Roughly thirty-five minutes had elapsed since the rogue entered the rotting city. His contact was where he could usually be found, tucked under a curve of stairs in the Apothercarium. No words were exchanged, as this meeting had been nearly ritual for years. Only coin and confirmation relayed before the two parted ways. Thraze wound his way silently through the crowd until he'd reached the lift, clenching his jaw impatiently. Something was off about the energy of the city tonight. Tension hung in the air like a miasma.

On his way out, as he slipped unseen through the dim hallways to the surface, Thraze intercepted a frenzied male blood elf. His eyes were wide and shifty, and he wiped his hands on his robes fear was rank and overpowering. The troll stepped from the shadow of a wall and placed a large hand on the shorter mans chest.

"What's got you so spooked, Well Dweller?" he asked quietly, muttering his words.

The poor elf startled violently, fisting the cloth of his robes over his heart. He looked at Thraze indignantly before shrinking under his powerful gaze.

"To the east! I think there's to be a raid! So many gryphons in the sky, after a drake no less! I think they're hunting us! People have gone missing!" The elf looked over his shoulder then, his breathing picking up. Panic threatened to bubble over and Thraze took that moment to remove himself from sight, slipping unseen passed the scared mage. Sul'thraze could hear the man muttering to himself as he left.

"The city is safest... the city is safest..."

Gryphons pursuing an unknown drake through the sky. Thraze fisted his hands angrily at his luck. Of course it would unfold like this. Not three days ago, a mass of horde boarded for Vengeance Landing, headed for a Sholazar Basin. The very reason he'd been compelled to drive the little elf from the forested regions. A high traffic of troops would pass through, and Thraze was personally familiar with the grade of being that frequented those parties. He'd been one of them on occasion, but she'd have been destroyed had she remained, oblivously beautiful as she was.

Thraze remembered briefly that he'd planned to kill ther that day, before she'd emerged from the lake. As a mercy, more or less. He'd done it before, when the circumstances were dire enough. Something told him he was happy he hadn't succeeded. She was wild when cornered, and he chuckled, remembering how shocked he'd been when she evaded his grasp.

Now here he was, at the very city recently abandoned, which was now conveniently under siege. He had to give it to the Alliance. Those bloodthirsty vultures took what they could get, regardless of honor.

As Thraze entered the courtyard of Lordaeron, a violent wind passed over him and Dur'ock landed feet from his master, looking anxious and breathy. His large, heated chest rose and fell in quick, loud expulsions. Thraze could clearly see the empty saddle and sliced bonds and growled profanities through his gnashed teeth. He mounted Dur'ock swiftly, only clipping his flight rig in to place after they'd already left the ground. Thraze knew his drake would take him to the last place his quarry had been, and settled in for the ride, tucking low to the drake so he could see over his massive shoulder.

Dur'ock steered them east, just like the elf had said, but he circled to the ground well before the border to the plaguelands. Dur'ock seemed insistent on tramping through the cover of trees rather than flying. Thraze could feel the anxiety in the beast as they walked, and he felt for his drake. Walking away from a battle defeated was injuring in its own way, and from what he'd heard, Dur'ock had been chased by many a rider today.

It wasn't long before the drake crested a wooded hill overlooking the eastern border of Trisifal. Thraze could see an encampment, cleverly hidden in the flat of a hillside. The rogue spotted Aria almost immediately, now cleaned up to a degree, and conversing with a tiny human woman with dark oak hair. They appeared to clasp hands before Aria stood. He could just see a shimmer of something in her palm before she crushed it between her fingers, warping in to the nether without a sound.

A deep anger creased the trolls brow, the feeling of betrayal icing his blood. He knew this was not a common thing, to play sick games of chase across the realm. But she'd prompted this particular game, and he was becoming quiet fond of it. If she thought she could run and he would not pursue her like he'd promised, she was gravely mistaken. She had broken the rules, seemingly with little thought. Unfortunate decision making on her part. Thraze rolled the tension out of his shoulders and tilted his neck from side to side.

