red cow rise

The Leatherworkers [Tier 8]

noreply@blogger.com (redcow) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 13:32:00 +0000

“You really don’t need to do that,” the tauren insisted, hovering helplessly while the orc changed and re-fluffed his sleeping pallet.

“Nonsense,” she told him matter-of-factly, giving the pallet a satisfied pat. “Whenever you go to a new place, if you do nothing else you should at least set up a place to sleep.”

Rolling his eyes in defeat, he watched her bustle around the room, giving it a final once-over for anything useful she could do. Finally, she came to stand before him, grinning cheekily at his long-suffering expression.

“I’m not an invalid anymore, you know. Besides, it’s not like this is the first time I’ve been injured on the job,” he joked. When the orc’s expression became pinched, he immediately regretted his words.

Lips pulled in tightly, she lifted her chin, managing to look down her nose at him despite the height difference. “Just because it’s happened before doesn’t mean it gets any easier.”

“Er,” he muttered apologetically, ears fluttering against his skull. “Sorry. I know that. It’s not exactly a party for me, either.”

Satisfied at his contrite pout, she headed for the door. “I gotta get to work. It’s not like I have any excuse to be missing time.” She gently punched his shoulder. “Looking forward to seeing you back in your usual spot tomorrow,” she said.

He smiled. “Me, too. Try not to kill anyone at work today.”

With a smirk, she closed the door behind her, leaving the tauren to his dusty quarters. Although the druids who had cared for him had determined him fit to go back to living unassisted a week ago, the orc had insisted he stay with her until he was ready to go back to work. Finally, she had agreed to escort him back to his long-neglected apartment.

He poked at the few possessions he had kept with him throughout the ordeal, intending to put his things back in order. From the bundle the orc had brought with them (she had refused to let him carry it, to his amused embarrassment), he began to remove the efficiently-packed contents. First was the gear he had been wearing when injured, now cleaned and repaired to the orc’s exacting standards. Following that were the handful of shirts and trousers she had fetched for his stay in her quarters. And finally, earning a surprised laugh from him, was the collection of tauren children’s stories that the orc had picked up Earthmother-knows-where.

Smiling to himself, the tauren began to slowly put his quarters back to rights. While he worked, he mulled over the weeks to come. After intensive rehabilitation, he was much closer to his original strength and speed, although it would still take more training and drills to get back to his best fighting ability. Hopefully he would be declared ready sooner rather than later; as much as he appreciated the orc’s attentiveness, he was eager to return to the easy banter they had when on the job.

***

“I’ve gotta say, this is one of the more relaxing gigs we’ve done in a while.” The orc stood casually, surveying the grassy plateau stretching out from the rocky overhang where they took shelter.

Thunder rolled overhead, providing a percussive background to the constant hum of rain. Despite the location, they were warm enough in the wet. Once again, the tauren gave silent thanks for the unusual climate of Sholazar Basin.

The pair watched as a streak of lightning arced through the air, charring the earth and leaving behind a tiny, glinting shard.

The orc strode out into the rain, habitually adjusting her gloves in preparation to collect the sizzling shard. The tauren followed close behind, eyes roving constantly over the quiet field for signs of any stray elementals on the plateau. Although the elementals were erratic in their movement, they sometimes made their way up to this secluded field where most of the star shards fell.

With a practiced ease, the orc scooped the glimmering, hissing shard into a padded rubber bag, where it fizzled harmlessly, awaiting shaping in their workshop. The metal would remain white-hot until the final quenching, after which it would be affixed to a delicate circlet. The orc had expressed her displeasure at the final design, arguing that the druids diving into the thick of battle would need something more durable for headgear, but the tauren remained a staunch advocate of the dainty crown. He had even tried the finished product on once or twice – when the orc wasn’t around, of course.

They retreated to the overhang to await another lightning strike. “This is almost like a vacation,” the orc mused. “Not that I’ll turn down the hazard pay, of course.”

“We’ve still got a few days to go before we meet our quota,” the tauren responded. “We might see some interesting action before the end!”

The orc sighed wistfully. “Yeah…at least the potential for that beats sitting around in the workshop for another month. I was beginning to think we had fallen out of favor with the druids for a while there.”

Another bolt of lightning lanced down into the earth nearby. Grinning triumphantly at the tauren, the orc once again stepped into the rain, making her way towards the pitted earth where another star shard waited, smoldering.

This time, the tauren noticed a crackling aura making its way up to the edge of the plateau. The elemental hadn’t noticed them yet, but he knew it would likely be very cranky when it did. “Heads up,” he called to the orc, hefting his mace and putting himself between her and their foe.

“Yep,” the orc replied, tying the bag to her belt and raising her axe in preparation.

By now the elemental had taken notice of the strange fleshy creatures invading its territory. It gave a gusty shriek and unleashed a tiny whirlwind that zipped across the space between them, driving rain into their eyes and whipping mud into a clinging sludge around their feet.

It followed its attack by charging at them. The tauren went to meet it, ensuring that he would be the first to engage.

As its body was made primarily of mist, the tauren would have to be very precise in his strikes to hit the energized rock fragments that made up the only substantial part of its torso. He swung his mace, hoping that even with his relatively slow swings he could make the one powerful hit necessary to take out the revenant. His first swing missed, and he ducked down to follow the mace as the elemental slashed at where his head had been.

Against protocol, the orc circled around behind the revenant to add her own attacks. Not only was she supposed to leave the main defense to him, but she was also potentially in the way of his mace as well.

“Move!” the tauren shouted, not waiting before he swung his mace again, this time catching a chunk of the revenant’s body. It let out a shriek reminiscent of wind whistling through a small crevice and darted away, disappearing over the lip of the plateau.

The orc pushed back her hood and rubbed her gloved hand vigorously against the smooth skin of her head. “Hate those little pests!” she commented.

“Hate them all you want, but just remember that it’s my job to deal with them,” the tauren chastised sternly. When she opened her mouth to argue, he cut her off with, “I know your job is boring this time around, but you have to at least let me have priority when it comes to these guys. Otherwise I’m getting paid for nothing!”

They glared stubbornly at each other until the moment as disturbed by a low-pitched roar carried on a violent gust of wind. This was closely followed by the appearance of an enormous elemental making its way onto the plateau. It dwarfed the other revenants they had seen so far by two or three times, and appeared to be equally as incensed. When it noticed them, it let out another piercing cry and began to lumber towards them.

“Time to go,” the tauren remarked, scouting behind them for an escape route.

“It doesn’t look so bad,” the orc replied, stubbornly planting her feet and motioning as if to challenge it.

The tauren grabbed her bicep and propelled her in front of him. “You obviously didn’t read the dossier on the Terrace. Even if we could take that thing, the Oracles would be pretty upset if we killed one of their revered spirits.”

Sighing in resignation, the orc began to lope along beside the tauren. The revenant, upon seeing its quarry running away, responded by whipping up the storm. The swirling wind and pelting rain lowered visibility and turned the ground into a slippery swamp, slowing their progress. The orc stumbled, falling to one knee in the thickening mud. As he ran past, the tauren grabbed her elbow, using his height advantage to pull her to her feet. The bag of shards, stuck in the mud, gave a weak squelch and ripped from where it was tied to the orc’s belt.

Cursing, the orc turned to retrieve it, but the tauren shoved her ahead of him. “I’ve got it! You head for the path into the Maker’s Perch!”

She spared a glance at the revenant gaining on them before turning to obey. Sighing in relief, the tauren wrenched their precious cargo from the sticky clutches of the mud gathering around his ankles and took off after her.

The walls of the Maker’s Perch jumped up suddenly from within the curtain of rain. The orc immediately put her hands to the stone, searching for the tiny path they had found that led into the titan-engineered stronghold.

“Left, left,” the tauren instructed, glancing over his shoulder at the revenant. It vented its frustration by flicking a whip-like tendril of wind at him, snapping dangerously just short of his cheek.

“I got it!” the orc’s disembodied voice floated to him from within the jagged crack amidst the stones.

“Don’t just stand there; get inside!” He made to follow, only to discover that the width of his shoulders was at odds with the parameters of the crevice.

“Come on!” the orc shouted from within, not yet realizing the problem. From without came another vicious crack of wind, this one catching him above the elbow and slicing neatly through armor and skin. The tauren grunted.

Having noticed the tauren’s halted progress, the orc rushed back to him, grabbing his wrist and tugging. He felt the stone scraping across his chest and back as his partner slowly but surely tugged him into the safety of the cave. Tucking his head to protect his horns, he dug in with his hooves, running in place and kicking up a spray of mud behind him.

The whirlwind outside was a roaring frenzy now, and he could feel rain and debris pattering against his still-exposed side. With a final panicked groan, the orc pulled with her entire bodyweight, bringing the tauren through the diminutive hole in the wall and into the wider cave beyond. He toppled forward, taking her down in the process. As they fell he twisted, so as to keep himself ready for any attack from the elemental outside.

Shrieking in frustration, the elemental predictably sent a final assault as its foe escaped, this time in the form of a crackling bolt of lightning. It struck the tauren square in the chest, knocking the breath out of him with an uncomfortable whoosh.

Still trapped beneath him, the orc began to shout in alarm, frantically struggling to free herself so she could assess the damage. Roaring in frustration, she finally managed to disentangle herself and reach for the tauren, cradling his head between her hands and scrutinizing his face.

“Are you all right?” she practically screamed, pulling on an eyelid to check his pupil.

He wheezed out a laugh, then hissed as something hot brushed against his finger. “I’m fine. It didn’t hit me.” He glanced down. “Well, not directly.”

Together they looked at the bag of star shards he had unwittingly held against his chest. The center was blackened where it had absorbed the full force of the lightning strike, and on top of that lay a perfect, glimmering star shard.

For the Horde? [guest post!!]

noreply@blogger.com (redcow) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 13:30:00 +0000

Mengxi's letter caused a stir in the village. Having left to join the Horde only a few months ago, they hadn't heard from him since his arrival in Orgrimmar. Now everyone gathered to hear all about his adventures. In a loud, clear voice, the village Elder read from the tattered scroll...

As you know, I joined the Huojin when they declared their allegiance to the Horde. While I have met many brave, loyal and friendly people here, I am sorry to say that being a part of the Horde is not anything like I thought it would be. I am alive, where many are not, and that is the best of my situation, I fear.

The ceremony with the Horde leader, Garrosh Hellscream, was my first clue that what was ahead of me would not be pleasant. It is telling that the title for the Horde's leader is Warchief. He cared nothing for our culture, our history. The first, last, and only thing he wanted from us was our ability to serve the military aims of the Horde.

We Huojin were split up and assigned to various fronts in Horde territory. I was sent to the Eastern Kingdoms, to serve under the leadership of the Forsaken and their Banshee Queen, Sylvanas Windrunner. The Forsaken, they...I...they are corpses, infused with the souls of the dead! From what I understand, they were killed by a monstrous army of reanimated corpses controlled by a figure they call the Lich King. Then they were similarly raised and enslaved to his will, forced to kill their friends and loved ones in turn. At some point Lady Sylvanas broke free of her enslavement and managed to free these Forsaken as well. Such horror they have witnessed!

It seems that this Lich King was defeated a few years ago, so the Forsaken have had their revenge. But their hate remains. It is hard to tell where that hate is directed now, but I have been around them long enough to know, it is strong and it is their driving force. I am not familiar enough with the politics of the outside world to understand why exactly the Forsaken are willing to be a part of the Horde, nor why the Horde is willing to accept them. Many times I have had the impression that the other peoples of the Horde view Forsaken with distrust, wariness, and maybe even fear. And now, after months of service with them, I think I understand why. But I get ahead of myself.

I will send you more details of my journey when I next find time to write. Until then, please, I beg of you to not follow me into this hell that is the Horde...

Please give my love to everyone.

Mengxi

The Elder looked at the silent, worried faces, and shrugged slightly. "I guess we can only wait." Moving to Mengxi's parents, who were clutching each other in fear, he placed a comforting hand on their shoulder. "He is alive. He can still come back to us. Our thoughts are with him, too."

It's not filler if you like reading it

noreply@blogger.com (redcow) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 15:15:00 +0000

Nah I take that back, it's still filler. But I hate to see my blog get dusty and boring - by which I mean I have no intention of closing up shop, I'm just getting my butt kicked by real life! It actually sucks; after the podcast and feeling really fired up to write, suddenly I found myself knee-deep in professional Japanese resume-writing. Which, I needn't remind you, is not my forte.

Hire me to do professional business for your company I have many useful skills

Working on those moon-rune documents kept me out of WoW for quite a while, but I've popped in here and there to tend my farm and try to push through the Dominance Offensive dailies so I can finally catch up with whatever it is that Dah wants me to see. (no spoilers please >_>) All I know is that the quest to go into the mine and kill those spirit traps underground was designed by a cruel and unfeeling dev.

Aside from that, I've been battling pets, although I'm WAY behind knowing what to do. Similar to pokemon, I just pick the cutest guys and use them to kill all the other guys. I have gotten some GREAT advice from twitter, however, so I hope to one day be someone who gives reputable advice instead of making suggestions like "have you considered using the fluffy kitty?"

I do not want to battle the other fluffy kitties

I was really enjoying leveling Weipon, and recently hit 88, but I realized that if I got too ahead in my leveling I would end up with a bunch of half-finished quest notes and no recollection of actually doing any of the quests, which would squash later writing! Instead I decided to hit up the Darkmoon Faire and aggressively watch Dubenko from the sidelines.

Let's see how long you dodge those rings after I get at you

So to reiterate, I'm not going anywhere. A new LW chapter and the continuation of the main Pandaria story are forthcoming! Posts might be much more irregular in their scheduling, but the spark of creativity lives on! Frankly, I'm just glad that I have so many opportunities to share my new gifs with you! It may have nothing to do with WoW, but collecting and sharing humorous gifs is one of my hobbies, so I hope you know that I'm not just trying to fill post space, but rather bring you the latest and greatest of internet hilarity!

And now, the most recent search terms:

"a totally sweet blog"
YOU'VE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE
"adventure time birthday party ideas"
I'm thinking Lady Rainicorn/long-Jake streamers, snacks shaped like residents of the Candy Kingdom, LSP balloons, and everyone has to imitate Tree Trunks' voice
"aysa cloudsinger porn"
NO, NO, BAD INTERNET, NO, BAD
"im soo full of butt toots spongebob"
Me too, Spongebob, me too
"sloth whisper song meme"
I have no idea but if you find it will you let me know? I'm a diehard member of the sloth fandom :B
"cow of the wild fanfiction"
Shit yeah, get on over to the Series page
"dragon which is red but big"
I don't know that being red precludes being big, so you have lots of options
"indicator raptor explosion"
:|a this sounds like a goblin experiment gone wrong
"quilin"
YES! Look at those majestic bastards!
"what is red cow with high heels facebook logo"
I'm curious about this red cow "with high heels" (I didn't publish that picture anywhere...) but currently my fb picture is a velociraptor statue wearing a knitted cap
"janeway muscles"
Mmm yes I have just the reaction gif for Cpt Janeway's muscles:

"i had a dream about red cow i taking a it to home"
I don't know if I should feel flattered or deeply concerned
"jessha reach"
!! Minor character love <3
"did the girl jump from the bridge at the red cow"
I couldn't find anything about a bridge at the red cow but I certainly hope not!!

And just because it's been making me laugh for a million years:

Is it the scarf? The expression? It's the scarf, I think.

Stowaway (guest post!!)

noreply@blogger.com (redcow) — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:57:00 +0000

Previously: A Dream

Dahakha perched on the edge of the cliff, peering through beady bird-eyes down at the Drag. Periodically he twitched his head around nervously, watching for any signs of recognition from the guards, patrols, and general passersby. It was a gamble simply being here, but he could see no other option to avoid a hermetic existence in some remote wilderness. As long as he remained in one of his animal forms, and didn't run into any high-ranking druids, he was fairly certain that he would blend in as just another visitor to Orgrimmar.

After the rude shock of finding that his guild headquarters were not where he remembered them being, it had only taken a few minutes to locate the HQ of this dimension's guild, and now he was looking for a familiar face to show itself. He brooded over his predicament as he waited. Sometimes he still thought he was dreaming, stuck in some never ending nightmare.....or that, perhaps, he was actually, completely mad. Insane, even. But the familiarity of his surroundings always restored his confidence in reality, however bizarre it was turning out to be. Every so often something jarred his perception, reminded him of the same-but-different nature of the world he was now living in, but he was surprised to realise that those moments were becoming less frequent and less intense. Obviously his long experience with the uncertainties that defined engineering had inured him to such shocks. The thought made him chuckle-chirp to himself quietly. It was engineering that had got him into this in the first place!

After a long night in conversation with Unoke, the windrider master at Thunderlord Stronghold, Dahakha had left in a daze that had little to do with the Mulgore firewater they'd downed together. Clearly the world he was in was not the one he'd been in the previous day. Moreover, from what his old friend had told him, it would be dangerous to make himself known to Horde authorities. What pained him the most though, was the idea that he was cut off from the Cenarion Circle as well. He'd meditated on it for a number of days, then decided to end the nagging doubts by investigating Unoke's claims himself. Finding himself a cave – not much larger than a niche – in Nagrand from which to base himself, he journeyed back through the Dark Portal to Mulgore. Finding the junkbox at the grave had been a shock. Was it her? Could she....he risked a foray into Thunder Bluff to seek out answers. Returning to the grave, he had intended to replace the offering, but found himself unable to relinquish the only reminder he had of her. With a mixture of hope and reluctance, he returned to Nagrand and continued to meditate on the matter. Finally admitting to himself that he had no real understanding of what had happened, and unable to seek help from his usual sources, he had decided to consult with the learned ogre-magi of Ogri'La.

It had taken months, but eventually Dahakha was persuaded that his wormhole generator experiments had......succeeded....in a way that he had not been able to imagine. Of course, as an engineer he was familiar with dimensional travel, but the possibility of it taking him to a whole new reality was completely new.

Unfortunately, the ogre-magi could not offer anything except condolences when he started exploring ways to return home. Apparently there were, in theory, an infinite number of realities, and they counseled him against trying to duplicate his experiment as the chances of him finding his home again were vanishingly small. With a heavy heart, Dahakha had thanked them for their help and taken his leave.

Now here he was, trying to see if he could contact guild members and start a new life with them. He fought down another surge of panic as the thought flashed through his mind yet again that his friends might not be in this guild, might not even exist in this world. He calmed himself with the reassurance that his closest friend, the one he could trust absolutely with his situation, was alive and a member here. Now he just had to find her, and hope that she would speak to him again, after that......no, no, it could be different here. He prayed that it was different, one of the few things he'd be glad to see changed.

Shuffling along the edge of the cliff, he became suddenly impatient. Where was everyone?! He hadn't seen anyone enter or leave the HQ for hours! In fact.....the entire city seemed rather empty. Abruptly tired of waiting, he fell forward, gliding down to the guild entrance. Flowing into lionform, he padded through the door, searching the building for signs of activity. Hmph. Nothing. Glancing through some open doorways to sleeping quarters, he got the decided impression that most people had been away for a goodly amount of time. This was very odd. He needed some answers, and unfortunately that meant risking talking to strangers.

