A/N: This was a part of a double post, so make sure you read Chapter 13 before. Enjoy! :)
Chapter 14: The General
The routine of being rudely waken up, eating, dressing in scant uniforms, working long hours at the Grim Guzzler, being harassed by the patrons, and finally being returned to their room continued on for five days. By the third, Leyla was dismayed to find that she had grown slightly accustomed to the schedule. She woke up often before Nagmara could come in and bang her pot, did not complain or grimace when she slid into the silken lingerie, or did not tire as easily as she worked in the tavern. Leyla had even become strangely immune to the lewd talk of the patrons. She had conditioned herself to either ignore their rude remarks, flirt back enough to satisfy them until they left her alone, or, on a few occasions that made her grin proudly, retort with a snappy enough comeback to leave the dwarfs silent and shocked.
"Whip it out, big boy, if you really are telling the truth," she had purred to a sentry that swore his manhood was as thick as the pommel of his massive hammer. Needless to say, the dwarf didn't and instead meekly ordered another round of drinks for his laughing friends.
The night elf was disheartened to see that Amaru was not having a less difficult time with their new predicament. She was often somber and quiet as they worked or ate together in their room. Leyla was able to escape Nagmara's punishing whip most of the time while Amaru seemed to earn a stinging lash at least once a day. On more than one occasion, she would hear the draenei's muffled sobbing as they lay in bed next to one another at night. Still, Amaru never cried in front of Nagmara or flinched when the succubus chastised her for messing up an order or breaking a mug. Leyla had to admire her courage and, whenever she could, would sneak and give Amaru a hopefully warming hug or encouraging smile.
Moira's absence was another thing that made both of the females feel rather discouraged. The dwarf princess had not returned to see them since their first day in Blackrock Depths. When they asked Nagmara where she was, the succubus snorted and grinned.
"Probably with the king," she replied with a wide, suggestive smirk. "She is his lover and that, in itself, is a full time job. He has an insatiable sexual appetite, you know…"
Who they did see a lot of was General Rocknot. The commanding officer of King Thaurissan's forces was a frequent visitor of the Grim Guzzler, usually in the evenings. He would arrive with a large group of sentries that often demanded massive amounts of alcohol and meat. Spaz was kept as busy in his kitchen as Leyla and Amaru were at the bar. The general and his men would drink, eat, and laugh rowdily late into the night until they were almost too drunk to stumble from the tavern.
Leyla noticed that Rocknot and Nagmara seemed to share quite an…intimate relationship. More than once, she caught them speaking in hushed tones, the succubus giggling and licking her lips at the general. Rocknot's hands often brushed against Nagmara's waist, backside, or tail when she walked by and she would never miss a chance to lay a gentle hand on Rocknot's shoulders or bend close to whisper in his ear.
"Lovers, they are," Spaz said with a broad grin when he saw Leyla staring once. "Mistress Nagmara has the general wrapped around her pinky. He's one lucky dwarf to have a woman like that in his bed every night."
The idea of the frightening, unattractive general being lovers with the frightening, beautiful succubus was not at all an appeasing thought to Leyla. And if they were lovers, the relationship must have not been an exclusive one. While Nagmara flirted openly with other patrons, Leyla would see Rocknot staring lustily at her. Whenever he visited the tavern, the general would demand that Leyla serve him rather than the other dwarf barkeeps. Instead of faking friendliness as she did with the other patrons, Leyla would avoid Rocknot's steely gaze or quickly answer his questions when he did speak to her. More than once, his hand would gently touch her long legs or he'd somehow find a way to "accidentally" brush against her chest. The unwanted attention annoyed and sickened Leyla, but she was too afraid of Rocknot to say anything.
On the sixth day of their imprisonment, a small glimmer of hope appeared in the form of the dwarf woman that entered the crowded tavern.
"Moira!" Amaru cried out as she recognized the princess. The draenei ran from behind the bar and threw her arms around her neck. "Where have you been? We've been waiting to hear from you for days!"
"I'm sorry, Ms. Amaru," she sighed with a happy smile as she patted Amaru's shoulders. "I've wanted to come and see you, but I've been quite busy with the king. I have'na had the slightest chance to leave his council chambers."
Don't you mean bed chambers? Leyla thought with a scowl. As relieved as she was to see Moira, she couldn't help but be bitter with the dwarf woman for not sending them any sort of word concerning how long they were to stay in Blackrock Depths.
"What has the king said about our imprisonment?" she asked eagerly, keeping her voice low to avoid Nagmara overhearing, who was laughing with a group of Dark Iron sharpshooters. "Is he going to let us go?"
Moira sighed and shook her head. "The council has been discussin' how havin' Ms. Amaru as a prisoner may work to their benefit in terms of forcing my father into discussions of a truce," she replied despondently. "There's no doubt that Norfil would respond, but Dagran is not convinced that she would be enough to get my father's attention. I think most of the council is more concerned about angerin' the Steamwheedle Cartel than anythin'."
"Then they'll let us go!" Amaru exclaimed happily.
The princess sighed again. "Not necessarily," Moira said grimly. "General Rocknot made a case that, if they were to let ye both go back to Ironforge and the Cartel, they may have a war on their hands comin' from both groups as retaliation. What with fightin' the orcs and the demons of the Legion, they jus' can'na have that on their hands right now."
"What?!" Leyla barked angrily, her brows furrowing. "Then, they're thinking of keeping us here…forever?!"
"No, not forever. Just until, in the event that my father's forces or the goblins would retaliate, they would have the resources to fight against them."
Sinking into a vacant chair, Leyla put a hand to her head. "Elune, help us," she murmured, fighting back tears. Amaru's eyes were already welling with moisture as she covered her lips.
"I'm so sorry," Moira apologized with sorrowful sympathy. "I tried to make a case, I really did, but even though Dagran allows me to sit in on the council meetings, I do'na have much say in them." She frowned as she looked at the women's scant garments. "And I'm sorry about how you've been treated. I did'na even know that Nagmara had ye workin' here in the tavern until Rocknot said somethin'." She shook her head and scowled. "It's his fault that yer still here. He's the one that brought up that point and swayed Dagran's mind. I think Dagran woulda let ye go if Rocknot would'na have—"
" 'Would'na have' what, Moira?"
