The Hunt

((ALL, use this thread if you are part of the Yag, Shad group that doesn't believe Gor is back. Post in Grimnir's thread if you are part of his group that are trying to bring him back alive))

Yagyu tried to concentrate on what the Warlord was saying but he wasn't really listening. Shadiel was saying something about Coldara and the Nexus but Yag's thoughts were on the events of the previous day. The news that Gorfrunch may have returned had spread like wildfire throughout the Grin and it seemed to polarize the clan. Of course no one had openly defied him, but Yag wasn't stupid. He knew that some believed Gor's supposed reincarnation to be true and they would not easily accept what Yag believed to be the true facts.

It had to be an Alliance trick. Gorfrunch was dead. He had seen the grave with his own eyes. He had prayed to the spirits of all the departed Grin for strength and he knew that Gor was one of those. Besides, if it was true, why had he not returned to Stonard? Why had he not sought Yagyu out? Wouldn't the REAL Gorfrunch have done that? No...it had to be the work of the Alliance. Most likely Keepers or Reveries no doubt. Their ilk would enjoy some perverse satisfaction from such a ruse.

"....Boss? Are you listening to me?" the blood elf peered intently at the orc.

"huh? oh yeh...sorry Shad....I wuz jus' thinkin' about this business with Gor."

"What is there to it?" asked the Warlord. "We find this imposter, and drag his head back here to Stonard and put it on a pike at the front gate. What could be simpler?"

The Warchief nodded. "Yeh...that's right....what could be simpler...?"

"My allegiance is to you not the Grin. I should be here by your side taking care of your needs." Errubus was fuming.

Shadiel looked over the now found long lost son that also happened to be a former Lich King Death Knight. The resemblance was uncanny. It was like looking into his own eyes just fifty years younger. Shadiel gives the Death Knight a small smile. He looks away and glances around the gardens of Dalaran. He sees Apollymmi a distance away watching intently at the Father and Son conversation.

"Are you sure you want to be here simply because of your allegiance to me? Perhaps there is a more important reason you feel the need to stick around Northrend?" Shadiel makes a subtle glance at the Priestess and Errubus' pale color goes a little more pale.

"The point is "Father" there are others more capable to babysit things in Stonard. I don't know the area, I don't know the occupants, and I don't work well with Warlocks."

Much to Errubus' annoyance, Shadiel couldn't contain his laughter. The Knight stays silent till the Warlord composes himself again and begins once again on his defense.

"I have been in Northrend for almost my whole life. My experience here is second to none. This is where I should be as it is the best assistance I can grant." Errubus' eyes have a hint of desperation in them.

"I need someone I can trust in Stonard. I need to know that my will will be taken care of should I not be there to see to things. If this imposter is allowed to take over the Grin I may not be able to finish up taking care of things here in Northrend. Malygos must be stopped, and this character running around as Gorfrunch makes the success of this mission much more difficult." Shadiel points to Apollymmi in the distance. "Think of that as your focus. Should Malygos succeed she too dies. You need to start acting with your head sometimes. The heart will cause you problems I know this fact well. Tell her your goodbyes tonight, and see to it you are in Stonard tomorrow. Go to the Inn, wait in the back corner I told you that I use and look for Bok'theg."

"What if it isn't an imposter? What if this Gorfrunch is somehow really alive?"

"That isn't possible, but as my Son I expect the correct choice to be made for the greater good of the Grin, though I suspect that greater good in you at this time is for a certain Priestess that seems impatient to talk to you. Get the job done should I fail here. Be careful of the Warlock, use your best judgment in the end, it is what I expect of an El Shadorath."

Shadiel started to walk away and paused for a moment.

"Keep the bar brawling out of the mix untill after you meet with Bok'theg." Shadiel laughs again and waves at Errubus and Apollymmi who had quickly come to him at the close of the conversation.

Within the quiet confines of his room in Dalaran Shadiel contemplates what Errubus said. If Gorfrunch was back it was a miracle that the mage didn't understand. He remembered Gorfrunch's betrayel, the death of faquarl, and the near destruction of the Grin that came from the old Orc's lust for war. Would it be a crime to kill him even if this imposter wasn't an imposter? Answers didn't come easy and neither did sleep.

Raider,
An Alliance impersonator has been seen in Northrend disguised as Gorfrunch Smashblade. Do all in your power to find this impostor and bring them before your Warchief, dead or alive.

-Yagyu, Warchief

As usual the letter read as though the Warchief had carved it with an axe. Dawnmist quietly folded the letter in her hand, a trail of tears traced down the old Druids cheek as she considered the grave dishonour the Alliance had most recently perpetrated. Looking slowly about the walls of Conquest Hold she muttered softly "Can they not just let him rest? Why must they commit this sacrilege?"

Expecting no answer, the Tauren walked from the keep leaning heavily on her staff. Glancing up at the cold northern sky she focused her will and launched herself into the air, her body shifting with an eye-wrenching shimmer into the form of a Brown Falcon.

Circling the hold a few times to gather height, loosing a savage keen that held all of her sorrow and outrage, Dawnmist soared out over the forests of the Grizzly Hills, keen eyes searching for any sign of the Smashblade.

Whatever had been in the Warchiefs mind those last days before the Fall, the dead had earned their rest and their honours. This impostor would be found, this debt would be paid in full.

The mysterious letters Yagyu had recieved were only making the crisis worse. He was more confused than ever. Grimnir and Cailos obviously wanted to believe this imposter to be the real Gorfrunch and Yag could feel their hesitancy everytime the subject was broached. The last note had made Yagyu even more certain it was an Alliance trick. The reference to the demon calling itself Gorfrunch was clearly the work of an Alliance warlock.

Well, thought the Warchief, "...two can play at that game."

He had warlocks of his own at his disposal and he would be sure to unleash thier full fury on these tricksters.

Whoever these people were, they would find themselves in a world of misery for toying with his clan.

He had no idea who Virroth was, but the fact that he was being watched made him uneasy. Demonstrike appreciated the fact that at the very least, the letter was encouraging. Now he had to think about what the consequences of the letter were.

Was someone gearing to stage a coup of the Grin? Was the letter from an officer of the Grin disguising his true identity?

He hastily replied noting that if the path to his redemption lied within the upper ranks of the Grin, then so be it. He was careful not to say anymore.

He would not tell anyone about the letter unless it became a necessity. There was already too much plaguing the Warchief...a simple letter from an unknown source would not be a topic of much importance at this stage.

Demonstrike turned from the mailbox and walked into the Inn. There he saw his brother...seemingly upset...walking from a group of Grin including Yagyu, Shadiel, and Grimnir...who also looked quite upset. Ashenrock caught him and said "Be careful, brother." Demonstrike sidled up to his brother and Rock filled him in on what was happening.

Could Gorfrunch truly be alive? Was this a trick? Was the letter he received connected to all of this? He approached the warchief "Sir, if there is anything that I can do to help resolve this matter, tell me."

Yagyu turned his attention to him and Demonstrike bowed his head. "Actually, there is somethin you can do. Get with Bok'thek and see if there is anything you can do about the Death Knights that we don't yet control." the warchief said. The comment seemed callow... "control"...but Demonstrike new that the chief didn't mean it in that matter. "Yes, sir, I will meet with him at once." Demonstrike replied.

