Conquest of the Horde

((OOC: I was not able to log the chat in-game, so this letter is retyped from memory.))

Quote:To Mister Kapre and Miss Diawata,

Greetings.

I am aware of the circumstances that occurred when the Exodar crash landed on the Azuremyst Isles. I also know how parts of the ship tore into pieces and spread across the island. I overhear that you lost your son/nephew upon your arrival. I also know you buried a boy in a graveyard at Ammen Vale.

I have come to write to you that your boy, Saya, has survived the crash after all.

We have come across the boy some time after your landing, and he was distraught and disoriented. However, he was fearful and confused of the circumstances that surrounded him, and thus he was not willing to return to his people despite our urgings. As I am writing this, the boy has come to overcome his fears two years after the crash and is now willing to go home to his father and aunt.

We would like to arrange a meeting this north of Astranaar. We hope to reunite this family after two years of grief and sorrow.

Best regards to you all.

--B.S.

After reading and rereading the letter over and over again since the envelope was opened at the tavern in Stormwind, Diawata paces around the room with her eyes glued to the message in her hand. The letter is crumpled--it became this way as a result of Kapre's own read. The brother-sister pair remained close in the room, the sister continuously pacing as her hooves clopped on the wooden floor. At the corner, the brother stared blankly out the window.

"This has to be a joke," Kapre says as he chokes up. He places a hand over his mouth, his thumb and forefinger stretched across his upper lip. The light of his eyes barely glows as his gaze darts around the room while Diawata continues to pace. His tail twitches when his sister stops before she turns to him with the paper still in hand.

"We'll gather company," Diawata suggests. "If Saya is really there, at least he'd have extra help in guiding him back home. If this is really a hoax, we can beat the crap out of the bastard who thought of this."

"We went over this already. No."

"What if it really is Saya? What if we buried the wrong boy? The kid we got... his face as smashed in beyond recognition from the collision. We had to go by his forehead plates to identify him... it may not be entirely accurate."

"I can't do this."

"Brother...we have to know."

"Then we'll go there alone."

"No, Kapre. This could be dangerous. Bring some company... we could run into Horde who'd want to see our arses kicked."

Kapre sighs as he stood up, trotting past his twin as he approaches the window he was staring out. He then turns his back to it and leans against it as Diawata walks up to him with letter still in hand. She places her hand on his shoulder, a smile on her face. "Brother... I miss him too. I want Saya back in my arms... and I know you, of all who are alive and breathing, miss him the most of all of us."

The brother closes his eyes, taking in his sister's words as they reached his ears. He turns round, covering his eyes while Diawata looked on. She opens her arms and embraces him the best she could despite her brother's much larger size. Kapre felt the hug nonetheless, and he returns the gesture with an embrace around her of his own.

“Very well,” he says. “Let’s see if we can gather company, for Saya’s protection if not our own. Let’s see if we can find some people who could help us. We’ll depart from Stormwind to Auberdine as soon as we get enough company to assist us.”

===================

But something is not right…

===================

A shifty-eyed Sin’dorei walks to and fro near the pond at the Valley of Honor as another of the same race sat across a corner of the water. The pacing one was male with black hair and of dirty yet simple cloth while the seated one kept his hardened face hidden under a mask while his mane of red hair hung over gaudy scarlet robes. By the red Sin’dorei, a small girl was asleep on his lap.

“You’re despicable, Bastos,” the red one says as he kept a hand on the girl’s head.

“Bite me, Red. You’re the one who volunteered to mail the letter,” Bastos says as he shuffles his feet. He grins, “It’s amazing how far you’ll go just to meet Torr. I’m surprised you agreed to this whole thing.”

The red Sin’dorei frowns visibly. “I see no purpose to this hoax. You’re only going to break two hearts. It’s a waste of time to go this far for a vicious prank, especially towards Alliance. You are aware the sister is capable of shoving her whole hoof up your rectum and give you a good flame shock spell while she’s at it, right? A burning colon is something I’m sure you’d like to avoid.”

“I’ll deal with it when the time comes. But it’s just her. Her brother is harmless.”

