as she looked at the clock in the corner. Seven in the morning. A bit earlier than she would normally wake up, but they could get some food.
Walking down the hall and into the common area, Blake made a beeline for the woman currently manning the desk.
Azeroth's relationship with technology confused Blake at times. You had people using old-fashioned ships, messaging birds, and equally old fashioned book binding methods, then you had mass produced weapons, robots, a tram in the Eastern Kingdoms, and nearly modern inns.
"Hello," the night elf smiled nervously, eyes flickering up at Blake's bow, "have we met? I don't remember meeting, but I'm not the best with faces, and I normally run the midnight shift anyways. Sorry, I'm rambling. Can I help you?"
"I'm looking for my friend," Blake said without missing a beat, "Ruby Rose."
"Can you give me a description? I don't get people's names very often."
What was with this girl?
"Short brown hair? Silver eyes?"
"Oh!" she looked relieved, "Yes. She's out back, by the pond. She's been there for the past couple of hours. Meditating, I think."
Meditating? Since when did Ruby meditate? Ren had tried to teach them at one point, and only Blake and Pyrrha had shown any interest. Ruby had left early on.
"I'll go find her," Blake turned, heading through the back exit.
A beautiful garden dominated the back of the inn. Heavy trees stretched above Blake's head, somehow growing strong despite Teldrassil nearly blotting out the sun above them. Shrubs lined the walkway from the door to the garden proper, before splitting off and forming a perimeter around it.
Blake walked further through the garden, stopping to examine some of the flowers. Her mother would have loved these.
That was Blake's single greatest regret now that she was stuck on another world, that she had never met with her parents after she broke away from the White Fang. That she might never get the chance to say she was sorry. Were they angry at her? Did they think she hated them?
Blake sighed, standing back up and heading towards the pond, at the same time other questions of Remnant bounded around her head.
Had Nora and Ren ever gotten together? What about Jaune and Pyrrha? How were Adam and Ilia? And what about Weiss and Yang? Had Ozpin allowed them to stay at Beacon, despite half the team going missing? And more importantly, if they did manage to get home, how would Blake be able to look Yang in the eye and say that Ruby had been a slave because of her?
Shaking her head, Blake focused on where Ruby was sitting in front of the pond. The younger girl, woman, Blake corrected herself, Ruby was a full grown woman now, had her legs folded under her, her head bowed as slow, rhythmic breaths came. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Beside her sat a pair of boots, like she had come out wearing them.
"Ruby?"
Nothing. Ruby didn't make any gesture to show that she had heard Blake.
Blake sighed, walking over to one of the chairs and sitting down. She should have brought a book.
---
Ruby's eyes snapped open at the shuffling noise, and she threw aside the furs she had been sleeping under, eyes locking onto the ghostly wolf at the foot of her bed.
"Really?" Ruby asked, "It's," she checked the clock, "five in the morning. This can't wait?"
The wolf turned, walking past the bed where a halo of black hair and a pair of furry ears were visible, before walking straight through the wall.
"Looks like we're doing this now," Ruby sighed, casting a longing look at her bed before she grabbed her combat boots and pulling them on. She also grabbed the necklace she kept her various totems on, putting it on as she went.
She exited the room, making sure that she wasn't too loud as she pulled the door shut, before turning to the wolf, which was impatiently pacing. As she turned to it, it promptly turned and continued to walk.
"You could at least tell me what's so important," Ruby grumbled as she followed it to the foyer.
The wolf went straight for a door in the back, passing right through the night elf currently carrying dishes. Ruby dodged around her, giving a polite smile as she followed the spirit animal out of the inn.
Eventually, the wolf walked over the pond, before turning and resting on its haunches.
"Alright," Ruby said, "you got me out here. What is it?"
The wolf pointed its paw at the shore of the pond. Ruby looked over to it, confusion mounting. Why did the Spirits have to be so confusing?
"You want me to stand there?"
The wolf shook its head, pointing again.
"You want me to meditate?" Ruby asked. There was only so many shaman-y things the wolf could want.
Sure enough, the wolf nodded.
"I don't have any incense," Ruby protested weakly, even as she took off her boots and folded her legs beneath her. While she didn't absolutely need some, it helped her get into the mindset needed to enter a trance.
The wolf merely cocked its head, and Ruby sighed, closing her eyes and settled her breath into a stable rhythm. She pictured a candle flame in front of her, like she was back with Drek'thar in the Valley of Wisdom.
It would help if she knew what she was supposed to be doing. Farseeing? Calling a soul from the Shadowlands? Conversing with the spirits?
Ruby continued breathing, shutting out everything around her. The animals rushing through the trees, the wolf prowling around her, the wind blowing through the garden. Focusing on the flame. Opening herself up, allowing herself to be carried far away.
Suddenly, Ruby was standing on a rocky outcrop. Looking out, Ruby saw two massive armies of elementals marching on each other. Flames blazed from one end of the battlefield, turning the night to day. A giant twisting vortex of fire towered over the lesser elementals, turning to a humanoid upper torso at the top, which held a massive cudgel in one hand.
Marching towards them as a tide of stone, from creatures as small as pebbles to one that were the size of mountains. Larger than even them was a rotund woman made of stone. She flicked her hand and the earth reshaped itself to divert a storm of fire.
This, a voice came from the Earth, is what it was like at the dawn of this world. The four Elemental Lords and their lessers waged endless wars, scouring all life from Azeroth while we focused on… larger matters, hidden deep within my womb. But then They came.
As if on cue, four stars blazed forth, falling in four corners.
On that day, everything changed.
Ruby staggered as she was suddenly displaced, before catching herself and focusing on the new area.
They were surrounded by ice and water for as far as the eye could see, leaving Ruby a perfect view of the massive water elemental struggling with equally massive tentacles covered in grinning maws as an army of bugs ran below them.
Their threat was so great, the waves carried the message, that the four Elemental Lords decided to forge a truce, least they be swallowed whole. However…
The elemental's trident made a massive sweeping gesture, crashing the tentacles through the ice and dragging the bugs to sea.
It was for not. Therazane was the first to fall, for They had rooted Themselves deeply within the earth that she controlled. Al'Akir was next, offering himself willingly, and with him, Ragnaros the Firelord. Neptulon fought valiantly, but in the end, even the Tidehunter was incapable of fighting forever.
More tentacles burst from the earth, knocked the trident from the elemental, before grabbing him tight and smashing him against the ice as more wrapped around him.
...but then another group came.
Ruby was displaced again, watching an army of metal and stone march on a massive city built around a mountain. Standing between them and the city was another elemental, wind this time. It and one of the stone men were throwing bolt after bolt of lightning at each other while mantis-like creatures fought with men with lion heads.
The Titans, they called themselves, Wind carried into her ear, and they had come to order our world, to force it to follow their patterns. Al'Akir stood between their creations and the strongest of the Old Ones. The battle they fought lasted for years that took minutes, and minutes that took millennia, for the Titan's Highfather, Aman'Thul, was a master of temporal magic. But it didn't matter, for all Al'Akir needed to do was hold them off. Or, that's what he had thought, the wind died suddenly.
A hand reached from the sky, easily grabbing the mountain at the heart of the city, and tearing it out of the earth.
Long, fleshy tendrils were slowly ripped out with it and Ruby realized that the mountain was a living creature. A shimmering purple liquid rushed to fill the hole in the earth. Al'Akir looked up in bewilderment, before taking off and flying away as quickly as possible, followed by the man he had been fighting.
Several of the stone giants rushed around the crater, yelling in another language as a second hand came down, gripping the still thrashing creature, yanked it the rest of the way out, and tore it to pieces. Pitch black ichor splattered onto the ground, and where each drop touched earth, black and white creatures grew to fight the remaining giant.
The Titans were afraid to harm Azeroth like that again, Wind picked back up to her, drawing her eyes to where a giant woman was pointing, giving orders to the smaller, lion headed ones, so they did not kill the other three intruders, instead dragging them close enough to death to shackle the creatures while they sealed the Elemental Lords away.
Ruby's feet sunk into sand suddenly. Before her stretched a great wall, disappearing beyond the horizon on either side.
What you would consider long ago, Fire scorched her mind, not taking any of the care the others had, when this whole world was Kalimdor, the Old Ones' servants took this prison, waiting for it to awaken. When it did, due to the meddling of the creatures that created the place where your physical form sits, the dragons were only capable of sealing it, for the guardians that should have come to help did not.
"But," Ruby broke her silence for the first time, "I don't get it? Why tell me this?"
The creature will break free soon, if something is not done. The 'Alliance' and 'Horde' are gathering supplies to launch an assault on it first. Champions from every nation on Azeroth will be there. Including you.
"But, if the Titans couldn't kill-"
Do not mistake 'would not' for 'could not', Fire cut her off, the corruption is weak, so we will burn it away now.
"What about Blake?" Ruby asked, "I- I just got her back. I don't want to leave her this quickly."
It took a moment for Fire to respond, and it came softer than normal, like a warm day, instead of a raging inferno, I did not say you had to leave her behind, young pup. Ask her to come with you. This need to be done, if it isn't, in front of her appeared five people, Jaina, Warchief, Crocbait, a blond haired boy that Ruby didn't recognize, and Blake, Your friends, flames consumed Jaina and Warchief, your family, the boy and Crocbait were eaten too, and everyone you love with be consumed or enslaved, Blake's expression slid off her face, her eyes becoming downcast as some sort of black and red flesh coiled around her.
Go, fight this war, and know the elements of Azeroth march with you.
"But, what if I'm not re-" before Ruby could finish the sentence, she was staring at the pitch blackness of her own eyes. Well, that was a way to make it clear this wasn't a negotiable part of their pact if Ruby had ever seen one.
Ruby stood up, ignoring the pins and needles in her legs, and turned around.
Blake was dozing in a chair… a bowless Blake was dozing in a chair.
"Oh boy," Ruby said tiredly under her breath, wondering if she could get a few more hours of sleep in, or if the Elemental Spirits (Fire, really) would complain next time they actually spoke.
An impulse that Ruby was too tired to interpret came from one of the Spirits.
Ruby bundled up Blake, deciding that if she was gonna get dragged into a war for them, the least they could do was allow her a few hours of extra sleep.
Another impulse, one that Ruby was going to interpret as agreement.
---
Crocbait walked into the valley, looking around at the many holy men gathered.
An orc and troll in furs pushed passed him, their head practically touching as they had a quiet, hurried argument under their breath as they rushed towards a colossal tent built on a island in a huge pond at the end of the valley. On either side of the valley were artificial streams carrying water from the lake and into Orgrimmar proper.
"I guess this meeting is really important?" he asked Rehgar. The orc merely grunted in response.
Rehgar looked exhausted, his face drawn. Whatever this was about had caused him to cancel training for the day.
"Rehgar!" the call was followed by a couple of Orcish words, and Rehgar stopped to allow a female tauren to catch up. Rehgar, if anything, looked more irritated at having to talk to her.
They stopped at a natural intersection, at which point Rehgar spoke in Common, "Druids are that way," he pointed to another collection of tents, "Light is that way," he pointed at a modest, half complete chapel, "good luck."
Crocbait was left standing alone as the other two continued toward the giant tent. After a moment to think, he went towards the chapel.
As he looked around, he couldn't notice how different it was from the few fragments of memory he had. Of a woman with flowing blond hair in a breathtaking dress holding a baby swaddled in blue as they walked up the steps to a cathedral. Who were they? His mother and brother? His wife and son?
There were a few orcs, goblins, and trolls standing around, but the majority of people were undead, heads bowed in quiet reverence.
One of them spotted Crocbait, making his way over. He was swathed in the white of the clergy, a rosary wrapped tight around his charred left hand, A line with two fragmented half circles dangling from it.
"Hello," the undead said softly, "I am Gallus Brightgrave, can I help you, my child?"
"Hello… Father?"
"That was the title I held in life, yes. Do you need assistance? We don't see many humans here, but the Church does not, should not, be blinded by such differences. Unfortunately, I cannot give too much, lest I be declared a traitor, but if you need an ear, or a place to stay, or even some food, I can supply that."
"I was hoping to speak to someone. I have amnesia, Father Brightgrave. I woke up on Kalimdor without any memories a week and a half ago."
"Truly?" Brightgrave stopped, "I apologize, that made it sound like I don't believe you. What is it you need from me? Spiritual guidance? Healing, perhaps? I'm far from adept at healing scars of the mind, but I have several colleagues here that are extremely skilled in it."
"Just to talk at the moment, I have fragments of memory, and I was hoping... I was hoping-"
"That I could help you put them together?"
"Yes."
"I can try. Come, talk with me while we walk. What would you say the oldest memory is, if you had to guess?"
"A city on fire, I was running through it with a woman and a man named Anduin, while the orcs sacked it-"
---
Shargresh walked into tent where the shaman of the Horde were congregating. Everyone had been plagued with nightmares of an unblinking eye and a burning need to go south.
Seated inside a ring of stones were several of the most powerful shaman of the Horde, and Shargresh quietly ran through them in his head as he took a seat near the back, where new shaman were being crowded.
Drek'thar, farseer of the Frostwolf clan, Rehgar Earthfury, gladiator master, Zur'ak Firefist of the Darkspears, Muln Earthfury, High Shaman of the Tauren, and Magatha Grimtotem, elder crone of her tribe.
"Rehgar," Magatha called lightly, "I've been meaning to ask, where's your apprentice?"
The silence that fell seemed unnaturally thick, and Shargresh's eyes scanned the next circle of shaman. There was one for each of the shaman in the circle except Rehgar.
"She isn't near Orgrimmar at the moment," Rehgar said, "but I will inform her of the decision we come to at the earliest possible time. Now, I take it you've all been having the dreams too?"
Everyone in the circle nodded grimly, as did Shargresh and a spattering of different shaman around the room. Then a long silence fell, the five merely staring into the fire in the center of the tent. It felt like everyone else was almost… out of place.
"Hamuul was advocating sending troops the same way," Muln said, "whatever this is, the Cenarion Circle is also worried about it."
"The Warchief is weighing his options too," Drek'thar added, "we should send some people, even if he doesn't formally decide to. It's what the elements want."
"And what of the ancestors?" a voice called out.
"They don't have anything to say," Rehgar grunted, "and why would they? If this is an Azerothian problem, what would spirits from Draenor know? What about you, Huln, Magatha, Zur'ak? Have your ancestors said anything?"
"No," Muln said.
"I haven't heard anything from them," Magatha seemed to shift uncomfortably.
"Da Loa have spoke ta me," Zur'ak said, "quiet whispers, gentle urges. Dat'll have ta do."
"And what do they say?" Drek'thar asked.
"I'll give ya a guess, like those humans are so fond o' doing."
"They want us south."
"Dey be scared, have ta be, if they're talking to me again," the witch doctor said, "Bwonsamdi hasn't spoken to any o' us since Zalazane took our home from us, angry dat da drums no longer play for him, dat da offerings don't come in when a Darkspear dies," the flames snapped and hissed, throwing the troll's face into shadows and for a moment, his voice seemed to drop several octaves, "it takes a lot to scare da god o' death, if he's willing ta break his silence, we should deal with it."
"Then let's vote," Muln said, "We should go."
"I agree," Drek'thar immediately added, "I might not be able to go myself, but we should send someone."
"I'll go," Zur'ak said, "along with any shaman here who wants ta come."
"Rehgar? Magatha?"
"I'll send Ruby," Rehgar grunted.
"And I'll send Jeven. When do you plan to leave?"
"As soon as possible, so anyone who plans to go should get any supplies and allies dey want now."
Shargresh slipped out, heading to find Duraro and Crom.
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Chapter 3
ThatOnePsycho
Tilting his Vanes and Ennobling His Spires
"What do you mean, you got sent back to the Valley of Trials while I was away!? What did you do?"
"Some pinkskin was trying to meet the Warchief," Crom growled, sharpening an axe, "I tried to stop her. You know, my job."
He was a Kor'kron guard! It was his job to protect the Warchief, not let every pinkskin saying they had a message in. What if that 'message' was an assassination attempt? It had happened at least once, with that Proudmoore admiral.
"So why are you back here?"
"Turns out her and the Warchief knew each other," Crom dropped the axe, grabbing another and continuing his work. Frang hadn't been remotely happy to see them back, and had assigned both of the brothers to menial tasks as punishment for 'dishonoring him'. For Crom that meant sharpening all the weapons within the valley, and for Duraro that meant acting as a training dummy for the new recruits to practice moves against, "how was I supposed to know that?"
"Did you… check? There have to have been other guards, wouldn't one of them have known?"
"Why should I of? I wasn't told that I was supposed to buy into every pinkskin saying that they knew Rehgar Earthfury-"
"You tried to stop Ruby Rose from meeting the Warchief?"
Crom stopped his sharpening, looking up at Shargresh, "You know her? I didn't think you talked to pinkskins."
"I don't know her, but an orc taking a human as their apprentice is enough to get some odd looks."
"It's damn treason, is what it is," Crom returned to his work, drawing his whetstone against the axehead, "why let a pinkskin into Orgrimmar, after everything they did to us?"
"Why didn't they put our parents to the sword after everything they did to the humans, elves, and dwarves during the First and Second Wars?" Shargresh asked darkly, "And the draenei before them?"
"That's different," Crom waved him off, "they were tricked by the Burning Legion. The humans knew what they were doing when they enslaved us. Why are you here? Shouldn't you be learning stories or something?"
"There's something happening in the south," Shargresh looked around, before leaning in, "I'm going, and I was hoping you and Duraro would come with me. I have a bad feeling about this, like this could end badly."
"I'd rather focusing on getting out of this damn vall-"
"One of the people who want us out there is the Warchief's shamanic teacher, Drek'thar," Shargresh continued, "we might be able to convince him that you deserve something as a reward for helping the elements. Come on, please?"
Crom looked over at where Frang was watching a pair of warriors fight, before looking at Duraro. They could regain their honor, prove that they were deserving of the title Kor'kron, and that everyone who was challenging their honor was wrong.
"Ok," Crom grabbed an axe, "but we'll need to sneak out."
---
"Girl," Jaina looked up from her book at Aegwynn's call, the former Guardian looking slightly irate, "That medicine woman you're friends with is back."
Ruby was back already? She wasn't the type to give up easily, which meant… "Is there someone else with her, by any chance?" ...she had either found Blake, or found something that convinced her she wasn't going to find Blake.
"A girl with black hair and a bow," Aegwynn said almost carelessly, "should I let them in?"
"Yes. And could you ask the kitchens to send up some chocolate chip cookies and tea?" it would be best to keep Aegwynn and Ruby away from each other, since the shaman's almost unwavering optimism often got on Aegwynn's nerves.
Aegwynn apparently agreed, since she didn't complain, merely walking out of the room.
After a half a minute, two young woman walked into the solar.
One was Ruby Rose, obviously, and the other was someone Jaina had never met, but had certainly heard about.
Waist length black hair with a bow on top, a pair of black pants tucked into equally black boots that reached her thighs, a black shirt covering her breasts but left her midriff exposed, and a white long coat over that.
Well, that fit every description of Blake Belladonna Jaina had heard.
"Jaina!" Ruby was practically vibrating, "I found Blake!"
"I can see that," Jaina stood from her spot, making her way around the desk, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
"Uh," Blake looked slightly taken aback, before bowing, "Yes. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Proudmoore."
"There's no need to be so formal," Jaina said, "I've been friends with Ruby for a couple of years now, and she often spoke of you, Blake," Jaina moved towards the seats around her fireplace, "I've already sent for refreshments."
"What were you doing?" Ruby asked, picking up the book Jaina had been studying, ignoring the elbow jab Blake tried to, Jaina assumed, discreetly sneak in.
"Oh," Jaina waved it off, "it's just a book on banishment spells. There's been an explosion of fire elementals in the Eastern Kingdoms, you wouldn't have heard anything, would you? This is your area of expertise, after all."
"Huh?" Blake's head swiveled between them, "what do you mean?"
"I'm a shaman now," Ruby said carelessly, studying the book, "uh... no, I don't think-" Ruby stopped, grabbing one of the totems from around her neck, "but I think I know where we can find out-"
"Wait," Blake cut Ruby off, "you're a shaman? Since when did you become a shaman, and why didn't you tell me?"
"I was trying to figure out a good way to say it! What was I supposed to do? Just look at you and say 'Hey Blake, it's good to see you after six years! Guess what? I talk with the elements now!' I couldn't figure out how to explain it."
"But you were going to tell me?" Blake asked.
"Of course I was!" Ruby pouted, "I didn't find you just to keep a major part of my life secret. I'm really sorry, I should have mentioned it earlier."
"It's fine," Blake said, looking mollified, "what were you going to do?"
"Oh!" Ruby threw the totem down, and a small fire elemental burst from it. Ruby crouched down, a series of crackling noises coming from her throat. After a moment, she stood up.
"They, uh…" Ruby looked embarrassed, "they don't know… sorry. Probably shouldn't have assumed every fire elemental knew what every other one was doing. I do know a couple of banishment rituals, if you need it."
"It's alright," Jaina said, "thank you for trying. What are you two doing down here, if you don't mind me asking?"
"We're, uh, we're going south," Ruby looked worried, "there's something down that way. I was hoping maybe you could help us? Like," Ruby waved her hands around, "I understand you can't leave Theramore alone, but maybe some men, or even a couple of gryphons so we can get there faster?"
Jaina felt her brow fold in on itself, "That's strange?"
"What?"
"Tyrande just sent some of her men the same way," Jaina's eyes drifted out the window, what was happening there? "I can't send any soldiers away at the moment, one of the goblin cartels is trying to set up a town nearby, and a black dragon recently made its lair a bit too close to Theramore for my comfort. I had actually been planning to try to hire Bloodeye and you to deal with it. Do you think he would be open to- Ruby, what's wrong?"
Ruby's face had crumbled into a pained look.
"Bloodeye's dead," Ruby said quietly.
"Oh," Jaina stood up, walking towards Ruby, "what happened?"
"An orc poisoned him for killing her mate in the arena," Ruby turned away, busying herself with one of Jaina's books, "he managed to kill her before he went down."
"I'm," Jaina paused, she hadn't known the orc gladiator well at all, "I'm sorry. I know he was your friend."
"It's fine," Ruby said in a tone of voice that made it clear it was anything but, "can you at least spare us some gryphons?"
"You should stay the night, if only so the food the cooks are making doesn't go to waste, but then I can spare a gryphon, yes. And I'll write to Dalaran to see if they can't spare any men."
"Ok," Ruby said quietly.
---
Rehgar leaned on the barrier, watching his gladiators practice in the arena below.
Valeera was given the simplest job, being left with a series of puzzles to struggle with in an attempt to build her wit to a point Rehgar was content with. She wasn't half bad for someone who was self trained, but compared to some of the others Rehgar had seen, had killed, during his times in the pits, she was lacking. The ogres of Gordunni would smash her flat in seconds if they could get their hands on her, and they didn't have enough time to train her to soak up a blow from one, so that left outwitting them. Which Rehgar trusted her to be able to do, most intelligent ogres had died in the interim years between the Second and Third Wars, and the Gordunni certainly weren't deserving of the title.
He wasn't as confident about breaking Broll's anger, however. While each day saw Valeera solve the new puzzles slightly faster, Broll wasn't as successful in mastering his rage… though Rehgar supposed it had its uses.
Then there was Crocbait…
The human was dodging around a series of massive bludgeons with dulled spikes, almost carelessly ducking under one to dodge another, before pivoting on his foot and allowing another sail passed.
He was trained. Actually trained, to a level that reached Rehgar's standards. There was none of the flaws that came with figuring out how to fight on his own… at least, when it came to dodging there wasn't.
Rehgar looked over at the goblin, nodding at him to turn off the machine.
"Alright, Crocbait!" He barked in Common, "do you know what's important about today?"
He shook his head.
"We are four months to the day from when we for Dire Maul. I want to see what you can do on your own," Rehgar switched to Orcish, "Hyku! Get in here!"
The blademaster walked in, looking around with a toothy grin, "a pinkskin and a pair of elves? Why not give me a challenge, Rehgar?"
"Just the human then," Rehgar said. At this point, Broll and Valeera would just get in Crocbait's way.
"You really are growing rusty," Hyku laughed, "maybe it wasn't Bloodeye's slip up after all?"
Rehgar tightened his hand under the gauntlet. That piece of shit…
"Crocbait," Rehgar barked, "draw your weapon."
The human drew the sword from his back, staring down Hyku. The orc raised his swords, his grin spreading wider.
Rehgar launched a bolt of lightning into the air, causing both of the gladiators to launch themselves forward.
Hyku swung one sword at Crocbait's throat, only for the human to slide under his legs, swinging his sword up as he went.
Rehgar let a grin spread as Hyku yelped, spinning to block a full force thrust from Crocbait as the other teams in the arena turned to watch the fight.
"I heard you don't know your name, Pinkskin," Hyku ground out in Common as he forced Crocbait's arms up, "that's lucky, they won't have to tell your next-of-kin-"
Crocbait lunged forward, letting go of the blade so he could grab onto Hyku's arm and vault over it. Rehgar followed his eyes to the… clever.
Crocbait's hand wrapped around a pair of knives, spinning around and throwing them both at Hyku's head.
Hyku batted them aside, the sparks igniting the blazeoil coating the blades. As the flames rolled up the blades, Rehgar caught a brief glimmer of fear in Crocbait's eyes, before they hardened as he grabbed an axe and cudgel.
"I might not know my family's name," Crocbait said, "but it isn't that bad. I doubt yours can spell your name-"
Crocbait ducked, before crashing the cudgel into Hyku's head, dropping it and grabbing the sword he had dropped beforehand.
"I'm going to skin you, Pinksk-" Hyku stopped talking as the blade suddenly sheathed itself inside of him, one of his blades falling as he came up to touch the blade, "Rehgar, call him off... " Hyku looked up, fear in his eyes, "Rehgar?"
"You insulted me, Hyku, and I can ignore that, but implying that Bloodeye was anything less than the best gladiator to grace the halls of the Ring of Valor? Well, I guess you're getting rusty," Rehgar switched to Common, "Go ahead, Crocbait."
"Rehg-" Hyku was cut off as the axe lodged itself in his throat, and as Rehgar watched him choke on his own blood, he grinned wider.
"Those blades are yours now, Crocbait. You two," he called to Broll and Valeera, "you have an hour's break, I'm feeling kind today," probably not the right word, "I'll be back then, understand?"
Rehgar didn't check to see if they nodded, walking away to pen that letter to Ruby. Hopefully Drek'thar would know how to get it to her.
---
Weiss grunted as she ground up some more of the green tinged crystals, a spike of irritation erupting as several strands of matted white hair fell across her vision.
She should just cut it… both her and Yang should cut it (as much as Weiss was aware that the blonde brawler would treat the suggestion as sacrilege) but she was still holding onto the hope that someone civilized would find them. After the last six months, she would even take a group of White Fang faunus over the few settlements they had seen from a distance. Who lived in fortresses like that anymore? And the villages they had seen in the mountains a month and a half ago had left her even more suspicious, looking like what you could expect a bandit tribe to hide in.
Where were they? Weiss was humble enough to acknowledge that geography had never been her strongest subject, but she couldn't recall anywhere on Remnant that had a mountain range, the swamp they briefly passed through, and the rocky, red desert beyond the small cave they were currently hiding in. It couldn't be-
Weiss jumped as the stone caved in with an explosion of green sparks, throwing the mortar and pestle to the ground.
And what type of Dust was this? She had found it embedded in the ground in the green liquid to the west (at least, she thought it was west) of them. Near the colossal bones. What type of monster left bones that big?
The heiress grabbed the bowl up, resuming the slow process of grinding the Dust. Hopefully it would be good for propulsion, Yang was down to half a belt of shells, and-
Weiss's eyes trailed to the sword next to her, balefully taking in the five empty chambers and the quarter inch of Dust in the last.
-Myrtenaster was looking even worse. She had enough for one augmented glyph, then she would be out.
She supposed they were lucky they hadn't run out earlier, both had used their Dust wantonly in the first month, certain that rescue was days away.
Weiss grabbed Myrtenaster, flicking open the revolver mechanism, and poured the Dust into one of the empty chambers, before checking how much there was.
…
Not enough? There's other ways to control the Fel.
...
You'd be quite adept at them.
...That wasn't enough to empower one glyph.
Weiss cast Myrtenaster aside with a sigh, standing up and making her way towards the entrance of the cave as Yang crept inside, looking excited.
"What?"
"Come outside real quick, I've got something to show you."
Weiss followed her teammate outside, where she pointed into the distance. Squinting, Weiss tried to find what she was loo-
"Lights!" Weiss felt a glimmer of hope, "Those are lights!"
"Yeah!" Yang grinned, "looks like we found a city! We should go in the morni-"
"Now," Weiss cut her off, "we should head out now," Weiss grabbed Myrtenaster, "that way we can rest when it gets hot out and-"
"And what?" A deep, guttural voice asked.
Weiss and Yang turned, stopping in horror.
Thats… That's more than I would say for a first demon, but it could be worse…
"Weiss," Yang said as she deployed Ember Celica, "do you ever get the feeling that we might not be on Remnant anymore?"
Standing across from them was a tall creature with blue skin and corded muscles, in one hand was a massive sword with a curved blade of green metal, in the other a shivering creature with tentacles around his mouth and three fingers on each hand.
The smaller creature spoke, before they were dropped, a red crystal orb being dropped into their hands.
You want Fel? That crystal has all the Fel you'll need for a while, and it can empower a binding spell.
The other creature charged at them with a roar.
---
Yang dodged under the blade, launching into an uppercut as it passed over her head. While Biggs's head was snapped up, her right gauntlet gave a telling click.
Yeah, she knew it was empty, telling her didn't mean she had any extra ammo to give it.
"Nice try, human," Biggs laughed, punching out for Yang with his free hand. Yang stepped into the blow, feeling her Semblence roar to life as she crashed into the wall next to Ugly.
Yang bunched her legs, feeling her muscles tighten before she launched herself across the gap again.
Biggs swatted her with the flat of his sword… Hard.
Yang flew past Weiss, biting her cheek as she collided with the back wall of the cave.
"Is that the best you two have?" Biggs laughed, "I've faced children who fought harder than you. Hid better too! You didn't even hide your tracks-"
"Yang," Weiss said, "go ahead."
What-? Oh…
"Go ahe-?" before Biggs could finish, Yang launched herself at him again, drawing her left arm back.
Biggs threw up his blade, letting the metal soak up the blow. As Yang's fist struck the sword, Ember Celica went off with a loud bang.
Yang grabbed Biggs's sword arm as she flew back, forcing him to embed the sword into the stone wall above Ugly's head. The tentacled guy yelped, crawling his way back while clinging to the gem in his hand.
"Weiss!" Yang called, ramming her right hand into Biggs's ribs over and over again, ignoring the clicks as she used her other hand to keep Bigg's sword pinned to the wall, "...Weiss?"
Yang turned slightly, so she could she her white haired teammate.
Weiss's eyes were on Ugly, her grip on Myrtenaster so tight that her hand was shaking.
"Weiss!"
The call snapped Weiss from her thoughts, her ponytail whipping as she turned to look at Yang and Biggs. Then she rushed across the space, sinking Myrtenaster into Biggs gut.
Rather than look shocked, Biggs face split into a too large grin.
The arm Yang wasn't holding onto lashed out, sending Weiss flying back, before Biggs grabbed Yang by the legs, flipping her upside down.
"Did you really think I was so weak?" he laughed, "I've fought in more campaigns than you could comprehend, lived for longer than anyone you've ever met, I can't believe the lords were wor-" Yang cut him off with another shot from Ember Celica, though it didn't break his grip on her.
The shot had carved several narrow trenches across Biggs face, which hadn't lost its grin. He swung Yang into the wall, before throwing her back into the cave. This was starting to get really annoying.
Yang pushed herself up again, ignoring the crackle of embers falling from her hair with a growl. Biggs tore his sword from the wall, laughing as the injuries healed themselves.
"Give u-"
Yang rocketed across the space, pulling back her fist as her hair turned to white flames.
Halfway there, Biggs suddenly drew a symbol in the air in burning green. A spiral, with two jagged green lines below it. Yang froze in place and her flames snuffed out. Biggs cracked his neck, then he swung at her with his sword, sending her back to the end of the cave.
"You like fire?" he laughed, walking forward, "I'll show-"
Three more shots tore into him, slowing him slightly.
"Let me show you fire," green flames exploded to life along his sword as he recreated the symbol from before, stopping in front of Weiss.
"Don't," shot, "touch," shot, "HER!" shot.
Weiss was the last bit of home she had, she wasn't going to lose her to some blue freak!
Yang charged at Biggs again, yelling with rage even as she was aware she was on her last shot.
Halfway through his swing, a white glyph appeared around his arms, stopping him dead.
Weiss stood up, limping towards Ugly. She quickly leaned down, grabbing the ball in his hand in a brief struggle, before focusing on one of the walls, "Show me," she said, and as she did, red bled into her eyes.
"Wei-" before Yang could finish, Weiss adjusted her grip on the orb, pointing her other hand at Biggs. A yellow glyph appearing in the air between them, but it was different from Weiss's others.
Yellow symbols were on either side of the central one, which, rather than a snowflake, looked almost like an S, the tail connected to a tiny strip of yellow that grew larger, and another boomerang shaped one to the right of it. In each of the diagonal corners were triangles, which burned even brighter before chains burst to wrap around Biggs.
"No!" Biggs thrashed against them, "I refuse to have a weak Warlock bind me! I am Grarm, I marched in the conquest of Navane, of Xoro-"
"Shut up," Weiss said, tightening her hold on the stone as she walked forward and tore Myrtenaster from its place in Grarm's chest, "I don't care. You're mine now."
"I'm-"
"-Leave," Weiss said sharply, "until I call for you."
"I- fine," Grarm growled, disappearing in a flash of green. Weiss turned towards Ugly, reaching out with the gem.
"Weiss-" Yang took another step forward, reaching out for Weiss, "are you al-"
Weiss's eyes, blood red, snapped to her, before fading to their natural blue, and she fell like a rock.
"Weiss!"
---
Ruby climbed onto the back of the gryphon, turning to help Blake up.
"Have you ever flown before?" the flight master, a red haired dwarf wearing a pair of goggles, asked.
"On a wyvern," Ruby said, reaching for the reins.
"Truly?" he handed them over, "well, then ya know the basics. Don't be afraid to pull on the reins if she starts to move too fast for ya, lass. There's no glory in being splattered across the Thousand Needles."
"Of course."
"Well," he stepped back, "good luck ta the both of ya. Elements guide ya, lass."
Ruby's eyes trailed to the dwarf's hip, where a totem sat on an iron chain.
"And them you," Ruby responded, urging the gryphon forward, until they were far enough away for the hybrid to spread its wings and take to the skies in a rush of feathers and wind.
Ruby felt Blake's arms tighten around her on instinct as they left the ground behind.
"Do you want us to go lower?" Ruby called, already preparing to move the reins to signal the gryphon to do so.
"No," Blake called back, "I- I've just never flown before, it's expensive, and I needed to save as much money as possible. Where'd you learn to fly?"
"Me and Bloodeye took lessons last year," Ruby explained, "We were getting really tired of Rehgar dragging us around on worg-back, so we were gonna ditch him on the way to Dire Maul… we never did get the chance," the last part, Ruby mumbled to herself.
She knew that holding Bloodeye's death against… well, anyone was pointless. The woman who had done it was dead, and was only trying to avenge the man she loved in the first place, and Bloodeye shouldn't of been getting drunk in a brothel to begin with, but she had lived with him and Rehgar for three years.
"What was he like?" Blake asked, "Lady Proudmoore said he was your friend?"
"He was the best gladiator on Azeroth," Ruby responded instantly, "the best orc gladiator since Kargath Bladefist. A bit-"
"Who?" Blake cut her off.
Ruby blinked a couple of times. Who? ...Oh!
"Kargath Bladefist, the chieftain and founder of the Shattered Hand orc clan. He was a gladiator on Draenor, before leading a rebellion against his masters," Ruby explained, stopping as Blake let out a huff of laughter, "What?"
"I'm just surprised you know this," Blake said, "weren't you always complaining about history class back home?"
"Being a shaman is more than just speaking with the elements."
Blake was quiet for a moment, "You're really a shaman?"
"Yeah," Ruby said, a glimmer of worry rising up, "why? Is that a problem?"
Ruby hadn't ever really considered what she would do if Blake had a problem with her being a shaman, hadn't ever wanted to consider what would happen if the two parts of her life came to clash.
"I- do you like it?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Ruby asked, puzzled.
The elements had never asked her to do anything she wouldn't have been willing to do anyways, though she was sure there were shaman with looser morals than her they did have do those tasks if they felt it was necessary. They hadn't ever tried to stop her from finding Blake, and had played an important role in her freedom. They had given her more power, and only asked for her to help them in return, so why wouldn't she like it?
"I just thought, you were always loved technology, so you giving that up seems-"
"Giving it up? Why would I have given it up?"
"...you're a shaman?" Blake asked.
"That doesn't mean I have to give up technology. Warchief is a shaman, he doesn't lose his abilities when he steps on a zeppelin, and there are plenty of goblin shaman who still invent stuff. Where'd you hear we had to give up technology?"
"That's what they say in some of the outposts I've been to."
"...the Alliance outposts?"
"Oh. Oh," Ruby felt Blake bury her face into Ruby's back, "I- oh."
"It's fine," Ruby said, suppressing her giggles, "I made the same mistake."
"No," Blake moaned, "how didn't I ever put that together?"
"Have you ever really talked with a shaman before?"
"...you aren't making this better," Blake mumbled, "I should have realized that. 'Shaman can't use technology'. What does that even mean?"
"It's fine," Ruby insisted, "Everyone makes mista- oh, wow! Blake, look at this!"
"What?" Blake moved her head, "Wow," she breathed.
"Yeah," Ruby grinned. They were above The Thousand Needles, a massive canyon that was dotted with mesas, a giant elevator just barely visible near where Ruby knew the Barrens were, and a couple of villages atop the larger mesas, quickly moving across it as their gryphon carried them towards Sithilus,, "when we find a way home, we gotta bring our families to Azeroth and show them this."
Blake made a noise of agreement, "What do you think they're doing?"
"I don't know about your family," Ruby admitted. Blake hadn't talked about her family much, "but I bet dad's still teaching at Signal, and Uncle Qrow is in some bar somewhere. Yang's probably fighting some Grimm, and Weiss has to have taken control of the SDC, right?"
"Yeah. I hope she actually did something about the mines," Blake said.
"Do you think they still meet up? Go on hunts every once in awhile?"
"Maybe?"
---
Maan licked his lips, eyes locked onto the crystal in the white haired human's hand. Slowly, the draenei pushed himself up, taking a step towards the pair of humans.
"Weiss!" the one with golden hair repeated, shaking the white one on the shoulder, "wake up! We got to move. We-" she span as Maan's warped feet sent a rock skidding, "Stay away from her!"
Maan reached behind his back, grabbing the axe hidden there. They had just barely beaten a Felguard. They were weak, he could-
"I said," Gold grabbed the rock, throwing it at him with all her might, "stay AWAY!"
The rock caught Maan in the gut, smashing the wind out of him and sending him back to the wall. Maan curled around the rock, coughing and wheezing. How did she throw that so hard?
Gold reached behind her, lifting White onto her back and starting towards the entrance of the cave.
"Wait!" Maan struggled to his feet, grabbing his axe, as he cried in the human tongue, "My crystal! Give it back!" Gold stopped, for a second, and he continued, "that's mine! I need it!"
Even being a man'ari was better than being one of the- those freaks.
"Why?" Gold turned slightly.
"It's my life!" Maan took a step forward, "I need it!"
The Light had abandoned them, hadn't saved him, or his friends, or… or... or the boy, when the city had been attacked. The prophet had sat by as he had been forced out of the monastery island, calling them krokul. If the Fel made him unbroken, he would gladly pay the price the demons asked.
"I-" before Gold could finish, White's hand came up, clutching the crystal, "Weiss! You're awake!"
"'M fine, Yang," she mumbled, "just," here she said something in the human tongue that Maan didn't know, before looking over Gold's shoulder at him, "You want this?"
"Yes!" Maan stepped forward, reaching for it. So close, so close to being normal again!
"I'll make a deal," White continued to mumble, "I-"
"No!" Maan gripped his axe, "No deals! You took that from me! It's mine!"
"I just-"
"Give it back!"
"I will!"
"Lies!" Maan growled, his control slipping, "Your kind tells nothing but!"
"I'll give it to you as soon as you agree-"
"Then you kill me! You bound the demon, you will-"
"How do we get to Shadowmoon Valley?" White cut him off, "just tell me, and I'll give this to you."
Shadowmoon Valley? That was… what had been there? Kara… Kara…? No, it didn't matter, would she really give him it?
"Give me my crystal," Maan said, "and I'll bring you there."
He waited, one moment, then a second.
"Fine," White reached passed Gold, holding out the crystal. He could see the green swirling within the red, "but if you trick u-"
Maan grabbed the orb, focusing on draining the Fel from it. Power roared into Maan's body, beating back the mist tearing away at his mind, filling in gaps. Words that were forgotten, names that were forgotten, places that were forgotten.
"Yes!" He cried as bones that had long since become warped became strong, joints that had turned arthritic stopped aching, the flesh on his misshapen hands started to stretch apart, sinew snapping as three digits became five again, "Yes!"
Then the Fel ran out, stopping the transformation halfway. His skin remained waxy, and he ran his hand over his face, noticing the lack a nose. Looking down, Maan saw that his feet hadn't return to hooves.
No, no no nono NO! She had ruined it! He had been so close, and she had ruined it! And now she wanted him to bring her to Shadowmoon Valley? Why? All that was there were ghosts, and tyrants, and-
Fel! Fel was there! He could still save this! He could still be unbroken!
"Come!" He lept up, turning towards the two, "You want Shadowmoon Valley, yes? I'll bring you, come!"
Gold turned towards White, "Weiss?" without his addled mind, Maan realized that was her name, "What's going on? Shadowmoon Valley? Do you know where we are?"
"I'll explain while we get there, Yang," Weiss said tiredly, another name! "Just trust me, please?"
"Weiss and Yang, those are your names?" Maan nodded, "Yes! I am Maan, come, the demons know where you are, we must move, you must move, even if you don't go all the way."
As Maan pushed past Yang, he caught a mutter, "Yeah, but didn't you sell us out?"
Maan didn't know how to answer that.
---
Right, unbeta'd version of Chapter 3, will be replaced once my Beta has done so. The Weiss section is probably the part I'm least happy with (though not for the reason you might guess) though I am glad I figured out a story arc for the two of them.
"Some pinkskin was trying to meet the Warchief," Crom growled, sharpening an axe, "I tried to stop her. You know, my job."
He was a Kor'kron guard! It was his job to protect the Warchief, not let every pinkskin saying they had a message in. What if that 'message' was an assassination attempt? It had happened at least once, with that Proudmoore admiral.
"So why are you back here?"
"Turns out her and the Warchief knew each other," Crom dropped the axe, grabbing another and continuing his work. Frang hadn't been remotely happy to see them back, and had assigned both of the brothers to menial tasks as punishment for 'dishonoring him'. For Crom that meant sharpening all the weapons within the valley, and for Duraro that meant acting as a training dummy for the new recruits to practice moves against, "how was I supposed to know that?"
"Did you… check? There have to have been other guards, wouldn't one of them have known?"
"Why should I of? I wasn't told that I was supposed to buy into every pinkskin saying that they knew Rehgar Earthfury-"
"You tried to stop Ruby Rose from meeting the Warchief?"
Crom stopped his sharpening, looking up at Shargresh, "You know her? I didn't think you talked to pinkskins."
"I don't know her, but an orc taking a human as their apprentice is enough to get some odd looks."
"It's damn treason, is what it is," Crom returned to his work, drawing his whetstone against the axehead, "why let a pinkskin into Orgrimmar, after everything they did to us?"
"Why didn't they put our parents to the sword after everything they did to the humans, elves, and dwarves during the First and Second Wars?" Shargresh asked darkly, "And the draenei before them?"
"That's different," Crom waved him off, "they were tricked by the Burning Legion. The humans knew what they were doing when they enslaved us. Why are you here? Shouldn't you be learning stories or something?"
"There's something happening in the south," Shargresh looked around, before leaning in, "I'm going, and I was hoping you and Duraro would come with me. I have a bad feeling about this, like this could end badly."
"I'd rather focusing on getting out of this damn vall-"
"One of the people who want us out there is the Warchief's shamanic teacher, Drek'thar," Shargresh continued, "we might be able to convince him that you deserve something as a reward for helping the elements. Come on, please?"
Crom looked over at where Frang was watching a pair of warriors fight, before looking at Duraro. They could regain their honor, prove that they were deserving of the title Kor'kron, and that everyone who was challenging their honor was wrong.
"Ok," Crom grabbed an axe, "but we'll need to sneak out."
---
"Girl," Jaina looked up from her book at Aegwynn's call, the former Guardian looking slightly irate, "That medicine woman you're friends with is back."
Ruby was back already? She wasn't the type to give up easily, which meant… "Is there someone else with her, by any chance?" ...she had either found Blake, or found something that convinced her she wasn't going to find Blake.
"A girl with black hair and a bow," Aegwynn said almost carelessly, "should I let them in?"
"Yes. And could you ask the kitchens to send up some chocolate chip cookies and tea?" it would be best to keep Aegwynn and Ruby away from each other, since the shaman's almost unwavering optimism often got on Aegwynn's nerves.
Aegwynn apparently agreed, since she didn't complain, merely walking out of the room.
After a half a minute, two young woman walked into the solar.
One was Ruby Rose, obviously, and the other was someone Jaina had never met, but had certainly heard about.
Waist length black hair with a bow on top, a pair of black pants tucked into equally black boots that reached her thighs, a black shirt covering her breasts but left her midriff exposed, and a white long coat over that.
Well, that fit every description of Blake Belladonna Jaina had heard.
"Jaina!" Ruby was practically vibrating, "I found Blake!"
"I can see that," Jaina stood from her spot, making her way around the desk, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
"Uh," Blake looked slightly taken aback, before bowing, "Yes. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Proudmoore."
"There's no need to be so formal," Jaina said, "I've been friends with Ruby for a couple of years now, and she often spoke of you, Blake," Jaina moved towards the seats around her fireplace, "I've already sent for refreshments."
"What were you doing?" Ruby asked, picking up the book Jaina had been studying, ignoring the elbow jab Blake tried to, Jaina assumed, discreetly sneak in.
"Oh," Jaina waved it off, "it's just a book on banishment spells. There's been an explosion of fire elementals in the Eastern Kingdoms, you wouldn't have heard anything, would you? This is your area of expertise, after all."
"Huh?" Blake's head swiveled between them, "what do you mean?"
"I'm a shaman now," Ruby said carelessly, studying the book, "uh... no, I don't think-" Ruby stopped, grabbing one of the totems from around her neck, "but I think I know where we can find out-"
"Wait," Blake cut Ruby off, "you're a shaman? Since when did you become a shaman, and why didn't you tell me?"
"I was trying to figure out a good way to say it! What was I supposed to do? Just look at you and say 'Hey Blake, it's good to see you after six years! Guess what? I talk with the elements now!' I couldn't figure out how to explain it."