All three women squeaked in alarm as they turned toward the doorway. General Rocknot and his usual troop of sentries had just entered the tavern; the general was staring wickedly at the princess, who was trembling between Leyla and Amaru.
"Undermindin' my authority, are ye?" he chuckled in a dangerous, low tone. "Why, Moira, would ye truly go against the decisions of yer lover's general?"
"I…I…" Moira stammered, looking down fretfully at her feet.
"I brought up reasonable concerns to King Thaurissan, princess, ones that he considered wisely as he knew they were worth discussin'," Rocknot said as he slowly walked forward. Moira shrank against the table behind her, wedging herself between the two taller women. "I've been on the council longer then ye've been alive. Dun think that jus' cuz Dagran lets ye sit in on our meetings that ye know better than us." He sneered at her and spat on the floor. "Best know yer place, lass, and ain't in the council chambers."
Moira gulped and nodded. "Yes, general," she replied quietly.
Rocknot only grinned wider and laughed. "Speakin' o' which, the king has requested ye come see him immediately. Sounds as if he's ready for yer…nightly meeting."
The other sentries laughed heartily as Moira's face burned red with shame. "Very well," she muttered. She turned to Leyla and Amaru and bowed, but whispered low as she stared up at them. "I'll come see you early in the morning before Nagmara comes to take you…"
Before the two women could reply, Moira turned around abruptly and pushed past the dwarves in the doorway of the tavern. "You two!" Rocknot barked at Leyla and Amaru, startling the women. "Get us some grogg and bring it to our table."
Leyla nodded and she and Amaru scampered quickly to the bar as Rocknot and his men went to their customary table, shoving aside a pair of drunken privates that had passed out in their seats.
"I can't believe this," Amaru whispered in a choking voice as she pulled out a heavy jug of grog. "We may never be able to leave!"
Swallowing heavily, Leyla stared sadly at her despondent friend, who was wiping her eyes as she popped the cork on the bottle. "It does look unlikely we will just be let go," Leyla admitted with a sigh. "We have to keep hoping that someone will be able to find us."
"How?" Amaru replied in frustration. "How could anyone possibly track us here? We were stolen in the middle of the night and taken far away from Ironforge! How would they even know who took us let alone where?"
Her ears drooping sadly, Leyla looked down as Amaru hiccupped and brushed away tears. It did seem impossible that anyone would be able to determine that it was the Dark Iron dwarves that had taken them from Ironforge. Even if they did discover that she and Amaru were being held in Blackrock Mountain, would King Bronzebeard truly send enough forces to combat the Dark Irons and save them? They weren't really his concern, even if Amaru and Norfil were close. In that case, would Madame Bella call upon the forces of the Steamwheedle Cartel to save them? Goblins were neutral and not concerned with joining in any battles let alone start one. Were Leyla and Amaru precious enough to her for such a thing to be considered?
Leyla bit her lip as she fought back tears. She felt helpless and afraid. Had she some sort of skill—whether it was the swordsmanship of a warrior or the magical prowess of a priest—she would have been at least able to fight against the dwarves that had taken her and Amaru. Had it been Raezel that got ambushed in the grotto, the woman wouldn't have had any difficulty defending herself from—
An odd, sudden idea sprang to Leyla's mind, one that came from the memory of Raezel sparring against the orc during the Crimson Garden Show which led to thoughts of the gambling game she had witness between the dwarf Berrek, Phaen, Darcen, and his friends. Her eyes darted around as she mulled over the wildly audacious scheme; she furtively glanced behind her shoulder at General Rocknot, who was chugging a large stein of beer that had been brought to him by Nagmara. It was desperate and based on several assumptions Leyla wasn't quite certain of.
But they were in a desperate situation and Leyla felt like she had to do something.
"Whatever you do, Amaru, keep serving the general and his men drinks," she whispered to the draenei. "Even if they don't order them."
"What?" Amaru sniffled as she looked up at Leyla. "But why? Won't Nagmara get mad if they aren't paying for them?"
"I don't think Nagmara will care if it's the general," she replied in a hushed tone. "That grog they drink seems like the only thing that can get a dwarf drunk. Just make sure you keep pouring it for them and I'll deliver it."
Amaru watched Leyla, no doubt aware of the curious expression on her face. "Alright," she replied and began to pour the drinks. After the large cups were filled, Leyla balanced the heavy tray on one hand, took in a deep breath, and closed her eyes.
When the glowing orbs opened again, they were narrowed sultrily. Leyla's azure lips curved into a seductive smile and she raised her chin confidently. Taking her time, she slowly sauntered across the tavern, careful to maintain perfect posture as well as an unmistakably sexy swagger in her hips. The movements attracted more than one dwarf in the tavern, and those that saw the beautiful night elf stroll between the tables were instantly stricken with desire. Yet there was only one dwarf Leyla cared about and as she neared his table, his head swiveled in her direction.
Nagmara had been laughing raucously with Rocknot's men, sitting on the edge of their table with her legs crossed, but the sentries she had been amusing with flirty banter fell silent as Leyla approached them. She walked up to Rocknot's side, keeping her gaze fixated on his, her lips still curved into a seductive smirk. The general gaped at her, his beady flame-like eyes moving up and down her form.
"Your drink, general," Leyla cooed in the silkiest voice she could muster as she leaned down to the dwarf to set his mug in front of him. She purposely moved close to his body, brushing one ample barely clothed breast against his arm. "I hope you enjoy it. A strong solider like yourself deserves a relaxing pleasure after such a long day of work."
Rocknot said nothing for a moment, his eyes still glued to Leyla's as she winked at him before giving the other mugs to his sentries. "A-Aye, lass," he stammered, clearing his throat and grinning. "The life of a soldier be a hard one, but beauties such as yerself make it worth it."
