Through the Looking Fountain

“Anslym! Let go, you’re hurting me!” Kylinda complained as she used her free hand to attack the vice grip Anslym had on her other hand.

“No, I know you we’re put up to this.  If I wanted a travelling companion I would have written a letter to Nobundo or the Earthen Ring, but never would I ever want a Paladin as a travelling companion.”

Kylinda finally got her hand back once they were by the canal that separated the trade district from the old town.  All the other patrons of Stormwind seemed oblivious to their argument.  Blinking back tears, gritting her teeth, and steeling her courage she began to respond.

“Do you think I wanted to come all the way from The Exodar to find some washed out Paladin who resorted to squatting in the dirt and whispering to himself?  If you ask me you’re and idiot for not staying with the Light, tell me was it worth it?”  Kylinda cringed as she heard the words pouring out of her mouth.  She couldn’t help herself, seeing such a promising vindicator just drop out of their faith and turn to something so primal and prehistoric. 

“Squatting in the dirt and whispering to himself? Nice, classy even.  I was there cleaning up the Argent Crusade’s mess up in Northrend.  I ascended those cursed halls, I took down the Lich King’s lieutenants. I was there!  Now when the Azeroth needs Shamans and Druids the most I’m being prosecuted for my change in faith?”  Anslym felt sick, this paladin didn’t do anything, she was most likely just a pawn in some larger scheme of things; she was just a face at the way his people worked.  The Light was renowned, the elements were tolerated.

“I know you were there, no one was calling into question your heroic acts in Northrend, it’s just…” Kylinda bit her lip.

“It’s just what!? Answer me this one question, why do you care what happens to some washed out Paladin, as you said before?” Anslym was genuinely curious to see if it just was a plan and it was all out of her hands or if she indeed played some part in it.

“I don’t care,” That was a lie.  The very fact of it was that the only reason Kylinda was a Paladin was because when she was a lost teenager, an orphan in one of the many Draenei settlements that dotted Outland, she had no idea what she was going to do.  It was during the months that the Orcs began attacking that she was sitting in the town square when a group of Paladins marched through the town square.  When she saw one particular Paladin with his dark hair pulling back into a ponytail, a heavy jewel encrusted mace in one hand, and a thick tome in the other she knew what she was going to do.  She scurried through the throngs of people gathering at the town square where the Paladin’s were giving blessings she asked the Paladin his name.

“Anslym,” he replied.

And now he doesn’t even remember me thought Kylinda.

“Where are you taking me?”

“To the fountain to get to the bottom of this.”

Once they arrived at the fountain Anslym began digging into his various bags pulling out a mortar and pestle and a large variety of different herbs and began crushing them and pounding them together with such force Kylinda was surprised that he hadn’t cracked the bowl yet.  Anslym was muttering under his breath but the only words she could make out were: “Light”, “Velen”, “Journey”, and numerous curse words.

“What are you going to do with that?” Kylinda asked, genuinely interested in some of the shamanistic ways.

“I’m going to squat in some dirt with it,” Anslym retorted.  Kylinda said something that sounded a lot like “Sucking glass bowl” but he didn’t pay any attention to it.  Once he was satisfied with the powder he made is grabbed some between his fingers and he sprinkled it into the water of the fountain.

“I just hope he’s close by,” Anslym muttered.

“Who?”

“You’ll see,” Anslym said as a grin touched his lips, I’d like to see her precious light do this.  The water became very still and slowly a form started to take shape.

“Anslym? Is that you?” a familiar voice asked.

“It is indeed Nobundo, it’s been a while.”

“Has it?” he replied nervously, “Any particular-,” Anslym grabbed Kylinda’s arm and pulled her into view of the fountain, “Ah. I see you met Kylinda. And you Anslym, Kylinda.”

“Yeah, and he’s very grabby,” she said wrenching her arm out of his grasp.  Anslym and Nobundo began conversing in common, and once Anslym got angry he started speaking quickly in the Draenei native tongue.  Kylinda was eavesdropping on their conversation till both of them looked at her and back at each other.  They then began talking in a language that she had never heard before, it sounded like the crackling of flames.  She was just about to ask what they were talking about when she heard Nobundo say her name.

