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sekhisadventures · 3 months

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The Avatar of Y’shaarj

The Ruins of Thaldraszus, a Timeline That’ll Really Drive You Insane

Thaldraszus had once been a lush and imposing mountain range, home to the dragon city of Valdrakken and the Algethar Academy among other highlights… now it was a starcursed hellscape. Everywhere across the mountains great rents were torn in the world, the power of Y’shaarj erupting forth from them and spawning his monstrous sha minions, the landscape blighted and leeched of life and energy to feed the dark god’s hunger.

Valdrakken was the worst of it however, what was the capital of the Isles was firmly under control of Y’shaarj’s avatar. Stumbling blindly through the streets, locked in the throes of their darkest emotions and urges, were the former citizens of the city. Their bodies once showed the colors of their flights. Brilliantly scarlet ruby drakonoids, deep shining azure scales of the blues, the glossy sandy bronzes, the glorious emerald of the greens, and the deep inky black dragonflight… all of them were a swirl of white on black now, cursed by the power of the Old God.

A few miles out from the city, in a small hidden cave, were some of the survivors of the Old God’s return… seated in the cave, around a campfire, were several figures.

Malgum of the man’ari, the huge muscular demonic eredar sharpening one of his axes after using it to cleave several of the sha to pieces.

Jeemjazo Redmane, the former pirate eating what little food they could scavenge that hadn’t been blighted.

Finally, Leza, flipping through her spellbook as she tried not to think about all that had occurred.

Seated with them was one that they had all assumed was dead… and as it had turned out, may well be… at least in their timeline.

Galdia Grimaxe sat cross legged next to the fire, looking very grim indeed. Give her a foe she could cut, stab, or stomp and she would charge in with a bellow of ‘lok’tar ogar,’ but… this was different.

Suddenly Leza’s head snapped up, her fur standing on end. “Uh… g-guys? I feel something!” she yipped, her eyes going wide as she scrambled to her feet and drew her wand.

Malgum snarled and leapt to his hooves as well, readying his own weapons as Jeemjazo quickly scarfed down the last of his food and stood, pulling his pistol from his belt. Galdia rose as well, narrowing her eyes as she unsheathed her sword…

Then suddenly there was a swirl of sand and bronze magic, and in a burst of light the cave was full of people!

Galdia relaxed, sheathing her blade again. “About fuckin’ time!” she snapped, though she grinned when she said it.

Standing there were several figures. Nelen Fullmoon, Jaie Swiftpaw, Laura Brightflame, Nitika Dawnhoof, Grimo Blamstick, Edwood Vargas, Samantha Montebank, and Sekhi along with the dragon Chromie, still in her gnomish visage form.

“Ah, good… took us a bit to track you down, but we got there in the end.” nodded Nelen as he saw Galdia standing there.

“Hold up a moment there matey…” said Edwood, noticing who else was there. “Jeemjazo? Malgum? What’re ye doin’ together in this timeline? Where are we?” he asked.

Sekhi whined, hear ears flicking. “Guys, something sounds really wrong here… I think this is th’ Dragon Isles but…” she began, then she looked over and saw her sister.

Leza’s had dropped her wand, the vulpera girl’s chest heaving as her eyes filled with tears. “Ah… ahn…” she gasped through clenched teeth, then she shouted, “SEKHI!” and raced forward at her, throwing her arms around her sister and hugging her so tight that the shaman almost had to push her away just so she could breathe!

“L-Leza?! Whats wrong?!” she gasped, trying to pry the apprentice mage’s arms loose, but Leza seemed determined to hold on tightly to her.

Jeemjazo snorted, tucking his pistol back away. “… tch, would ye like a bloody list Sekhi?” he asked.

Nelen saw this, then glanced at the entrance to the cave and walked over, peering out as his jaw fell open. “What in all the…” he whispered as Nitika and Sam joined him, the two sharing a grim look.

“Yeah, we could feel that as soon as we arrived…” whispered the void elf, nodding as the tentacles in her hair twitched in agitation.

“My shoulders won’t stop hurting all of a sudden, and only one thing does that…” nodded the taureness.

Floating above the ruined and corrupted city of Valdrakken were seven massive eyes. Five of them were acidic yellow with vertical slits for pupils, the other two glowed a deep bloody scarlet.

“What happened here?” asked Nelen, turning back to look at the group.

“Isn’t it obvious Fullmoon?!” came a voice from the depths of the cave as footsteps approached them, then a new figure walked into view and a cry of alarm came from the newcomers.

Standing there was a night elf woman, but one with swirling green tattoos and balls of feelfire where her eyes should be, a pair of fel-infused knuckle-dusters slipped over her hands.

“You fucked up.” snapped Gremori Autumnleaves.

Malgum shook his head, “She could phrase it different, but when you all went to fight Dissonantia… you did not return. From our end the portal shattered, and we waited several days, but you never came back. We assumed you all dead.”

“Dunno if our versions of you died or not, but all I wanted to do was have some fun with Cenoon ‘n Az’arad after all that… then Dissonantia yanked them back and… well… eh, you tell ‘em Malgum.” snorted the felsworn.

“It was Gremori who told us what had happened. Dissonantia had been using the souls she gathered and a hidden extractor in a corner of the Shadowlands to make anima to fuel her immortal state… but when she discovered that Aartox had told me the secrets of her defenses, she became desperate…” explained the man’ari.

Malgum explained the situation to them as best he could. About a month after their disappearance, Dissonantia had appeared on Azeroth, but not as they remembered her.

The Witch of Blackwald Forest had emerged at first in the Zalarek Cavern, near Abberus. Rather than a warlock though, she had become some sort of sha-monstrosity. She easily overwhelmed and corrupted the garrison the dragonflights had left there, then commandeered the font of Shadowflame beneath the Isles for her own ends.

Using it with her own warlock powers she was able to drag forth scores of demons from the Twisting Nether, then force Y’shaarj’s corruption upon them, driving them mad and bending them to her will. When her army of sha-corrupted demons was complete they exploded forth from within the Dragon Isles, swarming the land and all before them.

The Azure Span was taken by complete surprise and overwhelmed within the day, the Ohn’ahran Plains held out longer thanks to the Centaurs' skill in combat but they were simply outnumbered. Bel’ameth, the new city in the boughs of Amirdrassil was holding on, but only barely. Thaldraszus held on the longest, but even with their aspectral powers returned the avatar of an Old God was a deadly foe. Only Nozdormu and Merithra escaped, the others staying to hold them back as long as they could.

The city fell, but the fate of the remaining four aspects was unknown. Either Dissonantia killed them… or… well, they hoped that she killed them.

Lastly, the Waking Shore was under siege, the only region without direct access to Zalarek Cavern, forcing Dissonantia’s forces to travel overland. The Alliance and Horde were there fighting tooth and claw to hold them back and reclaim the Isles… but it was not going well.

"When Valdrakken fell, we scattered to the hills... those of us who could flee the isles did so, but Dissonantia used her powers to seal off most of the ways out. Portals will no longer function, nor will hearthstones." he nodded.

"Yeah... I'm just here because I wanna get Cenoon and Az'arad back. I quit the second she drank that corrupted anima. I didn't sign up for any void shit." added Gremori.

The others listened in horror to Malgum’s recounting of the events of this timeline, Sekhi’s ears drooping… and then she looked at Leza. “W-wait… sis… Ma ‘n Da ‘n th’ twins… they were in Valdrakken when we went ta fight her…” she whispered, “T-they… they went back ta Orgrimmar, right?” she asked.

Leza looked at her, the girl’s expression unreadable for a moment, then her eyes filled with tears and she gritted her teeth. Her jaw moved, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak.

Malgum however, shook his head. “When Dissonantia returned, she made a special point of moving against your allies. I am sorry small one…”

Sekhi’s eyes widened in horror. Her family in this timeline, all save for her sister… gone. Dissonantia was a sadist, she would not have simply killed them. She would have ensured they suffered for their connection to her. “N-no… but… w-we stopped her! Grimo used his big zappa gun ‘n blew her up!” she insisted, shaking her head.

“Not this time…” sighed Galdia, walking past her. “We never came back. Dunno if Grimo didn’t find it or if the fall killed him… but yeah. This time around, Dissonantia won.”

“Too bleedin’ right I did!” cackled a voice, echoing through the cavern. The entire group started, looking around frantically. They all knew that voice, that arrogant laughter.

“Dissonantia…” growled Nelen, shifting into his worgen form as the others readied for battle. In a swirl of magic Laura became Laurelgosa once more as the others drew their weapons, but their foe was nowhere to be seen.

“I strangled that mag’har bitch wiv me bare claws back in th’ void, but then she turned up here! Stank of bronze dragon crap it did!” sneered Dissonantia’s voice. “I knew if I waited more of yez woulda shown up! Pity Dareley ‘n Shalandrae ain’t here, they screamed th’ best… but, eh, at least I get th’ fun o’ killin yez again!”

“Show yourself witch!” shouted Laurelgosa, “Stop hiding and face us!”

Dissonantia’s laugh echoed around the cave, “Hidin’? Ye bleedin’ git! I ain’t hidin’! I’M TH’ AVATAR O’ AN OLD GOD! I’m th’ whole Island now!” she cackled. “I’ve known where yez have been hidin’ this entire time! I just wanted ta let yez think ye’d escaped, its funner that way…”

Suddenly the walls of the cave split open and the group let out cries of revulsion and shock as the stones parted to reveal eyes all along the walls, staring straight at them. “Got a special surprise fer yez too…” she sneered… then from outside came a tremendous roar and a crash.

The group raced outside, eager to get away from THAT, to find a massive black drake waiting for them! Its eyes glowed pure white, tears of inky blackness running down it’s cheeks, and tendrils of shadow snaked along it’s body.

Nitika gasped, recognizing the horns and face of the drake. “Iridikron!” she shouted.

“That’s right! Try freein’ him from THIS Dawnhoof!” snapped Dissonantia. “KILL ‘EM!” she commanded, and Iridikron cackled madly, tossing his head as he focused on the group before them.

“You… yoooooou…” he hissed, “We waited… we waited and waited and waited… and you faiiiiiled…” he growled, “YOU LET HER TAKE ME BACK!” he snarled in despair, then the ground around him erupted with blackness and several rents of shadow exploded out of the soil, a swarm of sha clawing their way to the surface!

The group braced themselves, Malgum looking towards Chromie. “You! Dragon! You brought them here, take them back, NOW! We will hold these horrors at bay as long as we can!” he shouted.

Nelen stared at him, “Malgum! Wait! We can…”

“YOU CAN DO NOTHING FULLMOON!” retorted the man’ari. “This is not a foe you can defeat! Flee back to your own timeline!”

Jeemjazo nodded at him, “Malgum is right matey… yer already sunk in our time...” he replied, drawing his cutlass and axe.

Leza whimpered, then pulled out her wand and spellbook and with a wordless cry she blasted a fireball towards the sha, blowing one to pieces as she began to channel another.

“Leza…” whimpered Sekhi, seeing her sister shooting blaze after blaze into the horde with reckless abandon, the mage’s eyes wild as her tail thrashed.

“S-sekhi… go…” she bit back a sob, her eyes watering, “I… at least I got ta see ya, one last time, before Dissonantia got bored…” she smiled at her sadly.

Gremori snarled, then leapt into the air and came crashing down into the midst of them in her demon form, tearing a sha apart with her bare hands before lashing out with her felfire at the nearby ones.

Chromie whined, but she knew that Malgum was right. This wasn’t their timeline, it wasn’t their fight to win. She gave one last look towards the nightmare that Valdrakken had become, then drew her staff and started to focus on it.

“Oh? No yez don’t!” snarled Dissonantia, and the air around them darkened.

Chromie gasped, gripping the staff tighter as the sha raised their arms, chanting in shath’yar. “No! Guys! The sha are trying to block me from opening the timeways! I-I’m trying, but…” she gritted her teeth, sweat beading on her forehead, but the power of the void had always been a problem for the Bronze Dragons. Even Nozdormu had a horrible time seeing when their presence was near.

The others nodded, then the members of Avalon and Savage Untied drew their weapons, “Focus on the Sha!” shouted Nelen as they began to lash out at the horrors, trying to weaken their numbers enough to allow Chromie to open their escape route.

Ahead of them Malgum and Gremori slammed headlong into Iridikron’s corrupted form, the black drake roaring in madness and pain as he clawed at them, tendrils of darkness lashing out from his body. “FAILED US! YOU FAILED ALL OF US! THE WITCH RETURNED AND DOOMED US ALL!” he roared.

Laurelgosa hissed and belched out a blast of flames at the sha, then hesitated. Every sha they took down, two more rose from the ground to take their place… the Dragon Isles had become worse than even Pandaria at the height of the war. The sha just kept coming!

“No… we cannot kill them. We need something else… we need to stop them…” she looked around, then saw Chromie, sand swirling around her form… and her eyes widened, “… stop them…” she whispered, then she closed her eyes and focused.

“I am an evoker… my power is the power of all dragonflights…” she hissed to herself, spreading her wings. Suddenly, Chromie eeped as she felt a tingle through her form, the dragon’s eyes flicking to Laurelgosa.

Dracthyr are unique creatures. They have the power of all dragonflights, to a lesser degree… but what if they could do more in the right circumstances? What if they could borrow the power of a true dragon?

“Get ready Chromie!” shouted Laurelgosa, then she leapt into the air and sand swirled around her form as the air around her seemed to distort, time becoming a malleable thing for the dracthyr. She took a deep breath, then with a roar an eruption of sand and magic blasted forth from her maw into the encroaching horrors!

“Wots this? OI!” snarled Dissonantia’s voice as the sand blasted across their foes, Malgum and Gremori stumbling to a halt and looking around as, all around them, the sha were frozen fast! Sand dripped off their forms! The shadowy monsters weren't just paralyzed, time had completely stopped for them! Even Iridikron was stuck, the corrupted drake petrified in the motion of slamming his claw down upon Malgum.

Chromie gasped, the sha’s interference gone in an instant, “I-I have it! EVERYONE! COME HERE QUICK!” she called out as the adventurers raced towards the dragon. As they got there Sekhi hesitated, turning back towards Leza and Jeemjazo.

The two looked at her sadly, and Leza shook her head. She wanted to, but time only had space for one of her… “Keep our family safe sis…” she whispered.

Sekhi whined, ears folding back, and she gave a firm nod to Leza, “I will! I promise!” she yipped as Chromie slammed her staff down. With a woosh of temporal energy and a furious scream from Dissonantia, the group disappeared from reality… a moment later Laurelgosa’s time stop ended, and the sha exploded into action.

They fought bravely, but… the battle had already been lost. All they could do was make it cost as much as they could for Dissonantia.

Dalaran, a few seconds later, or a day or two depending on how you look at it

With a burst of temporal energy the group appeared on Krasus’ Landing in a heap, slowly picking themselves up. “Did we…” gasped Nelen.

A moment later Galdia snarled as she was slammed to the ground, then laughed as she realized it was Nightpelt, the undead worg pinning her down and licking frantically over it’s partner’s face.

“AUGH! Thrall’s balls that breath… down Nightpelt!” she smirked, shoving him off her as she sat up, “Yeah, we’re back.”

“ ‘ey! Wot da fook happened?!” shouted a familiar voice as Mola’raum jogged up the stairs to the landing, followed by Shalandrae, Dareley, and the rest of their friends. “We saw ya crash inta dat dragon, den ya all go BOOM, den ya suddenly back?” he asked, shrugging his shoulders.

“Long story Mola…” sighed Nitika, standing up and dusting herself off.

Nelen looked towards Chromie, “So… what about Nyloc?” he asked her.

Chromie shook her head, “I can’t sense him now. He must’ve hidden himself while we were busy. But we’ll find him again. As soon as he uses the moment, I’ll know.”

Nelen sighed, “Right, well, he’s our problem now too… and you did help us in any case. When the time comes, let us know.” he nodded firmly.

Chromie gave him a nod in return, “Yup!” she smiled.

“So…” began Galdia, “Bar?” she smirked.

Zhan-min grinned at her as he caught up, “Heard someone say bar!” he laughed, “I’m all for that. I could use a drink after whatever th’ fel all that was!”

Sekhi however got up and began walking back to the portal to Orgrimmar.

“Sekhi?” asked Nitika, reaching out for her.

“Mm… you guys go ahead… Imma head back home for now… not feelin’ so good.” she chittered.

The tauren nodded, giving her an understanding smile, “Yeah… I get it, go ahead. I’ll fill you in on anything important later.”

Sekhi smiled back at her, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes, “Thanks…” she replied.

The vulpera padded back through the city to the portal, then with a woosh she stepped through to Orgrimmar, her feet carrying her through the city to the Valley of Honor… and a ring of vulpera wagons.

She stopped as she got there, looking towards them.

Infront of one was a vulpera woman busying themselves with a large pot of stew, enough to feed an entire family of the fox-folk, and next to her watching a pair of young kits was a male vulpera that could only have been her mate. Next to them was a young vulpera girl who looked very much like Sekhi, reading a book as she absentmindedly adjusted her glasses.

The woman looked up as her ear flicked, then she smiled, “Hey everyone. Sekhi is home!” yipped Risala, Sekhi’s mother.

Leza looked up and grinned, her tail wagging, “Hey sis!” called out the apprentice mage, closing her book as her father, Atu, waved to her.

The twins, Zato and Eeda, stopped chasing each other long enough to run up to her shouting ‘biggest sis! Biggest sis!’ and race around her in a circle before darting back to the campfire, giggling all the way.

Sekhi smiled at them… her family, but in the other timeline they were all gone now. Dissonantia likely killed Leza after they made their escape.

She walked over to them, then sat down next to Leza on the log she was using as a chair, the mage cocking her head at her sister.

“Ya okay?” she asked. Normally Sekhi would chatter away about whatever was on her mind. If she was being quiet that usually wasn’t a good sign.

Sekhi looked at her, then sniffled and pulled Leza into a tight hug as her younger sister yipped in surprise, looking around. “Uhhh, Sekhi? Did somethin’ happen?” asked Leza, glancing at her parents.

Sekhi considered telling them, then shook her head, “N-no… not really… not technically… just… glad ta be home is all.” replied the shaman.

Atu and Risala glanced at each other, then shrugged as Zato and Eeda looked up at their sister. They could tell something was wrong, and a moment later both of the small twin vulpera latched onto her legs through her skirt, hugging into her.

Sekhi rubbed her eyes, then smiled and reached down, stroking their heads as the twins looked up at her and smiled at their sister.

She had seen the End Time, the fate of Azeroth if the Cataclysm had been completed, but today she saw her own personal end time. The fate of her family if Dissonantia had returned and exacted her vengeance against those who had helped her enemies. In this time they had been victorious, but it was a sobering reminder of what had been at stake.

#warcraft roleplay #warcraft fanfiction #adventures in azeroth #world of warcraft #dragonflight #original characters

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sekhisadventures · 3 months

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Suffer a Witch to Un-live

Drustvar, a Timeline Step to the Right

Herrick Roscoe had been part of the local militia for a while now, mostly helping to keep wild animals at bay and deal with the odd spate of banditry. In this timeline Drustvar was relatively peaceful, the isle of Kul’Tiras ruled over by Admiral Daelin Proudmoore after he returned from sea.

The smart money was that one day the admiral's daughter, Jaina, would inherit his position… but that day was a ways off yet.

Still, while he’d heard rumors of witchcraft and heard the tales of such all through his childhood… he’d never expected to see the real thing. But what was in the back of the cart gave him no illusions that those were true. How else could a dead man walk? He was a witch, or his name was mud.

Witch or not however, Herrick’s day was about to get a lot worse.

As he turned the corner he slowed, pulling the reins a bit as a man in resplendent robes walked infront of him. A mage of Dalaran maybe? The robes weren’t any style he recognized, but then he didn’t travel much. Mostly he just saw the occasional tidesage on business in town.

“Oi! Clear the road. We’ve got a witch being taken to judgement at Waycrest Manor!” he called out.

The magus smirked, “Bit hard to take someone to judgement with no horses though, isn’t it?” he asked, his voice definitely carrying the hint of a Dalaranian accent, but with some subtle undertones that suggested Gilnean too…

“Wot? Wot’re ye on about? I’ve got two stallions right here!” he gestured to the horses.

Nelen grinned, “Not for bloody long!” he snarled, and then his body swelled as Herrick let out a cry of terror, the magus transforming from a man into a massive wolf-monster!

“WITCHCRAFT!” shrieked Herrick as the horses snorted and stamped their feet, their eyes going wide at the sudden sight of something clearly a predator before them!

“Something like that…” growled Nelen, then he leaned back, took a deep breath, and roared as loud as he could!

The horses were already scared by him in his worgen form. The roar however reached right into their instincts, found the lever marked ‘fight or flight,’ and slammed it to flight so hard it broke off! They reared and made to bolt… then went two inches before they stopped dead!

The horses strained as the driver looked back, then screamed in terror as he saw a gigantic cow-like beast holding onto the cage by the bars! Its muscles were straining, their hooves digging into the cobbles, but it was stronger than the horses! The cart couldn’t move!

“SEKHI! NOW!” shouted Nelen as he dove out of the horses' way.

The bushes rustled and Sekhi burst out of them, playing a loud piping tune on her flute as the sky rumbled, then lightning slammed down through the braces holding the horses to the cart.

A lightning strike and a loud snarling monster, the horses were done with this! The moment the braces came loose they let out a terrified whinny and raced off into the woods, their hooves crashing down against the dirt road as they frothed at the mouth, focused only on putting distance between themselves and whatever the hell all that was!

Henrick jumped down, looked around, recognized where he was, and made to run to the nearest village to rouse the guard! The witch they caught wasn’t alone, their allies had come for him! He had to alert Lord and Lady Waycrest, he had to get away, he had to… eat some grass?

Henrick looked around, suddenly much shorter and covered in a soft white coat of wool. “… baaaah?” he said in confusion, then instinct took over and he bit down on a nearby dandelion, chewing away. It was actually quite tasty to him right now.

Nelen resumed his human form with a sigh, “Alright Sam, coast is clear!” he called.

Samantha emerged from her hiding spot and walked over to the cart, getting out her lockpicks from her pouch. “Gimme five minutes and Ed is home free.” she grinned, picking a file and a hook and getting to work.

Ahead and behind them Laurelgosa and Jaie stood watch as the rest worked to free their ally, Grimo staying up in a tree with his gun ready to snipe out anyone who came too close. Nitika had warned him to fire warning shots only unless he HAD to, but the goblin figured he could pass off a few ‘well it wouldn’t have worked on him.’

Ed blinked slowly, looking up, then grinned, “Oh, its ye lot. Thought that sounded like Nelen roarin’.” he chuckled, “Took yer sweet time aye? Thought me goose was cooked, literally.”

Sam nodded, “Mmm, yeah… well, shit got weird on us. Now pipe down, this lock is more complex than I thought…” she muttered, twisting the picks this way and that, listening carefully for the telltale click of a tumbler locking into place.

“Aye, they make ‘em tricky so ‘witches’ can’t magick ‘em open.” he nodded, “Good luck. I’ll just, sit here while ye sort it out.”

Sam frowned, twisting it again, then said, “Nelen he’s right, this might take me a bit…” in a warning tone.

Suddenly there was a pop and Henrick the Cart Driver was on his hands and knees with a mouthful of greenery and a confused expression. He spit it out, looked around, then gasped. “WITCHCR- baaah?” he shouted, turning into a bleat as he became a sheep once again.

“Well I can't keep transforming him. That takes a lot of energy…” explained the worgen, motes of arcane light dancing around his fingers from casting the polymorph spell again.

Sam frowned, twisting the lockpick again, then grimacing as she heard a tumbler pop loose from where she’d pushed it. “Shit… Nelen just focus on him, I need to pay attention to what I’m doing…” she insisted.

As she did however Nitika walked over and looked at the door. “Sam, could you step back for a moment?” she asked.

Sam frowned, then stood away from the door as Nitika gripped the bars on it near the hinges, then the bars on the cart itself, and wrenched with all her inborn tauren strength. Nitika was no warrior, she couldn’t hope to be a good a melee fighter as Galdia was, but she was a tauren and tauren were big and STRONG no matter what they were! With a loud squeal of metal the door burst free, the hinges snapping in half!

Sam rolled her eyes at her, “… showoff…” she grumbled, then walked inside and did the manacles holding Edwood in place. Those ones were just normal ones, the main goal was to keep the witch in their cage.

Ed stood up and nodded to her, rubbing his boney wrists, “Much obliged ladies.” he grinned toothily, walking out of the cart and snapping his fingers as Guzzle appeared on his shoulder.

“So what happened? How did they catch you?” asked Nelen, then he sighed as he heard a terrified whimper, “Dammit, hang on!” he turned, but Nitika walked past him towards the cart driver.

Henrick stumbled back, the tauren looming over him, as he swore their eyes suddenly changed color… and then…

… he remembered what had really happened. As he was taking the witch to judgement four grizzly bears had burst out of the forest. They had broken the horses free and smashed the cart apart, then tore the witch limb from limb before they could even get off a single curse. Henrick had been fortunate that the bears had decided the witch an easier meal, allowing him to escape to town unscathed.

The cart driver stumbled off down the path to town, his eyes still glowing purple until he was out of sight.

Nelen looked at her, “You could have done that the whole time?” he asked Nitika with a raised eyebrow.

She shrugged, “Sunny doesn’t like it when I do that, but if I hadn’t he would have told the entire town about us first chance he got. At least now we don’t have to worry about an angry mob.” replied Darkhoof.

Chromie walked out of her hiding space, frowning a bit, “Yeaaaaah, that’s a bit… yeah… but at least it didn’t hurt him.” nodded the dragon. She didn’t like seeing the void used to solve problems, but sometimes you had to go with what worked.

She drew her staff out, then began to focus on it, then frowned and focused harder. “Uh… huh… guys? I can’t see your orc friend. Something about where she wound up is… different…” she pouted, “I can find the path there, but it’ll take me a little bit. Do any of you know a good place to hide out around here?” she asked.

Edwood nodded, “Aye, grew up in these woods. Follow me.” he nodded, waving for the others.

A Hidden Hollow, Sometime Later

The group was seated around a campfire that Jaie had gotten going, Chromie sitting nearby with a small hourglass floating before her as she focused on it, trying to get a lock on Galdia’s current timeline. Their hiding spot was well out in the woods, the trees carved with names of various couples, though the newest carving was almost a decade old.

“Used ta come out here fer a snog back in th’ days when I still drew breath.” chuckled the Forsaken. “Hasn’t been used fer a while in this time looks like, probably longer where we’re from. From what I could find out, Gorak Tul never started his mischief in this Drustvar… Infact, quite a bit is different.” he sighed, his expression going melancholy.

Nelen looked at him as he drank some conjured water from his waterskin, “Different how Ed?” he asked, “Last one we went to was a Wandering Isle where Jaie never became a monk, what happened here?” he asked.

Edwood sighed, “ ‘s what didn’t happen matey. I had ta sneak into a bookstore ‘n nick one o’ th’ history tomes, but I found out…” he nodded.

Nelen frowned at him, Ed quickly adding, “I left money on th’ bleedin’ counter! Point is… this timeline is different. No Scourge.” he explained, then he pulled out the book in question and opened it up.

When Arthas Menethil went to Northrend in pursuit of Mal’ganis, he had come across the mournblade, Frostmourne. A trap set by Zovaal to steal his soul and make him the first of his minions on Azeroth. Arthas was severely weakened when he was in Northrend. When he culled Stratholme, he had a crisis of faith that caused him to lose his connection to the Light. He had gone from a Paladin of the Holy Light to an angry man with a large hammer. He needed a weapon that could fight the dreadlord, and the mournblade promised that.

It was a poisoned chalice though. The moment he picked it up, his fate was sealed. He went from trying to defeat the Scourge to leading it…

However, this time it had gone differently.

“When Arthas found Frostmourne that day, Muradin Bronzebeard was with ‘im. Th’ book says that th’ ice around Frostmourne shattered, one o’ th’ spikes impaling Muradin ‘n mortally woundin’ him.” explained Edwood. “Arthas saw ‘im layin’ there ‘n realized if he could just reconnect to th’ Light, he could save him… in our time he took up Frostmourne instead. This time however…”

… in this timeline, Arthas had rejected Frostmourne’s whispers. He reached for the Light, pleading for it to forgive him for Stratholme and to help him save his friend, and the Light had returned to him. He healed Muradin, and together they destroyed the mournblade before he returned to his forces a paladin in truth. He led a desperate charge against Mal’ganis and his minions, and empowered by the Light once more he was able to defeat the dreadlord. It was a desperate fight and many lives were lost, but he survived and ended the threat of the Scourge on Azeroth.

“… ‘n now ‘e’s King Arthas of Lordaeron, but th’ difference is he bloody earned th’ crown.” he nodded, holding up the book, “This is a copy o’ his memoirs o’ th’ war. When he came back as a paladin King Tirenas said that he was ready ta take his place ‘n stepped down, passin’ th’ throne ta his son.”

Nelen nodded, then paused, “Wait… if he never led the Scourge then…” he trailed off.

“Aye… that’s how I got caught…” admitted Edwood a bit sheepishly.

Drustvar, The Previous Day, Near a Small Village

Edwood slipped through the woods at nighttime, the Forsaken man thinking on what he'd read in the book. He just had to know, if Arthas never became a Death Knight, then he never became a Forsaken, which would only mean…

He peered around a building in the gloom, and there it was… just as he’d always imagined it.

A large pub stood there, music coming from the entrance and the windows blazing with life and light as the smell of fresh cooked food and ale wafted from the door, the constant hubbub of chatter audible even outside the tavern.

He looked up at the sign, feeling a pang in his unbeating heart. “Th’ Dunked Witch…” he chuckled sadly. He didn’t even need to ask who the owner was, he could guess his name quite easily.

Inside the bar, at the counter, stood Edwood Vargas. He was a tall Kul’Tirian man, solidly built with a flourishing mustache, wearing a leather apron over his tunic and trousers. Magic had been a good thing to learn, and damn if it wasn’t useful for lighting the hearth and the torches, but alchemy was his passion back in Dalaran and he put it to work in quite the interesting way. Namely getting his friends and neighbors so shitface drunk they couldn’t remember their own names.

Seated across from him at the bar was Nelen Fullmoon, now one of the instructors in Dalaran. He was older now, his hair sporting grey streaks through it, but still every bit as sharp as Ed remembered. He always stopped by on his days off to visit his old friend, the two of them damn near brothers.

Nelen took a pull from Edwood’s latest cocktail, tasting fresh apples with a woodsy aftertaste, the magus exhaling a breath scented with alcohol after he did. “Not bad Ed, what do you call this one?” he asked him.

“Apple Harvest Delight! Can’t make it when they’re not fresh sadly, but th’ others love it this time o’ year.” grinned the living Edwood.

Nelen laughed, “Another job well done man, and another of those, please.” he nodded, passing the empty mug to him.

“Comin’ right up matey!” he smiled, happy that his friend approved of his latest creation as he turned to the taps.

Outside Edwood sighed wistfully, it was everything he’d dreamed of… and nothing this version of him could have. Nobody living would buy ale from a Forsaken, except Galdia maybe, and if he turned up in Drustvar he’d be run out by an angry mob…

… wait… he was in Drustvar.

“Oh bugger.” he winced as he heard a sudden gasp nearby.

He looked over and saw a young couple staring in his direction. In the gloom it was hard to make him out, but he was clearly very unwell, and now that he was looking at them they could see his glowing green eyes.

“By th’ depths what is that?!” shouted a young girl, taking a step back.

“He looks… sick… no, DEAD! He’s some sort of unliving monster… WITCH!” her boyfriend screamed the last word at the top of his lungs. “HELP! GUARDS! GUARDS! A WITCH IS HERE! HELP!”

Inside the inn the chatter suddenly stopped, then the sounds of running feet came from inside as the living version of Edwood, this timeline’s Nelen, and a half-dozen of the town militiamen burst out, looked around, and saw him.

“TIDES BELOW! What th’ feck is wrong with him!” shouted the living version of Edwood.

“He’s undead! I don’t know if he’s a witch or not, but we need to deal with him right away!” snarled Nelen as he channeled arcane energy into his hands.

“Woah woah! Matey wait! I can explain!” protested the undead Edwood, but they were having none of it. The guards had all drawn steel and Nelen was preparing a blast of arcane energy aimed right at him!

Edwood bit back a curse, then turned and ran as fast as his unliving flesh could move him… but it wasn’t fast enough. He made it a bit into the forest, then suddenly a tree branch snapped above him with a burst of arcane light and with a loud cry he found himself pinned under it!

“Good shot Fullmoon!” called one of the guards.

“Aye matey! Well fired!” nodded the living version of Edwood.

“We’ll take it from here you two. This one is going straight to Waycrest Manor to stand trial for witchcraft!” said one of the guardsmen as they slapped a pair of sturdy manacles on Edwood’s boney wrists, “Ed, you’d better get back to the bar before your patrons decide its happy hour.” he chuckled.

“Too right, c’mon Fullmoon! Spell slingin’ like that deserves something special!” he laughed, slapping Nelen’s back as the two went back to the bar.

Present Day

Edwood sighed, “I just wanted ta see it once, yanno? Always had th’ dream o’ openin’ me own bar… but… well… back home they might at least send me back ta Orgrimmar with a sharp note fer th’ council dependin’ on who catches me, but here th’ only undead they know is th’ Scourge.”

Nelen nodded, looking troubled that Ed’s capture was caused by a version of himself. “… and the Scourge never came to Kul’Tiras so most civilians would just assume witchcraft.”