Leyla ignored Nagmara's seething glance, which she could feel bearing down on her from across the table, and instead winked at Rocknot. "You're too kind, general," she replied breathily. As she walked away from him, she let her fingers brush gingerly against his hairy forearm. Leyla grinned to herself as she felt his flesh quiver beneath her touch before she left the table.
Amaru, who had been watching Leyla since she left the bar, had a flabbergasted expression on her face. Leyla couldn't help but laugh under her breath and grin at Amaru as she placed her empty tray on the bar. Leyla reached for a loaf of fresh bread that Spaz had just delivered from the kitchen to be served. "Just trust me," she whispered, popping a piece of the bread into her mouth.
She had to execute her scheme just right. The gestures had to start off subtle and tantalizing before gradually moving to more overt and forward actions. She had to keep him intrigued, surprised, and, above all, aroused. Even with Nagmara sitting next to him and trying with clearer desperation to keep his attention, Leyla was not having a difficult time keeping General Rocknot completely entranced by her. But she couldn't over do it. Oh, no. She wanted to keep him begging for more.
She had to prepare herself as well. In between rounds ordered by the general and his men as well as the other patrons, Leyla nibbled often on the rolls of rye bread that Spaz brought from the kitchen. She wasn't too fond of rye bread at all, but it was the only food that she could sneak and eat while serving. Leyla could withstand the bitter taste in order to achieve her greater goal.
And of course, there had to be alcohol. Lots and lots of alcohol. With Amaru behind the bar keeping Rocknot and his boys' glasses full, it was not at all hard. Yet even that aspect of her plan had to be controlled just right. She couldn't let him get too drunk but he couldn't be too sober either. She had to wait until the perfect moment of inebriation.
When General Rocknot snorted loudly and nearly fell over while laughing at the punch line of one of his subordinate's lewd jokes about a gnome, a stick of butter, and a pair of goblin jumper cables, Leyla knew that he was perfectly drunk.
The night elf laughed with them, holding her sides and wiping imaginary tears from her face as the dwarves slapped the table. Nagmara giggled too, sitting on the arm of Rocknot's chair with her arm around his brawny shoulders. Leyla was leaning against the table at his other side, her ankles crossed and her back arched slightly. Rocknot's hand had been resting on her knee for several minutes.
"Oi, that was a good one, Fero! Good one, indeed!" the general roared before lifting his glass to his mouth and taking a long pull from it, draining it half way. As he smacked his lips and belched, he eyed the mug with a cocked brown. "Naggy, why don'cha go get us sum'more grog? M'thinks we be runnin' low…"
The dwarves laughed, as their mugs were all nearly full. Nagmara smiled, but Leyla saw her lip twitch angrily. "Leyla, why don't you go and take care of that?" she asked with narrowed eyes.
"Ah, no!" Rocknot protested as he rubbed Leyla's thigh. "The elf is havin' too good of a time to leave, aren't ya elf?"
"That I am, general," Leyla replied with a giggle.
Rocknot smiled at her as Nagmara sneered. He waved his hand dismissively without looking at the succubus. "Go on, Naggy, mah cup will be empty soon!"
Nagmara shot Leyla a nasty scowl, but rose from the arm of the hair. "As you wish," she muttered with a growl before turning on her hooves and stamping away.
As the general continued to laugh with his subordinates and picked up his mug, Leyla decided that it was the perfect time to nudge her plan along. She watched Rocknot drain the rest of his glass to the final drop with a dramatically awed expression. When he smacked his lips and slammed the mug down with a heavy thunk, Leyla clapped and giggled. "My, my, you dwarves certainly know how to drink," she commented with feigned admiration.
The general and his men laughed heartily. "Aye, that we do, lovely elf," he bellowed as he slapped his belly. "And no dwarf knowsh how to drink better than a Dark Iron!"
"Aye!" his men cried out in unison, laughing as they toasted and drained their mugs as well.
"Well I certainly see that," Leyla laughed as she tossed back her violet hair and licked her lips, drawing the general's gaze back to her. She snorted softly and rolled her eyes. "You wouldn't believe that the dwarves of Ironforge actually think that they can out drink anyone."
Growls and curses of rage erupted from the table. "Those snow-pansies could'na drink themselves out of a barrel of water!" one of the sentries spat, to which all the others laughed.
"Aye, lass, don'cha believe that for a shecond," Rocknot sneered. "Ain't no one a better drinker than a Dark Iron!"
Humming softly, Leyla leaned back on her arms and rolled her eyes toward the tavern's roof. "Hmm…you are right about that…even though…a night elf could probably give you a challenge."
The table of dwarves laughed, holding their stomachs and slapping the table. "Aye, I hafta say that those big, long-eared tree huggers can hold their liquor," one of other dwarves chortled. "But they can'na out drink a dwarf."
"Well, I don't know about that…" Leyla cooed as she tapped her bottom lip. "I out drank a dwarf once."
More laughter mixed with incredulous snickers. "You?" Rocknot scoffed with a chuckle. "Ye be a pretty lass, elf, but ye don't look like a drinker, let alone the type that could shtand against a dwarven gut!"
"Well I did!" Leyla pouted playfully as she stood up and put her hands to her hips, leaning over to give Rocknot a clear view of her cleavage.
"Ye was probably drinkin' 'gainst one of those snow pansies!" A guard guffawed. "No wonder ye won!"
The dwarves laughed even harder. One even fell out of his chair and lay panting on the floor. Leyla smirked and put one hand on the back of Rocknot's chair just behind his shoulders. Now for a harder nudge.
Her delicate had reached out and playfully pulled at Rocknot's braided beard. "I'm sure I could be a match for one of you," she cooed sexily, being sure to let her breath blow against Rocknot's cheek. "What about you, general? Would you be willing to make a gamble?"
A collective "Ooooo" hissed from the mouths of the other dwarves and Rocknot's eyes went wide. He chuckled as he met Leyla's piercingly seductive stare. "Ye don't know whatcha be askin' for, lass," he said in a low, growling tone. "Gamblin' 'gainst a dwarf be sherious business, especially when it involves drinkin'."