Bok'thek. The name of the warlock conjured up feelings of anger and hate. Ashenrock hated that warlock with all of his being...not only was he a source of unatural energy...but he was a conniving, weasel. Demonstrike would play his hand close to the vest. He knew that the wily charm of the warlock could be quite powerful, and Demonstrike would fall for none of it. He would instead play into the hands of the orc...and see what he could find out.

For the first time in a long while, Ashenrock was nervous. He hadn't expected Grimnir to lash out at him. The loyalties of Orc's was much stronger then Rock realized. After all the Gorfrunch had done to the Grin, being responsible for countless deaths...including Faquarl's, how could Grimnir still hold him in such high regard?

That made Ashenrock question Yagyu's loyalty as well. If this was not a hoax, and Gorfrunch was to return tothe Grin, there very well could be a bad power struggle. He was convinced that Shadiel would never stand for Gorfrunch returning and he was certain that he had Felora's support. What would Yalim do? What about Grimface and Signe? This could tear the Grin apart.

How could any of this be possible, though? Gorfrunch had died...incinerated by the lava floe. This was either an incredible hoax...or the work of some very dark magic. Perhaps the work of a sinister warlock close to the Grin. His brow furrowed at the thought of Bok'thek. If Grimnir and Signe found something...would they report back to the Grin? Or would they follow this "Demon Gorfrunch" back and challenge for control of the Blacktooth Grin.

This troubled Rock immensely. It was time to visit an old friend to get some insight...his old teacher at the crossroads. Nara Wildmane may be able to provide answers.

In the meantime...Rock started to pick through his equipment. Druid of the Wild...or druid of the Claw? It was time to get back in fighting shape.

Shadiel looked around Stonard and to his surprise he found out just how much he missed the dismal home the Grin had made for themselves in the swamps. There was an order here, a peace, that even the luxuries of Dalaran or Silvermoon just didn't seem to have.

The mage was concerned about this Gorfrunch problem and hence he had ripped himself away from his plotting against Malygos to see what was going on in Stonard itself. Errubus had reported that nothing amiss had happened but that there seemed to be becoming divided loyalties between wanting this Gorfrunch imposter hunted or wanting him brought back into the heart of the Grin where this charlatan could do more serious harm.

Shadiel had seen first hand the anger in Grimnir when Ashenrock revealed his thoughts on the traitorous ex-warchief. There was no doubt that others would share Grimnir's sentiment even though Gorfrunch had almost destroyed the Grin with his plotting. Should even a fraction of that individual be back within some semblance of his old self, matters ought to be taken to eliminate them.

"How is she?" Errubus broke through Shadiel's thoughts and the mage turned to look at the young Death Knight.

"Sharp, cold, biting, and tests the boundary between Scab and Warlord." He gave Errubus a stern face but then smiled amusingly at the situation. "Quite a catch there, I don't think I envy you.

Errubus' pale complexion went a little red. " I wasn't able to meet up with Bok'theg, I can still do so if you require."

The Blood Mage waved his hand. "No, Demonstrike is taking care of that portion for now. Keep watch of the walls with your squad. Don't screw this up, you are being watched and assessed by the Chief now. Remain valuable, diligent, and above all contact me the second this Gorfrunch makes it here if he is able to elude our hunts in Northrend. Northrend is seconds away by portal even from distances as far as Dalaran. If you need assistance trust Ashenrock to help you."

Shadiel lifted the glass and swallowed the filth they called booze in Stonard. He hated to admit it but it was growing on him. He stands and nods to his son before he leaves. Errubus starts to say something.

"She sends you her regards as well." Without another word Shadiel is gone from the Bar, through a portal and the search for Gorfrunch begins anew.

Dawnmist hated this place, the very land itself had become twisted and diseased in Zul'Drak. All of the old Druids contacts in the Grizzly Hills had reiterated that the kind of magics involved in creating a facsimile of Gorfrunch were necromantic in nature, and many of the necromancers of the Scourge were even now attempting the conquest of the Trollish nation.

She had also heard that an old friend was with the Argent Crusade assisting in the resistance to Arthas' forces. Spiralling down from the sky toward an ancient temple, she spotted the Orc she had come to find easily.

Landing, Dawnmist retook her Tauren form. Leaning heavily on her staff she walked over to him and bowed deeply. "Eitrigg," she spoke respectfully, "It is good to see you well"

Eitrigg glanced over at her, lip curling slightly as he saw the tabard of the Blacktooth Grin that still wore. "Dawnmist, it is good to see you Druid." Eitrigg said. "I could wish it were under better circumstances."

Dawnmist smiled, revealing her missing eyetooth. "We each must follow our own path Eitrigg. The path the Grin walk suits me for now." Gesturing around the encampment she continued, "It seems you have matters under control around here. Another matter brings me to you I'm afraid." Taking the warchief's letter from her pouch she handed it over, waiting patiently as he read the note.

"Hmmph," Eitrigg muttered as he handed it back. "I'm not sure how I can assist you in this matter Druid, except to pass on a snippet of information that came back with one of our patrols." He stopped, eyeing Dawnmist speculatively.

"And what information would that be Eitrigg? Though you disagree with the principles of my adopted clan I'm sure you like this disrespect for the dead no more than I. Please, tell me anything that you can and I shall trouble you no more."

Eitrigg grunted sourly. "Fair enough Dawnmist, it may be nothing, but one of our scouts reported the presence of one of your clans Shaman at Zim'Torga. I don't know how reliable his report was, but if true perhaps your clansman has found out more of this matter."

Dawnmist bowed before Eitrigg again, "Thank you old friend, may the Earthmother bless and keep you." Turning to go she paused as Eitrigg again spoke.

"Blessings of the Light upon you Dawnmist, and farewell old friend." He said, then turned his attention to an incoming patrol.

Form twisting, Dawnmist again took to the skies. Zim'Torga was not far as the Falcon flew. Perhaps this clansman had discovered more information than Dawnmist had so far managed.

Energies were pooling around the ice that was forming on the ledge. The winds scraped and tore into the snow but for some reason not the one who conjured them. Icecrown is where she was and she was here for one reason only. The land of the dead was where to seek the dead.

Bok'thek had mentioned he would help her with a tracking mirror. So far she waited on him alone. All she needed she had gathered and yet no sign of him. She found this interesting but assumed he was busy and wasn’t about to press.

Instead she decided to come to where the dead were and see if she could find anything out on her own about this mysterious now risen Warchief. Eydrana as it were, was a curious girl despite the fact that she had the common sense at times of a child. Or it seemed that way to those who observed.

Her eyes were closed as she concentrated. Winds and lapping ice kept the scourge from smelling her, as well as hidden on this ledge above the pits near Saragosa’s Fall. From her stance she could see the risen dead scraping away years of ice, snow, dirt and debris from bones. It was like Dragonblight only more wicked.

Her eyes were heavily lidded. The blue green glow from them pulsated as she watched. She wasn’t sure what to look for in all honesty. She had never seen the former Warchief. Yet as she understood it his body was claimed in lava and there would be nothing to recognize. To her Yagyu was her Warchief. She had no other loyalty. He had been straight and to the point with her, when she did see him that is.

The wind whipped wickedly around her still. “Little girls should know better then being near the land of the dead” The echoey voice fell near her. She didn’t stop her conjuring for a second. A Death Knight scout had found her. Courious.

