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Aftermath-Witchhunt (Part Three)

Post by lightnstuff

Golden dawn splashed over the horizon and spilled through the barrens. Wherever it touched, life flourished, strong life far more adjusted to the heat of the day than that of the life in the forest.
Zezi slept well through the night, the first time in a long time that she has done so. In the morning she woke up and crawled out from her bedroll. She stood up and stretched, looking around for a moment before sitting back down and began to remember all the things that had happened yesterday.

Ga'Crane's ear twinkled. The troll blinked several times, then stood up in what he thought was a smooth movement, almost tripping over Gurka afterwards. A curse was half-way through his throat when he saw that Zezi was awake, too.

"Hey, Zez, how joo be doing todai?" - he smiled.

The troll girl turned and looked over when she saw Ga was up. She smiled at him, "I'm feelin bettah den yestaday. How bout you?"

"Ah'm actually feelin' hungry, dat's pretty much da only fin' on mah mind right now. Joo want some?" - he asked, opening his bag and taking out some sandwiches - "Pork, cheese and lettuce, yummy!"

"What's pork?" She asked looking at the strange sandwiches. "Ah never heard of it before."
"Da only thin' joo need ta know now is dat it's somethig a) tasty, b) good for joor health, and finally c) tasty!" - Ga'Crane laughed quietly and gave one sandwich to Zezi - "C'mon, be a good girl and have a breakfast, to grow up and everyfin'," - he encouraged and happily nommed on his. - "M-m-mph, nuffin li'e a goo' sandwi' in 'e mornin'." - he mumbled, apparently oblivious to a green lettuce leaf hanging from his left tusk.

She giggled as she watched him eat and saw the leaf hanging from tusk. She then bit into the sandwich. "M-m-H!" She said as she chewed her first bite, savoring the taste. "This is good. We never had anything this good back at home." She quickly dug into the sandwich biting and chewing it slowly so as to savor the taste.

Ga'Crane almost choked and laughed awkwardly, finally noticing the lettuce and sending it into his mouth. - "Dey say dat if dere's a thin' joo don't wanna do while joo be eatin', dat would be hurrying. Too bad Ah'm not a good listener." - he said. What he did not say was the true reason behind his choking.'I hope that was just a compliment to please me... Otherwise another couple of revelations like that one and I'll go bezerk.'

She saw him choking and stopped. "You okay?" She asked worried that something bad might be happening to him. "Cause if you aren't I can go wake someone up and we can help you." she took another bite of her sandwich and chewed.

Ga clenched his fist and delivered a fast, accurate punch at his own chest, hiccuped and covered his mouth with a palm ashamedly - "Worry not, Zez, good ol' Ga'Crane's perfectly fine and besides..." - he wiped his mouth, stood up and stretched - "Da fact dat we two are awake already does not mean the others don't wanna sleep no more, eh?"

"Okay...but if you aren't feeling good I really tink we should get someone up." She said still looking him over trying to make sure he was really okay.

"Oh noes, Ah am not fine, Ah am not feelin' well, what is dis Ah see? Zezi's starin' at me instead of finishin' her sandwich! Oh, what a tragedy!" - that was one part an exclamation, another part a whisper, so overall picture, completed by over-dramatical expression of his face and wildly swinging arms was pretty ridiculous.

She giggled. "You’re so silly Ga." She said still giggling as she took another bite and chewed before stuffing the rest of the sandwich in her mouth and finishing it.

"Joo know not how much can be achieved by a good joke said in time." - 'Yeah, and a big damn sword and even a bigger fireball, but I ain't telling you that.' - "And did dey tell you dat every minute laughed adds fifteen minutes to your life-span? Well Ah'm not entirely sure dat's actually true, but Ah think it's worth tryin'." - he smiled.

She giggled again. "Den I might live a very very long time if you keep making me laugh." She said smiling at him.

"Yep, so dat joo have some spare time after joo've seen everythin' the world has worth looking at. Watch dis!"Ga'Crane theatrically spread out his arms, tilted his head with what he thought was a cool creak coming from his neck - and the next instant he was standing on his palms, swaying a little. He grinned and made several steps before carefully standing back on his feet.