Trotting outside again, he made his way down the Drag, considering his options. A merchant would probably be best, he mused. Spotting a tauren walking away from one shop, an Earthen Ring tabard proudly displayed over her armour, he quickly barged in before he lost his nerve. There was a startled orc just inside on his way out, and the orc at the workbench was half out of her seat, though she seemed more angry than surprised at his sudden entrance. The orc at the door glanced back at her. "Remember, no slaughtering customers!" With a straight-faced wink at Dahakha he left the shop.

Sitting on the floor beside the entrance, Dahakha realised belatedly that he would have to give up his animal cover if he was to get any information here. The orc frowned at his silence.

"Can I help you at all, druid?"

With a sigh Dahakha flowed back into his tauren shape, twitching and poised for flight if any sign of recognition showed in the orc's face. After a tense moment, he relaxed slightly and spoke. "Greetings. I have...been away for a substantial amount of time, and I return to find the city much less busy than I remember it being. I was hoping you could enlighten me on the reason?"

The orc's eyebrows raised incredulously. "You haven't heard?"

Dahakha scowled. "Obviously not. Is there some news of Deathwing? Has Ragnaros finally been defeated?"

At this, it was the orc's turn to scowl. "Har har, your little joke is about a year old now, druid. Stop wasting my time." She turned back to her seat, muttering scornfully under her breath.

Dahakha stood in confusion and mounting indignation as she sat down, pointedly ignoring him. His mouth opened and closed silently, torn between answering this rudeness and the need for answers. Finally he settled for shifting into a lion and giving vent to an almighty roar of frustration.

The orc did not look impressed at all. She waited until he shifted back, then pointed at the door. "If you don't have work for me, then leaving would be a good idea."

Dahakha took a deep breath. The orc gave him a warning glare, and he let it out again, shoulders slumping. Gathering himself, he said "I apologise for giving you offense; it was not my intention. As I said, I have been away for a long time, and I find all my friends gone. The city seems almost deserted. I have no idea where they could have gone. Anything you could tell me would be most appreciated."

The orc stared at him appraisingly. Finally she spoke. "Someone found a new land. The Warchief sent an expedition out there to claim it for the Horde, and after the relative peace after Deathwing was killed, I'd imagine your friends - along with most of the adventurers and thrill-seekers in Orgrimmar – went to see the sights." She waved vaguely at the door. "There's some sort of ambassador in the Valley of Honour, they can probably tell you more."

Acknowledging this dismissal, Dahakha bowed his head in thanks and with another mumbled apology flowed out into the Drag again. Making his way to the Valley of Honour, he quickly saw the camp of the newcomers. An apprentice mage was nearby, maintaining a portal. Approaching him cautiously, Dahakha asked where it led. "Pandaria, of course!" the blood elf snapped, not bothering to turn around. "No, I can't issue passes!", he continued before Dahakha could say anything more. "Get one from the Warchief's hall."

Dahakha turned away, disappointed. After a few steps he brightened. The merchant had said the Horde had an expeditionary force there....they would need supplies and reinforcements. All he had to do was find a ship to sneak aboard. That shouldn't be too difficult. Finally having a purpose and a plan felt good, and some of the tense weight on his mind eased a little. He turned his attention to the new arrivals, studying the Pandaren delegation curiously. Their friendly demeanour invited his approach, and he decided to see if he could learn anything useful about this new land. Again he was disappointed, though, for these Pandaren were only slightly more familiar with the Pandaria of today as he was. When they asked him about himself, he remembered his danger and quickly excused himself, hurrying off.

As dusk deepened into night, a bird landed on the deck of the airship Saurfang. Minutes later the hold had another occupant. Settling down to sleep, Dahakha woke to the sounds of the crew preparing to leave. Making himself as comfortable as he could amongst boxes and sacks stamped with the words 'Domination Point', he took out the rusted junkbox from his bag. Carefully holding it in his large, callused hands, he once again gazed at the slim proof that his goal was worth chasing. He wondered how long it would take to find her.....and if things would turn out better this time around.......

Dahakhabeko's One Time Fun Time Podcast (Two Time)

noreply@blogger.com (redcow) — Sat, 18 May 2013 13:30:00 +0000

Part One

In which some cows get ~~tipped~~ tipsy.

This was cobbled together from a series of recordings in an effort to appease the MP3 Skype Recorder gods. I apologize for some weird garbled bits in the middle and hope you can understand that part!

Dahakhabeko's One Time Fun Time Podcast! Pt. 1

noreply@blogger.com (redcow) — Sun, 12 May 2013 14:34:00 +0000

Part 1: In which Dahakha puts up with Akabeko's drinking

Towards the end the audio gets a little garbled as it speeds uncontrollably on into the sunset. Despite a very entertaining Saturday night conversation, the second half of the audio is completely unintelligible. For that reason, we bring you the first 45 minutes now and will have to re-record the rest later this week. I'm so very sorry for the inconvenience!

Part 2!

A Dream [guest post!!]

noreply@blogger.com (redcow) — Fri, 10 May 2013 14:31:00 +0000

Previously: Into the Temple of the Jade Serpent

As he fell into the blackness of sleep, the words echoed once more in Hadakha's mind.

She is broken.

The first dream exploded into being. He was surrounded by fire, screams, missiles zipping through the air past his head. It took a moment to register that he was on an airship, and that it was under attack. People were running about madly, trying to find weapons, put out fires, repair damage, yelling orders. He caught sight of Akabeko, sitting in a gunner's chair, while Weipon loaded the cannon with ammunition. He started forward and began calling out to them, but a massive explosion slammed the ship sideways, sending a screaming Weipon over the rail.

He watched as Akabeko stared dumbly at the space where her friend had been, then threw herself out into the air after her. He rushed to the rail, peering down as a huge stormcrow dove after the pandaren, snatching her from the air and delivering her safely to the ground. But...how did she get so big? He saw the crow lift off again, then suddenly screech in pain and slump sideways, apparently losing the use of one wing. As she fell, she shrank weirdly, flailing about in distress before slamming into the ground.....

She cannot control her forms. What use is a druid who has lost her abilities?

Now he was in a pandaren tavern drinking room, sitting next to Akabeko, with Weipon across from them. Crowds of curious pandaren surrounded them, eagerly refilling mugs with strongly-spiced ale, clamouring for information about the foreigners. He turned to the tauren woman and heard himself say something in Pandaren, which triggered a snort from Weipon. After a brief exchange, Akabeko turned back to him with an overly cheerful smile, grinding out "I'm going to kill you in your sleep!" from between gritted teeth. She clinked his mug before downing her drink.

Threats of violence? Murder?! Is that really how an Archdruid should behave?

Again he was in a drinking room, surrounded by laughter, conversation and singing. He saw Akabeko across the room, throwing back a drink, nodding absently to the pandaren next to her as they filled her cup again. She looked grim, occasionally sending a brief half-smile to whoever was talking at her, nodding uncomprehendingly as the talk went on, unceasing. Abruptly she stood, knocking over some cups, and gripped the table hard as she swayed dangerously. Without a word she stumbled off to her room, crashing into walls and banging her head and shoulders against doorframes. He followed her, but as he entered her room the scene faded, and the last he saw was her sprawled face-down on the bed, drool flowing out the corner of her mouth, a purloined bottle hanging loosely from her hand...

Do you really want a drunkard guiding you? Making important decisions that affect the lives of others?

He watched as Akabeko and Weipon stood together, bending over a map in the tauren's hands. Akabeko looked around, confused, and scratched her head as she tried to figure out where they were. Suddenly Weipon pointed at the map and exclaimed something, gesturing in agitation. The druid looked around again, doubtfully, then shrugged. Packing up, they set off, the pandaren woman striking out confidently while Akabeko trailed along obediently.

A druid who gets lost in a forest? How can such a one be considered for promotion?

Akabeko leant over the decayed body of a Forsaken woman, trying to determine the extent of her wounds. He saw her mutter under her breath and gesture, then wince. She closed her eyes and her face tightened with effort as she struggled to cast a healing spell. Finally she finished, but the strain left her panting in exhaustion, and the glow of her hands as they hovered above the Forsaken was pitifully weak.

How could one so weak in ability even interest the Council?

He looked down at the bloodied tauren, kneeling on the floor before him, eyes downcast as he smashed his fist into her skull. She rocked back, then straightened again, still looking dully at the floor as he laughed and raised his fist once more.

She has no passion! No care! No will to fight back!

She is broken!

A bell chimed.

She is broken!

Images started to flitter through his mind...Akabeko angrily waving away a pleading Weipon, swigging from a flask-

She is broken!

Akabeko staring vacantly into the distance as, beside her, Weipon attempts to negotiate with an important-looking pandaren-

She is broken!

Weipon sitting and chatting with a group of pandaren around a table, while Akabeko sits in a dark corner, brooding over a mug of ale-

She is brok-

A bell chimed.

Into The Temple of the Jade Serpent

noreply@blogger.com (redcow) — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:36:00 +0000

Previously: A Shadow Rises

A horn sounded across the temple grounds, drawing Weipon's attention from questioning another gaggle of monks. Their brief conversation finished, they turned to continue their survey of the area for more tiny sha, and Weipon shook her head.

"They haven't seen him."

Akabeko nodded, frowning. "Did you hear that trumpet? Does that mean what I think it does?"

"I think we're out of time," Weipon agreed. "If we want to go into the Temple, we will have to go back there now, without Hadakha."

Unable to hide her frustration, Akabeko turned and made for the Temple. Weipon followed, quietly glad that her friend was willing to help with this. Perhaps she realized how important the task was to the pandaren, or perhaps she felt responsible, in her own way.

Cho was standing near the monks assembled, waiting patiently compared to the agitation radiating from the other pandaren. He caught Akabeko's eye and raised an eyebrow inquisitively. Find him? She shook her head briefly, lips pulling downward. No.

Weipon recognized many of the monks from her earlier training, and she quickly went to stand beside them, exchanging tight smiles as they formed small ranks. Akabeko made to follow, but one of the trainers held out a hand.

"Oh no you don't. It was you fools that got us into this mess. I won't have you bringing even greater offense to the Temple by coming inside with us."

Although she couldn't understand the words, Akabeko clearly got the message. She shot a pained glance at Weipon, then looked back to the trainer. "Please," she said, calling on her meager Pandaren. "Please. I will help."

The trainer regarded the tauren scornfully. Weipon spoke, "She is a healer, and dedicated to cleansing this taint from the Temple. Both she and another foreigner were responsible for clearing the battlefield."

"After being the ones to cause the problem in the first place," the trainer responded, not breaking her scrutiny of Akabeko. But the lines around her mouth softened, and her gaze grew contemplative, measuring. "We don't have time to waste on this. She may come, so long as she works twice as hard to prove herself." Spinning, the trainer strode to the head of the gathered assault group, conferring with the other leaders.

"Open the gates!" shouted the another trainer, motioning ahead of himself. "We're going in!"

They marched forward as one, and Akabeko glanced around before joining Weipon. "Thanks," she whispered, falling in step at the edge of the row.

Inside the temple proper, they were assaulted by the sour stench of sha, seemingly radiating off the very stones. Some of the pandaren groaned, holding their stomachs as the foul odor struck them. By now used to the disgusting scent, Weipon merely wrinkled her nose and tried to breathe evenly through her mouth.

An unsettling slithering noise from down the hall drew their attention. "Serpent trainers, ahead!" a trainer called, directing the monks and their young cloud serpents into the murky darkness.

There was a high-pitched shriek, followed by sounds of a struggle, and then the hallway noticeably brightened as the sha's influence receded and their corpses dissolved into mold. The serpents returned to their companions, looking ferociously pleased.

The leaders divided the pandaren into teams in order to split up and traverse the temple faster. Weipon pulled Akabeko into a group with Peng and a handful of monks she had met during training. They stood clustered together while the serpent trainers were assigned groups, and then the same instructor from before joined them, glancing pointedly at the druid.

"We are going directly to the main hall. The other teams will meet us there if they finish flushing out the other wings. Be on your guard."

They advanced into the wide training ground, now filled with corpses being feasted upon by clusters of sha. Someone near the front gave a strangled cry, alerting the sha to their presence, and in the next moment they were swarmed by shadowy monsters with seeking mouths.

Now adjusted to the unpleasant work, Weipon stepped forward, flanked closely by Akabeko, and waded into the fray, punching and kicking at the sha in her way. She noticed her friends hesitantly falling in beside her, drawing courage from her. At first, they shied away from not only the sha, but Akabeko as well, clearly cautious of her feral-looking form. However, the longer she fought, pouncing from foe to foe, the more they eagerly followed her lead, picking off any stragglers she missed.

Weipon lost track of time as they put down sha after malignant sha. She concentrated on her form, on her strikes, on the movement of her comrades in their dangerous waltz with the shadowy monsters, anything to distance herself from the vile task of pulling the creatures from the quickly-rotting corpses of fallen pandaren. At some point, she realized that there were no more shadows for her questing fists to fight and came out of her trance, blinking slowly and taking in the equally exhausted pandaren around her.

One of the instructors surveyed the carnage in the courtyard with a pained expression. "We will return to put this to rights after we have dealt with the Sha. For now, we will continue into the main building." He turned to stride into the building, but pulled up short when a pandaren stepped from the shadows along the walls.

Liu Flameheart's typically stern face was contorted into a fearsome scowl, her fur lifeless and shot through with sudden and premature gray. She looked at the gathered group without recognition, features drawing deeper into a sneer. "Your forces are weak," she bit out, leaping forward to strike at the nearest monk.

With a shout, the battle began. It became quickly apparent that the cloud serpents would not fight the very priestess that had trained and cared for them, and their monk partners found themselves herded back by the agitated serpents. Where they reluctantly gave way, more monks stepped in to meet Liu's rapid, unceasing attacks.

Despite being one against many, the Sha's influence over Liu made her a terrifying and formidable foe. In the blink of an eye, she took out an entire swath of opponents, jabbing at vulnerable throats, shattering wrists and knees, turning weapons against their wielders. Weipon could see Akabeko moving in and out of the fray, dodging and weaving amongst the upright crush of bodies surrounding Liu. The Sha-controlled priestess was evidently confused by the ostensibly wild creature stalking her from behind the other pandaren. It provided the perfect opportunity: she stumbled, falling to one knee, and was immediately set upon by the three closest pandaren.

They brought Liu to her knees, and Weipon felt sudden terror claw its way up her throat. Until now they had merely been fighting to defend themselves, but what would they do to their former comrade?

"The cycle must continue, the Jade Serpent must be reborn!" Liu announced, unseeing gaze sweeping across those around her.

Before anyone could respond, the area around Liu was bathed in gentle, calming light as Yu'lon's misty apparition wavered into existence. The Jade Serpent coiled her sending around her priestess, cutting her off from the monks and pinning her arms and legs into stillness. Liu's mouth hung open slackly, her eyes unfocused.

Yu'lon nudged her ghostly nose against the pandaren's forehead, sniffing audibly. "Be free of doubt, priestess," she murmured. With a whuffling sound, she exhaled softly against Liu's forehead, breathing color back into her ashen features. As suddenly as it had come, the sending dissipated, sending out a tiny burst of rejuvenating green dust. Liu crumpled bonelessly to the floor.

The same monks from before darted in, this time to check the priestess's condition. She lay limply on the floor, her breathing labored and shallow. The young cloud serpents complicated matters by rushing back in to sniff and nip at their injured master, preventing monk healers from getting close to assess her injuries.

Without warning, the cloud serpents darted back in surprise, revealing an unusual purple glow threading its way around Liu's body. The monks began to mutter in concern, but Weipon's eyes were drawn immediately to Akabeko, who was standing at the edge of the group, concentrating intently. Weipon limped gingerly over to her friend, not bothering to disguise her curiosity now that the druid's attention was elsewhere. She hadn't yet had the opportunity to simply watch while Akabeko performed her unusual healing.

It didn't seem to be going easily, however. Akabeko's fists clenched and unclenched, fingers crooking this way and that as if she were attempting to navigate some puzzle. Her brows drew together and she let out a low growl of frustration. Unconsciously, from under her tunic she fished out a brittle-looking seashell and rubbed it between two enormous fingers.

By now, it was evident that the druid was attempting to heal Liu but was having difficulty. Belatedly, Weipon remembered the little bell she still had tucked away in a belt pouch and brought it out, mentally berating herself for not thinking to use it sooner. She let it chime in Akabeko's direction, drawing the attention of the other monks.

At the same time, Akabeko inhaled sharply, eyes widening as the calming sound had its effect. She cast several spells in quick succession, face composed and movements economical. When she became still, there came a quiet groaning from within the group of monks as Liu Flameheart came to her senses.

The monks began to cheer, gathering around the druid as well as their exhausted but sha-free priestess. Weipon saw one of the trainers clap Akabeko on the shoulder, and she giggled when some of the cloud serpents showed their appreciation by nuzzling at the tauren's face and neck. She could hear the monks' praise, and although it was clear Akabeko didn't understand much of it, she nodded politely and smiled at each person.

Now, the same trainer that had ordered Akabeko to leave stepped forward, half-supporting a weak-but-alert Liu. She nodded at the tauren, adding, "It seems you did have something worth contributing. Thank you." Akabeko bowed graciously, and Weipon was secretly pleased that at least some of her cultural training had stuck.

The pace picked up again as the instructors rallied the remaining able-bodied troops. They had to leave many of the monks behind due to wounds taken at the hands of either the sha or Liu, and the body count was already regrettably high. Those well enough to press on gathered again to venture deeper into the temple, leaving behind their weakened comrades to rest.

Weipon took the opportunity to attach the bell to her belt, hoping that it would continue to jingle while she fought. Peng noticed this from his place beside her and nodded at the bell with a questioning look. "It's something from Lorewalker Cho," she told him quietly. "I don't know what's special about it, but it seems to weaken the sha. I wish I had thought to use it earlier!"

Before he could respond, the massive doors to the large hall they were in slammed shut, and out of the darkness rose an even inkier black shape, crackling white as if shot through with lightning. The Sha of Doubt towered over them, smaller than it had been on the battlefield but still oppressively large for the room. The doors to the hall shook violently as something slammed against them from outside.

"You're too weak to follow me in here, my jade jailor," the Sha rumbled sweetly. Its breath stank of dead and rotting things, compounding with the fetid stench rolling off its putrid body. From beyond the doors came the answering cry, a mind-numbing, blood-curdling roar that for all its power could not open the doors. The Sha of Doubt extended two shadowy arms, comically long and jointed in too many places. "Die or surrender," he told the pandaren. "You cannot defeat me."

Undaunted, the monks attacked as one. They surrounded the Sha, pummeling its slimy flesh. The bell on Weipon's belt chirped merrily, making the Sha quiver and flinch. It half-turned towards her, one milky white eye regarding her with concern.

