(2026-05-02) A Proper Fight

Details

Author:	Alli
Summary:	Caspis, Ceiya, Florande, Mi Shu, and Shun head into the Mogu'shan Palace to defeat the leader who is working to unify the mogu clans, Xin the Weaponmaster, and thus drive the mogu out of the palace. People on all sides may be looking for a proper fight, but only some are going to find it. ~3100 words.
Rating:	T for Teen

Arc: Vale of Eternal Blossoms

The team begins to assemble at the Golden Pagoda, expecting an ordinary day of patrols.

Florande lands at the Golden Pagoda, ready for whatever the Golden Lotus needs today.

Shun stands with his arms crossed over his chest as he leans against one of the pillars of the pagoda.

Ceiya and Baby land at the pagoda with a woosh of flame. "Hello, Kitten! Everyone!" Ceiya dismounts the flaming hippogryph and approaches the others with a saluting fist to her chest.

Florande smiles. "Hello, Ceiya."

Shun grunts.

Mimi is sitting in front of the fire meditating quietly before their mission.

"Greetings, Thero'shan," Caspis says quietly to Florande. He looks at the rest with vague confusion.

Florande steps over to bump against Caspis a little in affection, like a cat. "Greetings, Shan'do."

Ceiya's brow lifts at Caspis's address to Florande. "You're her shan'do? It's an honor. I'm Ceiya Emberthorn."

Caspis bows in greeting to Ceiya. "Caspis Silvershade."

Ceiya offers another salute especially for Caspis. "Wait…I know you. Well, I know of you. Weren't you at Shifting Sands?"

Caspis tilts his head. "I was…"

"I was Ceiya Snowbriar in those days." Ceiya grins. "You might have heard of me." Clearly Ceiya is unfamiliar with Caspis's memory.

Caspis nods politely and ambiguously at Ceiya.

Leven Dawnblade looks over the assembled team and clears his throat. "I've had word from Sinan, one of our operatives. She's been watching the situation at Mogu'shan Palace, and she thinks there's an opportunity to drive the mogu out."

Shun lifts his head.

Caspis's ears lift.

"Would the five of you be willing to meet up with her, and to execute the strategy?" Leven asks. "We really can't afford to let them get a foothold so far into the Vale."

Shun grunts.

Ceiya nods firmly at Leven. "I'd love a chance to wrestle some of those stone brutes. I am in."

"It will be done," Caspis says to Leven.

Mimi's ears flick and she gets up to join the group.

"Me too," Florande nods eagerly. "I'll help." Florande hops into the air and shifts into the form of a small stormcrow.

Caspis shifts into the form of a large stormcrow.

Ceiya takes a chug from her drinking horn, giving a little shudder after.

Shun vanishes to start making his way to the palace, getting a head start on the fliers.

By wing or stealth or hippogryph or cloud serpent, the team makes its way to the front steps of the Mogu’shan Palace.

The past few days, and the knowledge of the mogu within, has done nothing to diminish the splendor of the entrance to Mogu’shan Palace. It is a shameless and gaudy display of wealth and power, undoubtedly built by the hands of slaves. Still, it is beautiful, the cloud motif carved into golden metal and marble still as clear and ornate as it was millennia ago. The team passes between the two mogu statues and lit braziers, and into the palace.

Caspis is briefly distracted by the splendor of the place.

Shun reappears with the others briefly, where he can be seen applying poisons to his blades.

"Whoa," Florande says, gawking around.

Ceiya takes a moment to stretch. It's important to limber up before exercising.

"Oh wow… What a huge palace." Mimi gawks and takes in the sight.

Caspis nod at Mimi. "It is good," Caspis murmurs quietly, "to appreciate beauty even in times of war and cruelty."

Ceiya pats out a flame that has ignited on her upper arm. "Well said. Let's try not to wreck the place while we wreck its inhabitants."

“Friends, here!” whispers Sinan the Dreamer, an astral pandaren hovering in the air cross-legged. “Good, you’ve made it. We know now what the mogu are planning here.”

Florande stares for a moment longer, before she looks over to the astral pandaren.

Mimi turns to Sinan, "What's the situation?"

“They seem to plan on establishing this place as a new stronghold in the Vale,” Sinan explains, her face pinched with worry. “A new leader, Xin the Weaponmaster, is gathering the clans as a proxy for the Thunder King.”

"Cut the head off the snake," Ceiya says.