"Yeah, Ah know dat was cool, but what I wanted to say is dat joo need to keep fit, so, while dem lazy-bones sleep their life off, we're gonna do some exersise. Repeat after me, Zez! A-one, a-two, a-three..." - he said, beginning with the basics.

"Okay." She said following Ga's movements as he went, though she did them a lot clumsier then he did and she could hardly keep herself up on her hands.

After showing all the movements Ga came over to Zezi, helping her and gently steering her so as to avoid treading on sharp stones or else.

"Joo be doin' remarkably good," - he said - "Ah'm almost envious, it took meself a lotta time to learn dis."

At that point, Gurka blinked awake and sat up. She looked around to make sure Zezi was still there, and was pleasantly surprised to find Ga exercising with her, safe and sound.

Ga smiled slyly when another idea came to his mind. All of a sudden, he lifted Zezi from the ground and was now holding her by her ankles.

"Ah've just invented a new game. Imagine dat Ah'm ten times fatter and bazillion times stupider - Ah'm an ogre now, and Ah've caught joo, now try and break free! Ahem..."Ga inhaled and rumbled in a deep, menacing voice - "Who dis troll be? Ga smash!" - while holding Zezi's ankles just tight enough so as she had no chance of falling.

She giggled and kicked as he picked her up. "Ah, ogre!" She said still giggling as she tried to kick her way out of Ga's grip.

"Use joor waist to pull joorself up and den squeeze mah wrists to make me let go... Ah mean, shtupid troll! Make Ga angry!" The potion doc jeered oh so playfully, giving Zezi a light shake.
She continued to giggle as she tried pulling herself up. "Ugh." She groaned as she tried to pull herself up but kept getting tired and falling back down. After a while of trying this she finally just gave in and pushed through and reached up and grabbed his wrists. “Nasty ogre let go." She said giggling through her breathlessness as she squeezed his wrists.

"Oi! Mean troll!" - rumbled Ga'Crane, finally letting Zezi go and gently putting her back to the ground. He stretched out his arm explained - "But next time, press at dis point. See?" - he said in normal voice, showing her the how. He was still holding his arm stretched, clearly wanting Zezi to try it herself.

She stood up and looked for a moment then nodding. She stepped up to try it but then she hesitated a moment, "It won't hurt you will it?"

"Nope, fire away." - he smiled reassuringly and laid his other hand on her shoulder to encourage her. The fist was clenched tight.

She hesitated a bit more, unsure if he was really telling the truth, but in the end she reached up and pushed the spot he had said, but she only pushed it slightly so that if it did hurt it wouldn't hurt as much.

"Zez." - Ga'Crane shook his head and continued - "Ah fink joo know bettah dan me dat da world isn't a nice place overall. Sometimes, nasty things happen to good people like joo or me. And good people have to defend demselves.Zezi, now you are among friends, but as much as we want, we cannot possibly always be dere to protect joo. Dat's why joo'll have to learn how to protect joorself - and Ah'm here right now to help you. So, squeeze. Ah promise joo, dat won't do me any harm, okay?"

"O...okay." She said meekly stepping up again and squeezing as much as her little hands could.
Ga'Crane's hand twitched notably as it opened up for a fraction of a second. "Good, good! See now? Nothin' too difficul', yet maybe it will save joo once." 'I will find you, slave-handler. I will find you, tie you up, give Zezi a knife and let her do her first kill. In death, you will be a lot more useful than you were in life.'

"I...I guess not." She said thinking about it only a moment. "Teach me some oder tings." She said wanting to learn a few more ways to defend herself.

"Well, Ah guess dat da fist thin' would do now." - mused Ga'Crane, unclenching and clenching his right fist several times. "See? Da thumb should be above two others, not beneath dem - oderwise joo might break it, and dat's somethin' joo don't wanna happen in a middle of a fight. Go on, try."
She clenched her hand into a fist and put her thumb on top of the joints on her fingers. "Like dis?" She asked looking at his to try and make sure she was doing it right.

