Chapter 5

Iyana Moonbreeze

…He is Human, and he shall be alone. He stands close to six feet tall, brown hair, brown eyes. Most likely he will be better-dressed than most of the patrons. You can easily spot him by the pair of maces he carries around his waist. Do not divulge more information than instructed. This is strictly need-to-know, and he doesn’t need to know everything.

The Elf closed the note carefully, sliding it back into the folds of her robe from whence it came. While reading the lines “need-to-know”, a smirk crossed the Kaldorei’s face. The Elf knew little as it was, but she felt somewhat appeased when she knew that someone knew even less, still. The logic was flawed, but entirely true.

She turned around and, for the umpteenth time that night, scanned the tavern crowd. Through the dim glow of waning candle light, she could not make out anyone matching the instruction’s description. What’s worse, in the past hour she had been confronted three times, two Dwarves and a Human, each wanting to buy her a drink. After declining and nearly retching over their foul breaths, her right leg had begun to fall asleep. Now, with her hood on to conceal her features and her leg in constant motion to ease back the feeling, she must have appeared to the others as a troubled hag of sorts. At least it kept the strangers away.

Iyana Moonbreeze took her sparse moments of respite to look back on life, thus far. She had been raised in the noble alchemists’ guild of Darnassus, taught everything there was to know about plants. She was the quickest learner in her small circle of friends, and raced through the ranks until she had earned her place as a Master Alchemist.

But after she began to walk her own path in the world, free of the restrictions of the Kaldoreian lifestyle, things had begun to change. She found that the Night Elves’ contempt for the other races was silly. Soon, she had begun to associate herself with many a Human, Gnome, and Dwarf. On her worldly travels, she had slipped away from the Alchemists’ teachings and found herself doing small tasks for pay. She had never enjoyed the solitary life of a chemist, and found that traveling had and would always be a part of her life. Now, under the generous pay of Rok’roham, she had no intentions of resting.

A hand on her shoulder startled her into the present.

“Oh! Forgive me, err,” spoke a man, pausing when she turned to face him, “I did not mean to startle you.”

She slid a dagger out from a sheath concealed in her robes, pushing it into view for the man to see.

“Umm…I don’t think that's necessary.”

“Give me one good reason why it isn’t,” she stated, trying hard to keep the tremble from her voice.

“Because, first of all, I won’t allow you to,” he said, taking a seat next to her, and dropping a clean, white hat onto the countertop, “And second of all, I believe you are looking for me.”

Iyana was puzzled for a moment before realizing what the Human had meant. She gave him another long, hard stare before putting the dagger back into its sleeve. The man had matched her contact’s description perfectly. Better, she might add.

“You are Stefan Dreis?”

“I am. May I have the name of my interrogator?”

“I’m sorry. Hours of waiting in Duskwood can make one very agitated. I am Iyana Moonbreeze,” she said, lowering her voice considerably, “I am your contact from Rok’roham. Your target is a sect of renegade Warlocks. He has gathered information that, in the last two months, they have been devoting their time to an unknown agenda here in Duskwood.”

“Mmm. More of the shady demon-lovers,” muttered Stefan. He apologized for his interruption, asking her to continue.

“Stormwind wants you to uncover the Warlocks’ plans. It is highly probable that you will have to kill them, as well.”

“Nothing I haven’t done before.”

“Then you accept?”

“I do.”

“Excellent,” said Iyana, rising from the chair. Stefan politely rose as well.

“Shall you stay for a drink? I’m sure it is a long way back to Darnassus,” he proposed.

“It is an enticing offer, but I have to decline. I must be on my way to Stormwind. It will be a long time before I return to Darnassus,” she said, sighing.

“Ah, sick of home too, eh? I know how you’re feeling. It’s a terrible thing, boredom. But look at me now,” he said, showing her the pair of maces on his hips, “I cannot afford to be bored. Thank you, Iyana Moonbreeze. Shall I see you in Stormwind, once the deed is complete?”

“I imagine you shall. Until then, farewell, Stefan Dreis.”

Stefan remained at the bar. He ordered liquor, and tried to settle down after the long journey from Booty Bay. He wondered what Lory was doing right now. Knowing her, she was working on that damned tapestry again. Stefan found it silly, but Lory took it very seriously. Some day, he swore he would understand. Probably not any time soon. After draining his mug, he got a room for the night and flopped into bed.

He was snoring scant seconds later.