I'm No Angel (Rough Draft #1) 5-9-09
Chapter One - The Discovery
Vespias was not yet past her ninteenth season yet already her reputation as a hunter was close to legendary. Both her father Vesperis and her mother Valashira were regarded as among the best hunters in all Eversong Woods and it seemed the young Blood Elf had inherited their gift as well. Her father had taken her to the city of Garadar at the age of twelve to assist him on the tournament hunts sponsored by Hemet Nessingwary where she caught his eye by bringing down a massive bull clefthoof that had run amok in the camp. While more seasoned hunters scattered in all directions the girl calmly picked up one of her father's bows and sent the first shaft right next to the creature's shoulderblade where the razor sharp tip pierced it's heart. A split second later a second shaft buried itself into the clefthoof's throat severing the jugular and spilling blood like wine pouring from a cup. When Vesperis saw the creature charging in the direction of his tents he sent his tiger Sekhemet to the attack while he fitted an arrow to his own bow and rushed towards the commotion himself arriving in time to see the body of the shaggy beast drop and skid to a stop no more than ten feet from his daughter. Hemet, who was close behind Vesperis could hardly believe his eyes when he saw this child holding a bow almost as tall as she was and smiling from ear to ear at her great conquest. His keen eyes scanned the group of hunters who had regrouped for signs that perhaps another had taken the beast down but they all stood there, mouths agape and thoroughly as shocked as he was.
"Vespias!" yelled her father as he approached. "Are you alright?"
"Yes father" came the child's reply, "the clefthoof never even got close to me."
Vesperis grabbed hold of his daughter in a hug that he fully intended to go on forever only to be interupted by the incessent tugging of Hemet on his sleeve. No sooner had the elder Blood Elf given up his hold on the girl than Sekhemet pulled her to the ground. The great cat fixed her with a long stare and an admonishing growl that quickly turned into a series of comforting licks on her belly. Comforting to the cat yet wildly tickleish to the child who fairly burst into tears from laughing.
"This is truely amazing Vesperis!" exclaimed Hemet. "One moment she stands in the path of this bull and kills him with two shots and the next she rolls on the floor laughing like the child she is!"
"Her mother" replied the elf, "insisted she be taught the bow at an early age. She has been shooting since she was six."
"Amazing" said the hunter as if all other speech had been robbed from him.
Her father had won that particular tournament but she had recieved her own prize from Hemet Nessingwary as well, a small pouch filled with herbs of a secret nature taken from a secret place, the location of which the hunter refused to divulge. Her finger slid along the trinket feeling the textures of the herbs inside the leather pouch and still smiling at the description of what they would do for her.
"One day child" said Hemet, "you will come across a beast who is untamable but it is your destiny to tame this beast and make him your companion. These herbs will produce a smoke that the beast will find so alluring that he will follow you to the ends of the world. In the meanwhile I will come visit you when time permits and see how you are progressing."
And true to his word, Hemet managed to look in on the child at least once a year. He was as welcome in the home of the elves as were any of the four dozen clan members who lived in the village that Vespias was growing to young ladyhood in. At his sixth visit Hemet finally told the family of his secret hunting spot, complete with descriptions of the beasts who inhabited the area. Vespias sat wide-eyed at the stories of the massive wooly rhino that inhabited the area as well as the spotted leopards that filled the grasslands. He described this place he had found in great detail, speaking of the myriad of rivers that crossed it all flowing towards a great sinkhole in the center that held a huge lake populated by hydras. He told of the ruins that he had found, the two tribes he had come across, The Frenzyheart and the Oracles. The Frenzyheart were a tribe of wolvar people while the Oracles were more lizard-like in appearance. The two were at war with each other and would only speak to outsiders who had no affiliation with the other tribe. He also spoke of places guarded by legions of litch where he suspected artifacts of the Titans themselves could be found. The name of this wondrous place was Sholazar Basin on the continent of Northrend. He spoke for hours about the creatures and the land making sure that the young elf remained focused on the stories he told until it was time for his final story.
"One night" he began, "I heard in the forest the sound of a beast that I had never heard before. The sound filled the night air with dread and upon hearing it all other sounds stopped. The creatures in our camp even tried to pull away from their tethers! A greater beast than this surely does not exist and I went off to see what had made this sound. I followed the sounds as they made their way through the forest taking special care as we had entered an area of untold horrors, a place where great apes congregated on one side of the many rivers there while zombies and litch minions roamed freely along the paths of the other side."
Hemet paused for a moment and allowed a sly glance at the girl who was sitting ridged in her chair listening.
"Suddenly it seemed as if lighting had lit up the night sky followed by a scream more blood-curdling than any I had ever heard rang out!" he continued. "There across the river I saw the creature! Rather I should say I saw a flurry of fur and claws mixed with the splashes of blood being spilt from the half dozen litch creatures who had attacked the animal. When only two were left I got my first real look at the beast. His fur was white and clouded with a black rosette pattern and his eyes had an eerie bluish glow to them. I watched as the two litch tried to run and saw the cat pounch on the back of one, delivering the killing bite effortlessly. What happened next is what astounded me most. The cat fixed his gaze on the final fleeing litch, but instead of chasing after him, he calmly closed his eyes as if concentrating and a blinding flash of light fell from the sky and smote the litch in mid-flight!"
In the quiet of those few seconds after Hemet had spoken his last words the sound of Vespias finally drawing a breath filled the room.
"Uncle Hemet" as she had taken to calling the old Dwarf hunter, "what became of the beast? Did you see it again?"
"No child" he replied, "I spent the next three months searching for it. The local tribe close to the area where I saw him were tight-lipped about him. They thought at first that I meant to shoot the beast and make a trophy of him as I had done with so many of the other creatures there. When they learned that I wished to tame him they laughed uncontrolably. They called me a fool and a dreamer. They told me of one of their hunters who had the same desire. For a full year he would venture out on nights of the full moon and kill a gorilla for the beast to come feast on. He was even permitted to sit close by while the creature ate his offering but on the night he tried to exercise his will on the cat to tame him he was rendered and his body was dragged back to the edge of the village. The other tribesmen could only identify him by the tattoo of his family. My time there had come to an end for that particular hunt so I returned with little more than the story I have just told you."
