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| Details |
| Author: | Alli |
| Summary: | Atley, Baird, Caspis, Ceiya, Cressidha, Lena, Melancholy, Mi Shu and Mordecai continue the fight against the mogu. They first fight at the Golden Stair, and then spend time in support of the (relatively) peaceful communities at Whitepetal Lake and Mistfall Village. A knowledge of water elementals comes in handy! ~4000 words. |
| Rating: | T for Teen |
The team begins to assemble at the Golden Pagoda.
Atley has a very curt but amiable and monosyllabic exchange with the gigantic pandaren, Rook Stonetoe.
Baird comes quietly up the steps of the pagoda, his rifle on his back.
Melancholy approaches with Lena, in her New Colors of Purple and Black. She gives Baird a plum smile and a knuckle salute, and then wiggles her fingers hello to Cressidha.
Mimi takes the bandages with a bow.
"Good afternoon, everyone." Cressidha is tracing water-summoning sigils in the air. She starts handing water out to people.
Leven Dawnblade raises a hand as the team lands. "The mogu are out in force today, and there are quilen and behemoths to watch out for as well."
Sun rushes over to offer people bandages. "Please, any of our people you see who need healing, help them. Use these, if you have no healing magic!"
Atley grunts and turns to Leven, stepping forward to accept the bandages.
Baird is distracted, staring at Sun uncertainly. He watches a couple of others take bandages, and does the same.
Melancholy accepts the bandages with the air of someone who does not know how to use them, but she'll certainly try. "Oh!" She takes out her athame to start pulling up a soulwell filled with healthstones.
Lena considers the bandages, and then takes them. Probably better than offering healthstones.
A large, flaming hippogryph soars past Caspis as it comes in to land at the Golden Pagoda. An enormous kaldorei woman clad in red armor dismounts and stretches. "Elune adore, Cobalt warriors!"
Baird glances over to stare at the new kaldorei arrival.
Atley eyes Ceiya and nods, tugging on his helmet after securing the bandages to his belt. "Well met, Emberthorn. Are you lot familiar with Ceiya?"
"Elune adore," Cressidha says carefully. Her accent is correct by now.
"I don't know her," Melancholy says blithely, but she smiles at Ceiya. "Hello, I'm Melancholy Grimlocke, Lena's apprentice."
"And I'm Lena," Lena says with a smile. "To clear that last bit up."
"I don't think we've met." Mimi says, "Hello there. My name is Mi Shu Jadepaw. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"I am Cressidha, of House Aspenwood." Cressidha nods politely.
Baird nods to Ceiya. "Bryn Baird."
Mordecai steps carefully towards the group in time to accept water from Cressidha. "Hello, um. Mordecai. Florande mentioned you."
Ceiya puts a fist to her chest in salute. "It is a pleasure to meet you all. I am Ceiya Emberthorn."
Ceiya pronounces her name 'KYE-uh'.
"Let's get into the fight, then. We've a more than suitable force," Atley says.
Bryn gives Mordecai the up-nod of universal bro greeting.
Melancholy looks at Mordecai, a known healer, and sets a soulstone on him.
"Nearly an army, today," Lena says approvingly, glancing around the gathered.
Mordecai smiles shyly and mumbles, "Thank you," to Melancholy.
Atley marches out from under The Golden Pagoda and squints up at Caspis. "Hullo', you," he mutters to the bird.
As they approach the battlefield, Cressidha tosses out Marina's bracers.
Ceiya barks a laugh as they enter combat. "Just look at this force! These mogu are in for a reckoning!"
Marina sees Ceiya, burbles in alarm, and draws back a fist to begin flinging splashy water.
Cressidha cuts her off with a stern hand gesture. "Marina, no."
Atley looks from Ceiya to Marina and says, "It doesn't trouble her."
Baird stares at Ceiya again.
"Oh, are they real?" Melancholy asks of the flames.
Ceiya eyeballs Marina…then bursts out laughing. "HAH! Go right ahead if it suits you, elemental. A splash of cold might feel nice!"
"…You may," Cressidha tells Marina, making a different gesture. "Just once."
Marina splashes Ceiya with cold water!
THe cold water hits Ceiya with a hiss! Steam rises in plumes from her body as she lets out a satisfied, "Ahhhh…"
Atley watches with a faintly furrowed brow before returning to the task at hand.
At the battlefield, Lena moves between cannon bombardments to offer fallen pandaren bandages. She may have practiced this at the Setting Sun Garrison.
Mordecai Shields himself and then Lena, darting out to heal the wounded.
Atley uses Thunderfury to split a Granite Quilen's head near-perfectly in half with a resounding CRACK!
