Grim Views

The evening had started normal enough.
Fresh from a deep meditation, Lupinum strode out into the dying light of Draenor. The chill of Frostfire was ever present but there was no battle to warm him this night. The Forsaken ran his thumb against his hearthstone. It was eerily quiet while the majority of his comrades ran their mighty fist through the Blackrock Foundry. With not much else to do, Lupinum mounted the stairs of the tower that lead up to the Warspear portal. Upon stepping through, the hot reek of manure greeted his rotted nostrils. The sun was setting in the distance and its warming glow spread across the waves like a roiling ocean of blood. It was comforting. The hunched Forsaken walked down the worn path from the Flight Master towards the familiar pub, aching to get his iron jaw wet with frothy brew. Standing outside was the tall figure of Lilliana. She and two Tauren, Breygrah and Konro, had stopped off to the side of a busy path to converse as they had in recent days.

Lupinum strode up and stood next to the Trolless without a word but listening to the conversation half-heartedly. Teleportation made him feel sluggish and he kept to himself for several moments. He did notice that Konro was continually pestering Breygrah. Tossing stones at her feet, at first, before working up to her torso and unhelmed head.
Breygrah hardly noticed, easily dodging the projectiles with a grace that belied her frame. It amused the Forsaken to watch the primitive mating ritual. Soon, though, a flash of purple broke his reverie. That, combined with a limping frame supported by a staff, brought a low growl to Lupinum's throat. This was the Elf that had blatantly attacked Syreena. Outside the same tavern.
Kex'ti his name was, strode up to the group and spoke greetings before being summoned away just as quickly by the Battlemaster's call. Lupinum took this chance and spoke up, cutting off another futile action of Konro to get Breygrah to notice him.
"Let's head inside. I hear a mug of beer calling me."
Under little protest from the Tauren the group did so. Lupinum could feel Lilliana's disapproving look on the back of his skull as they walked.

Breygrah avoided the bar and instead sat facing the hearth in the middle of the room alongside Lilly. Konro and Lupinum ordered drinks and stood near the two females. After only a couple swigs the large Tauren was back at work pestering Breygrah. Konro's attempts fell very flat with Brey even going as far as to talking about Konro in the 3rd person. Lupinum was standing near Konro when the sprite of mischief enter his own glowing yellow eyes. He reached into the burning wood and pulled out a small ember glowing a deep red with intense heat. The Forsaken placed it on the back of Konro's head but lost his grip, causing it to fall down Konro's back singing his fur along the way. With an embarrassing yelp from a warrior, he ran down the stairs into the kitchen. It was silent for several moments before Lilly chimed up that she would go and check on him. Leaving the Forsaken and Breygrah to themselves for a moment, Lillina walked down, calling out to Konro.

Lupinum sat next to Brey and downed another mug of beer. She looked at him but said very little. Lupe took this opportunity to try something... He spoke a soft word and faded into shadow, leaving a magicked replica of himself sitting next to Brey. His true form reappeared next to her and she gave a cry of surprise and jumped away in fright. Lupinum laughed and spoke again. He crept behind the Tauren and poked her shoulder. Breygrah laughed and ran away. This went on for a few minutes while Lilliana was helping Konro.
"Do you see any thing?!" The male Tauren sounded worried. Picking up on this, Lilly jokingly poked his broad, furry back and screamed that there was a hole in his skin. Without so much as putting his clothes back on, Konro ran upstairs with a fury directed towards Lupinum. As he reached the landing, Konro heard the joyful laughter from Brey and Lupinum. With a roaring battle cry, he charged in a haz of anger and slashed at the Forsaken's rotting neck. The axe cleaved thin air, whistling with deadly intent only to find a target in a support beam.

This game of cat and mouse went on long enough for Kex'ti to reappear and strike up conversation with Lilliana and Breygrah. Lupinum and Konro hardly noticed. The Forsaken had stretched his luck very thin and was cornered by the very large, very angry, Tauren warrior on the platform above the common room. Konro by this point had burned off his anger with the exercise and was toying with Lupinum. The rough cloth of the priest's robe was clenched in Konro's large, plated hand while his toes scraped against the wood rail. The Tauren growled something in his language and planted his hoof in the center of Lupinum's chest and shoved.
Konro had failed to notice that the Forsaken was floating while being held by the scruff and gently levitated to the ground after the kick. Konro roared and leaped to the ground below to rejoin the group. Whatever it was that Lilly, Kex'ti and Brey were talking about had come around to Sanctuary and the Horns of Shuhalo. Brey was explaining that she felt the same as Konro: they lacked leadership and many of her comrades had gone off on their own adventures. Kex'ti eyes were lit up. Lupinum heard the words "Julilee." and "You two should meet. You could have much to teach each other."
This coming from the Elf that had injured Syreena's body and pride brought the old sludge in Lupinum's veins to a boil. As far as the Forsaken was concerned, Sanctuary had nothing of any worth to give to any one. Konro, eager to please Breygrah, agreed quickly. Breygrah saw through his felcrap and stomped away with Kex'ti behind her. Lilliana gave both Konro and Lupinum angry looks and followed.

