Stormcaller

So, you may have been wondering what I've been doing since I kinda left (read: lost interest in) Fantasia. Well, a IRL friend urged me into writing fanfiction, although he is no longer a friend and my first foray into that stuff was less than great. Still, I wrote some things, all of them Warcraft related. Some were finished, some were not; this story here will be the latter. I lost interest in this story while writing an 8th chapter, buuuuut I'm interested again. So before I go about reposting this on the appropriate site, I'm going to do so here. If you like it, hate it, whatever, let me know! I did show this to a couple of people here before, so Locke and Valkyr should know about this already.

Just be forewarned, the stuff I write always revolves around tauren (cow-people), though I have yet to be called a furry. And I'm not one, just for the record. I just like tauren.

---

It was a particularly sunny day. The skies were clear, and a cool, refreshing breeze blew through the plains. It was the perfect day for a hunt.

That's how Isidor took to living his life. The gray-furred tauren lived alone on the plains of Mulgore in a simple, lonely hut, miles away from the nearest village. He was entirely self-sufficient. He hunted for his own food, retrieved his own water and procured his own supplies. This was how he preferred it to be. He didn't like the company of others, save for his coyote companion, Garm.

His horns curved forward immediately after leaving his head. They weren't as long as the horns of other tauren, but in desperate situations, these ones served him well, and they took many lives. He wore a mask over his face, one made from another coyote he had killed himself. He would always wear it every waking hour, for his own reasons. The only time he ever took it off was when he would fall asleep every night.

But sometimes he would never sleep, he would wander the plains the whole night, hunting whatever beast he could find. Usually following this, he would prepare a feast for himself and his coyote, then sleep for a whole day.

His clothing was simple; a buckled harness worn over an open-chested leather tunic, and a pair of thickly padded leather leggings. He considered his legs his greatest asset, for he was able to run great distances without tiring, making him an excellent predator. But it was not often that he would have to chase his prey, for he was a deadly accurate marksman. For those purposes, he used a simple bow and arrow, deciding against a gun, for he did not trust it's mechanical origins.

He shared many of the ideals that his people generally had. Technology was merely a convenience, but they preferred to be without it. These thoughts manifested themselves in some as a fear of change, some of superstition. Isidor simply did not see the need to use one, when a bow was perfectly capable of taking out most of his prey.

When he killed his prey, he would make sure not to waste any part of the bounty. Excess meat was fed to Garm, and the leather he would extract eventually piled up into an excess amount in his hut. He had the thought of selling some of the leather at a village, but he lived far away from one and didn't have the means to bring a worthwhile amount with him.

Today was so far an uneventful day, despite the fact that the hunt was going remarkably smoothly so far. He had already downed a dozen animals, skinned them for their hides, and fed the meat to his surprisingly hungry companion. Sighing out of boredom, he simply strolled onwards. He had been wanting some excitement lately, as the daily hunts just weren't doing it for him.

And as if to fulfill his wish, the sunny skies were suddenly and quickly covered by dark, thick clouds. He could obviously tell that this wasn't going to be a natural storm. Contemplating the causes, he was able to smell someone nearby, on the other side of the thickly forested area adjacent to him. Curiously and carefully, he made his way, zig-zagging through the trees.

He came upon a clearing, a makeshift amphitheater, small in size, crude in appearance. There, he saw who he had sensed. A female tauren who appeared shorter than most women of their race. She had white fur, and wore a simple brown robe that was torn in some places. The woman appeared injured, with multiple arrows in her back. She appeared to be chanting. Perhaps she was causing the storm?

As she collapsed to her knees, a steady rain began to fall. He moved in slowly, distrusting of this strange individual. Injured or not, he wouldn't hesitate to be rough with her if the situation called for it. Once he was half-way through the amphitheater, she stood up and turned around, her blue eyes catching sight of Isidor. She moved into a defensive stance, wary of his approach. Just in case, he prepared an arrow between his bowstring.

She scowled furiously, her pupils appearing to glow a brighter blue for just a moment. “You'll not take me alive, I swear it!” The female raised a palm in his direction, and a bolt of lightning manifested itself from there, quickly shooting towards the hunter. Though he tried to sidestep it, he ended up slipping on the wet grass. Garm quickly dashed towards the tauren, dodging multiple bolts of lightning before the coyote felt a sudden and paralyzing chill. The beast slowed down, allowing another lightning bolt to freely hit it.

“No!” Isidor desperately and angrily got back on his hooves and fired an arrow at the shaman. It ended up striking her wrist, piercing through to the other end of her arm but not passing through it entirely. Howling in pain, she collapsed yet again. But he wasn't one to acknowledge surrender, especially not when his enemy had harmed his companion. He fired another three arrows, hitting her other wrist and her two ankles, the force of which knocked her down completely.

Sure that she would stay down, he calmly walked to Garm, petting the coyote softly and compassionately, receiving a lick on the cheek from the beast in return. From that he knew his companion was in no real danger. With that out of the way, he walked to the shaman. She gazed at her assailant, acknowledging her inevitable demise. “What are you waiting for... Kill me... Be done with it...” Her eyelids slowly closed, and she fell into unconsciousness.

Isidor felt the urge to end her suffering there and then, but not for the sake of putting her out of her misery. No, he was angry, angry as he had never been before. Yet as much as he did want to kill her, there was a side of him that wanted to save her, to nurture her. He didn't know he had much of a soft side until now, and yet he still didn't notice it. Or perhaps he just forgot about it. As though something else was controlling him, he began to remove all the arrows and treat her wounds.

While he was doing so, he felt the presence of others, those who would potentially be dangerous. Two in the trees to the northwest, he told himself mentally. And another two coming from the west. Scared, he hastily wrapped up her wrists and ankles in bandages, and hoisted her over his shoulder. The arrows in her back would have to wait for later. He quickly retreated for the cover of the trees in the direction from which he came.

“Who do you think that was?” Said one black-furred tauren to the other as they watched Isidor run off. “And more importantly, what are we going to do about getting her back?”

“Don't worry, she'll find her way back to us. She always does. And besides, she did her best to accomplish what she was told, like the good little girl she is.”

She opened her eyes, slowly at first, until her curiosity encouraged her further. She was feeling dizzy from the loss of blood, but she was alive.

She almost wished she wasn't.

Her wrists and ankles were bound with rope, her clothing had been stripped from her, the upper parts of her body covered with bandages, the lower simply covered by a blanket. Her back in particular felt uncomfortably sore. She was lying down on a soft, furry pelt, left to wonder where she was. She remembered the last thing before she had last passed out. The other tauren had attacked her, wounded her more than she already was. She was being chased prior, she couldn't remember by who, but they were bent on stopping her.