His eyes landed on the human woman his elf had been speaking with. She wore heavy, dark green leather robes. She appeared to belong to the druidic ways. She carried herself upright and proud, radiating a bestial power. Thraze was certain he could extract what he'd needed from her. Whether he'd come out unscathed was another matter.

Aria appeared in Moonglade a mere moment after she'd crushed the stone, the sudden change in geography nearly causing her to be sick. She fell to her knees to keep from tumbling completely, taking a moment to right herself. Someone approached on her left, and a soothing sensation fell over her body, like a refreshing blanket. Aria recognized the hooves of a tauren woman, the hoof too well shined and polished to be a mans. Soft crème and black fur fell over the hoof in pretty waves.

"Thank you..." Aria breathed, allowing her eyes to close. She relaxed in to the presence of the other druid, certain of her safety here.

"Of course child. All who enter here are friends. Now tell me, what stress has caused this turmoil in you?" the woman asked. Her voice was deep and low, soft like far off thunder.

Aria looked up at the woman then, noticing now that she had knelt before her. Her face was soft crème, spotted black in small spots over her left eye, part of her nose and mouth. Her horns curved delicately down the line of her jaw. Menacing in their own beauty. Her eyes were warm cocoa with hints of jade.

Aria struggled for words momentarily before giving up on thought and verbally unloading her stresses to the woman. Aria had to give props to the druidess for her patience, and her steely ability to remain involved and responsive to even the most basic of Aria's worries. She'd released her block on speaking of the troll, deciding this woman, with the faction she'd been born in to, might know what was happening more than the sheltered elf.

"Trolls can be silly creatures sometimes. They are obsessive to a point, and compulsive to boot. I can't pretend to know his motives, but I know this. Given what you've said of his skill, he does not wish death upon you. What he does desire is unclear. Perhaps communication is key." The tauren stood and offered a hand to the elf, her hair still dirty and bloodied.

"Perhaps you will bathe, and meditate on what you wish to come of this path you are on. In the mean time, perhaps we will contact your family? I am sure there is someone who is missing you." The tauren smiled kindly to Aria, allowing her time to think.

"That sounds wonderful, actually. My family lives in Darnassus. I can give you a letter for them, with our family crest." Aria wrung her hands nervously in front of her. It had been some time since she'd contacted her family. Nearly nine months, ever since she left the Hinterlands. She yearned to see her Mother again, but she was afraid as well. Mother never took well to Aria's stories of adventure. Always the protector, she was. She was certain this tale would undo her.

"Of course. We'll deliver it by druid. You should expect a reply within an an hour, if the winds will guide us." Aria nodded in assent.

The elf allowed her mind to wander as she followed a pace behind the tauren. A bath and a visit to the well would do her some good.

Thraze trailed the raiding party on foot, allowing Dur'ock a rest under the cover of trees, watching the camp on the off chance the elf returned. It had taken some time for the entirety of the raiding party to reach the gates of Lordaeron, nearly fifteen minutes after their march began. Most had chosen to leave their mounts at a distance, seemingly confident in their strengths as warriors, fighters and the magic bound.

The troll was patient, and did not reveal his lurking presence beneath the weeping trees. A collection of sixty to a hundred various Alliance invaders amassed outside the undead capital. Thraze noticed many a human among the ranks, thinking most were here for revenge. The forsaken were notorious body snatchers, and humans were common prey. He nearly pitied the fate of these men and women.

Enough dead folk had seen the advancement of the armada before it arrived, and had ample time to close up the city. Undercity was not known for being empty, as it was a buzzing, stomach wrenching metropolis beneath your feet. The warriors of the horde that had been inside were now surely hidden inside the courtyard and maze like halls. Maybe they were fewer in number than the party before him, but this was not familiar territory for them.

