Grim Views

Snoring irritated the patrons of the Inn, while goblin girl slept deeply.

*Dreams of mist, ocean waters. A voice calling, "Tekk.... Tekk..... I'm here, I'm here child."*

Tekk jumped from her sleep in a cold sweat, "Grams!?!" Panting in shock, she pulled the covers off and moved over to a bowl with water in it. Washing her face, she looked up from the bowl while staring solemnly into a nearby mirror.

It was just a dream... Another dream. They'd been happening a lot here lately. She headed down the stairs of the Wyvern's Tail to order her normal breakfast from Innkeeper Nufa. A Highland Pomegranate with Honeymint Tea. Moments later she sat in silence, eating and thinking.

For a month or so, now, she'd been having the same dreams. They were always of fog, mist, and water, with the voice of her gram calling to her. Calling her *to* her. Always, that same message... "I'm here."; each time the dreams rattled her to no end. Cold sweats. Shock. A pulse that sounds like a trike engine. It'd been almost a year since she left Kezan and she was still adjusting; some days easier than others. She needed to get away to some place new. Some place where she could find some peace and quiet. Some place like home.

A familiar face strolled into the tavern; a beautiful blond Sin'dorei. Bryii was tall and elegant, one of the best friends she'd made after joining the Grim. With a smile, she waved Bryii over to the table to sit. "Hiya Bryii."

The Blood Elf smiled politely and joined her, "Hey Tekk. How are you?"

With a mouth half full of pomegranate pips, Tekk replied "Oh, ok. Today. *gulp*" I had an odd dream last night, but for the most part I'm doin' ok. Whatcha doin' today, Bryii?"

"I don't know, maybe I'll get some food then head out to find a new outfit." She said, "Hard to say."

Tekk nodded and continued on, "I'm going to go find Brass. Maybe see what he's up to."

Bryii arched a pale eyebrow, "Oh? Haven't you heard? He's gone."

"Gone?" Tekk asked incredulously, "Waddayah mean gone? Where's he gone to?"

"He left for Booty Bay yesterday. At least, I believe that's what he said... mentioned something about needing to get away from things for a while." Bryii nodded, "With the way things have been around here in Orgrimmar, I don't blame him."

Tekk looked intrigued by the new information and replied, "Light guide his journey. May it be safe." Bryii whole heartedly agreed.


The two sat for a while conversing back and forth about the usual girly things. Talk shifted focus from there to matters of the light and events of the recent past. It did her heart good to spend some time with a friend. They giggled and chatted until long after Tekk had finished her food, the noon sun baking the Orgrimmar mud hard. They parted ways.

With her original plan for the day gone, along with Brass, Tekk's next order of business would be to head to Dalaran. There were questions she wanted answers to, and with their extensive libraries, it'd be just the place to get some of them.

Outside the tavern she found her steed still dutifully tied to a rail. The white charger was huge, clad in light-imbued armor. Many paladins wished they had mounts so fine, she thought with a smile. The creature was easily at least ten times the size of the average goblin. Despite that, she'd mastered the art of mounting up the great beast quickly. Allowing the light to fill her heart, she levitated to grab the reins - eventually flipping herself up onto the saddle with no difficulty. She tugged a bit at the reins and the beast responded instantly. Together, they glided swiftly over to the Zeppelin Tower boarding, bound for Northrend.

She'd always liked to take the scenic route when heading out to Dalaran. Sure, she could just ask a mage for a portal there - but where would the fun be in that? Once the Zeppelin from Orgrimmar to Hellscream's Watch had docked, she stabled her steed to take a Wyvern to the floating city.

Passing over the Borean Tundra, Tekk looked down to see the lands below. They were healing. Though Brass and her had joined the Horde not long after the Lich King's fall, she imagined what it must've been like. She thought about all the times she fought beside Brass throughout the Eastern Kingdoms - facing the remnants of the undead in the Plaguelands. Her teaching him the finer points of first aid and to keep his heart open to the light, while he taught her how to defend herself, practically, even against 'getting swindled by that damn worgen and her caravan'; even though she looked perfectly trustworthy to Tekk. Brass just doesn't trust people much especially if he thinks he's protecting Tekk. Sometimes she wished he would let her be, but deep down she understood he was just trying to help.

The winds here were cold. It was always cold in Northrend, but today somehow it felt just a bit colder. The wyvern landed almost entirely covered with frost.