Well I guess that answers that question.  These herbs work like magic, it’s almost as if a mage opened a portal.  I wonder if I can go through it, if I just poke it with my finger……

Kylinda poked her finger straight into the water, as it turns out it did not work like a portal.  Although it did something even stranger.  A light began radiating from her finger and it seemed to affect the image on the surface of the water and another image began to form.

“I should have known you had some hand in this, Velen,” Anslym said to the form that Kylinda had just conjured.

“I see you met Kylinda, I hope you too got along-“

“No. I won’t do it, I won’t take her in.  I won’t train her, and I most certainly will not be travelling with her. Does she even know?”

Know what?!?

“You know as well as I that, that isn’t my story to tell.  Just as her story isn’t mine to tell you. I’m also assuming you paid no heed to what she was sent to you for?”

“I didn’t get that far, Prophet.  He dragged me to this fountain before I can tell him.”

“Anslym I’m not sentencing you two to eternity together.  It seems Mount Hyjal could use some healing, especially in the areas that were affected by the inferno.”

“It’s true, the leader of the Earthen Ring, Thrall has begun summoning Shamans there.  Arch-Druid Stormrage has also begun recalling Druids there as well.  It seems both are trying to heal the world tree.”

“And what about her?” Anslym pointed a thumb over his shoulder, “She’s neither shaman nor Druid.”

“There are many injured there, she is going to assist in healing.  Also there have been rumours of a demon that has been let loose,” Velen replied gently, “Will you go?”

“Fine, only because I have friends there,” Anslym said turning away from Velen to Nobundo, “May the spirits heed your call.”

“And yours as well,” he replied as Anslym walked towards the Trade District.

“May the light give you strength,” Kylinda said to each of the Draenei and Broken in the fountain as she turned and ran after Anslym.

“Do you think they’ll make it there in one piece?” Nobundo asked Velen as the image in the fountain began to falter.

“I don’t doubt the light in both their hearts.”

In the Cards

Stalkuren followed Anslym to the Hero’s Call board in the middle of the Trade district.  Anslym took out a bit of parchment from his bag and scribbled down a note on the scrap and placed it against the board.

“I don’t suppose you have a nail or something?” Anslym asked as he kept he hand firmly on the paper.

“No, but I think I have an idea.” Stalkuren called upon his druidic powers.  The air slowly began swirling around him as his fingers and toes began to grow longer and longer.  His skin began to dry and harden into a tough brown skin.  His hair began to bunch up and turned into leaves.  Where Stalkuren had just been standing a treant was now rooted.

“How’s that going to help anything?” Anslym muttered.  The treant formerly known as Stalkuren motioned to the parchment.  Anslym handed him the note which he promptly turned over.  With a sharp inhale of breath the treant horked right onto it and stuck it to the board.

“Done,” Stalkuren said once he transformed back, noticing Anslym’s face, “What?”

“There is a special level of disgust I have for you right now,” Anslym said, eyes shifting from the note back to Stalk.

“What? It’s just-“

“Don’t…. just don’t!” Anslym called over his shoulder as he stomped away.

“…..sap.”

                                *                             *                             *                             *                             *

Having finally read Stalkuren his cards it was evident that he was going to have a lot of work to do with Zen’kiki.  He took of fairly quickly after his fortune leaving Anslym alone to ponder the Heart of Hakkar and why it was flashing.  Was it possible that something was going on at the ruins of Zul’Gurub?  Before putting any deeper thought into it Anslym had his first customer.  A night elf mage had stopped by Anslyms little place by the lake to get his fortune read.

“Hello there,” Anslym said as the mage approached and knelt.

“Greetings, I’m here to get my fortune told,” the mage stated.

“Yup, now it’s a standard 25 gold piece price for a five card reading, and any additional cards are 10 more gold pieces,”

“That’s not a problem,” the mage said as he dropped a sack of gold beside Anslym.

Anslym laid out the 72 elemental cards.  They each had a meaning that Anslym could read for his clients.  They were divided into two castes the minor and major arcane.  The minor arcane had four classes: Tsunami, Earthquake, Hurricane, and Volcano.  The cards spanned the numbers one to ten.  The lower major arcane spanned from knights, to elemental furies, to finally elemental lords.  The higher major arcane spanned the unique cards that didn’t fit into any of the elements.  The cards included: The hermit, wheel of fortune, the hierophant and so on.