"But you were going to tell me?" Blake asked.
"Of course I was!" Ruby pouted, "I didn't find you just to keep a major part of my life secret. I'm really sorry, I should have mentioned it earlier."
"It's fine," Blake said, looking mollified, "what were you going to do?"
"Oh!" Ruby threw the totem down, and a small fire elemental burst from it. Ruby crouched down, a series of crackling noises coming from her throat. After a moment, she stood up.
"They, uh…" Ruby looked embarrassed, "they don't know… sorry. Probably shouldn't have assumed every fire elemental knew what every other one was doing. I do know a couple of banishment rituals, if you need it."
"It's alright," Jaina said, "thank you for trying. What are you two doing down here, if you don't mind me asking?"
"We're, uh, we're going south," Ruby looked worried, "there's something down that way. I was hoping maybe you could help us? Like," Ruby waved her hands around, "I understand you can't leave Theramore alone, but maybe some men, or even a couple of gryphons so we can get there faster?"
Jaina felt her brow fold in on itself, "That's strange?"
"What?"
"Tyrande just sent some of her men the same way," Jaina's eyes drifted out the window, what was happening there? "I can't send any soldiers away at the moment, one of the goblin cartels is trying to set up a town nearby, and a black dragon recently made its lair a bit too close to Theramore for my comfort. I had actually been planning to try to hire Bloodeye and you to deal with it. Do you think he would be open to- Ruby, what's wrong?"
Ruby's face had crumbled into a pained look.
"Bloodeye's dead," Ruby said quietly.
"Oh," Jaina stood up, walking towards Ruby, "what happened?"
"An orc poisoned him for killing her mate in the arena," Ruby turned away, busying herself with one of Jaina's books, "he managed to kill her before he went down."
"I'm," Jaina paused, she hadn't known the orc gladiator well at all, "I'm sorry. I know he was your friend."
"It's fine," Ruby said in a tone of voice that made it clear it was anything but, "can you at least spare us some gryphons?"
"You should stay the night, if only so the food the cooks are making doesn't go to waste, but then I can spare a gryphon, yes. And I'll write to Dalaran to see if they can't spare any men."
"Ok," Ruby said quietly.
---
Rehgar leaned on the barrier, watching his gladiators practice in the arena below.
Valeera was given the simplest job, being left with a series of puzzles to struggle with in an attempt to build her wit to a point Rehgar was content with. She wasn't half bad for someone who was self trained, but compared to some of the others Rehgar had seen, had killed, during his times in the pits, she was lacking. The ogres of Gordunni would smash her flat in seconds if they could get their hands on her, and they didn't have enough time to train her to soak up a blow from one, so that left outwitting them. Which Rehgar trusted her to be able to do, most intelligent ogres had died in the interim years between the Second and Third Wars, and the Gordunni certainly weren't deserving of the title.
He wasn't as confident about breaking Broll's anger, however. While each day saw Valeera solve the new puzzles slightly faster, Broll wasn't as successful in mastering his rage… though Rehgar supposed it had its uses.
Then there was Crocbait…
The human was dodging around a series of massive bludgeons with dulled spikes, almost carelessly ducking under one to dodge another, before pivoting on his foot and allowing another sail passed.
He was trained. Actually trained, to a level that reached Rehgar's standards. There was none of the flaws that came with figuring out how to fight on his own… at least, when it came to dodging there wasn't.
Rehgar looked over at the goblin, nodding at him to turn off the machine.
"Alright, Crocbait!" He barked in Common, "do you know what's important about today?"
He shook his head.
"We are four months to the day from when we for Dire Maul. I want to see what you can do on your own," Rehgar switched to Orcish, "Hyku! Get in here!"
The blademaster walked in, looking around with a toothy grin, "a pinkskin and a pair of elves? Why not give me a challenge, Rehgar?"
"Just the human then," Rehgar said. At this point, Broll and Valeera would just get in Crocbait's way.
"You really are growing rusty," Hyku laughed, "maybe it wasn't Bloodeye's slip up after all?"
Rehgar tightened his hand under the gauntlet. That piece of shit…
"Crocbait," Rehgar barked, "draw your weapon."
The human drew the sword from his back, staring down Hyku. The orc raised his swords, his grin spreading wider.
Rehgar launched a bolt of lightning into the air, causing both of the gladiators to launch themselves forward.
Hyku swung one sword at Crocbait's throat, only for the human to slide under his legs, swinging his sword up as he went.
Rehgar let a grin spread as Hyku yelped, spinning to block a full force thrust from Crocbait as the other teams in the arena turned to watch the fight.
"I heard you don't know your name, Pinkskin," Hyku ground out in Common as he forced Crocbait's arms up, "that's lucky, they won't have to tell your next-of-kin-"
Crocbait lunged forward, letting go of the blade so he could grab onto Hyku's arm and vault over it. Rehgar followed his eyes to the… clever.
Crocbait's hand wrapped around a pair of knives, spinning around and throwing them both at Hyku's head.
Hyku batted them aside, the sparks igniting the blazeoil coating the blades. As the flames rolled up the blades, Rehgar caught a brief glimmer of fear in Crocbait's eyes, before they hardened as he grabbed an axe and cudgel.
"I might not know my family's name," Crocbait said, "but it isn't that bad. I doubt yours can spell your name-"
Crocbait ducked, before crashing the cudgel into Hyku's head, dropping it and grabbing the sword he had dropped beforehand.
"I'm going to skin you, Pinksk-" Hyku stopped talking as the blade suddenly sheathed itself inside of him, one of his blades falling as he came up to touch the blade, "Rehgar, call him off... " Hyku looked up, fear in his eyes, "Rehgar?"
"You insulted me, Hyku, and I can ignore that, but implying that Bloodeye was anything less than the best gladiator to grace the halls of the Ring of Valor? Well, I guess you're getting rusty," Rehgar switched to Common, "Go ahead, Crocbait."
"Rehg-" Hyku was cut off as the axe lodged itself in his throat, and as Rehgar watched him choke on his own blood, he grinned wider.
"Those blades are yours now, Crocbait. You two," he called to Broll and Valeera, "you have an hour's break, I'm feeling kind today," probably not the right word, "I'll be back then, understand?"
Rehgar didn't check to see if they nodded, walking away to pen that letter to Ruby. Hopefully Drek'thar would know how to get it to her.
---
Weiss grunted as she ground up some more of the green tinged crystals, a spike of irritation erupting as several strands of matted white hair fell across her vision.
She should just cut it… both her and Yang should cut it (as much as Weiss was aware that the blonde brawler would treat the suggestion as sacrilege) but she was still holding onto the hope that someone civilized would find them. After the last six months, she would even take a group of White Fang faunus over the few settlements they had seen from a distance. Who lived in fortresses like that anymore? And the villages they had seen in the mountains a month and a half ago had left her even more suspicious, looking like what you could expect a bandit tribe to hide in.
Where were they? Weiss was humble enough to acknowledge that geography had never been her strongest subject, but she couldn't recall anywhere on Remnant that had a mountain range, the swamp they briefly passed through, and the rocky, red desert beyond the small cave they were currently hiding in. It couldn't be-
Weiss jumped as the stone caved in with an explosion of green sparks, throwing the mortar and pestle to the ground.
And what type of Dust was this? She had found it embedded in the ground in the green liquid to the west (at least, she thought it was west) of them. Near the colossal bones. What type of monster left bones that big?
The heiress grabbed the bowl up, resuming the slow process of grinding the Dust. Hopefully it would be good for propulsion, Yang was down to half a belt of shells, and-
Weiss's eyes trailed to the sword next to her, balefully taking in the five empty chambers and the quarter inch of Dust in the last.
-Myrtenaster was looking even worse. She had enough for one augmented glyph, then she would be out.
She supposed they were lucky they hadn't run out earlier, both had used their Dust wantonly in the first month, certain that rescue was days away.
Weiss grabbed Myrtenaster, flicking open the revolver mechanism, and poured the Dust into one of the empty chambers, before checking how much there was.
…
Not enough? There's other ways to control the Fel.
...
You'd be quite adept at them.
...That wasn't enough to empower one glyph.
Weiss cast Myrtenaster aside with a sigh, standing up and making her way towards the entrance of the cave as Yang crept inside, looking excited.
"What?"
"Come outside real quick, I've got something to show you."
Weiss followed her teammate outside, where she pointed into the distance. Squinting, Weiss tried to find what she was loo-
"Lights!" Weiss felt a glimmer of hope, "Those are lights!"
"Yeah!" Yang grinned, "looks like we found a city! We should go in the morni-"
"Now," Weiss cut her off, "we should head out now," Weiss grabbed Myrtenaster, "that way we can rest when it gets hot out and-"
"And what?" A deep, guttural voice asked.
Weiss and Yang turned, stopping in horror.
Thats… That's more than I would say for a first demon, but it could be worse…
"Weiss," Yang said as she deployed Ember Celica, "do you ever get the feeling that we might not be on Remnant anymore?"
Standing across from them was a tall creature with blue skin and corded muscles, in one hand was a massive sword with a curved blade of green metal, in the other a shivering creature with tentacles around his mouth and three fingers on each hand.
The smaller creature spoke, before they were dropped, a red crystal orb being dropped into their hands.
You want Fel? That crystal has all the Fel you'll need for a while, and it can empower a binding spell.
The other creature charged at them with a roar.
---
Yang dodged under the blade, launching into an uppercut as it passed over her head. While Biggs's head was snapped up, her right gauntlet gave a telling click.
Yeah, she knew it was empty, telling her didn't mean she had any extra ammo to give it.
"Nice try, human," Biggs laughed, punching out for Yang with his free hand. Yang stepped into the blow, feeling her Semblence roar to life as she crashed into the wall next to Ugly.
Yang bunched her legs, feeling her muscles tighten before she launched herself across the gap again.
Biggs swatted her with the flat of his sword… Hard.
Yang flew past Weiss, biting her cheek as she collided with the back wall of the cave.
"Is that the best you two have?" Biggs laughed, "I've faced children who fought harder than you. Hid better too! You didn't even hide your tracks-"
"Yang," Weiss said, "go ahead."
What-? Oh…
"Go ahe-?" before Biggs could finish, Yang launched herself at him again, drawing her left arm back.
Biggs threw up his blade, letting the metal soak up the blow. As Yang's fist struck the sword, Ember Celica went off with a loud bang.
Yang grabbed Biggs's sword arm as she flew back, forcing him to embed the sword into the stone wall above Ugly's head. The tentacled guy yelped, crawling his way back while clinging to the gem in his hand.
"Weiss!" Yang called, ramming her right hand into Biggs's ribs over and over again, ignoring the clicks as she used her other hand to keep Bigg's sword pinned to the wall, "...Weiss?"
Yang turned slightly, so she could she her white haired teammate.
Weiss's eyes were on Ugly, her grip on Myrtenaster so tight that her hand was shaking.
"Weiss!"
The call snapped Weiss from her thoughts, her ponytail whipping as she turned to look at Yang and Biggs. Then she rushed across the space, sinking Myrtenaster into Biggs gut.
Rather than look shocked, Biggs face split into a too large grin.
The arm Yang wasn't holding onto lashed out, sending Weiss flying back, before Biggs grabbed Yang by the legs, flipping her upside down.
"Did you really think I was so weak?" he laughed, "I've fought in more campaigns than you could comprehend, lived for longer than anyone you've ever met, I can't believe the lords were wor-" Yang cut him off with another shot from Ember Celica, though it didn't break his grip on her.
The shot had carved several narrow trenches across Biggs face, which hadn't lost its grin. He swung Yang into the wall, before throwing her back into the cave. This was starting to get really annoying.
Yang pushed herself up again, ignoring the crackle of embers falling from her hair with a growl. Biggs tore his sword from the wall, laughing as the injuries healed themselves.
"Give u-"
Yang rocketed across the space, pulling back her fist as her hair turned to white flames.
Halfway there, Biggs suddenly drew a symbol in the air in burning green. A spiral, with two jagged green lines below it. Yang froze in place and her flames snuffed out. Biggs cracked his neck, then he swung at her with his sword, sending her back to the end of the cave.
"You like fire?" he laughed, walking forward, "I'll show-"
Three more shots tore into him, slowing him slightly.
"Let me show you fire," green flames exploded to life along his sword as he recreated the symbol from before, stopping in front of Weiss.
"Don't," shot, "touch," shot, "HER!" shot.
Weiss was the last bit of home she had, she wasn't going to lose her to some blue freak!
Yang charged at Biggs again, yelling with rage even as she was aware she was on her last shot.
Halfway through his swing, a white glyph appeared around his arms, stopping him dead.
Weiss stood up, limping towards Ugly. She quickly leaned down, grabbing the ball in his hand in a brief struggle, before focusing on one of the walls, "Show me," she said, and as she did, red bled into her eyes.
"Wei-" before Yang could finish, Weiss adjusted her grip on the orb, pointing her other hand at Biggs. A yellow glyph appearing in the air between them, but it was different from Weiss's others.
Yellow symbols were on either side of the central one, which, rather than a snowflake, looked almost like an S, the tail connected to a tiny strip of yellow that grew larger, and another boomerang shaped one to the right of it. In each of the diagonal corners were triangles, which burned even brighter before chains burst to wrap around Biggs.
"No!" Biggs thrashed against them, "I refuse to have a weak Warlock bind me! I am Grarm, I marched in the conquest of Navane, of Xoro-"
"Shut up," Weiss said, tightening her hold on the stone as she walked forward and tore Myrtenaster from its place in Grarm's chest, "I don't care. You're mine now."
"I'm-"
"-Leave," Weiss said sharply, "until I call for you."
"I- fine," Grarm growled, disappearing in a flash of green. Weiss turned towards Ugly, reaching out with the gem.
"Weiss-" Yang took another step forward, reaching out for Weiss, "are you al-"
Weiss's eyes, blood red, snapped to her, before fading to their natural blue, and she fell like a rock.
"Weiss!"
---
Ruby climbed onto the back of the gryphon, turning to help Blake up.
"Have you ever flown before?" the flight master, a red haired dwarf wearing a pair of goggles, asked.
"On a wyvern," Ruby said, reaching for the reins.
"Truly?" he handed them over, "well, then ya know the basics. Don't be afraid to pull on the reins if she starts to move too fast for ya, lass. There's no glory in being splattered across the Thousand Needles."
"Of course."
"Well," he stepped back, "good luck ta the both of ya. Elements guide ya, lass."
Ruby's eyes trailed to the dwarf's hip, where a totem sat on an iron chain.
"And them you," Ruby responded, urging the gryphon forward, until they were far enough away for the hybrid to spread its wings and take to the skies in a rush of feathers and wind.
Ruby felt Blake's arms tighten around her on instinct as they left the ground behind.
"Do you want us to go lower?" Ruby called, already preparing to move the reins to signal the gryphon to do so.
"No," Blake called back, "I- I've just never flown before, it's expensive, and I needed to save as much money as possible. Where'd you learn to fly?"
"Me and Bloodeye took lessons last year," Ruby explained, "We were getting really tired of Rehgar dragging us around on worg-back, so we were gonna ditch him on the way to Dire Maul… we never did get the chance," the last part, Ruby mumbled to herself.
She knew that holding Bloodeye's death against… well, anyone was pointless. The woman who had done it was dead, and was only trying to avenge the man she loved in the first place, and Bloodeye shouldn't of been getting drunk in a brothel to begin with, but she had lived with him and Rehgar for three years.
"What was he like?" Blake asked, "Lady Proudmoore said he was your friend?"
"He was the best gladiator on Azeroth," Ruby responded instantly, "the best orc gladiator since Kargath Bladefist. A bit-"
"Who?" Blake cut her off.
Ruby blinked a couple of times. Who? ...Oh!
"Kargath Bladefist, the chieftain and founder of the Shattered Hand orc clan. He was a gladiator on Draenor, before leading a rebellion against his masters," Ruby explained, stopping as Blake let out a huff of laughter, "What?"
"I'm just surprised you know this," Blake said, "weren't you always complaining about history class back home?"
"Being a shaman is more than just speaking with the elements."
Blake was quiet for a moment, "You're really a shaman?"
"Yeah," Ruby said, a glimmer of worry rising up, "why? Is that a problem?"
Ruby hadn't ever really considered what she would do if Blake had a problem with her being a shaman, hadn't ever wanted to consider what would happen if the two parts of her life came to clash.
"I- do you like it?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Ruby asked, puzzled.
The elements had never asked her to do anything she wouldn't have been willing to do anyways, though she was sure there were shaman with looser morals than her they did have do those tasks if they felt it was necessary. They hadn't ever tried to stop her from finding Blake, and had played an important role in her freedom. They had given her more power, and only asked for her to help them in return, so why wouldn't she like it?
"I just thought, you were always loved technology, so you giving that up seems-"
"Giving it up? Why would I have given it up?"
"...you're a shaman?" Blake asked.
"That doesn't mean I have to give up technology. Warchief is a shaman, he doesn't lose his abilities when he steps on a zeppelin, and there are plenty of goblin shaman who still invent stuff. Where'd you hear we had to give up technology?"
"That's what they say in some of the outposts I've been to."
"...the Alliance outposts?"
"Oh. Oh," Ruby felt Blake bury her face into Ruby's back, "I- oh."
"It's fine," Ruby said, suppressing her giggles, "I made the same mistake."
"No," Blake moaned, "how didn't I ever put that together?"
"Have you ever really talked with a shaman before?"
"...you aren't making this better," Blake mumbled, "I should have realized that. 'Shaman can't use technology'. What does that even mean?"
"It's fine," Ruby insisted, "Everyone makes mista- oh, wow! Blake, look at this!"
"What?" Blake moved her head, "Wow," she breathed.
"Yeah," Ruby grinned. They were above The Thousand Needles, a massive canyon that was dotted with mesas, a giant elevator just barely visible near where Ruby knew the Barrens were, and a couple of villages atop the larger mesas, quickly moving across it as their gryphon carried them towards Sithilus,, "when we find a way home, we gotta bring our families to Azeroth and show them this."
Blake made a noise of agreement, "What do you think they're doing?"
"I don't know about your family," Ruby admitted. Blake hadn't talked about her family much, "but I bet dad's still teaching at Signal, and Uncle Qrow is in some bar somewhere. Yang's probably fighting some Grimm, and Weiss has to have taken control of the SDC, right?"
"Yeah. I hope she actually did something about the mines," Blake said.
"Do you think they still meet up? Go on hunts every once in awhile?"
"Maybe?"
---
Maan licked his lips, eyes locked onto the crystal in the white haired human's hand. Slowly, the draenei pushed himself up, taking a step towards the pair of humans.
"Weiss!" the one with golden hair repeated, shaking the white one on the shoulder, "wake up! We got to move. We-" she span as Maan's warped feet sent a rock skidding, "Stay away from her!"
Maan reached behind his back, grabbing the axe hidden there. They had just barely beaten a Felguard. They were weak, he could-
"I said," Gold grabbed the rock, throwing it at him with all her might, "stay AWAY!"
The rock caught Maan in the gut, smashing the wind out of him and sending him back to the wall. Maan curled around the rock, coughing and wheezing. How did she throw that so hard?
Gold reached behind her, lifting White onto her back and starting towards the entrance of the cave.
"Wait!" Maan struggled to his feet, grabbing his axe, as he cried in the human tongue, "My crystal! Give it back!" Gold stopped, for a second, and he continued, "that's mine! I need it!"
Even being a man'ari was better than being one of the- those freaks.
"Why?" Gold turned slightly.
"It's my life!" Maan took a step forward, "I need it!"
The Light had abandoned them, hadn't saved him, or his friends, or… or... or the boy, when the city had been attacked. The prophet had sat by as he had been forced out of the monastery island, calling them krokul. If the Fel made him unbroken, he would gladly pay the price the demons asked.
"I-" before Gold could finish, White's hand came up, clutching the crystal, "Weiss! You're awake!"
"'M fine, Yang," she mumbled, "just," here she said something in the human tongue that Maan didn't know, before looking over Gold's shoulder at him, "You want this?"
"Yes!" Maan stepped forward, reaching for it. So close, so close to being normal again!
"I'll make a deal," White continued to mumble, "I-"
"No!" Maan gripped his axe, "No deals! You took that from me! It's mine!"
"I just-"
"Give it back!"
"I will!"
"Lies!" Maan growled, his control slipping, "Your kind tells nothing but!"
"I'll give it to you as soon as you agree-"
"Then you kill me! You bound the demon, you will-"
"How do we get to Shadowmoon Valley?" White cut him off, "just tell me, and I'll give this to you."
Shadowmoon Valley? That was… what had been there? Kara… Kara…? No, it didn't matter, would she really give him it?
"Give me my crystal," Maan said, "and I'll bring you there."
He waited, one moment, then a second.
"Fine," White reached passed Gold, holding out the crystal. He could see the green swirling within the red, "but if you trick u-"
Maan grabbed the orb, focusing on draining the Fel from it. Power roared into Maan's body, beating back the mist tearing away at his mind, filling in gaps. Words that were forgotten, names that were forgotten, places that were forgotten.
"Yes!" He cried as bones that had long since become warped became strong, joints that had turned arthritic stopped aching, the flesh on his misshapen hands started to stretch apart, sinew snapping as three digits became five again, "Yes!"
Then the Fel ran out, stopping the transformation halfway. His skin remained waxy, and he ran his hand over his face, noticing the lack a nose. Looking down, Maan saw that his feet hadn't return to hooves.
No, no no nono NO! She had ruined it! He had been so close, and she had ruined it! And now she wanted him to bring her to Shadowmoon Valley? Why? All that was there were ghosts, and tyrants, and-
Fel! Fel was there! He could still save this! He could still be unbroken!
"Come!" He lept up, turning towards the two, "You want Shadowmoon Valley, yes? I'll bring you, come!"
Gold turned towards White, "Weiss?" without his addled mind, Maan realized that was her name, "What's going on? Shadowmoon Valley? Do you know where we are?"
"I'll explain while we get there, Yang," Weiss said tiredly, another name! "Just trust me, please?"
"Weiss and Yang, those are your names?" Maan nodded, "Yes! I am Maan, come, the demons know where you are, we must move, you must move, even if you don't go all the way."
As Maan pushed past Yang, he caught a mutter, "Yeah, but didn't you sell us out?"
Maan didn't know how to answer that.
---
Right, unbeta'd version of Chapter 3, will be replaced once my Beta has done so. The Weiss section is probably the part I'm least happy with (though not for the reason you might guess) though I am glad I figured out a story arc for the two of them.
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Chapter 4
ThatOnePsycho
Tilting his Vanes and Ennobling His Spires
Weiss quietly sat on Yang's back, despite some part of her knowing that she would be deeply embarrassed by this later, at the moment, she was too tired to care. She couldn't even begin to move her legs.
The desert, Weiss assumed, was slowly falling to the grip of night… or what passed for night in this strange place. The temperature was dropping steeply, and the green streams above them were becoming easier to see. She could feel the power racing through the currents, so much more than had been in the orb. If she could just grab it.You'd turn into a demon at best, or outright die as the Fel tore away your soul.
After a while of following Maan, Yang finally spoke, "Shadowmoon Valley? Where's that? Why are we going there? Is it where that city is?"
"I-" Weiss's eyes trailed to the glowing beacon in the distance, "I don't know. I just… somethings there, I'm sure of it. Something that can help us."
"How? You were trying to find out where we were a couple hours."
"I just," Weiss scowled, "I just do, ok?"
"I'm-"
"Shhh!" Maan span, putting his hand to his lips. The energy in that crystal had changed him, transformed him from a mad, bestial shell of a man to a quiet guide, "do you hear that?"
Weiss listened, focusing on the noises, "is that… people howling?"
"Yes," Maan grabbed a hatchet from his back, drawing a knife with his left hand, "to those rocks, quickly."
The trio beat a hasty retreat behind an outcrop of rocks, Yang lowering Weiss to the ground as they waited.
Shortly after, the howl and yells grew louder, followed by the sound of feet on the ground. Peeking around the corner, Weiss saw seven men standing around eight massive wolves. Their skin was a deep red, with bone spines sprouting along their bare arms and down their backs.
"What are those?" She asked quietly, grabbing Myrtenaster. She was starting to suspect Yang might have been right.
"Orcs," Maan said, "Fel orcs. Shattered Hand clan, see the big one?" he pointed at the left hand of 'the big one', which had a brace around the wrist, ending in a blade, "all sworn member remove their hand in a… I don't know the Common word for it."
"A ritual?" Weiss offered.
"Perhaps," Maan pushed himself up, "I don't know what that word means," here he placed one foot onto the outcrop, starting to climb.
"Where are you going?"
"To kill them. They're following us, I don't know why, or for who, but we can't have it continu-"
Before he could finish, one of the orcs grabbed the big one's shoulder, snarling something as he jerked his leader around, and Weiss felt something hot go through her.
"There's nothing here," he snarled, "we're wasting time."
"The wargs have something," the other responded, "and there are tracks."
"Then we can track them tomorrow, let's return to Hellfire Citadel."
"And risk them infiltrating us? The Dark Portal pulses with energy. Kargath thinks-"
"Damn what Bladefist suspects," the orc growled, "Kashta-"
Before he could finish, the other orc slugged him across the face, growling louder as he took a step forward, "you dare defy the Warchief? The one who took you from that village of cowards, weaklings, and elders?"
The first grabbed his axe, "Yes, I da-"
He didn't finish his words as the blade slashed across his eye, creating an arc of crimson as the Shattered Hand latched his good hand around his subordinates throat, throwing him to the ground as he bared down on the smaller orc, "then your life is now forfeit," he hissed out as the heat left Weiss.Fascinating, but impractical.
"-assuming they aren't all going to kill each other," Maan finished, pushing himself higher.straddling the line of demonic, with a temper that makes Hellscream look good. What are they thinking?
Weiss and Yang waited with bated breath as the Shattered Hand stood, showing the maimed head to his subordinates and barking something. Halfway through, a hatchet lodged itself into the leaders skull, and Maan plummeted, thrusting his dagger into the nearest one's throat as he tore the axe out.
Yang pushed herself up, "wait here."
"What are you-?"
"I only have one shell left for Ember Celica, that knife fist will work better until I can get more, and I can help Maan."
"Yan-"
Before Weiss finished the name, Yang ran out of the cover. Weiss glared at her still unmoving legs. How was she supposed to-?
It was at that moment an orc poked his head around the rock outcrop next to them. He stared at Weiss, she stared back. As one, they reached for their weapons, Weiss trying to figure out what to do. She couldn't stab him from here, so…
The heat passed over her again, and an idea came to her.
always a favorite of mine. The wheel of death is turning again.
A green glyph appeared on the back of her hand, and Weiss felt her mouth stretch into a grin as a green energy was ripped from the orc. As he collapsed, however, Weiss lowered her hand in horror.
The orc's red skin was hanging off him, his mouth moving as his black hair turned white, and he took deep, shuddering breaths, like the air he was getting wasn't enough.
Was… was she doing this? Weiss looked at the stream connecting her and the orc, feeling a strange mix of revulsion and exhilaration, before severing it.
What? He doesn't have long to live anyways.
Weiss forced herself to stand on shaky legs.
"Wait," the orc called weakly, "please, don't leave me like this. Please."
Weiss tightened her hold on Myrtenaster. What was she supposed to-?
Before she made a decision, a dagger went flying past her, embedded itself in the other orc.
"You can walk again?" Maan said as he walked by, "good. There is a human outpost nearby, Honor Hold. We will make it to there before the night is halfway over, and we can rest there for a couple of days while I barter this," Maan held up an envelope, "with the leaders there. You two can heal, maybe find more of what Yang used on Grimr, and then we can depart," Maan tore the dagger out, "come, it's to the south, just passed-" he stopped there.
"Just passed?" Yang asked as she walked over, having removed one of Ember Celica's bangles to make way for the Shattered Hand's weapon.
"Just passed the Road," Maan finished solemnly.
---
Yang adjusted the weapon again, she had spent the last hour trying to find a place where the cracked blade didn't rub against her hand awkwardly. It was like… well, it was like it had been made for someone missing a hand.
What kind of initiation ritual involved every member crippling themselves? Why would anyone willingly do that to themselves? Eventually, Yang took off the gauntlet, preparing to throw it away.
"Don't do that," Maan said, "the humans pay for evidence of a Shattered Hand's death."
"Are we almost there?" Yang asked.
"Yes," Maan pointed, "you can see it in the distance, if you look carefully."
Yang squinted, eyes scanning the horizon, before she caught it, "that's it?"
'It' was a fortress with slightly worn stone walls, and Yang could see several buildings rising above them, meaning it was on a hill of some sort.
"It is better than nothing," Maan said, "which is what most have. We're almost to the road, give me a moment when we are there."
"What's this road you keep talking about?"
"The orcs call it the Road of Glory. I call it a testament to why they're all monsters," Maan spat the word.
"Why?"
"You'll see," Maan growled, continuing forward.
It didn't take long for them to reach the road, and as her eyes fell on it, Yang could only let out a small, "Oh."
"Yes," Maan said, lowering himself onto one knee.
The road was paved with bones. Yang looked in both directions, and it stretched beyond the horizon in both directions. Lowering herself, Yang picked up one skull. It was small enough to fit in one hand, and as she stared into it's empty sockets, she felt her stomach roll.
"What happened?" she demanded with barely controlled rage. Who did something like this?
"Once," Maan started quietly, "the draenei had many villages and three great cities. Shattrath, Tuurem, and Karabor. Then, one day, the orcs started to attack us. It started with simple raids on caravans, but when we retaliated, they came back worse. They started to attack villages, slaughtering many of the people there, and taking the rest as slaves."
"And they brought them here."
"Yes," Maan said, "they worked them to death, and then they used their bones to build this road. Give me a moment, Yang, please."
"Yeah," Yang stood up, "yeah. Sure," Yang walked a bit away, to where Weiss was examining the road, "what do you think about this?"
"It's monstrous," Weiss said without missing a beat, "who does something like this? What could be worth it?"
Plenty of faunus had probably asked the same question about the SDC, Yang thought, "I don't know. I-"
"I'm ready," Maan said suddenly, standing, "come. Let's go."
They crossed quickly, none of them wanting to think about what they were walking across, and continued their travel to Honor Hold. After a few minutes, Weiss broke the silence, "Maan? You said that orc was from the Shattered Hand clan, right?"
"Yes."
"Does that mean there are other clans?"
"Many, once. Now, there are few."
"Can you tell us about them?"
"The few? Or the many?"
"Both."
"I'll start with the few. Beyond the Shattered Hand, there are the Kil'sorrow, the Bonechewers, and the-" then he stopped, "they know we are coming."
"How can you-" a fragment of light shone from Honor Hold. It reminded her of when Ruby… "are they aiming sniper rifles at us?"
Yang saw Weiss tense as Maan looked over at them, "'Sniper'? I don't know that word I'm sorry. Does it have to do with those," he held his hands up, curling them both around, "those…?"
"Telescope?"
"Yes! Those?"
"Uh… kinda? It's like a telescope for a gun. You do know what a-"
"I know what a gun is," he cut her off, "no. Just telescopes," he grabbed the Shattered Hand's weapon from her, holding it and the envelope up. After a couple of minutes, the doors of Honor Hold opened, and several men and woman on horseback rode towards them.
Once they were within talking distance, one called, "Who are you?"
"Maan, Yang, and Weiss," Maan held up the envelope and weapon again, "We took this from a Shattered Hand scouting party. We're preparing to travel farther south, and need supplies. We wish to barter the information within this letter."
The leader looked them up and down, "very well. Come, we'll bring you to Honor Hold, but you'll have to wait until morning to speak to someone."
---
Ruby guided the gryphon down, sliding off it and stretching, before turning and helping Blake down.
They had landed on a hill surrounded by walls, with buildings in a hodgepodge of different styles on it. Around the bottom of the hill were tents in an equal number of styles. At the highest point, there was a tower with guards on it.
The cat faunus leaned down, hissing as she rubbed at her bow legs, "that's even worse than horses were at first."
"Come on," Ruby said, "it isn't that bad."
"It is," Blake grumbled, "they're massive. I don't plan to do that again for a while. How can you be ok?"
What? It wasn't any worse than a… oh!
"I've spent the last three years riding on Worgs, they're huge," Ruby explained.
"Well, I'm never riding one of those either."
"'Scuse me," Ruby turned at the call, looking down at the dwarf clutching a huge gun.
"Yes?" Ruby asked, appreciating being around people who weren't towering over her again, "can we help you?"
"Aye," he said, "you should be more careful, we nearly shot ya out of the sky. The creatures keep trying to attack us from the air, so we're setting up a tighter perimeter."
"Oh," Ruby rubbed the back of her head, "Sorry. We didn't know."
"Well," he grunted, "you're lucky I spend too much time keeping an eye on the butterflies. Don't do again, alright?"
"Yeah," Ruby nodded."
"Good," the dwarf turned, placing his gun on his shoulder. Ruby took a step to the side, out of the path for the gun, "the Alliance is on the left side of the camp, girl."
Why would she go to the Alliance?
"You said 'creatures', what do you mean? What do they look like?"
"Giant bugs," he gave a giant shudder, "disgusting things. You'll see 'em soon enough, they attack often."
"Bugs," Blake muttered, rising, "why bugs?"
"Dunno," Ruby said, "can you imagine how badly Jaune would react? He'd scream like a-" someone suddenly caught her eye, and she yelled two words in Taur-ahe… two of the only words she knew in Taur-ahe, "Stormsong!"
The Tauren turned, his fur containing many dots of grey. Along his arms sat Taur-ahe runes, standing out clearly against his fur. He had a golden ring in his nose, and his hair was braided into three separate braids. He stared at her in confusion for a second, before something resembling recognition lit up his eyes.
"Ruby Rose?" he asked.
"Yes, sir," Ruby responded in orcish.
Stormsong nodded, "Firefist will be happy, he was sure it would take Rehgar a long time to send you our way. Come, we should go to the area dedicated to the Horde. Who's that?"
Ruby looked behind her, "This is Blake, she's a close friend of mine. Blake," Ruby switched to Common, "this is Stormsong. He's a powerful shaman."
"Hello," Blake greeted.
"I don't speak Common," Stormsong said, "what did you say?"
"I was introducing her. She greets you."
"As do I. Can she be trusted? She isn't Alliance, is she?"
Ruby didn't think so, though Blake hadn't answered either way, "I'd trust her with my life."
Stormsong examined Blake, "she can come to. But I'll be keeping an eye on her, and you can be sure the guards will be too."
"We can trust her," Ruby repeated.
Stormsong's eyes widened, and he took Ruby in again, "you're sure about that?"
"As sure as I've ever been about anything."
"Very well, but if she turns out to be an Alliance spy, you will have to answer for it. Come," Stormsong turned, starting to make his way down the hill.
Ruby followed slightly behind Stormsong, grabbing Blake by the hand so they couldn't be separated, "give me a minute, Blake. I need to ask Stormsong about something."
"Yeah," Blake said, "but if this starts becoming a constant thing, you're gonna have to teach me Orcish."
"I can do that," Ruby switched to aforementioned language, "you said Rehgar was supposed to send me this way?"
"Are you saying he didn't?"
"No. I haven't spoken to Rehgar for a couple of weeks, I've been busy."
"Then how did you know to come here?"
"The elements told me. They gave me a vision of this place. Well, the wall-"
"The elements?" Ruby saw Stormsong give her a look out of the corner of his eye, "they gave you a vision? You weren't looking for one?"
"No?"
"Hmm," Stormsong examined her.
"What?"
"Nothing," he said, "we should continue before-"
Calls rose from the camp, first one, then another, until shouts in every language echoed through the camp. Ruby forced herself to focus on one voice, in Common.
"Attack incoming!"
Ruby grabbed Crescent Rose off her back, unfolding it into rifle form and grabbing one of the bullets Blake had given her from the pouch at her side. As Ruby pulled out the bolt, loading the first round, Blake drew Gambol Shroud. The runes on Stormsong's arms started to crackle.
Swinging her scythe up, Ruby focused on one of the bugs flying towards the camp, "That's a lot…"
"They've been attacking every day," Stormsong grunted, "They aren't hard to kill, but they attack in massive waves."
Ruby breathed in, letting mana flow through herself and into Crescent Rose as she did the math required and raised her gun. Releasing the breath, Ruby pulled the trigger.
Ruby smiled as the bullet struck the bug, lighting exploding out of it and frying several others.
"Well done," Stormsong said, the runes glowing a bright blue, energy dancing along his arms, as he raised them, "but we'll need more. Buy me some time!"
---
Blake span around Ruby, taking one of the legs off a bug with Gambol Shroud's sharpened sheath. With her other hand, she span Gambol Shroud itself into a reverse grip and putting it through its eye.
"Ask him how much longer," Blake called.
"One sec," Ruby said, forcing one of the bugs onto its back and dropping Crescent Rose, the heavy scythe blade crashing through the carapace. Then she switched to Orcish for a moment, then back to Common at Stormsong's response. The tauren was surrounded by arcing electrical currents, his hair standing on end, and two other shaman had joined him, "they say it should only be a few more minutes!'
What were they even doing? It probably had something to with the storm clouds gathering suddenly, she knew that, but what?
Blake switched Gambol Shroud's form, but before she could throw it at her target, another tauren gored it with his horns, throwing his head around to remove the bug, before dropping one of the largest maces Blake had ever seen onto it, splattering it across the ground.
Looking around, Blake threw Gambol Shroud at another one of the bugs that was charging at the tauren, allowing it to loop around the front legs, before pulling it tight and dragging the bug over, and slotting Gambol Shroud's sheath into the chink in the bug's armor.
Blake flicked her arm in a practiced move, freeing Gambol Shroud and unfolding it as she looked around. Blake's eyes widened as she caught something on the horizon, "what is that?"
On the horizon was a humanoid creature that looked like it was made of black stone. Ruby swung Crescent Rose around, hitting the button to deploy the scope and peering through it, "uh…"
"They're called anubisaths," Blake jumped slightly as an undead suddenly spoke in Common, a giant sword in his hand, "they're strong, but dumb. We normally let the spell casters deal with 'em."
"Uh…" Blake snapped her eyes away from the gaping hole in his neck, through which she could see something writhing, "ok? Then we should just…?"
"Deal with the small ones," he span, took a step forward, pulled his sword back, and swung it at one of the bugs, exposed muscle rippling. The blade didn't sink in far, but it did send the bug crashing into the hill, where an orc using a large axe lodged it into the underbelly.
A troll came from around a set of tents with several other bugs, on each hand were a pair of bracers, two blades extending from each and were coated in fire. He threw his hand towards one, and a spike of earth appeared from the ground, impaling it. Blake focused on another bug, which was charging at her.
Activating her Semblance, Blake dodged to the side, allowing it to run through her clone… and right into the waiting blade of Crescent Rose. Ruby grinned, briefly vibrating before jolting a foot foward, flower petals trailing in her wake as more blood suddenly appeared on the scythe blade.
There was a noise of rending metal came from behind them. Whipping around, Blake saw the one of the troll's gauntlets' was broken, the blades sitting on the ground as a bug charged over them. Despite this, the troll didn't seem worried. Instead, he had a grin on his face.
The broken blades exploded upwards as the bug passed over them, flames bursting back into existence. At the same time the storm broke.
A bolt of white lightning lanced down from the sky, shattering the anubisath to pieces. As if that were a que, the bugs dug into the ground, or flew into the air, fleeing as everyone took potshots at them.
Ruby walked up to the troll, making a gesture and speaking orcish. After a minute, the troll nodded, removing his broken gauntlet and handing it to her, before going to speak to Stormsong.
---
Yang groaned and covered her head with a pillow as the door opened, allowing the noise from outside to filter in without the thick slab of wood and metal in the way. There was the sound of laughter, and clinking metal, and the occasional shout.
"Wake up," Maan's rough voice came, followed by something hitting her bed, "our meeting with the leader of this base is soon."
Yang sat up with a sigh, looking around. They were in a small room within the Honor Hold inn. The walls were completely bare, leaving the wood used to make them exposed, and only furniture was the pair of beds Yang and Weiss had been sleeping in, and a nightstand. The heiress had her head buried under the pillow of her bed, still completely dead to the world. Yang was glad she had started to loosen up around Team RWBY...
She kinda wondered where Maan had slept, though.
Yang looked down at the folded pile of fabric Maan had thrown at the foot of her bed. Picking it up, Yang examined it. It was kind of heavy, and was nearly white. Unfolding it, Yang frowned, "a cloak?"
"Yes," Maan said as he threw a second cloak at Weiss, landing on her pillow. The moment it struck, Weiss rocketed up, sending the pillow flying and looking around, "We don't get much cloud cover anymore, much of the water boiled away during the destruction. These will keep the sun off you."
Yang tested the cloak, weighing it silently. It wasn't really her idea of fashion. Ruby would have been fine with it, if it had been red. But it did bring back memories. Of a white cloak, and a hand planting on her head, messing up Yang's hair as she tried to hop up onto a bench. There had been something slightly slimey on the hand, and Yang remembered complaining loudly.
Summer had just laughed, reaching down to help her onto the bench, "Weren't you supposed to be with your sister, Little Bird?"
"Daddy and Uncle Qrow are home," Yang chirped, "what are you doing, mommy?"
"I'm just putting the finishing touches on this vase. Do you want to see it?" Summer's eyes had glimmered with excitement, like they always had when she talked about her pottery. At the time, Yang had wished she could have also gotten Summer's silver eyes.
"Sure!" Yang stood up on the bench, squirming as Summer's clay covered hands grabbed onto her, "mommy! That feels icky!"
"I don't want you to fall and get hurt," Summer had said, "what do you think of it?"
Carved into the vase had been winding vines, occasionally dotted with flowers. At the bottom were different animal types, "It's pretty," Yang gasped, reaching for the vase.
"Whoa!"
Summer pulled Yang back, "careful, Little Bird, it's wet. I need to let it dry before I bake it."
Yang's head tilted to the side, "like cookies?"
"Sort of, do you want to see how I do it?"
"Yeah!"
Yang followed Summer up the stairs and out of the garage, heading towards a large metal bin in the back yard. Summer had grabbed a wooden log, helping Yang onto it, "this is a kiln, it's a special oven for clay."
"Can I try?"
"Maybe when you're older, Little Bird. But I can show you how to-" Summer stopped talking as her Scroll went off.
"Who is it?"
"Your daddy," Summer flipped open the phone, hitting the speaker button, "Yes, dear?"
"Uh-" Yang heard Tai yelp, "any idea why Ruby's baby monitor is fried?"
"I thought it would last longer," Summer said, "but we did have it since Yang was a newborn, so-"
"No, I mean," Tai yelped again, "I mean it's fried. Like, black. Burned."
"What do you mean?"
"Like, Ruby started crying, so I came over to look, and the monitor was smoking. I," Tai sighed, "just come see, ok?"
"I'll be right in," Summer sighed right back, flipping the phone closed, "why don't we go see what your daddy is talking about?"
"Ok!" Yang reached up to grab Summer's hand, "Ewwww! Mommy, your hands are still gross!"
"Is that meeting soon?" Weiss asked, running her fingers through her messy hair, before grabbing her hair elastic off the stand and putting it into a ponytail.
"Yes," Maan nodded, "we should leave soon, but we should have time for a quick meal."
"Who are we even meeting with?" Yang asked, trying to straighten out her own hair.
"Danath Trollbane," Maan said, "he is the leader of the Sons of Lothar. He also beat Kilrogg Deadeye in single combat, and survived here long enough to grow old. That alone is enough to make him someone you shouldn't underestimate."
---
Danath walked into the planning room of Honor Hold, standing tall despite the faded pain in his knee. The aches had started to come more often over the past couple of years, a sure sign that his age was starting to catch up with him.
"What's this about?" he asked.
"Our guards spotted a draenei and two humans traveling towards Honor Hold last night," Leonus started, "upon sending a small group out to meet up with them, the draenei revealed a Shattered Hand gauntlet and a letter. He wishes to barter the letter for supplies."
"Why didn't you deal with this?" Danath asked, "this shouldn't-"
"He's refusing to give the information to anyone other than you. I don't think he trusts us to give the supplies he wants."
A suspension that wasn't unfounded. Danath knew there were plenty of men in Honor Hold who would take the information and give nothing in return. Supplies were low as is, without giving it away. Khadgar would occasionally send what he could from Shattrath, but even that was not enough.
"Anything else I should know of?" He sighed as he took his seat at the front of the war rooms table.
"Yes," Leonus continued, "Filinthus says that two of them have the faint trace of Fel."
"A trap?" Danath asked, reaching under the table for the sword sheath Lebowski had bolted to the bottom of the table after an assassination attempt from the 'Blood Elves' last year. How would Alleria have reacted to seeing her people fall so far as to consort with demons?
"I don't think so," Leonus said, "well, the human, I don't. Even Filinthus says she has so little it might just be her being near something Fel corrupted, I'm not so sire about the draenei. They might have something up their sleeve, so be careful."
"I always am," Danath said. You didn't live long enough to become grey haired here without a healthy dose of paranoia, "when will they be here?"
"Any minute now."
'any minute now' turned out to be almost an hour, by which the last chill of the night had faded, Danath had signed off on an increase of shifts at the mine to get the metal Lebowski and Humphry had been requesting, and began to look out the window.
Honor Hold was what little remained of the once sprawling fortifications of Vanguard. Much of the back half of the Alliance Expedition's foothold on Draenor had been swallowed by the abyss that had been formed by the quakes and storms that had unmade the world, and many more of the brave men had been lost to an assault by the last of Teron Gorefiend's death knights. Damned to wander as ghosts by the warlocks' curse.
Danath had personally led the team to avenge them, shattering the jeweled clubs that bound them to the mortal coil. Only one had gotten away, Bloodreaver…
"Sir," Danath looked to the guard, "they're here."
"Send them in," Danath turned back to Leonus, "which one doesn't have the fel taint?" he asked quietly.
"The blonde."
The door swung open as Danath took his seat again, and he took a moment to examine the three who walked in. Danath schooled his face at the blonde girl's clothing. Who wore trousers that short? The rest was something he could look past, even if him and Alleria had had many an argument about the practicality of leaving your midriff exposed. How much had Azeroth changed in the time they were gone?
There was little doubt in Danath's mind that these girls were from Azeroth in some way. None of the children born after the destruction of the Dark Portal were that old, and all of them had been sent to Shattrath city.
The other girl was wearing clothing that reminded him of what some of the warrior-ladies of Stromgarde to gathering, practical, but also well made. Unless it had been a tourney, Danath had always despised those days, perhaps even more than his uncle. He had always been more comfortable around his uncle than his own father, and knew Thoras had felt the same. Had to have felt the same, if he had allowed Danath to carry Trol'kalar during the Second War, instead of his son.
The draenei, on the other hand, immediately set off warning bells. He looked like he was frozen halfway between ones like Nemuraan and the broken who live in Shattrath and villages around Draenor, his eyes flicked with red, "you are…?" Danath asked, reaching under the table and grabbing his sword, just to be safe.
"Maan," the draenei said in a reedy voice, "and these are Yang," the blond, "and Weiss," the white haired one, "I'm here to barter information for supplies. We plan to travel south, and need supplies."
