Undeath Beckons

Chapter 11 – Shadowfang Keepers

LOADING…

FETCHING CHARACTER DATA…

CHARACTER SELECTED: BLIGHTFIRE

ENTERING WORLD…

The five of us—three blood elves and two undead—left Undercity in high spirits. It wasn't long before the path forked: one way led south to Silverpine, and the other up a small hill to a gargantuan tower, at which was docked a very curious floating ship. I assumed this was the zeppelin Iyania spoke of. Well, so much for the whole gang out on a grand adventure. Then again, three warlocks was a bit much.

Telisreyn gabbed in rapid Thalassian to her companions, and each of them hugged her in turn. She gave us a brief salute, saying, "Al diel shala." Then she was gone, up the hill and into the tower. The three remaining members of our group followed me on the path southward; familiar tall pines appeared around us as we walked, and a calm fog settled in. Tirisfal at its best.

Behind me strolled Mitexi and Savenia. They were both trying to teach each other words in their respective languages, and giggling hysterically all the while. Good. Let them have their fun. I was striding alongside Iyania, who, to her credit, carried herself with poise unlike that of even the haughtiest Forsaken I'd met. This blood elf really thought a lot of herself. We'd see if she held her head quite so high when combat broke out.

"It's convenient that you and your friend were headed this way, and showed up when you did," I mentioned. "What's your business in Silverpine Forest?"

"We're seeking an artifact from Shadowfang Keep," she informed me casually. "You?"

"Same, in a sense," I replied. "That works out nicely."

"Yes… it does."

A pause. "Your Gutterspeak is surprisingly good. How'd you learn it?"

Although absolutely nothing changed in her pace or body posture, I could sense the very slightest bit of unease in Iyania's tone as she replied, "I studied amongst the Forsaken for quite some time, and came to know your tongue through extensive immersion."

"I see. What were you researching?"

She hesitated for a fraction of a second. "Rogue tactics." My eyes narrowed in suspicion. This elf was hiding something, I could sense it. But it would be foolish to alienate my recently acquired companion, so I said nothing further. The matter of her secrets could wait for a more opportune time, if the need even arose to learn them. We took to conversing about other matters: Horde politics (of which I knew little), our quests in the Keep (she was searching for a magical tome), and, because she asked, the finer points of being a Warlock (a topic which I was happy to discuss at length). In short order, the scenery around us began to change: we'd reached Silverpine.

It was similar to Tirisfal Glades, but the trees were thicker and older. The air smelt cleaner, like it hadn't been soaking at the bottom of a moldy barrel for centuries, and I could hear the gurgle of streams from the forest nearby. Gravel crunched beneath our boots as we hiked over mile upon mile of curving road. We passed many farms; most of these were abandoned now, or overrun with Scourge. At one point a large black wolf attacked us, but we were able to make short work of it. Eventually, our trail led to a split in the road.

"The Sepulcher," I read on the sign in the fading evening light. It pointed up a narrow hill to the west. "Sounds promising."

"After you," Iyania retorted, gesturing at the road. I took the lead and trekked upward, my breath starting to come faster as the incline grew steeper. After a few minutes, we reached a crest and found ourselves on a wide plateau nestled in the hills. The town wasn't a lot to look at, really, but at least we could find a hot meal—not that I much cared about the temperature of my food—and a comfortable bed—again, of little importance—to sleep the night in. Before us stretched a wide array of gravestones, arranged like dominoes. In the distance loomed a massive, ancient crypt with several Forsaken loitering outside.

"Hail," I said to the nearest one. He greeted me back and directed me to the tavern and inn within the tomb. The four of us strode into the cold underbelly of the crypt, taking in the atmosphere. Time to see what sort of place we'd be basing our operation out of, assuming this town was anywhere near Shadowfang.

"Anar'alah belore," Savenia muttered grumpily. She wrinkled her nose.

