Grimmtooth's Troops

She woke up alone, as was often the case.  The early morning sounds of Dalaran wafted through the open window.  Not what it used to be, she thought. Dalaran after the Cataclysm was much quieter, even restful for the weary souls left in the wake of Arthas’ demise. Even the air seemed more invigorating than it was elsewhere in Northrend.

When she sat up, she noticed a rose on the pillow next to hers. The stem was wrapped in a bit of parchment, and the parchment in turn wrapped with a red ribbon.  Smiling, she untied the ribbon and read the note therein.

Today’s your first day back on the job!  No matter what, we’re all very proud of you!

– A.

First day back. Right.  Oh, bother.

Rubbing her eyes blearily, she set about getting ready for the day ahead. Checking her lists, and making sure her things were packed right. Every bit of gear gemmed just so, enchanted correctly, reforged, in what the Sisters at the Temple assured her, with the latest configuration for a successful Discipline priest.

On her dresser was another letter. For what seemed like the thousandth time, she picked it up. It had arrived three days ago, and her life had Officially Been Turned Upside-Down as a result.

Jasra,

The time has come, lass; we need you.  I’m not sure what is going on in this new place that the Navy has found, but we know the Horde’s on the move after they destroyed Theramore, and this is likely the next place they’ll be poking around. The Alliance needs all the good healers it can muster, so I have to ask; will you lend a hand?

I wish I could let you stay where you are for the duration without even asking; you earned your "retirement" in Icecrown.  And even if you choose not to come, I won’t argue; it’s your decision.

However, should you  decide to return to "active duty", see Sky Admiral Rogers in Stormwind. I’ve put a good word in for you, so she’ll be watching out for your arrival.  I think you’ll like her. She reminds me of Flora, but with more angries.

I have to close now; the Skyfire’s leaving within the hour. I’ll be scouting ahead to see what’s what. Hopefully we’ll get together in some agreeable tavern in this place called "Panderia".

Your favorite uncle,

Grimmtooth

Well, if it was him asking, she wasn’t going to let him down.

---

She had left but she always found herself coming back here. The years after Arthas’ fall had been spent here with the Azuregazes at the Legerdemain, doing such exciting things as making beds, preparing cheese platters, and serving wine to guests that had no idea that their serving wench had once stood before Arthas’ most terrifying creations without flinching. 

It was blissfully, quietly, wonderfully, uneventful.

Evenings were spent with Arille and Amisi, in a warmth that had nothing to do with hearths and everything to do with how her heart spoke to her.

Grimmtooth and his clan would always be her "family", and just a word from any of them would bring her to their side. As near as made no difference, even if not of her blood, they might as well have been.

But Amisi and Arille had found a way into her heart that was unlike anything she had felt before. Her family "of choice", then?

And now she had to leave one family to help the other.

---

Properly dressed and packed, she drifted down to the common room of the inn for breakfast. Arille grinned and waggled a hand at her as she took her accustomed table. Early morning tasks for him included taking inventory and restocking for the night to come, but he was never too busy to make her feel at home.

Enjoying a light meal of cheese, fruit, and mulled wine, she went over her lists once again.  She almost didn’t notice Amisi coming down the stairs. Her smile shone out amid her dusky complexion.  "Well, you’re up early."

Jasra smiled back; "You may have snuck off without waking me, but I did notice." 

Amisi motioned her up. "Well, let’s have a look at you. After close to two years in retirement, I’m not sure you remember how to dress yourself."  Dutifully, the grinning Night Elf stood and bowed.  "I stand ready for inspection, madam."

Amisi looked up at her. "Your halo’s on crooked."  Jasra’s grin got wider. "This surprises you?"  As Amisi reached up to adjust it, Jasra reached out to stop her.  "Don’t bother, the thing never sits straight on me anyway." Amisi chuckled. "Well, all right then."  She took a seat at Jasra’s table, and Jasra reseated herself.

They traded small talk and ate for a while, then Amisi took on a serious mien. "No matter where you go, you always have this place to come home to.  We’ll miss every moment you’re gone. Nothing will be the same without you here. Come back as soon as you can."