"Traveling to Shattrath?" it was the only thing of value in the southern part of Draenor.
"No," Maan said, "Well, we might stop there for more supplies. We're traveling to Shadowmoon Valley."
Danath didn't allow any of his surprise to slip through. Shadowmoon? Why there? What could two young woman and a draenei want in that hellhole?
"That's quite dangerous," Danath said, "why?"
"We're looking for something," Maan said in a clipped tone, "Do you want this information?" he held up the letter.
"Yes," Danath reached for it, "but this better not be a trick."
Danath grabbed flicked open the letter, reading the Orcish within. As he did, he felt his pulse hammer in his throat. The Dark Portal was going to be reopened? The orcs were planning to attack Honor Hold? They didn't have the men to withstand an assault. Maybe?
"If you're traveling south," Danath asked, "could you deliver a letter to Khadgar for me in Shattrath city?"
The archmage would be a massive assistance if they were to fight off the orcs. There wasn't a better mage in all of Draenor.
"Yes," Maan nodded, "you will give us supplies then?"
"Yes. It will take a few days, but yes," Danath looked around for something to calm his heart, finally, his eyes locked onto Yang, "Girl. You're a fighter?" he could see the muscles.
"Uh…" She looked taken aback, "yeah?"
"Would you like to spar with me?" Danath asked. A fight, even one that wasn't serious, would take his mind off it for a while.
"Sure?" She extended the word, like she wasn't sure.
"Good."
The desert, Weiss assumed, was slowly falling to the grip of night… or what passed for night in this strange place. The temperature was dropping steeply, and the green streams above them were becoming easier to see. She could feel the power racing through the currents, so much more than had been in the orb. If she could just grab it.You'd turn into a demon at best, or outright die as the Fel tore away your soul.
After a while of following Maan, Yang finally spoke, "Shadowmoon Valley? Where's that? Why are we going there? Is it where that city is?"
"I-" Weiss's eyes trailed to the glowing beacon in the distance, "I don't know. I just… somethings there, I'm sure of it. Something that can help us."
"How? You were trying to find out where we were a couple hours."
"I just," Weiss scowled, "I just do, ok?"
"I'm-"
"Shhh!" Maan span, putting his hand to his lips. The energy in that crystal had changed him, transformed him from a mad, bestial shell of a man to a quiet guide, "do you hear that?"
Weiss listened, focusing on the noises, "is that… people howling?"
"Yes," Maan grabbed a hatchet from his back, drawing a knife with his left hand, "to those rocks, quickly."
The trio beat a hasty retreat behind an outcrop of rocks, Yang lowering Weiss to the ground as they waited.
Shortly after, the howl and yells grew louder, followed by the sound of feet on the ground. Peeking around the corner, Weiss saw seven men standing around eight massive wolves. Their skin was a deep red, with bone spines sprouting along their bare arms and down their backs.
"What are those?" She asked quietly, grabbing Myrtenaster. She was starting to suspect Yang might have been right.
"Orcs," Maan said, "Fel orcs. Shattered Hand clan, see the big one?" he pointed at the left hand of 'the big one', which had a brace around the wrist, ending in a blade, "all sworn member remove their hand in a… I don't know the Common word for it."
"A ritual?" Weiss offered.
"Perhaps," Maan pushed himself up, "I don't know what that word means," here he placed one foot onto the outcrop, starting to climb.
"Where are you going?"
"To kill them. They're following us, I don't know why, or for who, but we can't have it continu-"
Before he could finish, one of the orcs grabbed the big one's shoulder, snarling something as he jerked his leader around, and Weiss felt something hot go through her.
"There's nothing here," he snarled, "we're wasting time."
"The wargs have something," the other responded, "and there are tracks."
"Then we can track them tomorrow, let's return to Hellfire Citadel."
"And risk them infiltrating us? The Dark Portal pulses with energy. Kargath thinks-"
"Damn what Bladefist suspects," the orc growled, "Kashta-"
Before he could finish, the other orc slugged him across the face, growling louder as he took a step forward, "you dare defy the Warchief? The one who took you from that village of cowards, weaklings, and elders?"
The first grabbed his axe, "Yes, I da-"
He didn't finish his words as the blade slashed across his eye, creating an arc of crimson as the Shattered Hand latched his good hand around his subordinates throat, throwing him to the ground as he bared down on the smaller orc, "then your life is now forfeit," he hissed out as the heat left Weiss.Fascinating, but impractical.
"-assuming they aren't all going to kill each other," Maan finished, pushing himself higher.straddling the line of demonic, with a temper that makes Hellscream look good. What are they thinking?
Weiss and Yang waited with bated breath as the Shattered Hand stood, showing the maimed head to his subordinates and barking something. Halfway through, a hatchet lodged itself into the leaders skull, and Maan plummeted, thrusting his dagger into the nearest one's throat as he tore the axe out.
Yang pushed herself up, "wait here."
"What are you-?"
"I only have one shell left for Ember Celica, that knife fist will work better until I can get more, and I can help Maan."
"Yan-"
Before Weiss finished the name, Yang ran out of the cover. Weiss glared at her still unmoving legs. How was she supposed to-?
It was at that moment an orc poked his head around the rock outcrop next to them. He stared at Weiss, she stared back. As one, they reached for their weapons, Weiss trying to figure out what to do. She couldn't stab him from here, so…
The heat passed over her again, and an idea came to her.
always a favorite of mine. The wheel of death is turning again.
A green glyph appeared on the back of her hand, and Weiss felt her mouth stretch into a grin as a green energy was ripped from the orc. As he collapsed, however, Weiss lowered her hand in horror.
The orc's red skin was hanging off him, his mouth moving as his black hair turned white, and he took deep, shuddering breaths, like the air he was getting wasn't enough.
Was… was she doing this? Weiss looked at the stream connecting her and the orc, feeling a strange mix of revulsion and exhilaration, before severing it.
What? He doesn't have long to live anyways.
Weiss forced herself to stand on shaky legs.
"Wait," the orc called weakly, "please, don't leave me like this. Please."
Weiss tightened her hold on Myrtenaster. What was she supposed to-?
Before she made a decision, a dagger went flying past her, embedded itself in the other orc.
"You can walk again?" Maan said as he walked by, "good. There is a human outpost nearby, Honor Hold. We will make it to there before the night is halfway over, and we can rest there for a couple of days while I barter this," Maan held up an envelope, "with the leaders there. You two can heal, maybe find more of what Yang used on Grimr, and then we can depart," Maan tore the dagger out, "come, it's to the south, just passed-" he stopped there.
"Just passed?" Yang asked as she walked over, having removed one of Ember Celica's bangles to make way for the Shattered Hand's weapon.
"Just passed the Road," Maan finished solemnly.
---
Yang adjusted the weapon again, she had spent the last hour trying to find a place where the cracked blade didn't rub against her hand awkwardly. It was like… well, it was like it had been made for someone missing a hand.
What kind of initiation ritual involved every member crippling themselves? Why would anyone willingly do that to themselves? Eventually, Yang took off the gauntlet, preparing to throw it away.
"Don't do that," Maan said, "the humans pay for evidence of a Shattered Hand's death."
"Are we almost there?" Yang asked.
"Yes," Maan pointed, "you can see it in the distance, if you look carefully."
Yang squinted, eyes scanning the horizon, before she caught it, "that's it?"
'It' was a fortress with slightly worn stone walls, and Yang could see several buildings rising above them, meaning it was on a hill of some sort.
"It is better than nothing," Maan said, "which is what most have. We're almost to the road, give me a moment when we are there."
"What's this road you keep talking about?"
"The orcs call it the Road of Glory. I call it a testament to why they're all monsters," Maan spat the word.
"Why?"
"You'll see," Maan growled, continuing forward.
It didn't take long for them to reach the road, and as her eyes fell on it, Yang could only let out a small, "Oh."
"Yes," Maan said, lowering himself onto one knee.
The road was paved with bones. Yang looked in both directions, and it stretched beyond the horizon in both directions. Lowering herself, Yang picked up one skull. It was small enough to fit in one hand, and as she stared into it's empty sockets, she felt her stomach roll.
"What happened?" she demanded with barely controlled rage. Who did something like this?
"Once," Maan started quietly, "the draenei had many villages and three great cities. Shattrath, Tuurem, and Karabor. Then, one day, the orcs started to attack us. It started with simple raids on caravans, but when we retaliated, they came back worse. They started to attack villages, slaughtering many of the people there, and taking the rest as slaves."
"And they brought them here."
"Yes," Maan said, "they worked them to death, and then they used their bones to build this road. Give me a moment, Yang, please."
"Yeah," Yang stood up, "yeah. Sure," Yang walked a bit away, to where Weiss was examining the road, "what do you think about this?"
"It's monstrous," Weiss said without missing a beat, "who does something like this? What could be worth it?"
Plenty of faunus had probably asked the same question about the SDC, Yang thought, "I don't know. I-"
"I'm ready," Maan said suddenly, standing, "come. Let's go."
They crossed quickly, none of them wanting to think about what they were walking across, and continued their travel to Honor Hold. After a few minutes, Weiss broke the silence, "Maan? You said that orc was from the Shattered Hand clan, right?"
"Yes."
"Does that mean there are other clans?"
"Many, once. Now, there are few."
"Can you tell us about them?"
"The few? Or the many?"
"Both."
"I'll start with the few. Beyond the Shattered Hand, there are the Kil'sorrow, the Bonechewers, and the-" then he stopped, "they know we are coming."
"How can you-" a fragment of light shone from Honor Hold. It reminded her of when Ruby… "are they aiming sniper rifles at us?"
Yang saw Weiss tense as Maan looked over at them, "'Sniper'? I don't know that word I'm sorry. Does it have to do with those," he held his hands up, curling them both around, "those…?"
"Telescope?"
"Yes! Those?"
"Uh… kinda? It's like a telescope for a gun. You do know what a-"
"I know what a gun is," he cut her off, "no. Just telescopes," he grabbed the Shattered Hand's weapon from her, holding it and the envelope up. After a couple of minutes, the doors of Honor Hold opened, and several men and woman on horseback rode towards them.
Once they were within talking distance, one called, "Who are you?"
"Maan, Yang, and Weiss," Maan held up the envelope and weapon again, "We took this from a Shattered Hand scouting party. We're preparing to travel farther south, and need supplies. We wish to barter the information within this letter."
The leader looked them up and down, "very well. Come, we'll bring you to Honor Hold, but you'll have to wait until morning to speak to someone."
---
Ruby guided the gryphon down, sliding off it and stretching, before turning and helping Blake down.
They had landed on a hill surrounded by walls, with buildings in a hodgepodge of different styles on it. Around the bottom of the hill were tents in an equal number of styles. At the highest point, there was a tower with guards on it.
The cat faunus leaned down, hissing as she rubbed at her bow legs, "that's even worse than horses were at first."
"Come on," Ruby said, "it isn't that bad."
"It is," Blake grumbled, "they're massive. I don't plan to do that again for a while. How can you be ok?"
What? It wasn't any worse than a… oh!
"I've spent the last three years riding on Worgs, they're huge," Ruby explained.
"Well, I'm never riding one of those either."
"'Scuse me," Ruby turned at the call, looking down at the dwarf clutching a huge gun.
"Yes?" Ruby asked, appreciating being around people who weren't towering over her again, "can we help you?"
"Aye," he said, "you should be more careful, we nearly shot ya out of the sky. The creatures keep trying to attack us from the air, so we're setting up a tighter perimeter."
"Oh," Ruby rubbed the back of her head, "Sorry. We didn't know."
"Well," he grunted, "you're lucky I spend too much time keeping an eye on the butterflies. Don't do again, alright?"
"Yeah," Ruby nodded."
"Good," the dwarf turned, placing his gun on his shoulder. Ruby took a step to the side, out of the path for the gun, "the Alliance is on the left side of the camp, girl."
Why would she go to the Alliance?
"You said 'creatures', what do you mean? What do they look like?"
"Giant bugs," he gave a giant shudder, "disgusting things. You'll see 'em soon enough, they attack often."
"Bugs," Blake muttered, rising, "why bugs?"
"Dunno," Ruby said, "can you imagine how badly Jaune would react? He'd scream like a-" someone suddenly caught her eye, and she yelled two words in Taur-ahe… two of the only words she knew in Taur-ahe, "Stormsong!"
The Tauren turned, his fur containing many dots of grey. Along his arms sat Taur-ahe runes, standing out clearly against his fur. He had a golden ring in his nose, and his hair was braided into three separate braids. He stared at her in confusion for a second, before something resembling recognition lit up his eyes.
"Ruby Rose?" he asked.
"Yes, sir," Ruby responded in orcish.
Stormsong nodded, "Firefist will be happy, he was sure it would take Rehgar a long time to send you our way. Come, we should go to the area dedicated to the Horde. Who's that?"
Ruby looked behind her, "This is Blake, she's a close friend of mine. Blake," Ruby switched to Common, "this is Stormsong. He's a powerful shaman."
"Hello," Blake greeted.
"I don't speak Common," Stormsong said, "what did you say?"
"I was introducing her. She greets you."
"As do I. Can she be trusted? She isn't Alliance, is she?"
Ruby didn't think so, though Blake hadn't answered either way, "I'd trust her with my life."
Stormsong examined Blake, "she can come to. But I'll be keeping an eye on her, and you can be sure the guards will be too."
"We can trust her," Ruby repeated.
Stormsong's eyes widened, and he took Ruby in again, "you're sure about that?"
"As sure as I've ever been about anything."
"Very well, but if she turns out to be an Alliance spy, you will have to answer for it. Come," Stormsong turned, starting to make his way down the hill.
Ruby followed slightly behind Stormsong, grabbing Blake by the hand so they couldn't be separated, "give me a minute, Blake. I need to ask Stormsong about something."
"Yeah," Blake said, "but if this starts becoming a constant thing, you're gonna have to teach me Orcish."
"I can do that," Ruby switched to aforementioned language, "you said Rehgar was supposed to send me this way?"
"Are you saying he didn't?"
"No. I haven't spoken to Rehgar for a couple of weeks, I've been busy."
"Then how did you know to come here?"
"The elements told me. They gave me a vision of this place. Well, the wall-"
"The elements?" Ruby saw Stormsong give her a look out of the corner of his eye, "they gave you a vision? You weren't looking for one?"
"No?"
"Hmm," Stormsong examined her.
"What?"
"Nothing," he said, "we should continue before-"
Calls rose from the camp, first one, then another, until shouts in every language echoed through the camp. Ruby forced herself to focus on one voice, in Common.
"Attack incoming!"
Ruby grabbed Crescent Rose off her back, unfolding it into rifle form and grabbing one of the bullets Blake had given her from the pouch at her side. As Ruby pulled out the bolt, loading the first round, Blake drew Gambol Shroud. The runes on Stormsong's arms started to crackle.
Swinging her scythe up, Ruby focused on one of the bugs flying towards the camp, "That's a lot…"
"They've been attacking every day," Stormsong grunted, "They aren't hard to kill, but they attack in massive waves."
Ruby breathed in, letting mana flow through herself and into Crescent Rose as she did the math required and raised her gun. Releasing the breath, Ruby pulled the trigger.
Ruby smiled as the bullet struck the bug, lighting exploding out of it and frying several others.
"Well done," Stormsong said, the runes glowing a bright blue, energy dancing along his arms, as he raised them, "but we'll need more. Buy me some time!"
---
Blake span around Ruby, taking one of the legs off a bug with Gambol Shroud's sharpened sheath. With her other hand, she span Gambol Shroud itself into a reverse grip and putting it through its eye.
"Ask him how much longer," Blake called.
"One sec," Ruby said, forcing one of the bugs onto its back and dropping Crescent Rose, the heavy scythe blade crashing through the carapace. Then she switched to Orcish for a moment, then back to Common at Stormsong's response. The tauren was surrounded by arcing electrical currents, his hair standing on end, and two other shaman had joined him, "they say it should only be a few more minutes!'
What were they even doing? It probably had something to with the storm clouds gathering suddenly, she knew that, but what?
Blake switched Gambol Shroud's form, but before she could throw it at her target, another tauren gored it with his horns, throwing his head around to remove the bug, before dropping one of the largest maces Blake had ever seen onto it, splattering it across the ground.
Looking around, Blake threw Gambol Shroud at another one of the bugs that was charging at the tauren, allowing it to loop around the front legs, before pulling it tight and dragging the bug over, and slotting Gambol Shroud's sheath into the chink in the bug's armor.
Blake flicked her arm in a practiced move, freeing Gambol Shroud and unfolding it as she looked around. Blake's eyes widened as she caught something on the horizon, "what is that?"
On the horizon was a humanoid creature that looked like it was made of black stone. Ruby swung Crescent Rose around, hitting the button to deploy the scope and peering through it, "uh…"
"They're called anubisaths," Blake jumped slightly as an undead suddenly spoke in Common, a giant sword in his hand, "they're strong, but dumb. We normally let the spell casters deal with 'em."
"Uh…" Blake snapped her eyes away from the gaping hole in his neck, through which she could see something writhing, "ok? Then we should just…?"
"Deal with the small ones," he span, took a step forward, pulled his sword back, and swung it at one of the bugs, exposed muscle rippling. The blade didn't sink in far, but it did send the bug crashing into the hill, where an orc using a large axe lodged it into the underbelly.
A troll came from around a set of tents with several other bugs, on each hand were a pair of bracers, two blades extending from each and were coated in fire. He threw his hand towards one, and a spike of earth appeared from the ground, impaling it. Blake focused on another bug, which was charging at her.
Activating her Semblance, Blake dodged to the side, allowing it to run through her clone… and right into the waiting blade of Crescent Rose. Ruby grinned, briefly vibrating before jolting a foot foward, flower petals trailing in her wake as more blood suddenly appeared on the scythe blade.
There was a noise of rending metal came from behind them. Whipping around, Blake saw the one of the troll's gauntlets' was broken, the blades sitting on the ground as a bug charged over them. Despite this, the troll didn't seem worried. Instead, he had a grin on his face.
The broken blades exploded upwards as the bug passed over them, flames bursting back into existence. At the same time the storm broke.
A bolt of white lightning lanced down from the sky, shattering the anubisath to pieces. As if that were a que, the bugs dug into the ground, or flew into the air, fleeing as everyone took potshots at them.
Ruby walked up to the troll, making a gesture and speaking orcish. After a minute, the troll nodded, removing his broken gauntlet and handing it to her, before going to speak to Stormsong.
---
Yang groaned and covered her head with a pillow as the door opened, allowing the noise from outside to filter in without the thick slab of wood and metal in the way. There was the sound of laughter, and clinking metal, and the occasional shout.
"Wake up," Maan's rough voice came, followed by something hitting her bed, "our meeting with the leader of this base is soon."
Yang sat up with a sigh, looking around. They were in a small room within the Honor Hold inn. The walls were completely bare, leaving the wood used to make them exposed, and only furniture was the pair of beds Yang and Weiss had been sleeping in, and a nightstand. The heiress had her head buried under the pillow of her bed, still completely dead to the world. Yang was glad she had started to loosen up around Team RWBY...
She kinda wondered where Maan had slept, though.
Yang looked down at the folded pile of fabric Maan had thrown at the foot of her bed. Picking it up, Yang examined it. It was kind of heavy, and was nearly white. Unfolding it, Yang frowned, "a cloak?"
"Yes," Maan said as he threw a second cloak at Weiss, landing on her pillow. The moment it struck, Weiss rocketed up, sending the pillow flying and looking around, "We don't get much cloud cover anymore, much of the water boiled away during the destruction. These will keep the sun off you."
Yang tested the cloak, weighing it silently. It wasn't really her idea of fashion. Ruby would have been fine with it, if it had been red. But it did bring back memories. Of a white cloak, and a hand planting on her head, messing up Yang's hair as she tried to hop up onto a bench. There had been something slightly slimey on the hand, and Yang remembered complaining loudly.
Summer had just laughed, reaching down to help her onto the bench, "Weren't you supposed to be with your sister, Little Bird?"
"Daddy and Uncle Qrow are home," Yang chirped, "what are you doing, mommy?"
"I'm just putting the finishing touches on this vase. Do you want to see it?" Summer's eyes had glimmered with excitement, like they always had when she talked about her pottery. At the time, Yang had wished she could have also gotten Summer's silver eyes.
"Sure!" Yang stood up on the bench, squirming as Summer's clay covered hands grabbed onto her, "mommy! That feels icky!"
"I don't want you to fall and get hurt," Summer had said, "what do you think of it?"
Carved into the vase had been winding vines, occasionally dotted with flowers. At the bottom were different animal types, "It's pretty," Yang gasped, reaching for the vase.
"Whoa!"
Summer pulled Yang back, "careful, Little Bird, it's wet. I need to let it dry before I bake it."
Yang's head tilted to the side, "like cookies?"
"Sort of, do you want to see how I do it?"
"Yeah!"
Yang followed Summer up the stairs and out of the garage, heading towards a large metal bin in the back yard. Summer had grabbed a wooden log, helping Yang onto it, "this is a kiln, it's a special oven for clay."
"Can I try?"
"Maybe when you're older, Little Bird. But I can show you how to-" Summer stopped talking as her Scroll went off.
"Who is it?"
"Your daddy," Summer flipped open the phone, hitting the speaker button, "Yes, dear?"
"Uh-" Yang heard Tai yelp, "any idea why Ruby's baby monitor is fried?"
"I thought it would last longer," Summer said, "but we did have it since Yang was a newborn, so-"
"No, I mean," Tai yelped again, "I mean it's fried. Like, black. Burned."
"What do you mean?"
"Like, Ruby started crying, so I came over to look, and the monitor was smoking. I," Tai sighed, "just come see, ok?"
"I'll be right in," Summer sighed right back, flipping the phone closed, "why don't we go see what your daddy is talking about?"
"Ok!" Yang reached up to grab Summer's hand, "Ewwww! Mommy, your hands are still gross!"
"Is that meeting soon?" Weiss asked, running her fingers through her messy hair, before grabbing her hair elastic off the stand and putting it into a ponytail.
"Yes," Maan nodded, "we should leave soon, but we should have time for a quick meal."
"Who are we even meeting with?" Yang asked, trying to straighten out her own hair.
"Danath Trollbane," Maan said, "he is the leader of the Sons of Lothar. He also beat Kilrogg Deadeye in single combat, and survived here long enough to grow old. That alone is enough to make him someone you shouldn't underestimate."
---
Danath walked into the planning room of Honor Hold, standing tall despite the faded pain in his knee. The aches had started to come more often over the past couple of years, a sure sign that his age was starting to catch up with him.
"What's this about?" he asked.
"Our guards spotted a draenei and two humans traveling towards Honor Hold last night," Leonus started, "upon sending a small group out to meet up with them, the draenei revealed a Shattered Hand gauntlet and a letter. He wishes to barter the letter for supplies."
"Why didn't you deal with this?" Danath asked, "this shouldn't-"
"He's refusing to give the information to anyone other than you. I don't think he trusts us to give the supplies he wants."
A suspension that wasn't unfounded. Danath knew there were plenty of men in Honor Hold who would take the information and give nothing in return. Supplies were low as is, without giving it away. Khadgar would occasionally send what he could from Shattrath, but even that was not enough.
"Anything else I should know of?" He sighed as he took his seat at the front of the war rooms table.
"Yes," Leonus continued, "Filinthus says that two of them have the faint trace of Fel."
"A trap?" Danath asked, reaching under the table for the sword sheath Lebowski had bolted to the bottom of the table after an assassination attempt from the 'Blood Elves' last year. How would Alleria have reacted to seeing her people fall so far as to consort with demons?
"I don't think so," Leonus said, "well, the human, I don't. Even Filinthus says she has so little it might just be her being near something Fel corrupted, I'm not so sire about the draenei. They might have something up their sleeve, so be careful."
"I always am," Danath said. You didn't live long enough to become grey haired here without a healthy dose of paranoia, "when will they be here?"
"Any minute now."
'any minute now' turned out to be almost an hour, by which the last chill of the night had faded, Danath had signed off on an increase of shifts at the mine to get the metal Lebowski and Humphry had been requesting, and began to look out the window.
Honor Hold was what little remained of the once sprawling fortifications of Vanguard. Much of the back half of the Alliance Expedition's foothold on Draenor had been swallowed by the abyss that had been formed by the quakes and storms that had unmade the world, and many more of the brave men had been lost to an assault by the last of Teron Gorefiend's death knights. Damned to wander as ghosts by the warlocks' curse.
Danath had personally led the team to avenge them, shattering the jeweled clubs that bound them to the mortal coil. Only one had gotten away, Bloodreaver…
"Sir," Danath looked to the guard, "they're here."
"Send them in," Danath turned back to Leonus, "which one doesn't have the fel taint?" he asked quietly.
"The blonde."
The door swung open as Danath took his seat again, and he took a moment to examine the three who walked in. Danath schooled his face at the blonde girl's clothing. Who wore trousers that short? The rest was something he could look past, even if him and Alleria had had many an argument about the practicality of leaving your midriff exposed. How much had Azeroth changed in the time they were gone?
There was little doubt in Danath's mind that these girls were from Azeroth in some way. None of the children born after the destruction of the Dark Portal were that old, and all of them had been sent to Shattrath city.
The other girl was wearing clothing that reminded him of what some of the warrior-ladies of Stromgarde to gathering, practical, but also well made. Unless it had been a tourney, Danath had always despised those days, perhaps even more than his uncle. He had always been more comfortable around his uncle than his own father, and knew Thoras had felt the same. Had to have felt the same, if he had allowed Danath to carry Trol'kalar during the Second War, instead of his son.
The draenei, on the other hand, immediately set off warning bells. He looked like he was frozen halfway between ones like Nemuraan and the broken who live in Shattrath and villages around Draenor, his eyes flicked with red, "you are…?" Danath asked, reaching under the table and grabbing his sword, just to be safe.
"Maan," the draenei said in a reedy voice, "and these are Yang," the blond, "and Weiss," the white haired one, "I'm here to barter information for supplies. We plan to travel south, and need supplies."
"Traveling to Shattrath?" it was the only thing of value in the southern part of Draenor.
"No," Maan said, "Well, we might stop there for more supplies. We're traveling to Shadowmoon Valley."
Danath didn't allow any of his surprise to slip through. Shadowmoon? Why there? What could two young woman and a draenei want in that hellhole?
"That's quite dangerous," Danath said, "why?"
"We're looking for something," Maan said in a clipped tone, "Do you want this information?" he held up the letter.
"Yes," Danath reached for it, "but this better not be a trick."
Danath grabbed flicked open the letter, reading the Orcish within. As he did, he felt his pulse hammer in his throat. The Dark Portal was going to be reopened? The orcs were planning to attack Honor Hold? They didn't have the men to withstand an assault. Maybe?
"If you're traveling south," Danath asked, "could you deliver a letter to Khadgar for me in Shattrath city?"
The archmage would be a massive assistance if they were to fight off the orcs. There wasn't a better mage in all of Draenor.
"Yes," Maan nodded, "you will give us supplies then?"
"Yes. It will take a few days, but yes," Danath looked around for something to calm his heart, finally, his eyes locked onto Yang, "Girl. You're a fighter?" he could see the muscles.
"Uh…" She looked taken aback, "yeah?"
"Would you like to spar with me?" Danath asked. A fight, even one that wasn't serious, would take his mind off it for a while.
"Sure?" She extended the word, like she wasn't sure.
"Good."
Chapter 5
ThatOnePsycho
Tilting his Vanes and Ennobling His Spires
Yang deployed Ember Celica, popping the last shell within out and putting it on the bench.
"What is that?" Danath asked as he moved from his spot across from her. In his hand was a sword that made Jaune's look ornate, the hilt wrapped with brown leather.
"It's a bullet," Yang said as Danath picked it up.
"Where's the gunpowder?" he asked.
"Uhh… The what?"
"The gunpowder?" Danath repeated, "the thing that causes it to go off?"
"The Dust?" Yang asked, "it's in there."
Danath examined it, before throwing it to a guard, "have Lebowski look at that, would you?"
"Hey!" Yang cried, "that's mine!"
"I'll make sure you get it back before you leave, but if that can speed up how quickly our gunners can fire," Danath paused, "that could be very helpful. Now, let's begin."
Yang sighed as Danath brought up his shield, which had a closed fist painted on it in red. This wasn't something he was going to debate, was it?
Yang brought up her fists, scanning for any weaknesses in his stance… there! He was favoring his left leg!
Yang rushed at him, swinging right for his chest. As Danath blocked the telegraphed blow, Yang stomped down, aiming for Danath's right leg.
All she got was a hilt to the throat for her troubles. The pommel smashed into her windpipe, knocking the air out of Yang as Danath fell back a couple of steps.
Yang rubbed her throat, feeling her Aura kill the pain running through it and lowering her body. Alright, she wasn't gonna be able to do this the easy way, and she didn't have bullets to add into her momentum.
Luckily she had passed this class with flying colors at Signal.
Yang rushed forward, bobbing and weaving as she swung for Danath's sides. Each strike was blocked by his shield, but Yang felt her grin grow wider as the shocks ran up her arms and each blow forced Danath's arm further back. Then Danath looked up at her, his eyes widening slightly, and he went the offensive.
Yang felt the cartilage in her nose shatter as Danath rammed his shield into it, blinking back the pain as her Aura stifled the flow of blood. Danath didn't stop, unleashing a storm of blows, including another strike to the face.
What was going on? She thought this was supposed to be a fun spa-?
Yang watched a few golden strands flow in the breeze, severed from her head by Danath's attack. Oh that son of a-
Yang grabbed Danath's sword by the unsharpened bit, ignoring the next hit from his shield as she yanked the sword out of his hand and threw it aside.
Danath slammed his shoulder into her stomach, sending a dull throb through Yang, before he threw her over his shoulder.
Yang landed rough, rolling onto her feet, and came up. Danath had retrieved his sword, halfway towards her in a charge. Yang spread her feet, ready for the impact.
When it came, she used it to bring Danath into a throw, letting him slam into the ground as his sword skidded away. Yang took a step forward, reaching for him. As she did, he scowled up at her.
"Go ahead," he spat, "but don't think you'll make it out of here alive, demon."
"What do you mean?" Yang asked, "I'm not a demo-"
"Your eyes," he growled, "I've been fighting your kind too long to miss that fel causes red eyes like yours."
"I'm, I'm not a demon," Yang said, "it's my Semblance."
"Your what?" Danath stopped, sounding confused.
"My semblance?" nothing, "The power of my soul?"
"Never heard of it," Danath's eyes jumped across her face, "you really aren't a demon?"
"No?" Yang could feel her own confusion grow.
"You'd let us test it?"
"Yeah."
"Get Filinthus," Danath barked to someone, causing Yang to look up. There were guards on the battlements, each one with a gun trained on them. On Yang.
One guard left, leaving Yang in the slightly less awkward position of having five guns pointed at her, instead of six. She could probably get away from them, but they'd sting.
A couple minutes later, a man with brown robes and a giant hat appeared in a explosion of purple.
"What's this about, sir," he asked it in a way that made it clear he didn't hold much respect for Danath, "they were talking about a demon girl?"
"We just need you to cast a few spells," Danath said, "make sure she isn't a demon."
The man, Fili- whatever, turned more purple wrapping around his hand as he carelessly waved it in Yang's face. The blonde brawler leaned back slightly.
"She isn't," he said after a minute, "can I leave now?"
"Yes," Danath sighed as another explosion of purple appeared, "I'm sorry, but this isn't the first time things like this has happened."
"It's, uh," Yang wasn't sure what to say, "it's fine." It really wasn't, but they did need those supplies, especially if they could get bullets, "you wouldn't happen to have someone who could sew would you?"
Not only were her clothes full of tears, but a cloak just wasn't her style.
---
Ruby grunted as she helped Blake along, trying to ignore her friend constantly grousing.
"I hate warlocks."
"I heard you the first time, Blake," Ruby said, ignoring the ache in her arm from Fel burns. She would have to get that looked at… after she was sure Blake would be fine.
Ruby's eyes trailed to the gash in Blake's leg. There was a sickly green pus mixed with the blood plastering her pants to her thigh.
"I mean it," Blake said, "we need to stop taking bounties on them, they wreak hell on our Aura."
It was true, nothing, not even Tauren, caused as many problems for the two of them as warlocks did. But at the same time…
"What should we do instead?"
…nobody wanted to fight warlocks, so they made up a large portion of RB's work.
"I don't know," Blake said, "maybe we could find a place where people don't live, build a house and settle down? I learned some gardening from my mom, and you'd be great at hunting animals. You know how to cook, right?"
Ruby felt her face start to flush as the image came to her. A small wooden house, like the one in the old pictures her dad had on the mantle in Patch. A couple of rooms, a fireplace, sitting with Blake reading books in winter while the fire warmed the room. Sitting outside in summer, stargazing...
"Yeah," the newly sixteen year old squeaked, "that sounds great."
She had never been one for romance… well, outside of novels. Ones that were, all in all, fairly mundane. The princess and her knight, stuff like that. But more recently, she had been thinking about it…
"How much longer till we get there?" Blake asked suddenly.
"I," Ruby paused, "it shouldn't be too much longer. Why?"
"I hear something," Blake said, her ears twitching beneath her bow, "it sounds like a… whistling sound?"
Ruby went silent, listening. She could hear it, just barely, "I'm gonna climb up a tree, ok? Try and see what's causing it."
"Yeah," Blake nodded, allowing Ruby to lower her down next to the tree. A thin sheet of sweat had appeared across her brow, and she moaned quietly as her leg moved at an awkward angle.
Fel poisoning wasn't pleasant, Ruby had learned that from a nasty scrape a couple months back. Not only did it suppress their Aura's regeneration, as all the healing properties rushed to the point, but it also hurt.
Dropping Crescent Rose, Ruby grabbed a tree branch, using it to climb farther into the tree. Ruby muttered a couple of minor curses as her cloak snagged onto the branches. Normally, this would be Blake's job, since she didn't have as much flow-y fabrics to get caught.
Ruby finally broke through the tree cover, looking around. The forests of Ashenvale had become dangerous over the past month, with orcs on giant wolves raiding villages. Ruby wasn't sure- There!
Riding from the prairie to the south, Ruby could see the orcs yelling, axes in hand. One had his arms above his head, swinging a long board on a rope over his head. They were heading towards Astranaar.
Towards Ruby and Blake.
Ruby felt the blood rush from her face and she let go of the tree, trusting her Aura to absorb the force. It did, but still sent her teeth rattling.
"What's wrong?" Blake asked as soon as Ruby wasn't reeling from the landing. She might have asked it before, but Ruby wasn't in any place to tell. How much Aura did she have left? Their Scrolls had died a long time ago, so it became a matter of gut feeling.
Ruby was pretty sure she had enough. More than Blake did, that was for sure.
"Orcs on wolves," Ruby said, "coming this way."
Ruby saw the worry appear in Blake's eyes. Beyond Blake's own dislike of canines, both of them were aware of how fast the giant wolves could move.
"Do we have time to get to Astranaar?" Blake asked.
Ruby did the math in her head, just to be safe, "Not like this. No."
"I understand," Blake said, "go."
...Say what now?
"What do you mean?"
"Go," Blake said, "I'm only slowing you down. You shouldn't-"
"I'm not leaving you here to die, Blake," Ruby snapped, "Stand up."
"What-" Blake looked confused as Ruby pulled her up, grabbing Crescent Rose with her other hand, "you said we couldn't make it this way."
"Yeah," Ruby said, "we can't. You can," Ruby unfolded Crescent Rose, pushing it into Blake's hands, "I'll buy you some time. Go."
"But," Blake looked worried as she used Crescent Rose as a crutch, "what about you?"
"There aren't that many," there were, "my Aura's still good," it was better than Blake's, "I'll be fine!" She could only hope, "I'll meet you there!" Ruby started to jog backwards, "See you then!"
Ruby span, lowering herself for a moment, and booked it for the approaching noise.
As Ruby ducked around trees, she pulled up her memory of physics. It wasn't what most people thought would be the favorite subject of a bubbly girl, but they forgot she was also a sniper.
Acceleration times mass was equal to-
Ruby slowed herself seconds before her fist smashed into the orc swinging the plank, merely unseating him instead of killing him as the shocks ran up her arm.
-force.
Ruby caught the plank, drawing up the times Blake let her practice with Gambol Shroud as the orcs stopped and looked at her. One of them, a large one with several braids in his hair barked at the rest, and a few slid off their wolves as the others turned away.
"Hey!" Ruby threw the plank at his head. Yang probably would have given him some sort of punny nickname, "over here!"
The orc's head snapped forward as the plank hit him, several grooved pieces cracking. Ruby tugged it back as he turned around, sliding off his horse and stomping towards her, a heavy axe in one hand.
She really had bitten off more than she could chew, hadn't she?
Ruby looked around. The others were directing their wolves into a circle around them, cutting off chances for a hit and run. Looks like all she had to do was fight her way through twenty orcs… and their wolves… with nothing but a wooden plank.
Yeah, she didn't see how she was getting out of this one. At least Blake would be safe.
Ruby looked around again. The other orcs had surrounded her, axes of a similar type to their leader's drawn, except one in the back. One of the two female orcs, her hair was laced with large amounts of grey, and one eye was covered with a large eyepatch. She had an axe with several wooden somethings hanging from the tassels. Ok, Ruby would deal with that hurdle when she came to it. For now, she had to find the weakest link of the orcs actually around her.
That, unfortunately, was easier said than done. Each of them was built like a wall and were on guard. Ruby couldn't attack any of them without opening herself to three more. So she would have to beat the big one.
"I can't convince you to just leave, can I?" Ruby asked weakly, clutching the rope tightly.
She didn't get any verbal reply, for all she knew, they didn't even speak Common, but the orc swung his axe at her. Ruby dodged it, once, twice, thrice, fou-
The first hit came as she tripped over the still unconscious body of the orc she had knocked down, allowing her opponent to hit her across the chest with his axe.
Ruby looked down, before throwing the plank at the orc, who destroyed it with a swing of his axe, and grabbed the axe of the unconscious orc.
"Please!" Ruby dodged away from the attack, "I don't want to hurt you!"
Ruby ducked under the attack, swinging her axe at the orc. While it did scrape across his chest, he smashed the haft of his axe into the top of her skull.
Ruby surged backwards, trying to find a way out of this. The female orc was watching her still.
Ruby ran forward, breathed in deeply, and lodged the axe into the throat of her opponent in a Semblance fueled display of force. Ruby tried to ignore the guilt as black blood stained her hands. Killing hadn't gotten any easier
Several orcs cried in rage, approaching her with axes drawn. Ruby used her Semblance to speed herself up again, throwing an axe at one and grabbing the axe from the lead-
An explosion of pain struck her from the side, her Aura shattering as she was blasted off her feet.
Ruby heard several voices barking at each other in Orcish as her vision went hazy, before the female orc suddenly appeared in front of her. The orc said something in a tone that sounded impressed, before she raised her hand, something spiraling around it, and Ruby blacked out as the Fel pain faded.
---
Ruby's eyes snapped open, and she jerked up, years of living with Rehgar 'thunder is an acceptable substitute for an alarm clock' Earthfury making the transition from sleep near instant.
Sweat matted her brow, and Ruby pushed herself up, breathing quietly so she didn't wake Blake up. Throwing aside the furs, Ruby stood up, walking around the tent.
The week or two leading up to the anniversary of her captured tended to be fraught with nightmares. Before, they had consisted of worse case scenarios of what had happened to Blake, the ones she refused to even touch at any other point. That she had been rundown by the wolfriders after Ruby had passed out, or that she had died from Fel poisoning, or that she had died in some other way over the six years they had been apart.
Ruby focused on Blake's head, the bow having been ditched for sleeping. She was fine, she was here.
They were together again.
That thought caused a grin to break out across her face, the fire in her chest crackling and roaring with joy. Looking out of the tent, Ruby saw the sun start to crest, bringing heat to the desert.
Silithus was in the grip on spring, each day causing many people to get more irritated. There had already been several arguments between the Horde and Alliance, and even some between the Earthen Ring and Cenarion Circle.
Ruby watched a troll be yanked away from an elf as she started the fire, a click of her fingers and a muttering of, "Reth," saw the logs explode into flames. Ruby walked away from the fire as she went to get water.
As Ruby followed behind the troll, she saw other Horde members walk out of their tents to start their day. Some had flint in their hands, striking it with their hunting knives to start a fire. Others, like Ruby, did it with a simple spell.
Reaching the trading post, Ruby grabbed some water, some precooked coffee beans, smoked pork and some biscuits, handing over a small stack of silver to the troll behind the counter. Stepping away, she heard a Blood Elf complaining in broken Orcish as she left, "you think they would pay for our food. We are here for the Horde."
"Logistics," the undead grunted next to her in Common, "they need to pay the farmers they're getting the food from, and the materials for weapons, and the artisans who make them. Same reason we don't have designated cooks, they can't just make money from thin air."
"So they make us pay for it? Isn't that a bit messed up? We're out here risking our lives."
"They're selling it for a fraction of what we would pay anywhere else, and are paying us."
"And then taking back some of that money here," she grumbled, "it's a racket."
"It's life," the undead shrugged.
Returning to the fire, Ruby poked her head into the tent, "Blake?"
"Mhm?"
"Can I borrow Gambol Shroud? I need the sheath."
"Hmh."
"Thanks!" Ruby said, grabbing Gambol Shroud from it's spot and returning to the bag of coffee.
As Ruby pressed the flat sheath against the bag, crushing the beans within, she heard someone approach from behind her, "I didn't expect you to wake up so soon, coffee will take a while."
"Sounds good," Ruby froze at the gruff voice, slowly, mechanically, she turned to gawk at the man behind her. One eye socket should have been hollow, the savage scar starting above it, and followed the cheekbone below was still there. No matter how many times she asked him to, he had never put on a eyepatch.
Now, however, there was a brass orb in the socket, the other, natural eye was a deep red. Across his back was a massive curved sword, and Ruby could see red gems glittering with light, bronze colored metal holding them the the black blade.
"You're dead," she said in disbelief.
"I am," he agreed, "but since when has that stopped a shaman from speaking to someone?"
---
Bloodeye threw another vrykul to the ground, stomping on the stoneforged giant's head, "Anyone else want to go a round?"
The orc smirked as the titan forged took a step back. Not even two months, and he was already making his name in the Halls of Valor.
"Well done!" Odyn clapped from his place on his throne, "well done indeed! I knew my val'kyr made a good choice with you."
Bloodeye pounding his chest with one hand, thrusting his giant sword into the air with the other. Durnolf called them claymores, but they didn't look like any claymore he had ever seen.
"Now," the Prime Designate's voice rumbled through Skyhold, "it is customary for me to award the victor of one of these little tournaments a gift. Ask, and I shall give it, if I ca-"
"I want to return to Azeroth for a day."
Silence. The other Valarjar were staring at him, even Odyn looked surprised for a moment.
"I can not do that."
"What?" Bloodeye snarled, hand tightening on his blade's hilt.
"A day," Odyn paused, "A day is too long. The sea-witch is looking for any sign of us leaving her prison. A day is too much, her servants would find you and drag you beneath the waves to Helheim. The most I can give you is two hours, and if fog starts to roll in, you must return."
"Fine," Bloodeye folded his arms… only to immediately unfold them as the blade scratched his chest. Two hours were better than nothing.
"Furthermore," Odyn continued, "You must not, under any circumstances, use the power of the storm. If you do, you will act as a beacon drawing the Helarjar to you."
"Fine," Bloodeye repeated, "fine, I get it! I'm not supposed to be using anything that will show off that I'm Valarjar. When can I leave?"
"Speak to one of the val'kyr," Odyn said, stone lips pressed together tight, "they will bring you."
Bloodeye walked towards the val'kyr, watching as one flew down into the world below. Why make them look like giant humans? Before he had arrived in Skyhold, he had only ever met one human he would call 'strong'... the one he was going to see, actually.
"Where are you going?"
"Wherever Ruby Rose is, can you find her?"
"Of course," the warrior maiden scoffed, "jump down."
As Bloodeye fell, his mind traveled back to the day when he had first met Ruby.
Bloodeye looked up from his spot around the dying embers of the fire, watching the girl Rehgar had come back with duck into the underbrush.
Bloodeye sighed as he stood. He should probably make sure she wasn't eaten by a wild animal. Not that there was much for them to eat. She was rail thin.
It didn't take long to find the girl, the sound of violent retching and the splatter of food echoing through the forest they were in.
Bloodeye watched as another stream of vomit splattered across the roots of the tree, chunks of rabbit meat sitting within it. The human coughed at the end, rolling away from the pool.
"Don't like rabbit?" Bloodeye asked in Common, reaching down and grabbing a cantine from his hip, he handed it to her.
She grabbed it quickly, drinking deeply… only to spit it out, coughing up a storm, "What is that?"
"Molasses Firewater bit too strong for you, Pinkskin?" Bloodeye laughed.
"What?" she spluttered, "pinkskin? What kind of nickname is that?"
It wasn't a nickname.
"Whatever," Bloodeye grunted, "so, you don't like rabbit or something? You didn't have to eat it, would've been more for me."
"It's," she looked away, "I was fine with eating it. It just made me feel sick after.
Bloodeye scratched at the corner of his eye, examining the girl, "did you eat meat often before Rehgar found ya?"
"No. Mostly bread, occasionally veggies."
"That'll do it," Bloodeye said, "You see it all the time in the pits. A fighter wins, their owner gives 'em a big meal as a reward, they coat the room with vomit. I got some bread back at camp, eat a bit of that."
"The pits?"
"Gladiator pits."
"Oh," she looked worried, "are you… are you a slave, then? Rehgar's?"
"I guess that's the best word for it."
"Oh…"
"He's not nearly as bad as whatever you're thinkin'. Rehgar only really knows one thing, fighting. He doesn't talk about it much, but he hasn't had the squeakiest past. Don't be surprised if he throws you at another Shaman for ancestral things. He doesn't know his clan… even I got more goin' for me than that."
"You know your clan?"
"Blackrock," Bloodeye grinned, "same as Orgrim himself."
"Who?"
"Orgrim Doomhammer. Leader of the Horde before Thrall, one of the best fighters to ever live. Killed Anduin Lothar back in the day."
"Oh," she said again, "what about your eye? Did Rehgar…?"
"Nah, I lost this when I was seven. Didn't meet Rehgar till I was twelve. Stick around till we hit Orgrimmar, you'll see that for a gladiator slave master, Rehgar does very little slaving. Well, unless you count being a slave driver in training," she didn't laugh, "that was a joke, pinky."
"Oh… it wasn't very funny."
Bloodeye flipped at the last second, slamming into the ground in an explosion of sand. A second later, the val'kyr landed next to him, her feet lightly touching the ground as she folded her wings.
"I'll wait here," she said, the tips of her golden wings fading to grey, "remember, no obvious displays."
"Right," Bloodeye stopped, "can you tell me where she is?"
The val'kyr reached out, tapping the bronze eye he had been given. A red line appeared in his vision, "follow that."
"Thanks," Bloodeye turned away, heading for the camp in the distance.
It took twenty minutes to reach it and several more to reach where Ruby was.
She was hunched over a bag, pressing a large cleaver-like blade on it. As Bloodeye got closer, she spoke, ""I didn't expect you to wake up so soon, coffee will take a while."