"This place is quite… unusual," Iyania added, her tone dripping with revulsion. Mitexi and I saw nothing out of the ordinary here: standard bar furniture mingled amongst the caskets; a dozen Forsaken seated in various places, some with severed Alliance heads on their plates; Hallow's End decorations dangling from the torch fixtures; and a giant… humanoid cow? Wait.

"Go ahead and find a table," I told the others. "I want to check something out." I approached the bovine. "Hello," I said confidently, unsure of what to expect.

He looked up from his brew and gave me a friendly nod. "Greetings, traveler. Looking for something special? Because you just found it." He winked at me.

I stared, stupefied. "What?"

He stood and performed a small bow, taking my hand and kissing it. "It's a pleasure to meet you, undead." His Gutterspeak was a little rough, but his accent was… enchanting.

I was taken aback. Who and what was this creature? He stood a foot or so higher than I, with shoulders as broad as I was tall, and creamy brown fur all over his visible skin. His armor was heavy chain, and I noted a wide shield at his back and a sword at his side. He had two curved black horns atop his furry head. His face was a snout, with a gleaming golden ring through the nostrils. I felt simultaneously disturbed and intrigued as I studied the beast.

"I'm Blightfire. Forgive my naivety, but what race of being are you?" I asked.

"I'm a tauren," he informed me casually. "Lonek's the name, here on assignment from Thunder Bluff in Kalimdor."

"Lonek," I repeated quietly. No recognition there, but… something about the name attracted me, enticing me to inquire further. "What're you seeking in Silverpine? We might be after the same thing."

He took a pull from his drink. "Shadowfang Keep. I'm to bring back the tooth of a particularly vicious worg from within the castle."

"Shadowfang, you mean?

"Aye."

"And what class are you?"

"Warrior, I specialize in protection."

I grinned wickedly. "How convenient. Care to join my friends and I at our table? We may have a proposition for you."

Lonek pondered this a moment. I gestured toward where the others were sitting and he spotted my three female companions, who were studying us curiously. "All right," he coyly replied, "but be warned: I just might be too much beef for you ladies to handle."

In no time I found myself playfully bumping elbows with Lonek and Mitexi, already a bit drunk. Lonek told the funniest stories about life in his homeland of Mulgore, and Mitexi was her usual gossiping, giggling self. I spilled a drink in Lonek's lap, sending myself into a fit of uproarious laughter. I hadn't felt this relaxed in quite a while. Lonek was my kind of tauren: witty, powerful, and totally full of himself in an entirely charming way.

Our blood elf companions did not seem amused. Savenia seemed to want to join in the fun, but Iyania wasn't in the mood to translate, so the poor priest could only laugh when we laughed and smile brightly at us. Iyania looked more than a bit annoyed at our behavior. "Must you carry on like that?" she growled at Mitexi after the girl got into a mooing contest with Lonek.

"Lighten up Iya," I scolded playfully. "We're not going anywhere tonight… hic! Have a drink or shomething!"

She sighed, clearly vexed. "I will pass. I think perhaps Savenia and I should retire for the evening. We'll meet you outside at dawn, Blightfire." Iya growled something at Savenia, causing the girl to cringe, and the two blood elves rose. They departed swiftly, the sweet aroma of their skin trailing after them like a shadow. I rolled my eyes.

Lonek elbowed me again. "Shtiff bitchesh, eh?"

"They'll looshen up," I retorted, polishing off the remainder of my ale. "Now what were you shaying about shnapvine watermelons? …hic!" We passed another hour or so laughing, drinking, and telling jokes. This tauren was a very welcome addition to the group, and it didn't delay my plans in the slightest to bring him along for the ride. Mitexi whispered to me at one point that she thought he was cute. Oddly enough, I agreed.

