The Purging of the Sha

Previously: The Masks

Wei grinned at Hadakha, feeling lighter. "Ken-Ken told me that you went to the...the Red Bird Temple," she told him, awkwardly translating into Orcish. "When are the monks coming?"

Hadakha's face pulled into a deep scowl, and Weipon was so shocked at the fluent Pandaren that came out of his mouth that she almost missed the actual words. "There will be no help from the temple."

"Senpai!" Ken-Ken joined in. He rushed to the tauren's side. "No help from temple? Why not? Monks can't be that busy, only burning incense and praying every day."

The druid shook his head sharply, cutting off any further questions. "No one is coming to help." He took in the sight of Weipon and Ken-Ken, covered in gore, and Mei as she tidied up after them. "It seems you have begun without me. Let's finish this."

Rather than split up, they decided to take on the sha together, decreasing the amount of time it took to defeat them and saving them from having to spend more time in contact with the vile creatures. It also allowed Mei to follow them, ushering disoriented, weakened pandaren safely into their homes to rest.

They returned to the place where Weipon had gotten the medicine for Akabeko. The healer inside had moved from her perch behind the counter to an upholstered chair by one of the windows. Weipon brought a mask to her, moving slowly and deliberately with it, but the woman didn't take her gaze from the gray morning light outside.

The mask worked immediately on her, and Hadakha drew the newly formed sha to him with a flash of moonfire, waiting to shift into his feline form until they were free of the cramped space. The pandaren slumped against the chair, looking deathly still, and Weipon motioned for Mei to hurry even as she chased the sha outside. As the trio toppled the monster, Mei rushed to the door, giving Weipon a tortured look.

"She's barely there," she cried. "I can hardly feel a pulse, and her breathing is weak!"

Hadakha quickly shifted back into his tauren shape and strode into the building, incandescent leaves already coalescing around his hands. He gestured once, twice, then nodded in satisfaction, leaving Mei to stand gaping at the rapidly recovering pandaren.

The finally reached Mei's home, and finally some impatience showed through her cooperative veneer. "He's just in his room, laying around," she said, directing them to where Yi-mo was sprawled, lamenting his existence. Without asking, Mei grabbed a mask and held it to her nephew's face, whispering words of comfort.

Yi-mo cried out, batting ineffectually at Mei's hands, but the mask was already taking effect. The sha slipped from him, more wily and energetic than the others had been, and darted deeper into the house. Weipon leaped after it, accidentally upending a decorative lamp in her haste. She landed firmly on top of the sha, feet sliding wetly across its writhing flesh, and began to punch down. When it had stopped moving, she grabbed fistfuls of its oozing, greasy mass and hauled it matter-of-factly outside, where she threw it on the ground in the street. Ken-Ken immediately set upon the stunned sha, followed by Hadakha roaring and charging into the fray.

"What is that...?" 

Weipon turned and was shocked to see Yi-mo standing in the doorway with Mei, staring in horror down at the gore left behind by the defeated sha. He looked completely different, now that he was back to himself. 

Mei answered for them. "It's the same thing that's taken hold of the rest of the village. It made everyone want to lay around and wait for death. Even you tried to..." She stopped and shook her head.

Yi-mo frowned. "I don't remember much of what happened. How long was I under its control for?"

Mei continued to explain, but Hadakha turned to Ken-Ken and Weipon and spoke quietly. "Those sha are draining my strength every time we fight one. I'm guessing it's the same for you two as well, eh?"

Weipon nodded in agreement. They had been fighting for hours, and she was not only physically tired, but also mentally drained from the effects of the energy-sucking sha. She was all too eager to to take a break and wait for her good humor to return. “Let's take some time to get our strength back. Why don't we split up and check the town for any other sha-influenced pandaren we might have missed? We can meet back at the inn, get something to eat, and then take care of whoever is left."

Both of her companions nodded wearily. They left Mei to take care of Yi-mo and split up. Weipon had grabbed one of the mask bags, not wanting any of the remaining pandaren to find it and use it without any of them around to help. She could feel the few remaining masks bumping against her hip as she walked. Considering how few were left, she didn't imagine that there were many afflicted pandaren still waiting for their help. 

There was, however, one other person Weipon knew they would have to test a mask on. Her heart sank and her footsteps dragged as she weaved her way down the streets of the village, looking for possible sha-controlled pandaren on her way to the inn. Finally, having seen no neglected pandaren on her way, she found herself in the doorway of the inn. Barely glancing at the innkeeper, she trudged up the stairs to her room, hand hesitating on the doorknob. 

Once she opened the door, Weipon was assaulted by the stench of rot. She recoiled, gagging, and looked down as Fu darted out of the room, only to hover near the doorway, barking frantically. Weipon quickly shut the door, and Fu began to scratch at it from the outside.

Hands shaking, Weipon backed away, retreating down the hall and standing near a window to soak in the weak light. She couldn't seem to catch her breath. There was definitely something wrong with Akabeko, and she was completely terrified of finding out what. She should have done something, anything, before it could get to this point. She had only come here because Akabeko was guiding her, and now she might be alone. Weipon felt disoriented, disconnected from herself. She sat down heavily, knocking the masks against the wall. Fu crept towards her, staying just out of reach. 

She pulled the bag of masks into her lap, gaze unfocused. Her hands moved of their own accord, pulling out one of them and dreamily raising it to her face. What if...

The smooth wood brushed against her fur, tickling her cheeks. She inhaled, smelling the glue and charcoal that had gone into constructing the mask, but felt no sudden pull, no desire to press the mask against her face until it sucked out the unnatural despair that might be plaguing her.

Abruptly, Weipon let the mask fall into her lap. "That's a relief," she whispered. Fu was suddenly beside her, rubbing his face against her legs until she began to pet him comfortingly. "I guess that means I can deal with this on my own," she told him, earning the first tail wag she had seen in days.

"What are you doing?" Hadakha had come up the stairs and was looking at Weipon with concern. He rushed to her side, taking the mask from her hands. "Weipon? What did you do?"

"I...I tried on one of the masks," she answered honestly, climbing shakily to her feet. Hadakha steadied her, peering into her face inquisitively. "Nothing happened," she clarified.

"You find any more sad pandas, Weipon?" Ken-Ken asked, joining them in the hallway. "Ken-Ken find one sleeping outside in bushes, but Senpai helped take care of him."

"I didn't see anyone else...on the way here, anyway."

Hadakha looked sharply at her. "What do you mean by that?"

Weipon sighed. "I think Akabeko is also afflicted by a sha. The way she's been behaving...if it's not a sha, then I don't have any idea how to help her."

She brought them to her room and pushed open the door. Hadakha wrinkled his nose and immediately instructed Ken-Ken to go downstairs and warn the innkeeper. Fu danced around in agitation, staying barely clear of being underfoot. Hadakha looked at Weipon, noticing her hesitation, and held out his hand.

"Would you like me to do it?” He asked gently. Weipon silently handed him a mask, stepping back in preparation of dragging the sha outside and into the street.

Hadakha stepped over to where Akabeko was laying, completely still, and pressed the mask to her face.

She let out a sound somewhere between a scream and a sob, jerking away from Hadakha, but the mask had already affixed itself to her and was gushing black smoke. For the first time, Hadakha seemed surprised, and stepped away from the bed, hands unconsciously curling into claws. Smoke continued to pour from the mask, filling the room and forcing Hadakha to retreat into the hallway with Weipon. Finally, it began to coalesce, white-hot eyes winking into existence above even the tauren's head.

The sha was so large that it completely filled the room. Hadakha blasted it with a flash of moonfire to get its attention, then followed Weipon down the stairs. She moved quickly, looking over her shoulder in order to watch the sha ooze its ungainly body out through the tiny door. Its shadow flesh stretched and squeezed itself through the doorway, looking briefly rectangular before it reformed into its typical shape. Sure that they had its full attention, Weipon turned and ran, leading the sha through the common room and out of the inn's door. She ignored the innkeeper's shout of surprise as the sha oozed its way through the inn, leaving behind a foul-smelling trail of slime.

Just as Weipon was reaching the base of the stairs leading to the inn, the sha lashed out, catching her leg and dropping her to her knees. Even with that small touch, she felt an overwhelming grief, and tears sprang unbidden to her eyes. Gasping, she regained her footing and ran to join Ken-Ken, who was watching this extremely large sha with apprehension.

Acting quickly Hadakha pinned it in place with grasping thorns, summoned from the ground, and Weipon flicked a bolt of lightning at it, hoping to shock it. Ken-Ken darted in below its questing arms to attack from the rear. With Hadakha's providing cover with bolts of energy, Weipon faced the sha head-on, pummeling at its putrid flesh and trying to ignore the all-consuming sadness it forced upon her.

Distantly, Weipon could hear Ken-Ken openly sobbing.

"Why sha gotta make Ken-Ken so sad? Now we all outta funny hozen masks; how Ken-Ken gonna laugh again?"

Weipon choked out a laugh, feeling an almost hysterical grin spread across her face even as her eyes streamed with tears. She felt the featherlight, warm touch of Hadakha's healing magic repairing a wound she hadn't even noticed, knitting the flesh on her arm back together neatly. Her legs felt unsteady, almost unable to hold her under the weight of the despair.

There was the sudden pop of splitting wood, and then Weipon found herself joined by three strange treelike creatures. They tore into the sha, grunting aggressively even as the sha's corrosive flesh burned and warped their seeking fists. 

"Get out of there!" Hadakha called, and Weipon was only too happy to obey. She stumbled away, trying to shake off the sha's effects, and resorted to kicking balls of energy at the shrieking creature. Ken-Ken, having no other ranged attacks, was throwing nearby rocks.

Hadakha's minions were consumed by the sha one by one, but at long last, it gave its dying shriek and burbled into the ground, creating a steaming, bubbling puddle that all were hesitant to step in until it subsided. They paused, catching their breath, until Weipon struggled to her feet and limped purposefully towards the inn. 