The mage was instructed to pick any cards that seemed to draw his hand.  He said that some of the cards felt as cold as ice, while others burned when touched.  He ended up pulling out: Justice, High priestess Tyrande, Knight of Earth, Karazhan Tower, and The Jester. 

When all the cards were read together the message became clear.  The high priestess represents mysteries and secrets, and a time to follow your instincts. The knight of Earth is a card that shows patience paying off.  Karazhan is a card that lets the individual know that a lie they have been telling themselves is  finally going to end and the Jester is a card of change.  Turns out the mage was tired of working with the magic of frost and these were the signs that pointed him to a change into the fire element.

Anslym’s next customer was a gnome tinker, her cards were: Eight of Water, Four of Air, The Emperor, Eight of Fire, and Five of Fire.

Eight of Water means the abandonment because of disappointment meanwhile the Four of Air brigns a feel good factor into play, a sense of contentment with oneself and life.  The Emperor signifies financial stability, stability, ambition, authority, and also achievement.  The Eight of Fire means you have feelings of restriction; fear is preventing you from moving forward.  The last card the gnome pulled was the Five of Fire, meaning the gnome was carrying a sense of deceit around with her.   The cards aligned and the gnome hurried off mutter something about throwing down her wrench and heading straight toward the Cathedral of Light.

Anslym was just about to close up shop, his gold bag had a nice heft to it, when another Draenei approached him.

“Do you have time for one more?” she asked politely as she strode toward him.

“Well of course, young one,” Anslym said as he seated himself down and spread the cards out again, “Pick the ones that speak to you.”

The Draenei, who happened to be a paladin, began reaching for the cards, she pulled out: Incineratus the Elemental Fury of Fire, The Gryphon, Eight of Earth, Five of Water, and Seven of Air.  As Anslym put the rest of the cards into his bag he only left out the five she chose.  Once those were the only ones an aura of light began to radiate up off of them.  Anslym gasped.

“Afraid of the Light, Shaman?” The paladin asked with distain, “You should be, the Light doesn’t take kindly to those who abandon it to go whispering to the unseen, to those who go and play with cards.”

“What business is it of you what I do? Who are you!?” Anslym asked outrage

“My name is Kylinda, I came here to see if the rumours are true, if a once great paladin of the light has fallen from grace.”

The light grew more intense bringing their attention back to the cards.

“What do they say, Shaman?”

“Your first card, Incineratus the elemental fury of fire means you are a woman who has known suffering in the past. Inner strength is something you have achieved because of it.  You’re independent you don’t rely on anyone for stability or to be taken care of.  You are a strong and independent woman.  You’re an excellent champion for the light.  You enjoy being challenged with even the most impossible tasks.  You’re a people’s champion.  You’re also someone not to pick an argument with.  Basically your another stuck-up, hard headed paladin.  Your second card, The Gryphon means you’re going to be taking a trip.  The Eight of Earth is an apprenticeship card. You’ll be learning new skills or trades.  The Five of Water signifies you will have feelings of disappointment, you feel somewhat betrayed and someone has turned their back on you.  And finally The Seven of Air means that your idea’s a beliefs of your precious Light will be challenged, which I would gladly do for yo-. Wait, a trip, you think I betrayed you by leaving the Light, Me challenging your beliefs.  No. Absolutely not!  Who sent you?”

“I-, no one, The Light.”  Anslym set his jaw when he saw how hesitant she was being.

“Velen.”  Anslym shoved the cards in his bag, grabbed Kylinda by the wrist and began dragging her towards the city.

“Where are you taking me? Let go!”

Boxed in at the Bank

Landing on the warm stones that lay basking in the sun before the Stormwind bank, Anslym and Stalkuren transformed out of their avian forms.

“It seems busy; would you want to grab something at an inn and wait till some people leave?” Stalkuren asked as he looked into the crowded bank. The velvet ropes that marked off lines for patrons of the bank were full beyond capacity.

“For someone who is thousands of years old, you sure are impatient.”

As they walked inside they each felt a sudden chill through the air.  A Gnome Death Knight cut in between them.  She held a bone in one hand and some dust in the other.

“Rot the flesh from their bones I will,” she squeaked, “Holding all my money because of suspicious activity.  So I invest a few thousand gold pieces that I looted off that noble, it’s not like he needed it!  Nope, not a single copper can be moved, not a single one!  I tried to explain it to them, it wasn’t a gift! It was his, and then something….. happened and he didn’t need it anymore, the gold was ownerless!.” 