"Would you not accept if I challenged you?" Leyla asked in a thick voice.
Rocknot's bushy eyebrows cocked above his eyes and he smirked. "A dwarf never turns down a challenge, no matter how foolish it be for the one that challenges him."
The other dwarves laughed and Leyla chuckled low and sexily. "Then I challenge you, General Rocknot. A game of shots. Whoever can finish the most before the other gives up or can't drink anymore wins."
Snickering and chuckles came from the table, even from other groups of dwarves surrounding them that happened to overhear the conversation. Rocknot laughed and looked Leyla in the eye. "Very well, lass, I'll agree to yer bet," he replied with a confident grin. "What be the stakes?"
Smiling broadly, Leyla leaned just the slightest bit closer, her breasts touching his arm. "If I win, you have to let me and my friend leave Blackrock Depths."
The snickering turned to gasps and nervous mutters as the dwarves eyed the night elf with disbelief. Rocknot himself seemed taken aback by the audacious words. "That be a big wager, lass, one that would have me goin' against King Thaurissan himself," he grumbled. "I dun know if there be any prize ye could offer that would be worth that."
Leyla's body was quivering with a strange excitement. She leaned even closer still, touching her knee to Rocknot's thigh and tugging gently at his hair as her lips leaned into his ear.
"If you win…"
Another push. A big one this time. Her hand wandered slowly down his bushy beard, her fingers dragging through the thick hair gently. Her lips were so close to his ear she could nearly taste the sweat on his body. She ignored the scent of musk and alcohol reeking from him and inhaled deeply, only to let her breath out slowly through her mouth against his ear.
"…I'll sleep with you."
Rocknot gasped aloud and his knee jerked beneath the table, upsetting the cups and plates on the surface. The dwaves that had leaned in close enough to hear Leyla's offer gasped as well, then began snickering and chuckling under their breath.
The general seemed robbed of his speech for a second; then, his dark lips curled into a wanton grin and his beady, smoldering eyes met Leyla's. "I accept your challenge," he growled lustily. "Pick yer poison."
"Bourbon," Leyla replied promptly, smiling to herself as she thought of the troll that inspired the choice.
"Haha! A weak drink, but fair enough." He jerked his thumb in an upward gesture, motioning to the dwarf sitting directly across from him to move. As the drunk sentry stumbled from his seat and moved aside for the night elf that sauntered around the table, Rocknot put a hand to his mouth. "Oi! Draenei! We'll need a couple o' jugs o' bourbon and two shot glasses!"
Leyla sat in the seat across from the general and, after folding her arms and crossing her legs smugly, watched as Amaru carried over a tray of bourbon jugs and two glasses. Leyla gave her a wink as Amaru smiled nervously at her, no doubt uncertain with whatever the night elf was about to do. Nagmara glowered from her perch at the bar until she snapped her head up indignantly and went into the kitchen.
Amaru sat a glass each in front of Leyla and Rocknot then poured the rich brown bourbon into the short, wide mouthed glasses. When they were full, Rocknot picked up his and held it. "A toast to ye, elf," he said with a lascivious grin. "And to all the fun we'll have soon..."
Smirking, Leyla raised her own glass. "A toast," she purred. "To you general."
Rocknot grinned and, in a single swift movement, put the glass to his lips and tossed back its entire contents, swallowing it one gulp. Leyla did the same, letting the rim of the glass linger at her lips for only a moment before she poured the alcohol down her throat. It burned pleasantly and instantly warmed her insides, tingling her body with its heat. She suppressed a shudder as she returned the glass to the table.
"No turnin' back now," Rocknot chuckled as Amaru refilled the shot glasses.
Whispers filtered through every ear around the tavern and by their third round, every patron was crowded around the table where the night elf and the dwarf were engaged in competition. The Dark Iron soldiers cheered their general on, whooping loudly and clapping him on the back after he downed each shot. A few even showed their support for Leyla, laughing and patting her shoulders after she drained her small glass. Amaru was getting progressively giddy after each round, smiling broadly and clapping for her friend.
Four rounds. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. It was somewhere in between seven and eight or eight and nine that Leyla began to feel the bourbon's effects. She was grateful for the bread that was still undigested in her stomach and she knew that it was doing a good job of absorbing the alcohol. While they weren't as hearty as dwarves, the body weight of a night elf did well withstanding the effects of alcohol. She had watched more than a few night elves drink as much beer as the average dwarf during Brewfest. Smirking as she peered across the table at Rocknot, whose eyes were becoming even more unfocused and low, Leyla knew that she had a good chance at winning.
It was foolish for the general to agree to a drinking contest when he was already half drunk when they started.
Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen. It took some effort for Leyla to guide the sixteenth shot to her lips, as she was having difficulty focusing on the tiny glass that sat in front of her. Hiccupping, she grasped it, lifting it slowly as to not slosh the contents on the table.
"Are ye…done…little elf?" Rocknot slurred as he swayed in his seat, eyebrows half cocked beneath his lowered red eyes.
"Pssh," Leyla snorted, grasping onto the table with her freehand to support herself. "Not even…"
As much as her stomach protested, her drunken mind urged her on and she tossed back the sixteenth shot. The bourbon burned her throat unmercifully and hit the bottom of her stomach like a ball of fire. Breathing in deeply to ward away the nausea that threatened to arise in her belly, Leyla smiled broadly at the dwarf across from her and slammed down her glass. The Dark Iron soldiers cheered loudly behind her.
"Ha!" Leyla laughed as she pointed at Rocknot. "There! I…hic!...did it!"
Rocknot laughed as he leaned forward on the table. "Aye, that ye did, lass…bring on the next one!"
Amaru poured more bourbon from the jug—the third one she had to go fetch since the contest had begun—and filled both glasses. Rocknot quickly took his and raised it toward Leyla.
"Cheers," he said with a chortle before lifting the glass to his lips and pouring the contents into his mouth.
