[Shujaa] - Discretion
A pitch-black world surrounded Tarreya, binding her arms and legs. The sickly smell of decay was her only companion. Fear and anger coursed side-by-side through her, powerful muscles flexing, mind straining to call the elements to her. For hours the muffled noises outside were oblivious to her cries. She knew where she was and what would happen soon. Soon the nerubians would carry her down and she would never be seen or heard from again.
Her body stiffened as she heard faintly through the thick webs the sounds of shrieking and hissing. A slender line of light suddenly split her dark universe, the sickly smell intensifying as the webs split away. A loud whoop burst forth from her as she saw a troll in dark armor in front of her, a red wind serpent coiled around his arms, two wicked-looking blades in his hands.
“I thank you, stranger,” Tarreya said, bowing deeply. “Now before I return let us show these fiends the power of the Horde!”
The troll looked at her a moment, then silently moved away. Tarreya smiled, pulling her war-mace from her hip where it had hung useless as the webs pinned her. They fought to clear the quarry, Tarreya laughing as she struck down the nerubians who rose up against her, elemental power flowing once again through her as she felt the cold northern air blowing over her. The troll stayed close to her, moving quickly, wind serpent flying from his arm to breathe lightning, bow whirring as arrow after arrow struck the undead she was attracting.
“I thank you for your aid, troll,” she said, bowing deeply as the troll unstrung his bow, calling his wind serpent back to curl up around his arm and over his shoulder, its head peering at her. “Before I return, I would know your name. I am Tarreya.” She saluted him proudly, bowing deep.
“Shujaa,” the troll replied, returning the salute. Suddenly his body coiled down, hands whipping up over his back to his blades, springing forward at lightning speed. The serpent on his back launched itself into the air, hissing menacingly. Tarreya gasped, hand flying to her mace as she saw the troll darting toward her, swords swinging down.
Tarreya’s eyes closed briefly, calling an earthen shield to surround her. She heard a shriek behind her, and opened her eyes to watch as the troll yanked his weapon out of the body of a flying horror, sickly green ooze spurting from where the other blade had severed a wing.
“Nah safe,” the troll said, stopping briefly to wipe the swords clean with a cloth hanging from his hip.
Tarreya laughed, raising her war-mace and cheering, the troll grinning in reply and baring his sharp teeth as he lifted his own weapons up. She looked up to the sky with a smile, breathing in deeply, watching as his wind serpent flew around over their heads, twisting sinuously in the air. “It is a beautiful day, Shujaa, I owe you my life,” she said, her eyes turning down to him, her head nodding in approval.
Shujaa shook his head, body straightening up to her eye level as he stretched, shoulders rolling back. “Ju’ owe meh? I kill, nuttin’ moah,” he said, holding up his green-lacquered blades as if to emphasize before sheathing them again at his back.
“I think I recognize blades like those,” Tarreya said, looking at the swords. “No guards, yes, I remember seeing ones like those wielded by the Gurubashi trolls. I fought there a long time ago, when the Blood God was raised by their mad priests. Did you also fight there?”
Shujaa shrugged, pulling out his bow and stringing it again. “We should move,” Tarreya said, looking for a path back up to Warsong Hold. “But if you wield those, then you either fought there too, or are Gurubashi yourself. I lost many friends to them, to that evil.” Her eyes narrowed as she remembered the whisperings of the Blood God.
“If we have allies in the Gur-“ she stopped suddenly, pitching slightly forward as she felt an arrow drive through her armor, into her. She gasped as the air was driven out of her, seeing a greenish blur across her vision as she turned, attempting to defend herself. Dark armor and sharp teeth were the last things she saw before blackness becam
e her world again.
Her body stiffened as she heard faintly through the thick webs the sounds of shrieking and hissing. A slender line of light suddenly split her dark universe, the sickly smell intensifying as the webs split away. A loud whoop burst forth from her as she saw a troll in dark armor in front of her, a red wind serpent coiled around his arms, two wicked-looking blades in his hands.
“I thank you, stranger,” Tarreya said, bowing deeply. “Now before I return let us show these fiends the power of the Horde!”
The troll looked at her a moment, then silently moved away. Tarreya smiled, pulling her war-mace from her hip where it had hung useless as the webs pinned her. They fought to clear the quarry, Tarreya laughing as she struck down the nerubians who rose up against her, elemental power flowing once again through her as she felt the cold northern air blowing over her. The troll stayed close to her, moving quickly, wind serpent flying from his arm to breathe lightning, bow whirring as arrow after arrow struck the undead she was attracting.
“I thank you for your aid, troll,” she said, bowing deeply as the troll unstrung his bow, calling his wind serpent back to curl up around his arm and over his shoulder, its head peering at her. “Before I return, I would know your name. I am Tarreya.” She saluted him proudly, bowing deep.
“Shujaa,” the troll replied, returning the salute. Suddenly his body coiled down, hands whipping up over his back to his blades, springing forward at lightning speed. The serpent on his back launched itself into the air, hissing menacingly. Tarreya gasped, hand flying to her mace as she saw the troll darting toward her, swords swinging down.
Tarreya’s eyes closed briefly, calling an earthen shield to surround her. She heard a shriek behind her, and opened her eyes to watch as the troll yanked his weapon out of the body of a flying horror, sickly green ooze spurting from where the other blade had severed a wing.
“Nah safe,” the troll said, stopping briefly to wipe the swords clean with a cloth hanging from his hip.
Tarreya laughed, raising her war-mace and cheering, the troll grinning in reply and baring his sharp teeth as he lifted his own weapons up. She looked up to the sky with a smile, breathing in deeply, watching as his wind serpent flew around over their heads, twisting sinuously in the air. “It is a beautiful day, Shujaa, I owe you my life,” she said, her eyes turning down to him, her head nodding in approval.
Shujaa shook his head, body straightening up to her eye level as he stretched, shoulders rolling back. “Ju’ owe meh? I kill, nuttin’ moah,” he said, holding up his green-lacquered blades as if to emphasize before sheathing them again at his back.
“I think I recognize blades like those,” Tarreya said, looking at the swords. “No guards, yes, I remember seeing ones like those wielded by the Gurubashi trolls. I fought there a long time ago, when the Blood God was raised by their mad priests. Did you also fight there?”
Shujaa shrugged, pulling out his bow and stringing it again. “We should move,” Tarreya said, looking for a path back up to Warsong Hold. “But if you wield those, then you either fought there too, or are Gurubashi yourself. I lost many friends to them, to that evil.” Her eyes narrowed as she remembered the whisperings of the Blood God.
“If we have allies in the Gur-“ she stopped suddenly, pitching slightly forward as she felt an arrow drive through her armor, into her. She gasped as the air was driven out of her, seeing a greenish blur across her vision as she turned, attempting to defend herself. Dark armor and sharp teeth were the last things she saw before blackness becam
e her world again.