"Sounds good," Bloodeye smirked as Ruby froze, slowly turning towards him, eyes wide.
"You're dead."
"I am. But since when has that stopped a shaman from speaking to someone?"
---
"That isn't funny," Ruby said, lowering her head as she focused on the beans, returning to crushing them.
"It is," Bloodeye insisted, shrugging off the oversized sword and sitting next to her, "why don't you ever like my jokes?"
"Maybe if they were actually funny?" the response was instant, a familiar rhythm.
"So, who's the coffee for?" Bloodeye suddenly changed topics, "Not Rehgar, obviously."
Rehgar hated coffee. Neither of them had ever figured out why, but both had run into it at one point or another… mostly Bloodeye, since Ruby didn't normally drink coffee.
"Blake. I'm not talking to Rehgar at the moment."
"You found her!?" Ruby grunted as Bloodeye slugged her shoulder, "is she in the tent?"
"Yeah," Ruby poured the crushed beans into the ketal, hanging it over the fire as Bloodeye jumped up, sticking his head in.
"That's her?" Bloodeye asked, laughing, "she's tiny!"
"She's not."
"Yeah she is! I could break her with one hand!"
"You also killed a woman with a tankard of ale."
"You know about that?"
"I was the one to find you."
"Oh," Bloodeye's voice dropped, "oh."
"Yeah. I don't know what you are now, but I saw your body. We cremated it," as was traditional among the Blackrocks.
"Yeah," Bloodeye drew out the word, "I don't have enough time to get into the specifics, but to sum it up, there's a powerful deity who grabs good warriors after their deaths. We're stuck in our base because of an angry sea-witch, and I can only stay here for about two hours."
"That explains why I couldn't call you…"
"You believe me? Just like that?"
"Blood, I'm in a completely different world from the one I grew up on, I've communed with spiritual elements, and can talk to ghosts. Why shouldn't I believe you?"
"Point," Bloodeye paused, "wait, you found my body?"
"Yeah."
"I thought you hated whorehouses?"
"I don't like brothels," Ruby put emphasis on the word, "but I was hoping you could help me talk Rehgar out of buying another slave for that gladiator team."
"He did? What was she like? What race?"
"A blood elf. And I don't really know, I left after that."
"Why?"
"Because I told Rehgar I was leaving if he was going to start buying more slaves. I just needed to get supplies from Orgrimmar-"
"It was my idea," Ruby stopped talking, "I beat all challengers last year, so I wanted something new. Something intresting. So I asked Rehgar to pool his money with me so we could make a team."
"That doesn't make it any better," Ruby said, "we were all slaves at one point. Why make other people have to live with those scars?"
"They were going to be slaves no matter what. The best we could do is make sure there was someone there who actually gave a ratsass what happened to them."
"And who was that supposed to be? Rehgar's about a cuddly as a quilboar, even when he makes sure we know he does care."
"Name one example."
"He told me that I was expected back at the house before Dire Maul 'no matter what happens'."
"I meant of him being prickly."
"Were you that drunk?" Ruby teased, "he called you a raging idiot for going to get drunk in a brothel after a tournament. Said there were plenty of people who would want you dead."
"Yeah, and he was right!" Bloodeye laughed, "Bloodeye Redfist, eight time winner of the Crimson Ring, brought down by whores, ale, and poison! It's such a lame death, it's hilarious."
"Wasn't very funny when I was there."
"Yeah," Bloodeye sighed, "I guess it wouldn't be, eh? Anyways. I was hoping you would do it."
"Do what?"
"Care about them. Let's face it, you're the one of us who isn't deeply broken. Rehgar spent most of his life either a slave or fighting in a war, I've only ever been good at fighting. Why do you think we trust you to translate for us? Orcs don't mind people like us, but anyone who can't speak Orcish would hate the way we act."
"So you expected me to throw my morals out the door?"
"No, I expected you to bitch at me every day until Dire Maul, where we would win big, free 'em, convince them to stick around, and we would spend the next few years alternating between doing jobs for the Warchief and gladiator fighting until we were filthy rich!"
"But," Ruby lifted her hand, rubbing at the point where her shoulder and neck met, "I don't want anything to do with slavery, Blood. I lost three years of my life to it. I don't want to put anyone or anything through it."
Ruby felt the warm air warp and jump, wrapping around her like a hug. Seconds later, Bloodeye did so too.
"You're right," Bloodeye agreed, "I forget that I got the ideal version of slavery, while you didn't. We should have talked with you first. But there's no way to go back on it now. Keep an eye on them, make sure they win, and that Rehgar doesn't do anything stupid." Bloodeye let go, "it'll be your birthday soon, eh?"
"In a couple of weeks."
"I'll try and see if I can sneak back here. If I can't… well, happy birthday."
Ruby watched Bloodeye turn and walk away, before grabbing the tin cup and pouring some to the coffee into it, "Blake! It's time to get up! The coffee's ready!"
---
Crocbait stored his swords next to the bed, stretching. The Croc Brigade (nobody had given them a name, as far as he knew) were going out today. Rehgar had ordered for the anklets to be set to tomorrow morning, just in case someone had a bit too much to drink. The way he had said it made it seem like he was used to the idea.
But before they went...
"I'll be back in a hour!" he called in broken Orcish, "going to the church!"
"Wait!" Rehgar walked out, "I need to go that way too, might as well go together."
"You need to go? Why?"
"Earthen Ring is having meeting every few days. Come on."
Crocbait followed Rehgar into Orgrimmar. A couple of tauren passed by them, and Crocbait nodded politely, "Hello."
"Hello?" the tauren on the left, a male with black fur greeted in return.
"Not now, Crocbait," Rehgar snapped, "come on."
It didn't take long to reach the valley of spirits, where Crocbait split off from Rehgar, heading towards the chapel.
Stepping into the church, he quietly slid down next to an orc woman, "I'm not late, right?"
She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, "that's the direction," she said in Common.
"What?"
"That version of 'right'. It means the direction."
"Ah," he bowed his head, "I'm sorry. I've only started to learn Orcish recently."
"I could tell," she said, "it's alright. Most wouldn't be trying. No, you're a bit early, actually. I'm Datena."
"Crocbait," Datena didn't say anything to draw attention to his strange name, "I didn't think orcs worshipped the Light."
"Most don't," she agreed, "but I was young during the Crossing, and grew up in a camp near an abby. The priestess there convinced the wardens to allow some of the children a chance to join the congregation. It's where I learned to speak Common, and even to read the Tome of Divinity."
"And you didn't change back when the Horde became shamanic?"
"I never knew the Horde as such. Demon worship had already taken root by the time I was born. Why are you in Orgrimmar, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Amnesia," Crocbait said, "I don't remember much of my life from before. I was hoping to meet with Father Brightgrave. He had offered to have another member of the clergy try to help me."
As if on cue, the door on other side of the chapel opened, and Gallus walked into the room, walking towards a podium in the front. His red eyes carefully scanned the room, and he gave a wan smile as they trained on Crocbait. Raising his charred hand up, he coughed into it gently, "it is a pleasure to see you all here, but I carry grim news. After today, I will, unfortunately, be leaving Orgrimmar for a mission," he raised his hand to cut off several shouted questions, "there have been worry reports of Shadows south of here, as such, myself and several others will be traveling to assist with them.
However, before we go, I would like to speak to you of what I believe of the the most important of the three virtues. Respect. There are muttering of discontent throughout the Horde, worries that the Alliance will betray our men in Silithus. Many of you have loved ones down there, I know. I would like to dash such ideas. The Tauren and the night elves respect each other too much. Neither would not have agreed to call both sides down if they believed for a second that the other would endanger their allies. Whatever is down there, causing such worry, is so great that they agreed this was necessary. You should respect this decision, and I believe it to be the right one. While I am down there, I will attempt to make contact with the delegates from the main body of the Church as well for for we will be stronger together. Before I depart, let us read from the Tome. Chapter three, verses twenty through fourty."
"What is that?" Danath asked as he moved from his spot across from her. In his hand was a sword that made Jaune's look ornate, the hilt wrapped with brown leather.
"It's a bullet," Yang said as Danath picked it up.
"Where's the gunpowder?" he asked.
"Uhh… The what?"
"The gunpowder?" Danath repeated, "the thing that causes it to go off?"
"The Dust?" Yang asked, "it's in there."
Danath examined it, before throwing it to a guard, "have Lebowski look at that, would you?"
"Hey!" Yang cried, "that's mine!"
"I'll make sure you get it back before you leave, but if that can speed up how quickly our gunners can fire," Danath paused, "that could be very helpful. Now, let's begin."
Yang sighed as Danath brought up his shield, which had a closed fist painted on it in red. This wasn't something he was going to debate, was it?
Yang brought up her fists, scanning for any weaknesses in his stance… there! He was favoring his left leg!
Yang rushed at him, swinging right for his chest. As Danath blocked the telegraphed blow, Yang stomped down, aiming for Danath's right leg.
All she got was a hilt to the throat for her troubles. The pommel smashed into her windpipe, knocking the air out of Yang as Danath fell back a couple of steps.
Yang rubbed her throat, feeling her Aura kill the pain running through it and lowering her body. Alright, she wasn't gonna be able to do this the easy way, and she didn't have bullets to add into her momentum.
Luckily she had passed this class with flying colors at Signal.
Yang rushed forward, bobbing and weaving as she swung for Danath's sides. Each strike was blocked by his shield, but Yang felt her grin grow wider as the shocks ran up her arms and each blow forced Danath's arm further back. Then Danath looked up at her, his eyes widening slightly, and he went the offensive.
Yang felt the cartilage in her nose shatter as Danath rammed his shield into it, blinking back the pain as her Aura stifled the flow of blood. Danath didn't stop, unleashing a storm of blows, including another strike to the face.
What was going on? She thought this was supposed to be a fun spa-?
Yang watched a few golden strands flow in the breeze, severed from her head by Danath's attack. Oh that son of a-
Yang grabbed Danath's sword by the unsharpened bit, ignoring the next hit from his shield as she yanked the sword out of his hand and threw it aside.
Danath slammed his shoulder into her stomach, sending a dull throb through Yang, before he threw her over his shoulder.
Yang landed rough, rolling onto her feet, and came up. Danath had retrieved his sword, halfway towards her in a charge. Yang spread her feet, ready for the impact.
When it came, she used it to bring Danath into a throw, letting him slam into the ground as his sword skidded away. Yang took a step forward, reaching for him. As she did, he scowled up at her.
"Go ahead," he spat, "but don't think you'll make it out of here alive, demon."
"What do you mean?" Yang asked, "I'm not a demo-"
"Your eyes," he growled, "I've been fighting your kind too long to miss that fel causes red eyes like yours."
"I'm, I'm not a demon," Yang said, "it's my Semblance."
"Your what?" Danath stopped, sounding confused.
"My semblance?" nothing, "The power of my soul?"
"Never heard of it," Danath's eyes jumped across her face, "you really aren't a demon?"
"No?" Yang could feel her own confusion grow.
"You'd let us test it?"
"Yeah."
"Get Filinthus," Danath barked to someone, causing Yang to look up. There were guards on the battlements, each one with a gun trained on them. On Yang.
One guard left, leaving Yang in the slightly less awkward position of having five guns pointed at her, instead of six. She could probably get away from them, but they'd sting.
A couple minutes later, a man with brown robes and a giant hat appeared in a explosion of purple.
"What's this about, sir," he asked it in a way that made it clear he didn't hold much respect for Danath, "they were talking about a demon girl?"
"We just need you to cast a few spells," Danath said, "make sure she isn't a demon."
The man, Fili- whatever, turned more purple wrapping around his hand as he carelessly waved it in Yang's face. The blonde brawler leaned back slightly.
"She isn't," he said after a minute, "can I leave now?"
"Yes," Danath sighed as another explosion of purple appeared, "I'm sorry, but this isn't the first time things like this has happened."
"It's, uh," Yang wasn't sure what to say, "it's fine." It really wasn't, but they did need those supplies, especially if they could get bullets, "you wouldn't happen to have someone who could sew would you?"
Not only were her clothes full of tears, but a cloak just wasn't her style.
---
Ruby grunted as she helped Blake along, trying to ignore her friend constantly grousing.
"I hate warlocks."
"I heard you the first time, Blake," Ruby said, ignoring the ache in her arm from Fel burns. She would have to get that looked at… after she was sure Blake would be fine.
Ruby's eyes trailed to the gash in Blake's leg. There was a sickly green pus mixed with the blood plastering her pants to her thigh.
"I mean it," Blake said, "we need to stop taking bounties on them, they wreak hell on our Aura."
It was true, nothing, not even Tauren, caused as many problems for the two of them as warlocks did. But at the same time…
"What should we do instead?"
…nobody wanted to fight warlocks, so they made up a large portion of RB's work.
"I don't know," Blake said, "maybe we could find a place where people don't live, build a house and settle down? I learned some gardening from my mom, and you'd be great at hunting animals. You know how to cook, right?"
Ruby felt her face start to flush as the image came to her. A small wooden house, like the one in the old pictures her dad had on the mantle in Patch. A couple of rooms, a fireplace, sitting with Blake reading books in winter while the fire warmed the room. Sitting outside in summer, stargazing...
"Yeah," the newly sixteen year old squeaked, "that sounds great."
She had never been one for romance… well, outside of novels. Ones that were, all in all, fairly mundane. The princess and her knight, stuff like that. But more recently, she had been thinking about it…
"How much longer till we get there?" Blake asked suddenly.
"I," Ruby paused, "it shouldn't be too much longer. Why?"
"I hear something," Blake said, her ears twitching beneath her bow, "it sounds like a… whistling sound?"
Ruby went silent, listening. She could hear it, just barely, "I'm gonna climb up a tree, ok? Try and see what's causing it."
"Yeah," Blake nodded, allowing Ruby to lower her down next to the tree. A thin sheet of sweat had appeared across her brow, and she moaned quietly as her leg moved at an awkward angle.
Fel poisoning wasn't pleasant, Ruby had learned that from a nasty scrape a couple months back. Not only did it suppress their Aura's regeneration, as all the healing properties rushed to the point, but it also hurt.
Dropping Crescent Rose, Ruby grabbed a tree branch, using it to climb farther into the tree. Ruby muttered a couple of minor curses as her cloak snagged onto the branches. Normally, this would be Blake's job, since she didn't have as much flow-y fabrics to get caught.
Ruby finally broke through the tree cover, looking around. The forests of Ashenvale had become dangerous over the past month, with orcs on giant wolves raiding villages. Ruby wasn't sure- There!
Riding from the prairie to the south, Ruby could see the orcs yelling, axes in hand. One had his arms above his head, swinging a long board on a rope over his head. They were heading towards Astranaar.
Towards Ruby and Blake.
Ruby felt the blood rush from her face and she let go of the tree, trusting her Aura to absorb the force. It did, but still sent her teeth rattling.
"What's wrong?" Blake asked as soon as Ruby wasn't reeling from the landing. She might have asked it before, but Ruby wasn't in any place to tell. How much Aura did she have left? Their Scrolls had died a long time ago, so it became a matter of gut feeling.
Ruby was pretty sure she had enough. More than Blake did, that was for sure.
"Orcs on wolves," Ruby said, "coming this way."
Ruby saw the worry appear in Blake's eyes. Beyond Blake's own dislike of canines, both of them were aware of how fast the giant wolves could move.
"Do we have time to get to Astranaar?" Blake asked.
Ruby did the math in her head, just to be safe, "Not like this. No."
"I understand," Blake said, "go."
...Say what now?
"What do you mean?"
"Go," Blake said, "I'm only slowing you down. You shouldn't-"
"I'm not leaving you here to die, Blake," Ruby snapped, "Stand up."
"What-" Blake looked confused as Ruby pulled her up, grabbing Crescent Rose with her other hand, "you said we couldn't make it this way."
"Yeah," Ruby said, "we can't. You can," Ruby unfolded Crescent Rose, pushing it into Blake's hands, "I'll buy you some time. Go."
"But," Blake looked worried as she used Crescent Rose as a crutch, "what about you?"
"There aren't that many," there were, "my Aura's still good," it was better than Blake's, "I'll be fine!" She could only hope, "I'll meet you there!" Ruby started to jog backwards, "See you then!"
Ruby span, lowering herself for a moment, and booked it for the approaching noise.
As Ruby ducked around trees, she pulled up her memory of physics. It wasn't what most people thought would be the favorite subject of a bubbly girl, but they forgot she was also a sniper.
Acceleration times mass was equal to-
Ruby slowed herself seconds before her fist smashed into the orc swinging the plank, merely unseating him instead of killing him as the shocks ran up her arm.
-force.
Ruby caught the plank, drawing up the times Blake let her practice with Gambol Shroud as the orcs stopped and looked at her. One of them, a large one with several braids in his hair barked at the rest, and a few slid off their wolves as the others turned away.
"Hey!" Ruby threw the plank at his head. Yang probably would have given him some sort of punny nickname, "over here!"
The orc's head snapped forward as the plank hit him, several grooved pieces cracking. Ruby tugged it back as he turned around, sliding off his horse and stomping towards her, a heavy axe in one hand.
She really had bitten off more than she could chew, hadn't she?
Ruby looked around. The others were directing their wolves into a circle around them, cutting off chances for a hit and run. Looks like all she had to do was fight her way through twenty orcs… and their wolves… with nothing but a wooden plank.
Yeah, she didn't see how she was getting out of this one. At least Blake would be safe.
Ruby looked around again. The other orcs had surrounded her, axes of a similar type to their leader's drawn, except one in the back. One of the two female orcs, her hair was laced with large amounts of grey, and one eye was covered with a large eyepatch. She had an axe with several wooden somethings hanging from the tassels. Ok, Ruby would deal with that hurdle when she came to it. For now, she had to find the weakest link of the orcs actually around her.
That, unfortunately, was easier said than done. Each of them was built like a wall and were on guard. Ruby couldn't attack any of them without opening herself to three more. So she would have to beat the big one.
"I can't convince you to just leave, can I?" Ruby asked weakly, clutching the rope tightly.
She didn't get any verbal reply, for all she knew, they didn't even speak Common, but the orc swung his axe at her. Ruby dodged it, once, twice, thrice, fou-
The first hit came as she tripped over the still unconscious body of the orc she had knocked down, allowing her opponent to hit her across the chest with his axe.
Ruby looked down, before throwing the plank at the orc, who destroyed it with a swing of his axe, and grabbed the axe of the unconscious orc.
"Please!" Ruby dodged away from the attack, "I don't want to hurt you!"
Ruby ducked under the attack, swinging her axe at the orc. While it did scrape across his chest, he smashed the haft of his axe into the top of her skull.
Ruby surged backwards, trying to find a way out of this. The female orc was watching her still.
Ruby ran forward, breathed in deeply, and lodged the axe into the throat of her opponent in a Semblance fueled display of force. Ruby tried to ignore the guilt as black blood stained her hands. Killing hadn't gotten any easier
Several orcs cried in rage, approaching her with axes drawn. Ruby used her Semblance to speed herself up again, throwing an axe at one and grabbing the axe from the lead-
An explosion of pain struck her from the side, her Aura shattering as she was blasted off her feet.
Ruby heard several voices barking at each other in Orcish as her vision went hazy, before the female orc suddenly appeared in front of her. The orc said something in a tone that sounded impressed, before she raised her hand, something spiraling around it, and Ruby blacked out as the Fel pain faded.
---
Ruby's eyes snapped open, and she jerked up, years of living with Rehgar 'thunder is an acceptable substitute for an alarm clock' Earthfury making the transition from sleep near instant.
Sweat matted her brow, and Ruby pushed herself up, breathing quietly so she didn't wake Blake up. Throwing aside the furs, Ruby stood up, walking around the tent.
The week or two leading up to the anniversary of her captured tended to be fraught with nightmares. Before, they had consisted of worse case scenarios of what had happened to Blake, the ones she refused to even touch at any other point. That she had been rundown by the wolfriders after Ruby had passed out, or that she had died from Fel poisoning, or that she had died in some other way over the six years they had been apart.
Ruby focused on Blake's head, the bow having been ditched for sleeping. She was fine, she was here.
They were together again.
That thought caused a grin to break out across her face, the fire in her chest crackling and roaring with joy. Looking out of the tent, Ruby saw the sun start to crest, bringing heat to the desert.
Silithus was in the grip on spring, each day causing many people to get more irritated. There had already been several arguments between the Horde and Alliance, and even some between the Earthen Ring and Cenarion Circle.
Ruby watched a troll be yanked away from an elf as she started the fire, a click of her fingers and a muttering of, "Reth," saw the logs explode into flames. Ruby walked away from the fire as she went to get water.
As Ruby followed behind the troll, she saw other Horde members walk out of their tents to start their day. Some had flint in their hands, striking it with their hunting knives to start a fire. Others, like Ruby, did it with a simple spell.
Reaching the trading post, Ruby grabbed some water, some precooked coffee beans, smoked pork and some biscuits, handing over a small stack of silver to the troll behind the counter. Stepping away, she heard a Blood Elf complaining in broken Orcish as she left, "you think they would pay for our food. We are here for the Horde."
"Logistics," the undead grunted next to her in Common, "they need to pay the farmers they're getting the food from, and the materials for weapons, and the artisans who make them. Same reason we don't have designated cooks, they can't just make money from thin air."
"So they make us pay for it? Isn't that a bit messed up? We're out here risking our lives."
"They're selling it for a fraction of what we would pay anywhere else, and are paying us."
"And then taking back some of that money here," she grumbled, "it's a racket."
"It's life," the undead shrugged.
Returning to the fire, Ruby poked her head into the tent, "Blake?"
"Mhm?"
"Can I borrow Gambol Shroud? I need the sheath."
"Hmh."
"Thanks!" Ruby said, grabbing Gambol Shroud from it's spot and returning to the bag of coffee.
As Ruby pressed the flat sheath against the bag, crushing the beans within, she heard someone approach from behind her, "I didn't expect you to wake up so soon, coffee will take a while."
"Sounds good," Ruby froze at the gruff voice, slowly, mechanically, she turned to gawk at the man behind her. One eye socket should have been hollow, the savage scar starting above it, and followed the cheekbone below was still there. No matter how many times she asked him to, he had never put on a eyepatch.
Now, however, there was a brass orb in the socket, the other, natural eye was a deep red. Across his back was a massive curved sword, and Ruby could see red gems glittering with light, bronze colored metal holding them the the black blade.
"You're dead," she said in disbelief.
"I am," he agreed, "but since when has that stopped a shaman from speaking to someone?"
---
Bloodeye threw another vrykul to the ground, stomping on the stoneforged giant's head, "Anyone else want to go a round?"
The orc smirked as the titan forged took a step back. Not even two months, and he was already making his name in the Halls of Valor.
"Well done!" Odyn clapped from his place on his throne, "well done indeed! I knew my val'kyr made a good choice with you."
Bloodeye pounding his chest with one hand, thrusting his giant sword into the air with the other. Durnolf called them claymores, but they didn't look like any claymore he had ever seen.
"Now," the Prime Designate's voice rumbled through Skyhold, "it is customary for me to award the victor of one of these little tournaments a gift. Ask, and I shall give it, if I ca-"
"I want to return to Azeroth for a day."
Silence. The other Valarjar were staring at him, even Odyn looked surprised for a moment.
"I can not do that."
"What?" Bloodeye snarled, hand tightening on his blade's hilt.
"A day," Odyn paused, "A day is too long. The sea-witch is looking for any sign of us leaving her prison. A day is too much, her servants would find you and drag you beneath the waves to Helheim. The most I can give you is two hours, and if fog starts to roll in, you must return."
"Fine," Bloodeye folded his arms… only to immediately unfold them as the blade scratched his chest. Two hours were better than nothing.
"Furthermore," Odyn continued, "You must not, under any circumstances, use the power of the storm. If you do, you will act as a beacon drawing the Helarjar to you."
"Fine," Bloodeye repeated, "fine, I get it! I'm not supposed to be using anything that will show off that I'm Valarjar. When can I leave?"
"Speak to one of the val'kyr," Odyn said, stone lips pressed together tight, "they will bring you."
Bloodeye walked towards the val'kyr, watching as one flew down into the world below. Why make them look like giant humans? Before he had arrived in Skyhold, he had only ever met one human he would call 'strong'... the one he was going to see, actually.
"Where are you going?"
"Wherever Ruby Rose is, can you find her?"
"Of course," the warrior maiden scoffed, "jump down."
As Bloodeye fell, his mind traveled back to the day when he had first met Ruby.
Bloodeye looked up from his spot around the dying embers of the fire, watching the girl Rehgar had come back with duck into the underbrush.
Bloodeye sighed as he stood. He should probably make sure she wasn't eaten by a wild animal. Not that there was much for them to eat. She was rail thin.
It didn't take long to find the girl, the sound of violent retching and the splatter of food echoing through the forest they were in.
Bloodeye watched as another stream of vomit splattered across the roots of the tree, chunks of rabbit meat sitting within it. The human coughed at the end, rolling away from the pool.
"Don't like rabbit?" Bloodeye asked in Common, reaching down and grabbing a cantine from his hip, he handed it to her.
She grabbed it quickly, drinking deeply… only to spit it out, coughing up a storm, "What is that?"
"Molasses Firewater bit too strong for you, Pinkskin?" Bloodeye laughed.
"What?" she spluttered, "pinkskin? What kind of nickname is that?"
It wasn't a nickname.
"Whatever," Bloodeye grunted, "so, you don't like rabbit or something? You didn't have to eat it, would've been more for me."
"It's," she looked away, "I was fine with eating it. It just made me feel sick after.
Bloodeye scratched at the corner of his eye, examining the girl, "did you eat meat often before Rehgar found ya?"
"No. Mostly bread, occasionally veggies."
"That'll do it," Bloodeye said, "You see it all the time in the pits. A fighter wins, their owner gives 'em a big meal as a reward, they coat the room with vomit. I got some bread back at camp, eat a bit of that."
"The pits?"
"Gladiator pits."
"Oh," she looked worried, "are you… are you a slave, then? Rehgar's?"
"I guess that's the best word for it."
"Oh…"
"He's not nearly as bad as whatever you're thinkin'. Rehgar only really knows one thing, fighting. He doesn't talk about it much, but he hasn't had the squeakiest past. Don't be surprised if he throws you at another Shaman for ancestral things. He doesn't know his clan… even I got more goin' for me than that."
"You know your clan?"
"Blackrock," Bloodeye grinned, "same as Orgrim himself."
"Who?"
"Orgrim Doomhammer. Leader of the Horde before Thrall, one of the best fighters to ever live. Killed Anduin Lothar back in the day."
"Oh," she said again, "what about your eye? Did Rehgar…?"
"Nah, I lost this when I was seven. Didn't meet Rehgar till I was twelve. Stick around till we hit Orgrimmar, you'll see that for a gladiator slave master, Rehgar does very little slaving. Well, unless you count being a slave driver in training," she didn't laugh, "that was a joke, pinky."
"Oh… it wasn't very funny."
Bloodeye flipped at the last second, slamming into the ground in an explosion of sand. A second later, the val'kyr landed next to him, her feet lightly touching the ground as she folded her wings.
"I'll wait here," she said, the tips of her golden wings fading to grey, "remember, no obvious displays."
"Right," Bloodeye stopped, "can you tell me where she is?"
The val'kyr reached out, tapping the bronze eye he had been given. A red line appeared in his vision, "follow that."
"Thanks," Bloodeye turned away, heading for the camp in the distance.
It took twenty minutes to reach it and several more to reach where Ruby was.
She was hunched over a bag, pressing a large cleaver-like blade on it. As Bloodeye got closer, she spoke, ""I didn't expect you to wake up so soon, coffee will take a while."
"Sounds good," Bloodeye smirked as Ruby froze, slowly turning towards him, eyes wide.
"You're dead."
"I am. But since when has that stopped a shaman from speaking to someone?"
---
"That isn't funny," Ruby said, lowering her head as she focused on the beans, returning to crushing them.
"It is," Bloodeye insisted, shrugging off the oversized sword and sitting next to her, "why don't you ever like my jokes?"
"Maybe if they were actually funny?" the response was instant, a familiar rhythm.
"So, who's the coffee for?" Bloodeye suddenly changed topics, "Not Rehgar, obviously."
Rehgar hated coffee. Neither of them had ever figured out why, but both had run into it at one point or another… mostly Bloodeye, since Ruby didn't normally drink coffee.
"Blake. I'm not talking to Rehgar at the moment."
"You found her!?" Ruby grunted as Bloodeye slugged her shoulder, "is she in the tent?"
"Yeah," Ruby poured the crushed beans into the ketal, hanging it over the fire as Bloodeye jumped up, sticking his head in.
"That's her?" Bloodeye asked, laughing, "she's tiny!"
"She's not."
"Yeah she is! I could break her with one hand!"
"You also killed a woman with a tankard of ale."
"You know about that?"
"I was the one to find you."
"Oh," Bloodeye's voice dropped, "oh."
"Yeah. I don't know what you are now, but I saw your body. We cremated it," as was traditional among the Blackrocks.
"Yeah," Bloodeye drew out the word, "I don't have enough time to get into the specifics, but to sum it up, there's a powerful deity who grabs good warriors after their deaths. We're stuck in our base because of an angry sea-witch, and I can only stay here for about two hours."
"That explains why I couldn't call you…"
"You believe me? Just like that?"
"Blood, I'm in a completely different world from the one I grew up on, I've communed with spiritual elements, and can talk to ghosts. Why shouldn't I believe you?"
"Point," Bloodeye paused, "wait, you found my body?"
"Yeah."
"I thought you hated whorehouses?"
"I don't like brothels," Ruby put emphasis on the word, "but I was hoping you could help me talk Rehgar out of buying another slave for that gladiator team."
"He did? What was she like? What race?"
"A blood elf. And I don't really know, I left after that."
"Why?"
"Because I told Rehgar I was leaving if he was going to start buying more slaves. I just needed to get supplies from Orgrimmar-"
"It was my idea," Ruby stopped talking, "I beat all challengers last year, so I wanted something new. Something intresting. So I asked Rehgar to pool his money with me so we could make a team."
"That doesn't make it any better," Ruby said, "we were all slaves at one point. Why make other people have to live with those scars?"
"They were going to be slaves no matter what. The best we could do is make sure there was someone there who actually gave a ratsass what happened to them."
"And who was that supposed to be? Rehgar's about a cuddly as a quilboar, even when he makes sure we know he does care."
"Name one example."
"He told me that I was expected back at the house before Dire Maul 'no matter what happens'."
"I meant of him being prickly."
"Were you that drunk?" Ruby teased, "he called you a raging idiot for going to get drunk in a brothel after a tournament. Said there were plenty of people who would want you dead."
"Yeah, and he was right!" Bloodeye laughed, "Bloodeye Redfist, eight time winner of the Crimson Ring, brought down by whores, ale, and poison! It's such a lame death, it's hilarious."
"Wasn't very funny when I was there."
"Yeah," Bloodeye sighed, "I guess it wouldn't be, eh? Anyways. I was hoping you would do it."
"Do what?"
"Care about them. Let's face it, you're the one of us who isn't deeply broken. Rehgar spent most of his life either a slave or fighting in a war, I've only ever been good at fighting. Why do you think we trust you to translate for us? Orcs don't mind people like us, but anyone who can't speak Orcish would hate the way we act."
"So you expected me to throw my morals out the door?"
"No, I expected you to bitch at me every day until Dire Maul, where we would win big, free 'em, convince them to stick around, and we would spend the next few years alternating between doing jobs for the Warchief and gladiator fighting until we were filthy rich!"
"But," Ruby lifted her hand, rubbing at the point where her shoulder and neck met, "I don't want anything to do with slavery, Blood. I lost three years of my life to it. I don't want to put anyone or anything through it."
Ruby felt the warm air warp and jump, wrapping around her like a hug. Seconds later, Bloodeye did so too.
"You're right," Bloodeye agreed, "I forget that I got the ideal version of slavery, while you didn't. We should have talked with you first. But there's no way to go back on it now. Keep an eye on them, make sure they win, and that Rehgar doesn't do anything stupid." Bloodeye let go, "it'll be your birthday soon, eh?"
"In a couple of weeks."
"I'll try and see if I can sneak back here. If I can't… well, happy birthday."
Ruby watched Bloodeye turn and walk away, before grabbing the tin cup and pouring some to the coffee into it, "Blake! It's time to get up! The coffee's ready!"
---
Crocbait stored his swords next to the bed, stretching. The Croc Brigade (nobody had given them a name, as far as he knew) were going out today. Rehgar had ordered for the anklets to be set to tomorrow morning, just in case someone had a bit too much to drink. The way he had said it made it seem like he was used to the idea.
But before they went...
"I'll be back in a hour!" he called in broken Orcish, "going to the church!"
"Wait!" Rehgar walked out, "I need to go that way too, might as well go together."
"You need to go? Why?"
"Earthen Ring is having meeting every few days. Come on."
Crocbait followed Rehgar into Orgrimmar. A couple of tauren passed by them, and Crocbait nodded politely, "Hello."
"Hello?" the tauren on the left, a male with black fur greeted in return.
"Not now, Crocbait," Rehgar snapped, "come on."
It didn't take long to reach the valley of spirits, where Crocbait split off from Rehgar, heading towards the chapel.
Stepping into the church, he quietly slid down next to an orc woman, "I'm not late, right?"
She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, "that's the direction," she said in Common.
"What?"
"That version of 'right'. It means the direction."
"Ah," he bowed his head, "I'm sorry. I've only started to learn Orcish recently."
"I could tell," she said, "it's alright. Most wouldn't be trying. No, you're a bit early, actually. I'm Datena."
"Crocbait," Datena didn't say anything to draw attention to his strange name, "I didn't think orcs worshipped the Light."
"Most don't," she agreed, "but I was young during the Crossing, and grew up in a camp near an abby. The priestess there convinced the wardens to allow some of the children a chance to join the congregation. It's where I learned to speak Common, and even to read the Tome of Divinity."
"And you didn't change back when the Horde became shamanic?"
"I never knew the Horde as such. Demon worship had already taken root by the time I was born. Why are you in Orgrimmar, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Amnesia," Crocbait said, "I don't remember much of my life from before. I was hoping to meet with Father Brightgrave. He had offered to have another member of the clergy try to help me."
As if on cue, the door on other side of the chapel opened, and Gallus walked into the room, walking towards a podium in the front. His red eyes carefully scanned the room, and he gave a wan smile as they trained on Crocbait. Raising his charred hand up, he coughed into it gently, "it is a pleasure to see you all here, but I carry grim news. After today, I will, unfortunately, be leaving Orgrimmar for a mission," he raised his hand to cut off several shouted questions, "there have been worry reports of Shadows south of here, as such, myself and several others will be traveling to assist with them.
However, before we go, I would like to speak to you of what I believe of the the most important of the three virtues. Respect. There are muttering of discontent throughout the Horde, worries that the Alliance will betray our men in Silithus. Many of you have loved ones down there, I know. I would like to dash such ideas. The Tauren and the night elves respect each other too much. Neither would not have agreed to call both sides down if they believed for a second that the other would endanger their allies. Whatever is down there, causing such worry, is so great that they agreed this was necessary. You should respect this decision, and I believe it to be the right one. While I am down there, I will attempt to make contact with the delegates from the main body of the Church as well for for we will be stronger together. Before I depart, let us read from the Tome. Chapter three, verses twenty through fourty."
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Stop: Greetings
- Location
- Britain
greetings
@Lyxi you have repeatedly posted long, meandering rants in this thread solely to attack the author and their work. While SV is not a safe space and people are welcome to criticise works, that stops being okay when it descends into personal attacks against the author. Calling someone a moron who doesn't have the intelligence to write a fic is unacceptable under SV's Rule 3 and I am issuing you with a permanent threadban and 25 points for your trouble.
Chapter 6
ThatOnePsycho
Tilting his Vanes and Ennobling His Spires
Rehgar stepped into the tent, walking towards the small group of shaman seated around a table. Sliding into the chair, he waited for Zur'ak to finish downing a bottle of liquid.
"Is this really the time to be drinking?" he asked.
"Not alcohol," Zur'ak threw the bottle over his shoulder, "just water. Ya wouldn't believe how bad what we got in Silithus tastes. Da beer's actually better."
"Right. Where's your weapon?" the witch doctor wasn't known to go without his eponymous 'Firefist'.
"With ya student. It broke fightin' da damn bugs, and she offered to fix it. She a good smith?"
"Yes. She doesn't do it often, but I've never met someone who can make weapons attuned to the elements like she can."
Most shaman weren't smiths anymore, only those who had clung to the old ways from the Crossing to now. It was a borderline forgotten art amongst the orcs, at least. Mass production was easier, better to have a hundred guards with axes and blades that were all the same then it was to have twenty with weapons that could become legendary through infusion of the elements.
"High praise," Stormsong said, "I need to ask, have you ever thought of giving her the test?"
"Of course I have. Wanted to wait another year or so though, she's only just hit her third year as my apprentice. Why?"
"She said you hadn't told her to go down to Silithus, and that the elements gave her a vision to do so."
Zur'ak snorted, "She's mad. Hardly anyone get's visions that early. Ya sent her a letter, righ-"
"I tried," Rehgar said, clenching his fist under the table to keep from socking Zur'ak. Why did people keep insulting his kids, dammit? "But I didn't know where she was, and neither did Drek'thar."
"I think she's telling the truth," Stormsong said, "the elements wanted as many shaman as possible at Silithus. I get the feeling-"
"She's too noble for her own good?" Rehgar finished, "She grew up planning to be some sort of hero. It's not surprising she would jump at the chance."
"I'm still not sure we can trust that human girl with her," Stormsong said.
"There's a human girl?" Rehgar's head snapped towards Stormsong, "what's she look like?"
"I don't know. A normal human?" Stormsong said, "black hair, golden eyes. Wears a bow?"
"So she did find her," Rehgar said under his breath. Good for Ruby, "you can trust her."
"You know her?"
"Yes," Rehgar lied without batting an eye. It would be easier on everyone if there weren't Horde constantly sniffing around Ruby and, by proxy, Rehgar, "she's a very skilled fighter. They're great together."
"Ya sure?"
"Yes," Rehgar repeated, "do you think I should give her the test, Stormsong? How long did you stay as Magatha's apprentice?"
"A little under a year," Stormsong shrugged, "it wasn't that hard. I haven't ever seen anyone fail it."
"Failin' ain't da problem," Zur'ak said, "it's what happens if you can't handle what comes after. It's ya choice, Rehgar. Do ya think she's ready for it? I know ya, if she ain't, ya won't pretend she is."
"I think she is. Can you tell her I need her in Orgrimmar when she gives you back your weapon? And to bring Blake. How's things down in Silithus? That's what this is supposed to be about."
"I wanna punch da druids right between da eyes. 'We be promotin' nature' dey say, as dey try ta turn de desert into a forest. Dat ain't natural, dey don't seem to get it."
"He's been complaining about this for days," Stormsong said to Rehgar, "it's practically turned to a war every time more Silithids show up."
"We keep showin' dem! Destroyin' da anubisath before dey get a chance."
"Zur'ak!" everyone wheeled around as Drek'thar walked in, "good, I was worried we had missed you."
"Wit what?"
"A letter got through from Lady Proudmoore," Drek'thar turned his head to Rehgar, "I'd forgotten how much of a hassle it is to get that done without Ruby. This should have arrived four days ago."
"What?"
"The Kirin Tor is sending a group of mages to Silithus. We thought you would like to know about it in advance."
"When dey gettin' dere?"
"In a day or two," Drek'thar said, "they're still finalizing how many to send. Or, they were when the letter was sent."
---
"Father Brightgrave?"
Gallus looked up from where he was packing a small bag. Rosaries, Librams, a pair of robes, some supplies for stitching up any lost limbs.
"Crocbait," he said, "Yes, you had asked to speak with me, hadn't you?"
"Yes, Father."
"Well," Gallus stood, "I need to leave soon, but I can make a bit of time for you. What is it you need, child?" As the human stepped into Gallus's modest holdings, Gallus gestured to the nicer of the two chairs with his Light hand, "Sit."
"Are you sure-?"
"Sit," Gallus repeated, "the time for me to enjoy such trappings has long past. Sit."
Even in his mortal life, Bishop Gallus Carlyle had been sparse in his livings. While other bishops had lived in opulent apartments in Lordaeron and Stormwind, Gallus had stayed in a small parish in eastern Lordaeron.
"Now," Gallus sat in the other chair, lacing his fingers on his lap and ignoring his rosary, "What is it you need?"
"I- I had some questions for you," Crocbait shifted in his chair, "Do you remember when we met? You said you had friends that could heal mind injuries, right?"
"Yes," though Gallus would be hard pressed to call them friends. Those who had turned from the Light completely, allowing the Shadows to swallow them whole. It was a sentiment each of the few who became Watchers, those who stood at the threshold, held.
"Do you think I could meet with them?" Crocbait said, "I want to know. Who I am, why I'm here."
"I understand," Gallus said, "many undead awoke to a similar state. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing preparations for battle, my colleagues have left Orgrimmar for the south."
"Oh."
"But I will mention it to them when I get there. Once this threat is dealt with, we will return and get it sorted out. What else did you need, child?"
"What do you know about Paladins?"
"Ah," Gallus blinked the one eye that still had an eyelid. Back when Alonsus had suggested the idea of warrior priests, Gallus had been venomously against it. Too many ways it could go wrong, he had said.
Between Arthas and the Scarlet Crusade, he believed that he had been thoroughly vindicated. They had been useful in the war, but should have been dismantled after.
"Why do you ask?"
"Just curious."
"Well, best to leave that train of thought behind you. Many of the Horde despise the knights. Too much shed blood," even the new 'Blood Knights' were barely tolerated.
"Yes, Father," Crocbait looked like a scolded child, sinking into his chair.
"Was there anything else you needed?
"Do you have any tomes I could read? I… find it peaceful here. Like a wolf trying to eat me is forced back. I hope I can carry that beyond here."
"Yes," Gallus stood from his spot, walking to the books he kept, "I can lend you one, if that's what you want?"
"It is."
"Mh," Gallus picked up a particularly old tome, passing it from one hand to the other, "this one should do. The Libram of Tenacity. It was my first Libram, back when I was little more than a aspirant."
Crocbait took the tome, bowing his head, "Thank you."
"I don't need your thanks, child. This is my duty. Was there anything else?"
"No."
"Well then," Gallus grabbed his staff in his Light hand, feeling the blackened skin burn further, "I must be off."
"Yes. I'll see you when you return."
---
Blake drew Gambol Shroud as she looked around the cave, sliding behind Ruby, "I didn't expect Orgrimmar to be so… dark."
"The Cleft of Shadow," Ruby explained quietly, "home to warlocks and thieves, it's also the easiest part of the city to get portals opened."
"Why?"
"Guards don't patrol down here much, since it's a hive of scum and villainy."
"You stole that from a movie."
"Yeah," Ruby let something fall into her hand. Blake squinted at it… was that a chain? "It fits. Come on, I don't want to spend too long down here."
They'd been walking through the cleft for ten minutes when the thief started to tail them. Blake glanced behind them, "Ruby, there's someone following us."
Ruby pointed at a brazier, embers sitting in it, "Reth."
The embers exploded into roaring flames, causing the thief to stop, before breaking off. Ruby waved her hand, putting out the fire.
"What did you say?"
"'Burn' in Kalimag. It doesn't really matter, all we needed was something to make him realize he was going to try and jump a spell caster. We're almost out."
Blake looked around the city as they stepped out of the cave, feeling her eyes contract as they did. She had heard that Orgrimmar was built into a canyon, and that had always projected an image of wonder.
The reality was a lot more ramshackled. Metal walkways were built along the walls, doors built over the caves. The building on the ground were slightly better, but still had sections made from sheets of metal.
"Huh," Blake said, "You'd think somewhere that put so much importance on shamanism would be more… natural," Ruby opened her mouth, "I know. I know. But the Alliance spends a lot of time talking about how far behind the Horde is. It's just posturing, I guess."
"Yeah. Come on, Rehgar's house is in the Valley of Honor."
"Do you mind, I don't know... Giving me an explanation for how Orgrimmar works?"
"Not at all. It's divided into different Valleys, kinda like the districts back in Vale."
"Ok."
"The largest, and the one that follows a theme the least, is the Valley of Strength. It has a lot of shops, and places to live," Ruby pointed to her right, "we'd get there by taking the Drag that way."
"The Drag?"
"Yeah, it's the road we're on. It leads from the Valley of Strength to the other Valleys. The Valley of Spirits is also that way, it's where the religious centers are," Ruby's had swiveled in the other direction, "that's the way we're going. We'll hit the Valley of Honor, which has a bunch of gladiator and warrior stuff. On the other side of the mesa," Ruby pointed behind her, "is the Valley of Wisdom, where the Warchief, his advisors, and the generals meet."
"Ok. Do you want to lead the way?"
"Yeah. Sure," Ruby turned, "come on."
Blake looked around as they walked through the Drag, feeling out of place as the walked passed a building where she could see an orc talking to a blood elf, "is it really fine for us to be here?"
"Yep," Ruby nodded, "Warchief let's humans in, so long as they don't cause trouble. There's a couple of traders who come in on the first wednesday of the month. They sell some rum Bloodeye likes."
Blake wondered if she should point out Ruby's slip of the tongue, before deciding against it.
They passed through a metal tunnel, exiting into another valley. The thing that immediately caught her eye was the building on a hill. Two pillars sat on either side of the staircase leading to the entrance, and outside of the red sheet metal lining the roof, the circular building was made of stone.
"What's that?"
"The Ring of Valor. I'll show it to you tomorrow," Ruby stopped in front of a house, "We're here. Where did I put my…?"
The exterior of the house looked like any other in Orgrimmar, made of stone and metal. There was, however, a wooden porch leading to the doorway, with a chair on it. In front of the house was a large ring of stones.
"What's that?"
"Sparring ring," Ruby grunted, searching various pouches, "I could have sworn… there it is!"
"Couldn't you have knocked?"
"Oh, yeah," Ruby blinked, "well, found it now," Ruby unlocked the door, "and here we are!"
Blake stepped in after Ruby, looking around the house, which was a blend of old and new. The main room had a couch and a threadbare pair of chairs, along with a coffee table, and a heater where the fireplace should have been.
"Rehgar! I'm back," Ruby looked around, "Rehgar?"
"Maybe he's out?"
"Maybe," Ruby scratches her head, "I guess I'll show you around. There isn't much, but it's home. We'll start with my room," She walked down a hallway, pushing open the left most door, and gesturing for Blake to follow.
The room practically radiated 'Ruby'. The walls, carpet, and bedding were all red and black, and there was a rat (ew) nibbling at stale cookies on a desk. Against one wall was a bookcase, though about half of them had orcish on the spine. Picking up one hefty book, Blake examined it. A Common to Orcish translation guide.
"Ruby?"
"What's up, Blake?" Ruby hadn't looked up from a letter that had been left on her bed, "Clean up my ro-? Oh, real funny, Rehgar."
"Do you mind if I keep this?"
"Yeah," Blake got the feeling Ruby wasn't really paying attention, "Go ahead. Anything of mine is yours t- oh that complete jerk! Reth!"