The next morning, I met Lonek, Mitexi, Iyania, and Savenia outside the tavern, blinking in the orange light. I was the last one to rise, which surprised me since I was usually very punctual. Thank the Gods I wasn't hung over; I drank a lot of ale last night. We checked our gear carefully. There would be no opportunity to resupply, and we wanted to take Shadowfang in one go. Better that than to give them time to call for reinforcements. Without having to say a word, the others looked to me as their leader. Fine by me. I worked best when I was in charge. As we milled about debating tactics for entry—Lonek wanted to storm the gates, but Iyania was pushing for a stealthy entry via the sewers—a bald, wrinkled Forsaken man approached me. His eyes were shielded by tacky pink goggles.

"Excuse me, miss," he groaned. "Karos Razok's the name. I overheard your conversation, and I'd like to ask a favor."

I nodded disdainfully him. "And that is?"

"I'm the bat handler here in the Sepulcher," he explained, motioning toward a large roost on the far side of the tombstones. "Recently, a few of my Deathstalker friends went to Shadowfang for a reconnaissance mission. They haven't returned. I was hoping you'd look for them."

I clicked my tongue. "And if we do?"

He held out a small metal device. "Take this flare gun. Should you require aid, simply shoot it into the sky, and help we come on swift wings."

"Hm," I grunted. Might be useful. We already had quite a laundry-list of tasks for this place. What was one more errand? "We'll seek out your friends. Their names and descriptions, please?" He told me the necessary information, and I reported this back to my group mates.

"Anu belore dela'na," Savenia told me. I assumed this was some kind of affirmation.

"I'm sure we'll find them," Mitexi said cheerfully.

Lonek chuckled. "As for how many pieces they'll be in, well…"

"Can we please get back to work on our mission?" Iyania snapped. She took a quick breath. "Apologies. I'm eager to get started, and daylight is wasting."

"Iya's right," I commented. "We need to finalize our plans." We discussed our various options, and settled on a compromise; we'd utilize a distraction and slip in the gates unnoticed. But how to cause a large enough commotion? No one seemed to have any ideas. Suddenly, Lonek produced an acorn from his travel bag and held it aloft for us to view.

"A gift from a druid friend back in Mulgore," he clarified. "This will animate a tree for a short period of time. We can command the tree to attack the castle walls, and we'll slip in while the guards fight it off."

"That's… a really good idea," Iyania said admiringly.

Lonek grinned at us. "What, you think because I'm a Warrior I can't form an intelligent battle plan?"

"It's settled, then," I stated firmly. "Let's get to work." We finished our preparations and set out. No more dawdling. It was time for Mitexi and me to fulfill our end of our bargain with Kaal, and thereby earn our chance to take on David Trias. As we left the Sepulcher and headed south, I could feel a steady breeze on my face, and I sensed that my goal of discovering my true identity was just a bit closer than it'd been before. This was what was meant to be. I found myself relishing the thought of the battles ahead. Sure, we'd be facing peril unlike anything we'd yet encountered, and yes, grisly death would be lurking around every corner.

But Gods, what a rush.

Hours later I found myself eating those words, in addition to a pawful of deadly claws as I failed to duck under a swing from a towering worgen. Black blood dribbled from a rip in my cheek. The wolfman snarled and swung again, but was blocked by Lonek's shield. I tossed myself backward to the stone, feeling Savenia's healing spell wash over my body and restore my torn flesh. Lonek blocked, spun, and delivered a devastating blow to the worgen's torso, causing the monster to yelp in pain. He held the beast at bay as Mitexi lit it up with flames and Iyania cut several chunks out of its spine. It was dead in short order.

"Another incoming!" Iyania cried, hurling a smoke pellet to the floor and vanishing. She reappeared behind the dark-furred worgen and delivered a cheap shot to its back, stunning it long enough for Lonek to get into position. We unloaded on the creature, tearing it apart in seconds. I almost felt sorry for them, these lesser worgen. They were no match for us, and hadn't been this entire time.