"I will. You two are the only reason I can even go out there."  Looking around, she realized everything was prepared.  "I guess it’s time for me to go, isn’t it?"  Amisi’s sad smile was her only answer.

Standing, she hefted her pack and her staff. "I’ll be back as soon as I can. "  A quick grin; "Don’t sell my stuff."

As she passed the bar, Arille stepped out to block her path.  "You’re not getting out of here without a hug, m’dear."  His voice was rough for a change; his hug was warm and welcome, as always. "Don’t embarrass us", he whispered in to her ear, and then ducked back behind the bar, laughing. Nobody ever warned me that Highborn had a such an odd sense of humor.

As she turned, Amisi was waiting. "What he said", as she hugged Jasra. "Come back to us."

Jasra stepped foot outside of the Legerdemain. Looking back, she saw comfort, good friends, and more. Looking forward, uncertainty. Danger. Excitement. She grinned at the Unknown.  "Well, let’s get this thing started, shall we?"  Calling her favorite flying carpet, she set out of for the portal to Stormwind – and new adventures.

---

OOC-ly, beware the 4th wall

I’ve been rewriting this for weeks.

In a way, Jasra represents all that soured me on raiding in Wrath; not the events themselves, but an inability to deal with certain things in her environment. Thus, when Cata came out, Jasra gave voice to those feelings. It was months later before Grimm found a home with the Effers, which profoundly changed my outlook and helped me gain a certain perspective.  Thus setting the stage, Flora came along and helped advise the Bunnies in some seriously late but fashionable T11 and T12 raiding, and it was good.

To make this possible, the Bunnies’ long-suffering GM set aside her main, a mage, and filled in for Team Heals. Her main, therefore, didn’t see ANY tier gear, and what she had was purchased from endless nights of grinding Heroics.  In the end, even she burned out and we pretty much only saw her on our two designated raid nights.

So, guilty feelings, I has some.  Even if it’s not justified.  But also if it is.

Having mentally mended some fences and resolved to be more a grown-up about some things (seriously interesting concept when you consider my RL age), it was decided that our dear GM should get a chance to shine with her mage once again, and Jas was just going to have to suck it in and start flinging Frisbees again.  I think our GM will be happy with Frost’s new idioms, and she, like Illume, has been fond of the Frosty ways, so it’ll be a homecoming for her, of sorts.

It’s just a damned shame that playing Warlocks is so much FUN now.   But it’s worth it if it brings a smile to our GM’s face and motivates her to come out and play more often.  And I get that she’s reluctant to let go of the priest altogether, so Flora may see some action from time to time after all.

The mood of this piece is one of awakening, of renewal, and of finding one’s place in the world. Jasra had a place in the world, lost it, found a new place in the world, and now she’s going to try to keep both within her grasp.  I won’t say exactly what kind of relationship she has with the Azuregazes, as it’s more fun not to know, but it’s a deep connection, and it will be kept alive.

In closing, and totally unrelated: getting the damned Halo to work right in WoW Model Viewer is a gigantic pain in the bottom. It would be a lot easier with true chroma-key software, but one goes to blog with the tools one has, not the tools one wants. In the end, it was just easier to shoop it in manually. Bleah.

And now we hit "publish."

Son, I must be off to the Firelands. Look after things while I’m gone.

Father, why do the Firelands keep burning?

Well, son, it’s not the same kind of fire like we have in our fireplace. If it runs out of things to burn, it just keeps burning. It’s a special fire, from the elemental plane of Fire.

But what kind of fire is it that doesn’t burn out?

Well, son, you’re too young to understand this, but some day you will encounter Nerdrage. Nerdrage is the fire that burns with or without actual cause or fuel.

But what is Nerdrage, father?

Nerdrage Is. It cannot be categorized or compartmentalized. It is something that must be experienced to be understood. Nobody can tell you what Nerdrage is. They can only know it.

But how will I know it, father?

