Becoming the Hunter, part III

In case you missed them, click here for Part I, and here for Part II

* * * * *

With resounding roars from rider and mount alike the Horde raiders swept into Astranaar. A huge Tauren warrior riding a giant Kodo had point, and his massive beast crashed into the two Night Elf Sentinels stationed at the eastern bridge, sending them flying into the air. In a clear display of the Elves' legendary dexterity one of the Sentinels drew her bow and loosed an arrow while still in midair. It was an impressive shot, considering the Sentinel was upside down at the time, even if the arrow did nothing more than glance off the Tauren's plated helm.

The Tauren's two companions rode in behind him, and as one all three wheeled their mounts around then leaped off and prepared for battle. A few arcane words from the Orc Shaman saw lightning spark and flash from the head of his mace, while small balls of lightning appeared from thin air and began to swirl and dance around him.

The dark robed figure behind the Orc hissed, then muttered something Kwazimoto didn't catch, but the hair on his neck stood up as an unholy stench swept his way. A shimmer appeared in the air beside the Warlock, not unlike a heat wave, then a giant, armored figure slowly appeared in what was obviously a rift to another dimension. As the demon materialized it bellowed, "Who dares summon me?!"

"A Felguard!" gasped Raene Wolfrunner, who stood watching with Kwazimoto. "These are strong opponents indeed, young Dwarf. Best you stay back and leave this fight to us. Come, Dagri! To battle!"

As Night Elves rushed from the buildings to defend their tiny home in the middle of the Ashenvale forest, Dagri, Raene's wolf, darted in and started harassing the Warlock. Raene herself fired several arrows in quick succession, and although all found their mark they seemed to do little more than attract the attention of the Felguard, which turned and charged her position.

Raene pulled another arrow from her quiver and said something in Elvish that Kwazi didn't catch, but he was duly impressed when a spiderweb pattern of light began flickering up and down the arrow's shaft. The Hunter fired the arrow at the fast approaching Felguard, and Kwazi gasped as the shaft buried itself in the ground between the demon's feet. She missed? How? And then the arrow exploded into thin filaments of light that wrapped around the Felguard's legs and brought it crashing to the ground, immobile.

Raene drew another arrow, muttered some more words in Elvish, then launched this arrow towards the Horde raiders. Almost as soon as it left her bow the shaft split into three separate arrows, with each seeking one of the three raiders.

The Felguard climbed back to its feet, shook itself free of the last of the magical net, then resumed its lumbering run towards Raene. The Hunter fired her next arrow straight into the Felguard's face while shouting yet another Elvish word, but this was a word Kwazi did know, because Raene had taught it to him that very morning.

Scattershot!

The arrow exploded in the Felguard's face, stunning it, and for several seconds it wandered aimlessly on wobbly, unsteady legs. That was all the time Dagri needed to return to Raene's side and begin worrying at the Felguard, which forgot the Warlock's earlier orders and focused all its attention on the wolf. Kwazimoto heard the Warlock curse but the distance between the Warlock and its minion was too great. The Felguard ignored its master's orders and concentrated on trying to strike the elusive wolf that kept snapping at its legs.

While Dagri kept the Felguard occupied, Raene launched arrow after arrow at the raiders, which is when Kwazi noticed something not quite right. His keen eyes had caught movement where none should have been. What was that? Tusks? And was that...a dagger? As if a spell had been broken a young Troll appeared in front of him, creeping towards Raene. Clearly it was unaware it had been spotted, for it continued its deliberately slow movements towards the Elven Hunter. In fact Kwazi found his attention start to wander and it took all of his willpower to focus on where he knew the Troll was, and not "Look away! You don't see me!"

Kwazi shook his head. Was this how they did it? He'd heard of the Rogues' uncanny ability to disappear in broad daylight; how they could apparently stand out in the open and not be seen. Was it some kind of learned magic by which they forced any observers to look away, to literally not see the Rogue standing right in front of them?

"I see you," Kwazi told himself. "I SEE YOU!!!"

There! Creeping around to get behind Raene! There it was! Kwazi shouldered his rifle, took careful aim, and squeezed the trigger.

Ka-Boom!