She threw the dust on the ground before she stuck some of her pink hair behind her ear and put her helmet on as she continued ranting as she headed off towards the inn.

“Something happened?” Anslym asked.

“Was ownerless?” Stalkuren replied in shock.

The line seemed to not be moving at all so they both took a seat as they began their wait.  Stalk perched on the edge of the stone bench as Anslym took a seat next to a Dwarf that has tattoo markings that sprawled along his face.  It was a tight fit.

“I know, it’s crowded in here.  You’re a pebble for Therazane’s sake! Shouldn’t you get used to it?”  The Dwarf said in a language that sounded like stones tumbling down a hill.  The little earth elemental grabbed onto the dwarf’s thigh and squeezed.

“Ouch!” the Dwarf yelled as he jumped back and knocked his elbow off of Anslym’s shoulder guard.

“It seems to me that you’re stuck between a rock and a hard shoulder brace,” Anslym replied to the injured Dwarf.  The Dwarf chortled as the rock elemental laughed so loudly it sounded like a cascade of marbles on a hard surface.

On the other side of the bank a Human Hunter was cleaning out her gun as her pet wolf jumped onto her lap and the gun went off, the bullet embedding  itself into the ceiling.  The bank went silent, until.

“You stupid mutt! How many times do I haff’ta tell you not to do that! I could have blown someones bloody head off!  That’s it, I’m taking you to the stable master and as everyone one in this bank as my witness I’m going to cut of something VERY important!” The wolf just slinked under the bench, tail between its legs; protecting himself from the ever feared Mei Francis.   As a Worgen at the back of the bank yelled, gave the evil eye to the hunter, and left the bank clutching his goods.

A Banker rushed to assess the damage done by the rogue bullet, meanwhile the bank regained some of its usual volume.  Deeming that no real damage had been done, the banker was making his way back to the teller station when he happened upon Anslym.

“Master Anslym?”

“Indeed.”

“We were hoping you would come in soon.  We have a situation that requires your immediate attention.  If you would please come with me, your friend can accompany us as well if you permit it.”  Anslym and Stalkuren both followed the teller passed the outraged crowds of people who had spent their morning waiting.

They passed a Night Elf Rogue leaning against a wall, she was picking at her nails with a dagger that looked sinisterly sharp.

“He’s paying his debt now,” she said to the teller that was in front.

“Excellent, I hope he wasn’t difficult to track down.”

“Nah,” she shrugged as she cracked her knuckles, “cried like a little girl though.”

                *                             *                             *                             *                             *

“Who was that?” Stalk asked the teller.

“We don’t have a name on her.  She comes in every now and again in need of money, she offers to go out and collect debts for the people who think they can get away with it.”

“You said it was a matter of utmost importance.”

“Ah yes, well as you can see we did some major renovations here and when we were redoing the vault your deposit box came loose and emptied out all over the floor.  It’s bank policy that we only collect what was spilt and the owner needs to put back what was lost.”

“Alright shouldn’t be a problem, there was nothing in there that was too…. volatile.”

“No, it’s just the number of items that was stored inside the vault is numerous.”  The teller said as he led them into a room that was filled with items that went from baskets of wilted flowers, to a giant helmet that was used to filter radiation, to items he had acquired from Northrend and the Outlands.

“I hope you didn’t have plans for the afternoon.”

Stalkuren groaned.

                      *                             *                             *                             *                             *

After many hours of cleaning, trying on, throwing out and putting away Anslym discovered two things.  First of which was what brought him to the bank in the first place, his deck of cards and second of all a heart shaped gem.  It was a gem he had discovered during his times in Stranglethorn Vale, or more accurately, Zul’Gurub.  It seemed to be pulsating a faint light, slowly and surely but still there.  Just like a heartbeat.  With the Heart of Hakkar and his cards clutched tightly under his arms he strode out of the bank into the sunlight and somewhere far off another Draenei was watching him.

…And your mother!

The light was just shining a few feet about his head.  Anslym used his hoofed legs and tail to propel himself out of the water just at the edge of the dock in Stormwind.  His head broke the surface of the cold, slimy, harbour water and he greedily suck in air into his oxygen deprived lungs.  Pleading to the spirits, the water began swirling below him and eventually lifted him out of the water and onto the dock gracefully where the wind whipped around him drying his clothes and hair in a haphazard way.  Anslym would have made it to the dock fully dry had his water-walking spell not given out at the last moment.

