((Author's Note: This story was inspired by World of Warcraft. Izusa is my character from the Thorium Brotherhood server. This story, although using characters I've created personalities for, is copyright Blizzard Entertainment 2005, please don't sue, etc.

This story is rated M for some language, some adult themes and violence.))

Izusa Witch Doctor Extraordinaire

A World of Warcraft fanfic

By Heidi Cautrell

~Izusa the Swindler~

The clink of shiny little disks of metal was like a love song to Izsua's ears. Grinning like a madwoman, she carefully counted out her stash of coins as she sat cross-legged on the bedroll she used to hide her horde in. Braids filled with beads and feathers hung around her face, hiding the crazy grin and her otherwise smooth, almost pretty features.

"Izusa! Where are you, troll! You owe me for that dud spell stick you sold me that was suppose to attract women!" The voice was high pitched and scratchy, but Izusa knew it belong to a male, goblin bruiser. What was his name again? Izzy? Wizzy? Finkle? They all sounded the same to her; looked the same too.

Grunting her annoyance, Izusa hid her half-counted stash, then hurried to the locked door of her wooden shack. Tossing on a cape that was covered in feathers and bones, she snagged a mask made of wood and painted almost childishly with Trollish swear words and covered with feathers and strings of beads. Undoing the seven bolts she'd put on the door, she swept outside in a clatter of bones and beads. Snatching up a nearby stick topped with what looked like a human skull and decorated with more Trollish words and strings of feathers and beads, Izusa stared down at the goblin.

Taken aback by her appearance, the diminutive bruiser took a moment to compose himself. Shaking off his surprise, he glared up at her and waved something toward her.

"An' what ya be troublin' Witch Doctah Izusa foah today, mon?"

"Do you see this?" piped the goblin who was possibly named Wizzy.

"I be havin' eyes, mon. I be seein' it jes fine, ya," said Izusa, her voice reproachful.

"Then you damn well take it back and make me a new one! This doesn't work! That female elf still won't give me the time of day! She looks at just about everyone else, but not me. No, never Winkle. And why not? At least I have a PERSONALITY!" The goblin was practically screeching and foaming at the mouth by the time he finished.

The pregnant pause that followed his rant--which was filled with huffing from Winkle, the foaming weirdo, and the clack of beads and bones as Izusa tried not to burst out laughing--was interrupted by shouting.

"IZUSA! You better hope you aren't there, troll, cause I'm comin' to take back the gold ya swindled outta me!" The voice was rough and deep. Possibly it was an orc or a tauren. Possibly something worse, like a troll. Or possibly something ugly, like an elf. Whatever it was, it was at the bottom of the path that wound up to her hut by the sea and would be there soon if she didn't hurry.

Clearing her throat, she spread her arms, planted her staff in the ground near her foot, and snatched the object from the goblin's hand. It was a small piece of wood with a tiny stone on the end. The stone was shaped like a carrot, sort of--it was really just an oblong shaped stone she'd found on the beach. The same beach she'd also found the stick, though she'd claimed the stick was really from Teldrassil when she'd first given it to the goblin.

Pulling a vial of deep red liquid from somewhere under her cloak, she poured it over the stick, then handed it back to the goblin. "Dat'll add to da potency. Sounds like ya elfey be usin' some magic of her own, ya. Rub dat in good, it bein' troll blood, most virile blood evah known, mon. An' dat will be two gold, cause dat blood don't come cheap, ya know."

Staring in superstitious awe and disgust at the bloody stick in his hand, the goblin dazedly pulled out two gold pieces and held them out. Izusa snatched them up, tucked them into her bodice, then ushered the goblin to the edge of the path that led down from her hut. Whirling away from the steam rolled goblin, the shaman raced back into her hut, snagging the still upright staff along the way.

Into a corner she tossed the mask, cape and staff. Then she extracted her fortune from her sleeping roll and tucked it into a pouch at her waist. Hiking up her skirts, she climbed up on a nearby stool that was really the only piece of furniture in the place. A piece of the wall which was resembled a window except it had wood instead of glass in it was shoved open. Squirming her way out the opening, Izusa landed in an inelegant heap outside her hut.

The back of the hut faced the jungle in Stranglethorn Vale. She knew the jungle well and didn't anticipate any problems in entering the trees with nothing but her wits and a sack of gold. A troll could survive most things, including loss of limbs. She expected to lose no more than a toe or finger on this little outing, which was more than most could say.

