Keleosha watched the eredar pace back and forth in front of the Legion structure several meters away. When the eredar left, that would be her chance. Still, it would be an interesting opportunity to talk to an eredar. Find out why she or her parents or grandparents had chosen to stay on Argus. Why she chose to join the Legion. How she felt about destroying other worlds. Did she have any empathy for those she conquered? Was there anyone she cared for? Did she serve the Legion willingly or out of fear?
Maybe the elf was right. A disguise could have let her infiltrate Felsoul Hold much easier, and maybe she could gather more information that way. “Just paint yourself red,” the elf had said. She felt offended. Was she right to? Well, the elf was rude about it either way. But he needed reconnaissance on the Hold and Keleosha happened to be in the area.
The eredar had left her post. This was her chance.
Keleosha quickly ran across the open field, holding the looser parts of her armor so they didn’t clang together while she was running. Paladins don’t make the best stealth agents. Rogues, hunters, gnomes probably – those are much better at stealth. Her hooves beat against the steps into the structure as she ran she hoped that sound hadn’t drawn any attention. She didn’t have to go far to find what she was after – an inactive Legion portal.
She could tell by the look of it that it wasn’t an invasion portal. No, something more local. The Legion vessel above? That seemed like important intel. A small group may be able to infiltrate and take out the-
“I know I heard something. With me!”
Light damn it, the eredar was back. Damn damn damn damn damn. “Language, Keleosha.” Yes mother. Keleosha thought to herself as she hid behind a column. She listened as the eredar walked in but there were also other footsteps. Loud, thundering – felguard? Wrathguard? Smaller demons too. Easily half a dozen altogether. This was bad.
The eredar growled, “I know I heard hoof beats in here.”
What sort of creatures have hooves on this world? The stupidity of the plan didn’t even occur to her as images of creatures flashed in her mind. Cow! Cows have hooves!
“Moooo.”
She winced. Both at her terrible imitation of a cow and the horrendously stupid plan. As if they would leave a cow alone. “In loving memory of Vindicator Keleosha: devoted warrior of the Light, rebellious daughter, Templar. Died saying ‘moo’.”
Time for a new plan. She moved out from behind the column keeping low with her shield pointed at the demons. It wasn’t long before a volley of fel magic struck the shield, but so far it held. The two wrathguards moved in with their blades drawn – that she wouldn’t be able to shield against. She summoned a burst of light, not as an attack but as a way to momentarily blind and stun her attackers. She sliced with her sword as hard as she could at one of the wrathguard’s neck. It wasn’t quite a clean cut but as the wrathguard crumpled to the floor it looked like his head was barely attached.
“I am going to boast about that later if I survive this.”
She didn’t even attempt to fight the others, instead running for the exit as fast she could. The demons were beginning to recover from being temporarily blinded and were gaining on her. The sound from outside nearly made her stop. It was loud, roaring, and getting closer. That was no beast though, that sounded like-
A two-wheeled gnome contraption of some sort drove off a hill nearby. Its engine roared like a dragon and slowed to a low rumble as the bike came crashing down at the base of the steps in front of Keleosha. Its driver was a female bear. No, that’s not right. What were those called? The ones that talked. Pandaren? Yes, that was it. She had met some of them before. She didn’t know this one though but she was glad to see her all the-…and she ran past Keleosha and straight for the demons.
Keleosha wanted to keep running but she couldn’t let this pandaren fight all of these demons by herself. She would be kil-…oh, the pandaren had tackled the remaining wrathguard and was sitting on top of it, punching it repeatedly in the face. Keleosha ran at the eredar, slamming her against the doorway of the Legion structure with her shield. The impact had been enough to knock the wind out of her so she turned her attention to the smaller rounder demons that-…were presently being kicked repeatedly by the pandaren who was spinning in a circle. She assisted by consecrating the ground at their feet which burned them with holy light as they fell over.
“Thank y-” Keleosha began to say to the pandaren who simply hopped on her motorcycle and pointed to the side car. Keleosha didn’t question her, she just sat in the tiny seat and held onto the sides of the car as the motorcycle accelerated. What was moving around near her legs though? She looked down at a large rodent like creature scurrying around in the floor of the side car. Was it wearing a helmet?
The sound of more demons ahead distracted her from the rodent. They were heading out of Felsoul Hold but there were demons right in their path, and the pandaren wasn’t stopping. She was accelerating. The bike ran into one of the smaller demons, stunning it and getting it lodged between the motorcycle and the side car. Keleosha hit it a few times before the pandaren pulled the bike over on the ridge where they were safely away from the demons below.
Getting off the motorcycle, the pandaren grabbed the demon and pulled him to the edge of the cliff. She gave it the most cold intimidating stare that her round fluffy face could express and said, “Tell Sargeras he still owes me two thousand gold, and Lei Pan is coming to collect.” she then dropped the demon off the cliff into the valley below.
Keleosha was pretty sure the demon was in no shape to deliver the pandaren’s bizarre message. She got out of the side car and checked herself over for injuries before addressing her rescuer, “Thank you so much for your hel-“
“As for you…” the pandaren turned her ‘cute when angry’ glare at Keleosha, pointing her index finger directly in her face for a tense moment, then touched the tip of Keleosha’s nose and grinned, “Boop!”
The pandaren jumped on her motorcycle and sped away leaving Keleosha alone, safe, and extremely confused. As the motorcycle disappeared over the horizon Keleosha stood there blinking for several seconds trying to make sense of everything that had just happened.
“What…the…fel.”
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