The first thing that could be sensed was light - soft, greenish light. Not the sickly green of the fel-cursed Scourge plague, but the green of newly growing plants. Then a gentle warmth suffusing Bookh's body, soothing away the burning pain of mortal wounds. Was this some new unexplored facet of the Emerald Dream? Bookh wondered, pondering this unexpected aspect of the afterlife.
Or was it the afterlife? The sounds slowly becoming audible to Bookh's ears seemed depressingly familiar. Screams, shouts and muffled explosions of the elemental attack on Thunder Bluff continued unabated, though sounding oddly different.
How in the world did I survive that? Bookh wondered, cautiously gathering strength, and beginning to stir. Bookh's limbs didn't seem to be responding quite correctly - everything felt strange.
"Don't move too quickly, mon...I mean... FEL!" Ka'puna sounded distraught, and Bookh felt the gentle restraint of hands on shoulders. Ah, that explains it, Bookh thought. Ka'puna must have found a healer from the Browncoats to come and pull Bookh from the very jaws of death. It was certainly well beyond her capability to cast a proper healing spell.
Bookh's eyes opened, blinking, finding focusing a chore - especially since Ka'puna's face was filling Bookh's vision. They were virtually nose to nose. Bookh lifted a hand to gently push Ka'puna away, but froze, mid-motion. Where there should have been a large, Tauren hand was now a much smaller three-fingered one. Ka'puna sat back, eyes wide, and shaking as she stared at her teacher.
"Whaa...?" Instead of the normal baritone, a mellow alto voice came out of Bookh's mouth. Bookh turned a penetrating stare on Ka'puna, who shrank back into the corner.
"I couldn't find any of da Browncoats, mon...uh...Bookh," Ka'puna looked crestfallen. "After I dragged ya in here, I tried, I really did try to find 'em, but everyone be busy with dese elementals." She cleared her throat nervously as Bookh's silent scrutiny urged her to continue. "Well, I remembered what ye be tellin me 'bout healin, how healthy bodies be in proper balance with nature and all. But then ya stopped breathin, so I tried to bring ya back into balance. And, well, I kinda used myself as a model of healthy balance..." Ka'puna trailed off again, waiting for this to sink in.
Bookh's eyes closed in a silent prayer for patience to the Earth Mother. Opening them again after a long moment, Bookh began a brief self-examination. Hands: three-fingers, much smaller than before. Feet: In place of hooves, three broad toes. And where did my lovely tail go? Bookh thought with a sigh. Streching, hmm, body feels a bit stiff, but not bad, certainly healed up, but not quite...right.
Then Bookh placed a hand on a chest was that no longer wounded, but also decidedly feminine.
"Oh my!" Bookh winced slightly as her new voice grated on her ears. She turned and looked at Ka'puna, who grinned tentatively back at her.
"What is da Cap'n gonna say to dis?" Bookh wondered out loud...
Showing posts with label Cataclysm Lore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cataclysm Lore. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Going Home (Part 2)
Bookh smiled as they stood at the railing of the zeppelin, watching the lush, green plains of Mulgore unfold beneath them.
“There is my birthplace," he pointed as they flew over Bloodhoof Village. He turned to look at his student, Ka'puna. He was looking forward to showing her many of the places he'd explored in his youth. He hoped that the peacefulness of his home would have a calming effect, and help the young Troll learn more focus in her druidic studies.
"I've never been so far from da Echo Isles before" Ka'puna muttered. "Orgrimarr was awful excitin' - what about 'dis Thunder Bluff place?"
The zeppelin was just beginning to dock at Thunderbluff Mesa, and Bookh chuckled softly. "Thunder Bluff is much more peaceful of a place, little one. You will find it a quiet..."
Bookh's words trailed off as his eyes widened in amazement. The normally silent mesa top was awash with clusters of elementals and Tauren defenders locked in combat. Elemental rifts dotted the entire city, as far as Bookh could see. As they cautiously disembarked from the zeppelin, a loud rumbling behind them caused them to turn quickly. A rift had formed virtually on top of them, and earthen elementals surged towards them.