Edwood nodded, “Aye.” he frowned, “Ah well… no point cryin’ over spilled humanity.” he shrugged, “Oi, Chromie. We have a headin’ yet?” he asked.

“I’m getting close Ed…” replied the gnome, focusing on the hourglass, “But… something about this timeline is really weird. Maybe another hour…” she nodded.

Jaie raised her eyebrow, “Huh, I wonder where Galdia wound up?”

Sam shrugged, “Search me Jaie, maybe she’s back on Draenor somehow.” she chuckled.

Meanwhile, in Another Timeline…

Galdia snarled and tore up the hill as, behind her, came a swarm of horrific shadowy monsters. Her blade was already stained with the ichor of several, but there were more and more every moment!

“This way Galdia! Quickly!” came a deep masculine voice. A moment later a red and black blur shot infront of the encroaching mob and with a loud roar Malgum brought his axes down into the first one to reach him, then twisted and slashed out with both, cleaving it’s friends in half.

Ahead of them a loud bang came from the bushes as Jeemjazo shot his pistol, blowing the head of one of the monsters apart. “Almost there matey! Go for th’ cave!” he called.

Galdia frowned, she wanted to turn and face her foes… but warsong or not she knew when she was outnumbered. It was hard to believe that THIS was Thaldraszus of all places!

It was anyways.

Valdrakken had fallen, the spires of the city covered in tendrils of inky black and white, and floating over the city were seven massive eyeballs. Five yellow ones, and two a deep bloody red.

A laugh came echoing across the valley, “Yez can run, but yez can’t hide forever Grimaxe!” came an all too familiar voice, “Be a good girl ‘n ol’ Auntie Dissonantia will make it fast!”

In this timeline Avalon and Savage United had invaded Dissonantia’s lair… but had never returned. Nobody knew their fate, save for the new ruler of the Dragon Isles.

Dissonantia, the former Witch of Blackwald Forest, now the Avatar of Y’shaarj.

#warcraft roleplay #warcraft fanfiction #adventures in azeroth #world of warcraft #dragonflight #original characters

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sekhisadventures · 3 months

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Pandaren Paradox

The Wandering Isle, a Timeline Jump to the Left

The others looked over Jaie in shock. It was their friend, but… her hair was different, and rather than her usual traveling outfit that she’d gotten in Boralus she wore the tunic and trousers of a farmhand, wielding a shovel instead of her spear. Her body seemed heavier too, less muscle and more of the ‘pandaren pudge’ as it were.

Finally, Sam snapped her fingers. “I get it. Guys, calm down. This is Jaie… just… not OUR Jaie.” she nodded.

The others paused, then slowly relaxed as realization dawned.

“Oh of course, different timeline, but not that different.” agreed Nelen.

“Her song is different, but th’ base of it’s th’ same.” giggled Sekhi.

“Fuckin’ time travel…” grunted Grimo as he holstered his rifle and took out a fresh cigar to calm his nerves. He hadn’t liked seeing the End Time either.

“Uh… ‘scuse me?” asked ‘Jaie’ as she cocked her head at the group, “You wanna explain what you’re talking about? What do you mean I’m not ‘your’ Jaie?”

The group glanced between themselves, and finally Nelen was chosen as, being a mage, he’d be the most knowledgeable about it other than Chromie herself. “Okay, so… this may sound crazy… but… has anyone new shown up on the Wandering Isle recently who… well… looks a lot like you but with shorter hair, carrying a spear?” he asked.

‘Jaie’ raised her eyebrow, “Oh, you’re looking for the nutjob.” she grunted, “Welp, good, I’m getting kinda sick of having them hanging around… but well… my parents insisted.” she shrugged, turning and waving for the group to follow. “I dunno what the fel you’re talking about, but if it gets her outta here I’m fine with that.” she nodded firmly.

The group followed along behind her, but Sam smirked and made a little ‘aha’ sound at what this Jaie had said.

In this timeline Jaie clearly was not a monk, she was a farmer… which would imply that she didn’t become a monk for some reason.

The pandaren led them through the farmland to a small house near the fields, then opened the door, “Hey Mom! Dad! Found someone lookin’ for that crazy pandaren claiming to be me!”

As they stopped at the door Nelen paused, “Wait… ‘dad?’ But…” he started, then he realized what was going on as Sam smirked in confirmation.

The Jaie they knew was seated next to a cooking pit, and near her was a large pandaren man. He had white and black fur and short cropped black hair with a single streak of white in his bangs. “Ah! She said someone would come after her.” he chuckled, getting to his feet… or rather, his foot. He stood with the help of a cane, one of his legs gone below the knee and replaced with a stylized wooden prosthetic. “I’m not so sure I believe what she’s saying about ‘timelines’ and suchlike… but… if she is right, then I feel I ought to thank you all for looking out for… well… a daughter of mine.” he chuckled, then bowed. “Shi-won Swiftpaw, by the way.”

An hour later

It was a pandaren tradition to make sure that no guests left without a full belly, but a group of their size was never going to fit inside the small farmhouse, so a picnic had been arranged outside. A large quilt had been spread out and food had been piled onto it. Steamed dumplings, eggrolls, a huge tureen of soup, and the like all prepared for their unusual guests.

“So, wait…” began Jaie the Farmer, “You are seriously telling me that she’s been telling the truth?! This girl is… me?! But… from a different… timeline?” she asked, her eyebrow raised as she looked across the faces of the assembled members of Avalon and Savage United.

Nelen nodded as he bit into a pork bun, eagerly swallowing down the spiced meat and dumpling. “Mmmph, yes. I understand it can be difficult to believe, but in our timeline you became a monk and left the Wandering Isle for Stormwind City, then joined up with myself and my allies upon your arrival.” he explained.

Jaie, the monk, nodded, “Yeah, I get it… I wouldn’t have believed it either if it were me… well, I guess, it was me… but… sorta… I mean… um…” she blinked, “Why do I taste copper?” she asked, cocking her head.

Chromie shook her head as she helped herself to an eggroll, “Don’t think about it too hard. Trust me.” Some of them had wanted to go after their next ally right away, but Chromie had used her powers several times in a row with little rest now. Even a dragon needed to recharge.

Jaie, the farmer, frowned, “… and the reason I did that was because…” she glanced towards Shi-won as he scooped up some soup into his mouth.

“Heh, yeah she told us. That was a close one for me… but, looks like another me had a LOT closer…” he chuckled.

When Jaie was a child, the virmen had swarmed at harvest time. The ravenous rabbit-like creatures had attacked the fields of the Wandering Isle as the farmers had attempted to bring in the harvest… at dire cost to Shi-Won’s life. While he attempted to hold them back a virmen had pounced at him and closed it’s massive teeth, strong enough to bite a tree in half, around his throat.

… at least, in their timeline the virmen had.

“… yeah, if my buddy Yong-Ho hadn’t grabbed me and pulled me outta the way at the last second I guess I woulda wound up losing something a lot more important!” he grinned, “But I came out pretty good, knock on wood.” he smirked, rapping his knuckles against his prosthetic leg.

Jaie, the farmer, rolled her eyes and smirked. It was likely far from the first time she’d heard him make that joke.

Sam nodded, having some soup herself, “Yeah, that makes sense. Jaie told us the reason she became a monk was because she wanted revenge against the virmen for what they did to her version of you.” commented the void elf before putting the bowl to her lips and slurping up a helping of the broth.

Jaie, the monk, sighed. “That was why at first Sam…” she frowned as she felt the disappointed gaze of Shi-won, her mother Xinyi, and… herself… on her. Becoming a martial artist was a sacred thing to the pandaren, you didn’t do it for such reasons. “I was a cub and I’d just lost my father! I was devastated! The monks got my head back together though, it was obvious really fast I needed a better reason.” she nodded firmly.

Shi-won’s expression softened as Xinyi smiled, sitting next to her husband and placing her paw on his, “That I can understand. I would certainly have felt the same at losing my dear Shi-won…” smiled Jaie’s mother.

Jaie, the monk, nodded, “You did… that was part of why.” she winced a bit at the memory. Her mother had put on a brave face, trying to spare her daughter further pain, but kids know when their parents are hurting and she and Shi-won had loved each other deeply regardless of which version. His loss had been a dagger to her mother’s heart.

Jaie, the farmer, chuckled, “Yeah, guess I can get that too. Maybe I should take a few lessons from Shang-Xi Temple. Those virmen can be a real menace.”

Shi-won chuckled at that, “Wouldn’t say no to the other farmhands having some help keeping both their hands.” he grinned. After losing his leg his days in the field were over, but he’d wound up becoming the manager of the mill instead. It turned out that he had a real head for figures and they’d staved off a couple famines that had happened in their timeline with his knowledge of farming and preservation techniques.

“So… I heard a bit from her, but I wanna hear it straight from you guys.” he smirked, leaning in, “Tell me about what that version of my girl got up to in your Azeroth.” grinned Shi-won.

The group looked between themselves, then Nelen swallowed the last of his bun and… “Well…” he began.

They told them of how she had joined up when they traveled to Pandaria for the first time and helped out Chen Stormstout and Li-Li at the Brewery in the Valley of Four Winds…

“HAH! Old Chen is still out there eh? I knew that stubborn ol’ monk was still kickin’!” laughed Shi-won, grinning and jabbing a thumb at his chest, “I was one of his drinking buddies before he left the Isle!”

Jaie, the farmer, smirked, “Dad… any pandaren who can drink is one of Chen’s ‘drinking buddies.’”

Shi-won smirked and folded his arms over his chest, “Point still stands…”

The told him of the Legion’s invasion and Argus, and how Jaie stood with them against the Legion on their homeworld.

“Your version of my Jaie was involved in THAT?!” gasped Xinyi, her eyes wide. “I… sorry, just imagining that is a bit much…”

Jaie, the monk, nodded, “A bit much is right… I almost didn’t make it out of that, but Nitika there was able to heal me after I took a nasty wound…” she gestured to the taureness, then held her bangs out of the way and spread her fur to show an old scar where a chunk of rock from the corrupted world had slashed open her forehead when an infernal had landed too close to her. The blow had concussed her and she had a gut wound as well, but both Nitika and Dareley had managed to mend her broken body and keep her alive long enough to regain consciousness once they found shelter.

Xinyi let out a pained whine as Shi-won whistled, his eyebrows going high. “Woaaaaah… don’t get scars like THAT from farming…” whispered Jaie, the farmer.

How Jaie had saved Shalandrae from the destruction of Teldrassil, flying into the burning city of Darnassus to drag the adrenaline-mad Night Elf out and back to Stormwind in spite of her panic and fear.

Shi-won fell silent, nodding slowly, “That… was bad yeah… Shen-zin Su was passing near Kalimdor during all that, so we could actually see Teldrassil when… yeah…” he shook his head sadly.

The rest of the group nodded. Beyond a few details, this timeline hadn’t diverged much it seemed. Sylvannas still fell sway to Zovaal’s mad plot, costing the kal’dorei their home and many of their people along with it.

Then Samantha decided to focus on something happier and told them all about how Jaie supported her and the rest of their team. How she’d helped her after her own transition (staying vague as to what exactly Jaie had helped her with other than ‘some serious personal issues.’)

“Yeah, I was terrified when it all came out, I’m not gonna lie… but Jaie just… yeah…” she blushed, idly twining one of Annulus’ tendrils around her fingertip. “Jaie has always been there for me ever since… and that helps, a lot.”

It was awkward for Sam to admit such things, having been so used to hiding her feelings… though a lot more awkward when Jaie stood up, walked over, and wrapped both her strong furry arms around the rogue, pulling her tight into her with a grin. “Bear hug!” laughed the pandaren monk.

“ACK! JAIE!” shouted Sam, “C’mon! Knock it off!” she fussed, flailing her arms.

Then suddenly another furry pair of arms wrapped around her from the other side as Jaie, the farmer, did likewise. “Double bear hug!” she smirked.

“HEY! NO! STOP! CHROMIE WON’T THIS CAUSE A PARADOX OR SOMETHING?!” she shouted, trying to squirm free as the others laughed at the scene.

Chromie giggled, kicking her legs as she almost fell over with bemusement, “N-no, paradoxes don’t work that way. If they did anything from another timeline would blow a hole in the planet.” laughed the dragon.

Finally, Nelen told them all about their current home in Stormwind of Avalon House and how Jaie had commandeered the kitchen and cold cellar as her territory, taking on cooking duties for their entire team.

“Oh you make those there too?” smiled Xinyi widely, “Those noodles are a Pandaren New Year tradition, my mother taught me and her mother taught her, all the way back from when the Wandering Isle was first settled.”

“Well they were delicious Xinyi.” smiled the worgen mage, “There wasn’t a single bit left after last Winter’s Veil. We just couldn’t stop ourselves.”

The pandaren woman chuckled, “Well its good to know my daughter can hold her own against monsters, but I’m very happy to know she remembers the most important parts of being a pandaren.” she teased.

“Speaking of… we should probably be going now. We’ve still got two of our allies to track down.” nodded the mage. The food was all but gone now, and their stories were told. The group helped Xinyi and Shi-won clear the dishes and clean up, then they all gathered outside their home, Jaie (the monk) joining her companions.

“It was good meeting you.” smiled Shi-won, “… and good to know that even if I wasn’t around, Jaie wouldn’t be alone.” he added, putting his arm around his daughter’s shoulder. “Monk or farmer, she’ll always be my sweet little dumpling to me.” he chuckled.

“DAD!” shouted both Jaie, the pandaren girls’ faces going from black and white to black and red as he laughed loudly, his belly shaking.

“Oh by the Celestials I swear…” whined Jaie, the monk, “Chromie…” she fussed as the dragon giggled, then slammed her staff down and in a woosh of temporal energy they all vanished from the timeline.

The pandaren family stood for a moment, looking at where they’d been. “Wow, crazy how much one day can change a person…” nodded Shi-won.

“Heh, yeah… sure is…” chuckled Jaie, the farmer.

“Hey Jaie!” called a voice from behind them. The pandaren girl turned, then she smiled widely as another pandaren girl the same age as her walked up the path. This one was wearing fine silks and holding a barrel of fresh ale under her arm.

“Xhu!” she called out in delight, running over to her and wrapping her arms around the girl’s shoulders as they returned the hug one armed, Jaie kissing their cheek. “Oh man you are NOT going to believe the day I’ve had…”

Xhu Pai, the heir to the brewing house on the isle, grinned at her, “Well I gotta deliver this to the inn. You can tell me all about it while we sample dad’s goods.” she nodded, then bowed to Shi-won and Xinyi, “Mr and Ms Swiftpaw.” she smiled.

The two bowed back, “Good afternoon Xhu Pai. Yes we just had dinner but I think Jaie could certainly do with a drink and your company.” smiled Jaie’s mother, “You two have a lovely time.”

The pandaren girls grinned, then walked off towards the inn hand in hand as Shi-won and Xinyi watched them go.

“Pity we ain’t getting any grandkids there…” chuckled Shi-won.

Xinyi smirked and smacked his arm playfully, “My daughter is happy, that’s all I care about you silly old bear.”

Shi-won smirked back, “Yeah, that is the important bit.” he shrugged.

A Deep Dark Forest

With a swirl of sand and magic, the group arrived in a dark and gloomy place. All around them were twisted trees with long grasping branches and deep thick roots that popped up out of the dirt and threatened to trip the unwary, a single path of cobblestones leading off into the distance.

“Huh…” murmured Nelen, “Unless I’m mistaken, we’re in Drustvar.” he commented, recognizing the landscape from the few times he’d traveled there with his allies.

As they stood however the sound of hoofbeats and the juttering of carriage wheels came from up the path. “Uh oh…” he gasped, glancing back at the members of the Horde with them. Laurelgosa might be okay, they might not recognize her right away… but if the Horde existed in this timeline Grimo, Nitika, and Sekhi would be immediate targets!

Sam was quick however, “Back against the trees, stay close!” she shouted, then she focused as Annulus’ tendrils swirled, and a moment later they were all invisible. “Don’t move or talk… I can’t keep this up for long…” she whispered.

The group held in place as a carriage rode past, pulled by two horses… but rather than a fancy carriage of a nobleman or a coach for transporting paying passengers or goods… it was a cage, and in the back shackled to the bars was a familiar looking man!

He was seemingly unconscious, or perhaps just had given up fighting, but sitting there was the warlock Edwood Vargas!

Nelen grimaced as the cart drew out of their range, then he summoned his staff and started after it! “Everyone! We have to catch up to it, now!” he called back. “That was a witch hunter’s cart, Edwood told me about them. Drustvarians are crazy when it comes to witchcraft, he’s going to be burned at the stake!”

#warcraft roleplay #warcraft fanfiction #adventures in azeroth #world of warcraft #dragonflight #original characters

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sekhisadventures · 3 months

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Sins of the Father

The End Time of Azeroth

The members of Savage United and Avalon made their way across the desert that was once known as the Dragonblight, past the wrecked shrines of the various flights. They encountered no resistance, no foes, because in this timeline there were none left.

In this time, Azeroth had finally come to the end of its wars… because a war had been won in such a way to leave nothing left to fight over. No birds could be heard flying overhead, no creatures hid in the snow, there was nothing alive left on the planet save for them. Five adventurers and Chromie… and the person at their goal.

Sand crunched under their feet (or hooves, in Nitika’s case) as the ruins of Wyrmrest Temple drew closer, the group feeling the heat even now from the volcanic fluids of the dragon impaled upon it. Even in death, Deathwing’s molten blood was enough to make the air shimmer around the tower in a heat haze.

Nelen and Chromie led the group. Nelen had been here before during the Cataclysm, so he knew what to expect, and Chromie was able to sense their ally’s timeline so she knew where to go.

Samantha and Grimo were next in line. The goblin already held his rifle ready, and Sam’s hands rested on the hilts of her daggers. They believed Nelen when he said that the group he’d been with had dealt with what few maddened survivors they had encountered in this time… but that didn’t necessarily mean they’d found all of them.

Finally Nitika and Sekhi. The tauren stuck close to her diminutive friend to encourage her onwards, and it was not easy. Sekhi could hear what remained of Azeroth’s song, the echo of the world’s final moments, and it was affecting the shamaness badly.

In their timeline Avalon and Savage United had stayed behind to defend Wyrmrest Temple from the Twilight’s Hammer so they hadn’t been present for it, but they all could hear Deathwing’s cry of rage and despair when he was defeated by the defenders of Azeroth, even half the world away.

In this one however, that cry had never gone out. Maybe he had managed to destroy the airship pursuing him, maybe he had killed one of the Aspects before their power could be fully brought to bear… maybe Thrall had simply missed… but whatever the reason, the Alliance and Horde had failed.

Deathwing had completed his dread task and destroyed the world, allowing the Old Gods to escape their prisons… but killing Azeroth in the process. There was no sign of them here. Annulus had confirmed she could not sense the presence of any beings like N’zoth on this world. Perhaps, with nothing left to claim, the Old Gods had simply returned to the Void and abandoned Azeroth’s corpse to its fate.

Finally, the group reached the base of the tower… and saw their goal.

Seated there, using a random stone as a chair, was Laura Brightflame. She was in her visage form, appearing as an elven woman with small horns and tiny spots of white scales, with pink and white hair and pink eyes, gazing up at the spires of Wyrmrest with a look of deep sadness. She didn’t even seem to notice they had arrived.

“Laura!” called out Nelen, but she didn’t respond, or even move. Her gaze on the ruined corpse of Deathwing.

“Is… is she alright?” asked Nitika, stepping forward. “She doesn’t look injured…”

Sekhi whined, shaking her head, “No… she ain’t. Her song is really upset…” chittered the vulpera, clutching her flute in her hands. It was always a thing of comfort for her, her flute. Her main connection to the elements, the instrument she’d had the night she became a shaman.

The various members of the group looked at each other, then Samantha nodded as the tendrils in her hair twitched. Without a word, the void elf walked forward towards the dracthyr, moving almost silently across the dunes as she did.

She took a seat next to Laura on the rock, looking up at Deathwing’s remains with her, and for a long moment neither of them spoke.

Finally, Samantha nodded, “Its hard, isn’t it… having to see proof that your dad is a monster.” she asked.

Laura didn’t reply at first, then slowly she nodded, “… yes, Samantha. It is.” she whispered. “They told us when we arrived in Orgrimmar of what he had done, of the Cataclysm… but… actually seeing him like this…” she took a deep breath, “I thought, after I regained my memories and after everything on the Isles I was past this… but…” she looked back up.

Sam nodded in understanding, “Yeah… still hurts.” she replied, rubbing at the elbow joint of her right arm, where the needle marks were from one of Danaforth’s attempts to ‘fix’ his heir. To undo the Curse of Azshara’s Folly, regardless of how badly it hurt them.

The scale may have been different, perhaps Danaforth’s intentions could be argued as ‘good’ and ‘trying to help,’ but it didn’t change how badly it had hurt the elf growing up.

Laura let out a sad chuckle, her eyes watering a bit. “It is... very unnerving seeing him like this. This is not the Neltharion I remembered. He changed so much... the metal, the... I can feel what he did to himself, what his Old Gods did to him. Even when he called upon them to stop Raszageth he was not this far gone, even when he imprisoned us..." she paused, taking a breath to steady herself, "and...”

Samantha nodded, not saying anything, but sliding her hand over to take Laura’s in her’s, giving it a gentle squeeze. After a moment the dracthyr squeezed back.

"The most infuriating part... all this makes me feel..." she took a deep breath, "We were imprisoned for twenty thousand years… and seeing this makes me feel as if my people were… were…” she took a deep breath, trying to find the appropriate word in common, “… LUCKY…” she all but spat the word, “… to have been trapped there! Because we did not have to be party to THIS!” she pointed to Deathwing’s corpse for emphasis. “Because if we had not… we would have likely all wound up like Sarkareth, maddened and corrupted by the Void…” she sighed, glancing at Samantha. “… er…”

Sam laughed softly, “No, I get it. Worked out for me, but Annulus is no Old God.” she nodded with a smirk.

Laura chuckled a bit herself, then her shoulders shook as she bit back a sob, looking down. “It was all simply blind fortune. Had he not sealed us away, we would have shared his fate… part of me almost wants to believe that Neltharion, the dragon he was, knew this could happen and did it to protect us… but I know, I know, that was not the case…”

She gave a small sad laugh again, her eyes watering, “… and now… I feel as if I should thank him for imprisoning us, because we were safe from his madness…” she looked up at her, a strange expression on her face, half torn between despair and incredulity, “How… absurd, yes?”

Samantha nodded, sliding an arm around Laura’s shoulders and pulling the dracthyr into her, “Absurd is a good word for it, yeah.” she replied.

After another long moment of silence the two glanced up at the sound of footsteps across the ruined field to see the others approaching.

“Ah… Nelen, everyone… apologies, I did not wish for you all to have to see me in such a state.” nodded the dracthyr, wiping her eyes and standing as she forced her emotions back under control. She was a soldier after all, she had to learn how to do so to survive on a battlefield.

“Laura, no… its alright.” replied Nelen, “I understand, I’ve seen this before myself. It wasn’t easy for me either. Maybe not for the same reason, but… yes.” he nodded.

She gave him a small smile, then glanced down at Chromie. “Chromazdormu… You must be how they found me. What of the others who were following with me?” Laura asked the gnome-shaped dragon.

“You’re the first we found. The others are still out there.” she replied, glancing at the temple herself. This wasn’t exactly comfortable for her either being a dragon, but she was dealing with it. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen something horrible in the timeways.

Laura took a deep breath and shook herself, then snapped her legs together and clasped her hands behind her back, “RIGHT! Well, we should not keep them waiting then. Whenever you are ready, I am prepared to take my leave of this place.”

Chromie nodded in agreement, eager to leave this timeline as well, and summoned her staff as she channeled the power of the Bronze into it, sand swirling around them as she opened the path to the timeways once more.

Sam stood near Laura as Chromie cast her spell, then whispered, “When this is all over, what do you say we meet up back in Dalaran, get some drinks, and talk about how much dads can suck?” she smirked.

Laura chuckled a bit, “I may take you up on that Samantha…” she replied… and then Chromie slammed her staff into the sands and a moment later the world was just as dead and empty as it always was, seven sets of footprints the only hint that anyone living had been there at all.

Inside the temple lay the bodies of those who had fallen there that day including two worgen, a dwarf, a night elf, an orc, a goblin, a tauren, and a troll. In this timeline their adventures had ended abruptly, when Deathwing shattered the world and the resulting blast of elemental chaos scoured Azeroth clean of all life, from the mightiest dragons down to the tiniest insects.

But happily, that timeline was not the only one. The future can be good or bad, but in the end our actions decide which it shall be. In their timeline the heroes had succeeded, Deathwing had been slain, and the world had been saved, but the heroes had also gotten a very sobering look at what would have happened should they have failed.

The Oceans of Azeroth

The group appeared in a burst of bronze magic, the sands slowly dissipating around them as they looked around. Nelen, Sam, Nitika, and Grimo prepared for a fight, Sekhi and Laura still a bit too shaken by their last stop… then slowly they lowered their arms and weapons as they looked around. “Wait… I know this place too!” gasped Nelen.

All around them were lush farmlands, a few paper kites flying in the breeze. The smell of the sea, of wet fresh soil, and of green growing things filled their nostrils as, in the distance, the sun shone down on a tall tower standing in the center of where they’d landed. A distant splash drew their attention, and they all turned to see a flipper the size of a mountain raise slowly out of the ocean, then lower back down as the clouds moved slowly past above them.

“This is the Wandering Isle…” he nodded in certainty.

“Yeah, I mean…” agreed Sam, “I’ve never been here, but it looks exactly like what Jaie described! This must be where she wound up!”

“Hm? Jaie?” came a familiar voice. The group turned at the sound, then paused in confusion.

Standing there was a very familiar pandaren woman with white and black fur, wearing a loose white cotton top and a pair of baggy trousers. She had long black hair tied back into a ponytail with a streak of white in her bangs, and balanced over her shoulders was a farmer’s spade. A single long stem of grass was sticking out of one corner of her mouth. “You looking for me?” she asked, “I mean... I’m the only Jaie on the island.” she smirked, “Who’re you?”

#warcraft roleplay #warcraft fanfiction #adventures in azeroth #world of warcraft #dragonflight #original characters

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sekhisadventures · 3 months

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Adventurers in Time

Somewhen… Else.

Nelen groaned softly, the mage laying flat on his face on a hard surface… Slowly he lifted himself up, fumbled around and found his glasses, and put them on. “… feel like I’ve done this before.” he muttered.

“Nelen!” called a voice next to him. The magus sat up to see Samantha and Nitika sitting there, the two of them looking bruised but none the worse for wear.

“Are you alright? Your injuries didn’t seem serious, but I didn’t want to risk moving you until you woke up.” asked the tauren Seeress, looking him over.

“Yeah… I’m good… just sore…” he grunted, getting to his feet as he walked over. “Where’s Sekhi and Grimo?” he asked.

“Over there. Our ‘client’ is explaining the situation to Grimo, and Sekhi just likes how her song sounds.” smirked the void elf, pointing across the way.

Nelen blinked slowly, then looked around as his eyes went wide, finally waking up enough to take in where they were. A massive floating platform in the middle of an endless field of clouds. All around them were trails of swirling motes of sand, and around the platform were several large gateways. Straining his ears, he could hear a faint ticking sound, as if there was a massive clock hidden just out of view.

“Where on Azeroth…” he muttered.

“That’s just it Nelen, we’re not.” explained Nitika, “Sort of… this is the Temporal Conflux. It’s the plane of Time essentially, and the Bronze Dragons use it to travel back and forth through eras. When that Nightborne fled the Infinite Dragon he was working with broke in and used it to escape.”

The mage nodded, “Hmm… well, can we pursue him?” he asked.

“Ehhh, that’s kinda the thing Fullmoon…” came a gruff voice as Grimo walked back over to them, followed by Sekhi and the strange gnome girl who had come to their aid in Dalaran. “We got other problems first.”

“Yeah… um… sorry I couldn’t introduce myself, it all happened so fast!” explained the gnome. “My name is Chromazdormu.” she nodded, then smiled, “Call me ‘Chromie,’ please, and… well… before we could get in here, your friends tried to follow us… and… Nyloc’s escape portal wasn’t big enough to handle everyone.” she winced, grinning apologetically, “I tried to warn them, but stopping in midair is REALLY hard and… well…” she trailed off, waving a hand as she did.

Nitika nodded, “From what I remember, right before we went through Jaie, Laurelgosa, Ed, and Galdia crashed into us, and they’re not here…” she explained.

Nelen gazed out around them, then it clicked. He was a mage, he knew a bit about such matters after all. “Don’t tell me… the crash threw them to other time periods?!” he asked in a shocked tone.

“Not… exactly.” explained Chromie. “From what I could feel, they’re all in the right time. Same year, same day, same everything… but… not… your timeline. They got scattered to the other potential Azeroths that exist.” she nodded apologetically.

“Yeah.” grunted Grimo, stomping forward. “Don’t care if yer a dragon or not, that’s a damn PROBLEM for me!” he snarled, taking his cigar out and pointing it at her. “Three of the ones that got scattered are my employees toots! We’re getting them back, right here, right now, because I’m sure as SHIT not going to have to try to find new hires to replace ‘em!” he snapped, then a massive tauren hand closed around his head. Grimo could almost feel the purple eyes on his back. “… because we’re sure as SHIT not leaving our friends to whatever timelines that chucked ‘em into!” he corrected immediately, and the hand released him.

Nelen nodded, “I agree, we can’t just leave them to their fate… but… first I have to ask. What the fel was that all about?! Why did he attack us? Why are you after him?” he asked Chromie.

Chromie sighed, “Yeah, I shoulda explained this before, but I was hoping we could grab him before he got away. He’s a Chronomancer named Nyloc Athel. He was working with the rest of my flight to repair the damage to the Temporal Conflux’s entrance on the Dragon Isles… but… well, he wanted us to tell him the secrets of our flight, and we wouldn’t do that. Some stuff mortals just, yanno, shouldn’t mess with.” she nodded.

Then the dragon glanced away and sighed, “Well, when Morchie and her buddies started causing trouble, Nyloc offered to help them if they helped him. He and an Infinite Dragon ambushed one of our convoys coming back from the Forbidden Reach and stole what they had… they’re two really powerful artifacts of the Bronze Dragonflight!” she turned back to Nelen, her eyes wide and worried, “They’re definitely not the sort of thing someone like Nyloc should have!” she nodded emphatically.

Nelen frowned, “I think I saw him holding a strange sword when we encountered him in Dalaran, was that one of them?” he asked.

Chromie nodded, “Yeah! That sword is called the ‘Last Moment.’ Anyone cut with it immediately sees a vision of when they’re fated to die in our timeline!” she explained, “The other one was a crystal called ‘The Perfect Chance.’ It’s a crystalized moment in time that affects probability. That’s how he escaped, he made sure that his buddy in the Infinites was nearby using it, then jumped off the city and landed on him! I know, I could feel him using it. That’s how my flight has been tracking him. Every time he uses the moment it sends ripples through the timeways. Its impossible for us to miss!”

Nitika paused at that, then glanced at Nelen, “Didn’t you tell us that you almost didn’t call the meeting when we arrived?” she asked him.

Nelen’s eyebrows went up, realization dawning on his face, “… yeah… I was originally going to do more research and consult with my allies in the Kirin Tor first… but… I just, I dunno, felt like I should go ahead and do it…” he said in a faraway voice, “It was… just a strange hunch I had…”

Chromie nodded, “That’s how I found him! He used it before he came after you to make sure that you’d all be in Dalaran! I don’t know why, but Nyloc wants you all gone!”

Nelen smirked, “Bad mistake on his part. Last time someone tried to take us all down at once it didn’t go well for them.” he nodded as Nitika grinned at the memory of Dissonantia’s final moments in the Void, being blown to bits by Titanstrike. She still thought the gun was way too dangerous for Grimo to have… but… she couldn’t deny it saved their lives last time, and possibly all of Azeroth.

Chromie nodded, “But yeah, I talked it out with Grimo, but… well, you’re the leader of the Alliance team, so I wanna get your okay too. I’ll help you find your friends and in exchange you help me get back what Nyloc stole from us before he can misuse them anymore!” she nodded.

Nelen nodded, “We don’t really have a choice. I can’t leave our allies stuck in time.” he replied with a shrug.

Chromie sighed in relief, her shoulders sagging a bit. She looked genuinely scared that he might have turned her down. Apparently Nyloc’s theft had been weighing on the diminutive dragoness.

Sekhi however giggled, “Ya woulda helped us get ‘em back anyways.” she grinned knowingly, her tail swishing. “Your song says ya wouldn’t leave someone stuck like that if ya could help.”

Chromie shrugged, grinning a bit sheepishly, “Well… I mean yeah… but… you’re adventurers. Usually adventurers don’t do stuff for free…” she replied.

“Oh Grimo will if the cause is right.” grinned Nitika down at the goblin who scowled and sucked down the rest of his cigar. He would, especially if the cause was ‘so Nitika will stop doing that.’

“Well, as long as I might help myself to some of Nyloc’s other trinkets I’m always game…” chuckled Sam, then the others looked at her and she frowned, “… and I wouldn’t leave Jaie behind! I mean c’mon guys! She’s always had my back! Of course I’m going to rescue her! I’m a treasure hunter, I have an image to keep up here!” she huffed, throwing up her arms.

Nelen nodded, smirking a bit. Even post-transition, Sam had a bit of difficulty showing her emotions and admitting how important her friends were to her. Some old habits died harder than others. He understood what she meant though. “Right, well, I’d say we’re unanimous, and our friends who didn’t make it into the portal are probably pretty worried about us…” he added.

