2.

"Seriously. A feral druid could take a resto druid any time, any day of the week." The words echoed in the hollow cavern that was the Drag, as Swoop went on her way to find Jes'rimon. Keebis, one of her guild mates was deep in discussion with another druid.

"You think so? You really think so? C'mon, prove it." The other druid - a tauren by the name of Bovia, shook her head. "Let's go duel. Out front. Now. It's on."

"If you want to get whupped, it's on. Outside the front gates. Let's go."

The two wandered off in the general direction of Orgrimmar's main entrance, leaving the priest to continue her way up the tower that Jes'rimon made his home of sorts.

"Ah, da priest dat hails from elsewhere. And 'ow are tings working out for ya?" The troll leered at her, a sly grin on his face.† "Plenty 'o adventures ta be had? Or do you need more...excitement?"

"Can it Jes. I'm here on official business. Vol'jin sent me."

The words seemed to startle him, his eyes widening briefly before resuming his more naturally relaxed posture. "Ah. Dat. Well, it be complicated, 'eetle priest. Ya see, dere be someting dat we've been lookin' for, for a long, long time. And we found it - but it be hard to get to."

"...we?"

Jes'rimon rolled his eyes impatiently. "Da Darkspear. Da Horde in general. Even Thrall, 'e be lookin for it. We know where it is, now, but we can't get it back 'ere. Dat's where you come in - you gotta go get it an' bring it back. If de alliance get dere hands on it 'afore we do, da results could be disastrous - more dan you can imagine."

The priest regarded him levelly, raising an eyebrow.

"...worse than being killed in the prime of whatever life it was I had before and raised again as a mindless slave, forced to slaughter those that had been my kin and loved ones prior to my untimely demise, then killed once more and re-raised with the memories and regrets of my prior actions and life?"

The troll paused. "...yes."

Swoop tilted her head. "What exactly are we talking about here?"

"I can't tell ya much more dan I already 'ave, priest. Others 'ave tried to retrieve dis...item, and we 'aven't seen dem return. It's a scroll, very old."

"What's on it?"

Jes'rimon waggled a finger at her. "Ah ah...I can't be tellin' ya dat. Told ya, no questions asked. I CAN tell ya, da side dat possesses da scroll is da side dat will win. Da side dat don't 'ave it..." He trailed off, sliding a finger across his throat.

"I...see. Why me then?"

"We tried everyone else. You been good to da Darkspeah, good to da Horde, loyal to Orgrimmar. Da best warriors couldn't get it - maybe it take a priest to get in dere and get it out."

She nodded, considering. It wasn't really as if she had anything else to do. "All right. Where is it?"

"Azshara. Dere be a series of ruins...it be holed up somewhere in dere. I suggest you start right away - da sooner we get dis back to us, da bettah."

Swoop nodded again and turned to leave, her robes sweeping gracefully around her. "All right."

Jes'rimon turned away, rolling his eyes again when a small cough caused him to turn around.†† "Aw c'mon I told ya all I c-"

His eyes widened again in surprise at the sharp end of a wicked looking staff that was presently pressed quite firmly against one of the larger veins in his neck. Two glowing eyes regarded him evenly and the priest spoke again, her voice pleasant and low. "And Jes'rimon...I believe you ought to know that if there's anything particularly fishy or odd about this particular mission I will be hunting you down and taking my aggravation out on you. Understood?"

Without waiting for an answer she whirled and strode down the spiral ramp of the tower, a tiny smile crossing her face at the disgruntled troll's angry mumblings that followed her steps.

Azshara, huh? I'll ride there. It's not far. A few days worth of rations purchased and safely stowed in a pack on her raptor later, and she was on her way out the front gate. Keebis and Bovia were deeply entrenched in their duel, oblivious to her passage, a few stray people watching them, entranced. Guiding her raptor around them, she set off on her way.

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† - Most trolls seem to be grinning in one fashion or another, a tactic often employed by the crocodile. After all nothing quite says "I'm going to kill you cheerfully" as much as a mouth full of teeth bared in an amicably menacing smile.

†† - The last thing one should ever do when confronted by a small cough behind them is turn around. At worst it's a very polite murderer attempting to get your attention, at best it's that annoying woman that stands in the aisles of select department stores, waiting to hose one down with perfume while declaring it's name in an exclamatory fashion and you're about to get a faceful of Obsession.