Part 3

Titus poked Gregorias repeatedly until the small humanoid snapped and attempted to stab his friend. Everyone laughed as the gnome found himself hanging by one foot in the air, a deftly laid snare trap holding him. "Cut. Me. Down!" he ground through his teeth.

Unceremoniously, he found himself lying in the sand of Silithus. "Have you ever thought of, oh, I don't know, actually awakening when we planned to leave? Or are you always going to sleep in?" Titus asked.

"Shut up," Gregorias said, attempting to regain his dignity as he straightened his robes. That they resembled Devinia's favorite festival gown didn't help.

"Makey-makey with the portal, mage-slave," Antonius said, finishing his drink. He dropped the cup into a trash receptacle, then ruffled his brother's hair. "Now. We're late because of you."

Gregorias growled, then began casting the portal to Exodar.

In Exodar, Titus led them quickly to the humanoid they needed to speak to, Prophet Velen.

"Lord Titus, I presume," the Prophet asked as they approached.

"Yes, I am Titus." For once, he didn't introduce the others. There was no need.

"You seek information to avenge your father."

"He would expect nothing less."

"You will die in this."

"I've died many times. It hasn't stopped me yet."

The Prophet hesitated, then nodded. "Search out the Hermitage." He turned away and refused to speak again.

Titus blinked, resisting the urge to shiv the being.

He turned to his party and they broke into their normal groups, Titus and Devinia and the remaining males together, then went to stock up on what supplies they needed.

As the two groups collected what they needed, Titus touched his fingers to his ear again, only this time, he twisted them downwards. As he spoke, his voice was transmitted to his guildmembers. "If any of you hear of anything relating to something called the Hermitage, alert me immediately."

With that sent, he removed the stone. It resembled the hearthstone, only had purple markings and a seam down the middle instead of blue and solidity. That seam came apart as he twisted it, then a stream of light coalesced between the two halves. Words formed and as he tilted it to his left, the words on it began to slowly scroll upwards. Guild communications, trade requests, others looking for groups, and private communications were all logged on the stones and each stone was bound to the aura of the owner. No others could read it. He flipped it a certain way and looked at his private messages. Svara, one of the longer members of his clan had whispered him that she had heard of the Hermitage, a hidden outpost, somewhere in the Twisting Nether.

He rolled his eyes, then made a note of it on the scroll he kept around for just that purpose. The Twisting Nether. It was at least as large as Kalimdor.

When they met up again at the inn, the others reported no success. Titus nodded and they set to dividing up supplies. When they was done, Gregorias summoned another portal and they were soon arriving in Shattrath.

Devinia blinked. Something had caught her eye and she stopped herself from turning to look. Instead, she relaxed and continued watching from the corner of her eye. Then she saw silver tilt through the air as a shape appeared from the shadows. Her Khorium Champion fairly flew off her back and spitted through the attacker, an arc of her own blood flying as the dagger caught her just below the eye. She felt the enchantment of the sword heal her at the same time and gasped at the sensations blending.

Pulling the blade away, she scowled, finished her business, then examined her armor to make sure she hadn't gotten it wet. Satisfied, she rearranged herself, cleansed the blade, then walked out of the small area she had used for privacy.

"What was all that noise?" Zaccharias asked, flipping a gold coin repeatedly. "Something you ate not agree with you?"

She smiled at the joke. "Close enough. They go on ahead?"

"Yeah, they did."

She nodded, then summoned her armored Netherdrake mount. When the drake saw her, he thrummed with excitement and licked her face. A giggle escaped her lips as she directed the great beast into the air.

Almost five hundred meters up, they met up with the others. "Why are we up here?" she called out.

Gregorias shushed her loudly, then she saw it. One of the Naaru, slowly approaching.