Ruby had crumpled the letter up, throwing the flaming ball out the window.
"What's wrong?"
"He's at one of the mesas in Durotar," Ruby walked out of the room, heading for the entrance, "on the other side of Orgrimmar."
"Does he do stuff like this often?" Blake asked as she jogged to keep up with Ruby.
"No," Ruby's voice faltered, "so why'd he do it this time?"
"Do you want to go ahead? I'll catch up to you."
"How?" Ruby asked.
"I can follow the petals?"
"They fade, I'm not risking it. We'll go together."
It took the better part of an hour, including climbing up the mesa, for them to finally arrive.
"About time you got here," a gruff voice said as Blake grabbed Ruby's hand to be pulled the rest of the way up, "I was about to go home."
The orc was sitting on a rock was wearing clothes that were… kinda bizarre. He was shirtless, but had on metal shoulder pads shaped like wolf heads. He was wearing leather fingerless gloves, and a gauntlet on his right hand that was also shaped like a wolf head, two large blades sprouting from the mouth, with a smaller blade on either side. He was wearing hakama, and the belt holding them up was decorated with another wolf head and a pair of tassels that ended in wolf fangs. He also had a wolf pelt over his head, making it so she could just barely see his blue eyes.
"So," Blake said in Ruby's ear, "I take it Rehgar really likes wolves?"
"I heard that!" Rehgar called.
How? He was on the other side of the area from them.
Rehgar jumped down from his spot walking towards them, "I see you found her."
"Yeah," Ruby smiled brightly, "I did. Blake this is Rehgar Earthfury. Rehgar-"
"Blake Belladonna," Rehgar cut Ruby off.
"Yes?" Something about Rehgar's piercing gaze unnerved her, and Blake reached for Gambol Shroud.
"Do me a favor, make sure my fool apprentice doesn't get herself killed down in Silithus."
"Hey!" Ruby pouted, "I'm not a fool!"
"Could've fooled me," Rehgar said, and Blake noticed something shimmering around his right arm, "you go running off to a war at the elements call without at least telling me what you wanted done with your body? That's asking for me to feed it to the wolves."
"You wouldn't do that," Ruby sounded certain, "besides, Stormsong said you were going to send me that way anyways."
"I was, but I still would have liked a warning. I don't like having to worry about you."
"So, you wanted to see me? And why were you waiting out here?"
"I did," Rehgar nodded, "And because I've got a test for you."
"He called us all the way here for a test?" Blake asked under her breath.
"That's what I said," Rehgar didn't break his gaze from Ruby, and something pushed his hakama, "you up for it, pup?"
"Alwa-"
Blake saw Ruby's eyes widened as Rehgar suddenly tried to punch her, smoldering petals flowing as she took a hyper-speed step back, only for them to suddenly snap back towards her as the shimmering exploded from his hand in the form of gale force winds.
Ruby was launched into the distance, and Blake saw a buzzard be obliterated as the wind hit it, blood being carried by the winds.
"What the hell was that!?" Blake drew Gambol Shroud off her back, only to freeze slightly as Rehgar's icy gaze snapped to her.
"Put that away before you put your eye out," he growled.
Did he think she couldn't use her own weapon?
"Why'd you do that?" she said, keeping Gambol Shroud trained on him even as he turned away and returned to the rocks he was seated on.
"That is my version of the test," Rehgar jumped back up, "grab a seat, we have a bit before she gets back, and I want to learn about Ruby's-" the last word was in Orcish.
"Her what?"
"Friend," despite the fact that Rehgar didn't bat an eye, Blake got the feeling he wasn't telling the truth.
---
Ruby took a second to be deeply confused as she rocketed through the air, flying towards the ocean.
That… wasn't what she was expecting. Though it reminded her of the Beacon entrance exam.
But what was it about? What was she expected to be doing? Unless that was the point of the test…
Ruby closed her eyes as she fell down towards the water, reaching out for Wind. She wouldn't be hurt by the fall, but she didn't want to weaken her Aura doing so.
The smell of salt and seaweed faded, bringing with it the familiar smell of… cookies?
Ruby breathed in again. Yes, it smelled of freshly baked cookies, like her dad would make when she had a bad day at Signal. He always told her to let them cool down, but she had never listened, the allure of melted chocolate drawing her.
A voice was carried to her ear, a whisper on the air, I am the Spirit of Air, Ruby. I'm the wind that cools the earth, that fills your lungs and lets you live. Everything that flies does so at my will, and I can pluck it away just as easily. Ask me.
Okayyy, that was weird, but Ruby wasn't about to question one of her patrons about it while she was in their domain, "I need to slow down before I hit the water."
That is what you need in the short term, yes. But what about the long term? Ask me.
"Ask you what?"
That is part of the test.
Ruby thought quietly as she remained suspended in air. Ask them what? What did she need? The only thing she could think of was…
"Will you lend me your power so I can protect Blake and the rest of my friends? And anyone else we meet who needs help?"
I will give you the power to defend your Blake, the rest of your friends, and anyone you meet. Honor me, and that gift will always be yours.
Ruby floated down into the water, eyes locked on Durotar in the distance. As Ruby started to swim towards it, the water spoke to her. Ok, looks like they were doing this again.
I am the Spirit of Water, Ruby. I am the balm that heals, but also- Ruby felt herself be ripped under the water, struggling against water that felt more like silt, -the raging glory of the ocean. Every creature within it, from the tiny shrimp to the great whales are mine. As is- something formed under her, pushing her back out of the water, her soaked clothes drying in seconds as the water was pulled out of them. Above the chunk of ice Ruby was kneeling on, snow began to fall gently, the snow and the rain. Ask me.
"Will you lend me your power so I can protect Blake and the rest of my friends? And anyone else we meet who needs help?" Ruby repeated, still wondering what this was all about.
I will. Honor me, and my gift will be yours always.
The currents shifted, pushing Ruby's chunk of ice to the shore where it cracked and melted.
The moment she had left the beach, standing on the rocky, infertile ground of Durotar, the next spirit came.
Ruby felt herself be rooted to the ground, and when she looked down, there was indeed earth crawling up her legs.
I am the Spirit of Earth, Ruby, The rumbling voice reached her ear, I am the bones of the world, and I give the food that allows the creatures of it to keep on living, the ground at Ruby's feat yielded, flowers sprouting out from under the earth, all in red and black, the plants feed the plant eaters, who feed those who eat meat, and all who survive feed me eventually. Ask me.
"Will you lend me your power so I can protect Blake and the rest of my friends? And anyone else we meet who needs help?" Ruby murmured, recalling one of her books. Repetition, three questions so far, three answers. There would be a fourth, it was the number most commonly tied to the Elements.
Honor me and the earth will rise up in defence of those you care for.
The rocks around Ruby's feet crumbled, but she didn't get a step forward before the fire in her chest roared out of control. Ruby doubled over, falling to her knees as the pain got worse and sweat started to appear, only to be immediately turn to steam.
I am the Spirit of Fire, Ruby, the crackling in her ears was familiar, at least, I burn away that which is too weak to survive, the burning fled Ruby in a nova of flames, scorching away the flowers Earth created, before forming into a small campfire at her feet but I also warm the bones, and create. Use me, together with Earth, and you will create weapons beyond compare. Ask me.
"Will you lend me your power so I can protect Blake and the rest of my friends? And anyone else we meet who needs help?" Ruby croaked out, pushing herself up tiredly. She had almost forgotten what burning felt like. Heat, like many elemental phenomena, didn't work the same way as for Shaman as it did with normal people. They could still feel it, and it could irritate them, but it's physical effects were, at worst, blunted. Ruby's pale skin had used to burn horribly in the sun, now she didn't.
That was never in an doubt, young pup. Honor me, and I will always be with you.
"So… is that it? Are we done?" Ruby asked in confusion. She still didn't get the point.
None of the spirits said anything at first, though that didn't mean Ruby didn't get her answer.
Slowly, spirit wolves started to prowl out from behind the scorched rocks and boulders. A couple small ones at first, but more and more appeared, growing in size until finally a wolf the size of a small car crashed down in front of her. Ruby's instincts screamed at her as she drew Crescent Rose from her back. Garn, that was a garn.
Then another voice entered her head, a chorus of thousands on hundreds of languages, We are the Spirit of the Wilds, the essence and souls of all things living. We are the most powerful of all, surpassing the quakes of Earth, the winds of Air, the flames of Fire, and the floods of Water. There has been much talk, and we have listened. Now we shall ask, and you shall answer. Why do you deserve this power and the responsibilities that will eventually come from it?
Ruby wetted her lips, trying to think of an answer as the spirit wolves prowled around her and her heart hammered away in her chest. She didn't like being surrounded by wolves like this again, it brought up too many bad memories. Nowhere to escape, nowhere to run.
"Can they back off a bit?" She asked weakly. Stronger than fire and earth? How? she had seen what they could unleash, when properly motivated.
The Wilds didn't say anything, but Ruby noticed, to her relief, that the tight ring around them became looser, some wolves disappearing completely. Now she just had to answer the question… but even that wasn't easy. What responsibilities? She didn't have any plan to try and reach Farseer, she was happy the way she was with Blake.
Finally the answer came unbidden, "I don't know," Ruby said voice seizing up halfway through. She hadn't admitted this before. Not to Rehgar, or Bloodeye, or Jaina, or even herself. She didn't know why the Elements choose her. There had to be hundreds of slaves across Azeroth in some form or another, so why her?
If a giant wolf could raise an eyebrow, the one in front of her sure did, you don't know?
"I don't know what I did to deserve any power in the first place," Ruby continued on, "what the Elements saw that made them chose me. I still don't know if they even made the right choice," Ruby felt hot tears start to fall, scrubbing at her burning eyes, "I just wanted to be free, I didn't think about what it would take, or what I would do after. I want to go home, if I ever get the chance, but," Here Ruby's voice dropped, "can I even do that? Or is that me breaking the promise I made?"
It was Fire who answered her, You're not our slave, young pup, it said softly, we asked you to serve us for a time, but if a time comes where you decide to turn away, we won't hold it against you.
The wolf in front of Ruby seemed to study her, Good. Honor me always, and you shall have my power when you need it.
"What?" Ruby frowned, "What do you mean? I still don't get what this is about."
A shaman is the Elements and a mortal working together. How can I work with you if you aren't willing to open up to me? When the time comes for you to call me, I will be there. Rehgar will teach you how to summon the spirit wolves. Return to him.
Ruby was left standing alone, before she activated her Semblance and ran back to where Blake and Rehgar were.
As she reached the top, they broke whatever conversation they were having to look at her.
"You passed?" Rehgar asked.
"Yeah."
"Good. Blake, I'm sorry, but this needs to be done in Orcish" Rehgar switched to the language, "I was being to get worried. Can you imagine how it would reflect on me if I had the first shaman to outright fail since Gul'dan?" Rehgar chuckled at his own joke, "Anyways. Congratulations, as of today, you are officially a full shaman."
"What!?"
"That was your final test. I'm always willing to give you a few lessons, and the house is still yours, but I don't want you to be bugging me everyday."
"But-"
"It's getting late," Ruby stopped talking, painfully aware that Rehgar was just going to bull rush through this without paying heed to her arguments. She wasn't ready for this. Didn't want to be ready for this, "we'll talk about it tomorrow. Show Blake around Orgrimmar," Rehgar stopped, "speaking of her, I approve."
"Appro- Rehgar!" Ruby shouted at her mentor, who had hopped off the mesa, his laughter carrying.
---
Yang slipped on the modified cloak, testing it for the first time. The heavy cloth wrapped around her like Ruby and Summer's did at times. It was significantly more comfortable, in her opinion.
"Good?" the seamstress asked as Yang through a couple punches, shadow boxing to make sure it wouldn't restrict her movements.
"One thing," Yang deployed Ember Celica, making sure they didn't get caught on anything, "It's great!"
"Interesting design," she said, "I could repurpose this for leathers. Might make decent armor."
"Ok?"
"I'd have to talk to Brumman," Yang got the feeling that the Draenei woman wasn't paying attention any more, and slipped out of the building.
It was early in the morning (or, at least, what everyone counted as such) and many of the inhabitants of Honor Hold were already hard at work. The sound of ringing metal came from the forge, and Yang passed a group of people carrying bows.
Hunters probably. A lot of food seemed to be gathered from the animals hearty enough to survive on Hellfire Peninsula.
And wasn't that a hell (Yang chuckled to herself, she would have to remember that one) of a name? Who names a place Hellfire?
Yang reached the building she was looking for, ducking in.
"Lebowski?"
"Yang!" the diminutive man, a 'gnome', turned to her, a wild grin on his face as he talked a mile a minute, "Perfect timing! I think I got it! Removed most of the noncombustibles! Catch!"
Yang caught the thrown shell, one of her empty ones that had been repurposed, slotting it into Ember Celica.
"Ready to test it?" Lebowski asked, a grin on his face.
"Yeah," Yang followed him out of the back exit, where a training dummy sat, "think this will work?"
"Definitely!" he climbed up a small staircase so he was even with Yang, "if you would just let me take apa-"
"No," Yang directed a red eyed glare at the gnome. He had been bugging her about letting him take apart Ember Celica for the last two weeks. He promised he could put them back together again, but she didn't want to risk it.
They, along with Weiss, were the only pieces of home she had at the moment.
And she did mean at the moment. Whatever had left them trapped on Draenor had to have grabbed Blake and Ruby too, right?
"Alright, alright," Lebowski gestured, "fire when ready."
Ember Celica gave a familiar roar as the dummy jerked, holes appearing in it.
"Perfect!" Lebowski jumped from his spot, "Come on! I'll get more ready!"
"You didn't do it before?"
"Didn't want to have to remove the powder if it didn't work! Shouldn't take too long, an hour or two at most!"
"Then do you mind if I go look for Weiss?"
"Not at all! See you later!"
Yang walked away from the house, heading back to the inn. Maybe Maan knew where Weiss was?
---
Weiss ignored the grumbling of her stomach as she raised her hand, pointing it to one of the boars around the outside of Honor Hold. A green glyph sprang into existence on the back of her hand.
Good, now imagine you're a drain. Focus on their life energy, it's yours, but you need to pull it out. It will not go willingly.
Slowly green smoke seemed to rise from the boar, slowly drifting towards Weiss.
Harder. How are you supposed to use the Fel in battle if you can't drain your enemy's life fast enough?
Weiss focused on the energy willing it to speed up. She had done it much quicker against the orc.
I was assisting you, of course. I know this art very well. Still, it was a valiant first effort. If only you had actually finished him off.
Weiss paused, looking around for the source of the whispers. Were the orcs trying to sneak up on her?
Those brutes? Please, they wouldn't know stealth if it stabbed them in the kidney. What happened to Kargath? He never had much skill in Fel, but he made Gul'dan's lapdog look like a bumbling infant. Now his entire clan is nothing but near mindless fodder for that demon-elf. You'd be wise to not let his fate befall you, Weiss… We both would. Balance, Weiss, in all things is the only way to avoid being consumed by the Fel.
The green smoke reached Weiss, and she inhaled deeply, energy coursing through her like a drug. Weiss paused, lowering her arm and letting the green smoke dissipate. If this stuff acted like a drug, could it addle her mind like one?
Oh joy. You're going to be one of those ones, aren't you?
Weiss remembered her mother, so often drunk that she had practically disconnected herself from the rest of the world. Looking down at her shaking hand, the young heiress clenched it into a fist in an attempt to stop it. Would that be what happened to her if she relied on this? She would be reduced to a shell?
What other options do you have, though? Do you want to be useless? I bet you don't.
But she didn't want to be useless, didn't want to be reliant on Yang and Maan.
You should use it.
She should use it, until she found something else. Maybe whatever Filinthus used? Or maybe she would find something in Shattrath?
I'm not exactly happy that's around. Do you know how much effort sacking it took? We were sure we wiped out the Draenei there.
"Weiss!" Weiss span at Yang's call, feeling her jaw drop slightly the brawler jog towards her, "Hey! What are you doing out he- what's wrong?"
"You turned it into a coat?" Weiss hadn't meant to sound incredulous, but it had slipped through anyways.
The former cloak was wrapped around Yang, a set of buttons holding it shut, and a pair of sleeves had been stitched on, turning it into a makeshift hooded long coat.
"Yeah!" Yang had a big grin on her face, making her resemblance to Ruby pronounced, "I didn't want the cloak getting in my way in a fight. What do ya think?"
"It's interesting," Weiss said evenly. Not something she would wear if she didn't need to, but little of what her team wore was her style, "Why are you out here?"
"Was looking for you," Yang shrugged, "you were the gone before I woke up, and you normally sleep later than everyone. Even Blake! And you know how much Blake likes sleeping."
"I was just practicing," Weiss brushed Yang's concern off, "we should head back."
"Why?"
"...I'm hungry," Weiss admitted reluctantly.
"You didn't eat before you left?"
"No," She had been too focused on getting out of the inn and not drawn back to bed.
"Then we should," Yang agreed, "missing breakfast isn't healthy."
Weiss snorted. Trust Yang who, outside of the occasional drink, was a huge fitness nut to worry about that, "I'll try to be better about it."
"Yeah," Yang threw an arm around Weiss's neck, "I don't want to be the one explaining to Ruby and Blake that you starved yourself to death."
---
"Xia!"
The woman in question looked up from where she was kneeling over a student, healing a few gouges in his side.
"Yes?" she asked politely to young trainee, "did you need something?"
"Master Shang Xi has requested to see you in the courtyard as soon as you can be there," the pandaren said with a bow.
"Did he inform you why?"
"The new class has arrived, he was hoping you would give them a demonstration of what healing can be achieved through chi. He also said he would have time for the meeting you have been requesting after."
"Then I shall make my way over as soon as I'm done here. You should go, I'm sure you have a lesson you are supposed to be at."
The trainee nodded, turning briskly walking towards the training grounds. Mossthorn, then.
Xia removed her hands with a flourish, dispersing the green fog-like energy that had gathered around them, "There. You should be fit to return training, Ji."
"That's good," the young Huojin stood, "Thanks again, Xia!"
"If you come back before the end of the week, I'll make sure nobody heals you," Xia called at his retreating back. Ji had already been in four times, and it was only Tuesday.
Xia sighed, running one pale hand through her brown hair, before grabbing her swords and locket and leaving to find Master Shang Xi.
As she walked through the courtyard, Xia played with the locket, pressing the button to opening it, exposing the water damaged images, and closing it.
Who were the two people in it? What was their connection to Xia? These questions had ate at her for the last two years, kept her awake for countless nights.
"Xia!" Xia's head turned to look at Instructor Qun, who was standing with a pair of trainees, one of whom was cradling his arm, "Perfect timing! Bolin here was injured during a spar. Which is why-?"
"-We always take spars seriously," the trainees said.
"Quite," Qun said, "because accidents happen, but they're less likely if both sides are on guard. Would you mind healing it, Xia?"
"I'm sorry," Xia bowed, "but I'm supposed to be meeting with Master Shang Xi-"
"-to demonstrate healing," Xia jumped slightly as the man in question rounded a corner, a gaggle of young pandarens at his heels.
"Where's her fur?" one of the cubs asked. Blue eyes staring at Xia in curiosity
"-which this is a perfect example of," Shang Xi continued as if the cub hadn't spoken, "Go ahead, Xia. Watch carefully, young ones. The art of healing, while it might not appear impressive, is to use chi in its purest form."
Xia closed her eyes, focusing on the wellspring of energy inside her, drawing it out and around her.
"Chi can strengthen your strikes, allowing you to meet opponents ten times your size in combat. It can empower your body, allowing you to turn aside a blade without harm. It can make your reflexes that of wind, keeping blows from touching you.
Xia opened her eyes, directing the green mist around Bolin's injured arm.
"But the flesh has limits, even with chi. Bones can break, skin can tear. Those who weave the mists can use chi to coax the body into repairing itself. As a blade tears through their ally's flesh, the mist causes the injury to stitch shut behind it. As bones break, the mist coaxes them back into position. Watch."
Xia pushed the bone into position, making the two halves match like a puzzle. Then she healed the break, Bolin's grimace fading as his injury did the same.
"Well done, Xia," Shang Xi said, "that concludes our tour, children. I'm sure Instructor Qun can guide you to your parents. Xia, you had wanted to meet with me?"
"Yes. In private, if possible."
"It is. Would you assist me in reaching my garden?"
"Of course."
Xia walked with Shang Xi up the hill, watching the animals that inhabited the garden move around.
"What is it you wished to speak with me about?
"I want to leave the academy."
"You do," it wasn't a question, merely an agreement, "Where do you wish to go?"
"I don't know," Xia said, tightening her grip on the locket, "but I'm hoping I'll find answers. Who was I? Did I have a family? Why was I floating in the ocean with a hole in my side and poison in my veins."
"That is understandable," Shang Xi said, "We are made who we are by our memories. Whoever you were died that day, Xia. But like a phoenix, it can rise again. The question, my student, is what happens to Xia when the flames ignite? Are you burned away completely, as if you never existed? Do the two sides war for control of the body? Perhaps you and who you were find peace, being Xia and them at the same time?"
"Yes," Xia said, "I need to know. I can't ignore it anymore."
"I always knew there was a spark of Huojin inside of you, Xia," Shang Xi smiled, his eyes crinkling, "If this is what you feel is best, you should go. Start with the Wandering Isle first, perhaps. We don't know much about the cultures off Shen-zin Su, and this is your first time leaving."
"So you're giving me permission to leave?"
"Permission? You don't need permission, Xia. I can point people in directions, but if their heart takes them elsewhere, I respect that."
"Thank you, Master," Xia bowed.
"When you first came here, you were dead by almost any accounts," Xia was silent, "but you fought through the poison. Up doing taolu in the courtyard in less than a month. I knew then something was special about you, that you would shape the course of history. And you can't do that walled off in the academy. If you want to leave, it must be your destiny calling. Go to it."
"Thank you, Master," Xia repeated, "I will gather my possessions and be off."
---
So, the motif of this chapter is mentors. We have three (four if you count Gallus) mentors interacting with their students.
"Is this really the time to be drinking?" he asked.
"Not alcohol," Zur'ak threw the bottle over his shoulder, "just water. Ya wouldn't believe how bad what we got in Silithus tastes. Da beer's actually better."
"Right. Where's your weapon?" the witch doctor wasn't known to go without his eponymous 'Firefist'.
"With ya student. It broke fightin' da damn bugs, and she offered to fix it. She a good smith?"
"Yes. She doesn't do it often, but I've never met someone who can make weapons attuned to the elements like she can."
Most shaman weren't smiths anymore, only those who had clung to the old ways from the Crossing to now. It was a borderline forgotten art amongst the orcs, at least. Mass production was easier, better to have a hundred guards with axes and blades that were all the same then it was to have twenty with weapons that could become legendary through infusion of the elements.
"High praise," Stormsong said, "I need to ask, have you ever thought of giving her the test?"
"Of course I have. Wanted to wait another year or so though, she's only just hit her third year as my apprentice. Why?"
"She said you hadn't told her to go down to Silithus, and that the elements gave her a vision to do so."
Zur'ak snorted, "She's mad. Hardly anyone get's visions that early. Ya sent her a letter, righ-"
"I tried," Rehgar said, clenching his fist under the table to keep from socking Zur'ak. Why did people keep insulting his kids, dammit? "But I didn't know where she was, and neither did Drek'thar."
"I think she's telling the truth," Stormsong said, "the elements wanted as many shaman as possible at Silithus. I get the feeling-"
"She's too noble for her own good?" Rehgar finished, "She grew up planning to be some sort of hero. It's not surprising she would jump at the chance."
"I'm still not sure we can trust that human girl with her," Stormsong said.
"There's a human girl?" Rehgar's head snapped towards Stormsong, "what's she look like?"
"I don't know. A normal human?" Stormsong said, "black hair, golden eyes. Wears a bow?"
"So she did find her," Rehgar said under his breath. Good for Ruby, "you can trust her."
"You know her?"
"Yes," Rehgar lied without batting an eye. It would be easier on everyone if there weren't Horde constantly sniffing around Ruby and, by proxy, Rehgar, "she's a very skilled fighter. They're great together."
"Ya sure?"
"Yes," Rehgar repeated, "do you think I should give her the test, Stormsong? How long did you stay as Magatha's apprentice?"
"A little under a year," Stormsong shrugged, "it wasn't that hard. I haven't ever seen anyone fail it."
"Failin' ain't da problem," Zur'ak said, "it's what happens if you can't handle what comes after. It's ya choice, Rehgar. Do ya think she's ready for it? I know ya, if she ain't, ya won't pretend she is."
"I think she is. Can you tell her I need her in Orgrimmar when she gives you back your weapon? And to bring Blake. How's things down in Silithus? That's what this is supposed to be about."
"I wanna punch da druids right between da eyes. 'We be promotin' nature' dey say, as dey try ta turn de desert into a forest. Dat ain't natural, dey don't seem to get it."
"He's been complaining about this for days," Stormsong said to Rehgar, "it's practically turned to a war every time more Silithids show up."
"We keep showin' dem! Destroyin' da anubisath before dey get a chance."
"Zur'ak!" everyone wheeled around as Drek'thar walked in, "good, I was worried we had missed you."
"Wit what?"
"A letter got through from Lady Proudmoore," Drek'thar turned his head to Rehgar, "I'd forgotten how much of a hassle it is to get that done without Ruby. This should have arrived four days ago."
"What?"
"The Kirin Tor is sending a group of mages to Silithus. We thought you would like to know about it in advance."
"When dey gettin' dere?"
"In a day or two," Drek'thar said, "they're still finalizing how many to send. Or, they were when the letter was sent."
---
"Father Brightgrave?"
Gallus looked up from where he was packing a small bag. Rosaries, Librams, a pair of robes, some supplies for stitching up any lost limbs.
"Crocbait," he said, "Yes, you had asked to speak with me, hadn't you?"
"Yes, Father."
"Well," Gallus stood, "I need to leave soon, but I can make a bit of time for you. What is it you need, child?" As the human stepped into Gallus's modest holdings, Gallus gestured to the nicer of the two chairs with his Light hand, "Sit."
"Are you sure-?"
"Sit," Gallus repeated, "the time for me to enjoy such trappings has long past. Sit."
Even in his mortal life, Bishop Gallus Carlyle had been sparse in his livings. While other bishops had lived in opulent apartments in Lordaeron and Stormwind, Gallus had stayed in a small parish in eastern Lordaeron.
"Now," Gallus sat in the other chair, lacing his fingers on his lap and ignoring his rosary, "What is it you need?"
"I- I had some questions for you," Crocbait shifted in his chair, "Do you remember when we met? You said you had friends that could heal mind injuries, right?"
"Yes," though Gallus would be hard pressed to call them friends. Those who had turned from the Light completely, allowing the Shadows to swallow them whole. It was a sentiment each of the few who became Watchers, those who stood at the threshold, held.
"Do you think I could meet with them?" Crocbait said, "I want to know. Who I am, why I'm here."
"I understand," Gallus said, "many undead awoke to a similar state. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing preparations for battle, my colleagues have left Orgrimmar for the south."
"Oh."
"But I will mention it to them when I get there. Once this threat is dealt with, we will return and get it sorted out. What else did you need, child?"
"What do you know about Paladins?"
"Ah," Gallus blinked the one eye that still had an eyelid. Back when Alonsus had suggested the idea of warrior priests, Gallus had been venomously against it. Too many ways it could go wrong, he had said.
Between Arthas and the Scarlet Crusade, he believed that he had been thoroughly vindicated. They had been useful in the war, but should have been dismantled after.
"Why do you ask?"
"Just curious."
"Well, best to leave that train of thought behind you. Many of the Horde despise the knights. Too much shed blood," even the new 'Blood Knights' were barely tolerated.
"Yes, Father," Crocbait looked like a scolded child, sinking into his chair.
"Was there anything else you needed?
"Do you have any tomes I could read? I… find it peaceful here. Like a wolf trying to eat me is forced back. I hope I can carry that beyond here."
"Yes," Gallus stood from his spot, walking to the books he kept, "I can lend you one, if that's what you want?"
"It is."
"Mh," Gallus picked up a particularly old tome, passing it from one hand to the other, "this one should do. The Libram of Tenacity. It was my first Libram, back when I was little more than a aspirant."
Crocbait took the tome, bowing his head, "Thank you."
"I don't need your thanks, child. This is my duty. Was there anything else?"
"No."
"Well then," Gallus grabbed his staff in his Light hand, feeling the blackened skin burn further, "I must be off."
"Yes. I'll see you when you return."
---
Blake drew Gambol Shroud as she looked around the cave, sliding behind Ruby, "I didn't expect Orgrimmar to be so… dark."
"The Cleft of Shadow," Ruby explained quietly, "home to warlocks and thieves, it's also the easiest part of the city to get portals opened."
"Why?"
"Guards don't patrol down here much, since it's a hive of scum and villainy."
"You stole that from a movie."
"Yeah," Ruby let something fall into her hand. Blake squinted at it… was that a chain? "It fits. Come on, I don't want to spend too long down here."
They'd been walking through the cleft for ten minutes when the thief started to tail them. Blake glanced behind them, "Ruby, there's someone following us."
Ruby pointed at a brazier, embers sitting in it, "Reth."
The embers exploded into roaring flames, causing the thief to stop, before breaking off. Ruby waved her hand, putting out the fire.
"What did you say?"
"'Burn' in Kalimag. It doesn't really matter, all we needed was something to make him realize he was going to try and jump a spell caster. We're almost out."
Blake looked around the city as they stepped out of the cave, feeling her eyes contract as they did. She had heard that Orgrimmar was built into a canyon, and that had always projected an image of wonder.
The reality was a lot more ramshackled. Metal walkways were built along the walls, doors built over the caves. The building on the ground were slightly better, but still had sections made from sheets of metal.
"Huh," Blake said, "You'd think somewhere that put so much importance on shamanism would be more… natural," Ruby opened her mouth, "I know. I know. But the Alliance spends a lot of time talking about how far behind the Horde is. It's just posturing, I guess."
"Yeah. Come on, Rehgar's house is in the Valley of Honor."
"Do you mind, I don't know... Giving me an explanation for how Orgrimmar works?"
"Not at all. It's divided into different Valleys, kinda like the districts back in Vale."
"Ok."
"The largest, and the one that follows a theme the least, is the Valley of Strength. It has a lot of shops, and places to live," Ruby pointed to her right, "we'd get there by taking the Drag that way."
"The Drag?"
"Yeah, it's the road we're on. It leads from the Valley of Strength to the other Valleys. The Valley of Spirits is also that way, it's where the religious centers are," Ruby's had swiveled in the other direction, "that's the way we're going. We'll hit the Valley of Honor, which has a bunch of gladiator and warrior stuff. On the other side of the mesa," Ruby pointed behind her, "is the Valley of Wisdom, where the Warchief, his advisors, and the generals meet."
"Ok. Do you want to lead the way?"
"Yeah. Sure," Ruby turned, "come on."
Blake looked around as they walked through the Drag, feeling out of place as the walked passed a building where she could see an orc talking to a blood elf, "is it really fine for us to be here?"
"Yep," Ruby nodded, "Warchief let's humans in, so long as they don't cause trouble. There's a couple of traders who come in on the first wednesday of the month. They sell some rum Bloodeye likes."
Blake wondered if she should point out Ruby's slip of the tongue, before deciding against it.
They passed through a metal tunnel, exiting into another valley. The thing that immediately caught her eye was the building on a hill. Two pillars sat on either side of the staircase leading to the entrance, and outside of the red sheet metal lining the roof, the circular building was made of stone.
"What's that?"
"The Ring of Valor. I'll show it to you tomorrow," Ruby stopped in front of a house, "We're here. Where did I put my…?"
The exterior of the house looked like any other in Orgrimmar, made of stone and metal. There was, however, a wooden porch leading to the doorway, with a chair on it. In front of the house was a large ring of stones.
"What's that?"
"Sparring ring," Ruby grunted, searching various pouches, "I could have sworn… there it is!"
"Couldn't you have knocked?"
"Oh, yeah," Ruby blinked, "well, found it now," Ruby unlocked the door, "and here we are!"
Blake stepped in after Ruby, looking around the house, which was a blend of old and new. The main room had a couch and a threadbare pair of chairs, along with a coffee table, and a heater where the fireplace should have been.
"Rehgar! I'm back," Ruby looked around, "Rehgar?"
"Maybe he's out?"
"Maybe," Ruby scratches her head, "I guess I'll show you around. There isn't much, but it's home. We'll start with my room," She walked down a hallway, pushing open the left most door, and gesturing for Blake to follow.
The room practically radiated 'Ruby'. The walls, carpet, and bedding were all red and black, and there was a rat (ew) nibbling at stale cookies on a desk. Against one wall was a bookcase, though about half of them had orcish on the spine. Picking up one hefty book, Blake examined it. A Common to Orcish translation guide.
"Ruby?"
"What's up, Blake?" Ruby hadn't looked up from a letter that had been left on her bed, "Clean up my ro-? Oh, real funny, Rehgar."
"Do you mind if I keep this?"
"Yeah," Blake got the feeling Ruby wasn't really paying attention, "Go ahead. Anything of mine is yours t- oh that complete jerk! Reth!"
Ruby had crumpled the letter up, throwing the flaming ball out the window.
"What's wrong?"
"He's at one of the mesas in Durotar," Ruby walked out of the room, heading for the entrance, "on the other side of Orgrimmar."
"Does he do stuff like this often?" Blake asked as she jogged to keep up with Ruby.
"No," Ruby's voice faltered, "so why'd he do it this time?"
"Do you want to go ahead? I'll catch up to you."
"How?" Ruby asked.
"I can follow the petals?"
"They fade, I'm not risking it. We'll go together."
It took the better part of an hour, including climbing up the mesa, for them to finally arrive.
"About time you got here," a gruff voice said as Blake grabbed Ruby's hand to be pulled the rest of the way up, "I was about to go home."
The orc was sitting on a rock was wearing clothes that were… kinda bizarre. He was shirtless, but had on metal shoulder pads shaped like wolf heads. He was wearing leather fingerless gloves, and a gauntlet on his right hand that was also shaped like a wolf head, two large blades sprouting from the mouth, with a smaller blade on either side. He was wearing hakama, and the belt holding them up was decorated with another wolf head and a pair of tassels that ended in wolf fangs. He also had a wolf pelt over his head, making it so she could just barely see his blue eyes.
"So," Blake said in Ruby's ear, "I take it Rehgar really likes wolves?"
"I heard that!" Rehgar called.
How? He was on the other side of the area from them.
Rehgar jumped down from his spot walking towards them, "I see you found her."
"Yeah," Ruby smiled brightly, "I did. Blake this is Rehgar Earthfury. Rehgar-"
"Blake Belladonna," Rehgar cut Ruby off.
"Yes?" Something about Rehgar's piercing gaze unnerved her, and Blake reached for Gambol Shroud.
"Do me a favor, make sure my fool apprentice doesn't get herself killed down in Silithus."
"Hey!" Ruby pouted, "I'm not a fool!"
"Could've fooled me," Rehgar said, and Blake noticed something shimmering around his right arm, "you go running off to a war at the elements call without at least telling me what you wanted done with your body? That's asking for me to feed it to the wolves."
"You wouldn't do that," Ruby sounded certain, "besides, Stormsong said you were going to send me that way anyways."
"I was, but I still would have liked a warning. I don't like having to worry about you."
"So, you wanted to see me? And why were you waiting out here?"
"I did," Rehgar nodded, "And because I've got a test for you."
"He called us all the way here for a test?" Blake asked under her breath.
"That's what I said," Rehgar didn't break his gaze from Ruby, and something pushed his hakama, "you up for it, pup?"
"Alwa-"
Blake saw Ruby's eyes widened as Rehgar suddenly tried to punch her, smoldering petals flowing as she took a hyper-speed step back, only for them to suddenly snap back towards her as the shimmering exploded from his hand in the form of gale force winds.
Ruby was launched into the distance, and Blake saw a buzzard be obliterated as the wind hit it, blood being carried by the winds.
"What the hell was that!?" Blake drew Gambol Shroud off her back, only to freeze slightly as Rehgar's icy gaze snapped to her.
"Put that away before you put your eye out," he growled.
Did he think she couldn't use her own weapon?
"Why'd you do that?" she said, keeping Gambol Shroud trained on him even as he turned away and returned to the rocks he was seated on.
"That is my version of the test," Rehgar jumped back up, "grab a seat, we have a bit before she gets back, and I want to learn about Ruby's-" the last word was in Orcish.
"Her what?"
"Friend," despite the fact that Rehgar didn't bat an eye, Blake got the feeling he wasn't telling the truth.
---
Ruby took a second to be deeply confused as she rocketed through the air, flying towards the ocean.
That… wasn't what she was expecting. Though it reminded her of the Beacon entrance exam.
But what was it about? What was she expected to be doing? Unless that was the point of the test…
Ruby closed her eyes as she fell down towards the water, reaching out for Wind. She wouldn't be hurt by the fall, but she didn't want to weaken her Aura doing so.
The smell of salt and seaweed faded, bringing with it the familiar smell of… cookies?
Ruby breathed in again. Yes, it smelled of freshly baked cookies, like her dad would make when she had a bad day at Signal. He always told her to let them cool down, but she had never listened, the allure of melted chocolate drawing her.
A voice was carried to her ear, a whisper on the air, I am the Spirit of Air, Ruby. I'm the wind that cools the earth, that fills your lungs and lets you live. Everything that flies does so at my will, and I can pluck it away just as easily. Ask me.
Okayyy, that was weird, but Ruby wasn't about to question one of her patrons about it while she was in their domain, "I need to slow down before I hit the water."
That is what you need in the short term, yes. But what about the long term? Ask me.
"Ask you what?"
That is part of the test.
Ruby thought quietly as she remained suspended in air. Ask them what? What did she need? The only thing she could think of was…
"Will you lend me your power so I can protect Blake and the rest of my friends? And anyone else we meet who needs help?"
I will give you the power to defend your Blake, the rest of your friends, and anyone you meet. Honor me, and that gift will always be yours.
Ruby floated down into the water, eyes locked on Durotar in the distance. As Ruby started to swim towards it, the water spoke to her. Ok, looks like they were doing this again.
I am the Spirit of Water, Ruby. I am the balm that heals, but also- Ruby felt herself be ripped under the water, struggling against water that felt more like silt, -the raging glory of the ocean. Every creature within it, from the tiny shrimp to the great whales are mine. As is- something formed under her, pushing her back out of the water, her soaked clothes drying in seconds as the water was pulled out of them. Above the chunk of ice Ruby was kneeling on, snow began to fall gently, the snow and the rain. Ask me.
"Will you lend me your power so I can protect Blake and the rest of my friends? And anyone else we meet who needs help?" Ruby repeated, still wondering what this was all about.
I will. Honor me, and my gift will be yours always.
The currents shifted, pushing Ruby's chunk of ice to the shore where it cracked and melted.
The moment she had left the beach, standing on the rocky, infertile ground of Durotar, the next spirit came.
Ruby felt herself be rooted to the ground, and when she looked down, there was indeed earth crawling up her legs.
I am the Spirit of Earth, Ruby, The rumbling voice reached her ear, I am the bones of the world, and I give the food that allows the creatures of it to keep on living, the ground at Ruby's feat yielded, flowers sprouting out from under the earth, all in red and black, the plants feed the plant eaters, who feed those who eat meat, and all who survive feed me eventually. Ask me.
"Will you lend me your power so I can protect Blake and the rest of my friends? And anyone else we meet who needs help?" Ruby murmured, recalling one of her books. Repetition, three questions so far, three answers. There would be a fourth, it was the number most commonly tied to the Elements.
Honor me and the earth will rise up in defence of those you care for.
The rocks around Ruby's feet crumbled, but she didn't get a step forward before the fire in her chest roared out of control. Ruby doubled over, falling to her knees as the pain got worse and sweat started to appear, only to be immediately turn to steam.
I am the Spirit of Fire, Ruby, the crackling in her ears was familiar, at least, I burn away that which is too weak to survive, the burning fled Ruby in a nova of flames, scorching away the flowers Earth created, before forming into a small campfire at her feet but I also warm the bones, and create. Use me, together with Earth, and you will create weapons beyond compare. Ask me.
"Will you lend me your power so I can protect Blake and the rest of my friends? And anyone else we meet who needs help?" Ruby croaked out, pushing herself up tiredly. She had almost forgotten what burning felt like. Heat, like many elemental phenomena, didn't work the same way as for Shaman as it did with normal people. They could still feel it, and it could irritate them, but it's physical effects were, at worst, blunted. Ruby's pale skin had used to burn horribly in the sun, now she didn't.
That was never in an doubt, young pup. Honor me, and I will always be with you.
"So… is that it? Are we done?" Ruby asked in confusion. She still didn't get the point.
None of the spirits said anything at first, though that didn't mean Ruby didn't get her answer.
Slowly, spirit wolves started to prowl out from behind the scorched rocks and boulders. A couple small ones at first, but more and more appeared, growing in size until finally a wolf the size of a small car crashed down in front of her. Ruby's instincts screamed at her as she drew Crescent Rose from her back. Garn, that was a garn.
Then another voice entered her head, a chorus of thousands on hundreds of languages, We are the Spirit of the Wilds, the essence and souls of all things living. We are the most powerful of all, surpassing the quakes of Earth, the winds of Air, the flames of Fire, and the floods of Water. There has been much talk, and we have listened. Now we shall ask, and you shall answer. Why do you deserve this power and the responsibilities that will eventually come from it?
Ruby wetted her lips, trying to think of an answer as the spirit wolves prowled around her and her heart hammered away in her chest. She didn't like being surrounded by wolves like this again, it brought up too many bad memories. Nowhere to escape, nowhere to run.
"Can they back off a bit?" She asked weakly. Stronger than fire and earth? How? she had seen what they could unleash, when properly motivated.
The Wilds didn't say anything, but Ruby noticed, to her relief, that the tight ring around them became looser, some wolves disappearing completely. Now she just had to answer the question… but even that wasn't easy. What responsibilities? She didn't have any plan to try and reach Farseer, she was happy the way she was with Blake.
Finally the answer came unbidden, "I don't know," Ruby said voice seizing up halfway through. She hadn't admitted this before. Not to Rehgar, or Bloodeye, or Jaina, or even herself. She didn't know why the Elements choose her. There had to be hundreds of slaves across Azeroth in some form or another, so why her?
If a giant wolf could raise an eyebrow, the one in front of her sure did, you don't know?
"I don't know what I did to deserve any power in the first place," Ruby continued on, "what the Elements saw that made them chose me. I still don't know if they even made the right choice," Ruby felt hot tears start to fall, scrubbing at her burning eyes, "I just wanted to be free, I didn't think about what it would take, or what I would do after. I want to go home, if I ever get the chance, but," Here Ruby's voice dropped, "can I even do that? Or is that me breaking the promise I made?"
It was Fire who answered her, You're not our slave, young pup, it said softly, we asked you to serve us for a time, but if a time comes where you decide to turn away, we won't hold it against you.
The wolf in front of Ruby seemed to study her, Good. Honor me always, and you shall have my power when you need it.
"What?" Ruby frowned, "What do you mean? I still don't get what this is about."
A shaman is the Elements and a mortal working together. How can I work with you if you aren't willing to open up to me? When the time comes for you to call me, I will be there. Rehgar will teach you how to summon the spirit wolves. Return to him.
Ruby was left standing alone, before she activated her Semblance and ran back to where Blake and Rehgar were.
As she reached the top, they broke whatever conversation they were having to look at her.
"You passed?" Rehgar asked.
"Yeah."
"Good. Blake, I'm sorry, but this needs to be done in Orcish" Rehgar switched to the language, "I was being to get worried. Can you imagine how it would reflect on me if I had the first shaman to outright fail since Gul'dan?" Rehgar chuckled at his own joke, "Anyways. Congratulations, as of today, you are officially a full shaman."
"What!?"
"That was your final test. I'm always willing to give you a few lessons, and the house is still yours, but I don't want you to be bugging me everyday."
"But-"
"It's getting late," Ruby stopped talking, painfully aware that Rehgar was just going to bull rush through this without paying heed to her arguments. She wasn't ready for this. Didn't want to be ready for this, "we'll talk about it tomorrow. Show Blake around Orgrimmar," Rehgar stopped, "speaking of her, I approve."
"Appro- Rehgar!" Ruby shouted at her mentor, who had hopped off the mesa, his laughter carrying.
---
Yang slipped on the modified cloak, testing it for the first time. The heavy cloth wrapped around her like Ruby and Summer's did at times. It was significantly more comfortable, in her opinion.
"Good?" the seamstress asked as Yang through a couple punches, shadow boxing to make sure it wouldn't restrict her movements.
"One thing," Yang deployed Ember Celica, making sure they didn't get caught on anything, "It's great!"
"Interesting design," she said, "I could repurpose this for leathers. Might make decent armor."
"Ok?"
"I'd have to talk to Brumman," Yang got the feeling that the Draenei woman wasn't paying attention any more, and slipped out of the building.
It was early in the morning (or, at least, what everyone counted as such) and many of the inhabitants of Honor Hold were already hard at work. The sound of ringing metal came from the forge, and Yang passed a group of people carrying bows.
Hunters probably. A lot of food seemed to be gathered from the animals hearty enough to survive on Hellfire Peninsula.
And wasn't that a hell (Yang chuckled to herself, she would have to remember that one) of a name? Who names a place Hellfire?
Yang reached the building she was looking for, ducking in.
"Lebowski?"
"Yang!" the diminutive man, a 'gnome', turned to her, a wild grin on his face as he talked a mile a minute, "Perfect timing! I think I got it! Removed most of the noncombustibles! Catch!"
Yang caught the thrown shell, one of her empty ones that had been repurposed, slotting it into Ember Celica.
"Ready to test it?" Lebowski asked, a grin on his face.
"Yeah," Yang followed him out of the back exit, where a training dummy sat, "think this will work?"
"Definitely!" he climbed up a small staircase so he was even with Yang, "if you would just let me take apa-"
"No," Yang directed a red eyed glare at the gnome. He had been bugging her about letting him take apart Ember Celica for the last two weeks. He promised he could put them back together again, but she didn't want to risk it.
They, along with Weiss, were the only pieces of home she had at the moment.
And she did mean at the moment. Whatever had left them trapped on Draenor had to have grabbed Blake and Ruby too, right?
"Alright, alright," Lebowski gestured, "fire when ready."
Ember Celica gave a familiar roar as the dummy jerked, holes appearing in it.
"Perfect!" Lebowski jumped from his spot, "Come on! I'll get more ready!"
"You didn't do it before?"
"Didn't want to have to remove the powder if it didn't work! Shouldn't take too long, an hour or two at most!"
"Then do you mind if I go look for Weiss?"
"Not at all! See you later!"
Yang walked away from the house, heading back to the inn. Maybe Maan knew where Weiss was?
---
Weiss ignored the grumbling of her stomach as she raised her hand, pointing it to one of the boars around the outside of Honor Hold. A green glyph sprang into existence on the back of her hand.
Good, now imagine you're a drain. Focus on their life energy, it's yours, but you need to pull it out. It will not go willingly.
Slowly green smoke seemed to rise from the boar, slowly drifting towards Weiss.
Harder. How are you supposed to use the Fel in battle if you can't drain your enemy's life fast enough?