"This way," I said, pointing across the room. We'd have to weave up a staircase and through the loft to get to the other side. I spotted a few more wolves and worgen patrolling the upper walkways. We weren't out of danger yet. As we climbed the steps and readied ourselves for battle, I recalled how speedy our progress had been thus far.

Lonek's diversion with the tree worked like a charm, buying us plenty of time to enter the Keep. Our first target, Deathstalker Adamant, was being held in a prison cell adjacent to Sorcerer Ashcrombe, which Iyania easily lockpicked open. Two birds, one stone. I fingered the signet ring now adorning my left index knuckle, and grinned evilly. Old man never stood a chance. What had Kaal wanted him dead for? Didn't really matter: we were in the clear, and we'd be learning new spells when we got back. We found the second Deathstalker dead in the courtyard just minutes after breaking the first one out of jail. Adamant agreed to report this news to Karos, and fled the castle while we continued forward.

"Look out!" Mitexi shrieked as two spectral blue wolves lunged at Lonek. He held out his shield like a wall and soaked up their blows, while Iyania got into position. Quznam squawked at my side, preparing a fireball. Little pipsqueak had been quite a nuisance this entire trip, always running ahead and catching the attention of our foes. It was almost like he wanted to get us killed.

His help had been invaluable later, however, when we faced off against that colossal worgen in the kitchen. Damn beast had a cleaver the size of a small dog, and he knew how to use it. Lonek took a few good whacks on that one. But we prevailed, and Iyania claimed the monster's weapon as her own. I remembered with a shiver the next room: all those dancing ghosts, spinning round and round like they'd forgotten the music stopped years ago. We exorcised them with the liberal application of magic and steel.

Quznam and I took down another worgen. We were nearly across the room now—just a few more flights of stairs. I thought about how much work it'd been to get this far, especially when we hit the library. Gods, what did the master of this keep need so many books for? We spent an hour in there searching for that stupid Book of Ur. Iyania and Savenia were quite overjoyed when they discovered it at last. Of course, it was resting amidst a pile of old scrolls and tomes, instead of being properly shelved, which is why it took so long to find. Damn messy librarians. Probably hard to pick up books with those claws, though.

Now our final goal loomed ahead: the obscenely large wolf Lonek had been sent to kill. The room he stood in was circular, with two entrances and a number of small wooden panels along the curved walls. We took up positions just outside the door, and all eyes turned to me for orders. "Lonek, you charge in first," I began. "Savenia, put a shield on him right before he goes. Iyania, I want you on the left flank. Mitexi and I will be on the right, with the imps. This is tank and spank folks, no frills or gimmicks! Just smooth execution. Ready?" My group nodded. "Charge!"

We piled into the room, shouting and whooping as our blood began to pump with adrenaline. Behind us, a massive steel portcullis clanked shut, and the air was suddenly rent by a piercing howl. An ambush? Sure enough, several other wolves burst from hidden alcoves. They leapt into the fray as Lonek stomped his powerful hooves down to create a shockwave. I shouted commands and warnings—"Texi, use Fear on that wolf! Iya, behind you!"—as we fought off the onslaught. One beast managed to break Lonek's defensive line and lunged toward me. I counterattacked with a Shadow Bolt right between its narrow eyes.

It was over quickly. Five wolves lay dead at our feet. Lonek extracted a skinning knife from his pack and, with practiced hands, removed the pelt of the largest beast. He also pried a ferocious canine tooth from its mouth, and stowed both objects in his pack. The group assumed a rough circle, and we all stared at each other expectantly.

"Right. Guess we're finished here," I stated.

"Finished? But you've only just begun!" a loud male voice bellowed. We looked upward toward the source, and spotted a tall man standing on a balcony above. He was clad in dark robes and had spiked shoulder plates towering beside each ear. A white cloth mask concealed his mouth and nose. "I, Archmage Arugal, have been watching your progress as you've wandered through my keep. And while I must admit you are strong, I think you'll find you've met your match in this next challenge." He raised his voice to a thunderous bellow. "Sons of Arugal! Time for dinner!" The portcullis on the far side of the room—opposite where we'd entered—slid open.