She tried leaning up, but she was took weak. Then she heard growling. Looking to her side, she spotted that coyote from before, the one belonging to the hunter. She then looked to her other side. A pile of crates stacked seemingly for the purpose of hiding her. Then she saw the hunter's masked face peering over them. “Alive, are you?” His voice was deep, gruff. Almost unpleasant to listen to compared to the other voices she heard daily.

Though there was a part of her that wanted to be grateful for being saved, the rebellious side of her drove her simply to reject him. Tossing her head to the side, she spoke. “I suppose.”

“Your name?”

She looked inquisitively at him, but didn't answer. “Your name,” he commanded. She sighed, seeing the futility in ignoring him.

“Sierra.” Her eyes glowed blue, like they did before.

“Isidor,” he replied courteously.

“Why did you save me?” She asked him, the question replaying in her mind several times before, like she was compelled to know.

But the hunter simply shrugged, to which Sierra was helplessly infuriated by. “Well, where am I?”

“Doesn't matter.”

She sighed, doubting she would get anywhere with him. “Could you at least tell me what you did with my clothes?”

“They were ruined. I'll make you some new ones.”

At that, she was speechless. She could only nod at him, pleased with him. Yet her feelings were quickly reversed. “I figure if I'm going to have another person around, a woman no less, I might as well make sure she's pleasant to look at.”

Sierra scowled at him, her eyes glowing blue yet again. “What is that supposed to mean!?” He didn't respond, his expression looked as blank as ever, and that mask was started to irritate her even more than she already was.

“Maybe you can answer a few questions of my own, like why do your eyes keep glowing?”

She didn't know what he was talking about. She thought maybe he was just trying to mess with her. “Well why do you wear that mask?”

Isidor grinned, amused. “Looks like we're even then.” He turned around and walked away, disappearing from her sight. Frightened and annoyed, she called out to him.

“Wait! What do you plan to do with me!?” The hunter turned right back around, returning to her sight.

“I saved your life. I expected a little gratitude out of you,” he responded angrily. “If you keep this up I may just end up eating you instead.”

She stared at him, horrified. “Y-you wouldn't do that, would you?”

“No, I'll do something much worse.” He scowled at her, no longer amused by her. She tossed her head aside again, whispering to herself.

“Earthmother, why have you forsaken me?”

“What was that?”

She looked at him apologetically. “S-sorry...”

“You're forgiven.” He walked away, much to her relief, yet that coyote was still there, watching her. His gaze unnerved her.

---

It had been just an hour since their first encounter. The rain was still going strong, which made Isidor grateful that he had built himself a roof. It didn't rain that often, and he liked the scent of moisture in the air.

For now, he was working on the clothes he had told Sierra that he would make for her, even though she was rather undeserving of anything from him. Yet he had already saved her life even after she attacked him, so making some clothing was harmless compared to that. Besides, he had a lot of spare fur to use.

Keeping true to his comment of wanting her to look 'pleasant', he put much effort into making this clothing, using some of the best furs that he had in his supply. He could work much faster if he wanted, but that would diminish the quality of his product. Not to mention that the shaman would suffer from the cold without any clothes.

His crafting was interrupted when he sensed two of the presences he sensed before, approaching his hut. He put his work-in-progress down and went to the edge of his hut to look outside. He saw them approaching. Two other tauren, one with brown fur, the other with white. They wore thick, heavy looking cloaks so as to shield them from getting too soaked.

One of them spotted Isidor, raising his hand in the air. He waited for them, and they started running for his hut.

“Hail Isidor,” the white-furred tauren spoke. “May we come inside?”

The hunter sighed. “Go ahead, Reid.” He knew them both, or rather, he knew one and had seen the other. The brown-furred tauren was but a young bull fresh out of his adulthood rites. He had seen him with Reid several times out on the plains. He didn't know what their relation was, however.
The two soaked braves sat down by a pile of sticks that Isidor was going to set on fire soon enough. “Why are you two running through a rain this heavy?”

“We were searching for a shaman, but we lost her scent after this rain started,” said the exhausted young bull as the hunter started a fire. “And why were you looking for her?”

The two braves stared at each other for a moment before Reid looked to Isidor. “She and a couple of others, Grimtotem warriors we suspect, made an attempt on the High Chief's life, but failed. The warriors were struck down on the site, but the shaman made it out with no more than a dozen arrows in her back.”

“I see,” he responded plainly. “Well I haven't seen anyone today besides the two of you. I was just out hunting until this storm hit.”

His guests both sighed in disappointment. “Then could we perhaps stay for a meal?” They looked pleadingly at him, to which he only scowled.

“No, and I was in the middle of something when you two intruded. Your business here is done, leave.”

Seeing no point in protesting, the two of them left with the fortune of having the rain's strength decrease while they were inside. With them gone, Isidor marched angrily to where Sierra laid. “I have questions, and you have answers. You had best cooperate with me, woman.”

“And why should I, exactly?” She replied to him snobbishly. He began taking down crates to clear a path to her, and grabbed her by the neck when he reached her.

“I could have handed you over to them, you ungrateful wench!” Tightening his grip, he began shaking her and choking her. Blinded by rage, he could not see the sorrow in her eyes. Fortunately for her, he got a hold of himself before he ended up killing her. She coughed a few times, and had the urge to cry.

Though Isidor seldom showed emotion, he was not emotionless. Feeling bad for what he did, he forced her body against his, and embraced her gently as he knew how. “I didn't mean to do that, if you'll forgive me.”

“No,” she coughed again. “I deserved that... And you're right, I owe you answers.”

Relieved, he set her back down, pulling the blanket back over her lower half. “So what do you want to know?”

“Is it true that you tried to kill Chief Bloodhoof?”

Sierra simply nodded. “Why would you do something so foolish?”

“It wasn't my choice... I haven't had a choice in anything for as long as I can remember.” She looked away from him, hoping that he would stop soon.

“What are you trying to say, woman?”

Sierra looked at him with a proud grin. “I'm property of the Grimtotem clan. They want Cairne out of the picture, so they used me, one of their finest shamans, to try and make their goal come true.”

“You don't look like a Grimtotem to me.”

“That's what made the plan safe for them to execute, or at least it would have been if I wasn't with those two weak bulls... They held me back, it's their fault!”

Isidor shook his head at her, ignoring her little rant. “You don't seem to make much sense... But you're wrong. You're not their property. You're my property.” She was surprised to hear that, but also a bit relieved. Perhaps she would be free at last from those who once used her. She didn't try to question him, as he had already made his points before.

She wanted to say something, but her stomach growled, and she blushed. “Well, I suppose you would be obliged to feed your property?”

