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sylvenfield · 5 years

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Periel - Journal Entry #3-5

3. Secunda

Things were a bit too quiet as darkness quickly approached upon Zoram'gar Outpost. The normal bustle of what would be the front for troops to be dispatched to Darkshore, lay somewhat empty and forgotten. A skeleton crew. Little details were given as I made my way up the gates, spotting my new allies within the fold before being stopped by a skinnier orcish female that looked famished, “Halt. Papers, please.” I looked past her shoulder and pointed towards the company members and raised a curious brow, “You’ll find tha’ they might speak on my behalf.” She gave a gruff, sigh, “Hold.” And she went up to the guard escorting the company around the outpost, before quickly coming back. “Seems you’re late little elf.” Her sly smile of mockery, latent, ear to ear. I simply shook my head and brushed past her to join the others.

“-Clean off?” the Shieldmaster questioned, as we entered the office of the commander in charge.

“Did I stutter?! Yes, that’s why I’ve been approved to hire outside help, despite my better intentions with... freelancers, we are spread too thin here as is with the situation up north.” He looked us all over, the brutish orc standing nearly a foot taller than Korrgosh, iron plate adorning nearly ever inch of his structure and a two handed ax on his back. His eyes squinted around all of us, “We are losing peons by the day. By the hour. How, what. That’s up for you to figure out, as we don’t have time for idle chatter. We are three days behind schedule with supplies that need shipping, as now this glorified outpost is now a middle man between shipments to the war-front.” That last line sounded like it stung, “Now figure it out. I’m not paying you to stand around.”

A moment of silence surrounded the room before everyone started to shuffle out, but pondering questions began to arise. Suspicion. “Do ya’ have any of the bodies, from... these incidents? I’d like ta’ inspect one, if ya’ don’ mind?”

He looked to me, squinting harder than I thought he could, letting out a gruff sigh of annoyance, “Follow me.” And he shoulder checked me as he left the office, Kelarion gave me a soft shrug with a raised brow as we followed him out and down the path towards where they were lining up the decapitated bodies of peons, now past. Draped with whatever linens could be scrounged up. The smell hit me like a ton of bricks, foul decay and smelling of expired sweat and sea, but that could be coincidence since we were so close to the coast line. I lifted off the drape carefully, exposing the peon, wafting away the flies that had begun to make nest. the neck line was sheer, blood already drained from the corpse, leaving behind nearly no trace of forceful execution. Whatever did this, whoever did this, was quick, and used a blade sharper than anything I’ve seen in a long time. Questioningly so. But... something was off. I looked towards the commander with a piercing gaze, small fidgets in his hand. I had to think of something...

I took off a glove and brushed my fingers along the nearly perfect decapitation, then looked to the shredder, “Commander Gortok, was it? Ta’ rule out tha’ possibilities, who is authorized ta’ use tha’ shredders? Have ya’ had any within yer’ lot show any signs of, um- foul play? Ya’ ever consider any of yer’ own ta’ be behind this?”

He scoffed and then began to laugh, “You’re wasting my time. It’s most likely those damned Kal’dorei!” He turned and then Korrgosh put a hand on his shoulder to stop him in his tracks, “Answer his question. You asked us to figure it out.” He gave a curt nod towards me, gesturing that the commander turn back around. A sharp line emerged from the towering orc, and his tone a lot more respectful, “Only the goblins with class three clearance are allowed to operate them. I can pull up a list, and get them in for questioning.”

“Good.” I replied, draping the body, now addressing the rest of the crew, Jin hoping up on my shoulders, “We should investigate outside, see if we can unearth anythin’ else.”

4. The Strand

Once we exited the fortress I kept my thoughts to myself, looking down the trail, following the unfamiliar faces, the only ones really of note were the shieldmaster and runekeeper’s - the rest were foreign. Two female elves, one adorned in arc like purple and blue robes, pale white skin and stark black hair, pointed nose and an air of Dalaran pride, I could feel my eyes starting to roll if I had to listen to any lectures tonight, and the other elf was no better. Actually worse. Yes, much worse. Her aura was that of the light, I was no fool to that. Her gaudy red and gold robes, were covered by worn plate, and a tower shield nearly spanning my height and a sword, one that glowed with ferocity. So I guess we are throwing stealth out the window. That’s cool. And finally a forsaken woman, lithe with a headband and book in hand as she quickly took notes. What of? Who’s to say?