"Get behind me!" Lonek roared, readying his shield and sword. Three colossal worgen came stampeding into the room, globs of hungry saliva dripping from their gnome-sized maws. The trio pounced on Lonek immediately, and it was all he could do to stave off even half of their swings. I threw curses and shadow bolts into the mix as best I could, while Texi did the same and Iya searched frantically for a weak spot. Savenia, meanwhile, sent out particles of light that renewed our strength as they hovered over us.

"Aghh!" I cried suddenly as a bolt of shadowy pain ran up my body. I heard the others emit similar moans of distress. Overhead, I saw Arugal casting some sort of black magic, which rained down on us like a monsoon. Savenia began to chant a spell; a nova of holy light radiated in a sphere around her, healing all of us and causing the worgen to cry out. "Now!" I shouted, trying to rally my teammates, "let's finish them off!" I threw a critical shadow bolt into the melee to back up my words. One worgen down, then another. The third came at Lonek with reckless abandon, but it too was no match for our onslaught.

Lonek stomped on the skull of one of the lifeless beasts now bleeding on the floor. He turned his head upward and taunted Arugal: "Is that the best you've got?"

Arugal laughed. "So you killed a few of my children. Pity, I did love them so. I guess it's time for the father of the worgen to step into the ring!" He hovered out over the middle of the room and dropped down. Immediately, a wave of aching agony rushed into the area, causing all five of us to fall to our knees. Arugal began firing off bolts of shadow energy; I took one hard in the chest, and it caused my vision to swim as a blinding hurt shook my brittle bones. Lonek managed to climb to his feet, biting the pain away, and started to move toward the Archmage. "Not so fast!" Arugal scolded. Instantly, a blast of umber sent Lonek tumbling backward.

"We've got to retreat!" I called out. "Quick, this way!" I fled through the open doorway with Mitexi, Savenia, Iyania, and Lonek hot on my heels. We flew up a spiral staircase as fast as our feet could take us, and soon emerged on the castle ramparts. Arugal, through magical means unknown to us, was already waiting there, floating several feet off the ground.

"You cannot escape, fools!" he cackled, releasing another wave of damaging energy. We all crumbled. Even Savenia's holy nova wasn't enough to stave off the injuries we were taking, and although she was doing her best, none of us would last much longer in this kind of onslaught. Arugal was simply too powerful. What could we do? I began to feel my heartbeat in my ears. They were counting on me to lead them out of here. What was left? What did we have in our bag of tri-

Wait. The bat handler. Hadn't he promised… yes! The answer I'd been looking for! I stuffed my hand in my travel pack and extracted the flare gun. With a swift motion, I fired off a few shots; they spiraled into the sky and exploded in colorful bursts. I heard Arugal laugh.

"Is that supposed to frighten me?" he jeered.

Just hang on a bit longer, I whispered to myself. Help is coming. The five of us managed to throw a few spells and swings at the Archmage, but he resisted every attempt we made at harming him, and soon we regressed to simply rolling and thrashing about on the ramparts. Savenia was clearly almost exhausted.

"Eeerraagh!" Lonek roared. He suddenly rushed to his feet and made his last stand before Arugal. I was stunned; Lonek was drawing blood! Dismayed, Arugal tried to fly out of reach, but Lonek kept him pinned.

"Go Lon… ek…." Mitexi cheered weakly, her voice dying out.

"Just a bit longer…" I mumbled, looking to the sky. The pain was beginning to overwhelm my senses. I could see Mitexi knocked out cold and Iyania writhing on the wood nearby. Savenia was using the last little bits of her energy to keep Lonek healed. How was that Warrior still standing? He was truly living up to his bragging last night. The tauren shrugged off spell after spell like they were naught but raindrops.