“Good thing I’m not a little girl” She said softly.

“Oh? Strange that a Sin’Dorei woman would come all this way to bask in the cold” he sneered. She looked from the corner of her eye now. She was flanked. Ghouls were crawling from their icy slumbers as this Death Knight held his blade. He was pulling them free.

Her eyes closed again and the wind stopped. When she opened them again the area around her pulsed and four exact copies of her stood with her side by side.

“Ahh you wish to dance, I supose a lady should have as she wishes” He sneered again.

“Perhaps if you weren’t so eager sir, we could talk before this trifle” the five combined said.

He smirked and she could now see his face from below his hood, revealing the face of another former Sin’Dorei. Dead now but there were some things that one couldn’t miss of her race. The shorter stature for one, the arrogance for another and probably most pressing was the fact that his hair was bright orange and whipped occasionally free from the hood.

“There will be plenty of time to talk later, once I have brought you back from the dead” he said and with that the ghouls attacked.

The snow picked up the sounds of the battle and it also picked up its tenor. The winds whipped and the very low-echoed voice of ancient words began to flow from her parted lips. Everything around the Death Knight and his minions began to churn and freeze tighter then all of the storms of the past could have mustered.

Though he pulled her close with his wicked abilities it was just one of her, not her and not the one to stop what came next, as the heavens erupted in ice shards falling and breaking his undead apart.

There was a boom deep from within the very land and the Deathknight stopped. He sneered and watched as the four other versions of the girl disappeared.

“We will have to dance another time” he smirked. She glared at him.

“Your master needs know that not all dead will remain his puppets” She explains. Her hands twitched as they glow blue.

“Perhaps” he said and just vanished. She blinked a few times. She was unaware Death Knights could simply disapear. Maybe she was imagining things?

She stopped her casting and looked around. The corpses were gone now. So were the footprints.

“I’ve been here too long” she muttered. She heard the snarling cries of the undead below her. They had caught her scent.

She sighed again. “Fine. Research calls other places” She mutters and grabs a rune. She would find out what was going on one way or another. She just needed to know how. As the portal formed around her she stepped inside. Undercity. If she was going to find undead, start with the dead and keep them.

Bok'theg cursed as he examined the bag of soulshards. It was not as full as it needed to be. It would take another run into the swamps to fill it to capacity and he was already behind schedule.

Eydrana awaited with her magics to help create the soultracker that would help them locate any grouping of disembodied souls, past or present. The warlock didn't know if this was the best way to find the former Cheiftan but it was a start at least. They could examine the area around Shadowmoon Valley and perhaps find a trace of his life force there. If it existed at all. Once identified they would then be able to track it back to its stongest point of origin within the world.

He looked at the succubus who stood next to him twining his braided hair within her slim fingers. The demonic fire within her eyes burned brightly as she smiled at her master..

"And what of when we find him Aezaith, what do we do then?" Bok'theg asked half rhetorically.

"You will know what to do when that time comes." she whispered into the orc's ear as her tail coiled its way around his body.
"But right now...you need to pay attention to me." she pouted.

Bok'theg grinned.

"I suppose Eydrana can wait for a few more hours."

While the members of the Grin were off hunting for the imposter Gorfrunch, Reeper took this chance to talk to Yagyu without anyone else being around. Reeper looked around before approaching the Warchief. “hey boss mon, joo be havin a minute?” Yagyu nodded, “What is it troll?” “It be about all dese rumors about da old boss comin back from da dead mon, I be hearin rumors joo be tinkin da pink skins and dere allies be messin wif joo.” Reeper looked around again making sure no one was trying to sneak up on him while he was talking to the Warchief, “I be tinkin dis be an inside job mon” Reeper leans closer in, “I be tinkin dis be da elfs mon, elfs from da grin.”
Yagyu looked at Reeper with a stern look but not saying anything. Reeper back away a little, “I know joo be tinkin I say dis because I be hatin dem elfs but have joo be lookin around lately? Dem elfs be outnumberin us.” Reeper looks around again checking for spies, then turns back looking to Yagyu, “Joo be seeing what be happenin at da dead city mon, we be havin ta save dat dead elf and dem pink skins come chargin in sayin we be killin one o dere generals. I not be tinkin dem allies be worried bout us anymore, now dat dey be worried about Thrall and dem attackin dem now, dey say he ain’t so much da peace chief anymore”
Yagyu shakes his head at Reeper, “You really think that elfs are up to this? Even the Warlord is in agreement with me on this matter.” Reeper grinned and lowered his head slightly, “Ya mon and joo know what, he be suroundin him self wit some shady people mon. Don’t joo be tinkin dat if da old boss be alive dat da shaman, who be out dere tryin to convince you dat he be alive, would have resurrected him by now?” Reeper looks up at Yagyu again, “Dese elfs be bendin da magiks in ways dey not sposed to mon, don’t joo be tinkin dat after dem pink skins and den dere old king be betraying dem dat dey be wantin to be in control? Tink about it, after da old boss mon died den one o dose cows be becoming da new boss, den it come back to joo.”
Reeper chuckles a bit, “Also mon, joo notice dat dis not be happenin until joo made dat elf da warlord mon. Dey always be teachin dat joo need ta be keeping yer enemies closer dan your friends mon, dere ain’t much anything closer to joo dan being da Warlord.” Reeper starts to walk away and pauses with his back to Yagyu, “Just be takin what I be sayin to mind boss mon, and if joo be feelin dat joo need someone o dese traitors taken care of, all joo gotta do is ask mon.” Reeper continues to walk away and as he vanishes into the shadows he says, “remember what I be sayin mon.”

To the dead and the dead keep them, she kept thinking that over and over again while she toured Undercity once more.

Undercity to her had always been a relequary of people and things she had appeal towards. The Forsaken were at least more pleasant to her then most of the other members of the Horde were initially. It might have been because she was a highborn, it could have been because long ago she knew the Windrunner sisters better and Sylvanas was her favored.

That aside, Eydrana was fairly certain that the Forsaken were nice to her in an effort to get her to a nasty dark corner somewhere and find out how good aged Highelf really was with a nice chanti and a side of gnome.

First she spent her time in the Magic quarter. There she researched her mirror further to see what else she could use that would make it efficient. The idea was simple. Bok'theg would conjur a normal soul well and Eydrana would enhance it with a searching technique.

The technique was complicated though. She was going to have to combine a spell stealing spell, with her portal spell and mimic that with an arcane suplement. Combined with a forthought of who they were trying to locate, in theory this could work. In theory.

Eydrana hated theory. Theory wasn't practical aplication and it wasn't fact. Fact was solid and could be stood upon. Fact could find them Gorfrunch. Theory could create a rift and she wasn't about to let that happen.

So over endless hours of dusty tomes Eydrana poured herself into research. Research was the only way to find the keys that changed a theory into fact. Something few had really given thought to. Something she was told by a human once. Fact was what seperated dead from living. It was what could create...

"Naxxramas" came a hiss that brought her back to her senses. Eydrana's head snapped up and she looked at the Forsaken woman who sneered at her and handed her another dusty tome.

"I beg your pardon?" Eydrana asked wondering why such a horrible place would be mentioned to her now.

"You said you were seaking the dead. You said you were looking for a way to find them quickly and with little frustration. Naxxramas is your answer child" Hannah Akeley, the woman who handed Eydrana the tome, and the woman she usually bought her runes from, explained. The wicked sneer was engaging to say the least.