"Is this Weaponmaster here?" Caspis asks in his deep, resonant voice.

“He is. Within, the clans’ leaders are all vying for Xin’s favor,” Sinan shivers. “Even if he is working for Lei Shen, do not underestimate Xin. He is powerful.”

Mimi purses her lips, "That sounds bad. So we're here to beat him up?"

“Exactly. We cannot afford to let the mogu gain a foothold here, so deep in the Vale,” Sinan concludes. “If you slay Xin the Weaponmaster, the alliances he is building will crumble. Then, we can drive the remaining mogu out of this place.”

"This is the sort of task at which Cobalt Company excels," Caspis says with quiet confidence.

"Got it." Mimi punches her open hand and bows, "I'll do my best!" Mimi is rated T for teen.

Shun nods, then slips back into the shadows.

Ceiya dons her horned helm. Got to protect that face.

Florande turns into a cat.

Moving ahead, the carvings are no less lovely, but the contents are less so. Here, Gurthan quilen pace the floor, and contentious Kargesh and Harthak mogu fight one another, as the previous squad reported. A sealed doorway at the end of the hall seems likely to be the path to the leader, Xin the Weaponmaster, but it is sealed. The guarded open doorway to the right is the only way forward.

The team moves forward, but mogu and quilen block their way. Mi Shu initiates the attack! Thus begins the first fight of the day, and the Cobalt team ends it quickly.

Ceiya nods respectfully to Mishu. "You have some impressive moves."

"Thanks!" Mimi beams, "You do too!"

Ceiya grins proudly.

Through the door and a hallway is the arena, where mogu still face one another in combat. The pacing mogu in the center is Zhao-Jin the Bloodletter, examining the contenders with a superior sneer. There are large columns at each corner of the arena, an easy way to avoid the detection of the distracted mogu.

Cat-Florande slinks in the shadows, hiding behind a pillar as she bares her teeth at Zhao-Jin.

Caspis shadowmelds each time they stop moving.

Shun waves a hand to extend the veil of shadows to the rest of the nearby party. Just in case.

“I begin to think this is a waste of time,” Zhao-Jin shouts at the mogu. “Xin himself is busy within, uncovering the secrets of this place, and the rest of the Vale waits for Clan Shao-Tien to claim it!”

Florande's ears perk at the mention of Xin.

Caspis nods, eyes fierce, when Xin is mentioned. For once he is paying attention.

Zhao-Jin looks at the mogu with disdain, “Prove to me that your clans are better as our allies than crushed under Shao-Tien boots. Show me a fight to be proud of, and quickly!”

A champion of each mogu clan moves forward, ready for honorable combat.

“Clan Gurthan will never surrender our right to rule the destiny of our people!” shouts one mogu.

“Clan Harthak is the true clan! No Shao-Tien victory can change that,” calls another, stepping forward.

“Clan Kargesh’s might is the greatest in all the empire!” a third insists, joining the fray.

The fight commences. Each mogu champion uses their clan’s particular techniques.

The fight is going well, until the Gurthan mogu says tauntingly, “Where’d you get that weapon from, your sister?”

The Kargesh and Harthak look incensed on their leader’s behalf. Zhao-Jin rolls his eyes, and moves away from the melee.

"Never stop your enemies from stabbing each other," Shun mutters under his breath.

Caspis nods solemnly in agreement with Shun.

The Kargesh mogu responds with, “Your clan is so low that hozen tell ‘stupid’ jokes about them!”

This evokes another roar of outrage from the stands.

Mimi claps a hand over her mouth to keep herself from laughing.

“Your mother’s so old she saw the rise of the first kingdom!” snarls the Harthak mogu.

This proves to be too much. The orderly duel erupts into a chaotic melee. Zhao-Jin, disgusted, leaves through the far door.

Ceiya barks a laugh at the 'yer mom' joke.

"These are beings who have lived thousands of years," Caspis murmurs, "and they behave like children."

"I suppose that's what you get when you have rocks for brains," Ceiya snickers.

Florande looks puzzled. Then she turns back into an elf, trying not to smile, and says, "They seem silly. I have thought them scary before, but not silly."

Caspis appears to have left his sense of humor in his other pants. And his pants somewhere in the exploded Well of Eternity.

Over at the side of the room, there’s a subtle glimmer of movement, someone slipping down a cleverly hidden staircase.

"What was that!?" Mimi points to the stairs.