"Very well. See how effortlessly you become unraveled."

All at once, the Sha and all of the other monks disappeared, and Weipon was face to face with...herself? This Weipon appeared as Liu had, face pinched, fur dull and gray, and most importantly, incredibly hostile.

"Well, if it isn't the little cub who left her Mama and Papa behind," the sha sneered, launching into a series of punches. "Too weak-minded to make your own decisions, you let those Horde strangers talk you into abandoning the most important people in the world to you."

Weipon barely dodged a kick aimed at her head, only fast enough to defend, never able to attack. Had she done that? She had felt so confident when she left...

"And now," Weipon continued, this time landing a kick, "now you're letting some foreigner you just met boss you around! What a disgrace!" She swept out a leg, knocking her opponent down fast enough to pin her. "And instead of fighting back, you just let all that anger boil up inside..." She pressed their noses together, breath ghosting over her opponent's lips. "Let it get the best of you..."

Was that true? It was true, wasn't it? She had lost control, behaved like a mindless animal in front of her peers. The monk's struggles weakened as she retreated into her own thoughts. But wasn't there a reason for her anger? And she had learned something that day, an important lesson.

"That's right," Weipon continued with a mocking smile. "You're angry at the orders you're getting; you don't like them but you're too weak to argue, to disobey."

The monk strained weakly, nose wrinkling at the disgusting odor that washed over her with Weipon's cruel words. She stank of...of sha. Sha! The Sha of Doubt, which was taking over the Temple!

"No!" Weipon shouted, bucking her hips up against her sha-copy, unseating her and sending out a reassuring peal of the bell. She wrestled with the sha-copy, flipping her into a pin of her own. "I didn't abandon my parents; I believed in going to explore the world; I can and will master my emotions!" Her hands closed around the abomination's throat. "I will not let the Horde make me compromise my morals," she added fiercely.

Rather than fight back, the sha-copy snatched at her belt, grabbing at the bell even as it blistered and blackened her unnatural flesh. Before Weipon could stop her, she crushed the tiny bell in her fist, sending up a great gout of smoke and the scent of charred meat. "If you won't go quietly, so be it," she said snidely, and promptly disappeared.

Crouching atop empty air, Weipon fell the few inches to the ground and landed painfully on her knees. She whipped around, taking in the sight of each of her comrades fighting their own demons. Others were overcoming their own doubts, but she could also see bodies of those who had not.

Nearby, she could see Akabeko, on her knees and staring resolutely at the ground. Before her stood her sha-copy, laughing as she brought a fist crashing down against her skull. Akabeko staggered, righted herself, and waited for the next blow. The sha-copy's knuckles were split and ragged, and Weipon could smell the foul black blood from where she was.

Letting out a furious cry, she propelled herself into the tauren-shaped sha, channeling all of her remaining strength into wiping it from existence. It looked at her in obvious annoyance and said, in perfect Pandaren, "You are entirely too much trouble," before ramming one blade-shaped shadowy appendage into her gut.

Losing all semblance of tauren features, the shadow retreated, flowing to rejoin the Sha of Doubt's quivering mass. It sneered at the remaining pandaren, its grotesque mouth a too-wide gash in its face that glowed bright white.

Weipon stopped watching, although she was dimly aware of the sounds of fighting and the overwhelming presence of something ancient and benevolent hovering just outside the doors. Her hands skittered over the hole in her tunic, where the shadow-stuff had punched through the leather of her chestpiece and sliced neatly into the soft flesh beneath. Blood seeped unendingly from the wound, and it reeked as if infected. She knew she should press against it, staunch the flow, but it hurt so much to even touch...!

Tears blurred her vision and her breaths became shallow pants. As panic began to set in, however, a face swam before her eyes.

"Wei. Wei! Weipon!" Then, unexpectedly, in Pandaren, "Weipon, look at me!"

She concentrated until the face came into focus. Akabeko looked inflated, cheeks and lips split from being beaten, nasty bruises puffing up along her jaw.

"There you are," she continued in Orcish, hands covering Weipon's to press them firmly against the wound. "You got your happy bell on you?" When this earned little more than a panicked gasp, she shook her head. "All right, that's not terrible. We made it this far without one, right?" While Akabeko talked, Weipon could feel a faint, warm tingling around the wound. "This is hardly the worst thing I've ever seen," she continued, all bravado. "I've got it all under control; don't you worry."

Weipon gave a tiny shriek as the pain spiked. The scent of decaying flesh thickened, prickling across her skin as it spread up her ribcage, down to her hips.

Akabeko's face contorted, and she laughed bitterly. "Just like riding a plainstrider; you do it once, you never forget how," she muttered. The warmth under her hands increased to a light tickle. "Come on," the druid continued, mostly to herself. "If you can't even do this, what good are you anyway? She got you this far; you owe her twice that." She groaned, a long, bitter wail, and squeezed her hands around Weipon's.

Briefly, Akabeko's eyes glazed over blue, and the sensation at Weipon's middle increased to a comforting pulse of heat that thrummed through her body.

She could feel the very unpleasant moment when her skin knit itself back together, followed by an itch that crawled its way across her skin as the infected flesh returned to normal. Weipon clumsily pulled up her shirt, running her fingers over the space where a hole had been opened into her guts. Now there was only smooth, unbroken skin and healthy fur.

Akabeko sat back with a great sigh. Breathing heavily, she absently brushed a handful of clinging vines and leaves from her forearms. She looked at Weipon and smiled wryly, revealing a freshly-chipped tooth. "Let's never do that again," she suggested, and helped Weipon to her feet.

Sometime after defeating the sha doppelgangers, the monks had managed to open the doors for Yu'lon and defeat the weakened Sha. They were taking stock of their losses when Akabeko and Weipon rejoined them, and Weipon gratefully accepted a reassuring hug from Peng. He looked haunted, as did many of the other pandaren who were clearly still dwelling on whatever doubts their sha-copies had thrown at them. Weipon glanced at Akabeko, recalling the brutal scene she had witnessed, but the tauren's face was a careful mask.

The Sha is not completely gone, but merely imprisoned once again, Yu'lon said solemnly. Without my rebirth, I am too weak now to do more to contain it. She shut her enormous, liquid eyes in apology. I thank you for your service, my loyal followers.

The pandaren smiled wearily at each other, pleased that for the time being their beloved Temple and its beloved deity were safe.

GOLDEN WEEK

noreply@blogger.com (redcow) — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:30:00 +0000

Vacation vacation! Mainline all the games!

But first....I got locked out of the server. Again. I reopened my ticket from a few weeks ago to let them know that the system check done on Blizz's end was giving me Battle Net Error #105 (it flashes so quickly that it took a LOT of failed logins to read the number). This time around, I was directed to an already-locked forum post in which the only recommended fix was player-suggested and came with a blue caution: "We do not actually endorse this method."

Anyway, that fix didn't work. Later, I got another CS response informing me that my issue was resolved because something related to ATT service, which I don't have. I still couldn't log in, and reopened my ticket, and this time they told me that since I'm in Japan they don't actually care about any issues I may have. I'm trying real hard to be nice to you, CS employees of the world, but....!!

I eventually found a workaround from another thread, and since then I've been playing, playing, playing! I cranked up the music, because it's been a while since I listened to the actual in game sounds rather than a podcast or TV show. The Pandaren inn music is really the greatest. I even did some dailies on Aka, which hasn't happened in weeks! Much twitter rejoicing was had.

First, Dah took me to get my special firesuit

I finally got Weipon to level 85 and rushed to Jade Forest, all ready to have my HEART BROKEN INTO PIECES. Since I first did the questline leading up the Temple of the Jade Serpent, I've been really impressed by the impact of the final scenes. Well, you read the story, you probably know exactly how much. Finally getting to do it on the character I had intended to experience it was really intense! Even better, now that I'm questing and taking notes on all the fun scenes that can play out, I'm starting to think about the future of the story!

you are my favorite, yes you!!

I wanna be super close to you *_*

look upon my noble visage. dang, i am so good looking

NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Thank you very much to those of you who replied to the podcast post! Due to crappy RL schedules, we won't be recording until this coming Saturday, but since I don't intend to do anything very fancy with the audio, it should be uploaded quickly. If you have any more burning thoughts, be sure to get them to my inbox before then!

Rant for free, or buy the full version and rant without ads!

noreply@blogger.com (redcow) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:00:00 +0000

I need a moment to complain about completely unrelated game stuff. This semester, for the time being at least, I am finding the time to log into WoW a few nights a week to do some leveling. The resurgence of my favored gametime means that I spend less time dicking around on my phone apps (plus, the home button is hit or miss these days and I can't really afford to repair it). Still, every once in a while I like to fool around on one of a few brightly-colored games, and my most recent crush is called "The Tribez."

As far as app games go, it's pretty simple. Build stuff, gather resources, build more stuff. Quests give your objectives to build more stuff and gather more resources. Good stuff. I turned off push notifications because I don't need more reasons for my phone to buzz at me.

AND YET.

The game still sends me silent notifications. That's fine - at least, it would be if it were actual useful information like "Crops are ready to be harvested" or what-have-you. But it doesn't just stop there. The game sends me threats, tries to cajole me into playing when I'm just trying to check the time or the weather or send a text. "Bad guys set your buildings on fire!" "Your villagers have grown bored!"

SHUT. UP. YOU CANNOT GUILT ME.

Because this is my blog, I get to tell you how angry this makes me. I go to class, I go to work, I exercise and hang out with friends and even occasionally clean my room. Oh, and I frequently use my phone for PHONE-RELATED ACTIVITIES. Now, sometimes that means I'm trolling instagram, but it's my free time and I get to decide how I waste it. So to get these snide little popups chastising me for not playing a stupid little game? GO JUMP OFF A BRIDGE. Shame on whoever wrote them, and double shame because they make me want to ignore the app even longer instead of convincing me to play (and maybe spend my hard-earned dollars on in game perks!)

NO. JUST STOP.

Ok now I shall share with you a happy game story. Last semester, we did a lot of self introductions - every single class in the first week, in fact. By the third class or so, everyone was sick of it. The teachers tried to come up with ways to make it more tolerable, but that mostly amounted to "tell us ANOTHER unknown fact!"

Well, anyway, at one point I went with "I like to play video games." A girl sitting in the back, who I have since become friends with, immediately sat up in excitement. After class she approached me shyly.

"So you like games? Which ones do you play?"

"Well, I like playing computer games the most." I briefly, awkwardly described WoW to her. "So what games do you like?"

She immediately pulled out her phone. "Right now, I'm playing this one all the time!" She showed me a puzzle game and let me play a level. Since then we have also heavily abused the camera function of her DS.

We don't talk a lot about video games when we're together, but I'm so grateful that we could bond through a shared interest!

c'mere, gamer friends

Last, but not least, please don't forget to leave Dahakha and I a little something something to talk about on our upcoming one-time-only audio post! Please!

please give us something to talk about or we will be lonely :D

Dahakhabeko's One Time Fun Time podcast!

noreply@blogger.com (redcow) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 13:30:00 +0000

Hey readers! Yeah, all three of you! I know you're reading all this fanfic Dahakha and I are posting, because that's what this blog has been all about lately. Every comment on each chapter is like a wonderful nugget of chocolate, but we want to talk more with you! Perhaps...you might like to talk to us too?

Who: Dahakha & Akabeko & AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION. If you've never commented, now is the time! It's ~fun and easy~ to do!

I would like, if I may

What: Ask the authors! Do you have comments or questions about any of the stories posted here? Are you curious about the characters, storyline, collaboration or writing process? We want to hear your thoughts, be they short, long, deep, simple, or any number of other adjectives! If you need a refresher, check out the Series page.

When: TBA (in about a week, or when it's clear no one can think of anything else to say >_>)

Where: Why, redcowrise, of course! (I do not want to figure out how to do a live show!)

Why: Because I'm asking nicely! Also wouldn't it be a nice change of pace to non-stop GRIPPING FICTION??

How: Comment on this post, or tweet us @redcowrise!

A Shadow Rises [guest post!]

noreply@blogger.com (redcow) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 15:06:00 +0000

Previously: The Consequence of War

What a mess.

Hadakha tore his attention from the massive Sha feeding on the armies below to the walls of Dawn's Blossom, where Mayor Windfur and a few guards were trying to maintain order amongst the panic. Half of the citizens there were standing slack-jawed in shock, staring out at the monster in the valley and the remains of the jade statue, while the other half fled screaming into the town, trampling anyone who got in the way. Lorewalker Cho ignored it all, intent on the Sha and muttering to himself. Hadakha glided down to land beside him as he nodded to himself and turned to the mayor.

"What do you have, to fight it? I can't believe Taran Zhu would leave you defenceless against a Sha outbreak, not a town this close to the Temple."

Windfur nodded distractedly, still issuing orders to his guards. Finally he answered Cho. "I'll have to go and get them myself, since I have the only key."

Hadakha broke in. "I could go. I can move much faster through all this than you, after all."

The mayor shot him a dark look. "You wouldn't know where to look. And I think your kind have done enough already, tauren."

Ignoring the hostile tone, Hadakha shrugged. "Alright, I will carry you then. Speed is crucial, isn't it?" Without waiting for an answer, he flowed into stagform and stamped a hoof impatiently. When Windfur continued glowering at him, Cho stepped in and gave him a shove.

"Go! We don't have time for this! It will come for Dawn's Blossom next! I will meet you at the gate." Reluctantly, the mayor clambered onto Hadakha's back, muttered "My home," and they were off.

They darted through the chaos of the streets, Mayor Windfur bellowing at people to make way, and soon arrived at his mansion. Sliding off Hadakha's back, Windfur thrust a finger at his face. "You stay here!" he almost snarled, then ran into the building. Not long after, servants starting boiling out of the mansion, looking scared as they hurried off. Hadakha waited, watching the crowds become slowly more organised as guards directed people towards the northern gate. Finally, the mayor emerged, carrying some sacks, each about the size of a pandaren's head, that clinked as he once more climbed onto Hadakha's back.

The return journey through the town was much slower, since they were now going against the flow of the traffic. Even Windfur's bellowing couldn't speed their progress much. But it was easier once they neared the southern gate, most of the population having moved away by then. They found Lorewalker Cho standing near the portal, and to Hadakha's surprise he was talking to a large, fuschia cloud serpent that was hovering over him. As they trotted up, Cho pointed at Hadakha, seemed to argue with the cloud serpent for a few moments, then greeted them with a grim expression.

"Mishi here has just come from the Temple. The sha have erupted all over the temple grounds, and the monks are fighting to contain them. We can expect no aid from them, which means we have to deal with this ourselves. What did you bring?"

Windfur handed over a sack, which Cho untied and opened curiously. "The Shado-Pan brought these to me, as a first line of defence until help arrived," the mayor explained as Cho plucked out a tiny brass bell. "They are crafted for pure harmony, and blessed by Yu'lon herself. As sha are the product of negative emotion, these bells should disrupt their physical forms and disperse their energy." He frowned doubtfully. "But I don't know that they were designed to fight against something as big as that thing out there."

Hadakha grabbed a sack and started tying it to his belt. "Well, only one way to find out," he said, "and it's our only option at this stage." Windfur made to protest, but Cho nodded in agreement.

"Yes, we have to try. Mishi will take you there. Drop the bells near or in those fissures we saw, they seem to be the source of the Sha's energy." He helped tie the sacks to Hadakha's clothing, while the mayor spluttered impotently. Then, clapping the bulging, clinking tauren on the back, he said "The Lorewalkers keep a residence in the Temple grounds. I need to check the scrolls there, see if there is anything else we can do to fix this whole mess. Take care of those fissures, then head over to the Temple grounds and help the monks. I will meet you there. Good luck, my friend."

With a nod, Hadakha mounted the cloud serpent and they flew out over the valley. He found the undulating movement very disconcerting, but forced himself to ignore it and study the cracked, broken ground. From the air it was even more clear that the large fissures were spewing out the black smoke, and Mishi obviously saw it too, heading straight for the closest one. He opened the first sack and tried to pick out a bell, but his large fingers were too bulky for such precision. Instead, he scooped out a half handful, letting the bells roll around on his palm, their bright, clear peals somehow penetrating even the wind-noise and the horrible screams and squelching from the battlefield below. Judging their course, he tipped his palm over and dropped the bells into the fissure.

Mishi halted as they watched the results. Only...there was no change. Scooping out a full handful now, he scattered the bells across the fissure, again watching for a reaction. Was the smoke lessening? He dug into the sack again and again, strewing the bells about to cover the area around the fissure as well. Each time, the smoke visibly dissipated a little more. Finally, with most of the bells used up, the smoke cleared to reveal unbroken ground, though it was still grey and lifeless.

They moved on to the next crack, and this time he knew how many he needed to sow. Casting bells about with abandon, he stopped only to check that this ground, too, had mended, before he was urging Mishi on to the next one. En route, he noticed that the Sha had diminished in size, and was thrashing about as if in agony. It was still feeding on the hapless soldiers, but it seemed more...frantic now. They went from fissure to fissure, driving back the smoke and healing the tortured ground, and each time the Sha shrank a little more, leaving behind multitudes of small, goblin-sized versions of itself that continued to gorge.

Casting around for more fissures, he noticed a couple of small figures racing across the valley from the south. One was humanoid, but the other, streaking ahead, was unmistakably a feline shape. He shook his head, wondering whether exhaustion was making him hallucinate, but the figures continued to charge in, tearing into the little sha. Could it be...Akabeko? If so, he was glad she was still alive. But right now he had a job to finish. Spotting the final remaining smoke-gushing fissure, they flew in and dumped the last sack of bells on the area.

As the bells tumbled down, the Sha gave another piercing shriek and dissolved into a formless, inky cloud. Rather than dissipating, however, the cloud fled, flowing across the ground towards the Temple at an incredible speed. With a shout, Hadakha and Mishi raced after it, but even the cloud serpent could not match its pace, and they watched as it flowed through the Temple gates and disappeared inside.

There was no sign of the cloud when Mishi landed in a courtyard near the temple itself, but as Hadakha jumped to the ground he saw there was still much to do. Chaos reigned in the temple grounds, with dozens of monks fighting off scores of sha creatures. Mishi sped off as he looked around, darting in to snap the sha up in its jaws and tear them apart, then moving away to do the same to the next pack. Hadakha swiftly changed into lionform and followed suit, clawing and ripping his way savagely through the foul flesh of the nearest sha.

He saw the greatest concentration of fighting around a large building, the inn he'd heard about last time, perhaps? Starting towards it, he was confronted by a group of sha who reached out to him hungrily. He ripped the first one apart, then his fury was shocked out of him when one of them spoke.

She is useless.

The words hissed in his mind. Batting aside a questing limb, he tore into another one.

She is pathetic.

Enraged now, he ravaged more of them, until only one remained.

She is...

He sprang forward, bearing it down and destroying it in an explosion of rotting giblets. But faintly, in his mind, he heard the final word.

Broken.