“Oh they’ll be fine! Once we’re all done I can drop you all off right after we left!” smiled Chromie.

Grimo frowned, “Ugh… time travel always gives me a case of th’ fuckin’ temporals… lets just get this shit on the road eh?” he asked.

Chromie smirked at the goblin, then nodded, “Alright… so first we gotta work out where they landed… I can follow their timelines from when they crashed into me… but its been a bit so I might not be entirely accurate, especially if the crash threw them through more than one timeline. That can happen sometimes, happened to me a little bit ago actually.” she nodded, waving for the others to gather around as she took her staff out again.

“Alright… lets see…” she focused on it, and sand swirled around all of them… the sky seeming to darken, then lighten, then darken again, as if going from day to night rapidly! “Okaaaaaaay… and… BOOM!” she smacked the staff’s base against the floor and…

The World of Azmerloth

The forces of the Horde and Alliance had finally found the lost continent of Pandruglbleblr, and war was breaking out! A force of horde soldiers and alliance solders were fighting near a massive statue of a giant jade sea serpent as cannons flared and battle cries of ‘MRGLBLRGLEBLR!’ were shouted!

Suddenly the world seemed to burp and a group of strange beings appeared right in the middle of the battlefield! Nelen and the others immediately looked around in shock, then readied their weapons and spells as the worgen and elf looked at the horde armies and the goblin, vulpera, and tauren turned towards the murlocs in blue.

“Oops! Hang on! I’ve got this!” shouted Chromie over the chaos, “… and… POW!” she slammed her staff home again just as a cannonball blasted through the statue, sending it falling to the forest floor in pieces!

A moment later the ground seemed to erupt with blackness, and a terrified gurgling scream went up as a massive shadowy monster loomed over the battlefield, a murloc with white and black scales looking on in horror from a distance.

The World of Azewrath

The Legon’s ship soared through the skies and the corrupted clouds, the storm sending bolts of lightning across the world… but then, it would forever after what happened at the end of the War of the Ancients. Below the ship was the palace of Sargeras, Destroyer of Worlds, and all around it was his Legion.

Suddenly there was a distortion on the deck of the ship and several adventurers appeared in a burst of magic!

“SHIT!” shouted Nelen as he channeled arcane energies, sweat beading as he found very little on this world to use. Nitika reached out to An’she, but barely any motes of light danced around her fingers. The Sun God had turned his gaze from this Azeroth!

“Darn it! Again!” huffed Chromie as the surprised crew of the ship turned to face the newcomers, drawing some rather horrifying looking weapons as the dragon slammed her staff home once more, causing them all to vanish!

The World of Ulderoth

A paradise of green, with massive golden structures all around. A pristine world untouched by fel or void energies of any sort. All through the city walked the various titan creations; watchers, vrykul, earthen, mechagnomes, and more…

Then with a burp the adventurers appeared in their midst.

Nelen prepared to attack, then paused and looked around, “Oh… huh, this one actually looks nice.” he commented, lowering his arms.

Sekhi nodded, “Yeah! Its song is beautiful! I dunno which one this is, but it feels really good here!” she smiled, her ears flicking around. The song was pure and strong, but not overwhelming. Soothing and calming to the shamaness.

The titan creations paused to look at the newcomers… then their expressions turned angry.

“Void corruption!” shouted one of them, pointing into the group.

Nitika and Sam started, then looked at each other, then winced, “Oh shit.” they both said together.

Grimo grimaced, readying his rifle as Sekhi looked frantically around, whistling under her breath as lightning sparked around her clawtips.

"Purge the corruption!" called out a massive Maiden-class watcher, appearing as a huge humanoid woman in a toga wrap and sandals as the sound of heavy footsteps filled the area.

"In the name of the Pantheon!" the other titanforged all shouted in unison, marching forward in perfect lock-step as they advanced on the group.

“Chromie! We should leave now please!” shouted Nelen as he began to channel arcane energy into his hands, preparing to cast a barrage at the first one to draw close enough.

“Dangit! Thought we could catch a break! Right right hang on everyone!” she shouted, slamming the staff home once more.

The World of… wait… is This One Even Azeroth?

The group appeared in the middle of a large city of tall buildings, the smell of salty air telling them they were near an ocean… but… this looked nothing like any Azeroth they’d ever seen!

“Chromie? Where are we now?!” asked Nitika, still a bit high strung from almost getting attacked by the titanforged.

“Dunno Nitika, maybe another warzone?” commented Sam. She could hear the sounds of chaos and explosions all around them, and laughter on the wind.

“I… I don’t know! I don’t think this one is one of Azeroth’s timelines! I’m sensing SERIOUS temporal chaos! I think we just got sucked into it!” the dragon called back as she tried to focus on her staff.

Then the group heard a laugh and looked over as a voice piped up, “Oh heck guys! Look! This Nelen actually is a wizard!”

A bit away from them was a group of young looking humans, a strange cat-like creature, a huge woman holding what looked like a small bundle of blankets, and… what appeared to be Nelen Fullmoon!

However, this Nelen had short hair and a full beard as opposed to a goatee and a ponytail. He was wearing a black teeshirt, bluejeans, and some big heavy boots. “… what?” grunted the Nelen from Azeroth.

The cat like creature jogged over, the feline looking like a young human girl, but with cat-like ears and a long tail, shining yellow eyes, and a massive grin. She wore a teeshirt herself, bearing the legend ‘I’m not mad, my reality is just different from your’s,’ and a pair of baggy cargo pants. Suddenly she vanished, and with a pop and a surprised curse she was squatting on Nelen’s shoulders.

“Woaaaaaaaah! He even smells the same! Think wherever he’s from has Old Spice too?!” the cat like creature laughed as the worgen magus snarled and reached up, trying to grab her… but she vanished and reappeared with a loud exclamation of taurhaue atop Nitika’s head.

The cat grinned, shielding it’s eyes and pointing, “Hey! I can see our hotel from up here!” she laughed, then she vanished again before Nitika could snatch her and appeared with a burp infront of Sekhi.

The feline squatted down and looked at Sekhi, cocking her head.

Sekhi cocked her head the other way, her ear flicking.

The cat creature smiled, stuck out a finger, and tapped Sekhi on the nose. “Boop.” the cat grinned.

Sekhi giggled, then did likewise to the feline. “Boop!” the vulpera smiled.

Then the feline vanished again and reappeared next to Nelen (the worgen,) and immediately flipped open his pouch, sticking her head and shoulders into it. “Hey! He knows the ‘make the big bag’ spell too! Think this one keeps cat treats in his bags?” she shouted to her allies.

This time however the cat was distracted enough for the magus to grab her firmly around the middle. He lifted her boldly out of the bag, then held her by the shoulders infront of him. “Oi, moggie.” he growled.

“Yeah?” said the cat-creature.

In an eyeblink she was looking at a worgen wearing a mage’s robes and glasses. Nelen was mostly easygoing and tried to keep his temper in check for obvious reasons, but he had one rule that was ironclad; unless you had his explicit permission, you left his books alone. “STAY OUT OF MY BAG!” he roared, baring his fangs as the force of his voice blew her hair and ears back.

The feline blinked, then screamed and vanished from his grasp, reappearing behind his copy from whatever strange world they’d ended up in. “THAT NELEN IS WRONG! ITS EVIL NELEN! MAKE IT GO AWAY!” she hissed, her tail floofed out.

Nelen, the worgen, resumed his human form, took off his glasses, and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Chromie, could you please…”

“Sorry! I think I have it now! Weird multiverse huh guys?” she asked, and suddenly they all vanished.

The World of Azeroth… Whats Left of It

With a burp of temporal energies, the group reappeared on a blasted and desolate landscape. All around them was nothing but empty barren land, the wind blowing over it fitfully, as if it barely had the energy for even that.

Grimo frowned, “Crap… where are we this time?” he snarled, “We gotta fight th’ Scourge or something?” he demanded.

Chromie shook her head, “No! I think this is the right time! One of your friends ended up here! I can feel them!” she insisted.

Then they heard a whimper, the group turning to look at Sekhi.

“Its… dead.” the shamaness chittered. “… Azeroth’s song… I can hear it’s echo… but…” she whined, her ears folding back as her eyes filled with tears, “Its gone! Its dead! Whatever this timeline is Azeroth DIED here!”

Nelen frowned, “Died… wait…” he looked around, then spotted it in the distance, “… Gordrinn’s fangs, I know where we are.” he whispered.

“Nelen?” asked Nitika, looking in the direction he was, then gasping in recognition, her hands going to her mouth.

“During the Cataclysm, we had to help Nozdormu stop his darker self, Murazond, before we could obtain the Dragon Soul so that Thrall could use it against Deathwing. In order to do that, Nozdormu had to send us through time to where Murazond was hiding… I was part of the group that went after him.” explained the magus, gesturing across the wasteland before them.

There, against the stark landscape, was a massive tower. It had once been beautiful, but now it was broken and blackened, and covered in the volcanic blood of the creature impaled atop it. A gigantic corrupted black dragon.

Standing there, like a jagged spike scraping into the sky, was the ruins of Wyrmrest Temple, and upon it was the corpse of none other than Deathwing the Destroyer.

“Nozdormu called it ‘The End Time.’” he nodded firmly.

#warcraft roleplay #warcraft fanfiction #adventures in azeroth #world of warcraft #dragonflight #original characters

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sekhisadventures · 3 months

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Infinite Problems

The Legerdemain Lounge, Dalaran. Two Months After the Defeat of Fyrakk

Nelen sat at the long table, along with his other allies. Grimo was drinking down a large bottle of Kaja Cola as Nitika fidgeted in her seat next to him, the tauren’s eyes showing deep bags through her fur. Galdia was over at the bar trying to find anything that could even hope to give the ale-guzzling mag’har a buzz, and both Mola’raum and Ed were watching the exits as this conversation didn’t really concern them… at least, there was little they could contribute to it.

Seated alongside the others was Savage United’s newest member, the dracthyr Laurelgosa. She was currently in her humanoid guise of Laura Brightflame and she too looked as if she hadn’t been sleeping well. Sekhi was the worst out of them all though, the vulpera shamaness practically falling over in her chair from sheer exhaustion. Of all of them, she was the most sensitive to certain things, and what was happening was affecting her the worst.

On the other side were the members of Avalon. Jaie was doing well enough, but Zhan-min seemed rather more tired than he should be. Shalandrae was clearly troubled by something, though Aziguni seemed perfectly well other than her concern for her kal’dorei paramour. Dareley, however, looked exhausted. He could barely sit up, and he seemed on edge, which was worrying them all. During their decisive battle with Dissonantia, the Paladin had almost met his end… and while he claimed he was fine, others suspected that he was hiding something from them.

Well, others suspected… but Samantha knew damn well he was. Rather, Annulus knew he was… and the void being had told Sam. The rogue had kept quiet though, it wasn’t life threatening yet but should it turn for the worse she’d blab and let Dareley be angry with her.

Nelen was rather worn out as well… though he hadn’t realized it wasn’t simply a mage thing until his last teaching session with his apprentice, Sekhi’s sister Leza, who had mentioned that both she and her sister had been having vivid dreams lately.

A huge endless cavern, a massive glowing presence, and a voice.

“Hear me.”

As it turns out, they weren’t the only ones. Far from it.

“So… everyone knows why I’ve called a meeting today.” began Nelen. “Those of us who are magically or spiritually sensitive…” he glanced at the warlock and Death Knight at the doors, “… and who sleep… have been having strange dreams. I’ve looked into it back in Stormwind and its not just us. It seems that something is reaching out to, well, everyone it can… but nobody is really sure what it is.” he nodded.

Sekhi blinked slowly, nodding, “Mmm… ‘s ‘oth…” she mumbled sleepily, the vulpera swaying in her seat.

Nelen looked up at her as she almost fell over before Nitika caught her and straightened her up. “Sekhi?” he asked.

Sekhi snorted, then rubbed at her eyes, “Mnnnhhhhahhhhh…” she yawned hugely, her muzzle stretching out and her tongue curling, “S-sorry… but… pretty sure its Azeroth…” she clarified. “It… um… it definitely feels th' same...” she nodded.

Nelen frowned, “… that would explain why so many people are hearing it. If there’s one thing that could reach that many people across the world, well, it’s the world’s soul.” he nodded.

“Um… Nelen?” said Nitika, looking up at him, “That’s… um… not all of us have been having that dream.” said the Taureness, fidgeting a bit as she rested her hands on the table, her fingers running over her knuckles anxiously. “Darkhoof and I… we’ve been seeing something else.”

The others all looked at her, though Sam raised her eyebrow. She knew what Nitika was about to say, but thankfully Annulus was as territorial as ever and kept any malign influences out of ‘her territory.’

Nitika took a deep breath, “… I… remember those rumors we heard before we left Valdrakken? About how Iridikron was trying to get something to this person called ‘the harbinger?’ I think… I think we’ve been dreaming of them instead. They’re…” she shuddered, “I… I think I might recognize them.”

The others looked at the Tauren curiously, Dareley looking anxious as his hand went to his chest through his armor. “Go on, please.” asked Nelen.

“It… they… during the Legion’s invasion I was working with Velen at Netherlight Temple, and one of the priests there had this strange dagger. Everyone around it kept hearing whispers, a voice talking and urging us to…” she shook her head, “It doesn’t matter… the dagger vanished after that, until… well… when we all gathered against the Black Empire to drive back N’zoth, do you remember how Wrathion used a dagger on him to drain his power and force him into a form we could fight?” she asked.

The magus nodded, “Yeah, I heard about that.” he replied.

Nitika swallowed, “… I got a glimpse of it… and I would swear upon An’she’s name that it’s the same dagger… but the one he had was empty. I think…” she took a breath to steady herself, “I think the harbinger is whatever was inside it. The voice I hear in my dreams is the exact same one. I… I could never forget that voice.” she nodded.

Nelen frowned, sitting back down. “Hm… that’s bad… what in all the worlds could that thing be?” he murmured. “Everyone, I think we shou-…” he began, and then he stopped… and so did everything else.

The rest of Avalon and Savage United froze in place, Ed and Mola stood still as statues at the doors, Galdia was stuck mid-quaff of her ale, it was as if someone had hit the pause button on the entire bar!

Into the Lounge strode a tall shal’dorei man. Bald headed with a thin-cut black goatee and silver jewelry, a nobleman of Suramar in all his purple finery. Sheathed at his hip was a sword of draconic design and held in his hand was a small hourglass.

“Well well, Magus Fullmoon and company…” he murmured, “Pity we have to meet again under such circumstances, your revelations regarding the threat on the Dragon Isles were very accurate. You spotted Raszageth even before I did, very commendable.”

The man moved towards Nelen’s frozen form, drawing his blade. It was a long copper-colored sword, and motes of sand seemed to fall from it. “However, after what I’ve discovered I’m afraid you and your allies are due to become a thorn in my side. We can’t be having that. My apologies…” he said, raising the sword… then freezing as he felt a blade against his throat.

“Lower your weapon, now.” hissed a feminine voice from behind him.

He carefully lowered the sword, daring a glance over his shoulder and saw Laura standing there. Sand swirled around her form, her body glowing with bronze magic. As soon as she’d recognized the feel of the spell affecting them her own powers had activated, drawing upon her ties to the Bronze Dragonflight and creating a shell of real time around her, protecting her from being frozen!

“Who are you and what do you want with my allies?” she demanded, narrowing her eyes as she bared her teeth, even in her visage form they were sharp all across her jaw.

“… an evoker… they didn’t have one of you last time.” he frowned, then he did the only option he had. He let go of the hourglass.

It tumbled out of his hand and smashed against the floor with a loud crash, and just like that the spell broke! Nelen unfroze, saw the blade next to him, and immediately blinked several feet in the opposite direction as the rest of his allies leapt out of their seats, all exhaustion forgotten!

Nelen raised his hands in a spellcasting gesture, then paused as he saw the man’s face. “Hey… wait, I know you! You’re that Nightborne I met back when we first arrived on the Dragon Isles! What are you playing at?!” he shouted as the bartender snapped out of her own time stop, saw the situation, and ducked down behind the counter to wait out the chaos.

The shal’dorei growled… then flexed his fingers as Laura’s skin tingled and she shouted, “RETREAT!” at the top of her lungs.

They needed no more warning. Laura was a dracthyr, one of the elite soldiers of Neltharion, she knew a threat when she saw one! The members of Avalon and Savage United all sprinted away from the nightborne man as the air around him suddenly turned grey, forming a massive orb that seemed to leech all color from the world around him, and soon he was standing on a pile of crumbled sand and dust where was once the floor of the Lounge. The table near him was missing a chunk out of it, cut away as cleanly as if by a blade, and one of the chairs was on it’s side as it now lacked two legs. Where those should have been was a pile of rotted ancient wood!

Nelen stared, then grimaced, “I know that kind of magic! That’s the same sort of spells that Ellisande used! You’re a Chronomancer!” he nodded firmly, readying a blast of arcane energy as the others prepared their own weapons and spells.

The elf smirked, “Messier than I would have liked… but if we must then so be it.” he nodded, raising his hand and preparing to channel a blast of entropy towards his foes… then he and Laurelgosa both felt something.

A strange attack, coming not from where, but from when!

“GOT YOU NOW YOU NASTY THIEF!” shouted a high pitched girl’s voice as a swirling vortex of sand appeared above him and and a gnomish girl with blonde hair and white robes burst out of it, aiming her staff at his head as sand swirled around the weapon's tip!

The chronomancer grimaced, then darted away and slammed his hand against the wall of the bar. Cracks began to form almost immediately as the mortar and timbers aged thousands of years in a span of a few seconds, creating a gaping hole for the elf to flee through!

“Oh shoot!” huffed the gnome, “C’mon everyone! We gotta catch him before the Infinites help him escape!” she shouted as she leapt through the hole he’d left, racing away through the streets of Dalaran in pursuit!

Nelen stared, “Wait… what just…” he began, but Laura cut him off.

“Nelen! I know of this one! That is no gnome! Quickly!” she called out as she ran after her, the others all looking between themselves before rushing out of the inn as well!

The city was in a state of alarm. It seemed that the chronomancer didn’t care about upsetting the Council of… well… Five for Now (Khadgar hadn’t found a replacement for Kalecgos yet.) They rushed past several fossilized skeletons and mummified corpses bearing what was the finery of Dalaran’s guards, as well as signs of accelerated aging on various walls and obstacles, leaving a trail of destruction towards Krasus' Landing outside the city proper.

Nelen snarled and fell to all fours as fur erupted along his body, the magus transforming into a worgen to keep up with this unexpected assassin, Nitika’s longer stride allowing the tauren to easily match his pace, and Grimo had downed enough Kaja Cola to wire himself awake for a week so he had no issues there either. Sekhi was running quickly, but she was the most exhausted of all… she almost fell, but Nitika reached down and grabbed her, scooping the vulpera into her arms as she kept up the pursuit.

Samantha brought up their rear, the void elf easily sprinting after them as they made their way up the stairs to the landing to find the elf standing at the edge, a group of guardsmen and several adventurers having cornered him there.

“Stop! In the name of Nozdormu!” shouted the gnome as she reached the crowd, but the elf sneered and drew the strange sandy blade once more, slashing out and cutting two of the defenders across their arms.

They gasped at the pain, then suddenly their faces became expressions of horror as they stumbled back, clutching their heads. The others were momentarily taken aback at their reactions, and he wasted no time exploiting this, lashing out with his own power as bursts of pure entropy erupted from his fingertips. Wherever they hit, the defenders withered, arms becoming near skeletal, legs crumbling out from under them, and if it hit a vital spot it was as good as death. He blasted out again, but the gnome quickly raised her hands and slammed them together and a swirling barrier of sand appeared over the defenders, the entropic blasts shattering harmlessly against it.

“You can age things all you want Nyloc, but you can’t age away a whole millennium’s worth of energy that easily!” she taunted, “Now return what you stole!” she demanded.

The elf frowned, then paused as his ears twitched. He smirked, then stepped back and fell backwards off the landing! The gnome gasped in shock, then suddenly a long dark shape shot up over the edge! It was a dragon, a slitherdrake, but it’s scales were jet black and broken through by lines of pure white, its claws and underbelly glowing a pale glow. There was no mistaking it for those who knew, this dragon was of the Infinite Dragonflight, and seated on it’s back was the elven sorcerer!

“Your master wants his trinkets back Chromazdormu?” he sneered, “Come and take them then, if you dare!” he nodded, then he turned and shot away into the sky as the very air was rent open, a portal appearing. Not a normal one between places, but a swirling mass of sand and temporal energy! He was escaping through time itself!

“No! Get back here!” shouted the gnome, looking around, “Oh oh… um…” she hesitated, then she saw Nelen, Sam, Nitika, Grimo, and Sekhi reach the scene. “You! You’ll do!” she nodded before crouching down and leaping into the air. In a swirl of sand and light the gnome resumed her true form, becoming a massive bronze dragon! She swooped down and grabbed the members of Avalon and Savage United in her claws, then turned and raced towards the portal that Nyloc had ripped open. “Hang on everyone!” she shouted, flapping her wings.

Before Nelen and the others could even protest she was already in motion, aiming towards the chronomancer's escape route… but as she did something happened behind them.

“Hey! Where are you taking our friends?!” came Jaie’s voice, the Pandaren girl speeding after them on her flying disc as Laurelgosa raced along through the skies next to her, the dracthyr having changed back into her draconic form as well. Edwood was there as well, astride a steed made of felfire and rocks, like a horse shaped infernal, and Galdia was tearing along below them on Nightpelt.

“Jaie! This must be urgent! One such as Chromazdormu would not take them unless the situation was dire! Follow her!” shouted Laurelgosa as she angled her flight towards the portal.

Galdia snarled, then leapt off Nightpelt and shouted, “HEY! LAURELGOSA! HELP ME OUT HERE!” before crouching and leaping as mightily as she could. She was a warrior, and a warsong, and blindingly pissed that her drinking had been interrupted. She could leap rather impressive heights because of that.

The dracthyr swooped down and grabbed her outstretched arm, flapping her wings frantically to lift the heavy orc woman up as the dragon looked back, then at the portal, “W-wait, hang on! That’s too many!” she shouted, trying to turn around… but stopping in midair is difficult at best, and Laurelgosa was unbalanced!

“Uh oh… LOOK OUT!” shouted Jaie as she tried to angle her flying disc to slow her down, but she was going full tilt already. Edwood grimaced and pulled on his mount’s reigns, but it only reared and panicked!

With a tremendous crash the other members of Savage United and Avalon collided with Chromazdormu in midair, and all of them went crashing into Nyloc’s escape portal!

There was a massive shattering sound as the portal’s size ripped twice as wide, and the energies inside erupted into chaos! The world seemed to invert around them, and suddenly, with an echoing thunderclap, all of them vanished into the timeways of Azeroth!

#adventures in azeroth #warcraft roleplay #warcraft fanfiction #world of warcraft #dragonflight #original characters

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Home Once More

The Dragon Isles, The Ohn’ahran Plains

It had been a long trek for the refugees, but they had followed Tyrandae’s guidance and left Stormwind for the Dragon Isles, being led by the centaur clans of the Plains to the westernmost edge of the island… and there stood a massive tree, a new world tree. Amirdrassil.

Fyrakk was no more, struck down by the combined might of the Alliance and Horde. In his defeat Amirdrassil had bloomed into brilliant life, emerging from the Dream and driving it’s roots deep into the waters near the home of dragonkind.

Among the elves was a man known as Redriel Stagswift. He had not been at Darkshore when the War of Thorns had destroyed his home which had saved his life but his daughter, his only family, had been among those in Darnassus.

He stood there, gazing at the tree that his people would now call home. Suddenly he froze, hearing a voice whispering in his ear. A small childlike voice, one he hadn’t heard in over six years now.

His eyes were wide, his mouth hanging open as a wisp flew towards him from the tree and circled around his body.

He tried to speak a few times, and on the third attempt he croaked out a name, “… Elyssa?”

A faint giggle was heard as the wisp bobbed infront of him.

He had not cried when he saw the destroyed husk of Teldrassil, or when he had met with the other refugees after fleeing Kalimdor for the safety of Stormwind City. The sheer shock and horror of all they had lost had been too great to face, but now his eyes filled with tears as his shoulders trembled.

Around him, other kal’dorei were experiencing the same. Amirdrassil, the world tree grown from the seed formed of the Tear of Elune in Ardenweald, housing the souls of all those night elves saved from the hellish realm known only as the Maw.

Now those souls were reunited with those who had survived Teldrassil's destruction. The world tree acting as a bridge between the Dream, Azeroth, and the Shadowlands. A window of life and death.

Redriel reached out and cupped his hands around the wisp's etherial form, tears running down his cheeks as he smiled at her. He told her all the things he had wished he'd said, all that he had wanted to say to his daughter, heedless of anyone who might overhear them.

After years of hurting, of regret, of what ifs and what could have beens and all those thoughts of how if he’d just done this instead… none of it mattered now. Finally, the hole in Redriel’s heart began to heal.

Standing back from the other elves was the druidess Shalandrae Deeproots, leaning against a tree with her arms folded over her torso and a satisfied smile on her face.

The druid looked up as she heard hoofbeats, seeing the familiar form of her partner Aziguni walking towards her. “So, what now Shalandrae? Will you stay with them?” she asked.

Shalandrae looked back at the crowd, cocking her head thoughtfully, then she reached behind her and took her staff from the holder on her back, examining it.

Journey’s End, carved from a tree grown by her own hands on the coast of Darkshore. Shaped and detailed by Nelen, her worgen friend. The wrappings shaped by Samantha, the void elf who had changed so much in the few years she’d known her. The gemstone eyes of the stag’s head cut and polished by Jaie, her pandaren friend who saved her the day Teldrassil burned in spite of all she’d done to stop her. The antlers forged by her closest friend of all, the dwarf Dareley Steelhammer, who she had grown to know as close as a brother since they had met in Northrend that fateful day.

The only ones who had not contributed were Zhan-min, who could not craft any of the components for it (but who had happily provided the drinks that Winter’s Veil,) and Aziguni, who she hadn’t met yet.

She looked at it, then back at the tree, then smiled and shook her head. “No. I will visit, of course… but…” she put her staff away, then stood up and stretched, “I already have a home, and its time I got back to it.” she nodded, turning to Aziguni. “Speaking of, since you probably don’t have quarters with the Explorer’s League since you quit… I’m sure we can squeeze in one more.” she grinned to the Draenei.

Aziguni smiled back, nodding gratefully. “I would like that very much Shalandrae.” she replied.

Some days later…

Nelen could have simply opened a portal back to Stormwind, but after all that had happened they felt a nice voyage at sea would be a good vacation. Their expedition to the Dragon Isles had put them in the path of a cult of fanatical shaman, their Primal Dragon masters, the legacy of Neltharion’s descent into becoming the monstrous Deathwing, and face to face with their old foes in the Druids of the Flame. In addition to all that they had been hounded continuously by Dissonantia and her demonic minions until they finally defeated her for good. They needed a break.

Eventually however, their ship made it to harbor in Stormwind and the group disembarked with their new member, heading through the city towards their home in Old Town.

“Ya’ll love it gal!” grinned Zhan-min. “It’ll be a bit snug with seven…” he paused, glancing to Muaaqi and Eochundo, Aziguni’s pantera and talbuk, “… er… nine I suppose…” he mumbled, then shrugged, “But its home.” he nodded.

Aziguni chuckled, “Oh I would not worry about them Zhan-min. My friends will not need to stay indoors, they can easily look after themselves in Elwynn Forest.” she nodded and, sure enough, as they passed the trade district she gave both animals one last loving touch on the heads, then clicked her tongue twice and nodded to the gates. The talbuk and panthera turned and raced off towards the woods, seeking out a place to stay until Aziguni needed them again.

Soon they had arrived at the house. It stood just as they’d left it, clearly no signs of having been broken into… though with the spells Nelen had cast before they left anyone who tried would find themselves suddenly much shorter… and woolier. Nelen dispelled the wards, then stood aside so Dareley could unlock the door.

“Right, here we are!” nodded the dwarf, “Home sweet ho-GUH!” he coughed as the door swung open and a cloud of dust billowed outwards.

The others stepped back as the small dust storm dispersed, letting out their own various comments, then the group peered inside. Finally Jaie spoke up, “Oh… right… guess we were gone for a long time huh?” she chuckled softly.

The interior of the house was just as they’d left it… save for the fact that nobody had been in there since they’d left for the Dragon Isles several months prior. Everything was covered in a coating of dust, and the ceilings were a nest of cobwebs. The candles in the wall scones had all burned down to nothing months ago, and the smell…

Nelen frowned, sniffing, “Eugh… what the fel is that?” he asked.

Shalandrae sniffed, “… er… Jaie, we had some leftover beef in the cold cellar when we left right?” she asked.

Jaie winced, “Oh… oh crap, yeah I salted it but with how long we were gone… oh man everything down there must’ve… aaaaaaaaugh!” she cringed, gripping her cheeks at the idea of what horrors awaited her in the cold cellar, “… we’ll have to haul it all out and throw it away.”

There was a moment of silence as the members of Avalon glanced at each other.

“… onetwothree not it!” exclaimed Samantha.

“Not it!” nodded Nelen, the smell overwhelming even in his human form.

“Not it!” snapped Shalandrae, her own sense of smell strong no matter what form he was in.

“Not it!” added Aziguni, who was quick on the uptake.

“Not it!” spat Dareley, the dwarf eyeing the mass of cobwebs above them. That smell likely called all sorts of vermin, which would explain those. Spiders could be a real problem, especially since some of the ones in Stormwind could easily get big enough to eat rats (though not as massive as the monsters in Duskwood and Westfall.)

“Not… uh…” mumbled Zhan-min, realizing he’d been too distracted by the smell of fermenting everything for a moment. “… aw crap.” he frowned, his shoulders sagging. “Right… well, better get it over with.” he sighed, adjusting his belt before he and Jaie made their way inside. The two tied pieces of cloth over their faces to help protect them from the smell, then descended.

A moment later Jaie’s voice came up the stairs, a string of rather colorful cursing in Pandaren before she shouted in Common, “… ITS MOVING!”

Nelen sighed and walked in, snapping his fingers at a broom which immediately shook the cobwebs off and began getting to work on the floors, then he pointed at a feather duster that shook itself clean as well, then began moving as if being held by an invisible person. “I’d better go check my tomes… last thing I want is to find out we got silverfish…” he frowned.

Sam made a face at that, “Oh shit. My wardrobe! If I see a single moth…” she snarled, rushing past the mage and up the stairs.

Dareley harrumphed and walked inside to examine his own quarters as well as Shalandrae and Aziguni shrugged at each other, then the night elf called in. “I’m going to go back to the Trade District and get some food for dinner everyone.”

A chorus of acknowledgement came from the others, as Jaie’s voice added from below, “We need EVERYTHING. If it wasn’t pickled it isn’t edible!”

The druidess snorted a bit, then closed the door and gave Aziguni an apologetic smile, “I suppose the tour will have to wait.” she said apologetically.

The draenei sighed, “Yes, well… it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve seen this happen. You should see the state of Brann’s quarters after we would get back from an Expedition. He needed to call for a priest from the Mystic Ward when he got back from Northrend just to deal with his laundry.” she grinned.

The druid laughed at that thought, then walked along beside her as a thought occurred to her.

It had been a long time since she’d truly laughed like that. Just allowed herself to feel that sort of relaxed happiness with another.

But now Amirdrassil stood tall over the coast of the Dragon Isles, a place for the kal’dorei to start anew. The worst of fires had engulfed Teldrassil, leaving nothing but a ruined husk… but now, at long last, the forest was regrowing once more.

So much had changed since the War of Thorns… but Azeroth was a world of changes. What would the next day bring? Only time would tell there.

Orgrimmar, a few weeks later.

It took longer for the Horde to arrive home, but then they had to sail across most of the known world to reach Durotar. Shortly after they arrived two people walked towards the barracks in the Valley of Honor.

Though there were three of them, but the third was just where he always was, snoozing away in the litter on his friend’s back.

As they drew close an orc in horde military colors looked up as he saw them heading his way. “Hm?” he grunted.

“Ahoy there.” grinned the taller of the two. Edwood Vargas nodded to the orcish man. “Good ta see ye again Krim.”

The orc smirked, “Aye, you too Edwood. Back from the Dragon Isles?” he asked. He and Edwood were drinking friends, but then Ed was a Kul’Tirian by birth (Forsaken by death) and Krim was a ranking member of the Horde’s navy, so they had quite a bit to talk about whenever they were both at the Broken Tusk.

“That we are, ‘n I got someone I’d like ta introduce ye to.” he grinned, gesturing to his companion.

The vulpera stepped forward, looking up at the orc. He felt a bit uncomfortable, remembering Zarg Bloodtusks, whose bones lay in a cave in the Azure Span after Jeemjazo had seen to his former abuser… but then he’d have to get used to the idea. After all, it was the Horde’s navy, of course there’d be orcs.

He nodded, then said, “Name’s Jeemjazo Redmane. I wanna enlist.”

The orc raised his eyebrow, “Hmm… got any experience on a ship vulpera?” he asked. A reasonable question. Most of the vulpera were desert dwellers after all, and knowledge of sailing was as useless in Vol’dun as a goblin sno-cone machine in Northrend.

Jeemjazo grinned, “Ten years o’ sailin’ around th’ seas with a band of arsehole pirates, but I’m quittin’ that ‘n goin’ straight.” he nodded.

