(2026-02-28) Possible Cultists

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Author:	Alli
Summary:	Aszera and Oslynn happen across one another in the middle of the Blasted Lands, both on a hunt. They work together to follow up the misgivings raised down at the Surwich port.
Rating:	M for Mature 17+

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discussion of romance and sexual attraction, non-described gore, NPC death

Out in the wilds, partway between Nethergarde Keep and the Dark Portal, the revitalization wrought by the worgen druids down at Surwich might seem like just a dream. The land is all dry, scorched red dirt, and the main features of the dead land are rocky structures, and dips and rises that might mark some of the cave structures that extend beneath parts of the region.

A small cloaked figure crosses this land, moving slowly on foot and turning occasionally as if seeking some sign of a path. Aszera Sunstrike pulls back the hood of her cloak, kneeling in the red dirt to check a tread mark and then sighing as she straightens and turns around once more.

There's an odd movement in the distance, perceptible to those with hyper-keen ears and tactile senses. The movement is identifiable immediately by its fluid, organic nature as the activity of some sort of wildlife. Unusual given the lifeless surroundings.

Whatever it is, it's large enough that its footfalls make barely-perceptible vibrations in the earth. A slight breeze carries a musky, ursine scent, but more tellingly, focused attention reveals an aura of druidic magic about the creature. An aura whose chaotic, joyful signature is perhaps all too familiar.

Aszera turns sharply towards the movement, her jaw tight and her expression focused. Then, as the sense of the magic and the joy reaches her, she lets out a breath, her shoulders relaxing and a smile rising to her face. She takes a few steps in the direction of the movement, and then breaks into a light jog, her cloak trailing behind her to show her form in brown leather.

"Ozzy?" she calls as she approaches. "Is that you? What are you doing out here?"

"What the fuck!!" calls a slightly rough, Gilnean-accented voice, getting louder as the heavy footsteps lumber nearer. "That you Aze? I could arsk you the same fing! Not exactly vacation land round 'ere, yeah?"

Aze laughs a little breathlessly, trailing off to a stop near the bear. "Depends on a person's idea of a vacation, I guess. If someone's really into rocks and dirt, maybe. But yeah, I was… looking for something." Aze gestures dismissively with one hand. "Been a while, hasn't it? Been dancing much, since…?" she stops short before mentioning the gala, and continues, "Are you with that worgen place down south?"

"Not wif em really," Ozzy says, giving Aze a little nose-nudge of greeting, "but I like to swing by now an' again. Some weird folks been stoppin' into town lately so I was gonna try trackin' em. Makin sure they ain't up to anyfing dodgy."

Aze pats her on the head in response, but then her attention sharpens as she hears Ozzy's explanation. "Weird folks? What sort of weird?" She pauses, then adds, "I haven't stopped in down there yet, so it wouldn't have been me."

Ozzy snorts. "Oh yeah, that's wot I was sayin' for sure. Weird like you." She guffaws. "Naw, naw, like pale guy, wif a hooded cloak, real creepy lookin. Skulkin in and out of town to pick up supplies and livin in the woods somewhere instead of just talkin to people. That's weird, right?"

There's a half a beat before Aze laughs. Haha, right, of course, not like her.

"Yeah… if he was a hermit then he could've picked a nicer wilderness," says Aze, who apparently thinks being a hermit is about living in beauty and comfort. "Skulking, pale, creepy… I'm getting cult vibes. Are you looking for a cart or a horse path to track him down? I could come with. Might be trouble, might end up being close to what I'm after. And anyway, I really should've come by to see how things went for you, after the dance. It was just kind of… well.. it took me a while to recover."

Ozzy bear-sits onto the dirt and leans against Aze a little.

"I 'ad Cecil to distract me and comfort me and stuff," she says. "You been awright? You got someone? I used to think you and Joelle was - somefing, but I guess not really?"

"No, I don't really do… somethings," Aze says with a shrug, resting her hand in Ozzy's fur. "Not that I'm opposed to some… things… uh, anyway, some friends came by to check on me after. Siamus, Ally, Mordecai… but Cecil, huh? Was he that gorgeous guy you were dancing with?" She is probably guessing on the gorgeous.

"'E is gorgeous, right???" Ozzy says. The triple punctuation is audible. "I guess you an' I 'aven't talked in a bit. Seems like only yesterday we was sittin' around that big table plottin' a cult rescue. But yeah, 'e's me fella now. 'E's like a real lord an' everyfing, but I'm not like 'is… mistress or wot'aveyou, I'm like, 'is lady for real. We always kinda talk like we assume we're gonna be togevver forever, an' 'e told 'is da about me even. I a'int 'ad nuffing serious like that since I was a kid. Which, well I guess I was a kid, so 'ow serious could it've been? But now I'm grown an' so's 'e, so I reckon we know wot we're about. Anyway, glad you 'ad friends to be wif you, that was some shite. Big steamin' pile of it."