Sierra couldn't sleep that night. Her bonds had been cut, but she chose to stay in her captor's home. The rain had completely died down, but the sky was still completely black. The hunter must have had a remarkable craftsmanship to build his hut, for not a single drop of rain had made it inside.

But she underestimated herself, having conjured up such a storm in such a weakened condition. But she knew better than anyone that she was a force to be reckoned with. Those kinds of thoughts are exactly what got her into this situation.

But the situation wasn't all bad. Though she traded one captor for another, this one proved to be much more benevolent, and that was saying a lot. Anything was an improvement from being the personal slave of a cold and ruthless Grimtotem agent. Never once did he value anything about her besides her skill and proficiency in wielding the elements.

Yet, after calling the storm, those few lightning bolts she fired at Isidor and Garm seemed to have used up the rest of her mana. She could have easily burnt through her bindings earlier, but escape would have been pointless. She was still injured, and this man who found her, fought her and rescued her hunted for a living. She wouldn't make it far, that much was guaranteed.

The shaman looked over the crates that hid her from plain sight. The fire that Isidor had started earlier to cook a meal for the two of them was still alight. Feeling as though she wouldn't fall asleep anytime soon, she got up, struggling to maintain her balance. She began taking the crates down as quietly as she could and crept over to where Isidor laid.

He was sleeping, lying down on his side, while Garm was sleeping on the other side of the fire. She noticed that he was being truthful when he said he would make her new clothes. She saw them lying flat against the ground. He had made her a simple leather shirt lined neatly and symmetrically with fur, and a smooth leather skirt. She wasted no time in putting it on, and she was deeply surprised. She acknowledged that it didn't fit perfectly, but it was remarkably well made.

Her thoughts finally strayed from her new clothes when she noticed that he was still wearing that mask. She knelt down and carefully reached for it and--

Sierra suddenly but quietly panicked, somehow expecting Isidor to grab her wrist and stop her. But no, he was completely out of it. She pulled her hand back. Maybe she would get ambitious enough one day. Instead, she stepped outside, as she yearned to all day. It was pitch black, yet she could still see in the darkness, a blue glow appearing in her eyes. She herself wasn't aware of it, and she questioned why she was able to see like this.

But she shrugged it off and decided to check out the surrounding area. It was rather unremarkable, just rolling plains for a good while. Lake Stonebull was visible in the far off distance to the west, and there were some abandoned mines to the north. Besides those, there were few landmarks so as to make this place easy to find. But then again, a lone hut in the middle of nowhere would strike anyone as conspicuous.

Yet, she found something around the side of the hut. A large totem laid in the ground, with an inscription on the front of it:

“Land of crimson earth and emerald sky

Heard here, the warrior's battle cry

Against a powerful being, he met his end

A shattered relationship he could not mend

The path from which he could not be strayed

By his lover he would then be betrayed

His redemption, she could not be convinced

A tragic end for the Grimtotem prince”

Sierra was puzzled by the last line, and it lead her to other more grim thoughts. “Could he perhaps have a connection to the Grimtotem clan?” She thought aloud, but quietly. If that were the case, then Isidor's claim on her would hold no change. She shook her head at these thoughts. They were simply created by paranoia. Isidor was no Grimtotem, nor did he seem to have any connection to them. He seemed completely independent, isolated from the rest of the world.

Thinking about it, she thought it was sad, really. She felt sympathy for him, she herself having felt particularly lonely, and had the desire to heal his apparent emotional wounds. Besides, she was now his property. Maybe he wouldn't mind a little intimacy?

She turned around and suddenly stumbled into a much larger being, another tauren male from the looks of it. Falling over backwards, she looked up at the individual. It wasn't Isidor.

“Just like I thought. You were hiding with him,” Reid said triumphantly. She got up and desperately charged at him, only to be caught in a headlock. “You're still wounded, just like we left you. Funny, you put up such a fight before.”

Stubbornly, she struggled to get out of his grasp, but he was right. She was still hurt, still recovering. She hadn't the strength to fend him off, but...

“Give up! It's futile, and Isidor isn't here to save you!”

Her eyes glowed blue as she grinned smugly. “I don't need that man to save me,” she placed her hands on his arms, and a sudden shock went through Reid's body. Weak, but enough to paralyze him. Just then, the glow in her eyes disappeared, and suddenly everything just got a bit darker. She panicked. Though her assailant had been neutralized, his grip on her was still quite firm. She wanted to scream.

But she noticed, just faintly, that a light was approaching them. “What the hell is this? Reid!” Isidor called out. He walked up behind the slightly shorter male, and tapped him on the shoulder. He was stiff and still. Just then he noticed Sierra in his arms. “Found you, did he?”

“Yes,” she answered, relieved.

“Hold this,” he gave her the torch, and pried Reid's arms apart just enough for Sierra to slip out, and that's just what she did. Isidor picked her up, carrying her in his arms.

“I have some things I wish to speak with you about,” she told him, but he didn't respond.

He set her down in the hut, beside the fire. “Stay here, I need to get Reid out of here.”

She curled up into a fetal position. The shaman was unable to feel the ties she had to the elements, as though they had abandoned her. Perhaps calling that storm was not the best idea. For the first time in a while, she was truly afraid.

---

Isidor dragged Reid's stiff body across the ground. He wasn't about to kill him off, however. A dead brave would only make the other tauren angry and suspicious. Yet, he was a danger if he were allowed to live. He admitted that Sierra did a good job in incapacitating him, and it didn't look like Reid would be recovering any time soon.

He reached the edge of Stonebull Lake, and set the brave down by the water's edge. It looked as though Isidor had made it there just in time, for Reid was beginning to stir.

“I will give you just one warning, Reid.” The hunter stared at the brave with intense anger. “Do not go near my property. That includes the shaman.”

The brave didn't immediately respond, for he was still recovering from the shock. “Isidor, why do you protect that girl... She tried to kill our leader, the one who lead us through the darkest times in our history. Yet knowing this, you allowed her to live. Why?”

“Well,” he looked around nervously, afraid to give an explanation. “Something about that girl reminds me of... Me.” His voice seemed to have changed, it wasn't as deep as before. It carried a mixed hint of calmness and despair. “I was once an aspiring young champion for our people and the Horde, accompanied by my companions, I was ready to bring great honor to our united people. Together, in Outland, we helped further the causes of our forces and those whose intentions were right and just. Yet, we were caught in the worst of the fighting on that forsaken land.”

