Wednesday (30 Aug) - Showdown at Shalandis Isle, Ghostlands

Wednesday (30 Aug) - Showdown at Shalandis Isle, Ghostlands

Note: Images of the Showdown, the before and after, are in the blog post directly below this one.

When the word reached EZ that she had not only missed rendezvousing with Jocey, she had also blundered into the direct path of Naithipe, she panicked. EZ fled Tranquillen with little thought to where she was going.

When Jocey finally reached Tranquillen with her small train of supplies, EZ was already long gone. Waiting for Jocey, however, was a packet from Naithipe which stated that she would be delayed getting to Tranquillen, and to proceed without her. Jocey now wished she'd never sent that missive to EZ, and fumed that EZ had left no clue as to how to find her. At least EZ would be safe, with Naithipe delayed, thought Jocey. Unbeknownst to Jocey, the packet from Naithipe had already been overtaken by the non-events of the stalled armada. Naithipe was, in fact, on her way to the Eastern Continents and Tranquillen.

EZ, meanwhile, had headed west along the inlet stream that led to the sea. She crossed the great scar, slipped past the Sanctum of the Moon, and made her way through a village of grimscale murlocs. She was mostly left alone as she passed through this depressing land. The only creature she feared was Naithipe. Why did I have to make those sketches? she cajoled herself. Foolish, foolish. Naithipe had no patience for foolish. What the blazes is with Naithipe, anyway? The change in her looks would fool no one, EZ thought. What did she think, that she was a teenager again? If anything, the new look was even more terrifying than the old, with that younger appearance plastered over her. It was creepy. Unfortunately, EZ had plastered that creepiness all over the place with those sketches.

EZ morbidly leafed through the set of sketches she still carried as she put more distance between her and Tranquillen.

EZ finally went to ground at a small island the locals called Shalandis Isle. The island was guarded, but after killing a couple of them the rest let her be. A young paladin came by on a quest. The paladin gave EZ a wide berth and EZ let him be. Once the paladin had done his business and departed, EZ had a good bath in the isle's sacred pool and rested in the tent a guard hurriedly abandoned when EZ approached. As the night grew deeper, EZ slept.

It may have been hours later, or it may have been just a few minutes. EZ thought she heard the rustle of wings. At first she thought she was dreaming. Then she thought it was just bats. The area was practically overrun with them. But then she came fully and alertly awake when she heard steel strike steel.

In the night a ship had arrived at the island. The garrison that guarded the isle seemed all to have run off. Well, not all of them. One lay dead at the foot of the gangway. EZ quickly counted several more bodies decorating the ship's deck. A movement caught EZ's eye. She slid quietly forward, drawing both of her maces. High up on the ship's forecastle she could see a shape. It was misty, and the moon was at a mere quarter of full. There was more movement, and a low murmur of voices. EZ backed into the shadow of a stand of trees, stepping up on a low branch to get a better view.

EZ heard someone say, "What have you done here?" It held an eerie tone, probably twisted by the shifting sounds of mist and sea and the creak of the ship.

There was apparently no answer, because the same voice spoke again. "The blood is still fresh on that axe. Was this your doing?" The voice had grown louder. The voice sounded familiar. EZ leaned forward, trying to see and hear what was going on.

A second voice muttered three words that froze EZ like the strike of a chains of ice attack. "Where is EZ?" demanded that second voice, a voice which EZ knew very well. Naithipe. EZ felt herself grow colder. She was under no spell but her own fear. 

"You are to come back with me to Orgrimmar." This first voice EZ now recognized - Melasahnd. The mist was clearing, and EZ could now make out both Mel and Naithipe, along with Mel's ghoul. Mel and Naithipe were standing almost nose to nose. Naithipe said nothing, but something in Naithipe's eyes made Mel take a small, involuntary step back. Recovering quickly, she shook her head in disgust, tsk tsking at Naithipe and apparently deciding to wait her out.

The silence stretched. EZ figured Naithipe was doing her staring act. Mel wouldn't take the bait. After a moment more Naithipe responded. "This was business," Naithipe said matter-of-factly, with a wave of a hand toward the corpses. "A renegade ship from the armada. Now back under Horde control. A new captain and crew is already being assembled."