She entered the great city, passing by Alliance and Horde alike. While Tekk loathed the Alliance for attacking her and her people at the Lost Isles, in this place fighting was not permitted. She didn't even want to know what they'd do to keep it that way, so she held her temper. However, she didn't have to hold her tongue.

Tekk blew a raspberry at some Gnome wearing Alliance colors, then stuck her thumb to her nose - palm outstretched and wiggled her fingers in mockery. The Gnome looked taken aback, but Tekk continued as if nothing had happened. Score one for the Horde, she thought as she smiled impishly to herself.

On the far edge of Dalaran, one of the buildings stood decorated in the usual lavish shades of violet, blue, periwinkle, and gold. Of the many libraries, most agreed this one was the finest and most complete. It was sure to have some maps in it.

She wasn't prepared for the volume of it all. All kinds of old books, scrolls, and tablets lined shelves. Mages, priests, warlocks - scribes and scholars of sorts or specialties she couldn't begin to guess at as well as common folk (or what pass for common folk in this city of magic) were all quietly reading or scribbling away at some parchment.

They all stared after her as her shoes made light clicking and squeaking noises on the marble floors. She winced, doing her best to ignore them as she noisely clicked and squeaked her way up to what looked like an information desk. Behind it was a pudgy red-haired female dwarf with a nose that looked like some overcooked sausage, buried deep in a very large book with a silver lined title in some foreign language. She looked somehow silly that way. Clearing her throat, she called out, "Ahem, Excuse me?"

The red headed dwarf looked up from her book with an arched eyebrow, "Shh, Keep it down Lass. What kin ah do for yeh?"

"Do you have any maps here?" Tekk asked, lowering her voice to a whisper as best as she could.

"Maps? Well of course we do. I'll show yeh." The Dwarf hopped down from her chair and meandered around the desk to lead her. Down a long hall they went, rows and rows of books piled almost to the ceiling were covered in a very thin layer of dust, making the whole place smell wonderfully of aged parchment and that unmistakable scent of 'old'. Tekk breathed it in deep smiling.

"Ere we gew, Lass. Now, what kind of map're ya looking fer?" The Dwarf waved around a large shelf with several sections to it in a grid pattern, each section had a rolled piece of parchment inside. Some scrolls stuck out farther than others, a few were thicker or older than others. There must have been at least fifty of them, all considered. The shelf looked like it hadn't been touched in years - It was covered in a thick layer of dust. "Um, well I don't... I guess any map of Azeroth that you have."

The Dwarf rubbed a hand across her homely face, and gave Tekk a frustrated look. She then let out a hardy but flabberghast laugh, "You mean to tell me yer lookin' for a simple map you could as easy 'ave in almost every drinkin' hole? Whatcha need to come here fer, needin' such a simple thing?"

Tekk was a bit taken aback by her choice of words, she rubbed the back of her head absently. Sure, she realized that there were indeed basic maps everywhere. Still, she was hoping for ones that might be older.

"Waddah 'bout older maps? Or, maybe new ones with new places that maybe haven't been marked yet? Maps do change over time don't they?"

The Dwarf smiled, "Aye, nao that's better. We've so many maps a' Azeroth ye'd go gray lookin' for jus' that special right one. It's what weh do 'here, but I think i can find ya the kind yer lookin for." She slapped her hands together and got to scanning along the shelves.

Moving to the far end of the furthest back shelf, she cautiously climbed up and pulled from the top row a large vellum, handing it to Tekk very carefully. The rolled map was far to big for Tekk to open right there. Despite its age, there was an uncanny durability to it - and her fingertips buzzed with enchantments probably meant to preserve it.

"An', jus' in case this ain't what yer lookin' fer, 'ere's our newest. Jus' got this in recently, about week er' tew." The Dwarf handed her a second scroll, this one much smaller. The parchment was considerably cheaper and there wasn't even the faintest touch of magic to it. It was probably one of the cheap maps she was referring to, hanging in Taverns.

Tekk nodded her thanks, heading off to find table large enough to handle the ancient map. The dwarf watched Tekk curiously and.... nervously? "Don' know what you think yer gon' to find, but good luck lassie. Please don' go blowin' up the scroll, or lightin' it on fire, or whatever it is you gobbos dew." The dwarf smiled gingerly before waddling off back to her desk. She was probably trying for humor with that. Tekk grinned and shrugged.

