[M] Escape from Stranglethorn {IC}

[Splat]

Back at the camp, Brehkan grew increasingly worried. He paced around the growing fire, curling and uncurling his fingers around his warhammer nervously. It wasn't really Tekazra he was worried about, he knew full well she could handle herself in the wilderness. But he had a gnawing feeling in his gut that something was amiss in this jungle. It seemed Blackfang shared his instinct, as the tiger's fur stood on end and he began to pace back and forth. Brehkan wanted desperately to help, but he had been feeling quite useless since the crash. Around the two hunters in these wilds, he was out of his element.

The tauren debated going after his troll companion, itching to be of some use. But he knew full well he couldn't simply leave their camp and supplies unattended. He sighed deeply and forced himself to sit down and tend to the fire. Gazing into the flames, the tauren helped in the only way he could; he prayed to his ancestors for Tekazra's quick return.

Meanwhile, the aforementioned huntress continued after the demonic source of the trail. It stretched far into the forest, and Tekazra was ready to turn back and call upon Brehkan's aid just in case. But then her keen eyes spotted a familiar sight: the blue-green hue of troll skin peeked in between emerald leaves. It was Unoji, who seemed very focused upon something on the distance that Tekazra couldn't quite see from her angle. She didn't doubt, however, that it was the source of whatever demon made that path of destruction.

As if to confirm her suspicions, her ears caught a whisper of some strange language, like some incantation. Immediately afterwards, a glowing green eye floated towards them, surveyed the area around Unoji, and quickly zipped back out of view. It reeked of fel. Warlock... Tekazra thought grimly. Why did it always have to be the worst possible scenario?

The troll kept herself far away and hidden, still, hoping that orb didn't catch sight of her or Unoji's raptor nearby. Hopefully Unoji wouldn't need any backup, but if he did, she would be there to supply it.

[Atethecat]

Unoji’s keen ears vaguely picked up on the the voices of the warlock and the shadow priestess, though he could not make out all the words. It seemed as if the warlock was taking orders from her, something that surprised the Darkspear. From the little experience he had with the warlocks under Orgrimmar, he knew they were not ones to be commanded.

He was not entirely prepared to deal with this. There were three, the warlock that accompanied the draenei appeared to be much more powerful than the sorcerers he had faced during the wars on Outland and Northrend and he wasn't sure what to expect from the shadow priestess.

Fear consumed him, it was not the terror he went through at the first sight of legions of malformed demonic creatures, creatures he had long acclimated to. No, this was the fear of uncertainty, a fear he had soon to conquer and a fear he realized would follow him throughout this journey for survival.

The sound of hooves nearing closer did nothing to reassure him either. Draenei, Unoji attempted to stand tall, to make himself appear bigger, a common display among various species of beasts. The jungle troll feigned confidence as he moved to confront the Archpriestess, an...odd draenei. Not that she appeared morphologically differently from the few of those that his kind likened to blue goats.

Meanwhile Morgan stood, watching with little interest save for the possibility of the troll becoming hostile, in which case the Archpriestess could handle herself better than he could.

Assuming this troll was a native and not the tribe that followed the Horde, he would likely have not come alone, he was not an expert on the Stranglethorn tribes, but he knew well enough that they were deeply tribalistic and tended to move around together in the event of attacks from other tribes. The only things these savages hated more than outsiders were themselves and that would be the perfect tool to manipulate these primitive creatures to help us find this root-sapper or whatever he was called.

[Minkasha]

A’dal’s trickster sauntered behind Morgan’s magical guide, using her alien staff as support along the way. Leering, X’aaltha studied the Troll raise himself. The Draenei was seven feet, not shaken by the primal hunter’s body this man flaunted as dangerous. Danger was far less tangible than the muscles of his physique. Muddy hooves stopped and the Archpriestess was halted a few feet away from the man. How he didn’t rush to flee, nor to attack again. He was curious, paused by hesitation. The Troll was offering an invitation he surely did not know he was giving. X’aaltha hid her mischievous delight behind a smile. The sigil kept her face lit, approachable, even as her eyes held such lascivious femininity.

Carefully the Draenei reached out her unburdened hand. A lengthy, elegant limb extended forward, sharp blue nails fitting for the attention drawning gesture. In a fluid motion the hand turned palm up, fingers curling and opening through the subtle flourish. Her tail curved, stroking a golden-appearing chain of her armored knee pad, a small jingle entering the sounds of the forest. She was an odd pillar of unearthly designs, metals, and crystals.

