Into the Abyss

She had polymorphed me....me! The great Rogue of Outland, she had managed to turn me into a stupid herbivore baa-ing at the nearby centaur as an invite to kill me and make me into a mutton. However I just couldn't bring myself to be angry with her, rather proud at her skill, and kind of turned on by her anger. It was kind of hot how she just snapped, her fiery hair whipping about her in the sunlight, the rotting corpse at her feet proof of her skill. However she was only a Journeyman, most likely 40 levels or so below my own skill, and she needed time to evolve. As soon as the spell wore off I shook myself out, retrieving my blade from the dead beast not ten feet away. Seleine Theron...what a pretty name, and one I despised, how I hated her father, for banishing me to the wastes of the Barrens.

As I slowly mounted up and made my way out of the centaur camp, my mind was brought back to my past, no more than a Journeyman myself, banished to the Barrens for doing what my class does best...thievery. Pickpocketing was a natural skill that just embedded itself in my bones, something I could not escape even if I wanted to. However when I pick pocketed Theron's advisor, Huron, boy did it leave me in quite a tight spot. It was years ago, but the memories of the mindless slaughter I did just to make a coin or two to feed myself is embedded deep in my brain, most likely making me the man I am now. Still...Seleine...what a pretty name, and now that I had her name, she would never be too far ever again. With a plan in mind, I quickly made my way to the tauren camp, I had work to do, but I would be with my target soon enough.

Three months had passed since my...encounter with the pompous rogue, and already I was considered near advisory training, high enough to be out of the journeyman stage, but low enough that Master was still far out of reach. I must have been level 45 on a scale of 1-70, however I was proud of myself, I had done this myself, no private tutors or babying, no, real hard work killing and practicing, stitching up my own wounds and making my own armor, my tailoring had become quite good, and with the gold I was bringing in from my sewing endeavors I was able to purchase better materials, and so the cycle goes on. However now as I walked carefully through the ferns of Un Goro Crater, I could only stare in wonder at the beauty around me. The large ferns surrounded me and intoxicated me with their heavy scent, almost luring me in closer to relax and sleep. However doing that was dangerous, the plants themselves would kill you and eat you here. The muggy heat of this place was almost overbearing, but if you kept moving you didn't notice it too much. Light here was not provided by the sun very much, it usually could not make its way through the dense overgrowth this place called trees, instead the lava and brightly colored crystals embedded into the mountain sides gave off this beautiful rainbow glow. It was like I could stand there and look at it forever. Granted if I sat and stared too long, a raptor could very well make me his meal, something I had learned the hard way when one managed to get his claws into my shoulder. I was in recovery for a week because of that, thankfully I had a good healer, and I was back out into the field in no time flat. Someone named Ali'jin, an interesting Troll priest, though no one would say why he was here, as he was obviously a master in his own right, I could not be angry with him, only grateful. As I rode into the camp set into the hills away from the animals, one of the gnomes squeaked at me near my foot, getting my attention. I always thought gnomes were kind of cute, kickable, but cute. They reminded me of toddlers who never got their voices right, and though they were engineering geniuses, to people like me, that meant very little.

"Well hi up there miss! I have a letter here for you!" he said in his squeaky voice, holding out an envelope towards me. Taking it with a sigh, I expected another demanding letter from my father expecting me to come home soon. In truth they had been becoming more frequent the more advanced in my training I became, and because of it I had taken to getting my lessons elsewhere rather than the Mage's hall in Silvermoon City. Not that I wanted to return to that place, mind you, but it was more of an added measure. The last letter I had gotten from him had told me of my brother's campaign against the alliance in the plaguelands, regaling me with tales of his undying heroic-ism, then abruptly turning around and begging me to come home, saying I had a duty to my people just like my brother. It was a low blow, I had always wanted to provide support and honor to my people who had fell out of grace so very long ago, however I refused to bend to my fathers will. Turning the envelope over in my hands, looking for the seal that made my father's house, I frowned when I found none, instead merely my name written on the front in a very untidy scrawl. None of my old palace friends would ever let their handwriting ever deteriorate so badly in such a short time. Sitting down on a nearby stone and taking out some water, I opened the parchment letter and looked upon the first page.

To my dearest Seleine

Many months have gone by since our last meet, and my sweet Magelet I hate to say I am missing you so. Why the way your hair was alight with fury the last time we met, why I can't get the image out of my sheeplike brain. Granted I was finding wool all over my armor for the next week, I can only think of you in these harsh conditions. However my little succubus, allow me the proper introduction I was not allowed to give you upon first meeting. Seeing as how I tried last time with no avail, though I admire your fire little minx, I shall try this way and hope you get far enough through the letter to actually know my name.

My name is Malamok, no formal last names here, just Malamok, and thankfully that's all I really have to worry about. I'm sure if you asked your father about me he'd give you quite the laundry list of deeds, however, it is with much pride, that I say they are all true. But enough about the skeletons in my grave, let us discuss the here and now. Outland is quite a place little magelet, in fact the locals here seem to think Azeroth has gone soft, and a few months in the field and I can't seem to get the netherdust off of me, its like another layer of clothing in its own right.

The dust of the Shadowmoon valley is clogging here, my sweetest, and it angers me so that I have to wash my flaxen hair everyday, why, it is a chore enough brushing it everyday. However now I must get back to the slaughter, I hope to hear from you my sweet little flower.

Your love,

Malamok.