Atley looks around at The Golden Stair and nods as the rain pours down on them all. "Let's see to the injured, then bugger off."
"We can stop the behemoths on our way back?" Lena asks.
Mordecai continues to see to the injured.
Atley raises his shield as a mogu bombardment lands dangerously close to his position.
Lena spots a behemoth on the pathway back to the Golden Pagoda, and starts casting shadow at it after she sees Mi Shu go in to attack.
Melancholy stays far back from the cannon fire, electing to take on the behemoth.
Cressidha snap-freezes one of the behemoth's feet in place and shatters it with an ice lance.
Ceiya takes out a sealed drinking horn, unsealing it to take a swig of the contents.
Baird fires, fires again steadily, impassive.
Atley carves out chunks of stone with Thunderfury.
With a battle roar, Ceiya charges at the behemoth, her body igniting in flame and leaving a literal trail of fire behind her!
Melancholy follows an increasingly quick series of casts — a soulshard to trio apply curses and afflictions, curse the target, malefic grasp, and then drain soul to restore her shards.
Mimi blinks as she takes a swig of her own brew as well as she prepares to breathe fire onto the behemoth.
Lena continues to steadily cast at the behemoth, maintaining her curses and corruptions and seeming unhurried.
The behemoth staggers, and then falls to the pathway, now nothing more than rubble to be cleared away. In the distance, Anji cheers.
Mordecai escorts a group of Golden Lotus members back to the pagoda.
Sun rushes over to Mordecai to take over care of any wounded, sincere gratefulness shining in her eyes.
Mordecai checks the team over for injuries.
Leven looks the team over. "Efficient and effective, as usual. We're holding the line, and we'll keep holding it."
“Reports suggest that things are quiet at Whitepetal Lake today, but I've dispatched Ren Firetongue and He Softfoot to make sure it stays that way,” Leven Dawnblade says. “If you’re willing to aid the effort further, head west to the lake, meet up with He, and help him keep things secure from any hostile threats.”
"Understood," Cressidha says.
Baird nods.
"We'll handle it," Lena nods.
Melancholy makes sure her soulwell is still up and ready, and refreshes the soulstone on Mordecai.
Lena leans over towards Melancholy to murmur, "Ren was the flirty one. Don't mind him."
Melancholy laughs, a dark bell of a sound. "I'm not worried. I remember He. Him? He."
Lena smiles. "Yes, I do, too. A good ally."
At Whitepetal Lake, He Softfoot smiles at the team.
He looks down at the dead mogu scout at his feet, looks up at us, then points out out down the lake shore. It seems he wants us to find and kill more of these mogu scouts.
"Ah. Not so quiet at the lake after all." Cressidha nods. "Understood."
Bairds nods again and gives He a casual knuckled salute.
"And Ren… he's the fancy-robed one over here…" Lena says, moving around the staircase and down to the lake. "Ren, anything we can help with?"
“I was kicking the water for fun again when one of those vicious crocolisks lunged out to try to bite my foot off!” Ren says with a gasp. “Rude!”
Melancholy delicately moves her feet a little further away from the water's edge.
"Well, you were…" Lena pauses. "Okay, it's a bit rude."
"Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned there," Cressidha says.
“Maybe. I have proceeded to rest my weary soles a few feet farther from the water, but I already look back on my water-kicking days longingly,” Ren looks at the team longingly.
Marina burbles and dives into the lake to splash around.
Baird stares at Ren.
"Could you clear out some of the crocolisks?" Ren asks, making puppy-dog eyes. "They're likely to do far worse to people than bite a few feet."
"Well… we'll keep an eye out for crocolisks," Lena says finally. "I gather that's mostly what you're saying. And of course we'll clear any as attack us."
Marina drifts towards the surface, carrying something inside her watery body. It looks like a piece of a stone scepter. She floats out of the water and it falls to the stone with a CLUNK.
Cressidha gives her elemental a curious look. A crocolisk chases Marina out of the water, snapping its jaws.
"Oh!" Melancholy gasps, taking several steps back from the crocolisk.
"He isn't completely wrong, about the crocolisks," Lena says, snapping a quick curse on the croc.
Baird shoots a crocolisk.
"Apparently not," Cressidha says, sighing.
Marina burbles innocently.
"This reminds me a bit of a Cobalt thing I recall reading," Lena observes. "About crocolisks getting really aggressive in Krasarang."
"I don't know about that," Melancholy says. "Was Ren down there?"
Cressidha covers her mouth to hide a smile.
Lena shakes her head, with a laugh. "No Ren kicking the water. Turns out it was a food imbalance. Hozen fishing up all the fish, and the crocs were hungry."