Rocknot slammed the glass down and smirked at Leyla, rocking back and forth like an unsteady metronome. Then, his eyes went wide and he suddenly sputtered, spitting the bourbon that had been held in his mouth all over his beard and the table.
Laughter and groans of disappointment came from the crowd as General Rocknot hacked and coughed uncontrollably. "Looks like she's won, Gierin!" one of the sentries chortled.
"Nay, she hasn't!" another shouted. "She's gotta drink one more! Either that or it's a draw!"
Leyla stared down at the shot glass, her glowing eyes narrowed and dim. After drinking nearly a full bottle by herself, the tiny glass of bourbon looked about as appetizing as liquid dung. Yet she was dizzy with excitement about being so close to victory. If she survived the alcohol poisoning, Leyla vowed she would never drink bourbon again.
Better to get it over with quick, she thought to herself, and grabbed the glass and chugged the bourbon.
At first, Leyla knew that she was going to throw up. She felt herself wretch and the contents of her stomach gurgled. Putting a hand to her lips, Leyla took in slow, deep breaths and said several prayers to Elune and whatever other spirits were listening to her. She had to swallow. She had to win. She had to save her and Amaru and get the hell out of Blackrock Depths.
It took more than a second and it was most likely the most difficult thing she had ever done, but Leyla swallowed the bourbon. For good measure, she opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue at Rocknot.
The entire tavern erupted into cheers and clapping. Amaru giggled and applauded for Leyla, who grinned broadly and leaned back in her chair. "Looks like I've won, Rocknot," she said in a drawling voice. "Ya are gonna keep your promise, right?"
Rocknot looked more than dismayed with his defeat and no longer found any joy in being drunk. His elbows on the table, he leaned against his forearms and waved one of his hands. "Yah, yah, yah," he garbled with a roll of his eyes and a loud belch. "I'm a man of me word. Ye and yer friend can go tomorrow. We'll take ye jus' past the borders o' Blackrock Depsh…"
Amaru squealed and threw her arms around Leyla's neck. The night elf leaned into her touch—mostly because she couldn't sit up straight any longer—and laughed. "Thanksh, general," she said with sloppy grin. "It wash a pleashure drinkin' with ya…hic!"
"Feh…" Rocknot muttered as he grimaced and leaned his head back.
"Oi, none of us are drunk yet!" yelled a more than inebriated sharpshooter. "Let's drink to the elf's victory! More grog!"
The tavern was filled with cheering as the patrons returned to their seats. Rocknot only groaned and slapped a hand to his face. "No…more…alcohol…" he grunted.
"Hey, draenei, can ye get us some more grog?" the sharpshooter asked as she tapped her empty mug against the table.
Amaru laughed. Leyla was happy to see her so elated, even though it was difficult to see anything when the whole world looked as if it were melting. "There's none behind the counter," she replied with a smile. "I'll have to go to the store room for some more."
"I'll go," Leyla said, shakily standing and bracing herself on the table before she could stumble over. She felt the need to walk for some reason, though moving seemed to make her spinning head feel even worse. "I'll go get us shome."
Giggling at her slurred speech, Amaru lent Leyla an arm as she regained her balance. "Are you sure?" she asked with a smirk. "You drank quite a bit, Leyla…"
"Yah, yah, I be fine." She giggled to herself, as her words mirrored Rinji's when he nearly toppled head first off the pier after drinking at the Crimson Garden Party. "Really, I'm fine, I just need to walk a bit…"
"Alright," Amaru chortled and hugged Leyla once more. The night elf returned the gesture, sharing in her happiness. There was finally a ray of hope. How they would make it back to Ironforge after Rocknot let them go did not matter. All Leyla knew was that, in the morning, they would be leaving Blackrock Depths behind for good.
Leyla staggered unsteadily from the loud tavern down the small hallway where the storage room was. She stumbled in the door, finding it difficult to adjust her already unfocused eyes to the darkness. Pulling the chain that instantly ignited a gnome-made electric lamp, Leyla squinted against the bright light and walked into the room. She searched the shelves for a moment, looking for the familiar jugs of orc made grog, until she found a collection of them on the bottom row.
There was a creaking sound behind her followed by a quiet thump and the clicking of a latch locking. "I'm jus' lookin' for some more grog, Mistress Nagmara," Leyla sighed with a sneer from her position on the floor as she pulled out the heavy jugs. "No need to get angry or nothin'."
When the night elf rose shakily from the dusty stone floor and turned around, she stared blankly at the person that was clearly not Nagmara. It took her sluggish, intoxicated mind a second to realize that it was General Rocknot that stood against the door. His fiery eyes were lowered drunkenly, yet also held a very wanton stare.
Yet Leyla's mind did not notice that, nor did she realize that Rocknot had closed and locked the door behind him. Instead, she pointed at him unsteadily. "What…what are you doin' here?" she asked with a slur.
Rocknot smiled broadly, his teeth gleaming in the torchlight. "I've had enough of these games, lovely elf," he replied in an equally inebriated voice. "Ye be a flirty vixen, and I love a lass that loves to play, but ye've got me all worked up and I can'na take it anymore…"
Her long eyebrows rising, Leyla stared at the drunken dwarf as she held onto a shelf's edge to keep from swaying. The way his jowls were pulled back sloppily from his teeth and his heavy brow and thick cheeks made his eyes squint reminded Leyla of a very ugly dog. She snorted in amusement and covered her lips. "Wh-what?" she giggled uncontrollably.
"No need to hide it, lass," Rocknot whispered in a thick voice as he slowly shuffled forward. His fingers were pulling at the cords of his leather vest. "I know ye want me…that lil' bet ye made, sayin' that ye'd sleep with me if I won the drinkin' contest…that was jus' yer way of tellin' me that ye want me as much as I want ye…"
Incredulously gaping at the dwarf that was pulling his vest over his head, Leyla only snickered again, nearly reeling into the shelves behind her. The vision of the topless dwarf in front of her was blurred, but she could see the outline of Rocknot's chiseled chest and abs. She would have never imagined dwarves were so muscular, but all the same the sight was for some odd reason very amusing to her.