Raene spun at the sound to see the young Troll collapse in a heap beside her, still holding a wicked dagger tightly in each hand. She looked over at Kwazi to thank him, then her eyes widened and her focus switched from his face to over his shoulder.

"Bastard!" hissed a voice in Kwazi's ear as something slammed into his lower back. Then came a second searing pain higher up. And then he felt nothing at all.

The last thing Kwazi saw was Raene launching another arrow straight at him. No, not at him. Over his head. He heard her yell something in Elvish. He knew that word. What was it again? Oh yeah. Scattershot. Then his world went black.

* * *

Kwazi's head hadn't felt like this for a long time. Not since the morning after he and Jarven tried to drink every last keg of Thunder Ale in the Kharanos Inn. Actually, now that he thought about it, that still hadn't been as bad as he felt now. Just how much had he had to drink this time? He hoped Jarven felt even worse, because he just knew his old friend was behind this horrific hangover.

Slowly and carefully he cracked open one eye lid, expecting to be blinded by the fire in his room at the Kharanos Inn, but there was no fire. And this wasn't Kharanos. So where was he? And why was everything so green? Kwazi opened both eyes, and one of the most musical voices he'd ever heard cautioned him to take it easy.

An elf? Oh yeah. It all came flooding back to him.

The Druid who kept yawning and muttering something about the Emerald Dream, who had asked Kwazi to escort him from Auberdine to a giant tree-like demi-god in some outdoor temple.

Another Hunter - this one an Elf - and his bear companion. Kwazi got the feeling traveling with them that while two was company, three was definitely a crowd. He remembered parting ways, with the Elf saying he was going to investigate a Furbolg camp.

Then there was Astranaar, and Raene Wolfrunner, and...the Horde! And the young Troll Rogue that he'd shot, only to be ambushed by...another Rogue?

Kwazi tried to sit up and pain shot through his body, from two points in his back, to be precise. Again the musical voice cautioned him to take it easy before calling out, "Raene! He's awake!"

A tall, lithe body blocked the light of the doorway for a second as Raene stepped inside the hut. "Don't try to get up just yet, Kwazi," she told him. "You got that first Troll, but his brother got you."

"I thought I was a goner" said the Dwarf.

"You were," said the owner of the musical voice, "but you seem to have made some interesting friends in your short life, Hunter. Although Dwarves were never meant to walk the Emerald Dream, it sounds like you are one who has. When Raene brought you to me you were so pale that I thought you were already lost to us. But as we lay you down you gasped, then uttered the name of a powerful Druid. 'Kerlonian Evershade! What are you doing here?' you said, and that was when I knew you still had a chance. Oh, I'm sorry. Where are my manners? I am Tra'onna Evershade, daughter of Kerlonian. It is a pleasure to meet you, Kwazimoto."

Kwazi finally managed to sit up but decided against trying to stand just yet. Instead he bowed his head and said, "Well met, Tra'onna Evershade, daughter of Kerlonian Evershade. I am Kwazi'Moto, son of Kozi'Moto, son of Quasi'Moto, and I am honored to meet you."

Tra'onna laughed. "And I am glad we were able to meet, Kwazi'moto, son of Kozi'moto. I've heard the Dwarves are legendary for two things in particular. Their sturdy constitution and," she smiled to show she meant no malice, "their stubbornness, and it appears both traits have served you well these past few days. Yes," she said, noting the shock on Kwazi's face, "it's been half a ten-day since we were last attacked, but given the severity of the wounds you suffered, I'm amazed to see you awake so soon. Still, I don't think you're ready to resume your hunt just yet, Kwazi'moto."

Kwazi would have liked to have argued otherwise but he was forced to admit Tra'onna was right, especially as the room had been slowly spinning ever since he sat up. "I think...I'd like something to eat," he said, "then...maybe I'll take another nap, if you don't mind."

"How could I object to such a polite request, Kwazi'moto, son of Kozi'moto," laughed Tra'onna, as she prepared a bowl of broth for him. "Here. I think you will find this surprisingly satisfying, for a simple bowl of broth."

Kwazi took the offered bowl of what appeared to be little more than hot water, but Tra'onna was right. A delicious aroma filled his nostrils, the broth filled his stomach, and within seconds of draining the bowl Kwazi felt his mind grow heavy and he carefully lay back down on the woven grass mat.