As soon as he'd finished his thought, Thraze heard screams of terror emanating from within the walled off courtyard. A few raid members had advanced to scout the area and met a very unfortunate end. Suddenly the entire raid seemed to be alight, aware now that war had just begun. Robed elves, dwarves, and humans alike cast enchantments on their allies, trying to prepare for a hidden foe. Thraze searched the crowd for the worgen druidess he'd lost sight of. He saw a flash of her deep brown hair and green robes before a bear stood where she once was. Thraze grumbled low to himself. Bears could really be a pain, if he was not quick enough. He placed a three fingered hand over a phantom wound on his right side. He could still feel his flesh separating there, as if claws had just lain him open.

Sul'thraze shook off the chills that'd elicited, focusing instead on the steady stream of Alliance entering the courtyard through the narrow wall entrance. At the rate they poured in, he was sure whatever ambush had been there had exhausted it's potential with the first few slaughters. A smart man would have fallen back after the first few unfortunate souls, but perhaps they were not. He could hear the sounds of battle from inside, and he was sure they had not retreated quickly enough.

Just as the last of the invaders pooled inside, Thraze stepped from the line of trees, as if to approach the gates himself.

Suddenly, a deafening explosion rocked Lordearon's foundation. A noxious green cloud billowed over the courtyard walls like a wave over the bow of a ship. Thraze vaulted backwards on instinct, taking cover in the lift of trees beyond the road. Members of the raid who'd been lucky enough to be near the entrance blindly felt their way outside, coughing and retching. A few unlucky people had blisters developing around their eyes, and Thraze assumed they'd been closer to the detonation than the others.

He pondered his comment from earlier, about the Alliance lacking honor. The forsaken were hard to swallow at times, as their ways of retaliation or combat often warred with the rest of the factions moral and honor bound code of conduct. They were ruthless and honorless at the best of times.

A small human girl wandered unknowingly close to Thraze, trying desperately to put as much distance between her and the horrifying miasma. She was small, only about five and a half foot, with pin curled, copper hair. Her left eye was either swollen, or blistered shut. Thraze could not decide at his distance in the trees. Pieces of her hair appeared to be singed, and some of her skin looked red and angry, flashing starkly against her alabaster skin. She didn't appear to be carrying a weapon, only a few bags that hung from her hips and a cloak to shield the cold. She was frighteningly unprepared for a battle of this magnitude, and Thraze couldn't help but wonder at her purpose here.

The girl unwound a few strips of cloth from one bag, and some salve from another. She delicately coated and wrapped the singed flesh of her arms. She rubbed ointment blindly in to the most painful parts of her blistered face, biting back tears as she did so. Her shoulders shook with silent sobs, and she shook her head back and forth in denial absent-mindedly. She seemed to just cradle herself at some point, and whisper prayers under her breath. Her fingers seemed to shimmer lightly, but with obviously untapped power.

Just a young priestess then, probably trying to avenge a fallen loved one, or friend, only to find that nightmares were real if you traveled far enough to the north, where the dead wander. Thraze lifted his gaze from the poor woman, deciding that she'd survive, as she'd done a good job of bandaging herself. There was no more he could do for her, short of escorting her home.

The screech of a bird drew the trolls eyes to the sky. He could see the silhouette of a raven descending toward them. It landed shortly after, morphing in to the brunette druidess. She approached the copper haired woman, seemingly unscathed herself. She must have sensed the danger and taken flight before she'd been heavily effected. A light cough alluded that she'd probably inhaled a good bit of the fumes before she was completely out of range.

The druid looked to cup the younger girls face, worry and pity heavily set in the lines of her brow. Thraze watched her hands expectantly, perking up when she placed her fingers in to a small bag and withdrew a few glowing stones. She placed one in the copper haired woman's hands and replaced the rest in the bag. The druid nodded to the sobbing woman encouragingly, curling her hand around hers to force her to fist the stone. She took a step back and watched as the young girl disappeared.

He needed one of the stones.

Thraze dropped silently from the treetops, creeping through the brush without a sound. As he neared the woman, he could almost sense her psychic hackles rising. She was able to sense the hint of a presence, something most people would brush off as paranoia. This woman was battle hardened, however, and she knew when to trust her gut.