He stood panting heavily, trying to purge the voice from his mind, but the words continued to echo just beyond his grasp. Disturbed now, he got his bearings and headed to the inn, falling on the creatures from behind and allowing the defending monks time to regroup.

He pushed through and surveyed the area. It seemed relatively peaceful now that the main attack had been beaten back. Suddenly a wave of dizziness washed over him, the events of the past days catching up to overwhelm him. Exhausted, he crawled into a narrow nook between a shrub and the back wall of the inn, and, despite the sha and their insidious taunts, tumbled into sleep.

The Consequence of War

noreply@blogger.com (redcow) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 14:16:00 +0000

Previously: An Opportunity Missed

Akabeko watched in horror as the towering creature began to feed, gathering into itself inky shadows from the corpse-strewn battlefield. The bodies shrank, skin drying and stretching tight across bones, hair and teeth withering and falling away. Even though she was still alive, Akabeko felt as if something within her were being tugged. She swallowed, willing away the nauseating sensation in her belly, and tried to calm Weipon.

The pandaren was inconsolable and refused to lift her head, lest she see any more of the broken serpent statue. However, her interest was roused when Akabeko shook her suddenly, pointing far across the field at a lithe fuchsia shape that had just taken to the air.

The cloud serpent sped through the air, and from its back a tiny figure was releasing handfuls of...something over the blackened ground. Although it resembled a farmer sowing seeds, the tiny objects fell like gunfire into the soil, gleaming in what dim light there was. Where they touched, the blackness seemed to lessen, and the creature itself shrieked, huddling in on itself as if injured. While this was a heartening development, Akabeko was dismayed to see clusters of smaller shadowy figures oozing out of the ground.

Weipon moaned, swaying weakly against Akabeko, who held her still and gave her a firm shake. "Wei, come on. Those things are hurting people, and we can help." As she spoke, the pair watched one of the rippling shadows pounce on an injured soldier, its foglike body soaking up his agonized scream, and leave behind a drained husk.

Veteran though she was, the sight still disturbed Akabeko. She could tell that Weipon was having a similar time, although the monk's eyes returned to the shattered remnants of the statue as much as they took in the monsters' grotesque feasting. Visibly, she pulled herself together, then nodded at Akabeko. "We...we should help them." She stepped to the edge of the hill and peered cautiously over the side.

"I can make that jump in lion form, but I don't know if I can carry you down as well..." Akabeko began, but Weipon interrupted her with a shake of her head.

"I can make the jump fine," she said with a wry grin. "I'm bouncy."

Suiting actions to words, Akabeko leapt from the cliff, transforming as she fell and landing with a soft whump on all fours. Seconds later, Weipon joined her with considerably more noise on impact. Remaining a lion, Akabeko stalked towards the dark, dry earth stretching out before them, nose wrinkling in disgust at its harsh, sour odor.

Checking to see that Weipon was following, she charged into a pack of the smaller monsters, relieved to see that her claws and teeth could find purchase on their shadowy skin. It tore apart under her paws like rotted meat, exploding into putrid gobs and stringy sinew between her jaws. Slashing through two in quick succession, she paused to roar in disgust, whipping her head around in frustration. Beside her, Weipon was finishing off her own cluster of monsters, flinging her hands down to free herself of sticky black clumps of smoldering flesh.

Ever-efficient, Akabeko loped off towards another pack of the creatures. Weipon kept pace easily, musing grimly as they ran, "Aka, these things are the same sort of monster that came from General Nazgrim. They're the things that pandaren warned us about, the things that come from our bad feelings."

Before she could reply, they had reached the next group of monsters, which were converging on a corpse. Akabeko ran, snarling, into the fray, no less disgusted by the wet squelch of the shadow flesh this time around. She heard Weipon give a stomach-clenching shout and turned in time to see her viciously pummeling a trio of creatures into featureless pulp. Underneath that stomach-churning unpleasant sound she heard something else: a weak cry of distress.

Akabeko peered closely at the corpse, jerking back into her upright form as she realized it wasn't a corpse, but a forsaken! "Easy does it," she soothed, hauling the bruised woman to a sitting position. With the ground so tortured, reaching for her healing spells was akin to attempting to drink from an empty waterskin. A pathetic trickle of power flowed through her, draining away as quickly as it came. She snarled in irritation, hating to feel so disconnected.

From several paces away, Weipon called out. "Aka, I think I found what that cloud serpent was dropping." She knelt to dig one of the metal objects out of the dusty earth, holding it up to reveal a brass bell, small enough to balance on the tip of her finger. "It feels...nice," she murmured quietly, then gave it an experimental shake. The resulting peal was clear and calming, and the clapper continued to chime shivery echoes well after Weipon stilled her hand.

The effect was immediate and astounding. Akabeko felt much of her exhaustion from the all-night dash fade away, and the forsaken seemed to rally from where she leaned heavily against Akabeko's arm. The stinking corpses of the monsters dissolved, leaving behind a sulfurous pile of ashes that blew away inconsequentially on the breeze.

"You gotta find Nazgrim," the forsaken grated out, clambering heavily to her feet. She brushed away Akabeko's steadying hands. "I can make it from here. Just get the General; bring him to the Temple. He should be front and center in the battlefield..." As one, they turned to look at the center, where the hulking behemoth still brooded over the broken statue. "I'll grab anyone alive on my way," the forsaken continued, extracting twin daggers from her belt. She nodded at them, confident her orders would be followed, and limped away.

Weipon was regarding the monster with naked horror. "This is the thing that comes from our bad emotions," she repeated, finally returning her gaze to Akabeko's. "This is why that pandaren warned us. The hatred in the two armies must have been so much. He told us not to bring war because this would happen."

Uncomfortable, Akabeko broke the stare to scan the sky for signs of the fuchsia cloud serpent. She hadn't wanted to bring war to Pandaria; hadn't wanted to do much of anything for a very long while, and she was just so tired. "Look," she replied, only half-intending to change the subject. "When that guy drops those bells, the big guy seems to flinch."

Following her pointing finger, Weipon frowned at the scene. "Is it also getting smaller?"

"Looks like we might be able to get over there without being noticed, if he keeps it up with the bells," Akabeko ventured, watching another arc of bells twirl crazily through the air. Distantly, their reassuring peals carried across the battlefield, echoing deep within the druid. She took a step, already in lion form, and began to pick her way across the ravaged bodies, sniffing this way and that for living flesh.

They moved even more cautiously the closer they got to the giant figure, but by now it seemed to have its full attention on the bells as they rained down, penning it inside an arc of consecrated ground. Now they were dodging roaming packs of the little shadow monsters, the lifeless green hunks of the statue, and the occasional flurry of bells, ringing merrily around them before thunking silent into the earth.

Akabeko came across Nazgrim's bloody form crumpled in the shadow of the statue's great head. She slid to her knees beside him, hands reaching out before she remembered the block on her spells. A single, clear note rang out, and she felt the power well up, stubborn but accessible. Before the note died out, she patched up the most life-threatening of his wounds, sighing sadly when the sound faded away, and with it, her spells. Looking up, she saw that it had been Weipon, still carrying the bell she had picked up before.

The pandaren shrugged sheepishly. "It seemed strange to drop it back in the dust after picking it up."

Nazgrim stirred, feebly turning his head back and forth, but remained unconscious. Akabeko stood, motioning for Weipon to help him up. "I can carry him, but I don't know if I'll be able to carry the both of you..." She shifted into stag form and waited for Weipon to awkwardly arrange the motionless body across her back. There was a tense moment immediately after Weipon vaulted up behind him while Akabeko adjusted to the weight of both a fully grown and armored orc and a pandaren, and then she began to make her way across the field.

So focused was she on the laborious task of carrying both general and comrade, it took several shouts from Weipon to get Akabeko's attention.

"The monster! It's heading towards the temple!" cried the pandaren, shifting on the druid's back in a way that made her spine groan in protest. "It's running away from the bells!"

Akabeko confirmed this for herself, tracking the thing as it flowed on its shadowy, rippling base across the field. She could see that it left behind desiccated, skin-and-bones corpses in its considerable wake.

By the time they reached the gates to the Temple, the survivors gathered there were in a frenzy. From her higher vantage point, Weipon was able to direct Akabeko to where the decimated Horde forces had gathered to deliver the General. Glad to be rid of her dual passengers, Akabeko creaked slowly upright, kneading a knuckle into her lower back with an exaggerated sigh of relief. The forsaken woman they had encountered before was shouting orders in her dry, hoarse voice, organizing and dividing the troops, completely oblivious to the venomous glares directed at her by the pandaren of the Temple.

"Aka, over there," Weipon whispered, nodding her head towards where a gaggle of temple monks were listening intently to a pandaren male. They edged closer, leaving the Horde group to eavesdrop on his story. Weipon's expression went from stunned to horrified, and she muttered in distress along with the gathered crowd. When it seemed he had finished all he had to say, the temple pandaren began to debate furiously amongst themselves, and Weipon turned to translate.

"He says that thing - called a Sha - was seen in a jade picture near the mines. It was created by the, um, king, but not a king," she shook her head, unable to think of the word. "Anyway, the king Shaohao wanted to warn people that the bad feelings from war would become real, just like that other pandaren said. So he made the jade picture as a warning, for them to be peaceful." She tapped at her chin thoughtfully. "Even on the Wandering Isle, we have a lot of sayings about being peaceful, but I never thought..." At Akabeko's resulting expression, she jumped back on track. "He says he's read some information about how to kill the Sha. Now the temple monks are making a rescue party for those who were in the temple when the Sha went inside."

While Weipon was speaking, the pandaren whose words she was translating had edged up behind her, eyes trained intently on Akabeko. "Excuse me," he began, then launched into a string of Pandaren that the tauren couldn't hope to follow. Through it, he gestured continuously to Akabeko, watching her with obvious interest.

"This is Cho. He collects information," Weipon began, not missing Cho's uncomfortable scrutiny of the poor tauren. "He says he knows someone who is looking for you."

Akabeko's eyebrows shot up. "Oh? And who is that?"

She understood Cho perfectly this time. "Hadakha." He continued, saying something that made Weipon gasp, and then she was translating.

"Hadakha was the person riding the cloud serpent and dropping those bells. The cloud serpent is Cho's friend Mishi."

They looked up together, eyes drawn to where the fuchsia cloud serpent was hovering tensely above the temple grounds. There was no rider on her back. "So...where is Had now?"

Weipon relayed this and received an apologetic shrug in response. "He says that he was just here. He should still be close!"

Akabeko glanced at where the monks were still deep in discussion, presumably about their strategy in approaching the temple. "We probably have some time to look for him before these guys are ready to make a move. Shall we?"

Seeing them prepare to leave, Cho burst out with something that made Weipon smile and nod politely, face a carefully agreeable mask. "He wants us to come back after we find Had so he can ask you questions," she told Akabeko quietly once they were lost in the crowd. They shared an aggrieved look.

Next: A Shadow Rises

An Opportunity Missed [guest post!]

noreply@blogger.com (redcow) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Previously: The Battle for Pandaria Begins

"Next! Huo!"

Hadakha studied the next student as the stout pandaren hurried nervously to the centre of the circle. Bowing, he took up his fighting stance as Hadakha flowed into lionform. He was too tense, Hadakha thought, which made it easy to decide on an opening move. As one with Master Stonefist's shout of "Begin!", he sprang at the poor student, who predictably swept his arms up to block and parry. But this was not a punch or kick, a limb or weapon to be deflected or stopped by mere angles. This was a several-hundred-kilogram missile of muscle and sinew, a claw- and tooth-tipped mass of fury that bore the unfortunate pandaren to the ground. A mere second later Hadakha had his jaws firmly locked on the throat of his opponent. After a couple more frozen seconds, Master Stonefist called the end of the bout.

"Thus we see the dangers of immobility on the battlefield." he announced to his students as the fighters returned to the centre and bowed. "You will not always fight sharp blades, long spears or heavy fists, which you can turn and block. As our friends from beyond the mists are showing us, foes can take many forms. How will you deflect a ball of pure fire? How will you block lightning itself? How will you stop a flying lion or charging bear? You must learn to be where it is not. At all times be ready to move, in any direction. Tomorrow we begin that training." With that he turned and walked off. Hastily the students assembled and bowed to his retreating back, before dispersing.

Hadakha made his way back to the rooms he shared with Jiang and some other Horde survivors who had found their way to Tian Monastery over the past couple of weeks. The tale some of them had told of the disastrous attack on the Alliance base was eerily familiar, especially when they mentioned the strange energy monsters and that mysterious figure on a cloud serpent who had shown up to save General Nazgrim from these 'Sha'. Despite close questioning, none of them could remember seeing Akabeko after the airship went down. One did recall seeing a huge, griffon-sized stormcrow near the crashing vessel, however, which just raised more questions than it answered.

The rooms were empty, so he brought out the notes he'd made as a result of the nightly discussions he had with High Elder Cloudfall. Spending an hour or so reviewing the scrolls, he used a spare one to compose a summary of them for his superiors, making sure to highlight his findings about the sha. By the time he finished, Jiang and the others were trickling in from the various chores and training they'd been doing as payment for their keep. He nodded at their greetings, flashing a smile at Jiang, who insisted on sleeping close to him even here. She was as voluble as ever, but since she had hundreds of other people to talk to now, it didn't bother him to have her lie down next to him and talk herself softly to sleep at night. In truth, her demanding daily regimen left her exhausted, and as he usually slept in lionform, it didn't take long for her to fall asleep when he stretched out alongside her after dinner with the High Elder, her back nestled up to his flank.

Speaking of dinner, it was time to attend the High Elder. Taking the scroll with him, he made his way to a small patio overlooking the rocky cliffs of the coast. He glanced around to be sure nobody was watching, then summoned the spectral stormcrow to take the scroll to Moonglade. Watching it speed away over the blue ocean into the twilight, he turned and walked to High Elder Cloudfall's chambers. To his surprise there was an additional guest present, introduced as Lorewalker Cho. The new pandaren studied him intently, nodding to himself with undisguised interest. After a light meal they took tea and talked more about the similarities and differences between their cultures. Cho had many questions, especially about the history of the tauren and the Horde, and Hadakha did his best to relate as much as he could. Strangely, Cho seemed very interested in tauren songs, and Hadakha asked him why.

"Well, it may surprise you to know that you aren't the first tauren I have encountered, Hadakha." the lorewalker explained. "Actually, you are the first one I have met and talked to...but I have been hearing stories about other 'yaungol that aren't yaungol'. I am always travelling, as you know, and my wanderings have taken me through many villages and towns that are abuzz with tales of strangers from beyond the mists." He frowned. "Much of the talk was of the attempts by these strangers to recruit soldiers for the Alliance. Or was it the Horde?. One or the other. You know that Pandaren are unlikely to get involved in this conflict between your nations, don't you?" he finished severely.

"I have been getting that idea," Hadakha replied with a faint smile. "Your culture is remarkably peaceful, I have to admit. But...what does this have to do with tauren songs?"

"Oh, yes, of course. I tend to wander in my thoughts as well as on my feet!" Cho laughed loudly. "I was in Dawn's Blossom recently and heard of a wonderful performance by a tauren there, the tavern patrons loved it! She stopped very suddenly, though...is that a custom among your people?"

Hadakha perked up. "She? What was her name; did you hear?"

Cho shook his head. "I'm sorry, nobody mentioned a name. Anyway, I thought that since we Pandaren also keep a lot of our history and culture recorded in song, it would be useful to compare them with your people's songs to find common ground. Would you be willing to help me out with that, my friend?"

Hadakha sat very still, deep in thought. This was the only lead he'd had in all this time, and he was fairly certain that he'd learned most of what the High Elder could teach him about this land. It was time to move again. He looked at Cho intently. "I'm sorry, I have to go to Dawn's Blossom immediately. That tauren might be the person I've been searching for." Turning to the High Elder, he bowed from his seat. "High Elder Cloudfall, I thank you for your hospitality over these last weeks. I have enjoyed our conversations immensely, and I hope that you have learned enough about my people to regard them as future friends. I will not forget the time I have spent here. Please remember me well."

The High Elder nodded solemnly. "It is a sad day, my friend, but if you must leave, then go with our blessing. You have more than fulfilled your agreement to help train my students, and for that you have our gratitude. I will arrange for provisions to be supplied to you in the morning. When do you intend to depart?"

"At dawn, High Elder." Hadakha turned back to Cho. "Lorewalker, would you come with me? You know the people there; surely it will be easier to find my friend with your help."

Cho looked at him slyly. "I am sure it would, Hadakha. And I can't learn anything from you if I stay behind...so! I will accompany you, on the understanding that you will satisfy my curiosity! Agreed?"

Hadakha nodded distractedly. "Agreed." He looked questioningly at High Elder Cloudfall, who nodded with a smile. "I had better go and prepare, then. Goodnight, High Elder. Goodnight, Lorewalker."

He felt a rush of energy as he walked back to his quarters. Finally, some progress! All he had to do was high-tail it down to Dawn's Blossom, pick up the trail again and -

He stopped as he caught sight of Jiang. Damn. He couldn't take her with him. She was safe now, she could get back to a Horde camp or stay here...he sighed. This would not be easy. He hated dealing with tears. Well, it had to be done. Here goes......

Jiang looked up and smiled as he approached and sat down beside her. "Jiang," he started without preamble, "I have to leave. Tomorrow. At dawn."

Her smiled faded, and as he'd expected, her eyes misted up. Suddenly she flung her arms around him. "Oh, Mr. Hadakha, I'm going to miss you!" she sobbed.

"I know, Jiang, but you can't – what?" He lifted her off him so he could look into her face. "Miss me?! You mean, you don't want to come with me?" She stared at his astonishment, then broke into uncontrollable giggles.

"No need to be so shocked, Mr. Hadakha! I like it here. I am learning to defend myself, and the people are really nice. I want to stay as long as I can." She shook her head. "I know you have to go look for your friend, and I've been dreading having to tell you that you'd have to go alone. Who will look after you?"

Now it was his turn to laugh. "Oh, I think I am able to look after myself, Jiang. Besides, I will have Lorewalker Cho as my companion," he added when she looked doubtful. "Well, I'm glad that you have found a place here. Let's get some sleep so you can see me off tomorrow, eh?"

High Elder Cloudfall, his assistant, and Jiang said their farewells at the monastery gates as the sun began to brighten the sky. Slinging their packs over their shoulders, the two travelers set out into the forest. The path wound its way through the trees as they talked, until finally they came to a fork. Cho started down one path, then checked himself thoughtfully. Glancing at Hadakha, he turned back and took the other path instead. Suspicion flared in him, but when he asked where they were going, Cho waved the question away, calling it a "minor detour". Grinding his teeth, Hadakha had no choice but to follow.

