I'm completely in love with this story and the mantids and Klaxxi and I found myself with so many ideas I finally decided to start writing a fanfic about it. I did start another fanfic about a year ago but only uploaded one chapter and that was due to lack of time; I have a lot to do at school. But I will do my best to update this story at least once a month... if you guys takes a liking to it that is.
Hope you like it!
"You asked for me," Wargana said as she stepped into the tent in which Wolgar – an elderly human and her guildmaster – was awaiting her along with his wife, Riba, and a pandaren, one of the Shado-Pan judging by his gear.
"Yes," Wolgar answered and looked at her for but a moment before he turned to the pandaren. "This is her."
"Ah," the pandaren sounded pleased and eyes of green looked upon her with acknowledgement, "so you are the one. I am Hau Snowpaw."
She scowled. "Wargana," she answered then looked at Wolgar for an explanation but his tanned face showed no hint of what this was all about. "What do you mean I'm the one?" she asked as she turned back to Hau.
"Lord Wolgar has told me of your encounters with the mantids."
Her crease grew. During her travels in Pandaria she had often come across the insect specie. They scared her as much as they fascinated her, unfortunately lorewalker Cho hadn't known much about them, no one did. "Has he?" she replied, trying to choke the nervosity building up inside her.
Hau nodded. "He has, and I must say those experiences may come in handy."
"I don't follow," she replied, even if in truth she did, perfectly.
"You know of the mantids' cycle, do you not?" She nodded; every hundred year the mantid swarmed, sending their small ones to the Serpent's Spine Wall where they fought for their lives. "Then you must know it's too early," Hau continued. "I'm sure you've understood that something is terribly wrong."
"There has been Sha activities in connection with several of your encounters," Wolgar said, catching her attention. "I'm sure you've heard of the Shado-Pan discoveries in Niuzao Temple from Zaii." Again she nodded, the draenei paladin had told her of her meeting with the remnants of the Sha of Fear, the one that had once been imprisoned under that very temple. "There is reason to believe the Sha of Fear is with the mantid."
"Indeed," Hau said. "We are to investigate the matter."
She drew a deep breath. "We?"
"You are to accompany me to the Dread Wastes." Her heart skipped a beat and her eyes widened. "We will -"
"Wait a second!" she exclaimed. Immediately she fell silent, realizing her interruption, but soon regained the ability to speak, "You are planning on venturing into the very heart of the mantid civilization?" This was exactly what she feared... and wanted. The mix of feelings was making her head ache.
"Yes," Hau answered calmly. "If we are to find out exactly what is going on we will need to go there."
"Naaru, that's suicide," she breathed to no one but herself.
"That is why you are to come with me," he continued. "You are experienced enough to handle the mantid," he smiled, "and I am also aware of that you have a certain interest in them."
"Merely an interest," she quickly retorted, "and not one I would like to dig deeper in."
Hau opened his mouth to reply but Wolgar interjected, "This is your mission. At least find out if there is a possibility to breach their defenses. We need to know everything we can about them."
She had no choice, she knew that. Still she wanted to find a way out. Not only was the land crowded with mantids there was a great chance that a Sha lingered there as well. A memory of a time in Kun'lai reached the front of her mind, a time when Shas of anger had erupted around her. So much anger... It had almost made her lose control of herself. "Yes, sir," she said reluctantly.
"Don't worry, friend," Hau said reassuring. "I will be with you."
She nodded in acknowledgement but truth be told it didn't make her feel much better.
"Serpent's Spine is your destination," Wolgar continued, "meet with bowmistress Li there and find out what the situation is. Dismissed."
Bowmistress Li eyed her quickly as she approached. "A volunteer for Dread Wastes? You might be the first."
"Report," Hau ordered.
Li nodded, letting the hand in which she held her bow to fall to her side. "We've got spiders swarming up from the ruins. We're stretched thin up here and one of my best marksmen caught a blast of webbing around his leg. He was pulled right down into that sticky," she fell silent. "We think he's alive, but I don't have the manpower to send anyone in after him."
"Let us handle that," Hau said.
Li nodded in acknowledgement then turned to Wargana, her green eyes observing carefully. "You're not afraid of heights are you?"
"No," Wargana answered.
"How about spiders?"
"I'm not overly fond of them," Wargana murmured.
"You will see plenty of those down there." Wargana nodded her response and Li motioned to a heap of ropes behind her. "You can use the ropes over there to get down," she said. "Good luck."
"Come on then," Hau urged beside Wargana and went ahead. With the help of two marksmen they were soon lowered down from the wall. "Let's do this quickly," Hau suggested as soon as his paws touched the ground and hurried away. Wargana tied herself loose and followed, her magic soaring around her fingers, ready to strike.
The ruins stretched far and wide even though the vegetation was reclaiming the land. There were spiders, small as well as large, running all over the place, their eggs were gathered in groups by the corners of what once could've been walls or houses. Screams of restless spirits made her shudder.