"Oh. Well that's fair," Melancholy says. "The poor creatures."
"Mm, I can relate," Ceiya smirks. "I get very cranky when I'm hungry."
Mimi giggles, "I know the feeling."
"Might be a thing for our druids to look into here," Lena shoots a glance at the stormcrow Caspis. "I think there's another one around here, too."
"Florande," Mordecai mumbles. "The other druid. That I've seen."
"Florande, aye," Lena says.
When the team returns, He bows thankfully, and points to Ren, who is bouncing on his feet.
"I saw you fighting crocolisks!" Ren claps. Yes, it was for him. Not because they attacked us. “You've been oh so lovely, friends. Do share the fruits of your labors and spend a second or two by the water with me someday,” Ren says with a persuasive smile.
Baird stares at Ren.
Melancholy eyes the crocolisk-infested waters.
Marina burbles excitedly. She understands the word 'water'.
"Maybe someday," Lena says diplomatically.
“We can exchange tales of that one time when you so generously killed a ravaging band of vicious limb-snatching reptiles for the sake of my frightened and innocent feet,” Ren sighs. “What a grand day that was.”
"Yes, I think our two seconds of reminiscing might be up," Melancholy says blithely.
"Right," Lena says. "Well, if there's nothing else…"
"Oh, I nearly forgot!" Ren says. "Che stopped by on the way to the village and asked if I'd seen you. I told him no."
Cressidha covers her mouth to hide a smile.
Baird flashes a smile at Melancholy.
"Why…?" Lena asks.
"That way, you can go see him if you want, but you're not obligated!" Ren says proudly. "I am so marvelously considerate, am I not?"
Baird squints at Ren.
"Well, I think communicative might be better, in wartime," Lena says quietly.
Mordecai mumbles, "I should probably head back to Mistfall Village regardless."
Melancholy refreshes the soulstone on Mordecai, alerted again to his presence.
"Whether you do or not, there's one more thing I'd ask," Ren says. "There's a giant wolf with a sword nearby. He's a terror. Clear him out? The local yaks and goats would thank you."
"Giant wolf? On it." Ceiya grins.
"… a wolf with a sword," Baird repeats under his breath.
"Guarding it?" Melancholy guesses.
Atley grunts. Slowly.
"Oh my. That sounds exciting!" Mimi says.
As the team approaches, it's clear the wolf is wielding the sword in its mouth. Odd.
"That is a big sword," Lena says, staring at the wolf.
As Ceiya lands near the wolf, her eyes widen. "He was not joking. That wolf has a sword."
"Oh my garters, it's wielding it. We don't think he's maybe a cursed mogu soldier or something, do we?" Melancholy asks the others.
"I want to get a look at the make of it," Atley says.
"Huh," says Baird, interested.
Ceiya draws her weapons and roars, charging the wolf!
Lena provides support with the fel.
The wolf soon dies.
Melancholy peers curiously at the wolf after, maybe half expecting it to turn into something else.
It stays a wolf. No further explanation seems to be forthcoming.
"You all go on ahead," says Ceiya. "I"ll let our friend know the wolf has been dealt with."
"Thanks," Lena nods. "I'll see you around, Ceiya. Think I'll head on to the village."
Atley nods at Ceiya. "Very well."
"Wolf with a sword," Baird repeats quietly.
"With a fussing sword," Melancholy says, facing Baird as she speaks it relatively quietly.
Lena glances over at Baird, "Not a thing I've seen before, I admit."
Baird grins at Melancholy.
"Wolves strike me more as pikemen than swordsmen," Atley jokes(?) dryly.
Lena chuckles.
This task complete, the team continues on to Mistfall Village.
"I'll be, um, returning to the infirmary," Mordecai says once they arrive in Mistveil. "Light grant you all Fortitude."
"Take care, Mordecai," Lena says.
"Farewell, Bishop," Atley growls.
Baird looks over to nod farewell to Mordecai.
Mordecai gives them a small little wave and departs.
Melancholy finger wiggles at Mordecai. "Ta-ta, then."
Che is waiting for the rest of the team. He hails us solemnly. He looks over the team. "All is quiet today. If you would help, it's gathering. Meat and fruit for the cook, flowers for the merchant, feathers for our arrows."
"Certainly," Cressidha says.
"Ok! I'm happy to help!" Mimi chimes in.
Melancholy looks up at their lucky Stormcrow, and points him out to Che. "Just please let people know that's our Stormcrow? If they're not familiar already. He's a druid."
Che nods. "I know him well. He will not be shot down."