In the meantime, Nightbane whipped her head about, her ears flapping against her head entertainingly. She watched from the bows above. She snorted humorously; the trolls were entertaining at the very least.

It was then Gurka sat up and rolled up her bedroll, tying it to the bottom of her backpack. She thought that Zezi was cute, but she wondered how much daylight they had left to travel by. "I hate to be the party pooper," she shrugged, "but how soon are we heading off? Long way to Ashenvale from here."

“Leaving now would be advisable,” Nightbane commented from her roost.

"Aw....but we was only just beginin ta have fun!" She said as she watched everyone begin to pack up and get ready. Then she walked over and picked up her bed roll and began to work to re-roll it up. When she had it done up in a half-way decent manner she picked it up and brought it over to Ga. "Tanks for lettin me use it." She said reaching up to hand it to him.

"Joo know wha', Ah fink dis would be a small present to joo... If joo learn how to pack it correctly! Here..." - Ga'Crane quickly unpacked the bedroll, flapped it several times and slowly, step by step, packed it back. - "Ah'm sure we still have just enough time for joo to get da hang of dis, go on, try."
She nodded as she watched carefully and began to practice rolling it up, over and over and over and over again until she got it right. "Is dis right?" She asked smiling hopefully.

"Dat a girl." - smiled Ga - "And don't be so sad about leavin', we still can have some fun while walkin'. Tell joo wha', Ah've got another idea - how 'bout joo sitting on mah shoulders and pointin' at anythin' joo want to know around us? Take dat kodo, for example. Few know dat its horn can be used to brew a concoction dat can cover all dem small holes in da wooden buildings, forcin' da cold wind to stay outta dem."

"Wow." She said as she took in the knowledge and set it to memory. "So can you tell me other things I got questions about too?"

"Ah promise dat Ah'll try to, Zez. Naturally, no one knows everythin', but Ah'll do da best I can." Ga’Crane put realistically, yet optimistically.

"Okay. Then do you know what," She cleared her throat real quick and remembered how the words sounded. "Brother, sister." She said in the best Zandali she could. "What do those words mean?" She looked up at him inquisitively as she awaited the answer.

"Well, Ah suppose joo could say dere are two answers to dis question - firstly, suppose dat a papa troll and a mama troll have not one, but many kids - den each of dem can say dat other boys are his - or her, of course - bruddas, while da girls are sistahs. Get it? Den, dere's much more complicated thin'. In da previous case bruddas and sistahs are united by da same blood dat courses through dem, but sometimes people - not only trolls, but also orcs, or tauren, - spend a lotta time togetha, share many thin's, do da same big job and everythin'. And, if dey are lucky, dey may form a relationship dat will be closer dan just friendship. Basically, when joo call someone not from joor family a brudda or a sistah, dat will mean joo two are like da best of friends. Erm. Dat's da way Ah see it, at least."

"So wait....what does it mean if a mommy calls a daddy, brother, and the daddy calls the mommy a sister?" Zezi asked.

Ga'Crane blinked several times - "Sounds like a trick question... Maybe dat's just a joke, but Ah can't tell for sure, unless Ah know a bit more - like, da whole conversation 'tween dem." - he said slowly and carefully.

"Well....I don't remember the whole conversation....just those and a few others." she said. "But i do know that whenever daddy see's me he cries, mommy says it's cause of something he did that he ass....ass....associates with me whenever he see's me." She said struggling to say associates for awhile. "Is dat enough information ta help?"

"Zezi, wait, not that Ah am not wanting to answer joor question, but do joo know where joor parents are? Or maybe, how can we find dem? Were dey slaves, too?" Ga’Crane asked, taking care not to add a tone to his voice.

"Yeah. Dey are both slaves, dat's why I was a slave was cause da master owned both of them. In fact I remember mother sayin’ something about her and daddy being bought by the master at the same time." she said, "And they would be at da place I ran away from."

"Den we will find 'em. Dey must be happy now dat joo are free, whaddaya think? And when we will find 'em, joo will ask dem dat question, and dey will answer it much bettah den Ah evar could,” Ga’Crane said, it was the best he could come up with.