Eagerly, she started with the old map. It was heavier than it looked - and took a lot of force to push, rolling it open. The vellum lightly creaked as she flattened it out. She all but standing on top of it to get the job done. Looking over the map she saw the Eastern Kingdoms as rough, distinct shape and on the other side, Kalimdor. It was much more detailed. Her eyes poured over the south seas, dotted with many little spots, notes written in language that she had no clue about. Probably an Elf map.

She poured over it, looking for anything that might seem different. Sure some terraforming had changed, but all in all nothing out of the ordinary. On the only barely used corner of the table, Tekk rolled out the much smaller new map. It was crisp, sharp, clean and definitely new. It had that soft papery smell that new books have. The ink stood out strong and its notes were in Orcish - a decent consideration of the Dwarf, no doubt. There was vivid color and detail. It showed the Eastern Kingdoms, Northrend, Kalimdor, and even had a little sidebox showing what was known of Outland. It also had thoroughly noted references to the Maelstrom, and to places like Kezan.

Tekk scoured the new map comparing the differences to the old one. Surely there had to be uncharted lands that hadn't been marked there yet. There were several islands, small ones like the Lost Isles that her and the rest of Kezan's refugees had crashed onto. It wasn't too much of a stretch to think that other refugees could've landed on islands nobody knew about. And perhaps.... Maybe Just maybe, her grams.... could she have been one of them? Could she have escaped?

Their could be other islands, other uncharted places. Of course, Brass didn't believe that. He knew a bit about sailing and the south seas. He'd always insist that if there was something new, some passerby would've mentioned it and 'claim jumpers' would've piled onto it in search of lost treasure. Brass was just being Brass, though; protective and annoying as ever doing it. She never let it hold her back, though - never put a damper on her; she just 'knew' there was something, even if she didn't know what it was.

Deep in thought, Tekk nearly jumped out of her skin when she was tapped on the shoulder.

"We're closin up." The Dwarven librarian said sullenly, "Private gathering needs access for somethin' big."

She hadn't given any thought as to how long she had stayed there. Tekk nodded, starting to roll up the maps. The Dwarf stopped her politely, took over, shooing Tekk out the door "Please, lass. Leave it tae me. You go on, now. We'll be here in the mornin'."

Tekk complied, thanking the Dwarf, and left. That night at the Inn, the dreams returned once more.

"I'm here... I'm here child."

The dreams were getting worse. She woke up with sweat soaking the pillow, trembling.

Something had to be done and she needed comfort. This time, she took a portal to Orgrimmar.

The Purple Princess was bound for Grom'gol Base Camp, at the coastal edge of the huge jungle. Booty Bay wouldn't be far from it, if the advice she got was any indication. The jungles stood out to her most - they felt familiar. Homey. Like the ones back on Lost Isles, and in pockets on Kezan. From there, she went by Wyvern to Booty Bay, admiring the jungle the whole way.

That homesickness grew worse when she saw the Bay. Tons of goblins lined the docks, along with pockets of odd mix-matched parties. A gnoll here, a pack of gnomes snapping their fingers in unision wearing black shirts goggles. There, an ogre playing dice with a bunch of Goblins - and one Troll. Wheeling and dealing, no alley free of shady, shadowed faces. The smell of rum and coconut filling the air, along with all the jungle trees in the distance made her feel at home.

Wandering the boardwalks, she made her way to the Salty Sailor Tavern. Surely, Brass would be here. He talked of it often. Amidst the droning of some accordian-like music, spoon tapping, and bottle clinking, she found Brass lounged out in the back corner. His eyebrows raised when he saw her.

"Heyah, Nixx - gimme a Milk and two more Cherry Grogs," Brass called jovially to the bartender, who looked at him wry, "Milk ain't for me, you know that!". Nixx tittered something back, barely audible over the din, and Brass laughed in response. Whatever it is, he must've got it.

"Surprised to see you here, kid. How's goin'?" Brass drawled.

She frowned a bit at that, and bit back, "Brass, I'm sixteen - not much younger than you are! When're you gonna stop calling me kid?"

Brass frowned, shrugging at that. It wasn't the first time she'd had to get on him about that - and it probably wouldn't be the last. Tekk just sighed as he frowned. That frown only changed when the Cherry Grog showed up. "Milk?" Brass offered, his voice gravelly.

She guzzled it down in one drink without word, it felt good and cold in the balmy heat, "So... what're we gonna do today?"

Brass arched his brow and chewed those words over, "Uh... you din't answer my question, first off. For that mattah, I din't even know you were comin' out here, let alone that you wanted to 'do' things. Y'know how dangerous comin' out here was? All sorts a bad things could happen to a gal 'round these parts. They mark their clocks by it."