The orc glanced at Edwood, who nodded as well in confirmation.

“Hrm… well, could always use a spare pair of hands, ‘n vulpera ones are small enough for the fiddly jobs…” he grunted, then took out a journal and flipped through it, “Right. Got a Forsaken vessel scheduled to make berth in Durotar next week, the Spirit of Silverpine. Captain is one Autumn Brokenbirth. Report there ‘n tell her Krim Deadblade sent you.” he nodded.

Jeemjazo swallowed a bit, then and snapped to attention, saluting the orc, “A-aye!” he replied.

The orc snorted but grinned at him. “If Ed says you’re good, I’ll take his word for it… but small or not we’ll expect you to pull your weight.”

Jeemjazo bristled at that, “Oi! I survived a decade of bein’ a cabin boy to a bastard of a Bloodsail captain! I can pull my weight ‘n th’ weight o’ th’ two arseholes next ta me!” he yipped, his tail thrashing behind him.

The orc raised his eyebrow at that, glancing again at Edwood. “Aye matey, I’ve seen th’ scars. Said he was th’ personal bitch o’ a pirate known as Captain Saltfang.” the Forsaken nodded.

This got the orc’s attention, “Really? Frederick Saltfang? That mangy mutt sunk two of our ships!” he glanced at Jeemjazo… but if he was a cabin boy then he was hardly at fault. They wouldn’t have him anywhere near the cannons during a raid. “… ‘n how did you get away from him?” he asked. He also knew that the only way a cabin boy normally got away from a Bloodsail was jumping overboard and taking their chances with the sharks, naga, or whatever else found them.

“Crashed into Dustwallow Marsh durin’ a yippin’ nasty storm. Killed most o’ th crew, ‘n I finished off Saltfang myself.” he nodded, then shrugged, “Eh, to be fair the storm did most of th’ work… crash left ‘im crippled, but I finished off th’ worgen or me name ain’t Jeemjazo.” he grinned.

Krim chuckled, “Good news for us, I thought it’d been a while since we had to tangle with that one. I believe you then vulpera, lets see how good you do on a proper ship.” he nodded.

Jeemjazo grinned back, then nodded and headed back towards the vulpera encampment with Edwood, “Drinks later?” said the Forsaken to the orc as they left.

The orc nodded eagerly, “Off duty in two hours!” he called back with a grin.

Sekhi’s family had returned from the Dragon Isles with them, their cart already having taken it’s usual spot in the ring of wagons that those vulpera who’d joined the Horde called home. Sekhi looked up from helping Atu, her father, with dinner and grinned, hearing Jeemjazo’s song. “So ya a sailor now?” she asked.

“Aye! Settin’ out with a Forsaken ship next week.” he grinned.

Neidhari smiled at him from her seat near the campfire, “At least this time I know where you’re going…” she chuckled.

Jeemjazo sighed and sat down next to his mother. “Mmmn, well… I’ll make port regular ‘n I’ll write when I can. Okay?” he nodded to her. He had felt sad to learn of his father’s death at the hands of the Faithless… but after years of being Saltfang’s slave he had long since resigned himself to never seeing any of them again, so the sting of loss hurt less. At least one of his parents survived, he reasoned.

Neidhari just chuckled and pulled her son into a hug. “I know you will.” she replied.

Sekhi smiled, watching them together, then looked up as the sun dipped under the horizon and the stars began to come out over Orgrimmar.

What a journey it had been… and it had all started when they had met up in Dalaran, and she’d heard Azeroth’s voice calling out in joy that her draconic children could return home.

In the Valley of Spirits Nitika sat before the waterfall, meditating on all that had happened. To an outside observer she was simply gazing into the cascade as if lost in thought, but in truth Dawnhoof and Darkhoof were having a conversation inside her mind. Darkhoof could feel as though something had changed, though she wasn't certain as to what... only that the whispers they had heard in Abberus hadn't seemed to have gone away even though they were home now.

At the Broken Tusk Edwood met up with Galdia, Mola'raum, and Laurelgosa (in her guise as Laura Brightflame.) The dracthyr was finding she enjoyed her visage more and more lately. Her true form was still important to her, but the visage was a form she chose for herself. It was an expression of who she was beyond her origins, and besides... some things were easier without wings knocking into shelves.

Eventually Krim joined them and the group shared tales of what they'd encountered in the Dragon Isles with the orcish sailor. Laurelgosa vouched for him as well, telling the orc how she had witnessed him dispatch several pirates by himself which definitely improved Krim's estimates of the vulpera. He made a point of passing that along to Jeemjazo's future captain. The seas of Azeroth were not always the safest of places, and a sailor who knew how to fight was a welcome addition to any crew.

North of the city, in Bilgewater Harbor, Grimo was in the offices of Savage United setting up a new display case on the wall. Inside it was Titanstrike, the rifle held in place by a pair of sturdy metal hooks. He closed and latched the cover on the case, the front of it reading 'In Case of Apocalypse Scenario, Break Glass.' Nearby hung a sturdy rubber hammer.

He nodded in a satisfied way, then sat down and got to work filling out the work orders to have the shop repaired. He hadn't gotten a chance to do more than put up plywood over the windows after Gremori and Az'arad attacked.

Stormwind City

The ruined food stores were replaced, the spoiled goods carted north to the farms in Stormwind for compost which was all they were good for now.

Inside Jaie was cooking dinner, the pandaren woman in her happy place now. She was a strong fighter of course, but cooking was a passion of her's, and there were few things that satisfied her more than knowing she filled someone's belly.

Zhan-min was slotting some bottles into a recently installed wine rack, having brewed up some new recipes with the goods they had left over from their time on the Dragon Isles. The ales seemed to glow with an inner light, the shaman's own touch on the drinks, as they sat on the racks waiting for their turn at the dinner table.

Above Shalandrae and Aziguni were settling into their new room, having traded with Dareley for his larger one (the dwarf had wound up with that one out of pure chance when they first got the house.) Shalandrae was stretched out on the plush sea of green carpets in the room in the form of a great cat, but not one made of wood and brambles anymore. Perhaps it was her time in the Emerald Dream, or perhaps it was something else, but she had taken the shape of a dreamsaber, a mix of the lush greenery and ancient wildlife of the Dream.

Next to her Aziguni was reviewing her notes from the isles. She had received a letter from Brann himself apologizing for what had happened on the isles and offering her a place back in the League... but Aziguni had declined for now. She had told him she was open to taking commissions, but she had already accepted a place somewhere else. Idly the draenei reached over and scratched Shalandrae behind her ear, the druidess purring loudly at the touch. Some reactions are just built into these bodies.

Samantha was in her room with a sewing kit, mending what outfits she could. Indeed, the moths had come during their absence, and while she was able to save some outfits others had to go for dusters. The void elf was NOT happy about this, just glad that her talents at leatherworking allowed her some skill at mending finer cloth but as for the moths there was no sign. If one were to venture into the Void the might notice a small swarm of very confused insects, though likely most had died there by now.

Dareley was in his new room, resting. He was still putting up a positive front, but it was clear that Dissonantia's final attack on him had hurt him worse than he was letting on. Though precisely how bad the dwarf wouldn't say.

Finally, Nelen wasn't home. Rather he had a book to return to the Stormwind City Orphanage. He was there now, seated in a large easy chair with the orphans around them telling them tales of what they had seen on the islands. He had promised to do so in exchange for borrowing the book, and he had to admit he was rather enjoying himself. It made him think of his own apprentice Leza, back in Orgrimmar by now, though they had regular lessons in Dalaran. He may be a member of the Alliance and her the Horde but that was mattering less these days.

With luck, that would remain so. Nelen certainly hoped it would. He was tired of the endless war between them, and there was so much more they could accomplish working together. The Alliance and Horde had stood side by side against Fyrakk and the other Incarnates and had bought another day for Azeroth.

He trusted his allies in Savage United (even Grimo would eventually do the right thing if it truly mattered, or if Nitika got ahold of his ears) and after Dissonantia's defeat he felt like they could do anything.

Somewhere else...

"Well, that all went to shit." frowned Gremori. She, Az'arad, and Cenoon were all hiding out in a remote corner of the Twisting Nether, debating what to do now.

"Mmm... too right. Mistress Dissonantia is no more." sighed Cenoon, checking his fingernails. "I mean, after what we saw its hardly surprising. Void corruption on that scale?" he shuddered, "Either she's dead, or 'Dissonantia' no longer exists as an individual being."

Az'arad just growled, fingering the blade of his axe. He had liked Dissonantia, she had been able to give him the carnage and opponents he desired. In the end, all the Wrathguard truly cared for was killing and strong enemies to fight.

Finally, Cenoon looked at the two of them. "So, what now? Unlimited Sin has lost half of it's numbers. No Dissonantia means that Quzgup and Xel'kek won't be joining us anytime soon." he pointed out. The imp and beholder would eventually revive in the Nether, but that could take years if not centuries.

Gremori stood up, then shrugged, "Eh, I dunno. Just stick together for now? Maybe find some backwater part of Azeroth to terrorize?" she suggested.

The two demons glanced at each other, then shrugged. "Eh, why not? I mean we do work well enough together. Besides, I have nothing better to do but return to my homeworld and its dreadfully dull there..." he chuckled, "What say you Az'arad?" he asked.

The wrathguard stood, then sheathed his axe, "If there is blood to be shed, I will come." he grinned.

Gremori jumped a bit, "Wait, you can talk?!" she asked.

Cenoon nodded, "Oh of course, he just can't speak anything but demonic." the incubus explained.

Gremori nodded, "Huh... alright then. Well, lets go see what mischief we can get up to." she grinned, slipping her hands into her fel-infused fist weapons and punching a portal to Azeroth open as the two demons followed her. It would be less fun without the Witch of Blackwald Forest leading them, but they would make do.

Wintersky Estate, Silvermoon City

Alalestria paced in her study, her brow furrowed. She had learned the spells needed, surprisingly easy ones to learn infact though decidedly distasteful in their execution.

Below her, in the cellar, waited the main component. It had taken some effort to locate his final resting place on the Dragon Isles, and if she waited too long getting his soul back from the Shadowlands would be all the harder... but she needed him. As much as it galled her Sinranir Downstrider had proved far too useful an asset in the past to simply leave to rot in a shallow grave.

Still, at least she had no illusions about her sibling's prowess now. Sinranir was a trained and skilled assasssin, and those were clearly two dagger marks that had torn his side apart, leaving him to bleed out.

... and yet...

She sighed, "Anything to protect Quel'thalas... but... this is..." she glanced at the tome laid out on the table in her study. The shining rosewood inlaid with the golden falcon of the Sin'dorei people, but the book on top of it harshly contrasted that. A large book bound in blackened leather that seemed to almost drink the light in around it, stitched together from what appeared to be the hides of several different creatures.

Alalestria knew what they were, the forward of the book was clear on that. It even had their names. She'd always wondered what had happened to that guard company. Well, apparently Dar'khan Drakthir had happened to them, rather violently.

She took a breath, "This is a harsh decision, but it is the right one. Sinranir is too useful to lose, and the defense of Quel'thalas needs an agent who can dispatch a void elf with plausible deniability... but..." she trailed off.

She remembered the reports of her father's demise at the hands of the fallen prince, Arthas Menethil, in the days before he became the Lich King. She remembered the whispers of what fate had befallen her mother as well. She never saw a body, but the maids had, and one of them never really recovered from it. Apparently there wasn't much of a body left after what the ghouls had done.

This was the same magic that had ended the lives of her parents, befouled the Sunwell, and almost destroyed Quel'thalas. Was it truly worth it?

She frowned, then turned her back to the tome and walked to the window, lost in thought.

Orgrimmar

Back in the Valley of Honor dinner was had, the night wore on, and finally Sekhi and her family retired to their wagon for bed. The shamaness laid down on her bedroll, hearing the familiar song of Durotar all around her. The deep metallic tones of earth and the soft gentle flutes of wind, the faint drums of the nearby ocean, and the fiery fiddle-like sound of the heat that warmed the red rocks during the day… drifting off to sleep from it all.

A moment later her eyes snapped open.

Sekhi was no longer in her wagon, or Orgrimmar, or Durotar even.

All around her was a deep endless cavern, the ceiling so high she couldn’t even see it… Suddenly her head snapped left, then right as she felt the fur on her hackles raise. She thought she heard things moving around her, just out of sight.

Her eyes were wide, her ears flicking back and forth as she instinctively drew her flute from her pouch. She tried to look around but saw only deep inky black shadows in all directions.

She whimpered, peering around at the darkness. She could swear she saw huge shapes in the gloom, the occasional flash of an eye lighting it up for a moment. She could barely make them out but something about how they moved put her in mind of massive insects... perhaps some kind of arachnid or giant spider.

Then she heard something, her ears immediately perking up.

“Huh? Who’s there?” she called out.

It came again, the shamaness padding along the path ahead after the source of the sound.

“Yeah! I hear ya! Who are ya?!” she yipped, the vulpera still hearing the movement in the shadows but this new sound overrode that fear. Something about it was so insistent, the voice carrying an urgency that the shamaness couldn't deny.

Finally, she stumbled to a halt at the edge of what appeared to be an underground cliff. She looked down, her ears folding back as her face was lit up by a glow as bright as the sun itself. Below her was… well… she didn’t know how to describe it. It was huge, big enough to fill the entire world! Suddenly, she heard it again... a voice, a musical call shining up from within what was below her...

HEAR ME.

Sekhi sat bolt upright on her bedroll, her heart pounding and her ears flattened against her head. Nearby she heard the faint snores of her father, her mother’s gentle breathing next to him as they slept on, and on her other side her twin siblings dozed together in their own bedroll.

“… a dream?” she whispered.

Then she heard a voice nearby.

Leza was sitting up in her own cot, wearing just a pullover top and shorts to bed, her eyes huge. “Sekhi… did ya hear it too?” she whispered.

#adventures in azeroth #warcraft roleplay #warcraft fanfiction #dragonflight #original characters

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sekhisadventures · 6 months

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Merihim Suneater, Illidari

First Appearance: On a Pale Horse, He Rode

Race: Fel-elf, Sin'dorei Origins

Class: Illidari, Vengeance

Age at Death: 65 (but thats not old by elf standards.)

Eye Color: None (he did not have eyes.)

Birthplace: Quel'thalas

Residence: The Fel Hammer.

Summary:

Born Cern Skygazer, he spent the first forty-odd years of his life in Quel'thalas living among his people. A jovial sort, quick to smile and joke, he had fallen in love and become engaged. He was going to announce the engagement at a party in Tranquillien during Year 20 AFW, but the engagement was never to be as the party was interrupted... by the Scourge's invasion of their lands.

Cern survived, knocked into the bushes by an abomination but not killed by sheer blind luck... but his fiancee was killed by the undead horrors, then raised by their necromancers to join their ranks.

Cern managed to survive the invasion and escape to Silvermoon City, but the horrors he had seen and the loss of his love sent him into a deep depression for the next six years.

When the Dark Portal reopened he heard rumors of Illidan and his Illidari Demon Hunters, and decided if he couldn't have his happiness that he wanted revenge. He made the trek to Shadowmoon Valley and the Black Temple and was taken before Illidan Stormrage to plead his case.

Illidan charged him to fight a demon of the legion, then kill it and eat it's heart. Doing so would give him the power he sought.

He almost died in the attempt, but managed to take down a Dreadlord of all things, the demon's arrogance proving it's undoing as it left itself open to a blow at the neck to taunt Cern.

Cern completed his task and after weeks of suffering as the fel energies warped and changed his body, he emerged reborn as one of the demon hunters.

As his first act he returned to Quel'thalas, found the monster his former lover had become, and put them to rest. It was there that he declared that Cern Skygazer was dead, taking the name Merihim Suneater.

Shortly after Maiev Shadowsong imprisoned him along with the other Illidari in the Warden's Gaol until the Legion's return in Year 32 AFW.

Once freed, he fell in with Savage United, fighting alongside them until after the defeat of Zovaal at Zereth Mortis.

#adventures in azeroth #warcraft fanfiction #warcraft roleplay #world of warcraft #blood elf #illidari #demon hunter

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sekhisadventures · 6 months

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Dissonantia

Pandaria, The Vale of Eternal Blossoms, Year 30 After First War

The cave lay open in the ruined, sha-blighted lands of the Vale. Abandoned by the Horde after Garrosh found the prize he sought. The heart of the old god Y’shaarj, torn from the voidspawn’s breast by the titan Aman’thul when they first came to Azeroth to order the world. All around it were the remnants of his breath, the sha, scurrying this way and that driven by the darker impulses of the minds of mortals, seeking one to corrupt.

The one that came to the Vale however they seemed to instinctively avoid. Shadows will try to flee from a bonfire after all, and this woman’s mind and soul were a blaze of demonic flames.

Dissonantia walked into the abandoned mine, her erstwhile companion Az’arad stomping along next to her. “Quzgup said ta be bleedin’ careful with this shite… but I want an ace up me sleeve. Yez never know when power like this could come in handy.” she grinned, looking around the tunnel. Goblin and peon corpses lay everywhere, killed by their fellows (and in some cases, themselves) as the dreaded power of the sha overcame their minds.

She had attempted to use a sha-corrupted soul recently, one of the mantid twisted and driven mad by the Sha of Fear. The result was that the Void had consumed part of her mortality and the fel had swooped in to fill in the gap, leaving her with a pair of curling demonic horns growing from her forehead. Her imp had warned her that it was a terrible risk, however. The Void might well consume all of her, leaving nothing but an empty husk. If nothing else, she figured that making someone else suffer that fate could be useful.

As they strode past the carnage she paused, her ears perking up. “Hm?” she mumbled, unsheathing her dagger. “Oi, Azzy. Yez hear that?” she grunted.

The Wrathguard nodded, glancing into the corner as she walked forward, conjuring a handful of felfire to act as a torch.

Huddled there was a goblin miner, the sole survivor of the carnage. His body was chalky white, his eyes wide as he whimpered, biting down on his nails. “I touched it I touched it why why why did I touch it why…” he stammered.

“Eh, touched wot?” she grunted, holding her dagger ready incase he transformed into a sha.

The goblin wailed and clawed at his ears, “NO! Nonononono! Don’t make me say it! I don’t wanna remember! The voices! The darkness! TOO MUCH!”

The worgen cocked her eyebrow, then smirked and stepped forward, “Oh I’ll make yez remember boyo… you’ll tell me, or me mate Azzy will break fingers till yez do.” she grinned widely, showing her fangs as Az’arad sneered, cracking his knuckles. He did so enjoy the fingers, they screamed great when he did that.

The goblin, however, laughed. “FINGERS?! Fingers… hehehe…” then his head snapped around and he stared at her, his eyes like saucers. “FINGERS DON’T FUCKING MATTER!” he snapped, “Nothing matters… I saw him, I saw his mind… I know what he wants…” his teeth chattered. “He’s not dead… he can’t die… you can’t kill a fuckin’ GOD…” he whimpered, covering his eyes with his hands.

Dissonantia and Az’arad glanced at each other, then back at him. “Bleedin’ fel this gobbo’s completely barmy…” she muttered, “Right then, out wiv it. What’d yez touch!”

The goblin giggled hysterically, then gasped out, “His heaaaaaaaaaaaaaart!”

A moment later the cavern erupted with purple light and his body fell, dead and soulless, to the floor. “Aye, that’ll do.” she grinned.

The Twisting Nether, Present Day

Dissonantia snarled and stomped through her lair. Her attempt to use Malgum had ended in utter failure. She’d watched them fight him back until his felfury ran out through her cauldron, the witch cursing at the top of her lungs. “A BLOODY BEER GIANT?! WOT THE FECK!” she snapped, “Ugh, first that pandaren git saves Sekhi, now he can do that?!” she shook her head, storming towards her throne and falling into it with a grimace. “At this rate I may as well just stay hidin’ out until they all die of old feckin’ age…” she grumbled.

After a moment she heard a faint chuckling sound. A muffled one, as if the person who was laughing couldn’t use their mouth properly.

She glanced around, then glared up at the wall. Hanging there was the disembodied head of Fel Master Aartox, the former owner of her lair. She’d kept him alive after Az’arad decapitated him, sewing his lips shut out of spite. “Wot’re yez laughin’ at?” she growled.

The eredar’s head glanced away with a smirk… and Dissonantia narrowed her eyes. Something was wrong, she could feel it. She stood up and snapped her fingers, the threads sealing his mouth burning away in a flash of felfire. “You… wot did yez fuckin’ do?!” she demanded.

The eredar grinned maliciously at her. “You should have left me dead witch. We man’ari are able to speak telepathically to others of our kind. I told Malgum all the secrets of your protections, and now he lives and is back with his allies.” he taunted her, a triumphant expression on his face. “They will come for you, and they will end you! Even in death, Fel Master Aartox is victorious!” he cackled.

Dissonantia’s expression was a sight to behold. The witch roared in fury and gestured, the decapitated head of Aartox erupting into felfire as she channeled her power and rage into it, the demon laughing all the while even as he was consumed.

The members of Unlimited Sin watched their leader, able to tell how furious she was. This wasn’t just bad for them, it was downright apocalyptic. They had relied on the protections Aartox had established to keep the members of Avalon and Savage United out of their base. Especially after Guzzle had managed to follow Dissonantia once, the imp getting in only because the protections ignored something that small.

Dissonantia seethed, staring at the now blackened man’ari skull hanging there as Aartox finally died completely… then she spun around and snapped. “WOT TH’ FECK ARE YEZ STANDIN’ THERE FOR! THEY COULD BE ON US AT ANY MOMENT!” she shouted, “AZZY, GREMORI! REINFORCE THE FRONT GATES! CENOON, XELKEK! SET UP SOME EXTRA SPELL DEFENSES!” she snapped, the worgen walking towards the shelves that held the treasures she’d plundered from Aartox when she took the lair.

It also held one other thing.

A small, locked chest. Her ‘ace up her sleeve.’ She opened it and looked inside the chest, seeing the soul shard of the goblin she’d found in the vale that day, the pathetic wretch having come into direct contact with part of one of the Old Gods themselves. Rather than the normal purple of a soul shard this one swirled with black and white, showing the signs of sha corruption on a nearly unprecedented scale.

“As for me… I got some brewin’ ta do.” she growled, closing the chest and picking it up, then walking through her portal to the Shadowlands. She hadn’t told Quzgup about it. The chest had always been locked and resisted any attempts her imp had made to open it. As far as he knew what was in there was just some bauble of his Mistress’s that she didn’t want him meddling with. There was no time to redo the main defenses now that her enemies knew the way to bypass them, she needed something, even something this dangerous.

The Dragon Isles, near the Obsidian Citadel.

On one of the fields of hardened lava rock near the waters west of the Citadel, the members of Avalon and Savage United were preparing for battle. It had taken some time to find a good fallback spot, but finally Nitika had come up with an idea and contacted one of Dissonantia’s former victims outside their circle.

As Edwood set up a massive demon gate with Malgum’s help, Nelen went over his notes on her defenses. “We have to assume that Dissonantia knows we’re coming guys. Somehow she was able to spy on us before, and if she finds out that Malgum revealed her lair’s location and defenses to us…” warned the magus.

Nitika nodded, looking over a wooden table they’d set up with a rough sketch of the lair itself that had been drawn by Aziguni with help from her brother. “Yeah, but this is it. We’ll never get another chance like this.” replied the seer.

“Ah, if only I could come with you…” sighed a newcomer on the far end. Standing there was a mag’har orc with glowing ember-like eyes, wearing a set of black-scaled robes. The visage form of Iridikron, the dragon that Dissonantia had enslaved to serve as her steed on the Dragon Isles until Nitika had broken the spell controlling him. “I suppose I’ll have to content myself in having played a part in the witch’s downfall…” he grinned, his teeth still rather fang-like even in this form (for some of the younger drakes, their visages still showed hints of their true nature.)

Nitika smirked, “Don’t worry Iridikron. We’ll give her a few extra for you.” she chuckled. “Really though, thank you for this. We need to know we have a safe fallback point incase we need to flee.”

The dragon shook his head, “It is a small thing in exchange for my freedom Nitika. When you told me that she had enslaved another…” he snarled, smoke leaking from the corners of his mouth as he remembered the humiliation of being dominated by her fel magic… then he shook himself and stood straight, nodding to her, “Fear not, the black dragonflight will guard your flank until your return!”

Well, some of the younger members of the flight at least. Iridikron’s clutch-mates. Standing nearby were what appeared, at first glance, to be a dark iron dwarf and a zandalari troll… though in the same black robes as Iridikron, marking them as two more dragons. Still, even young dragons would be more than a match for most of Dissonantia’s tricks.

Nearby the rest of Avalon and Savage United made ready. Zhan-min refilled his maces with fresh unbrewed beer base, then sighed. “Now, that trick I pulled back in th’ Dream… can’t do it without proper ale in these, ‘n that was the last I had back there. So no alemental.” he warned, nodding to the others.

Shalandrae sighed, “Likewise. As powerful as I was back there, I was able to transform like that because we were in the Emerald Dream.” she shrugged, “I think I might be able to do it on Azeroth, as long as we’re near a portal like the one in Duskwood or Feralas, but nowhere else.”

Jaie smirked, “Well… we do at least have one more trick Dissonantia won’t expect…” she nodded, reaching into her pouch and pulling out a small wooden flask.

Sekhi looked at it, then yipped and pointed at it. “That’s th’ same stuff from th’ Azure Span! Th’ one that almost blew ya up!” she shouted, able to hear the elemental song coming from it. It sang of storms, and danger, and power…

Jaie winced, “Its okay! Zhan-min and I worked out a safer version of it. I won’t be near as powerful as I was that day, but it doesn’t have any of Raszageth’s scales in it.” she nodded firmly.

Sekhi’s ears flicked, “Huh… yeah okay. It sounds close, but yeah…” she murmured, still sounding worried.

Dareley nodded, “Hmph… aye, we dunnae want a repeat o’ THAT mess. As good as it was ta stop Dissonantia that day, we thought we were gonna lose ye lass.” he sighed.

Jaie nodded, “Yeah, I don’t want to go through that again either. Worst hangover of my life…” she grinned apologetically.

Shalandrae glanced at the aging paladin but said nothing. She was concerned for her friend though. Dareley had been really showing his age lately, but like many dwarves he was stubborn as a rock. Add onto this that he was a Paladin of the Holy Light and he’d hardly miss a chance to finish off a threat as horrible as Dissonantia.

Next to her and Aziguni stood Laurelgosa, the Dracthyr already having shed her mortal guise in preparation for the upcoming battle. “Well, if we are fortunate it will not come to that Jaie. Perhaps we can take Dissonantia by surprise before she can mount a proper defense. As Malgum told us, the secrets of her defenses were imparted to him through telepathy from another of her victims. She may not even be aware we know how to reach her now.” nodded the evoker.

Samantha grinned at her. “Damn right Laurelgosa.” replied the rogue, then glanced to her side and cocked her head. "Hm... Annulus says that she can sense something odd in our future, but its hard to get a fix on what exactly…” she muttered.

Galdia just shrugged, the mag’har woman standing nearby with her eyes locked onto the portal, her only thoughts on the fight ahead as her massive undead worg Nightpelt sat near her. “Mm.” she grunted. She was a Warsong after all, either they would win or they would lose. One way or another Dissonantia needed to die.

Finally, three more were nearby. They wouldn’t come with them, but they had insisted on at least helping Iridikron to guard the gateway. The two vulpera Leza and Jeemjazo, and Jeem’s companion Murgly Jim, were sitting close to the water as the murloc splashed about in the river.

Jeemjazo glanced at him, then back towards the group. “Oi, Sekhi. Just… come back aye?” he asked.

Sekhi smiled at him and nodded, her tail wagging. “Yeah.” she replied. She and Jeem weren’t like that, but they were as close to family as two vulpera could be without actually being family like she and Leza were.

Leza nodded, the young mage trying to focus on her spellbook to prepare anything she could before the group set off. She was silent, but it was more because she was trying not to think about what could happen to her teacher or sister.

Finally however those magically inclined felt a woosh of energy behind them as Edwood finished inscribing the last rune upon the gateway, a swirl of fel energies tearing a hole through to the Twisting Nether. “OI! Time ta set sail mateys!” called the forsaken to the others.

Grimo cocked his rifle and stubbed out his cigar on the table. “You heard Ed! Lock ‘n load ya mooks!” he shouted as the group began advancing towards the portal.

Malgum glared into it, then stood aside. “I will remain and help Iridikron. Dissonantia was able to capture me as she could bind demonic beings, I can’t risk her doing it.” he explained, though the irritation in his voice was clear. He truly wished to be able to end her for what she’d done, but the risk of being turned against his sister again was too great.

Aziguni however gave him a smile and a pat on the arm as she passed. “Do not worry brother, we’ll see she cannot ever again.”

Even Shalandrae gave him a small nod, the druid then turning her focus to the portal as the swirling energies showed a huge rocky mountain floating on an island in empty space. A cave in the front had a huge door set into it, sturdy and reinforced… but no door survived Grimo Blamstick if he didn’t want it to be there.

Nelen took a breath, then nodded, “Right then. Avalon!”

Grimo grinned, holding his rifle ready, “… and Savage Untied!”

Then in a woosh the magus transformed into his worgen form as Grimo pressed the buttons on his gauntlet, his robotic dog L.U.P.E. barking in acknowledgement. “CHARGE!” shouted Nelen!

“FUCK HER UP!” shouted Grimo at the same time, and with that mis-matched battle cry the members of Avalon and Savage United disappeared through the portal and left Azeroth altogether for the Twisting Nether, to face down the Witch of Blackwald Forest.

Dissonantia’s Lair

The worgen stepped back through from the Shadowlands, tucking something into her pouch. The soul was a real mess, she hadn’t gotten a lot of anima out of it, but hopefully it’d be enough. It was potent, that much she could tell… and the moment she picked it up she’d heard whispering, but she ignored it for now.

Then her head jerked up as she felt several of the defenses outside popping like soap bubbles. Misdirection spells, curses set into the path to the cave like landmines, and the like disappeared one after another as their countercurses were invoked. She growled and glared at the door. “THEY’Z HERE! GET YER ARSES READY!” she roared, moving to the back of the cave.

Her demons and Gremori took up positions between her and the door, Az’arad brandishing his axe as Cenoon readied his whip, Xelkek hissed, his tentacles glowing with shadows as Quzgup hopped onto a table, readying a blast of felfire. In the middle of them all Gremori stood ready, her body swelling as she transformed into her demonic form once more.

For a moment there was nothing… then a sudden rapid beeping before the door to the entrance blew inwards off it’s hinges! Gremori snarled and let fly with her eyes, a gout of felfire incinerating the debris before it could reach them as Grimo’s voice came through the haze of smoke.

“Hah! Seaforium! Never leave home without it!” cackled the goblin, “GET ‘EM!”

Through the smoke burst Galdia, Jaie, Samantha, Zhan-min, and Mola’raum. “LOK’TAR OGAR!” screamed the mag’har woman as she made a beeline straight for Az’arad, her shield and sword already raised as Nightpelt roared along with his orcish partner.

Jaie ran for Gremori, Zhan-min and Mola’raum backing her up as she dodged the felsworn’s fist, then countered with her own punch to her middle. Gremori’s eyes bulged as electricity shot through her body, the pandaren having already taken a drink of Zhan’s new brew. The final form of Xuen’s Fangs had been less than the original, but enough to break through the fel-elf’s resilience! She snarled and shook her head, then lashed out again as Zhan-min thrust his hand out and a blast of flames shot forth from his mace, the pure fire cutting through her felfire.

Cenoon looked around the group, then saw a blur as Samantha appeared infront of him and slammed her foot home into his face, the incubus stumbling backwards. “OH NOW REALLY!” he huffed, then looked at her and grinned, “Darling, do you truly wish to fight someone like me?” he chuckled, wiping the felblood from his mouth as he gestured, focusing his powers up on Samantha… then reeling back in revulsion! He’d reached out to influence her mind and found what was living there, coming face to face with Annulus!

“DO NOT EVEN TRY DEMON! THIS ONE IS MINE!” shouted Annulus, the connection allowing Cenoon to hear her as he stumbled as if struck, and in that moment Sam darted forward and slashed across his chest with her daggers! He screamed in pain as the void-crystals bit into his flesh, the power in them so cold it burned him!

Samantha grinned then glanced to her left. ‘This one is mine? Well Annulus, I didn’t know you cared.’ she thought.

“Do not lose focus Samantha. I sense a presence… Dissonantia has something here… something very dangerous.” she warned.

Sam was about to ask what, then she yelped and vanished in a swirl of shadows as Cenoon’s whip bit through the air where she’d been moments before as a blast of sunlight and several arrows cut through, the ranged attackers of the group beginning their offensive.

Xelkek and Quzup returned fire, shooting bolts of darkness and felfire, as Dissonantia snarled and flexed her claws. She didn’t need to cut holes in reality here, she already was in the Nether! “This time yez is in MY home turf! KILL ‘EM ALL!” she roared as twin portals opened and a gigantic swarm of bilescourge shot forward only to be blocked by a shield of pure Light! Both Nitika and Dareley were channeling the Light through themselves, the Seer and the Paladin protecting their allies from Dissonantia’s minions as Nelen roared and summoned his mirror images, a huge slavo of arcane bolts cutting through the air towards the warlock.

She snarled and dodged to the side as they struck home, destroying the bookshelf behind her as she grimaced. She had been planning to use the relics there to defend herself, but the full force of Nelen’s arcane power had destroyed most of them! She stood up and glared as she heard a clicking sound, then saw something roll under the table next to her cauldron. Her eyes went wide, “BOMB!” she shouted.