"Well, that does explain why you are out here," Mel said, although her tone was dubious. "Whether true or not," she said, making a decision, "I'm still taking you back to Orgrimmar."

Naithipe shook her head. "Go back to waiting tables at Booty Bay and playing package girl with that allie. What's her name? Ah, yes, Rakta." Naithipe raised her axe, which got just the slightest twitch from Mel's sword hand, and pointed at the parcel of mats for Happy that Mel had forgotten to drop off. Naithipe made a derogatory noise in Mel's direction. "I'll find her myself," Naithipe finished, turning to call her mount.

Mel figured that EZ probably deserved whatever punishment Naithipe had in mind for her, given that craziness with the sketches she'd heard about. Mel hadn't seen the sketches, but she didn't need to. The real thing was standing in front of her. Denied the pleasure of dragging Naithipe back to Org to face Wild and JB, Mel couldn't help getting a final dig in.

"How cute," Mel said with a evil smile, "I heard you had gotten fond of ponytails." Mel laughed out loud. "Are we feeling more girlish now, honey?"

Naithipe's axe whistled with displaced air. Mel's ghoul had a surprised look on it's face; then it toppled to the deck in two pieces, cut clean through at the waist.

Mel's longsword snaked out of it's sheath with lightning speed and met the backhand swipe of Naithipe's axe in a thunderous clash of blades. 

Neither Mel or Naithipe had noticed EZ. The two surrounded themselves in a circle of whirling steel and clouds of disease, plagues and fevers of two accomplished death knights weaving the spells of their trade. This was no simple duel. Both knights felt wronged and there would be no quarter given until one or the other gave way.

Mel had a moment when time seemed to stand still, as if right now she could back off from the encounter. Mel knew she had provoked the stubborn, often bull headed Naithipe. But with blood still leaking from her ripped apart ghoul, and Naithipe pressing the attack, the moment was quickly gone. Mel bellowed challenge, and hit Naithipe with Lichborne, giving her breathing room to cast a death coil heal. Naithipe, in response, savaged Mel with death pact, drawing lifeblood directly out of Mel and healing herself. Mel tried to counter with her anti-magic shell, which Naithipe quickly broke and dispelled. Barely able to get an untainted breath, Mel managed to cast Conversion and began drawing health at the expense of a rapid drain of runic power. Throughout the flashing thunder of the spell casting, both longsword and axe never ceased attack and counter, cut and slash. But for Mel, she knew that in moments she would be powerless with no runic power to drive her spells. Naithipe could feel Mel flagging.

The night was now clear and the light from the quarter moon seemed to shine directly down on the two combatants ... on the two kindred souls who shared the trial of the Lich King ... on the sisters in arms as members of the death knight class ... as, simply, sisters.

Naithipe's axe and Mel's longsword tipped toward each other again. Here was another moment when one or both could slow the attack, pull back, gain a breath, say a word that would stop those blades.

Mel saw that moment, even as she felt her runic power tick down to zero. She saw Naithipe make the tiniest, nearly imperceptible hesitation.

Then Naithipe's eyes widened as Mel lunged.

Mel managed to get by Naithipe's axe, her blade striking deep into Naithipe's right shoulder between shoulder and chest guard. Naithipe stumbled, bleeding badly.

Mel pressed forward in another lunge. Naithipe turned and fiercely battered the second thrust away. She extended the turn into a full circle, switching the axe from her numb right hand to her left at the same moment. Mel was out of position and was forced to leap backward to avoid the axe blade that sheared the air where Mel's head had been an instant before, actually catching the edge of Mel's helm.

Naithipe did not hesitate again. Mel was desperately trying to cast plague leach to acquire a death rune. Naithipe was faster. She cast Asphixiate, pulling Mel off her feet and stunning her. The dark energy of the spell crushed in on Mel's throat.

Naithipe watched, unmoving, as Mel dangled in the air, her helm knocked aside and her face turning purple.

Naithipe watched as the spell expired and Mel crumpled to the deck.

Naithipe stared at the still form for many minutes.

Then Naithipe called for her mount ... and left.