“Hello young man,” The Dranei’s red lips spoke the Zandali language, “I am X’aaltha”

[Splat]

Tekazra sat silently in the brush, her keen eyes darting back and forth from Unoji to the group of mages. As she watched Unoji watch the strangers, she formulated a plan in her head. If dey don't sniff us out first, we got da element of surprise. Dey match us in number, if we count da raptor. Plus, dat little horned-one don't seem too much of a problem. The huntress crinkled her nose. It be dat damned warlock I be worried about. Her eyes fixed upon the Worgen. She was prepared for the worst, but the thought crossed her mind that perhaps these strangers weren't hostile. They seemed stranded, just as they had been. But even so, Tekazra had no reason to trust them. Especially if they dealt with fel.

Alright, if we just stay quiet, we might be able to hear their plans, and maybe figure out if dey be... The troll's thoughts trailed off as she noticed movement. Unoji had risen from his hidden position and was now approaching the trio. If she was not trying to be quiet, Tekazra would have shouted at him. You be playin' into their hand, I be sure of it! Now you got no advantage of stealth, ya fool! She wrestled with her decisions. Should she follow him, revealing herself to potential enemies? Or wait behind, leaving the other troll vulnerable to attack? As she waited, it seemed Unoji was approached first by the tall, eerie Draenei. There was something off-putting about that woman, but Tekazra couldn't place it.

With a scowl, Tekazra knocked an arrow into her bow and kept it at the ready. She would not reveal herself just yet, like that thick-skulled Unoji. But she would provide a well-aimed shot into a Worgen's skull if it so required. Luckily for her, patience was not something the huntress lacked.

[Atethecat]

The Darkspear was surprised to hear his tongue, albeit accented, being spoken by a non-troll, much less a race that had only recently settled on Azeroth. Balling up his fist and placing it on his chest, he mustered enough courage to introduce himself, responding in the fluent, but unique Stranglethorn accent of Zandali that all jungle trolls spoke in.

“I am Unoji of the Darkspear...know that you are not the first of your kind that I have encountered and if you wish for conflict, you will not be the first of your kind to fall to my bow.”

Unoji masked his uncertainty or at least he desperately attempted to. These three seemed to not be Alliance or if they were they must have been ignorant of the tribal politics of jungle trolls. Maybe not considering this strange draenei’s knowledge of Zandali, though he had more important questions to ask.

[Minkasha]

A long drawn out sigh escaped from X’aaltha’s supple lips. The Draenei Archpriestess shifted her staff over to the other hand, retrieving her held out invitation. A’dal’s sigil wavered, broken by her weapon which had passed so close to her head. Returning pure and undisturbed, the glowing mark of enlightenment graced her face. Locks of brown wrapped around her left horn as she cocked her head in the same direction. Freefalling tentacles behind her ear brushed against her blue collarbone. Unoji was indeed young. Did he not know violence was not the way? X’aaltha had to admit her knowledge of this world’s history was near nonexistent – focused squarely on power. She had put her academia into studying Zandali for her quest here, but what else was of Stranglethorn Vale was woefully left for her to discover.

“Please, let us use words. I know only some. I am sorry” The alien woman’s speech of the Azeroth tongue came with a slow melodic drawl of the vowels. “These forests are wild. They do not know Alliance or Horde, do they Unoji?”

[Atethecat]

“These forests are wild. They do not know Alliance or Horde, do they Unoji?”

The Darkspear was a little offput by the draenei’s questions. Rarely did non-trolls ever look at these jungles in a lens outside of conquest.

Continuing the conversation in Zandali, he replied. “Many have tried to tame these lands, Horde, Alliance, but all have never truly taken these lands. Stormwind wants to annex the South and the Horde seeks to set up trade routes.”

“Now tell me draenei, why have ya come to dese lands?” Unoji switched to Orcish, curious on whether the draenei would understand. After all, both orcs and draenei coexisted on the once lush world that would become Outland. Surely the draenei must have picked up some Orcish.

Tekazra still waited in the brush, her golden eyes never once leaving the troll and the draenei woman. Their conversation wasn’t entirely audible, but she understood enough. The words of Zandali fell off the draenei’s tongue like ash. Tekazra hated hearing the alien accent warp her language. Her relief was almost tangible when Unoji switched to Orcish, and she was curious to know if the draenei could respond.

[Minkasha]

X’aaltha pondered Unoji’s delivery. Frustration, was there pride? The Draenei woman closed her eyes and turned her head downward just slightly. She was studying the syllables. It was now how young she truly was to her light being race became painfully apparent. Orcish, it was mutated from what she could hear starkly through her memories in the Outlands. The Archpriestess was left ignorant in the face of the language. The Troll was searching for an avenue of power, control in this dynamic. By A’dal’s light, X’aaltha would give it to him.

Opening her magically radiant eyes, the Archpriestess looked directly to Unoji and remained silent. The dark healer kept eye to eye. Her gaze filled with compassion. ’Feel powerful again Unoji. Let it ripple through your blood’