He stared at the ground, tears streaming down his face. “Of the original twelve of us, only three survived. That's what the Horde knows. I was among the first casualties... But I didn't die. I was left alone, thought to be dead, and I stumbled away, and was never found again. With that in mind, I found myself trying to catch up with the rest of them. Instead, I ended up in the care of the Sha'tar, and I didn't make it to them in time. The last three disbanded and went their separate ways. I chose to look after one in particular, another tauren, a simple grunt, but he was my best friend. Despite this, for all the time I was watching him, he never seemed that sad. He moved on, he found a mate. I believe he left Outland for those reasons, only... He came back, and was killed. I never got to talk to him...”

“Did that all just slip out?” His crying ceased, and his voice returned to it's deep tone. “I got off track there. I protect that girl because she appears to have experienced some of what I have. Sadness, loss, pain, alienation. I feel a connection, and were it not for that, I would have ended up killing her myself.”

Isidor shook his head, and focused his gaze on Reid. “But I can't allow you to be free with the knowledge of her whereabouts, nor can you be allowed to roam with the knowledge of my past.”

“You're going to kill me then?” Reid sighed. Isidor had other plans in mind.

The hunter grinned devilishly as he reached a hand into a pouch tied to his belt, and when his hand came out, he was holding a powder. Kneeling down, he blew the powder into Reid's face, shrouding his sight in a thick, red cloud. Isidor's words seemed to echo. “When you wake up, you won't remember a thing about tonight.”

--

Sierra woke up that morning, lying on her side, with the most painful headache. She felt that her face was wet with tears, and she knew she was dreaming, she just couldn't remember what it was about. Then she noticed something wrapped around her. Arms. Thick, muscled arms. And then she realized there was something even larger pressed against her, engulfing her.

“Awake, are you?” Isidor's deep voice boomed in her ear. She was wrapped in his arms, being embraced tightly by the seemingly emotionless hunter. She rolled over to face him, questioning why he was doing this. After all, she thought she would have to make the first move.

“This is awfully sweet of you... But why are you--”

He gently pressed his muzzle to hers, but she didn't feel him, only his mask. “You were crying, I couldn't help it.”

She sniffled and inched in closer to him. “The elements have forsaken me, they are angry at me for creating that storm... I'm powerless.”

“Then you should beg them for forgiveness.” He slipped away from her, rising to his hooves. “I am also obliged to help my property with her problems.”

She closed her eyes and smiled. “No, it's the punishment that I've deserved for so long. I can only hope nature will forgive me in time...”

“Is there anything else you want, then?” He was intrigued by her. She was so selfless, despite what her attitude would have implied before.

She opened her eyes, as if she had just remembered something. “There is, actually... I saw the totem outside last night... What is the poem about?”

Isidor gave a depressed sigh. That was asking too much of him, but he felt like she deserved to know a little more. “It...” He growled angrily. “It's for my friend who lost his life in Outland. I miss him every day.” He stomped towards the entrance of his hut, and looked back at her. “Come, today's hunt awaits us.” Garm came running to his side from behind the crates, and they went outside without waiting for her.

Sierra slowly got up, despite her painful headache, and eagerly went out to join him. She had never been hunting before, she wondered what it was like. More importantly, she wondered how she was going to contribute.

It's not furry unless you want to fool around with them.

Care to elaborate on that?

Reid awoke on the shores of Stonebull Lake with a beastly yawn. His mind was hazy, filled with uncertainty. What happened last night? Why couldn't he remember? He leaned up, rubbing a hand along his muzzle. His body was uncomfortably sore.

He looked around. The lake, he reminded himself.

As if it was instinct, he looked to the east. Isidor's hut. He rubbed his chin while he thought for a moment. “Why do I get the feeling that he's hiding her in there?” The brave shook his head. He shouldn't be thinking such things. Isidor was an enigmatic tauren, there was no doubt about that, but surely he had a sense of right and wrong. He had told the seclusive hunter of the shaman, of what she did.

“Reid! There you are!”

The brave looked to his right, and saw a black-furred tauren running towards him. Sahak, a traitor to the Grimtotem clan. He was a skilled tracker, and the information that he had given the other braves was instrumental in averting some catastrophic plans being formulated by the Grimtotems.

That was the situation. A group of renegades from the bulk of the Grimtotem clan were openly defying the united tauren tribes. They denounced the elder crone Magatha for standing so idly by while the scattered villages of the Grimtotem clan were being marauded by those around them. But the clan was a hardy lot, and they remained as dangerous and tenacious as ever.

So, a group of braves, some of the tauren peoples' finest warriors, formed a specialized group to handle the insurrection. Thus far, it had been nothing but a game of tug-o'-war, each side losing some and winning some. As of now, the Grimtotems were winning, even with information from a number of defectors.

Sahak slowed down as he reached the brave who had been missing all night. “Reid, where have you been?”

“I was...” He scratched his head. “I don't know where I was or what I was doing. But for some reason my body feels completely sore, even stiff in some places.”

“But are you alright?”

“Besides that, I mostly am.”

“Then come, return to the village, you've earned a rest.”

Reid eagerly got up after hearing that. The two walked off in the direction of Bloodhoof Village, but the white-furred tauren kept staring back in the direction of the hut as they went. Sahak took notice of this. Sierra is an elusive one, I'll give her that. I doubt she's dead, but...

---

“That was... Amazing...” She said, almost speechless as she stared in awe at the result of Isidor's successful take-down of a wild kodo, more than twice the size of the hunter himself. He walked over to the hulking beast's corpse and pulled out over a dozen arrows. It took effort, but he was spared of any injuries. A masterful hunter indeed.

He looked over his shoulder at her, grinning. “You're saying you've never brought down anything like this?”

“No... The Grimtotems valued me too much to risk sending me out to do... Well, things like this.”

His curiosity was piqued by her bringing up that name. “Tell me, what is... Or rather, was, your relation with them?” He almost regretted asking her that when she began to pout. He would have to comfort her again, but she seemed to calm herself down.

“They abducted me from my parents years ago. I was raised by them since I was an infant. I was brought to believe I was a Grimtotem. My adoptive parent, a now deceased shaman, taught me to harness the elements... He was powerful, so powerful that he could conjure up horrific storms, and thus he was given the title of 'Stormcaller'. He named me as his heir, for I was close to conjuring such storms, but the elements backfired on him and killed him before he taught me just how to. I bear his title now, but I am undeserving.”

Garm gazed at the kodo hungrily, and looked back and forth between Isidor and the dead beast, but his master's attention was focused on the brooding shaman. “Did you love him even though he wasn't your true father?”

“No, and he didn't love me, but he did respect me. I never knew love until recently. In fact, two of the more prominent Grimtotem bulls were fighting over me. A hunter, Sahak, and a warrior, Kamal, brothers, sons of one of the chieftains. They were both crazy about me, but the former disappeared, and the latter was gravely wounded and I was forbidden to see him...”

