It's actually an interesting experience riding a boat between continents. You'd think it would take several days – it should! But in fact, it took less than 15 minutes. We watched Menethil Harbor until it had disappeared, then there was a sudden whoosh of wind and I swayed, reaching out to catch myself on the mast. I closed my eyes, dizzy for a long moment, then just as quickly as it had hit, it passed. Looking up slowly, I found myself staring out at a very different sea with a very different view of land on the horizon. And several minutes later, we were stepping off of the boat onto the Theramore dock.
"That… was interesting." I mused.
"Congratulations, girls," Tori laughed, "You have just experienced your first interserver transfer!"
We found Lady Jaina Proudmore of Theramore on the highest level of the tower in the center of town. And it took us less than 2 minutes to learn all that she had to tell us.
Which is to say – nothing.
Three minutes later, I plopped down the steps outside the tower. "Well, phooey."
"Still investigating?" Vrand pouted.
"She'll be investigating until the murlocs come home." Tori complained.
"Welcome to politics," I agreed.
"So, it's up to us, then." Brecki nodded, standing with her hands on her hips as she contemplated the problem.
"To find him?" Vrandi demanded, "But he could be anywhere!"
"We could start with the Defias," Tori suggested, shrugging. "Maybe a trip through the Dead Mines is in order."
"No..." I looked up, blinking. "Wait a second. Think about this logically." Brecki snorted. I continued, "So far everything has happened according to the programming of the game. I mean, except for Whisper growling at Preston and Timmy being best friends with the king and… and us being here at all… besides all that!
"The king is missing. Check. Andruin wants someone to find his father. Check. The missing diplomat quest has the same results as it did when I finished it – no news. Check. So... we have to ask ourselves where the king is in the game." I glanced at Tori, "Not in the Dead Mines."
"Where then?" Tori asked, "Where do you suggest? No one's ever seen the king – I assumed he hadn't been programmed yet."
"But he has," Brecki nodded, "I remember now – one of the girls mentioned finding him. In a cave somewhere. Surrounded by nagas."
I nodded. "It was a place I'd never been to, never heard of. So, I'd say an upper level area."
"Probably 60's or everyone would know about it," Tori agreed thoughtfully.
There was a moment of silence. Then Vrand shrugged, "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go find someone who can tell us where all the naga caves are!"
Finding all the known naga hideouts was one thing. Finding the one that no one knew about turned out to be a different story all together. We split up to research – I headed to Booty Bay, Brecki to Iron Forge, Vrand to Darnassus and Tori to Stormwind. We met back for dinner that evening at the Theramore Inn, each with a list of caves and nagas all over Azeroth. None of them likely candidates for a Defias hideout.
Frustrated and disappointed, I picked at my food, dropping every other piece down to Whisper, who devoured each one greedily. Brecki and Tori discussed the possible places we could try, but I wasn't listening. At least, not until Vrand suddenly reached out and gripped my arm. I looked up. Then I heard it.
"They're vicious, I tell you! Crazy! And nasty little suckers!" The cry was coming from a rather drunk-looking dwarf sitting at the next table over.
His tablemate laughed, "Not so little, Durgon! They're almost 8 feet tall! And covered in scales! With these claws and they hiss and... damn, I hate those things! Damn nagas, I tell you. They need to clean out the whole entire island before the blasted creatures decide to attack the city!"
I was staring at Vrand, jaw dropped. Tori and Brecki had looked up, too. Slowly, I pulled out my map and carefully opened it up on the table.
"There." Brecki pointed. And it was. There, in the middle of the sea, a couple leagues north-northeast of Theramore… was Alcaz Island.