"Yeah, not how I expected that party to end. Things seem quiet lately, but you never know what they've got planned and I… I was afraid to go out in public for a while. Didn't want anyone to come at me looking for a fight," Aze falls silent for a moment, then pulls up a smile again. "But yeah, that's great, you and Cecil. And I guess you'll be Lady Ozzy someday? It's a good sign that way, when a guy wants you to know his family. I haven't usually been the 'meet the family' kind of girl, with a few exceptions."

Ozzy ducks her ursine head at the 'Lady Ozzy' comment; Aze can almost feel the heat of pleased embarrassment radiating off of her. She shuffles her feet awkwardly.

"Well elves live a long time, yeah?" Ozzy says. "Never know who you might meet. I'd about given up, meself, before I met Cecil. I'd either get crushes on people who didn't feel that way or people would just want, you know, a good time or whatever, and move on." A pause. "Wot was I even doin out 'ere…? Oh yeah. You wanna 'elp me track a guy? I was just usin' scent but maybe you have some like… special ways."

"Right, yeah the possible cultist," Aze says, straightening up. "I sort of hope it is, because then it's kind of on theme for you and me. Dancing and investigating dangerous cults, a good foundation for a friendship. As for me, what I mostly sense here is the fel. It’s like I can feel the Dark Portal. Like… like salt in the air near the sea. I don't know if that's real or just me imagining, but… it doesn't help with your guy."

Aze considers. "If you haven't found a camp yet, that might mean they're in the caves. I can scope out some places through walls, if we get close enough. I think there was a big cave complex east of here. I was going to check it out for my thing, too."

"Perfect!" says Ozzy. "'Cause I can't see frew walls. Wait, sorry, what fing? What's your fing again?"

"Uh… I can explain while we walk," Aze says, starting in a general eastward direction with a casual stride. "I've been tracking this… guy. I thought he was up in Azshara, but by the time I got there he was gone. Maybe all the goblins drove him off or something. They've made… well, it's a very goblin place now. I followed his trail to the Eastern Kingdoms, and then… he sort of has history related to here, so it was just my best guess. It's Cobalt history, too."

"Can you tell me 'is story or is it like, classified?" Ozzy asks, lumbering alongside Aze. The musky smell of her bear-fur is strangely comforting despite its… naturalness.

"I sure hope it isn't, or Sil's in trouble for telling me," Aze says with a laugh. She seems more at ease now, walking alongside a bear friend. Her own totally not creepy hood is folded back to fall against her back, and the edges of her cloak flutter as she moves. "He didn't say it was secret, though, so I think it's fine. It all has to do with a demon that was here in the Blasted Lands a few years ago. A dreadlord. There was a team from Cobalt trying to work out how to kill him. They made, like, a special weapon and stuff, went all over the world. But one of the people they asked for help was this kaldorei called Loramus Thalipedes. He was… kind of like me."

"Like you how?" Ozzy-bear asks as she ambles along. "Little elf? Good dancer? Blind? Super hot?"

Aze grins at 'super hot', but shakes her head. "He's probably a lot bigger than I am — those kaldorei are really fucking tall. And I don't know about looks or dancing. But I guess he was a demon hunter from before Outland? I don't know when exactly, but he must've learned from Illidan sometime before. There aren't so many of us, so I just…" Aze turns her face away a little, her brow lowering a little in uncertainty. "I guess I was thinking I could use a mentor, you know? I don't know if this guy is it, but I won't know unless I find him."

"Mentors are great!" says Ozzy. "I got so lucky when I started studying with my shandoe. Imrolane. She's just like me, really good at being different animals, and also not always great with people. It's good to have someone who gets you. Then you can learn better. Like Cecil teaching me to write. I'm so much better now. So you're hoping maybe this you and this guy get along? Oooh, maybe he is hot. Maybe we find two fings for you in one hot teacher package. Unless you're set against the whole messing around with your teacher thing. I might've considered it back in the day, if they'd given me a hot man-druid for a teacher, like that Thorn guy or wotsisname Silversomething. But now I'm too snowed over Cecil to really fink of anybody else like that."

Aze pauses in her stride for a moment, her face brightening with a smile. "You know, I hadn't really considered? But maybe he is. And I'm always open to new possible lovers. I don't think the teacher thing really matters to me, as long as we're all adults. I guess I never have, though? Maybe teachers feel different about the idea."