Just before midday they crested a rise and Cho called a stop. "That is what I wanted to show you," he said, indicating a massive fresco, partially covered in moss and vines. "It is called the Emperor's Omen. Let us eat, and I will tell you the story." They sat and studied the fresco as Cho outlined the history behind it. "So as you can see, there seems to be a message, but since we haven't cleared off the final part yet, we just don't know what the Emperor's prediction was." He frowned worriedly. "I have been hearing many things about you foreigners, and your warlike ways" he admitted, "and it disturbs me that you may be bringing your conflicts to our land. The Emperor warns that war will have strong consequences...I just hope that we can avoid it."

Hadakha nodded, unwilling to confess that war had already arrived on Pandaria's shores. They ate in silence, until he noticed a strange light coming from the covered part of the fresco. Tapping Cho's shoulder, he pointed it out, and they gasped as the light suddenly flared, temporarily blinding them. When his sight returned, he heard a low moan come from his companion, and he followed the pandaren's gaze to the fully exposed fresco. It showed a monstrous Sha surrounded in blood and fire, and he felt a chill run through him. Gripped by a sudden sense of urgency, he leapt up, pulling Cho to his feet. He was certain that Akabeko was part of this, somehow. He needed to find her!

"Forget the food, we have to go, now! Cho! We need to get to Dawn's Blossom as soon as we can, so you will have to ride me." He cut off the Lorewalker's confused questioning with a curt gesture. "Steer me in the right direction, take every shortcut you know! Just get us there!" With that he shifted into stagform, waited impatiently while Cho struggled onto his back and buried his hands into the neck fur behind his ears, then sprang into a flat run.

They travelled all day, rested briefly as night settled, then continued on through the night. Hadakha managed to keep the torturous pace up with difficulty. He'd done this kind of flight before, though never with a rider, and the Lorewalker was not exactly light. He found himself avoiding heavier brush, and eventually they stopped for rest more and more frequently. Finally though, as the sun cleared the mountains, they saw the walls of Dawn's Blossom loom up in the distance.

Careening through the streets, Cho steered Hadakha to a big, palatial house, jumping off his back and shouting to a door servant as he strode up the stairs. Staggering back into tauren form, Hadakha followed as quickly as his exhausted limbs could take him. Inside he found Cho speaking urgently to a richly dressed Pandaren while servants scurried about around them. Hadakha collapsed onto a stool, heaving great lungfuls of air while the two conversed in low voices. When he got his breathing back to normal, he caught Cho's attention and the pandaren men came over. "Cho, we need to find my friend. Can you ask him if anyone knows where Akabeko is, or where she went?"

The other pandaren, quickly introduced as Mayor Windfur, shook his head gravely. "I'm afraid that is not our concern at this time, friend. As I have been telling Lorewalker Cho, we have reports of two armies marching toward each other in the valley of Serpent's Heart. They arrived during the night, and our scouts say that they are drawing up battle lines as we speak." His face tightened in anger and fear. "And now Cho tells me the Sha will be unleashed upon the advent of war? Your war?! I warned all of them, the 'ambassadors' trying to absorb us into their nations! Now they will be our ruin!"

Before Hadakha could reply, a runner burst in and spoke rapidly to the mayor. He could only follow about half of the stream of Pandaren, but it seemed that the mayor was wanted on the walls. Beckoning Cho to follow, the mayor strode off without a word, and Hadakha tagged along in discreet silence. They arrived among a growing crowd of townsfolk, each vying for a good place to watch the spectacle unfold in the valley below. There was tension in the air, and more than a few muttered opinions as Hadakha drew suspicious glances. He scanned the sky, but there were no cloud serpents in sight, so he shifted into stormcrow and flew up to the highest rooftop, settling in to watch with his augmented sight.

As he zeroed in on the valley, he saw movement at the head of each line of soldiers. There, the Alliance commander who had wiped out Garrosh'ar Point...and there, General Nazgrim. As if in slow motion, each raised their weapons and charged forward, followed by their native troops. A quick survey showed, thankfully, no sign of Akabeko. Hadakha shook his head at the stupidity and waste represented in the battle below, and closed his eyes, unwilling to watch the senseless slaughter. But then an almighty crack, like a thunderclap, sang through the air, and his eyes flew open, seeking the source. At first he couldn't see anything unusual, then a slight movement caught his attention and he stared in horror as the huge statue of the Jade Serpent at the heart of the valley slowly shifted and began to topple onto the seething mass of combat.

A great cry of shock and grief erupted from the crowd on the walls. Soon that was joined by shouts of fear as giant fissures rent the ground around the base of the ruined statue, spewing pitch-black smoke. The smoke thickened and spread until it covered the battlefield, before rising into the air and obscuring the far end of the valley. Suddenly a piercing screech echoed across the distance, mingling with the screams from the walls, and the smoke dispersed, leaving a shape he had seen too many times these last few weeks.

Sha.

Next: The Consequence of War

My platform: the internet is too damn slow

noreply@blogger.com (redcow) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:55:00 +0000

After a round of Tuesday restarts, I suddenly found myself unable to log in. Considering the semester just started and I expect things will get busy pretty soon, I was really bummed to not be able to log in when I actually had free time.

browsing thru my gifs and thought "wow what luck this is perfectly accurate"

Anyway, not wanting to write to CS right away, I first went through a checklist of DIY checks and repairs to see if I could find, and hopefully fix, the problem. For those of you following my twitter, you already know that plan failed and I ended up emailing CS for help. Based on the results of the various tests I did, their response was that my connection was too slow and the servers were more or less telling me to give up. They told me this problem would likely be fixed the following week, and to email them when I could log back in to get the days lost credited to me.

well done, CS, not only were you right but you were very nice

One of the suggestions you're likely familiar with was to delete the WTF, Interface, and Cache folders. Well...the suggestion is usually to remove them by placing them somewhere else. Of course, in my fit of rage, I straight up deleted them.

when it comes to computer troubles, i sometimes cut off my nose to spite my digital face :/

After a week, I figured I would be able to log back in and opened Curse, figuring I would update addons before opening the game. Imagine my surprise when "no addons were found."

WHERE GO??

The good news is that WoW connected with no problems!

did u miss me, babbies?

The better news is that since I'm too lazy to clean my recycle bin, I was able to restore the folders and get my addons back!

i wish i could be so graceful with my victory dances...

The Battle for Pandaria Begins

noreply@blogger.com (redcow) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 14:24:00 +0000

Previously: A Tea Party

The Jade Serpent leveled Akabeko with a critical stare. Understand that the deception was necessary. We are not accustomed to your people.

"I don't imagine you get many tauren out this way," Akabeko joked weakly. The Serpent's eyes merely narrowed in thought. Akabeko shifted uncomfortably.

As you already know, soon I will retire for my long-awaited rest. I have watched over the people of the Jade Forest for a very long time, and they are ill-prepared for life without my constant presence.

Akabeko dimly felt her conscious narrowing to a tiny point, vision filling with the sight of herself reflected in the Jade Serpent's enormous eyes. How is it that I can understand her, anyway? she wondered idly.

We are communicating on a level much more profound than mere speech, came the unexpected response. Akabeko sensed, rather than saw, the Serpent's wry grin. She sobered quickly, however, with her next words. I cannot see far enough ahead to say what role you will play in Pandaria's future. What I can see is that wounds you thought too deep and terrible to mend can be healed, in time. The very nature of the land will not allow you to simply bury your hurts while you are here. You will address them, or they will consume and destroy you.

Throat constricting, Akabeko willed herself to meet the Serpent's gaze impassively. She wasn't burying her problems, she was just setting them aside-

There will be a reckoning, the Serpent said sadly. But you will pass through it, even if carried solely by pure stubbornness. Before Akabeko could gather her wits enough to respond, the Serpent was withdrawing from her mind, leaving behind a confusing jumble of hope and dread. Thank you for letting me learn more about your people, Akabeko Runetotem.

Once again, Akabeko was aware of herself, standing beside Weipon, who looked just as surprised. With a jaunty nod, the Jade Serpent turned and went into the temple, already drawing a small crowd of monks and worshipers clamoring for attention.

"That was freaky," Akabeko said, blowing out a breath.

Weipon shook her head mutely. She opened her mouth to reply and was interrupted by a pandaren in clothes dusty from traveling.

"You! Tauren!" he cried, running over to them. He was waving a sealed scroll and saying things too rapidly for Akabeko's tired mind to process.

She accepted the scroll, letting Weipon deal with the stranger while she unfurled the message. "Yikes," she muttered, scanning the very...frank language. The messenger gone, Weipon was now peering over her shoulder, lips moving as she silently read the missive.

"So he wants us to return to the Horde camp?" Weipon summarized, brow furrowed. "But I don't understand the use of this word..." she pointed to a particularly coarse turn of phrase in the first line. "I've never heard the term 'Quit fu-'"

"I'll explain it on the way," Akabeko interrupted. "Suffice it to say: he wants us to hurry. We need to get over there right away.":

They said their farewells to the temple priests and monks who had helped them, gathered their belongings, and were on their way in short order. Looking at the woefully inaccurate map that was included with the missive, Akabeko was pleased to note that in addition to the list of towns converted to Horde sympathy, she and Weipon could also provide proper maps for the general.

Showing the map to the flight master at the temple was enough to get two kites rigged to fly them to Grookin Hill, a hozen settlement the Horde had appropriated. Flying a direct path, above the trees, saved them several hours of tedious travel, although Fu spent the entire ride barking frantically.

When they touched down, a harried-looking secretary ran to fetch the general, who sent for them to meet him in his tent. The secretary took their things to be stored in their tent among the other soldiers and ushered the pair inside where General Nazgrim waited.

"Throm-ka," he greeted gruffly, setting down a handful of reports. "I hope you've got good news for me. You're the last ambassadors I sent out to return. I've literally gathered and trained an army in the time you've been gone!"

For the first time since they had been traveling together, Akabeko took the lead in the interaction. She summarized their trek through the Forest, noting which settlements were for, or at least open to Horde involvement. Finally, she presented him with the pandaren-drawn map, which earned a grudgingly appreciative grunt.

"All right, I suppose I won't need to have you flogged for taking your sweet time obeying my orders. Good work." He threaded his fingers together and leaned forward over his makeshift desk. "Here's the deal: we've got an army of mostly-sentient hozen ready to go to war for us, and I plan to use them. In just a few days we'll be ready to take out those sorry sons-of-harpies and secure Pandaria for the Warchief's Horde!" Then, leaning back contemplatively, he continued, "To be perfectly honest, you two had some of the best results. I'm loath to send you to the front lines to die alongside the idiot monkey-men when I could have you doing better work elsewhere. At this point, we don't need much in the way of translating." He rubbed the furrowed skin above his nose, thinking aloud. "How about you go scout the area around that big serpent statue? We need intel on the Alliance movement."

Nodding decisively to himself, he stood. Akabeko and Weipon rose with him, saluting. He dismissed them with a wave, adding, "And for the love of the spirits, don't you dare be late to report this time!"

Akabeko grinned cheekily. "When you talk like that, sir, I can't help but think you really do like us."

Nazgrim snorted. "Get out before I change my mind," he said, flapping a hand at them.

They spent the night bedded down in the midst of Nazgrim's troops. Weipon commented on the hozen's presence, but Akabeko was too tired to do more than nod along with what the pandaren was saying. She slept uneasily, turning over what the Jade Serpent had told her again and again.

When she awoke the next morning, Weipon had packed her things and left to investigate the Horde encampment. She returned as Akabeko was cleaning up her breakfast, looking troubled.

"It seems wrong to use the hozen to fight the Horde's battle," she said abruptly, filling the entrance to the tent.

Akabeko cinched her bag closed with more force than necessary and whirled around. "That's not something you wanna be saying in the middle of this camp," she cautioned, giving Weipon a serious look. She motioned for the monk to grab her belongings, then led the way from the camp before summoning her mount. After several minutes of quietly picking their way through the untamed forest, she continued. "You've already seen enough of the Horde's way of doing business to know that speaking out against policy can go very badly for you."

Unfazed, Weipon replied, "But we have already gotten many towns to join us. Those that favor the Alliance, or don't want to favor either side, will not suddenly join the Horde if we defeat the Alliance here."

"I don't think you fully understand. The Horde will defeat the Alliance, and then they will bend and break each town until it is for the Horde. It's the oldest reason for war: to first prevent the opposing side from gaining any ground, and then snatch up as much as possible land for ourselves."

"It's not their land to take," Weipon said softly.

Feeling suddenly weary, Akabeko said nothing in reply.

They scouted for days, eventually dismissing their mounts to travel less conspicuously as they neared the last known locations of Alliance troops. On the third day they came across the evidence of a large camp, but the tracks were old and they had yet to meet another soul in the endless woods.

Unfurling the map, Akabeko clucked over their current location. "We know the Alliance were coming from the south." Her fingers skittered over the southern coastline, tapping the locations that were rumored to be Alliance-run cities. "If their intel is any good, they'll be heading north hoping to confront the Horde troops. Of course, at the same time, we're heading south in the hopes of getting the jump on them."

From over her shoulder, Weipon stabbed decisively at the map. "If both sides are moving towards the center of the Forest, they will probably meet close to the Temple of the Jade Serpent."

Akabeko jerked at the realization, then quickly put away the map. "If that's the case, we're behind the Alliance front and may even be missing the battle. We have to get back!" She summoned her mount, barely waiting to see if Weipon was following, and took off the way they had come.

They followed the obvious path left by the Alliance army's march, moving much more quickly mounted than they had been on foot. Heeding Nazgrim's order for speed, Akabeko set a difficult pace, allowing them to stop only when their mounts needed to rest. Both kodo and dragon turtle were creatures built for endurance, not speed.

The night was blessedly clear, and they were able to make their way cautiously through the woods by the light of the waning moon. Akabeko was sure they would see campfires well before they blundered into the Alliance camp, and as such continued to push their mounts for more speed. Weipon followed without complaint, although Akabeko could tell that her companion was very nervous to be traveling so noisily in the dead of night.

The sky was lightening to a dim gray when they heard - and smelled - the signs of the Alliance troops. Immediately, Akabeko motioned for Weipon to dismiss her mount and follow her, then transformed into lion form. With her heightened senses, she could pick out the distinct scents of various unwashed Alliance races alongside an unfamiliar fishy scent. She prowled through the trees, guiding Weipon on a safe route that skirted the slowly waking enemy camp.

An unexpected snarl of steep rock ledges sent them on a detour. Unwilling to get any closer to the Alliance forces, Akabeko led them around the other side of the hills, eventually allowing them to mount when she deemed it safe. Her gut told her that the battle would occur soon, and that even if she was too late to warn the troops, she could still fight alongside them. Whether Weipon would be willing to do the same remained to be seen.

Unexpectedly, the haphazard path they had taken around the rocks turned upward, and they found themselves on a low ledge overlooking the clearing where the Jade Serpent's statue was still under construction. To the north, Akabeko saw a dark shadow in the trees that could only be the Horde troops assembled and ready to march. Feeling dread settle in her stomach, she looked to the south, confirming the Alliance troops were already waiting in neat lines.

"How..." she gasped helplessly, frustrated that they hadn't managed to achieve a single thing during their scouting mission. As she watched, a single figure riding a worg darted out ahead of the Horde troops, raising a massive battleaxe and gesturing grandly. Similarly, a human in gleaming plate was rallying the Alliance troops, and from both sides rose a deafening roar of anticipation.

Weipon's hands had flown to her head, tugging at her ears in consternation. "I can't believe this is happening," she moaned, eyes darting between the two armies.

Whipped into a frenzy, both sides charged, shouting battlecries in countless languages and wielding weapons of every possible make. "No no no no," Weipon chanted, shaking her head. The armies met with incredible force, the sounds of ringing metal, dull bodily thuds, and garbled cries sweeping through the valley. Over all this came a sudden resounding crack, making Akabeko flinch as the harsh sound struck her ears. Weipon's hands belatedly flew to her ears. "What was that?" she cried, looking around frantically.

A tiny movement drew Akabeko's eyes upward. "Look," she half-whispered, pointing at the center of the battlefield.

Slowly, almost dreamily, the statue of the Jade Serpent, her deathbed and her hope of rebirth, collapsed into useless fragments. The shattered pieces hit the ground with jarring impact, crushing those too slow or stupid to get out of the way with a sickening crunch. Then, from the statue's remains spread thick black fissures, seeping wetly across the land and leaving behind sickly dry earth. This dead earth cracked, oozing blinding white light, and from the cracks sprang living shadow. It twirled lazily in the air, thickening until Akabeko couldn't see the transfixed expressions of the soldiers below. Finally, with an unearthly screech, the smoke coalesced, and the dark cloud became a twisted, malformed creature, towering over where the statue had been.

Weipon was screaming, shaking her head in disbelief, staring at the charred remains of the Serpent's statue. Unexpectedly, she whirled and threw herself into Akabeko's arms, sobbing incomprehensibly in Pandaren.

Shocked, Akabeko absently patted the monk's back, unable to tear her eyes away from the hideous monster hunched over the armies like a predator preparing to gorge itself on a kill. "Earthmother protect us," she muttered darkly.

Next: An Opportunity Missed

A Tea Party [guest post!!]

noreply@blogger.com (redcow) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 14:21:00 +0000

Previously: The Importance of Control

By the time they reached Tian Monastery, Hadakha had grown tired of the charade. Well, if he was honest with himself, he was tired of Jiang. While she had been fantastic at extracting information from people, especially Jessha, she was constantly talking. Once the shock of the massacre at Garrosh'ar Point had worn off, her natural, exuberant, chatty personality had reasserted itself, and he was longing for a respite. After the jade serpent temple, he'd taken to letting the women go into the towns without him, all for a blessed night of peace. Alone.

Of course, Jiang loved every minute of those nights too, as he heard in excruciating detail the next day. She would have liked to stay longer, especially in the large town of Dawn's Blossom, and he suspected she would have if not for Jessha, who was impatient to reach her brother. When they were on the road, she described all she had learned, and then when she was finished with that, she talked about whatever Jessha had said, and when that topic was exhausted, she talked about whatever came to mind, usually her home and family. She never took offense at his frequent departures to scout the area, simply resuming where she had left off when he returned. He forced himself to pay attention to it all, no matter how banal, because there was something to learn from every little detail. Plus, his Pandaren was improving enormously, thanks to her. She had a knack for sensing which words or phrases he didn't understand, and went out of her way to indicate the Orcish equivalent. She was a brilliant teacher, he had to admit.

Jessha took control as they entered the monastery gates. Speaking briefly to a guard, she beckoned to Jiang and set off in the direction he'd indicated. The guard eyed Hadakha uneasily, but made no move to stop him as they followed the jinyu woman. They passed through courtyards, some empty and some full of people exercising and practising fighting moves, and along beautifully decorated paths, finally reaching a great hall with huge, intricately carved doors. Jessha slowed, took a deep breath, and went to a side door with a small bell above it. She pulled the rope attached and waited. After a short time the door cracked open, and Jessha bowed, saying something to the person inside. The door opened wider, and the jinyu turned back to her companions. "Wait here," she said, "the Master will summon you." Then she disappeared inside.