Melancholy gives Che a plum lipped smile.
"Reckon I'll be best at feather collecting," Lena murmurs. "That and meat."
"There are herds of Gazelle that wander the fields to the north," Atley says.
"I don't know what I'll be best at," Melancholy says lightly.
"Let's find out then, shall we?" Atley says with an optimistic,if gruff tone.
Melancholy gives Dane a Proper! Navy Salute.
"Well, we can attack at a distance, which makes us effective against flying creatures," Lena suggests.
"All right, then that's what I'll do," Melancholy says.
Baird heads directly out toward the gazelle herds, rifle on his shoulder. This he has a lot of practice with already.
Lena gathers what pomfruit she finds, but only stuff that's fallen on the ground. She does not climb trees.
Once Cressidha sees the pomfruit Lena's gathering, she says, "Is that what it looks like? I see." She floats her carpet up to pick fruit from the trees.
"Yes, they're a bit like apples," Lena holds one up for Cressidha to see.
"Ah. I see." Cressidha looks at Melancholy. "It suits you," she says, indicating her outfit. "How is the fit? Comfortable?"
Melancholy smooths a hand over the corset bodice of her top. "Oh, thank you. The fit is perfect."
"Excellent." Cressidha nods in approval.
"I took the swimming suit out for a go as well. It was exactly as I needed," Melancholy says brightly.
"I'm pleased to hear that," Cressidha says, smiling faintly. "The rest of your order will be arriving in pieces, as you may have gathered."
Melancholy nods with a plum lipped smile. "Your speed is magical," she tells Cressidha.
"I am a mage," Cressidha says, chuckling.
Melancholy laughs, a dark little bell.
Atley marches up to a tree and looks up at its fruit. He looks down at the trunk, then back to the branch, then the trunk one last time before he //bashes/ it with Thunderfury. He hastily reaches back and scoops his cloak like a bowl, catching fruit.
Mimi opts to hop on her cloud serpent to grab the fruit straight off of the branches.
Atley addresses Mimi. "Get to see much of the continent, have you?"
"Mhmm!" Mimi answers Dane, "There's still so much of the world to explore it feels like. I've barely even touched Kalimdor yet.”
“But I've enjoyed seeing the mainland here. It's good to understand your roots." Mimi concludes with a nod.
"There's a wildness to that place," Atley admits, leaning back in his saddle on top of Thoras'. "The Kingdoms have some rugged regions of their own, f'course. Have you got a favorite, yet?"
"I really enjoy the dwarves, personally. They understand the value of good food and drink." Mimi laughs a little, "The others are all so skinny."
Melancholy glances over at Mimi, and self-consciously smooths down her skirt.
Baird rejoins the group with a couple of dead gazelles across his gryphon's back.
"That they do. You'll enjoy Brewfest, I warrant," Atley says.
"Brewfest?" Mimi's ear perk up, "That sounds exciting."
Lena looks over to Baird. "How's it going with the gazelles? Think Tope'll have a good stew tonight?"
Baird flashes a grin at Lena. "Probably."
"A great deal of food and drink and mischief," Atley says. "It's a lively time indeed."
Lena grins, hefting her bag of pomfruit and feathers. Unequal weights of each.
"Sounds like my kind of party." Mimi winks at Atley.
Atley grunts.
"It's in the fall," Lena says to Mimi. "They do a whole thing around Ironforge — I don't think you'll be easily able to miss it."
"Speaking of," Atley says, focusing on Baird. "You've got quite the haul."
Baird salutes Atley casually.
Atley responds with a salute of his own.
Baird flashes a quicksilver grin at Atley and leads his gryphon and its cargo over to Chef Tope.
Melancholy peers through her veil up at Caspis, until she has him in range for a soulstone.
As she wanders back into the village, Lena hands over her pomfruit to Tope and then heads to Che with the feathers.
Cressidha follows Lena's lead: this chef gets the fruit.
Atley briefly eyes Kyo, Che Wildwalker's Pet, a tiger that's taller than he is even as the beast sits back. "We've done our foraging," he tells Che.
"You have my thanks," Che says, as people begin to return. "There is yet one thing I would ask of you."
Baird stares at Che.
Atley frowns attentively.
Melancholy looks a little tired, but she waits attentively.
“Quid is a very powerful and very ancient water spirit, though you might not know it with his child-like ways,” Che says with a low sigh. “This morning, Quid nearly killed several villagers in the bar, when he jokingly caused several of the water kegs to explode.”
Lena raises her eyebrows, and looks to Marina, who would clearly never do such a thing.
"Oh my garters," Melancholy says, putting a hand to her chest.