"IZUSA! WHERE ARE YOU?!" the voice roared. Sucking in a breath, the witch doctor and con woman struggled to her feet and made a dash for the forest, colorful skirts and braids flying.

"IZUSA! I'M GONNA TO GET YOU FOR TAKING MY MONEY!"

"NOT TODAY, MON!" She cackled as she slipped into the undergrowth.

Around the side of the hut came a pair of orcs. Dressed in dark leathers and sporting glinting daggers on their hips, the pair pulled back the black hoods of their cloaks. They glanced at one another and grinned before heading into the jungle right behind Izusa. They could still smell her perfume, some mixture of jasmine and kingsblood. It wouldn't be long before they found her and extracted their money from her purse and her flesh.

~Izusa Captured!~

"An' mah famileh wondahs why I left de jungahl. It bein' hot, humid and full o' bugs. Not ta mention..."

Whack! Izusa scowled at the poisonous snake that lay limp against a tree, a broken branch pinning its broken neck in place. "...Not ta mention the bloodeh wildlife." The shaman grunted as she flicked the snake and make-shift weapon away from her. Shoving her fuscia hair away from her neck, she continued to tramp through the undergrowth.

After a day in the jungle she'd let her guard down a bit in order to travel the paths that were deeper in the jungle. At one point during the night she'd heard drums, which meant some of her people were likely near by. Not wanting to run into trolls anymore than the pissed off patron she was running from, Izusa veered away from the sound.

By morning she'd traveled several miles and was nearing the main road. Pausing a few yards from the cleared path, Izusa hunkered down to wait and watch. She tried thinking back as to who she'd swindled so badly they were out for blood--there were so many after all.

Plucking a leaf from a brilliant red plant, Izusa thoughtfully stuffed it into her mouth and began chewing. There had been one customer, who turned out to be two--a set of orc twins. A frown wrinkled the witch doctor's forehead as she thought back. The pair had come to her separately and then together. They wanted two different things and it wasn't until they came together for a third thing, that Izusa had started to put together what they were really after.

#
"Ya two know whatcha be askin' me, ya? Makin' medicines an' charms an' all dat be one thing, but dis..." She trailed off, eyeing the twin orcs warily. They dressed differently, but they still both wore dark clothing that did nothing to conceal their muscled frames nor their glinting daggers. Izusa may be a swindler and a sham, but she wasn't stupid.

"We aren't asking you to perform the ceremony. We simply ask that you provide us with the necessary tools to do so ourselves," said one of the twins. He had a darker voice and tended to speak the most.

"Ya askin' me tah help ya defy Samedi and dat's jest bad voodoo, mon!" She wasn't sure she could convince them that it wasn't just superstition that drove her to resist. They'd obviously never tangled with the troll Loas before.

"Just give us the final item and we'll be on our way. You're being paid a great deal of money for such a simple thing. We all know you won't be getting a better offer any time soon," said the other twin. His voice was light, almost melodic and it made Izusa's skin crawl with disgust. Idly she wondered if he preferred males over females. He seemed the more effeminate of the two as well.

Swallowing hard, Izusa sighed, then nodded, "Ya, ya, all right den. I be given' yas what ya want, but I gotta make peace wit' Samedi befoah I hand it ovah."

A glance was exchanged between the twins then they nodded. Beating a hasty retreat back into her hut, Izusa headed to a cupboard in the far corner. Pushing aside the remaining piece of wood that served for a door to the cupboard, the shaman searched the few rickety shelves within until she found what she was looking for. In the back, behind a jar of pickled chicken feet, lay a dusty piece of stone. It was in the shape of a disk about four inches in diameter and a quarter inch thick. Across the surface were carved runes of power. Izusa grabbed the disk, stuffed it into her bodice and then pulled out another stone, smaller, smoother and made of polished agate. After a moment, during which she prayed for protection from not only death, but torture and painful dismemberment and, more importantly, the loss of her wealth, Izusa left the safety of her hut again.

Offering the twins the smooth medallion, she said, "Okeh den. Ya owe me three hundred gold, mon."

They exchanged the medallion for a heavy pouch of gold. Izusa didn't dare make them wait while she counted it. She wouldn't complain if they stiffed her a gold or ten--which was a first for her.

The rough medallion she'd passed on giving to the twins felt like dead weight inside her bodice. The transaction had been a week ago and she'd almost forgotten all about it. Almost.

"I shoulda left when I had da chance," groused Izusa as she continued to watch the road, looking for signs of life or pursuit.

