Nyx

“… is either the soft flesh of the inner thigh or the strips of muscle along the backbone.” nnAs I thought this, a cackle burst out. Now, especially when I chew my food properly and then laugh out loud, some of my food tends to spill out. I can’t help it, you see, my left cheek hasn’t been all there for five years now. I call it a bargain for my second chance at life.nnMy windrider, long tame, looked down its stubby nose at the gobbet of flesh that had landed in front of her. A picky eater, she would only feast on fresh food untouched by anything else. And I had done more than touch the corpse of the human that lay in front of me. She had shouted out loud when she attacked me, already spinning into her bladestorm. On the peaks of Icecrown, a bladestorm whips the bitter wind even faster, and the spray of sleet and flying steel sound like whipcracks. Her voice had been high-pitched at first, eager to make an easy kill.nnFortunately for this Forsaken, and quite unfortunately for this spawn of Stormwind, my shadowform had concealed more than just cloth and trinkets. After managing to send a plague and a word of pain her way, I had engaged the mechanism in my boots, sending me rocketing away from the whirling blades that would have surely killed me. Her cry of victory turned into a grunt in her soft, pink throat she had very unwisely left uncovered against the cold and I decided then, as I sped away, that I would first bite into her there.nnWe fought. I, Bhootam, conqueror of battlegrounds some forgotten years ago and now nothing much more than a wanderer, seeker, a fumbler at the arts of shadow … and she, a warrior skilled in weapons, born of a noble house, if her tabard and rich cloth were any indication. Against my battle-scarred, time-chewed flesh and much mended linen, she had on a set of master blacksmith’s crafted plate and a new axe from Icecrown, a magic beserking spell dripping red from it. She was rested and eager to kill a helpless priest and I was tired, my knee feeling brittle from the cold. nnThe outcome was never in doubt.nnAs she ran towards me, I turned to face her and sent a vampire’s touch her way. Her will sagged as a beam of shadow light slowed her footsteps even as the arts of shadow began to thieve life from her. And yet, she drew closer. With one hand, she swung the axe wildly and with both our right hands, we drank potions. nnHer ruby red rune-etched vial was familiar enough to me but I uncorked a vial of light blue. We both drank deep and I felt a thrill course through my frame. Her hamstring descended… aiming to pin me within the steel arms of her axe.n… and had no effect. I hastily armed a grenade and flung it at her feet. As she stood there stunned and I ran away, I couldn’t help but bound into the air, chuckling.nnAnd then it was easy to land spell after spell against her, her run towards me turned into a slow crawl. As she started to lose, she began to panic. She hesitated. Perhaps she should run away. Perhaps she should call for help. It was already too late. As she began to die, tears crystallised on her cheeks and her soft mouth opened, babbling an apology, a curse, a threat, a plea. Anything to not die. nnWhen you bite a throat (and I don’t mean nibble it) it’s best if your victim is alive, for then the last desperate plea of a living being’s breath rushes into you. If you time it right, you can hear the prayer, the abject begging gust from its throat to yours, as you breathe warm, living breath again, after so many years.nnIt was perfect.nnTo the lee of a mountain, I pulled her warm, twitching body and decided then to feast well. With spices from the north and a stubborn blaze, I prepared a delicious cut and sat down to enjoy it.nnMy windrider turned its nose up at the smear of back muscle and then shifted, it’s triangular ears rising up to track a faint sound. Above the sound of the endless wind, a faint cry rang out. It rose and fell, growing stronger, repeating itself. I waited, biting her tongue. Over the spur of a distant peak, a young ebon gryphon laboured into the air, carrying on its back the bulk of a draenei. It slowly crawled through the air, shifting this way and that. It spotted my cookfire and made its way towards me, the cry (a name?) being shouted into the air.nnThe draenei, a season mid-seventies paladin dismounted and ran towards the fire. The name was repeated, shouted, first in hope and then in dry, wrenching defeat as it saw my dinner lying there, her clothes cut neatly from her back, jawless, a leg curing in the fire. nnAs I looked at his one handed mace and robes of cloth and mail I sighed. One of those holy fools. Well, at least I would have enough exercise to get my appetite up for dessert. But this one wanted no fight. No spells of battle wreathed his mace, no holy fire matted the ground. From nerveless fingers dropped his shield and he fell to his knees on the snow. The most merciless spell of shadow is the word of death, for it maims the careless caster. With a grin, I sent it arcing into his body, nevertheless. I wanted his attention. nnBut I would get no fight from this paladin. He reeled from the spell but only repeated her name. I paused and shook my head. A curl of shadow magic wreathed my hands to send a blast of energy into his soul. He rose and looked at me. He threw down his mace. His hands moved, urging holy energies into the air to redeem her body.nnTHAT WAS MY BRUNCH, DAMMIT!nnI don’t know what stopped me from killing him and eating him along with her. Perhaps it was the look in his eyes. Perhaps it was the silent plea on his lips. I believe, after much thought, that it was her breath of life that fluttered through my cold chest, a life that I had ended, a life that had breathed itself to me in desperation. nnI broke the spell mere moments before it cast and stood back. The rush of wind seemed to quieten and I heard a crunch of snow behind me. From the corner of my eye I saw a hammer held by two plated fists descend towards me and I reeled forward, helpless, the will of this forsaken not strong enough to stop my fall. As I fell onto the corpse of the woman, the holy light brightened to a searing flash. I lost consciousness but instead of blackness, I saw only light, and a voice whispered, “The best part of a human being is redemption…” nnWho knew spirit healers could talk?

