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| Details |
| Author: | Alli |
| Summary: | Two groups -- one of Baird, Dane, Estel, Lena, Melancholy, Mi Shu, Shine and Shun and the other of Colson, Florande, Gwenivene and Mordecai -- come to the aid of the Golden Lotus to protect the Vale against an impending attack of unified mogu tribes. ~8600 words. |
| Rating: | T for Teen |
Vale Team 1
A group of Cobalt Company and volunteers from the fleet are assembling on the lower level of the Shrine of Seven Stars.
Atley marches over to Xari, helmet tucked under his arm. He calmly finishes off a peach with his free hand.
Lena smiles at the group of Cobalt and others, as she makes her way over towards Xari the Kind.
Shine follows silently close behind Lena, a tanuki tagging at his heels. A young man straightens from a pillar nearby at the sight of the Shines' approach, and nods.
Melancholy gives Baird a red lipped smile, following Lena towards Xari. She does another double take at SIR DANE ATLEY THE RED, and laughs quietly.
Estel is hanging out on a bench by Xari. She waves.
Shun grunts.
Melancholy wiggles her fingers back.
Mimi walks over with her arms draped over either side of her staff which is resting across her shoulders.
Atley’s gaze dances over Xari before it inspects those unfamiliar to him in the party. "My Lady," he says to the Pandaren woman, with a bow.
Xari bows back to Atley politely, and then gestures the team over. “Good, you are all here as I have asked! I am Xari of the Golden Lotus. We have guarded the Vale for centuries, keeping it safe and hidden from harm.”
Atley briefly glances at Baird before he looks back to Xari and grunts.
Shun dips his head at Xari.
Xari dips her head back, eager to take on all these new cultural greeting nuances. She waves cheerfully at Mimi, the pandaren of the group.
Estel hops up. "I'm Estel," she tells the people she doesn't recognize. "Hey."
"And I'm Lena," Lena supplies. "I'm from the fleet, here to help."
Baird nods to Estel. "Bryn Baird." He gestures with his chin at Lena. "Fleet."
Atley sets his jaw and briefly eyes Melancholy with a neutral expression. There may be some gruff politeness there. "Sir Dane Atley."
"Melancholy Grimlocke. A pleasure to meet you," Melancholy says, picking slightly at one of her black lace gloves. "I'm Lena's apprentice."
“We may need all your help. I am afraid that now, the Vale of Eternal Blossoms is in great danger,” Xari says worriedly. “The ancient mogu tribes, once scattered across the land, seem to have begun to reunite.”
Atley nods slowly and tongues the inside of his cheek with a slow grunt.
"Well, I guess we'll have to out-unite the uniters then," Melancholy says.
"Oh, cool. Shun, this is the part where you introduce yourself." Estel looks back.
Xari looks brightly at those she doesn't yet know.
"…" Shun pauses and stares for a moment. Then. "Shun."
Baird regards Shun levelly and unblinking. He might be staring. He might just look like that.
Mimi slides her staff off her shoulders and lets it rest neatly on the gound at her side, "I'm Mi Shu Jadepaw. I'm very happy to be able to work alongside you all today."
Mimi bows.
Melancholy glances at Mi Shu's paw to see how literal the name Jadepaw is.
Mimi's paw is panda colored.
Atley turns to Mi Shu, squints briefly, before he recognizes her and nods once.
Estel smiles at Xari. "Sorry, go on. How can we help?"
"I'm happy to have all of you," Xari says kindly. "But yes, let me get to what I must ask of you."
Shine nods courteously to Mimi. Baird surveys her and then nods too.
“Zhi the Harmonious has seen that they seek to enter the Vale and take its powers by force,” Xari continues. “We need your help to stop this from happening. Please, go speak to Leven Dawnblade at the Golden Pagoda.”
"Understood," Shun nods.
Atley tugs his helmet back on and nods. "Very well, Miss."
"It is just in the center of the Vale," Xari supplies. "It is a pagoda that is… golden… maybe that was obvious. Really, you can't miss it."
Mimi snickers.
Estel laughs. "It's okay, some of us have been there before."
"Rode through it on the way in," Atley says with a nod. "We'll make for it."
Shine picks the tanuki up and sets it on his shoulders.
Lena laughs as well, and nods to the pandaren as the team turns to go.
The team flies directly to the Golden Pagoda.
As they fly into the pagoda, Leven Dawnblade, a stout and strong pandaren in armor of blue and gold, waves over the team. “You must be our support from the Alliance, yes? You have arrived at just the right time.”
Atley lands at The Golden Pagoda and swings a leg over Thoras' saddle. He marches up the steps. "We are of the Alliance, aye. Wot' needs doing?"
“According to Zhi the Harmonious, the mogu are moving into the Vale from the Ruins of Guo-Lai to the west,” Leven points. “I sent Anji and Kun to investigate the situation, but they have not yet returned.”
Baird glances west.
“I need a capable team like yours to go check on them,” Leven says with a firm nod, and then turns back to the other strategists at the pagoda. The orders have been given.
Atley looks between Zhi and Leven. "'Guo-Lai.' A village? A fortress?" he asks, professionally.
"An ancient structure," Zhi supplies, since Leven is more a man of action than information. "There are ruins there, and ancient mogu halls."
Atley grunts and looks between the Company members.
Melancholy picks at her gloves with a frown, a faint fel shimmer revealing the fel armor she wears. "Who should I place my soul stone on, Lena? In this sort of situation. Is there a priority that would be best?"
"I'm a healer," Estel says.
Lena considers the team and nods at Estel. "One on Estel, and maybe another on… Mi Shu, do you know the pandaren art of resurrection?"
Atley turns over a shoulder to examine Mi Shu.
Mimi nods enthusiastically, "I do!"
"I shall put it on Estel then," Melancholy says.
"And I'll put mine on Mi Shu," Lena nods.
Estel gives Melancholy a thumbs-up.
Atley grunts. "Let's get to it, then."
Baird checks his rifle and then slings it over his shoulder.