"And why would I go visit Kel'thuzad? I hear he cannot remain dead even with repeated efforts. He has more lives then a mutated cat farm." Eydrana said in a slightly dismissive and rather normal Elven superior way. Hannah laughed.

"Ahh precious. You are one who knows not to trust. That is good, very wise. The Dark Lady watches you be sure. Yet believe me, if there is a way to find the dead, that is the way to do it. Not even the finest census could locate all of the dead, undead or otherwise. No, you must go to the source. You must visit Naxxramas." She turned and chuckled as she hobbled away, her crooked back swaying with her red robes.

Eydrana sighed. The last thing she wanted to do was go back to Northrend again. Not without trying her mirror at least. Yet, what harm could it do. It wasn't like she was going to bounce into Naxxramas and ask Kel'thuzad for help. No she would have to spy for her information.

She shook her head. "Foolish" She mumbled and wrote down some ideas into her scroll. But it nagged on her. What if the old woman was right? What if that was where the answer was.

A few moments later she was packed up and making her portal to Dalaran to fly to Dragonblight. Perhaps it wasn't a bad idea after all. As she stepped through the Forsaken cackled.

"One less elf to worry about, and even if she does come back, what will she come back as? Surely some of the cold will come out of her, or she will be feasted upon. Foolish elf." Hannah Akeley mumbled to herself as Eydrana's image faded from this realm to the next.

Grimnir,

Agreed, this is important information. Spare no expense at retrieving the information from this person at Valiance Keep. If'n they offer it up, so much the better. If not, extract it forcibily. If the imposter himself shows, I want his head. You are free to question him for whatever information he may have but in the end I want him dead.

Bok'theg and Eydrana's searches are so far, too broad to give us any more concrete information so it is up to you now.

I am sending Warlord Shadiel to oversee the attack. I'm sure Saurfang and Garrosh won't mind us thinning out the Alliance forces in the area...or at least, Garrosh won't.

Blood and Thunder
Yag

Wood splintered and steel groaned as the combined might of the Dread Horde smashed its way into Valiance Keep. But as they entered, the empty jail cells grinned back at them evily. It was a trap. There was no informer.

Realizing the danger officers shouted at their troops to get to a defensible position inside the Keep as Alliance guards began to charge them from every corner. Finally making their way to the upper hall the Dread Horde made their stand at the top of the stairway. The Alliance bravely tried to push their way into the doors but orc and tauren blocked the entrances as blood elves cast waves of refreshing spells and undead circled behind the pink-skins, cutting them into ribbons.

The wounded were dragged to main hall where they were healed and sent back into the fray and soon the Alliance resolve began to crumble.

Shadiel, Warlord of the Grin roared at the troops, "FORM UP AND PUSH OUTSIDE!"

The Dread Horde hit the recovering defenders like a battering ram as they forced their way back outside towards the east exit. The Valiance Keep defense crowded the archway as Alliance freebooters attacked the moving column trying to split them apart. But the Dread Horde moved too fast and in the blink of an eye the mobile force was safely outside and took up positions on the hill overlooking the Keep.

The bravest of the Alliance charged their way up the hill but they were simply outnumbered.

The Warchief of the Blacktooth Grin stood on a rise overlooking the battle as Grimnir stood at his side.

"Looks like it were a trap then eh, Grim?"

"That it were Chief" the old shaman replied with hint of anger in his voice.

"Well at least we made it out intact." Yag said. "An my mind is made up that this Gorfrunch business is nuthin' but an Alliance plot. Fer wut I dunno yet."

The orcs watched as elements of Stromgarde fell at to Horde axes and maces.

Yagyu surveyed the scene grimly.

"Keepers are out in force, Grimnir," he mused. "...but they seem spread' kinda thin don't they?"

"That's true Chief. Strange though..." The shaman watched as Stonemug fired a few desparate arrows up the hill that landed harmelessly a few feet away.

A final Alliance soldier fell as Yagyu turned abruptly from the devastation.

"SHADIEL! Get ever'one mounted up. We're done here Warlord." He swung his worg north towards Warsong Hold.

Nax turned out to be nothing more then a cold bitter undead haven and Eydrana had more then her fill of it. She didn’t go inside, wouldn’t dream of it actually. That being said the outside gave little more then occasional fights an a icy cold disposition. Occasionally she heard laughter coming from within. She assumed it was at her, for not going in like others before her. She didn’t see the need. She had known Kel’Thuzad briefly in his human form before he was driven to madness. What was the point in speaking to his corpse?

She was about to go anyway, she formed a portal to Stonard with her rune and right as she was about to go in the icy grip of a Death Knight pulled her from it. She looked up. It was that same one. “Hello there pretty. Miss me?” He sneered.

She dropped dead in his hands and he looked up puzzled. Three others versions of Eydrana were casting frostbolts at him. “Same trick?” He demanded.

An icy staff landed at the back of his head and he was then pushed by a gush of icy water from a brooding Water Elemental.

“No, not quite. I thought I would try something new” She said through her gritted teeth as sheets of ice began to rain down on him.

What ensued was 35 minutes of neck-to-neck fighting. She was using the cold, and so was he. It probably wasn’t the wisest of things to use against her but it was working. Hacking and snaring than freezing and luring, and all of this on the side of the floating Necropolis in the middle of Dragonblight.

Finally when he thought he was going to win, because she seemed to be utterly exhausted, his swords moved near her pretty little neck. “And now alas we must part, but I assure you it will be brief. I have decided to keep you as my new Ghoul.” He sneers.

“Mmm.. you’d like that wouldn’t you? Unfortunatly you have two things against you” she explains.

He laughs. “Oh what is that?” he demands

“One, I’m not that kind of a girl to just go dead in the middle of a good time, and two and probably most important. I like my men like I like my tea.” She explains as her hands begin to glow.

“This I have to hear.” He sneers moving even closer.

“Hot, full bodied, gloriously alive and willing to let me drink them in on a cold night.” She cackles back and vanishes from his sight.

He grumbles something about mages and their incessant need to get away. Right as he was pulling an army of the undead up from the ground below to find her wherever she was sneeking off to, a portal to Stonard reforms, and her visage runs in it and before he can follow she is swallowed up.

Inside the inn in Stonard, Bok’Theg sits hunched over a table in his normal corner of the inn. Strain shows on his face as he struggles with his incantation. Eydrana rushes in from the portal to her normal corner by the fire and sits very quietly. The Knight had shaken her again. She was not about to let it happen again.

Bok’theg was busy trying to get around this spell but his imp, Quz’fip was pulling on his robe and unraveling the rich purple cloth. Angry, Bok’theg turns on the demon and begins to shout. His breath steams with rage and soon the im is engulfed in flames.

Eydrana looks up and is back to where she needed to be, the present. “Searing an imp may not be the best idea for a day like today Bok’theg” she said furrowing her brow.

“Nasty little wretch deserved it” He grumbles back.

“Perhaps. Regardless, it may not be the best of idead. Imp’s gather vengeance in times of unexpectedness” she explains nodding her head once.

Bok’theg snorts and tursn back to the imp who is now panting on the floor. The eyes on this creature widen and get very fearful as his master comes closer. Bok’theg casts onto the Imp who begins cursing in demonic and disappearing.