Hi allnnThere's no easy way to say this and it hurts me very badly to have to but here goes:nnI've been feeling a bit jaded lately and I'm wondering what the alliance side quests are like (I love lore as you all know) and I'm planning to faction transfer my toons to alliance for a while. nnI hate to leave the horde and deep down I'll be horde forever i think and I hate even more to leave Nyx which has been everything I"ve wanted in a guild/family. I'll always remember the good times and celebrate how we got through the rough spots. I'll still be here on the forums and you can depend on me not to relay any plan of battle to the alliance. nnI love you all nnStrength and Honor to the Horde! For the Dark Lady!

Let me the first to say....nnNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooonnGods, whyyyy!!!!?!

Oh Bhoo. Noooooo !!!n/weeps !!!!

Nooooo!!!! *cries*nnI will miss you! Hopefully you will come to your senses and rejoin the Horde soon!

this is really really painful for me aitana i've been with you since I was level zip in the twilight umbrage. but I've never had an alliance character above level 49 (you should armory sushruta in scarlet crusade) i keep him as he was before I rolled bhootam to keep me humble. nnnand I'm just seized with a sudden burst of wanderlust. I want to see what the other 3000 quests are like *sigh*

I do understand the wanderlust. But others have come back and I can only hope you will too eventually. We've talked before about some of your good friends that have switched factions. You missed them then, and most likely, you still do. In the meanwhile, there are some good guilds on the Alliance side. I'm sure you know some, and I can give you other names if you're interested. One way or another, I hope you don't disappear completely.

Ah. Bhootam.nnYou and I have been in the world so long, circling the same spheres, wandering the same halls, that I truly feel like we are brothers. The respect I hold for you is higher than that I have for any other. I have already missed seeing you and I will be decidedly unhappy at being present at your new feasts as the main course. nnIn so far as we are brothers of the spirit, I make only one request.nnDo not follow the path of Zajiwa. nnPlay at this game as long as it entertains you and when it no longer does, grow beyond it and shine your light forward into new endeavors. Do not allow it to burn you out into frustration. We who have shared teh light of your humor, nature and wisdom are all the better for it and only our selfish natures demand we keep it, and you, to ourselves. Do not waste it.nnI fervently hope that you stay in contact with us my friend. You and I have very different views on almost everything but we seem to bring out the better natures of each as well. You certainly push me to my best.nnUntil we speak again.