"To the west, then," Lena nods. "I don't think we've ranged out far that way yet. It'll be interesting to see."
Atley grunts.
Atley lands and looks around. "Kun? Anji?"
Mimi's eyes widen when she sees the dead mogu.
Baird sidles around the others to the front of the group to consider the dead mogu with interest.
Shun tilts his head at the corpse, then looks to the nearby pandaren.
Anji looks over and nods at the team. “I trust Leven sent you? I hope you're ready for a fight.”
Atley looks over and grunts. "We are."
“My husband Kun and I had been briefed on the recent mogu sightings in the Vale, but the situation here is worse than we had anticipated,” Anji says with a grimace.
"Xari sent us to Leven and Leven sent us to you, yeah. Hi. I'm Estel." She bounces on her heels, probably ready for a fight.
Bun is ready for a fight!
Melancholy gasps, and puts a hand over her mouth at the dead mogu, her eyes wide in horror behind her black lace veil. It takes her a second to refocus on Anji.
Baird glances back at Melancholy. He looks from her to the dead mogu again, and then focuses on Anji.
Atley briefly squints at Melancholy — perhaps out of judgement, or concern, or even skepticism. He looks back to Anji.
Lena glances over to Melancholy with a touch of worry.
“Scouts are swarming all over the ruins to the northwest, gathering intel and stealing treasures,” Anji scowls. “Your objective is clear - dispatch of any scouts you see. An army cannot move if we take out its eyes.”
Shun grunts.
Shine resembles that remark.
Baird unslings his rifle and scans the ruins ahead of them. He is so ready to dispatch.
"Bloody well stated. Anything else?" Atley asks.
“Anji always likes to confront problems head on,” Kun Autumnlight says with a smile towards his fierce wife. “But we will also need to use stealth and explosives, if we’re to stop the mogu.”
"Violence, stealth, and explosives," Lena nods. "It's an effective combination."
Atley looks slightly less pleased by the suggestion of an alternative to a straight fight. "Right."
"Stealth and explosives…" Shun mutters.
Shine is very ready for stealth and explosives.
"One of those things is much louder than the other one," Estel says.
Kun laughs, and he doesn't disagree.
“Lao Softfoot and I scouted up the ruins to the north,” Kun points. “It looks like the mogu are infiltrating the valley through a cave just up the hill, and already they are sending formidable reinforcements through.”
Lena frowns. "Zhi's visions are coming to pass, then."
Melancholy frowns, following the line of the point.
"We're not going to just let them waltz in, though," Kun says.
Atley grunts. "We can still save the Vale. It's not over yet."
Mimi puts on a brave face and nods at Dane's comment.
“There are too many enemies to fight them all, but Lao will be waiting at the entrance to the ruins,” Kun advises. “He'll help you sneak in under the cover of stealth. Then, plant this keg of explosives at the mouth of the cave.”
Kun smiles. “The rest should take care of itself.”
Shine nods.
Atley looks to Baird at this and eyes him up and down. "Much experience with explosives, Marine?" he hedges.
Kun offers out the barrel of explosives.
"Not it," Estel says, holding her hands up. She does not want to carry this.
Mimi eyes up the explosives curiously.
"Shine?" Lena says.
Baird considers the question. "Guns, sir. Not so much straight explosives. That's Lieutenant Shine's wheelhouse."
Shine nods. He can do stealth AND explosives.
Bun can do neither!
Atley grunts and looks around. "Right. Let's move."
"I used to play with fireworks a lot growing up." Mimi offers.
"These'll have a bit more bite than wot' you're used to, Jadepaw," Atley warns light-heartedly.
Lena smiles. "I enjoy fireworks. They have so many at the Lunar Festival."
"'How should a despot set men free? / Form! form! Riflemen form! / Ready, by ready to meet the storm!'" Melancholy quotes.
Atley glances back at Melancholy. "You 'wot?"
"What's that one?" Baird asks Melancholy with a crooked smile.
Shun blinks at Melancholy.
As indicated, the Guo-Lai area is full of half-ruined structures, with vines growing over the crumbling stone.
"It's a poem. Alfred Lord Tennyson. 'The War,'" Melancholy explains.
"It's catchy," Estel says.
"And appropriate," Lena nods. "Though I've not known many wars to be very poetic."
"It has a lot of repetition, rather appropriate for a sort of marching aspect," Melancholy remarks on the poem.
Baird nods at Melancholy.
Atley grunts.
The ruins are crawling with Shao-Tien mogu, as warned. The team cuts a path through them.
"This anyone's first time crossing blades with the mogu?" Atley asks.
Estel keeps the front-liners preemptively Shielded.
"Yeah," says Baird.
Shun vanishes. Then he's seen stabbing a Mogu.
"Unfortunately or fortunately, it is not mine," Melancholy says. She is slow and deliberate in her casting, but she doesn't balk.
"They have assassin-priests," Estel says. "Which I think is neat. Also a lot of shamans?"
"I haven't fought them much yet." Mimi admits.
"Bloody large, strong. Cruel, and cunning. Still, they can be killed," Atley says.
Baird stops by a ruined wall to sight at a mogu patrolling ahead. He fires twice in swift succession and it drops.
"I've a feeling we'll all be well used to them by the end of this," Lena whispers as they approach the cave mouth.
"Close to Shun, he can veil us," Estel murmurs.
Lao Softfoot waves them over, trusting immediately that we're all here to help. We're not mogu, after all.
Baird shoulders his rifle and moves closer to Shun. Shine is already nowhere to be seen. Bun is waddling urgently through the grass alone.
“Tread Softly. Danger lurks ahead,” Lao Softfoot warns. “Stay close to me. I will keep us camouflaged from the enemy.” He eyes Shun. "And maybe you can help, too."
Shun nods. Once people gather up, he waves a hand and casts a veil over the group.
Melancholy gasps softly, turning her hands over as she views an invisible version of herself. "Well, isn't that a trick," she says quietly. "Incredible."
Estel grins proudly.
Atley grunts at Shun and inclines his head approvingly.