"We have to see what happened to Akabeko."

The Masks

Previously: Lost Temple

Weipon was startled out of a fitful sleep by frantic banging on the door. She disentangled herself clumsily from the sheets and stumbled to to door, only to find Mei pacing frantically on the other side. Weipon stepped outside and shut the door behind her.

"Mei, what's the matter?"

The other pandaren wasted no time. "Yi-mo's missing! I woke up this morning and he was gone. He left a note, but all it says is 'don't come after me.' Like I'm just going to let him go!"

"Oh dear. I guess now is a bad time to mention that I went down to the lake yesterday but didn't find any sha..." Weipon muttered, wiping her bleary eyes. Mei's expression fell further, and Weipon realized why she had come to the inn. "Right, give me just a moment." She gestured awkwardly to her rumpled self. "I'll go looking for him too."

Relieved, Mei nodded. "I'm going to look around on the south side of the village. The guards that actually feel like getting out of bed tend to go that way. Maybe one of them saw him..."

"Good idea," Weipon agreed. "I'll check the northern border of the town. If neither of us finds anything, I'l try looking in the woods."

Mei gulped. "I hope he didn't go into the woods..."

"I'm sure he didn't," Weipon reassured her. "We'll find him."

Weipon dressed quickly, vainly choosing dry clothes that would soon be ruined by her permanently-damp cloak. Before she left, she looked over at Akabeko to check on her.

"Aka..." she murmured, not entirely sure what to say.

The tauren looked even more wretched than she had the previous day. Weipon gritted her jaw to keep from gasping. She did let out a tiny gasp when, unexpectedly, the tauren's gaze slid to her face.

"I..." she began weakly. "I think I might be in trouble, Wei."

The monk nodded mutely, suspicions confirmed. Fu let out a plaintive whine. Weipon finally found her voice and gently placed a hand on the tauren's shoulder. "Yeah. We'll figure it out."

Akabeko's gaze once again turned inward, and Weipon went out into the rain.

A passable tracker, Weipon was able to pick out a great many animal trails just outside of the town. She was confused by the erratic, shambling nature of the tracks until she recalled what Mei had said about the town's malaise affecting the wildlife. Finally, she picked up a different trail and followed it eagerly, hoping to find Yi-mo quickly and get back to the important work of curing the villagers.

The trail led her to a small encampment that had her pull up short of entering. There's no way Yi-mo would have come out here and built this, she thought, quietly circling the camp. There was a small tent and a doused cooking fire, and a variety of cleaned animal parts strewn about the ground. For the moment, she couldn't detect any signs of life around the camp. She lingered, torn between wanting to investigate and wanting to find Yi-mo. In the end, she reluctantly left the camp, resolving to return once Yi-mo was safe. There was no telling what might happen to him once night fell.

Time was hard to gauge with the sun so hidden behind the thunderous clouds, but it was some time before Weipon found another trail that was fresh enough to be Yi-mo's. The plodding tracks led away from the village, far enough that the clouds thinned, allowing watery sunlight to slip through. Near the edge of a sudden rise to bluffs, she found a male pandaren sprawled pathetically on the ground.

He didn't react when she approached him cautiously.

"...Yi-mo?" Weipon said unnecessarily. "Your aunt has been looking for you."

Still face down, he groaned, "Go away."

Weipon blinked. She hadn't thought it would be easy, but something about his demeanor seemed different from the other forlorn pandaren she had seen in the village.

"I'll just tell you that I'm not going away. In fact, I'm going to bring you back to the village and we are going to cure everyone."

Yi-mo gave no sign of having heard her. Briefly, a ray of sunlight made it's way to the ground, played across her face, and winked out. It heartened her but appeared to have no effect on the younger pandaren. He turned his head slightly to peer at her.

"Are you still here? Go away and leave me to die already. Tell my aunt that it's better this way."

Compassion, Weipon thought. I'll just have to dig deep. She settled down beside him, intending to talk him into returning with her. "You should know, Yi-mo, that whatever it is that's troubling you is only temporary. Your aunt and I are working hard on a way to make it stop. Once we do that, you'll feel right as rain." She winced at her unintentional wording.

She glanced at his unresponsive form, unconsciously comparing it with Akabeko's teary face. They were in trouble if Weipon didn't figure something out soon. She had thought she had something with searching for the sha, but with none of the monsters in sight, she was beginning to fear that there would be no solution aside from simply fleeing the village.

Lost in thought, she almost didn't notice the shadow that was gradually growing over them until its owner announced itself with a screech. Diving out of the way, Weipon managed to turn and kick a spark of energy at the massive plainshawk angling towards Yi-mo.

The ball of energy exploded in the plainshawk's face, sending sparks of green and orange skittering across its feathers. With a frustrated screech, it flapped its powerful wings in an attempt to regain altitude. Over the din, Weipon could hear Yi-mo shouting, but when she focused on his words, she felt a spike of annoyance.

"Come on, bird! Finish it!" Yi-mo cried. "Put me out of my misery already! I won't put up a fight!"

Weipon sent a shock of electricity up to the plainshawk to further discourage it from attempting to attack again. She was surprised when Yi-mo rolled over.

"What did you do that for?" he whined, watching the plainshawk fly away in defeat. "That would have made things so much quicker."

"I told you that I wasn't going to leave you here to die," Weipon retorted irritably. With a sudden flash of inspiration, she added, "If you're not going to go back to the village on your own, then I'll make you go!"

She crouched down at his side and dug her fingers underneath him, lifting his massive girth and rolling him over with a grunt. He went bonelessly, although that didn't stop him from protesting.

"Stop that! I came out here to die in peace!"

Weipon rolled him again, already regretting the repetitive motion. "If you-don't-like-it," she gritted out, rolling him with each word, "get-up-and-fight-me." She gave him another nudge, getting two full rotations out of it. Yi-mo reacted with an eloquent moan.

Halfway to the village and Weipon's arms and legs were quivering with the continued effort. She paused, sitting down to catch her breath, and was shocked when Yi-mo began to pathetically drag himself back towards the bluffs. Infuriated, she leaped to her feet, grabbed his ankles, and began to drag him in the opposite direction. He protested, but made no move to escape.

Ignoring his complaints, Weipon couldn't stop herself from berating him. "As much as I'm for people doing what they want, I can't sit by and let you die. Not when I know this isn't really you talking." Her heel hit a rock, and she stumbled backwards and onto her rear. Yi-mo glared balefully at her as she picked herself up and resumed her task. "I don't know how, but we are going to find a way to stop this." She sucked in air, torn between sobbing and screaming, and gave a particularly vicious tug at his foot. "You'll be back to normal, because I'm running out of options, and I don't know how to take care of myself in this place, let alone a full-grown tauren, and you were supposed to be the one who knew what to do and would teach me..."

Weipon pressed her hands to her eyes, chest heaving with effort, and was mercifully interrupted by Mei's sudden cry. Without realizing it, she had finally made it back to the village.

"Yi-mo!"

Weipon stepped away, allowing Mei to tearfully embrace her protesting nephew. Half-listening to Mei half-heartedly berate the younger pandaren for being so foolish, Weipon got herself back under control. For a moment, she had felt icy fingers of panic stealing up over her good humor. Now that she suspected the sha's influence on the town, she was terrified of succumbing to it.

Hands grasped her forearms, bringing her out of her thoughts. "Thank you, Weipon," Mei said. "I was so afraid that something would happen to him..." She released Weipon to haul Yi-mo to his feet. "Let's get you home, grumpy," she told him fondly.

"I'm just going to go check on something," Weipon said to their retreating backs. Squaring her shoulders, she retraced her earlier steps to the camp, on the lookout for its inhabitants.

The camp had evidently been visited in her absence; the animals parts she had seen previously were gathered more purposefully, arranged next to what appeared to be a stack of wooden ovals and - strangely - a pile of charred chunks from the fire.

She crept forward, eyeing the campground warily for signs of its owner. Up close, she could see that the wooden ovals were being made into masks, sketched faces sporting goofy grins and embellished with panther teeth. A small collection of finished masks were drying in haphazard rows by the banked fire.

Engrossed in the strange art project, Weipon failed to notice the camp's owner returning until he was stepping into the clearing. The sudden sound of off-key singing roused Weipon, but her well-trained reflexes allowed her to react quickly, and she darted across the camp, preparing to engage him in combat.

The hozen, evidently not expecting intruders, let out a high-pitched battlecry, dropped his materials, and put up his fists. Sizing her up, he asked, "You sad panda too? Come to get cure for the sads?"

That immediately intrigued Weipon, who relaxed her aggressive stance and held up her hands placatingly. "A cure? What kind of cure?"

The hozen peered at her for a moment, then dropped his defensive fists as well. "You...Senpai Hadakha's friend? Ken-Ken saw you with other tauren."

"Hadakha? Yes, I know him. We are in the same guild. How do you know him? Who are you?"

"Ken-Ken Senpai's hozen friend. We trained together at Tian Monastery, then meet here when Ken-Ken looking for hidden master. Hidden master not here, but there are lots of sad pandas! Already find cure, but now Ken-Ken has to make it for every single panda! Take way too much time." Having decided that Weipon was not a threat, the hozen began to gather his dropped materials and bring them to be sorted into the piles at his work area.

Weipon hurried to join him, looking closely at the masks now that they appeared to have a specific use. "So you found a cure? What is it? What's hurting the pandaren?"

Ken-Ken picked up a hunk of charcoal and began to doodle a lopsided winking face onto a mask. "Slow down, panda! Most pandaren not so hasty as you. These happy masks make the sads come out of the pandas. But then, the sads like to fight, and Ken-Ken not so good at butt-punching. Can't go help more pandas until Senpai come back."

"What do you mean by 'the sads'?" Weipon prompted.

Ken-Ken added comically long eyelashes to the mask and giggled at his handiwork. "Well, Senpai called the sads sha, but Ken-Ken never seen them before. Didn't recognize them! Really scary dookers."

