Hello everyone! My new job can be pretty busy but my story is always floating around in the back of my mind.
Zah'kal shifted as the glow of morning illuminated the curtains, the soft bedding rustling beneath him "Meh'Atal, I have to go back to mah room. Rukten will stop by at dawn." he said softly kissing the night elf's cheek. She groaned in response. The night had passed by so quickly, but all good things must end. Sen slowly opened her eyes and placed a soft kiss on his lips in response. There was so much she wanted to say but no words would come; it was as if her own emotions had a choke hold on her. You can't be considering crying already. You two aren't even apart. Her rational thoughts reminded her of how she had jumped to the worst conclusions of their predicament.
Senraen watched as Zah'kal shifted into a saber. He stretched and shook himself off then looked back at Sen, visibly sighing. An animals sadness can't be hidden; his forlorn eyes eclipsing his cool and collected goodbye he had spoken. Sen rose, and opened the door as she watched him disappear before her eyes, his outline passed through the door silently. She closed the door without making a sound as a single tear escaped before she could stop herself. The next time they would meet she would have to be in control.
The four members of the combined team slowly introduced their mounts to one another. Taya owned a large lion sporting the alliance colors while Rukten had an armored wolf. The meeting didn't go as smoothly as they hoped. Both new mounts were very aggressive toward the opposite faction—most likely trained for the war. After an exhausting hour of snarls and growls, they were finally able to saddle up and head out. Zah'kal and Senraen rode in the middle, acting as a barrier between the two aggressive animals.
"We shouldn't have let those two ride in the front." Taya said quiet enough that only the night elf directly in front of her could hear. "They could lead us to an ambush."
Sen turned around and gave her a reassuring glance. "You're going to have to trust them and you know it. Doubt can get a party killed." The human looked away, Senraen's words rang true but it was a hard pill to swallow.
Once the team neared the destination, they found a camp site and settled in silently. "While ya set up camp I can scout out da area. Save us some time." The troll said.
The human shot a cold glance at him. "Well take Senraen with you. No reason why you should go solo."
"Good idea, we always seem to run into nasty surprises here. Listen for a sharp whistle, if we get into trouble I let out three chirps." Sen said trying to hide her happiness. I guess there will be opportunities for us to slip away.
The two scouts donned their gear quickly. Zah'kal turned into his saber self and watched Sen like a bird on a windowsill, the tip of his tail twitching ever so slightly. He felt the hair on the back of his neck prickle, his eyes shifted to the right only to meet the glare of Taya staring him down. The paladin looked at him with suspicion and disgust. "Perhaps I should go with you both, I have scouted before." Which was a bit of a lie. She had been sent out in a party of scouts while on an alliance campaign but it was by no means a stealthy operation.
She can't possibly be serious?! The night elf thought alarmed. "I don't think that is the wisest idea. If you aren't armored up you could be a liability and if you do...well it wouldn't be much of a scouting mission. Paladins don't move all that quietly in the wilds I'm sure we will be fine." She said with a small smile. "Plus it will give you both time to learn about one another. A tank and a healer must be in tune!" Rukten's face was an unreadable mask as always. In contrast reluctance was written on the paladin's expression in bold capitalized letters.
Sen and Zah'kal picked their way silently through the thick under brush until they heard the undeniable sounds of dragonkin coming from a cave up ahead. The foliage thinned and soon gave way to jagged rocks. The cave was actually a tunnel. A quick glance revealed daylight on shinning through the other side of the twist and turn. Sen pointed at a goat trail that led up and over the cave; scouting in tunnels was to be avoided if possible, the smallest sound could be amplified as it echoed off the walls. Slowly and silently they made their way up the cliff side until they were able to poke their heads over the ridge. They peered down on what they had assumed would be a normal dragonkin dwelling only to find an eerie glow surrounding large eggs that seemed to glimmer like mercury flowed through the eggs rather than their young.
Dragonkin milled about with their own arcane aura swirling around like vapor. Pale blue scales changed to different hues of purple as the light hit them. Elune is everything corrupted here? They surveyed the area for over an hour. It would not be as simple as they thought. Some of the dragonkin had built in arcane shields and the eggs looked tougher as well. A human woman with glowing blue eyes seemed to be in charge. They would need to take her out to be successful. Once they were both convinced they had gathered enough intelligence they headed back.
Meanwhile back at camp
Taya started setting up the tents. The alliance ones they had went up easy enough; but she couldn't figure out the two horde ones. Instead of the rectangular based tents the alliance kept the horde had far fewer sticks and a circular hide. Too proud to ask the orc to help, she struggled on.
Rukten gathered fire wood around the camp, chopping the plentiful fallen branches and logs down to size. He brought in the large pile of kindling and began stacking them in an orderly pile, all the while eyeing the paladin.
Damn these savages. They didn't even bring enough of their own supplies to build two tents. I hope they enjoy cuddling each other tonight. Taya thought, her frustrations mounting. She placed their tent poles into squares just like she had done for the alliance tents only to find the leather ties in short supply also. She glanced over her shoulder to see the stone faced orc looking at her. As her anger-filled eyes met his the orc went back to stacking the firewood. His perceived contempt just added to her fury. She grabbed a cooking knife and prepared to cut the strap into smaller pieces so that she had more ties to make the set up work.