She followed Hau through the former village or stronghold or whatever it had been. His tracking skill was impressive; it didn't take long before they found the one they were looking for, trapped in web not far from a cave that she took notice of. Pools of white and black shone by the entrance, some kind of fog rising from them. The hair in her neck rose and a shiver ran down her spine as some kind of aura emerged from them. There was something familiar about this feeling, about this unnatural... fear. Yes, it was fear emitting from those pools. But -
"Thank you," the marksman groaned as Hau released him from his prison, snapping her out of her thoughts. Taking support on his fellow Shado-Pan the marksman stood.
"Are you alright?" Wargana asked and turned her full attention to him, tearing her gaze from the cave.
"I'll manage," the marksman replied. "The fall wasn't that bad, actually. I've always had a knack for soft landings." He grinned. "That I landed on a pile of spider corpses probably helped too."
She smiled, trying not to imagine the scene.
"Let's get back then," Hau said.
"Hold on," the marksman groaned as he grimaced in pain and limped - his ankle must've been damaged. Hau stopped. "The cave over there," he nodded towards it, "you aren't going to believe what I saw!"
"Save it," Hau said but the marksman insisted:
"No, wait! There were two mantids fighting each other, whipping some serious magic back and forth."
He caught her interest and she looked expectingly at him, but Hau wasn't as excited about it, "So?"
"One of them didn't look like any mantid I've ever seen. Completely different color and dress to him, like some kind of... oracle or something. The other one was a total psycho; splashing sha energy around like a keg of Stormstout Special."
Wargana and Hau stared at him. "Are you sure you didn't hit your head?" Hau got up.
The marksman grunted. "No. You could check it out if you'd like. I think someone should."
Hau exchanged an anxious gaze with her. "I have to make sure he gets back. Can you investigate it?"
She hesitated. She was curious about it but she was reluctant to do this on her own. She knew very well that if the Sha of fear was there it could very much overwhelm her. And being left alone with the mantids... No, but they were right; someone should investigate. "Yes," she said hesitantly. "I'll investigate."
"Thank you," Hau said. "I see you on the wall. Good luck."
She could particularly feel the energy seeping out of the pools and cave and her heart drummed frenetic in her chest as she appraoched. Peering inside she found, as the bowman had said, two mantid fighting. One of them was indeed corrupted by the sha; his color had been drained somewhat and the thick, fog-like sha-energy around him made her hold her breath. He seemed to have taken the upper hand with his wicked magic almost reaching the other one. The oracle, a tall one of rich orange color with a garment she had never seen before, was severely wounded and wouldn't last much longer.
"The Klaxxi have betrayed her majesty," the sha-corrupted one spoke. "Your corpses will be strung from the palace walls for this!" Wargana crouched by the entrance, listening intently to their words.
"It is... the empress who has betrayed... our people," the oracle got up between groans of straining and pain.
"I carry out her will!" the first spat. "We shall crumble this wall and devour the lands beyond!"
The oracle's expression was one of dejection; he seemed as though his end was near and all hope was lost.
Wargana drew her magic to her – she couldn't allow that to happen. With a deep breath she stood. Her magic struck the sha corrupted mantid with a force that made him shriek and his spell break, causing the oracle to stumble in exhaustion and relief. The first turned and glared at her. "How DARE you question her will?!" he exclaimed before he sent a blast of sha energy at her.
Immediately she formed a barrier of arcane magic in front of her. The blast splashed against it before she reformed her shield to a ball and fired it. The mantid crossed his arms to shield his face and torso before it struck. He roared in anger as he raised his arms. A pool of sha-energy appeared below her hooves and she could feel the fear unnaturally rising. Stepping through the arcane she managed to throw herself several yards away, before she turned and as she did his forelegs dove to pierce her. She barely managed to get out of the way before they reached her. Quickly she gathered her magic before him and with a clamp of her hand it exploded in his face. Curses came from him as his hands pressed to his wounded head and she could feel his energy thickening; it was now or never. She hurried to command her powers to pierce his body and so it did, a scream was all that the mantid managed before he collapsed and fell silent.
She panted and stroke sweat from her forehead before turning to the oracle, still ready to fight.
"Stranger," he said, looking weakly at her as he took support on the wall behind him, "approach me." He barely managed to choke forth his words between wheezing gasps for breath.
Hesitantly she obeyed.
"We are... not your enemy," he said before he collapsed, making her heart jump in fear of it being an attack before her mind registered what really happened. "Take... this." His arm trembled as he struggled to outstretch it. She scowled suspiciously as she reached out to take what he tried to give her. His mangled arm immediately fell when their hands met and she caught what he held; a metal fork with two long, thin prongs and an ornately jeweled handle. "Awaken... the Wind-Reaver," he gasped. "It is the only way... to end the swarm." A wheezing breath left him before he fell still.
She stared between him and the bloodied fork in her hand. What was all that about? Empress... and Klaxxi what were they? And this Wind-Reaver? Her hand closed around the handle. A strange feeling of determination and certainty filled her. Whatever this was it was important. This mantid shouldn't have given this to her if it wasn't; she was, after all, an enemy. Any other mantid she had met would've tried to kill her even in this state, but he didn't.