The demons looked around as their opponents fell back, then Grimo’s grenade went off!

When the smoke cleared the cauldron was upside down, its contents leaking onto the floor. Xelkek was on the ground with splinters piercing through him, felblood leaking everywhere, and Quzgup… she growled, the imp was a stain on the ceiling. She could bring them back, they were bound to her… but for now they were very very much dead.

As they tried to recover Jaie suddenly shot forward again, her body still sparking with lightning, and she slammed home into Gremori once again, landing blow after blow against the stunned Felsworn as Az’arad’s axe came up just in time to block Galdia’s sword and Mola’raum’s spear, the two tag-teaming the Wrathguard.

Cenoon coughed, retreating back towards Dissonantia. “Er… this seems to be going against us Mistress Dissonantia… if you have anything planned, now would be an excellent time…” he warned.

She growled, reaching into her pouch, and taking something out of it. It was a small crystal vial, barely more than a mouthful, and it was filled with anima that swirled black and white like ink and oil mixed together. “I was hopin’ ta avoid this…” she growled.

As soon as it came out Sam stumbled, clutching at her head.

“SAMANTHA!” screamed Annulus in her mind, “Dissonantia! The thing in her hand! YOU MUST NOT LET HER USE IT!”

Sam looked up, then shouted to the others, “GUYS! DISSONANTIA IS DOING SOMETHING! STOP HER!”

But it wasn’t heard over the sounds of combat. Spells were cutting through the air, Sekhi’s flute was piping to summon bolts of lighting to rain upon Az’arad and Gremori, and the sound was simply too much!

Dissonantia uncorked the vial, then upended it into her mouth and swallowed.

A moment later she screamed, clutching at her stomach as she staggered backwards.

The surviving members of Unlimited Sin risked a look at their mistress as she braced herself against the wall, and slowly her eyes turned dark as polished jet and rivulets of black ink-like liquid began to pour from her mouth. Her fur turned ashen, the air around her seeming to darken…

As she did Nitika stumbled, gasping and clutching at her shoulders. “W-what? Here?!” she stammered, then she looked up. At her height she was able to see over Gremori and Az’arad, and she saw what was happening. “Oh no… EVERYONE! GET DOWN!” she cried out in warning!

Suddenly, darkness erupted outwards from the body of the Witch of Blackwald Forest, and the cavern was blown apart from the inside out!

The Waking Shore, the Dragon Isles

Malgum stood before the portal, the two vulpera and the black dragons behind him. Without warning, the portal trembled as if struck and an explosion echoed through the area!

He grimaced, drawing his axes as one by one the runes on the portal went dark like lightbulbs blowing out, and the swirling energies dissipated. Soon nothing was visible through it but the coast ahead of them.

Malgum swore in demonic, glaring at where the portal had been.

“What happened?!” exclaimed Iridikron, the dragon pointing at the now dead portal.

“Aye! Sekhi was on th’ other side o’ that! Whats goin’ on Malgum?!” demanded Jeemjazo.

The man’ari growled. “Something has gone wrong… the portal connects to Dissonantia’s Lair in the Nether… but for it to close in such a way, that place would have to stop existing at all.”

The group turned to stare at the portal, then Leza spoke up, “S-stop existing?! WHAT HAPPENED TO MY SISTER?!” she yipped in a panicked voice.

Malgum gritted his teeth, “I… do not know…” he admitted.

Somewhere else…

The sky was visible now, but it was no sky they knew. Rather than the rolling chaos of the Nether it was inky black with millions of stars all around them. The dust was still settling from where they’d all landed, the demons and Gremori gathering themselves first. “Ugh… hey Dis? The fel was that?” she asked, looking behind her, then her jaw fell open.

Where Dissonantia had been was a swirling mass of pure black and white, and from inside it came a hissing like thousands of voices all at once.

Nitika gasped and clutched her shoulder as she stood up, the scars she’d gotten in Pandaria suddenly feeling like they were on fire! She could barely focus at all. “G-guys… its… agh… she… she’s…” she stammered, but even trying to talk hurt!

Suddenly, a crackling sound filled the air as a ball of dark energy formed infront of the boiling mass that had been Dissonantia, and it erupted outwards towards the others, including her demons!

Cenoon, Az’arad, and Gremori fled as fast as they could, but the rest were still stunned by the sudden explosion. Nitika tried to focus, tried to call upon An’she’s power… but the Sun God felt so distant here… motes of light danced around her fingers, then died.

Then there was a clatter of metal and Dareley scrambled infront of the blast, raised his shield, and roared out “FOR TH’ LIGHT!” as golden wings erupted from his back, a wall of holy energy appearing infront of him!

The beam hit it and pushed him back several feet, leaving deep furrows in the ground, but he held on. “RUN! GET OUT O’ TH’ WAY DAMMIT!” he shouted as the others shook themselves and scrambled to the sides.

“DARELEY!” shouted Shalandrae, but there was nothing she could use to pull him away that wouldn’t put her in range of the blast.

Dareley gritted his teeth, the paladin holding on… then suddenly the wall began to crack. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he focused as hard as he could… and then with a crash his spell broke and the shadows swept over him!

The others cried out as the dwarf screamed in pain, the blast engulfing him for a long moment before dissipating. He was barely protected, a shell of light around him, but he was not unscathed.

Slowly, painfully slowly, he fell to his knees, his sword clattering to the ground next to him, and Dareley Steelhammer collapsed in a heap.

“NO!” shouted Shalandrae as she raced over to him and knelt down, feeling his neck and gasping. “He’s still breathing! Sekhi! Nitika! HELP!” she shouted to her allies, “Jaie, Zhan-min, anyone who can heal! I need your help! NOW!”

“Hey! What happened?! Dis! Are you in there?!” shouted Gremori as Cenoon and Az’arad looked into the shadowy mass where their leader had been.

Then they all heard it… a laugh coming from inside it. A mad cackling sound. Dissonantia’s voice, but wrong. Distorted and warped, as if coming from a new mouth.

“Well, I didn’t bleedin’ expect THIS, but I ain’t exactly complainin’…” came the reply, the shadows spreading to reveal the Witch of Blackwald Forest, but not as they knew her. Her body swirled with black and white, her wings now big enough to cover her entire form, and her hands had elongated and warped into misshapen claws… but that was nothing compared to her face.

Her mouth was too long, full of huge fangs, and her eyes… the two red ones were still there, burning like coals against her new monochrome fur, but there were five new ones. Two on each side, and one massive one on her forehead between her horns, all of them glowing a deep acidic yellow.

As they saw her transformed Samantha suddenly shrieked and clutched at her head, her temples throbbing as visions swam in her mind.

A half forgotten nightmare... Darkmoon Island… a twisted forest… Sekhi and Nitika corrupted and mad…

Say their name…

SAY THEIR NAME…

SAY THEIR NAME!!!

The void elf looked up and gasped, realizing what Dissonantia had done to herself, even if she didn’t know how.

Dissonantia had consumed anima wrung from a soul of a poor wretch who had come into direct contact with the Heart of Y’shaarj. What she had consumed hadn’t been the soul of the goblin however. It was the purified essence of the heart itself, what remained of the dreaded deity torn limb from limb by Aman’thul.

“G-guys… this is BAD! That’s not just Dissonantia anymore!” she shouted to the others. “I don’t know how, but thats Y'shaarj! We have to kill her! If we don't he'll use her body to return to Azeroth!”

The others readied their weapons almost immediately, Shalandrae giving a pained look at Dareley before shifting into a bear and growling at Dissonantia.

Gremori’s mouth became a thin line. “Nope. Nooooooope. I did not sign up for void shit.” she nodded firmly, then pulled a crystal out of her pouch, wrapped her fingers tight around it, and slammed her fist into the air next to her! The air seemed to shatter and a swirling mass of felfire appeared, a portal back to the Twisting Nether! “Cenoon! Az’arad! This way!” she shouted.

The incubus immediately chased after her, eager to get away from the monstrosity that Dissonantia had become, and Az’arad gave one last glare at the assembled adventurers before following. He was no fool, he knew when to cut his losses.

“Tch…” snarled Dissonantia. “Fine then! I don’t bleedin’ need yez!” she turned back to the members of Avalon and Savage United, then raised her claws and barked several syllables in Shath’yar! The air trembled as great rents appeared in the ground, and from them emerged a swarm of sha! Dissonantia flexed her wings, then flapped and shot up into the air. “KILL ‘EM! IF I GOTTA SHAKE HANDS WIV AN OLD GOD, THEN I’LL TAKE IT IF IT JUST MEANS I CAN FINALLY BE RID OF YEZ!”

The sha roared, a wave of dark emotions echoing outwards as they surged towards the group, who retaliated as best they could. Galdia, Jaie, Shalandrae, Zhan-min, and Mola’raum took up positions infront to face the onrushing horrors as behind them Nelen, Sekhi, Edwood, Aziguni, Grimo, and Laurelgosa aimed their spells onwards.

Sekhi whined, channeling the elements into the swarm in blasts of fire and lightning… but even if she wanted to risk unleashing the Singing Sands upon the mob, she couldn’t! Wherever they were now didn’t have a song! She couldn’t hear anything at all! In Ardenweald she knew the song was there, she had just lost the connection until it broke through when she first manifested her power… but here it simply didn’t exist!

Nitika tried to focus, but her head was swimming. It was impossible to focus here. “Dammit… D-darkhoof, what do we do?” she hissed.

‘Running would be a damn good idea, but the portal is closed and I don’t even know if our hearthstones will work from here!’ came the reply, ‘Look around us! This isn’t the Nether! When she merged with Y’shaarj she dragged her entire lair to the Void!’

Nitika shook her head and stood, then gripped her staff, “No wonder I can’t feel An’she’s presence…” she whispered, “Fine then… we’re in your element, YOU deal with it!” she snapped as she blinked her eyes.

When they opened again they’d changed from yellow to purple, “Eh, whatever…” she shrugged, then slammed her hand outwards as void slammed into void, the tauren’s darker side lashing out against the sha with their own weapons!

But they were in the Void now, and with every second Dissonantia’s transformation intensified and more and more sha appeared! Finally their line was broken and they scattered. All over island the dark children of Y'shaarj swarmed. Mola’raum’s ghoul was already in pieces, but there were no bodies to raise new ones here! The death knight’s spear glowed like a grim beacon as it’s runes ignited, stabbing into the voidspawn over and over. “DIS BE BAD! WE GONNA GET OVERRUN!” he shouted to the others.

“Yeah yeah! Tell me somethin’ I don’t fuckin kno-OH SHIT!” hollered Grimo as a massive sha surged towards him and slammed into the goblin! He growled and shoved a grenade into it’s mouth, but the creature had him in it’s claws! He couldn’t get away in time! “FUCK FUCK FUCK!” he smashed the butt of his rifle against what passed for the creature’s face, then suddenly the bomb exploded and the creature was blasted apart! Grimo let out a cry of alarm as the explosion sent him flying over the edge!

“GRIMO!” shouted Nitika, racing to the edge of the platform.

“I HAVE HIM!” replied Laurelgosa, spreading her wings and shooting off after the goblin as he plummeted, a small series of rocky islands floating in the Void below them.

Grimo landed with a sudden thud on the ground, coughing and rubbing his arm. “Ow fuck ow ow…” he hissed, standing up as the dracthyr landed next to him. “Ah, good… knew it was a good idea to hire ya…” he grinned, then paused.

He looked down at a small beeping sound coming from his gauntlet. “Huh? Signal located? What sig..." he started as he raised his arm and looked at the display, then his jaw dropped, “No fuckin’ way…” he looked around, then spotted another island nearby, with something metal glinting in the rocks on it. “It can’t be… Hey! Laurelgosa! Get me over there! FAST!” he shouted, pointing towards it.

Laurelgosa looked at him, then where he was pointing. “Grimo, we need to aid the others! Why do you want to go there?” she asked.

He gave her a toothy grin. “If that’s what I think it is… Dissonantia ain’t gonna know what HIT her!”

The dracthyr looked back to the platform above, seeing flashes of light and hearing the cries of battle. “… against my better judgement…” she mumbled, then she lifted the goblin into her arms, spread her wings, and took to the skies once more.

Back on the platform the battle was going badly. No matter how many sha they killed more and more came! They were in the void, the literal heart of darkness that spawned the dreaded old gods. Here, the fragment of Y'shaarj that Dissonantia had allowed into her could summon an endless tide of the horrors!

Dissonantia cackled above them, now more sha than worgen. Her body had doubled in size, her wings flapping to hold her aloft as she conjured another fountain of darkness. “Hah! Oh this is so feckin’ satisfyin’! How long will yez last against THESE ones?” she sneered down at her foes, barely noticing as Laurelgosa landed back onto the island with Grimo, the goblin running towards Zhan-min as the dracthyr exhaled a gout of dragon fire to drive the sha back long enough to reach him.

“HEY! Zhan! Those scales! The ones that ya used ta make th’ beer that almost blew Jaie up! You still got any?!” he asked.

Zhan-min snarled and slammed his maces home onto a monstrosity’s head, causing it’s body to shatter into motes of darkness. “Yeah! Why? Ya’ll wanna last drink?” he snapped, the pandaren man breathing heavily.

“Nope! Just give ‘em!” he insisted, showing the shaman what he had as Laurelgosa flew infront of him and flapped her wings hard, sending the sha infront of them flying backwards!

“Oh… oh shit I getcha… I heard ‘bout that thing! They don’t have a ton of power left after we freed Raszageth’s spirit, but if ya’ll use all of ‘em…” he grinned, digging in his pouch and pulling out a bag of dragonscales that seemed to crackle with electricity.

Grimo grinned back, snatching them. “Right, keep those bastards back while I install ‘em!” he nodded, getting out a spanner and working frantically as his L.U.P.E. robot let out a mechanical snarl and tore into another sha!

Dissonantia laughed, watching the chaos below her, hearing the whispering fill her mind. She was reveling in her power, and as soon as she returned to Azeroth she could unleash it everywhere. She wouldn’t just be a warlock, hiding in the Nether and seducing halfwits for their souls to extend her life and youth. She’d be an immortal demigod! She’d RULE Azeroth! Any who refused her would be turned into sha-corrupted monsters at her beck and call!

Then she heard something…

“HEY BITCH!” came Grimo’s voice.

Dissonantia snarled, her head snapping around, then she saw what he was holding. She didn’t recognize it though. She never really talked much to her former allies. She hadn’t heard about this...

Grimo was grinning ear to ear, taking aim with a rather unusual rifle. It had a long barrel ending in a wide mouth, was made of blue-tinted metal, and attached to where the ammo cartridge would normally be was a tesla ball packed to bursting with the scales of the now deceased Storm Eater! “SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND!” he laughed as Zhan-min and Laurelgosa stood behind him, bracing him by the shoulders.

“Th’ feck is that?” she growled.

The members of Avalon and Savage United however, they knew what it was!

Nitika stared at it, her jaw falling open as her eye twitched, then she gripped her head and grimaced. “HOW?! HOW THE… I THREW IT… HOW… THE ODDS OF IT…” she babbled as Mola’raum ran past her, slapping her shoulder firmly.

“FREAK OUT LATER SISTAH! GET BEHIND ‘IM!” he shouted as the taureness shook herself out of her shock and raced after him, the others moving to get out of the line of fire, fighting their way past the sha as Grimo took aim at Dissonantia… then pulled the trigger.

There was a roar like a massive primal dragon and a beam of pure lightning exploded out of the barrel, aimed directly at Dissonantia!

She growled, then held her hands out as a shield of darkness formed over her, and the beam slammed home! Dissonantia gritted her new fangs, but she was channeling the power of an old god! No mere gun could get through that, right?!

Maybe not a normal gun… but this wasn’t just any gun. Call it fate, call it predestination, call it sheer blind insane luck… but in Grimo’s hands was none other than the legendary rifle forged by the Keeper Mimiron, Titanstrike! Modified by the goblin, thrown into the Void by Nitika after the chaos he’d caused last Winter’s Veil. Somehow, they had wound up in the same part of the Void that the rifle had landed in! Grimo had recovered it, filled it with the remaining scales of Raszageth, and now the Incarnate’s power was exploding forth into the transformed witch!

She snarled in fury, channeling Y'shaarj's essence infront of her, but her transformation was far from complete. She wasn’t even as powerful as the greater sha that had plagued Pandaria yet! The shield began to crack, then Dissonantia’s eyes, all seven of them, widened in shock as the barrier fell and a blinding flash of lightning filled her vision!

What the beam struck was the infamous Witch of Blackwald Forest, the soul-stealing warlock responsible for countless deaths, who had sacrificed others without a second thought in her pursuit of immortality.

What landed on the island was a blackened and scorched worgen skull with two curling demonic horns. All around them the sha screamed, then one by one they vanished in bursts of darkness. With his host's death their master's remaining essence had been scattered across the Void, and without Y’shaarj’s presence they couldn’t exist.

Slowly the beam dissipated, and Grimo lowered the rifle. “Nitika. You do not. EVER. Touch this thing again. Capiche?” he glared over his shoulder at the tauren.

Nitika, her eyes still purple, glared back, then snorted and looked away. Just this once, she’d let him have that.

Then they all looked up at a rattling cough from across the arena.

“Dareley!” gasped Shalandrae, “He’s still alive! C’mon!” she shouted, racing to him as she fell to her knees, channeling what little energy she could draw upon in this realm into him. “W-we need to get him back to Azeroth! I can’t heal him here!”

Nelen nodded, running forward. “Right! Hang on!” he replied, taking his stave out and making a circle in the air with the tip. He was almost spent after that, but Dareley had saved his life when the Twilight’s Hammer attacked Wyrmrest Temple, he’d be damned if he didn’t at least try!

The air shimmered, then sputtered, and Nelen swore and did it again, then again, then another time… “Dammit…” he growled… then he paused, “Hm?”

The others looked at him, “What?” asked Samantha.

“I thought I felt…” he whispered. Then he focused, then he grinned, “Sekhi, when we get back… we need to do something really nice for your sister.”

Sekhi cocked her head. “Huh?”

The Waking Shore

Leza had set out her spellbook and wand infront of her, along with her glasses folded over them, and as an afterthought her bracers, the vulpera focusing on them as hard as she could, channeling arcane energy into them.

It was a desperate plan, but the only one they had. The objects before her had been crafted, in part, by Nelen. She hoped that by using her own magic on them that he could use them as a beacon of sorts to find his way back.

“Are ye sure this’ll work?” asked Jeemjazo, sitting next to her. Nearby Murgly Jim watched with wide, curious eyes. He could feel the magic, even if he didn’t understand what he was seeing.

Malgum nodded, stroking his chin. “The theory is sound… but as the only one of us who can channel the arcane… we will simply have to hope.” he mused.

Iridikron frowned, “I could fly to Valdrakken, enlist the help of some of my friends in the Blue Dragonflight…” he pointed out.

Malgum shook his head, “That could take hours. We may not even have minutes. Whatever happened, that part of the Twisting Nether is no more. This may well be our only hope of seeing them again.” he frowned.

Leza growled, “C’mon Nelen… sense this… I’m puttin’ everything I got into it…” she whined, “Ya made my book, ya helped make my wand ‘n my bracers ‘n glasses… they’re connected to ya…” she focused as hard as she could, screwing up her eyes… then she gasped as her fur stood on end. “I-I think I felt something!” she shouted.

The air infront of them rippled, then shimmered, and in a burst of arcane light a massive portal opened and through it came the assembled members of Avalon and Savage United!

“HOT SANDS IT WORKED!” exclaimed Jeemjazo as Murgly Jim let out a cheerful gurgle, waving his fins.

“SEKHI!” shouted Leza, scrambling to her feet as she jumped over the pile of objects and raced towards her sister, almost tackling the shaman off her feet as she hugged her tight!

Malgum gave a satisfied nod, then asked, “Well?”

Nelen looked back at him and nodded, “Its over. Dissonantia will never trouble anyone again, ever.” he grinned widely.

Valdrakken, later that evening.

It was true that the war against Fyrakk’s forces was still ongoing, but even the greatest of heroes need a chance to recover after a major battle, and for these fourteen this was perhaps not as great as the Incarnate of Flame, but very personal.

Everyone was there. The members of Avalon and Savage United, Sekhi’s family, Jeemjazo and his mother Neidhari (and of course Murgly Jim,) Malgum, even Iridikron had found an excuse to get away from the citadel to join in the celebration.

Grimo lowered his mug and sighed, “Just sayin’ it’s a shame is all. After all th’ fuckin’ work I put into those things, we don’t need ‘em now!” he sighed, gesturing to his wrist where the demon detection tool sat.

Nelen shrugged, “Oh I don’t know Grimo. It could come in handy for other things. Tracking down rare artifacts, maybe even seeking out other foes. I’m simply saying that we shouldn’t discount it just because its main purpose is settled.” replied the mage as he sipped from a mug of moonberry wine. He normally didn’t drink, but today was special.

Grimo shrugged, “Eh fair ‘nuff… just hope we don’t gotta deal with something like HER for a long fuckin’ time.” he said with a smirk, raising his mug.

Nelen chuckled, then tapped his mug against Grimo’s. “Well said.” he replied, the two of them taking a deep gulp of their drinks.

Nitika watched them, then sighed and leaned back against a wall. “I’m beginning to think that rifle is cursed. I mean… I threw it into the Void.” she frowned, “Even after what Dissonantia did, the odds of us winding up in that specific spot…” she trailed off as Mola’raum chuckled.

“Ya be overthinkin’ it sistah. We won. Dissonantia be gone. Just be happy.” laughed the troll, leaning against the wall next to her with his hands folded behind his head, his runespear resting next to him.

She felt a tap on her arm and saw Laura Brightflame standing there, the dracthyr holding out a large mug of tauren-brewed beer. “Mola’raum has the right of it Nitika. We should not question co-incidences. After all, it was by accident that Raszageth’s escape freed my own people from our prison in the Forbidden Reach. Simply accept that the outcome was in our favor.”

Nitika sighed, then accepted the mug from Laura and took a big drink, “… fine.” she shrugged, “Just… gah… I’m afraid to ask what he’ll blow up with it next!”

The three of them looked up at the sound of a cheer as Galdia stumbled past, an empty bottle of ale in each hand. “PARTY! HAHA! THE WITCH IS DEAD AND WE’RE NOT! LOK’TAR!” she hollered, drunkenly stomping her way across the inn as two of the barmaids chased after her.

“… where did her shirt go?” sighed Nitika as Mola’raum started to laugh, his shoulders shaking.

“I believe that it is hanging from the chandelier up there, Nitika.” grinned Laurelgosa, pointing upwards.

Nitika rolled her eyes, “Yep, that’s it.”

Across the bar Jaie and Zhan-min were talking with another few pandaren, sharing tales of what they had just done with the other adventurers, who would in turn share them with others they met in their travels. Because all pandaren love a good story. Perhaps it would even make it’s way back to Pandaria and the Lorewalkers would record it as an exciting adventure to tell to children.

A bit further away Shalandrae sat with Aziguni, the two sharing a bottle of moonberry wine, holding hands at the table. After all that had happened their relationship was pretty much past the ‘trying it out’ stage, though Shalandrae kept giving worried glances to another table.

Dareley sat there, looking tired, but otherwise well. He gave a nod to her, raising his mug, and took a drink. Thunderbrew, but a lower proof ale. No point in taking risks after his brush with death. He seemed fine, but Shalandrae had an odd feeling that there was something he wasn’t telling her…

Seated at the bar proper was Samantha, wearing a long and deep purple velvet dress. She didn’t want to go to a party in her ‘work clothes’ after all, and after years of having to pretend to be something she wasn’t she never passed up an opportunity to dress up.

Next to her was Edwood, the two swapping tales of pirates. Edwood from the stories he was told as a child of great Kul Tirian naval victories, Samantha the… less embellished ones she’d gotten from the pirates themselves with her time running with the Uncrowned.

Even Malgum was there, though he was keeping out of the way of the others. This was their victory, he was just pleased that Dissonantia had been dealt with and his sister had returned safely. As one of the man’ari, he had to take those small pleasures where he could get them. He didn’t expect thanks, nor did he ask for it. He just accepted that he had done his part.

Lastly, seated around a big table were the vulpera. Sekhi, Leeza, Jeemjazo, Neidhari, Atu, Risala, and the twins Zato and Eeda. The latter two were chattering excitedly, peppering their older sisters and Jeemjazo with questions, though Sekhi was reluctant to tell all of what happened when they passed through the portal.

“Look kits…” piped up Jeemjazo, “Th’ important bit is th’ Witch is gone. Savvy?” he said, gesturing to them as Murgly Jim messily devoured a plate of crab meat next to him. “Ye don’t need ta know the details.”

“BUT WE WAAAAAAAAANNA!” shouted Zato, flailing his arms.

“Yeah! We wanna beat up bad guys like Sekhi ‘n Leza!” grinned Eeda, her tail wagging excitedly.

Jeemjazo raised his eyebrow, “… and me?” he asked.

The twins looked at each other, then shrugged. “I mean… do ya?” asked Zato.

Jeemjazo snorted as Leza bit back a laugh, “AYE! Why just a few months back I saw to a buncha bloodthirsty pirates in th' Azure span! Ask Laura! She was there too!” he barked, pointing across the room.

Laura looked up and nodded, “I saw him personally defeat two of them myself. One of them was an orc infact.” she confirmed.

The twins turned back to him, their eyes wide. “Woaaaaaaaaaah! You took down an orc?!” yipped Zato.

“HOW?! They’re yippin’ huge!” shouted Eeda.

Jeemjazo grinned, puffing out his chest. Sure the recognition of young kits may be easy, but he’d take it. “Okay, so me ‘n Jim got hired by Brenna, Iskaara’s Chief, ta find out who was stealin’ their grub…” he began.

Neidhari chuckled, listening as well. She’d heard Jeemjazo’s story before, but it still made her feel better to know that her son could handle himself in a battle and had friends who would help if things got out of hand (she’d gotten the full story from Laurelgosa afterwards.)

Leza giggled, then glanced over at Sekhi, who seemed to be lost in thought, her ears flicking back and forth. “Ya okay sis?” she asked.

Sekhi blinked, then shrugged, “Just… kinda yippin’ nuts Leza. We were so worried about Dissonantia for so long, ‘n now she’s gone. Just… doesn’t feel really real yet…” she replied.

Leza nodded, then grinned, “Hey, maybe once Nelen thinks I’m good enough, I can come with ya and we can beat up the next one together.”

Sekhi giggled, then smiled back at her sister. “Hehehe… sounds good!” she yipped.

And so the party continued on into the night. Jeemjazo told his tale to Sekhi’s siblings, Grimo and Nelen discussed possible uses for the now-defunct demon detection tools, and eventually Galdia blacked out over the bar table and Nitika carried the unconscious orc up to her room after retrieving her shirt from the rafters.

But this tale is not yet over. Azeroth is a wide world, and adventures can happen every day. Today’s battle was won, but who knows what tomorrow’s would bring?

But there was one person for whom the adventures had ended…

Somewhere…

Dissonantia awoke with a jerk, looking around. “Wot… where th’ feck am I?” she growled, trying to step forward, only for a sudden pull on her wrists and the rattle of chains to alert her to the fact that she was shackled to a wall.

As her vision cleared she saw a cell like one would find in a prison or dungeon. The walls and floor made from rough cut stones and all around her she heard the moans and wails of other prisoners.

It was then that she became aware of something else. She wasn’t in her worgen form! She was human again! Whats more, she wasn’t young anymore either! She saw her hands, veined and sporting liver spots, then felt her face and grimaced as she felt the wrinkles that had vanished after she’d managed to steal Theotar’s secret of brewing anima into tea…

… anima… then it clicked in her head.

“Oh bugger…” she whispered as a door opened at the far end and a figure approached her, hidden in shadow until she drew within a circle of torchlight.

She was a tall statuesque woman in an elegant black and red gown, her face a pale grey and her ears long and pointed. She had two dark eyes and fang-like teeth, and in her hands she held a freshly carved tablet of stone.

“Well well, Dissonantia… or should I say ‘Camillei Theodore?’” she nodded, reading it off the stone. “My my my… we have been naughty haven’t we? Took the dredgers a while to get your sinstone carved I must say.”

Dissonantia growled, “Accuser…” It wasn’t an insult but rather it was her name and her title. The reality of her situation hit her like a led weight. Grimo’s insane gun, the blast of lightning, the sudden cessation of everything.

She was dead, and this could only be Revendreth. This time, however, she was not here as a Maw Walker to save the realm.

“Mmm… we were not expecting to see you again so soon, but I have to say we certainly have our work cut out for us with you.” replied the Venthyr woman. “Murder, theft, infanticide, soul-cannibalism… dear dear…” she shook her head.

“Were it the old days we would have cast you into the Maw and been done with it... but our new Arbiter has decreed that all souls, no matter how irredeemable, are given at least the opportunity to absolve themselves.” she sighed, clicking her tongue in an annoyed way, “One wonders if Pelagos realizes just how much he has increased our workload." she shrugged, "No matter, it is our duty and we will carry it out, and besides…” she smirked, leaning in.

“After you left, Theotar worked up the courage to tell Renethal what you had done. He asked me personally to see to your ‘rehabilitation’ when your time came…” she grinned, “I do not normally take pleasure in the punishments I give souls, but this time I may make an exception.”

Dissonantia grimaced, flexing her fingers. She wanted to summon a swarm of bilescourge, she wanted to call Az’arad and set him loose upon her, she wanted to rain felfire and death upon all who stood between her and the exit to this realm… but she was a disembodied soul now. Her powers were gone!

The Accuser smirked, recognizing what she was doing. It was hardly the first time a newly arrived soul had instinctively tried to fight back. “However… as I said, we are extremely busy under Pelagos’ new rules, so I am afraid I have prior engagements I must attend to…” she turned to leave, “We must schedule our next session for… oh… twenty, thirty years from now should do it. So many souls to see to…” she shook her head, “But plenty of time for you to think about what you’ve done.” she chuckled.

Dissonantia snarled, tugging on her chains as she roared in fury, however it was not the furious howl of a worgen but the angry scream of an old woman. No felfire, no demons, not even the power to shapeshift. She would sit, and wait, until the Accuser returned to administer her ‘penance,’ whether she liked it or not.

And that was the end of the Wicked Witch of Blackwald Forest.

#adventures in azeroth #world of warcraft #warcraft fanfiction #warcraft roleplay #dragonflight #original characters

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sekhisadventures · 6 months

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Shining Unity

The grass crunched under Nelen’s feet as he walked across the threshold of the portal, feeling a tingling all over his body as he crossed through.

They had discussed it back at Valdrakken and decided that they would not go through altogether. While they could detect Dissonantia coming, all of them in one place could be more dangerous than separate. The Witch of the Blackwald may well throw everything she had at them in the hopes of wiping them out, and they weren’t entirely certain of what she was capable of.

So they would do it in groups, and the first group included Nelen, Shalandrae, Aziguni, Nitika, and Sekhi.

He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Its… I’ve never smelled air this clean before, even out in the wilds.” he murmured, adjusting his glasses as he looked around. “Sure as fel wasn’t this nice last time we were here…”

Shalandrae shrugged, “The last time was to help stop Xavius from turning all of Azeroth into a void-corrupted nightmare world Nelen. That wasn’t the dream at it’s best.” she pointed out.

The magus nodded, “True…” he replied as Aziguni chuckled.

“Well I for one am very eager to help the Dreamweavers. Fyrakk and his minions come first but imagine what kind of animals must live in this realm!” she nodded.

Nitika grinned at her, the massive tauren walking ahead as her longer stride carried her onwards. “We’ve encountered some. The faerie dragons and moonkin are both native to the dream and migrated to Azeroth, though the ones here would probably be different.” she nodded, “How about you Sekhi?” she asked, looking back over her shoulder, then pausing with a concerned frown. “Sekhi?”

The shamaness stood just at the edge of the portal, her eyes wide as her ears flicked back and forth so fast they were practically a blur, her jaw hanging open slightly.

“Er… Sekhi?” she asked again as the others paused, looking back and seeing the vulpera standing stock still.

“… is… is she alright?” asked Aziguni. While she had heard of the shamaness, she hadn’t had a chance to interact with her much.

Shalandrae, however, grinned at her. “I think I know… Quite the song this place has, isn’t it?” she asked.

Slowly, Sekhi’s tail fluffed out, then her eyes went crossed before she slid down onto her side, her tongue popping out with a faint ‘blep’ sound. A moment later she giggled weakly, as if slightly drunk.

Nitika sighed, “Right… should have seen that coming.” she shook her head, scooping the vulpera up into her arm. “She should be fine once she gets used to it. At least this one doesn’t hurt her.” she rolled her eyes, though she was grateful for that. She and Sekhi had become close friends during their time working together, and she didn’t want a repeat of what had happened to her in the Maw or in Zalarek Cavern when Fyrakk attacked Loamm.

She was concerned about that. Fyrakk was the reason they were all there after all… but Sekhi had insisted. She had been working on finding some way to withstand those sorts of things. Sekhi’s connection to the elements was powerful, manifesting as an ever-present music that only the shaman herself could hear (unless she did a certain ritual anyways, but so far it had only worked for Nitika,) but that power was a double-edged sword. She couldn’t turn it off, and not all songs were good. The last encounter she had with Fyrakk, freshly starcursed from the font of shadowflame, had struck her with a seizure that had put the shaman’s life at risk.

Still, they would need her help. The elements, specifically Fire, were their foes here and a shaman of Sekhi’s caliber would be a major boon to their efforts against the Primalists and the returned Druids of the Flame.