Tekk glared at him, he just put up his gauntleted hands in appeasement and rolled his eyes, "Yeh, yeah. I get it - 'Immah a big gal' 'n all that." She frowned at his tone, "I believe yah, I jus' don' wannah see somethin' bad happen. As for dooin', dunno. Whatcha want to do? There's always drinkin' - an' dice. Mebbey someone'll start a fight in here. Been boorin' in here today, about ready to crack a chair over Nixxrax over there jus' to see the goofy look on his face."

"You jus' try it," Nixx grinned with a toothy gob grin, "Been itchin' for the rematch." Brass smiled back at him. Clearly, the two goblins knew each other fairly well.

Tekk lit up with delight and excitement as a thought exploded, "I wanna explore! This is my first time here -duh! Show me around! It's beautiful here, Brass. Show me stuff!"

He snorted at that, "Beautiful? Bee-a-you-tee-full? A four story tall solid gold cauldron overflowin' with spicy gumbo an' a stirrin' stick made of ruby socketed pyrium you have to hook an army of scantily clad bunnehs up to in order to stir, now thaaaaat's beautiful! But this place? Sheesh. You enjoyin' those rose colored glasses?"

It was Tekk's turn to roll her eyes, grabbing his arm, and doing her damnedest to drag his heavy weight out of the Tavern. Surprisingly, she was making more progress than either of the two thought she would, "Woh woh WOH, ok - geesh kid! Easy! I din't even get to finish mah grog!"

Tekk shot him the look, again. Brass's only response was to sigh heavily and chug both grogs. "Alrighty, lets go. Come on, keep up." She literally squeeked with delight, running off quickly toward the jungle as would-be guide became the follower. "HEY! Stick close, kid. Everything in' this jungle's always hungreh. Eat you up in two bites, some things, less n' that!"

Brass's cautions, as so often, fell on distracted ears. Tekk was so awestruck with all the plants and animals that she waved them off. "Yeh, yeah, Oooh look Brass! Berries!"

Tekk reached out a hand to grab them. Brass didn't waste any time, slapping her hand lightly and shouting very loudly, "NO! Don't! They ain't for EATIN'"

A moment passed as she rubbed her hand, giving Brass an angry stare "Whadcha go and do that for!?!"

"Ain't nothin' in this jungle for free! Those berries coulddah been part a' some angry critter eating plant, poisonous, or, for all I know, EXPLOSIVE." Brass barked, "You don't eat whatcha don't KNOW."

He looked down at the berries, examining them, "Actualleh, if you'ddah eaten these berries, you woulda been sick for a month. Ya gotta be more *careful* kid! I know I soun' like some broke boombox on this, but I din't learn these things as easy as I'm sharin'. Dammit. I worry abou-"

Tekk snapped on him, "I'M NOT A KID!". She ran off.

"Craaap." Brass frowned, patting his face with his hand, before chasing off after her. For all he knew, she was running into the deep jungle where something nasty was waiting for a Tekk-sized snack.

When he finally caught up to her, she was sitting on a rock jutting out of the coastal water crying quietly.

Brass approached slowly, cautiously - like when he'd be getting into position before a big fight, "k-... Tekk, I'm sorry, but I'm not backin' down on this. You gottah be more careful, f-real."

Tekk sniffed, her eyes red with tears, "It's not that. You don't get it. This place reminds me of home."

As she finished the sentence, her vision snapped to a flower. She fell silent and slightly smiled. Before he could say anything, she reached for it.

"Dammit Tekk, din't you listen at all to me!?!" Brass growled. He knew it could've been something like Deathweed, which grew around that area in abundance - beloved by assassins for its fatal toxicity.

Ignoring him with narrowed eyes, she picked the flower and breathed in deep the fragrant aroma. She looked at Brass imperiously.

He frowned, "Why donchah listen to me, kid? I ain't talkin' for my own good, here. I'm tryin' to help yah, dammit!"

"This flower isn't poisonous, mister know-it-all!" She said with a heap of quiet, but potent, ferocity, "These grow in Kezan. Grams used to keep them on her shop's window sill, AND QUIT CALLIN ME KID, YOU - YOU - BLOCKHEAD!"

Brass' eye twitched, he wanted to say something. A rebuttal, or ... well, anything. But what could he say to that? It completely wrecked his train of thought. Tekk ran off back toward booty bay.