“And who were you leaning more towards?”

She shook her head. “I don't know... They both had their great qualities. Sahak was wise, talented, cunning. We would often sit together and share stories, and cuddle. Kamal was quite smart, but he was more the physical type. He liked participating in friendly spars with me, and was quite mischievous, often stealing a kiss or two from me.”

“You must have gone through quite a heartbreak to lose them both,” Isidor said sympathetically. He could recall having someone that he fell in love with, but she never loved him the same way. But it brought him some ounce of happiness to know that she could fare better than him in such a relationship.

Sierra stared grimly at the ground. “I did. I loved them both, and they both loved me, but I couldn't have the two of them. It was going to end in heartbreak for one, now it's a heartbreak for the three us. I... became disillusioned with love, and became... cold. I just focused on the task at hand. And when I was asked to assassinate the High Chief, I gladly accepted, hoping I could be killed in battle, to meet an honorable death. But my desire to live drove me to run, and then you found me.”

Garm whimpered, hungry and eager, staring desperately at his master. Isidor went to Sierra, placing his hand on her shoulder. She was startled, but she welcomed it. “I know what the feeling is like, but also know that...” He slowly brought his muzzle to hers, his lips to hers, and kissed her. She backed off from him, noticeably flushed. He stepped closer to her, ensnaring her in a tight embrace. “Know that I'm here for you.”

“You're stepping in some big shoes there, mister. But I appreciate it, from the bottom of my heart,” she smiled at him and gave him a quick, but sweet smooch. She noticed something about him just then. He seemed to have the qualities of both of the brothers. He seemed to be rather wise, he was definitely cunning. He was strong, and at times, mischievous. Maybe, just maybe, he could restore those lost emotions in her.

She broke away from him, feeling suffocated. Yet, she felt as though she needed to do something. She needed to see his face. Her hands found their way to his cheeks, receiving no reaction from him. She went on, touching the mask. He did not stop her. She slowly lifted the mask off--

An arrow whizzed past her, and she looked over her shoulder, leaving the mask on Isidor's face. A couple of riders were approaching them. Braves, riding on wolves, rather than kodos, possibly for the mobility. Isidor pushed Sierra aside, and immediately, with uncanny speed, began firing arrows at them. They numbered five, no challenge for him. He sent Garm out to try and hinder their progress.

He fired an arrow with uncanny speed. It hit the leg of one of the riders' wolves, slowing it down to a stop. For good measure, he fired another arrow at the now stationary rider, hitting him right in the shoulder.

The others approached, and Isidor kept firing arrows. He lost count of the arrows fired in the frenzy that he was experiencing, and before he knew it, he was completely out, but he had downed another rider. By that time, they were just about to enter melee range, so he tossed his bow aside and drew a hand ax from his belt. The remaining three dismounted and charged at him, their own axes drawn. He immediately recognized one of them as Reid, and one of them seemed to be mocking him by wearing a mask of his own. Though this one seemed to resemble a bird rather than a wolf.

“I thought I had taken care of my little problem,” Isidor said, looking to Reid. “So how did you know?”

The masked one stepped up. “I took care of what you did to Reid. Now there's no escape.” He pointed at the hunter, and the two other braves charged at him. He was fortunate that Garm was holding the other two at bay.

The other brave reached Isidor first, slicing at him, only to have the hunter sidestep the attack and pushed him down. He wasn't just about to kill a fellow tauren, and he didn't want to make enemies out of fellow Horde.

Right as the other brave was pushed down, Reid charged at Isidor, catching him by surprise. He was fast enough to dodge the attack, but not entirely. He ended up with a gash across his arm, and he was constantly evading a continuous onslaught by the white-furred tauren.

Distracted, Isidor was unable to keep an eye on Sierra. She was focused on watching the fight, trying to stay out of the way, and this allowed her to be captured. Her arms were pinned behind her back by one of his hands, while she was kept in a headlock by his other arm. She struggled desperately to get out of his grasp, but to no avail. “Calm yourself. You are in no danger,” he whispered gently in her ear. She recognized the voice.

“Sa... Sahak...?”

Taking off his mask, revealing calm yellow eyes, he kissed her behind her ear. “Yes, my love. Please forgive me, I must keep up appearances.”

Isidor was struggling to not get hit. He was constantly being hard pressed by two opponents, dodging, biding his time for an effective counter-attack. But at this rate it looked like the opportunity would never arise. His strength began to fail him, and his movements became sloppy. Before long his torso and his arms were covered in cuts. His harness and tunic had been ruined, and he soon collapsed to his knees, defeated.

He only then noticed that Sierra was strangely calm, despite being held roughly by the black-furred brave. But then a realization came to him, and parts of their previous conversation replayed in his mind.

...A hunter, Sahak... disappeared...

He didn't know what to think, what to feel. But he couldn't help but feel betrayed, and he reached out a hand to her, desperately, only to have the other two braves pick him up by his arms, and restrain him. Sahak let go of Sierra, and walked to the defeated hunter. “Curious. Why do you wear this mask?”

“It doesn't concern you.”

The black-furred brave grinned. “Now it does.” He reached forth, and pulled off the coyote mask from Isidor's face.

Out of ammo, Isidor dropped his bow, and charged at the doom guard, his ax raised and poised to strike. The demon laughed mockingly and brought it's giant blade down upon the hunter. He was never very skilled in melee combat, but he learned to make up for it in sheer speed. He easily dodged the strike and threw the ax right into the demon's heart, causing it to slump backwards.

He looked around. The rest of their enemies had been defeated, another successful battle. “Victory...” He shouted, intentionally leaving his message unfinished. The others did so for him. “...For the Horde!!”

“Another glorious battle! A good rest awaits us tonight, you've all earned it,” Isidor pointed to the west, to Shadowmoon Village. The fiercest fighting in all of Outland was happening here. The Burning Legion and the Illidari were both lashing out viciously at the fortifications put in place by the Horde and the Alliance. Here, they noticed the foes were tougher than ever; they almost lost this battle, and they almost lost their lives.

Knowing this, Isidor began to grow very protective of his friends and his allies. After each battle, he would choose to hang around whom he considered his best friend. “Hello, Satir,” he said, throwing his arm around the younger, black-furred tauren's shoulder. He took note that much of his armor was damaged in that fight, and he had a cut going down the side of his face, ending just before it reached his neck.

“Isidor,” he answered plainly, exhausted from that last fight. “How did you manage to hold out during the fight?”

“It was no trouble. These demons are all mostly big, slow and heavy. You know that saying, the bigger they are, the harder they fall!” He laughed heartily.