A cold calmness settled over Weipon. By all accounts, this was good news. The source of the malady that plagued the village had been discovered, and better yet, there was a cure of some sort. Her mind flashed first to the towering monster that had destroyed the serpent statue, then to the creature that attacked her while wearing her own face, then to Akabeko passively allowing herself to be pummeled, and finally to the same Akabeko, cowering pathetically under her covers. The sha were terrifying, and although Weipon was eager to drive them from the town, the thought of fighting them again unnerved her.

Gathering her thoughts, she tried to make herself useful. "Can I help you make the masks? How do they work, anyway?"

Ken-Ken pointed to what appeared to be a pot of sticky adhesive. "Take sticky gum and put funny teeth in the masks. They add elegance, really pull mask together." He gestured to a charred, twisted lump some ways away. "Don't touch, but that mask made sha come out. That plus Ken-Ken's special medicine, sad panda cleaned inside and out!"

Weipon scooted closer to inspect the lump. It had once been one of the wooden masks, but the smiling features had been twisted into a fearsome grimace, and the wood was warped unnaturally. It certainly looked like the work of the sha.

Obediently, she seated herself beside Ken-Ken and began to affix teeth to the silly grins decorating the masks. Ken-Ken continued to decorate his masks, chuckling to himself as the wacky expressions came to life.

"So, other tauren, she got the spooky dooks? If so, Ken-Ken know just the thing."

"I thought that she was sick, but I think she might be infected with the sha as well. Although I guess the only way to confirm that is to give her a mask?"

Ken-Ken nodded. "Guess so. Probably better to have mask than special hozen medicine. Not so easy on the stomach. But very effective!"

Weipon was beginning to suspect what the effect of the medicine was and pointedly did not ask any more about it. "So where is Hadakha now, anyway? Wasn't he here with you?"

"Senpai went to get help from monks at Temple of Red Crane. When they get back, we can start butt-punching sha! Then everybody happy again!"

They continued to work, and the pile of finished masks grew. Although they could not see the sunset, when Ken-Ken began to build up the fire, Weipon knew she should be getting back to Akabeko. She expressed this to Ken-Ken, who offered to walk her back to the inn.

"Don't worry about it," she told him. "I can take care of myself. I'll be back tomorrow after sunrise to help you finish them."

"Sure thing! Ken-Ken nearly have enough for whole village!"

She left him, still hunched over the pile of masks, and returned to the inn. Akabeko had disappeared under her blankets, and Fu was curled desolately in the corner. Neither acknowledged Weipon when she let herself into the room and prepared for bed. She slept uneasily, both excited at the prospect of finally making progress on the sha infestation and balking at the very idea.

Still ignored by her roommates, Weipon descended to the common room the following morning and was not at all surprised to see that it was once again drizzling, just hard enough to be troublesome. She donned her cloak and went to meet Ken-Ken, who she found still asleep in his tent, twitching lightly.

"Ken-Ken," she muttered, not unkindly, and gave him a nudge.

"Not in the dooker..." he slurred, rolling over. "Okay, maybe a little."

"Wake up!" Weipon repeated, jumping back when he awoke, exploding from the tent and landing awkwardly on the dirt.

The hozen saw that it was Weipon and stood quickly, dusting himself off. "Good morning," he said politely. "Ken-Ken finished all of the masks, stayed up really late drawing and gluing! Very impressive stuff, not to peel own banana."

"You're finished?" Weipon asked, looking around the camp. The hozen had gathered the completed masks into several large sacks, waiting to be brought to the village and put to good use. "In that case, should we bring them to the village and get started?"

Ken-Ken frowned uncertainly. "Ken-Ken not sure he could fight the sads all by his onesies. Does Weipon have any butt-punching experience?"

Weipon blinked. "I, uh, I'm trained in various styles of martial arts. And I've fought sha before." The hozen remained visibly skeptical. "Aka and I fought with Hadakha at the Temple of the Jade Serpent, when it was attacked by an army of small sha under the direction of an even greater Sha. There was, um, lots of butt-punching."

He still looked unconvinced. "If Weipon and Ken-Ken can't fight the sads, no other pandaren going to help out. Too busy fighting their own sads."

"Look, why don't we try it out on just one of the villagers? If you can nearly kill a sha, and I can completely kill a sha, we should be able to handle one between the two of us." Without waiting for his response, she grabbed two of the bags of masks and marched purposefully out of the camp. From behind her came Ken-Ken's reluctant squeak, followed by a sigh of defeat and the rustling of the remaining bags being gathered.

On the edge of the village, they watched one of the few guards out and about pace slowly on the path outside of the inn.

"You sure about this?" Ken-Ken asked, eyes wide in apprehension.

"I'm doing it," Weipon replied with forced confidence. She was eager to see how the masks worked. "You said that Hadakha successfully killed the sha that the mask summoned before, right?" Weipon confirmed, hoping that if he had managed it fine, she wouldn't have a problem.

Weipon approached the guard cautiously, holding a mask in her hand out like an offering. "Good morning, friend," she began, only knowing she had caught the pandaren's attention by the answering flick of her ears. "Don't be alarmed, but I've brought something that should make you feel better." Before the pandaren could react or object, Weipon carefully fitted the mask over her face, then stepped back and watched in horror as if fused itself to the unsuspecting woman, siphoning the soul-draining sha from her into a gruesome puddle of rank-smelling goo.

Ken-Ken squealed and scampered away before visibly steeling himself and loping back to her. "Sorry, Weipon! Too spooky for this dooky! Ken-Ken do his best!"

They went to work on the sha, Weipon keeping its attention focused on her while Ken-Ken attacked from behind. Fighting this sha was somehow different from the ones she had encountered back at the Jade Temple. Although its putrid, oily flesh felt the same, the sensations it inspired upon contact were different. Along with the constant, repulsive disgust she felt with every direct exposure to the shadow skin, she also felt drained, tired, melancholy. She stoically ignored these sensations and was relieved to feel them evaporate when the sha finally collapsed into a smoking pile of scraps.

"Good job, Weipon," Ken-Ken said seriously, flinging sha muck from his fists in disgust. "Sads not so spooky that time."

Breathing hard, Weipon stepped some feet away from the corpse and knelt to compose herself. She glanced up and was surprised to find herself staring into Mei's horrified face.

"Wei, what...what happened here?" Her eyes went from Weipon to the sha husk to the cured pandaren, who was now slumped weakly against the inn steps. "What's going on?"

Weipon gestured to the shadow slowly seeping into the damp ground. "This is the source of the village's misery. We found a way to expel the sha from the pandaren. The only problem is that they have to be fought and killed, so it might take a while." She stepped carefully around the blackened remains to check on the hopefully-healthy pandaren.

"She just need rest," the hozen said helpfully. "Other panda before only need good sleep and big meal. Ken-Ken help him go home yesterday."

"Hmm," Weipon said, glancing at Mei to gauge her reaction. The other woman seemed to be upset, eyes returning constantly to the sha remnants, but Weipon knew her steely resolve. "Mei, could you possibly see that the pandaren we cure are cared for?"

Nodding, Mei moved to help the other pandaren up from her steps and into the inn's common room. Weipon pointed down the path.

"We're going to head this way. I'll try to wait for you to let you know who needs help next."

She motioned for Ken-Ken to follow her, and he shouldered his bag.

They had successfully exorcised another three villagers when things got hairy. As Weipon was handling the fourth summoned sha, a surprisingly energetic pandaren who had plodded by looked into the bag Ken-Ken had abandoned while they dealt with the creatures. Weipon watched out of the corner of her eye as he dreamily brought a mask to his face, jerking when it practically leaped from his hand onto its target. Thinking quickly, Weipon moved to intercept this newly summoned sha, twisting to keep both focused on her. The combined soporific effect was too much, and she began to shout in time with her blows, hoping to banish the compulsion to simply lay down and sleep.

As the sha dropped, the second quickly following the first, Weipon stepped back in time to see a large bird coast to a stop farther up the path. It landed gracefully, then flowed upwards into a tauren-shaped silhouette.

"Weipon!"

She sat down, huffing out a laugh in relief. "Hadakha. I am so glad to see you."

The Emptiness

Previously: Catching Up

Weipon awoke only out of habit, as the morning sun was completely obscured behind thick rain clouds. Her first instinct was to check on Akabeko, who was sleeping fitfully. Fu, she was surprised to see, had finally moved out of the tauren's reach and was curled on the floor, whuffling softly.

When Weipon called her name, Akabeko came awake with what appeared to be great difficulty. "Hey, Wei," she croaked, blinking her puffy eyelids and scrubbing sleepily at her face.

"How are you feeling?" Weipon asked quietly. She preemptively gathered the medicine pouch and a cup while Akabeko took stock of her illness.

Finally, she replied, "I feel better, but still very tired."

"Sounds like the medicine is having an effect!" Weipon stirred hot water into the cup. "By the time we run out of this powder, I'm sure you'll be completely healthy." She passed the cup to Akabeko, who drank it haltingly before clumsily handing it back. The motion finally woke Fu, who jumped up and began to whine at Weipon. "Yeah, yeah, I got your breakfast," she told him in Pandaren.

He whined while she dug through her pack for his food, whined when she placed the dried meat in front of him, and continued to whine in between reluctant bites of his meal. At a loss, Weipon ignored him while she gathered her things for the day and tidied the room. The sudden patter of rain on the roof made her sigh and reach for her still-wet cloak. When she moved to the door, however, Fu began to cry in earnest, scrabbling frantically at her legs and attempting to herd her back inside.

"Fu, what?" Weipon sighed in exasperation. Fu ran frantically back and forth between Akabeko's bed and Weipon, nipping at the pandaren's toes but going no closer to the tauren than necessary. She knelt, reaching out to comfort him, but he danced out of her grasp and continued to yowl pathetically. "I don't know what to do with you!" she exclaimed in frustration, stepping over him and escaping through the door. To Akabeko, she said, "Rest up today. I'll see you when I get back."