Korrgosh stopped, holding a fist to his right, stopping everyone in their tracks as he knelt down upon the ground, looking intently at a puddle that was directly upon the path. The sin’dorei female, dressed in arc like robes, rose a brow in question, then leaned in to whisper to Kelarion, and with a nod, looked back to me, craning his head to gesture towards the puddle. I scooted past them and knelt down with the shieldmaster. I dipped two fingers into the water and placed them upon my tongue. “Salt water. This far from tha’ coast?” He looked down to me, pursing his lips as he answered my query, “Any sea water on the corpse?”

“I could ‘ave mistook it fer’ sweat. But it’s plausible.” I looked up towards the coast, damp clumped sand made it’s way towards the ruined pillars of the strand. I dusted my knee and walked towards the kicked up sand, the pattern... the pattern was like a snake. “Wha’ if... it wasn’t a shredder?” I posed, turning back to the others, “But a-a trident er’ scythe? Not da’ Kal’dorei or Goblins. But-” Kelarion stopped me, his eyes not even surprised, a small smirk on his face in confidence, “-But the Naga. Not necessarily out of the realm of possibility I suppose. Could be restless that their territory is shrinking due to the ferrying between here and Darkshore.” He looked to the others, his arms folded within his robes, The sin’dorei adorned in red and gold rolled her eyes, a scowl embedded on her face, deepening her already scarred face, “I fucking hate Naga.”

I breathed in a heavy breath of the sea air, leading the company down the faint trail of kicked up sand towards the ruins. It must have been ten-fifteen minutes of walking down the head of the desolate beach. Decaying pillars and alters lay extinct from the floods of creation.

A hundred yards out we saw our trailblazer, dripping in sea water, the slithering, scaled sea witch stood glowering about among the ruins - cages all near empty except for one. A Kal’dorei child, in between quiet sobs, whispered to herself in tongues that I did not know. The naga slithered up to an altar in the center, heads rolled all over the step, a combination of their own kin, peons, and Kal’dorei, long since left this world. An shimmering orb she held as she locked eyes to the sea.

5. Razor’s Edge

“Periel.” Korrgosh, hiding behind a pillar at the edge of the alter said in a hushed tone, “The child. Can you sneak in to grab her? We will attack from the north side.”

I nodded to him, crouching down and unsheathing my bow, knocking an arrow at the ready. I could feel the chill of ghost iron between my gloved hand. The feeling was familiar, inviting. I ducked behind a fallen pillar as I made my way towards the cage, the shadow enveloped me, even under the moonlit sky. The child gasped slightly and I took my free hand to signify for her to be quiet. I looked towards the company, nodding for the go-ahead, I set my bow down and fished out my thieve’s tools. Lockpick in hand I began unraveling the inner workings of this strange padlock, a lot sharper, deeper, than any I had come across. Careful. Careful. ‘Click-Click-SNAP’. I cursed under my breath, withdrawing the broken pin-tumbler, grabbing another from the leather holster, let’s try this again. As I gently inserted the next pick I heard the yells and hisses of my comrades and assailants, clashing into battle, the sound of ax and trident filled the coast and flickers of arcane light illuminated the sky. The second pin-tumbler snapped. I breathed a sigh. I could feel the humid air start to grow colder and colder. I shut my eyes. Focus. You’ve got this.

I opened my eyes to to fish for the next pick, the tumbler found it’s way into my hand as I lifted it into place. One breath in through the nose. Close your eyes. Exhale through your mouth. Feel... ‘Click-Click-Click... Click... Clunk’. The padlock fell to the floor, the cage rattling open, the child looked towards it with wonder. She would go free this day.

I extend my hand and she grasped it hesitantly. She has most likely been raised all her life to never trust me. My kind. My faction. None of it. Who better to rescue her. A smile amongst the chaos tugged at the ends of my lips, “It’s okay sweetie.” A breathed reassuringly, “We’re going ta’ get cha’ home.” She finally moved forward, her dress billowed as she rushed forward to get out of the cage. I guided her around the pillars I hid behind, waiting for a victor to rise, Korrgosh wrangled with the last of the Naga, a brutish hulk, I looked up, shielding the eyes of the child as we both peered over the cover, as he embedded his ax into the collar of the hulk, collapsing and dying.