“Be gone wretch!” Bok’theg demands. Soon the angry little voice is gone and the room is again calm.

After a couple of deep breaths Bok’theg returns to his chair and beckons Eyd over. She nods and sits by him. “He was breaking my concentration” he begins. She takes her seat and crosses her legs lounging slightly.

“I’ve been trying to gather all of these soulstones, but the more I collect the harder the spell becomes.” He says sighing. “Perhaps I’ve just exhausted myself”

She nods and her eyes begin to glow blue a moment. “Mmm I see.. how many have you gathered? Perhaps we have enough to simply test it”

“I have ten so far” he explains and wipes his brow with his sleeve.

Her eyes glow sapphire a moment and she hands him a cloth that emerges from her bag.

“Well take a moment to rest. Ten is a good number and should be enough to see if the magic fusion is even possible” she states.

“You see they are highly unstable. They aren’t meant to be gathered in quantity simultaneously. We will need a stable receptacle to contain them in” he says and wipes his brow with the cloth. “Thank you by the way” he smiles.

She nods and her book forms into her lap again. “Its no trouble.” She smiles briefly and scans her spells.

“How will we store these?” He asks her as she flips through the pages.

“Well” She begins and lands on a page of cryptic looking words in languages that may be dead or damn near.

“The souls are you’re priority seeing as I am not a Nethermancer, I leave that to you. But anything else with the other magics should be no issue. You see this is why I wish to test it. To see if its even possible.” She begins.

“But you see that is my point. I cannot yet create a soulwell. You will have to fashion some other receptacle that will be stable enough to hold them for a short period.” He locks eyes with her finally.

Eydrana looks at the orc carefully and nods. The pages on her book turn again and she goes back and forth between them.

“Perhaps… “ her brow furrows. She then smiles. “I may just have what we need. Are they very delicate?” She asks.

He nods and in his hand a shard apears. It glows purple in the dimness of the light and he hands it to her very carefully in her open palm. “Yes. Very.” He explains.

The book benieth her hand and the shard begins to have a reaction to it and rattles in her lap. She smiles softly and seems transfixed by the creation.

“What are you doing?” He asks her and stares at the shaking book.

Her eyes widen further and in a quiet voice of intrigue she says simply, “So these are what Nethermancers claim… such a little thing” she says softy as if in a trance. Bok’theg didn’t miss this look, and he smiles at the obvious interest Eydrana seems to have to the fel magics.

The book rattles again and she seems to come to. Around the purple shard ice begins to encase it forming a teardrop shape. It circles it perfectly and she hovers it in the air. She then clears her throat and regains all composure.

“Are there any others?” She asks. He smirks and nods. For the next several minutes she does the same until ten of these teardroped ice prisons form hovering in the air.

“Now, this is the best part.” She says. Bok’theg watches with intense interest as she has taken her time to freeze each shard. The shards begin to glow and form together. In a soft whispy circle they spin untill they form into one medium sized frozen sphere.

Bok’theg examines the sphere carefully.

“There you are my dear Nethermancer. I assure you it will not melt. Trust me. Its as strong as the strongest of glass formed by the hottest volcano.” She smiles.

“Hmmm” He scratches his chin and nods. “Perfect”

“Now, if we do this right they will not require thawing but rather a mix of the two schools. Provided of course you gather your strength” she explains.

“Oh, that shouldn’t be a problem… and now” Bok’theg smiles and begins to chant something. A green eye glowing brightly appears in front of him.

Eydrana’s eyes widen and she watches what he was doing curious as always.

His concentration continues as the chanting does as well. The eye seems to melt its way into the sphere forming as one and looking back out without damaging it. The purple soulshards within glow brightly.

“No one useually brakes or changes my spells.” She says impressed.

“Not broke my dear” He looks at her and smiles wickedly. “Merged”

Eydrana laughs and nods. “Indeed. A rather interesting paring. I’m surpised others have not dabbled with such in the past.”

He nods. “ Rather then use the standard Eye of Kilrogg, I’ve attempted to modify this one spell to ‘see’ what the stones can ‘feel’ and improve on this mirror” he explains.

“Oh” she says and moves in closer. “And what are they ‘feeling’?” she asks.

“Your ice sphere will hopefully allow me to amplify the natural power that is there and find out exactly. What are they feeling you ask. Well…” he smiles at her. “Isn’t that what we are here to find out?”

“Indeed. This you si is where you’re school and mine may no longer merge. I do not hear spirits in that sense. I can see only glimpses.” She explains.

“If we have done our work correctly they should be able to feel out any large gathering of discorporated souls” he nods his head agreeing with her. “With any luck the Smashblade’s soul will show up like a bright beacon to show us the way.”

“Then my dear Nethermancer, let us begin” She says and her eyes glow bright blue. The sphere begins to look like steam is forming around it and icy shards begin to form claws cradling it. Around the floor ice forms making a circle and lining the ground.

“Yes, lets” he says and he begins to chant. Around the ice the smell of the most foul incantations emerge and from the sky the stony structure of a soul well forms up over her ice. The tendrils of her ice then merge with the well and it looks as though it is both hot and cold at the same time.

His chanting and her whispers begin to make both of them look too intense. His face contorts almost in pain, and in Eydrana’s case she ages quickly as she mumbles her spells.

Soon inside the basin a fel froth forms and between the layers of molten evil water, pure clean water, snakes through it never binding but always moving. The water forms arms and those arms reach out to hold the sphere. They take on talon like fingers and clutch it greedily.

The eye whiten the sphere moves and circles. Purple and blue light begin to overtake it and the eye seems to fade. What then begins is a warm wind that circles both casters. The wind makes images form in the sphere and Bok’theg stands to move closer to it.

She whispers her words carefully but his hands reach out and grab the mirror. “I feel… a wind blowing over my face” he says in an evil sort of echo of his own real voice.

Her eyes open up a bright green for a startling change. Her face, so old and so wise but so different from normal and she moves her graceful glance to the orc.

“We can test this.. but be weary” she mumbles in a horse voice.

“Sharp..peaks… carrion birds…” he replies back in a trance. His fingers grip the orb with greed. The power radiates over him like an ocean washing in with the tide on new beach.

“What do you see?” She asks him carefully and her brow raises further.

“A…pass… there are many…” he mumbles as sweat pours from his brow and his hands shake.

Her eyes close again. She concentrates. “I feel.. anger… frustration.. some sort of heavy emotion but … I’m not sure…” her eyes snap open. “Bok’theg..” she says in a warning voice.

His entire body shakes and blood begins to seep from his eyelids. “There are too many” he gasps.

“Let go … Bok’theg” she says and moves closer to him. He doesn’t dare. It is so alluring this rich power.

“Let go you’re sucking the power out of it and it will grow unstable orc…” she says again. Suddenly the orb pushes him away. He recoils as if he is thrown and lands against the wall breaking all of his links with the sphere.

Eydrana moves quickly but not fast enough. “Oh great” she mumbles and casts her ice armor upon herself. The entire room begins to shake and grumbling she reaches out her hand.

The sphere however glows brighter and brighter and explodes into several pieces along with the well and all of the hard work they had done. The shards of this explosion shatter all about the room landing into chairs and narrowly missing the other Grin who were just in the inn to relax.