The tauren nodded and burrowed back into her blankets. Fu went back to pacing and keening softly.

Outside, the rain was just hard enough to be a nuisance. Weipon tugged her hood tightly around her face and stepped onto the muddy path that ran through town, already on the lookout for anyone else who had been energetic enough to venture out. The path was empty, so Weipon retraced her steps with Mei the day before, peeking into houses to check on the occupants. Many hadn't even moved from their previous positions.

Weipon kept an eye out for Mei while she walked, but made an complete circuit of the village without a sign of the other woman. It was barely midday, and yet she felt as if she had already exhausted her options for the day. The oppressive cloud cover and constant patter of rain made her feel sluggish and dimwitted, and she had to shake herself out of staring blankly into the gloom.

"Get it together, Wei," she muttered, slapping her cheeks lightly. She intentionally pasted a grin on her face and said cheerfully, "I'll just have to keep looking for whatever's causing this!" The fake enthusiasm made her feel marginally more active, and the unintentional word choice gave her an idea. "Maybe I'll be able to find the Sha and kill it myself!"

The thought of facing a Sha as terrifying as the one they had encountered in the Jade Temple gave Weipon pause. The smaller sha were much more manageable, especially if she had to fight them all by herself. Then again, as affected as the village was, she would have expected to see some physical sign of the sha already. She began to patrol the village again, this time keeping a keen eye out for slimy trails or blackened buildings, and sniffing intermittently for the sour stench that had become far too familiar.

Even looking more closely, the circuit took no time at all and yielded no new information. Weipon found herself again on the porch of the inn. She headed upstairs, ignoring the pointed look she got from Rude Sho when she hung up her sodden cloak by the fire, and quietly entered their room. Fu was up immediately, shaking himself out of his nap and pawing at her feet with quiet yips.

Akabeko didn't appear to have moved. Assuming she was asleep, Weipon quietly began to go through their bags, looking for some food for Fu and a little snack for herself. Holding up a bag of jerky, Weipon realized that the amount of food had barely changed. She had eaten some, and taken a meal or two down in the common room, but had Akabeko been eating any? Suddenly suspicious, Weipon lit a lamp and glanced over to the druid's bed.

In the wavering glow, Weipon saw that the tauren's eyes were open. Her eyes were wet, and glistening streaks tracked across her broad nose and into her mane.

"Aka?" Weipon whispered, feeling dread settle deep in the pit of her stomach. "What's the matter?"

Akabeko shook her head minutely, eyes half closing in response. Fu rolled onto his back, letting out a sad whine and kicking his legs pathetically.

Weipon crept closer, getting right into the tauren's face. "Are you in pain? Do you need some more medicine?" she asked. Akabeko merely closed her eyes, sending a fresh cascade over her cheeks.

Unsettled, Weipon extinguished the lamp and crept downstairs, finding Sho in the common room. "Has she been down to eat anything?"

Sho grunted and shook his head.

"Not at all?" Weipon pressed, already knowing the answer.

Sho raised an eyebrow disdainfully.

Weipon went to sit on the porch, resolutely ignoring her inner dialogue about Akabeko's condition. The rain continued to fall, forming puddles on the path. She had no idea how much time had passed when there was a splash in the puddle and Mei was coming up the steps, shaking raindrops off of her cloak furiously.

Tromping up the steps, Mei skipped the pleasantries. "My nephew is infuriating! He manages to come up with just enough energy to argue with me!" She threw her sodden cloak on a nearby chair. "The nerve of that cub!"

"Your...nephew?" Weipon asked politely.

"Yi-mo Longbrow, descendant of Zhu Longbrow, is my nephew. And he is impossible! He's always been a quiet, sad sort of kid, but since the despair took over the town, he's been completely immobile. I thought that if he would just stay in the house, he would be safe until I could cure everyone, but now he's arguing with me and threatening to leave!" Mei shook her head, snorting in annoyance. She took a deep breath. "At least for now he's resting, if you can call it that. What have you been up to today?"

Weipon remembered her earlier idea. "I took a walk around the town to check on the villagers. Then, I thought that I would go looking for the source of this sadness. I fought something that was causing a similar problem in the Jade Forest, so I know how to deal with them." She briefly explained her experience with the sha. "Do you know if there is any place nearby where those monsters have been sighted? Or maybe a place that villagers or travelers unconsciously avoid?"

"Well, the lakes to the south of the village have some sort of monster around them," Mei said contemplatively. "It's been raining nonstop, but the lakes have completely dried up." She continued, excited, "If those things are the sha, then if you kill them the despair will leave the town! Weipon, please do what you can to kill those monsters!"

They both stood. "I'll go have a look right now," Weipon declared. And if killing the sha heals Aka...

"I have to get back to Yi-mo," Mei said with a grimace. "There's no telling what that kid will do. I'll be sure to come back tomorrow to check in with you, though!"

Feeling slightly uplifted, Weipon fetched her cloak from inside the inn and strode purposefully into the rain. She had just left the town limits when she saw the lakebeds, yawning stretches of land choked with dying weeds and crawling with shimmery, ethereal wraiths.

Weipon bit her lip. These creatures looked nothing like the sickening shadowy nightmares she had fought before. And yet...the Jade Serpent had indicated that there were many different kinds of sha. This one could just be a different manifestation of it. Weipon crept closer, scrutinizing the creatures. They were taller than her, with long torsos that tapered into nothingness rather than legs and thin, too-long arms. Their faces blurred, changing appearance and expression so fast it made Weipon's stomach churn.

She circled around the lake until she found a wraith separated from the rest and attacked. As soon as her fist met its glowing flesh, she knew it couldn't be a sha. Rather than rot, it smelled like heat, and the oil-shiny light that made up its body felt like striking her fist into a hot stove. Cursing, she rolled away and attacked with lightning, hoping it wouldn't attract any other wraiths. The wraith shrieked, twitching and shivering under the assault, until finally it simply evaporated, leaving behind a glistening heart-sized orb.

There was another shriek behind her. Weipon turned to see two more wraiths called by the commotion slowly rolling toward her.

It was late when she finally returned to the inn, having fought off six wraiths in total before she could safely extract herself from the area around the lakes. The complete lack of change in the town confirmed her assumption that the wraiths were not any new kind of sha, further sinking her spirits. She trudged despondently up the stairs, forgetting her other source of dread until she opened the door to their room.

Fu was huddled in the corner, as far away from Akabeko as possible. The tauren had barely moved, and Weipon could see that she was still weeping silently. Fighting down panic, stomach too knotted to consider eating, the monk laid down and attempted to sleep.

Next: Lost Temple

The Despair

Previously: Investigations

"I'm really sorry, Wei," Akabeko croaked, plucking at the blanket haphazardly arranged across her legs. "Whatever this is, it's not getting better very fast."

Weipon sighed in sympathy. The tauren looked terrible: her typically thin face was even more gaunt, and her fur looked dry and brittle. The wounds she had sustained at the Jade Temple were still unusually fresh, marring her face further with shiny pink skin and white scars. "Don't worry about it, really," the pandaren repeated, reaching for the doorknob. "I'll just add asking around for useful medicines to my list of things to do today." She grinned, hoping to elicit a response, but received little more than a weak twitch in return.

Akabeko was awkwardly burrowing into the pandaren-shaped bed when Weipon shut the door to their room and headed towards the inn's common room. She hesitated on the stairs, replaying the days on the road that had brought them to this point.

Initially, the pair had been in good spirits and had whiled away the time working on Akabeko's Pandaren, an endeavor so hilarious that even Fu had eventually come around. The farther they traveled, however, the more Akabeko complained of inexplicable weakness, fatigue, and pain unrelated to so many hours spent in the saddle. When they had finally reached the small village on the edge of Zhu Province, the tauren had barely enough energy to drag herself into a bed at the inn. Initially, she had tried to accompany Weipon in investigating the sha-stricken town, but after mere hours she had retired, complaining of aches, chills, and exhaustion. Since being seen back to bed, Akabeko had remained there, drifting in and out of consciousness, Fu tucked protectively against her side.

Having lost the first day to taking care of Akabeko, Weipon was now more determined to get her investigation underway. She noted that the innkeeper was up and about this morning, but given his brusque, unpleasant attitude the day before, Weipon opted to simply nod at him on her way out.

On the inn's porch, a slight pandaren woman peered disdainfully at Weipon as she closed the door. She seemed surprised by what she saw, however, and her expression cleared into one of curiosity.

"Don't tell me you're still feeling chipper enough to be up and about?" she asked, more hopeful than incredulous.

Weipon blinked, already suspecting that a lot of questions were about to be answered. "I feel perfectly fine, but my friend has been complaining of a strange sickness. She's too weak to get out of bed."

The pandaren nodded, then stood in order to scrutinize Weipon more closely. "Most everyone in the town's come down with something, although some cases are worse than others." She leaned forward conspiratorially, nodding in the direction of the inn's common room. "I don't think Rude Sho's got it, though; he's always grumpy."

"When you say 'something'..." Weipon prompted.

The pandaren shrugged in frustration. "They say they're too tired, or sad, or fed up. They say everything is pointless and there's no reason to get out of bed. No one wants to go to work, let alone take care of themselves."

Weipon hummed. That didn't seem quite like what was affecting Akabeko, and besides, she had become ill well before coming to the village. And yet...she tucked the thought away for the moment. "As one of the only other active folks up and about, I should introduce myself. My name is Weipon Silkbrush."

"Mei Barrelbottom." They exchanged bows.

"So how long has this been going on?" Weipon asked, taking the seat across from Mei on the inn's porch.

Mei sighed loudly. "At first it wasn't this depression at all. A few weeks ago, the lakes outside of town abruptly dried up and left behind horrible monsters in their wake. Then, one by one, people stopped going out, going to work, making plans..." She shook her head. "There were even a few people who, who..." Mei made an aborted gesture with her hands, her face twisted in a grimace.

"I see," Weipon interrupted gently. "And since then? It's just continued like this?"

