Being a sickie

I've recently realized that I've been sick now for 3-going-on-4 weeks. Yeesh. I think I actually caught another cold just when I was getting over the first one, so at least I don't think it's all one big dose of "LAWLZ, YOU'RE SICK" happening. But it really stinks feeling this crummy for so long, and I'm getting tired of it.

I still feel half-asleep or spaced out most of the time, so I haven't gotten any writing done yet. Not much game-playing, either, with most of that being Lord of the Rings Online. On a plus note, I've gotten Basten the burglar up to 31 already, along with dinking around on my lower-levels.

Booggah ran into Skarr shortly after he found his Karkin, and when I got switched over to Lark he was still there, so she finally has the last pet I wanted for her. She's all set until whenever Blizzard makes hydras tameable. Boo is still looking for Magria and his blue Madexx, I can usually make myself log on once or twice a day to check for them. He will get them someday. *shakefist*

So, anyways, just wanted to mention what's been going on for anyone that's wondering. I'm hoping I get better soon- and if not, then I might have to make myself go see a doctor. Blah. :P

In which Booggah gets attention

Sick sick person means neglected blog, but I no longer feel like I'm dying, so time for an update!

With Lark's Ban'thalos tame, she now has all the pets I want on her- minus Skarr, but he's still more of a "tame him when I find him, no rush." So, lately all my pet-hunting has been with my troll. Lucky dude.

So, on with the roundup! Boo has been busy even with me being sick, and he has a bunch of new buddies to brag about. First off- I've already shown off this guy, but he's cute and I love him and he's named now anyways. Have a Digger!

Still no sign of the blue, but I'm camping him until he does show. Determined hunter is determined.

I was taking Boo to the Molten Front and doing my usual fly-by for a spirit-kitty, when I found a yellow dot on my map! (Stupid NPC_Scan caches...) It's not the one he really wants, but they've gotten attached to each other nonetheless. I think he's a keeper.


This guy was a surprise and an impulse tame. Surprise, because Ankha had spawned again and gotten tamed not even five minutes before Boo found him. He's now named Treben, and with Lark's Halia turning out to be female, I think he's determined he's going to be a male.


And now this little beauty I found just this afternoon. The funny thing is, he's the first tame Boo's gotten that I actually meant to tame. Now that he has him, Lark's crab has gone bye-bye (/sad), and she has a free stable slot for whenever hydras become tamable. Another funny note is, through various shenanigans Booggah actually tamed him with res sickness. Don't ask how, though.


The Night elf in the background sat and did nothing to interfere during the tame, and cheered Boo when it was over. I wish I could remember her name. XD

That's about it! Sis and I have been doing a lot on Lord of the Rings Online, so not much else has happened in WoW. My cold made me so out of it that I haven't gotten any writing done, so Rheugan is still chilling out until I can get his story done. Hopefully I can get back to that real soon.

Til next time, Happy Hunting!

Rheugan: Sholazar Basin (continued)

Again, this is posted later than I wanted. Reasons this time are several- my old friend writer's block, compounded by the fact I am catching something, and my body seems to be trying to fight it off- which results in me having no energy to speak of. Extra sleep only seems to help a little bit, and the fact that I am in the dairy department at work AGAIN, to cover for someone's vacation, isn't helping (for the record, I hate dairy with a passion that pretty much passes everything else). But anyway, here's Rheugan's next chapter, with only a bit more to go! (If I can focus enough to finish it...)

____________________

Dear Shaurria,

I apologize for not writing before, I had not realized how much time had passed! I hope you will forgive me. I have been well, so don’t worry about me. Sholazar Basin is everything you described, and I have been enjoying myself here. The cat likes it too. We have been getting along well, and he has been teaching me to hunt properly. I still don’t like to kill things - it reminds me too much of the wolf, even now - but while that continues to annoy him, I think he is getting used to it.

I have not felt anything from the wolf since I arrived here. I think perhaps the cat has something to do with that, but he doesn’t answer me when I ask, so for now, it remains a mystery.

We are having a fine time. The basin seems all but deserted - I have only seen two others here besides the hunters at Nesingwary’s camp. We found the avatar of Freya here, and kept her company for a few hours, killing the undead. She seemed to warm up to us after that. Funny thing, you know how the cat dislikes to be touched, but he allowed her to pet him for several minutes. He can be a confusing creature.