"Damn cow… why won't… you just… die quietly?" Arugal sputtered as he fended off a shower of blows. "Ya!" Another blast of energy knocked Lonek to the ground. Arugal advanced on the rest of us, but before he had time to cast anything else, a cloud of smoke rose up around him, causing him to begin coughing. I spotted huge, winged, black shapes, and in seconds found myself being carried in a pair of sharp talons. Up, up, up I went, zipping high into the air in an instant. I shut my eyes, partly so I wouldn't look down, and partly because I thought I might black ou-

I came to lying on my side on a soft patch of moss, and immediately searched for my companions. Mitexi was already awake, as was Savenia. Both were tending to Lonek, who'd been badly injured, and Iyania, who was still unconscious. I checked myself over. A few rips in my garments, and that wound on my ribs could use some dressing, but otherwise I appeared no worse for the wear. I felt like I'd been hit with a tree trunk, though.

Karos the bat handler walked up beside me as I staggered to my feet. "Glad you made it out. Deathstalker Adamant returned a few hours ago and informed me of your discovery." I could sense a bit of anguish in Karos' tone.

"I'm sorry about Deathstalker Vincent," I murmured, my throat dry.

Karos nodded. "Thank you. I appreciate you finding out his fate."

"Your bats really saved the day," I said as I fumbled for my waterskin. Boy could I use a drink.

"I'm glad they were of service to you," Karos replied with a smile. "Are your friends okay?"

I glanced over. Lonek and Iyania were awake now, thankfully. Looked like they were going to pull through. "Yeah. We took a serious beating near the end there. If your bats hadn't shown up when they did…" I trailed off, not wanting to imagine the sort of fate Arugal had in mind for us. What were we thinking, barging in there like we owned the place and stirring up the entire castle? Did we figure we'd be able to just stroll out the front door unopposed? Oh well. We were alive. And we had what we came for; I studied the ring on my finger carefully, noticing for the first time the symbol etched in its surface. Hm… a lion's head. The Alliance. Well, at least we hadn't killed a fellow member of the Horde. I put the ring in my travel pack so I wouldn't lose it on the journey home.

"Anyone get the number of the kodo that ran me over?" Lonek was groaning as I approached. Savenia murmured something in Thalassian, and Lonek's wounds healed further. I checked in with Mitexi and Iyania; both were well enough to travel. Lonek climbed to his feet a short time later. "Back to the Undercity?" he asked me.

"Yeah, does anyone have any further business here?" I questioned the assembled group. They shook their heads. Good. I was glad to be leaving this place behind. "All right, gear up. We've got a long walk ahead."

"Not necessarily," Karos cut in, stepping up beside me. "Perhaps my bats could be of service to you one final time?"

We took off a few minutes later, this time riding astride the bats rather than in their claws. I let out a cry of excitement as my bat lifted off. The wind whipped out my green hair, and I quickly slid on the goggles Karos had provided. Good thing too: despite the fact that I didn't actually have any eyeballs, I could still feel my sockets drying out in the breeze, and it would be impossible to see without protection. We soared high over Silverpine. From up here I could see what my map identified as Lordamere Lake, dotted with forested islands. The farmlands below seemed tiny and insignificant.

Ah, this was the way to travel! Heartbeat up, adrenaline pumping, the gentle motions of the bat beneath me as he flapped his leathery wings. I promised myself that someday I'd own a flying mount and soar the skies. How did one go about buying such a creature? I'd have to see if anyone in Undercity knew.

We dove and banked our way around the back of the ruins of Lordaeron, entering a wide tunnel. A river of slime below indicated our entrance into the city proper, and soon the five of us were handing our goggles over to the bat handler on the upper central circle. We made our way to the inn and took seats at a table. Everyone was breathing hard, still pumped from the flight.

Savenia said something in Thalassian, and Iyania translated: "That was an exhilarating experience."

"Agreed," I said.

"I don't think Tauren were meant go in the sky," Lonek commented, looking a little queasy, "otherwise we'd have wings."