"If you cut the straps we won't be able to build our tents. I could show you if you like." Rukten said, his voice soft rumble and his common crisp. The human hadn't heard him actually speak common before and it was shocking. She had presumed them all to sound like peons, their broken sentences barely conveying the point. Taya turned to him, her surprise evident. "What?" was the only thing she could think to say after a long pause.
"I said I could show you how we build our tents. Its different, not as spacious but far more efficient for traveling light." He said as he rubbed his large hands on his leather pants to remove the grime and dust from cutting wood. He took the closest pole and unhooked a latch at the bottom, the inner part came out and effectively doubled the length of it. Taya copied him sheepishly. How could I have missed that? They continued with all the poles until they were all extended and locked into place. Next he took two poles and made an X shape with them, the top being far smaller than the bottom and tied them off. He did the same with two more then propped them up against each other revealing the beginnings of a large tepee. Once he made sure the frame was secure, he draped the canvas over it complete with a window at the top that could open and close to allow for air circulation or an indoor campfire vent.
"Well I'll be damned." the human said looking at the efficient tent. It had taken far less time to set up and even allowed for an indoor fire; an amenity no alliance tent had, not even the gnomish kind. "Sometimes simple is best." the orc said with a small smile. Slowly he turned back to his firewood and began to construct a campfire they could all sit around and share. Taya began preparing the rations they had brought for their short trip. It had already been decided they would attack tomorrow at dawn, dragonkin were not early risers. "How do you know common so well?" the human asked, her curiosity getting the best of her. "My father taught me. He said it was a skill I really should know." He said frankly but warmly. "Well how did he learn?" the human loved to ask questions, and with the short and concise responses offered by the orc it was necessary.
"The undead were once human remember? Sometimes they remember sometimes they just know the gutteral language of the undead. And-" he said then stopped best not to say to much he thought. "And?" Taya pressed. "And we don't really know why some do and some don't." Rukten added quickly amending what he really was going to say, but the answer satisfied the paladin.
"Do the alliance learn orcish?" He said trying to switch the attention from himself. "Well I guess some do? I don't know I really didn't pay attention. I know the scholars would but I can't say your average foot soldier would." Rukten nodded in understanding.
They sat in silence for a while, the warrior tending a small fire and the paladin preparing some fresh fruits and vegetables she had brought with her. Once the fire burned steadily Rukten went to his pack and pulled out some green things the paladin had never seen before. She watched him openly, although she was curious she didn't ask what they were. I don't see why I feel so shy. I should just ask. Its probably fruit or something. No its not a big deal I shouldn't ask. While she over thought the situation, Rukten made his way over to her and sat down. "Have you ever had cactus apple?" he said offering her a bundle. "A what? Well no I thought only flowers grew on a cactus." She said taking the bundle. It felt soft and leathery. On closer inspection it was clear it was a de-thorned and dried cactus leaf. "I picked these from home before I headed out here. We use the leaf to keep them cushioned." he said unwrapping his and taking a bite. Taya followed suit. The cactus apple was crisp and juicy. It tasted sweet and light and the paladin savored it. "It's delicious! I don't think I've ever tasted anything like it." She said smiling for the first time in the orc's presence. He smiled back with a boyish grin that lit up his brown eyes. They both studied each other a little longer than normal. Their eyes darting over all of the other's facial features. Taya cleared her throat, "Sorry I don't mean to stare. I haven't ever really you know... well I haven't really been around an orc who wasn't trying to kill me." Could you have said anything more awkward?! She thought in horror, as she quickly looked away a blush of embarrassment forming on her cheeks. She heard a deep chuckle and glanced out of the corner of her eye at him. He had another smile on his face as he looked at her still. "Well it will be a nice change to have an orc trying to protect you I hope." he answered softening the mood.
They ate their apples and talked about different foods from their homes. Both vowing to cook the other some so they could compare. "I happen to be a master chef not to brag." Taya said with a playful nudge. Who would have thought he could be so charming?
"Good I hope you can cook a lot I like to eat." he answered. Well its good we can talk. Nothing like having to trust a healer that hates you. The tank thought, a little happier than he should be to work with the alliance.
Senraen and Zah'kal approached unstealthed so they wouldn't startle their new companions. They came upon the two new additions sitting next to each other holding a friendly conversation. Dat be good a sign. We need da team ta work as one tomorrow. "It be a lot different than we thought it be. Da dragokin be imbued with some arcane magic I neva seen before and one of the twilight hammer be dere."
"Luckily they all seem to work fairly spread out so we can take one at a time if need be." the elf continued.
The group developed a battle plan and discussed the situation. Once that was settled they attended to dinner. Sen and Zah'kal headed out to catch something to roast while Rukten fed the fire and Taya started cooking soup using both the alliance and horde spices they had brought. Sen and Zah'kal were able to catch a rabbit for each of them. They feasted, laughed and prepared for tomorrow. Once everything was arranged, they smothered the fire and retired to separate tents. Sen debated sneaking over to her lover, but resisted. Too much was at steak. A few feet had never felt so far as it did that night.