"I think mommy is....but daddy....every time he see's me he starts crying and shouting things at me in that strange language." She said. "I think I may have done something that made him upset, a long time ago."

"Whatevah dat was, dat was a long time ago. Ah will talk to him, Ah think Ah can solve it all out once we have freed dem. So, Zez, stop worrying about dat for now, dat won't do any good for joo." The troll stated firmly.

"Okay." She said though she was still trying to figure out the answer to her own question.

"Hmm..." Ga'Crane thoughtfully tapped his forehead, then took out a conch shell and gave it to Zezi, saying - "Bring it up to joor ear and tell me, whaddaya hear."

She took the shell and gently brought it to her ear. She listened carefully. "It....sounds....like..." She said listening as carefully as she could. "Like water?" She pulled it from her ear and stuck her finger inside and felt nothing. "How can there be water sounds in there if there isn't any water?"

"Well, Ah don't know for sure. Dese things can be found in many numbers along da sea-shore - joo know what dat means, right? - and dey say dat a small part of da spirit of da sea is living inside each of dem. Sounds great to me, do joo like it?" Ga’Crane stated before delving into his own thoughts, 'I wonder, how will she react to the theory that the shell is merely magnifying the sound of her own blood coursing through her? Not that I knew that for sure, anyways...'

Post by lightnstuff

"Wow! a spirit be livin in here?" She said looking inside the tiny shell. "Mommy always said dat da spirits was special, but I never knew much about dem. What are dey like? Do dey like to eat sandwiches and meat and other tasty things?" She asked searching inside the shell for the sea spirit.

"Joo won't see him dere. Da spirits don't have a body, Zez, dey be nowhere and everywhere at da same time. And while dey do not actually need to eat, Ah am sure dat dey will appreciate joor will to share with dem. Joo will not hear da spirits unless dey want joo to, and even den joo have to special - joo have to possess a heart of a shaman. Ah'm not a shaman meself, dat's what mah parents told me, and deir parents told dem and so on. Ah fink joo really should talk to Gurka dere. Ah see dat joo are a special girl, maybes he will see somethin' more? Perhaps, she will even see dat joo can become a shaman, eh?" - smiled Ga'Crane encouragingly.

"You think I could?" She asked turning away from the shell and looking up at him with a smile.

"Dere's one thin' Ah know for sure - each and everyone of us has a potential for somethin' outstandin', somethin' great, da trick is to find joor place in da world. Take me, for example - dere are many trolls strongah den me, and many trolls smartah den me, Ah know dat and Ah am not ashamed of it, and do joo know why? Because Ah have somethin' dat dey don't - Ah am a potion doc, and a good one, Ah can assure joo. When da shamans need a sapta to bettah understand da spirits, who do dey call? Me. When da medics need to restore lost blood of dere patients, what do dey need? Mah concoctions. When da warriors need to do somethin' beyond dere physical capabilities, who is it dat's gonna make dere muscles ten times strongah? Yep, it's me again. Ah have found mah place, Zezi, and Ah'm really happy about it. And Ah know dat joo will find joor place once, too, and the fastah joo start lookin', da bettah. So, why don't joo start right now?" Ga’Crane grinned, 'Whoa, ain't I a talker. Man, I need something to drink. Well, they call me Modest Ga for a reason, he-he-he.'

"Wow." She said in awe as she listened to him. "You is like a super hero, doin all dee's tings ta help people out when dey need it ta do dey tings."

"Don't get me wrong, Zez, Ah'm just a troll who is happy to do his job. Nothin' super 'bout me, Ah'm a good potion doc, but dere are some dat are way bettah - well, actually, Ah know most of dem pers'nally, but dat ain't matter." - he grinned widely.

"But ya still like a super hero! Ya be helpin people when dey needs it. Ya be like da suppa hero I use to make up when I would play wit da sticks outside," she said refusing to believe that he was anything less then THE BEST!

"Ah'm just a potion doc, Zez, nothin' more,” Ga’Crane stated humbly, bowing even.

“Uh,uh, your my super hero Ga!" Zezi exclaimed and hugged his leg.

