Vol'Atani looked around the familiar hut. It was decorated with many totems, masks, fetishes, and herbs drying on the walls. The only light emanated from candles in humanoid looking skulls from the floor. In the very center of Gadrin's home was a low table surrounded by colorful cushions.
Master Gadrin motioned to one side of the table before kneeling on a cushion on the other end. He waited until his former student sat heavily on a pillow across from him before he spoke.
"Ah know a great many seasons ave passed since ya first set on ya journey. And ah know ya be wantin ta rest. But wit da way tings ave been progressin, ah not sure ya gonna git dat chance." He started as he removed his mask. Though his face was wrinkled by time and experiences it was easy to see he'd been a very handsome troll once. Most likely full of life and joy as seen in the laugh and smile lines that had marred him. His blind but all seeing eyes spoke of great wisdom and power as they settled on the Shaman across from him. "So it were Kazzak ya destroyed, hm?" It had been more of a statement than a question. Vol'Atani nodded as her teeth began to worry her bottom lip.
"Da Loa ave spoke to me o an ancient evil. So great ah find it chillin to even muttah his name. Da dark titan Sargeras be pushin on da threads o our world once more." Gadrin said slowly as not to startle the young woman.
Vol'Atani had to suck in a breath and calm her self. 'Ow could dat be? Dat monstah was cast out o our world millania ago. Why now would he be tryin ta push back trough?' She took another calming breath before looking into Gadrin's eyes. "Even if dat monstah were ta break trough, what does dat have ta do wit me?" The shaman asked.
"As I said, I been speakin wit da Loa and dey say dat yaself, along wit odda great fightahs are ta face him when he finally breaks ta our plane."
The troll woman sighed taking the information and rolling it around in her head. "Surely da Loa intend someone much stronger than me." Vol'Atani argued. Though she trusted the Loa greatly, they were always obscure. Perhaps they had meant for another troll shaman. Master Gadrin shook his head at her. "Dere be no mistaken dat you were da one dey showed me in da vision. A troll woman o great strength an faith. De odders were too foreign fer me ta make out. Ah do recognise the races though. Anoddah troll, two tauren, two night elf, an a worgen."
The shaman nodded her head grimly in defeat. Taking a deep breath she rose her head to look the old witch doctor in the eye. "What're mah orders?"
Vol'Atani sighed heavily as she entered her own hut. Her sparse belongings in it seemed to have never been touched. She smiled lightly at the warm familiarity of it all. The furs on the floor, the small dark wood table, and the many trinkets and scrolls she'd acquired in her days as a rookie shaman.
Setting her pack at the edge of the table she moved behind a makeshift wall of fabric to her privy. It was nothing more than a basin, a mirror, and a hole in the ground covered by a ceramic lid for relieving oneself.
The woman in the mirror was not one she quite remembered. Her hair stood tall in a mane of different oranges, many beads feathers and bones twinkled in the dim light. Long braids and dreadlocks fell over her shoulders and skimmed her chest. The once laughing amber eyes that stared back at her now were tired and serious, though a glint of playfulness remained. The womans skin had lost it's perfection and was now marred with numerous light scars but was still luminously aquamarine. Long pointed ears twitched back and forth listening to the ongoings of her peaceful village. One now having a notch in it from having been skimmed by an arrow. Her tusks still shone white curving over full dark lips.
All in all, the shaman couldn't complain. While she was now marred by her experiences, others had lost much more. Limbs, kin, and even lives were torn from the ones that battled so hard to rid their world of the evil fel magic.
Turning away from the mirror satisfied with her appearance she changed out of her gear. Favoring something more casual, the troll pulled on a long beige skirt that had slits up both sides and a twisted bandeau top of the same color. She then carefully picked out a neckpiece that had been her mothers. It was made of mostly bone beads with some glass to form a picture of the sun over the sea. Many different colored feathers hung from the bottom reaching just under her full chest.
Picking at her nails, Vol'Atani stood anxiously in front of her friends hut. She rattled the bone chime at the doorway before making her way in. Tia'Dehva was sat in a rocking chair humming lightly to her self as she crocheted what looked like a pair of tiny pants.