At that thought, Shalandrae’s expression darkened. She remembered seeing Hyjal burn, more damage than even the Legion had managed to do to the Night Elves’ sacred mountain, and now they encroached not just the Emerald Dream but on their new home? She gripped the haft of Journey’s End, her stave, tightly, and whispered under her breath, “Never again…”

Aziguni glanced at her but said nothing as she walked alongside the night elf, her two companions Eochundo and Muaaqi flanking them, the pantera sniffing the air curiously as the talbuk gazed around at the greenery with an expression like it had walked into a particularly choice buffet. She didn’t have to ask what Shalandrae meant, the druidess had been very vocal the day they had their planning session and Laurelgosa broke the news that the Scalecommanders had confirmed, thanks to help from Shandris and Meithra, that Fyrakk had the means to invade the Dream.

That was a few weeks ago…

Amirdrassil, The Emerald Dream

‘The Flora and Fauna of the Dream are remarkable!’ wrote Aziguni in her journal, next to a sketch of a Dreamsaber. ‘In some cases, it is even the same being. The dreamsabers, the bristlebears, a mixture of both plant and animal in a way that has the best qualities of both. Such things could never exist outside such a realm… or at least not in such a benign way.’

She smiled, closing her journal and putting it back on her belt before reaching over and stroking over the strong, muscular neck of her talbuk Muaaqi. Most of their crew was out doing exploratory missions or fighting back the Primalists and the Druids of the Flame. So far it was a stalemate. Fyrakk’s forces were heavily entrenched, but their goal was shielded from their entry. Thus the main goal right now was to harry his forces, keep them from gaining access to their true purpose in the dream, and wait for an opportunity to strike back.

To that effect they had gathered an odd grouping of allies. The druids of the Cenarion Circle and the Aspects and their Dragonflights were the obvious ones of course… but it seems such conflicts made for odd bedfellows.

She glanced over towards a nearby hill where Merithra and her allies were having a meeting, noting a tall statuesque woman. Literally statuesque, as if carved from living ice. The visage form of their former foe, Vyranoth. While Fyrakk’s goals involved the subjugation of Azeroth, Vyranoth stayed true to the Primalists movement’s ideals of liberation from the Titans. Though one would wonder just how true those were given the actions of Iridikron. Still, the Frozen-Hearted believed in those ideals as deeply as anything and would resist Fyrakk’s efforts. What she would do should he be defeated would be anyone’s guess.

As she glanced over she heard a faint clattering sound, then a deep grumble. “Eh, we’ve teamed up with sketchier… but what a bloody addition to our crew. Right lass?”

She glanced over to see the decayed form of Edwood Vargas, the warlock looking in Vyranoth’s direction with narrowed eyes.

She shrugged. A few months back she would have been much more concerned about working with a warlock, but after being reunited with her long-lost brother… well… she couldn’t exactly judge him and not feel like a hypocrite. “Perhaps, Darkcaster Vargas.” she replied.

The warlock shrugged back, then looked up as they heard the sound of bare feet on the forest floor.

Shalandrae was walking towards them, the druidess looking oddly better than she had when she’d arrived. True the Emerald Dream was under siege, but this was about as in her element as she could get, and her time in the dream had done wonders for her. The druid’s antlers seemed to glow with energy, her body seeming even healthier than it had on Azeroth. “Well, that’s one more cell of traitors that won’t be helping that mad dragon.” she smirked, nodding to Aziguni, then giving a bit more of a curt nod to Edwood as her smile faded.

The forsaken just nodded back. He’d come to expect it from the kal’dorei and was just happy that Shalandrae didn’t try to kill him like she almost did when they’d first met in Ardenweald. “Aye, wish I could help out more there but… well… elemental fire against felfire. Too bloody dangerous. I’m stuck brewing potions with th’ rest of th’ alchemists.”

Shalandrae snorted. A herbalist and potion maker herself, she had always seen the Grand Apothecary Society’s members as suspect at best. She had however managed to inspect some of Edwood’s brews back in Valdrakken before and at least found them safe to consume… unless they were intended to be used against enemies anyways. “Just be careful you don’t drop any bits of yourself in them…” she mumbled.

Ed frowned at her, “Oi, that happens less often then ye think.” he retorted.

Aziguni stood up and shook her head, “Come on now you two. Enough of this.” she sighed, “We have a common foe to worry about. If Fyrakk succeeds we’ll lose far more than just Amirdrassil.” she nodded, giving a warning look to both of them.

The two shrugged, Edwood muttering something as Shalandrae rolled her good eye and glanced away, then paused. “Huh?” she murmured. “Aziguni… down there…” she said, pointing towards the pool in the forest floor beneath Amirdrassil.

It was a small pond, with a tiny land path that had either through intent or some aspect of the dream grown into the same shape as the Sigil of Ardenweald, and standing near the center looking up at them was a familiar, if imposing person.

Aziguni’s reaction was immediate. “Malgum!” she said, relief flooding her voice. Even distracted as she was by the Emerald Dream’s wonders the fate of her brother had never left her mind. They hadn’t seen him since Dissonantia’s last attack.

The man’ari man gazed up at them, the corners of his mouth twitching as if he was going to say something but hesitated at the last moment… then he turned and walked off towards the southern coast of the small island that Amirdrassil stood upon.

“Where is he going?” asked Aziguni, the draenei woman looking around and whistling sharply. A moment later there was a sudden rustle nearby as her pantera leapt out of the bushes and jogged over towards her. “Malgum! WAIT!” she called, her hooves clattering as she ran off after her brother.

Shalandrae chased after her, the elven woman falling forward as her arms elongated and her hands and feet hardened into hooves, soon becoming a massive stag as she ran alongside Aziguni and her animal companions into the boughs.

Edwood, however, was looking at Malgum. “Huh… somethin’ smells fishy, ‘n I know fishy…” he grumbled, glancing at Guzzle as the imp sat on his shoulder. He reached into his pouch and pulled out a small device. A pocketwatch on a chain.

He opened it, then looked at where the clock face would be, then back at the two, then grimaced. “Ah feck!” he snarled, running after them, but the two had a good lead on him! He considered calling the others… but they could be scattered all over the area by now and even in the middle of fighting their enemies, he’d have to just hope he could catch up somehow!

Some distance later

Malgum slowly came to a stop, the tall man’ari warrior standing with his gaze at the water ahead of him. He stood along the southern coast. Well away from Amirdrassil in an area that, for now, both the Primalists and Azeroth’s defenders were ignoring completely. Nobody cared about it, which meant nobody was around at all.

He knew why he was there, he wanted to say something, he wanted to yell at the top of his lungs… but every time he tried his throat tightened and the skin around his neck burned. He would just have to hope that his sister and her friends could survive what was about to happen.

Theys comin’. Turn ‘n face ‘em.

He grimaced, hearing the voice echoing in his mind as he turned around, his teeth gritted tightly.

Aziguni clattered to a stop as Shalandrae changed back into her elven form, the draenei stepping forward. “Malgum, what is going on? Why did you leave when I called out to you?” she asked, her eyes showing concern for her brother.

“Aziguni…” he croaked out, “Sister… I…” he gasped, then fell silent, his jaw moving but no words coming out.

None o’ that! Time fer yez ta live up ta yer name ‘Massacre’ Malgum. KILL ‘ER!

He gritted his teeth, his arms twitching for a moment… then he roared and grabbed his weapons, pulling them free of his belt and raising them, then charging!

Aziguni froze, her eyes going wide, but Shalandrae didn’t! In a blur she was a mass of stone and moss, a huge rock-like bear charging to meet the demonic warrior head on!

She shrugged off his initial attack, then roared at him, glaring at the man’ari. “STAY BACK AZIGUNI!” she snarled.

Aziguni shook her head, then drew her bow and shook her head, “Shalandrae! Wait! Malgum why are you doing this?!” she asked.

Malgum hesitated, gritting his teeth, then he shuddered. “I… am man’ari! I was… made to kill draenei… b-bitches like you!” he spat, “Now come here so I can tear you to pieces girl!”

Shalandrae roared in fury, but even as she felt hurt from his words Aziguni heard the strange tone in his voice. “Shalandrae… something is wrong!” she shouted, nocking an arrow. Even if she had to attack she could aim to disable or disarm rather than kill him.

Shalandrae ignored her, her mind going back to that horrible day in her youth when her friend-turned-satyr had murdered another friend in cold blood infront of her. The druid snarled, clawing at the ground, then stormed forward, throwing her weight towards the berserker!

The two slammed into each other, the druid’s stone-like hide managing to stop his axes from penetrating, but only just as the man’ari brought them down with bone-crushing force. Had she not been in her bear form the blow would have easily been fatal… but she stood against it.

She roared, slamming her paw into his side and sending him stumbling away. Malgum gasped, and part of him wanted her to kill him so he wouldn’t have to risk harming his sister… but he had to survive! He had to tell them what he’d learned! He roared back, then charged forward towards the druid.

Aziguni’s eyes were wide, her bow drawn but the arrow tip trembling. Shalandrae and her brother clashed again and every time she was about to let fly she held back. She could hit Shalandrae by accident of course, but she had to know why her brother had turned on her like this! It made no sense!

She drew back, the bowstring creaking, as she took aim at his leg… and…

“OI! BELAY THAT LASS!” came a gravelly voice!

She flinced, and her fingers went loose, the arrow flying free only to be blasted to ashes by a gout of flames!

The sudden bright burst of fire caught both Shalandrae and Malgum by surprise as Edwood stumbled into view, the warlock’s hand outstretched as embers still danced around his fingers. “Right, enough of this!” he snapped, then held up the pocketwatch… but instead of a clock face it showed two words flashing in bright red: ‘DEMON DETECTED!’

“I KNOW YER HERE! STOP HIDIN’ ‘N SHOW YERSELF YE COWARDLY HAG!” he demanded.

At this Malgum suddenly stiffened, gripping his head and gasping in agony as he screwed up his eyes… then slowly his face twisted into a wicked grin as he opened his eyes, which now glowed a deep bloody red. “Well, so much fer that bit…” he sneered, his voice now carrying a very thick Gilnean accent.

Aziguni gasped in horror as she stepped back, Shalandrae’s eyes widening as she moved herself between Malgum and Aziguni.

“Dissonantia!” snarled the druid, “How… what have you done?!” she demanded.

Malgum smirked, “Why I found meself a fun new toy…” she cackled through the man’ari’s mouth, grinning at Aziguni. “Turns out yer brother was a bigshot back in th’ Burnin’ Legion’s infantry. Massacre Malgum they called ‘im, ‘n now ‘e’s gonna massacre th’ whole bleedin’ lot o’ yez!”

Shalandrae growled, preparing to charge, but Aziguni held her shoulder. “Shalandrae! Please! That’s still my brother! She is controlling him!” she insisted.

Edwood snarled, reading his own spells. “Aye lassie! Th’ witch ensorcelled him! I can feel th’ spell on Malgum! He ain’t tryin’ ta attack us!” the warlock insisted.

Shalandrae growled, “We don’t have a choice! If she makes him use the felfury then he’ll blast apart the entire coast!” she insisted.

At this however, Ed grinned. “Oh? Then why ain’t he used it?” he asked.

Malgum, or rather Dissonantia, scowled as Shalandrae and Aziguni paused, then glanced at each other. That was an excellent question. If he had used it then the fight would have ended almost immediately. Why hadn’t he?!

“I know how that works lass! Found out ‘bout it when we were fightin’ th’ Legion on Outland!” he smirked, “Felfury burns everything. Including magic! He’d break her control th’ second he lit up!”

Malgum shrugged his shoulders as Dissonantia smirked, “… eh, yez got me there. Can’t flick th’ kill switch or else ‘e’d come straight fer me. But can yez really kill Azignui’s brother like yez took down Merihim?” she asked, grinning at Shalandrae.

Edwood scowled as Shalandrae glared at her, Aziguni hesitating as she glanced between them.

“Oh? They didn’t tell yez? This ain’t th’ first time I tried this trick… but last time they had ta deal wiv’ th’ result in a… terminal way…” chuckled the witch through Malgum’s body, “Oi wasn’t there fer it, but it didn’t take a bleedin’ genius ta figure out why I never saw hide nor hair o’ Belgrith after that… ‘n why Merihim was suddenly missin’. Yez killed ‘im stone dead!” she grinned, “’n that’s th’ only choice yez is gonna get ‘ere! Kill Malgum or he’ll kill all o’ yez!” she taunted, raising his weapons... “Assumin’ me boys don’t get yez first.”

The three of them suddenly looked up as a roar went up nearby, then the huge form of Az’arad surged towards them as a cackling announced the arrival of Xel’kek, Quzgup riding atop the Observer demon and channeling a blast of felfire already. A chuckle hinted that Cenoon was near… but none of them could see the Incubus… which was not a good thing. Finally from the boughs of a nearby tree there was a whoop, and with a crash and a burst of felfire Gremori landed next to Malgum, the felsworn standing and grinning towards the three heroes. “Got ya this time!”

The three stumbled back as the demons stalked forward, even if they ran in different directions they were outnumbered! Whats more they knew Dissonantia could easily summon more monsters. They needed the others… but there was no time!

Shalandrae growled, shifting back into her elven form. “Ed… you're a warlock, can you slow them down somehow?” she hissed.

“Lass. I got felfire, that’s ‘bout it.” he muttered back, holding his shovel infront of him like a shield.

She winced, then glanced at Aziguni as the draenei held her bow ready, another arrow nocked… but there were too many targets! The second she let fly whoever she didn’t hit would strike! Eocundo and Muaaqi were growling at their foes, the panthera’s tail swishing angrily as the talbuk stomped it’s hooves... but one swipe of Az’arad’s axe would spell their doom as easily as anything.

Shalandrae gripped her stave, her good eye wide. She needed her friends, she needed the rest of her allies… they were outnumbered! She…

She paused, feeling over the wrappings, then glancing down at the stave.

Journey’s End, gifted to her the Winter’s Veil before they had journeyed to the Dragon Isles. Hand crafted by Nelen with parts from all their friends (save Zhan-min, though the ale he made for that celebration had left her out like a light until late the next day.) It contained a part of each of them. Nelen shaped the wood, Dareley made the antlers of the stylized stag’s head, Sam had created the wrappings, and Jaie had cut and shaped the gemstones for its eyes.

But the wood itself… it was from her. It was the tree she had planted in Darkshore, her sign of renewal. Her sign that she wished to move on from the loss of Teldrassil and see the future for her people unfold.

Behind her was Amirdrassil and should Fyrakk be defeated it would be their new home. A new world tree, a new beginning for the kal’dorei.

“Even if the forest burns… it will regrow.” she whispered, as she felt the staff pulsing under her hands, like a living being. Then she looked up and heard nature’s call.

“Dissonantia… you failed again.” she smirked as Ed and Aziguni glanced to her. Infront of them the demons of Unlimited Sin hesitated. They had been savoring the terror of their enemies, but Shalandrae’s sudden change gave them pause. “Maybe if you’d done this somewhere else… but here? You attack a druid while she stands in the Emerald Dream?” she chuckled, stepping forwards as the grass under her feet seemed to glow with each footstep.

“Wot? What are yez playin’ at Shalandrae…” snarled the witch through Malgum’s body.

The druid gripped her staff in both hands, then thrust downwards and drove the base into the ground as energy began to swirl around her form. “At our roots… all are one… and my roots run deep.” she intoned, then her hair swirled in an unseen breeze, and her one good eye glowed a brilliant emerald green.

Darkshore

A sudden wind rose across the coastline, catching the branches of a tall oak tree.

It stood proud among the slowly regrowing forest, surrounded by smaller saplings. Thirteen smaller trees infact, precisely. Some were healthier than others, some were taller, but all were connected to the oak, grown from acorns it had shed.

Nearby, all the animals of the forest paused. The squirrels froze in the act of climbing a tree. A bird singing on a branch fell silent, and a saberfang lounging in the sun raised its head and licked it’s chops.

All of them were staring at the tree as it’s boughs seemed to glow with sunlight, and through the tree’s roots the power it shared with the forests of Darkshore and Ashenvale flowed back through to the Dream through the branch that Shalandrae held in her hands.

The Emerald Dream

Shalandrae released the stave as roots erupted from it’s base, then wrapped around her legs as Aziguni and Edwood fell back, the two staring as the druid rose off the forest floor, bark forming around her body as she raised her arms towards the sky.

“BUGGER! KILL ‘ER! NOW NOW NOW NOW!” roared Dissonantia as the demons surged forwards.

Shalandrae’s head snapped down and she flexed her fingers, now covered in wooden bark as acorns rained down from them. Each one that landed quickly sprouted and within seconds a dozen treants had appeared!

The demons slammed into the onrushing tree-men. Az’arad cleaving one in half as Gremori blasted felfire into three others, but they had done what Shalandrae had needed. They had bought her time to finish.

Standing in the glade now was a massive ancient, rooted to the ground but easily thirty feet tall. It’s head was a huge crown of leaves hanging down over wooden arms ending in branch-like-hands. Her antlers glowed with the power of the Dream, her one eye shining like the sun in the height of summer. She flexed her fingers, a loud creaking like branches in a gale accompanying it… and across the dream a call went out.

A swirl of emerald light filled the area, a series of portals opening. Through each of them came the various members of Avalon and Savage United, having heard Shalandrae’s voice moments before the portal had opened at their own location.

Nelen roared, already in his worgen form, as he began to channel arcane power into his claws as Grimo took aim with his rifle and fired off a salvo of bullets at Az’arad’s bulk, the goblin eager to get some payback for Dissonantia’s minions wrecking his office!

Dareley, Nitika, and all the others were ready for a fight as well… but as Sekhi came through she looked up at Shalandrae, her ears twitching as she heard the druid’s song. It sang of unity, of victory, and of finding a way to live after years of pain. The shamaness smiled at her, then turned to the demons and whistled sharply as lighting sparked between her fingers. Be happy for her friend later, deal with the demons now!

“Everyone!” called Shalandrae, “Malgum is being controlled by Dissonantia! Bring him down…” there was a wooden creak as she turned her head to look towards Aziguni, “But don’t kill him unless you have to.” she added, “As for the rest…” she smirked, “You know what to do.”

A call of agreement went up as Dissonantia swore through Malgum’s mouth, then let the warrior’s consciousness back in control. She could guide his actions by force, but direct control meant he could fight as good as she did… and she wasn’t a warrior. She had to let him do the fighting directly, even if she was making him attack someone specific.

Jaie rushed forward and slammed her fist home into Gremori’s middle, then landed five more blows and flipped backwards, bringing her foot against the felsworn’s chin.

Gremori coughed, then grinned, “HAH! I barely felt that!” she smirked, “Not so tough without that lightning stuff are ya?” she laughed, her body swelling as she transformed into her demonic form.

Jaie frowned, then she felt a tingling as Shalandrae pointed to her and flexed her finger. She looked down as wooden gauntlets appeared over her hands, spikes growing along the knuckles. She flexed her fingers, but despite the gloves being made of hardened tree bark it felt as if there was nothing at all there. She smirked, then rushed forward and slammed her fist home as Gremori finished transforming, the demonic elf letting out a gasp of pain as she heard bones crunching from the impact.

Shalandrae grinned, then pointed to Nitika and gestured. The taureness gasped as she felt a sudden surge of warmth all over, as if the sun had just gotten brighter… then she saw Gremori holding her bleeding nose as she glared at Jaie, the felfire she had instead of eyes suddenly flaring outwards!

A brilliant shield of pure sunlight formed over the monk’s body, the flames blasting into it, but splashing away harmlessly against the solar barrier… then suddenly the shield exploded outwards, sending the felsworn flying backwards with burns all over her front!

Nitika stared at her hand. An’she’s shield had never done THAT before… but then… She glanced up at Shalandrae. She’d never had An’she AND Mun’sha’s help before at the same time. Well… Elune, but that was just what the elves called her.

In the shadows nearby, Dissonantia swore angrily as she tried to puppet Malgum, watching as Az’arad brought down his axe on Galdia only for it to glance off a hauberk of petrified wood that had grown over her in an eyeblink. Nelen blasted away at Xel’kek and Cenoon, his arcane magic augmented with pure astral energy to the point where the observer could only dodge. She almost considered letting Malgum just use the damn felfury and setting him loose, but she knew full well he’d come straight for her the second she did. All she had to do was keep him from doing it and hope that they’d hesitate when it came to the man’ari himself.

Then, through Malgum’s eyes, she saw Sekhi pull out her flute and play a rapid series of notes. Above them thunder rolled and a blast of lightning arced down, slamming into Malgum’s body! Aziguni cried out, but while everyone was distracted Edwood had managed to get close to her and told her where to aim.

He’d seen this kind of trickery before, having fought against the forces at the Black Temple on Outland. There was only one way that he knew of that Dissonantia could control someone like this, demonic or not. She could compel them to obey, like she had Iridikron, but direct possession? That took something specific!

The lightning hit home, blasting apart the buckles on Malgum’s chest armor, and it crashed to the ground as Edwood shouted out. “SOMEONE GET TH’ MAN’ARI ON TH’ STERN!”

A moment later and a few confused shouts and Edwood cursed and said, “AIM FOR HIS BLOODY BACK!”

Jaie was the fastest there. She slammed her fist around into Gremori’s jaw, sending the fel-elf to the ground, then raced forwards. Dissonantia snarled and commanded Malgum to attack her, but the pandaren proved to be the more agile one! She ducked under Malgum’s axe, rolled behind him, and saw it on his back. A green sigil tattooed onto his very skin, the design making her eyes hurt just looking at it.

She knew what she had to do. The pandaren drew her spear, channeled her chi through the weapon, and shouted out, “SORRY!” before she slashed forward, striking him from his right shoulder to his left hip!

Dissonantia growled, then sent her will towards Malgum once more.

I said kill th’ bloody bear ya idiot! I wanna see ‘er head on th’ ground NOW!

Malgum hissed through his teeth. That strike had hurt! ... but it had done something else too. He felt it again, the man’ari grinning.

No. I have a better idea.

Dissonantia paused, then her eyes widened as she felt what he was doing. “Oh bugger.” she whispered.

Malgum threw his head back and roared, his veins glowing green through his skin as the air around him erupted into felfire. Jaie backpedaled as fast as she could, only just avoiding getting caught in the blast.

“HERE NOW IS THE FELFURY!” he screamed, and once more the madness descended on him as the markings controlling him were broiled away in seconds.

“EVERYONE RETREAT!” shouted Edwood, “THAT FREED ‘IM BUT HE’LL KILL ANYONE WHO GETS CLOSE!”

The members of Avalon and Savage United needed no more instruction than that, the group rushing back as fast as they could as Malgum’s head snapped around, his teeth bared and his chest heaving as he sought out his target… then he growled and surged forwards towards a patch of shadows under a tree that seemed a bit too dark, especially given how the felfire was lighting up the entire area!

The shadows were burned away as Dissonantia was suddenly revealed, the warlock’s eyes widening as she saw the man’ari bearing down on her. She slashed the air and sent a salvo of bilescourge towards him, but they didn’t even get close! They were reduced to ashes the second they drew near, the acid boiling into nothingness before it ever touched him!

Dissonantia snarled and flexed her claws, then with a woosh of felfire she and her allies vanished, but as she did the others heard, “ ‘e’s yer problem now.”

This time she didn’t retreat to her portal. The Emerald Dream was another plane of reality. She had set up her fallback point on Azeroth and had managed to warp back to it directly.

That meant his target was not in the Dream anymore, but Malgum was still caught in the felfury. He couldn’t stop now!

He clutched at his head, gritting his teeth, but once invoked the felfury couldn’t be ended early! Kill his target or burn out and collapse, those were his only options! He glared around him, then saw the others and roared, charging towards the members of Avalon and Savage United…

“SHIT!” cursed Grimo, raising his rifle and taking aim.

“Matey run! Th’ bullets’ll never reach him!” shouted Edwood as Mola’raum stumbled back. The death knight could summon undead, but they’d just be kindling.

Then a voice went up, “HANG ON YA’LL! I GOT THIS!”

There was a swirl of elemental energy as the air suddenly smelled of rich freshly brewed beer, and from the crowd came Zhan-min, the Shamanbrewer transforming into the massive alemental once again! He caught Malgum’s axes bare-handed and while the air steamed on impact, his body was infused with the pure elements of water and spirit! Malgum’s felfury couldn’t burn him!

At least, not immediately…

The air began to stink of boiled hops as Zhan-min glanced at his hands. “Ah. Hum… well how ‘bout THIS!” he shouted, slamming one fist into Malgum’s middle to send him stumbling back. As soon as he did the Shamanbrewer thrust his hands out and a cannon-like stream of beer erupted forwards into the berserker! “Hey Sekhi! How about a lil’ drinkin’ music?” he called.

Sekhi was staring at Zhan-min. She’d been unconscious last time from Fyrakk’s shadowflame corrupted assault on Loamm, so she’d only heard about it. Now she knew how Leza had felt… but at his words she grinned, wagging her tail. “Yeah!” she nodded, pulling a small drum out of her bag and sitting down on the forest floor, then beating out a rhythm to invoke the element of water as the ale cannon doubled in size!

As they did Shalandrae, still in her massive treant form, gestured towards the two of them and the air swirled around them as the scent of hops, spices, and bareley became stronger. In her current state the druid’s connection to nature had increased tenfold, and she was supplying fresh ingredients to power Zhan-min’s spell!

Working together, the three of them forced the fel-maddened manari back until, at last, the felfire sputtered and died as he collapsed onto the forest floor. Soaked through with ale, but free of the Witch’s control.

With a swirl of ale Zhan-min returned to his pandaren form, shaking himself. “Whooooooo boy! That’s always a rush…” he chuckled, “Anyone hurt?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder.

The others shook their head, but there was a sudden clatter of hooves as Aziguni shoved her way past him. “MALGUM!” she cried out, rushing to her brother’s side.

The manari looked up, looking as if he hadn’t slept in weeks, and mumbled, “I need a bath… and then sleep… but afterwards, I have news you all must hear…” he whispered hoarsely.

Shalandrae frowned, and in a swirl of leaves the giant treant disappeared as she returned to her elven form, walking towards him. “What news is that?” she asked, still unsure if she trusted the man’ari.

Malgum grinned tiredly at her, “Heh… I do not blame you for being suspicious… but while I was Dissonantia’s captive I met the most interesting man…”

The Twisting Nether, Dissonantia’s Lair, some weeks ago.

“You there, your name is Malgum, is it not?” said a deep masculine voice.

Malgum tensed, looking around as he growled around the gag filling his mouth.

“Do not try to speak, we do not want this overheard.” the voice said again. “Pay attention boy, you are not hearing me with your ears.”

Malgum blinked slowly, then he realized the voice was right… it wasn’t a voice so much as a sudden intrusive thought in his mind.

Malgum hesitated, then thought ‘Who are you?’

‘I was, once, the master of this place. You may recognize the name ‘Aartox.’’ it replied, ‘I am dead now, though I am kept animated by the Witch for her amusement… but I wish to see her suffer for what she has done to me, and I do not care how. Listen carefully boy. Should you escape back to her enemies, this is how you can lead them straight back to her…’

#adventures in azeroth #world of warcraft #original characters #warcraft fanfiction #warcraft roleplay #dragonflight

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sekhisadventures · 7 months

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Soon to Dream

Valdrakken, a private room in the Dragon’s Hoard a few days after Aziguni joined Avalon.

All of Avalon and Savage united were there, all fourteen adventurers total now, as they examined a large map of the Dragon Isles spread over the table in the center.

“There is no mistaking it everyone. Fyrakk has found the means to breach the Emerald Dream, and he seeks to take Amirdrassil.” nodded Laura Brightflame, the dracthyr currently in her more mortal guise, as she pointed to the island off the eastern coast of the Isles proper.

Nelen frowned, stroking his goatee, “Indeed… the Druids of the Flame…” he sighed, “Gordrinn’s Fangs I knew we weren’t going to make it out of this without something from that mess coming back to haunt us. I suppose I should just feel fortunate its not the Twilight’s-bloody-Hammer this time.”

Shalandrae scowled at the map, gritting her teeth, “Again with this too… can we just have one damned tree without a lunatic wanting to burn it?” she snarled. The fact that the Incarnate of Flame had targeted their new world tree had brought back some very bad memories for the druid, her hand idly feeling over the burn-scars covering the left side of her face from where a branch of Teldrassil, covered in Azerite-fueled fire, had scorched her with scars that would never heal fully… that had burned her so deeply that even her skull had been visible at first before Dareley was able to treat her wounds.

She glanced at the dwarf, and noticed he looked more troubled than normal. She remembered he’d been… well… before their stint in the Shadowlands he had been perfectly fine staying up with them and drinking the night away at the Golden Keg, but lately more and more he had been going to bed early, and even cutting back on his ale.

For a dwarf, that was never a good sign.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and glanced to her side, seeing Aziguni looking back at her, then glancing to Dareley and giving her a nod.

The druidess sighed and nodded back, then walked over to the dwarf. “Dareley, are you alright?” she whispered.

Dareley started a bit, then shrugged, “Eh, I’m fine lass. Just… yanno, another huge threat ta innocent souls. Gotta deal with it, aye?” he replied.

She nodded, “Just… if you need to talk to someone about… well, you know…” she offered, but the dwarf waved one metal-gloved hand.

“Nah, thanks Shal’, but I’m fine. Still plenty o’ steel left in me hammer.” he grinned back… but as he did Shalandrae could almost see the tiredness in that smile. His face had so many lines these days, and his beard had been black streaked with grey when they met, but now was as white as the snowy lands of Dun Morogh itself.

Old age came for dwarves slower than it did for many of the races of Azeroth but come for them it did… and Dareley was a very old dwarf. He’d already been a grown man and a soldier of Ironforge when the first Dark Portal opened some forty years ago.

The druidess’s people were so long lived that dying from old age had been something of an unknown to them for generations… but she could almost feel the years beating upon her friend.

Atu & Family’s Wagon, the Outskirts of Valdrakken

Leza focused and closed her eyes, holding the image in her mind as she held her hand out, waving her other hand over it as if kneading an invisible object, and with a sudden swirl of arcane energy her fingers closed around something hard and warm to the touch.

She risked a peek, then grinned and wagged her tail as she saw a pair of dark brown humanoid-shaped cookies with icing making out their features and details on them, made not from flour and sugar but pure arcane magic.

On either side of her the girl’s younger siblings, the twins Zato and Eeda were staring open mouthed at them, their tails moving so fast they were almost a blur.

“MAGIC COOKIES!” shouted Zato finally, immediately snapping one out of her hands as Eeda grabbed the other.

“Hot sands ya can make magic cookies!” grinned Eeda as she snatched the other, the two sniffing over them, then immediately scarfing them down as if they were worried they’d vanish back into the arcane energy they had been made from.

“Yupyup!” grinned Leza, “Not just those but buns too! Though th’ bigger stuffs is trickier yet… Nelen said the real trick is making sure to keep the image in my head ‘n rememberin’…” she trailed off, “… rememberin’… uh… um…” she paused, “… ah yip, rememberin’ what…” she grumbled, pulling out a journal she had been using for her notes from the lessons the worgen mage had been giving her.

She felt really lucky that Sekhi was friends with someone like Nelen, having a master she trusted to teach her sister was a big relief for the shamaness as well and if nothing else Nelen was meticulous about her lessons and had taught her a lot of good tricks to remember things.

“Oh right, yeah…” she nodded, finding the page of notes she’d taken during their conjuration practice, “Gotta remember to keep it so th’ stuffs I make ‘em out of is still th’ same as a real one… otherwise I might… uh…” she trailed off, hearing a pair of chittering sounds.

Zato and Eeda were bouncing on their toes, their tails practically a blur behind them, their eyes wide and huge grins on their faces.

She spotted a small piece of one of the conjured gingerbread men on the ground, then reached down and picked it up, giving it a nibble, then making a face. It was WAY too sweet! It was like whoever had baked it had used four times as much sugar as they needed!

She blinked slowly, then glanced at her siblings, “Uh oh…” she whispered, “Uh… m-ma?” she called towards her mother.

A moment later Zato and Eeda leapt into the air, chased each other ten times around the campfire, then bolted off into the streets of Valdrakken.

“OH YIP! MA! TH’ TWINS!” she cried out as she took off after them as her mother saw them, let out a loud yelp, and joined in the pursuit.

The Wintersky Estate, Silvermoon City

Alalestria sat in her study, which had been used by the leaders of House Wintersky since the city’s founding, turning the dagger Chillheart over and over in her hands as she scowled. After her meeting with Lord Lor’themar (rather her yelling at by him,) she had been forbidden by the ruler of the city to go after her brother turned void elf turned woman Samantha Montebank.

She stood, stalking to a map of Azeroth set up on a wide table… and all across it were splashes of color. A leygraph, much like the one in Nelen’s sanctum, but far bigger and more detailed than the modest one the mage used. On it she could see the Dragon Isles and on several spots were swirls of darkness mixed with an orange/red… the unmistakable hue of shadowflame.

She thought back to that worgen mage’s words… how he’d pointed out that her vendetta was petty in the extreme with a starcursed monster like Fyrakk causing chaos on the islands.

She smirked, well… perhaps she could use that. Travel back to the Isles and fight the Primalists… and if her sibling happened to show up and, say, get caught between one of her spells and one of the Incarnate’s minions… well, friendly fire was an unfortunate reality of warfare.