“You useless piece of non-land, I should summon Ragnaros himself to evaporate you forsaken, wet, overgrown puddle!” Anslym ranted at the water. “As for those Naga at the bottom, I should pull the plug at the bottom of the ocean and watch them swirl around and be pulled into oblivion!  All those men died for no good reason.  I hope that bloody kraken…”

The dock workers and sailors though Anslym had hit the cups too hard (and they would know).

“… and your mother!”

“I leave you alone for a few weeks and you already go crazy,” said a familiar voice, laughing.

“Stalkuren!” Anslym turned to embrace his friend.  Stalk had been called away by the Wardens of Hyjal to protect the sacred land from the fire lord. Meanwhile the Earthen Ring had summoned Anslym to help out in the depths of Vashj’ir.  It hadn’t ended well.  Anslym’s ship was attacked just outside of the harbour and he was dragged away by Naga only to escape, battle some horde, and then lose the elemental lord of water to the Naga.

“How was Hyjal?” Anslym asked.

“Just as I remember it,” Stalkuren said, reminiscent, “Well it was a little scorched, but I took care of it. We forced Ragnaros back into the fire lands but it won’t be long before we have to face him again. How about Vashj’ir?”

“Your ancestors were less than hospitable.  They kidnapped the elemental lord and nearly killed me.”

“I hope you weren’t looking for an apology from me.”  Anslym gave a venomous look at Stalkuren, “I brought you some flowers that only grow up in Hyjal if that makes up for it?”

“It does,” Anslym said as he took the bag from him, he cringed as he looked inside; it looked like someone had just ripped them from the ground, “So what brings you to Stormwind other than to give me a bunch of Stormvine?”

“I’d rather not say out in the open.  Usual spot?”

“Sure.”

*                                             *                                             *                                             *

On top of one of the spires that dotted the sky above Stormwind’s keep sat Druid and Shaman, catching up on all that they had missed. 

“So the Cenarion Circle is sending me to the Eastern Plaguelands to train some druid by the name of Zen’kiki.  Apparently he is somewhat horrible when it comes to nature.”

“I remember Nobundo sent me to train a shaman by the name of Phendera, I still have the scars to prove it.  If I may ask why are you in Stormwind then?  If your destination is Eastern Plaguelands shouldn’t you have taken the boat from Theramore to Menethil harbour and just flown north?”

“Usually yes but it turns out that half of Menethil is under the sea after the Cataclysm and it isn’t safe to travel through the Barrens any longer, not that there was much security in it before anyway.”  It was true, the Barrens was primarily in Horde territory, to the North was Ashenvale forest, to the Northeast was Durotar and the primary city for the Horde, Ogrimmar, meanwhile to the west were the Tauren lands and the high bluffs of Thunderbluff.

“So how did you…,” Anslym trailed off.

“I travelled through Moonglade to Darnassus and then took a boat to Stormwind.  I then plan to take the Tram to Ironforge and get a flight to Menethil and from there travel to the plaguelands.  How did travelling the young shaman go?”

“Ah, well you see Phendera only had training in elemental style combat.  She tended to set searing totems down that attacked friends.  Her air abilities kept blowing her into things, and her earth bind totem rooted everything but its intended target.  I tried teaching her in the way of restoration but out in the field she kept missing us and healing our opposition.  Eventually she got so angry she threw down some totems that imbued her weapons with the elements and she began hacking away at the dummy till nothing was left.  She is now a proud member of the Earthen Ring as an enhancement shaman.”

“That’s nice a happy ending. I wonder what will happen with Zen’kiki.”

“There is a way to find out.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well I’ve been thinking how I can regain the gold I lost in Vashj’ir and I think it’s time to break out the cards.”

“You still have those things?” Stalkuren asked amazed.

“I think so, they must be somewhere inside my bank vault,” Anslym cringed when he thought back to all the things he had stored in there over the years.

“Well then let’s go!” Stalkuren said as he did a front flip off the roof turning into a storm crow and took off.  Before the storm crow faded from view Anslym dug into his bag and took out a potion, with a quick sip he too turning into a storm crow and raced off towards the Stormwind bank.