I cannot tell you, my son, but when it happens, you will know. Perhaps it will be at Comicon, waiting in line for a six-ounce Mountain Dew Zero. Perhaps a Blue post about PvP trinket cooldowns. Maybe a press conference about Blizzard’s new FPSRPGMMO’s ERP toolset. Whatever it is, when the flames burn – you will know.

I will set fire to the land?

No, my son, that is not how it works.

But you said the Firelands was caused by Nerdrage, father.

Yes, my son. That was very special Nerdrage.

Who’s Nerdrage was it, father?

Nobody you or I know, my son. The wise men have pondered for many years, and determined that the fires started with nerdrage on another planet, in another dimension, in the year 2011, in a place called Dirt. Or Earth. Something like that.

They sent Nerdrage at us across dimensions?

:: chuckle :: No, my son, I do not believe they meant to do that. It just … happened. Such is the way of Nerdrage.

When I grow up, I want to send my Nerdrage back at them, for setting fire to the Firelands.

Warlock.

Father?

I think you may grow up to be a Warlock. You appear to have a natural tendency.

Wow … I should go study!

:: child runs off to tell his mom he’s going to be a Warlock ::

Yes, son. Study well. I shall see you soon.

The doughty warrior shouldered his weapons and set out towards the portals. Farming the Firelands wasn’t easy, but it was reliable. Light bless those nerds.

:: BLINK ::

I remember this place.

The Dwarf paused mid-shot and gawked.  His companions were all busy battling … Moroes. His name is Moroes. But he couldn’t remember why. And then this moment of … clarity. When he knew, distinctly, who he was. He looked around.

On the other end of the room was an ice block with someone frozen inside. His ice trap. He did that? Who … Robin Daris. Lord Robin Daris. But I call him "Sir Robin." Why? As he watched, the ice block evaporated, and Daris started running at him, murder in his eyes. "Grimm, wake up! Your add is loose!"

Oh, right!  He carefully set his freezing trap, grinned at "Sir Robin", and scampered away from the trap.  Daris immediately froze again. Safe again for a while. I suppose I best help bring down … Moroes some more. Raising his gun, he pulled the trigger and

:: BLINK ::

I remember this place.

The Dwarf paused again. What … again, this sudden … clarity. Memory. He remembered other times, in between the gaps. Storming Karazhan. Even going after Gruul and other denizens of Outland. The return of Varian Wrynn. And other episodes, all punctuated by these odd … gaps. He could remember them, too, but only as if through a fog, as if he was dreaming his own life.

You need to go over there. Talk to the druid.  The Voice. He remembered the Voice, too. During the gaps, the Voice seemed to be his reality.  These quiet moments of clarity were all his, though. Mostly.

The Dwarf paused, absently patting his bear’s back, and drew in a breath, then another. I love this place. The neighbors, not so much. But this place makes me feel … alive.  It felt like Dun Morogh. Like home.

The nagging was getting to him. Oh, yes. I needed to talk to the druid.  Handing Arch-druid Lathorius a bag full of … ears? … he muttered "Here ye go, ye wee squirrely druid." Lathorius grinned back at him, "Congratulations, you’re exalted with the Cenarion Expedition!"

Voice shouted in the distance, "Great, let’s go get that Hippogryph!"

Wait, what hippo –

:: BLINK ::

I remember this place.

Well,of course he did. He’d been lurking around Zul’Drak for ages. Be vewwy quiet, I’m hunting Gondwia.  Where did that come from? And why did it sound so familiar?

Rounding the bend on his search, he saw her. Gondria! Oh, she was beautiful! His heart sped. Adrenaline kicked in. Time to go tame us a new friend!

He was … so sluggish, though.  This won’t do.  C’mon, Grimm, remember your training.  As if breaking free of a dream, he got back to business. Land. Dismiss Bumbles. Get close. Set trap. Break out the rod, and tame!

After what seemed like an eternity, it was over. "Hello, my friend", he murmured to his new companion. "And welcome to the pack."  She rumbled appreciatively as she consumed the treats he offered her.

"I don’t know how I did that!  I kinda froze, but it was like everything happened by itself. That was so cool!"