Weiss focused on the energy willing it to speed up. She had done it much quicker against the orc.
I was assisting you, of course. I know this art very well. Still, it was a valiant first effort. If only you had actually finished him off.
Weiss paused, looking around for the source of the whispers. Were the orcs trying to sneak up on her?
Those brutes? Please, they wouldn't know stealth if it stabbed them in the kidney. What happened to Kargath? He never had much skill in Fel, but he made Gul'dan's lapdog look like a bumbling infant. Now his entire clan is nothing but near mindless fodder for that demon-elf. You'd be wise to not let his fate befall you, Weiss… We both would. Balance, Weiss, in all things is the only way to avoid being consumed by the Fel.
The green smoke reached Weiss, and she inhaled deeply, energy coursing through her like a drug. Weiss paused, lowering her arm and letting the green smoke dissipate. If this stuff acted like a drug, could it addle her mind like one?
Oh joy. You're going to be one of those ones, aren't you?
Weiss remembered her mother, so often drunk that she had practically disconnected herself from the rest of the world. Looking down at her shaking hand, the young heiress clenched it into a fist in an attempt to stop it. Would that be what happened to her if she relied on this? She would be reduced to a shell?
What other options do you have, though? Do you want to be useless? I bet you don't.
But she didn't want to be useless, didn't want to be reliant on Yang and Maan.
You should use it.
She should use it, until she found something else. Maybe whatever Filinthus used? Or maybe she would find something in Shattrath?
I'm not exactly happy that's around. Do you know how much effort sacking it took? We were sure we wiped out the Draenei there.
"Weiss!" Weiss span at Yang's call, feeling her jaw drop slightly the brawler jog towards her, "Hey! What are you doing out he- what's wrong?"
"You turned it into a coat?" Weiss hadn't meant to sound incredulous, but it had slipped through anyways.
The former cloak was wrapped around Yang, a set of buttons holding it shut, and a pair of sleeves had been stitched on, turning it into a makeshift hooded long coat.
"Yeah!" Yang had a big grin on her face, making her resemblance to Ruby pronounced, "I didn't want the cloak getting in my way in a fight. What do ya think?"
"It's interesting," Weiss said evenly. Not something she would wear if she didn't need to, but little of what her team wore was her style, "Why are you out here?"
"Was looking for you," Yang shrugged, "you were the gone before I woke up, and you normally sleep later than everyone. Even Blake! And you know how much Blake likes sleeping."
"I was just practicing," Weiss brushed Yang's concern off, "we should head back."
"Why?"
"...I'm hungry," Weiss admitted reluctantly.
"You didn't eat before you left?"
"No," She had been too focused on getting out of the inn and not drawn back to bed.
"Then we should," Yang agreed, "missing breakfast isn't healthy."
Weiss snorted. Trust Yang who, outside of the occasional drink, was a huge fitness nut to worry about that, "I'll try to be better about it."
"Yeah," Yang threw an arm around Weiss's neck, "I don't want to be the one explaining to Ruby and Blake that you starved yourself to death."
---
"Xia!"
The woman in question looked up from where she was kneeling over a student, healing a few gouges in his side.
"Yes?" she asked politely to young trainee, "did you need something?"
"Master Shang Xi has requested to see you in the courtyard as soon as you can be there," the pandaren said with a bow.
"Did he inform you why?"
"The new class has arrived, he was hoping you would give them a demonstration of what healing can be achieved through chi. He also said he would have time for the meeting you have been requesting after."
"Then I shall make my way over as soon as I'm done here. You should go, I'm sure you have a lesson you are supposed to be at."
The trainee nodded, turning briskly walking towards the training grounds. Mossthorn, then.
Xia removed her hands with a flourish, dispersing the green fog-like energy that had gathered around them, "There. You should be fit to return training, Ji."
"That's good," the young Huojin stood, "Thanks again, Xia!"
"If you come back before the end of the week, I'll make sure nobody heals you," Xia called at his retreating back. Ji had already been in four times, and it was only Tuesday.
Xia sighed, running one pale hand through her brown hair, before grabbing her swords and locket and leaving to find Master Shang Xi.
As she walked through the courtyard, Xia played with the locket, pressing the button to opening it, exposing the water damaged images, and closing it.
Who were the two people in it? What was their connection to Xia? These questions had ate at her for the last two years, kept her awake for countless nights.
"Xia!" Xia's head turned to look at Instructor Qun, who was standing with a pair of trainees, one of whom was cradling his arm, "Perfect timing! Bolin here was injured during a spar. Which is why-?"
"-We always take spars seriously," the trainees said.
"Quite," Qun said, "because accidents happen, but they're less likely if both sides are on guard. Would you mind healing it, Xia?"
"I'm sorry," Xia bowed, "but I'm supposed to be meeting with Master Shang Xi-"
"-to demonstrate healing," Xia jumped slightly as the man in question rounded a corner, a gaggle of young pandarens at his heels.
"Where's her fur?" one of the cubs asked. Blue eyes staring at Xia in curiosity
"-which this is a perfect example of," Shang Xi continued as if the cub hadn't spoken, "Go ahead, Xia. Watch carefully, young ones. The art of healing, while it might not appear impressive, is to use chi in its purest form."
Xia closed her eyes, focusing on the wellspring of energy inside her, drawing it out and around her.
"Chi can strengthen your strikes, allowing you to meet opponents ten times your size in combat. It can empower your body, allowing you to turn aside a blade without harm. It can make your reflexes that of wind, keeping blows from touching you.
Xia opened her eyes, directing the green mist around Bolin's injured arm.
"But the flesh has limits, even with chi. Bones can break, skin can tear. Those who weave the mists can use chi to coax the body into repairing itself. As a blade tears through their ally's flesh, the mist causes the injury to stitch shut behind it. As bones break, the mist coaxes them back into position. Watch."
Xia pushed the bone into position, making the two halves match like a puzzle. Then she healed the break, Bolin's grimace fading as his injury did the same.
"Well done, Xia," Shang Xi said, "that concludes our tour, children. I'm sure Instructor Qun can guide you to your parents. Xia, you had wanted to meet with me?"
"Yes. In private, if possible."
"It is. Would you assist me in reaching my garden?"
"Of course."
Xia walked with Shang Xi up the hill, watching the animals that inhabited the garden move around.
"What is it you wished to speak with me about?
"I want to leave the academy."
"You do," it wasn't a question, merely an agreement, "Where do you wish to go?"
"I don't know," Xia said, tightening her grip on the locket, "but I'm hoping I'll find answers. Who was I? Did I have a family? Why was I floating in the ocean with a hole in my side and poison in my veins."
"That is understandable," Shang Xi said, "We are made who we are by our memories. Whoever you were died that day, Xia. But like a phoenix, it can rise again. The question, my student, is what happens to Xia when the flames ignite? Are you burned away completely, as if you never existed? Do the two sides war for control of the body? Perhaps you and who you were find peace, being Xia and them at the same time?"
"Yes," Xia said, "I need to know. I can't ignore it anymore."
"I always knew there was a spark of Huojin inside of you, Xia," Shang Xi smiled, his eyes crinkling, "If this is what you feel is best, you should go. Start with the Wandering Isle first, perhaps. We don't know much about the cultures off Shen-zin Su, and this is your first time leaving."
"So you're giving me permission to leave?"
"Permission? You don't need permission, Xia. I can point people in directions, but if their heart takes them elsewhere, I respect that."
"Thank you, Master," Xia bowed.
"When you first came here, you were dead by almost any accounts," Xia was silent, "but you fought through the poison. Up doing taolu in the courtyard in less than a month. I knew then something was special about you, that you would shape the course of history. And you can't do that walled off in the academy. If you want to leave, it must be your destiny calling. Go to it."
"Thank you, Master," Xia repeated, "I will gather my possessions and be off."
---
So, the motif of this chapter is mentors. We have three (four if you count Gallus) mentors interacting with their students.
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Interlude 1: Rage.
ThatOnePsycho
Tilting his Vanes and Ennobling His Spires
Valeera span the pair of orcish daggers in her hands. They were so large that they might as well be shortswords.
"Why are they green?"
"Metal used in them," Rehgar grunted in Common. Was he capable of speaking Common outside of grunts? "Don't know what, though. Ask Ruby when she gets here tomorrow."
Ruby was coming back? That explained why Rehgar seemed to be in a decent mood. Talking in Common more than he normally did, at least.
"Broll! What are you taking?"
The gladiators were in the Hall of Legends, a secret armory for gladiators, brimming with spoils of war in the form of weapons and armor from every known continent of Azeroth.
"This staff," Broll lifted up the carved piece of wood. It ended in a deer's head, two blue stones socketed in the eyes, "it must have been a druid's weapon at some point."
"What's with the deer?"
"The deer?" Broll bristled with anger, "the deer? This is in the likeness of Malorne, father of Cenarius and lover of Elune. He is one of the most import-"
"Don't care," Valeera turned away from Broll, smirking at the bear-like growl he gave, "Crocbait! How about you? What are you-? Crocbait, are you alright?"
Crocbait was holding a belt with a golden lion head at the front, looking at it wistfully.
"Crocbait? What's wrong, boy?" Valeera jumped as Rehgar pushed past her, planting a hand on Crocbait's arm, "you alright?"
"This seems familiar," Crocbait said, "and I don't know why."
"Hmm," Rehgar grunted again, "well, we'll look into it later. You taking it?"
"Yeah," Crocbait ran a hand along the belt, "yeah."
"What's this all about, anyways? I thought we still had a bit till Dire Maul," Valeera caught her knives, getting used to the weight if them.
"We do," Rehgar threw something at her, "but something came up."
Valeera grabbed the two red items out of the air, checking them out, "sheathes?"
"Yes," Rehgar said, "throwing knives are a good way to annoy an opponent you aren't fighting, opening them up for whoever is fighting them. If it actually sticks in, even better. I watch you during training, you throw your knives occasionally. This will keep you from losing your weapons. Would have used axes myself, though."
"Ok?" Valeera wrapped them around her thighs.
"Follow me," Rehgar turned without warning, walking toward the exit, "It's starting soon."
"What is?"
"Your first tournament," Rehgar said, "We won't have enough money to survive until Dire Maul with what we got, so you need to win."
"You signed us up for a tournament?" Valeera asked, before turning to Broll and Crocbait, "He can't do that, right?"
"Not only does he own two of us," Broll said, "He's also the team's Gladiator Master. So, yes. He can."
"It's low intensity anyways," Rehgar said, "killing is to be avoided, and gladiators are free to surrender at any point. I don't need to lose you before Dire Maul. Here's how the cut is going to work if you win. I take sixty, ten percent goes to keeping you fed, each of you gets ten percent."
"You're paying us?"
"I always pay my gladiators," Rehgar said.
Ruby had mentioned something about that, but Valeera had thought it had been her lying. What kind of slaver paid his slaves?
"So we're going in?"
"And winning. Otherwise none of us are eating tonight."
----
"This is too easy," Crocbait said as the semi-finalists they had been fighting were dragged out of the arena, unconscious, "why not give us a challenge?"
"Don't complain," Broll said, somehow speaking Common despite being in the form of a bear, "We'll be done soon."
"But where's the fun in that?" Crocbait threw up one of his swords, catching it as he waited for the last team to come up.
If the church pushed back the wolf inside, here, in this arena, it was like they were one. He could hardly wait for the next team.
"Well," the commentator, a goblin, was talking into a cone that amplified his voice, "I don't think anyone here saw this coming. Though we probably should have," laughter from throughout the crowd, "I mean, really. A team trained by Rehgar Earthfury? How did any of us think they would lose? Rehgar, how much money do you think you made tonight?"
"More than enough," Rehgar called from his place in their corner.
"Which means a fair amount," the commentator continued, "So, everyone ready?"
Cheers from the crowd.
"I said, IS EVERYONE READY?" Crocbait jumped as the goblin suddenly bellowed into the cone. The crowd roared in response, "that's what I thought! It's time for the match you've been waiting all night for! Rehgar's Raging Raiders-"
"We need a better name," Valeera said.
"-versus the Demons of Death!"
Crocbait snorted, "It's better then that."
Out of the other gate stepped three undead, and Crocbait took a moment to examine them. He heard Valeera tighten her grip on her daggers, the leather creaking as she swallowed loudly.
At the head was an undead that was more bone than flesh. A few scraps of skin and muscle clung to the skeleton which was dragging a large sword behind it a chitterering noise coming from its throat as it crawled towards them.
The next was wearing torn black robes, tufts of black hair hanging from grey skin. In one hand he held a gnarled black staff, and the other a skull.
The final one was the only female, or, at least the only one Crocbait could identify as such. In her hand was a bow, a quiver across the leathers she was wearing.
"Broll," Crocbait said under his breath, "you deal with the skeleton, Valeera, the mage. I'll deal with the archer."
"Got it," Valeera lifted her daggers.
"Three! Two! One!" the commentator paused for a second, "Begin!"
Crocbait charged as the archer draw back her bowstring, the blunted arrowhead directed at Broll. Before Crocbait could reach her, the arrow flew past him, causing Broll to roar in pain.
Before she could draw a second arrow, Crocbait reached her, swinging one of the blades he had gotten from Hyku at her.
She ducked under it, smacking the bow into his gut and drawing a shortsword from a sheath under her cloak. Crocbait span his left hand sword around, blocking the attack.
He pushed her back, attacking with his right hand sword as she staggered. The blade tore into her leathers, a greenish liquid covering the tip of his blade.
"You're pretty good," she said, "better than most people we see down here."
"I can tell," Crocbait said, "I was hoping for a challenge."
"At this level? Not likely. All we got is idiots who can't tell their scabbard from the blade inside it," Crocbait dodged another bow strike, "I knew we should have ducked out when Earthfury showed up with a team."
Crocbait smacked her in the face, "so why didn't you?"
"Needed the money. Didn't want to go tomb diving."
"Isn't there some fight brewing in the south?"
"Maybe," she shrugged, "don't care. Krang!"
Kran-?
Crocbait dove out of the way of the charging skeleton, which snarled at him like a dog.
"I can't believe you'd think you wouldn't focus on the-"
Before she could finish, Broll smashed into her from behind, roaring as he tried to savage her.
Crap. Broll's rage was acting up again.
"Broll!" Crocbait grabbed the druid, struggling to pull him off the archer, "Broll! Calm down-"
Crocbait hissed as two arrows smacked into his side, looking down at the archer.
That bitch.
Red seemed to leak into Crocbait's vision as he let go of Broll. Crocbait yanked his swords from the ground as started to walk towards her.
She seemed to realize how much she screwed up, bringing her fingers up and whistling. Krang charged from the right, and Crocbait carelessly swung his sword, smashing the bestial undead's skull off.
"I'm going to kill you," Crocbait growled, letting the wolf take over completely as he fell on the archer.
The last thing he remembered was her trying to to smash her bow into his face again, him grabbing it and snapping it easily.
The next thing he knew, he was being blasted onto his back, leaving him blinking at the ring's ceiling as the audience roared.
Pushing himself up, Crocbait blinked at his surroundings.
The undead warlock was dragging away the archer, who had one arm was barely hanging on and was missing her legs. Krang was completely dismantled, his bones being grabbed by a succubus and carried away.
Standing over Broll was Rehgar, who looked exasperated as the bear struggled under a wall of wind.
"Looks like we're going to go over restraint," the shaman said, "Maybe have you spend a couple days in the cells while Valeera is allowed to stay at the house, since she's the only one who didn't try to kill someone, when I know she doesn't like undead."
Crocbait gulped, the look on Rehgar's face making it clear whatever semblance of a good mood he had been had fled quickly.
"But Ruby'll probably bitch at me if I do that before she gets back," Rehgar continued, "So I'll give you both a chance to make up for it by living in my house like normal people until then. Screw it up, and I'll beat some common sense into you during training."
---
Figured I'd post it now. We haven't had too much with Valeera and Broll, though they'll play a larger role next chapter (or, at least, Valeera will)
"Why are they green?"
"Metal used in them," Rehgar grunted in Common. Was he capable of speaking Common outside of grunts? "Don't know what, though. Ask Ruby when she gets here tomorrow."
Ruby was coming back? That explained why Rehgar seemed to be in a decent mood. Talking in Common more than he normally did, at least.
"Broll! What are you taking?"
The gladiators were in the Hall of Legends, a secret armory for gladiators, brimming with spoils of war in the form of weapons and armor from every known continent of Azeroth.
"This staff," Broll lifted up the carved piece of wood. It ended in a deer's head, two blue stones socketed in the eyes, "it must have been a druid's weapon at some point."
"What's with the deer?"
"The deer?" Broll bristled with anger, "the deer? This is in the likeness of Malorne, father of Cenarius and lover of Elune. He is one of the most import-"
"Don't care," Valeera turned away from Broll, smirking at the bear-like growl he gave, "Crocbait! How about you? What are you-? Crocbait, are you alright?"
Crocbait was holding a belt with a golden lion head at the front, looking at it wistfully.
"Crocbait? What's wrong, boy?" Valeera jumped as Rehgar pushed past her, planting a hand on Crocbait's arm, "you alright?"
"This seems familiar," Crocbait said, "and I don't know why."
"Hmm," Rehgar grunted again, "well, we'll look into it later. You taking it?"
"Yeah," Crocbait ran a hand along the belt, "yeah."
"What's this all about, anyways? I thought we still had a bit till Dire Maul," Valeera caught her knives, getting used to the weight if them.
"We do," Rehgar threw something at her, "but something came up."
Valeera grabbed the two red items out of the air, checking them out, "sheathes?"
"Yes," Rehgar said, "throwing knives are a good way to annoy an opponent you aren't fighting, opening them up for whoever is fighting them. If it actually sticks in, even better. I watch you during training, you throw your knives occasionally. This will keep you from losing your weapons. Would have used axes myself, though."
"Ok?" Valeera wrapped them around her thighs.
"Follow me," Rehgar turned without warning, walking toward the exit, "It's starting soon."
"What is?"
"Your first tournament," Rehgar said, "We won't have enough money to survive until Dire Maul with what we got, so you need to win."
"You signed us up for a tournament?" Valeera asked, before turning to Broll and Crocbait, "He can't do that, right?"
"Not only does he own two of us," Broll said, "He's also the team's Gladiator Master. So, yes. He can."
"It's low intensity anyways," Rehgar said, "killing is to be avoided, and gladiators are free to surrender at any point. I don't need to lose you before Dire Maul. Here's how the cut is going to work if you win. I take sixty, ten percent goes to keeping you fed, each of you gets ten percent."
"You're paying us?"
"I always pay my gladiators," Rehgar said.
Ruby had mentioned something about that, but Valeera had thought it had been her lying. What kind of slaver paid his slaves?
"So we're going in?"
"And winning. Otherwise none of us are eating tonight."
----
"This is too easy," Crocbait said as the semi-finalists they had been fighting were dragged out of the arena, unconscious, "why not give us a challenge?"
"Don't complain," Broll said, somehow speaking Common despite being in the form of a bear, "We'll be done soon."
"But where's the fun in that?" Crocbait threw up one of his swords, catching it as he waited for the last team to come up.
If the church pushed back the wolf inside, here, in this arena, it was like they were one. He could hardly wait for the next team.
"Well," the commentator, a goblin, was talking into a cone that amplified his voice, "I don't think anyone here saw this coming. Though we probably should have," laughter from throughout the crowd, "I mean, really. A team trained by Rehgar Earthfury? How did any of us think they would lose? Rehgar, how much money do you think you made tonight?"
"More than enough," Rehgar called from his place in their corner.
"Which means a fair amount," the commentator continued, "So, everyone ready?"
Cheers from the crowd.
"I said, IS EVERYONE READY?" Crocbait jumped as the goblin suddenly bellowed into the cone. The crowd roared in response, "that's what I thought! It's time for the match you've been waiting all night for! Rehgar's Raging Raiders-"
"We need a better name," Valeera said.
"-versus the Demons of Death!"
Crocbait snorted, "It's better then that."
Out of the other gate stepped three undead, and Crocbait took a moment to examine them. He heard Valeera tighten her grip on her daggers, the leather creaking as she swallowed loudly.
At the head was an undead that was more bone than flesh. A few scraps of skin and muscle clung to the skeleton which was dragging a large sword behind it a chitterering noise coming from its throat as it crawled towards them.
The next was wearing torn black robes, tufts of black hair hanging from grey skin. In one hand he held a gnarled black staff, and the other a skull.
The final one was the only female, or, at least the only one Crocbait could identify as such. In her hand was a bow, a quiver across the leathers she was wearing.
"Broll," Crocbait said under his breath, "you deal with the skeleton, Valeera, the mage. I'll deal with the archer."
"Got it," Valeera lifted her daggers.
"Three! Two! One!" the commentator paused for a second, "Begin!"
Crocbait charged as the archer draw back her bowstring, the blunted arrowhead directed at Broll. Before Crocbait could reach her, the arrow flew past him, causing Broll to roar in pain.
Before she could draw a second arrow, Crocbait reached her, swinging one of the blades he had gotten from Hyku at her.
She ducked under it, smacking the bow into his gut and drawing a shortsword from a sheath under her cloak. Crocbait span his left hand sword around, blocking the attack.
He pushed her back, attacking with his right hand sword as she staggered. The blade tore into her leathers, a greenish liquid covering the tip of his blade.
"You're pretty good," she said, "better than most people we see down here."
"I can tell," Crocbait said, "I was hoping for a challenge."
"At this level? Not likely. All we got is idiots who can't tell their scabbard from the blade inside it," Crocbait dodged another bow strike, "I knew we should have ducked out when Earthfury showed up with a team."
Crocbait smacked her in the face, "so why didn't you?"
"Needed the money. Didn't want to go tomb diving."
"Isn't there some fight brewing in the south?"
"Maybe," she shrugged, "don't care. Krang!"
Kran-?
Crocbait dove out of the way of the charging skeleton, which snarled at him like a dog.
"I can't believe you'd think you wouldn't focus on the-"
Before she could finish, Broll smashed into her from behind, roaring as he tried to savage her.
Crap. Broll's rage was acting up again.
"Broll!" Crocbait grabbed the druid, struggling to pull him off the archer, "Broll! Calm down-"
Crocbait hissed as two arrows smacked into his side, looking down at the archer.
That bitch.
Red seemed to leak into Crocbait's vision as he let go of Broll. Crocbait yanked his swords from the ground as started to walk towards her.
She seemed to realize how much she screwed up, bringing her fingers up and whistling. Krang charged from the right, and Crocbait carelessly swung his sword, smashing the bestial undead's skull off.
"I'm going to kill you," Crocbait growled, letting the wolf take over completely as he fell on the archer.
The last thing he remembered was her trying to to smash her bow into his face again, him grabbing it and snapping it easily.
The next thing he knew, he was being blasted onto his back, leaving him blinking at the ring's ceiling as the audience roared.
Pushing himself up, Crocbait blinked at his surroundings.
The undead warlock was dragging away the archer, who had one arm was barely hanging on and was missing her legs. Krang was completely dismantled, his bones being grabbed by a succubus and carried away.
Standing over Broll was Rehgar, who looked exasperated as the bear struggled under a wall of wind.
"Looks like we're going to go over restraint," the shaman said, "Maybe have you spend a couple days in the cells while Valeera is allowed to stay at the house, since she's the only one who didn't try to kill someone, when I know she doesn't like undead."
Crocbait gulped, the look on Rehgar's face making it clear whatever semblance of a good mood he had been had fled quickly.
"But Ruby'll probably bitch at me if I do that before she gets back," Rehgar continued, "So I'll give you both a chance to make up for it by living in my house like normal people until then. Screw it up, and I'll beat some common sense into you during training."
---
Figured I'd post it now. We haven't had too much with Valeera and Broll, though they'll play a larger role next chapter (or, at least, Valeera will)
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Chapter 7
ThatOnePsycho
Tilting his Vanes and Ennobling His Spires
Preemptively, yes, I had to use that meme. If you're a Legion player, you'll know exactly what I mean.
---
Ruby did her best to stomp as loudly as possible as her and Blake made it back to the Valley of Honor, to let Rehgar know she was back and not happy about his teasing.
"What did he even say?" Blake asked.
"Don't worry about it," Ruby said, hedging around the question, "It's complicated."
Dust and Spirits was that an understatement. Relationships were complicated. Even telling if she wanted to be in a relationship was complicated. She thought she did, but she wasn't sure. Even if she was, how was she supposed to go about asking Blake?
She abandoned that chain of thought for the moment, pushing open the door to the house, "Rehgar! That wasn't fun-!"
Ruby stared at Valeera, who was seated on the couch's back, half way through tearing open a Hearthstone pack and a candy bar hanging from her mouth. The Blood Elf stared at her in turn, before raising one hand and waving.
"Ruby, why'd you stop?"
Ruby shuffled to the side, letting Blake into the room. Valeera's eyes widened as she took in Blake, before she threw the cards onto the coffee table, taking out the chocolate bar as she slid onto the couch's seat.
"Hi."
Well, this was beyond awkward.
"Uh… Hi?" Blake's eyebrows shot up, "Who are you?"
"Valeera Sanguinar. Who are you?"
"Blake Belladonna. And really, Sanguinar?"
"What? It's my name!"
"Sanguine means blood," Blake said dryly, "like Blood Elf?"
"It does?" Valeera asked, looking startled, "Huh."
"Why are you here?" Blake asked.
"She's part of Rehgar's gladiator team. Where's Broll and Crocbait?"
"Crocbait?"
"Rehgar named him. He has amnesia and was fighting a crocolisk when I found him. He hasn't picked a new name out, has he?" Ruby walked into the kitchen, throwing open one of the cabinets, "Where'd you put those-?"
"No. They went to meet Rehgar at some bar. They wouldn't let me come along."
"Weird," Ruby said, continuing to search the kitchen, crouching under the island that divided it from the main room and opening the door there, "but you can hang out with us, eh?"
"You aren't going to meet with them?"
"I don't drink much," A tankard here and there was nearly unavoidable, but Ruby had never been as habitual a drinker as Bloodeye, or even Yang, "Aha!" Ruby sprang to her feat, a grin on her face as she found her prize. Fire unleashed a sear of amusement as Ruby cradled her loot.
"What's in there?" Valeera had grabbed the Hearthstone pack she had been opening.
"Cookies!"
"Rehgar has a cookie jar?" Blake asked.
"Blake," Ruby chided as she popped the lid off, "I live here. Of course there's a cookie jar. Want one, Valeera?"
"Sure. Want to open a pack?" Valeera held out one.
"Ok," Ruby traded with her, "you like Hearthstone?"
"Yeah," Valeera tore open another pack, shifting through the fifteen cards, "I have a big collection."
"Have?" Ruby asked. She hadn't lost them?
"I know how to hide stuff," Valeera said, "do you play any?"
"A bit. Bloodeye got me into it."
"What about you- Uh…?"
"Blake," Blake repeated, "No. I never had the money."
"Neither did I," Valeera said around the cookie, "didn't stop me from collecting them."
"Rehgar's paying you well?"
"Yeah. I thought you were joking," Valeera grabbed another cookie from the jar, "I can't remember the last time I had this much money. Want to play a round or two?"
"If you want to," Ruby said around another cookie.
"Shouldn't we get something to eat first?" Blake asked suddenly, "It's getting late."
Ruby looked outside. The shadows were starting to grow long, and she saw guards walking around, lighting torches, "There's an inn down the way called The Wyvern's Tail. Me and Bloodeye would go there when Rehgar was busy."
"So Rehgar also cooks?"
"He cooks pork too much," Valeera complained, "please tell me they cook something other than pork."
"They normally do."
"Ok!" Valeera hopped up, "I'll go get my boots on!"
Ruby looked over at Blake, who had snorted, "What?"
"Don't worry about it," Blake said, "is there a bathroom?"
"End of the hall."
"Thanks," Blake stepped around the couch, only to look down with a frown, "Valeera! How many candy bars did you eat?"
"Not that many!" Valeera called back.
Ruby poked her head over the back, frowning at the pile of candy wrappers on the floor, "we might want to clean those up before Rehgar get's back."
"Ok," Blake picked up a couple, throwing them in the trash as she walked towards the bathroom, "'Not that many' she says. There has to be at least ten," Blake's grumblings faded as she got further from Ruby's earshot.
---
Xia sat in her quarters, breathing in slowly as she meditated. With each exhale she unleashed a pulse of Chi, and took some from her surroundings with each inhale. She would be leaving soon, but she needed to clear her mind.
Despite it being her idea, departing the academy wasn't something she could do easily. She had spent her entire life within the walls or the countryside immediately around them.
She could do this. She had to do this. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if she didn't try.
Xia let her eyes drift open at the knock on her shoji, "Yes?"
The panel slid to the side, allowing the pandaren into the room, "Is it true?"
"Is what true, Aysa?"
"You're leaving?" the teenaged Tushui asked.
"At least for a bit, yes," in standard fashion, somehow a private conversion had leaked out in a matter of hours.
"Some of the younger students are talking about how strange it will be without you here," Aysa said with a nod, "you're as much a part of the academy as the Master and instructors to them."
"That's not true," Xia said, "I'm just a student, the same as them."
"You were here when they arrived," Aysa said, "I suppose they believed you would always be here."
Xia signed, "Maybe I will, one day. But I need to go out there. To learn about the world and myself."
"Master Feng's scrolls reprimand against such actions. You can discover such things through meditation, Xia."
Xia had spent the last two years trying the Tushui method. Crane style taolu and meditation every day, Chi meditation every night, and still nothing to show for it. No answers of who she was, or who had wanted her dead enough to poison her.
It was time to try the Huojin method. To act, instead of wait. To question the world until it gave her an answer. Xia's lips tightened as she became sure of her path.
"I need to do this, Aysa," Xia grabbed her swords from their place, clipping the sheathes to her belt.
"Just," Aysa sounded tired, "come back safe, ok?"
"Of course," Xua said, walking around the room as she tried to think of things she might need.
There wasn't much. Xia didn't own much to begin with. Her swords and the locket were her only possessions of any real value. Xia flicked open the locket again, staring at the blurred people in it. They were children, that much she could tell, but whose? Hers? Did she have kids who were missing the mother they lost? Were they her cousins? Her and a forgotten friend as children? She couldn't tell.
"Master Sheng Xi wanted to speak with you at the gates before you leave," Aysa said, "He had a gift for you."
A gift?
"I'll go meet him then," Xia snapped the locket shut and stepped out of the room, walking the short distance to the gates.
"Xia," Sheng Xi's eyes crinkled again as he leaned on his staff, another beside him, "prepared to head out?"
"Almost. Aysa had said you wanted to see me, Master?"
"Yes," Sheng Xi grabbed the second staff, "I can't give you much for your journey, but you should have a staff. It takes some of the pressure off after a long day's travel, and hold your lantern if you travel at night."
Xia took the staff reverently, running her thumb along the grooved bamboo, "Thank you, master."
"Think nothing of it," he said, "Xia, if you happen to head towards Mandori Village, would you tell Chon Po Stormstout I would like to speak with him?"
"Of course," Xia took the hint readily. She hardly knew the Isle, so some form of heading was helpful.
"Then I will see you when you return," he said simply, using his staff to push open the gates.
"The same to you, Master," Xia said as she stepped out of the gates and onto the road. As the doors shut behind her, the mistweaver took the first step on her journey as she breathing in the autumn air.
There was a small village an hour's walk from the academy, Wu-Song. It was the furthest Xia had been from her home, and was better than being completely lost.
---
Valeera trailed slightly behind Ruby and Blake, eyes trailing downward as they went.
Blake was… interesting. Really interesting.
"So Rehgar's been treating you well?" Ruby asked.
"Me? Yeah. He's not happy with Broll and Croc though," Valeera could honestly say she hadn't been treated this well since her parents died.
Kinda ironic that being made a slave was one of the best things to happen to her, but she supposed that when the bar was against 'losing your parents in a bandit attack' 'your home being sacked by undead' and 'being forced to steal to survive', it would be hard for things to get worse.
"Why?"
"They freak out during our first tournament," an understatement, "smashed one of the other guys to bits and cut up another."
Valeera was all for kicking the crap out of the undead, they probably deserved it, but the rampage Crocbait and Broll were gearing up for could have been bad.
They'd lost a chunk of money to pay for repairing Krang and Roxana. How much more would they have lost if Rehgar hadn't stepped in?
At least Rehgar had taken it from Broll and Crocbait's share.
"They killed people?" Blake asked sounding horrified.
"Undead. They put them back together."
"Still," Ruby said, "that doesn't seem normal. Any idea why?"
"Broll mentioned something about a curse," Valeera continued to watch Blake move, "No idea with Crocbait though."
"Rehgar can probably deal with it if it's a curse," Ruby said confidently, "that's one of the things Shaman are good at, curses."
"Wouldn't that be warlocks?" Valeera asked.
"Less harmful ones," Ruby clarified, "turning people into frogs, making them speak in tongues. Also, getting rid of curses, which Warlocks don't do often. They're petty like that."
"Why would Shaman know how to do those things?"
"Because we can be petty if we need to," Ruby said.
"Need to?" Blake asked.
"There are places sacred to the Elements and Ancestors. We are their voice, so if they decide to be petty, we are expected to be petty for them. Of course, me and Rehgar don't have ancestors to be petty for, so it's just the Elements."
"You don't have ancestors?" Valeera blurted out, "How the heck is that even possible?"
Ruby and Blake turned towards her, and Valeera hastily snapped her eyes up before they could see where she had been looking. She had gotten weird looks for her interests since Quel'thalas, even if back then it had been written off as 'just a kid thing'.
"Rehgar doesn't know what clan he's from," Ruby said, "which is as good as not having one, really. Used to be shameful back before the Crossing, but now it's more common. We're here, by the way."
'Here' was a long two story building made from wood and metal with several chimneys. The sign had an image of a snarling wyvern in red, the tail tipped with green. Valeera ducked in with Ruby, looking around.
The inside was more uniformly wood, by which she meant it was lined with it. Not a scrap of metal in sight, though the chimneys led to stone fireplaces that lit the room up. Fur rugs sat in front of each fireplace, and the ones closest to the door had people seated on them. In the center of the room was a large fire pit, with spits holding different animals and stews hanging over them. Along the back wall was a bar that had several orcs, tauren and trolls around it.
"One sec," Ruby ducked away from them, heading towards the bar.
She walked to an orcish woman talking with the troll behind the bar. As Ruby approached, the trolls face got serious and he reached out to the woman, tapping her on the shoulder as he said something.
The woman span, a look of shock on her face as she put down her tankard. When Ruby got within arms length, she latched onto the human, dragging her over to the bar.
"What's going on?" Blake asked under her breath.
"Dunno," Valeera said.
The troll pulled out an extra pair of tankards, pouring something into them from a keg in the back, and pushed one into Ruby's hands, ignoring her shaking her head and, presumably, refusing it as he did. Ruby stopped as the orc and troll raised their cups and joined in. Each of them downed the alcohol in one go, though with much coughing and spluttering afterwards on Ruby's part. The orc smacked her arm into Ruby's back as she bent over, hacking so loudly she could be heard from Valeera's place. She noticed Blake twitch slightly, and her bow shift.
Once Ruby recovered, there was a brief conversation that ended with Ruby being handed three plates and two more tankards and being directed to the nearest rug. Ruby gestured for Valeera and Blake to come over.
"What was that about?" Valeera asked.
"Nufa and Gravy," Ruby said as she handed each of them a plate, "they knew Bloodeye pretty well. He used to come here every day when we were in Orgrimmar. We hadn't seen each other since he died."
"Ah," Blake said, "are you alright?"
"Yeah," Ruby rubbed her neck, first the front, then the point where it met her right shoulder, "kinda wish I didn't drink that stuff, though. Grab some food, they said it's on the house tonight."
"We just grab whatever we want?" Valeera eyed the dear on one of the spits. She hadn't had venison in years. Not since…
"Yep," Ruby popped the P, "That's why it's normally kinda expensive to eat here. Buffets, right?" The last part was probably directed at Blake.
"Right," Valeera agreed, walking towards a metal pot holding knives that were probably for cutting the food off the whole.
She was going to eat so much. Who knows when the next time she was getting something that wasn't pork was, right?
---
Rehgar grunted as he continued to try and unravel the curse around Broll. Wisps of shadowy magic lashed around the ritual as he did, and the Fel taint roared through the area.
The shaman didn't so much as flinch as the raging druid smashed into the wall of wind around the ritual. The bear was covered in a crackling layer of Fel energy, and each strike added more trails of chaotic green energy.
Rehgar growled as the first layer of wind faded, the Fel disrupting the pattern too much for it to stay together. A couple of effortless words in Kalimag shifted the next layer forward and formed a new one in the back.
"Whoever made this curse really didn't want it undone," Rehgar muttered under his breath, grabbing at another strand of Fel and trying to remove it.
It didn't help matters that Rehgar only had two tricks with the Wilds he was good at, and neither involved the removal of curses. It just wasn't something he did, and unlike Ruby, there wasn't an easy way to pawn Broll off on another shaman.
"Come on, Bearmantle, don't make this harder than it needs to be," Rehgar said in orcish, "you were already refusing to tell me how you got cursed in the first place, which would make this a lot easier."
Maybe Broll wasn't so far gone, because Rehgar found a path into Broll's mind at that moment.
Demons and undead, Malorne's killer at the head. Marching for Hyjal, for Nordrassil. Hands tightened on a dragon shaped Idol, a failure, a broken promise. Rehgar could feel the Wilds radiating from it.
Rage.
Malfurion asked for volunteers to bolster the Sentinels and Wardens. He stepped forward willingly, Anessa hardly a second behind, grabbing a Sentinels' moonglaive. She had been practicing while he slept.
Worry. Pride.
On the slopes of Hyjal, watching as the unending tide undead and demons smashed through the encampment made by the humans, and his small force is overrun by an army, a pit lord at their head. Anessa slashed wide as two men fall.
Rage.
His mouth fell open, a roar carrying a message across the forest around them as he tapped into something deep within for the first time. Roused by his roar, the trees uprooted themselves to fight against the demons while he charged at the pit lord.
Claws raked through toughened hide, branches twisting to dig into the wounds pouring Fel tainted blood, but the Pit Lord was larger, and smashed him back. The idol rolls forward as Anessa ran toward him.
"Look," the pit lord's tusked maw twisted into a mocking grin, "the mortal lost its toy," the two bladed sword swung down towards the idol, which roared like the dragon it was carved into, "it makes noises when you break it! How-"
Anessa's glave flew through the air, gouging out one of the pit lord's eyes as she ran toward them, "Father! Father, ru-"
The idol exploded as the pit lord's blade struck the wellspring of life energy within, the Fel created consuming Anessa in seconds.
Horror.
Rage.
He distantly heard the horn sounding their victory through the haze of anger. When he roared this time, the world bended and twisted to his favor, vines the size of tree trunks wrapping around the pit lord as he tore into it.
Rage.
With each bite, he felt an animal flee him. First the seal-
Rage.
-then the panther slinked away-
Rage.
-the crow took flight-
Rage.
-and finally, with great hesitation, taking almost ten bites after the crow left, the stag sadly bounded away, leaving only the bear.
Rage.
...Abandonment.
Rehgar staggered back as he snapped back to reality, slamming six layers of wind between him and Broll to replace the ones that had shattered during the connection. Slowly, Rehgar dispersed the ritual, just before it broke, he found a tiny string of Fel energy pouring into Broll from in the distance.
This wasn't something he could remove, not without the idol and certainly not without Broll cooperating.
As Rehgar waited for Broll to come down from his Fel rage, he turned to Crocbait, "your turn, boy. Come on."
"What about Broll?"
"He'll be fine," Rehgar said, "it will just take more to get rid of that curse. I need something, I'll probably send Ruby-"
Shit.
Ruby wasn't his apprentice anymore. He couldn't send her anywhere under the guise of training.
Shit. Though she might still do if he explained a bit of what was going on. She had always been a bleeding heart.
He supposed that when he inevitably got himself killed, he would at least be able to say he helped make the world a better place in some way.
"-to get it after her birthday," Rehgar finished. Shit, he had forgotten to get stuff for that. Ruby took birthdays, or as close as could be approximated for most of them, very seriously. Even more than she did Winter Veil, "come on, boy."
"We're not even sure if there's anything wrong with me," Crocbait protested, but sat down nonetheless.
"After what you did in that arena?" Rehgar asked dryly, planting a hand on each side of Crocbait's head, "Boy, that wasn't any natural response. Somethings up, now be quiet and let me figure out what."
Rehgar drew on the Wilds again, using it to connect with Crocbait's being to see if there was anything wrong. It didn't take long.
"Yep," Rehgar blamed Ruby for getting him to pick up that, "there's defiantly something wrong with you, boy."
"Oh, thanks," Crocbait winced, "like what?"
"Like someone tore your damn soul in half," Rehgar said bluntly.
And whoever had done it hadn't been particularly clean about it. Just enough that it was clear it had been done with purpose, though Rehgar couldn't figure out what.
"Is that bad?"
"Well, it's not something I can fix without knowing where the hell the other half is," Rehgar said, "but you won't die from it, life finds a way. Your control will probably get better the longer from the injury you are. Still, I feel bad for the other half of you."
"Why?"
"Because if you got all the anger, they're probably a fucking coward."
"But I'm in control most of the time."
"Then they're probably also weak willed," which meant, "whoever did this probably wants to control the other you. A cowardly, spineless loser would be easy to manipulate."
"Are you going out of your way to insult me?"
"I'm not insulting you, I'm insulting Other You," Rehgar said as he kicked Broll in the ribs, waking him up, "come on, I want to go get drunk."
---
Anduin slid on the quiver, grabbed his bow, nocked the arrow, and after a moment to adjust the traj- trajec- the way it would go fired it off.
It flew less than a hundred yards before trailing off and impacting against the side of the castle wall.
Anduin reeled in the arrow, staring grumpily at the rope around its haft.
"Not quite what you were planning, my prince?"
"Master Shaw!" Anduin span around, "you came!"
"Who am I to refuse the prince's request to see me?" the leader of SI:7 asked, the golden armor he normally wore in Stormwind replace with a set of black leathers, a hood pulled over his auburn hair, "though, in the future, I would suggest not trying to skip out to meeting through elaborate archery tricks, especially not ones you set up."
"I was going to find you," Anduin said, "I wasn't sure you would actually come."
"Normally I wouldn't have," Mathias said as shut and locked the door and walked to the window, peering out it before shutting and latching it, "but many things aren't normal at the moment, are they?"
"You noticed too?" Anduin asked in relief. Everyone had been acting like this was normal.
"Which, that your father's personality changed almost overnight? That Lord Fordragon didn't wait more than a month before writing his friend off as dead and placing you upon the throne? That I couldn't seem to find mention of a House Prestor anywhere before Daval Prestor appeared during the Second War claiming to be related to the Alteraci royal family? It is my job to notice these things, my prince. I'm honestly surprised you did."
"It's not like it isn't obvious," Anduin said, "that's not how my father acts. Spending all this gold on feasts and parties without a care for the people. Bolvar tries to help, but all that happens is father reverses it."
"Quite right," Mathias gave a grim smile, "if you weren't the heir to the throne, I'd say you could make a good agent one day. And it wasn't a slight against your intelligence, my prince, but that I strongly suspect that Prestor," Anduin noticed Mathias conspicuously refusing to call her 'lady', "is a sorceress. She's had the House of Nobles dancing to her song since before you were born, and you might not remember it, but you were the same during your time on the throne. Even I struggle when speaking with her. It was her idea to short change the Stonemasons, and from what I can find, Daval was similarly able to convince notoriously stubborn men to give up their preferred claimant to the Alteraci throne to name him king."
"If you're correct," Anduin made note to ask Master Sheaf about Daval during his next lesson, "that would mean Lady Prestor is responsible for the death of my mother?"
Anduin's grip on his bow tightened, anger at the thought bubbling up as he stared at the portrait of his mother handing opposite his bed.
"By proxy, at the very least," Mathias said, "but in my line of work, that is as good as swinging the knife yourself. I knew Edwin VanCleef, my prince, we were best friends in our youth. He would never demand as much as he did under the right mind."
"You think she have manipulated them too?"
"Very much so. Whether the riot ending in your mother's death was the intended goal, or just an accident she capitalized on, I can't be sure at the moment," Mathias said, a dark look coming over his face, "permission to be candid, my lord?"
Anduin blinked at the question, he hasn't been candid before? "You may."
"I strongly suspect that Prestor's goal is nothing less than the destruction of Stormwind, both as a city and a kingdom."
"Why? She has control of the house of nobles and my father, why would she want to destroy it?"
"She betrayed us to the Horde, Burning Legion, or another organization that wants Stormwind to burn? She likes power, that much is clear. Nonetheless, any time SI:7, or indeed, anyone else comes to Stormwind with reports of danger in our lands, she urges him to not send support for a lack of evidence. This includes when men march into the keep maimed by the orcs, talking of those who weren't so lucky. When I send agents in against her wishes and verify that these are not one off incidents, as she claims, she writes it off as us seeing what we want to see and SI:7 being 'paranoidal'," Mathias sneered, "in short, my lord, I think we have the most idiotic traitor on the face of Azeroth in our midsts, who is only keeping her position by blatantly bewitching the nobles, and the only reason I haven't dragged her down to SI:7 headquarters is because I would most likely be declared a traitor myself before the first hint of blood touched the knife."
Anduin flinched at the subtle reference to torture. It wasn't something he even began to approve of. Steeling himself, the ten year old gulped, "so we need to find evidence of her betrayal first. Evidence she can't refute."
"Indeed," Mathias said, "say the word, and I will deploy SI:7 agents throughout Azeroth to look into this matter."
"Can we be sure they won't betray us to Prestor?"
"Yes," Mathias nodded, "I will use my most loyal agents for this job, up to and including myself, if the need arises."
"Are you sure that's a good idea? If you die out there, Prestor will be able to name a new head of SI:7."
"Don't you mean your father will be able to name a new head?"
"Are those words not one and the same at the moment?" Anduin responded instantly.
"You are incredibly smart for a ten year old," Mathias said, "Yes, they are the same. However, do not worry about me, my lord. I didn't get to be the head of Stormwind Intelligence by being easy to discover. In fact, you and I are the only people aware of the fact I am in the keep at the moment."
Anduin knew exactly why Mathias had said that. The Stormwind keep was the single most guarded place on Azeroth. According to Master Sheaf, not even the Horde's warchief was so well defended. Dignitaries from every human kingdom and Alliance nation rested here, so it had to be.
"Then do it, spymaster," Anduin straightened his back, "I want the threat to my kingdom exposed and eliminated, as quickly as possible."
Mathias smirked, giving a cross between a bow and a nod, "as you command, my lord."
Then he opened Anduin's window and calmly stepped out of it. Anduin lunged forward, looking down and preparing to see the body of Mathias Shaw.
Instead, he watched as Mathias lept from dormer to dormer, like they were just particularly large stairs, until he was far enough down to leap onto the ground and disappear into the bushes.
Anduin looked at his arrow, before undoing the rope from around it and returned it to his quiver, "That's the last time I listen to the bard," Anduin grumbled as he threw away the rope, "'Aye milord, I saw it with my own eyes!' No he didn't."
---
"Sir!"