I believe that is all we’ve been up to these past few weeks. I will try to write more often, if I can keep track of time better. It’s very peaceful here, all things considering. When you see Pitch next, let him know that his message did not go unheeded, and it is appreciated. I do miss everyone back in Stormwind, but if it ever becomes impossible to make my home there, I think that I could be very happy here.

Until I see you all again, your friend,

Rheugan

________

His idyll was interrupted when a dreadsaber queen found him and decided that he was not only a real cat, but that he’d also make a fine mate. His cat was... well, interested, and he spent an awkward half-hour before he finally regained enough control to change to a bird and fly away. He could only imagine what the she-cat thought about that.

All right, he thought to the cat as he flew. I will work with you if that’s what you want, but there needs to be a few lines drawn here. That is not going to happen again, am I understood? He had the sense that the cat was listening and thinking on what he said, but he got no response.

He had a strange dream that night, however. This time he found himself in the Moonglade, in what he recognized after a moment as the Cat Spirit’s clearing. Across from him sat a shaggy-looking black cat with a very familiar face- one that he had seen almost every day for over half a year. A face he had seen reflected in mirrors, shop windows, and still pools of water.

Rheugan stared at his cat. The cat stared right back at him. After a long moment of waiting, Rheugan sent a wordless, purely mental query at the cat. It blinked at him, then suddenly their surroundings melted away.

Rheugan found himself surrounded by scenes and images, so many that it took him a minute to recognize what he was seeing- memories both old and recent, all mixed together. He saw his father again, among his workers and peers both. Crowley, leading his men into battle. And finally Lark, with her strange spotted cat, Komah.

Rheugan finally closed his eyes to the visions. What are you trying to tell me? he asked the cat silently. What is it you want? The answer came immediately, in feelings so strong they might as well have been words. Partner, it seemed to say. Servant, perhaps. But never slave.

The dream faded after that, and Rheugan woke abruptly to the wind from Icecrown howling around his shelter. A light dusting of snow had blown in to cover him, but his thick fur kept the chill away.

Rheugan stood and shook himself, then left his shelter and headed up to the top of the rock. He sat there with the wind ruffling through his shaggy mane, going over every moment of his dream again and again. He had waited so long now to figure out exactly what the cat wanted, and it seemed that at last, he had his answer. Finally, as full morning brought the sun up over the highest peaks, he “reached” out to the cat.

I think, he thought to it, that we have an agreement.

Rheugan: Sholazar Basin

The morning was chilly, making Rheugan glad that his winter coat had grown in early and thick. He perched among the rocks high, high above Wintergrasp, staring down without really seeing anything, all his focus turned inward.

The cat had stayed with him until he had finally fallen asleep, and was still there when he awoke. Now it had a sense of urgency, as though it wanted to tell him something, but he had no clue what it might be. It was beginning to give him a headache.

He was about to ask it - again - what it wanted when he felt a flash of something like triumph from it, then an older memory suddenly popped up to the forefront of his mind. For one of his first lessons, Pitch had taken him out into Elwynn to hunt some of the wolves there. Now, he found himself seeing the memory of that trip all over again. He couldn’t help but cringe inwardly at how clumsy he had been, but he still wasn’t sure what the cat was trying to say. He felt so much frustration from it that he imagined if they hadn’t been sharing the same body, the cat might have bitten him.

Further thought was stopped as a sudden realization struck him. He was surprised enough that he shifted back to a human and spoke to the cat aloud. “You want to teach me?” He was flooded by a sense of relief, followed by some rather uncharitable feelings toward his intelligence. He tried to ignore those, and think through just what the cat was offering. He knew his biggest weakness at the moment was his dependence on the cat for his safety; if he had enough skill to match the cat, he wouldn’t really need it anymore. He could sense the cat following along with his train of thought, and asked it, “Is that really what you want?” The cat let him know in no uncertain terms that it was. Rheugan debated for just a second more. “Will you teach me, then?”

The reply was a mental snort, quickly followed by an air of satisfaction. It was about time he asked.