Hullo, Voice.  What in the name of the Light are you babbling about?

Huh?

:: BLINK ::

It was a nightmare.  Once again it was like walking through quicksand, but this time his friends were going to die.  One of the designated Blood Beast pullers had gone down, and here he was, unable to react.

Breaking free at last, he got to work. We can still salvage this, he thought. Lay trap. Misdirect. Fire on Blood Beast. Drag him through the trap.  Run, jump, spin. fire, jump, spin, run!  As Bumbles tanked the other one, his guildmates brought it down.  Why did I hesitate?  I almost blew it!

As he continued to do his job, the Voice was joined by others.

"… wow, where’d you pick that trick up?"

"… I don’t know! My client’s locked up, but he’s just doing his thing!"

"… well, thank goodness for bugs, then!"

One more wave of Blood Beasts, and at last they took down poor, dead, Saurfang.

As the voices babbled in the back of his mind, he knelt next to his fallen foe. Aye, ye fought valiantly at the Wrath Gate, lad. May the Light take ye and keep ye at last.

"… be right back, I’ll restart the client."

Wait – what – no!

:: BLINK ::

"… so I’ve uninstalled all my addons, wiped my cache, cleaned out the WTF, completely reinstalled the client, but my main still acts like he’s botting, on and off. I’m not sure what else I can do."

"I’ve reviewed your case, and given all the information, we’ve determined that there must be some sort of corruption in our database. Since it’s been so long since the problem started, we’ve taken the action of resetting your character completely, then rebuilding it. We apologize, but it will take a little while to complete the process. One day, two at most."

"Thanks.  It’ll be nice to finally be able to put that behind me."

Wait. No!  Don’t! Why can’t you hear me?

Oh, this can’t be good.

:: BLINK ::

"Yeah, this last try seems to have fixed it. Blizz had to totally wipe the character file or something. At any rate, I’m looking forward to seeing how this works in the next raid. Hoping there are no … episodes."

I’m still here, Voice.

Maybe you can’t hear me.

But I’ll always be here.

All you have to do is listen.

The soul of a true Hunter can never die.

 

“Good morning, ladies!”, the dwarf’s disembodied voice came seemingly from the wall.

“Good morning, Grimmy!”; the three women gathered in the common room of their abode didn’t seem to mind.  If anything, they seemed amused.

“Ach! I asked you not to call me that!”

*snicker*

“Who was that? Flora, was that you? I bet it was!”

“You can prove nothing, dear Uncle!”, the warlock smirked at the wall.

The mage interrupted. “Uh, everybody, this Magic Mouth spell is hella expensive, so maybe we should …”

“Ach, just so, just so! To business, then!”

“I’ve arranged to chat with ya like this because there’s a matter of great concern to tha’ Alliance, and yer a lot closer to the action than I am up here in the Highlands. We’ve been offered a substantial sum o’ money to do a job. Not only that, but if we succeed, we’ll strike a heavy blow agin the Twilight’s Hammer cult, and I don’t think anyone would disagree that that’s a good thing.”

/nods of assent around the room.

“So there’s this artifact. When the Goblin homeland of Kezan blew up, the artifact came under the care of Baron Revilgaz in Booty Bay, who is apparently distantly related to Trade Prince Gallywix. We’re unclear on the specifics of what the artifact is, but we do know where it’s kept. SI:7 has also informed me that the Twilight’s Hammer believes that if it can get this item, it will gain an advantage over the Horde. While we have no desire to help th’ Horde, we have even less desire to see the Hammers gain any advantage – over anyone!

Revilgaz has been approached about this, but has rebuffed all offers, Alliance or Horde.  So. We’re to go in, get the item, and return to Stormwind with it.  And we need to do so before the Horde mounts a similar operation, if they haven’t already. This can’t fall into their hands, now that it’s in play!”

Flora scowled; “Then I assume we might bump into our Horde counterparts?”

“Aye, that’s a possibility.  So dress appropriately – no identifying marks! You’re free agents, not working for SI:7."

“So what’s the plan?”