“Well then, I guess, that’s all of ‘em. Periel! Report!” Korrgosh said, as he retrieved his ax from the corpse of the naga, throwing behind his shoulders, I guided the child around the pillar, meeting the rest of the company. Kelarion and the other mage were already at the alter, observing the orb in the center and the irritated Sin’dorei paladin, scowled as she dragged her sword out of the sea witch we had followed from earlier. “Got her, safe an’ sound.” I replied, nodding, keeping my hand behind the top of her back to gently push her forward, but steering her best I could away from all the bloodshed.

“Good.Goo-” Korrgosh was cut off by a laughter, gruff and ominous coming from behind a sand dune, south of the alter, “SO! It seems you figured it out! Well done, hand over the relic and nobody will get hurt!”

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sylvenfield · 5 years

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Periel - Journal Entries #1-2

1. Horizons

The hustle and bustle of the Broken Tusk tavern was something I could never explain - the experience was truly something else. I knew it’d be better down in the cleft to get any real jobs, but with mid-summer fire festival going on, even the shadows could come out and play for the week. Patrons drink themselves half to death, some quickly making their exits as they laughed to hardily and decided to make fine art of the small stoop while others sulk in the corners. Like me - casually observing the chaos that’s drowning out the flutist that the bar had hired for entertainment. I watch the Tauren sway side to side, holding the flute awkwardly between her hooves and couldn’t really keep a proper tune. I felt bad for her. The few sober patrons tossed a few copper and silver in her tip jar.

I wasn’t here to listen to this poor rendition of ‘Spirit Stone’, I came here because the last gig gave up the ghost, and solo gigs just weren’t cutting it anymore. If I wanted to retire away from all this fucking war, I needed to find something fruitful and find it fast. Jin hopped up on the table and curled himself around my forearm, as I still held the half empty glass of gin I had been sipping on for the evening. He chirped and then walked up my arm to go to his nest within the hood of my cloak. His head popped out near my opposite shoulder, with a folded note between his teeth, I grabbed it and looked over my shoulder, scanning the room for who could have wanted to message me, and use my own pet? A restless and annoyed, ‘Hmmm...’ erupted from the edge of my throat, as I carefully unfolded the note. The handwriting was familiar, the cursive script all high-and-mighty - pretentious piece of shit.

You are beginning to test my patience. If I have to wait any longer for this gold to arrive at my office with the recovered documents, then we will have no choice but to put you on our list. You know what happens when we put people on our list.

We are waiting. We are watching.

-R.

‘Stupid fuc--’ I gripped the glass, knocking the half down, wincing at the cheap booze setting fire to the back of my throat and stomach, as I breathed out a shudder of anxiety. I should have never come to this continent - ‘Oh, the money’s good in Ol’ Orgrimmar!’ - well they lied. Not unless you join a company... ‘Light be damned, I’m really going to have to do this?’ I could feel my eyes rolling into the back of my head. It had been forty years, of ‘my way or the crossroads’ - to have to forgo my freedoms... fuck me sideways. It’s the only way. I’ve already dried up most of my connections back east and south. This was it. End of the road. Onto other horizons.

2. Steelrune

As I exited the tavern I dodged a goblin’s masterpiece on the third step and stretched, the city was far from dull this afternoon. Everything was decorated in vibrant red and yellow banners and braziers still smoldering with hot coals lining every corner of the crowded streets. Tourists fled from every corner so that they could witness the opening ceremonies of the mid-summer fire festival and then flock to the airships to Uldum where vendors, raffles and shows would line the ancient streets. I told myself that I would not be attending. But I knew that I’d be able to find things from this uneasy truce for festivities. War was still in full swing, and yet neutral parties on both sides still could come together with two capitol cities either on fire or decimated in blight. The war did not interest me; that’s why when I filtered through the crowd over to the bounty board to see if any companies were hiring that weren’t directly tied to zealots or ‘honor’.

Pondering the weather worn board as I got side-glanced by a brutish orc, adorned with steel plate and a two handed ax on his back, I threw him a polite smile, not sincere in the slightest before finding a fresh piece of parchment.

Hiring:

Trackers, Archivists, Runic Students, Mercenaries

‘The fighter relies on strength. The scholar relies on knowledge. The wise do not choose.’