Zur'ak looked up from where he was studying a map of Silithus, Un'goro, and Tanaris as the orc shaman gave a salute, "What? I be busy."
"I'm sorry, but there's a troll asking for you."
"Don't care," Zur'ak returned to his map, examining the map in front of him, "I don't have time ta waste on some random troll-"
"They said they're from the Zandalar tribe?" the orc said, recoiling as Zur'ak's head snapped back up to look at him, the Firefist's orange mane covering his eyes for a moment, "I'm sorry, they said that would-"
"Send dem in," Zur'ak said, "Send dem in, now."
"They said that you were to meet with them," the orc said weakly, "at the dunes to the south."
Of course they had. Never trust a Zandalari to make things easy when it could be done by making someone else jump through twenty hoops.
"Den I will go meet dem," Zur'ak grabbed his gauntlets and starting the process to get them on, "and ya can stay 'ere and tell anyone who comes lookin' for me where I am, understand?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good," Zur'ak stomped out of his tent into the sun, turning towards the south as he continued to adjust the straps and buckles to keep his weapons on. Right hand first, in case things went wrong before he got there. It seemed to be how the day was going.
Zandalari, here? Damn it all.
Zur'ak gave a nasty grin as he finished putting on the gauntlet, hearing its hum. Rehgar had been right, the Rose girl wasn't half bad at forging. Not as good as the masters of Zuldazar, but those bastards seemed to be able to live for too long.
It took another ten minutes for Zur'ak to climb the dunes, scowling at the straight backed troll staring to the south, he spoke in Zandali, "What do you want, Zandalari?"
The troll turned towards him, staring down through the eyes of his mask. Zur'ak ran through his brief knowledge of Zandalari loa to figure out who he was speaking to. Wasn't Bwonsamdi, that one was easy, as it didn't look anything like a rush'kah mask (or, rather, it didn't bear the likeness of Bwonsamdi's face all rush'kah masks were made to invoke). Zanza? No, Zanza's masks ended in a rounded curve, while this was a sharp point. Hir'eek was out too, his masks had two long flares on the side to represent a bat's wings. He didn't see the silk tassels of Shadra either. The only identifying features were a pair of extra tusks and the top ending in a set of jagged points.
"You are… Zur'ak?" the Zandalari asked.
"I am," Zur'ak said, enjoying speaking a language that was designed to work with the tusks jutting from his mouth, "and you are?"
"I am Grez'zul," the Zandalari gave a slight bow, "emissary of God King Rastakhan, Zuldazar, and the loa Grimath."
Zul as a suffix? Not wrong, but not common. Normally meant someone's parents thought a bit too highly of their kid and named them Zul, which would probably be headache inducing if any of them even did anything to warrant it. What would they be then, Zul'zul, or just keep it as Zul? The latter was normally shameful, however. Figuring out that mess would probably be one of the only times you'd actually want a Zandalari handy since clinging to dying traditions was all they were good for. He hadn't ever heard of Grimath though.
"I am Zur'ak of the Darkspear tribe, speaker for the Element five and Shango," Zur'ak returned the bow. As much as he hated those dying traditions, it was best to pay them service lest he anger the Zandalari, "It humbles me greatly to be before a servant of the great Rastakhan."
"You speak for six loa?" Grez'zul asked, "that is quite strange."
"We are a small tribe, and we lost many men very quickly," and it was odd for a shaman to focus on one element to the exclusion of all others.
"Ah, yes. From what I heard, Bwonsamdi kicked up quite a fuss about the loss of your offerings. Why was that?
"A traitor took our home from us. Turned our dead against us.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Grez'zul truly sounded like he was, "has your chieftain considered petitioning for support from Zandalar?"
"We don't need help from Zandalar," Zur'ak said shortly, "We have plenty of support from the Horde."
Grez'zul nodded, the point of his mask tapping his chest, "Yes, I had been informed that your tribe had entered an alliance with the Horde."
An alliance? They were part of the Horde, sworn brothers to the orcs, tauren, forsaken, hell, even those pretty boy blood elves. But then the Zandalari probably couldn't understand that, they were stuck in a time that had long since past.
"Why are you here?" Zur'ak asked.
"The loa have been uneasy, the temples are deathly silent, the voodoo has become weaker, the tiki warriors all look to Silithus and Zul speaks of a great calamity that could soon come to pass here. I have come to verify these claims. Tell me, do you think this is as bad as the loa say? Be truthful, you don't need to lie about this."
Zur'ak looked to the south, where the gates of Ahn'Qiraj were barely visible. The Scarab Wall itself stretched out as far as he could see, making it easier to locate, "I do. These bugs, they send swarms at us each day. If we don't get those gates open soon, they'll overrun us before we even have a chance to stop them. You can see one of the hives over there," Zur'ak pointed to Hive'Regal, watching the giant leg like stalks twitch and writhe, "The Night Elves speak of a war a thousand years ago, where they fought against the creatures. Do you know anything of that, man?
"No," Grez'zul said, "but the loa speak of a war before that. One where trollkind banded together as one empire to fight these creatures ancestors. If what you say is true, I fear we will be left with no choice to do so again," Grez'zul's eye locked onto him, "I will travel east, to Zul'Farrak and attempt to convince the Farraki to send aid this way before I return to Zuldazar, brother. Can you hold out that long?"
"I hope so," Zur'ak said.
"Then, if we do not meet again, may your soul ride the storms of Shango."
"And may Bwonsamdi take you to his Necropolis," without knowing what Grimath was loa of, that was the best response Zur'ak could give.
Grez'zul turned, to the east, walking down the slopes of Silithus.
"I hope you don't plan to walk to Zul'farrak!" Zur'ak called.
In response, Grez'zul reached out and grabbed a shimmer in the air, before ripping it back like a curtain. An illusion? What was he hiding?
A dinosaur. A horn jutted from the nose, and two above the eyes, with a crown of spikes at the top of its flat head. Strapped on its back was a chair with a pair of reins.
The Zandalari troll ran his hand along the red hide of the beast, before climbing up onto the chair and riding off.
Zur'ak marched down the dunes, muttering to himself, "We get raptors, they get those things. Zandalari always need to be better than the rest of us."
And where the hell were those mages? They were supposed to get here two weeks ago!
---
Woo boy, that one was fun to write (and hopefully fun to read). I'll admit not a lot got done in advancing the Silithus stuff, but I felt we needed a bit of time with the supporting cast.
Yeah, I made Valeera gay. Figured since the vast majority of the cast (who are interested in relationships) are either straight or bi (or, in Ruby's case, demisexual), I might as well add one. The fact that doesn't show any interest in men (unless that happens during He-Who-Was-Banished-To-The-Noncanon-Void comic issues) left me a bit of free reign on it. And preemptively, yes, I know Blizzard said Valeera was going to have a crush on Crocbait in the lead up to the comic, but it never actually shows up.
No Weiss and Yang this chapter (as you no doubt know). I wanted to get that scene with Zur'ak out because it was supposed to happen like, three chapters ago. What really ticks me off that I didn't do it then is it makes me look like I decided to use them because they're becoming playable in BtA, but it was actually specifically because of the Troll-Aqir War. In direct relation to that, I decided to have trolls ditch the accent when talking in Zandali.
That Anduin scene. God, I don't know. It was originally supposed to be him sneaking out to go hunting because he's a ten year old currently surrounded by nothing but bad role models, then Mathias showed up and went 'Hey! Spymaster here! We're going to not do that, and instead me and Anduin are gonna focus on breaking this wide open.' Kinda like Anduin and Magni do in canon, but with the added bonus Shaw's later existence as an actual character (as opposed to the generic guy standing around handing out rogue missions in Stormwind)
Like, that's kinda the problem with people telling me what to do. These characters don't give a crap what I want them to do. They'll follow the plan, but then the details get thrown out for how they want to act. Rehgar, Broll and Crocbait were supposed to be out getting drinks instead we jump to them and 'Nope! We're gonna be doing a ritual to try and purge Broll of his Fel corruption.'
---
Ruby did her best to stomp as loudly as possible as her and Blake made it back to the Valley of Honor, to let Rehgar know she was back and not happy about his teasing.
"What did he even say?" Blake asked.
"Don't worry about it," Ruby said, hedging around the question, "It's complicated."
Dust and Spirits was that an understatement. Relationships were complicated. Even telling if she wanted to be in a relationship was complicated. She thought she did, but she wasn't sure. Even if she was, how was she supposed to go about asking Blake?
She abandoned that chain of thought for the moment, pushing open the door to the house, "Rehgar! That wasn't fun-!"
Ruby stared at Valeera, who was seated on the couch's back, half way through tearing open a Hearthstone pack and a candy bar hanging from her mouth. The Blood Elf stared at her in turn, before raising one hand and waving.
"Ruby, why'd you stop?"
Ruby shuffled to the side, letting Blake into the room. Valeera's eyes widened as she took in Blake, before she threw the cards onto the coffee table, taking out the chocolate bar as she slid onto the couch's seat.
"Hi."
Well, this was beyond awkward.
"Uh… Hi?" Blake's eyebrows shot up, "Who are you?"
"Valeera Sanguinar. Who are you?"
"Blake Belladonna. And really, Sanguinar?"
"What? It's my name!"
"Sanguine means blood," Blake said dryly, "like Blood Elf?"
"It does?" Valeera asked, looking startled, "Huh."
"Why are you here?" Blake asked.
"She's part of Rehgar's gladiator team. Where's Broll and Crocbait?"
"Crocbait?"
"Rehgar named him. He has amnesia and was fighting a crocolisk when I found him. He hasn't picked a new name out, has he?" Ruby walked into the kitchen, throwing open one of the cabinets, "Where'd you put those-?"
"No. They went to meet Rehgar at some bar. They wouldn't let me come along."
"Weird," Ruby said, continuing to search the kitchen, crouching under the island that divided it from the main room and opening the door there, "but you can hang out with us, eh?"
"You aren't going to meet with them?"
"I don't drink much," A tankard here and there was nearly unavoidable, but Ruby had never been as habitual a drinker as Bloodeye, or even Yang, "Aha!" Ruby sprang to her feat, a grin on her face as she found her prize. Fire unleashed a sear of amusement as Ruby cradled her loot.
"What's in there?" Valeera had grabbed the Hearthstone pack she had been opening.
"Cookies!"
"Rehgar has a cookie jar?" Blake asked.
"Blake," Ruby chided as she popped the lid off, "I live here. Of course there's a cookie jar. Want one, Valeera?"
"Sure. Want to open a pack?" Valeera held out one.
"Ok," Ruby traded with her, "you like Hearthstone?"
"Yeah," Valeera tore open another pack, shifting through the fifteen cards, "I have a big collection."
"Have?" Ruby asked. She hadn't lost them?
"I know how to hide stuff," Valeera said, "do you play any?"
"A bit. Bloodeye got me into it."
"What about you- Uh…?"
"Blake," Blake repeated, "No. I never had the money."
"Neither did I," Valeera said around the cookie, "didn't stop me from collecting them."
"Rehgar's paying you well?"
"Yeah. I thought you were joking," Valeera grabbed another cookie from the jar, "I can't remember the last time I had this much money. Want to play a round or two?"
"If you want to," Ruby said around another cookie.
"Shouldn't we get something to eat first?" Blake asked suddenly, "It's getting late."
Ruby looked outside. The shadows were starting to grow long, and she saw guards walking around, lighting torches, "There's an inn down the way called The Wyvern's Tail. Me and Bloodeye would go there when Rehgar was busy."
"So Rehgar also cooks?"
"He cooks pork too much," Valeera complained, "please tell me they cook something other than pork."
"They normally do."
"Ok!" Valeera hopped up, "I'll go get my boots on!"
Ruby looked over at Blake, who had snorted, "What?"
"Don't worry about it," Blake said, "is there a bathroom?"
"End of the hall."
"Thanks," Blake stepped around the couch, only to look down with a frown, "Valeera! How many candy bars did you eat?"
"Not that many!" Valeera called back.
Ruby poked her head over the back, frowning at the pile of candy wrappers on the floor, "we might want to clean those up before Rehgar get's back."
"Ok," Blake picked up a couple, throwing them in the trash as she walked towards the bathroom, "'Not that many' she says. There has to be at least ten," Blake's grumblings faded as she got further from Ruby's earshot.
---
Xia sat in her quarters, breathing in slowly as she meditated. With each exhale she unleashed a pulse of Chi, and took some from her surroundings with each inhale. She would be leaving soon, but she needed to clear her mind.
Despite it being her idea, departing the academy wasn't something she could do easily. She had spent her entire life within the walls or the countryside immediately around them.
She could do this. She had to do this. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if she didn't try.
Xia let her eyes drift open at the knock on her shoji, "Yes?"
The panel slid to the side, allowing the pandaren into the room, "Is it true?"
"Is what true, Aysa?"
"You're leaving?" the teenaged Tushui asked.
"At least for a bit, yes," in standard fashion, somehow a private conversion had leaked out in a matter of hours.
"Some of the younger students are talking about how strange it will be without you here," Aysa said with a nod, "you're as much a part of the academy as the Master and instructors to them."
"That's not true," Xia said, "I'm just a student, the same as them."
"You were here when they arrived," Aysa said, "I suppose they believed you would always be here."
Xia signed, "Maybe I will, one day. But I need to go out there. To learn about the world and myself."
"Master Feng's scrolls reprimand against such actions. You can discover such things through meditation, Xia."
Xia had spent the last two years trying the Tushui method. Crane style taolu and meditation every day, Chi meditation every night, and still nothing to show for it. No answers of who she was, or who had wanted her dead enough to poison her.
It was time to try the Huojin method. To act, instead of wait. To question the world until it gave her an answer. Xia's lips tightened as she became sure of her path.
"I need to do this, Aysa," Xia grabbed her swords from their place, clipping the sheathes to her belt.
"Just," Aysa sounded tired, "come back safe, ok?"
"Of course," Xua said, walking around the room as she tried to think of things she might need.
There wasn't much. Xia didn't own much to begin with. Her swords and the locket were her only possessions of any real value. Xia flicked open the locket again, staring at the blurred people in it. They were children, that much she could tell, but whose? Hers? Did she have kids who were missing the mother they lost? Were they her cousins? Her and a forgotten friend as children? She couldn't tell.
"Master Sheng Xi wanted to speak with you at the gates before you leave," Aysa said, "He had a gift for you."
A gift?
"I'll go meet him then," Xia snapped the locket shut and stepped out of the room, walking the short distance to the gates.
"Xia," Sheng Xi's eyes crinkled again as he leaned on his staff, another beside him, "prepared to head out?"
"Almost. Aysa had said you wanted to see me, Master?"
"Yes," Sheng Xi grabbed the second staff, "I can't give you much for your journey, but you should have a staff. It takes some of the pressure off after a long day's travel, and hold your lantern if you travel at night."
Xia took the staff reverently, running her thumb along the grooved bamboo, "Thank you, master."
"Think nothing of it," he said, "Xia, if you happen to head towards Mandori Village, would you tell Chon Po Stormstout I would like to speak with him?"
"Of course," Xia took the hint readily. She hardly knew the Isle, so some form of heading was helpful.
"Then I will see you when you return," he said simply, using his staff to push open the gates.
"The same to you, Master," Xia said as she stepped out of the gates and onto the road. As the doors shut behind her, the mistweaver took the first step on her journey as she breathing in the autumn air.
There was a small village an hour's walk from the academy, Wu-Song. It was the furthest Xia had been from her home, and was better than being completely lost.
---
Valeera trailed slightly behind Ruby and Blake, eyes trailing downward as they went.
Blake was… interesting. Really interesting.
"So Rehgar's been treating you well?" Ruby asked.
"Me? Yeah. He's not happy with Broll and Croc though," Valeera could honestly say she hadn't been treated this well since her parents died.
Kinda ironic that being made a slave was one of the best things to happen to her, but she supposed that when the bar was against 'losing your parents in a bandit attack' 'your home being sacked by undead' and 'being forced to steal to survive', it would be hard for things to get worse.
"Why?"
"They freak out during our first tournament," an understatement, "smashed one of the other guys to bits and cut up another."
Valeera was all for kicking the crap out of the undead, they probably deserved it, but the rampage Crocbait and Broll were gearing up for could have been bad.
They'd lost a chunk of money to pay for repairing Krang and Roxana. How much more would they have lost if Rehgar hadn't stepped in?
At least Rehgar had taken it from Broll and Crocbait's share.
"They killed people?" Blake asked sounding horrified.
"Undead. They put them back together."
"Still," Ruby said, "that doesn't seem normal. Any idea why?"
"Broll mentioned something about a curse," Valeera continued to watch Blake move, "No idea with Crocbait though."
"Rehgar can probably deal with it if it's a curse," Ruby said confidently, "that's one of the things Shaman are good at, curses."
"Wouldn't that be warlocks?" Valeera asked.
"Less harmful ones," Ruby clarified, "turning people into frogs, making them speak in tongues. Also, getting rid of curses, which Warlocks don't do often. They're petty like that."
"Why would Shaman know how to do those things?"
"Because we can be petty if we need to," Ruby said.
"Need to?" Blake asked.
"There are places sacred to the Elements and Ancestors. We are their voice, so if they decide to be petty, we are expected to be petty for them. Of course, me and Rehgar don't have ancestors to be petty for, so it's just the Elements."
"You don't have ancestors?" Valeera blurted out, "How the heck is that even possible?"
Ruby and Blake turned towards her, and Valeera hastily snapped her eyes up before they could see where she had been looking. She had gotten weird looks for her interests since Quel'thalas, even if back then it had been written off as 'just a kid thing'.
"Rehgar doesn't know what clan he's from," Ruby said, "which is as good as not having one, really. Used to be shameful back before the Crossing, but now it's more common. We're here, by the way."
'Here' was a long two story building made from wood and metal with several chimneys. The sign had an image of a snarling wyvern in red, the tail tipped with green. Valeera ducked in with Ruby, looking around.
The inside was more uniformly wood, by which she meant it was lined with it. Not a scrap of metal in sight, though the chimneys led to stone fireplaces that lit the room up. Fur rugs sat in front of each fireplace, and the ones closest to the door had people seated on them. In the center of the room was a large fire pit, with spits holding different animals and stews hanging over them. Along the back wall was a bar that had several orcs, tauren and trolls around it.
"One sec," Ruby ducked away from them, heading towards the bar.
She walked to an orcish woman talking with the troll behind the bar. As Ruby approached, the trolls face got serious and he reached out to the woman, tapping her on the shoulder as he said something.
The woman span, a look of shock on her face as she put down her tankard. When Ruby got within arms length, she latched onto the human, dragging her over to the bar.
"What's going on?" Blake asked under her breath.
"Dunno," Valeera said.
The troll pulled out an extra pair of tankards, pouring something into them from a keg in the back, and pushed one into Ruby's hands, ignoring her shaking her head and, presumably, refusing it as he did. Ruby stopped as the orc and troll raised their cups and joined in. Each of them downed the alcohol in one go, though with much coughing and spluttering afterwards on Ruby's part. The orc smacked her arm into Ruby's back as she bent over, hacking so loudly she could be heard from Valeera's place. She noticed Blake twitch slightly, and her bow shift.
Once Ruby recovered, there was a brief conversation that ended with Ruby being handed three plates and two more tankards and being directed to the nearest rug. Ruby gestured for Valeera and Blake to come over.
"What was that about?" Valeera asked.
"Nufa and Gravy," Ruby said as she handed each of them a plate, "they knew Bloodeye pretty well. He used to come here every day when we were in Orgrimmar. We hadn't seen each other since he died."
"Ah," Blake said, "are you alright?"
"Yeah," Ruby rubbed her neck, first the front, then the point where it met her right shoulder, "kinda wish I didn't drink that stuff, though. Grab some food, they said it's on the house tonight."
"We just grab whatever we want?" Valeera eyed the dear on one of the spits. She hadn't had venison in years. Not since…
"Yep," Ruby popped the P, "That's why it's normally kinda expensive to eat here. Buffets, right?" The last part was probably directed at Blake.
"Right," Valeera agreed, walking towards a metal pot holding knives that were probably for cutting the food off the whole.
She was going to eat so much. Who knows when the next time she was getting something that wasn't pork was, right?
---
Rehgar grunted as he continued to try and unravel the curse around Broll. Wisps of shadowy magic lashed around the ritual as he did, and the Fel taint roared through the area.
The shaman didn't so much as flinch as the raging druid smashed into the wall of wind around the ritual. The bear was covered in a crackling layer of Fel energy, and each strike added more trails of chaotic green energy.
Rehgar growled as the first layer of wind faded, the Fel disrupting the pattern too much for it to stay together. A couple of effortless words in Kalimag shifted the next layer forward and formed a new one in the back.
"Whoever made this curse really didn't want it undone," Rehgar muttered under his breath, grabbing at another strand of Fel and trying to remove it.
It didn't help matters that Rehgar only had two tricks with the Wilds he was good at, and neither involved the removal of curses. It just wasn't something he did, and unlike Ruby, there wasn't an easy way to pawn Broll off on another shaman.
"Come on, Bearmantle, don't make this harder than it needs to be," Rehgar said in orcish, "you were already refusing to tell me how you got cursed in the first place, which would make this a lot easier."
Maybe Broll wasn't so far gone, because Rehgar found a path into Broll's mind at that moment.
Demons and undead, Malorne's killer at the head. Marching for Hyjal, for Nordrassil. Hands tightened on a dragon shaped Idol, a failure, a broken promise. Rehgar could feel the Wilds radiating from it.
Rage.
Malfurion asked for volunteers to bolster the Sentinels and Wardens. He stepped forward willingly, Anessa hardly a second behind, grabbing a Sentinels' moonglaive. She had been practicing while he slept.
Worry. Pride.
On the slopes of Hyjal, watching as the unending tide undead and demons smashed through the encampment made by the humans, and his small force is overrun by an army, a pit lord at their head. Anessa slashed wide as two men fall.
Rage.
His mouth fell open, a roar carrying a message across the forest around them as he tapped into something deep within for the first time. Roused by his roar, the trees uprooted themselves to fight against the demons while he charged at the pit lord.
Claws raked through toughened hide, branches twisting to dig into the wounds pouring Fel tainted blood, but the Pit Lord was larger, and smashed him back. The idol rolls forward as Anessa ran toward him.
"Look," the pit lord's tusked maw twisted into a mocking grin, "the mortal lost its toy," the two bladed sword swung down towards the idol, which roared like the dragon it was carved into, "it makes noises when you break it! How-"
Anessa's glave flew through the air, gouging out one of the pit lord's eyes as she ran toward them, "Father! Father, ru-"
The idol exploded as the pit lord's blade struck the wellspring of life energy within, the Fel created consuming Anessa in seconds.
Horror.
Rage.
He distantly heard the horn sounding their victory through the haze of anger. When he roared this time, the world bended and twisted to his favor, vines the size of tree trunks wrapping around the pit lord as he tore into it.
Rage.
With each bite, he felt an animal flee him. First the seal-
Rage.
-then the panther slinked away-
Rage.
-the crow took flight-
Rage.
-and finally, with great hesitation, taking almost ten bites after the crow left, the stag sadly bounded away, leaving only the bear.
Rage.
...Abandonment.
Rehgar staggered back as he snapped back to reality, slamming six layers of wind between him and Broll to replace the ones that had shattered during the connection. Slowly, Rehgar dispersed the ritual, just before it broke, he found a tiny string of Fel energy pouring into Broll from in the distance.
This wasn't something he could remove, not without the idol and certainly not without Broll cooperating.
As Rehgar waited for Broll to come down from his Fel rage, he turned to Crocbait, "your turn, boy. Come on."
"What about Broll?"
"He'll be fine," Rehgar said, "it will just take more to get rid of that curse. I need something, I'll probably send Ruby-"
Shit.
Ruby wasn't his apprentice anymore. He couldn't send her anywhere under the guise of training.
Shit. Though she might still do if he explained a bit of what was going on. She had always been a bleeding heart.
He supposed that when he inevitably got himself killed, he would at least be able to say he helped make the world a better place in some way.
"-to get it after her birthday," Rehgar finished. Shit, he had forgotten to get stuff for that. Ruby took birthdays, or as close as could be approximated for most of them, very seriously. Even more than she did Winter Veil, "come on, boy."
"We're not even sure if there's anything wrong with me," Crocbait protested, but sat down nonetheless.
"After what you did in that arena?" Rehgar asked dryly, planting a hand on each side of Crocbait's head, "Boy, that wasn't any natural response. Somethings up, now be quiet and let me figure out what."
Rehgar drew on the Wilds again, using it to connect with Crocbait's being to see if there was anything wrong. It didn't take long.
"Yep," Rehgar blamed Ruby for getting him to pick up that, "there's defiantly something wrong with you, boy."
"Oh, thanks," Crocbait winced, "like what?"
"Like someone tore your damn soul in half," Rehgar said bluntly.
And whoever had done it hadn't been particularly clean about it. Just enough that it was clear it had been done with purpose, though Rehgar couldn't figure out what.
"Is that bad?"
"Well, it's not something I can fix without knowing where the hell the other half is," Rehgar said, "but you won't die from it, life finds a way. Your control will probably get better the longer from the injury you are. Still, I feel bad for the other half of you."
"Why?"
"Because if you got all the anger, they're probably a fucking coward."
"But I'm in control most of the time."
"Then they're probably also weak willed," which meant, "whoever did this probably wants to control the other you. A cowardly, spineless loser would be easy to manipulate."
"Are you going out of your way to insult me?"
"I'm not insulting you, I'm insulting Other You," Rehgar said as he kicked Broll in the ribs, waking him up, "come on, I want to go get drunk."
---
Anduin slid on the quiver, grabbed his bow, nocked the arrow, and after a moment to adjust the traj- trajec- the way it would go fired it off.
It flew less than a hundred yards before trailing off and impacting against the side of the castle wall.
Anduin reeled in the arrow, staring grumpily at the rope around its haft.
"Not quite what you were planning, my prince?"
"Master Shaw!" Anduin span around, "you came!"
"Who am I to refuse the prince's request to see me?" the leader of SI:7 asked, the golden armor he normally wore in Stormwind replace with a set of black leathers, a hood pulled over his auburn hair, "though, in the future, I would suggest not trying to skip out to meeting through elaborate archery tricks, especially not ones you set up."
"I was going to find you," Anduin said, "I wasn't sure you would actually come."
"Normally I wouldn't have," Mathias said as shut and locked the door and walked to the window, peering out it before shutting and latching it, "but many things aren't normal at the moment, are they?"
"You noticed too?" Anduin asked in relief. Everyone had been acting like this was normal.
"Which, that your father's personality changed almost overnight? That Lord Fordragon didn't wait more than a month before writing his friend off as dead and placing you upon the throne? That I couldn't seem to find mention of a House Prestor anywhere before Daval Prestor appeared during the Second War claiming to be related to the Alteraci royal family? It is my job to notice these things, my prince. I'm honestly surprised you did."
"It's not like it isn't obvious," Anduin said, "that's not how my father acts. Spending all this gold on feasts and parties without a care for the people. Bolvar tries to help, but all that happens is father reverses it."
"Quite right," Mathias gave a grim smile, "if you weren't the heir to the throne, I'd say you could make a good agent one day. And it wasn't a slight against your intelligence, my prince, but that I strongly suspect that Prestor," Anduin noticed Mathias conspicuously refusing to call her 'lady', "is a sorceress. She's had the House of Nobles dancing to her song since before you were born, and you might not remember it, but you were the same during your time on the throne. Even I struggle when speaking with her. It was her idea to short change the Stonemasons, and from what I can find, Daval was similarly able to convince notoriously stubborn men to give up their preferred claimant to the Alteraci throne to name him king."
"If you're correct," Anduin made note to ask Master Sheaf about Daval during his next lesson, "that would mean Lady Prestor is responsible for the death of my mother?"
Anduin's grip on his bow tightened, anger at the thought bubbling up as he stared at the portrait of his mother handing opposite his bed.
"By proxy, at the very least," Mathias said, "but in my line of work, that is as good as swinging the knife yourself. I knew Edwin VanCleef, my prince, we were best friends in our youth. He would never demand as much as he did under the right mind."
"You think she have manipulated them too?"
"Very much so. Whether the riot ending in your mother's death was the intended goal, or just an accident she capitalized on, I can't be sure at the moment," Mathias said, a dark look coming over his face, "permission to be candid, my lord?"
Anduin blinked at the question, he hasn't been candid before? "You may."
"I strongly suspect that Prestor's goal is nothing less than the destruction of Stormwind, both as a city and a kingdom."
"Why? She has control of the house of nobles and my father, why would she want to destroy it?"
"She betrayed us to the Horde, Burning Legion, or another organization that wants Stormwind to burn? She likes power, that much is clear. Nonetheless, any time SI:7, or indeed, anyone else comes to Stormwind with reports of danger in our lands, she urges him to not send support for a lack of evidence. This includes when men march into the keep maimed by the orcs, talking of those who weren't so lucky. When I send agents in against her wishes and verify that these are not one off incidents, as she claims, she writes it off as us seeing what we want to see and SI:7 being 'paranoidal'," Mathias sneered, "in short, my lord, I think we have the most idiotic traitor on the face of Azeroth in our midsts, who is only keeping her position by blatantly bewitching the nobles, and the only reason I haven't dragged her down to SI:7 headquarters is because I would most likely be declared a traitor myself before the first hint of blood touched the knife."
Anduin flinched at the subtle reference to torture. It wasn't something he even began to approve of. Steeling himself, the ten year old gulped, "so we need to find evidence of her betrayal first. Evidence she can't refute."
"Indeed," Mathias said, "say the word, and I will deploy SI:7 agents throughout Azeroth to look into this matter."
"Can we be sure they won't betray us to Prestor?"
"Yes," Mathias nodded, "I will use my most loyal agents for this job, up to and including myself, if the need arises."
"Are you sure that's a good idea? If you die out there, Prestor will be able to name a new head of SI:7."
"Don't you mean your father will be able to name a new head?"
"Are those words not one and the same at the moment?" Anduin responded instantly.
"You are incredibly smart for a ten year old," Mathias said, "Yes, they are the same. However, do not worry about me, my lord. I didn't get to be the head of Stormwind Intelligence by being easy to discover. In fact, you and I are the only people aware of the fact I am in the keep at the moment."
Anduin knew exactly why Mathias had said that. The Stormwind keep was the single most guarded place on Azeroth. According to Master Sheaf, not even the Horde's warchief was so well defended. Dignitaries from every human kingdom and Alliance nation rested here, so it had to be.
"Then do it, spymaster," Anduin straightened his back, "I want the threat to my kingdom exposed and eliminated, as quickly as possible."
Mathias smirked, giving a cross between a bow and a nod, "as you command, my lord."
Then he opened Anduin's window and calmly stepped out of it. Anduin lunged forward, looking down and preparing to see the body of Mathias Shaw.
Instead, he watched as Mathias lept from dormer to dormer, like they were just particularly large stairs, until he was far enough down to leap onto the ground and disappear into the bushes.
Anduin looked at his arrow, before undoing the rope from around it and returned it to his quiver, "That's the last time I listen to the bard," Anduin grumbled as he threw away the rope, "'Aye milord, I saw it with my own eyes!' No he didn't."
---
"Sir!"
Zur'ak looked up from where he was studying a map of Silithus, Un'goro, and Tanaris as the orc shaman gave a salute, "What? I be busy."
"I'm sorry, but there's a troll asking for you."
"Don't care," Zur'ak returned to his map, examining the map in front of him, "I don't have time ta waste on some random troll-"
"They said they're from the Zandalar tribe?" the orc said, recoiling as Zur'ak's head snapped back up to look at him, the Firefist's orange mane covering his eyes for a moment, "I'm sorry, they said that would-"
"Send dem in," Zur'ak said, "Send dem in, now."
"They said that you were to meet with them," the orc said weakly, "at the dunes to the south."
Of course they had. Never trust a Zandalari to make things easy when it could be done by making someone else jump through twenty hoops.
"Den I will go meet dem," Zur'ak grabbed his gauntlets and starting the process to get them on, "and ya can stay 'ere and tell anyone who comes lookin' for me where I am, understand?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good," Zur'ak stomped out of his tent into the sun, turning towards the south as he continued to adjust the straps and buckles to keep his weapons on. Right hand first, in case things went wrong before he got there. It seemed to be how the day was going.
Zandalari, here? Damn it all.
Zur'ak gave a nasty grin as he finished putting on the gauntlet, hearing its hum. Rehgar had been right, the Rose girl wasn't half bad at forging. Not as good as the masters of Zuldazar, but those bastards seemed to be able to live for too long.
It took another ten minutes for Zur'ak to climb the dunes, scowling at the straight backed troll staring to the south, he spoke in Zandali, "What do you want, Zandalari?"
The troll turned towards him, staring down through the eyes of his mask. Zur'ak ran through his brief knowledge of Zandalari loa to figure out who he was speaking to. Wasn't Bwonsamdi, that one was easy, as it didn't look anything like a rush'kah mask (or, rather, it didn't bear the likeness of Bwonsamdi's face all rush'kah masks were made to invoke). Zanza? No, Zanza's masks ended in a rounded curve, while this was a sharp point. Hir'eek was out too, his masks had two long flares on the side to represent a bat's wings. He didn't see the silk tassels of Shadra either. The only identifying features were a pair of extra tusks and the top ending in a set of jagged points.
"You are… Zur'ak?" the Zandalari asked.
"I am," Zur'ak said, enjoying speaking a language that was designed to work with the tusks jutting from his mouth, "and you are?"
"I am Grez'zul," the Zandalari gave a slight bow, "emissary of God King Rastakhan, Zuldazar, and the loa Grimath."
Zul as a suffix? Not wrong, but not common. Normally meant someone's parents thought a bit too highly of their kid and named them Zul, which would probably be headache inducing if any of them even did anything to warrant it. What would they be then, Zul'zul, or just keep it as Zul? The latter was normally shameful, however. Figuring out that mess would probably be one of the only times you'd actually want a Zandalari handy since clinging to dying traditions was all they were good for. He hadn't ever heard of Grimath though.
"I am Zur'ak of the Darkspear tribe, speaker for the Element five and Shango," Zur'ak returned the bow. As much as he hated those dying traditions, it was best to pay them service lest he anger the Zandalari, "It humbles me greatly to be before a servant of the great Rastakhan."
"You speak for six loa?" Grez'zul asked, "that is quite strange."
"We are a small tribe, and we lost many men very quickly," and it was odd for a shaman to focus on one element to the exclusion of all others.
"Ah, yes. From what I heard, Bwonsamdi kicked up quite a fuss about the loss of your offerings. Why was that?
"A traitor took our home from us. Turned our dead against us.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Grez'zul truly sounded like he was, "has your chieftain considered petitioning for support from Zandalar?"
"We don't need help from Zandalar," Zur'ak said shortly, "We have plenty of support from the Horde."
Grez'zul nodded, the point of his mask tapping his chest, "Yes, I had been informed that your tribe had entered an alliance with the Horde."
An alliance? They were part of the Horde, sworn brothers to the orcs, tauren, forsaken, hell, even those pretty boy blood elves. But then the Zandalari probably couldn't understand that, they were stuck in a time that had long since past.
"Why are you here?" Zur'ak asked.
"The loa have been uneasy, the temples are deathly silent, the voodoo has become weaker, the tiki warriors all look to Silithus and Zul speaks of a great calamity that could soon come to pass here. I have come to verify these claims. Tell me, do you think this is as bad as the loa say? Be truthful, you don't need to lie about this."
Zur'ak looked to the south, where the gates of Ahn'Qiraj were barely visible. The Scarab Wall itself stretched out as far as he could see, making it easier to locate, "I do. These bugs, they send swarms at us each day. If we don't get those gates open soon, they'll overrun us before we even have a chance to stop them. You can see one of the hives over there," Zur'ak pointed to Hive'Regal, watching the giant leg like stalks twitch and writhe, "The Night Elves speak of a war a thousand years ago, where they fought against the creatures. Do you know anything of that, man?
"No," Grez'zul said, "but the loa speak of a war before that. One where trollkind banded together as one empire to fight these creatures ancestors. If what you say is true, I fear we will be left with no choice to do so again," Grez'zul's eye locked onto him, "I will travel east, to Zul'Farrak and attempt to convince the Farraki to send aid this way before I return to Zuldazar, brother. Can you hold out that long?"
"I hope so," Zur'ak said.
"Then, if we do not meet again, may your soul ride the storms of Shango."
"And may Bwonsamdi take you to his Necropolis," without knowing what Grimath was loa of, that was the best response Zur'ak could give.
Grez'zul turned, to the east, walking down the slopes of Silithus.
"I hope you don't plan to walk to Zul'farrak!" Zur'ak called.
In response, Grez'zul reached out and grabbed a shimmer in the air, before ripping it back like a curtain. An illusion? What was he hiding?
A dinosaur. A horn jutted from the nose, and two above the eyes, with a crown of spikes at the top of its flat head. Strapped on its back was a chair with a pair of reins.
The Zandalari troll ran his hand along the red hide of the beast, before climbing up onto the chair and riding off.
Zur'ak marched down the dunes, muttering to himself, "We get raptors, they get those things. Zandalari always need to be better than the rest of us."
And where the hell were those mages? They were supposed to get here two weeks ago!
---
Woo boy, that one was fun to write (and hopefully fun to read). I'll admit not a lot got done in advancing the Silithus stuff, but I felt we needed a bit of time with the supporting cast.
Yeah, I made Valeera gay. Figured since the vast majority of the cast (who are interested in relationships) are either straight or bi (or, in Ruby's case, demisexual), I might as well add one. The fact that doesn't show any interest in men (unless that happens during He-Who-Was-Banished-To-The-Noncanon-Void comic issues) left me a bit of free reign on it. And preemptively, yes, I know Blizzard said Valeera was going to have a crush on Crocbait in the lead up to the comic, but it never actually shows up.
No Weiss and Yang this chapter (as you no doubt know). I wanted to get that scene with Zur'ak out because it was supposed to happen like, three chapters ago. What really ticks me off that I didn't do it then is it makes me look like I decided to use them because they're becoming playable in BtA, but it was actually specifically because of the Troll-Aqir War. In direct relation to that, I decided to have trolls ditch the accent when talking in Zandali.
That Anduin scene. God, I don't know. It was originally supposed to be him sneaking out to go hunting because he's a ten year old currently surrounded by nothing but bad role models, then Mathias showed up and went 'Hey! Spymaster here! We're going to not do that, and instead me and Anduin are gonna focus on breaking this wide open.' Kinda like Anduin and Magni do in canon, but with the added bonus Shaw's later existence as an actual character (as opposed to the generic guy standing around handing out rogue missions in Stormwind)
Like, that's kinda the problem with people telling me what to do. These characters don't give a crap what I want them to do. They'll follow the plan, but then the details get thrown out for how they want to act. Rehgar, Broll and Crocbait were supposed to be out getting drinks instead we jump to them and 'Nope! We're gonna be doing a ritual to try and purge Broll of his Fel corruption.'
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Chapter 8
ThatOnePsycho
Tilting his Vanes and Ennobling His Spires
"Open the door, would you, boy? He isn't light," Rehgar grunted as he kept Broll standing.
The night elf was drunk, very drunk.
"Where are you gonna put him?" Crocbait asked as he pushed open the door.
"Couch," Rehgar said, "It's his turn anyways."
Rehgar didn't have enough beds to house all of them. Three had been enough before, but he supposed that if they would be staying in his house, he would have to get another room or two added. Hopefully Ruby would stop being tongue tied with Blake before he had to get yet another bed.
Oh spirits, he was getting attached again, wasn't he? He didn't want to get attached, he wanted to get rid of them as soon as he recouped his investment at Dire Maul.
"For what?"
Rehgar looked over at the kitchen at Ruby's question only to immediately groan, "Damnit, Sanguinar! How many times do I have to tell you to stop that!"
Valeera stared at him, before sliding down off the back and into the seat of the chair, "Sorry."
"What's the harm?" Ruby asked, "Bloodeye and I have put these chairs through hell and back. Her sitting on them differently isn't gonna do anything we didn't."
That wasn't why he was irate about it. First, there was the simple fact that he didn't know how Valeera got into the habit, and the second was that he didn't want her getting hurt.
He really was getting attached wasn't he? Why couldn't he have started getting wolves or something? Why was it slaves (and former slaves) that he seemed so determined to take in?
"Oh, fine," Rehgar sighed as he placed Broll on the couch, turning the night elf onto his side, "she can sit like that if she wants to. Playing Hearthstone?"
"Mhm," Ruby nodded, placing down a card. An illusionary pool of lava bubbled up and a hand reached into it. When the maimed hand came out, it was wrapped around the Doomhammer. Ruby tapped the card twice, and the hammer swung out, shattering one of Valeera's creatures and passing harmlessly through her head as the counter ticked down.
He should have gone into the card game business instead of blood sports, the owner of Blizzards of the Coast was probably filthy rich.
"Where's Blake?"
"My room, she's reading that Common to Orcish book you got me. Can we talk after this match is done?"
"For a bit," Rehgar said, "it's getting late. Big day tomorrow."
Ruby stared at him in confusion, before her eyes let up, "Oh, yeah!"
"Huh?" Valeera looked between them, "What's tomorrow?"
"A couple of things," Rehgar said, "I'll tell you in the morning."
Valeera puffed out her cheeks, sulking on her chair as her and Ruby continued their game.
Once Ruby had won easily, causing Valeera to sit in one of the living room chairs (properly this time) and stew, the two shaman stepped out of the house.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" Rehgar asked, "if it's about me springing the test on you, save it. There's no going back now."
"I'm not happy about that, but no," Ruby's eyes seemed to focus on one of the torches, which was almost dead, "I talked with Blood."
"I thought that wasn't working?"
"He showed up in Silithus," Ruby said, "just walked up, making dumb jokes about shaman talking to the dead."
"Sounds like him," Bloodeye had always been fond of corny jokes, "What did he say?"
"Why didn't you two talk to me about this gladiator team idea before you did it?"
"So he told you it wasn't my idea?"
"Yeah, but," Ruby's gaze on the torch broke, even as the flames roared back to life, "why didn't you tell me?" Ruby's voice had taken on a pleading edge, "Did you not care how I felt about it to ask before you ran off and bought a couple of slaves."
"I figured it better to ask your forgiveness than convince you about it," Rehgar said, "and I sure as hell thought it better to grab Valeera before she was bought by someone that had worse intentions. Besides, you and me? We know what it's like to be on that side of the lash."
Rehgar had never been sure if he had been born into slavery, or if he had been captured as a kid, or if his parent had sold him to the Gorian Empire, but his oldest memories were of being used as a training dummy for their young. He killed for the first time before he reached his victim's hip, by the time he had reached their chest, he killed half the ogre's he went against.
Then they sold him to the orc arenas where he stayed until something strange started to happen. Slowly, over the course of several weeks, the gladiators were taken from their cell with none returning.
When it had been his turn, several green skinned orcs were waiting for him and after checking him over, offered him two things that meant so many things. An blade and a drinking horn of green liquid, death and life, freedom and damnation.
He had taken the horn, drinking deeply from the demon's blood. Little had he known all he was doing was trading one yoke for another.
Rehgar had been one of the many orcs who sacked Stormwind, had fought in the bitter war of attrition in Khaz Modan, and slaughtered tens of men at Hillsbrad Foothills.
And when the Horde had been routed, he was forced into one of the internment camps, though he didn't stay there long. Instead, he was sold off to a human lord to be used as a gladiator, again.
"Bloodeye said the same thing, but that doesn't make it right," Ruby said, "it just makes us as bad as them."
Rehgar sighed, "I know. We had both agreed it would be a temporary thing. Bloodeye was sure they'd agree to stick around after seeing the money we make at Dire Maul. Even split five ways, it's a lot."
"And if they don't want to stay?"
"They can leave," Rehgar shrugged, "I've been trying to convince the Warchief to take me on as an advisor. If that happens, I won't need gladiators. I'll still sponsor 'em if they want to keep going, but it's their choice."
"..."
"Look, I know it's a shitty thing we're doing, but we can make the best of it. I need you to run up to Ashenvale before you head back south."
"Uh," Ruby looked taken aback by the sudden change of topic, "why?"
"Broll's curse is related to an idol I think is that way. Looks like a dragon, should be leaking Fel. Shouldn't be too hard to find, and I need it to break the curse."
In the meantime, he was going to have to get Broll to open up more about his daughter's death.
Why couldn't life be easy?
"If it helps them," Ruby bit her lip, "I'll go with Blake… and maybe one of the others?"
Rehgar looked at her, "You better not be thinking of doing something stupid, pup."
"No," Ruby sighed, "Crocbait's here willingly and I think Valeera's willing to stick around if it means she keeps getting money and warm food."
"She does seem to like it, doesn't she?" Valeera had cheerfully disappeared into Orgrimmar after he gave her cut to her, returning with her arms full of Hearthstone packs and candy.
Rehgar hadn't thought someone could eat enough surgery food to give Ruby a run for her money. Ah, spirits, Valeera was going to be bouncing off the walls about Hallow's End, wasn't she?
"She'd like it if you cooked pork less often."
"There's nothing wrong with pork!" Rehgar defended.
"You cook it several times a day," Ruby pointed out, "you can't blame her for wanting a little variety."
"Eh," Rehgar grunted noncommittally, "We should get to bed. We're probably not gonna sleep till it's November first."
Ruby giggled, "Yeah."
---
Weiss fiddled with the sheath keeping her new dagger on her hip. How did Jaune deal with it constantly bumping into him?
She wasn't sure why she had decided to grab a dagger before they left Honor Hold, but it seemed like the right thing to do.
Plenty of things can be done with a dagger. It might be impressive to rip the life from your opponent and use it to cast a ritual at high speeds, but it's also burning energy you could be using later, so just slitting their throat and using their blood to create the seal for the ritual is more practical.
"How long do you think it will take to get to Shattrath?" Yang asked Maan.
"At the rate we're moving? Two weeks, maybe more."
"Two weeks?"
I've waited twenty years for this, I can wait a couple of weeks. Still, it would probably be more effective if you summoned a Xorothian steed. We haven't worked on summoning though… I suppose we'll have to work on that when you make camp. Imps first, maybe that collection of them Gul'dan made.
Weiss shook her head again, trying to get rid of the vague murmurs.
Why ever would you want to do that? All I'm doing is helping you on the path to grea- oh, you. Run.
There was a noise like trumpeting in the distance, and Weiss turned with Yang and Maan.
"An elekk?" Maan asked, "what would an elekk be doing in Hellfire?"
"What's an Elekk?"
"They're big- nevermind we don't have time to worry about it. We need to contin-"
I said RUN, Weiss staggered, looking for the source of the voice.
Before they could, a large creature appeared between them. It looked similar to a goliath, though with a long trunk. It was covered in ornate white and gold armor with purple gems and, strangely, slightly transparent.
Someone jumped onto the ground, standing to his full height. He was of the same race as Maan, but with hooves instead of feet, wearing similar armor to the animal and he was similarly transparent. In his hand was a giant hammer that's head was seemingly made of the largest crystal she had ever seen.
Gorefiend, he said with a voice that seemed to echo as he stared at her and started walking forward, did you really think you could escape your punishment?
