Blank Scroll ( short story ) Characters . Imagined . . . The Blank Scroll . " Let me get this straight , " Ziya said , sharpening her daggers . " You want me to tell you a story ? " She sat with Arko against a cliff wall on the northern coast of Pandaria , sheltered from the worst of the wind . They couldn ' t risk a fire ; the ten goblin plundersquads scattered across the continent had been raiding treasuries , temples , and armories for weeks now and were , for some reason , not popular with the locals . Ziya ' s squad had seen better days . Luki was in the infirmary with a spineclaw wound in a … sensitive area . Zuzak ' s expertise with bombs hadn ' t extended to fuses . Strax had , against Ziya ' s orders , tried to rob a lone pandaren wanderer who turned out to be a Shado - pan monk with absolutely no sense of humor . Arko , who kept lighting his robes on fire with his own spells , was the last survivor . Ziya had no idea how . " Yeah ! " the little mage said . " It ' s gonna be a long night . You ' ve seen a lot , right ? How about a war story ? " " Which war ? " Ziya snorted . A chill wind swept off the ocean and hit her full in the face . With streaming eyes , Ziya glared at the distant , glowing , warm bulk of Trade Prince Gallywix ' s uberzeppelin above the dark waves . Gallywix , to the surprise and outright horror of his goblins in Pandaria , had decided to personally oversee the Plundersquad Initiative and " inspire " his troops . The only thing he had inspired so far , as usual , was contempt . Even from here , you could occasionally hear the party music drifting over the water . Shivering , Arko scooted closer to her along the wall , seeking warmth . Ziya casually sank a dagger into the sand between them . " What do you mean , which war ? " Arko said , staring mournfully at the dagger . Ziya sighed . Even for a goblin , he was green . " Let ' s see , " she said , sheathing her dagger and counting on her fingers . " I ' ve fought the Alliance . Twilight Cultists . Elementals . Undead . Mantid . The sha . A dragon , once . Oh , and Gallywix back when he tried to enslave us all — whoops , I ran out of fingers . " " It ' s gonna be a long night , " Arko repeated . " Come " on " , Sarge . " Ziya rolled her eyes . " Fine , but no war stories , " she said . " Why ? " " Because , " she said , reaching up to twist the ring hanging around her neck , " those are personal . How about … You know the story of Rakalaz ? " " No . " " Surface kid , huh ? I grew up in Pyrix , one of those Undermine sluicetown s no one ' s ever heard of — " " I ' ve heard of it ! " Arko said helpfully . " Great , " Ziya said . " Stop talking and listen . " A hundred years ago , Trade Prince Leeko was sending kaja ' miner s deeper than anyone had been before . You had to find a cart ' s worth of ore before your overseers would let you go home . Late one night , down in the dark , a miner named Miz broke through what he thought was a rock wall and found — " Ziya paused . Arko hadn ' t spoken . Even the wind had fallen silent . But she thought she ' d heard the whispered echo of her words a half - heartbeat behind . " A hole . N - no , " Ziya said , only now remembering that she had hated this story when she was a kid . " A void . And at the bottom , two moons , pale and round . The eyes of Rakalaz , watching him . " Surf clawed at the shore . Arko swallowed . Licking her lips , Ziya said , " It roared and started climbing up at — " Ziya had leapt to her feet , both daggers curled against her forearms , before she even fully registered why . The stars had vanished . " What ? What is it ? ! " Arko shrieked . Despite herself , Ziya smiled . Arko probably thought that Rakalaz was attacking . Cold crept up her spine . The shore was gone , the waves muffled . The air was stale , oily , and familiar . It was the smell of the Undermine . On cue , a gigantic , pale , eight - fingered hand exploded out of the ground twenty feet away and gripped the sand . Rakalaz rose , its reptilian , lantern - light eyes tracking the two of them separately . Ziya ' s mind screamed . Her body , however , hauled Arko up by the robes . " Signal the zeppelin , " she hissed in his ear . Struggling to get its leg free , Rakalaz swiped at them , missed , and howled , blasting them with breath like a thousand Undermine garbage dumps . Arko whimpered but did not move . " Arko ! " Ziya shouted . " Tell the uberzeppelin we ' re here ! Maybe someone there is sober enough to send reinforcements . Look out ! " She seized tiny Arko , whirled , and used his weight to haul both of them out of the way . Talons plunged into the solid rock where they had been and tore out a chunk of the cliff . Wobbling , Arko was the first to rise . Planting his feet , he began chanting , calling an arcane beacon , calling salvation , into his cupped palms . Then he made the mistake of looking at Rakalaz . It was reaching for him , thick black cords of drool running from its hanging jaw . Arko squealed , flung the unfinished beacon into the air , and sprinted off down the beach . Ziya watched him go . Then she looked up at the beacon ' s tiny speck of light just in time to see it wink out . " Great , " she said . Rakalaz ' s hand closed almost gently around her and lifted her , struggling , toward its dripping maw . A rock whirled out of the dark and struck one of the moon