Chapter Nine

Rhasta was about to lie down on a nice soft cushion won in a wager when he heard the familiar bellow of a Pandarian. Since there happened to be only one in the entire camp (the rest were safely across the ocean), it was a good bet that something was up. Or that Mangix wanted a drinking partner.

"I be coming out!" Rhasta shouted out of the cave in the best Orc he could manage. No other race had managed to learn Troll, its guttural syllables and nuances specific to Troll vocal cords. Grumbling, the Shaman stepped from the cave to see Mangix waiting there. "What need?"

"What happened down your valley? Lots of casualties, lots of wounded. Did we lose ground again?" Mangix asked in Elven, knowing that the Troll could understand, if not manage the flowing words.

"Uh, I be off duty for three days. Rylai take over." The tall troll, frowned, wrinkled face creased in worry, not liking what he had just heard. "Maybe you go see her, in that magic tower."

"I will. Drink?" Mangix offered. Rhasta grinned and took a long swallow from the proffered flask, letting go of it with a satisfied sigh. "Very good!" he exclaimed in Troll, then translated to Orc.

Mangix watched him disappear into the darkness of the cave, then turned and headed for the main camp. At this hour, it was a safe bet that Rylai would be in the Tower. Probably sprawled over a bunch of soft cushions, if what he'd heard from the merchant selling those were true, that he'd gotten a windfall from the Tower purchases. Drink always made people talkative. And it was a wonder how much anyone could know about the stuff people did in private if they just put together a few facts and rumors. He took a long pull from his personal flask and approached the guard at the base of the Tower. A customary challenge, a simple reply and he was in.

Mangix headed for the top room, the staircase steps a little too small for his big feet. At the first landing, he stowed his combat half-boots at the designated alcove and proceeded upwards. The first four levels were empty, since lessons for apprentices were over for the day, not that there were that many after the siege began. As he ascended halfway to the fifth level, he felt wards probing him. Since he'd been granted entrance, possessed no ill intent and was a Champion, the energy fields withdrew their vigilant querying.

At the doorway, a familiar face popped out, though not the one he'd expected to see. A smile lit Lina's face as she saw the furry Pandarian.

"Mangix! What brings you here?" she exclaimed in delight. Mangix, grabbed her, thinking to give her a hug, then remembered that she had a lover and it might not be as appropriate. Instead, he popped a flask in her hands, taken from the array of flasks on his belt.

"This, my excited friend, and I needed to see Rylai." He gestured at the flask in her hands, "That's my version of elven mint wine. I daresay it'll be better than the ones you can buy. My personal brew, not apprentice-made." Lina took a sip and grinned.

"Come on in! Rylai's here and I think she knows what you want to talk to her about." She ushered him into the round room. As expected, Rylai was sprawled on a pile of cushions by the side, wearing a light blue casual dress. With purple designs. What shocked him wasn't the horrible color matching and design. Since she didn't have a mate, the tower was for all practical purposes her home and she could change into something more formal when the situation warranted it. It was the bloody bandages swathing her shoulder.

"You're hurt! Is it serious?" Mangix asked.

"Nah, won't kill me." she drawled. "Nearly did though." What made you pay me a visit, Mangix? Thought you were busy training that imp Essandril. By the way, I'm pretty sure you said something about 'mint wine' just now. Did you bring some? I could really use a cup. A large one." Rylai glanced eagerly around, her bright eyes searching.

"She's mad about that drink you know. She emptied out a dozen bottles I put in that cupboard in three days. And didn't get rip roaring drunk, not once. Did you, Rylai?" Lina pipped up.

"Nope, I didn't. Wouldn't know how it felt anyway, cause I don't remember ever getting drunk." she replied, rolling over and stretching. "Anyway, you probably came to ask about the northern valley, didn't you?" At Mangix's nod, she continued, "Damn Pudge. He's a tough cookie to handle. And scares the hell out of the troops to boot, what with that huge butcher cleaver he uses." The lounging sorceress took hold of the flask that Lina extended, and took a long sip. "This is so very good. Better than the ones that Lina brought." She chuckled and said to Lina, "Don't worry, I'll pay you back. After all, I haven't gone and gotten myself a lover to spend my paychits on." And she turned back to Mangix. "Anyway, have you any more? Six credits a flask? Ah, thanks." she said, deftly capturing the two flasks that Mangix tossed at her.

The credits were a wartime currency, pressed into circulation because of the scarcity of gold coins and the necessity to have a functioning economy in the Fortress. Each credit was worth about half a standard one-ounce gold coin. Prices were fixed to prevent inevitable inflation that would be otherwise happen.

