((The characters have all existed on a German realm. They're none of them mine except for Modgud, who I had intended to be a very prototypical Forsaken.

22.04. Slightly revised 1st chapter, including paragraph separators that were previously lost to formatting.))


The first time Modgud met Chantaz, she stumbled into the inn in Hammerfall. She was tired, and it made her angry beyond words. Being a Forsaken, you'd think she didn't need sleep or food. Perhaps, she thought, her body remembered, something akin to phantom pain. She placed her bag on the bench beside her and started looking through it. After a few moments, Modgud swore loudly. A patrol from Stromgarde Keep had attacked her on the way and all her precious vials had been broken. She emptied the glass shards onto the table and frowned.

'Ya be careful, mon.' Modgud jumped violently and stared at the Troll who had sneaked up on her and stood less than an arm's length away. She barely suppressed a shudder. She didn't like Trolls. Not because as a Forsaken she felt obliged to feel above the other peoples of the Horde. She didn't. No, seriously, she didn't. But Trolls … Maybe it was the tusks, or maybe the accent. Modgud neither knew nor cared, really.

'Yeah,' she said simply, hoping that the conversation was over.

'Ya been walking all the way?' Modgud sighed.

'Yes. All the way from Tarren Mill.'

'That be far. Ya need bottles?' She shrugged.

'Does anyone sell vials here?'

'No, but Chantaz has some.' He started digging in his backpack and produced three vials. 'There. Take them.' Feeling guilty as well as surprised, Modgud forced a smile on her face.

'Thanks, that's great.' Chantaz wasn't done.

'Go buy yaself a raptor. You be faster. Chantaz got one. Wanna see?' Amused, her smile turned a notch more honest.

'Yeah, why not?' She followed Chantaz outside and to the side of the inn, where the beast was tethered. 'I'd rather not get too close though.'

'No, Chantaz teach his raptor not to eat Forsaken.' He grinned. 'Chan gotta be on his way. Ya got a name I can remember you by?'

'Mo,' she said simply. 'Call me Mo.'

ϡ

The second time Modgud met Chantaz, she had forgotten the first encounter. Completely and absolutely, until she was fighting for her life in the badlands, surrounded by a group of murderous birds. She threw her arms into the air, channelling energy to the floor in a desperate attempt to free herself. The ring of ice around her held them, but only for a moment. Then they were upon her again.

An incomprehensible challenge rent the air, and a raptor rushed towards her. The huge beast gripped one of the birds and threw the bloody body away to the side. A staff crashed through the air, hitting two birds in mid-flight. A fourth turned blue with frost, fell to the floor, and shattered. Modgud cheered at her saviour and cast a small fireball at the last animal. She was out of breath.

'Ya be careful, mon.' And with those words, she recognised him.

'Chan! Thank you. Thank you so much.' He merely grinned.

'Ya need help?' Modgud beamed at him. She had never been so happy to see a Troll.

'Yes, I might.'

'Chan might need someone else, too. Ya come with me, mon.'

ϡ

The third and last time Modgud met Chantaz, she ran into him in Orgrimmar.

She recognised him at once, this time. In her defence, she wasn't in any danger to be torn to shreds. 'Chan has a new tattoo,' he informed her proudly. Modgud scratched her head.

'I've always been wondering, she answered, 'if I should get one. But I never dared. And I don't know if it's possible for me.' Chan eyed her carefully.

'Go to Bloodhoof in an hour. He'll be there, who did mine. Tell him Chan sent you and he'll talk to ya.' Modgud smiled and nodded.

'I'll do that. Has that tattooer a name?' Chan grinned.

'Sure. He's Razza'jin.' Modgud sighed. Another Troll. She wasn't sure she liked the idea, but she decided to trust Chantaz. Later, she sometimes looked back to this moment. And whenever she did, she realised her life would have been very different if she had decided not to go.