"Wha-hat?" she chuckled again, shaking her head. "I have no idea whatchur talkin' about..I…"
"I've never had a night elf before," Rocknot interrupted her, licking his lips as his hands went for his belt next. "Dun be tricked by me height. We dwarves may be short, be we certainly aren't small. Lasses have tol' me I'm even bigger than most humans…"
"Huh?" Leyla grunted, then laughed again as she nearly toppled over. The room was beginning to spin and she leaned against the shelves for support, moaning softly. She looked up and met the narrowed eyes of the dwarf in front of her. "Listen, I think you got the wrong idea…I don't really want to—"
The sound of Rocknot's belt and pants clattering against the stone floor wasn't what sobered Leyla up quicker than she could finish her sentence. It was the sight that they revealed that made her alcohol induced stupor and hazy thinking disappear faster than she could blink.
And she blinked several times. Once or twice to confirm that she was locked in the storeroom with General Rocknot. A couple of more times to assure herself that he was indeed standing stark naked in front of her. And a final time to try and erase the sight that was now burned into her eyes.
"Shan're dath falla!" Leyla cursed in Darnassian as she flung her head in the opposite direction and covered her eyes for good measure.
"Surprised, aren't ye?" Rocknot asked with a grin as he looked down proudly at himself. "Can'na blame ye. Many a lass has trembled with pleasure at the sight of the 'Stone Giant'."
Had she still been in her previous state, Leyla probably would have laughed aloud. Yet now that she had sobered somewhat, there was nothing humorous about her situation. She groaned as she squeezed her eyes tighter, trying to block the sight of Rocknot's naked body out of her head. "Ah...general…" she stammered nervously as she shrank further into her corner. "I think they're has been a misunderstanding…when I said that I'd sleep with you…ah…I wasn't being serious. It was just for the sake of the bet! And I won, so we can't be doing this or it'd go against the principles of sportsmanship…"
"Ah, forget sportsmanship, lass," the dwarf chuckled as he shook himself free of his discarded pants. "This way, we'll both win in the end…"
Leyla cringed as she saw Rocknot's hairy short legs—and the surprisingly large organ that hung between them—through her peripheral vision and she groaned in disgust and turned away. "I-I-I need to get back out to the tavern, g-g-general," Leyla stuttered. "And what about Nagmara? If she finds us in here she's going to kill you! Aren't you two…well…you know.?"
Rocknot's bushy red brows rose and he scowled. "Nagmara?" He snorted and chuckled. "Nay, lass, there be nuthin' between us. I mean, aye, we have us a good romp often and she's fun in the sack, but I've grown a bit tired of her, ye see…" He licked his lips again and his eyes zeroed in on Leyla's waist. "And I've got a taste for somethin' new…"
Elune, help me! Leyla shouted in her head as she slapped her forehead. What mess had she gotten herself into this time? "General, I'm sorry, but I really can't do this," Leyla said as sweetly yet as firmly as she could, not wanting to anger the naked, muscular dwarf that had her trapped. "I…er…appreciate you being so interested in me, but I really don't think I'm…er…worthy enough of such a big—I mean, prestigious man such as yourself…"
"Ah, playing coy, are we lass?" Rocknot growled lustily. "I like the games you play. And flatterin' me only gets me hotter." He looked over to the electric lamp and his hand reached for the cord. "How 'bout we play another game and get this started?"
"No!" Leyla squeaked, but Rocknot pulled the cord and plunged the storage room into darkness. Leyla didn't have time to adjust her eyes let alone move away from the dwarf that was quickly lumbering towards her.
"Eeeek! I said no!"
"Now, now, lass! Don't fight it! Once ye've had a dwarf lover, ye'll never go back to another!"
"I said I don't want you—hey! Don't touch those!"
"Oh ho, ho, ho, yer even softer than I thought! Mmm, let's get a taste of those delectable blue lips, shall we? Come'er and give me a kiss…"
"No! Waaah! Stop it! I said no! Get your hands off me, you dirty—"
Light flooded the storage room as the door was flung open with a deafening bang, toppling some of the glass bottles on the shelves behind it and sending them crashing to the ground. Leyla, lying on the floor beneath Rocknot's bare body, her hands desperately holding the dwarf as far away from her as she could, looked up in alarm toward the doorway. Rocknot, whose lips were still puckered in a sloppy attempt to kiss Leyla, abruptly turned his head.
Standing in the door was the most pissed off succubus Leyla had ever seen.
"You…cheating…lying…son of a bitch…" Nagmara seethed, her eyes glowing red as she glared down at the naked dwarf that was sprawled on top of the scantily clad night elf. Her fanged teeth were bore in a snarl of pure loathing and rage.
"Nagmara!" Rocknot yelped, clumsily rising only to stagger backward into a shelf. His wide fiery eyes were filled with fear and he stared nervously between Leyla and Nagmara. "I-I-It's not w-what ye think it looks like! I…she…" His hand flung out and pointed at Leyla. "She tried to seduce me! She led me in here and stripped me naked!"
"What?!" Leyla squawked indignantly, anger rising in her cheeks. She'd be damned if Nagmara thought she had been the one to put them in this awkward situation. "You're the one that cornered me in here and started taking off your clothes!"
"She be a liar! I'd never touch another woman!" He smiled fretfully at the fuming succubus. "Naggy, m'love, ye know I would never—"
"A good romp?!" Nagmara bellowed, stamping her hoofed foot against the floor so hard the stones cracked. "Fun in the sack?! Is that all you've thought of me, Gierin?! Is that all that I was to you?! And now you have the nerve to say you're tired of me and go after this skinny little night elf?! How dare you!"
Rocknot was sweating now, his mouth feebly opening and closing as his eyes flicked back and forth between Nagmara and Leyla. "I…I…I…" He grinned sheepishly and shrugged. "M'sorry?"