Baird whistles very softly.
Lena looks down at her stealthed self curiously, and then hurries along to keep up.
Lao leads the team from cover to cover, watching the mogu march along. When he sees an opening, he calls, “Come quickly. There is a gap in their defenses.”
Shine slips ahead. Bun races urgently to keep up. Nothing to see here, just a sprinting tanuki.
Atley manages to keep up despite his heavy armor, but he isn't adding to the subtlety of the group by any means.
Estel stays ready to shield Bun if he is noticed, but doesn't break cover just yet.
Mimi sneaks along, trying to not let her bottles and jars of drink clink together too much.
Shun focuses on maintaining the cloak as the group moves up.
Just ahead, Lao raises a hand. “Stop. Let them pass. Let's wait for the next wave.”
Lena stops immediately, holding her breath till the marching mogu pass by.
Baird moves like he has always been a rogue, just not an actually invisible one before. It is his milieu. He halts with Lena and Shine behind Lao.
Melancholy can follow instructions as she starts and stops accordingly. If she's quiet, it's the delicate way of a noblewoman, rather than stealth.
Estel's footsteps make no sound. In fact, she is levitating about two inches off the ground.
Atley makes a good amount of sound.
Once the mogu have gone, Lao whispers, “Let's go while the way is clear. The cave is just ahead. Wait for a safe moment, then plant the explosives at the mouth of the cave.”
Shine nods.
Lena stays with the others in stealth, ready to leap to assist in case of a mogu ambush of some sort.
Shine studies the cave mouth for a moment, narrow-eyed, and then slips forward, grenades in hand. He places them carefully, with swift confidence, and then slides back. "Count five, it's going to go."
"Right — move," Atley hisses.
Lena lowers her fingers, counting down to the explosion as the team backs away.
Melancholy ticks down five on her hand with a musician's accuracy for a beat as she follows Lena.
Mimi bites her tongue to keep from apologizing when her loaded pack inevitably clatters about as she moves.
Shun quickly shuffles away.
In a moment Mimi's clattering doesn't matter, because there is a quick, massive series of explosions and with a rumble, the cave mouth collapses.
Atley briefly gives Mimi and her pack a stern look.
Lao grins and abandons his stealth. “Well, that should put a damper on their plans. Good work. I trust you can get back on your own.”
Atley grunts.
Once the blast goes off, Shun waits a beat to ensure no hostiles are near, then drops the cloak.
Lao scurries off happily.
"Oh. I suppose we could use a portal to get everyone away stealthily? Like in the Mogu tomb?" Melancholy suggests.
Atley furrows his brow.
"We could, but I think… the explosion rather eliminates stealth?" Lena says. "Might be speed rather than stealth that we need at this point, before they come to investigate."
"It's about 70 yards at its maximum. I don't know how far away we walked, but it would be fast either way," Melancholy says.
"Ought to trudge to the bottom on our own. Seventy yards is a short distance," Atley says.
Estel begins tossing spectral feathers onto the ground. Zoom.
"Walk over those, you'll move faster," Estel says, demonstrating.
"Oh, that's a neat trick," Lena says with appreciation, running over a feather.
Kun looks over. "I heard a boom. Tell me it went well?"
"Aye. Cut off a path of their reinforcements. Put all we came across to the sword," Atley says.
Shun grunts.
“Wonderful!” Kun exclaims. “You and Lao have single-handedly crippled the mogu advance. That is called working smarter, not harder.”
Lena chuckles, but doesn't argue.
Nearby, Anji nods. “Well done. That should send a clear message to the mogu - we are not to be trifled with.”
Melancholy's brows raise. "Single handedly…with quite a few hands," Melancholy says blithely.
"I love when people say 'single-handedly' about a group effort," Estel says at the same time as Melancholy speaks. She looks over and grins.
Melancholy laughs, a dark bell of a sound, with Estel.
Baird flashes a crooked smile.
"Indeed," Atley growls at Anji.
Lena laughs as well, turning over toward Anji. "In any case, one might say we stopped them in one fel swoop."
Melancholy laughs harder, covering her mouth with a hand by reflex.
“You've taken care of the scout problem for now, but there are still advance mogu forces inside the Guo-Lai Halls down the hill,” Anji says. “Unfortunately, their vicious guard dogs are protecting their operations deeper in the ruins.”
"Point us the way and they will fall," Shun states.
Baird up-nods at Shun. He likes that guy's attitude.
"The quilen? We've encountered quilen," Lena nods.
Atley grunts and sets his gauntlets on his belt.
“According to the caretakers, the Halls are home to ancient treasures of emperors past. Not only riches, but artifacts of great power,” Anji warns. “We must prevent the mogu from accessing these treasures!”
Mimi's ears perk up at the mention of treasure.
“Go and dispatch their beasts,” Anji orders. “Be on your guard - they can be quite good at blending into their surroundings. And while you’re there… There are also crystals for you to collect – Zhi the Harmonious has asked for them. Keep an eye out for them while you’re in the ruins.” There's some treasure for you, Mimi.
"Wow… A real treasure hunt!" Mimi's eyes sparkle.
"Very well. Slay their beasts, gather these crystals," Atley says.
"Crystals?" Lena asks. "Like… soul crystals?"
“Not quite soul crystals,” Anji explains. “They’re a substance called Revelite. Many thousand years ago, the rulers of the Vale used them to power cities, factories, and engines of war. They are better in our hands now, than the mogu’s.”
Atley faintly knits his brow, but nods slowly. "Right."
Lena raises her eyebrows. "Indeed, let's not leave that to the mogu."
"Huh. Sure." Estel pats her bag. "Got it."
"Oh, how fascinating. I wonder how they work then," Melancholy remarks.
Baird looks extremely interested in the subject.
"I would very much like to learn more about what powers them," Lena says, with a kind of air like she still suspects soul energy.
"'Revelite.' Similar to 'reveal light.' I wonder if it's related, or merely a matter of a pleasing name," Melancholy wonders out loud.