A dark energy formed around the woman suddenly as she grew in size, nearly as tall as Thraze now. Her pale flesh was suddenly a near black, silky coat of fur. Her fine green robes had burst at some of the seams, the dress appearing to hang languidly off the busty worgen's frame, revealing a length of shapely leg. Her claws were at her sides, splayed wide and menacing as she turned on the line of shadow inked trees. She knew someone was near. Her lips curled back to reveal her vicious canines, her maw snapping in a way to incite a challenge.

What a beautifully scary beast she was.

"Reveal yourself, shadow lurker." She boomed, her voice like velvet and ice.

Thraze shrugged mentally to himself before standing at his full seven foot height, stepping from the cover of trees. The worgen seemed to startle slightly when the full extent of his frame emerged from thin air. He managed to be taller than the worgen by nearly half a head, but with far more power radiating from him. She shrank from him slightly, but then squared her shouldersand steeled herself to fight this man.

"I'm going to be honest. I'm in a bit of a hurry. I need something from you, and if you give it to me, we can walk away from this unharmed. It appears you've been lucky so far. Your comrades have not." Thraze gestured to many an alliance that littered the grass near the entrance gates. All fallen from exhaustion and agony from the corrosive airborne poison. Each in different states of disrepair.

"More of my faction will be arriving soon to pick off the stragglers. Do you wish to help your friends, or stand off with me in battle. I can promise I do not lose easily, and rarely in a timely manner. This will preoccupy your time immensely." He was to the point and cold as ice, stressing her need to choose quickly. She shook off her shock at the baritone of the masked troll in front of her. Not many horde she'd met had the gift of common tongue that he had.

"What could I possibly have that you would need from a stranger? I'm positive we've not met. I would have remembered." She glared at him skeptically.

Thraze disregarded her question as his eyes settled on movement near the green, gaseous entrance of Lordaeron. The body of a hunched forsaken skurried from the fumes, his greasy dead skin immune to the cloud. He snatched the body of near dead man, dragging his limp, screaming body back in to the polluted courtyard.

Evanna followed the trolls encaptured gaze to the mouth of her personal hell and watched as an ally was dragged, near the throes of death, back in to agony. She glared at the troll. He was right. He was a distraction, and they needed her help.

"What do you want?" she snapped.

"One glowing stone from your right pocket." He replied crisply, his demand like cracking thunder in the silence.

Evanna stalled then, recalling the incredibly shaken elf girl she'd sent away earlier. She'd been cut from the back of an unmanned, but confidently independent mount. They'd not seen a beast maneuver so well alone. Once the elf fell from his back, the drake tried relentlessly to evade the riders, eventually slipping through them and bolting away. The dragon had wit, similar to it's master, Evanna was sure. She could faintly smell soot on him now, like he'd been standing near a hot furnace. The woman had smelled the same. Protodrakes often smelled of flame, she remembered.

She knew he wanted the elf. That had become incredibly clear. She warred with herself over what to do. He couldn't disturb her so soon in the state she was in, but Evanna could not deny him. She was sure of his promise to engage her in battle if not given what he requested.

"I think I know what you really want."She said quickly. She slipped her hand in to the pouch and counted the stones with her fingers. She held three in her hand.

"Just give me the stone." He snapped. He could see more alliance survivors crawling from the woodwork. A few rogues who'd stayed behind, some magic folk who'd been far away, and even druids like Evanna who'd instinctually took to the skies. The two were hidden enough where they were, but Thraze knew it would not be long before one of them was found by the other faction. He didn't have as much time as he'd thought.

"I can't do that! I need what I have here to save the most wounded. Please don't make me destroy them to stop you!" She pulled her hand from her pocket then, holding the delicate stones dangerously high over her head. He could see that she meant to destroy them, to protect the elf from him. He growled openly at her, his rage and impatience mounting.

"I have a fourth! A fourth stone back at our camp! It's in a blue silk bag in a tent! We will not be returning there after this... mess. Search the hill base to the east, near the plaguelands."