When the dust settles Eydrana is on the floor and there is a loud cracking noise coming from her. The crack seems to increase and almost cry out. Eydrana however is unconscious.

Bok’theg pulls a shard of ice from his forearm and sighs. “Well… that could have gone better” he mumbles and wipes the blood from his eyes. He had done so earlier but the explosion had simply caused the blood to return.

He crawls on all fours to where the elder elf sorceress is lieing down. Like a glacier encasing an angel she looks almost asleep, except there is blood under the ice on her face. It was from her own armor cracking on her and cutting into her moonlight colored flesh. He shakes her carefully and the ice sheds off of her body. It was just enough to allow her to breathe again and she opens her eyes gasping for air in an unsteady cough.

Her old looking face begins to look young again. The age melts away and she gets younger as the fel taunt to the air seems to dissipate with it. She turns her head and looks at Bok’theg and raises and unamused brow.

“Two things my friend” she says after a moment. “One, Do not suck the life out of powerful creations.” She says. He would have laughed but he coughed up blood instead and smiles.

“And two?” He asks through the hacking sticky bloody cough.

She slowly sits up and rubs her chin. It felt out of socket. She then cracks her neck and groans in a kind of wanton affection. “Two..” she says after a moment.

“Like a good woman, mirrors need patience. You have to let them tell you what they want you to know, before you can take that which you desire.” She turns her head and looks him dead in the eye.

He finally but it ends up another sticky cough. “Well,” he admits. “I was partially satisfied anyway.”

She shakes her long snow-white hair free from the ice and her cowl. The blood burns angey on the icy tendrils. “Mmm… it was good for me too. I may need a pipe after that” she admits. “Did we find anything out other then how to destroy the inn?” She asks and wearily gets to her dainty feet.

“Yes. I have seen a collection of souls. There are many gathered, where or when I still cannot say but it was a familiar place.” He explains.

“Any idea at all where?” she asks and begins casting her mirror image to clean up the inn. “Like a continent or even a planet?”

“A place…” he says gasping and moving to his chair. He lifts it up slowly and then sits into it. “of death”

Eydrana cackles as Bok’theg shakes the cobwebs out of his head and tries to steady himself. “If Smashblade was there I could not see him.” He admits.

“You do realize that could be literaly anywhere. From Arthas’s playpen to Gul’dan’s old alter.” She says. She then turns and sees this magic has truly taken its toll on Bok’theg.

“I must. …rest now…” he mumbles.

She nods her head and snaps her fingers at her servent clones to finish the cleaning.

“Mmm.. as they say in Orgrimmar… “ she clears her throat. “Yew ain't de only one mon” she does her best troll but its pretty weak. He only gives her a smirk of a reply as the darkness of his corner envelops him into meditation.

Eydrana finished cleaning up and wearily heads to her bedroom. Shutting the door she pulls free from her lavish robes and examines all of the shrapnel. She sighs and moves to her bed sinking into the feather soft pillows. Ice forms in the corner of her eyes.

“Shadows… I need shadows with this icy torment. Cold and dark so idly spent, and when the days were long lamented, yet you were there and I relented…” she mumbles and tucks herself in.

“I miss them so the billows and cold, the snaking cloud that never has told. Where are you....”

Yalim stood atop the rocky cliffs overlooking Valiance Keep watching the ships arrive and depart from the Alliance port. The city militia kept their distance and watched him disdainfully from their position on the bridge below. The priest carefully dug through his pack and placed a small Bloodthistle blossom under his tongue, wincing slightly as the nearly invisible spines pierced his flesh. He carefully refolded the rough piece of paper Grimnir had sent and slipped it into one of the folds of his robe.

This business with Gorfrunch's ghost was certainly unsettling. The whole clan could be torn apart again if things weren't handled delicately. He had watched Arkonn's arrow strike him and had seen his body engulfed by the lava flows; there was no coming back from that. Whomever this impostor was, Alliance plot or not, it wasn't the Gorfrunch he had known. The trap they'd fought through here was just more proof that the Alliance knew too much about whatever was going on. Yagyu was one of his oldest friends, now his Warchief, and would need what support he could get.

Yalim grabbed hold of Belial's saddle and pulled himself up, playfully waving at the guards as he turned the beast back towards Warsong Hold.

((little short, but I needed to get something down before we got too far into this;)))

Etamsin sat in stonard looking at the stars. It was a shock to him to hear Gor was back. He knew it was impossible. But after everything, could it be? Could Gorfrunch really be alive, He needed proof, He needed to see him. "There's no way, I was at his funeral, He lies in Garadar. Dead" He grunts. "There's no way"

((Even shorter Yalim :P but i needed to too.))

The tremors in his hands had never really ceased completely although it had improved in the last few months. As he tried for the third time to form his hands into the difficult position to conjure up a soulstone he remembered the suffering he had endured in the bowels of Thunderaxe Fortress.

“Such is the price to be paid for power” thought the warlock.

Sighing in exasperation Bok’theg gave up trying to complete the spell and angrily flopped down in his chair in the familiar dark corner of the Inn. He was chastising his own weakness when his eyes spotted a glint in the wooden plank of the wall. Curious, he moved closer to examine the object. As he drew closer he could see it was a small shard halfway embedded into the wood. The small object was all that remained of the sphere he and Eydrana had attempted to use to trace Gorfrunch’s soul. The sphere had been an unholy mix of Eydrana’s frost mage energies and his infusion of soulshards and an Eye of Kilrogg over a soulwell. As Bok’theg pulled the splinter from the wall he wondered how it had not melted.

The splinter gave way and pulled free from the wall and the warlock immediately could feel a surge of power emanating from the shard.

It was incredible! Demonic and magical energy still flowed through the object! A smile began to creep across the warlock’s face. This would be useful he felt…but how? Carefully wrapping the shard in cloth he placed it in his bag as he walked off the find the elf sorceress. She might know something useful that could help him.

Sleep had come to her finally and her dreams were mixed. Things more wicked this way came to her. She wanted to taste the power again. She wanted to feel it flow in her hands. Fel magic, it was so alluring.

Her eyes opened in the dimness of her room suddenly as the door was being knocked on.

She gives a mumble that she is on her way, she grabs her sheet around her body seeing as it was all she was wearing and peaks her head out.

Bok'theg smiles at her.

"Yes?" She asks only letting him see her head through the door. The rest of her clutched the sheet.

"Are you busy? I have something to show you" He asks that smile getting more infectious.

One of two things could be happening here, she thought. Either he was very amourious of her since their spell or he wanted her to do something for him. Either way she was going to bed with no one but the shadows and her sheet.

"Mmm... if its the One eyed Orc, the last time I was in Orgrimmar at the pub I had the misfortune of beholding it. Needless to say I've seen it. Some things I hear do not change depending on the male you behold" She says dryly.

His expression changes to sarcasm. "Don't flatter yourself witch. I have something you may find..." he then reaches into his pocket for the shard and holds it out. "Interesting" he adds. His fangs sneer over his top lip in a smile.

Her brow raises. The power of the arcane was infused so perfectly into the fel magic and the feel of it was exhilarating to her from even this small simple presence.

"Where did you find that?" She demands.

"In the wall near my chair. It must be what is left from the explosion"

She nods her head. She shuts the door on him and casts a small spell. Soon her finest blue robe is on her body. She tosses her hair free and opens the door.