"Nevah would I tink I'd see ya like dis Tia." The shaman giggled as she made her way over to stand infront of her oldest friend. The pregnant troll held up her work to inspect before setting it on her belly and looking to the other woman. "It be surprizenly relaxin. It may seem mundane but ah can't do much else like dis." She grumbled motioning to her enlarged abdomen. Vol'Atani simply laughed at her expense.
Tia'Dehva was very beautiful even in her state. She shared the same light bluish purple skin and wild red hair as her father, but her eyes shown clear and garnet under thick lashes. She wore a simple creme dress made large for her ever growing belly.
"Ah know ya didn jus come 'ere ta make jabs at ol' Tia though. What be on ya mind?" The former druid asked. Though beautiful still, she looked very tired. Vol'Atani sighed.
"I'm ta leave on anodda quest in a days time." She murmured kneeling on a pillow close to the young druid.
Tia'Dehva nodded slowly. "Mah cooky ol' fadda told me bout his dealins wit da Loa. Dat dey had chosen dere champions. I nevah woulda tought it be you though."
"What? Ya tink I'm not worty o such a quest?" Vol'Atani joked trying to lighten the mood.
The young druid quirked a smile but it was quickly replaced by a grim frown. "Ta tell ya da truth, ah didn really spect ya ta return so soon if at all. Wit all ah heard bout da battle in outland, ah was sure da Loa had taken ya." A slow tear made it down her face. Vol'Atani sighed. "Ya know I'm strongah dan dat."
"Ya bein here give me faith in dat. But ya must leave again now on a quest from da Loa dem selves. It be hard ta watch ya leave again." The shaman stood to embrace her friend stroking her hair like a mother. "You o all should know dat we do not question da spirits. Ya know I gon try mah best ta come home in one piece. An I can't wait ta see dat lil whelp o yurs." Vol'Atani grinned patting Tia'Dehva's stomache lovingly.
The druid laughed a bit then smiled as Tyrus finally entered the hut. "Ya ladies bout ta miss suppah." He said goin over to his mate to help her up. Vol'Atani laughed merrily at the strain on Tia'Dehva's face as she tried to stand.
"Ha ha. I canna wait till ya been whelped an I can laugh at you." Tia said dryly waddling her way out of the hut and toward the dinner circle.
Once all the trolls, and some tauren travelers, had made themselves comfortable around the dinner pyer, Master Gadrin stood before everyone.
"Welcome mah bruddahs, sistahs, and honored guests. Tonight, we welcome home a brave warrior of our tribe. Vol'Atani, please present ya self."
The shaman in question rose from her place beside Tia'Dehva and Tyrus. "I'm honored ta stand before ya, victorious in da battle against da fel demon Kazzak." She said graciously bowing before her peers and mentor. "Tell us bout da battle!" A young voice rang out. Vol'Atani bore a toothy grin and looked to Master Gadrin for permission. He nodded his head and went to take a seat behind his daughter and her mate.
She walked over to were her mentor had been standing and began to speak. As Vol'Atani's tale began, images of the battle swam as a haze in her mind bringing her back to the moment.
They had finally broken through the innermost defences surrounding Doom Lord Kazzak and the majority of the warriors were nearly drained. The efforts of their healers seemed for naught as the demon began capturing the souls of the dead and using them to heal himself. Vol'Atani struggled to keep her totems in place as she sent spell after spell hurling towards the great demon.
Her remaining comrades consisted of another shaman, three druids, two warriors, four priests, and a slightly insane hunter whose pet was dead a few feet away. The warriors and a tank druid were trying their best to shred his defences as the priests were running low on mana. Kazzak's mark was eating away at their mana and very souls as they struggled to keep the rest of them going.
The battle field was alight with falling stars and star fire that the druids were casting hastily. Vol'Atani and the other shaman struggled to drain the enemy with earth, flame, and frost shocks. Their totems just barely supplying enough mana to the priests. The hunter with them shot many rounds of hollow tipped bullets at the monster but they didn't seem to faze it. It amazed the troll woman that she was still able to avoid the shadow bolts that were hurled sporadically around them.
After what seemed like hours the demon seemed to slowly tire giving hope to the warriors. This was short lived, the shamans totems all suddenly exploded catching Vol'Atani and the orc male off guard. The sheer force sent them and one of the priests flying backward, recovering just in time to see Kazzak swallow the soul of the poor druid who lay dead at his feet.
