" 'ey der brotha," Leyu'jin the troll vanguard murmured to the Shu'halo shaman Yichimet as they ascended the gaudy marble stairs. "Ah gots a project ah be needin' help on, ah'd like ta ask joo fo' dat help." Yichimet snorted softly and stared down at the troll, his gaze somber. "You are asking so seriously, brother. Surely you know by now that I am willing to help you in any adventure." The troll laughed. "Aye, ah suppose ah should 'ave," Leyu'jin responded. "Still, I not be one ta subject a brotha ta danger wit'out 'is consent." He stared up at Yichimet and nodded once. "Tanks."
"Come," the shaman said, smiling. "We can talk about it in the Filthy Animal." They entered the small inn, which was filled with rather oppressive smells. Leaning up against a wall and grabbing a mug of bitter cactus cider, the least offensive of the local servings, the troll continued. "Ah bin tryin' ta find new tings ta do, new ways ah kin 'elp da Horde prepare fo' wat is ta come. We all know dat wit' Arthas gone, da Scourge be finished... long as Bolvar donna git lose." Leyu'jin frowned distastefully. "An' we bot' know da next enemy alredy. We bin fightin' dem fo' a long time, an' we nevah beaten dem. Well, now be da time ta start gettin' redy."
"Any'ow, ah bin tryin' ta procure sum examples o' da Vrykul's smithin'. Ah know der wuz sum collections, but fo' 'ow easy dey fall, dose pinkskins still make sum gud equipment. We could learn a ting o' two from dem. Problem be, der best stuff be in da mos' well guarded places."
Da Hunters have become da Hunted
Re: Da Hunters have become da Hunted
Yichimet nodded at Leyujin. "Something in the way they have learned to work the metals of the North...they have power there, and know how to shape this better than our Horde brothers and sisters." He sipped ale from an orc-sized tankard. He looked down at it, tiny in his big palm, and suddenly felt like he was in the story of Tall Feathers Crawls-the-Ground, who drank from a strange pool of water and grew to the size of twenty shu'halo, and then ate a cloud and shrank so small she could fit in a rabbit hole.
"So we could gather a full fist and break into their tower for the good hunt, then! Let us call others and prepare." Yichimet looked around for a place to sit his tankard, but Leyu'jin put a hand on his arm to stop him.
"Nah, brotha, dey wouldna make it so easy, joo know. Dey know dey got some good magic in dem weapons, so dey hide 'em when a force comes afta 'em. Some kinda magic o' alarm set 'em off."
Yichimet nodded. "Like the small pinkskins, they are loud and smell, but they are not stupid. Hmm. So what do you think we should do?"
"So we could gather a full fist and break into their tower for the good hunt, then! Let us call others and prepare." Yichimet looked around for a place to sit his tankard, but Leyu'jin put a hand on his arm to stop him.
"Nah, brotha, dey wouldna make it so easy, joo know. Dey know dey got some good magic in dem weapons, so dey hide 'em when a force comes afta 'em. Some kinda magic o' alarm set 'em off."
Yichimet nodded. "Like the small pinkskins, they are loud and smell, but they are not stupid. Hmm. So what do you think we should do?"
Re: Da Hunters have become da Hunted
The troll grinned wickedly, settling back against the bar counter. "Joo donna tink ah'd pop dis on ya wit'out sum sorta recon, yah mon?" Leyu'jin took another pull from his drink. "Ah paid sum mage ta keep sum scrys up on der entrance while ah sent in a few parties. Dey registered sum mana spikes at five, fo', an' tree marks. Den ah went in ma'self. Noting. Dragged da mage in wit' me da next time; all quiet."
Yichimet regarded Leyu'jin with an appraising look. "So, their sentry spells only function when a force of a certain size enters." The shaman's lips curved up into a playful smile. "And from that, I believe I'm having a premonition about the nature of the help you are seeking."
The troll chuckled. "Da spirits tell joo dat, did dey?" The two friends laughed, Yichimet shaking his head reprovingly at the troll. "No such assistance required, brother."
"So. How are we going to do this?"
Yichimet regarded Leyu'jin with an appraising look. "So, their sentry spells only function when a force of a certain size enters." The shaman's lips curved up into a playful smile. "And from that, I believe I'm having a premonition about the nature of the help you are seeking."
The troll chuckled. "Da spirits tell joo dat, did dey?" The two friends laughed, Yichimet shaking his head reprovingly at the troll. "No such assistance required, brother."
"So. How are we going to do this?"
Re: Da Hunters have become da Hunted
The pair jumped off the fit-starting, noxiously fuming goblin rocket that some Horde engineer had asked Yichimet to test. Yichimet did not feel truly comfortable with the machine--the proto-drake he'd been gifted, Stone Wings Flies High, had grown to be a spirit to whom Yichimet felt a bond. But Yichimet thought this piece of metal, some goblin device maybe, would be good for the Great Hunt against the pink-skins, and so he was testing it. Leyujin, anyway, seemed to love it, hooting and cheering from the backseat as they'd flown across Dragonblight and Grizzly Hills with a speed few living things could match.