Mitexi laughed. "And then we'd have steaks that literally flew into your mouth!" She grinned at Lonek and licked her chops playfully. We chatted for a few minutes about our adventure, recounting particularly dangerous or exciting moments. Iyania recalled how we'd killed the worgen guarding the jail: she and Lonek had leapt over the balcony and landed on him, slamming into his body with their weapons like comets from above. Mitexi and I ranted about our imps: damn things had done nothing but cause trouble the entire time. Savenia, through Iya, expressed gratitude that we'd kept her safe so she could heal us effectively.

As our conversation continued, I looked around with a wide smile on my face. For the first time since I'd come back to life, I felt like I was home. These beings—undead, blood elf, tauren—were my friends, and I realized in that moment another goal I wanted to make for myself: keep friends close. Being alone in that crypt was the worst feeling in the world. I never wanted to feel that way again.

After a while, Lonek rose to his hooves. "I apologize, friends," he said grimly, "but the time has come for me to go."

I felt… disappointed. Leaving already? "Why?" I asked.

"The elders of Thunder Bluff are expecting me to return as soon as I can. They have further need of my skills." He bowed low to each of us in turn. "I hope our paths cross again." As he turned to leave, Lonek muttered, "Blightfire, may I speak to you in private a moment?"

Slightly confused, I followed him out of the inn. "Yes?"

"It has been a pleasure working with you," he told me calmly. "You've truly got the makings of a great leader, Blight." He shuffled in his bag. "Here. I want you to have this."

I took the object and examined it in my hand. It was a small cat-like claw attached to a cord, forming a necklace. "What is this?" I inquired.

"When I was a young bull in Mulgore, I was taught the same thing all tauren learn: the way of the hunter. That is a claw from the first lion I killed, a beast by the name of The Rake."

I felt a rush of emotion. "Lonek, are you sure you want to give this to me?"

He smiled broadly. "It's yours. Keep it to remember me, in case we don't see one another again."

"But we will," I insisted. "I just know we will."

He took my hand and kissed it tenderly. "I hope so." Then he walked away swiftly, leaving me standing at the threshold of the inn with the claw clutched in my fingers. I stared at his retreating back. What was this odd feeling in the pit of my stomach?

"Farewell," I whispered. Shaking my head, I returned to the table to find Iyania and Savenia standing beside it. They were talking rapidly to each other in Thalassian, but turned when I arrived.

"We should be taking our leave as well," Iyania said, "Rest assured: we will meet again. Savenia and I have further business in Undercity once we take this book back to our contacts in Silvermoon." She smiled at Mitexi and me. "It's been a pleasure grouping up with you." The two blood elves took their leave.

I collapsed into a chair. "Guess it's just you and me now, Texi," I commented, feeling a little gloomy.

Mitexi seemed to be in the same boat. "I'll miss them."

"Yeah, me too." We stared at each other, unsure of what to do next. "Well, anyway… wanna go get trained up on our new spells and all that?"

She sighed. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Hang on, let me find the ring." I rummaged in my pack. Fungus… no. Gold coins… no. Strange wand I'd found on the body of one of the worgen… no. Business card from the bank… n-

Wait. Did I see what I thought I saw?

I stared slack-jawed, utter disbelief painted all over my face. "Mitexi, did you mess with this card while I was sleeping?" I demanded half-heartedly, already knowing the answer and dreading what it might mean.

She gawked at me. "What? No!" Leaning closer, she tried to get a peek at the card. "Why? What's on it?"

I flipped it around and showed her the back. "Remember how I told you I didn't know the code for the bank? Someone wrote a password on here." I handed her the card. "See?"

Mitexi examined it carefully. "…so? Maybe Lonek or Iyania played a trick on you." She passed the scrap back.

I took it with a shaking hand. "No Texi," I said, confusion now giving way to numbing unease throughout my whole body. "This is my handwriting."