The battle was brief, but violent. The two druids stood back to back in bear form, battling the stone elementals. Swipe, maul, growl, the two of them efficiently turning the hulking rock-like creatures into sprays of pebbles. They had defeated nearly all of them with swipes of their great furred paws, when a unlucky blow from the last, dying elemental sent Bookh flying backwards, even as the elemental burst into fragments. Ka'puna let out a roar of protest and ran to her fallen teacher.
Bookh faded in and out of consciousness as Ka'puna, still in bear form, dragged his bleeding body to shelter in a nearby tent. Tears ran down the young Troll's face as she vainly attempted to staunch the bleeding, but it was no use.The wound had torn through Bookh's armor and deep into his chest. Bookh shook his head slowly and struggled to speak one last time.
"Seek out the Browncoats, little one," Bookh gasped, the blood from his ghastly wound beginning to choke his breathing. "They will....protect you."
His last fleeting thought as he slipped towards death was a prayer to the Earth Mother that Ka'puna would survive this madness...
“There is my birthplace," he pointed as they flew over Bloodhoof Village. He turned to look at his student, Ka'puna. He was looking forward to showing her many of the places he'd explored in his youth. He hoped that the peacefulness of his home would have a calming effect, and help the young Troll learn more focus in her druidic studies.
"I've never been so far from da Echo Isles before" Ka'puna muttered. "Orgrimarr was awful excitin' - what about 'dis Thunder Bluff place?"
The zeppelin was just beginning to dock at Thunderbluff Mesa, and Bookh chuckled softly. "Thunder Bluff is much more peaceful of a place, little one. You will find it a quiet..."
Bookh's words trailed off as his eyes widened in amazement. The normally silent mesa top was awash with clusters of elementals and Tauren defenders locked in combat. Elemental rifts dotted the entire city, as far as Bookh could see. As they cautiously disembarked from the zeppelin, a loud rumbling behind them caused them to turn quickly. A rift had formed virtually on top of them, and earthen elementals surged towards them.
The battle was brief, but violent. The two druids stood back to back in bear form, battling the stone elementals. Swipe, maul, growl, the two of them efficiently turning the hulking rock-like creatures into sprays of pebbles. They had defeated nearly all of them with swipes of their great furred paws, when a unlucky blow from the last, dying elemental sent Bookh flying backwards, even as the elemental burst into fragments. Ka'puna let out a roar of protest and ran to her fallen teacher.
Bookh faded in and out of consciousness as Ka'puna, still in bear form, dragged his bleeding body to shelter in a nearby tent. Tears ran down the young Troll's face as she vainly attempted to staunch the bleeding, but it was no use.The wound had torn through Bookh's armor and deep into his chest. Bookh shook his head slowly and struggled to speak one last time.
"Seek out the Browncoats, little one," Bookh gasped, the blood from his ghastly wound beginning to choke his breathing. "They will....protect you."
His last fleeting thought as he slipped towards death was a prayer to the Earth Mother that Ka'puna would survive this madness...
Lessons (Part 1)
Bookh was perplexed. He normally loved working with younger druids…but this new one…
He frowned slightly as he examined the cloudy alchemical mess in the vial before him.
“Well, mon? How’d I do? Is it…” The young Troll’s voice faltered to a stop. Ka’puna’s face still beamed with innocent enthusiasm, but she recognized that look on her teacher’s face – all too well.
Bookh cleared his throat, his frown deepening. He looked sternly into Ka’puna’s eyes. “You must focus, young one. The forces of nature are not to be toyed with. This….” he lifted the vial of what should have been a healing potion, “…is more likely to turn your patient into a frog than to bring them wholeness.”
Ka’puna stifled a giggle, but nodded obediently and under Bookh’s continued scrutiny, began working with a fresh batch of herbs.