The two by the fire were speechless. Konro was seething with rage, he hadn't meant what he said. Sanctuary would tear them apart irreparably. He knew he had to stop Julilee from meeting Breygrah at all costs. Konro looked at Lupinum and said so.
"For the Horde, Lupinum. For the Horde." At these words, Lupinum shrugged. Anyone could make their choice... but to choose Sanctuary... the priest gave it a second of thought before nodding to the warrior. They walked to the door of the bar and looked out. Breygrah, Lilliana and Kex'ti were standing by the totem in the middle of Warspear, speaking of... something. Konro looked at his Forsaken friend and asked if he had anything to help distract or incapacitate the Elf so they could get Brey to safety. Being only a priest, Lupinum had little to offer. But as he looked in his pack, his claws closed around a small vial of a Pale Vision Potion . With a quick sniff, he decided it would do the trick and soaked a cloth with the contents.

Without a word between them, Konro and Lupinum walked down the path to the group. Lupinum stood slightly behind Kex'ti while Konro stood near Brey. The plan was to get Brey's attention and to put Kex'ti under while they made their escape. Or kidnapping, if one prefered. The minutes ticked by slowly as Konro's attempts to talk to Brey were rebuffed. Lupinum was worried they would be found out or that the cloth would fail them. But as luck would have it, Brey turned around and Lupinum took this chance to place the cloth firmly on the mouth and nose of Kex'ti who promptly fell to the ground, asleep. The Forsaken beamed at Konro in triumph, who was having a lot of trouble subduing Breygrah. Lilliana was very, very, disappointed and told Lupinum so at the top of her lungs.
He winced and watched the two Tauren struggle with each other.
"In the freaking middle of Warspear!!" Lilly yelled this again and hit Lupinum hard.
Following in kind, the Tauren drew their weapons and squared off. The fighting was swift, and the dust kicked up was tinted red by the sun's final light. Konro lay on the ground, panting hard. Breygrah would not go easily and said so. Lupinum was fortunate enough to be behind Breygrah. He took the cloth in his hand and repeated what he had done to Kex'ti. Konro rushed forward and caught his unconscious companion. A lone black shape had appeared and yelled at Konro to put her down down or be killed on the spot. The warlock Darethy was going to take Breygrah and Kex'ti into custody and fight the two conspirators if necessary.

[[ Lilliana was very, very, disappointed and told Lupinum so at the top of her lungs. – hahaha ]]

Konro and Lupinum exchanged glances and whispered variations of "We're so fucked." But without a set plan they were helpless. Lilliana stepped forward without missing a beat to explain that this was just a... prank that was getting out of hand and that there was no reason to, like, overreact. Darethy gave the Troll a no-bullshit look and took a step towards the Elf. Konro had anticipated the motion and hefted Breygrah over his shoulders easily. His hooves pounded the dust as he ran. He called over his shoulder for Lupinum to follow with the Elf. In a hurry to not be turned into Demon dust, the priest did his best to haul his sorry corpse behind Konro. How Darethy had not attacked either of them before they leaped down into the water was beyond them. Tall, purple tents of the Arakkoa lit by a fire was their waypoint as they waded through the shallows. Konro had moved the two captives next to the flames for warmth before turning to Lupinum.
"How the Fel are we getting out of this." He asked this rhetorically. Darethy saw them and 'Because I didn't want her to go' wasn't good enough to excuse this.

The two were only brooding for a few moments. Soft crunches of boots in sand came from the long sandbar that connected this camp to the mainland. Lilly and Darethy came into the fire's ring of light, both wearing faces of equal displeasure. Kex'ti stirred in his sleep as Darethy shot more questions at Konro. He had come clean about the plan, but not as to the why. Lupinum was silent under Lilly's gaze. Silent even as he saw Kex'ti was waking up. The truth would come out and then his arms would be ripped off. After a fit of coughing, the Elf sat up slowly. He said nothing aside from casting a mist onto the sleeping Tauren to break her slumber.
As Breygrah was waking up, Kex'ti and Darethy began to talk about before the fight. There had been more talk about meeting with Sanctuary's commander. Breygrah cried aloud when she opened her eyes. Konro was there immediately to scoop her into his arms. He dismissed her questions with soft croons only to turned occasionally to bark at Darethy that she was coming with him, no matter what. Brey suddenly snapped back into focus and pushed herself away from Konro. She stood near a tree, away from both groups. Kex'ti approached with his hands raised, offering his mending. Breygrah appeared grateful as gentle green mists passed over her fur.

Konro roared at the Elf that she was coming with him. Darethy had bridged the gap and was looking at Breygrah as if he already knew what her decision was. Lupinum caught the glance and spoke a word of power. With a rush of air, the female Taruen flew into the priest's arms, nearly toppling him over. Now that she was safe behind Konro, the warrior turned and taunted Darethy. A soft hand placed on his back silenced him. Brey stood beside Konro and looked up into his eyes, but said nothing. Her hooves left impressions in the sand as she walked over to the warlock. Darethy nodded, "Very well. Come with us." Small, whispering voices came on the wind as a sickly green portal was opened in front of the warlock. From its depths, a jet black coffin erupted forth. A shimmering vision of an unfamiliar garrison floated within its borders. Kex'ti stepped through without a word, Darethy followed suit. Breygrah placed a gauntleted hand on the edge before looking back at her friends. Her nostrils flared with a heavy sigh. And she was gone.

Konro continued to stare even as the coffin began to disintegrate. No tears, no whimpers. Minutes stretched by, with the two priests saying nothing. The warrior began to strip off his armor and collect it into a small pile. Konro sat on a rock watching the moonlight begin its own dance across the waters of Draenor. Lupinum turned to Lilliana, "At least we tried...". She scoffed and pulled out her hearthstone in a huff. Lupinum did the same, leaving the Tauren alone with the echoing crash of waves along the shore.