Then she scowled at that thought, banishing it immediately. Trickery? Deceit? That’s what Sam’ael would do! Those sorts of tactics were unworthy of House Wintersky! She shouldn’t need to consider the tactics of a common thug! That’s what assassins were for…

She sighed, assassins like her loyal servant Sinranir had been… but of course he was dead now. She had not confirmed this, but he would have delivered the Sapphire in person had he not been. First the Sapphire, then Sinranir, how like Sam’ael to rob her of such useful tools… at least she had gotten the Sapphire of House Wintersky back, but there was no way to get him back…

She paused, glancing out her window.

… or was there… it was just magic after all… a spell like any other… and if a traitorous cur like Dar’khan could manage it… well, nobody could blame her for wanting such a useful servant back now could they?

She glanced over at the collections of tomes that the family had collected, and several that had entered their collection since the Third War, used primarily for countering the sorceries of the Scourge.

She walked to a bookshelf and took a tome down, looking at the cover.

The Secrets of the Grave, a book wrested from the private collection of Dar’khan during a raid on Deatholme several years prior.

She opened the book, flipping through it, then grinned. Yes… Lor’themar had told her not to go after her sibling, but if it wasn’t her doing it… and even better someone who had fallen to Sam’ael’s blades… well, it wouldn’t be the first time someone had sought to avenge their own deaths on Azeroth. All she had to do was track him down.

She walked across the room, then took down a thinner tome on scrying, and began to read.

The Twisting Nether, Dissonantia’s Lair

Malgum growled and tugged at his chains but found that they were every bit as sturdy as the last… forty-seven times he had tried that today, then sighed and hung limp in them. He again tried to reach for the felfury, the overwhelming madness he had used in the Azure Span, but his back suddenly burned and after a moment he relented.

The tattoos were far from done. As Gremori had said Eredar Skin was thick and difficult, but the most important one was complete. A huge glyph of silencing on his back, which prevented him from invoking his demonic berserker state. No matter how hard he tried, the felfury was denied to him as long as that mark covered him back there.

His arms had been marked as well, but those tattoos were not complete yet… and there was another for his neck that had to be put in place to seal the spell, a ‘collar’ for the witch’s newest demon.

Malgum seethed at that thought, what a wretched fate… he had saved his sister only to wind up magical bound to become a new weapon against her and her new allies! Once the markings were complete he would not even be able to speak without Dissonantia’s leave, he wouldn’t even be able to warn them of the witch’s plot until it came time to strike the killing blow!

As he hung there however, he heard a voice.

“You there, your name is Malgum, is it not?” said a deep masculine voice.

Malgum tensed, looking around as he growled around the gag filling his mouth.

“Do not try to speak, we do not want this overheard.” the voice said again. “Pay attention boy, you are not hearing me with your ears.”

Malgum blinked slowly, then he realized the voice was right… it wasn’t a voice so much as a sudden intrusive thought in his mind.

Malgum hesitated, then thought ‘Who are you?’

Then the voice told him, and after a few moments the captive man’ari grinned around his gag, and gave a firm nod. He liked what the voice had to say.

#adventures in azeroth #warcraft fanfiction #warcraft roleplay #world of warcraft #dragonflight

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sekhisadventures · 7 months

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Aziguni's Lucky Number

Valdrakken, the Roasted Ram

Shalandrae sat at the bar as Nitika examined her arm. It had been a few days now and their adversary had yet to reappear, but after that incident Nelen and Grimo agreed that it was almost certain that she targeted Shalandrae because she was alone… and so they all decided to pair up whenever heading out for the time being.

Groups of two, minimum, and never leaving without one of Grimo’s new devices.

With the help of the engineers staying in Valdrakken he was able to replicate his device and made enough for at least half of both Avalon and Savage United now, though it was slow going. Making them small enough to wear on the wrist yet sensitive enough to detect Dissonantia’s demonic allies was tricky work and required some specific materials which weren’t as easy to obtain on the Dragon Isles as they might have been closer to Orgrimmar.

It also didn't help that some people couldn't wear one. Shalandrae's shapeshifting power would render one absorbed into her body (and possibly break it) when she transformed, and Nelen had much the same issue. His own robes were spelled to change size when he became a worgen, but such magic would interfere with the watch's sensors.

At the bar with the night elf and tauren were Nelen and Leza, the former going over a spellbook with the latter to describe the finer points of conjuring foodstuffs from pure magic. The vulpera girl had been eager to learn that one as soon as she could. No vulpera grew up in Vol’dun without experiencing the lean times as it were, and the ability to feed her family with arcane energy alone was something she wanted to master as soon as she could.

Further up the table was Zhan-min, the pandaren man writing in a leather bound journal. His own brewing notes. He and Jaie had been talking recently, and she was trying to talk him into doing something specific. While the pandaren man was hesitant, he couldn’t deny that Jaie’s idea had merit… but he hadn’t quite shared with the others what exactly she wanted him to do yet.

After several long moments and a few gentle prods to gauge Shalandrae’s reaction, the tauren woman nodded, “Well, it looks like besides some spots on your arm still being slightly lighter than the rest you’re almost healed. Should go away in a day or two.” she said, releasing the druid’s limb.

Shalandrae gingerly felt over her arm as Nitika added ‘as long as you don’t pick at it’ under her breath, the elf rolling her eye at her. “Yeah, I know… but yeah, Sekhi and Dareley did good work. I blacked out after Dissonantia ran off, but apparently she’d made a real mess of me.” she frowned. “Bilescourge… ugh… saw too many of those damned things on Argus…” she sighed, then looked up at the sound of hooves approaching through the large stone building. “… huh, speaking of Argus…” she murmured with a grin.

Aziguni was walking towards them, the draenei woman smiling a bit awkwardly as she approached, and as she drew close Shalandrae noticed something different about her outfit.

“Hey, um… Aziguni… where’s your tabard?” asked Shalandrae with a raised eyebrow. Ever since she’d met her, the draenei had worn the tabard of the Dragonscale Expedition… but today it was missing.

Aziguni chuckled a bit nervously, “Well… about that…” she began…

Expedition Field Headquarters, Some Hours Earlier

“A formal complaint against me from the Reliquary?!” demanded Aziguni as she stood in a large tent, across from a dwarven man wearing a loose comfortable top, trousers with lots of pockets, and sturdy boots. He had a long thick beard of black hair running to grey and a monocle in one eye.

“Lass, I get where yer comin’ from aye, but… well…” he took a breath, “A few of th’ other members of th’ Expedition stated they felt… unsafe… given who you’ve been associatin’ with lately.” he nodded, resting his hands on a large table between them.

The table was covered in maps, various bones and samples of rock and stone, a few plant clippings, several pictures taken with a S.E.L.F.I.E. camera of native wildlife, and the like… but in the middle turned so Aziguni could read it was a scroll bearing the seal of the Reliquary.

“… who I have been associating with…” she replied icily, “This is about my brother, isn’t it Balfir?” she looked down at it, then up at him. “Du’thaes and Zelan are behind this, aren’t they?” she frowned.

The dwarf shook his head, “Lass, ye know I cannae answer that. Th’ whole point o’ these sorta complaints is that they’re promised anonymity ta avoid retaliation. All I can tell ye is that they’re in th’ Horde.” he nodded. That much was obvious given that it was the Reliquary making a complaint. Until recently the Horde and Alliance were at war with each other, so the Dragonscale Expedition had set up this system to address issues before they became outright battles.

She stood up, looking at him, “I see… and what does the Explorer’s League say about this?” she asked, keeping her voice as even as possible.

Balfir sighed. “Honestly lass, I’ve been gettin’ rumblin’s from our side as much th’ same. I understand he’s yer family ‘n Velen vouches for ‘em… but…” he paused, thinking for a moment, “… I cannae pretend that there ain’t a lot o’ people on both sides who’d be happy ta see th’ Eredar bugger back off ta Argus.”

Aziguni shook her head, “I cannot believe this Balfir… are you honestly telling me that to satisfy this I would be expected to cut ties to my own brother?” she demanded, throwing up her hands.

Balfir frowned, “Aye, that be th’ lot of it… Again, I understand where yer comin’ from lass, but yer brother is a bloody man’ari! I sympathize, but…” he began.

She scowled, “Yes… and now I am being asked to choose between him and my work for the Explorer’s League and the Expedition. Is that it?” she asked.

He nodded firmly, “Aye lass. That be it.”

She looked down at the notice one more time… then reached for the strap holding her quiver on and undid it, dropping it on the floor.

“Er… lass?” asked the dwarf, looking shocked at her actions.

“Shut up.” she snapped, pulling her tabard off over her head, then tossing it on his desk in a heap. “If I must choose between my job and my family, then there is no choice to be made.” she replied, pulling her quiver back on and turning to go. “I have worked for the Explorer’s League since I first arrived on Azeroth, but now that my brother is… an undesirable… I am being confronted with such a decision. Give my regards to Brann and the others…” she nodded curtly, turning to leave as Balfir goggled at her.

As she left she paused, seeing three elves standing a ways off. Zelan, Du’thaes, and Erimisa… the ones she had encountered after helping Malgum with his injury.

She smirked, gave them a very rude gesture, then whistled as she walked off towards the path out of the camp. As she did Eocundo and Muaaqi made their way over to her and followed alongside her on the road back to Valdrakken.

The Roasted Ram

Aziguni sat at the table with a fresh mug of moonberry wine, blowing out her lips. “In hindsight I may have still been a little testy given everything that had happened since Malgum arrived… but… yes… I am no longer affiliated with the Expedition, or the Explorer’s League at all.” she sighed.

Shalandrae nodded in understanding… to both sides of the story infact. She was willing to at least attempt to tolerate Malgum’s relation to Aziguni, now that the two of them were… well… ‘giving it a try’ as they decided the morning after Dissonantia’s attack, but she also saw where those who complained were coming from too. While it sounded like those Aziguni suspected of it were doing it out of malice, she also believed that there were those with genuine fears and concerns towards the man’ari.

After what she’d seen of Malgum’s ‘felfury,’ she couldn’t deny those fears had merit… even Aziguni was worried seeing that, though her concerns were more helping her brother control and contain such awful powers, possibly even removing them somehow.

Leza huffed at them, the young vulpera piping up. “That’s a buncha yeena crap Aziguni. They can’t just expect ya ta drop your brother like that. I don’t care what he did, family is important!” she nodded firmly.

Nelen nodded, “Mm… that’s easy to say when you haven’t been to Argus apprentice… but… yes, Velen trusts in Azraal and his followers so I’m willing to at least give them the same chance the Alliance gave my people.” he nodded. To say that the worgen were not immediately accepted by the Alliance would be an understatement. The late King Varian Wrynn himself had originally tried to block them rejoining their former allies, and if not for Anduin’s persuading and Greymane helping the Varian with his own less literal but no less problematic inner beast the Gilneans may well have been on their own.

Shalandrae had moved next to Aziguni after her tale had begun, the druidess holding her hand with her uninjured one, a look of concern on her face. “So… what are you going to do now?” she asked.

Aziguni shrugged, “I… honestly do not know Shalandrae. The Explorer’s League gave me a salary for my aid since arriving on Azeroth. Now that this is gone… well…” she winced. At the time it had seemed so clear, but gear needed repairs and both herself and her two companions needed feeding, nevermind that she went through a LOT of arrows. Being a hunter could get very expensive.

Zhan-min however was grinning, the heavyset pandaren man leaning back in his chair. “Well I got a dang good idea for ya gal.” he said. “Back home in Halfhill, we believe a lot in ‘lucky numbers,’ and given how ya’ll are an item now… well…” he smirked, “Maybe its just a goofy ol’ Pandaren superstition, but they say that seven is a good number fer… relationships. ‘specially new ones.” he nodded.

Nelen and Shalandrae looked at him, then the druid shrugged. “Okay… seven… what?” she asked.

Zhan-min’s grin widened, “Ain’t it obvious girl?” he pointed to himself and held up a finger. “Me…” he jerked a thumb back at Nelen and held up another, “Th’ boss back there…” he pointed to Shalandrae and held up a third, “Ya’ll…” then he held up a fourth, “Jaie,” a fifth, “Sam,” and a sixth, “Dareley.” and then he looked at Aziguni meaningfully and nodded slow.

Aziguni blinked in confusion, then it dawned on her as she pointed to herself and replied, “… seven?” she asked.

Zhan-min laughed, “Well why not? Seven is a dang good number for couples, you two are a couple, ‘n if you join us that makes seven of us!” he grinned, gesturing to them and nodding, then adding in an almost offhanded way, “Also ya’ll’re definitely on Dissonantia’s shit-list now that she knows yer th’ one who drew her picture… sooooo… yeah, probably best ya’ll stick close ta us if ya can.” he turned, looking back at Nelen, “Well? Ya’ll agree with me right boss man?”

Nelen scratched at his beard, “I can’t deny that you make a good point there. I don’t follow Pandaren Numerology myself, but seven is a magically significant number… and, yes, now that Dissonantia knows who you are…” he frowned, looking at Aziguni, “Honestly you’re lucky she didn’t come after you already. From what Shalandrae told me she was murderous even by her standards.”

Shalandrae was grinning. She had grown closer to Aziguni after what had happened and while they two were still feeling things out… she did know that the idea of the draenei woman being around more often was something she was quite happy with. “Well, I think we both know you have my endorsement… and probably Dareley’s too.” she nodded, “He and I tend to agree on most things.”

Aziguni chuckled a bit, “Yes… er… I have noticed you and Paladin Steelhammer have a very… um…” she began.

Shalandrae snorted a bit as Nelen chuckled and shook his head. “No!” replied the night elf, “No no no no no by Elune no! Its not like that… Dareley and I are just… well… we’ve known each other since Northrend and… yes, we’re just very very good friends. We founded Avalon together… but… yeah, he’s… not looking for a relationship with anyone.” she nodded.

“Don’t worry Aziguni, you’re not the first one to make that assumption about them. They do rather come off like an old married couple sometimes don’t they?” asked Nelen as Zhan-min gave a loud belly laugh as only one of the Pandaren could, a real belly laugh where he jiggled all over.

Shalandrae gave Nelen an annoyed look, but she didn’t deny it with more than just a small shrug.

Aziguni blushed in embarrassment at that, hearing Leza giggling as she shook her head, “Well, now that we have that cleared up… yes, if you are offering I would be quite pleased to join Avalon. Is there… um… any official documentation? An orientation process? A new tabard?” she asked quizzically.

Nelen shook his head, “No no, none of that. The only one of us who wears a tabard is Dareley, and its his old Argent Crusade one from when he was in Northrend. We’re fairly informal. Unless anyone objects, you’re in… and I doubt Sam would complain… and I know Jaie wouldn’t.” he smirked. Jaie had been telling him a few times how frustrating it was to watch Aziguni and Shalandrae dance around what was clearly a budding relationship, especially when she had trouble finding anyone who wasn’t… well… Jaie found most non-pandaren women to be ‘too skinny.’

Aziguni smiled at his words, nodding, then settled in next to Shalandrae as Nelen ordered them a fresh round of drinks.

“So… Zhan… seven is ‘good for relationships?’” asked Leza, “Uh… how does that work?” she asked.

Zhan-min looked at her, then frowned and stroked his beard, “Huh, yeah guess it must sound odd ta someone who ain’t from Pandaria. Its… um… Pandaren is a kinda… tricky… language fer outsiders ta learn.” he explained. “Lotta overlap in words ‘n how ya’ll say a word can change what it means.” he nodded to the young vulpera, “Our word fer seven sounds th’ same as ‘even’ so people think it’s good fer couples ‘cause it means an ‘even’ relationship. Fair, both people carryin’ their share o’ th’ load… ya’ll get me?” he asked.

“Oh… neat.” she giggled, her tail wagging, “Do ya got a lucky number?” she asked curiously.

He grinned wide, “Sure do! Nine’s mah lucky number, ‘cause its th’ same word we use fer ‘alcohol!’” he laughed, taking his mug as the barmaid came by with a fresh tray.

Aziguni chuckled along with the others, then looked around at them “Oh, um… I did mean to ask… have any of you seen Malgum?”

At this the laughter slowly trailed off. Shalandrae, Nelen, and Zhan-min looked between each other, then Zhan-min shrugged as Nelen and Shalandrae shook their heads in response.

Aziguni frowned, looking worried, “Oh… I was hoping… I haven’t seen him since he ran off after Dissonantia in the Azure Span. I mean… I know he’s probably fine… a man’ari is a very hard thing to kill…” she replied, tapping her finger against the table anxiously.

Nelen shrugged and nodded, “Mm, yes that is true… well, I’ll ask the others when they come back in if they’ve seen him anywhere…”

The Twisting Nether, Dissonantia’s Lair

“’ow much bleedin’ longer is this gonna take Gremori?” growled Dissonantia. Binding Malgum and forcing him to return with them had been difficult, nevermind keeping the spell active enough that he couldn’t invoke the felfury again once his strength returned.

“It’ll be done when its done Dis! This isn’t easy! Eredar skin is tough!” she replied, holding a long, sharpened demon fang in one hand and a jar of felblood and other foul ingredients in the other as she dipped the fang in it, then went back to work.

Malgum snarled around an improvised gag that Dissonantia had Cenoon make when she’d gotten sick of his cursing and threats, which the Incubus had crafted together worryingly quickly. Malgum’s body was uncovered above the waist and his arms and back now sported the beginnings of several large tatoos that glowed a sickly greenish glow.

“Good bleedin’ fing yez know how ta do this…” she grumbled, annoyed she had to rely on the felsworn’s skill.

“Damn right it is. We ink these right and you put your spell in them, and Malgum is as good as your puppet!” she laughed as the captive eredar snarled around his gag and thrashed about, causing her to step back until his strength ran out, then continue her work.

Dissonantia grinned wide, “Mmhm… lookin’ forward ta seein’ th’ bleedin’ look on Nelen’s face when I send that ball o’ felfire ‘n crazy at them!” she cackled.

At this point however, Gremori paused, then looked back at her, “Uh… Dis? You… can’t let him do that.” she warned.

Dissonantia sat up and frowned, the witch seated in her throne as she held one arm out, maintaining the control spell that kept Malgum from calling upon his fel-cursed strength. “Wot? Why th’ feck not?!”

Gremori sighed, “The felfury burns everything. That’s why that whole part of the Azure Span went up like that. Anything around them is burned up, including them. If Malgum uses it, then it’ll burn away the tattoos too.” she explained.

Dissonantia scowled, “Well feck… looks like me new toy is gonna be missin’ one of th’ best bits.” she frowned, “Well, at least he can deal with that draenei bitch that helped Nelen make all those feckin’ wanted posters.” she smirked as Malgum growled and cursed, his words rendered unintelligible by his gag.

“Eh? Wot was that Malgum?” she taunted, “I couldn’t quite hear yez, boyo. Speak up! Didja say ‘I wanna strangle me sister ta death with me bare hands?’ Tsk tsk… patience! Gremori gotta finish yez’s pretty new tattoos first…” she grinned wide, watching Malgum strain against his chains as he bellowed oaths of retribution and death around his gag again.

Dissonantia smirked, a new slave under her direct control… and unlike the black dragon Nitika couldn’t free this one. An’she’s light would burn Malgum as much as the markings, maybe even kill him.

Yes, controlling a dragon was a good idea, but she decided to stick to what she knew… and what she knew was demons.

#adventures in azeroth #world of warcraft #warcraft fanfiction #warcraft roleplay #dragonflight

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sekhisadventures · 7 months

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Demons

Valdrakken, Two Weeks after Shalandrae Disappeared

Malgum sat in the room Aziguni used as her quarters while working with the Dragonscale Expedition, the small bedroom barely big enough for both of them, as she washed her brother’s back.

She did it because there were several large wounds there, fresh ones.

“… and you say these came from a salamanther?” she asked, raising her eyebrow.

“Mm, yes. I fought three, but there was a fourth I missed. Snuck up behind me.” he replied with a grunt, hissing as she rubbed a cloth wet with a potion made from hochenblume leaves over the deep gashes in his back.

“Mmm… because Salamanther teeth are not long enough to leave marks like this. These are too deep. They will aim for vital areas and try to use the bacteria that live in their mouths to weaken their prey. No salamanther has fangs that can bite this far down into the muscle.” replied Aziguni in a cool tone.

Malgum shrugged, “Perhaps it was some other lizard then. I do not know, I am not familiar with the creatures of this part of Azeroth.” he replied dismissively.

“It looks like a sword wound Malgum…” she frowned, “You were attacked again, weren’t you.” she stated bluntly, wrapping fresh bandages to hide the injury now that it had been cleaned and treated so that it could heal without risking contamination.

The man’ari sighed, “It was a… misunderstanding…” he replied carefully. “I was attempting to purchase food at the market in town, some young adventurers wanted to make a name for themselves by killing a demon. I tried to explain, they did not listen. I was forced to subdue one and the other two attacked me from behind before fleeing into the crowd.”

Aziguni shook her head, “Malgum… please tell me you didn’t…” she whispered.

He snorted, “He will live. I used my fists, no weapons. If he dies from a blackened eye and two missing teeth then he would have fared far worse as an adventurer.”

Aziguni said nothing, focusing on tying off the bandages. A healer wouldn’t be an option for him unfortunately. Few would be willing to use their magic to heal a demon and some of them would do more damage. Like the Forsaken, the Light would just as likely burn Malgum’s fel-tainted body as anything, even when used to heal. While slower, bandages would have to do. The only other option would be to use the powers he had gained during his time in the Legion to restore his body, and such powers had a dire cost… usually to someone else. Demons healed by harming others.

Still, it was hardly the first. By now a few eredar had trickled into the city, and many had the same reception that he had gotten. Velen had met with the Aspects, Arzaal with him, and had pleaded the case for their fallen cousins, and after much debate and promises of goodwill from their leader, Alexstrasza had decided that the man’ari would be allowed in Valdrakken and the Isles… on probation.

After all that the Legion had done to Azeroth, it was as fair as they could hope for. Still, those few who did come found no warm welcome waiting for them. Many shops would turn them away, finding they were ‘suddenly out of stock,’ or ‘they were closing up early.’ Other braver ones would simply flat out refuse to serve those who had served the Legion. The man’ari largely had to fend for themselves, hunting and living on the outskirts of the city as best they could.

Malgum waited for her to finish, then stood and put his armor back on. A large black metal breastplate with a spiked shoulderpad. He was a melee fighter, and the spikes on his shoulder were meant to be used in a charge to shoulder-check his foes… though he had yet to use them on Azeroth. He was trying, for his sister’s sake, to refrain from violence.

Yes he had laid out an adventurer, but by Legion standards it was barely more than a rough shove.

The two exited her room into the hall as, nearby, a trio of blood elves were talking amongst themselves.

“… its just creepy… their auras feel wrong, even worse than the Illidari… I…” said one of them, a dark haired mage in long crimson robes as her fellow stopped her.

“Erimisa, shush!” he hissed, this one wearing hunting leathers with a pair of long daggers on his belt, his emerald eyes narrowing as he looked towards Malgum.

Aziguni frowned at him, “Du’thaes. That’s enough, my brother was injured and I was treating his wounds. He won’t attack anyone.” she nodded at the elf.

“Of course he won’t.” replied the elf icily, not taking his eyes off Malgum as Erimisa, the mage, all but hid behind him. The third one was wearing a silvery breastplate and had a long rapier and buckler, his hand already resting on the hilt of his sheathed weapon.

Malgum grunted, “I should leave. I do not wish to cause further trouble for you…” he nodded, heading towards the exit.

The armored elf grumbled something under his breath in Thalassian, and Du’thaes nodded grimly as Aziguni frowned at them. “… I don’t know much Thalassian, but I know what that word means Zelan.” she warned.

“Do you? Well done for you.” whispered Zelan in response, the elf turning on his heel, “Come on you two, we have work to do. Some of us keep to our duties to the expedition… instead of tending to feral monsters." he sniffed, leaving with his nose in the air as the other two followed him, the mage quicker than her dagger-wielding friend.

Aziguni gritted her teeth as they left, then turned, “Malgum… I…” she began, but the hall was empty, her brother having slipped away already.

Outside the eredar man strode through Valdrakken, getting looks of fear and disgust from those he passed. A few didn’t seem troubled as much, the ebon blade and most warlocks regarded him as much a potential foe as any other, but he still heard mutters of ‘demon’ and ‘foul monster’ and ‘Velen must be mad’ among other, even less kind things.

He reached the edge of the city and began to walk across the bridge out into Thaldraszus, “… why even bother leaving Argus…” he shook his head, walking onwards, his hooves clomping across the hard stone bridge in frustration.

As he did, high above, a pair of blue and white wings carried a dracthyr through the skies above the city.

Laurelgosa had been flying out most days, hoping for a glimpse of Shalandrae, but the druidess was proving to be a hard woman to track down. Nelen had said it was possible she’d have left the isles, but he didn’t think she would. The last time she had fled like this it was because a shamanistic ritual had gone awry, making her hear the voices of those lost when Teldrassil burned, and that she’d turned up at Darkshore near the ruined husk of the Night Elves’ former home.

This time was different however, you’d be hard pressed to find anywhere in Azeroth that hadn’t felt the threat of the Legion at one time or another. Nelen figured she just wanted to get out of the city to let her emotions run their course. Seeing a man’ari and being told what was happening had dredged up all sorts of awful memories for the druid, and she likely went to ground in one of the more wild parts of the isles where her emotional turmoil, combined with her power to change into animalistic shapes, wouldn’t put others at risk.

When Nelen was still newly returned to sanity following the Cataclysm, Shalandrae had confided in him that the maddening animalistic fury of the worgen curse wasn’t just a worgen thing. All druids risked that. Their ties to nature and their abilities to become animals also made their minds… well… more prone to instinctive actions, especially in moments of heightened stress. The worgen were just the most extreme cases.

Novice druids were taught early that emotional tranquility was vital to shapeshifting, less the instincts of their animal selves take over and send them into a blind flight or fight panic no different than a true beast.

Given what the Legion had done to her people, it was hardly a surprise that Shalandrae had been incommunicado for so long. Nelen didn’t want to use magic to intrude upon her need for privacy, but the magus couldn’t hide his worry at his friend’s situation, so he’d asked Laurelgosa to keep watch for her as only one of the dracthyr could.

They feared that something could befall Shalandrae alone on the isles, especially now with the risk of Fyrakk and the return of the Druids of the Flame.

And, of course, there was always their main problem…

The Twisting Nether

Dissonantia glared into the depths of her cauldron. She’d managed to keep up her anima supplies by ambushing traders out around Azeroth, but there was always a risk that they’d have armed guards with them. She hated this immensely, but with her human face hanging in taverns across Azeroth and the Stormwind City Guard actively searching for her she was rapidly running out of options. Seducing some poor idiot to ‘this lovely spot nearby’ and then having Az’arad or Cenoon ambush them so she could tear out their soul and leave the body for the wolves was out of the question now… and her former tactic of going for ‘approved targets’ that she did when she was with Avalon…

Her scowl deepened. She’d tried taking a Primalist’s soul, but whatever the Incarnates were doing to them affected them all the way inside and out! The soul shard had exploded in her grasp the moment she’d finished tearing it away from the poor sap’s body! She just felt lucky she hadn’t managed to get it back to the Anima Engine before it had done that or else it could have wrecked the thing!

To make matters worse, Grimo had tricked Gremori and Az’arad, giving them a worthless toy instead of his demon detecting watch… which meant that as soon as the goblin learned how to reproduce it her ambush attempts against Avalon and Savage United would be thwarted before they even began.

The smart solution would be to simply go to ground and steal souls on the sly, staying immortal and waiting them out… but that would take decades, possibly longer. She wasn’t sure how aging worked for the kal’dorei these days, and of course Samantha could live for centuries easily. Nevermind that they now had a dracthyr of all things on their side. Nobody knew what their lifespans were!

Dissonantia growled, “… maybe…” she grumbled, her claws clicking on the cauldron, “… kill th’ longer lived gits… ‘n just hide ‘n wait out th’ others…” she frowned, then gestured over the boiling felblood inside it.

The surface shimmered, showing Dareley and Nelen in conversation in the Roasted Ram. She waved her hand again and saw Samantha and Sekhi in the market together as Sam went shopping for a new top. Another wave, Laurelgosa in the skies above the isles… and then the image shifted… and she raised her eyebrow. “Hello…” she murmured.

A small cave in the Azure Span, well out of the way and well hidden, and curled up inside it was a large leonine shape… all alone, far away from any of the others.

“Well well… th’ bloody druid is all on her lonesome…” she smirked. “Hmm… dunno wot th’ fel that’s all about… but if she’s sulkin’ in a cave somefin’ musta happened.” she grinned widely, straightening up and glancing at her portal. There was an ancient demon portal hidden on the Dragon Isles, one that had existed since before the islands were even sealed away, that she’d managed to connect to her portal in her lair. Why it was there was a mystery, but she wasn’t going to question it.

“Azzy! Get yer axe boyo! We’re goin’ huntin’…” she laughed, then paused and shrugged, “ ‘n wake up that git Gremori. May as well be ready this bloody time…” she nodded firmly as she walked towards the portal. She’d have to move quick, but if Shalandrae stayed near that cave for a few days it should be enough to track her down…

Yes… to track her down…

The Azure Span, three days later

Track her down. If there was one thing that Aziguni could do, she could track an animal… or at least, something shaped like an animal.

The draenei woman jogged through the woods with her two animal companions, Muaaqi the talbuk and Eocundo the panthera. After weeks of nothing Laurelgosa had arrived in Valdrakken saying she had overheard talk at Camp Nowhere, rumors of some sort of lion-like creature made out of tree bark. A few of the Expeditionary force there had been arguing over it. Some thought it was a Primalist creation, but the others pointed out that while they would use elemental beings that they didn’t use plants.

Laurelgosa had used her gemstone to contact Nelen at once and the mage had confirmed it. A lion made of wood with a mane of leaves, that was one of Shalandrae’s favored animal forms. Nelen had been satisfied at least knowing she was somewhere in the Azure Span, well hidden, but Aziguni…

The draenei stopped and knelt down, examining a paw print in the dirt. Large and lion-like, but the shape was wrong. Too blocky and jagged, like a foot carved from wood instead of a real one. She smirked, exactly what she’d hoped to find.

She was supposed to be in the Waking Shore today, she’d promised herself that she wouldn’t bother with such things… not seriously at least… while she still had duties to the Dragonscale Expedition, but…

She cringed a bit at the memory of Shalandrae’s fury the day she’d introduced Malgum, then thought to before that… their chance meeting in the Azure Span, getting to know her whenever they had a spare moment in Valdrakken, how Eocundo and Muaaqi had trusted her as easily as they trusted Aziguni herself… talking to her, feeling pride in helping her when she needed it… and then having it all fall apart when she had hoped to help her long lost brother escape his dark past.

She had forgotten, if only for a moment, that the draenei were not the only ones to suffer under the man’ari… and unlike with her, there was no connection there. To Aziguni, Malgum was her brother who had been forced to become man’ari under pain of death. To Shalandrae, he was an Eredar and a murderous world-destroying member of the Burning Legion… nothing more.

She gripped her bow’s haft as she ducked under a low tree branch, the wood creaking a bit as her hand trembled. She had hoped that the connection she had found with the druidess would help her see Malgum’s fate as she did… instead, it may well have destroyed that connection… but she wanted to hope, she wanted to know… as afraid as she was, she wanted dearly to talk to Shalandrae at least one more time.

… and, well, if nothing else then she’d know…

She crept along the underbrush and saw a cave half-hidden by a large copse of trees, leading down under a small hillside into the earth. The thick brush ensured that it would be very difficult to see from the air, but the ground outside was soft and muddy... and it had several fresh paw prints leading to it.

“Muaaqi, Eocundo, stay. Stay.” she nodded, snapping and pointing to the ground by the cave mouth, then she slid her bow over her shoulder and crept inside.

In the cave she could hear a snarling sound, and a tearing sound as well. She smelled blood, hot and coppery… but animal blood. There was wild game in this area, and Shalandrae had been sighted in her feline form. It would appear she may have interrupted the druid’s meal.

“… um… Shalandrae?” she whispered.

The tearing sounds stopped, and she heard a clattering noise, like wood on stone. A single eye, huge, glowed in the darkness… and she heard the sound of movement in the shadows as the eye became smaller, moving higher.

After a moment, she heard a deep sigh, and then a Shalandrae’s voice, “… hello Aziguni…”

Aziguni nodded. She was talking to her, she didn’t sound angry now, just tired. Progress? “Er… I’m sorry, Nelen said you would come back when you were ready, but… I wanted to make sure you were safe because…” she trailed off. Because the Dragon Isles were dangerous right now? Because Shalandrae was in a bad state and could have hurt herself? No…

What was it Jaie had said? Just ask her?

“… because… I…” she took a breath, “I missed you, I…” she stammered.

There was a soft padding sound, the sound of bare feet on stones, and the druid walked into view where the sunlight was coming into the cave. “You missed me. That’s all?” she asked.

Aziguni nodded, “I… Shalandrae I’m so sorry… I was just… I used to be so close to my brother when I was a child and I wanted to be able to be like that with him again and I didn’t even consider…” she began, but stopped as she felt the druid’s fingertips touch her mouth.

Shalandrae looked at her for a long moment, then looked away, “When I was young, just after the Sundering, I had two friends… we’d grown up together before the empire had fallen and one night my friend went missing.” she sighed. “We managed to track him down deep in the wilderness, and found him with a group of Satyr… I trust you know what those are?” she asked.

Aziguni felt a chill go up her spine, but nodded, “Night elves who are corrupted by fel magic…” she whispered. She had a horrible feeling she knew where Shalandrae was going with this.

