World of Warcraft®

((This is a follow on from Lynnie's post, "Learning from the Best"; thanks for letting me carry this on Ally side; I hope I do it justice in your eyes.))

Chancetta was tired. Not ready for sleep, no. Just tired from wrangling the over-excited orphans into their beds the night before Children’s Week began. Every year it was a tremendous task preparing both the children and the orphanage for the events of the week. This year Chance had been selected to get the kids to sleep so she knew it was going to be a long week.

Needing a breather, she stepped outside the orphanage and glanced across at the cathedral steps. A Pia guard (she assumed) was stationed there; perhaps it was the Lady Gentyl that she had conversed with a few weeks back. Hoping to have some light, refreshing, and adult conversation, Chancetta made her way across. As she approached it was clear that the lady mounted talbuk-back was not Gentyl.

But she was friendly, wishing Chance a good evening as she approached. The two chatted amiably as Chance unwound, enjoying Meriste’s company. It was just the medicine she needed, a light conversation: she mentioned her volunteer activities at the orphanage, they discussed their favorite aspects of Children’s Week, and Meriste mentioned the talbuk ranch that Meriste had worked with her father.

Meanwhile, another knight set up station across the stairs from the ladies, soon followed by another gentleman knight (apparently an officer or superior at least), and then by Lady Gentyl. As it appeared a dressing down might be in progress, Chancetta moved to the other side of Meriste’s talbuk to give the trio some semblance of privacy on the Cathedral Square.

Carrying on the conversation, they spoke of Chance’s duties at the orphanage, which was not where Chance wanted her thoughts; Ariene’s continued absence had been niggling at her for days now. Diverting the conversation and her own troubling thoughts, Chance asked after Meriste’s mother. “She passed with the Exodar crash,” Meriste confessed. Chance startled, shocked how the conversation chose to walk in the direction she would not have it.

While Chance offered her commiseration and Meriste mentioned a couple remembrances of her mother and said that she was choosing to live well in her mother’s memory, Gentyl and the officer wandered over leaving the original knight holding his post. Salutations, mostly in the form of salutes, were given all around except the gentleman ((Taelanas)) did not introduce himself to Chance, and then, even more peculiarly, pulled out a libram and buried himself in it while the conversation went on around him. “Odd,” thought Chance.

But obviously he was listening, for shortly after joining the ladies, and while the conversation refused to budge from death (to the detriment of Chance’s nerves), the gentleman looked up and spoke some platitudes on surviving, grief, and surviving grief. Chance wanted to just dismiss the fellow and his platitudes, but there were seeds of Light and Truth in what he said; Chance was quite surprised how they glimmered under a façade and was reminded of one of her first teachers, actually here at the Cathedral.

Chance was becoming unnerved and upset at the conversation. Not the people: Meriste in particular was quite kind, asking what troubled Chancetta on several occasions. But Chance just denied any trouble. Only once, staring over at the orphanage, whispering: “Her name was . . . is Ariene.” And if it hadn’t been for the echoes of Brother Ahvos that she heard when the gentleman knight spoke, things might have remained settled. However. He spoke.

“Running from pain and fear gave it power. The Light blesses those of courage who face what would do them harm.”

As when she was young, listening to the teachings of Brother Ahvos, so once again, the Light flared in just and virtuous words and overwhelmed her with judgment, guidance, and the promise of peace. “Excuse me, please,” she whispered and turned from the group, stumbling towards a seat by the fountain. Unable to make it there, she sank to the ground undone like she hadn’t been in decades, since she was new in her faith. Quickly, Meriste dismounted and raced to Chance’s side; under orders from the gentleman (apparently Meriste’s superior as well), she assisted Chance to the fountain bench, while he called for a member of the Watch.

((reserved))

((look forward to seeing where you go with it! :D ))

Abominus stood on a cliff face, overlooking Stone Talon Mountain. Behind him, Olak, the 5th orphan he had that day, huffed and puffed up the trail to reach Abominus.

"Ahhh, you made it, and only got ssslightly ssscratched when that wyvern wasss chasssing you, yesss. Not like little Becca, who wasss eaten by that lion in the Barrensss, yesss. Ssshe could not keep up, yesss. Ssso sssad, yesss..."

Olak shuddered at the remembrance, and looked about. The wind was cold up here, and as he shivered, he noticed that the monster who had "adopted" him for a day seemed unaffected by the temperatures, or the thin air. "Figures,", he thought. "Damned deadie doesn't need to breathe, or feel the cold. Still, nice view."

After about a minute, Abominus whistles. With a heavy flapping sound, Binky, his protdragon, heaves ponderously into view. The Maggot Lord leaps onto his saddle, and the dragon drops from sight. Dismayed, Olak leans over and looks down.

From a distance, he hears the voice of Abominus.

"Meet usss at the bottom, yesss. Watch out for ssspidersss, yesss...."

Sighing in weary resignation, Olak turns and trudges down the trail. A slight skittering noise goes unnoticed by the weary Orcling...
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Matron Battlewail glares at the Maggot Lord. This is the 6th time today that he is here, collecting another eager orphan. By her count, since the inception of Children's Week 7 years ago, he is directly responsible for the outright death or disfigurement of over 502 orphans, with 348 missing, presumed eaten. Something needs to be done.

*checks the Stormwind Cathedral Square Orphanage rolls to be sure that no City orphan was checked out to Abominus then sighs in relief*

((Ooooh, second part is nicely written. :3))

((Oh, Abominus. Those poor orphans.))

Gentyl had noticed Chancetta before. She was frequently among the orhpans, comforting them, leading them in games or songs. It was an impressive job with sometimes unruly children. Who could blame the little ones. They had lost everything.

Tonight, however, she had taken a break to come visit with them as they stood guard. She appeared friendly enough, but there was a cloud of worry about her. Something troubled her, something Meriste noticed also.