"I warrant we'll've time for plenty of study once we get our hands on some," Atley says.
"Mhmm!" Mimi agrees with Dane. Mimi bounces with excitement.
The team heads down towards the Guo-Lai Ruins, where the entrance to the underground Guo-Lai Halls awaits.
"Oi. There's one. Stone buggers. Ugly as —" he cuts off, eyeing the women, and just decides to stop there.
"That is not a dog," Estel says, looking at the stone guardian approaching them on the path.
Lena nods to Estel. "It's as much a dog as my felhunter is. Which is to say, not." Lena eyes the entrance to the halls on the side of a mountain and tilts her head. "I wonder if this is connected to the vaults somewhere deep. Or maybe it's just how the mogu liked to build."
"'For stone gathers seed and clouds / skeleton larks and wolves of penumbra / but yields not sounds nor crystals nor fire,'" Melancholy quotes, looking at the same structure.
Atley grunts. "The Mogu'shan Vaults?"
"'Penumbra,'" Baird repeats under his breath.
"A favorite word of mine," the local goth says.
Lena glances to Atley. "What I was thinking, aye. But maybe they just like the underground."
Atley points at a crystal off to the side of the road. "Oi. Revelite. Must be it."
"Ooh! One of the crystals!" Mimi says enthusiastically.
"Let's get it," Lena nods.
Atley scoffs with amusement at Lena. "He's got you saying aye, has he? Look wot' associating with Marines is doing to you, Lena. Demons was one thing, this is another," Atley jokes dryly.
"Oh my garters, there's so many of the things," Melancholy says as guardian after guardian not-dog awakens.
Baird is busy shooting them. He is not stealthy this time.
Melancholy glances at Shine at Dane's remark about Lena's aye-ing.
Shine is expressionless. But he is also focused on murdering stones.
Lena laughs at Dane's remark, and she just shrugs. "I find I fit well in the fleet."
Atley grunts calmly, even warmly. "Aye, you must."
Baird flashes a quick smile at Lena.
Lena smiles back at him, and then turns back to weaving corruption into stone guardians.
Mimi darts about eagerly collecting crystals.
Atley splits open a charging quilen's head with Thunderfury.
Melancholy, mid cast of a curse, gasps quietly as her target's head explodes. Too slow, warlock.
Estel quickly Shields Melancholy from the debris.
"Nice," says Baird to Estel under his breath as he passes her.
Atley squints at the Entrance to the Ruins of Guo-Lai, jaw setting.
"Down there, then," Lena says, peering down the hallway.
"Aye. Down there. Have a care," Atley says.
Melancholy sets an inquisitive hand over the shield. "How pretty it is."
Mimi leans forward to get a better look.
Shun warily keeps an eye out.
"This craftsmanship has aged well," Atley says. "The only thing I can compare it to is the work of the dwarves."
Shine vanishes from sight. Bun trundles bravely ahead of the group. He'll take point! (Behind Shine.)
Estel smiles and follows the others down the tunnel.
"Whatever else, the mogu built well," Lena says. "Or I should say their slaves did, so maybe its a credit to the pandaren only."
Atley grunts.
"They certainly like their massive gongs," Shun mutters.
Baird pauses to touch a wall carving and then lean in to examine it briefly before straightening to follow.
"You can be a !@#$ty person and still a good architect," Estel says.
"What's wrong with gongs?" Mimi asks.
Shine mutters a warning.
As the team passes down the stairs, sounds echo from deep inside.
"Mm? 'Gongs?'" Atley asks Mimi before he refocuses on the path ahead.
"'What are they saying? A stretching silence settles down / We are here witha body laid out which fades away / with a pure shape which had nightingales / and we see it being filled with depthless holes,'" Melancholy quotes. Poetry gets real weird at times.
"They're loud," Estel whispers to Mi Shu. "Shun likes quiet."
Mimi winks and sticks out her tongue at Shun.
Vale Team 2
In the lower level of the Shrine of Seven Stars Xari the Kind waves as she sees another winged tabard among the people coming to meet her. "Cobalt? And fleet? Hellooo! I am Xari the Kind, the one who sent for you."
"Hello," Mordecai mumbles. "I'm Mordecai."
"I am Florande," Florande says in a shy, quiet voice.
Gwenivene beams and waves enthusiastically, then bows respectfully. "And I'm Gwenivene!"
Xari beams back kindly. "I'm afraid I've already sent a group of your people ahead, but I bet you can catch up. Let me give you the background on what I'm asking of you first."
Mordecai looks slightly anxious at the fact that he is apparently late. He nods.
"I am a member of the Golden Lotus," Xari explains. "We have guarded the Vale for centuries, keeping it safe and hidden from harm."
Florande nods seriously.
"Very impressively, too," Gwen adds.
“I am afraid that now, the Vale of Eternal Blossoms is in great danger,” Xari says worriedly. “The ancient mogu tribes, once scattered across the land, seem to have begun to reunite. Zhi the Harmonious has seen that they seek to enter the Vale and take its powers by force. We need your help to stop this from happening. Leven Dawnblade at the Golden Pagoda can tell you more.”
Florande looks nervously at the two humans. "We will go and find Leven? That is a name almost like a number."
Mordecai nods.
Gwen chuckles and nods. "Let's do it!"
Mordecai waves farewell to Xari and rushes after the others.
Florande steps away, and as she does so she turns into a stormcrow.
Gwen heads out, and right on cue, Amethyraku descends from the sky and lets her mount up.
"Careful, this is loud," Mordecai says, and blows a very loud wooden whistle.
Almond the hippogryph descends from the heights of the shrine, and Mordecai mounts up.
Florande flinches a little in bird form, but then swoops around and looks curiously at the hippogryph and the nether drake.
They land near the Golden Pagoda, and Mordecai dismounts to approach on foot.
When they land near the Golden Pagoda, Florande shifts easily back into elvish form to walk with the other two. "We all have such interesting ways of flying."
As they fly into the pagoda, Leven Dawnblade, a stout and strong pandaren in armor of blue and gold, waves over the team. “Ah, more help from the Alliance! That is very welcome.”