She then turns and walks to the corner. "Then my dear, I have something to show you as well" She says and goes to her dresser.

Bok'theg enters the small room and looks around. All about the flicker of incesense and candles are darting here and there. Above him there is a giant orb of pure crystal above her bed. The orb glows illuminating the room more fully, since she had the windows blocked off completely.

Everywhere a shadow could catch in this room it would. It was almost as if she was inviting them in. The bed looked rather large for just the girl but seeing as she used to be nobility there was no real shock that she would indulge in a few fine things.

She turns from the dresser and she holds in her hand a silver encrusted box. It is no bigger then a small brick and far more delicate.

"After our little experiment I had several of those shards embedded in my skin and face. I pulled them all free and saved them seeing as they would not melt" She explains and walks forward.

Opening the box he sees five shards like his with different shades of blue green and white. His shard is green and filled with more fel magic then the ones in the box on the soft black silk.

"It seems these lasted a great deal longer then the others." She says softly.

"I was shocked when it hadn't melted. Seems you know something I don't" he says bringing his shard closer to the others.

"Seeing as I had pulled all of these from my face and neck, I assume this one you have must have ricocheted off of me and into the wall" she says tilting her head slightly.

"I feel the power that still resides into it. So the question remains..." he puts it in her hand. She nods and takes it. She sets it between the others in the box.

"Why" he finishes and looks at her.

Her face contorts slightly. "Yes well, it is obvious to me that they feel the power as well" she says as all of the shards begin to glow brightly. It becomes so bright she winces. She quickly shuts the box and sits on the edge of her bed.

"The question of why? A moment" she says and puts the box to her side. Her spell book, the old tome, appears in her lap and she begins to turn the pages.

"One thing is to be certain," her voice has its slight kel'dorei accent in it at the moment. "This is a perfect mix of arcane and fel magics. Its a hybrid, an unusually exceptional one" her voice a steady stream as she comes to a page and stops.

"It must be very potent to give such power." Bok'Theg watches the box. "Do you think they might still be useful?" his hands clench slightly. The power rushes from the box unseen. The box itself moves very slightly next to her slender hip.

"Oh..." she smirks and looks at him. "I have no doubts they are quite useful... perhaps far more useful then we could imagine" She then picks up the box and sets it on the page. The runes on the page glow.

"Well well well" She says as she opens the box. Instead of the small little individual shards there now was one large shard. The center of it was green and looked like a snakes eye. The rest was a pearly white with tendrils of blue in it.

"What have we here?" She asks and ponders the stone.

Bok'theg's demeanor changes. He feels the pulsing and calling of the fel energy in the shard to him. He moves wide eyed to the box licking his long tongue over his chapped and resisted lips.

"Such... beauty" he says in an awe filled hoarseness.

Eydrana watches him now. Watches as his hand twitches and the yellowed nails come close to the silver box. She smirks and shuts the box before he can touch the shard.

"Careful, for what you are drawn to is nothing more then a magnet. I have a feeling this is more powerful then the mirror we created" she says and now turns her eyes on his.

His body seems to shudder when the box shuts. He glares at her like a child would who had his favored toy removed.
"No wait!" He begs. "I can feel something... please... open the box" his face is full of the desire to see his beautiful shard.

It was at that moment things changed forever between them. Her face contorts and her eyes glow with the bright fire of a fel green. None such eyes had ever been beheld since Kael'Thas had set his hungery hands on Outland's ample demonic powers.

Hers however seemed more dangerous. While she had never succumb to the horrible withdraw that the Blood Elves did, she did have those hungry eyes. A Sin'Dorei with a hunger for something and power behind it was useually a dangerious combination.

"Really? You wish this open?" she asks.

"Yes... please open it" he says again.

"I'm sure you feel all its power. I am sure you feel all of its taste. I am willing even to give this shard to you but," she now look at him with wickedness glowing her her felfire eyes. "I require something from you in return"

Quickly he agrees. "What anything...tell me what is it?" he says reaching for the box again.

She tests him. "I have Requirements. What they are, do not need to be said now. Basically what I want is what I want when I want it. Are you willing to give me that?" she asks.

"Yes! Anything please... just give me the box" he says reaching closer. His nail nearly touches the silver metal.

Testing this further she moves the box off of the book and from his view. "I want it in writing... in blood" she says.

Bok'theg takes his hand and now moves it to his hip. He quickly extracts his dagger. His face looks unfazed with the request.

She now crosses one leg over the other. Her eyes and face contort with a glimmering wicked glance. "On a scroll of flesh. Do we have a deal?" She demands.

Bok'theg's face looks disconnected as he now scrawls the silver dagger over his arm and the crimson drops begin to flood the cavern in its place. "Where is your scroll elf? I have not all day to drain my blood away!" he barks.

She cackles and watches as the prescious red life drains down his arm and hits her floor in one drop at a time. "Flesh?" She shakes her head. "I carry no flesh. I'm a mage not a hunter and not a warlock" she sneers.

"But you carry flesh... don't you Bok'Theg" she says and now stands up. "That succubus of yours is filled with taut flesh. Can she not spare a little to write this out?" She asks.

Bok'theg moves quickly and a small crystal vial of ink on Eydrana's dresser is dumped out in a black inky heap next to her bed. He lets his own crimson stain drip into it. When it is filled to the brim he then grabs a bandage from his small pack on his hip and bandages himself up.

She nods and watches as his next step is to cast the wicked runes of summoning on her floor. As soon as he begins to summon, the form of Aezith materializes. When she is full and live she looks about.

Before the succubus can even say hello, he grabs her and thrusts her chest against the wall bending her slightly. Using his dagger he quickly cuts deep into her exposed bottom and extracts a nice square even piece of flesh off of it.

"Master?!" she demands but he does not answer and as quickly as she was there he sends her away with another spell leaving her pink and supple flesh in his hand.

"Mmm... I knew she had some assets to be counted on" Eydrana nods and he gives her a dirty look.

Grabbing a nearby quill on her desk he sets the flesh down and starts to write. No sooner does he start one stroke then Eydrana chimes in.

"I Bok'theg do hereby relinquish..." she begins

"Hush Elf witch" he snarls. She sees the yellow in his eyes. "I am a Warlock, a master of contracts of blood and flesh. One who knows the bounds of all. How dare you presume to scribe to me the details of this" he glares.

She shows him the box and it slightly vanishes in her hand. "Look" she says frankly. "Bottom line, all I ask is that you do what I ask of you when I ask it. It requires no loopholes. It will not be often nor will it be soon but I do require compliance. Word that however you wish" she sneers.

He nods and gets to work. Quickly he fleshes out the deal and shows her briefly. She nods and he then rolls the scroll up. Though it never occurs to him, it was in demonic. Somehow she read it.

Sealing it with his remaining blood merged into wax using his own magic he then takes his thumbnail and scrolls his own signature into it. Carefully he then begins to hand it to her.

"Ah not so fast witch" he says. "The box for the scroll... that is the deal" he sneers.

She nods and graciously she begins to hand over the box. His large green hands get closer and closer to her slender pale ones. Soon they both have a grasp on the scroll and the box. As soon as her grasp is firm on the scroll she relinquishes the box and vice versa.

With the contract safely in her hand she casts something on it and it vanishes to wherever it is she hides things. She then smiles.

