It was a parade of leathers and villainy through the backrooms of the apothecary in Old Town. Mahogany browns, stained greys and blacks, studs and rivets, even the motley red and green of Jester's armour strutted and preened beneath broken noses, missing teeth and avaricious leers.
The night elves sailed sedately through it all, two sleek wolves surrounded by yapping and cavorting dog pups, tumbling over each other in their venomous excitement. It wasn't so much a procession as a slow bundling of the inhuman guests toward their destination, though for all their bluster and arrogance, none quite dared to breach the gap and jostle the kaldorei forwards – like their imperturbability extended as a field around them.
Through another door and they came to the headquarters, a fairly large space with benches and tables strewn with deflated wineskins and mugs. It was quite homey really, well lit with oil lamps and with colourful paintings gracing the walls. Three more of the Alchemist's "associates" were lounging in there and they all rose to their feet when the elves padded in, thuggish grins cracking open their faces.
Neither one of the night elves deigned to return an expression. Medyna was out of her traditional robe, whip-thin body wrapped tightly in muted green, blue and brown leather while Iyokus was in black, hair pulled back into a loose, untidy tail. In one hand he carried a plain, bulging sack, its only notable feature being the large, clunky padlock locking its flap closed.
The eight 'chemists surrounded the two elves, the men amongst them locking their lips grotesquely whenever they thought Medyna's silvery gaze was upon them.
'Only one of you goes to see him,' said Jester, his accent surprisingly refined.
Iyokus fixed hi eyes on to Medyna and the two shared some silent communication, the priestess eventually reaching to her wrist and pushing her fingers underneath her bracers, drawing forth a simple, sturdy key, which she handed to Iyokus, quietly letting their fingers slide over each others'.
'And you can leave your weapons out here,' the gang member said, and after seeing the flash in Iyokus's eyes, continued, 'It's that, or we take them off you, and likely the boys enjoy doing it too.'
There were a few obscene chuckles at that, but they didn't last long under the elves' unblinking scrutiny. Then Iyokus sighed and began to unbuckle the sheathes of his two daggers from his waist, speaking as he did so.
'Why do they call you the Jester anyway?' he asked, handing the daggers in their scabbards to Medyna, who took them wordlessly.
''Cause I'm so fucking funny,' said Jester dryly, 'On we go.'
One last almost imperceptible questioning look from Iyokus and Medyna tilted her head. Something in her eyes was enough for the male and he turned and followed the merrily dressed murderer into a further backroom, two other thugs at his heels.
His last sight of her she was standing stiffly, dagger scabbards tucked in her underarms, hands resting casually on the grips. The knot of 'chemists around her drew in hungrily just as the door closed behind him.
The Alchemist himself was not a native of Stormwind, having the fair skin and golden hair of an Alterac man. He was slight and stooping and had the look of a severe history master rather than a man who controlled a good share of the narcotics and black alchemy market and had reportedly personally poisoned hundreds of people.
When Iyokus followed Jester in, his escort trailing behind him, the Alchemist was hunched over his equipment, goggles masking his eyes. He did not look up, carefully dripping a clear solution into a bubbling flask.
'Not often one of the kaldorei makes deliveries for the under barons,' he said, his voice measured and clipped.
Iyokus merely grunted in reply, looking around the room with curious eyes.
'Though I am eager to hear who else you will be toting that bag to today,' he continued, levering himself up and pulling his goggles down from his eyes.
'I don't see how that is any concern of yours Alchemist,' Iyokus drawled, noting, but not reacting to, the muffled creak of a floorboard behind him.
The gaunt, blond man blinked lizard-like and held up the now still flask up to his eye level, gently swirling it in his grip.
'Now this is one of my most popular concoctions. Delightfully expensive too. A poison that has no taste and leaves no sign of its passing. The victim falls into a deep and from the outside, seemingly peaceful slumber, all the while suffering from the most excruciating pain. A nightmare that they cannot wake from.' The Alchemist tapped the glass, 'And hours later, after indescribable torture, they die.'
If he was hoping to draw a reaction from the elf, there was none, only a slight air of disappointment emanating from the silent warrior. The scientist sighed.