"A staircase!" Florande whispers. "Maybe we can find a path to Xin!"

Caspis seems confused.

The team heads over to the staircase, while the mogu continue to shout insults at one another and fight like bar brawlers.

The small staircase leads down to a dark, narrow passage, much the worse for wear.

"It seems likely this passage sees little use," Caspis observes.

"Watch your step" Shun warns.

Mimi coughs on the dust, "This hall could use a good cleaning."

Florande nods, rubbing her nose.

This hallway opens up into a cave-like chamber, with rough stalactites reaching in places from the ceiling. The leathery flap of bat wings is audible, their forms barely visible in the light from violet braziers.

A saurok looks up at the sounds of intruders.

"Saurok," Florande hisses. Then she turns into a cat, and hisses.

"Those bats are not hungry," Caspis observes. "I doubt they will join the fray."

Florande nods seriously at Caspis. He knows his flying animals.

"I think they spotted us." Ceiya draws her weapons and clangs them together.

"Time for another fight it looks like!" Mimi adopts her swaying fighting stance, "Time to show them the power of the drunken monkey style!"

"Drunken… monkey…." Caspis murmurs.

The saurok cannot resist the power of the drunken monkey style.

Off in the distance, in the cave, many saurok are visible, carrying glittering treasure across a distant bridge.

"Other squad mentioned saurok," Florande mumbles. "I guess more saurok came in, from wherever they come from."

"Do the mogu know these saurok are here…?" Caspis ponders aloud.

"They don't seem very… aware," Florande muses.

The next chamber is clearly the vault, two stories of walls lined with safes, supported by four massive carven pillars around a beautifully-carved floor with a cloud serpent motif. There is no sign of Xin the Weaponmaster, but the room is also crawling with saurok.

Shun appears behind one of the saurok in their path to shank.

"These things are no challenge at all," Ceiya complains. "Can we go back and fight the mogu?"

"Hopefully we find Xin further in somewhere," Florande bites her lip. "Then good fight."

Ceiya grins at Florande. "Alright, Kitten. I'll try to be patient."

"Slay them!" cries a larger saurok, who seems to be a squad leader of some sort. He and his minions attack.

"YES! Give us a proper fight!" Ceiya howls.

Florande dives into this proper fight.

Shun reappears once more with a flurry of steel.

Mimi rolls into position and smashes a keg of brew, igniting it with her breath.

Caspis remains calm, surrounding the party with regenerative magic that smells faintly of evergreen needles.

Florande jumps around, darting in to attack.

Ceiya roars, her body literally igniting with searing flames. She charges at the saurok, leaving a trail of fire behind her.

Caspis blinks at Ceiya, but keeps healing.

It may be a proper fight, but the conclusion is clear. The saurok fall to the Cobalt team.

Caspis nods at Ceiya, brow furrowed.

Florande draws closer to Caspis to whisper, "It was people like my father, who did it to her. Not her choice."

In the wake of the fight, Ceiya grins at Caspis. The fires gradually die down. "Heh…don't worry, friend. These flames don't hurt. Well…they don't hurt me."

At the far end of the hallway is an elevator, a platform rigged up with ropes and pulleys. This must be the one reported by the last group, which at least did function properly for them, dropping no one.

Caspis seems slightly alarmed by it.

The elevator brings the team back to the ornate halls above, but here there are no mogu fighting. There are groups of mogu patrolling, and a commanding voice booming indistinctly somewhere to the left.

Florande whispers. "Xin?"

As the team comes into what is clearly the throne room, they see a large mogu sitting on a throne, flanked by quilen. Well-maintained imperial banners hang all around him, and red cloud-carved columns shimmer with spirit energy.

“What is this? More have to claim my power? They are small, weak!” Xin the Weaponmaster taunts. “You are not the first to challenge me, peons. You will not be the last!”

Caspis snarls.

"We'll see about that!" Mimi yells.

Shun grunts.

Ceiya clangs her axe and hammer together again, then points the axe at Xin. "Enough talk! You end here, Weaponmaster!"

"I have bested greater than you," Caspis says in a low, dire voice.

The quilen leap in front of Xin to defend him from the Cobalt team. However, they are no match for us. Then, it is time to face Xin himself. He rises from his throne.

Caspis visibly masters his anger at the arrogant mogu and takes a deep breath, summoning his healing energies.

“Face the might of my arsenal, weaklings!” Xin cries, and axes animate with a flash of power, whirling dangerously.