Mordecai blushes faintly at Florande's comment and approaches, bowing politely to Leven Dawnblade.
"How can we help, sir?" Gwen bows.
Florande looks nervously at Mordecai and Gwen, and then bobs a quick bow of her own, her hair flopping in front of her eyes.
“According to Zhi the Harmonious, the mogu are moving into the Vale from the Ruins of Guo-Lai to the west,” Leven points. “I sent Anji, Kun and some of your comrades to investigate the situation, but they have not yet returned. You should head that way, and see how things lie.”
Mordecai nods. "Yessir."
"I bet we will catch up with them soon," Florande says. "Maybe we should stay low? I do not know if the mogu have archers."
"Ah…yeah, good idea." Gwen winces.
Mordecai nods. Almond lingers by the pagoda.
The three head out in the direction of Anji, Kun and the others through the ruins by foot.
Florande turns into a deer briefly, and then back into an elf for conversation. "You have all been up in Kun-Lai with my Shan'do?"
Gwen eyeballs every mogu statue suspiciously.
Mordecai nods. "Mmhm."
"Sorry…who is your Shan'do?" Gwen inquires.
"It has sounded very exciting up there," Florande says. "I have been mostly in the south, with that kaldorei group that portaled in… ah! My shan— my teacher, Caspis Silvershade!"
"I am a druid who is learning from him," Florande adds. "I think that will continue pretty much forever, because he has ten thousand years of things to teach."
"Oooh, yes. He was with us in the Vaults," Gwen confirms. "Yeah, he seems like he's got a lot going on in that head of his."
Florande nodsnods. "He really must. He gets lost in it sometimes."
Gwen giggles and nods.
Mordecai looks around at the Golden Lotus encampment they approach, frowning slightly as he sees some dead Mogu on the ground.
Anji Autumnligt raises a hand. "Reinforcements! Excellent! I just sent a Cobalt team down towards the Halls, but we could use some more help here before you join them."
"Oh!" Mordecai looks relieved. "They're all right? That's good."
Anji smiles at Mordecai, and then tilts her head towards Kun. "Yes. I know what it's like to worry about comrades. They had no injuries when they came through here last, and all accounted for."
Mordecai smiles faintly. "That's good. How can we help?"
“My husband Kun and I had been briefed on the recent mogu sightings in the Vale, but the situation here is worse than we had anticipated,” Anji says with a grimace. “Scouts are swarming all over the ruins to the northwest, gathering intel and stealing treasures. Cobalt got a good number of them, but I want you to dispatch any scouts you see. An army cannot move if we take out its eyes.”
"No eyes," Florande whispers.
Gwen grimaces at the mental image.
Kun raises a hand. "I have another task, one more related to stealth and explosives."
"We are…" Florande looks at Gwen and Mordecai. "Not stealth people."
Mordecai bites his lip. "I can be quiet, but I don't know much about explosives."
"I…can blow things up," Gwen mentions. "If necessary."
"I can… not help with stealth," Florande says, "But I can be stealthy, if it will help."
"Oh, don't worry, I've got Lao Softfoot out in the field, and he can help with stealth," Kun says. "The mogu are trying to find their way into the Vale through cave tunnels. We've closed off one, but I just got a message from Lao that he's found another. I'll need you to use some explosives to close off the cave mouth, and prevent their forces from coming through," Kun offers the explosives to Gwen.
Gwen finds the explosives in her hands. She stares at them like she was just handed a baby. A highly volatile, incendiary baby.
Mordecai traces the symbol of the Fear Ward over his own heart. Surely everything is fine, don't worry about that.
Speaking of unsubtle people, who can be remarkably quiet for a man in full plate armor, a white gryphon streaks through the air, landing with a familiar paladin. Colson dismounts, smoothing a gauntlet over his disarrayed hair. "Good afternoon."
To Mordecai, Colson smiles gently and says, "Hi."
Mordecai looks both delighted and relieved. "Colson!"
Florande spins, a little startled, and then waves. "Good afternoon! You are here to help too?"
Gwen perks, "Oh, Sir Colson! Hello."
"I am here to help," Colson confirms. "Xari said it may be more serious than expected, and another healer would not go amiss."
"Gwen was about to explode a tunnel!" Florande says cheerfully.
Colson's brows raise faintly as he looks at Gwen. "Ah. Of course." Sure. Gwen blows up a tunnel. Problems are…fixed?
Florande nods. "And more healing is always good. Healing is good."
Gwen looks down at her armful of explosives and makes a little whimpering noise.
Mordecai smiles encouragingly at Gwen.
Florande does too.
Colson frowns faintly at the sight of the dead bodies. "And perhaps Retribution is needed as well."
Florande says, "Anji did say the other Cobalt people were alright. We are going to meet up with them later."
With that reassuring statement delivered, Florande leans forward and drops to all fours, smoothly shifting into her cat form on the way down.
Colson prays to the Light, a wash of red shining over him that draws more attention to the paladin in full armor, and away from the priest in cloth.
Colson murmurs a blessing as they head into the mogu ruins.
Gwenivene weaves a spell of mental clarity…especially for herself. One should be clear-headed when carrying a bunch of explosives.
Florande looks at the mogu ruins curiously, as if comparing them to something else.
Mordecai murmurs, "Fortitude."
Colson studies the ruins. "Hm. There are no naga. Yet, at least."
Mordecai smiles faintly.
Florande shifts back to say, "Not in the ones in Krasarang either, no naga."
"Oh?" Colson says. The Aspenwood Interested noise.
"Only mogu, yes," Florande nods. "Ruins full of mogu, looking for old mogu things. Digging treasures out of their own history."
"I cannot say that I am not relieved that they have not yet formed an alliance with the naga. The Zandalari united troll tribes is more than enough," Colson says.
"Maybe the naga had enough setback after Vashj'ir," Florande says. "Enough that they are not ready for more war right now."
"One can hope," Colson says, as they engage the mogu.
"Maybe the mist kept them away," Mordecai says.