'Damn, I need to turn off my Badass Boast when I speak to little girls...And it isn't like I'm not liking this, it's just kinda unfair.' "Joo know what would be heroic, Zez, if joo say so? Dat would be training joo to da point of me thinkin' dat joo are a super hero." - he sat on the ground so that he could look in her eyes - "And somewha', Ah feel we can do it."

She tilted her head confused. "What you mean?" She asked confused by what he meant, and partially by how he said it.

"Ah mean dat if joo want, joo can stick wid me - and den Ah will train joo, so dat eventually joo will become bettah dan me - at everythin'. Joo wan' dat?" Ga’Crane suggested optimistically.

"Yes!" She said excitedly now that she knew what he meant. "I would love to train wit you!"

"As mah fathah sez, if joo can dream it, joo can achieve it." - smiled Ga'Crane. - "But first things first, we need to find joor parents and free dem before we can begin actual training, however disappointing dat may sound."

"Aw...I wanna start now dough!" She said starting to pout.

"Dat is da first lesson - patience, determination and discipline. If joo want to be a potion doc, joo'll have to prepare joorself. Ah know how it sounds, Zezi, and Ah like it no more den joo, but joo'll have to go through it. Like Ah did. Like mah mastah did. Like her mastah did."

"I guess...." She said with a sigh. "So are we gonna leave soon or are we gonna stand here all day?" She asked rebounding back to her usual happy state.

"Less get goin', Zez. And time for lesson two - attention. Dere." - Ga took out a silverleaf that he had been to lazy to properly prepare - and was now happy about it - "Dis is a silverleaf, a common plant in dis part of Azeroth. Look around joorself, Zez, and tell me if joo notice it. Oh, other small plants dat look unusual to joo won't hurt, too."

Nightbane dropped to the floor in her worg form and stepped a little closer. Once she felt comfortable she circled Zezi and Ga'Cane. The younger one seemed...damaged... and the older one seemed older than his years. Perhaps Gurka could explain more.

As they began walking Zezi quickly climbed onto Ga's shoulders She had already forgotten about him teaching her to be a potion doc and wasn't listening or really paying attention. "Hey ga....wanna hear a story my mommy told me about me tribe?" She asked, though just as soon as she finished saying it she began to tell the story. "Long time ago, longer ago when my mother's mother was born, my tribe was strong. We lived somewhere where I can't remember and we had the stupid goblins working for us." She said. "Mommy said that then they was dumber then the rocks they mined for my tribe." She giggled as she conjured up the image of a stupid goblin. "Then anyway they found this strange rock that gave them super brains! Then they took and over threw my people's rule of the land in that place where I don't remember and enslaved us." She said. "The goblins made the trolls slaves and beat them and whipped them and made them mine the brain rocks but it didn't help my people as much as it did for them."

Finally then, Nightbane stepped a bit closer and sniffed Zezi.

She looked over and saw the worgen sniffing her. She reaced out her hand slowly and began to pet her head, hoping it wouldn't bite her hand off for petting it.

"Careful dere, worgen." - reprimanded Ga'Crane - "Joo hurt Zez, joo mess with da mad doc Ga'Crane."

Nightbane eyed Ga’Crane. She wagged her tail gently for the younger one.

"Good doggy." She said smiling at it and continuing to pet Nightbane.

Nightbane took the chance to scent Zezi in detail, where she had been and anyone else she had encountered.

Zezi giggled as she was sniffed. "Silly doggy." She said as she continued to giggle.
Nightbane gave Zezi a small lick and turned off to speak with Gurka, she didn't know where this girl was from but she at least had the scent.

But not a few steps away she caught a strange scent. She quickly grew bipedal, whipping out her bow to face the stranger. Before her was a forsaken of roughly five and a half feet tall with long black hair. She was relatively intact, and pursuing something? “Get back here you!” she spat, chasing after a small bouncing shadow fiend.

Nightbane bristled and growled, “Stop!”

The undead halted and held her hands up, “I’m sorry, I don’t mean any harm. I’m just trying to find my shadowfiend.” She continued to watch the worgen unaware that her shadow had stopped by the young troll and was watching her with its big yellow eyes.