Hadakha and Jiang moved to the main doors, studying the worn, weather-beaten carvings with fascination. The door was divided into eight tall panels, four across. The top row featured carvings of four animals: a tiger, some kind of bird, an ox, and a cloud serpent. Beneath each one was carved a....monster. The same monster? It was hard to tell. It looked vaguely similar to the energy beings from the Alliance massacre. Could it be related? There was writing on the right side of each panel. Jiang reached out a hand and stroked one carved pictogram reverently. "This is old, Mr. Hadakha," she whispered in awe. "I've not seen anything like these before. I'm not even sure I can read them all." She stepped back to survey the whole door. "The four lower panels are easy enough, they simply say fear, anger, despair and doubt. The upper ones, though..." Squinting in thought, her mouth moved silently as she tried to make sense of the words. "I...I haven't seen these words before, Mr. Hadakha. They might be an old dialect that never made it to the Wandering Isle. Or...they could be names?" Pointing to each one in turn, she sounded them out. "Niuzao. Xuen. Chi-Ji. Yu'lon."

"It is sad that Liu Lang's people have forgotten this. How much more has faded from memory, I wonder?" They whirled at the voice. An older pandaren man stood calmly beneath the side door bell, his hands hidden together in the sleeves of his plain robe. He bowed his head slightly to Jiang, then gestured to the opening. "High Elder Cloudfall will see you now." Hadakha expected protest when he followed Jiang through the door, but the man showed no reaction as he trotted past, as if he had expected them to remain together. A shiver of warning ran through him, his instincts demanding caution.

He looked around the big hall appraisingly as they entered. It was mostly empty, a few altars occupying alcoves along the walls, incense sticks stuck in sand bowls in front of them. At one end sat an elderly Pandaren, and Jessha knelt on a cushion facing him, conversing in low voices. As Jiang and Hadakha approached the pair, the monk said something and Jessha turned to watch them. "Welcome to Tian Monastery!" he said with a broad smile. "Please, come and sit. Will you take tea?" He indicated the two empty cushions before him. Hadakha noticed a tray with intricately decorated cups and a strange-looking teapot sitting beside him.

Jiang stopped at her cushion and bowed deeply. "I am honoured to be in your presence, High Elder," she said solemnly. "Thank you for seeing us." She knelt down on her cushion, then smiled shyly. "I am a little thirsty." she admitted. Hadakha sat behind and between the two women as the monk chuckled and handed Jiang a steaming, fragrant cup. He then looked Hadakha in the eye. "Will you not join us, friend?" he said amiably. Hadakha's companions looked at each other in surprise, then at him. He remained still, confident that his bluff would hold, as it had countless times in the past. Jiang stared at him imploringly, silently begging for a sign of what to do. Jessha turned to the monk in confusion. "Mr. Hadakha is Jiang's pet, High Elder...surely you do not mean to include it in our discussion?"

"Pet?" the monk replied, still holding Hadakha's gaze. "Pets are owned, Jessha. People who are owned, are slaves. I do not think Hadakha is a slave. What do you think, Jiang? Is Hadakha a slave?"

Jiang's face turned to horror. "What?! No! I -" She was interrupted by Hadakha's loud sigh. It looked like his bluff had been called. He shifted back to his tauren form, sending Jessha scuttling back in alarm. "It's ok, Jiang." he said. "Our game is over." Turning to the jinyu, he bowed deeply. "I am sorry for deceiving you, Jessha. I needed a guide, and I was afraid that my true form would frighten you away." His mouth twisted wryly. "Looks like I was right. Be assured, I mean you no harm."

Finally, he bowed to the monk, who was studying him with delight. "Greetings, High Elder Cloudfall. My name is Hadakha Treewalker. I represent the Cenarion Circle, and I am new to this land – as is my friend Jiang. I would very much like to learn about you and your culture, your history and your peoples. It is an honour to meet you."

He lowered his large body awkwardly onto the small cushion. "I believe you mentioned tea?" he said with a smile.

Next: The Battle for Pandaria Begins

The Importance of Control

noreply@blogger.com (redcow) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 13:35:00 +0000

Previously: The Visitor to the Temple

Evade. Open-handed downward block. Side kick. Plant, rolling block followed by forward jab. Block to the side, punch. Front heel kick.

Weipon flowed between each motion, strikes and blocks meeting her opponent's in scripted symmetry. Finished with the pair form, their instructor called for them to switch places and begin again. They did, syncing their attacks together, able to strike quickly and forcefully now that they were practiced at matching the other's movement.

They had been training since sunrise, and Weipon was beginning to tire. She was used to intense training, and their days since reaching Pandaria hadn't all been feasts and parties, but these Pandaria monks knew how to work hard. Well, that, and she had barely slept after quarreling with Akabeko the night before. It hadn't been far from her thoughts, but now it came to the front of her mind, irritating her all over again.

The instructor called for them to spar, freeform, and Weipon bowed to her opponent, ready to begin. She relaxed, trying to release all her body's tells while simultaneously scrutinizing her opponent for his. There, a feint in his shoulders, but the true direction of his punch was obvious in the shift of his hips. She dodged, responding with a rolling backfist that just grazed him as he retreated.

Weipon had arrived at the Temple expecting to meet her friend, only to find her gone, leaving a very flustered librarian behind. He had told Weipon about Akabeko's heroics, and also about her sudden bout of weakness. He had apologized profusely for allowing Akabeko to leave when she was clearly in such a state, but - and he repeated this several times - she was extremely insistent.

She let her opponent press the attack, content to defend and retaliate as she liked for now. He sent a series of kicks her way, whirling and jumping to press her back. One caught her stomach, striking through the comfortable layer of padding to the tensed muscles beneath. She moved into his space then, using elbows to strike at his vulnerable neck, ribs, anything she could reach.

In a fit of worry, Weipon had rushed to the inn, only to find Akabeko spectacularly drunk, morose, and infuriatingly tight-lipped.

"What happened to you today?" she repeated, concern wearing away into frustration. "I already know that you...got sick, or something, so stop saying that nothing happened!"

Akabeko's scowl only deepened. "I already told you that I don't know. Whatever it was, it's not a problem, and I feel fine now, anyway."

The annoyance that had been prickling at Weipon since the morning unfurled into anger. Now she began to harry her opponent, barely giving him time to defend in between her attacks. He grunted as some of her strikes hit home.

Weipon threw up her hands. "Fine except for being drunk. Again! You've been drinking more and more since we came here, and now using your spells is hard for you. I think that's not fine! Maybe if you didn't drink so much you wouldn't have-"

"Don't you tell me what to do like you're some Chieftain!" Akabeko roared, sounding entirely too bear-like for Weipon's comfort. "If you had any idea, any idea at all what I..." Nostrils flaring, Akabeko took a deep, shuddering breath, all the fight leaving her. "I'm done talking about this with you," she said dully. Before Weipon could respond, she stalked to the door, slamming it as she left and stomping off, presumably back to the common room.

The remembered impotent fury washed over Weipon, and she snarled. The sudden change in her demeanor startled her opponent, who let a strike cuff his ear. Viciously, methodically, Weipon continued, forcing him to retreat under a barrage of blows, until finally she spun, sweeping his feet from under him. Once he was down she pounced, pulling her hand back in preparation to jab him in the throat. The killing strike.

Hands were on her, staying her curled fingers and pulling her from her opponent, who scrambled away. Distantly, she was aware of shouting. She made an effort to focus on the words.

"Get a grip! Control it!" her instructor was saying, shouting directly into Weipon's face. She waved impatiently for a waterskin, then splashed some into Weipon's face. "Control it, control the emotion," she demanded again.

With a gasp, Weipon snapped back to herself. "Four great spirits," she whispered, meeting the instructor's intense gaze. "I'm sorry. I was so angry...I don't know what came over me."

"Yes, you do," the instructor replied sternly. "It's in the tenets displayed in every temple across Pandaria. He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still. That's not just a commentary on the Mogu empire. What does it mean to a monk? Why must we master ourselves?" She shook Weipon briefly, commanding her attention. "Why must we master ourselves?"

"Because the best fighters are never angry. They don't hold their emotions when they fight. Strong emotions can overwhelm and control you, direct you where you would not go."

Sitting back. the instructor nodded, then helped Weipon to her feet. "All of us in Pandaria must control our negative emotions, but it is particularly important to those who fight. You must not let negative feelings use you as a channel to escape into the world."

Weipon's opponent had come to stand just beyond the instructor. She turned to him, ashamed and regretful. "Peng, I am so terribly sorry. I made a novice mistake and nearly injured you. I'm not deserving of forgiveness..."

He stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, gently pulling her out of her deep bow. "Apology accepted, and you are forgiven." When she gave him a doubtful frown, he gave her a friendly shove. "Come on, you're not the first person to have this happen. I know you're worried about screwing up because you're not from around here, but even Pandaria monks let their emotions get the better of them sometimes. Why else would we have to practice so much?"

They looked at each other for a few awkward moments, Weipon still unable to accept her mistake. "I could have killed you," she said softly.

"But you didn't. And that has happened before." Peng waved a hand at her resulting expression. "It's rare, but it does happen. Not here, though. We have very well-trained healers." He nodded to where their instructor was sending trainees off to get lunch. "I think we're wrapping it up here. Do you wanna go down and visit the statue garden again today?"

Weipon was touched by her new friend's quick forgiveness, but she still couldn't squash the remaining thread of shame constricting her belly. "I can't today; I have to go see about my crazy roommate," she said, grimacing inwardly when she realized it wasn't a white lie. Eventually she would have to deal with the tauren and her mercurial moods. "Let's go another time, okay?"

Peng grinned. "Sure thing. I look forward to it, Wei." He waved as she left.

She walked slowly from the training grounds towards the entrance to the temple. To her left, a wide, deep stream flowed around the temple walls, and she could see cranes patiently awaiting unsuspecting fish. Having been convinced that the cranes would not hurt her dog, she had let him roam the grounds freely. She suspected Fu was somewhere rolling in mud. If only that could solve her current problems, too.

When Weipon arrived at the temple, she was shocked to see Akabeko standing before the large incense burner, wafting incense over herself. Irritation welled up in her again, but she wrestled it back. She would master her negative emotions better from now on. Instead of anger, she opted for compassion. "Hey, Aka."

Akabeko turned, her ears flicking down and away in obvious embarrassment. "Uhh, good morning. Afternoon." She sounded hungover. "Listen. I'm...really sorry. About yesterday." She choked, perhaps on shame, or maybe just the effort of apologizing. "Yesterday, I was exploring the temple, and this little girl Fei tripped up the librarian, and he was injured. And when I went to heal him, I could, but it was so hard. Too hard..." she took a deep breath, glancing around at the pandaren walking up and down the path around them.

Hoping she wouldn't interrupt this hard-won monologue, Weipon gestured for them to walk, aiming to guide them somewhere less populated. They moved to the outer hallway of the temple, retracing Akabeko's steps from the day before.

"Healing isn't difficult for me. It shouldn't be, anyway. I'm very good at it, and I have a ton of practice. I'm just as good at it as I am at my lion or bear forms. So when it gave me trouble, I got spooked. I didn't know how to deal with it. You gotta realize that it's like...it's like suddenly missing a hand, or a foot. Something you expect to be there is just gone." She stopped suddenly, breathing hard. Clearly, personal confessions were not her strong suit.

Treading carefully, Weipon offered an understanding smile. "I can see why that would be a bad experience." Then, hoping the good mood would continue, she hazarded, "Have you had trouble with your spells before?" A memory occurred to her. "Like when we first came. You were a bird, but it seemed like..."

"Yes," Akabeko agreed, nodding. "At first it seemed as if I were somehow more powerful, but after I caught you the feeling went away. When I tried to shift later, it didn't work. Just like-" her eyes drifted over Weipon's shoulder, then widened. "Fei!" she cried, pointing. "That's her! That's the girl who tripped the librarian! Quick, you gotta translate for me. Tell her-hey, don't you run away from me!"

Weipon watched in mounting confusion as Akabeko tore off past her down the hall, chasing after a tiny pandaren cub. She jogged to keep up, listening to Akabeko's threats mixed with the peals of laughter coming from the little girl. The trio ran down the hall, whipping incense smoke into a frenzy as they passed. The chase took them to the outer wall, where the sound of the sea wind deafened Weipon. Then, it was back around the opposite side, weaving in between priests that made Weipon stumble and look back. Was that a fish man? A shout from ahead drew her back into pursuit.

She slid to a stop, nearly smacking into Akabeko, who was looking around in frustration.

"She was just here, Wei, I know it! Just wait till I get my hands on that kid!"

From behind the large incense holder stepped the cub. Rather than mischievous, she looked serious, and much older than Weipon had initially guessed. Her sudden change in demeanor made Akabeko hesitate, and Weipon heard her teeth snap shut in surprise. Then, as they watched, Fei began to change.

At first, it appeared she was simply growing taller, but when she reached adult pandaren height she simply continued to grow, stretching and elongating in a way that made Weipon's stomach flip. As the cub illusion disappeared, she was surrounded by a faint glow, blurring the final changes from pandaren cub into impossibly large, impossibly old, impossibly real Jade Serpent.

Liquid, ageless eyes as big as Weipon's fist gazed between the monk and the druid. The Serpent's glistening green body undulated lazily behind her, tail flicking with amusement. Her great jaws remained closed, but Weipon had the distinct impression that the Serpent was smirking.

It seems it is high time I introduced myself, the Jade Serpent intoned regally.

"She says, um," Weipon began.

"Yeah," Akabeko replied slowly, tapping her forehead with a finger. "I, uh, I got it. Somehow."

Next: A Tea Party

The Leatherworkers [New Idea]

noreply@blogger.com (redcow) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 13:30:00 +0000

I feel like this is a good time for #sorrynotsorry. Or maybe #yolo? I'm not good with hashtags.

The Visitor to the Temple

noreply@blogger.com (redcow) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 14:14:00 +0000

Previously: The Heart of the Forest

For the second day in a row, Akabeko woke alone, rumpled and groggy. Weipon was already gone, most likely to train with the monks at the temple. Her side of the room was clean and orderly.

Akabeko rolled gracelessly out of the circular, squashy lump of cushions the pandaren called a bed, reaching automatically for the bottle of sweet wine near her bag. Two long swallows had her feeling awake enough to start the day. Before anything else, she grabbed the electric blue feather resting on the nightstand and carefully rewrapped it in the silk cloth she stored it in. She had long broken the habit of worrying it in the restless moments before sleep, but the anxious need to hold the feather had returned on the shores of Pandaria. Why the culture shock of this place should be more than any of the other strange places she had visited, she did not know, but the end result was a steadily increasing gloominess that only abated when the feather was in hand.

Although her Pandaren skills were still beginner at best, she decided to spend the day seeing and being seen by the pandaren of the temple. If Weipon was going to shirk her duties in favor of training, Akabeko would have to do her own part for the Horde.

Dressed and fortified with another long drink of the wine, Akabeko exited the friendly inn and began to make her way towards the temple at the top of the hill. Yesterday she had spent popping in and out of the shops clustered together around the inn, making friends as she went. Today she was hoping to explore the temple grounds in more detail. Maybe she would even catch a glimpse of the Jade Serpent herself!

As it had every time she laid eyes upon it, the very sight of the temple took her breath away. Pandaren architecture was impressive, and they had evidently pulled out all the stops in the construction of this place of worship. As a tauren and a druid, her temples were open, grassy fields, sun-baked plains, misty, mossy forests, any number of beautiful places in nature. The Earthmother was best worshiped under sun and sky. Still, Akabeko could appreciate the care and dedication poured into the holy places of other races.

From the entrance she could see that the great hall held no more than the usual worshipers and a heavy cloud of incense, so she instead turned to follow the outer hallway. Between the thick pillars were stone-inlaid plaques depicting everything from stern-faced pandaren to temple scenes. Akabeko was drawn to a series further down the hall that featured the Jade Serpent. In these images, the Jade Serpent was born from a lovingly-crafted statue, protected and blessed the land while many generations of pandaren labored to prepare a new statue, and then finally returned to it at peace, ready to be reborn.

Nodding, having confirmed the tale Weipon had told her about the Serpent, Akabeko stepped back to admire the series as a whole. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a small shadow, and turned to see a plump pandaren cub looking at her calmly. Akabeko started, then chuckled to herself.

"It's rude to sneak up on people, kid," she told the cub. The girl merely cocked her head to the side, eyes placid. Akabeko tried out her rudimentary language skills. "Hello. My name is Akabeko."

Brightening, the girl replied, "My name is Fei." She quickly added a stream of questions too quick for Akabeko to catch.

Shrugging apologetically, Akabeko could only reply, "I'm sorry, I don't understand."

Fei nodded with the unquestioning acceptance of youth, then beckoned Akabeko to her. She led her to a hallway that opened into a wide courtyard. "Look," she said simply, pointing into the courtyard.

Obeying, Akabeko looked into the courtyard and was surprised to see pandaren arranged in neat rows, each standing across from a tiny cloud serpent like the one she had seen on her first day at the temple. As she watched, a voice from the other side of the courtyard called out some sort of order, and the serpents and pandaren alike reacted, going through a complicated series of motions. "Sparring practice with cloud serpents?" she muttered to herself. She realized that Fei was watching her, waiting for a reaction, and tried to dredge up some appropriate vocabulary. "Um...I like it," she offered with a wry grin. "Thank you for show. Why snakes fight?"

Pleased, Fei smiled. "The serpents fight to help pandaren. We fight together."

Akabeko turned to inspect the activity in the courtyard again. She wanted to ask more: how had the cloud serpents come to work alongside the pandaren? In what manner did they fight together? She wondered if it was similar to how hunters worked with their pets, or if the serpents functioned more as attacking mounts. Sadly, she didn't have the vocabulary to attempt that kind of conversation without Weipon feeding her lines. If Fei wanted to chat about something easy like the weather, or where Akabeko was from... She glanced beside her and was surprised to see Fei gone. A child's attention span, she decided.

Several minutes passed while she watched the pandaren training with their cloud serpents, then Akabeko continued her exploration down the hallway. She found more plaques showing cloud serpents attacking huge armies from above, pandaren mounted on their backs. "Well, that answers that question," she told the picture.

The hallway led outside, wrapping around the back of the central building. Here, she could peer over the edge of the railing down into the sparkling ocean below. The wind blew strongly through this part of the building, bringing with it the scent of saltwater. When she finally retreated to a covered part of the walkway, she followed a practically hidden corridor lit only by serpent-shaped braziers burning dim coals and found herself in a huge library.

Stepping further into the library brought an overpowering scent of dust and mothballs. Breathing through her mouth only resulted in a coughing fit, but there was no one she could see from her vantage point on the second floor, so at least she wasn't disturbing anyone.

The books were entirely written in Pandaren, naturally, so Akabeko directed her attention to the intricately woven rugs and tapestries decorating the room instead. Each showed an epic scene: a great battle, a stately court, an elegant castle. Her path eventually took her to a staircase leading down to the first floor, and there she noticed an elderly pandaren standing beside a small mountain of books. He appeared to be attempting to clean them of dust and insect damage, and was entirely engrossed in the task.