She stood and somehow she knew exactly what to look for. With one last gaze at the oracle she left the cave. Heading northwest she hid herself as well as her energy to avoid attracting the spirits who roamed the area and after an hour or so she reached her destination. Somehow she knew the orange egg-like object was an encasement of sort. She stepped closer and touched the surprisingly smooth surface. Looking from it to the fork then back she then took a step back and struck out at it. A tune rang through the air and vibrated from the fork to the encasement as well as to her arm. At first nothing happened save from the tune fading into nothing, then the encasement cracked before it burst. Immediately she backed away, protecting her face from the splashing liquid and flying shards with her arms. As soon as they stopped flying at her she quickly looked up and found the mantid, cased inside, sink to his knees, coughing and hacking as the orange fluid dripped from his body. "I have... returned," he spoke with a raspy voice – as if it hadn't been used for years – before a flood of what she guessed was the preservation liquid came up his throat. She turned her gaze away from his vomiting figure and didn't turn back before he spoke, "The Klaxxi... call to me." He looked weakly at her, the orange liquid dripping from the corners of his mouth. "You are... not one of us. Where... where is the Klaxxi'va?"
"He… was attacked… by another mantid," Wargana hesitantly answered, guessing this Klaxxi'va was the oracle she met, then held forth the fork. "I was given this and asked to awaken the Wind-reaver."
"That... would be me," he coughed and his head fell as he stood. "You will forgive my current state. I have slept for many years." He hacked. "A Klaxxi'va should have been here to attend to my Wakening with krypari sap... but you will have to do." His head turned slightly. "Sapflies... I sense their buzzing to the south. They gorge on the nourishing sap I need. Bring them to me."
She scowled; who was he to give her orders? She just freed him from that... whatever it was... amber, if she remembered correctly, and now he just... "You want me to leave you like this?" she asked, trying to tame her frustration.
"Don't think me weak," he hissed, glaring at her, then his gaze fell again. "But your point is true; I am in no shape of fighting. And I hear them. I hear them howling in rage. They know of my presence and it's likely they will crave their vengeance upon me."
She watched him warily. "Who?"
"The spirits of the Gurthani mogu I slayed so long ago. If they find me in this state," he fell silent. "Draw their attention and put them down."
"You can't just order me around like that," she bit out and took a step back. "And how do I know you won't kill me as soon as you regain your strength?"
He looked up at her, his gaze blazing dangerously at her. "You saw to my Wakening. This is your responsibility!" Once again his gaze fell. They were silent for a moment, she regarded him carefully, before he spoke again, his tone annoyed and hesitant as if what he said was a last resort, "I give you my word, I won't raise my blades." He coughed again. He was weak, maybe even dying. His hands were barely able to hold the amber swords he had had in the encasement.
Hesitantly she stepped back and glanced over the ruins. The wisest would be to leave this mantid to die and return to the wall, but what that sha-corrupted mantid had said was still fresh in her memory. The wall shall crumble... Something big was going on and according to the oracle this "Wind-Reaver" was the only way to stop it. Even so she couldn't allow herself to be as naiv as to trust a mantid's word. She looked at him again. Or could she? Even if she could why would he go against his own? She had so many questions, it bugged her, annoyed her. In her hand the fork vibrated in urgency, as if it had a mind of its own.
She turned and walked down the hill. She could feel the mantid's gaze in her back but kept her head cool, ignoring the guilt she would've felt, but as she stepped past a tree around which sapflies buzzed she looked at them feeling her fingers forming a sphere of magic in her hand. She clenched it. Why would she help a mantid?
Her gaze fell to the fork, it was silent now but somehow she could still feel it urging her to obey. It was curious how such a thing could be so alive. She strapped it to her belt before her gaze rose to the insects again. With a single motion her magic shot through several of them, killing them instantly. Others buzzed angrily and attacked her, spitting some acid-like fluid at her, in an attempt to avenge their fallen brethren. Her magic shot out with her hand-movements and pierced more and more of the flies until they all lay dead on the ground. She grimaced at the pain the acid caused her, burning into her clothes and skin – she'd have to fix them later. Opening her hipbag she fished a cloth out and carefully wiped away the fluid.
Her gaze glanced at the dead insects. Would they be enough? That mantid was quite large after all. Maybe she should gather more. She scowled; was she really going through with this? Naaru, that mantid could kill her with one strike of his forelegs! But then again, he could end the swarm. Could that be worth risking her life for?
She sighed in dejection and picked out thread and more cloth from her bag. With these she quickly sew a bag in which she put all the sapflies before tying it to her belt. As she turned around she found one of the spirits only a few yards away and immediately dove behind the nearest tree. But the spirit remained at its distance and when she peered around the trunk she realized it was listening and looking, and she knew for what. Again her magic soared around her – the mogu didn't deserve rest, but she couldn't allow their spirits to roam freely and well capable of continuous torment upon bypassing creatures. Forming her energy she shot out at the spirit who roared in anger before rushing to tear her apart.