"Rumor is you've been shirking your duties."
Alarel looked up at her friend, a little annoyed and a little amused. Ambassador Aelnara certainly had a way with words. A way she didn't always agree with. "I would never do anything to risk my enterprise," she said. "Everything is in order and running quite smoothly."
The two elves sat within Alarel's office, drinking and gossiping as good friends, who had known each other for many years, tended to do.
The ambassador was a tall woman, her long legs striking out from beneath a tight black dress wrapped around a body built for diplomacy. She sat in a plush velvet chair opposite Alarel, sipping on wine, legs crossed, her figure subsumed by the enormity of the chair. She was intelligent, sophisticated, and refined to a degree necessary for her ambassadorial position; typically well-mannered, learned in every culture within both the Horde and Alliance, as well as other groups such as the gnolls and the Amani.
Her face was lovely and, it seemed, just as refined and intelligent as her upbringing. Currently, she gazed at Alarel with eyes like miniature sunwells. Her hair, as deep and natural a red as fresh firebloom, fell in soft waves around her face.
"Then you're not refusing Warlord Tortuk?" Aelnara asked, feigning innocence. "Or Legionnaire Reznek?"
"I've been preoccupied," Alarel replied, a little defensively. "Everything is running smoothly, however. The girls are happy, the men are happy--"
"And you're very happy, I'm sure. Tortuk and Renzek though, not so much."
Alarel shifted in her seat, folded and unfolded her hands. "They're free to request one of the girls."
"Right." Aelnara smirked. "And meanwhile you'll remain preoccupied with..." Her voice trailed off, but when Alarel didn't respond, the ambassador continued, "I wasn't born yesterday--far from it. Who's the man?"
"Nobody," she said quickly, and gestured towards Aelnara's goblet before her friend could reply. "You like wine?" she asked lamely.
The ambassador raised a long, trimmed eyebrow. Her ears twitched. "I should think so. I've had two cupfuls, as you well know."
"Expensive, isn't it?"
"Oh, Light. Don't let's waste time. What are you after, Alarel?"
She fidgeted nervously, twisting a tassel that hung from her chair between her fingers. "I need you to pull some strings for me," she said, and the look on her friend's face hastened her to continue. "An orc by the name of Gaturn arrived here recently, carrying Kaldorei wine. I've attempted to purchase a few barrels from him but he simply won't budge on the price. What with your expertise I figured..."
"Oh, yes, my expertise! If he does not agree to a discount I shall have him thrown in the dungeons." Smiling, Aelnara stood up and deposited her wine glass upon the table. "I'll do what I can. Perhaps he has some previous infraction I can leverage against him."
"Wonderful. Naturally I will allow you to drink your fair share should you convince him."
"Naturally."
The ambassador had a meeting in an hour and as such couldn't stay any longer. Alarel walked Aelnara to the door, whereupon she turned, noticed Alarel's stomach, and laughed. "I suppose my question has been answered. I could never wear something like that, although I don't fault you for it."
A little embarrassed, Alarel quickly shut the door and spent the next several minutes fiddling with the golden Zandalari crest that hung from a piercing above her belly button. She was still fingering it when a loud knock on the door of her office jolted her from her seat. A little nervous now, she inspected herself in a mirror, threw on a mantelet, and opened the door.
Across the threshold stood two Zandalari men bedecked in golden tattoos and equally golden armor. Their blue skin was bright, and she could just barely differentiate the two by their difference in hair color: one white, the other purple. They looked down at her, into the room, and then at her again. "Alarel Summercrown?" asked the purple-haired troll. She nodded, and they looked her over again, grins forming on their ugly faces. "That suits ya," the same troll said, eyeing her piercing.
Alarel's cheeks burned. "Let's get going," she said hurriedly, pulling her cloak tighter and shouldering past them.
***
A dense crowd had formed at the harbor when she arrived, escorts in tow. Elves comprised the majority of the gathering, but other races stood around as well, gawking and murmuring amongst each other. The subject of their attention was clear: a Zandalari ship of almost incomprehensible size was docked at port, and it dwarfed every other vessel in the bay. Alarel, too, stopped to stare up at it. Its size alone was enough to marvel at, but the superb craftsmanship gave little doubt as to the majesty of the trolls who manned it. She knew next to nothing of ships or maritime affairs; to her, it seemed almost impossible that such an enormous ship could sail at all, much less make the journey from Zandalar to Quel'thalas.
Yet clearly it had. It was a mountain of a ship, like a massive, sea-time palace. She could only imagine how many men it held, how many men it took to sail it, how many men it could destroy with all of those cannons. Her eyes drifted to the figurehead fixed to the prow of the ship. Despite the warm air, a shiver wracked her body. She knew not what the figurehead was, other than that it was sinister, and dark, and unhuman. Serpentine, with feathers, horns, and rows of teeth carved to fine points. An idol? A god? A living, monstrous creature that resided within the dense jungles of Zandalar? Perhaps Aelnara would know, given her cultural studies, but Alarel hadn't a clue.
A hand nudged her elbow. "Come," grunted the troll with white hair.
Her escort led her onto the ship then, the inside of which was dim and gloomy despite a multitude of portholes. An acrid smell, not entirely unpleasant, clung to the air. She bundled herself up in her cloak while they walked, passing trolls hard at work.
As they progressed through room after room and floor after floor, heads turned to look at her. Frequently, they snickered, but she paid them little mind. She'd been the subject of ridicule before, and learning to ignore it was a skill she'd long since acquired. It bothered her not at all now. Besides, she was here for a reason--a reason beyond merely getting stuffed by their leader.
***
Deep within the sprawling halls and labyrinthine tunnels of the most preeminent vessel belonging to the Cult of Blood, Zargul sat, enshrouded by smoke and encapsulated by a devout reverence to his god. Incense burned like tiny pyres all around him, the scent of which tanged the air. Spicy, dark, and heady, with a faint hint of honey. He inhaled it with steady breaths, letting the scent ease him. Despite the weather outside, and the efforts of the incense, the room was surprisingly cold. It did not bother him however as he bowed his head, muttering an oath and a prayer to an idol of Hakkar as it hung, blood-red and menacing upon the wall.
"Master?"