That...impudent...infuriating...BLOOD ELF ROGUE! How dare he assume I even care about him, let alone want to hear from him ever again! In a fit of rage I focused and lit the paper on fire in my hand, watching it smoulder and burn to naught but ash in the humid air. Hearing a low chuckle behind me, I whipped around to see Ali'jin with his back to me, his shaking body the only sign that he was laughing. That troll was as vexing to me as the letter, however I couldn't approach him about it, to do so would be rude, damn them all for making me keep my temper! Huffing with frustration, I picked up the water I was drinking and finished it, forcing myself to head inside to give the little gnome the stones she needed for gods only knew what. The troll seemed to know what was going on, and I had a feeling he knew Malamok well enough, which in turn made me realize that Malamok had sent him here to watch over me. How dare he! Assume that I would not be able to handle myself in a situation! However a little voice in my head reminded me that if it had not been for the priest, I would be in bed still recovering.

The next few weeks passed by this way, receiving letters at random, some sincere, others with hints and bits of sarcasm, though it soon became clear that I was starting to look forward to them, they were the only bits of mail where someone was actually supporting my endeavors rather than trying to get me to come home to what they called a "lap of luxury", what I called a prison. Malamok did not talk much about himself, but his letters were always full of questions about me, and about wild tales from where he was at during the time he wrote it. Each time a letter came I would sit and relax, letting my eyes close and my mind wander to these far off places I was still yet to go. I began to wonder about the man who was writing them, and though they were mere simple questions, I never penned him back asking, it were as if I was afraid that I might lose what upper hand I had. By the time the latest letter had arrived, I had gone from Ungoro to Wintergrasp, my hood pulled up as I lead my hawkstrider through the knee deep snow, my breath visible on the crisp air around me. I was pulling into the goblin encampment, when a young troll came trotting up to me, his entire body bundled from head to toe, earning a low chuckle from me. Trolls never did really well outside the desert they liked to call Durotar, however I could not blame them, it was freezing.

"I be havin a letter for ye mon, quick take it so I may be gettin my self inside" he said quickly, holding out the latest bit of parchment as I snickered at him, my fingers grabbing it quickly and heading to the inn, a warm place where I could read in peace without having to worry about my fingers starting to go numb. As much as I enjoyed this place, I too had my limits. I was once told by my teacher that Mages thrive in the snow, in the cold icy land where they are surrounded by the frost and ice they use in their attacks, however they were still prone to long exposure problems, such as frostbite, hence the inn. The place unfortunately was built to goblin size, forcing me to duck down and stoop until I found a tiny chair where I could squeeze myself into to read his letter. I knew it was from him, he had the untidiest scrawl for a blood elf that I had ever seen, however it didn't matter, he wrote to me, and that was all that mattered.

Seleine my dearest,

My loveliest little killer, I have finally gotten time to see you again, and I shall be headed to Azeroth once I've finished writing this letter. Thankfully it isn't long, however finding you might be if you don't at least give me something to go by, anything would be more useful than two whole continents.

Mal.

So this letter was quite short like he said it would be, and he was coming to see me. A swell of excitement stirred in my chest, though I realized that I wouldn't just hand over my location. This would be the first time I'd be penning a letter back, and as I reached for a parchment and ink, I couldn't stop my hands in shaking as I took a deep breath. Something was changing, I knew, something deep within me, yet I wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing. However my gloves were removed and my hands stilled as I focused my thoughts into one well written letter. My regal nature demanded that I test the man who wanted me, to see if he were worthy of my time, however I did actually want to see him before he went back to a more harsh front, so I made sure to not make it too hard.

Malamok the most annoying,

It seems that I am unable to escape your letters for an instant, even in the freezing snow. Your consistent badgering of my person has left me with naught to do but take precious daylight time out of my day to write to you back. The snow here is cold but damp, not quite frozen through, and my boots are soaked through, I really must get a good leatherworker to make boots that are light enough for mages, well armor in general that is light enough. The yeti's here seem to just be able to claw right through me, I've had to repair my armor six times already. However if it is finding me that you are looking to do, well I encourage the use of your skills that you seemed to have taking a liking to do anyways, and take what you get. You didn't think I'd make it this easy on you would I? If you can find me, I'll spend time with you.

With ever ounce of hatred I own,
Seleine.

With a grin I looked at my loopy curved writing to his barely legible chicken scratch, shaking my head and letting a rare laugh escape my throat as I sent the letter off, pulling on a scarf and heading back outside, my gloves back on before I hit the cold air. I still had work to do, and if he was as good as he said he was, he would be able to track me down using only what I had given him. Taking a moment to look at myself in the mirror, I started at the changes that had occurred over the past few months. My face had lost the rounded youthful look I once had, to be changed into hard focused planes and angles, the scar on my shoulders were barely visible through the clothing, however the were misshapen and ugly once the robes came off. The long red hair I'd been infamous for was now dulled and dry, pulled up in a quick ponytail to keep it out of my face while I casted. I had gone from exuberant youth to seasoned killer, and it was not something I disliked. The lithe form beneath my robes spoke volumes of the physical strain I put myself through to get them, and my long delicate ears still had no gaps or missing chunks, which means I could stay away from a fight if need be. However it was my eyes that startled me the most, their glow unable to hide the cool commanding look I wore, one that screamed of a mage who knew what she was doing. Shaking my head, I headed outside fully to continue my work in what little daylight hours I had left, getting caught in the dark here was death.