After a long trek, he found her upstairs in a room over the Tavern. She was laying on one of the hammocks face turned to the wall, only a single candle in the room. The flower she'd picked was crushed slightly on the bedside table.

"Tekk?" He said. Unable to manage a whisper, he tried at the very least to lower his voice.

Tekk breathed deeply and her eyes were closed. With a sigh at the lack of response, he headed downstairs. "Women..." he mumbled with a growl, heading back to order a Keg from Nixx.

The next morning, she woke up to find the one flower had been replaced by several fresh ones - even if slightly crushed. 'Man hands' weren't good for picking flowers, it seems. She smiled at the gesture, then headed down the stairs to thank him. He wasn't there and Nixx made it more than clear he didn't keep track of anyone once they leave the Tavern.

She looked all around Booty Bay, only to realize he'd left again. She went back to the room to see if there was a note, but there wasn't. Really, it wasn't like him to do things like that anyway. Back downstairs she went, reasoning if he went anywhere, it'd probably be back home.

In the weeks that followed, her mood hadn't improved. While she'd been right about Brass' return to Orgrimmar, they both noticed major changes in the locals. Events in Theramore, and the breaking of the Blockade, led to Garrosh becoming even more overbearing before. So much so that even Tekk couldn't smile at it. Brass drank more and more, becoming very grumpy, while she still suffered her nightly dreams.

It was eating away at her, that unknown something pulling - now literally wrenching - at her.

Sometimes she would be happy, sometimes sad, sometimes the rage would be more than she or anyone could stand. All switched in seconds. During one instance, she had even exploded on Bryii. Tekk had told bryii of the dreams and said she was silly for having them. When bryii told her it wasnt silly at all tekk blew up. Yelling that her grams was gone, dead and never coming back. Tekk never intended to yell at bryii or anyone. She was just so confused these days.

The moods shifted worse and worse. Every night she wakes startled with the dreams, and the hopelessness of it made her quiet. More listless. She had to do something, anything. One night, she finally snapped and decided on what to do - and Brass, distant as he was, wouldn't even have to know. He'd just gripe about how childish and stupid the idea was anyways. Perhaps he would be better not knowing.

She snuck out and headed back to Booty Bay that night. She was lucky to catch the last flight out on the Purple Princess.

Disguised in a dark cloak, doing her very best to appear as 'rugged' as possible, complete with eyepatch - she tracked down what she believed to be a Pirate Captain, due to the neat looking hat. She tapped him on the back.

"Um, Arrr mate." She graveled, "Ye be hedin' out to sea?'

The goblin and his crew - a mixmatched set of races and heights - regarded her. They stood over her menacingly, but she held her ground.

"Aye, we'll be settin' sail come next tide," The Goblin drawled, "What's it to yah?"

Tekk responded, doing her best to fake the accent, "I be needin' to get away. Anywhere but here."

The goblin looked her up and down, "I aint no zepplin."

Tekk stood her ground still, "Zepplins don't go where I'm headed'"

"So, ya do know where you be wantin' to go then?" The captain said with an arched eyebrow and a cockeyed grin.

"No, uh, no I don' really know where I want to get to. But, any place uncharted, I guess..." Tekk stammered, the attention flaking her mask a little.

"We aint no tour guide, girlie" the Captain drawled on, "Ain't no room for kids on my ship."

They turned to walk out.

"I AIN'T NO KID." Tekk growled, ferociously. The Captain's eyebrows raised, and the Crew chuckled a bit. "I WANT ON THAT SHIP - I'm not giving up! Ill work, Ill clean, I can heal ya'll up if yah get in battle! I have fought many battles survived many encounters on my own. I'm strong! I'll work hard and I'll do what I'm told and keep my head down!"

"Ohhhh, I'll bet you will," The Captain guffawed with a very wicked grin, turning around finally. "Tell you what. You'll bunk with the crew - you'll do ever' snot-soaked job there needs doin' on my ship an' you'll damn well love it. Those're my terms. What say you?"

"Deal!" Tekk didn't even hesitate. The Captain didn't lose that wicked grin.

As she left with the pirates, they joked on about how she'd be earning her keep. Tekk didn't catch all of it, any of it really, but at any rate - she was excited, she didn't know what to expect but hopefully it would bring her some answers, and maybe cure her dreams.

The first mate, bumped the Captain, "So, we drop her at the first island?"

He just grinned, "We'll jus' have to see, won't we?"

[Part 2: The search for Tekk can be found here - https://thegrim.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=7058]