Nightbane snarled Zezi’s name aloud as she pounced after the shadowfiend. Zezi squeaked as she moved out of the way of the incoming worgen.

"Hey don't hurt him." She yelled. The shadow ball looked up at the worgen and started to cower in fear. Nightbane’s jaws clapped shut where it was but moments ago.

"Will anyone be so kind as to explain to me whassa happenin' here? Thank joo!" - demanded Ga, storming somwhere between the forsaken, Zezi and Nightbane.

"She's going to kill him." She said running over and picking up the shadow creature. "He didn't do anything wrong." She said to the troll.

"Okay, dis may sound out of time and place, but in da name of da almighty Loa, who are you?" - asked Ga'Crane somewhat angrily, and then realised it. - "Joo know, forgive me for dat. Been a hard day and everythin'. So-o-o, to restore da etiquette, mah name is Ga'Crane of da Darkspear. Who joo be, what dat shadow ball be and why da worgen dere tries to... m-m-m, kill it?"

Nightbane whipped her head around and snarled, “She’s brought a demon here!”

"My name is Illia. It's not a demon just some shadow I learned to animate. He's still young so doesn't know any better. Your worgen friend must have thought that it wanted to hurt the young troll but he was just curios he's never seen a troll so young." She said.

Ga covered his face with his palm. - "Okay, Ah think it wouldn't hurt to hear joor story - Ah mean, why did joo come over here at first place?"

"I was passing through the barrens when I saw your group in the distance. When I got closer my shadow pet here wanted to see the young troll and ran over and I guess the worgen thought it wanted to attack her." She said.

And yet even more complicating, another voice called out from farther back, "Fandu-dath-belore?"

Nightbane's eyes went wide."Ishnu-alah! Where are you sister?" she called out.

“I am here.” A nightelven woman with grey-blue skin and long light purple hair came into view. She looked rather surprised when not a night elf but a worgen answered her call. Surprise turned to wariness as she spotted the other, horde races.

The conversation quickly turned to darnassian, “Goddesses blessings upon you!” Nightbane said excitedly, “How did you get here?”

Vashadya walked over to the group, "I am traveled here on foot from Ashenvale," she said in Darnassian. "I am Vashadya Duskwind by the way, and who might you be, sister?" she asked.

"I am called Nightbane, I am travelling with these trolls and orc to hunt down a slave trader. We are still unfamiliar, but we are doing well.” Nightbane declared, sniffing at Vashadya from a distance.
Vashadya nodded to the others in the group, "a noble cause, I shall join you if you would tolerate my presence," she offered.

"Of course, it would always do well to have another sister in our hunt,” Nightbane stated confidently.

Vashadya bowed, "it would be an honor," she said.

As the two settled, Ga’Crane shook his head, "So-o-o many peoples, so-o-o few information... Now, back to my benevolent uncle responsibilities - Zezi, anythin' joo wanna do now?"

She snapped back to reality when she heard Ga say her name. "Uh....nothing I can think of....only thing I really wanna do is get goin’ to the tall tree place." She said.

"Joo know wha', Ah think dat we could just as well set a good example for everyone," - said Ga'Crane, before grabbing Zezi and placing her on his shoulders. - "Off we go den, to da place where da trees rebel against da sun!"

"So how long do you think it'll be till we get to the tall tree place Ga?" She asked.

"Ah hope not long enough for joo to get bored," - grinned Ga and took out his flute. He almost began practicing when he remembered that, probably, Zezi would like to try it herself one more time. - "Joo wanna play dat again?"

"Nah...I wanna hear you play." She said looking down at him from his shoulders.

Ga smiled and began playing - at first it was a song his mother used to sing when he absolutely refused to go to sleep, in the end it became an unofficial Shadow Hunters' anthem re-devised for a flute - one of the most recent and the heaviest hits by TAFKAL80ETC. Ga was not a professional musician, and therefore was especially proud that he had been able to merge these two into one.
She listened as very well. "Dat sounds so nice." She said a small yawn escaping her mouth. "it makes me kinda sleepy." Another yawn escaped her mouth, and her eye's began to droop. "I think i'll just take a short nap." She said sleepily as she closed her eye's and began to doze off.