Pudge was an enemy 'Champion'. The mirrored Champions possessed the same skill as the originals, but in some cases mutated versions. It was Mangix who had encountered it first, defending an Ancient Protector from a dangerously large enemy force. He, or it, was nine feet tall, compared to Mangix's seven and seemed to be composed of a fused mass of corpses. Nobody really wanted to find out if that was really the case. When Mangix had met it in battle, the only threat from it was its phenomenal strength and huge cleaver it wielded. Not with any great skill, but then who needed skill with a five foot blade? Against an expert weaponmaster like Mangix, who knew how to evaluate an opponent's style and plan countermoves accordingly, Pudge had been beaten into retreat, a difficult task for one of such enormous constitution.

"Anyway, Mangix, what exactly do you need to know about him? I thought you were the one that fought it first? Didn't you dodge that hook he threw? Bloody thing nearly killed me with it." Rylai asked him.

"What hook? I didn't see any hook. He wasn't carrying any hook when I fought him, if that's what you wanted to know. We just attacked each other. There really wasn't any need for me to use anything exotic, cause he wasn't difficult, just very strong and hardy and I needed to save my strength. I'm assuming that he did something unexpected with that hook you mentioned. Other than throw it, because I think you're competent enough to avoid anything that unwieldy." Mangix plopped down on a cushion, which promptly burst, showering the vicinity with small feathers. Lina and Rylai seemed to find his chagrin rather amusing and chuckled as he reached for another one, which burst as well when he sat on it.

"Alright, alright, stop destroying cushions. That stool should hold your weight properly. We should start calling you Pudge instead. Well, to answer your question, yes. That huge lout was charging at me while the treants were engaged with the ghouls. Obviously I was getting the hell away, but when I turned to fling a spell at him to freeze his feet, he threw the stupid hook at me. I avoided it cleanly but somehow it managed to change direction in midair. I got lucky and dodged in time, the hook hit me in the shoulder. I think he was aiming for my chest or belly. If he'd gotten lucky instead of me, well, I'd be lunch for him. He dragged me to him with a chain, I couldn't pull the hook out of my shoulder cause it was barbed. I was freaking scared witless, but that was my piece of luck, cause he had that chopper readied. Had I tried to run, I'd be lying there in two pieces. Kind of like Lina here." She winked at Lina and got a glare. "I cast the only spell I knew that could work against someone this close. It creates lots of exploding frost balls. Since my head's still attached and I'm not missing any body parts," Another glare from Lina, "I guess it worked. He still nearly took my whole arm off at the shoulder and the Healers say I nearly bled to death, but here I am." Rylai took a long mouthful from the flask.

"If you're here, who's holding the north?" Mangix asked. She wouldn't have left it unguarded, would she?

"Kardel's holding it. Though he didn't get there in time. They took down one of our Ancients. Nearly gave the council a fit. They'll be meeting tomorrow to discuss plans to prevent something like that from happening again." she said.

"Kardel? Who? I don't know him. What's so special about him."

"He's a dwarf with amazing eyesight and a dwarven rifle." Lina offered.

"Don't forget those bombs that Boush helped him make. Almost as good as magic." Rylai chipped in.

"I'd heard all the commotion before about dwarven rifles about a year back. Some idiot dwarf challenged an elf to a shooting contest. The elf put four arrows into his target before the dwarf got one shot off, which missed so badly that the target didn't even get scratched. And to tweak his nose, the elf helped the dwarf to fill his target. Almost ended up in a fight, they did!" Mangix roared in laughter. "Still, to be accepted as Champion takes much skill."

"Well, they've learned to make far better weapons. The gnomes and goblins helped them. But don't take it from either of us, why don't you meet him in person later? You are off duty till tomorrow afternoon, yes? And Council has denied permission for out-of-duty freelancing till further notice, so they must be planning something." Rylai offered. "In the meantime, maybe you'd like to drink?" She gave him a wink.

"Are you challenging a Pandarian?" Lina was incredulous. "They drink better than they brew!"

"Well, why not?" Rylai grinned saucily. "Those captains weren't any challenge at all. Although the piss they call strong ale nearly put me off the whole notion."

"Are you serious?" asked Mangix. "I've never lost to anyone but a Pandarian before. Even to Rhasta who swore blind he could outdrink even me. Why don't I let you choose your poison?"

"Mint wine." she replied instantly. "But you'd best get more. There isn't enough in this room to get even one of us started. Loser pays!" And she raised a challenging eyebrow.