"You're right," said a voice near her ear, "You should have." Darkness enveloped her eyes, causing her to cry out in alarm. Rough hands grabbed her arms and then her legs, pinned her down as rawhide was wrapped around her ankles and wrists. A foul tasting rag was shoved into her mouth.

"And now to extract what you owe us," hissed a voice. The darkness over her eyes became flashing lights as she was struck into unconsciousness.

~Izusa Escapes!~

#
Izusa stared at the holes that had been torn in her clothing as it hung on a small vine strung between two trees near her tiny hut. Bitter disappointment and impotent rage twisted her insides. She clenched her fists, then took a deep breath and stepped forward to take the clothing down.

"They struck again, hmm?" The voice belonged to the elder troll who lived in the only other isolated hut on the outskirts of the ruins. She was shunned because her womb was barren and she had no skills that she'd bothered to hone except one and the stink of her tanning and leather working had forced her to the outer edge as a result.

Izsua shrugged, not bothering to turn. The old crone had already told her she didn't need to pay respects, that they were equals. The young troll knew it wasn't true, no matter how much she wanted it to be. "I can sew them, I have enough thread."

There was a pause during which Izusa thought the crone had moved on. But when she turned, there stood the elder troll woman, holding up the basket that was used for laundry. Izsua smiled and nodded, "Thank you."

As she reached to put the torn shirt she held into the basket, the crone slapped her hand away. Shocked, she pulled her hand back and rubbed at the stinging mark on the back of her hand. "What was that for?"

"This isn't a basket for laundry anymore. It's a basket for herbs. Now you go get me all the plants you can find in two hours and bring them to my hut after dark," said the crone, her opaque eyes glared straight into Izusa's.

"But... Why?" She couldn't fathom the reason for such a strange request.

"I'm going to teach you, young Izusa," hissed the crone, "And once the instruction is over, you'll leave this place and make your own way." The crone grinned. "And maybe your own wealth too." The grin disappeared. "Now go"

Slowly opening her eyes, Izusa found she could see, but barely. It was night time. The blindfold the orcs had used on her was gone. There was a fire nearby, she could smell the smoke, but all she could detect were embers. After a few moments she could make out two lumps nearby that could only be her captors.

The lump in her bodice was gone, so they'd taken the stone. A cold knot of dread worked its way through her belly at the thought of what the twin orcs could do with that stone. They didn't just want to raise someone from the dead, they wanted to raise Atalai Priests from the dead. The very thought of those Hakkari priests running around again made Izusa break out in a cold sweat. Those priests didn't just sacrifice you to the Blood God. Oh no, they tortured you first.

Not wanting to be around when the orcs woke up to start extracting their revenge from her hide, Izusa tested her bindings. Tied in a sitting position with her wrists bound behind her and around a medium sized tree, it was unlikly she'd break the bindings. Especially with her arms and fingers numb from lack of blood flow.

Taking a deep breath, Izusa closed her eyes and concentrated on her bonds. Straining to move her palms down so that they could be near the rawhide straps, she began chanting softly. Blue electricity crackled along her fingertips, jumping from tip to tip and flowing along her palms like water. In her palms the lightening pooled until there were two glowing balls. With a light flick of her wrists, Izusa willed them to hit her bonds.

ZAP! BAM!

Gasping in pain, Izusa jerked her hands up to her face. They were whole, but her wrists and forearms were covered in blisters and deep burns. Pushing aside the pain, she stumbled to her feet. The two orcs were already on their feet. Raising her palms again, Izusa fired twin bolts of lighting at their heads. They ducked, but the bright light blinded them for a moment.

Snatching her chance, Izusa bolted into the forest. They'd tracked her once, so they could do it again. But they wouldn't dare set foot in Skullsplitter ruins without back up. Choosing the lesser of the two evils, Izusa made a bee line in the direction she thought the ruins might be.

She hadn't exactly been thrown out, but her people had made it rather clear that if she showed her face among them again she'd regret it. Knowing her people, they'd turn her into a brood mare, forcing her to bear children and likely giving her the most demeaning tasks they could think of. Even that prospect seemed like heaven compared to what most likely awaited her with the orc twins.

There was no yelling this time--the orcs were out for blood. She could feel the tension in the jungle, sense the anger and bloodlust the orcs were feeling. If she stumbled, if she faltered, she was as good as dead. No need to be kept as a sacrifice for the Blood God, they'd kill her early and with relish.

Even as she ran for her life she cursed her bad luck. Muttering under her breath, she said, "You just had to take my gold too, didn't you, you bastards."