As they walk, abandoned orcish structures come into view, burned in places and collapsed in others.

"Imrolane sounds cool, but… you were only into guys, if I remember right. And now Cecil. But its great you've got a mentor for the druid stuff and also the noble stuff," Aze says, and then grins. "Though if Thorn or Silversomething or any other sexy people you know are looking for something new, you can always point 'em my way."

Ozzy giggles, that odd sound in this form that sounds like a bear trying to mimic a girl.

"I ain't seen most of the big elf druids in a bit," she says. "No idea where they are or what they're up to. Other than Immy, 'course; we get together sometimes." She giggles again. "But yeah, I never even thought of her like that. More like a mum. I guess she's hot? But she's like ten thousand or something, and a girl. I don't think it's weird for girls to like girls, I mean, 'alf the 'arvest witches was like that, an' Merry's like that too. But it's only men ever get me goin'. Broad shoulders, the way they smell, stubble along the jaw… that little muscle-line that goes down like, from under the ribs kinda, toward the… you know."

More bear-giggles.

From Aze's faintly wistful smile, it might be obvious that she does know. Then she draws a breath and pushes daydreams away.

"Ten thousand, wow," Aze says. "Wonder if this guy I'm after is that old. I guess that's kaldorei for you, though, you can't ever tell just by looking at them. Hard to imagine how many times somebody like that must've had to watch their world fall apart…"

Aze turns around, maybe getting a sense of the ruins. "I think we're getting closer to the old caves, as long as the people up at Nethergarde weren't screwing with me on the directions. This was one of the places they suggested looking."

Ozzy puts her nose to the ground and snuffles. She wanders a bit, drifting, weaving back and forth, then seems to find something and snuffle along the trail.

"I smell 'orse," she says. "Kinda elderly 'orse. Like the one pullin that fella's cart. Could be somefing. Cart might've been 'eadin' this way."

Aze nods, her casual stroll shifting as she follows, something more careful about the way she transfers her weight with each step, ready to move quickly at any sign of danger. Her hands drift down to the hilts of her swords, but she doesn't draw them yet.

"Here's hoping we just find a weird guy's homestead," Aze says, lowering her voice, but her eager smile seems to indicate she hopes the opposite.

The scent trail of the horse leads around another ruined building, and from behind it they can see a small opening, built up and supported by construction, in the side of a rocky incline. Just outside, there is the wagon, and there is the horse, eating grain from a trough and looking disgruntled at the lack of free range grass.

"Normal people totally live under rocks," Ozzy hoarsely bear-whispers to Aze. It's not a really subtle sort of whisper. "Nothing culty to see here."

"Nothing culty at all," Aze whispers back dryly, but all her attention is on the horse and cart, and then… Aze slides her swords quietly free of their sheaths. "Someone's coming out."

A human man emerges and moves over to grab one of the crates. It's not the same one who picked up the delivery at Surwich. This one is wearing a very cultish black and red robe, and there's a faint shimmer of shadowy magics around his form.

"Watch or kill?" Aze whispers to Ozzy.

"That there is an extremely culty robe," says Ozzy. "Makes me feel kinda bitey."

"You know… me too," Aze says, and quietly snaps her own elvish teeth. Probably less dangerous than the bear variety. "Then attack, it is. He's alone for now, no one else near the entrance. I'd say let's charge him. And avoid the horse — it's not the horse's fault."

"Yeah. Also I don't much like the taste of 'orse," Ozzy adds.

With that, she takes one slow, deep, preparatory breath and then goes charging at the robed man. She doesn't let out her usual roar though; maybe she's trying to be subtle?

Aze runs lightly behind her, bringing her blades around to be ready to spring in for a strike immediately after the bear bite.

The unlucky cultist looks up at the sound of their feet, unfooled by the bear's non-roaring subtlety. He hastily wraps himself in a shield of shadow, and starts weaving some kind of shadowy bolt between his hands.

"Extremely culty shadow magic," Aszera says out loud, dropping stealth altogether.

Ozzy tries to smack the cultist in the mouth with one huge hairy paw to stun him.

The shadow magic winks out as the man sways on his feet, stunned.

Aze lets her momentum carry her past the cultist, circling around him while he's stunned and slashing at him in several places. The shield shimmers and absorbs most of the strikes.

When the cultist recovers, he hastily sends out a burst of shadow in all directions. It catches Aze and knocks her a step back, as she grits her teeth from the pain of it.

"Quit it!" the bear snaps (possibly surprisingly, from the cult guy's perspective). She rears up on her hind legs and tries to smash him to the ground.