eyes . The hand holding Ziya spasmed , and she fell … … into furry arms . " Hello , " said the pandaren , setting her down with casual strength . She nodded at Rakalaz . " I don ' t think I know this one . " " What ? " " This character , " her savior said , paws on her hips , surveying a nightmare from Ziya ' s youth with a professional eye . Growling , Rakalaz shifted its good eye between them , perhaps trying to figure out how to eat them both at once . " You were telling a story and it popped up , right ? Out of curiosity , how does the story end ? " " Are you serious ? " Ziya looked for the uberzeppelin . Surprisingly , it was slowly turning their way . " Almost always , " she said . " Quickly now . " " Miz throws his last stick of dynamite down its throat . " The pandaren ' s gentle smile froze . " Oh , a goblin story , " she said . " Of course it ends with explosions . Don ' t drop it . " Ziya flinched . Her right hand was suddenly heavier . And sizzling . A calm certainty , of all things , fell over her . She had grown up with this story . She had seen herself in Miz ' s place , had imagined this moment with a child ' s vivid terror . Without further thought , she hauled back and hurled the story ' s dynamite down Rakalaz ' s cavernous throat . Rakalaz stared at her , puzzled , and swallowed . Ziya ' s eyes flickered between the creature and the emptiness of her outflung palm . " Muh ? " she said intelligently . The pandaren ' s paw shot up from somewhere near Ziya ' s feet and yanked her onto the sand . After a brief , interesting period of noise and splattering , Ziya raised her head . The burning remains were fading as she watched . The hole in the ground was filling with sand . Soon it would be as if nothing had happened at all . Pieces clicked together . " I did that , " she said . " You did , " the pandaren said , rising and brushing herself off with precise grace . Gallywix ' s uberzeppelin was close enough that they could see the rum slide s and pudding jacuzzi s in the airship ' s lower levels . " You started a story . You finished it . That ' s storytelling . All the rest is decoration . " " But we lived . " " Yes ? " the pandaren said , frowning up at the uberzeppelin . " Miz didn ' t survive the explosion . In the story . " The pandaren smiled . Her teeth were sharp and dazzling white . " Well , I ' m glad you didn ' t say that before . " Something was wrong . The uberzeppelin hovered over the breakers . Spotlights roved between Ziya , the pandaren Shuchun , and the hole Rakalaz had made in the cliff . Shuchun was a Lorewalker , a trade that Ziya barely understood . Lorewalkers told stories . They searched for artifacts from Pandaria ' s long past . And , if Shuchun was any example , they talked with their mouths full and smiled a lot . Framed in the blazing circle of light , the Lorewalker looked up , took another bite of her cold wildfowl roll , and chewed thoughtfully . " You really should get out of here , " Ziya said . " Gallywix is up there . He might start chucking megabomb s at us for fun . " " Oh ? " said Shuchun , swallowing . " I ' ve heard of him . But I think I ' ll stay . " " Why ? " " Let ' s hope you don ' t find out . " They sat in uncomfortable silence . Finally , Ziya said , " Thanks for the rescue . Look , I should probably tell you — " " That you ' re here to steal treasures and artifacts ? " Shuchun said . " I know . I came to stop you . " " But you saved me ! " " I said " stop " , not " kill " , " Shuchun said mildly . " Oh . And how did I make Rakalaz appear ? " " Magic , " Shuchun said . " Magic . " " Yes , magic , " the Lorewalker agreed . " I ' m glad we have that settled . " " That doesn ' t explain anything ! " " Do you remember , " Shuchun said , " when I told you that I hoped you wouldn ' t find out why I was still here ? " " Yeah . You said it about ten seconds ago . " " Well , I really , " really " meant it . " A rope uncoiled from the distant deck in a lazy spiral and snapped to full length several feet away . High above , a dark figure leapt over the railing and descended at a gut - clenching speed , one - handed . At the halfway point , Ziya swore . This wasn ' t an assassin or a thug or some other hired killer . This was someone worse . Druz , Gallywix ' s chief enforcer , landed in the sand . His leather armor was as tailored as any suit . A flat case was under his muscled arm . He , the stories went , had grown up with Gallywix in Kezan . He wasn ' t infamous because he ' d never been caught doing anything truly horrible . But sometimes , great and terrible things happened to Gallywix ' s enemies , and Druz would be one of the first goblins to extend his condolences . " Sergeant , " he said , nodding at Ziya . " Lorewalker Shuchun . One moment , please . " He knelt in the sand and opened the back of the case toward them . Smooth clicks sounded behind the leather wall . Ziya groaned quietly . That was another scary little detail . Druz always seemed to know too much about everyone he met . Names . Ranks . Strengths . Weaknesses . She wasn ' t sure if it was research , spies , or magic . She wasn ' t surprised that the enforcer had called the Lorewalker by name . He probably knew the names , boot sizes , and favorite drinks of everyone in Pandaria . " I saw Rakalaz from the bridge , " Druz said as he worked . " That was a thing . Hated