“Not so much. He may be a weakling… but he has a large group of friends who would be more than happy to pay retribution for the mockery of his grief. And that retribution would likely hurt worse than burning stool.” He turns his head to the girl, his eyes narrowing before he turns to Bastos again. “I don’t understand why you’re doing this. Especially since it involves extracting such precious information on Saya from this little girl.”

“Well…” Bastos would begin as his foot presses on a large boulder. He throws his weight forward and springs from the rock, landing onto the bank behind it and leaping closer to the red elf. “To be quite honest, I don’t know.”

“….you don’t know?”

“It was Torr’s idea. He says this all would be going down as part of his experiment.”

“Which is…?”

“Don’t know the details beyond ‘finding victims’. This lure of the two Draenei is done to specifically them because, apparently, Torr knows them. He wants his first victims to be people he knows.”

“…’Victims’? What exactly does he want you to do to the Draenei once they arrive in Ashenvale?”

“Torr told me he wants me to kidnap at least one of them. But, eh… the sister’s a vicious fighter, and the brother, while harmless, is an oversized oaf. There’s no way I can capture either or by myself.”

“And you’re going to seek help?” The red elf crossed his arms. “Why would anyone want to help you?”

Bastos grins as he rubs the tips of his fingers together. “Money, dear friend.”

“…..Torr promised you wealth?”

“Not exactly. He promised me I’d get Jami Al’Salma, who herself is very wealthy.”

“Jami Al’Salma is married.”

“To a dwarf.”

The red sin’dorei leans back as he huffs. “All right, Bastos. Spill it. Where are you going with this if Jami is involved? Hrodebert is also a capable fighter, and unlike Diawata, he doesn’t have to get up close to ensure the death of you.”

Bastos sat next to his companion as he plays with the sand on the ground. “Hrodebert is a friend of Cristovao and Diawata. The letter there is written suspiciously on purpose as to encourage the Draenei to bring some friends. However, I predict that mopey wuss Kapre would try to keep the company as small number. I can easily gather more people to come to Ashenvale and give those Draenei a good fight. Meanwhile, Jami is left alone because boohoo, she can’t get near Alliance without people being suspicious. It’s the perfect plan.”

“So… what you’re saying is…” the red elf says as he scoots closer to Bastos with the girl still on his lap. “You hope this suspicious letter would lure the Draenei and their company to Ashenvale where you and your group will ambush them. There, you’d kidnap one or both. At the same time… what does this have to do with Jami and Hrodebert again?”

“Hrod comes with Diawata to help. They’ll be distracted.”

“Distracted?”

“I’m going to get Jami myself!”

The red elf sighs as he rubs his forehead. “So you’re saying… you’re not going to do the kidnapping yourself?”

“Hey, I got my own needs to fulfill.”

“Torr would not like that.”

“Torr doesn’t have to know,” Bastos would say as he gets up. “Torr promised me money and Jami as long as I work for him. For all I know, this is an opportunity to get what I want, and Torr is just letting me have that opportunity.”

The red sin’dorei shook his head as he placed his arms beneath the girl and lifted her up as he got up. He holds her out for Bastos to take. “Very well, then… but do not expect me to be involved in the kidnapping itself. I’m willing to help you if it means meeting with Torr… but I will not dirty my hands more than is needed in situations like these.”

“No problem at all,” Bastos would say as he takes the girl in his arms, holding her over his shoulders.

The other male blinks at Bastos before shaking his head and lowering himself to pick up his staff. He turns to leave when he remembers something. Waving at Bastos, he starts, “Before I go… I have one last question.”

“Shoot.”

“What are Torr’s plans for Anaka?” he would ask as he turns around and leans his staff to the little girl. “And why her?”

Bastos looks at Anaka and then lifts a brow as he faces his other companion. “Ah…Torr won’t hurt her. He’s very good with kids. The only reason I agreed to let Torr use her is because she personally knew Saya and those two Draenei. She doesn’t know them as well as Torr did, but…. Torr says Anaka could be the key in getting what he wants from his victims.”

“Yet he won’t hurt her?”

“No.”

"And Saya... is Saya really alive?"

Bastos grinned. "That... you'd have to seek out Torr to find out."

“....Then I shall take my leave,” the red elf says as he adjusts the mask on his nose and mouth. “I hope after this, we'll meet Torr in person soon. You have a good night, Bastos.”

“You too, Urameil.”