"There're only a few of us who are still able to take care of the town. We've thought a lot about what could have caused it and what we should do about it, but the truth is we're busy enough taking care of the town as it is. Some of those affected feel well enough to help out once in a while, but they don't do much."

Weipon gazed out over the porch railing, taking in the lifeless town. It appeared even the sun had forsaken it, hidden away behind dark, pendulous clouds. She considered Mei's words. "So, the pandaren affected do sometimes feel well enough to go about their normal lives? Do you suppose your healer might be able to help me find some medicine for my friend?"

Mei stood. "It's worth a try. Let's go and see if she's there now."

The walk through the town was made no more cheerful by the presence of a companion. Here and there they passed guards, some wearing only half of their armor, and all sporting deep scowls. The healer's home was painted with welcoming orange, yellow, and green, but even that had been leeched into dullness by the oppressive atmosphere choking the village.

The door was carelessly left ajar, so Mei knocked politely and nudged it open, calling out, "Excuse us," as they entered. Weipon glanced around the room, jumping when what had appeared to be a pile of rags on the counter moved as the healer raised her head from where it was pillowed on her arms.

"Pardon me," Weipon began, taking in the healer's haggard features. Her graying fur was dry, matted unpleasantly around her eyes, and her ears drooped lifelessly. "We're just looking for some medicine for my friend; she's coughing and feverish."

There was an uncomfortable silence while the healer stared through them. Then, slowly, her eyes slid to one of the shelves, head tilted slightly as she took in the row of jars neatly arranged on the shelf.

The two women exchanged a glance, Mei looking more irritated than worried. She crossed to the shelf. "It's one of these, right?" she said brightly, running her finger along the labels. "Here we go, fever reducer. Cough suppressant." She grabbed two jars from the shelf and brought them to the counter, plunking them down in front of the healer.

For several long moments, the three pandaren quietly regarded the jars, until finally the healer slowly pushed herself back from the counter. Weipon opened her mouth to protest, but the healer simply produced a mortar and pestle from behind her desk and painstakingly began to add ingredients from the jars to be ground into powder. Despite her apparent frailty, she made quick work of concocting the powder before methodically pouring it into a pouch and placing it on the counter. Weipon produced her purse, ready to pay, but the healer simply returned her head to her forearms, ignoring them entirely now that her task was finished.

"I'll just...leave this here," Weipon said unnecessarily, placing several silver coins in reach of the healer's bony fingers. "Thank you."

Although no less gloomy than the healer's shop had been, Weipon was glad to be outside and away from the hopelessness she had seen in the elder pandaren's face. She chanced a look at the sky, still unbroken by the seamless mantle of gray clouds.

"Well, now I know she's still...active," Mei murmured. "I'd better make the rounds, check on the others."

They went together, and Weipon was shocked to see the way the pandaren in the town had wasted away. Most of them they found in their homes, curled up in bed, slumped in chairs, or even collapsed pathetically on the floor. Some of the houses they passed had been marked with prayer beads on the door handles. When Weipon pointed one out, Mei swallowed thickly.

"There's...nobody in that house. He, um. Two days ago we went to check on him and he had. Hurt himself. It was...too bad, too late. We were too late to do anything." Mei's eyes moved past the house, looking vainly into the grasslands that quickly gave way to the tangled forests of the Krasarang Wilds. "Some of the other pandaren just wander into the wilds. If we can stop them before they get away, we bring them back, but we can't catch everybody. Since our guards aren't much help, we don't have any way to go in search of them. It's possible that they'll come back, once we figure out what's wrong but..." She shook herself, tearing her eyes away from the woods. "Well, there are panthers and worse in the wilds. And no one who goes out there is in any shape to defend themselves."

Before Weipon could think of something comforting to say, large raindrops began to patter down around them, rapidly increasing into a steady downpour. "Well, this is great," Weipon muttered darkly, tugging her back under her cloak to protect the medicine pouch tucked inside.

"It rains like this every day, sometimes all day," Mei replied, shouting to be heard over the rain. "I've got to check on my nephew. Why don't I meet you at the inn tomorrow morning?"

Weipon nodded. "Let's do that. Thank you for your help today!"

Cutting their pleasantries short, the two parted to race for their respective shelters. Weipon reached the inn completely soaked, and ignored the innkeeper's scowl as she stood in the entryway removing her waterlogged cloak and boots. She dripped her way up to her quarters, toweling herself off before checking on Akabeko.

As soon as she turned her attention to the tauren, Fu was up and whining, kneading at Akabeko's forearm and yipping plaintively at Weipon.

"Relax, Fu. I've brought some medicine for her," Weipon soothed, stirring the powder into tea and nudging Akabeko to wake her. When the tauren turned over, blinking blearily at the interruption of her sleep, Weipon held out the tea. "I brought something for your cold. How are you feeling?"

Akabeko pushed herself laboriously into a sitting position and accepted the tea gratefully. She drank deeply, finishing the powdered tea and then downing two more glasses of plain water. "Not worse, but not better," she rasped. "Everything hurts."

"Well, hopefully this will help," Weipon said, forcing optimism. "Just keep resting. You'll be fine soon." When Akabeko finally succumbed to sleep, Weipon sat watching the rain. Only the diminishing height of the room's single candle gave any indication when dark afternoon had slipped into darker night.

Next: Catching Up

Investigations (guest post!)

Previously: Heading Out

He opened his eyes as the crystal-clear chime faded from his mind. The air felt less oppressive, the scent of decay and corruption less pervasive. Emerging from his bolt-hole behind the inn, he opened his jaws wide in a toothy yawn, stretching lazily as he let his feline senses scan the area for threats.

Detecting the distant clash of battle, he padded around the building to find the courtyard a scene of controlled chaos. Monks were streaming in from all over the temple grounds, bearing wounded comrades, often wounded themselves, and medical stations were scattered about the area. A much smaller stream of monks, fresh and eager, were heading out in small groups. At the centre of all this were a couple of older Pandaren, directing people to aid, assigning groups, coordinating supplies. He trotted up to them, flowing back into his tauren shape as he approached. The involuntary gasps of alarm this elicited from those close by drew the attention of the elder monks, and under their stern, appraising gazes he stopped and bowed in front of them.

"Elders. I am here to help. What is the situation?"

Their eyebrows raised in astonishment, then one scowled as the other turned away to deal with another emergency. The scowling one opened her mouth to speak but stopped short, her eyes shifting to the temple. After a moment she nodded with a gruff harrumph and returned her gaze to Hadakha.

"You are a healer?"

"I have some healing abilities, yes, though it is not my-"

"Good. You may assist our wounded here." She gestured, taking in the chaos surrounding them.

Hadakha held her gaze for a moment, then bowed again perfunctorily. "Elder."

***

Some time later, as the stream of wounded slowed to a trickle, he found a bowl of hot noodle soup thrust into his hands, and retreated to a bench to eat and mull through what he had gleaned from talking to the monks he'd worked with.

So now he knew what the Sha were. This one had been imprisoned under the Temple for thousands of years. The bells that he had heard as he woke signaled that it had been forced back into its prison, but the echoes and remnants of its presence still lingered around the Temple grounds.

From the tales of some of the wounded who had taken part in the cleansing of the temple, he knew that the sha had the ability to possess people, but the implications were yet to be fully established. Could the possessed infect others, like the plague of undeath? Could the sha be - knowingly or unknowingly - transported out of Pandaria? Were they connected somehow to the mogu? The mists surrounding Pandaria? The arrival of the Horde and Alliance? The emergence of this one certainly seemed to be triggered by the new arrivals and their ever-present conflict, but was that the full story?

More information was needed. First thing: study the battleground where the Sha first emerged. Decision made, he left the bowl on the seat and strode out of the inn's courtyard, flowing into lionform as he left the area behind. He loped through the Temple grounds to the main gate, noting the skirmishing around the scattered areas of corrupted land as he went. He'd have to remember to find out how they cleansed the corruption – such knowledge could prove invaluable to the Circle if the sha menace spread to Azeroth.

The battlefield stench was worse than he'd expected, despite the surprisingly few bodies present. He remembered the sickening, rancid smell of the sha-lings he'd torn apart earlier, and wondered how long it would take for it to disperse. Groups of pandaren dotted the valley floor, some searching for signs of life, others collecting the remaining corpses of the armies that had clashed here only that morning.

He wandered around, examining the dessicated husks of those the Sha had fed upon, the desecrated ground, the jagged chunks of jade from the statue. In the fading light of dusk, he searched out the tiny brass bells he'd dropped from Mishi. Strangely, there was no sign of them at the first few recently-closed fissures he checked. The next one, however, showed him why. He caught sight of a telltale metallic gleam, which led him to a scattering of a few dozen bells.

Only a few of them were whole, however. Most were partially blackened and corroded, as if exposed to acid. With this new insight he swept his gaze over the immediate area and, sure enough, the ground was covered in tiny black lumps. It seemed that he'd been lucky to have enough bells to overcome the corrosive effect of the sha energy. Gathering up the unblemished bells, plus a few partly-corroded ones for reference, he dropped them into some pouches for later study. With the light fading fast now on the valley floor, he started the trek back to the Temple grounds.

It was very late when he arrived at the main gate, but the guards recognised him and let him in without a fuss. He started towards the inn, but then an idea led him to double back, to enquire of the guards where he could find the Lorewalker residence. Directions in hand, he made his way through the busy grounds, still full of bustling monks heading every which way. Finally he found the small building, tucked away behind some artfully cultivated foliage. As he approached the door, he was nearly bowled over by a stouter-than-usual pandaren clutching scrolls and papers.

"Oh! My deepest apologies, sir! I was just...my, you are a tall one, aren't you...just on my way to...sorry, were you looking for someone in particular?"

Hadakha raised an eyebrow at the flustered pandaren. "This is the Lorewalker residence, yes?"

"Yes, yes, of course, you are the...the...tauren, Hadakha!" Suddenly unsure, he peered at Hadakha more closely. "Am I correct in making that presumption, sir?"