The demon fought with renewed vigor. Lashing out with his tail and claws, hurling spells tainted with intense amount of fel energy. The orc shaman looked at her with withering determination. "This may be our last fight together." He grunted in orcish. Before Vol'Atani could question him, the burly orc rushed forward with a totem in his hands. He ran behind Kazzak and stabbed the searing totem into his back.
Doom Lord Kazzak let out a mighty roar grabbing the orc shaman and tearing him in two. Blood rained upon the remaining warriors. The remaining shaman stared in awed anger at her comrades stupid move. Droplets of his blood landed on her face, streaking her war paint as she screamed a battle cry releasing a fire elemental totem and sprinting towards the demon with her summoned elemental. She knew it was stupid. She was an elemental shaman, a ranged attacker. The burning wrath she emitted surged into her comrades shocking them with new energy to fight. Vol'Atani swung her frost imbued mace wildly, even being so bold as to use her sheild as a weapon.
Suddenly, the same energy that had caused her totems to explode the first time prickled the air. The shamanistic troll stopped her attack and jumped backwards, waving to get the attention of her comrades. "On mah signal! Focus all ya energy on dah totem in his back!" She yelled gathering a lightning bolt in her hands. The others seemed to follow suite and the two warriors kept the demon distracted.
The energy peaked and she could see the totem bloating. "NOW!" She screamed releasing the lightning in her palms. Starfire, lightning, and a few blasts of flame met the demons back just as the totem exploded, leaving a gaping hole right through him. A shocked look crossed Kazzak's face as he looked down to his now very open chest. A fleeting look of anger passed on his features before he fell to the earth. "The Legion...Will never...Fall." He growled out in his dying breath.
Vol'Atani was broken from her memory as an eruption of cheers and whoops of joy met her ears. Glancing around at the joyous faces around her, the shaman bowed to her listeners. "Tank ya all for listenin to mah tale, now less eat!" She said walking to reclaim her seat next to her friends. The pregnant druid wrapped her arm around her friend with a warm, soothing look of sympathy on her face.
As food was passed around and eaten, strong drinks were also passed around. Tyrus rose from his seat and raised his mug of mead high, gaining the attention of others who also raised their cups. "Let us honor da warriors who battled valiently so dat we may live in peace!" He said and smiled down at Vol'Atani. Tia'Dehva and herself giggled raising their mugs. "Here, here!" The shaman downed her mug quickly and watched Tia sniff her mug carefully before deciding it was non alcoholic and drinking it, though with less gusto than the shaman.
"When do ya have ta leave?" She asked staring into her drink. The older troll sighed placing her mug down. "Tomorrow mornin I'm ta leave in search o da Raventusk tribe. I must seek comrades dat were chosen by da Loa like I was." She said worrying her bottom lip. "Well, ah wish ya luck den." Tia'Dehva said suddenly smiling brightly. "Dese must be dem crazeh pregnant mood swings huh?" Vol'Atani said surprised at her friends suddenly happy demeaner.
A light blue tri-fingered hand soon obscured her vision. Looking up the shaman easily recognised the male before her. "Kale!" She exclaimed bypassing the hand and hugged the bearer tightly. A deep rumbling laugh erupted from his chest as he embraced her back. "Ya been gone so long I thought ya wouldn't remembah me mon."
"I'd nevah forget ya." Vol'Atani said holding him at arms length. "We can reminisce latah, wanna dance?" The tall troll male asked tugging her towards the other dancers around the dinner pyre. She looked back to her druidic friend who smiled and waved her away before turning to talk to her mate.
Kale tugged her into a massive fray of writhing sweaty bodies before releasing her hand and beginning to turn and shout shaking his body violently in tune with the pounding drums.
The rest of the night flew by in a blur of strong drinks and sweaty dancing, thoroughly exhausting the shaman. She had finally made it back to her hut and laid on her bedroll with a smile on her face. It was quickly replaced by a frown when she remembered this joy would not last. Tomorrow she would have to set out once more on a task that may or may not kill her. All she could do was pray that the Loa were not wrong in choosing her as sleep took her.