They'd landed far enough away from the vrykul citadel to not attract too much attention, and so they moved slowly and deliberately--as slowly and deliberately as a well-armored troll and large shu'halo could--toward an entrance into the Keep. Leyujin's testing of the magic proved true--no alarms were raised when they entered an unguarded door and looked around.
"So, now da hunt's on," Leyujin grunted softly. He took out a small bag and opened it, looking inside. "One o' dem elf mages gave me dis," he said, sticking a hand inside and feeling around. "Da bag's supposed to be bottomless. Guess we'll see, eh?"
Yichimet turned a corner of a big hallway and looked down at the vrykul guards posted. He had heard the tails being told by the diggers in Ulduar--that the pink-skins were the children of these giant things, that in their blood was the same kind of being, but he could not believe it. These things were all jagged edges of metal, with iron beards and spear-tips and wicked blades. The humans were small and soft and bled so easily.
The vrykul were chatting in their harsh words when Leyujin pushed past Yichimet and without even a battle cry charged into battle. His shield smashed one in the face and he brought his weapon around to block the swing of the still-standing guard. Before Yichimet could even begin to pull the lightning from the air around him, the second was also on the ground, dead to Leyujin's quick thrust after the parry.
They'd landed far enough away from the vrykul citadel to not attract too much attention, and so they moved slowly and deliberately--as slowly and deliberately as a well-armored troll and large shu'halo could--toward an entrance into the Keep. Leyujin's testing of the magic proved true--no alarms were raised when they entered an unguarded door and looked around.
"So, now da hunt's on," Leyujin grunted softly. He took out a small bag and opened it, looking inside. "One o' dem elf mages gave me dis," he said, sticking a hand inside and feeling around. "Da bag's supposed to be bottomless. Guess we'll see, eh?"
Yichimet turned a corner of a big hallway and looked down at the vrykul guards posted. He had heard the tails being told by the diggers in Ulduar--that the pink-skins were the children of these giant things, that in their blood was the same kind of being, but he could not believe it. These things were all jagged edges of metal, with iron beards and spear-tips and wicked blades. The humans were small and soft and bled so easily.
The vrykul were chatting in their harsh words when Leyujin pushed past Yichimet and without even a battle cry charged into battle. His shield smashed one in the face and he brought his weapon around to block the swing of the still-standing guard. Before Yichimet could even begin to pull the lightning from the air around him, the second was also on the ground, dead to Leyujin's quick thrust after the parry.
Re: Da Hunters have become da Hunted
Leyu'jin turned back and grinned at Yichimet, shouting, "Joo comin' o wut, brotha? Gotta be a might quicka!"
A low rumbling laughter emanated from the shaman. Pulling his hands apart, crackling lightning leapt through the gap, growing and sparking. With a gesture, Yichimet sent the streaming energy forward with a crack of thunder, that struck a vrykul powering down the corridor. The guard spasmed, falling to his knees as the bolt leapt onwards to hit a massive blacksmith who was joining the charge. Yichimet engulfed the first guard in flames, as Leyu'jin set himself into a full out run, smashing bodily into the blacksmith. He made two ripping tears in the vrykul's armor, then bashed the smith over the head. As the smith staggered, shaking his head, the edge of the troll's shield hit the giant's neck, crumpling it and sending the vrykul to the floor. As Leyu'jin looked back quickly to see the state of the guard, he saw only Yichimet striding forward with a grin, the guard's corpse smoldering behind the shaman. Leyu replied with a quick, satisfied smirk, then returned his attention to their next opponents. Six vrykul down the rock-hewn hallway glowered menacingly, hefting their weapons.
The troll stepped back and readied his shield, banging on it with his sword. "Joo tink we kin take dem, brotha?", Leyu'jin remarked gleefully. Yichimet laughed out loud, summoning a totem that burst through the ground as lightning began to crackle from his hands once again.
"Let them come."
A low rumbling laughter emanated from the shaman. Pulling his hands apart, crackling lightning leapt through the gap, growing and sparking. With a gesture, Yichimet sent the streaming energy forward with a crack of thunder, that struck a vrykul powering down the corridor. The guard spasmed, falling to his knees as the bolt leapt onwards to hit a massive blacksmith who was joining the charge. Yichimet engulfed the first guard in flames, as Leyu'jin set himself into a full out run, smashing bodily into the blacksmith. He made two ripping tears in the vrykul's armor, then bashed the smith over the head. As the smith staggered, shaking his head, the edge of the troll's shield hit the giant's neck, crumpling it and sending the vrykul to the floor. As Leyu'jin looked back quickly to see the state of the guard, he saw only Yichimet striding forward with a grin, the guard's corpse smoldering behind the shaman. Leyu replied with a quick, satisfied smirk, then returned his attention to their next opponents. Six vrykul down the rock-hewn hallway glowered menacingly, hefting their weapons.
The troll stepped back and readied his shield, banging on it with his sword. "Joo tink we kin take dem, brotha?", Leyu'jin remarked gleefully. Yichimet laughed out loud, summoning a totem that burst through the ground as lightning began to crackle from his hands once again.
"Let them come."