Two Years, one month ago…
A young teenager sat before his massive desk, two LED screen blaring right before his glass-guarded gaze. On the larger was a mass of confusion, people running about, fire being spewed, and acid splashing everywhere. Some called this hell, others called it idiotic, but what he and his nine compatriots called it had much more meaning to them; this was raiding. Burning away at the midnight candle, he worked tirelessly, while it appeared he was doing nothing but typing, in this virtual reality he was the sole cause for the rest of his friends to still be alive.
It would only be after such a trial, such a hell that the champions stood victorious, and upon this field is where a chain of events would unfold that would affect the young teenager forever more…
“Kril!” A woman shouted over Ventrillo. “I have something you might be interested in!”
“Huh?” His voice rang out in reply, a bit worn from the night’s events.
“You’re still interested in roleplaying, right? Well I found this server a month or so ago and I’ve been mulling over it for a while now. I’ll –probably- be making an account there if you want to join in.”
“… Wait, you mean like a… private server?” He said albeit nervously.
“Yeah, it’s a private server that’s currently on our patch. All we would need to do is change our realmlist.”
“Sounds interesting! I’ll see what I can do… What is this server called anyway?”
“Conquest of the Horde.”
Two years ago…
The same young teenager stood amongst a dew-laden field, glasses loosely hanging off of his nose as he barked commands to the troop of younger boys. While the others scrambled about, eggs and bread in-hand, he took what little time he had to himself and pulled out a phone. With a few clicks of the impossibly small keys, he managed to pull up his e-mail and with some unnatural speed he grazed down the list of junk mail, and he only needed to see two words to make his day.
“Introduction Approved.”
One year, Eight months ago…
“Kril, Kril!” The same woman shouted enthusiastically as soon as he logged onto Ventrillo. “Guess what guess what guess what?”
The teenager would blink a few times, thrown off by the sudden shouting. “…Huh?”
“After four times of asking, I finally took Kretol’s offer to join the GM team!”
For a moment after that she kept speaking, though the words were well lost to him. Instead he sat back, eyes wide and mouth agape at the woman’s achievement. It would’ve only been four months or so since she joined and she already had managed to make such an impression upon the GMs. The slightest thoughts would eventually crossed his mind, mumbled out with no one to hear but himself.
“…Damn I wish I could be more like her… There’s no way in seven hells I’ll ever be able to make it.”
At that her voice chimed in once more, as if magically knowing what he had said in silence. “Now it’s time we worked on getting you in next!”
He ‘pfft’d to himself. “Never going to happen…”
One year, Five months, and 29 days ago…
“Krilari, I need to speak to you.” A grim voice rang out from Ventrillo, ultimately sourced to the Administrator Enforcer Grakor.
He knew he was screwed now… Pulled up into a private channel, Krilari was placed with Grakor and Grakor alone, who began speaking with the same grim tone.
“Krilari… as you may be aware; we keep tabs on everyone here on CotH. Any violations of the rules are recorded and… well…” With a disappointed sigh added in for effect, Grakor would continue. “Krilari, I’m sorry for saying this, and you’re a good friend and all… but I’m going to have to ask you to join the GM team.”
“I’m sorr-… Wait what?”
You could practically hear the grin in Grakor’s words as he would speak once more. “I would like for you to join the GM team.”
The teenager, just turning sixteen that very day sat back, attempting to feign some sort of contemplation on the matter before quickly replying. “Yes, I would love to.”
Current time…
The same young teenager sat before the same desk, though not so young any more. The same two LED screens blared into his still-glassed-guarded eyes. On one screen could be seen the peace and tranquility of Ashenvale, inhabited by a few of the early morning’s souls. On the other sat Microsoft word, its lines of text carved in black ink along a white background as he would start.
“Two years, one month ago…”
It’s been a great two years with you CotH, and I thank you for all you have done for me over the past years. The hours of entertainment you’ve provided, the relaxation you’ve managed to bring after a hard day and the comfort you managed to pass when things were getting rough. While time has gone and people have left, I will always remember you all as some of my best friends.
Stay classy, CotH.