"Gosh," Gwen says solemnly. "Mogu are trouble enough. Mogu and naga? I don't even want to think about it."
Ahead, lines of mogu soldiers march down a path.
"With it now being open once more, the naga are relentless in their pursuit of both war and occupation of ruins," Colson remarks.
A pandaren by the side comes out of stealth and waves the team over.
Mordecai quickly Fades from their attention and hurries into cover.
Colson is fairly stealthy, for a man in shining armor. He's quiet at least.
"You're my next demolition team?" Lao asks. He looks everyone over, and then nods. "We can do this."
"Um…yes. Apparently that's us," Gwen says.
Mordecai nods.
"We have an excellent, capable telemancy mage with us," Colson says with a faint smile at Gwen.
Gwen blushes at Colson.
“Tread Softly. Danger lurks ahead,” Lao Softfoot warns. “Stay close to me. I will keep us camouflaged from the enemy.”
Colson treads softly and stays close to Lao.
Mordecai is dead silent.
Florande's cat form fades into shadow, but she still sticks close to Lao.
Lao leads the team from cover to cover, watching the mogu march along. When he sees an opening, he calls, “Come quickly. There is a gap in their defenses.”
Colson comes quickly in the gap in their defenses. Well, he continues to move as quietly as possible.
Mordecai is torn between speed and trying not to step on twigs.
The team slowly creeps up a path, around a corner and in between several mogu tents. Lao raises a hand. "Stop. Let them pass. Let's wait for the next wave."
Once the mogu have gone, Lao whispers, “Let's go while the way is clear. The cave is just ahead.” He looks to Gwenivene. “Wait for a safe moment, then plant the explosives at the mouth of the cave.”
Colson stops to let them pass with a military man's precision for start and stopping.
Biting her lip, Gwen waits until the mogu patrol has passed, then scurries forward to lay down the pile of explosives. She scurries back to the group, conjuring a small ball of flame in her hands, ready to ignite the bombs.
Colson nods to Gwen encouragingly. She can do it. Mages are great with bombs. Cressidha is great with bombs.
"Are we far enough away?" Gwen whispers worriedly.
Florande looks at the cave mouth, and then the team. She has no idea.
Mordecai whispers, "Shield. Shield. Shield. Shield. Shield." A classic.
Colson readies his hands of protection. "We will be all right."
Gwen takes a breath and nods. She thrusts her hands forward, launching the mini-fireball at the explosives. The massive flash is felt only just before the impact wave. The force rocks them to the bones, but thankfully Mordecai's shields keep them safe from true harm.
Florande twitches her whiskers and sneezes, then she turns back into an elf. "Far enough!"
Colson trusts in Mordecai's Light, although he reflexively steps in front of Mordecai.
Mordecai shields his face with his arm just in case. It's fine. Everything's fine.
Lao grins and abandons stealth. “Well, that should put a damper on their plans. Good work. I trust you can get back on your own.”
"Ah," Colson says. He takes out his sword. "I see."
"That went well, Gwen," Mordecai says, smiling encouragingly at her.
Gwen gives Mordecai a mirthless smile. "Heh…yeah. Never want to do that again."
"We will need to proceed quickly down the path. The other mogu will come to investigate the sound," Colson warns.
Mordecai proceeds quickly down the path. "I-I don't blame you."
"It went well," Florande smiles at Gwen. "And you stopped them. We are stopping them!"
"I feel like… sometimes when I work with the squads, people just assume we have skills that we don't. I had to sit and fire a gun in a turret once." Mordecai smiles shyly.
"Next time, someone else gets to hold the bombs," Gwen gives a little shiver.
Colson inclines his head to Gwen. "I will offer in the future."
"…W-well, it was technically smoke bombs, but they were fired from a gun," Mordecai amends, mumbling.
Gwen smiles sweetly to Colson, then gives Mordecai a solemn nod.
"I guess it means people think highly of us?" Florande offers a little hopefully. "They think we can do anything."
"At times, we also may have capabilities beyond what we know to have done," Colson says. "The Light guides us along paths we sometimes do not expect to walk."
"And sometimes something needs to be done and there isn't anyone else," Mordecai says quietly. He shakes off the thought as they return.
Colson wipes his blade clear as they report back.
Kun is smiling as the team returns. "Now that's two ways in we've blocked. You're wonderful, team. We'll stop the mogu advance yet."
Nearby, Anji nods. "Well done. I hope the mogu have gotten the message. Now, I'll need to send you after the rest of the Cobalt forces. There are still advance mogu forces inside the Guo-Lai Halls, down the hill, but their vicious guard dogs are protecting their operations deeper in the ruins."
"Hm. The quilen?" Colson confirms.
"Just so — so you know them," Anji says.
Florande looks at Colson and nods. "We know them."
Gwen nods grimly. "Yes. We've had a few encounters."
“According to the caretakers, the Halls are home to ancient treasures of emperors past. Not only riches, but artifacts of great power,” Anji warns. “We must prevent the mogu from accessing these treasures!”
Mordecai fidgets with his fingers and nods.
Colson inclines his head.
"We'll need you to dispatch the quilen," Anji says. "And also safeguard a particular resource from the mogu — revelite crystals."
Florande tilts her head.
Colson's brows go up. New Crystal?? "Oh?"
"Revelite?" Gwen perks curiously.
Anji nods. "Many thousands of years ago, it's said the rulers of the Vale used them to power cities, factories and engines of war. You'll find them scattered in the ruins near the entrance to the Halls."
"Remarkable," Colson remarks.
"What do they look like? I am not yet familiar with the type," Colson says. "Though if they have power imbued within, it may be obvious when we encounter it."
Mordecai tilts his head.
"They're…" Anji considers. "Almost amber in color? And they'll glimmer with power."
Colson nods. "Amber colored. Thank you," he says politely.
Mordecai nods.
Colson moves more quickly towards the ruins, the only sign of the paladin's excitement. His face is still a neutral expression. But maybe his eyes are a bit brighter.