Shun weaves between the axes as he slips in and out to strike Xin where he can.

Mimi ebbs and flows effortlessly around the traps and Xin's attacks while striking out with her own.

Florande slips into the shadows as a cat, and pounces over an axe onto Xin's form.

“MY MIGHT IS ENDLESS!” Xin cries, and swords begin arrowing across the room, hitting any in their path.

One of the flying swords strikes Shun, staggering him. With a grunt, he hurls a volley of daggers laced with poison and shadow back at Xin.

Florande gives a meow-yelp, flattening herself as a sword flies over her head.

Ceiya bursts into flame again and charges! Her maul batters and weakens the mogu's armor, while her axes follow through to dig into the weaknesses.

Caspis is not great at watching his surroundings. He keeps getting struck with sharp projectiles. Luckily his healing magic seems able to keep up with both him and the melee fighters.

“ENOUGH OF THIS FARCE! You will feel PAIN, cowards!” Xin cries, and crossbows activate, targeting one person after another.

That, Florande can't dodge. A crossbow bolt hits her in the shoulder, and she stumbles on the tile floor.

Caspis gets a bolt in the shoulder - he yanks it out, blood flowing copiously, but his magic mends the wound rapidly, leaving only a hole in his armor. He immediately sees to Florande afterward.

The healing magic takes immediately, and Florande pushes back up to her feet and snarls at Xin, leaping back towards him with claws bared.

Two crossbow bolts find purchase in Ceiya flesh around her rather minimal armor. But she doesn't seem to notice through her battle fury.

Shun brings up a dagger to parry a bolt, then shadowsteps on top of Xin's shoulder to start striking from above.

Caspis blinks in surprise at Shun, then nods in approval.

A column of flame erupts under Ceiya, launching her into the air. She laughs all the way up and back down, landing with a heavy THUD. "Really? FIre?"

Caspis smiles very faintly at Ceiya's cry.

Yes, Xin really did try to attack the fire lady with fire. Fighting fire with fire is apparently not super effective.

Under the combined attack, Xin staggers to his knees, and then falls. As he does, he gasps out, "You call that… a fight…?”

Shun jumps off of Xin as he starts to fall.

"Oh, shut up," Ceiya growls and swings her maul right at Xin's face.

The maul hits, and Xin is fully out of consideration.

"Yes," Caspis says to the corpse, slightly confused. "That was a fight."

Florande shifts back into elf form, looking to see if it's over. "Seemed very fight-like to me, yes."

Ceiya laughs aloud. Very loud.

Caspis looks like he's assuming this may have been a vocabulary issue. He'll never know, now.

There's a faint little shimmer, and Sinan's astral form appears by Xin's body. She looks pleased.

Caspis bows solemnly to the apparition.

"That was truly a fight for the ages," Sinan says brightly. "I was watching. I'm glad the five of you are on our side."

Shun grunts.

Ceiya removes her helmet and shakes out her hair, and a few licks of flame.

Mimi stands up proudly and grins.

"With Xin down, and Zhao-Jin distracted with the war in the west, the rest of the mogu here should scatter," Sinan says with confidence. "You saw them above. They're not good at unity at the best of times."

"Indeed," Caspis says disapprovingly.

"Like squabbling children," Ceiya nods.

"This must be why they require such a powerful tyrant," Caspis speculates aloud.

Shun nods quietly.

"At this rate we'll beat all of them for good in no time!" Mimi says.

Caspis nods toward Mimi, his look soft and encouraging.

"I'll let the Golden Lotus know, and we'll handle the mop up," Sinan nods. "Then it's just a matter of pushing the Shao-Tien out of the Vale entirely."

"Cobalt Company has been keeping the pressure on them," Caspis says confidently.
Ceiya nods firmly, "You have my axe…and my hammer."

Florande nods. "They will not be able to hold out against us forever. You have my teeth and claws."

"And my talons," Caspis says, so as not to be left out.

Florande is also wearing a staff, but she seems to regard it more as an accessory than a weapon.

"And my staff." Mimi jumps on the bandwagon.

Shun doesn't chime in. His blades have already been in this fight and that isn't stopping.

"Thank you, my friends," Sinan says. "After today, I feel confident that we will see our way to victory!"

Caspis nods. "I have seen victory claimed from worse situations than this," he says with the reassurance of the very, very old.

Ceiya pumps her fists and cries out, "Tor ilisar'thera'nal!"