“Easy for you to say, you speedy son of a-- WHOA!!” He was playfully knocked down by Isidor, who laughed mockingly. “You need to relax, my friend. We will prevail over these demons, and I'll make sure you get out of it in one piece,” he held out his hand to the downed warrior, who gratefully accepted it despite the irritation he felt.

They smiled at each other, and Satir shook off being knocked down without a second thought. Their identical red eyes met each other before they both entered into a friendly embrace.

Gentle, innocent, sharp, red eyes. Eyes that told a tale of their own. All the things they had witnessed; love, happiness, peace, death, destruction, war. All were things those eyes had gazed upon. For every positive thing that happened, there was something negative that happened, in equal quality. The good was balanced out by the bad. That was the way of things.

Isidor had no scars on his face. On the contrary, he had a very smooth, young, handsome face, especially for a tauren. Sierra thought he was much older, from his size, his wisdom and his strength. Why would he have worn that mask then? What was he trying to hide? Or, was he even trying to hide anything at all?

Sahak was quite amused, to say the least. “That was rather pointless, but you did have me going there.” The brave clapped his hands at him. “You put up quite a fight there. I'm impressed. I wish I could have participated.”

Isidor didn't respond. He stared at the ground in despair, humiliation, and defeat. Sierra was pleasantly surprised by how his face looked, but she felt what he felt, and she looked to Sahak pleadingly. The Grimtotem stared back at her over his shoulder, puzzled. But he was never one to defy the wishes of his one true love. He returned his gaze to Isidor, and pushed his chin up to allow their eyes to meet. Suddenly the hunter's expression became not one of despair, but one of amusement.

The braves didn't expect what was to come next. Sahak threw a punch at the brave holding Isidor's left arm, allowing the hunter to knock Reid over. In an act of revenge, he stomped on the white-furred brave's ankle, breaking the bone. He whistled to Garm, telling him to return to his side. As he did so, Sahak ran over and picked up Sierra, placing her on his mount. Isidor rushed to another one of the wolves and proceeded to steal it.

Sahak was quick to start riding off, but the direction didn't seem to be random. Whoever he is, the hunter thought, he has an intimate knowledge of the land.

Isidor didn't intend to be left behind, and the Grimtotem had his property, and so he quickly rode off after Sahak, with Garm trailing behind him.

---

“We can hide in here!” Sahak cried as his wolf dashed towards some abandoned mines. In days past, these mines were inhabited by workers and agents of the Venture Co. But no longer. The agents of greed that worked here had been forced out by the tauren long ago.

The wolf came to a stop as they reached the entrance of the mines. The two dismounted, and Sahak tried to dash inside with Sierra, but she wouldn't have it. She wanted to wait for Isidor, she cared for him now. “What are you doing? We have to hide!”

“So that you can reap the rewards of his hard work? He saved my life, and you would sacrifice him and his efforts so you can be with me?”

“Sierra, I--”

Angrily, and with intolerance, she punched him, right in the face, knocking the strong bull off of his hooves. She underestimated her own strength. She seemed to have been recovering quickly. He was stunned by her actions. “Why would you do that Sierra? I thought we were in love!”

She glared at him with such fury that the Grimtotem actually cringed before her. “You abandoned me! You disappeared without a word! How could you expect me to forgive you so easily for that!?” She growled in irritation before she seemed to calm down. “That man, Isidor, he saved my life from the braves who hunted me down, the very men you work with now! He nurtured me, and helped me to heal, physically and emotionally. I... I...” She sighed. “I've fallen for him.”

“Wha... What... Did you forget all the good times we had? The sweet moments we shared? Surely you preferred me over Kamal, but now you prefer this... This 'Isidor' over me!?”

“Did you forget what I just told you!?” She stomped on his chest, keeping him pinned against the ground. “Don't make me repeat myself, Sahak. Your feelings for me are forfeit thanks to your actions, you have no one to blame but yourself.”

“My love, I had a good reason, if you would just let me explain...”

Sierra distanced herself from him, distraught by the situation. She sat against the walls of the mountain that housed the mine, and buried her face in her hands, crying. Sympathetically, Sahak went to her, to try and comfort her. He grabbed her wrists and pulled her hands to the side to see her face, wet with tears. She did what ever she could to get out of his clutches, but not even kicking would keep him away. “Stop!! Leave me alone!!!”

He wouldn't listen. He would have her know his reasons, and surely she would not be unreasonable. He captured her lips with his own. He wanted to remind her of the passion they shared. His had not waned, not at all. She needed to know, and soon she did. “Sierra.”

They looked at each other, their eyes full of mutual guilt. “Sahak.” Her eyes began to swell with tears once more as they embraced tightly. “Why did you leave me!?”

“It's all part of a plan... And I'm overjoyed to have reached this part... The part where I can be with you again...” He stroked her mane consolingly as he went on. “The leader of the rebel Grimtotems is but a mere puppet. He answers to another master, who is none other than Magatha, the leader of our clan.”

Her eyes widened in shock. “I tried to kill Cairne so that she may seize power?”

“Well, that outcome is the most likely. But I found out that even she may answer to a higher power.”

“Who could it possibly be?”

“I heard it was someone claiming to be the rightful heir to the position of chieftain in the Grimtotem clan.”

She sighed. “I find that hard to believe. But what does this have to do with you leaving?”

“Everything. When I found out, I couldn't continue working to overthrow Cairne from his place as the leader of our united people. I wanted to bring you with me, but I doubted that they would let you leave so easily. I had to abandon my pride and work with the braves so that I might have the opportunity to free you from the Grimtotems.”

Sierra giggled at him. “You're too late though. Isidor freed me from being the rebel leader's wench, and he claimed me as his own property.”

“Then I must make you mine,” he forced his lips on hers again, and kept his grasp on her too tight for her to break free.

“Get your hands off my woman!” Isidor roared as he finally reached the mines. Sahak stared in fear and awe as the hunter dismounted his stolen wolf and charged at him. He delivered a powerful kick to the Grimtotem, knocking him away several feet. Sierra was stunned in awe of his strength, despite his injuries from the battle before.

Sahak felt a couple of broken ribs, and was far less than happy with the hostility he received from the man he just saved. “You ungrateful bastard!” The force of the kick must have impacted him elsewhere, for he was feeling far too weak to stand up. On the bright side, that kick seemed to have used up the last of Isidor's strength, as he collapsed onto his fours. “Damn it... Now we're both injured!”

Sierra was amused and disturbed at the same time. Being the only one of the three of them in good condition, she would have to take care of them both. She sighed in irritation. “You boys better get along... It'll make things so much easier on me.” She went to Isidor, and held out her hand to him. They held each others' hand and walked to Sahak. She took his arm and draped it around her shoulder.