“We hid in the bushes and saw him, willingly, join in their ritual and become one of them. He’d always had a bit of a dark streak when we were kids, a really bad temper and a fondness for nasty pranks… but he’d always been there for me and my other friend… and while were hiding there the satyr gathering was ambushed by a warden and a squad of sentinels. My friend fled in to the woods, newly transformed, and the other satyr were all killed.” she continued, her voice soft.

“We found him a day and a half later, hiding deep in the forest, and my friend wanted to go find the warden and tell her so they could… deal with him. We didn’t know of any way to undo the transformation, and he’d done it willingly.” she sighed, “But… I wanted my friend back. I told her that it was still him under there, that we could find a way to help him, that maybe the priestesses could do something…”

Shalandrae closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, “… and while I was talking my former friend drew a dagger, shoved me to the side, and drove it into her chest. He was screaming that he’d done it because he wanted her, but that she’d fallen in love with another. He killed her and ran into the woods… and I never saw him again.” she finished.

Aziguni grimaced, the story sounding far too familiar, and now she truly understood. It wasn’t just that Malgum was a man’ari… it was that Malgum was her brother as well. “But… Shalandrae… Malgum is different.”

The druid’s head snapped up, “Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure?” she asked, stepping forward, “I was. I was absolutely certain that we could have saved him… right up until he killed her. Maybe before he could have been reasoned with, but the fel drove him insane. It warped him body and mind. Are you certain that your brother is different?” she asked, taking several steps towards her, bringing her within mere inches of the draenei woman.

“Are you absolutely, positively sure… that he won’t do that to you?” she whispered, her eyes locked onto Aziguni’s. One glowing like the moon at it’s zenith and the other milky white and blind, surrounded by burn-scarred skin.

Aziguni stared back at her, suddenly very aware of just how close the two of them were, “… no… but I want to believe in him, believe in the man he was before it all went so wrong for our people…” she whispered.

Shalandrae nodded, “If he hurts you… I won’t show him any mercy.” she whispered, reaching her hand towards her, not looking away from Aziguni’s eyes.

“Shalandrae… I…” she began, then there was a loud snarl from outside and both Eocundo and Muaaqi darted into the cave, turning to face the entrance. The talbuk snorted and stamped at the ground with it’s hooves, bleating angrily, as the panthera hissed, the fins on it’s head flaring outwards as it bared it’s fangs towards the entrance.

Aziguni was stunned for a moment, then shook her head as if coming out of a daze. “W-what… Muaaqi! Eocundo! Heel! What is going on…” she whispered, then Shalandrae’s hand gripped her shoulder hard and shoved the draenei behind her!

“They smell what I smell! That’s whats going on! Stay behind me!” she snapped, the druid immediately falling forwards as stones burst out along her body, landing on all fours in the form of a massive stone-carved grizzly bear as she glared at the entrance.

There was a growl outside and Aziguni heard a voice say, “So much fer th’ bleedin’ ambush… GET ‘EM!” and with a sudden roar Az’arad charged into the cave towards Shalandrae, Gremori ducking in alongside him with her hands already wreathed in felfire.

“SURPRISE!” laughed the felsworn woman as she raced towards the druid, “And you brought a draenei! BONUS! HEY DIS! TWO FOR ONE IN HERE!” she called back as Az’arad raised his axe, aiming it at Shalandrae’s head! Her skin was like carved granite now, but Az’arad was strong enough to do serious damage regardless.

Shalandrae hesitated, bracing herself. If she tried to move she’d leave Aziguni exposed! Then suddenly a sharp whistle came from her side and two clicking sounds.

A moment later Gremori yelped as Muaaqi slammed his horns into her ribs, sending her tumbling across the floor of the cave as Az’arad roared in fury as Eocundo lashed out at his ankles, slashing him hard with his claws as the panthera attempted to cripple his leg!

The Wrathguard stumbled, but his skin was thick and hard as treated leather and the claws didn’t do more than anger him… but they did take his attention away from Shalandrae. The druid didn’t hesitate this time! She roared and smashed him to the floor of the cave with a vicious body slam before pinning Az'arad one huge stone paw down on his chest and raising her other to take off the demon’s head!

As she did however she heard several loud cackling voices and looked up to see a swarm of wild imps barreling down on her. She roared and batted three into the wall with a sickening splat, but the others drew close as fel energies began to glow through their skin, the imps preparing to detonate themselves!

Then suddenly the imps were thrown backwards with a series of loud twanging sounds, arrows impaling the small demonic creatures through their heads or chests.

Shalandrae glanced behind her to see Aziguni with her bow drawn, a smirk on her face. “I am draenei, remember? This is not the first time I have fought demons either.” she said with confidence.

Shalandrae grinned, but then felt a massive hand slam into her head and shove her to the side as Az’arad managed to free himself from under her, the Wrathguard clambering to his feet as Gremori lurched back to her own, rubbing her ribs. “Owww… son of a bitch that hurt…” she growled, her hands glowing with green fire again as the sound of footsteps came from behind them.

Dissonantia walked into the cave, flexing her claws. “I didn’t bleedin’ tell yez ta chatter. KILL THEM.” she snarled, pointing to the elf and draenei. No jokes, no sarcasm… all her normal cockiness and taunting were gone. Things had gone very badly for Dissonantia, and she wanted payback against Avalon and Savage United.

Az’arad nodded as Gremori cackled and flexed her arms, a pair of massive wings sprouting from her shoulders as her horns and arms elongated, her teeth turning into needle fangs and her feet transforming into huge claws as she entered her demon form.

Shalandrae roared and tried to tackle Az’arad again, the Wrathguard slamming the haft of his axe into her jaw as he forced her back, as Gremori suddenly surged forward towards Aziguni!

The draenei raised her bow, but the felsworn was twice as fast in her demon form. Her wings flapped, causing a burst of air that slammed away both of Aziguni’s beasts as she tackled her into the cave wall, the draenei gasping in pain as the wind was knocked out of her.

She felt her quiver crack where it hit the wall, her bow falling from her numb fingers as the impact knocked her sketchbook loose from her belt, the book smashing into the floor and sending pages scattering!

“HAH! Been a while since I got to kill a draenei! Used to have a contest with another felsworn back in the Legion to see how many of you we could get on a hunt…” she grinned, then she glanced down and saw the sketchbook pages. “Hm?” she paused, reaching down and picking one of them up, then her eyes went wide. “Hey… HEY DISSONANTIA! Look at this!” she called, holding it out to the warlock.

Behind them Shalandrae roared and tried to reach Aziguni, but Az’arad held the druid at bay as Dissonantia walked forwards, “Hm? Wots this?” she asked, taking the paper from Gremori and looking at it, then her eyes went wide. “Wait… this…” she looked up at the draenei, her face a mask of rage, “SO THAT’S HOW THEY BLEEDIN’ DID IT! YOU DREW THAT!” she roared.

Dissonantia snarled and channeled a blast of felfire, the original copy that Nelen had used to make prints to send around Stormwind reduced to ashes in an instant. “You feckin’ goat-legged SHITE! All of bloody Stormwind is after me ‘cause of yer damn doodle!” she snapped, “Gremori! Hold ‘er still…” she ordered, the felsworn gripping Aziguni’s neck firmly as darkness glowed around Dissonantia’s fingertips. “I don’t feckin’ care if I get Shalandrae’s soul or not, long as she’s dead… but THIS one… oh THIS one I want to damn well SUFFER FER WHAT SHE DID TA ME!” she roared, reaching back to cast her spell and tear away Aziguni’s soul…

Then there was a sudden woosh and a massive axe sailed through the air, slamming into the wall of the cave with enough force to embed itself into it an inch away from Gremori’s head. The felsworn shrieked and stumbled backwards, dropping Aziguni as Dissonantia’s spell went wild.

“Step away from my sister, warlock. Right now.” came a voice from the cave’s mouth as glowing green eyes shone in the gloom. Malgum walked into view, his other weapon already in hand as he gripped a long chain and pulled hard. The axe came free, the chain attached to the base of it as he pulled it back, catching it by the hilt.

Dissonantia stared at him, then back at Aziguni, “… a feckin’ eredar? Did I bleedin’ miss somethin’?” she mumbled, then snarled and readied her dagger. The draenei could wait, THIS was a real threat!

Malgum raised his weapons as Az’arad, upon seeing the new foe, grinned. He slammed the butt of his axe into Shalandrae’s head, knocking the druid senseless, then roared and charged down Malgum!

The eredar’s head snapped around and he blocked Az’arad’s axe with his own, and then he brought his other axe down onto it as well as his arm began to tremble, but the Wrathguard was easily as strong as he was! After a moment however he roared and surged forward, pushing the wrathguard off him and charging!

Az'arad cackled in glee, smashing his weapon into Malgum's as the two clashed, the wrathguard overjoyed to have another new foe to tear apart, as his mistress turned back to Aziguni. “Wotever… keep ‘im busy Azzy… I’m gettin’ this one’s soul before Shalandrae wakes up…” growled the witch.

Aziguni held her bow tightly… but her quiver was wrecked and the arrows inside ruined from where Gremori slammed her into the wall. Muaaqi and Eocundo were unconscious from the wind blast sending them flying, and Shalandrae was still seeing stars! She had nothing!

As the witch raised her arm Malgum hesitated, his eyes flicking to Aziguni, and this was the opening Az'arad needed! The wrathguard swung hard with his axe and Malgum blocked a moment too late, the impact causing him to stumble back and fall to his knee! He held up his weapons to block Az'arad's, but the demon had the advantage! He couldn't stand! For a moment it seemed as if steam was rising from Malgum's skin… “No…” he hissed through his teeth, “I swore, when Sargeras fell… never again…” he whispered.

Dissonantia raised her hand, her fingers surrounded by darkness, and Malgum saw Aziguni's face... her terror as she saw the spell that would tear away her soul forming around Dissonantia's hand...

Malgum gritted his teeth, “… I swore… but… for this…” he snarled, and his eyes suddenly glowed with fel energy, “… for… my sister…” he grimaced, and the air began to grow hot, then the air around Malgum started to shimmer as if in a heat haze. As it did Az'arad's grin flickered, then turned to a grimace as Malgum began to rise...

Dissonantia’s head turned to him as he stood, and then his veins stood out against his skin, glowing a deep venomous green, as he roared out a string of words in demonic that made Aziguni cry out and clamp her hands over her ears.

The three members of Unlimited Sin recognized what he said, they could all speak demonic fluently. "HERE NOW IS THE FELFURY!" bellowed Malgum loud enough to shake the very cave itself.

Dissonantia grimaced and backpedaled as Gremori gasped, “Oh… oh shit I know him!” she shouted, pointing at the man’ari as Az’arad even looked worried.

Malgum’s body erupted in felfire as he slammed his axes into Az’arad’s form, sending the demon skittering back into the wall of the cave with enough force to crack the stone wall behind him! The man'ari turned to face Dissonantia, his teeth bared as demonic flames swirled about his body and weapons, his eyes wide as he snarled like a feral beast!

“A felfury berserker…” she whispered, then shook her head, “GREMORI! FECK ‘IM UP!” she commanded, pointing a finger at the eredar man.

Gremori grinned excitedly, “Heheh… oh FEL YES! That’s Massacre Malgum! Oh I have wanted to fight someone like him forever!” she laughed, charging the eredar as she burst into flames as well, crashing into him and shoving him out of the cave! The demon and felsworn landed in the woods of the Azure span, the ground around them smoldering as the felfire began to ignite their surroundings!

Shalandrae shook her head, then stared at the demonic conflagration outside before turning to Dissonantia and roaring, charging towards the warlock. The demon sorceress’s head snapped towards the druid and she snarled, diving out of the way, “AZZY! GET YER ARSE UP!” she shouted.

The demon struggled to his feet as Shalandrae prepared to charge again, then Dissonantia slashed another portal open and a swarm of bilescourge bats shot out of it towards Aziguni!

Shalandrae had only a moment to react, and she chose. She threw herself infront of the draenei woman and braced herself, channeling the power of nature through her form as a layer of spiked tree bark grew over her already stone-hard hide… then she screamed in pain as the bilescourge hit home, slamming into her body and eating into it in a spray of acid!

Aziguni cried out in alarm as Shalandrae took the brunt of the attack, but a louder cry came from outside. A the kind of enraged roar that one would expect from a great beast, the kind of monster that could flatten entire cities.

Gremori was sent flying backwards through a tree, her face covered in blood, as Malgum turned towards the cave, every line of his face showing nothing but a murderous thirst for carnage.

“Azzy! Wez’ leaving! Now!” she barked, snapping her fingers with one last venomous look behind her at Aziguni. “And I sure as feck ain’t forgettin’ YOU girl…” she growled, the three of them vanishing in a woosh of felfire.

Aziguni’s eyes were wide as Shalandrae staggered, her bear form shrinking in on itself as she became an elf once more, then she fell to the cave floor with a pained cry. Her right side was covered with horrible acid burns! Most of it had been absorbed by her bark and stone hide… but the rest… “A-augh…” she gasped out, her good eye watering as agony burned along her side.

“Shalandrae! NO! Shalandrae, can you hear me?! Oh by the Naaru… W-we have to get you back to Valdrakken!” she shouted, taking out her hearthstone, then stopping as she heard another roar.

Outside the cave Malgum was still glowing with felfire, caught in the throes of his madness.

The Felfury. An elite unit of the Burning Legion. They were frontline fighters who were cursed with a bloodlust that when called upon would turn them from warriors into living engines of destruction. Already the trees around Malgum were on fire, his shoulders heaving as his head twisted left and right, seeking out the foe who had fled.

Aziguni’s eyes filled with fear, remembering Shalandrae’s words about her friend-turned-satyr. The fel had driven him insane, twisted him body and soul, leaving him nothing but a monster who would kill his childhood friend out of jealousy and spurned affection.

What she was seeing now was not her brother, not anymore. Maybe he was still in there somewhere, but right now? Right now she saw a rabid beast hungry for blood.

Then Malgum’s head snapped to the side and he sniffed the air, snarling and tearing off into the woods.

Aziguni watched him go, wondering why he left, then she heard a pained groan from Shalandrae and gasped. “OH! Oh Shalandrae…” she looked around, “Muaaqi! Eocundo! To me!” she called out, whistling sharply as she did.

Her two animals slowly rose and padded over, then all but collapsed near her as she quickly gathered what she could, then held the druid close to her and hissed a bit as the acid still on her bit into her own skin. She ignored the pain though, channeling her will into the stone as her animals laid their heads on her lap… and in a burst of magic all four of them vanished back to the city.

The Roasted Ram, Early the Next Morning

Shalandrae opened her eye a crack, then winced at the sunlight coming in through the window. “Ow…” she hissed, feeling gingerly over her arm. The burns were mostly gone, but her body was still extremely tender and sensitive where the demon acid had burned her… but if she was back in Valdrakken that meant…

“Shalandrae?” gasped Aziguni, “Praise the Light, you’re awake…” she whispered, the draenei still in her travelling gear with deep bags under her eyes, sitting in a chair next to the night elf’s bed.

“Aziguni? Were you there all night?” she asked sleepily, rubbing her eye as she sat up in the bed.

“W-well, someone had to watch you incase the bilescourge acid had caused any internal damage and after all that I was a bit too wound up to sleep so…” she stammered out.

Shalandrae smirked weakly at her, “Aziguni, stop… seriously… after yesterday you don’t have to… um… it was yesterday right?” she asked.

Aziguni nodded, “You were unconscious from the pain all night long… but as soon as I returned Nelen called for help. Sekhi and Dareley worked together to heal you. You’d been burned so badly I was afraid… um…”

Shalandrae nodded, sitting up in the bed, “Yeah… sorry…” she sighed, leaning back against the headboard.

Aziguni sat down in the chair again, leaning back, “I… er… I feel as though I should be the one who is apologizing. You would not have even been in that cave if I hadn’t…” she began, but Shalandrae waved it away.

“It wouldn’t have gone well no matter what you did. I… look, I can’t promise I’ll ever see Malgum the way you do. But… like I said… I get it. I know what its like to lose someone to the Legion and how badly you want to see them come back.” she replied, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.

Aziguni nodded sadly, “After yesterday I am beginning to see your point as well… I did not know about… whatever it was he did there. Now I wonder just how much of my brother truly remains…”

They both fell silent for a long moment, then…

“Look, I-…” began Shalandrae.

“Shalandrae, I know I-…” began Aziguni.

They both fell silent again.

“You first.” they both said together.

They both fell silent again.

After another long moment Shalandrae said, “… I… after Teldrassil, I… I can’t pretend I’ll be stable all of the time. I’m getting better, but… you saw how I was. I still have bad moments. Especially when it comes to things like that. I think its… I lost so much when Darnassus burned… I’m afraid of getting something just to lose it again…” she whispered.

Aziguni nodded, “… as was I after Argus fell. Seeing the wilderness around Eredath destroyed by the Legion broke my heart for a long time…” she replied softly. “But… I still want to try…” she added, so soft it could barely be heard.

However, being an elf, Shalandrae had very good hearing.

“I want to try too… so… shall we see where this goes?” she asked.

Aziguni gave her a small hopeful smile, “… I would like that very much Shalandrae…” she replied.

Across the room, in her bed, Jaie Swiftpaw lay on her belly with her head facing the other wall. She’d woken up midway through all that and gave a satisfied smirk before she closed her eyes and let herself doze off once more.

On her bedroll, Sekhi turned in her sleep, and dreamed of a giant delicious egg.

Aziguni reached a hand out and took Shalandrae’s in her’s. Both she and the druid had lost much over their long lives, both of them had suffered from the Legion, both of them shared a deep love of the wild places and creatures of the world… perhaps they could find a future in that… perhaps not. Only time would tell.

However, one small problem remained that Aziguni hadn’t told Shalandrae about yet.

Her brother had yet to return to Valdrakken, and she did not know why…

The Azure Span, Shortly After Aziguni Used her Hearthstone

Malgum roared in blind rage as he tore away after his foe, able to sense Dissonantia and her allies thanks to the heightened senses of his felfury state. Once awakened he could only end it by killing her or burning out… but right now he didn’t care about anything really.

He stormed into a clearing and growled in fury, seeing a felfire glow coming from a nearby cave, and charged towards it... but the moment he entered… “NOW!” snarled Dissonantia.

The floor erupted in a green glow as a sigil flared to life, chains bursting out of it and snaking around the eredar man as he was forced to his knees!

Dissonantia stood near the already active portal, readied incase she needed a quick escape… but she’d be damned if she left without something to show for it, and as they were fleeing Gremori had a suggestion that had surprised even her.

She had pointed out one thing about Malgum that Dissonantia hadn’t considered at first… he was a man’ari eredar. More to the point, he was a demon… and she was a warlock.

“If this don’t bleedin’ work I can at least try ta kill yez I suppose but…” she flexed her hands as Malgum roared and tugged against the chains, then she lashed out with both hands and the eredar went rigid, his eyes bulging.

“DEMON!” she shouted, her words echoing with power, “I BIND YEZ!”

The flames began to flicker out on his body as he gritted his teeth, his eyes widening in horror as he realized the trap he’d run into. “No… NO! I WOULD SOONER DIE!” he shouted, tugging on the chains, but his arms felt like sacks of rocks, the felfury burning out of him… he howled in rage, he was so close! All he had to do was break free and get his hands around Dissonantia’s throat!

Dissonantia grinned widely, seeing his distress and the fires dying away. Felfury berserkers were powerful, but their powers were short lived, meant for explosive destruction against weaker foes.

From the moment he had invoked the felfury he had been on a time limit, and his time was up! If he had succeeded in killing Dissonantia he'd have been fine, her soul consumed to fuel his maddened state... but he'd taken too long! One way or another the fires of felfury had their cost and they'd take it it out of Malgum instead! Not only had his demonically enhanced madness ended, he had become as weak as a kitten! He couldn't fight back now!

“Oh yez will die alright… eventually…” she chuckled, “But for now…” she flexed her fingers again, her hands glowing with felfire, and Malgum threw his head back as he screamed in pain, flames shooting across his mind and soul.

“NO! NEVER!” he shouted in defiance, straining against the chains… but this was the same spell that she’d used that day in Zereth Mortis when she'd revealed her true colors for the first time. The chains were sturdy enough to bind even the strongest members of Avalon and Savage United all at once. Against this spell the enervated man'ari had no hope of victory...

“Oh yes… yez is gonna be my demon, ‘Massacre Malgum,’ ‘n yez is gonna massacre all me enemies fer me before I even think o’ lettin' yez die…” she sneered, the she roared “DEMON! I BIND YEZ! I CONSTRAIN YEZ! BY MY POWER I DOMINATE YEZ!” she spat at him in demonic, the air reeking of hot copper and brimstone as Malgum cried out in agony.

A moment later he fell limp in his chains, collapsing to the cave floor…

#adventures in azeroth #world of warcraft #warcraft fanfiction #warcraft roleplay #dragonflight

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sekhisadventures · 7 months

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Krag'thar Stoneshaper, Orcish Shaman

First Appearance: Open for Business

Race: Orc

Class: Shaman, Elementalist

Age: He doesn't track it (presumed late 60s or older.)

Eye Color: Red

Birthplace: Shadowmoon Valley, Draenor

Residence: Orgrimmar

Summary:

Krag'thar Stoneshaper was one of the founding members of Savage United, having joined shortly after the Cataclysm when the Bilgewater Cartel joined the Horde. He was already an old orc then, needing a walking stick just to get around as much as for spellcasting, but still strong with the elements.

He was born before the corruption of the Orcish Race, already a young orc and shaman when the Horde bound themselves to Mannoroth. He never forgot the sudden shock of hearing the elements go silent the moment the demon's blood slid down his throat. It wasn't until after Thrall established his New Horde that he was finally able to earn their trust again and become a shaman once more.

He played a mentor role to the tauren seer, Nitika Dawnhoof, during her early years in the group and became a sort of second father to her.

#adventures in azeroth #world of warcraft #warcraft oc #warcraft fanfiction #warcraft roleplay

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sekhisadventures · 7 months

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Druid Disappeared

Valdrakken, One Week After Malgum’s Introduction

It was definitely taking some getting used to for the Alliance and Horde to say the least. The Eredar had returned, not as enemies but as potential allies. Some were pragmatic about it, the orcs by and large sympathized with the man’ari renegades being tricked into fel corruption… after all, wasn’t that how they came to Azeroth to begin with?

For the Forsaken they were suspicious, but overall gave them the benefit of the doubt, again much for the same reasons. The Illidari as a whole kept a close eye on them, remembering all too well that until very recently they were their sworn enemies.

For much of the defenders of Azeroth however… the reaction was concern, wariness, and outright distrust. Some believed this to be a trick, others questioned if the aging Prophet of the Draenei had finally succumbed to senility, but whatever the reaction it changed little. With Velen’s endorsement, Arzaal and his followers were there to stay.

Like the Ebon Blade and the Illidari before them, they would be given the opportunity to prove they could rise beyond their dark origins… and should they not prove this, well, by now Azeroth knew how to deal with demonic foes.

That being said… some were handling it better than others.

Jaie awoke that morning in her room above the Roasted Ram and stood, yawning and stretching, then looked over to the bed where the other occupant had been staying. Valdrakken was so full anymore that space had gone from being plentiful to a severe premium, and the various adventurers were having to double up more often than not. Sometimes triple or even quadruple up… but as it had been for several days now the bed opposite her’s showed no signs of use.

Jaie sighed as she saw the empty bed, still in her bedclothes… then pulled her gemstone out of her bag and drew the rune for Shalandrae on it with her fingertip. It wasn’t her name, there wasn’t a specific rune for that, but rather Shalandrae’s rune was the rune for ‘great oak tree.’ Nelen and Nitika had worked together to decide on appropriate and easy to remember runes for everyone such as ‘Wise Elder’ (Dareley,) ‘Joyful Song’ (Sekhi,) and ‘Destructive Flame’ (Grimo.)

She waited for a long moment as the gemstone shined, trying to reach out to it’s twin in Shalandrae’s pouch… and after a good ten minutes she gave up and drew the rune for ‘sever’ to break the connection. “Nothing…” she sighed, sitting back down and shaking her head.

At the foot of her bed a head perked up. “Shalandrae ain’t answerin’ huh?” came a small voice.

In truth, the room had three occupants normally. Sekhi, being a vulpera, didn’t need a full sized bed. Rather she would sleep on a bedroll at the foot of Jaie’s bed most nights… though on more than one occasion she had wound up… well…

The first time Sekhi had explained that it was instinctive among vulpera to… huddle up when it came time to sleep. While it was blisteringly hot during the day, some nights in Vol’dun could be frigid enough to rival Northrend (albeit Northrend in springtime,) and the vulpera had adapted by sleeping in large groups to share body heat. On occasion Sekhi, half awake at night, would find herself instinctively seeking out the nearest warm spot to curl up in which, of course, would be the large bear-like woman nearby.

It had been awkward the first time, but now Jaie just accepted that sometimes her bed would have a surprise guest in the mornings and trusted Sekhi to behave herself there.

Jaie shook her head sadly at the vulpera, “She’s still not answering her gemstone.” replied the pandaren as Sekhi stretched, her tail extending and twitching behind her as she did.

“Yeah… I heard her song that day when we all met Malgum. She’s really angry, but really sad too. I think its lotsa things. I didn’t know what a ‘man’ari’ yippin’ was until a few days ago, but… yeah… I can get demons.” she whined, thinking back to their past encounters with Dissonantia.

Jaie nodded, “I just wish she would answer, just so we know she’s alright. I mean… we know her stone isn’t broken, but she could be anywhere now and the Isles aren’t safe to travel alone.” she frowned, the pandaren changing into her travelling clothes, then picking up her spear and sliding it into the holster on her back before walking out of the room to get breakfast.

Sekhi followed her out, scampering after her as she pulled her backpack on. Not a vulpera knapsack but a sturdy brown leather one made in Iskaara. “Yeah… we just gotta hope she’ll come back.” she yipped.

As they got downstairs to the common area they found Nelen already awake and seated at a table, talking with the draenei Aziguni, Malgum’s sister.

“Please Nelen… I feel horrible for what happened. I just…” she tried again, but the mage shook his head.

“Aziguni, I understand. We’re all worried about Shalandrae, but seeing one of the man’ari in the flesh was a terrible shock for her. Yes, you are right that because I was the one who made her stave that I could use my connection to it to scry her location… but I won’t do so unless we have reason to believe she’s in trouble.” he replied firmly, but not unkindly. “This isn’t the first time she’s had to run off like this. She’s a druid, she knows just how dangerous she can be if she gets too angry or upset. I heard what she did when she first saw your brother. A druid who loses control can do a LOT of damage, intentionally or not.”

Aziguni cringed at his words, knowing the mage was right, and yet she couldn’t help feeling guilty for what had happened. Her hope that her brother’s attempt at redemption might be accepted by Shalandrae and her friends was, perhaps, hoping too much for one of the kal’dorei to simply forgive and forget when it came to their ancient foes.

“Now…” he stood, picking up his own stave. “I must be going. I promised Sekhi’s sister I’d tutor her every third day, and that’s today. I can’t just shirk my duties to my apprentice.” he said, then his expression softened. “Don’t worry, I’ve known Shalandrae for years now. She’ll come back eventually, she just needs time to accept the state of things… and this is a big thing to accept.”

Aziguni nodded wordlessly, remaining seated as she looked down at the table, lost in her own thoughts.

Sekhi whined, her ears twitching as she heard Aziguni’s song… it spoke of guilt, of good intentions gone wrong, and of fear of losing something precious.

As Nelen walked out of the Inn he paused near the door. Leaning against the wall outside, idly chewing on a strip of jerky, was a young woman with blue and pink hair and strikingly pink eyes, dressed in a blue vest-top and a pair of baggy white trousers. “Laura, if you could keep an eye out for her… just incase…” he murmured.

The evoker nodded, “Yes, I believe I could do so Nelen.” she replied with a small grin as her sharp fang-like teeth tore into the strip of dried meat. Even in her visage form some draconic features remained, and one of those was that all her teeth were quite sharp.

Nelen smiled back and nodded to her, “Thanks.” he said in a soft tone, then he walked off towards the entrance to Valdrakken where Sekhi’s family had set up their small trading post.

Behind him Laura finished her snack, then stepped away from the building as crimson flames swirled about her form, her humanoid guise vanishing in a burst of magic, and with a flap of large wings Laurelgosa of the Dracthyr took to the skies once more, soaring off towards the Ohn’ahran Plains.

The other five members of Avalon, as well as most of Savage United (Grimo was, well, Grimo) were concerned for their friend, especially now that their foe Dissonantia was likely growing desperate. If she became aware that Shalandrae had left Valdrakken in such a state the Witch of Blackwald Forest may well decide to take the opportunity to strike down one of her most dangerous enemies.

He didn’t want to just immediately violate Shalandrae’s need for privacy and distance after what had happened, but he didn’t exactly want to leave her on her own either. He wouldn’t use magic… but Laurelgosa had wings and could cover a lot of ground. If she just happened to find the wayward druidess… well… Laurelgosa could hardly be blamed for informing her friends of Shalandrae’s current situation.

As he walked towards the cart he glanced to his right and frowned. Across the square were a trio of eredar… and one of them was none other than Malgum himself. He did sympathize somewhat with them after he heard their story. He knew how it felt to become a monster against one’s will, he was Gilnean after all, but he also remembered Argus, and how Krag’thar had died to save them from a Legion charge that likely included several eredar among it’s forces.

Forgiveness was likely never going to happen, at least not in his lifetime… even tolerance would take some doing… for now, for Aziguni’s sake at least…

The eredar saw him, then gave him a curt nod, and Nelen returned it in kind.

For now, just accept that this is the state of things… and what happened would happen. Nelen had an apprentice to worry about right now.

Time, however, can be a cruel thing on Azeroth…

Thaldraszus, on the path to the Bronze Oathstone

The bronze drakonids had been transporting a cache of relics found on the isles to their base for safekeeping. They had been until someone had gotten impatient.

The draconic humanoids lay scattered across the field, several were dead, one or two were still breathing but too hurt to move, and one of them…

That one had horrified his allies as he was the first to fall. The group had noticed something was off with the timelines in the area, then the air around him seemed to gray before he doubled over in pain. His scales grew thin and cracked, his fangs fell from his mouth, his eyes sank in, and it was like he’d aged eons in moments. A weakened drakonid had fallen to their knees, what had landed on the ground was a pile of fossilized bones.

Then there was a sudden hissing sound and a shape darted out of a fold in the air nearby, taking out two more before it vanished again, then a third. The survivors tried to rally but at this point the ambush was in full swing.

As the last of the guards lay on the ground, his lungs suddenly having trouble drawing oxygen from the air, he looked up as a shape walked towards him out of a stitch in time itself. “Apologies, but I had tried being nice and it was getting me nowhere…” said a cultured voice as an elf in resplendent purple robes walked towards the fallen drakonid. Behind him a dragon appeared as if from nowhere, one of the long sinewy slitherdrakes they had found in the caves below the Isles… but it’s scales were as black as night itself, cracked through with bolts of brilliant white.

There was no mistaking it. The slitherdrake was one of the Infinite Dragonflight.

“Y-you already failed… Murazond has not risen…” gasped the drakonid guardsman, “Chromie and her allies… stopped you…”

“Mmm, they did… this time. But that’s the fun thing about time isn’t it? Patience is all you really need to have another go.” chuckled the elf, opening the chest they had been transporting.

Inside it, seated on a velvet cushion, were two things. A longsword of draconic design that seemed to constantly shed grains of sand, and a blue crystal with an odd weight to it as if it was larger than it should be.

The elf took both of them, then turned to the drakonid with a smirk. “Don’t worry, I’ll be putting these to good use. Better than they would have been simply sitting forgotten in some archive in your citadel.” he chuckled.

The drakonid struggled, trying to stand. “Nyloc… why… why side with them?” he gasped.

Nyloc Athel, Chronomancer of Suramar City, shrugged dismissively. “You lot and your ‘one true timeline’ nonsense were becoming insufferable, and you simply wouldn’t give me access to the knowledge I sought. The Infinite are much more free with their information, and very happy sharing it with a man of my skill.” he smirked.

The drakonid gasped, but his muscles felt like they were withering within his arms. Even as he tried to lift himself his own weight was too much! “Nozdormu will… learn of this… he will find you, no matter where or… when you hide…” he wheezed.

“Perhaps he will.” shrugged Nyloc, “Personally, I would love to see him do so. I had always wondered how I would fare against a foe of his caliber. So far however…” he reached out a hand and gestured, the air around his hand turning monochrome, a deep grey that leeched the color out of everything around his fingers.

The drakonid gasped as his eyes widened, collapsing as he clutched at his heart… but his arteries were withering, his chest muscles atrophying at a terrifying rate, and finally he fell silent. It was extremely rare, but if a draconic being lived long enough they were at horrible risk of heart failure.

Thanks to Nyloc’s powers, the ability to manipulate entropy itself, the guardsman had lived several lifetimes in the span of a few scant moments. “… yes, so far I am NOT impressed with the Bronze Dragonflight.” sneered the Chronomancer as he walked back to the dragon, climbing astride it.

As an afterthought he gestured, focusing his temporal powers on the field below. A moment later there was nothing but a rotten old chest barely held together and several piles of bones that may have come from a draconid, or may have come from a large lizard. They were so old it was impossible to say. “Now then my friend, let us be off.”

The dragon hissed, then it took to the sky and flew towards the heavens, and as it gained altitude it seemed to slip into a hidden gap in reality and vanished entirely.

#adventures in azeroth #world of warcraft #dragonflight #warcraft fanfiction #warcraft roleplay

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