Mordecai peers at a quilen. "Are those the — " It attacks.
Florande shifts to elf form to nod. "Quilen. They are like statues brought to life."
"Yes," Colson confirms.
Mordecai ducks behind Colson as they fend off the quilen.
Colson moves towards one of the revelite crystals. "Ah, this must be the crystal."
"Can you tell what kind of power?" Florande asks curiously.
"I sort of expected them to be humming," Mordecai says, leaning closer to a crystal.
Colson moves a hand over it. "It feels… somewhat like the Light to me," Colson says. "Life energy, perhaps, imbued within from the Vale's power?"
Florande nods. "It is a magical land."
"Maybe these are the reason it's so magical," Gwen ponders.
"I wonder how it compares to the draenei's energizing crystals," Colson says, an audible amount of excitement in his voice.
"Oh, yes!" Florande nods. "They love crystals!"
Mordecai smiles fondly at Colson.
Colson smiles faintly. "I have worked with many of the crystals before. They are fascinating."
As the team passes by the great door, sounds echo from deep inside.
.
Colson tilts his head to hear better, his face still a careful neutrality.
"Maybe the other team," Florande says quietly, and starts to creep down the stairs.
"I hear voices within," Colson says. "Ah. That sounds like Dane."
Mordecai Shields the team as they go down the stairs.
The Guo-Lai Halls and Zhao-Jin the Bloodletter
At the bottom of the stairs is an ornate room, but maybe the most notable thing about it is that Colson, Florande, Gwenivene and Mordecai see their allies there. Dane, Estel, Shun, Mi Shu, and Shine, and also Lena, Melancholy and Baird.
The next most important thing is probably the enormous armored mogu, facing away who seems to be casting some sort of black and red spiky magic.
"There they are!" Gwen waves excitedly.
Florande raises a paw in greeting.
Colson frowns faintly. "Those are dark magics," he says quietly.
Before the teams can speak further, the mogu turns to the team and booms, "Who dares disturb Zhao-Jin the Bloodletter? Show your cowardly faces and kneel before me!”
"Nah," says Baird very quietly, possibly to himself.
"Nah," Estel says audibly and boldly.
Atley's features harden and he yells back. "I bend the knee for only two people! One is the High King of the Alliance — and the other isn't you! Get ready to die!"
Colson kneels for only two things, and this mogu isn't one of them.
Florande is on all fours, so one might say she is kneeling, but also not.
Mordecai hurries closer.
Melancholy uses her height to try to see over some of the others from the back. She makes certain the soul stone is fixed well on Estel.
"It's Ivri, right — ?" Estel is cut off by magical chains pulling her forward.
Zhao-jin launches spikes that yank all the attackers to him.
Florande yeowls at the indignation as she is yanked.
Mordecai squeaks.
Gwen squeaks in concert with Mordecai.
Shun grunts as he's yanked forth and forced to kneel.
Melancholy's skirt tears slightly at the hem as she's forced into a kneel with chains.
Lena nearly loses her balance as she's yanked forward abruptly in front of Zhao-Jin.
Mimi yelps and clenches her jaw as she's forced to kneel.
Bun shrieks! Either in outrage at people being yanked or in indignation because he was not yoinked with them.
Atley growls through gritted teeth and pushes against the ground with Thunderfury and Shield, arms trembling with exertion.
Estel, forced to kneel despite herself, pushes at the magic binding her until she can manage to stick her tongue out at Zhao-Jin the Bloodletter.
Colson makes a faint sound, as he tries to call a shield of the Light to him. It doesn't work. The paladin's eyes go wide, as he fights to summon it.
“Ahahaha! Such pitiful creatures!” Zhao-Jin roars with laughter. “You are not worthy of me. Dagou! Come crush the insignificant fleas!”
Colson's hand moves slightly, as he tries to reach for Mordecai to set a Hand on him. Any hand. Freedom, Protection.
Melancholy's honey eyes fill with angry tears as her hands slowly clench into fists.
Mordecai twitches, trying to break free.
Florande gives a feline snarl twitching her back as if to shake off Zhao-Jin.
Zhao-Jin awakens a massive Quilen and quickly strides out of the halls by the entrance. The Quilen, presumably Dagou, turns to attack.
Estel jerks a hand out from the enchantment and quickly casts a Mass Dispel on the group.
As soon as the Dispel frees Colson, a shield of Light blooms around him, and a Hand of Protection surrounds Mordecai and Estel both.
Mordecai relaxes instantly, getting to his feet in a much calmer way than he would have otherwise.
Atley takes out his rage on the incoming Dagou, swinging a back-handed strike with Thunderfury.
The moment the spell releases him, Baird drops back and levels his rifle at the quilen. The shot echoes painfully in the vaulted chamber.
Dagou attacks the group in much the same way as the smaller quilen, the danger only being in his greater size.
"Ugh." Estel gets to her feet, shaking her wrists out. She Shields Dane. "Pins and needles."
Faced with yet another quilen instead of a yanking giant mogu, Lena falls back immediately on cursing and corruption.
Melancholy is grimly following suit, going down her casting protocol alongside Lena.
Shun hisses sharply as he immediately goes after the large quilen.
"Cinnamon peach," Melancholy… curses? Something like it anyway.
Bun is ready to take on Dagou! Carefully, from the side. He growls and snaps at the quilen without quite making contact.
Mimi tosses a keg at the quilen and follows up with a roundhouse kick.
Shine is behind the stone beast. His knives are definitely making contact.
Lena is using soul energy, if the revelite isn't. A ghostly soul lances into the Quilen.
Gwen duplicates herself to create her little arcane army (of four) and unleash a relentless barrage of missiles at the quilen.
Florande pounces, her claws raking across stone.
Colson adds his own Light to the mix, healing and fighting simultaneously, his expression as calm as always in battle, except that he doesn't leave Mordecai's side.
The quilen proves unable to crush these particular fleas, and crumbles itself into rocks and dust.
Florande yowls triumphantly.
As soon as it falls, Colson sets a hand on Mordecai's shoulder. "Are you all right?"