The man looks startled at the talking bear, before Ozzy's attack bears him to the ground. The shadowy shield again takes the brunt of the blow, but then it seems to reach its limit. It dissipates.

Ozzy plants her forepaws on his chest and leans most of her weight forward, making it impossible for him to breathe, let alone get up.

"Should I rip out 'is lungs or do you wanna like, arsk 'im somefing?" she says to Aze. It's obvious her vote is for option A, but she's trying to be good.

"Let's rip out his…" Aze growls immediately, and then tenses, and lowers her weapons an inch. In a fractionally calmer voice, she asks, "What are you doing out here?"

"The Shadowsworn are not defeated," the man snarls. "I'll tell you nothing."

"Okay, let's rip his lungs out," Aze says.

"On it," says Ozzy, and proceeds to rip his lungs out. It's not pretty. Apparently Ozzy really doesn't like cultists. The nearby horse may never sleep well again.

Aze moves as if to join in, but then settles back. Ozzy's got this one. Instead, she moves over to slice through the lead rope tying the horse in place.

"Go, be free," she says vaguely, and the horse hastily leaves the presence of the carnage.

For her part, Aze seems entirely unconcerned with the messy bear mauling, but she does focus on the nearby cave.

Aze casually steps over and taps the bloody bear on the shoulder. "We should probably go. That wasn't very quiet, and I don't know how many people are in there. The caves are deeper than I can see."

Ozzy hesitates, looking like she might want to charge into the cave and start ripping out more lungs. But there's at least part of her that isn't a bear, and that part sighs and backs away a few shuffling steps from the cave.

"Right," she says quietly. "Wild animal came, savaged a guy, horse spooked and ran. They might not even investigate. But you and me… we can make a plan, yeah?"

"Yeah, we can plan," Aze says, already backing away from the cave. "That answers the 'is this guy suspicious' question. Yes, yes they are. If they're getting supplies from outside… can we cut that off? As effectively as you cut off that guy's…. " Aze grins. "Good mauling."

Ozzy grins a terrifying bear-toothed grin. "Oh yeah, I talked with the lady bringin' em shipments. She saw one of 'em an' we agreed 'e was creepy. Don't fink she's gonna be bringin' 'em stuff anymore. She's a worgen too, see, an' she's real protective of Surwich. It's the only place we got that feels anyfing like 'ome. So… tryin'a find a new supplier orter slow 'em down a bit, but we might wanna get a whole team togever soon'n later. We don't know 'ow many they got 'oled up in there, an' we gotta make sure we wipe em all out. Only one real way to get rid of cultists, yeah?"

"Yeah, just like up in the Highlands," Aze says with a grin, sheathing her swords and moving quickly away from the cave entrance, cutting to the north. She seems oddly fine with the terrifying bear smile. "Good you've got the supplies covered. I can get that — once you carve out a place for yourself, you don't want to let it go."

"Doubt I'll ever do that sort o' carvin'," Ozzy says, "but I get why people do. Fought real 'ard to keep me first 'ome, but I fink the nomad life suits me better now. So wot next? Should I go tell Cobalts? Or you got people you wanna call on?"

Aze considers. "Right now the people I could mostly call on are Natalyah and Mayellen, but they're more for investigation than wiping out a whole cult. Cobalt's probably good." Aze frowns. "I still haven't found any sign of my guy. Might head north, check if there's any sign around Nethergarde."

"Be careful, yeah?" says Ozzy. "I'll head to Ironforge an' write up a posting maybe. Like I said, I write real good now." The bear stands up straight and proud.

"Probably better than I do," Aze says with a kind of crooked smile. "Good skill to have, for a future lady. I'll let you know what I find out about the possibly-hot possible-teacher, if it looks like its to do with the cult. If he really is down here somewhere, that might mean… he knew something we don't, about what they're up to."

"Awright. You can write me at Merry's when you got an update, or the Cenarion Circle will know where to track me down. I'm gonna head norf straightaway."

"I'll do that," Aze says, pulling her hood back up to shadow her face. "I'll probably be back up in Stormwind soon too, one way or another. I'd say be careful out there, but… I think you'll be fine."

—-

Not long after, a letter arrives for Ozzy, in handwriting that might’ve been fairly nice once, before the writer was blindfolded.

Ozzy,

No more news about the Shadowsworn, but I think I found my guy’s camp. It was near ogre territory, all smashed up, some blood. Also, some stuff he would’ve taken with him if

It was just a random idea, the whole mentor thing. I’ll be fine alone.

Let me know if you need help killing the cultists.

Aszera