Atley also briefly glances at Marina.
Marina burbles in excitement. This guy said the word 'water spirit' and the word 'water'.
"Goodness," Cressidha says.
"Oh my garters," Baird agrees quietly, straight-faced.
Melancholy laughs, and smothers it with a black laced glove hand quickly.
“As long as the water flows, Quid will remain. He cannot be slain,” Che explains. “But he can be reminded that we do not take his dangerous antics in jest. Would you be willing to carry this message to him on behalf of the village?”
Atley nods. "Of course."
Lena nods. "Not to slay him, but to chastise."
Atley slowly looks from Melancholy, to Baird, and grunts.
"Certainly," Cressidha says. "I do not speak Kalimag well, but perhaps Marina can translate the intent of it."
"Oh, won't that be a trick!" Melancholy says, looking from Cressidha to Marina and back.
Quid waits in a nearby lake, surrounded by silvery carp, a waterfall at his back.
Cressidha remains on her carpet, floating a bit above the lake, while Marina splashes right on in.
Atley lands on the surface of the water and points out Quid with a paternal growl. "Oi! You. Time to straighten out!"
"Don't think he understands you, sir," Lena says quietly to Atley.
Marina zips towards Quid, babbling excitedly in Kalimag.
"Marina," Cressidha says patiently, "Please tell your new friend not to explode water barrels near people or they might get hurt."
Atley narrows his eyes as Marina rushes in, and slowly starts raising a hand towards Thunderfury's pommel. "Some things are universal," he says to Lena, though he does watch.
Melancholy shakes a finger at Quid with a stern frown, like a disapproving parent. What, some things are universal.
Quid laughs, a burbly sound, and then leans closer to listen to Marina.
Marina forms herself into a more barrel-like round shape, then 'bursts', scattering water in all directions - including towards the team. Then she makes a groaning splash and flops over, playing dead.
Melancholy bursts out in a laugh at the pantomiming.
Quid mimes clapping his hands when she bursts the barrel, but then looks on in dismay as she plays dead.
Melancholy also tries to look dismayed at Marina's Feign Death.
Marina pops up again and says something scolding in Kalimag.
Quid hangs his head slightly, and then bobs it, a nod.
Atley squints at the kalimag conversation and narrows his eyes as he listens.
Mimi closes her eyes and strains to try and make out what's being said. Her lack of affinity for being a shaman is really showing right now.
"Well," Cressidha says, "I think that seems to be resolved."
Baird looks fascinated. He leans toward Melancholy. "Are they saying anything?"
"I have absolutely no idea," Melancholy says cheerfully to Baird. "But isn't it a trick! What luck we have Cressidha with us."
Marina dives into the lake. Now we can play! Right?
Quid dives after her,.
"That is really fascinating," Lena says, watching the water elementals. "And yes, it's a good thing you were here, Cressidha. You and Marina."
Cressidha sighs. "Well, now I suppose I'm going to be here a while longer while Marina plays with her new friend." She doesn't sound that bothered.
"All sorted, then," Atley says, with the resigned energy of a tired father.
Baird nods and straightens to look over at Cressidha.
"I'll go let Che know the trouble's sorted," Lena says with a smile.
"They're sort of burbling," Melancholy adds. "Maybe that's Kalimag?"
"Burbling," Baird repeats thoughtfully.
"Indeed," Cressidha says. "Kalimag has multiple variants, depending on the elemental type."
"I've never heard anything like it before," Melancholy says. "It's quite literally like a babbling brook."
Cressidha sits down on the shore. She pulls up her ice barrier right in time to get splashed by Marina.
"Strange creatures, to be certain. Marina's been helpful a number of times over the years," Atley says.
Lena watches the scene for a moment longer, smiling, and then heads into the village to report to Che.
"I used to know a little, but it's been a long time since I've studied." Mimi admits, "And I was never good at it anyhow."
"It's not like any language I'd know," Atley says, turning his back on the elementals.
"'I will arise and go now, for always night and day / I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore; / While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements gray / I heart it in the deep heart's core,'" Melancholy recites.
Atley looks to Baird.
"W.B. Yeats, sir," Baird says to Atley.
Melancholy pops a pleased plum lipped smile. "That's the one," she agrees.
Atley grunts. "I'm off, then. You lot carry on well." He looks at Mi Shu. "Are you staying in the Vale?"
Melancholy gives Dane a finger wiggle wave. "Ta-ta, then."
"I might go off to explore for a little bit. But I'll be back to keep helping." Mimi says.
Atley nods. "Travel well, then." He climbs on top of Thoras and spurs the gryphon skyward.