Ga'Crane decided to leave everything as it was, and not to carry on with the heavy part. Instead, after Zezi dozed off, the potion doc carried on with the soft, serene music.

Zezi began to dream. Her dream was a bit peculiar. She seemed to be standing in front of some older looking troll. She was playing a strange instrument that sounded like a flute but didn't look like one. IT was oval in shape and the mouth piece stuck off to the side of where the holes where. It was blue in color and as she played different shapes appeared, some looked like big bulky rock like creatures, and other’s looked like moving fire. Zezi was confused by this as she watched, but the music was hypnotic and she couldn't turn away. Soon the troll female stopped and seemed to smile, she then extended the strange musical device to her and began to speak. Only one word reached Zezi's ears, "Ocarina."

Post by lightnstuff

Then suddenly Zezi's eye's opened sleepily. "UH....how long was i asleep?" She asked rubbing her eyes as she looked around at the different scenery
.
"Fifteen, maybe twenty minutes, Ah think, why? Did joo have a bad dream?"

"No....just strange...."She said remembering it fairly well.”Hey Ga.....what's and Orchrania?" she said not understanding how to pronounce the word.

"Orchrania... Hm-m-m, perhaps joo mean an ocarina? Dat's a weird kinda flute, if Ah remember correctly. Did joo see joorself playing it in joor dream?"

"I saw someone playing some kind of flute like thing." She said. "I don't remember exactly what she looked like but near the end she tried to pass it to me...What do you think it means?" she asked.

Illia followed the group having nowhere else to go. Finally she spoke up. "Where are you all going by chance?" She asked.

"Ah ain't no dream-walker, but dat one be clear like a baby's tear. Dat means dat joo have great things in joor future, great and out-standing - just like an ocarina in a row of flutes, me thinks." - smiled Ga'Crane re-assuringly, then turned to Illia - "We be heading to da Shatterspear village."
"Oh? What’s in the village that has you going there?" She asked. Her shadow ball jumped out of her arms and started to bounce around the group.

"Not the what, but who. And, Illia, right? Can joo please do somethin' about dat... erm, companion of joors? No offense meant."

"Sorry about that." She said grabbing the shadow and holding it in her arms again. "Then who's in the village that you're going to see?" She asked.

"Ah was hopin' to fin' some living relatives of Zezi dere - a good place to start, methinks."

"I thought you were her relative?" Illia asked.

"Ah'd love to be, but alas. The only relatives dat Ah know of are being kept by a slave-handler." - pronouncing the s-word made Ga's fists clench.

Illia's eyes narrowed when she heard the word slave-handler. "Despicable bunch. They make my stomach turn or at least whats left of it." She said.

She listened and watched the conversation between Ga and the undead. "Dey is evil." She said meekly as she continued to look at the undead as if she were a monster.

"Not all of dem, Zez." - said Ga'Crane - "Dem humans have a saying dat Ah like - in the darkest shadows, the light shines in its brightest. Yes, dey are, technically, not supposed to walk dis earth. Yes, many of dem are complete monsters - but some of dem used to be good people in life, and continue to be dem in un-death."

"I'm not a bad person. People just think I'm bad because of what I believe in." She said.

She shook her head. "Not you....the master and his fellow slave owner people." She said meekly still trying to stay as far from the undead as she could.

"I guess this body does scare people who aren't used to seeing me." She said seeing the young troll backing off. "But I can't change to something different for a while." She said absentmindedly.
"What do you mean?" She asked curiously.

"That wasn't supposed to be out loud." She thought. "I have no idea what you're talking about." She said. "So I never caught your name little one." She said.

“Zezi’ma,” the little troll said nervously. Illia gave her a small, dim smile, and the troll girl smiled back just as weakly.

Post by lightnstuff

To be honest, there's a lot of filler here. Though, in retrospect, this filler is actually pretty important. As dark as this story gets, it needs it's light moments.

Aftermath-Witchhunt (Part Three)

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