At Hadakha's smile and nod, he continued hastily. "Lorewalker Cho said that you would come by. Unfortunately he has left, but I was to give you access to anything you required here. However, I..." he gestured helplessly with the scrolls, "I am summoned by Yu'lon to advise the Elders. You are most welcome to stay and avail yourself of anything you need. A bed is made up for you should you require it, and I have left a pot of freshly-brewed tea inside too. I...I'm afraid I really must be off now, so sorry!"

Bowing over and over as he sidled past, the pandaren finally turned and hurried off into the night. Hadakha chuckled as he went inside and took in the surroundings. The living area was cosy enough, but what really interested him was in the next room. Rubbing his hands in anticipation, he stepped through the bead curtain and gazed in satisfaction at the collection of lore before him. Then a frown furrowed his brow, and after a slight hesitation, he picked up a nearby scroll and unrolled it, his face dropping in frustrated disappointment. Although he could now converse in Pandaren almost fluently, he hadn't learned the script. Well, that was a waste. Since there was no telling when the lorewalker would be back, he decided with a sigh that sleep would be the best option for now.

*** 

He awoke to find himself still alone. After eating and washing, he wandered back into the storage room in the vain hope that the scrolls had become legible overnight. It was there that the lorewalker found him a little later, returning from his consultation. He bustled in, absentmindedly shelving the papers in his hands as he talked.

"Good morning, Mr. Hadakha! I trust you slept well? I apologise for my lack of hospitality, these are difficult times and one does not ignore a Celestial."

Hadakha dropped the scroll he held back onto the table and moved out of the pandaren's way. "Of course, I understand completely, er....?"

"Oh my goodness! How rude of me! I am Giko, of the order of Lorewalkers. I maintain our chapterhouse here. Not so much lorewalking, more lorekeeping." He grinned toothily. "Have you found what you were looking for? The organisation of our resources here might not be familiar to you."

"Actually, Lorewalker, I need your help. You see, I can't read Pandaren at all. It is so different from any natural language I have studied, I just...I wouldn't know where to begin."

"Of course, of course! Let me brew some tea, and then we shall see what I can help you with. Come, come." He herded Hadakha out into the living space, and busied himself with the tea while Hadakha explained about the bells and how they affected the Sha. With a cup of hot brew appearing tiny in his hands, he got to the real issues.

"Mayor Windfur mentioned that the bells he gave me were created by the Shado-Pan. I need to know more about this Shado-Pan, and how they relate to the Sha. It seems to me that if the Sha are breaking out from wherever they are, we will need ways to fight them. So, is there anything in there " - he nodded towards the storeroom – "that can give me some leads?" He leaned forward eagerly.

Giko nodded sagely. "Yes...yes, I think we can help you there. It so happens that, as a Lorewalker, I am intimately acquainted with the knowledge kept in those scrolls, so there is no need for us to search through them. I may need to consult some of them for particular details, but first let me give you the broad history of the Shado-Pan..."

Several hours and many pots of tea later, Hadakha was satisfied that he had enough information about the Shado-Pan, although as Giko stressed, they were a secretive order and he would need to earn their trust in order to learn more. Stretching, he admitted that he needed to go and find his friends. At this, Giko frowned in consternation.

"There was another of your kind at the Temple this morning, a woman. What was her name...Akabeka? This was your friend?"

"Akabeko. Yes. She has a companion, too, a Pandaren from the Wandering Isle. I guess I'd better head over to the Temple then...what is it?"

"Ah, my friend, they are gone! I was there when they had an audience with Yu'lon. I don't know what they talked about, but it seems they are on another quest to aid the Jade Serpent. They left this morning!"

Hadakha stared for a moment, then closed his eyes and dropped his face into his hand with a sigh. Well, he'd needed this information about the Shado-Pan, so it couldn't be helped. He was only a few hours behind them, after all, so it shouldn't take long to catch up with them. He thanked the Lorewalker profusely for his help, and took his leave, promising to come back sometime and satisfy Giko's curiosity about the world outside the Mists. As he turned to go, the Lorewalker's farewell gave him pause.

"Travel safe, my friend! I hope Akabeko manages to find someone to heal her injuries!"

He turned back, eyeing Giko warily. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, she was very battered and bruised this morning at the Temple."

He looked down at the bloodied tauren, kneeling on the floor before him, eyes downcast as he smashed his fist into her skull. She rocked back, then straightened again, still looking dully at the floor as he laughed and raised his fist once more.

"It was strange, I overheard some of the monks claiming that even their strongest healers could not help her! I've never heard of such a thing happening before. Anyway, I'm sure she will find the poultices effective, even if it takes longer."

He nodded slowly. Then with a quick bow, he turned and loped off, grinning inwardly at the awed gasp behind him as he shifted into lionform. The grin faded quickly though, as he considered the implications of Akabeko's injuries. She was a powerful healer in her own right, what could be preventing her from tending to her own wounds?

She is broken. The thought nagged at him as he headed for the main gate.

Next: The Despair

Heading Out

Previously: Stowaway

Once the Sha of Doubt was confirmed sealed away, things rushed by in a blur. Akabeko was only partially aware of being swept along in a sea of celebration towards the temple doors, only to encounter the gory carnage in the courtyard. Weipon excused herself to help clean up that unpleasant mess, and Akabeko was left to the mercy of the monk healers that were now pouring in through the gates. An elderly pandaren clucked over the pulpy mess that was the tauren's face, tugging at his beard in consternation when none of his spells seemed to have any effect. Finally, he settled on a traditional hands-on approach, and prepared an array of poultices and salves, which she bore with patience until Weipon came to collect her.

The monk took in the sight, raising her eyebrows inquisitively at the unhealed wounds and bruising still decorating Akabeko's face. Wisely, rather than pry she opted merely to help the druid to her feet and see them safely back to their room at the inn. Secretly, Akabeko was glad that she would have to let the wounds heal naturally. She had deserved every one of them.

***

After a well-earned rest, they found themselves heading to the temple out of habit. Akabeko suspected that pandaren had been working throughout the night to set the temple to rights, and she was curious to see if they had discovered anything more about the sha. The bruises on her face throbbed, a strangely reassuring reminder.

As predicted, the temple was a frantic bustle of activity. Weipon pointed out various undertakings of religious significance - purification rituals around the temple grounds, the somber procession of bodies towards the mass funeral pyre, and the unpleasant business of cleansing the stains from sha corpses from the tiles. Many of the same pandaren they had worked with the previous day were already hard at work - Akabeko wondered if some of them had even gone to sleep.

They wandered through the clusters of pandaren into the courtyard, which was blessedly clean and free of the horror they had seen the day before. Yu'lon was hovering near the entrance to the main temple, looking alert but far less lustrous than she had originally been. As they approached, her eyes picked them out of the crowd, and she regarded them with a solemn, clear gaze.

Well met, she said. Monks hovering around her ushered the pair into the temple, and someone was sent to fetch refreshments for the Jade Serpent's honored guests. I hope your rest was pleasant. It was well-deserved after your heroics earlier.

Weipon practically swelled with pride, shooting a tiny grin at Akabeko, who quirked her lips in what she hoped mimicked the expression.

"We were more than glad to help," Weipon gushed. "And we hope that you'll allow us to continue to help!"

Yu'lon's expression sobered. I am glad to hear that. For the moment, the threat to my temple is gone, and its repair can be left to the loyal pandaren who serve me. For you travelers, however, I have another task. 

Weipon's eyebrows shot up in eagerness, and Akabeko tried to keep her sudden apprehension from her face.

I am not the only Celestial to be besieged by the malevolent influence of the Sha. The Temple of Chi-Ji, in the Krasarang Wilds, is also rumored to be under attack. I will be sending my own people there to bring aid, but since you both are already well-accustomed to travel and unattached to this place, I would like you to go as soon as possible. 

Although Yu'lon spoke as if it were a suggestion, Akabeko knew that this was an order. She bristled at the idea of being told what to do by yet another authority, especially one she wasn't necessarily subject to.

As if sensing her reluctance, Yu'lon added, as if having just remembered, I know that you were seeking the other foreigner who aided in the defense of the temple. He has also agreed to travel to the Temple of Chi-Ji. If you want to meet him, you may find him there.

Akabeko pressed her lips together. Clearly Yu'lon knew that finding Hadakha again would serve as an impetus for the druid to obey the Celestial's orders. Still... She glanced at Weipon, who looked positively ecstatic to be asked directly to serve the Jade Serpent. And she couldn't forget the horrors she had seen the Sha commit at the temple. She wouldn't allow her childish pettiness to prevent her from doing what was right.

"Very well. If you are agreeable, Weipon?" she asked unnecessarily.

Weipon practically vibrated with her excitement to be off. "Of course! We can fight more sha, and maybe see Hadakha again!"

The Jade Serpent's features curved into a pleased expression. Excellent. I will see that you are outfitted with information and supplies to aid in your journey. Her eyes slid to Akabeko briefly. A small village in Zhu Province, on the road towards the Temple, is also rumored to be beset by sha. I ask that you do what you can to defeat them.

***

In short order, Akabeko found herself back in the inn, belongings in one hand and a scroll of maps and notes in another. Weipon was getting the final tips from a group of traders seated in the common room. Akabeko had given up on following their conversation shortly after it had begun. Eventually, Weipon bid them farewell and the pair stepped outside.

They made their way to the gate that would connect to the route that would lead them to the Krasarang Wilds. Akabeko could feel a tension to their silence, and her suspicions were confirmed when, mounted and five minutes out of the temple grounds, Weipon hesitantly turned in her saddle.

"So...I see that you still have wounds from the fight. The healers didn't help you?"

Akabeko unconsciously hunched her shoulders. "They tried. It just didn't work."

Weipon considered this, mouth pulling into a frown. "Well, what about your own healing powers? Wouldn't they work?"

"No," Akabeko replied shortly.