"A pleasure doing business with you" she mumbles. "Now about that stone!" she says and watches as he greedily unhooks the box.

A rush of power and energy now fills the room and seems to pour into Bok'theg. All of the fel power he ever coveted or desired seemed to be his now in both imagination and reality.

"Do you know what that stone does?" her voice is in the background but like leaves falling in a quiet forest it is barely noticed by the orc.

"He is here" his voice is monotone. "But he is still...weak... there...is...time"

"But you are strong now, very strong..." She looks right at the shard. She then looks at Bok'Theg.

Sweat pours out of his skin and he collapses. As soon as he is sitting down she pushes him with her foot onto his chest and he is soon lieing down. She now sneers at him like a vulture on prey.

"Weak... no. You're not strong yet. Not yet... " she says. Her face contorts more evily and she pushes her hands above her head.

The room fills with a blue glow and soon she is evocating. Instead of her mana going into her it goes right into the gem. She gives it life and power. But something about the process gives her a shock. Something about it makes her feel so very fearful.

Soon her face and body are growing older looking by the minute. Bok'theg watches as the shock fills her eyes.

"It seems my faith... in you... was well placed" he says to her as the ages pours over her skin washing away the traces of youth.

The last of her power slips free from her flesh and into the gem. As soon as it has she colapses backwards and lands on her bed. She weakly sits up and catches he breath. Her voice is so old and has a faint echo. "Faith... I have no faith in you" she says.

He looks at her couriously.

"My faith was only in myself warlock, but then I felt what you could do. I felt the raw power. You will bring me what I want back. One way or another" she says. With that she uses the most powerful weapon of her race and an arcane torrent fills the room cutting free his magic for a time and bringing her some of the gems back.

Her skin again looks washed and soon is supple, taut and young again. Her hair again shines with the shimmer of youth and her eyes are once again blue green.

What is different is that her left nostril is bleeding and the blood pours onto her moonlight flesh and blue robe. She taps her fingertips to it and it freezes.

Sitting up Bok'Theg takes his box with his shard and places it in his bag next to his hip. "I think now, you do believe yes?" he asks. He sees the blood then looks away. The pain fills him like a rush.

"Ohh... my bones" he says weakly. It must have been all the magic. He would feel better when it was done.

"This is how Grimnir must feel" He mutters and heads for the door. "Incidentally" he turns to Eydrana once more. The light from her orb dims and she is looking about but pauses to gaze into his eyes.

"I have learned little witch that all gifts come with a price. You would do well to remember that" he sneers.

She now looks as graceful as a queen and she lounges on her bed. Her look is disdain and that of amusement.

"Someday and that day may never come, I will require a service from you Bok'theg. What that is you do not know and when it will happen neither will you expect. Untill that time, the shard is a gift. And like all gems..." she says extending her hand to reveal she is playing with some sort of magic. The rings on her fingers glow.

"All gems I have learned come with a profit. You would do well to learn that lesson. Keep your own self safe. You have far too much of my power invested" she glares.

He watches as the next thing he sees is the wood of her door in his face and he is on the other side of it. The lock from the inside secures and he hears that. The Sorceress it seems was powerful, but now with this shard... he confidence was rising.

Yagyu stared helplessly at the wall. Never had he allowed himself to believe that Gorfrunch was alive. Seeing his former leader was both a relief and a gut-wrenching experience. When he first saw the orc, he couldn’t believe it. He had felt like a simple Grunt again back at the old hideout in Dustwallow. But the old orc’s challenge had shocked him back into reality. With his entire clan watching he couldn’t simply give up the necklace. Or could he? As he recalled the tense stand-off Yag wondered if he had lost a golden opportunity. He could easily have handed off the necklace to the former Chieftain and been rid of all his worries. No more difficult decisions, no more responsibility for the deaths of his clan-mates. Simply the joy of fighting for his Clan. But Gor’s charge hit him like an enraged gryphon. He felt the stun of the shield across his face and suddenly he was no longer Yagyu the Warchief but he was once again Yagyu the grot. Yagyu the whelp, running to keep up with the Raiders who rode to war on their worgs while he and the rest were left to keep up as best they could or die.

But then Gorfrunch sneered and that sneer awoke something inside of him. Something Yagyu had not even known existed. He didn’t know what it was but he had felt it when Gorfrunch had collapsed in front of him. He had felt it as he opened the box and watched as Gor’s visage changed to one of helplessness. He had felt it even as Grimnir had looked on him with shock and confusion and anger. He had felt it when he sent the box back to his Warlock. He didn’t know what it was but he knew that whatever it was, it was time to give it free reign. And so he spoke to Gorfrunch with words he never would have thought possible in earlier days. He sent the old Warrior off like a dog to take his place in line with the rest.

Yes, his warriors. He knew there were still those who had looked at Gorfrunch with awe. Had the box not appeared they very well may have even fractured and followed the old Warchief. But they had simply stood by and watched. Perhaps too shocked to move, perhaps loyal, or perhaps a combination of both. Whatever the reason, none had openly challenged him and likely would not now.

He looked up above his door and sighed as he looked at the withered arm that hung above it. It was a reminder of honor. An honor he had sought for the clan and won with blood, sweat and tears.
Honor. He heard the words repeated in his mind as Grimnir spat them out. It had stung him more than any of the others. Grimnir thought him honorless for using demonic magic to hold his clan together? Would it have been more honorable to roll over and die? He felt anger well up in his chest as he recalled the look on Grimnir’s face. Who was he to lecture Yagyu about honor? Yagyu who had suffered the loss of his clan and the loss of his leaders twice. Yagyu who had given his very life to this clan. Yagyu Swobu’gol.

And that was when the Loyal Axe finally realized who his true master was and had always been. It was never Gorfrunch. It was never Faquarl. It had always been and would forever be the Blacktooth Grin.

In the safety of his room, Bok’theg’s trembling hand reached into the box and removed the gem. The power that it contained was so strong it was almost too much for him. Almost.

Yes he had given Yagyu the key to the box but he knew the Warrior Chief would never use it. Magic were simply beyond the Chieftain’s understanding. He only knew how to wield them in war. Bok’theg however knew how to tease them, manipulate them, coax them into service. He felt he knew them as he knew his own self. Now as he looked at the shard that held Gorfrunch’s very soul in check, he knew he finally had the power he had so long desired. And what was more, it had come by his own hand. No one had given it to him. The Shadow Council had not allowed him to have it. Even the elf witch who was so smug in her contract did not hold what he alone held in his very hands.

Ahhh…the contract…that was certainly an annoyance. He had at first cursed himself for his greed when he had returned to his room. But the taking of Gorfrunch’s soul changed all that. Never had he felt such power before. Not even in Eydrana’s room when he had felt the presence of the Smashblade did he feel the surge of power he felt now. No, this was worth the contract. He knew it. He gazed lovingly at the shard but resisted the urge to touch it and slowly closed the silver box. He knew that the fel power was still affecting him. He had known the result of the fight with Yagyu even before he saw the Warchief open the box and heard Grimnir’s protests. He had felt the pull of life towards the box and he had wondered if Eydrana’s blood dripped from her nose then as well.

He knew it was dangerous and doubtless it scared the elf witch but he was Summoner. He was used to the drain of life from his body. It was like a life-tap only on a much higher level. He would have to study on this and learn to mitigate its dangers. Then he would see about that contract…