Grim Views

The troll monk gently folded his robe and placed it on the bed, along with a handful of belongings, including a miniature alchemical lab setup and some herbs. Shrugging a civilian shirt over his head, followed by a fur and leather jacket, he bundled the rest of his accoutrements into a large burlap sack and wooden carrying case, replete with animal skin straps. Leyujin paused then, reflecting on his conversation the previous night with the Abbot...

"You are throwing away everything you have learned during your time here!", Abbot Wen thundered. "Patience, wisdom, inner peace, and serenity, only to throw yourself back into the nightmare which brought you to my door! Please, Leiyun, reconsider this madness. You will not achieve the end you seek, and you will simply be pulled into the endless cycle of hatred and warfare."

"Lissen, mo... Abbot, Garrosh 'as ta go down. He be a disgrace ta his fatha an' Thrall's name, an' e' be leading da Horde down ta da refuse 'eap. Ah gotta go back an' be der ta make it so."

"And such an outcome will require your presence? Please, even you must see it will come to pass with or without you. You can let the world play out its intrigues, it can do that well enough by itself. What you truly sought will be found here."

"It not dat simple, Abbot. Wit' Garrosh gone, da Horde will be in a weakah place den evah befo', fo' sum time. Any struggle aginst ourself will cause dat damage, dat weakness, which da Alliance will take advantage of. Dey hafta, it be too gud an opportunity. Ah gotta be der ta guard ma people durin' dat time."

The Abbot sighed and covered his eyes with one paw. "I can see I am not getting through to you. Go, then. Go and see your folly for yourself. The monastery will be waiting for your return."

Leyujin laughed and patted the Abbot on one arm. "Das wut ah admire aboot joo, Abbot, joo unendin' patience wit' fools. Dont'choo worry aboot me, ah wonna forget wut joo taught me." At that, the troll levered himself off the dinner bench and away from the table. He could still feel Abbot Wen's eyes on him as he padded away.

Out of hearing, the Abbot muttered, "I hope so, brother Leiyun. That in returning to the world you are not led astray."

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As his reminiscing ended, Leyujin hefted up the strapped box onto his shoulders and slung the burlap sack over his left. As the rays of dawn strung themselves further over the horizon, the troll padded softly out of his dormitory down the tiles of the monastery grounds, through the temple gate, and out into the world again. Now, he thought, Ah need ta git to a zeppelin towah.

A small translucent globe dropped from its place of observation outside the Abbott's window. In the days since he relinquished his hold on power, Greebo had made good use of his free time. He had sought out those who had, like him, turned their back on the purity of complete dedication. Expansion and change, within the framework of The Mandate were what brought true strength and power - not a mindless adherence. That way was Pride. Indeed the Abbott suffered from it, and could not see its tragic effects rushing like a tsunami toward the walls of Orgrimmar. With the fall of the mist, as surely as the Alliance and the Horde rushed in to Pandaria, the corruption of the Sha had spread to the rest of Azeroth.

If The Grim were to see that the Horde emerged from the coming struggle stronger than ever, they would need their wisest and most cunning minds, minds honed and tuned in a thousand thousand personal battles with the true enemy.

"Three, three, three, there is power in three," he murmured to himself. The timing of their return was almost enough to make him wonder if a greater power might have a hand in this. Almost. "May the gods-who-have-abandoned-us rot in their dens. We stand alone as we always have."