Before she could say anything, he picked up an enormous stack of books and scrolls and began to cross the room, precariously balancing it before him. Without warning, Fei dashed out from behind a bookshelf, making him jump and sending the books crashing into the bookshelf.

"Look out!" Akabeko cried futilely in Taurahe, watching the bookshelf topple onto the dazed librarian. She rushed forward, heaving the bookshelf up with her shoulder enough to pull his still form out from under it, restoration spells already bubbling up and out of her. The magic flowed up from the earth as if sucked laboriously through a straw, pouring out of her into the pandaren. Light touches brushed across his skin, rejuvenating a shallow but bloody gash on his forehead and a line of quickly-rising bruises along his shoulders and back. Concentrating longer, she delved inside, mending a fractured bone, regrowing severed tendons and damaged muscles. She didn't need to touch someone to heal them, but she did now, kneeling to gently shake his shoulder.

The pandaren groaned and raised a hand to his head, feeling unbroken skin under the blood matting his fur. He looked up at her in confusion and said something in Pandaren.

"You well?" she asked, even though her senses told her his injuries were healed. He nodded. "My name is Akabeko. I am a druid. I..." she gestured to his body, "help you." The words were unexpectedly hard to get out around her suddenly labored breathing.

"Thank you for healing me," he gasped, then continued with more unintelligible Pandaren. He made to stand, and she extended a hand, pulling his very heavy form upright.

Akabeko looked around for Fei, wanting to give the cub a piece of her mind, even if it had to be in Taurahe. Turning her head made her sway dangerously on her feet, and she gulped air. "Girl...Fei...Where?" she asked the librarian. "You see girl?"

He looked around the library gamely. "I don't know any Fei." He peered at her. "Are you all right?"

Her heart was thundering in her chest, and she had the suspicion that she might be hyperventilating. Muttering soothing words, the librarian led her slowly to a chair, then disappeared into a back office to procure a glass of water. Akabeko tried to breathe deeply and easily, willing the spots in her vision to clear. Unbelievably, it seemed that healing the pandaren had overtaxed her despite it being one of the first spell routines she had ever learned. In fact, it was so simple that she had literally cast it in her sleep. Her hands shook traitorously, and she clenched them against her knees. Eventually, she was able to sip at the water without spilling it, but she couldn't help but wish for something stronger.

Next: The Importance of Control

The Heart of the Forest

noreply@blogger.com (redcow) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:13:00 +0000

Previously: A Meeting of Minds

Weipon quietly noted that when the mayor's gift had run out, Akabeko had replaced it with another bottle acquired from a wine seller in the market. Still, as hard as Weipon looked, she had to admit that the addition of alcohol to the druid's breakfast had not made her less alert.

She yawned, jaw creaking and eyes watering. The sun was barely above the horizon, filtering weakly through the trees, but if they intended to reach the Jade Temple by the afternoon they would have to travel quickly and far. Although it wasn't an actual city, the temple grounds were wide and populated with supplicants and warriors alike. Weipon hoped that they could find those sympathetic to the Horde there.

Akabeko belched, earning a startled yip from Fu. She glanced at Weipon and was rewarded with an answering burp. Both women chuckled, and the time passed with a friendly quiet.

The road to the temple was wide and well-traveled, and as the morning wore on they began to pass travelers with bags, farmers toting carts, and leather-armored patrols from the temple. Weipon peered at each curiously, hoping to gauge the friendliness of the atmosphere as they neared the temple grounds.

Suddenly, the trees gave way to a wide valley, at the center of which was an enormous column. A massive jade serpent gripped a towering stone pillar, body wrapped sinuously around the pillar, carved eyes turned to survey the surrounding area. Beside her, Weipon heard Akabeko gasp.

From the edge of the valley, they could see tiny figures bustling around the base of the column, pushing carts of jade through the well-manicured garden of the valley floor. The statue itself was appeared to be crawling with pandaren-shaped ants hanging from ropes that allowed them to work on the carving in midair.

"I think we found the temple," Akabeko joked, eyes huge as she took in the impressive sight.

Weipon was similarly moved, although her reaction was not only to the sheer scope of the statue, but also the very image of the serpent. The pandaren of the Wandering Isle worshiped Shen Zin Su and the spirits of the elements, but Weipon had still been raised on stories of the four gods of Pandaria. Stories about the Jade Serpent had always delighted her as a child, and seeing the statue before her was a sudden and powerful reminder that the Serpent was a real creature. She exhaled slowly, dragging her eyes away from those of the statue's and making an effort to take in the rest of the valley.

"Actually, I think the temple is a little farther," she joked back weakly, gesturing to the spires flying long banners further beyond the valley. They moved their mounts to follow the path circling the valley. The direct sunlight was a surprising comfort, and the wind swept across the grass, bringing earthy scents and the sounds of metalworking to the pair.

The great gate leading to the temple had the both of them gaping. Beyond the invitingly open doors rose the colorful, gilded towers of the temple. The hubbub inside matched the crowds streaming in and out of the gates, barely sparing a glance for the two gawking out-of-towners. With an excited grin, Weipon nudged her mount through the gates, weaving through the crowd.

She followed the path leading directly into the temple, hoping they might find someone in charge there. At the great stone bridge, she and Akabeko dismounted, then continued on foot. Closer to the temple, there were less common folk and more pandaren that had the look of monks and priests. Weipon eyed the monks with interest, unconsciously sizing them up.

The main building of the temple was massive; doors at both back and front had been thrown open to allow in more light. The approaching path had a huge stone bowl for incense offerings. Weipon dug out a handful of silver, tossed it in the offering box, and grabbed a set of incense for herself and Akabeko.

"You light it on the flame in the middle," she instructed, demonstrating. "Then, stick it into the sand." Finding a free spot, she pushed her bundle of incense into the ash filling the bowl. "Then, you put the smoke on."

Akabeko blinked. "What?"

Weipon demonstrated, using her hands to pull smoke from the bowl and pour it over her head. "The incense smoke, you put it on yourself. Like this." Akabeko imitated her, using her long fingers to waft smoke up and over her horns. One of her ears flicked endearingly. Weipon pressed her lips together to keep from grinning.

"Doesn't that thing ever get too full of incense?" the tauren asked as the continued into the temple.

"They clean it out," Weipon replied absently. The sudden dark hush of the temple fell over them, the cool shadow an abrupt change to the cheery sunlight outside. Everything inside was intricately carved and gilded, but only the closest details were visible through the murky, pungent smoke filling the temple. Here, the temple servants moved about with quiet purpose, politely moving around the worshippers gathered in ones and twos in the center.

Which, upon closer inspection, was empty. Weipon blinked twice and looked again. The center of the temple, which would normally house a huge statue of the deity surrounded by lavish offerings, was completely empty. No plaques, no special flooring, no brocade-covered tables or barrels of wine. And yet, people were there, prayer beads in hand, kneeling in obvious worship.

She spied a woman wearing an important-looking set of ceremonial armor near one of the smaller shrines at the edge of the temple. "Aka, I'm going to go find out who we should be talking to." Nodding, Akabeko fell in step behind her.

Once again, Weipon repeated her formal introductions of herself, her companion, their greater organization, and the necessary background. The woman she had singled out introduced herself as Liu Flameheart, a Priestess of the Jade Serpent.

Rather than rush right into her recruiting spiel, Weipon couldn't help but comment, "It is a great honor to finally visit the legendary Temple. I have long studied what the pandaren of the Isle believed to be myths we would never ourselves lay eyes on. It is said that there is a faction of monks dedicated to the Jade Serpent..." she trailed off hopefully.

Liu nodded at her armor. "You have the look of a monk." She turned the same critical eye on Akabeko. "Your friend looks like she has seen battle, but I do not think she is a monk."

Half-following, Akabeko pointed to herself and said, "I am a druid," in passable Pandaren. "I fight many times." She opened her arms to emphasize the amount.

"Pandaren!" Liu said with a surprised grin. "I'm impressed!" Then, to Weipon, she added, "And yes, there is such a faction of monks here at the temple. I would be happy to introduce you to them. I'm sure they would have many questions about the techniques of the Wandering Isle." Suddenly, she whistled a short trill, and a tiny russet serpent flew to her side with a responding chirp. In its tiny opalescent claws it clutched a sheaf of parchment and a brush.

Beside her, Weipon heard Akabeko curse and jump, startled. Weipon knew her own eyes must be comically huge.

Smirking at their reactions, Liu turned to a nearby table and hastily scribbled an introduction letter for them using the materials. This she stamped, sealed, and handed to Weipon. To the serpent, she chucked it under the chin and sent it off with a cluck of her tongue.

Speaking of serpents, Weipon remembered. "Liu, where is the Jade Serpent, if I may ask?"

Liu sighed regretfully. "She's rarely in the temple these days. There's much to do with the statue so near completion." Then, biting her lip as if considering her next words, she finally admitted, "Frankly, I wonder if she's getting a bit antsy with the rebirth so near."

Pages of yellowed, oft-handled textbooks whipped through Weipon's mind. "You mean, the statue outside..." She smacked her forehead. "That's the statue Yulon will be reborn into! Could it possibly be so soon?"

"We were hoping for year's end," Liu replied. "There have been problems lately with the mines, but word is that our supply should soon be restored."

Weipon reeled with this new revelation. Her heart swelled with excitement; this was by far the greatest thing that had happened to her since leaving the Wandering Isle. Already her fingers were itching to put ideas to instrument.

"Wei," Akabeko interrupted quietly. "What is that paper we just got?"

Distracted, she replied. "It's an introduction to the monks that train here."

Akabeko raised an eyebrow. "Is that what's causing your goofy grin?"

"It's not -- anyway, it's not just that. I'll tell you when we get outside."

Liu watched this exchange with open fascination. "I myself could never pick up another language, although Jinyuu is quite beautiful to listen to. Wouldn't bother with Hozen, though." Her lips quirked into a smirk. "When you exit the temple, the training ground is to the right, along the water. If you go left, you'll find the town with an inn for your stay."

Bowing deeply, Weipon said her thank yous and left the temple, dredging up the necessary vocabulary to explain everything she had learned to Akabeko. Half of her mind was still on the statue outside the grounds. If she couldn't see Yulon herself, she would just have to get a closer look at the Serpent's jade likeness!

Next: The Visitor to the Temple

A Meeting of Minds (guest post!!)

noreply@blogger.com (redcow) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 13:30:00 +0000

Previously: The Tree in the Arboretum

...'mogu' returned same time we arrive. Coincidence? Ruled Pandaria thousands of years ago. Dark magic – fel influences? Contemporaries of troll empires? Potential threat? Further study needed.

Hadakha looked up from his letter as the strange birdcall rang out through the cool night air. The bright moonlight made it easy to read the secret marks he'd carefully written on the fine paper that Jiang had found for him. He gazed out from the tiny terrace over the temple walls into the forest beyond. It looked so peaceful, so serene. Well, apart from all the cloud serpents, he thought with a wry grimace. He'd seen more and more of them in the skies over the last couple of days as they'd approached this place. Probably not surprising, given all the jade cloud serpent statues throughout the temple grounds.

Land has energy. Not natural, not elemental, feels different. Almost living. Dark energy beings possessed troops, triggered through violence? Connected to mogu?

He became aware of eyes upon him. Instinct screamed at him to shift, but he swiftly suppressed the urge. It was too late now, the intruder had already seen him. Without lifting his head, he flicked his gaze around the terrace. There, off to the right, a small figure. The child from earlier today, the one who had them chasing after cloud serpent hatchlings. Definitely a salvagable situation.

"You move silently, child." he said in Taurahe, still not looking up from his letter. No reaction. Brave, too. Ah well, as long as it didn't make a fuss he may as well finish his letter. He was almost done, anyway.

Lost contact with Akabeko Runetotem, primary mission on hold until contact re-established. Proceeding to Tian Monastery to begin search.

Treewalker

"Can I see?" He raised his head at the thin, piping voice and looked hard at the cub. Ah, it couldn't do any harm, and it might be useful to have a friend inside the temple. He slowly nodded, beckoning the cub over. Solemnly it walked to his side, standing at his shoulder as he held the paper to catch the moonlight. He expected questions, but when he glanced at it, the cub was staring fixedly at the writing, giving every pretense of reading the strange script. He smothered a chuckle.

"Are you writing to your family?"

"No. I....I don't have any family. Not anymore. This is for my....." he racked his brain for the word. "Master? Yes, I think master is the word."

"Are you a monk?"

"No. I am a druid." he said the last word in Taurahe. "I don't know the word in Pandaren. I don't think there are any druids in this land."

"Oh."

"Would you like to see a trick?" The cub smiled and nodded vigorously. "Alright, stand over there." As it backed away, Hadakha rolled the paper and sealed it with wax. Then, he started a long, low, complicated chant, adding specific gestures at the appropriate times. When he was finished, a ghostly stormcrow glided down to the terrace, alighting on Hadakha's broad shoulder. He whispered to it, then held the rolled letter up. With a screech, the spectral bird took flight, snatching the letter out of his hand as it flew into the night. The spell would carry his letter to Moonglade, and deliver it to the Archdruid he reported to. Unlike a real bird, it didn't tire, didn't need to stop for food or rest, wasn't affected by weather or predators, and didn't get lost. Only agents such as himself were taught that particular spell, as their reports were vital to Cenarion Circle operations.

The cub grinned and clapped delightedly. "Do another trick!" Hadakha thought about it. Then, beckoning the cub to his side once more, he assumed a very serious demeanour. "Only druids know the secret of this Mark. It will let you feel, for a short time, the power of nature, of the wild things. Are you ready?" The cub nodded. He traced a sigil on its arm, murmuring the spell. As he finished, the image of a pawprint glowed briefly where he had drawn, and the far-off shriek of a hawk, the roar of a lion, and the growl of a bear all echoed in his mind. He knew it had sounded in the cub's mind, too, from the way its eyes went round with wonder. He gathered his things and stood.

"That is enough for one night. Perhaps we will meet again."

"Good night!" The cub nodded and trotted off.

The next morning, he was back in lionform, padding alongside Jiang and Jessha as they paid their respects to the temple masters before resuming their journey. He spotted the cub again, standing off to the side as his companions received the monks' blessings. It was staring at him thoughtfully, and he suddenly felt the urge to leave this place, to be out in the wilderness once more. As they walked off towards the temple gate, a voice sounded in his mind.

"You are an enigma, Hadakha. Your life is full of danger and violence. Yet, I sense that you may bring peace to this land. Can you be trusted? Will this 'Cenarion Circle', that you hold so dear, be able to save Pandaria from the oncoming storm? Return here when you have met my brethren."

He looked back, but the monks were disappearing into the temple halls. The cub was gone.

Next: The Heart of the Forest

The Tree in the Arboretum

noreply@blogger.com (redcow) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 13:30:00 +0000

Previously: Heading North

For the third morning in a row, Weipon returned to the room in time to witness Akabeko take a long sip of the wine they had received from the mayor. Her eyebrows twitched together in concern. "You know, that gift was for the both of us," she gently reminded the tauren.

Looking guilty, Akabeko wiped off the lip of the bottle before offering it to her friend. "You're welcome to have some at any time."

Weipon rolled her eyes and shook her head at the offered liquor. "Pandaren don't usually drink before breakfast. Or the afternoon, for that matter," she added.

"I told you, hair of the worg is a tried and true method to curing hangovers," Akabeko replied. She looked mournfully at the bottle before resolutely capping it and setting it aside.

After a moment's hesitation, Weipon finally ventured to voice the worry that had been growing since their first night in Dawn's Blossom. "You know, now that we've been accepted by the pandaren here, there's no need to keep drinking so much. You can drink less and still be sociable," she said gently.

Akabeko quirked her face into a smile. "Don't get all herd leader-y on me, Wei," she said with forced cheerfulness. "I used to drink a lot before we met, and I can hold my liquor pretty well. I just gotta get my tolerance back up to snuff."

Mulling this over, Weipon reluctantly concluded that there had to be things about tauren, orcish, and Horde culture in general that she still didn't understand. What's more, although she and Akabeko had grown very friendly after spending so much time together, she had only the vaguest sketch of the type of life Akabeko had led before coming to Pandaria.

Tucking her thoughts away for another time, Weipon crossed to her side of the room and began to gather her things. "I heard from some people that there is a very nice um...garden of trees outside the city," she translated awkwardly. "They said that people often go there to write." And drink, she thought silently.

"A garden of trees?" Akabeko asked, seeming to perk up at the thought. "I'm game for that. How far away is it?"

By midmorning they had reached the arboretum, as Akabeko called it. Now in the waning of spring, the delicate pink and white petals fluttered around them like a snowstorm. Those remaining on the trees created an unbroken, soft-looking cloud of blossoms overhead. Weipon peered up at the snatches of pale blue sky, briefly regretting bringing Fu along as he dashed to and fro around their leisurely moving mounts. She glanced at Akabeko and was surprised at the rapturous expression on her face.

The tauren noticed her stare and abruptly asked, "How much do you know about druids, Wei?"

She scrunched up her nose, dredging up what information she had gathered in her studies. "Well, they are very close to nature and can change their bodies into different animals. Sometimes they become fully animal and leave their old lives. And...the main druid organization is the Something-something Circle. Cention? Senaran?"

"Cenarion," Akabeko corrected with a grin. "It comes from Cenarius, a demigod." Her eyes roved hungrily over the trees spreading out around them. "Do you know what animals druids can become?"

"Well, I saw you change into a lion," Weipon began, earning an amused grunt from the tauren. "After that, there is bear and cheetah and crow form."

Akabeko hummed in response. "Nearly right. As time goes on and druids adapt to the changing world, they have adapted and even discovered new forms. The animals you mentioned are the basic forms that all druids train to achieve. Of course, depending on your relationship with the Earthmother - well I should say nature, really - some forms will come more easily than others. Druids that call on power from the heavens can become moonkin. They look like owlbeasts," she added, then noticed Weipon's blank face. "I'll draw you a picture. Anyway, druids that work with the deep powers of the earth and the forests could, at one time, become treants. Living trees."

Fascinated, Weipon mulled this new information over. "Wait, what do you mean they could 'at one time'? I've never read about a druid not being able to change."

"In the Cataclysm, the Destroyer tore into the fabric of the world. Somehow, he must have severed the roots that allowed druids to draw on the deep powers of the land." She enunciated this very carefully, as if reading from a textbook.

Weipon recalled watching druids heal the seemingly impossible wound in Shen Zin Su's shell. "I saw druids save the lives of everyone on the Wandering Isle," she said, almost to herself. "I think they could heal anything if they worked together."

"Yeah, well, the Cenarion Circle has bigger things on its plate than fixing some grumpy former trees," Akabeko replied grimly.

Their conversation was cut short when they came upon a small inn enclosed by a babbling brook. On the petal-carpeted lawn surrounding the inn lounged groups of pandaren drinking, chatting, and writing calligraphy.