Bookh’s mind wandered as he supervised the young Troll druid’s efforts. His face softened slightly as he remembered another young druid, his adopted 'sister’ the Night Elf Kitsubi, from so very long ago. Although in the Cenarion Circle race was supposedly not an issue for those who followed the druidic way, it had been unusual for a Tauren and a Night Elf to bond as closely as they had. Kit had faced similar struggles with focus as Ka’puna was now facing, to the point of nearly fainting every time she tried to heal someone. A proud smile fleetingly crossed Bookh’s face as he recalled the last message he had received from his little ‘Firey Fox.’ She and her companions had celebrated a number of victories in the battle within Icecrown Citadel, and she had finally come into her own as a healer, easily keeping her friends healed and fighting strong.
He sighed deeply, thinking sadly of the long grueling conflict in Northrend, of friends fallen or turned by the unholy evil of the Lich King into walking abominations. He was proud of the Browncoats and their role in the defeat of Arthas, but he was more than ready for a time with less conflict. That didn’t seem to be coming any time soon, however. The defeat of Zalazane during the battle for the Echo Isles, which also brought the surprising revelation of Troll druids, was still causing waves throughout the Cenarion Circle. There was unrest within the Horde, and the elements themselves seemed to be in rebellion…
A puff of smoke from the worktable in front of him brought his thoughts back to the room with a sudden jolt.
“Hmmm. Dat shouldn’t have done dat.” Ka’puna’s thoughtful frown was obscured by the ashy residue from the exploded potion, turning her normal bluish features into a solid mask of grey.
In spite of himself, Bookh began laughing…
He frowned slightly as he examined the cloudy alchemical mess in the vial before him.
“Well, mon? How’d I do? Is it…” The young Troll’s voice faltered to a stop. Ka’puna’s face still beamed with innocent enthusiasm, but she recognized that look on her teacher’s face – all too well.
Bookh cleared his throat, his frown deepening. He looked sternly into Ka’puna’s eyes. “You must focus, young one. The forces of nature are not to be toyed with. This….” he lifted the vial of what should have been a healing potion, “…is more likely to turn your patient into a frog than to bring them wholeness.”
Ka’puna stifled a giggle, but nodded obediently and under Bookh’s continued scrutiny, began working with a fresh batch of herbs.
Bookh’s mind wandered as he supervised the young Troll druid’s efforts. His face softened slightly as he remembered another young druid, his adopted 'sister’ the Night Elf Kitsubi, from so very long ago. Although in the Cenarion Circle race was supposedly not an issue for those who followed the druidic way, it had been unusual for a Tauren and a Night Elf to bond as closely as they had. Kit had faced similar struggles with focus as Ka’puna was now facing, to the point of nearly fainting every time she tried to heal someone. A proud smile fleetingly crossed Bookh’s face as he recalled the last message he had received from his little ‘Firey Fox.’ She and her companions had celebrated a number of victories in the battle within Icecrown Citadel, and she had finally come into her own as a healer, easily keeping her friends healed and fighting strong.
He sighed deeply, thinking sadly of the long grueling conflict in Northrend, of friends fallen or turned by the unholy evil of the Lich King into walking abominations. He was proud of the Browncoats and their role in the defeat of Arthas, but he was more than ready for a time with less conflict. That didn’t seem to be coming any time soon, however. The defeat of Zalazane during the battle for the Echo Isles, which also brought the surprising revelation of Troll druids, was still causing waves throughout the Cenarion Circle. There was unrest within the Horde, and the elements themselves seemed to be in rebellion…
A puff of smoke from the worktable in front of him brought his thoughts back to the room with a sudden jolt.
“Hmmm. Dat shouldn’t have done dat.” Ka’puna’s thoughtful frown was obscured by the ashy residue from the exploded potion, turning her normal bluish features into a solid mask of grey.
In spite of himself, Bookh began laughing…
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