Mordecai rests his hand on Colson's and nods calmly. "I'm fine. Thank you, love."
"Of course," Colson says, relaxing slightly.
Florande looks at Colson and Mordecai, and then shifts into an elf and turns to Gwenivene. "Are you all right, too?"
Gwen nods, breathing heavily but smiling. "Yeah, I'm good."
Atley admires Mimi's handiwork before he turns towards her. "Well fought. You must've been trained well." He dusts himself off.
"Well," Lena says. "Some kind of mogu leader, I take it?"
"Zhao-Jin got away…" Florande says.
"So it would seem," Colson says to Florande.
"Leader and coward. He'll meet his end, soon enough," Atley says. "Let's withdraw."
Mordecai gives the rest of the team a small wave and a mumbled, "Hello." There are people present that he doesn't know.
Lena catches sight of Mordecai and gives a little wave.
"Hey," Estel says, waving.
"Good afternoon, everyone," Colson says to the others, as politely and calmly as if they'd been all coincidentally out for a promenade.
A dusty Shine steps back and shakes himself off, running a hand over his hair.
"We ought to let them know, back at the pagoda," Lena says, spotting Shine with a flicker of relief.
Estel moves over to Melancholy and mutters, "You okay?"
"'Just so much honor, when thou yieldest to me / will waaste, as this flea's death took life from thee,'" Melancholy recites as she tugs at her skirt angrily.
"Miss…" Atley begins. "Where are you getting all of these bloody poems?"
Estel nods like she gets it.
Lena gives a startled laugh. "That's a real poem? It must be. They get more and more appropriate."
Melancholy nods to Estel and Lena. "'The Flea,' by John Donne, actually."
"Us fleas are still alive, though," Lena says, smiling.
"Yes, we are," Melancholy agrees, pale but very much alive.
"I have them memorized," Melancholy answers Dane. "I know over 100 by heart in full, and several hundred more in part."
Atley grunts deeply.
"That is… quite a bit," Shun says.
Baird nods at Shun. It sure is.
Mimi nods at Melancholy, "That sounds like my mother. She knows lots of poems and philosophy and has almost all of it memorized too."
The combined team makes their way back to Anji and Kun at the Golden Lotus camp.
Anji waves as the team returns, and her eyes count numbers. She nods approvingly.
"We've slain all the quilen we came across, and recovered a number of the crystals," Atley explains.
Estel unloads a bunch of crystals from her messenger bag.
"Well done,” Anji says, eyeing the crystals. “And so… wait. I see a scout approaching."
Atley grunts and turns.
A pandaren scout rushes up, panting and out of breath. “Everyone to arms! The mogu are attacking! Their main army has breached the north gate! You are needed back at the Golden Pagoda immediately!”
Atley looks over the group at large and grunts.
Melancholy looks genuinely appalled, as she puts a hand to her chest. "They've what?"
Lena's eyes widen. "Not through the caves, then…"
Shun furrows his brow.
Anji frowns. “This is serious. Kun and I will keep an eye on things here, but you should go to the Golden Pagoda. Go, swiftly!”
"Aye! Now! Let's move!" Atley booms, reaching for the Lion Horn as he whistles for Thoras.
Mordecai pulls out his hippogryph whistle. "This will be loud," he warns the group, before blowing the whistle. Almond arrives shortly after.
Colson's expression goes Very Neutral. "Ah. I see." He adjusts his gauntlets as he alters his aura, and a white gryphon streaks in from above.
Florande notes the haste, and turns into a stormcrow.,
Shine touches Lena's back briefly and then signals for his gryphon and steps away.
Lena glances at Shine with a nod, and calls her own gryphon.
"Balls," Estel says. She snaps open her glider.
Mimi whistles to her cloud serpent, "Yu Feng! Let's hurry!"
"You should know… there was some leader in the Halls," Lena says to Anji, as they turn to go. "Zhao-Jin the Bloodletter. He got away, so he might turn up again."
Anji nods distractedly. "We'll keep it in mind."
Estel tosses some spectral feathers out for Anji and Kun to rush over.
Now it is time to book it to the Golden Pagoda.
Shun is doing some chain shadowstepping to clear ground. Fast.
Atley swoops down low, landing directly inside of The Golden Pagoda. "Where's the enemy — ?!" he barks.
“To arms!” Leven calls as the team approaches. “I thought we would have more time to set up our defenses, but the mogu are proving to be a deadly and intelligent enemy. We've moved the refugees and our supplies into the city behind us.”
Florande cranes her neck to look in the direction of this city.
"The… city?" Lena asks.
Atley squints. "The Shrine?"
"Yes, Mistfall Village, rather," Leven says distractedly. "You'll see it soon enough, I wager."
Baird, expressionless, stops just inside the pagoda and surveys the landscape around them while the others talk, his rifle ready.
Melancholy peers curiously at the designation of a city…somewhere behind them. "Soon enough," Melancholy repeats.
“It's up to us to protect the front,” Leven says urgently. “We must not let the mogu gain a single foothold here in the Vale.”
Colson nods as he listens with military attention.
"Got it," Estel says, giving Leven a thumbs-up - and a blessing of Fortitude.
"They won't," says Shine to Leven.
"We'll break the wave," Atley states firmly, drawing Thunderfury and his shield. "Get the refugees back, and send word to the Alliance at the Shrine of Seven Stars."
"We'll be counting on you," Leven says seriously. "For today, and the days to come."
"Aye, sir," says Baird reflexively.
"'Better a rotten borough or so / than a rotten fleet or a city of flames / form! form! Rifleman form! / Ready, be ready to meet the storm!'" Melancholy recites from the same poem as before.
Baird dips his head at Melancholy in a sort of amiable salute. He is Rifleman form.
Bun has no idea what's happening. But he is ready!!!!!!!
The team organizes, with some heading directly into the field to take the fight to the mogu, and others to head to either Mistfall Village or the Shrine of the Seven Stars. The fight for the Vale of Eternal Blossoms has begun!