Old Dear Friend, An

An Old Dear Friend

by Artorius

For the past weeks, Artorius, the dwarven priest had seen more bloodshed and death than he had experienced in his many years fighting the Horde. Now, he found himself fighting alongside of these vile beasts, against a greater threat, The Burning Legion. This change of atmosphere had taken a toll of the sanity of this already shattered dwarf. He spent his days killing demons, eating conjured rations made by his allied Mages, attempting to seduce human females (his friends worried about him, because its fairly odd for a dwarf to be attracted to someone who doesn't look like a science project gone wrong) and getting drunk and passing out.

The dwarf lied unconscious in the back ally of a bar who's name he did not know, in a land nicknamed "The Hellfire Peninsula." Yesterday was a unique day. That old miserable dwarf Ginness had asked Art to join him and some friends in a dungeon known to the alliance as The Slave Pens. Ginness was miserable as always, complaining about his aches and pains, and the age of his gear. They were also joined by that little gnome Sari. Art quickly learned the evil nature of this small one, many years ago. She liked to blow stuff up, with the help of demons and such (Art always wondered why the demons didn't just take control of her. Even this dwarf enjoyed a roasted gnome every now and again.) These 3 were also joined by that floofy elf Trystyrian, and that egomaniacal paladin, Dardan. The group saw lots of death that day, but finished the evening with pockets full of enchanting components.

So there he was, the dwarf, comatose in an alleyway. Dreaming of young females at the Stormwind Mage tower, when he was awoken abruptly, by scream of his name.

"Artorius, where are you? Are you okay?" He heard Ginness screaming from a few blocks over.

Art tried to get up, but old age had made his attempts futile.

"Just come back to me old friend, your my closest and dearest ally. I can't face this alone." He heard Ginness again, moving further away.

The fat old dwarf knew something was wrong. The desperation in his voice was obvious, and Ginness had never been this nice to him. Artorius cast levitate on himself, which assisted him in getting up out of the garbage. He made his way out of the alley. On the front porch of the inn, he saw Ginness sobbing.

"Ginness, em okay" "Huh?" "I knew I meant a lot te ye old frien', but ye never shown me tis much love. My brethren, I love you too." "WHAT THE HELL YOU TALKING ABOUT YOU EMO PIECE OF TRASH?" "I heard you calling me, worried about me, saying that you couldn't face te world alone. Tat was so sweet."

Art felt a sharp pain on the side of his face, as Ginness slapped him with the leash he once kept his pet undead boar on.

"Stup'd Fatty, I wasn't looking fer ye. I lost my pig, you fat drunken noob!"

And then it occured to the old priest, that out of some sort of strange respect, Ginness had tamed an undead boar, and named it after the old Priest. Ginness told him something about the pig reminding him of the Priest, because it looked and smelled like him.