Steelrune Company

Meet in the hut south-west of Ratchet

My eyes lingered on the word ‘Trackers’ - I felt my insides groan slightly. Fate was a fickle thing - and as fate would have it, my reputation as a tracker was spread wide throughout the Eastern Kingdoms, to those that could find me, that is. If this was my key, then so be it. Jin popped out of my hood looking towards the orc and he grunted towards the sunfur panda looking curiously in the orc’s direction. I nodded politely pursing my lips as I committed the notice to memory making my leave outside the city walls.

Urano, my wolf companion, looked like she needed to run out into the plains, she wasn’t used to being trapped in the stables for days on end, no matter how well they treat her. I took the striped leather reins and flipped a silver piece to the attendant, riding out into the setting sun.

I arrived shortly before dusk, as I hung the reins to Urano onto a nearby tree to the hut in question. As I made my approach up the tiny hill, I could hear the banging of metal and that familiar smell of a forge. I knocked twice casually on the open door frame, as little light illuminated the space, but what I did see was an orc, but not the green kind. This one was not tainted of the same Fel energies his forefathers drank in. He looked up to the door frame with a pointed look, “What do you want?” He spoke gruffly, like I was nuisance ready to be squashed.

In the best presentable voice I could muster - which came out more condescending than I would have hoped, “I heard of a company based out of Ratchet - Steelrune, if I have the name right? You wouldn’t happen ta’ know of ‘em?”

The Orc looked down, banging out the steel plate he was working on, still red hot, I could feel the heat permeating towards the entrance as the spark began to lay at his feet. Once he felt it was ready, he quenched it in the oil, flames licking the sides of the tongs he held onto before looking back up to me, “What is your interest in us, Elf?” His eyes were smoldering as much as the forge at this point, and my poker face was melting from the heat, but I carried on casually, “So, I did find the right place, said on the bounty board you’d be lookin’ for a tracker. Well, I managed ta’ track ya’ down.”

The Orc didn’t seem all that amused by the joke, “Yes. It seems you have. What is your interest in join the company?” I had to think for a moment, I wasn’t sure if lying was going to get me where I needed to be, not like it had in the past. I decided on the truth, without giving too much away. “Mercenary work seems to be only good when you’ve got people by your side, and because.. Well, I normally fly solo you see - I decided, why not? Money’s tight as it is, and the only ways of surviving financially is ta’ join the war, or ta’ be rich already. And I ain’t rich already.” He scoffed at my jest, still not amused. “We have rules.” He said this as if it were a deterrent, hopefully to get me to leave. I blinked, furrowing my brow, “And I realize that I had ta’ make some compromises going into this, but the pros certainly outweigh the cons.”

He looked at me for a moment, appraising me, Jin popped out of my hood and gave the Orc a quizzical look, “Whose the the rat?” he posed, I gave Jin a chin scratch, “This here, is Jin, he is a panda, not a rat - got em’ damn near close to death in the Dread Wastes, he was most likely the runt of the litter left behind by his family.” I was being sincere with my words, Jin had sought me out, injured and alone with no home. The Orc smiled at the last line, “I have a feeling we will get along just fine.” He set the tongs down by the crucible before approaching me, looking me square in the eyes, “A tracker, you say?” He nodded his head slightly. “I suppose your in. Long as Kelarion approves.”

I could feel my ears twitch from behind as a Sin’dorei apparated out of thin air, a portal to what looked like a Silvermoon magister’s office was barely visible - I shuddered at the thought, as the long robed, older blood elf waltzed up the hill. His shoulders were made of ethereal scrolls floating in the air, and his eyes still shined in arcane energies. His essence was warm, and his smile was polite as he looked me over, the Orc gestured towards Kelarion, and Kelarion tilted his head in a short bow then turning to face the Orc, “Korrgosh, I hope you are not scaring off any potential recruits.” Korrgosh scoffed again, “This one is the tracker you’ve been looking for. Hopefully he won’t screw up, we’ll need him for the Ashenvale mission.”

Kelarion looked to me with a stoic look about him, “A tracker by the name of...?” I quickly stopped petting Jin, “Oh, oh right, Periel Sylvenfield. At your service.” I extended my hand and he gingerly took it, “Well I am your Runekeeper, Kelarion Bloodveil, and who you have had the pleasure of meeting is Korrgosh, your Steelmaster. Welcome to the Steelrune Company.”

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