They fell into an awkward silence. Weipon tried unsuccessfully to strike up some kind of interaction with Fu. However, his long confinement in the Temple inn had put him in an impressive sulk, and he was now pointedly looking at everything but his pandaren master.

The path through the Jade Forest was beautiful, now that they had left the desecrated land around the Temple behind. There was less random wildlife to be seen, although Akabeko didn't know if it was due to the change in location or the aftereffects of the sha's attack. The comfortable almost-silence of the forest settled around Akabeko's shoulders like a mossy cloak, and she began to drift.

"I'm not gonna kill you. I'm just gonna talk to you. And then you can decide your punishment for yourself," the apparition said, spreading her hands placatingly. 

That seemed reasonable. It was the same conversation Akabeko had been having with herself every day since she had lost her friend.

The apparition began to list her faults, her flaws, every mistake that had led to the tragedy and continued to influence her bad decisions now. Sometimes, the apparition's voice wavered, sinking down into a lower, more masculine register. 

Akabeko nodded along to the litany. Weak-willed, check. Cowardly, check. Easily led, check. Selfish, check. It went on an on.

After what could have been hours, the voice stopped. Paused. Continued, "Well, you see the evidence against you. What do you have to say to that?"

"It's all true," Akabeko said dully. She watched resignedly as the apparition came towards her.

"It sure is."

She didn't flinch away from the first blow.

"Hey, Aka! Are you falling asleep? We still have a ways to go before we reach the Valley of the Four Winds."

Startled, Akabeko jerked herself from her stupor, blinking comically at Weipon. "I'm just zoning out," she muttered. "What's in Valley of the Four Winds, anyway?"

Weipon shuffled the maps around, peering at her notes. "Well, the biggest city seems to be a main meeting place for the farmers in the area. The travelers in the inn said we should visit. But if we follow this route to Zhu Province, we won't be able to."

"We can earmark that for later. Maybe after we deal with the sha at the temple in Krasarang."

"Well, first we have to get rid of the ones in Zhu Province," Weipon corrected, folding up her maps. Fu made a show of sitting on them. "I'm kind of worried about the sha," the pandaren continued hesitantly, resolutely avoiding looking at her friend. When she received no reply, she pressed on. "It seemed like...you didn't have an easy time fighting them. What if they get the better of you again?"

Finally, Weipon turned to look her in the eyes, and Akabeko could see everything from the pandaren's excitement to be helping the Jade Serpent, to her concern for her increasingly troubled friend, to her resolve to see this task through no matter what. Akabeko was abruptly reminded that although she was supposed to be the experienced teacher in this strange working relationship, she had been setting a colossally poor example for the budding soldier.

She plastered a cocky grin on her face. "Wei, we fought an entire battlefield of sha, and then took the fight straight into the Temple without so much as a break. I think we can handle a couple nasties at this village in Zhu. Plus, Yu'lon told us she was sending troops to the Temple of Chi-Ji, so we won't be going in alone!"

Weipon scrutinized her, evidently aware of the forced cheerfulness. "I'm sure we'll be fine," she allowed slowly, before boldly adding, "But the sha prey on negative emotions to get their power. So if you want to talk about anything, I can listen." She gritted her teeth nervously.

"I, um." Akabeko took a breath. "I appreciate the offer. But... What I really need to talk about is how bad my Pandaren is! I need way more practice if I'm going to be of any use out here!"

It was a painfully obvious cop-out, but Weipon simply studied her face quietly for a moment before pointing at the tauren. "All right, tell me everything you can say about yourself in Pandaren."

Next: Investigations

Into The Temple of the Jade Serpent

Previously: A Shadow Rises

A horn sounded across the temple grounds, drawing Weipon's attention from questioning another gaggle of monks. Their brief conversation finished, they turned to continue their survey of the area for more tiny sha, and Weipon shook her head.

"They haven't seen him."

Akabeko nodded, frowning. "Did you hear that trumpet? Does that mean what I think it does?"

"I think we're out of time," Weipon agreed. "If we want to go into the Temple, we will have to go back there now, without Hadakha."

Unable to hide her frustration, Akabeko turned and made for the Temple. Weipon followed, quietly glad that her friend was willing to help with this. Perhaps she realized how important the task was to the pandaren, or perhaps she felt responsible, in her own way.

Cho was standing near the monks assembled, waiting patiently compared to the agitation radiating from the other pandaren. He caught Akabeko's eye and raised an eyebrow inquisitively. Find him? She shook her head briefly, lips pulling downward. No.

Weipon recognized many of the monks from her earlier training, and she quickly went to stand beside them, exchanging tight smiles as they formed small ranks. Akabeko made to follow, but one of the trainers held out a hand.

"Oh no you don't. It was you fools that got us into this mess. I won't have you bringing even greater offense to the Temple by coming inside with us."

Although she couldn't understand the words, Akabeko clearly got the message. She shot a pained glance at Weipon, then looked back to the trainer. "Please," she said, calling on her meager Pandaren. "Please. I will help."

The trainer regarded the tauren scornfully. Weipon spoke, "She is a healer, and dedicated to cleansing this taint from the Temple. Both she and another foreigner were responsible for clearing the battlefield."

"After being the ones to cause the problem in the first place," the trainer responded, not breaking her scrutiny of Akabeko. But the lines around her mouth softened, and her gaze grew contemplative, measuring. "We don't have time to waste on this. She may come, so long as she works twice as hard to prove herself." Spinning, the trainer strode to the head of the gathered assault group, conferring with the other leaders.

"Open the gates!" shouted the another trainer, motioning ahead of himself. "We're going in!"

They marched forward as one, and Akabeko glanced around before joining Weipon. "Thanks," she whispered, falling in step at the edge of the row.

Inside the temple proper, they were assaulted by the sour stench of sha, seemingly radiating off the very stones. Some of the pandaren groaned, holding their stomachs as the foul odor struck them. By now used to the disgusting scent, Weipon merely wrinkled her nose and tried to breathe evenly through her mouth.

An unsettling slithering noise from down the hall drew their attention. "Serpent trainers, ahead!" a trainer called, directing the monks and their young cloud serpents into the murky darkness.

There was a high-pitched shriek, followed by sounds of a struggle, and then the hallway noticeably brightened as the sha's influence receded and their corpses dissolved into mold. The serpents returned to their companions, looking ferociously pleased.

The leaders divided the pandaren into teams in order to split up and traverse the temple faster. Weipon pulled Akabeko into a group with Peng and a handful of monks she had met during training. They stood clustered together while the serpent trainers were assigned groups, and then the same instructor from before joined them, glancing pointedly at the druid.

"We are going directly to the main hall. The other teams will meet us there if they finish flushing out the other wings. Be on your guard."

They advanced into the wide training ground, now filled with corpses being feasted upon by clusters of sha. Someone near the front gave a strangled cry, alerting the sha to their presence, and in the next moment they were swarmed by shadowy monsters with seeking mouths.

Now adjusted to the unpleasant work, Weipon stepped forward, flanked closely by Akabeko, and waded into the fray, punching and kicking at the sha in her way. She noticed her friends hesitantly falling in beside her, drawing courage from her. At first, they shied away from not only the sha, but Akabeko as well, clearly cautious of her feral-looking form. However, the longer she fought, pouncing from foe to foe, the more they eagerly followed her lead, picking off any stragglers she missed.

Weipon lost track of time as they put down sha after malignant sha. She concentrated on her form, on her strikes, on the movement of her comrades in their dangerous waltz with the shadowy monsters, anything to distance herself from the vile task of pulling the creatures from the quickly-rotting corpses of fallen pandaren. At some point, she realized that there were no more shadows for her questing fists to fight and came out of her trance, blinking slowly and taking in the equally exhausted pandaren around her.

One of the instructors surveyed the carnage in the courtyard with a pained expression. "We will return to put this to rights after we have dealt with the Sha. For now, we will continue into the main building." He turned to stride into the building, but pulled up short when a pandaren stepped from the shadows along the walls.

Liu Flameheart's typically stern face was contorted into a fearsome scowl, her fur lifeless and shot through with sudden and premature gray. She looked at the gathered group without recognition, features drawing deeper into a sneer. "Your forces are weak," she bit out, leaping forward to strike at the nearest monk.

With a shout, the battle began. It became quickly apparent that the cloud serpents would not fight the very priestess that had trained and cared for them, and their monk partners found themselves herded back by the agitated serpents. Where they reluctantly gave way, more monks stepped in to meet Liu's rapid, unceasing attacks.

Despite being one against many, the Sha's influence over Liu made her a terrifying and formidable foe. In the blink of an eye, she took out an entire swath of opponents, jabbing at vulnerable throats, shattering wrists and knees, turning weapons against their wielders. Weipon could see Akabeko moving in and out of the fray, dodging and weaving amongst the upright crush of bodies surrounding Liu. The Sha-controlled priestess was evidently confused by the ostensibly wild creature stalking her from behind the other pandaren. It provided the perfect opportunity: she stumbled, falling to one knee, and was immediately set upon by the three closest pandaren.

They brought Liu to her knees, and Weipon felt sudden terror claw its way up her throat. Until now they had merely been fighting to defend themselves, but what would they do to their former comrade?

"The cycle must continue, the Jade Serpent must be reborn!" Liu announced, unseeing gaze sweeping across those around her.

Before anyone could respond, the area around Liu was bathed in gentle, calming light as Yu'lon's misty apparition wavered into existence. The Jade Serpent coiled her sending around her priestess, cutting her off from the monks and pinning her arms and legs into stillness. Liu's mouth hung open slackly, her eyes unfocused.

Yu'lon nudged her ghostly nose against the pandaren's forehead, sniffing audibly. "Be free of doubt, priestess," she murmured. With a whuffling sound, she exhaled softly against Liu's forehead, breathing color back into her ashen features. As suddenly as it had come, the sending dissipated, sending out a tiny burst of rejuvenating green dust. Liu crumpled bonelessly to the floor.