__________

Sholazar Basin certainly looked nice, at least from an aerial view. Rheugan felt the cat’s interest perk as it “looked” through his eyes. He spotted a break in the canopy and flew down into the jungle below.

What followed was perhaps the most unusual education that Rheugan had ever received. The cat taught mostly by hunting, although it didn’t always kill what it caught, to Rheugan’s relief. The stalk and the chase were the lessons, and the cat was quick to drag him back whenever his attention started slipping. He found it fascinating, really- the way the cat moved through the undergrowth without making a sound, showing him exactly how it placed each paw. Then the pause before the spring, and ending with the cat’s chosen prey caught between its forepaws, or knocked off its feet with fangs at its throat. Rheugan was still uncomfortable with the kills, which earned him some disgust still from the cat, but aside from that he couldn’t have asked for a better instructor.

He lost track of how long he’d been there, but he didn’t think it had been that long when he was startled in his morning flight by another bird, this one a large Night Elven one. It came out of nowhere to swoop below Rheugan, then flipped up again to do a complete circle around him. It caught his eye, then swooped down again, flying down to the jungle floor.

Rheugan hesitated before he followed. It had taken him a second, but he recognized the bird.

When he reached the ground beneath the canopy, Pitch was seated on a tree root. He patted the spot next to him, but Rheugan landed a little further way, not entirely sure how he felt about seeing his mentor again. It was good to see him in a way, but he hadn’t expected to see Pitch again until he was back in Stormwind, and he couldn’t help but wonder what the Kal’dorei wanted with him now.

He landed and turned human, then spoke before Pitch had a chance to. “I can’t go back yet,” he said, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice. “I.. I’m working things out, but it’s not finished yet.” Pitch held up one hand in a soothing gesture. “I’m not here to take you back, Rheu,” he said calmly. “It’s been several weeks since you sent that letter, and we hadn’t heard anything from you. We were worried, and I came to see that you’re still safe. That’s all.”

Rheugan felt himself relaxing at his words. At the same time, he could sense something subtly different about Pitch, but he couldn’t quite place it- and the cat was being no help. “I... I had to make sure,” he said hesitantly, then started in a rush to try to explain the things that had happened. Pitch simply watched him as he spoke, a faint grin on his face, until he finally ran out of words. “He’s teaching me to hunt,” he finished. “Really, actually teaching me. I think we’re learning to get along with each other at last.”

“That’s wonderful, Rheugan,” Pitch replied. “I’ll let Shaur know you’re doing all right, she’s been missing you, you know.”

Rheugan managed a grin, then suddenly realized what was bothering him. Pitch’s tone of voice, his body language, were all different than what he’d been used to. He wondered at that for another minute before he realized what it was. Pitch’s attitude toward him was no longer that of a mentor; he was treating Rheugan now as an equal.

He blinked at the revelation as Pitch broke into a grin, as though the druid had been following his thoughts. “Lark is expecting,” he said suddenly, and his grin grew even wider as Rheugan blinked again. “It’s still going to be awhile before the baby comes, but we’d both like it if you’d come see us then.” Another brief pause, then he reached out and put his hand on Rheugan’s shoulder. “It really is good to see you,” he said quietly. “You’re looking good, and I’m glad.” Rheugan gave him a quirky grin; he knew full well what he looked like after several weeks of living wild, but he said nothing. With a final pat on the shoulder, Pitch shifted back to a bird, then took off into the air.

Rheugan watched him go with mixed feelings. He hadn’t thought of those he’d left for ages, and he felt a bit guilty about it now. At the same time, he knew he wasn’t ready to go back. He did miss everyone, but there were still too many uncertainties about the cat... and his future with it.

This is how we roll- I mean raid

It's been a while since I mentioned anything about Lark's raid, so figured I'd give an update on how we're doing. Well, see for yourself.

For no particular reason, I decided to go in order.

Shannox

Beth'tilac

Rhyolith

Alysrazor

Baleroc

Majordomo Staghelm

Ragnaros

That's right, buddy. We're coming for you next.



Most of these guys we already have down, Shannox for example has been on farm for several weeks. Last week saw our first Alysrazor kill, and we got her down easily this week, along with our first kills of Baleroc and Staghelm. Baleroc, I am proud to say, was a one-shot on our first attempt ever. Staghelm was a 2-shot. Boo. Yeah.