“There’s a hidden chamber behind Revilgaz’ headquarters, been there for years. It’s guarded by this fellow posing as a Rogue trainer. You  have to get past the trainer, and open the secret door. SI:7 has been helpful enough to find where the catch to the door is, and to inform us that there is an additional guard behind the door. You have to get past them both without alerting the other guards, or leaving any hint that this is an Alliance operation.

The item is in a locked room just beyond. Illume will freeze the lock and Flora’s felguard will bash it open.  The item is small enough for the Felguard to carry, so all you need to do is get to the room, neutralize the guards, get the item, and Illume ports you to Stormwind. Drop it off at SI:7 and collect a fat paycheck. Let them worry about it from there.”

The priest stirred; “What’s my role in this?”

“…", the voice of the dwarf conveyed unease. “I … uh … need ya to heal, in case anything goes south. Shields, frisbees, that sort of stuff.”

“HEAL?!", the priest practically exploded. “You know how I feel about that! I’ve been healing so long I’m getting crosseyed staring at the wall.  Can’t you send bandages or something?”

“Jasra! You’re a priest! And I know you’ve had some rough patches, lass, but ..  really, it’s time. You need to rez up your healing duds and give us a hand. And ya know I wouldna ask if it wasn’t a matter of importance.  Yer too precious to us all to cause pain to. I can’t avoid it, though. Azeroth needs ya. You three are what we have, and I have all the confidence in the world in ye all.”

“*sigh*”  "That’s a terrible thing to say."

“OK, they’re tellin’ me that the connection’s about ta be cut. See Master Shaw at SI:7 HQ on yer way there, he’ll have the particulars about the who, what, when, and where.  I’ll see ya as soon as I can!”

There was a diminishment of presence in the room; the mage spoke first. “Connection lost. I hope he didn’t forget anything.”

Flora nodded. “OK, let’s suit up. I’ll let Fai know she has the watch while we’re out.”

As the others dispersed, the priest sighed, tossed back a final drink, and slogged off to her apartment.

* * * * * *

Even after getting a tsunami and a ship dropped on it, Booty Bay was a vibrant hive of scum and villainy.  Fortunately, the warlock was a regular visitor, so she could move about with relative freedom.  Her companions were another matter.

“You guys hang out here at the Blue Recluse. I’ll hook up with a couple of Milo’s people down there, we’ll summon you, and we’ll go on in. Sound like a plan?”  The other two agreed.  “I’m not sure I can ever fully trust Milo, but he didn’t seem too suspicious. Take this stone. If anything happens to me, it’ll disintegrate. You’ll have a moderate amount of time to get to me before it’s too late.  Hopefully, we won’t need to worry about that.  Good luck. I’ll see you there.”  With that, she got up, turned, and left the tavern.

The priest and the mage looked after her. “I’m not getting a good vibe, Jas.”, the mage broke the silence first.  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her take precautions like this before.”

The priest glared into her cup like it might hold an answer. “Backup plans, we need one.”  The mage nodded. Jasra continued; “We should get in place somewhere close by without giving Flora away.”

Illume considered for a moment. “How do we get word to her about that?”

“We don’t! If she’s walking into a trap, the last thing want is for her to inadvertently give us away.”

“And that’s not all … “  As she talked, Illume went from doubtful, to concerned, to grudgingly agreeable. But it was a close thing.

* * * * * *

“I didn’t even know this place had a basement.” The warlock moved cautiously. Repairs to the already ramshackle buildings had not reached these levels yet, and it showed.  Frequently. Through the broken slats.

“Yeah, the boss has an agreement with the Baron – he doesn’t really make it easy to find, the boss pays premium for a nice out of the way hidey hole, everybody’s happy.” The goon that had met her in the tavern didn’t look capable of having a happy thought if you pummeled him with clowns. “Comes in handy for this sort of thing.”

“Yeah … okay, let’s get this done. I’m on a tight timeline here.”

“Sure thing, toots.”  The other goon looked like a reject from extras casting in The Orc Detective, with an extra coat of sleaze applied for atmosphere.