The two men eyed each other spitefully as they were lead into the mines by the one person keeping them from killing each other.

Sierra sighed in utter frustration. Because of the two men's refusal to cooperate with each other, she was forced to take care of them both. Both were injured, and with she still recovering from her own wounds, the situation didn't look very bright.

They were both taken inside the mines, which had been hastily abandoned. Thus, the interior was littered with discarded tools, equipment, and even some furniture. Sierra dumped the two stubborn bulls off at the far end of the mine and went off to scavenge the place. The two of them eyed each other in mutual hatred. Isidor didn't like that Sahak was tampering with his property, his woman, and Sahak didn't like that Isidor was treating his beloved like an object, and that he broke a couple of his ribs. They both wanted her, and they were both ready to fight for her.

“So,” Isidor suddenly spoke just to break the tense silence. “Why did you save me back there?”

“Sierra begged me to, I just can't say no to her.”

The hunter chuckled at him, which deeply disturbed the Grimtotem. “You're pathetic, falling prey to your emotions.”

“At least I have them,” Sahak retorted with a grin, and began laughing, but quickly stopped when the strain began to hurt his chest. He noticed Isidor's smug look and shook a fist at him. “...The good ones anyway.” He coughed, and decided to raise his own question. “Why is Sierra with you?”

“She attacked me, I defeated her, and then I captured her. It's just that simple.”

Sahak glared at him, unsatisfied with the answer. “Why, is she with you?”

Isidor sighed and brought his palm over his face. “I just explained that the other day...” He growled and slammed his fist against the wall.

“You're a real character, aren't you?” Sahak asked him sarcastically, shaking his head. “Seen some horrible things, done even worse things, and now you've become mentally unstable?”

“I don't know where you got the unstable bit, but you're right for the most part. And I assume you're in a state of your own where you can't be ribbed about your past?”

“Damn right,” Sahak spat, rubbing the side of his chest where the bones were broken. “I've lived a normal life. I have seen some bad things, but it's nothing to go insane over! And just so you know, I've known love. True love, and I still know it! Sierra is--”

“--Not yours,” she interrupted as she walked in on their argument. “And not yours either,” she said to Isidor. He didn't respond. “As far as I'm concerned, the two of you belong to me. But I don't want to make it that simple.”

Isidor rose, his legs shaking, but he managed to keep his balance stable enough for him to stand. “That's fine if you don't want to be mine, but I will not be yours.” He walked to Sierra, with a malicious gaze. She looked in amusement as the injured tauren limped over to her. He readied a hand, poised to grab her by the neck, but she grabbed his neck first, and sent a harmless shock through him.

He crumbled, slumping onto the ground, staring in simple disbelief. “I thought you said you had lost your power...”

“I guess I was wrong,” she replied, her pupils glowing blue, though she was still unaware of it. “Isidor, I will not be intimidated by you, and Sahak, I will not have you continue to stroke your ego.”

Sahak gulped, looking down. “Yes, my love.” He looked into her eyes, taking notice of the glow. “Uh, Sierra...?”

“What?”

“Your eyes are... uh, glowing.”

She stared at him, dumbfounded. “Isidor kept saying that. Is it really true?” They both nodded at her.

“Well, it's not important,” she shrugged, and reached into a satchel on Isidor's belt - he didn't mind. But he was surprised that she knew where he kept his bandages. He leaned up, looking attentively at her as she wrapped bandages around his wounded form, and she finished up by placing a tender kiss on his forehead. Isidor smiled shyly, and Sahak looked on in jealousy.

But his inadequate feelings were soon quelled when she walked to him, pulling his tunic off so she could wrap bandages around his bruised ribs. The feeling was bittersweet, however, even though he enjoyed the fact that his beloved was treating his wounds. He just felt that she was increasingly distancing herself from him, and her reason had been made perfectly clear to him. His mind was filled with guilt, though he tried his best to forget about it. He had hurt Sierra, and he regretted it.

“And... Done!” She said with glee as she finished bandaging the Grimtotem. Before either of them could say anything, she was already taking what little equipment they both had, weapons and all. “I'm going to go back to Isidor's hut and get some supplies from there.”

“Do you know how to get there from here?” Isidor asked her, impressed with the way she was taking charge.

“I'm sure I can find my way,” she waved at the two of them before turning around and starting for the exit. “Could you look out for Garm while you're away? I don't think he was able to keep up with me.”

“Sure!” She shouted before running off. Isidor laid back with a big smile on his face.

“I think I'm feeling this emotion you call 'love'.”

Sahak sighed. “I suppose.”

---

Sierra managed to find Isidor's hut without much effort. She gazed around, unsure of what exactly held the food. It was obviously the crates, because there were no other containers in here. She only had the strength to bring one crate with her. She went about searching them, and found nothing. She was surprised, to say the least. Though she didn't bring up the idea of finding food to them, she was certain that Isidor would have some in stock. It was in good fortune that she decided to take their weapons though. Or maybe not. They were defenseless after all.

It would have been easier for her to have just healed their wounds, but that was just it. Though she could still conjure lightning, her healing powers seemed to have completely waned. She sighed, and stepped outside. The sky was becoming cloudy, and the scent of moisture was thick in the air. It pleased her, but she couldn't help but think how foreboding it might be. She had only seen Isidor hunt. She had never actually tried it, and the thought of it made her very nervous. Taking Sahak's bow in hand, she went off in search of something to kill.

Or at least, that was the plan.

Sierra was knocked down by a sudden gust of wind from behind. She heard something heavy stepping on the grass around her. She tried getting up, only to have that same heavy thing step on her, keeping her down. “I finally found you, Sierra.” She recognized the voice immediately. Rahul Grimtotem, her former keeper, and fellow shaman.

“So? You found me, what now?”

He stomped on her once more for her insolence, receiving a painful cry from her. “I'm taking you back. You survived combat with the high chieftain, and you're our greatest shaman. We still have use for you.”

“My powers have waned, and I don't know of a way to restore them to their peak.”

She found some relief as his hoof removed itself from her tender back, only to be picked up by the collar. The elder shaman snorted in her face. “If the elements have revoked your power, then I have a plan to get them back.”

“Is this the only way?”

“It's the easiest way.”

Sierra and Rahul stood in the amphitheater where the former had first encountered Isidor, from where she had conjured a storm, just the other day. The male shaman held out a multi-colored orb in his hand. The colors and textures were constantly in flux, swirling and melding. “This orb is the key to restoring your powers to their fullest,” he explained. She reached for it but he pulled it back. “The orb is a vessel for Ahura, an elemental aberration, a conglomerate of the elements, nature incarnate.”

