World of Warcraft®

Zherron awoke on a cold floor, his head throbbing like mad, like he had hit his head on it. Light knows, maybe he had. The last thing he remembered was having one last little chat with Cyrus, just outside the Recluse. Genevra had said that she would speak to him - but Zherron had found him first. Cautious, but then deciding "screw it," he prepared himself for the confrontation.

He was not prepared for the knock-out drop. He made a mental note to figure out what the hell it had been, and try to develop some kind of resistance...

As he came unsteadily to his feet, he looked up - into the scarred visage of King Varian Wrynn. The King and his guards gazed at him with slightly widened eyes...and then the guards started laughing like mad. Zherron shivered and ran his hands across his bare arms --

Bare arms?

He looked down - and realized that Cyrus had taken his leather armor and his father's hammer...and dumped him in King Varian's throne room. His tanned face went boiled-lobstrok red as he shifted into his feline form and ran, the laughter following him all the way out the main gates of Stormwind Keep.

Of all the things he had expected, this was not it.

(And, as proof: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v120/joshmaul-001/CyrusPunishment.jpg)

Zherron had left Stormwind quickly after that, fleeing across the sea to Darnassus. There, he had met with Amendera, who was on her way to the dock at his behest to take the ship to Stormwind herself, to stand with Genevra after her near-death experience. "Dera."

When she saw he was in his feline form, she raised a curious eyebrow. "Problem?"

Zherron led her into a small clearing away from the bustle of the town, then returned to his worgen form - as she realized he was not wearing anything but skivvies. She gazed at him curiously, wondering what had happened. He looked somewhat embarassed as he said, "It's a bit of a long story. Needless to say, I will probably not be showing my face in Stormwind for a bit." He briefly explained what had happened...and Amendera could not resist laughing when he finished. The Darnassian guards glanced in that direction several times, wondering what the hell was going on, but they made no move.

Zherron glared at her. "I'm glad to see you find this amusing, little wretch."

"I'm sorry, Eidan, it's just...damn, when you said you'd gone up in his face, I never thought..." Amendera held her sides and fell to her knees, her laughter was so hard. After a moment, she wiped her eyes and took deep breaths. "I'm sorry...go on."

"Now that you got that out of your system..." Zherron could not help but smile. "I have another task for you. It involves this...rather embarassing turn of events."

"Name it."

"Cyrus has my father's hammer. He took it from me when he...carried out his punishment. The leather outfit I was wearing, I can easily replace. But the hammer...I waited ten years to get it back, and I'm not about to let that damn brute keep it." He fixed her with his gaze. "I need you to get it back from him. You'll probably have no luck if you ask Cyrus himself, but there is one who might convnce him."

"Wait, wait. You want me, a teenage sword-swinger, to go before the master of the Ocheliad? I can see how that conversation will pan out. 'Pardon me, Lord Imperon, but my mentor made a complete ass of himself in front of one of your captains, and that captain took his father's hammer during the punishment...is there any way I can get it back?' If he even deigns to see me at all, he'll probably laugh!"

"Maybe. But this is what I ask of you, Dera. I trust no one more than you." Zherron fixed her with his gaze. "Can I count on you?"

Amendera met his eyes without flinching. Then, sighing, she nodded. "Very well, Packleader. I will do what I can."

"I know you will. Now off with you." Zherron watched her go with a hint of pride in his gaze. Perhaps pairing her with Genevra might be a good idea - the priestess' patience might start to rub off on her. He looked down at himself again and shifted back into his feline form as he sprinted back into Darnassus. First, to get my fighting gear out of the vault...