I’m glad I won’t be working much longer with him, Flora thought. Milo hates it when I torch his cronies, and asks far too much in compensation.

Speaking Words, she called down a portal from the Nether. She and her companions placed hands on, and she extended her summons, first for one, then the other of her friends.  There was a slight delay, and Illume appeared. Where’s Jasra? Something’s not right.

“Huh – thought you said two people.”  The less offensive goon seemed almost on the brink of cognizance.

Trying to keep her face neutral, she turned back to the stone. “Okay, guys, we’re done here. We’ll be out of here in no time. Tell Milo I said thanks, and I’ll catch him up before too long, I’m sure.”

“Why don’t you tell me yourself, my dear?”

A chill shot up her spine at the words. Without turning, she knew what she sensed. Milo Oddcog – boss of the Stormwind underworld, who she did odd jobs for now and then – and at least two Felguards, were blocking the only exit in the room.

“You think you can go off and do work for someone else and not cut me in?” Milo didn’t sound too amused. “You’ve always been insolent, Floramel, but this is just too much! I will know who this other boss is. And if you talk nicely, I may think of a reason not to shard you and your friend – Illume, isn’t it? – permanently.”

This is bad.

She turned, and realized that not only Milo and his companions were blocking the door, but also a grinning Baron Revilgaz and a very angry looking Fleet Master Seahorn.

This is way worse than bad.

Jasra, where the Hells are you?

* * * * * *

As she felt the summons taking place, Jasra looked over at her companion and muttered, “Here goes nothing.”  She *fwooshed* into shadow form, then nodded to Illume. “Let’s do this.”  Illume did that little mental twist that accepted the summons, and rezzed into the room. Jasra wandered off towards where they thought Flora was at the moment, on foot.

I was right! she thought as she located, then approached the basement room. Nice and dark, the perfect place to do shady business. These people are predictable. Quietly, she faded back into the shadows. If you didn’t know to look in the right way, you wouldn’t even notice the glowing eyes in the corner. If this goes well, Flora won’t mind a little subterfuge. If it goes south, I don’t guess she’ll mind, either.

And then Milo sauntered past her, into the room.

Right. Plan "B", then.

* * * * * *

“While the basement is suitable for such things, I prefer the privacy of my little nook here for getting things done.”, Revilgaz seemed quite pleased with himself as he led them up the stairs and right into the secret cave that they were supposed to have broken in to. Apparently the cave held more than just treasure.  Oh! Illume saw the irons and regretted being right. Stealing a glance behind her, she saw Jasra’s wispy form moving from shadow to shadow. Stay with us, sister! I have a feeling you’re all we have.

“Have a seat, dear Floramel.”, Milo was gloating as his goons fastened her into a wooden chair with iron cuffs on the arms. “I acquired this from the Kirin Tor. They deny it exists, of course, but it is an exquisite instrument, worthy of their skill. It can deliver pain on demand. Pure, undiluted, pain, until you decide to talk. And if we get tired, we’ll try your friend out and see how she likes it.”

“I’m familiar with it, Milo. It’s a lot of fun to use. Maybe I’ll show you sometime.”

The gnome scowled.  “You really should be more respectful. We’re not too kind to turncoats, as you well know.”

The door opened and the “Rogue Trainer” Ian Strom wandered in.  Revilgaz looked irritated.”What are you doing in here? You’re supposed to be guarding the door, simpleton!”  The guard’s face was uncharacteristically blank. Flora puzzled over that for a moment before it dawned on her. Mind control! Jasra! Oooo, I’m gonna kill her. And then hug the stuffings out of her! Looking over at Illume, she saw a half-smile. “Show time”, the mage whispered.

And then all Hells broke loose.

– Strom produced a very stout club and started swinging like it was going out of style, starting with Milo’s henchmen.

– Illume’s shield went up and the room grew several degrees colder.

– Flora felt hands move along her wrists, undoing the catches. “Sorry too keep you in the dark, sister”, Jasra whispered in her ear. “I had a hunch”.

– Illume silenced Milo. Milo started to panic.