To all the nay-sayers.... Yes, I know the raid's been nerfed. It still feels good to be getting these bosses down, so bite me.

Rheugan: Grizzly Hills

I hate my writer's block. I'm going to go ahead and say the next part will be soonish, even though every time I say that I take forever to actually write the darn thing. This time at least most of the next chapter is already written, I just have to fill in a few spots and tidy it up. So, maybe this time it will be soon.

Poor baby worgen. Things should start looking up soon, at least.
__________

Rheugan sat as still as he could, trying to ignore the chill seeping up from the ground beneath him. He also tried to ignore the stiffness in his joints from sitting in the same position since dawn; the sun had long since climbed over his head, and had started on its way down again. He idly wondered how much longer he would have to wait.

He’d had no trouble finding the place; Pitch had been more than happy to tell him the stories, and Rheugan still remembered everything. Even so, he had no idea how to call a spirit, especially one that was considered a god. All he could do was wait and hope he drew the right attention.

His first warning was a tingling between his shoulder blades, an instant before the cat let him know he was no longer alone. The cat was wary but not overly alarmed, so Rheugan moved slowly as he rose and turned around.

Standing several yards behind him was an enormous bear. It towered over Rheugan as he stared at it, noticing that he could see right through the huge creature in several places. Rheugan tried his voice and found it still worked. “U- Ursoc?”



The bear’s muzzle dipped in a nod as he studied Rheugan curiously. “Your thoughts are so loud they echo through the Hills,” he said, not unkindly. “Why are you here?”

“I, ah, know a druid who follows you,” Rheugan replied. “He’s been mentoring me for the past months.” Ursoc looked amused, or at least as amused as a bear could look. “I think I know of whom you speak,” he said. Rheugan took a steadying breath. “Would you take me as well?” he asked the bear god, then waited for his answer.

Ursoc looked at him searchingly for several long minutes. Finally he said, “There is another that already has a claim on you. I think you know his name.” Rheugan’s heart sank. He had heard the name- first at Tal’doran and later from both Pitch and Shaurria. “Goldrinn.” The bear god nodded again. “I cannot take you, not until he has had his say. I am sorry, little wolfling. Go speak to Goldrinn, and if he doesn’t take you then come see me again.” With that, he faded away.

Rheugan was left staring at the place he had been. “Wait! Don’t I get any say in it?” he called, but Ursoc was gone.

A helpless anger started forming in the pit of his stomach. The wolf... it always came back to the wolf. Every time he thought he’d found a way to be rid of it, it only seemed to bind itself to him even more tightly. He wanted to be rid of it, didn’t they understand? The last thing he wanted was to go see the wolf Ancient. He would rather die first. He would fight anyone that tried to make him; he might even kill them, that would certainly show them--

The wolf was feeding his anger again, trying to push him into letting it break free. He choked off his anger the moment he realized what was happening, forcing it down with practiced ease. It drained away quickly once he had control of himself back, only to be replaced with the bleak despair that had become his constant companion, ever since his capture in the Blackwald.

He had no options left. Rheugan sank down to his knees as he finally admitted to himself what he had refused to believe until this point; there would be no getting away from the wolf. It was a part of him, as much as his blood or the color of his hair. The only way he would ever be rid of it was to die, and even at this point, he couldn't make himself take that final step.

He was so sunk in his own misery that he wasn’t paying much attention to the cat. When he felt it “nudge” him, he submitted without an argument, shifting and letting the animal take control. He was barely aware of what was happening as the cat left Ursoc’s Den, giving the wild bears a wide berth, and started poking along the mountainside nearby. It finally found a niche in the rock, close to the Den, and curled up inside.

Rheugan expected the cat to go to “sleep” right away, but to his surprise it stayed with him. It seemed concerned, and a little confused, but it didn’t bother him so he ignored it. Gradually, however, he became aware of the faint vibrations coming from his- the cat’s?- chest. It was a sound he’d heard often from Shaurria, even from Pitch, but until now he’d never heard it coming from himself. So it probably wasn’t surprising that it took him a few minutes to realize what the sound was.

The cat was purring.