They woke as the last of the stars started to twinkle and fade to the approaching sun. The group got ready quickly while some of the left over soup heated for their breakfast. Senraen and Zah'kal helped the healer and tank with their armor. They all mounted and headed toward the tunnel. They would attack head on. They road in silence, each mentally preparing for battle. The soft boyish eyes Rukten had last night vanished replaced by the unreadable mask he was famous for. When they neared the tunnel's entrance they dismounted as quietly as possible and headed into the pitch black tunnel.
Senraen and Zah'kal stealthed, Zah'kal took the rear and Senraen stayed on Rukten's heels. They met their first dragonkin guard near the mouth of the other side. Rukten charged as soon as the dragonkin came into sight, catching him off guard and stunning him. Senraen moved quickly behind him and garroted him cutting off his alarm. She grabbed both ends of the cord in one hand while her other grabbed for her dagger. The dragonkin's armor clinked together against the cord snapping it. The night elf quickly jumped off his back, careful of his swinging tail while drawing both daggers she lunged. Rukten bashed his shield into the dragon warrior keeping is attention. Zah'kal pounced next, stunning the warrior once more while the rogue's blade darted in and out looking for gaps in his armor. The feral druid maneuvered around her; his hook-like claws grabbing skin and metal alike, tearing scales and creating openings for Senraen's slashes.
Rukten's ceaseless onslaught to the head and chest left the dragonkin with little room to address the two tearing into his fleshy belly and flank. He swung with his massive mace wildly. Most connecting with the robust shield the orc carried, sending painful shock waves into the orc's arm as well as his own. Taya called upon the light to heal the orc, renewing his strength and removing the bruising and contusions. In less than a minute, the dragonkin lay dead before them. They continued their bloody advance. Taking out the warriors one by one.
Once they reached the eggs, arcane attuned dragonkin stood in a group before them. Sen quickly stealthed toward the one on the far left sapping it could notice the party. Zah'kal turned back to his human form and enveloped the right one in a cyclone while Rukten charged into the other one. An arcane bolt hit him, splashing around his shield and hitting him. He ignored the searing pain as he began his relentless attack. Taya acted quickly healing his wounds then running to his aid. She unleashed her hand of justice stunning the dragonkin before it could cast again. Senraen and Zah'kal quickly gutted the dragonkin before it could come to. Then they all lunged at the dragonkin on the left as it regained its senses. It desperately tried to cast an arcane bolt only to be pummeled by the warrior cutting off it's spell. An arcane bolt flew in form the right, hitting Rukten in the back. The orc roared in fury before charging the dragonkin that had broken lose from the cyclone. Taya quickly calling upon the light to heal his scorched skin.
A dark shadow closed in on them from behind. Out of the corner of his visor the warrior saw the purple dragon descend from the sky; its claws drawn and closing in on Senraen. Rukten intervened, pushing the rogue out of the way. The dragons claws punctured his armor as it bit into his shoulder, The spikes on his plate stabbed into the dragon's mouth causing it to release him. Taya felt his life force dip substantially, she quickly cast lay on hands before the dragon threw him into the far side of the cliff with a sickening crunch of bone and metal. Senraen got up quickly and sprinted toward the remaining arcane dragonkin her adrenalin racing, the bolts hit her as she slashed at it's face and neck dispatching it quickly while Zah'kal changed into a bear roaring and taunting the large dragon away from Rukten's still form. The bear danced away from the swinging claws, drawing it away from the party.
Taya swore under her breath as she ran toward the downed warrior desperate to get him into her healing range. She stopped as soon as her light could touch him. Flashes of light quickly emitting from her into him, draining her mana pool. She saw him stir as the rocks above him, disturbed by the impact, plummeted toward him. Taya quickly stopped her healing and cast a blessing of protection on him, shielding the warrior from the rock slide.
"How dare you come to my roost and kill my children. I will kill you fools and leave your bones scattered across the nests: a testament to your folly." The dragon matriarch boomed, her anger and sorrow echoing into the sunrise.
Taya took no pause, knowing the blessing would soon wear off she dug at the rocks and found the warrior's arm. Pulling with all her might she was able to drag him out from under the large boulders before the blessing gave out and the masses closed in where the orc had been. A trail of blood stained the dusty ground as she hoisted his arm over her shoulder. "RUN I'M OUT OF MANA" the paladin screamed as she used the last of her mana to close the worst of the warrior's wounds. The rogue and druid stopped poking and prodding the dragon. Zah'kal changed into a stag and Senraen jumped on his back, as they ran toward the two plated members. Once they reached the paladin, Zah'kal turned into a bear once again, ready to carry the warrior. The two women placed the orc on him and held on as they ran into the cave. A deafening roar shook the cave and quickly turned into a wail of despair. Sen looked back in time to see the dragon change into the woman with the glowing blue eyes they had seen the day before.
They placed the orc on his wolf and headed back to camp, both Zah'kal and Taya casting healing spells as they went.
Sorry! Cliff hanger I know, but I didn't see a better place to cut off the chapter.