– Free of her bonds, Flora started the – seemingly impossibly long – summoning ritual for her Felguard.

– Milo’s goons sprang into action. One bounced off of Illume’s shield. She smiled, and sheeped him.

– The other goon attacked Strom, only to stop mid-swing as the ice storm hit.

– Revilgaz started to move …

– and it was over.

“Take your hands off your weapons, all of you, or Revilgaz gets hit so hard his soul shard will take three weeks to catch up to us.”  Flora’s felguard unflinchingly held his axe to Revilgaz’ throat, and leered with anticipation. “What happened to your friends, little goblin?”

* * * * * *

As Revilgaz threw open the safe door, he muttered. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. This thing is poison. The only reason I’m holding it is because I have family over there.” He beckoned towards a framed painting on the wall.

Flora paled. “Oh, my stars and garters. This can’t POSSIBLY have come from this dimension! Are you kidding me? This is it?!"

Revilgaz gleefully nodded. “Told ya”, He grinned. “You still want it? I have no problem with that. Cousin Gallywix will just have to come for it himself. I’ll be glad to be rid of the damned thing!”

Illume came into the room and flinched. “Ouch. Was this a punishment of some sort?”  She looked over at Floramel, who was still slightly shaken. “Maybe we should just pretend we were never here and make up some story …”

Jasra pushed past them both, looked at the painting, and grinned.  “Oh, Light, no. We take it, and turn it in as we were paid to do. I want to share the joy.”

Turning to Milo, Flora pondered her options. “What am I going to do with you, Milo?  You don’t have exclusive rights to my contract, and you know it. You’re getting greedy, old gnome, and it’s liable to land you in hot water. Maybe I should just terminate the contract right now.”  Her Felguard made happy noises.

“Oh, there’s no reason for that, dear, girl!”  The damned gnome was incorrigible. “I have a strict forgive and forget policy. I’ll forgive this little incident, if you forget you were ever here!”  Floramel grinned, but Jasra pushed past her. “As long as you don’t ‘forget’ that the next time you cross any of us, Flora’s felguard might not be around to stop me."

Milo grinned up at her. “Not at all, my dear! And if you ever need work, stop by!  I could find plenty of uses for someone with your talents!”

Letting him go, Jasra pondered the full meaning of the crime lord’s admiration.

* * * * * *

“So they have no idea you were working for us?”

“No, Master Shaw. As far as they know, Flora was just working for a rival Boss. They’ll be hot to find out who, but for now it’s under control. I’m sure your organization can find ways to confound them.”  Illume was all business when she wanted to be.

“Now, here’s the thing you wanted.”  She handed over the painting, covered in cloth.  Jasra grinned “I dare you to open it.”

Shaw gave her a puzzled glance, then threw off the cloth.

“By the Light! This is worse than I ever imagined! No wonder they kept it locked up!”

Floramel held out her hand. “I think that concludes our business. If you would, we want to put some distance between us and that piece of … work … as soon as possible.”

“Um, sure. Here. Alliance thanks you and relies upon your discretion. Don’t spend it all in one place.”  Staring, Shaw was clearly not coping well.

His money was good, nevertheless.

* * * * * *

“I do appreciate you having a backup plan, but did you really have to keep me in the dark about it?”

"Well, we didn’t really think of it until you were gone, and it didn’t seem safe to try to get a letter to you in Booty Bay.”  Illume had at least enough grace to look embarrassed.

Jasra was clearly amused, though. “It was totally worth it to see the look on your face. Both when Illume ported in alone, and later when I unfastened you from that chair.  Worth every little bit of it.”

Flora tried to glare, but the amusement kept fighting past her eyes. “Oh, I really think Shadowform suits you, sister. You’ll be Milo’s favorite in no time, at the rate you’re going. I may well have to find a new patron.”

Truly smiling for the first time in a long time, Jasra raised her mug. "Well, I can’t have that on my conscience. I’ll find something else to occupy my time. To my sisters, the Alliance, new pursuits, and the look on Shaw’s face!”

Grinning like fiends, the three of them toasted their success, and set about the task of a good bender.