"Wow," Weipon breathed, unaware she had slipped into Pandaren. "This is just like back home." She directed her mount to the hitching posts on their side of the stream, then crossed one of the small wooden bridges that spanned the water. She was dimly aware of Akabeko following her, but for now she only had eyes for the lovely works of art that lay drying in the grass.

The arrival of not only a tauren, but a pandaren on an unusual mount had attracted the attention of many of the leisure-seekers. One of them, a shockingly svelte pandaren looking too scrawny in his clothes, stood from his small desk and approached them smiling. "Welcome to the Arboretum! I am Inkmaster Jo Po." He looked curiously between the pair.

"I am Weipon, and this is Akabeko, a tauren. We are ambassadors of the Horde." She bowed, followed soon by both Akabeko and Jo Po. Straightening, she continued, "However, today I merely wish to enjoy this lovely garden, pleasant company, and fine poetry."

Jo Po's smile widened. "We are always happy to meet fellow students of the brush. If you need any supplies or would like to borrow a table, you can talk to Inkmaster Wei in the inn." He gestured to the squat building, where Weipon could see a much rounder pandaren organizing a box of inkstones.

"Thank you," replied Weipon, motioning for Akabeko to accompany her to the inn. Switching to Orcish, she told her, "I want to get some writing things and stay here today. Is that all right?"

Akabeko shrugged good-naturedly. "Fine with me. Is this how pandaren get their kicks?"

Weipon drew her brows together, confused. "Kick?" She pantomimed kicking something.

"I mean relax," Akabeko amended. "You guys like to paint to relax?"

"It's a popular hobby," Weipon agreed. "And a traditional art. My parents make brushes, so of course they wanted me to study writing with a brush." She thought hard, finally drawing up the word from her memory. "Calligraphy."

They reached the inn and immediately drew the attention of Inkmaster Wei. He quickly finished hanging the handful of freshly-washed brushes and approached them, drying his hands on an ink-stained towel. "Interesting visitors!" He remarked. "What can I do for you?"

Again, Weipon made their introductions. "I'd like to borrow a table, if it isn't too much trouble."

"A friend of the brush is a friend of mine," Inkmaster Wei responded, plucking a folding table from the neatly stacked pile next to the supplies. "Do you need anything else? Perhaps an inkstone or parchment?"

"Actually, I will take some parchment," Weipon decided, reaching for her coinpurse. Gold exchanged hands, and then Weipon led Akabeko to an unoccupied tree near the edge of the stream. She knelt and began to arrange her materials, pulling brushes, inkstone, and grinding stone from her bag.

"You had all of that in your bags?" Akabeko marveled. "That's some dedication. And here I thought you were just a musician."

Weipon smiled, rolling a sheet of parchment over the felt-covered table. "Although I learned to write because of my parents, I like it as a hobby. It's calming."

Akabeko hummed, then glanced at the inn. "I'm gonna go check out what's going on in the inn. I'll be back soon." She sauntered away, head swiveling to take in the entirety of the garden.

When she returned, Weipon was just finishing grinding her ink and pondering what to write.

"I got us some drinks. The vendor said they were for..." she mimicked the Pandaren word she had heard, managing to get it mostly right. "What does that mean?"

Weipon laughed. "It means 'inspiration'." Then, having decided it was a good a word to begin with as any, she wrote inspiration in decisive, bold strokes. Sitting back, she peered critically at her work, then set down her brush to accept the cup of sweet-smelling wine Akabeko offered her. She took a sip while replacing the paper with a fresh sheet. "Do you want to try?"

Surprised, Akabeko set down her cup and scooted over to kneel awkwardly in the space Weipon had vacated. "Don't think I'll be very good at writing in Pandaren, but I can give it a try." She allowed Weipon to wrap her fingers around the brush, positioning her hand correctly so that her wrist was straight, holding the brush perpendicular to the paper.

"You can write what I just wrote. You move with your elbow, not wrist." Her fingers hovered feather-light over Akabeko's hand. "To start, you press and circle to, um... hide the beginning." She guided the brush in a tiny circle, then pressed down to create a fat blob of ink over the scratchy marks where the brush had first touched paper. "Then, pull, and press less and less and less and up!" She drew Akabeko's hand to the left, gradually decreasing the pressure until the stroke dwindled to a point and the brush was released. She pointed to the way the stroke split into several spidery lines, then at the awkwardly angled brush. "See, the stroke is broken. You can fix the brush shape against the stone."

Akabeko did as instructed, rolling the brush against the grindstone until it was again formed into a neat point. Weipon continued to guide her through the remaining strokes, finally producing a passable amateur character.

Now, Weipon selected a much smaller brush, delicate and almost fragile in both pandaren and tauren hands. She loaded this brush with ink, then exchanged it for Akabeko's. "Now, you can write your name here." She indicated the bottom right of the parchment. "Top to bottom," she added, seeing Akabeko's brief confusion.

Much more confident in Taurahe, Akabeko penned her name, then admired her work with a wry grin. "Soon I'll be a master," she joked.

"Would you like to write more?" Weipon offered, getting a fresh sheet of paper.

Akabeko returned the smaller brush. "Nah, I'm good. You have fun." She grabbed her cup and moved to sit at the base of a nearby tree, settling comfortably in among the knobbly roots snaking through the grass. Fu was immediately at her side, sniffing at the petals she had disturbed.

Taking another sip of her own wine, Weipon watched the scene fondly for a moment. Unaware of the scrutiny, Akabeko looked both deeply at peace and unbearably mournful as she watched the swaying branches overhead. Weipon's thoughts drifted to their earlier conversation about druids. Knowing that druids focused on one form made her wonder. She had seen Akabeko in lion form, claws and jaws ruthlessly tearing through foes. Even as a tauren, there was something half-wild and quietly dangerous about her. And yet, watching her watch the trees... Weipon picked up her brush and began to write again.

Soft pink clouds float overhead
Beneath, wine and good poetry
Spring comes quietly but surely
A red flower slowly blossoms

Next: A Meeting of Minds

Heading North (guest post!!)

noreply@blogger.com (redcow) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:30:00 +0000

Previously: The Decision in Dawn's Blossom

Hadakha shifted out of lionform, sitting with his back pressed against the large rock from which Jiang was curiously watching the jinyu woman frolic in the river below. "That was good thinking, Jiang," he said in a low voice, "but from now on let's dispense with the babytalk."

"'Dispense'?" Her brow furrowed at the unfamiliar word.

"Stop."

"Oh. Sorry, Mr. Hadakha. I didn't mean to be rude, I just thought -"

"No, no, it's okay, you did well. Just...go back to a normal voice. For my dignity." He heard her smother a giggle.

"I will do that, Mr. Hadakha."

He could sense her struggling to compose herself. Sighing, he gave up. "Come on, let it out so we can move on..."

With a snort of laughter followed by uncontrollable giggling, Jiang blurted out, "Oh you were so cute, Mr. Hadahka! It was so much fun having a great big kitty to pet and talk to, it was like having LiuLiu back! Of course, I had to leave her at home when I joined the Horde, and she's only a housecat, but you know what I mean. I don't know why you want to hide from Jessha, but I hope I can 'keep' you for a bit longer!"

"Yeah, well, we'll see. Are you done now?" he said sourly. She nodded, wiping her eyes. "Mhm."

"Okay. So we need to find the other Horde landing force. We'd have heard from – or of – them by now if they had landed close by, so we're heading north until we get more intel. I know that Jessha wanted to go north too, but I couldn't understand why. Where did she say she was going?"

"She said she was travelling to a monastery in the northern part of the forest, Tian was the name, I think. She is going to be a student there, like her brother."

"Excellent. That seems like as good a place as any to start our search. Tell her you'll escort her there. Does she know that you're not from Pandaria?"

"I-I'm not sure, Mr. Hadakha. I don't think she can tell that my accent and dialect is different from the locals, her Pandaren is a little better than yours but it is still basic. And her village didn't have much to do with Paw'don. She hasn't asked anything about where my home is yet, should I tell her?"

"No! No, be vague, don't give anything away. We can use a guide, so let's not spook her. Your role now is to get as much information out of her as you can, about the land, the people, the culture, the history, the dangers, everything. That is why I am leaving this to you, Jiang – my true form would frighten her, she will be much more likely to talk openly to you if she thinks I am an animal. If she asks, tell her you are a wanderer, out to explore the world. It's worked for me many times."

"I understand, Mr. Hadakha."

"And see if you can persuade her into stopping by a village, or temple, or whatever settlements they have here. You can mingle with the locals and gain more information." He smiled. "I'm sure you'd enjoy sleeping indoors again for a change, eh?"

"Oh most certainly, Mr. Hadakha! Yes, indeed! I can't wait....oh, Jessha is coming back now, Mr. Hadakha." She looked down at the place where he had been sitting. Smiling ruefully, she turned back to her new friend making her way up the path. This was not what she had envisioned when she had joined the Horde, and she was not entirely sure what Hadakha's motives were, but at least she was alive........now, to see about talking Jessha into going through a town, a village, anywhere with a hot bath!

Next: The Tree in the Arboretum

The Decision at Dawn's Blossom

noreply@blogger.com (redcow) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 13:51:00 +0000

Previously: An Unexpected Ally

Now with a detailed, accurate map of the Jade Forest, Weipon and Akabeko stuck to the main roads and headed straight for Dawn's Blossom. Akabeko had hoped that any influence they could have at the main city would spread out to the surrounding villages, making it easier and more efficient to bring them into the Horde. The journey into the heart of the forest was long, although they saved time by not stopping at every town they passed. Pandaren farmers watched them curiously as they passed, and those they met on the road were wary even after Weipon called out to them. They spent two nights in the forest, huddled in their bedrolls listening to the creaks and chirps of an unfamiliar landscape.

Finally, shortly after their morning snack, eaten in the saddle, the pair could see flashes of bright red and orange paint through the trees. Heartened, they picked up the pace, eager to get back to work and on their own two feet. As they approached, the tall, sweeping roofs of the city's many buildings rose out of the trees, making both women gape. Aside from Orgrimmar, Weipon had never seen another city so grand; although the Temple of Five Dawns was an impressive piece of architecture, the surrounding buildings in all the towns on the Wandering Isle were small and sprawling. Here, she could see many-storied buildings surrounded by a crush of smaller shacks and carts, and around it all a never ending crush of people trading, chatting, or just milling about.

Akabeko's low whistle drew her attention to the tauren. "Looks like this is the place." She turned her mount towards the massive gate in the stone wall surrounding the city.

Although the locals noticed their approach, they didn't have the nervous air that the other inhabitants had given off. Weipon smiled encouragingly at a woman lashing things to the back of a cart and got a friendly nod in return. "These people seem much more trusting than the ones we met before," she remarked, dismounting beside the druid. Fu danced around their feet, sniffing the other mounts from a safe distance.

"Well, cityfolk tend to see a lot of weird stuff." She hooked the reins to the closest hitching pole and turned to Weipon. "So they tend to take things more in stri--" with a gasp, she cut off abruptly, hands coming up in front of her chest, fingertips already blunted into paws.

Weipon followed her gaze. A trio of humans were passing through the gates ahead of them. They took no notice of the shocked tauren glaring suspiciously at them, and instead went to their mounts, talking loudly.

"We'll tell him that we did our best, but I don't think that will get us off easy. The general was clear that we need to secure Dawn's Blossom for the Alliance," the shorter human was telling her companions in Common.

One of them stroked his beard in consternation. "We have the entire journey back to make it sound better than it is," he suggested. The group mounted their horses and started down the path away from the city.

"That doesn't sound promising," Weipon said, glancing at Akabeko to confirm she had retracted her claws.

Akabeko rolled her neck and shrugged as if bracing herself. "I bet they're just bad negotiators. They don't even have a pandaren with them! Let's see what we can do."

Just inside the gate was a crowded marketplace. Although pandaren were nearly as tall as tauren, the appearance of a hooved, cow-faced creature in the throng attracted some glances. Weipon led the way through the crush, nodding politely to vendors shouting advertisements for their wares. Akabeko followed along behind, her most approachable grin plastered to her face. Reluctantly, she had agreed to carry Fu to protect him from the constantly moving feet.

A burly pandaren toting a huge keg of ale took in their appearances and called out to them, "Hey, strangers! You look like you could use a friend!"

Weipon smiled back at him, then indicated for Akabeko to follow her. "We just got into town," Weipon told him, rooting around in her bag for the letter of introduction they had received. "My name is Weipon, this is my companion Akabeko, and we are ambassadors of the Horde. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." She bowed, and Akabeko, recognizing some key phrases, followed suit.

The pandaren laughed, bowed over his enormous gut, and said, "Well, it's real nice to meet you, too. Name's Kai Wanderbrew." He set down his keg with a thump. "This here's my wandering brew!" Weipon laughed, and Akabeko smiled the polite smile of the completely lost. "Can't say I've ever seen one of her kind before. What did you say her name was...Ababeko?"

"It's Akabeko. She's a tauren from Kalimdor. We are both members of the Horde," Weipon explained. "We were hoping to meet with your mayor, to introduce ourselves." She neglected to mention their other goal.

"Well, shoot. I can take you to the mayor's office if you like." He glanced over his shoulder, peering through the bustle to a cart parked near one of the walls. "Boys! Come take care of this keg for me!" He grinned apologetically at Weipon as two young pandaren ran over at his command. "These are my nephews. They're working for me for a while since their daddy's away on business." The two pandaren grabbed the keg, peeking curiously at Weipon through their lashes, then rushed off to deliver it. "Well, follow me," Kai said, pushing his way through the marketplace.

Turning to Akabeko, Weipon switched to Orcish. "This is Kai. He's going to take us to the mayor."

"Here's hoping we have better luck than those humans," Akabeko replied.

They didn't have better luck. Master Windfur, the mayor of Dawn's Blossom, looked politely at the letter of introduction that Weipon gave him, humming and ahhing at the contents. In the end, however, he smiled kindly at the pair and said, "Although I understand your plight, I'm afraid that it's in our best interests for my city to remain neutral in the conflict you have brought with you from across the sea."

Sensing a 'no,' Akabeko murmured, "Remind him that should he not choose a side, it's possible that neither side will come to his aid should the city need it."

Weipon ignored her, instead opting for the more diplomatic, "Well, if remaining neutral allows you to open your city to the Horde, then we will be glad to accept whatever trade you offer."

The mayor rose, followed quickly by the two ambassadors, and he saw them to the doorway with a pleased expression. "I must say," he remarked, "You two took this much better than the Alliance delegation."

Weipon tried to keep a victorious grin off her face. "The Horde is respectful of the autonomy of the settlements in this area. We will not risk losing a positive connection, even if it is one also extended to the Alliance."

Impressed, Master Windfur motioned to one of his attendants, who disappeared briefly and returned with an elegantly wrapped bottle. "Please, accept this token of our good will." He handed the bottle to Weipon, who accepted it graciously. "I hope you will stay some time in our city to appreciate all it has to offer. Should you need anything, do not hesitate to ask."

However polite it had been, it was still a rejection. Akabeko was frowning, having finally put Fu down so she could rest her hands on her hips irritably. "What are we supposed to tell Nazgrim?" she griped.

"We can tell him that we can use the supplies and resources of Dawn's Blossom. And that the Alliance have the same right." Weipon began to walk back to the city center, interested in seeing just what those supplies and resources entailed.

"It's better than nothing," Akabeko said begrudgingly. She followed along, and her good humor soon returned when the smells of food stalls drifted down the street. Eyeing a tray of pork buns, she said, "I'm gonna go check out the local fare," before drifting into the crowd.

Shaking her head in amusement, Weipon wandered through the stalls, Fu close on her heels. The marketplace butted up against a rocky hill rising up in the center of the city. The slope of the hill cradled a small pond, in the center of which was a small shrine. Curious, Weipon picked her way across the stepping stones and knelt in front of the shrine. She lit a handful of incense, adding the sticks to the sand-filled pot on the altar, then tossed a coin into the donation box beside the supplies. The statue inside was no deity she recognized, but the scrolls hanging inside the altar provided the answer. "Emperor Shaohao," she murmured, rolling the unfamiliar name around on her tongue. The story on the scrolls was just the beginning. She wondered how it ended for the former emperor of Pandaria.

She had just stepped back into the fray when Akabeko appeared, holding a bag of something tasty-smelling and looking quite pleased with herself. "I got us some grub using my Pandaren and charming negotiation skills," she explained, handing Weipon a bun filled with red bean paste.

That night again found them drinking and carousing in the inn's common room, and Weipon was again encouraged to bring out her sanxian. She relished the opportunity; not only did she miss playing the instrument every day, but she had been working on a few new compositions inspired by recent events and wanted to try them out. The crowd of gathered pandaren were appreciative, laughing and sighing at the twists and turns in her tale. She also played the old folk songs she knew and was delighted to find some older pandaren in the crowd who still remembered them.

As the night wore on, the listeners began to call for Akabeko to sing for them. Weipon translated dutifully, grinning at her friend as she hemmed and hawed, hiding behind her drink in mock embarrassment.

"It doesn't have to be anything complicated," Weipon assured her. "They just want to share some of your culture."

Finally, Akabeko relented. "I'll sing an Orcish drinking song," she declared, finishing her drink in one long gulp. Weipon translated this for their audience, earning a roar of approval, and then Akabeko began to sing.

The song was loud and bawdy, and Weipon blushed at the phrases she knew. Uncomprehending, the pandaren in the common room swayed and cheered and clinked mugs as the tauren led them through several stanzas, finishing with the chorus and cheers.

Delighted, the pandaren clamored for another. They clapped Akabeko on the shoulders, and someone refilled her drink. "Now they are asking for something from your language. Do the tauren have any drinking songs?" Weipon asked curiously.

"Hmmm," Akabeko said, swaying a little in her seat. "Most of our songs are for special occasions; for the hunt and the harvest and the changing seasons." She closed her eyes and drank deeply, thinking hard. "Oh, I have something. It's something we sing at parties."

She began to sing again, and Weipon found herself intrigued by the way Akabeko's voice changed when singing in her own language. This song was upbeat, but still more stoic than the orc tune had been. Experimentally, Weipon plucked at her strings, eventually finding some simple chords to match the repetitive melody.

Abruptly, Akabeko fell silent. Her hand fumbled to bring her drink to her lips, knocking the rest of it back in one go. When she wiped her lips and opened her eyes, they were overly bright and swimming with drink. "That's it; that's the end of the song," she said unnecessarily. "I have to go." With that, she lurched unsteadily to her feet and made her way to the stairs.

In the awkward silence that followed, Weipon simply said, "I think she's had a bit too much to drink."

"Pandaren know how to brew ale right!" cried a voice from the back, eliciting shouts of agreement, and from there the festivities came back to life.

By the time Weipon finally returned to their room, Akabeko was asleep, half-dressed and collapsed face-down on top of the covers. Her hand dangled off the bed, fingers slack, and on the floor beneath them was one shiny blue feather.

Next: Heading North