Nagmara let out a shriek of rage and reached to her waist so fast that neither Rocknot nor Leyla saw the whip until it was swinging around her head. Rocknot yelped and darted out of the way, the whip lashing against his thigh as Nagmara missed her intended mark. "Naggy, please!" he squealed as he held his hands protectively in front of his privates. "There be no need for this! It's not that serious! I was jus' kiddin' with the lass!"
"Just kidding?!" Nagmara screamed, recoiling the whip again. "You bastard! I'll show you just kidding!"
Rocknot screamed as the whip lashed again and again against his skin, leaving reddened welts on his soot gray legs and arms. "Stop it before ye hit something important!" he cried out, tears springing to his eyes.
"That's the idea, you idiot!" Nagmara snarled. "Now quit squirming and move your hands!"
"Nooooo!" Rocknot bellowed and rushed toward Nagmara. The succubus readied her whip again, but the dwarf barreled into her, knocking her to the ground with a thud. As the succubus lay momentarily stunned, Rocknot ran down the hallway toward the bar.
"Oh no you don't!" the succubus screamed, scrambling to her feet and running after him, the whip in her hands cracking loudly.
As frightened and bewildered as Leyla was, she didn't want to miss seeing Rocknot get his punishment. She hurriedly leapt from the floor and dashed down the hallway back to the tavern just in time to see the naked dwarf sprinting in between the occupied tables and chairs with Nagmara close on his heels, swinging her whip above her head. The tavern had erupted into a din of bellowing laughter as the Dark Iron general screamed for forgiveness from the cursing, enraged demoness. Rocknot pushed past a crowd of dwarves entering the Grim Guzzler and sprinted out of the door. Nagmara did not follow him, but stood panting in the doorway.
"You better not come back, you disgusting pig!" she called after him. The deafening, drunken laughter only increased as the succubus stalked back inside the tavern, her eyes blazing with murderous rage.
"Everyone out!" she shrieked in a high pitched voice. "Get out, now!"
The laughter continued and the inebriated patrons slapped the tables and stamped their feet. Even Amaru, Spaz, and the dwarves at the counter were giggling raucously. Leyla was doubled over near the hallway in delight.
Yet Nagmara was not amused. Her teeth bore into a hateful snarl and her eyes glittering with tears, the succubus stamped her feet. "Phalanx! Get them out right now!"
The laughter turned to gasps as Nagmara's command instantly brought the golem into motion and he staggered mechanically toward the filled tables. Patrons screamed and leapt up from their tables, scattering mugs of drink and plates of food in every direction as fire few from Phalanx's hollow arms. Amaru, Leyla, Spaz, and the other workers of the Grim Guzzler ducked behind the bar as the golem chased after the fleeing dwarves until the tavern was emptied.
Everything was silent, except for the crackling of fire from slightly smoldering tables, Phalanx's heavy steps as he returned to his post, and the heavy breathing of the succubus that stood in the middle of the tavern. Amaru, Leyla, and Spaz peered warily over the bar at the succubus, who did not move from her spot.
"Er," Spaz spoke in his squeaky voice after a moment. "Mistress Nagmara? Are you—"
The murderous gaze that was shot toward Spaz made the leper gone yelp and duck down again. Nagmara's hand flew out and she pointed at Leyla, who squealed in alarm.
"YOU!" she bellowed and moved toward the bar in a flash, her beating leathery wings carrying her above the ground. Leyla didn't have time to back away as the demoness flew atop the bar's surface, kicking bottles and glasses away as her hand shot out and grabbed Leyla by her violet hair. The night elf cried out as the strong fingers yanked her upward.
"You blue skinned bitch!" Nagmara spat as she brought the night elf up to her eye level, holding Leyla above the ground. "How dare you try and take what belongs to me!"
"I-I didn't want him!" Leyla cried out in pain as she clawed at Nagmara's taut arm. "It's true! He came on to me! I didn't do anything!"
"You were flirting with him, you harlot!" she replied with a growl. Nagmara's blazing red eyes burned into Leyla's and the night elf felt a strange ache erupt through her body. "No one takes what is mine away from me! Do you hear me?! I will not let some skinny, petty night elf seduce my man away from me! I am a Succubus of the Sayaad, the most desirable and seductive creatures of this world and any other! There is no one more beautiful than me, especially not some mortal, ugly little elf!"
Nagmara's hand roughly threw Leyla onto the floor and the night elf was sent crashing into the draenei that tried to catch her. The succubus stood on the table, her chest heaving as she stared down at the two women. "You two will scrub every inch of this tavern until it is spotless!" she seethed as her wings fluttered. "I swear to the Sargaras, if there is a single scrap of food, dust, or anything left in any corner, I will see to it that your naked bodies are hung over the pits of the Dark Forge for everyone to see!"
The hours that passed allowed Leyla to sober up from the drinks she had consumed earlier in the night, but with it came the aching headache and nauseating vertigo of ingesting too much alcohol. It didn't help that Nagmara had been true to her word and, after giving Amaru and Leyla rags and a bucket each, forced them to clean the entire soiled tavern. The women picked up the discarded mugs and carefully threw away the broken shards of destroyed glasses and plates. It was arduous work, taking hours just to clean up the spilled food and liquids.
Leyla guessed that it was in the early hours of the morning by the time they had the Grim Guzzler in a slightly clean state. Her muscles were aching, her hands tender with the nails even bleeding at their edges from scrubbing so hard. Her head ached unmercifully; fatigue and an awful hangover left her feeling sluggish. Yet Nagmara had no sympathy for the worn out women, sitting on the bar consuming mug after mug of orc grog as she verbally berated them both, especially Leyla.
"That bucket water ish filthy, you disgusting elf!" she slurred as she pointed to the pail Leyla had been using to mop up the floor. "Go to the well room and get a fresh bucket! And don't you dare think about runnin' off!"