"Sleep, Kwazi'moto, son of Kozi'moto," sang Tra'onna. "Sleep. Your body needs to rest to heal. Sleep."

* * *

Kwazi spent many more ten-days in Astranaar before Tra'onna felt he was strong enough to continue his journey. During that time he studied under Raene, and the Dwarf learned what being a Hunter means to the Night Elves. Although both the Dwarves and the Night Elves produced Hunters, there were distinct differences between the two races, and Kwazi realized they each could learn a lot from the other.

He also learned a lot more about the Horde, as it seemed not a single ten-day could go by without raiders attacking Astranaar at least once. Kwazi learned that in the center of the Barrens was a Horde town known simply as the Crossroads. Raene told the Dwarf that just as the Horde frequently attacked Astranaar, so, too, did soldiers of the Alliance almost constantly raid the Crossroads.

"If one was in retaliation for the other," she said, "then it was so long ago that nobody remembers who was the initial aggressor. Now they attack us, we attack them, and the circle continues. Aren't you familiar with a similar situation in your own Eastern Kingdoms?"

Kwazi was forced to admit that his knowledge of almost anywhere outside Dun Murogh was severely lacking.

"In the land known as Hillsbrad," Raene continued, "to the north of Ironforge, there are two towns, one Alliance, one Horde. Located so closely together they are almost constantly at war." The Night Elf shook her head sadly. "Many battles have been fought there, many heroes slain, and much blood soaks the fields between these two towns. We attack them, they attack us, and the circle continues."

They were definitely words to ponder, Kwazi thought to himself, and something to keep in mind if he was to return from this journey. Clearly not all lands were as safe as Dun Murogh, while some appeared to never know peace at all. He would need to be especially careful when he ventured south into the Barrens. If the Alliance harassed the Crossroads as often as Astranaar had been raided these past few ten-days, Kwazi knew the Horde of the Barrens would not hesitate to attack a solitary Dwarf trespassing on their land.

But it was not just the Barrens that Kwazi must pass through, but Durotar itself. Named after Thrall's father and home to the Orc capital of Orgrimmar, Kwazi knew that the greatest test of his abilities was still yet to come.

But somewhere south of here a Tiger called his name, and Kwazi'moto, son of Kozi'moto, had no choice but to find it.

(Continued in part IV)

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I've added something a little personal to this story, that being Kwazimoto's lineage.

When my father retired in the early '90s, one of the things that occupied his free time was playing the Forgotten Realms computer games on my old Commodore 64. Differing from WoW and other MMOs of today, these single-player games required the player to create and manage a full party of adventurers. My father could play through them again and again, creating new parties each time, but there was always one constant to each party; they would all include a Dwarf named after Victor Hugo's famous hunchback, Quasimodo, and the spelling of Kwazi's father's name was one of my father's favorite choices.

Later when my father played AD&D the character he naturally chose was a Dwarf, which he named Kozimoto, of course. One of the goals he had for Kozimoto was to have a wolf as a Pet, and he was delighted the day I DM'd a small adventure where I allowed his Dwarf to buy a baby wolf from a traveling vendor.

When I began playing WoW in April 2005, neither Kwazimoto nor the Hunter were my first characters. I actually rolled a human Paladin, but after playing for the evening I wasn't too enamored with the experience. I brought the manual to work with me the next day to read on the bus (yes, I actually RTFM ;) and something about the Hunter, particularly the Dwarf Hunter, appealed to me. When I got home I rolled my new character and while debating a name decided that like my father, I'd go with a play on Quasimodo. As Dad would frequently go with Kozimoto, I chose Kwazimoto, being not just a play on Quasimodo, but also Quasi as in similar to my father.

My Dad would have loved WoW and without a doubt he would have played a Hunter. And with me living in the U.S it would have been a great way for us to stay in touch, except for one small problem. Dad died in March 2005, just one month before I started playing.

I actually rolled a Kozimoto, for Dad, but there was something about doing that which felt wrong and I deleted that character. But Kwazi'moto, son of Kozi'moto, son of Quasi'moto, lives on (even if I don't play any more ;)