"Gorefiend?" Weiss said, drawing Myrtenaster, "I don't know what you're-"
Do not lie! he roared, swinging his hammer towards her. Halfway through, Yang stepped into the blow, grunting as her Aura rippled around the strike, You-
"I don't know what you're talking about," the blonde brawler said, "but if you want to hurt Weiss, you'll have to go through me."
Very well, he calmly raised a hand, then I shall!
An explosion of Light burned into existence, a second sun in the man's hand as he tried to bring it down on Yang.
Yang stepped to the side, deploying Ember Celica as she did and slammed her fist into the armor. The man grunted in pain, though the shot apparently went through him, if the explosions of red earth were any sign.
You can strike me? the smallest amount of surprise leaked into his voice.
Karsius, my friend, you brought yourself death by chasing me here. Thank you, it saves me the time to hunt you down myself later.
I am not your friend, monster! The man's eyes started to glow gold as he focussed on Weiss again, And the Light shall punish-
Yang hit him again, right where the kidney would be on a human. This had the unintended response of the shot striking Weiss full on. It didn't hurt as much as it should have, "Hey! I'm not-"
Idiot. Can't even watch what she's hitting.
Yang ducked under the sweeping attack by the hammer as Maan's hatchet flew through the man and his animal harmlessly. Weiss took the opportunity to move forward, driving Myrtenaster into a chink in his armor. It was odd, watching the blade go through him, but still clearly harm him.
Weiss yanked Myrtenaster from its place in the man's side, sending up a plain white glyph at her side as he span, his hammer burning with golden fire. The glyph shuddered with the blow and the golden fire rushed into the glyph, turning it the same color.
Oh? I knew those runic circles of yours could channel Fel quite well, but to take the Draenei's precious Light?
Weiss shifted the glyph, letting it glow with golden power, before pushing it out.
The man was sent flying backward as a golden blast of light crashed into him. He landed hard, rolling away and losing his grip on his hammer.
So you have learned new tricks, Gorefiend, the man pushed himself up, unfortunately for you, I have been fighting since before your race was even born!
As he finished his declaration, he flung his hands forward, sending two golden swords flying towards Weiss. The heiress threw up two more glyphs, the swords disappearing the minute they hit the glyphs.
The man charged at Weiss as he took up his hammer. Seconds before he reached her, a new glyph appeared around his waist, "I don't know-"
Gorefiend! The roar was accompanied by an explosion of light, sending Weiss flying back.
Karsius! I can't wait to see you consumed by the Fel, I've waited years for this. Up Weiss, up!
Weiss pushed herself up, glaring at Karsius. The man grabbed his hammer, attempting to swing it down in a heavy strike.
He only got halfway through before Yang came from the side and pushing Weiss back. The hammer hit Yang's head with an unholy crack, though she didn't flinch.
You...
"You hit pretty hard, buddy," Yang said, "like, definitely harder than I thought you would. But here's the thing, my Semblance? The more I get hit, the stronger I get, and you've been hitting pretty hard, so let's see what happens now, eh?"
Then Yang unleashed a haymaker, smashing the man back and against his mount as she leapt after him, hitting him several more times.
Maybe she does have her uses. But I want us to be the one's to end his pitiful existence, so…
"Yang, let me do it."
Yang stopped, one arm braced against his throat, "You sure?"
"Yes," Weiss walked towards them, tightening her grip on Myrtenaster, "I'll do it."
As Weiss reached him, she imagined her Aura coating the rapier blade, covering every inch.
You haven't won, Gorefiend.
I think you'll find that I have. You should of shown me the proper respect, but you didn't.
Weiss felt another glyph appear on the back of her hand, and copies along Myrtenaster. A glance down showed it to be the green one Grarm had used in the cave. Was that really only a couple of weeks ago? It felt like a lifetime.
He'll only destroy you, girl. Gorefiend doesn't care about you beyond a vessel for his rebir-
"Shut up," Weiss said shortly, imagining her Aura burning away. As she did, the glyphs glowed bright green and flames of the same color exploded to life on Myrtenaster's blade as another rush of euphoria raged into being in Weiss. A simple flourish, and Weiss ran the man through.
He roared in agony as the same flames seemed to spread through his body like a forest on fire, until he was nothing but a man shaped flame. Then he disappeared, as if he had never been there.
And while we're at it…
The glyph changed and the man's mount seemed to be dragged towards her, before it disappeared into a funnel that melded with Weiss's skin. After a moment, the rush faded, and instead Weiss staggered back in pain.
Mh… suppose that's still too much. I should probably…
Weiss felt herself fading out of consciousness, and the last thing she remembered was Yang turning her over and asking, "What's with her-?"
---
"So what's today?" Valeera asked loudly as she left the house with Rehgar, Crocbait and, strangely, Blake.
She wasn't complaining the black haired human was with them, mind you, but wasn't expecting it.
"Ruby's birthday and Hollow's End," Rehgar said simply.
"Still can't believe that," Blake muttered.
"What, that something was twisted enough to give Ruby the excuse to nearly triple the amount of sugar she eats?" Rehgar chuckled.
"Yeah. So we're-?"
"Buying her presents, food for it, and dropping off last minute invitations. Figured it'd be good to go as a group."
"And Hollow's End?" Valeera asked.
"We'll do that before the party," Rehgar said, "Ruby's probably gonna drag you all out to get costumes the moment we get home, so don't expect much rest today."
"Did she ever tell you about our Hallow's End at Beacon?" Blake asked.
Beacon?
"No, why?"
"Well, when it came time to go trick or treating, she kept acting like a brat. She didn't even put on a costume, just kept following behind us going 'it's my birthday!' at every house so we'd give her our candy," Blake said, a small affectionate smile on her lips.
"Really?" Valeera asked.
"Yeah. We got her back for it," Blake's smile twitched, "she was complaining that she didn't have a costume for the party and asking us to get her one."
"And you didn't?" Rehgar asked.
"No, we did. We stuck her in a trashcan."
Rehgar let out a bark of laughter, "I knew I liked you!"
"It was Yang's idea."
"Yang?" Valeera frowned, "who's Yang?"
Blake looked behind her, and Valeera was very glad she hadn't been looking anywhere that could have led to problems, "Ruby's sister, Yang."
Ruby had a sister? Valeera suddenly realized she knew very little about the woman. She knew Ruby had been a slave, that she played Hearthstone, was a shaman and loved sugary things (something Valeera was really happy about) but that was where her knowledge stopped.
"Where is she?"
"Don't worry about it," Rehgar said roughly, "she isn't here and you aren't likely to ever see her."
"Sorry," Crocbait interrupted, talking for the first time since they left the house, "Hallow's End? What's that?"
"Supposed to be a day of mourning," Rehgar said, "but then the Forsaken broke free and turned it into half that and half celebration, then the goblins got their paws on it and turned it into a big party. People dress up in costumes, hand out candy and play tricks on each other. I hate it."
Really? Looks like the undead had given them something good.
"You probably hate most holidays," Valeera responded, only to freeze as Rehgar looked back at her. Had she just pushed things too far?
"Actually," Rehgar drawled, "I happen to like Winter Veil. My problem with Hallow's End is that I'm normally busy getting things ready for Ruby's party and having to stop and chase off kids who think chucking those stupid exploding eggs at the house is funny makes it take longer."
"We'll be starting here," Rehgar dodged around a cart to enter a shop with a gun and bow crossed on the sign, "She'll need plenty of gunpowder for Crescent Rose's bullets, right?"
"Yeah," Blake said, "the most we could ever afford was six bullets."
"Crescent Rose?"
"Big unholy contraption she uses," Rehgar said, "like someone put a scythe together with one of those Alliance sniper rifle. I've never actually seen her use it though."
"Just ask her," Blake said as she examined a display case full of the newest goblin made pistols, "she loves that scythe more than anything."
Valeera saw Rehgar roll his eyes, and strained herself to hear what he whispered.
"Except she was willing to give it up to keep… Bah," Rehgar spat as he walked to the counter, changing to orcish to speak with the female tauren behind it.
---
Yang grunted as she carried Weiss into the cave, sliding the heiress off her back and flopping down across from her. Maan had remained outside, squatting down beside a boulder to keep watch.
"This better not become a thing," Yang said to her unconscious friend, "Your eyes turning red, then you pull some freaky new ability from nowhere and then you pass out. I mean, the red eyes is kinda my thing, so if you aren't willing to stop the other two, can you at least let me keep that?"
Yang was completely aware Weiss couldn't hear her, but needed to keep talking to not freak out about the circumstances.
"Did I ever tell you I was scared of ghosts when I was a kid?" Yang said, "like, completely terrified of them. I used to sneak into my dad's room if I saw a ghost movie. And that sucked, because Ruby loved them and I could never say no to her about it. What was I gonna do? Let her see her big sister be scared? Hey, what do you think her and Blake are doing?"
Yang focused on that, instead of the fact that they had just fought a freaking ghost.
"I bet Ruby's probably been running around Vale and Patch, trying to figure out why we disappeared. The authorities have to know we're missing by now, right?" Yang chuckled as an idea came across her, "Hey, do ya think they think we did some cheesy 'run off together and get married' thing? Oh! By the way, I was thinking, do you think there's any chance Blake and Ruby are around? Like, maybe at Shattrath?"
Yang sighed, leaning her head back, letting the cold stone wall sooth the spot where she had taken that hammer blow to the skull. It ached slightly, a testament to just how strong the guy was. He had hit her like a raging ursa major, instead of a normal, if buff, guy.
"So, who's Gorefiend?" Yang asked, "and why'd the big guy think you were him?"
Come to think of it, Weiss had never explained how she knew about Shadowmoon valley or why they going there.
"Just," Yang sighed, "just, please stay safe, ok? Until we find Ruby and Blake, you're all I have."
Yang closed her eyes, figuring there was no harm in dozing while she waited for Weiss to wake up.
It had started to get dark out by the time that happened. Weiss gave something between a moan and a groan as she pushed herself up. The red was fading from her eyes, almost completely gone from the right, but slower on the left.
"Yang?" She asked, "what happened? Last thing I remember, we were fighting…"
"You passed out, again."
Weiss hummed lowly, a pleasant sound, "Really?"
"Yeah," Yang said, "You did. I had to carry you again. You know, if you wanted a piggyback ride, you could just ask, princess."
Weiss chuckled weakly, "Sorry."
"Weiss," Yang asked, "are you alright?"
Weiss jolted slightly, looking completely bewildered, "Yes. Of course I am, why?"
"You're just… I don't know, first you do that thing with Biggs, then you're suddenly talking about going to Shadowmoon, then you do something to one of those orcs, and now this. I'm just worried about you."
"You shouldn't be," Weiss said, "I'm fine, in fact, I haven't felt this well in a long time. I'm not reliant on Dust anymore."
Weiss had said that with an almost smug satisfaction, a slightly mad smile on her face the wasn't helped by her eyes being two different colors.
"I…" Yang sighed, "Fine. Let's go talk to Maan, it's getting late."
Yang wasn't sure what was going on, but until she found an answer, there wasn't much she could do. And come hell or high water, she was finding an answer.
---
Blake leaned against the outer wall of the fifth store they had gone to, a seamstress, waiting for Rehgar to come out.
She had gotten Ruby's present a couple stores back, and it quickly got boring standing around as Rehgar tried to haggle at every shop, especially when you couldn't tell what was being said. It was quite a bit more interesting to watch the people of Orgrimmar go about their day
Which is probably why she was joined by Valeera. The blood elf was watching her intensely as she threw a slightly curved throwing knife into the air and caught it.
"What?" Blake finally asked. She didn't like being watched, it set her on edge. She had spent more of her life in the shadows than anywhere else now, between the White Fang, laying low at Beacon and the last six years of drifting.
That thought was actually kinda depressing.
"So, uh…" Valeera coughed, "So you and Ruby have known each other for awhile?"
"Yeah," Blake drew out the word slightly, confused by the question. Of course her and Ruby knew each other, "Why?"
"Just curious," Valeera said, "I've never had any girl friends," after a moment, Valeera's face blanched, "I mean, I haven't had any friends that are girls, not any, well, nevermind."
"Ok?" Blake said, resisting the urge to reach up and scratch next to her ear. What the heck?
"Anyways," Valeera said, "you mentioned something about, what was it, Beacon? Where's that?"
"It was an academy we went to when we were younger," Blake said, "It's where we met."
"Wait," Valeera's nose wrinkled, "you two went to some stuffy learning place?"
"Beacon wasn't like that," Blake said, "it was a school for learning to fight. We were on the same team."
"Team?"
"Mh," Blake nodded, "Yeah, Beacon divided the students into teams of four. Ruby, Yang, Weiss and me were Team RWBY, led by Ruby."
"Really?" Valeera had turned so she was leaning her shoulder on the wall, "Ruby was in charge? She doesn't seem like the type to lead."
"She's a fine leader," Blake defended her friend, "but she's never been one for the spotlight. Neither of us are."
It was why Blake had been content with spends the last few years going through the motions of living as guilt ate away at her. Probably why Ruby was content with staying with Rehgar as she tried to keep an ear to the ground about Blake.
It made Blake wish they were the type to make big waves, "a black haired woman wearing a bow' was an incredibly vague thing to go on.
"Huh," Valeera said, "she just seemed… I don't know, not mellow-"
Blake snorted. Ruby, mellow? While certainly more common than it had been before they had been separated, Ruby's calm seemed confined to when she was meditating. She still inhaled cookies, drank hot chocolate whenever the opportunity arose, was gleefully in the center of the fighting when the Silithid came, and was up and doing stuff while Blake was still happily asleep. Even this morning, she had woken to Ruby baking a new batch of cookies to fill the now empty jar. Then there was her increased tendency to burn or shock anything that drew her ire. And, if what Rehgar said was true (and Blake was willing to trust him on this), the fact that Ruby was apparently still trick or treating in her twenties, or at the very least, turned her birthday party into a costume party.
Blake had always viewed Ruby as the physical embodiment of purity, and had added sacrifice onto that over the years they had been apart. Made her into a borderline immaculate figure in her mind.
That Ruby had apparently made a deal with four literal embodiment of the elements and was determined to keep to it even as they sent her to a war that was rapidly becoming a meat grinder didn't help that image.
"-but she just doesn't seem like she'd be a stick-in-the-mud authority type."
Blake laughed, "What you just described is the opposite of Ruby's leading style. She'd drill all these different strategies she came up with into our heads, yeah, but otherwise she was kinda hands off. Wanted to be willing to fight for each other because we were friends."
"She was?"
"She was two years younger than everyone else and made leader without being asked her opinion on the matter," Blake said as she tucked a bit of hair behind her ear.
"Huh," Valeera repeated the noise, "what about you?
Blake raised an eyebrow, "What about me?"
"Do you have any other family?"
"Not anymore," not until they found a way back to Remnant, "it's just me and Ruby. We-"
"Alright," Rehgar marched out of the building, a package under one arm, "We have one place left to go."
---
Thrall sighed as he read the reports, feeling thrice his age as he continued further.
Over a thousand men dead over the last month, on his orders. And he would need to send even more if they had any hope to stop it, if they didn't, everyone under his rule would die.
The badge and the burden, as Ruby put it.
"Dat bad?" Vol'jin asked grimly.
"Yes," Thrall rubbed his eyes with one hand, feeling stress start to build, "I should compose a letter to High Priestess Whisperwind and Archdruid Staghelm."
"Dem?" Vol'jin scowled around his tusks. Fandral's attempts to silence his people had earned the druid Vol'jin's undying hatred, "Why?"
"There's tension between the Horde and Alliance forces at the front," Thrall said, "if we can form a united front, more from both sides can return home."
For every member of the Alliance guilty of crimes against the Horde who died down there, it would come at the cost of Thrall's people and those who were fine to live and let live. While Thrall was willing to defend his people to the last, he didn't wish to take it out on those who weren't guilty.
To do so would make him as bad as Blackmoore and Kagrim. Taratha hadn't done anything to deserve her execution, and Ruby nothing to deserve her slavery. He remembered the first meeting with the young shamaness. Her hair had been a cracked blond color, though it had eventually returned to its natural brown-red, and she had been almost dreadfully skinny.
He had felt so guilty over it. Those were supposed to be his people, they had been part of Grom's clan and they had enslaved a human out of petty spite.
Thrall sighed at the knock, "Yes?"
The Kor'kron stepped in, "Warchief! Rehgar Earthfury is here requesting an audience."
Speaking of Ruby…
"Send him in," Thall said, resigned. Rehgar had been pestering him about being taken on as an advisor. Thrall strongly suspected the gladiator master was growing tired of his occupation.
Rehgar stepped into the room, though he wasn't alone. Next to him was a black haired human who looked like she would rather be anywhere else, her bow twitching rapidly.
"Warchief," Rehgar greeted roughly, "Do you have an answer for me?"
Right to the heart of the mattar then.
"If I do allow you to advise me," Thrall said, "it will be a harsh job."
"But it will pay well," Rehgar said. It wasn't a question.
"Yes."
"Then it's not the harshest thing I've done," Rehgar responded.
"Was there anything else?" Thrall asked.
"Yes," Rehgar switch to slightly stilted Common, "Warchief, this is Blake Belladonna. Blake, this is the Warchief of the Horde."
Thrall's eyebrows jumped up. Ruby had found Blake?
"Uh," Blake looked taken aback, "Hello, Warchief," she bowed slightly.
"Hello," Thrall greeted in return, "I must say, I didn't think the day would come where I would see you in Orgrimmar."
"You know me?" Blake sounded surprised. Had Ruby not talked to her about the Horde?
"Ruby learned from my mentor," Thrall said, "At my insistence. I should have dealt with the Warsong renegades sooner."
"Rehgar-?"
"No," Rehgar cut her off, "Drek'thar, who isn't here right now?" the last part tilted into a question.
"We're dealing with increased tensions with the dwarves," Thrall explained in Orcish before jumping back to Common, "Drek'thar has been a shaman longer than almost any orc, he had things he could teach that Rehgar couldn't. She spoke of you often."
That was an understatement. Blake never seemed to be far from his friend's mind, even when he was requesting for her and Bloodeye to clear out some threats around Orgrimmar.
"She did?" Blake seemed to inflate.
"Yes," Thrall said gently, "I assume that if you are here, Ruby has returned home?"
So long as Thrall was Warchief, Orgrimmar would always open its gates to those with nowhere to go. The Horde took in those outcast through no fault of their own, from the orcs to the Forsaken to the blood elves.
"She has," Rehgar said, "which is the another reason I'm here. It's Hallow's End."
Thrall blinked. It was? Ancestors, he had lost track of time. But why did that-?
Oh.
"I won't be able to make it," Thrall apologized, he normally tried to make a brief appearance, to wish Ruby well, if nothing else, "pass on my regards to Ruby?"
"Of course," Rehgar nodded, "just wanted to let you know she was back."
"Yes."
"The last reason I'm here is to formally inform you that she has passed her final test," Rehgar said, "and that I wish to have that recorded."
"I'll have Drek'thar do it when he returns," Thrall said, "Would you please leave? I have much to deal with."
"Right," Rehgar grunted, turning, "Come on, Blake. We'd best get back."
As the door shut, Thrall sighed. Back to the work, though…
Thrall grabbed his fountain pen, penning a quick letter to Drek'thar to be sent when he was done with the one to Tyrande.
It was going to be a long Hallow's End, he could tell.
---
Teron: Hey, Psycho!
Psycho: What, Teron?
Teron: You know how you were gonna wait for us to get to Shadowmoon before you confirmed it was me?
Psycho:Yea-
Teron: Nope.
Just because I'm a paranoidal son of a bitch, I want to stress that the pedestal Blake has put Ruby on is not the good thing.
On a lighter note, that Blizzards of the Coast pun hurt my soul.
The night elf was drunk, very drunk.
"Where are you gonna put him?" Crocbait asked as he pushed open the door.
"Couch," Rehgar said, "It's his turn anyways."
Rehgar didn't have enough beds to house all of them. Three had been enough before, but he supposed that if they would be staying in his house, he would have to get another room or two added. Hopefully Ruby would stop being tongue tied with Blake before he had to get yet another bed.
Oh spirits, he was getting attached again, wasn't he? He didn't want to get attached, he wanted to get rid of them as soon as he recouped his investment at Dire Maul.
"For what?"
Rehgar looked over at the kitchen at Ruby's question only to immediately groan, "Damnit, Sanguinar! How many times do I have to tell you to stop that!"
Valeera stared at him, before sliding down off the back and into the seat of the chair, "Sorry."
"What's the harm?" Ruby asked, "Bloodeye and I have put these chairs through hell and back. Her sitting on them differently isn't gonna do anything we didn't."
That wasn't why he was irate about it. First, there was the simple fact that he didn't know how Valeera got into the habit, and the second was that he didn't want her getting hurt.
He really was getting attached wasn't he? Why couldn't he have started getting wolves or something? Why was it slaves (and former slaves) that he seemed so determined to take in?
"Oh, fine," Rehgar sighed as he placed Broll on the couch, turning the night elf onto his side, "she can sit like that if she wants to. Playing Hearthstone?"
"Mhm," Ruby nodded, placing down a card. An illusionary pool of lava bubbled up and a hand reached into it. When the maimed hand came out, it was wrapped around the Doomhammer. Ruby tapped the card twice, and the hammer swung out, shattering one of Valeera's creatures and passing harmlessly through her head as the counter ticked down.
He should have gone into the card game business instead of blood sports, the owner of Blizzards of the Coast was probably filthy rich.
"Where's Blake?"
"My room, she's reading that Common to Orcish book you got me. Can we talk after this match is done?"
"For a bit," Rehgar said, "it's getting late. Big day tomorrow."
Ruby stared at him in confusion, before her eyes let up, "Oh, yeah!"
"Huh?" Valeera looked between them, "What's tomorrow?"
"A couple of things," Rehgar said, "I'll tell you in the morning."
Valeera puffed out her cheeks, sulking on her chair as her and Ruby continued their game.
Once Ruby had won easily, causing Valeera to sit in one of the living room chairs (properly this time) and stew, the two shaman stepped out of the house.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" Rehgar asked, "if it's about me springing the test on you, save it. There's no going back now."
"I'm not happy about that, but no," Ruby's eyes seemed to focus on one of the torches, which was almost dead, "I talked with Blood."
"I thought that wasn't working?"
"He showed up in Silithus," Ruby said, "just walked up, making dumb jokes about shaman talking to the dead."
"Sounds like him," Bloodeye had always been fond of corny jokes, "What did he say?"
"Why didn't you two talk to me about this gladiator team idea before you did it?"
"So he told you it wasn't my idea?"
"Yeah, but," Ruby's gaze on the torch broke, even as the flames roared back to life, "why didn't you tell me?" Ruby's voice had taken on a pleading edge, "Did you not care how I felt about it to ask before you ran off and bought a couple of slaves."
"I figured it better to ask your forgiveness than convince you about it," Rehgar said, "and I sure as hell thought it better to grab Valeera before she was bought by someone that had worse intentions. Besides, you and me? We know what it's like to be on that side of the lash."
Rehgar had never been sure if he had been born into slavery, or if he had been captured as a kid, or if his parent had sold him to the Gorian Empire, but his oldest memories were of being used as a training dummy for their young. He killed for the first time before he reached his victim's hip, by the time he had reached their chest, he killed half the ogre's he went against.
Then they sold him to the orc arenas where he stayed until something strange started to happen. Slowly, over the course of several weeks, the gladiators were taken from their cell with none returning.
When it had been his turn, several green skinned orcs were waiting for him and after checking him over, offered him two things that meant so many things. An blade and a drinking horn of green liquid, death and life, freedom and damnation.
He had taken the horn, drinking deeply from the demon's blood. Little had he known all he was doing was trading one yoke for another.
Rehgar had been one of the many orcs who sacked Stormwind, had fought in the bitter war of attrition in Khaz Modan, and slaughtered tens of men at Hillsbrad Foothills.
And when the Horde had been routed, he was forced into one of the internment camps, though he didn't stay there long. Instead, he was sold off to a human lord to be used as a gladiator, again.
"Bloodeye said the same thing, but that doesn't make it right," Ruby said, "it just makes us as bad as them."
Rehgar sighed, "I know. We had both agreed it would be a temporary thing. Bloodeye was sure they'd agree to stick around after seeing the money we make at Dire Maul. Even split five ways, it's a lot."
"And if they don't want to stay?"
"They can leave," Rehgar shrugged, "I've been trying to convince the Warchief to take me on as an advisor. If that happens, I won't need gladiators. I'll still sponsor 'em if they want to keep going, but it's their choice."
"..."
"Look, I know it's a shitty thing we're doing, but we can make the best of it. I need you to run up to Ashenvale before you head back south."
"Uh," Ruby looked taken aback by the sudden change of topic, "why?"
"Broll's curse is related to an idol I think is that way. Looks like a dragon, should be leaking Fel. Shouldn't be too hard to find, and I need it to break the curse."
In the meantime, he was going to have to get Broll to open up more about his daughter's death.
Why couldn't life be easy?
"If it helps them," Ruby bit her lip, "I'll go with Blake… and maybe one of the others?"
Rehgar looked at her, "You better not be thinking of doing something stupid, pup."
"No," Ruby sighed, "Crocbait's here willingly and I think Valeera's willing to stick around if it means she keeps getting money and warm food."
"She does seem to like it, doesn't she?" Valeera had cheerfully disappeared into Orgrimmar after he gave her cut to her, returning with her arms full of Hearthstone packs and candy.
Rehgar hadn't thought someone could eat enough surgery food to give Ruby a run for her money. Ah, spirits, Valeera was going to be bouncing off the walls about Hallow's End, wasn't she?
"She'd like it if you cooked pork less often."
"There's nothing wrong with pork!" Rehgar defended.
"You cook it several times a day," Ruby pointed out, "you can't blame her for wanting a little variety."
"Eh," Rehgar grunted noncommittally, "We should get to bed. We're probably not gonna sleep till it's November first."
Ruby giggled, "Yeah."
---
Weiss fiddled with the sheath keeping her new dagger on her hip. How did Jaune deal with it constantly bumping into him?
She wasn't sure why she had decided to grab a dagger before they left Honor Hold, but it seemed like the right thing to do.
Plenty of things can be done with a dagger. It might be impressive to rip the life from your opponent and use it to cast a ritual at high speeds, but it's also burning energy you could be using later, so just slitting their throat and using their blood to create the seal for the ritual is more practical.
"How long do you think it will take to get to Shattrath?" Yang asked Maan.
"At the rate we're moving? Two weeks, maybe more."
"Two weeks?"
I've waited twenty years for this, I can wait a couple of weeks. Still, it would probably be more effective if you summoned a Xorothian steed. We haven't worked on summoning though… I suppose we'll have to work on that when you make camp. Imps first, maybe that collection of them Gul'dan made.
Weiss shook her head again, trying to get rid of the vague murmurs.
Why ever would you want to do that? All I'm doing is helping you on the path to grea- oh, you. Run.
There was a noise like trumpeting in the distance, and Weiss turned with Yang and Maan.
"An elekk?" Maan asked, "what would an elekk be doing in Hellfire?"
"What's an Elekk?"
"They're big- nevermind we don't have time to worry about it. We need to contin-"
I said RUN, Weiss staggered, looking for the source of the voice.
Before they could, a large creature appeared between them. It looked similar to a goliath, though with a long trunk. It was covered in ornate white and gold armor with purple gems and, strangely, slightly transparent.
Someone jumped onto the ground, standing to his full height. He was of the same race as Maan, but with hooves instead of feet, wearing similar armor to the animal and he was similarly transparent. In his hand was a giant hammer that's head was seemingly made of the largest crystal she had ever seen.
Gorefiend, he said with a voice that seemed to echo as he stared at her and started walking forward, did you really think you could escape your punishment?
"Gorefiend?" Weiss said, drawing Myrtenaster, "I don't know what you're-"
Do not lie! he roared, swinging his hammer towards her. Halfway through, Yang stepped into the blow, grunting as her Aura rippled around the strike, You-
"I don't know what you're talking about," the blonde brawler said, "but if you want to hurt Weiss, you'll have to go through me."
Very well, he calmly raised a hand, then I shall!
An explosion of Light burned into existence, a second sun in the man's hand as he tried to bring it down on Yang.
Yang stepped to the side, deploying Ember Celica as she did and slammed her fist into the armor. The man grunted in pain, though the shot apparently went through him, if the explosions of red earth were any sign.
You can strike me? the smallest amount of surprise leaked into his voice.
Karsius, my friend, you brought yourself death by chasing me here. Thank you, it saves me the time to hunt you down myself later.
I am not your friend, monster! The man's eyes started to glow gold as he focussed on Weiss again, And the Light shall punish-
Yang hit him again, right where the kidney would be on a human. This had the unintended response of the shot striking Weiss full on. It didn't hurt as much as it should have, "Hey! I'm not-"
Idiot. Can't even watch what she's hitting.
Yang ducked under the sweeping attack by the hammer as Maan's hatchet flew through the man and his animal harmlessly. Weiss took the opportunity to move forward, driving Myrtenaster into a chink in his armor. It was odd, watching the blade go through him, but still clearly harm him.
Weiss yanked Myrtenaster from its place in the man's side, sending up a plain white glyph at her side as he span, his hammer burning with golden fire. The glyph shuddered with the blow and the golden fire rushed into the glyph, turning it the same color.
Oh? I knew those runic circles of yours could channel Fel quite well, but to take the Draenei's precious Light?
Weiss shifted the glyph, letting it glow with golden power, before pushing it out.
The man was sent flying backward as a golden blast of light crashed into him. He landed hard, rolling away and losing his grip on his hammer.
So you have learned new tricks, Gorefiend, the man pushed himself up, unfortunately for you, I have been fighting since before your race was even born!
As he finished his declaration, he flung his hands forward, sending two golden swords flying towards Weiss. The heiress threw up two more glyphs, the swords disappearing the minute they hit the glyphs.
The man charged at Weiss as he took up his hammer. Seconds before he reached her, a new glyph appeared around his waist, "I don't know-"
Gorefiend! The roar was accompanied by an explosion of light, sending Weiss flying back.
Karsius! I can't wait to see you consumed by the Fel, I've waited years for this. Up Weiss, up!
Weiss pushed herself up, glaring at Karsius. The man grabbed his hammer, attempting to swing it down in a heavy strike.
He only got halfway through before Yang came from the side and pushing Weiss back. The hammer hit Yang's head with an unholy crack, though she didn't flinch.
You...
"You hit pretty hard, buddy," Yang said, "like, definitely harder than I thought you would. But here's the thing, my Semblance? The more I get hit, the stronger I get, and you've been hitting pretty hard, so let's see what happens now, eh?"
Then Yang unleashed a haymaker, smashing the man back and against his mount as she leapt after him, hitting him several more times.
Maybe she does have her uses. But I want us to be the one's to end his pitiful existence, so…
"Yang, let me do it."
Yang stopped, one arm braced against his throat, "You sure?"
"Yes," Weiss walked towards them, tightening her grip on Myrtenaster, "I'll do it."
As Weiss reached him, she imagined her Aura coating the rapier blade, covering every inch.
You haven't won, Gorefiend.
I think you'll find that I have. You should of shown me the proper respect, but you didn't.
Weiss felt another glyph appear on the back of her hand, and copies along Myrtenaster. A glance down showed it to be the green one Grarm had used in the cave. Was that really only a couple of weeks ago? It felt like a lifetime.
He'll only destroy you, girl. Gorefiend doesn't care about you beyond a vessel for his rebir-
"Shut up," Weiss said shortly, imagining her Aura burning away. As she did, the glyphs glowed bright green and flames of the same color exploded to life on Myrtenaster's blade as another rush of euphoria raged into being in Weiss. A simple flourish, and Weiss ran the man through.
He roared in agony as the same flames seemed to spread through his body like a forest on fire, until he was nothing but a man shaped flame. Then he disappeared, as if he had never been there.
And while we're at it…
The glyph changed and the man's mount seemed to be dragged towards her, before it disappeared into a funnel that melded with Weiss's skin. After a moment, the rush faded, and instead Weiss staggered back in pain.
Mh… suppose that's still too much. I should probably…
Weiss felt herself fading out of consciousness, and the last thing she remembered was Yang turning her over and asking, "What's with her-?"
---
"So what's today?" Valeera asked loudly as she left the house with Rehgar, Crocbait and, strangely, Blake.
She wasn't complaining the black haired human was with them, mind you, but wasn't expecting it.
"Ruby's birthday and Hollow's End," Rehgar said simply.
"Still can't believe that," Blake muttered.
"What, that something was twisted enough to give Ruby the excuse to nearly triple the amount of sugar she eats?" Rehgar chuckled.
"Yeah. So we're-?"
"Buying her presents, food for it, and dropping off last minute invitations. Figured it'd be good to go as a group."
"And Hollow's End?" Valeera asked.
"We'll do that before the party," Rehgar said, "Ruby's probably gonna drag you all out to get costumes the moment we get home, so don't expect much rest today."
"Did she ever tell you about our Hallow's End at Beacon?" Blake asked.
Beacon?
"No, why?"
"Well, when it came time to go trick or treating, she kept acting like a brat. She didn't even put on a costume, just kept following behind us going 'it's my birthday!' at every house so we'd give her our candy," Blake said, a small affectionate smile on her lips.
"Really?" Valeera asked.
"Yeah. We got her back for it," Blake's smile twitched, "she was complaining that she didn't have a costume for the party and asking us to get her one."
"And you didn't?" Rehgar asked.
"No, we did. We stuck her in a trashcan."
Rehgar let out a bark of laughter, "I knew I liked you!"
"It was Yang's idea."
"Yang?" Valeera frowned, "who's Yang?"
Blake looked behind her, and Valeera was very glad she hadn't been looking anywhere that could have led to problems, "Ruby's sister, Yang."
Ruby had a sister? Valeera suddenly realized she knew very little about the woman. She knew Ruby had been a slave, that she played Hearthstone, was a shaman and loved sugary things (something Valeera was really happy about) but that was where her knowledge stopped.
"Where is she?"
"Don't worry about it," Rehgar said roughly, "she isn't here and you aren't likely to ever see her."
"Sorry," Crocbait interrupted, talking for the first time since they left the house, "Hallow's End? What's that?"
"Supposed to be a day of mourning," Rehgar said, "but then the Forsaken broke free and turned it into half that and half celebration, then the goblins got their paws on it and turned it into a big party. People dress up in costumes, hand out candy and play tricks on each other. I hate it."
Really? Looks like the undead had given them something good.
"You probably hate most holidays," Valeera responded, only to freeze as Rehgar looked back at her. Had she just pushed things too far?
"Actually," Rehgar drawled, "I happen to like Winter Veil. My problem with Hallow's End is that I'm normally busy getting things ready for Ruby's party and having to stop and chase off kids who think chucking those stupid exploding eggs at the house is funny makes it take longer."
"We'll be starting here," Rehgar dodged around a cart to enter a shop with a gun and bow crossed on the sign, "She'll need plenty of gunpowder for Crescent Rose's bullets, right?"
"Yeah," Blake said, "the most we could ever afford was six bullets."
"Crescent Rose?"
"Big unholy contraption she uses," Rehgar said, "like someone put a scythe together with one of those Alliance sniper rifle. I've never actually seen her use it though."
"Just ask her," Blake said as she examined a display case full of the newest goblin made pistols, "she loves that scythe more than anything."
Valeera saw Rehgar roll his eyes, and strained herself to hear what he whispered.
"Except she was willing to give it up to keep… Bah," Rehgar spat as he walked to the counter, changing to orcish to speak with the female tauren behind it.
---
Yang grunted as she carried Weiss into the cave, sliding the heiress off her back and flopping down across from her. Maan had remained outside, squatting down beside a boulder to keep watch.
"This better not become a thing," Yang said to her unconscious friend, "Your eyes turning red, then you pull some freaky new ability from nowhere and then you pass out. I mean, the red eyes is kinda my thing, so if you aren't willing to stop the other two, can you at least let me keep that?"
Yang was completely aware Weiss couldn't hear her, but needed to keep talking to not freak out about the circumstances.
"Did I ever tell you I was scared of ghosts when I was a kid?" Yang said, "like, completely terrified of them. I used to sneak into my dad's room if I saw a ghost movie. And that sucked, because Ruby loved them and I could never say no to her about it. What was I gonna do? Let her see her big sister be scared? Hey, what do you think her and Blake are doing?"
Yang focused on that, instead of the fact that they had just fought a freaking ghost.
"I bet Ruby's probably been running around Vale and Patch, trying to figure out why we disappeared. The authorities have to know we're missing by now, right?" Yang chuckled as an idea came across her, "Hey, do ya think they think we did some cheesy 'run off together and get married' thing? Oh! By the way, I was thinking, do you think there's any chance Blake and Ruby are around? Like, maybe at Shattrath?"
Yang sighed, leaning her head back, letting the cold stone wall sooth the spot where she had taken that hammer blow to the skull. It ached slightly, a testament to just how strong the guy was. He had hit her like a raging ursa major, instead of a normal, if buff, guy.
"So, who's Gorefiend?" Yang asked, "and why'd the big guy think you were him?"
Come to think of it, Weiss had never explained how she knew about Shadowmoon valley or why they going there.
"Just," Yang sighed, "just, please stay safe, ok? Until we find Ruby and Blake, you're all I have."
Yang closed her eyes, figuring there was no harm in dozing while she waited for Weiss to wake up.
It had started to get dark out by the time that happened. Weiss gave something between a moan and a groan as she pushed herself up. The red was fading from her eyes, almost completely gone from the right, but slower on the left.
"Yang?" She asked, "what happened? Last thing I remember, we were fighting…"
"You passed out, again."
Weiss hummed lowly, a pleasant sound, "Really?"
"Yeah," Yang said, "You did. I had to carry you again. You know, if you wanted a piggyback ride, you could just ask, princess."
Weiss chuckled weakly, "Sorry."
"Weiss," Yang asked, "are you alright?"
Weiss jolted slightly, looking completely bewildered, "Yes. Of course I am, why?"
"You're just… I don't know, first you do that thing with Biggs, then you're suddenly talking about going to Shadowmoon, then you do something to one of those orcs, and now this. I'm just worried about you."
"You shouldn't be," Weiss said, "I'm fine, in fact, I haven't felt this well in a long time. I'm not reliant on Dust anymore."
Weiss had said that with an almost smug satisfaction, a slightly mad smile on her face the wasn't helped by her eyes being two different colors.
"I…" Yang sighed, "Fine. Let's go talk to Maan, it's getting late."
Yang wasn't sure what was going on, but until she found an answer, there wasn't much she could do. And come hell or high water, she was finding an answer.
---
Blake leaned against the outer wall of the fifth store they had gone to, a seamstress, waiting for Rehgar to come out.
She had gotten Ruby's present a couple stores back, and it quickly got boring standing around as Rehgar tried to haggle at every shop, especially when you couldn't tell what was being said. It was quite a bit more interesting to watch the people of Orgrimmar go about their day
Which is probably why she was joined by Valeera. The blood elf was watching her intensely as she threw a slightly curved throwing knife into the air and caught it.
"What?" Blake finally asked. She didn't like being watched, it set her on edge. She had spent more of her life in the shadows than anywhere else now, between the White Fang, laying low at Beacon and the last six years of drifting.
That thought was actually kinda depressing.
"So, uh…" Valeera coughed, "So you and Ruby have known each other for awhile?"
"Yeah," Blake drew out the word slightly, confused by the question. Of course her and Ruby knew each other, "Why?"
"Just curious," Valeera said, "I've never had any girl friends," after a moment, Valeera's face blanched, "I mean, I haven't had any friends that are girls, not any, well, nevermind."
"Ok?" Blake said, resisting the urge to reach up and scratch next to her ear. What the heck?
"Anyways," Valeera said, "you mentioned something about, what was it, Beacon? Where's that?"
"It was an academy we went to when we were younger," Blake said, "It's where we met."
"Wait," Valeera's nose wrinkled, "you two went to some stuffy learning place?"
"Beacon wasn't like that," Blake said, "it was a school for learning to fight. We were on the same team."
"Team?"
"Mh," Blake nodded, "Yeah, Beacon divided the students into teams of four. Ruby, Yang, Weiss and me were Team RWBY, led by Ruby."
"Really?" Valeera had turned so she was leaning her shoulder on the wall, "Ruby was in charge? She doesn't seem like the type to lead."
"She's a fine leader," Blake defended her friend, "but she's never been one for the spotlight. Neither of us are."
It was why Blake had been content with spends the last few years going through the motions of living as guilt ate away at her. Probably why Ruby was content with staying with Rehgar as she tried to keep an ear to the ground about Blake.
It made Blake wish they were the type to make big waves, "a black haired woman wearing a bow' was an incredibly vague thing to go on.
"Huh," Valeera said, "she just seemed… I don't know, not mellow-"
Blake snorted. Ruby, mellow? While certainly more common than it had been before they had been separated, Ruby's calm seemed confined to when she was meditating. She still inhaled cookies, drank hot chocolate whenever the opportunity arose, was gleefully in the center of the fighting when the Silithid came, and was up and doing stuff while Blake was still happily asleep. Even this morning, she had woken to Ruby baking a new batch of cookies to fill the now empty jar. Then there was her increased tendency to burn or shock anything that drew her ire. And, if what Rehgar said was true (and Blake was willing to trust him on this), the fact that Ruby was apparently still trick or treating in her twenties, or at the very least, turned her birthday party into a costume party.
Blake had always viewed Ruby as the physical embodiment of purity, and had added sacrifice onto that over the years they had been apart. Made her into a borderline immaculate figure in her mind.
That Ruby had apparently made a deal with four literal embodiment of the elements and was determined to keep to it even as they sent her to a war that was rapidly becoming a meat grinder didn't help that image.
"-but she just doesn't seem like she'd be a stick-in-the-mud authority type."
Blake laughed, "What you just described is the opposite of Ruby's leading style. She'd drill all these different strategies she came up with into our heads, yeah, but otherwise she was kinda hands off. Wanted to be willing to fight for each other because we were friends."
"She was?"
"She was two years younger than everyone else and made leader without being asked her opinion on the matter," Blake said as she tucked a bit of hair behind her ear.
"Huh," Valeera repeated the noise, "what about you?
Blake raised an eyebrow, "What about me?"
"Do you have any other family?"
"Not anymore," not until they found a way back to Remnant, "it's just me and Ruby. We-"
"Alright," Rehgar marched out of the building, a package under one arm, "We have one place left to go."
---
Thrall sighed as he read the reports, feeling thrice his age as he continued further.
Over a thousand men dead over the last month, on his orders. And he would need to send even more if they had any hope to stop it, if they didn't, everyone under his rule would die.
The badge and the burden, as Ruby put it.
"Dat bad?" Vol'jin asked grimly.
"Yes," Thrall rubbed his eyes with one hand, feeling stress start to build, "I should compose a letter to High Priestess Whisperwind and Archdruid Staghelm."
"Dem?" Vol'jin scowled around his tusks. Fandral's attempts to silence his people had earned the druid Vol'jin's undying hatred, "Why?"
"There's tension between the Horde and Alliance forces at the front," Thrall said, "if we can form a united front, more from both sides can return home."
For every member of the Alliance guilty of crimes against the Horde who died down there, it would come at the cost of Thrall's people and those who were fine to live and let live. While Thrall was willing to defend his people to the last, he didn't wish to take it out on those who weren't guilty.
To do so would make him as bad as Blackmoore and Kagrim. Taratha hadn't done anything to deserve her execution, and Ruby nothing to deserve her slavery. He remembered the first meeting with the young shamaness. Her hair had been a cracked blond color, though it had eventually returned to its natural brown-red, and she had been almost dreadfully skinny.
He had felt so guilty over it. Those were supposed to be his people, they had been part of Grom's clan and they had enslaved a human out of petty spite.
Thrall sighed at the knock, "Yes?"
The Kor'kron stepped in, "Warchief! Rehgar Earthfury is here requesting an audience."
Speaking of Ruby…
"Send him in," Thall said, resigned. Rehgar had been pestering him about being taken on as an advisor. Thrall strongly suspected the gladiator master was growing tired of his occupation.
Rehgar stepped into the room, though he wasn't alone. Next to him was a black haired human who looked like she would rather be anywhere else, her bow twitching rapidly.
"Warchief," Rehgar greeted roughly, "Do you have an answer for me?"
Right to the heart of the mattar then.
"If I do allow you to advise me," Thrall said, "it will be a harsh job."
"But it will pay well," Rehgar said. It wasn't a question.
"Yes."
"Then it's not the harshest thing I've done," Rehgar responded.
"Was there anything else?" Thrall asked.
"Yes," Rehgar switch to slightly stilted Common, "Warchief, this is Blake Belladonna. Blake, this is the Warchief of the Horde."
Thrall's eyebrows jumped up. Ruby had found Blake?
"Uh," Blake looked taken aback, "Hello, Warchief," she bowed slightly.
"Hello," Thrall greeted in return, "I must say, I didn't think the day would come where I would see you in Orgrimmar."
"You know me?" Blake sounded surprised. Had Ruby not talked to her about the Horde?
"Ruby learned from my mentor," Thrall said, "At my insistence. I should have dealt with the Warsong renegades sooner."
"Rehgar-?"
"No," Rehgar cut her off, "Drek'thar, who isn't here right now?" the last part tilted into a question.
"We're dealing with increased tensions with the dwarves," Thrall explained in Orcish before jumping back to Common, "Drek'thar has been a shaman longer than almost any orc, he had things he could teach that Rehgar couldn't. She spoke of you often."
That was an understatement. Blake never seemed to be far from his friend's mind, even when he was requesting for her and Bloodeye to clear out some threats around Orgrimmar.
"She did?" Blake seemed to inflate.
"Yes," Thrall said gently, "I assume that if you are here, Ruby has returned home?"
So long as Thrall was Warchief, Orgrimmar would always open its gates to those with nowhere to go. The Horde took in those outcast through no fault of their own, from the orcs to the Forsaken to the blood elves.
"She has," Rehgar said, "which is the another reason I'm here. It's Hallow's End."
Thrall blinked. It was? Ancestors, he had lost track of time. But why did that-?
Oh.
"I won't be able to make it," Thrall apologized, he normally tried to make a brief appearance, to wish Ruby well, if nothing else, "pass on my regards to Ruby?"
"Of course," Rehgar nodded, "just wanted to let you know she was back."
"Yes."
"The last reason I'm here is to formally inform you that she has passed her final test," Rehgar said, "and that I wish to have that recorded."
"I'll have Drek'thar do it when he returns," Thrall said, "Would you please leave? I have much to deal with."
"Right," Rehgar grunted, turning, "Come on, Blake. We'd best get back."
As the door shut, Thrall sighed. Back to the work, though…
Thrall grabbed his fountain pen, penning a quick letter to Drek'thar to be sent when he was done with the one to Tyrande.
It was going to be a long Hallow's End, he could tell.
---
Teron: Hey, Psycho!
Psycho: What, Teron?
Teron: You know how you were gonna wait for us to get to Shadowmoon before you confirmed it was me?
Psycho:Yea-
Teron: Nope.
Just because I'm a paranoidal son of a bitch, I want to stress that the pedestal Blake has put Ruby on is not the good thing.
On a lighter note, that Blizzards of the Coast pun hurt my soul.
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