Gamaken appeared, the ground shaking as he landed. "Ah. This one apologizes for the ungraceful landing."
"Guard that one," said Jiraiya, pointing at their priestess. "The two on the ground are allies. Naruto is..."
"Naruto? Where is Naruto?" asked Gamaken.
"Got him, wide-area attack took care of his duplicates."
One Forsaken Warlock guarded while the other made marks on the child's forehead and then turned him over and made a similar one on his back along the spine. "That'll do it."
The other Warlock came forward and checked the work. "Good work. When he wakes up he should be paralyzed but aware of everything. Yeah, top notch work."
"Better living through alchemy," said the other.
"That's not what he's gonna say when we're through," replied the one Forsaken with what passed for a chuckle.
Dekthena groaned as she picked herself up. "Okay. Wasn't ready for an ambush by higher-levels."
"I'll have to rez our Hunter," said the Priestess. "I need to recover a bit first."
"What were those, and where did they take Naruto?" asked Jiraiya.
"The Hunter will be able to track them, they can't just Hearthstone if they're taking prisoners," said the Priestess, taking out a blue vial of something and uncorking it. She downed the contents in a single gulp.
Dekthena traced two sigils on her arm. "Communication channel. Local area. High level Horde group. Noted at least one Warlock, a Shaman, Death Knight, and Warrior. All too high over my level to read. They managed to capture a low-level of my group. Possibly slavers."
Jiraiya glanced at the draenei as she made that strange annoucement.
"Word's out, got acknowledgement, there are some high-level types around and they're passing word too," said Dekthena. "Jiraiya, why didn't you do a defense alert?"
"What exactly is that?" asked Jiraiya.
"You... genuinely don't know? But everyone knows how to do that," said Dekthena, obviously confused.
"Well, I don't," said Jiraiya, a bit testily.
"I just put out an alert that everyone in Duskwood could hear about that group," said Dekthena. "There are many people looking for them now."
WHAM! went a large blunt instrument.
"He moved," explained Gamaken, lifting his weapon off the crushed body of the Death Knight, which slowly faded to a skeleton.
"Death Knights are kind of dead to begin with," said Dekthena. "Anyway, there are many more powerful than us who are now looking for the escaping patrol. They are most likely fleeing to the East and the Swamp Of Sorrows or the South and Stranglethorn Vale. They can't just Portal unless they've got a Mage and they can't Hearthstone with a prisoner."
The Priestess stuck her head up, reacting to something she could hear. Jiraiya noticed Dekthena doing the same thing.
"They were spotted heading towards the South. Two Warlocks carrying a burden, with a Shaman," said Dekthena. "They're heading for the Vale."
"Let me get our Huntress back," said the Priestess.
"You might want to go ahead," said Dekthena. "How fast can you move?"
"Got it," said one of the Forsaken, making a gesture. A skeletal horse appeared in a puff of summoning smoke.
"Hmph," said the Shaman, likewise making a vehicle appear.
"A turbo trike? Those things are so smelly and make that annoying noise," said the other Forsaken as he summoned his own skele-horse.
"What do you care? Neither of you have noses," pointed out the Shaman.
"They might be able to track us by scent," pointed out the Warlock already mounted.
"Not possible," said the goblin Shaman. "Besides, we can make much better time with this. Anyone see the Death Knight?"
"Why would we even be looking for the orc?" asked a Warlock.
"Well, true, the less we have to split up the payment IS a good thing," admitted the goblin.
"Hey," said the Forsaken who hadn't mounted yet. "Our little prisoner is awake. Still good and paralyzed though. Wonder how you'll taste with a little bayleaf and paprika."
"I couldn't believe our good fortune when he charged in, following the paths our spells took, but then he tried to take all three of us on? Well, that'll teach him for being an idiot," chuckled the goblin. "Hurry up. They'll be alerted and looking for us now."
"We'll try to unseal his demon at the base, if we did it in Ogrimmar too many people would be horning in on the profit," said one of the Warlocks as he rode off.
Briefly the goblin wondered why the Warlock suspected that the tauren would be after it. In his experience, they weren't particularly profit-oriented or interested in demonic beings. Eh, undead. Who could figure 'em?
Jiraiya added the "Mount Summoning" jutsu to the list of ones he had to inquire about. Dekthena had summoned some large riding animal, which had increased her speed quite a bit.
The Priestess on the other hand, had summoned some eagle-lion creature and quickly become airborne. Only the fact that she was the least inclined to fight on the frontlines kept her from racing ahead of them.
Then there were the others. A giant hawk carrying someone, up at a height that made judging anything else hard to tell. Someone else riding a long jade dragon of some kind. A short guy that looked somehow familiar riding a horse made of fire. Another short guy, this one riding a mechanical bird? And others, with a very strange variety represented.
Was that a bear? And a weirdly deformed horse with some tumor on its back? A rug that had somehow been crafted so that it allowed someone to fly?
"Are these allies?" asked Jiraiya, leaping down and keeping pace with Dekthena long enough for simple communication.
"Yeah, for the moment at least," said Dekthena. "How can you run so fast in wooden clogs?"
"Practice," answered Jiraiya with what he thought of as a charming grin.
"What in the hell have you lot been up to?" asked the goblin in charge, Nez'raz by name.
"What makes you think we're up to anything?" asked the goblin Shaman.
"Puh-leez. I know you. The infamous goblin Shaman Nerton Wrenchworks," said Nez'raz. "Surprised you're anywhere near Booty Bay with that little gal at the tavern down there. You know what she's threatened to do if you ever show your face down there again?"
"I continue to protest my innocence in the whole affair," said Nerten, adjusting his hat a bit.
"Fat lot of good that'll do you if she catches you," said Nez'raz. He listened to something only he could hear for a moment. "Right. Blimp just left Ogrimmar. So tell me kiddos, what's the score?"
"We ain't cutting you in," grumbled a Warlock.
"And you are the twin Warlocks - Blackafee right?" asked Nez'raz.
"You spend a lot of time engaging in idle gossip?" asked one of the Blackafee Twins.
"Well, yeah," admitted Nez'raz. "I shoulda been a banker maybe, but this way I get fresh air and actually a lot of time to talk to people. Admit I'm mainly curious because that's the fourth combat griffon to circle the tower. If you guys is up to something NASTY - I gotta consider the safety of the blimp ya know."
"I thought they were 'Zeppelins'," said the other Blackafee Twin.
"They are, first one was built by a goblin named Zeke Zeppelin, so they're named after him," said Nez'raz. "He passed the secrets on, but it was his grandson Led who really caused 'em to take off. Take off, get it? I kill me sometimes."
"They're gathering," noted Nerton. "Four combat griffons, three dragons, one of those sparkly horses, and a..."
"DRUID!" yelled one of the Blackafee Twins, throwing bolts of dark magic at the stairwell.
"No, I think it's one of those spinny disc things from Pandaria," said Nerton.
"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE SHOOTING!" came a gruff voice from inside the tower.
"Oh hell," said Nez'raz. "I gotta warn the 'Iron Eagle' off. Can't set down in no fire fight."
Nerton accidently kicked Nez'raz off the tower, wondering why the things didn't have safety rails to prevent 'accidents' like this from happening. "Blimp's coming."
"Fire fight!" declared the other Warlock, setting most of the tower's top alight.
"Not while we're standing here, ya dinkus!" swore Nerton.
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(Posted Sat, 18 May 2013 16:28)
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