"Yes, Mistress Nagmara," she murmured, too weary and upset with herself and the succubus to argue. She picked up the heavy pail of dirty water and began shuffling toward the door. As she passed Amaru, who was on her knees scrubbing sick from a chair a dwarf had thrown up on, she grimaced at the sight of the equally worn draenei. Amaru looked up at her as she walked by and Leyla smiled comfortingly. She felt guilty that she had gotten Amaru in that predicament, as it was her fault that Nagmara was punishing them. Had she not tried to flirt with Rocknot and convince him to let them leave, they wouldn't be doing such back-breaking work. Yet Amaru gave her a gentle, forgiving smile and continued with her work.
Leyla carried her heavy bucket from the tavern, dumping the water over the side of a bridge into the molten lava below, before continuing her walk to the well room from which water was collected. The streets and passage ways of Shadowforge City were deserted and quiet, as most of its inhabitants were still asleep and it was too early for even the most dutiful of soldiers to be up. The bubbling of the lava beneath the bridges and the distant echo of a rock falling against stone were the only sounds to be heard.
When she reached the well room, a small chamber in a sector of the lower ward of Shadowforge that was reserved for washing, Leyla pushed through the door. She hated going to the well room, as it was isolated from the rest of the city and often eerily quiet. Inside was a large well from which large amounts of water could be drawn from an underground source as well as taps and faucets erected into the floor. As she approached the well and felt herself become surrounded by the silence and darkness of the dimly lit room, Leyla's weariness and despondency washed over her.
The night elf collapsed against the stone rim of the well as tears collected at her eyes. Bringing a hand to her head, the she began to sob as she slid down to the floor and leaned against the bricks. She would never admit it out loud, but her and Amaru's predicament in Blackrock Depths had made her terribly homesick. It was all too overwhelming, not only being so far away from her home but being in danger as well. Leyla had never experienced such a dreadful thing as being kidnapped and kept against her will. As stern as he was, her father had always protected her and she felt safe and impervious behind Darnassus's impenetrable borders.
But the world was not safe. Walls were built to kept threats out and now that she was on the outside of those walls, Leyla realized how dangerous Azeroth really was. She would have never survived had she chosen to continue traveling alone. Had it not been for Madame Bella and Raezel—and if she hadn't perished in the Wetlands—Leyla probably would have met her end in some other perilous region of Azeroth.
Wiping at her eyes, the night elf sniffled miserably and rose to her feet. With Nagmara's vehement hatred for her and her rejection of Rocknot's advances, Leyla had no idea if she and Amaru would ever be allowed to leave Blackrock Depths. It had nearly been a week since they had been kidnapped. Leyla couldn't fathom having to serve in the Grim Guzzler for much longer. She could fathom, however, that either Nagmara or Rocknot would get tired of her and Amaru enough to either throw them in a cell or…
Leyla shook away the horrific thought as she drew her full bucket up from the well. There was no use dwelling over such things. Her fate was in the hands of the Dark Iron dwarves. Whatever happened to her and Amaru would be up to them.
Her ears twitched and Leyla's body instinctively went stone still, her hands clutching the bucket at her side. She could have sworn she heard the scuffing of something against the floor accompanied by a quiet whoosh of air. Her keen glowing eyes searched the dimness of the well room, looking for the presence of a rat or anything else that could have made the noise. When she saw that there was nothing, the night elf slowly shuffled forward. After what occurred outside of Ironforge in the grotto just barely a week before, Leyla would never dismiss strange noises again. She needed to get back to the Guzzler. And fast.
She walked as quickly as she could to the other side of the room, the heavy bucket slowing her down slightly. As the door of the well room came closer and closer, Leyla felt her tension rise in anticipation for finally being rid of her creepy surroundings.
The bucket in her hand hit something with a thud, the water sloshing out of its container onto the floor. Yet Leyla had still been at least five paces away from the doorway and there was nothing in her way that could have collided with the pail.
Yet when a grunting "Oof!" came from the empty spot that had hit her bucket, Leyla knew she was wrong.
Gasping, Leyla backed away abruptly and dropped the pail. The bucket did not clatter to the floor loudly or spill all over the stone, yet rather jerkily hovered in midair as if a pair of unsteady hands had caught it.
"Ooh, that was close! Don't wanna make any unnecessary noise, now do we?"
As the small, shadowy figure that grasped the pail faded into existence like a wraith from the darkness, Leyla realized that was exactly what had happened.
She screamed. Or tried to rather. But the would have been loud shriek was forced back into her mouth as a gloved hand reached from behind her and clamped hard against her mouth. A second hand reached around her waist and the tall attacker that clasped her against its armored body pulled her behind the door of the well room into the shadowy darkness behind it.
"By the Light, little elf, you just can't stay out of trouble, can you?"
The feminine voice that whispered behind her immediately ceased Leyla's struggling and she gasped into the woman's hand. A rush of excitement, relief, and happiness swelled inside her and she nearly sobbed aloud. The hands released Leyla and she quickly spun around, staring at the figure still cloaked in darkness but now instantly recognizable.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be your troll in shining armor," Raezel said with a grin as she stepped from the shadows, the light of the torches gleaming off her gold pauldrons and breastplate. "But I assumed you wouldn't be too picky…"
A/N: Hur, hur, hur.
I think I channeled my inner male when writing these past two chapters. I warned you the story was going to get pretty naughty. This ain't even the bad stuff, mwahaha...
Some notes about the characters: Spaz and Phalanx are also real NPCs in the tavern of BRD. Nagmara and Rocknot are also somewhat of an "item". Nagmara actually gives you a quest that asks you to go and get materials for a love potion she will use on Rocknot. Supposedly, if you complete the quest, she and Rocknot go off in a backroom together...Naughty, naughty, Blizzard!
This chapter was so much fun to write. As I said in the A/N of 13, I wrote these two chapters together in two days because they were just so much fun to do. A lot of the scenes I wrote as I went and I am really happy with how they turned out. I felt really bad for treating Leyla and Amaru so awfully, but I couldn't let their stay in BRD be too relaxed.
Chapter 15: The Rescue and the conclusion of the Brewfest arc is next! M'thinks you will be pleasantly surprised...