Thraze had taken an intimidating step forward, but paused when the worgen began to speak. She offered him a deal then. She would stall him for the elf, and he may let her walk free to help her fallen. Or she thought to deceive him, though the fear in her eyes made him think otherwise. She was no fool.

"I will take it." He said finally, tilting his head in a bow at the druidess. As he turned to leave, Evanna shouted at him.

"Troll! I'll have you know that whatever it is you're doing to this girl, it's ruining her. If you do not give her time to right herself, she could find her end in that halfway form."

"I've not harmed her!" He snapped defensively.

"Maybe no. But you have uprooted her, challenged her, exhausted her, and disconnected her from herself." She countered, an urgency in her tone.

Something in his chest ached, and Thraze grit his teeth.

"She has chosen to fight this valiantly." He tried to fight. He wondered why he even continued to stand there and argue with this wolfish woman, but he could not step away.

"Because you have given her no other alternative to freedom. Are you daft? Forget I've said that. When you find the stone, please consider waiting before using it. She needs time if you want to continue playing your sick game." She sneered the last bit at him. She'd pieced together enough to understand what was happening here.

"I owe you no promises, mutt. You may wish to help your friends soon. The forsaken are getting greedy.." when Evanna turned her head to look, the rogue slipped from sight.

She wasted no more time in assisting her allys. She would need her focus for this next heart wrenching task.

Thraze searched every tent of that camp, nearly sure she'd fooled him before he finally happened upon the one with the blue silk bag. He plucked the iridescent stone from the pouch and let it rest in his hand. Night had fallen, and the stone lit up the trolls black masked visage. The camp remained abandoned like the druidess had said. They must have had portals lined up for escape, if the need arose.

Dur'ock wandered near his master, sticking his massive head in to barrels and tent openings, acting similar to a curious toddler. He tipped over the occasional table or chair with a throaty grunt that Sul'thraze had began to attribute to laughing. Like a big dragon chuckle. They were sometimes the most easily entertained creatures.

Thraze looked back to the stone in his hands and let it roll around absently, suddenly not in a hurry to use it now that he possessed it. He didn't think they would, but that woman's words haunted him.

'Whatever it is you're doing to this girl. It's ruining her.' Thraze hadn't realized she was in any danger. Sure, his actions were impulsive and selfish. He could see that. But he'd never had a thought of hurting her after the initial encounter.

He just wanted to chase her, and play with her mind a little. A game of cat and mouse was always fun, but apparently this mouse was particularly fragile. He wanted to possess her, and keep her close.

When it came down to it, he supposed he just wanted her. In every sense of the word.

And what the hell was he even thinking? He'd never done this to anyone. He'd taken his fair share of women in war, and he'd thought he'd enjoyed the experiences at the time. But now, after everything, he felt a kind of ache in his core over it. It was as if something in him matured suddenly, and he wondered when he stopped enjoying a defiant woman. And if he really did to begin with.

He wanted to dominate her, but he wanted it in a different way than before. This wasn't desperate, blood driven lust in the heat of war and death. This was a chance meeting with a ferocious, witty goddess.

The game was over, but he would still pursue her. She left him in much too much turmoil, much like he'd done to her, apparently. He would wait to use the stone, like the druidess had requested. But he would have his little elf, whether she was aware of it or not. Regardless, he still possessed something she loved dearly.

The rogue rubbed his fingers over the amethyst pendent in his pocket, the stone almost warm and alive in his hands.

At the very least, he would return her necklace. After he seduced her, and she was like putty in his grasp. He grinned at the thought of her, pleasantly nude and relaxed in his arms, her warm skin like satin flower petals. She looked at him sweetly, content to be in his grasp.

'When did I turn in to an erotic romantic?' he thought sourly to himself.

An image of pastel blue skin and a star lit gaze flashed through his head.

'As soon as you saw those eyes.'

Thraze pulled the chain of the amulet from his pocket and fastened it around his neck before tucking the slack in to his tunic.

'We will see each other soon, my evasive little elf.'