The same monks from before darted in, this time to check the priestess's condition. She lay limply on the floor, her breathing labored and shallow. The young cloud serpents complicated matters by rushing back in to sniff and nip at their injured master, preventing monk healers from getting close to assess her injuries.

Without warning, the cloud serpents darted back in surprise, revealing an unusual purple glow threading its way around Liu's body. The monks began to mutter in concern, but Weipon's eyes were drawn immediately to Akabeko, who was standing at the edge of the group, concentrating intently. Weipon limped gingerly over to her friend, not bothering to disguise her curiosity now that the druid's attention was elsewhere. She hadn't yet had the opportunity to simply watch while Akabeko performed her unusual healing.

It didn't seem to be going easily, however. Akabeko's fists clenched and unclenched, fingers crooking this way and that as if she were attempting to navigate some puzzle. Her brows drew together and she let out a low growl of frustration. Unconsciously, from under her tunic she fished out a brittle-looking seashell and rubbed it between two enormous fingers.

By now, it was evident that the druid was attempting to heal Liu but was having difficulty. Belatedly, Weipon remembered the little bell she still had tucked away in a belt pouch and brought it out, mentally berating herself for not thinking to use it sooner. She let it chime in Akabeko's direction, drawing the attention of the other monks.

At the same time, Akabeko inhaled sharply, eyes widening as the calming sound had its effect. She cast several spells in quick succession, face composed and movements economical. When she became still, there came a quiet groaning from within the group of monks as Liu Flameheart came to her senses.

The monks began to cheer, gathering around the druid as well as their exhausted but sha-free priestess. Weipon saw one of the trainers clap Akabeko on the shoulder, and she giggled when some of the cloud serpents showed their appreciation by nuzzling at the tauren's face and neck. She could hear the monks' praise, and although it was clear Akabeko didn't understand much of it, she nodded politely and smiled at each person.

Now, the same trainer that had ordered Akabeko to leave stepped forward, half-supporting a weak-but-alert Liu. She nodded at the tauren, adding, "It seems you did have something worth contributing. Thank you." Akabeko bowed graciously, and Weipon was secretly pleased that at least some of her cultural training had stuck.

The pace picked up again as the instructors rallied the remaining able-bodied troops. They had to leave many of the monks behind due to wounds taken at the hands of either the sha or Liu, and the body count was already regrettably high. Those well enough to press on gathered again to venture deeper into the temple, leaving behind their weakened comrades to rest.

Weipon took the opportunity to attach the bell to her belt, hoping that it would continue to jingle while she fought. Peng noticed this from his place beside her and nodded at the bell with a questioning look. "It's something from Lorewalker Cho," she told him quietly. "I don't know what's special about it, but it seems to weaken the sha. I wish I had thought to use it earlier!"

Before he could respond, the massive doors to the large hall they were in slammed shut, and out of the darkness rose an even inkier black shape, crackling white as if shot through with lightning. The Sha of Doubt towered over them, smaller than it had been on the battlefield but still oppressively large for the room. The doors to the hall shook violently as something slammed against them from outside.

"You're too weak to follow me in here, my jade jailor," the Sha rumbled sweetly. Its breath stank of dead and rotting things, compounding with the fetid stench rolling off its putrid body. From beyond the doors came the answering cry, a mind-numbing, blood-curdling roar that for all its power could not open the doors. The Sha of Doubt extended two shadowy arms, comically long and jointed in too many places. "Die or surrender," he told the pandaren. "You cannot defeat me."

Undaunted, the monks attacked as one. They surrounded the Sha, pummeling its slimy flesh. The bell on Weipon's belt chirped merrily, making the Sha quiver and flinch. It half-turned towards her, one milky white eye regarding her with concern.

"Very well. See how effortlessly you become unraveled."

All at once, the Sha and all of the other monks disappeared, and Weipon was face to face with...herself? This Weipon appeared as Liu had, face pinched, fur dull and gray, and most importantly, incredibly hostile.

"Well, if it isn't the little cub who left her Mama and Papa behind," the sha sneered, launching into a series of punches. "Too weak-minded to make your own decisions, you let those Horde strangers talk you into abandoning the most important people in the world to you."

Weipon barely dodged a kick aimed at her head, only fast enough to defend, never able to attack. Had she done that? She had felt so confident when she left...

"And now," Weipon continued, this time landing a kick, "now you're letting some foreigner you just met boss you around! What a disgrace!" She swept out a leg, knocking her opponent down fast enough to pin her. "And instead of fighting back, you just let all that anger boil up inside..." She pressed their noses together, breath ghosting over her opponent's lips. "Let it get the best of you..."

Was that true? It was true, wasn't it? She had lost control, behaved like a mindless animal in front of her peers. The monk's struggles weakened as she retreated into her own thoughts. But wasn't there a reason for her anger? And she had learned something that day, an important lesson.

"That's right," Weipon continued with a mocking smile. "You're angry at the orders you're getting; you don't like them but you're too weak to argue, to disobey."

The monk strained weakly, nose wrinkling at the disgusting odor that washed over her with Weipon's cruel words. She stank of...of sha. Sha! The Sha of Doubt, which was taking over the Temple!

"No!" Weipon shouted, bucking her hips up against her sha-copy, unseating her and sending out a reassuring peal of the bell. She wrestled with the sha-copy, flipping her into a pin of her own. "I didn't abandon my parents; I believed in going to explore the world; I can and will master my emotions!" Her hands closed around the abomination's throat. "I will not let the Horde make me compromise my morals," she added fiercely.

Rather than fight back, the sha-copy snatched at her belt, grabbing at the bell even as it blistered and blackened her unnatural flesh. Before Weipon could stop her, she crushed the tiny bell in her fist, sending up a great gout of smoke and the scent of charred meat. "If you won't go quietly, so be it," she said snidely, and promptly disappeared.

Crouching atop empty air, Weipon fell the few inches to the ground and landed painfully on her knees. She whipped around, taking in the sight of each of her comrades fighting their own demons. Others were overcoming their own doubts, but she could also see bodies of those who had not.

Nearby, she could see Akabeko, on her knees and staring resolutely at the ground. Before her stood her sha-copy, laughing as she brought a fist crashing down against her skull. Akabeko staggered, righted herself, and waited for the next blow. The sha-copy's knuckles were split and ragged, and Weipon could smell the foul black blood from where she was.

Letting out a furious cry, she propelled herself into the tauren-shaped sha, channeling all of her remaining strength into wiping it from existence. It looked at her in obvious annoyance and said, in perfect Pandaren, "You are entirely too much trouble," before ramming one blade-shaped shadowy appendage into her gut.

Losing all semblance of tauren features, the shadow retreated, flowing to rejoin the Sha of Doubt's quivering mass. It sneered at the remaining pandaren, its grotesque mouth a too-wide gash in its face that glowed bright white.

Weipon stopped watching, although she was dimly aware of the sounds of fighting and the overwhelming presence of something ancient and benevolent hovering just outside the doors. Her hands skittered over the hole in her tunic, where the shadow-stuff had punched through the leather of her chestpiece and sliced neatly into the soft flesh beneath. Blood seeped unendingly from the wound, and it reeked as if infected. She knew she should press against it, staunch the flow, but it hurt so much to even touch...!

Tears blurred her vision and her breaths became shallow pants. As panic began to set in, however, a face swam before her eyes.

"Wei. Wei! Weipon!" Then, unexpectedly, in Pandaren, "Weipon, look at me!"

She concentrated until the face came into focus. Akabeko looked inflated, cheeks and lips split from being beaten, nasty bruises puffing up along her jaw.

"There you are," she continued in Orcish, hands covering Weipon's to press them firmly against the wound. "You got your happy bell on you?" When this earned little more than a panicked gasp, she shook her head. "All right, that's not terrible. We made it this far without one, right?" While Akabeko talked, Weipon could feel a faint, warm tingling around the wound. "This is hardly the worst thing I've ever seen," she continued, all bravado. "I've got it all under control; don't you worry."

Weipon gave a tiny shriek as the pain spiked. The scent of decaying flesh thickened, prickling across her skin as it spread up her ribcage, down to her hips.

Akabeko's face contorted, and she laughed bitterly. "Just like riding a plainstrider; you do it once, you never forget how," she muttered. The warmth under her hands increased to a light tickle. "Come on," the druid continued, mostly to herself. "If you can't even do this, what good are you anyway? She got you this far; you owe her twice that." She groaned, a long, bitter wail, and squeezed her hands around Weipon's.

Briefly, Akabeko's eyes glazed over blue, and the sensation at Weipon's middle increased to a comforting pulse of heat that thrummed through her body.

She could feel the very unpleasant moment when her skin knit itself back together, followed by an itch that crawled its way across her skin as the infected flesh returned to normal. Weipon clumsily pulled up her shirt, running her fingers over the space where a hole had been opened into her guts. Now there was only smooth, unbroken skin and healthy fur.

Akabeko sat back with a great sigh. Breathing heavily, she absently brushed a handful of clinging vines and leaves from her forearms. She looked at Weipon and smiled wryly, revealing a freshly-chipped tooth. "Let's never do that again," she suggested, and helped Weipon to her feet.

Sometime after defeating the sha doppelgangers, the monks had managed to open the doors for Yu'lon and defeat the weakened Sha. They were taking stock of their losses when Akabeko and Weipon rejoined them, and Weipon gratefully accepted a reassuring hug from Peng. He looked haunted, as did many of the other pandaren who were clearly still dwelling on whatever doubts their sha-copies had thrown at them. Weipon glanced at Akabeko, recalling the brutal scene she had witnessed, but the tauren's face was a careful mask.

The Sha is not completely gone, but merely imprisoned once again, Yu'lon said solemnly. Without my rebirth, I am too weak now to do more to contain it. She shut her enormous, liquid eyes in apology. I thank you for your service, my loyal followers.

The pandaren smiled wearily at each other, pleased that for the time being their beloved Temple and its beloved deity were safe.

Next: A Dream