“I don't quite understand what that all means...” she said, rubbing her arm nervously.

“It's a result of some experimenting with the help of our Forsaken allies. They tried to combine several elemental spirits, and the result was a monstrous elemental. It went mad from having several personalities. We used this to capture it. When I release it--”

“Wait, you're setting it loose!?”

He spoke through her outburst. “--it will set out on a rampage. You must stop it and defeat it, and a fraction of it's power will leak out and become yours.”

She was quite distressed at hearing all of this information. “...This is the only way?”

“If you don't do this, then I will take you back to Dustwallow and make you nothing more than an object used to sate my cravings.”

That information angered her to no end. She would not be 'used' by anyone anymore, nor would she be claimed by anyone. The blue glow reappeared in her pupils as she brimmed with rage. “Fine. I'll do this.”

“Good.” He placed the orb on the altar, delicately proportioning it. He took a deep breath before he smashed the orb with his fist, causing a burst of light to engulf the two of them. They couldn't tell what was happening, but the strength of light had soon relented, and the situation became clear.

The energies within the orb were leaking out, forming a multi-colored stream that darted through the air. A grin appeared on Rahul's often angry face. “If you intend to catch up to Ahura, I suggest you start moving.”

She glared at him, then looked behind her, then at him again before she ran off after the stream. Rahul stared at the hand he had used to smash the orb. The flesh and bone of it had been replaced by a swirling mass of fire energy, in the shape of his hand. “...More dangerous than we had realized.”

---

“...But she dodged it and I was defeated in an instant,” Sahak said, finishing a recap of a spar between him and Sierra. Isidor was rather intrigued to hear of her fighting prowess. He was lucky to have fought her while she was in such a wounded state, or else he would have been rather effortlessly defeated himself. “How you defeated her is beyond me,” the Grimtotem added.

Isidor shrugged. “I got lucky, maybe.”

“What luck, then. She's the most dangerous person I know.”

“Then she shouldn't have any trouble getting food for us,” the hunter said, rubbing his stomach to ease the hunger pains he felt.

They both joined together in healthy laughter, but Sahak quickly stopped, for his chest began to hurt again. “...Can't even laugh,” he muttered quietly.

“You say something?”

The Grimtotem shook his head. He leaned against the rock wall, clutching his chest tightly. The pain had not yet subsided, and it drove him mad. He really wanted to get Isidor back for the injuries inflicted, but several things kept him from doing so. If I were to injure him, we'd be completely defenseless...

They then heard footsteps, lighter than what they were used to hearing. They looked down the long hall of earth and saw figures in the darkness. They weren't tauren.

---

Sierra gazed in awe at the elemental being that Rahul had unleashed. 'Aberration' was the right term to describe it. The elemental's main body was formed of rock, but a steady jet of water in the bottom kept it afloat in the air. One of it's arms was formed of pure fire, and the other of ice. It had three heads floating around the top of the earthen structure, one formed of fire, one of water, and one of rock.

The energies of the elemental were leaking out of it, affecting the land around it. The grass on which it hovered above was being scorched, soaked, frozen, or even trampled. Yet, she felt some of the energy rejuvenating her own. She was filled with seemingly infinite amounts of power. She felt unstoppable.

“What is this that stands before me!?” The fiery head spoke, it's deep, dark voice echoing, full of rage.

“A little creature that does not fear me?” The watery head spoke, it's voice soft and soothing.

“Your bravery is to be admired, but you may not be allowed to stand any longer!” The earthen head spoke, it's voice thick and hoarse.

With that, Ahura charged forth, and lashed it's fiery arm at Sierra. She manipulated the jet of water that held the elemental in the air to extinguish the flames before they hit her. Additionally, this unbalanced the creature. “You underestimate me, beast. Your power feeds me!” The shaman began waving her arms around, and the elemental's movements were controlled as thus.

Through Sierra's influence, Ahura began destroying itself. Fire and ice smashed into it's rock body, scorching and scraping against it. The fiery head disappeared, and with it, it's fiery arm. The other two heads began screaming. The icy arm then pounded further into the earthen body, only to have it shatter, and with it, the watery head disappeared, and so did the stream of water that kept it afloat. The rock body of the elemental fell to the ground.

The remaining head roared in anger as Sierra approached the immobile elemental. She placed her hand on it, and the elemental seemed to calm down. “Tauren, I thank you. For the first time in a hellish eternity, the arguments have ceased. Peace now fills this hollow shell. But now I beg you, please put me out of my misery before they return!”

“What do you mean by 'they', exactly?”

“The other voices... We do not agree with each other. We share one mind and one body, and we constantly strive to influence the others. As such, we are constantly in strife, and the arguments drive us to insanity! Please, end it now! Destroy me!!”

Sierra stepped back in surprise. She hesitated to fulfill it's wish. It was the same way she felt with Isidor. It's sadness answered to her compassion, and she wanted not to destroy it, but to heal it. But this threw her off, and the other two heads reappeared, and with it, everything else did. She was surprised and overwhelmed by a sudden barrage of fire and ice that shot forth at her. Icicles pierced through her body, just narrowly avoiding vital areas, while the fire, inaccurate, set her clothes alight and singed her fur in isolated areas. She stumbled backwards, the strength she felt before now dissipating. Ahura towered above her, the three heads laughing in victory.

“You stood against us, and lost,” the rocky head gloated.

“You were weak, when you should have been strong,” the watery head spoke, reminding her of the mistakes she made.

“You showed mercy to a fallen foe, a foolish trait indeed,” the fiery head mocked her.

The three voices united in laughter once more, then spoke in unison. “Do you have any last words, little shaman?”

Her face had no expression. Not of anger, not of sadness, not of happiness. Even in the face of death she could not find emotion. She simply shook her head at their question, and the fiery arm came crashing down on her. She awaited the end, but it simply would not.

Unconsciously, her arm lifted itself and she pointed to Ahura's watery head. A stream of lightning shot forth, striking the head, destroying it. Yet the damage went further than that; the shock spread throughout the inside of the elemental's earthen body, and soon the whole thing collapsed, leaving behind it's elemental core, an intangible swirling sphere. Ahura's lifeblood was contained within it.

Sierra, confused, rose to her hooves, unable to register in her mind what had just occurred. Defeating the elemental after taking such a devastating blow was hard to comprehend for her. Yet it happened, and she had mixed emotions of relief and despair. She walked to the core, sitting lonely in the rocky remains of Ahura's body. Her hand reached out, slowly but desperately, her entire body shaking. When her hand touched it, the core reacted violently, and the shaman found herself engulfed by a massive explosion of elemental energy.