'You see, I have a grand undertaking in mind, something that might change the balance of power in the city, but lack the finances to bankroll it at the present time.'
Iyokus minutely bent his knees while making a show of yawning, 'Let me know when that becomes my problem.'
That made the Alchemist grin, an unpleasant drawing back of his lips.
'As it so happens...' he started, but Iyokus did not let him finish. As soon as he saw Jester beginning to move he flung the heavy sack towards the man's chest, knocking him back. Continuing the motion, the elf brought his elbow up, slamming it back into the nose of the 'chemist behind his left shoulder, the spin allowing him to bring his right hand up and he punched his stiffened fingers into the thug's exposed throat as he reeled back, blood streaming from his face.
At the same time, the other gang member thrust forward with his shank, the serrated blade skittering along Iyokus's ribs as his spin just brought him clear. Wrenching down with his arm, Iyokus trapped the offending lunge against himself. Then, using his body as a pivot, he jerked abruptly, the man's forearm splintering with a visceral wet crack and a strangled shriek.
Before the knife could fall to the ground from the thug's nerveless fingers, Iyokus snatched it out of the air and in one smooth motion, rammed it blade-first into the soft underside of Jester's jaw, nailing his mouth closed and killing him instantly.
Three swift punches to the gurgling and choking 'chemist and a brutal kick to the face of the one cradling his broken arm and everything was silent save for the clicking shut of the hidden hatch behind the small laboratory's apparatus. Iyokus put the escaping Alchemist from his mind and hurriedly kicked through the door, his face locked into a fearsome grimace , his hands closed into fists.
'COME ON... then?' he roared, the yell faltering into a confused silence as he stumbled over the body of one of the 'chemists.
Medyna was standing much as he had left her, straight with her head bowed, except the daggers were now in her hands, blades dripping blood, her wrists flecked with sprays of crimson. And around her, like toppled saplings, lay the slashed and dead bodies of the five 'chemists he had left her with.
She met his incredulous gaze, her expression open and innocent.
'...what?'
Iyokus's shoulders slumped and he picked his way towards her, shaking his head.
Suddenly, the door to the headquarters crashed open and a beast of a man loomed in the frame, twin enormous tulwars clutched in his boulder sized fists. Iyokus instantly sprang forward, leaping over bodies to get between the bruiser and Medyna.
'By the wrath of Cenarius, you will not have her!' Iyokus yelled dramatically.
Just as he was about to deliver a punishing blow to the villain's stomach, the hilt of a knife sprouted from the man's eye socket. Like he was a puppet whose strings had been cut, the colossus collapsed, an almost amused expression on his ugly face.
Iyokus pivoted on the spot, rotating to face Medyna, who let her now-empty hand drop to her side.
The two stared at each other in silence for a long moment until Medyna's shoulders bobbed up in a nonchalant shrug. Iyokus narrowed his eyes, his finger pointing first at her, and then at himself, swinging between them.
'You,' he started accusingly in Darnassian, 'and me. We are going to have a conversation.'
Medyna sighed despairingly, rolling her eyes behind his back as he bent to pull the dagger from the thug's brain.
'So you keep insisting.'
He glared at her, snatching his other knife from her hand while she smirked.
'Give me that,' he grumbled, stalking back into the Alchemist's office and retrieving the satchel.
Medyna chuckled quietly to herself, but there was an extra swagger to her steps as she followed him in.
'Looks like you missed one,' she said innocuously, ignoring Iyokus's scowl.
'It isn't here anyway,' he said, golden gaze roving across the chamber, 'waste of time.'
Her long fingers curled around the back of his neck, rubbing firmly as she moved to stand by his side. 'You really need to cultivate less bloody obsessions you know...' she said, glancing at the cut that dribbled sluggishly along his side.
He grinned at her, pushing a strand of his white hair from his face.
'You are absolutely right of course. How about you and me discuss some safer hobbies in the baths?'
It was Medyna's turn to scowl and she marched away from him, back through the door. Iyokus sighed and hefted the sack over his shoulder.
'Well, are you coming? Baths don't draw themselves you know.'
He laughed, loud and happy, scurrying to follow.