that story as a kid . " Click . Clack - click . " All right , " he said finally . " Thanks for rescuin ' our employee , Lorewalker . Have a good night . " He waited . Shuchun ' s smile grew larger . Druz nodded and then reached into the case . Instinctively , Ziya gripped her daggers … Druz tossed a huge bag of gold , Ziya judged by the delicious clink , at the Lorewalker ' s feet . " Obviously , there ' s a reward . Give my regards to little Fen . I hear it ' s almost her birthday . " " Is that a threat ? " Shuchun said quietly . She stood up slowly . Druz sighed . " No . That was me bein ' polite . I offer you a reward . I send you on your way with well wishes for your loved ones . It was the furthest thing from a threat . " In a blur , Druz lifted a huge rifle from the case , leveled it at Shuchun , and cocked it . Gun parts spun against each other like oiled continents . " Now , " he said , " this is a threat . So I ' ll say again : take the reward . Go home . " " You ' ve seen it , haven ' t you ? " Shuchun said . " Seen what ? " Ziya said . " There ' s a golden door behind that hole in the wall , " Druz said , pointing to where Rakalaz had hit the cliff . The weight of the gun held in one hand did not seem to trouble him . " And we ' re takin ' it and whatever ' s inside . " " I don ' t care what weapon you choose to aim at me , " Shuchun said , shifting a foot behind her with slow elegance . " I won ' t let you into the lorevault . " " Look , " Druz said reasonably . " Cards on the table . It sounds like there ' s a weapon in there that can make monsters out of thin air . We want it , and it ain ' t worth your life . " " I will stop you if I must , " Shuchun said . " Right . Let ' s assume you take me down . " A spotlight from the ship bracketed him , and he shaded his eyes . " The uberzep is gonna hammer the area with cannon fire until they breach the vault anyway . You still lose . " A dagger appeared at his throat . " I ' m getting this strange feeling , " Ziya said behind him , " that you ' re going to shoot her when she turns her back . " " Probably not , " said Druz . He didn ' t lower his gun . " Probably still bothers me . I kind of like her . Also , I get this other strange feeling that you ' re planning on going into the vault alone . " " Yeah . So ? " " There ' s the small matter of my finder ' s fee . " " Your squad ain ' t found anything yet . " " Exactly . " Shuchun watched the two goblins bicker about contractual obligations and high - risk pay with curiosity . She sat down again , ate a few curry ball s from her pack , and waited , ignoring the unwavering eye of the gun . Finally , she said , " It ' s not a vault . " Her voice , firm and rich , cut through the argument like a molten blade . Both goblins looked back at her . Druz studied her with unmasked suspicion . " You said — " " I said it ' s a lorevault . It uses pandaren stories as traps to protect dangerous artifacts . I ' d hate to think what would happen to anyone who went in there without a knowledgeable guide . Curry ball ? " she said , holding one up . " You offerin ' your services ? " Druz said . " For pay ? Absolutely not , " Shuchun said . " But without me , you ' ll both be eaten . Or worse . So , I will take you inside and endeavor to convince you that this is a mistake . " She stared at the gun , then the dagger , until they were put away . Then , she smiled , stood , and called out with a storyteller ' s voice that rose above the rumble of the waves . " ' The Lorewalker had made her decision , ' " she said . " ' She turned her attention to the lorevault . Recognizing her for what she was , it opened . ' " With a thunderous CRACK , the cliff unfolded , spilling sand and chunks of rock . In the darkness within was a round golden door large enough for a dragon to fly through . Etched figures covered every inch of its surface , thousands of characters in thousands of stories , one after another . The delirious spotlights swarming over the door made it seem as though the carvings were moving … The door spun and opened to reveal a staircase leading down . Lorewalker Shuchun walked ahead of the two goblins down the gentle curve of the stone passageway . Once it was clear that no one was immediately going to betray anyone , the goblins relaxed . The air was cool , quiet . Expectant . Ziya broke the silence . " I don ' t get it . " " What ? " Druz said . " You . You ' re reserved , competent . How did you end up working for ' I ' ve got my face on a mountain ' Gallywix ? " " Mr . Gallywix , " Druz corrected . " Or Trade Prince Gallywix . Never just Gallywix . And maybe you don ' t know him like I do . " " There ' s nothing to know , " Ziya said . " He ' s a monster . I ' ve stepped in deeper puddles . " " Right , " said Druz . " And somehow , he ' s still in charge when most of the other trade princes and goblins want him dead . Hell , his own mother tried to kill him twice . Makes you think . " The path suddenly curved to the right . Gradually , the smooth walls were replaced with ancient , jagged bricks . Stinking sludge leaked through the cracks . Neither goblin noticed . Shuchun grinned at the ceiling . " No , it doesn ' t , " Ziya snapped . " He enslaved us when we left Kezan ! His own people ! " " Not his fault you didn ' t have your own boat , " Druz said . " But , hey , you fought your way free . Good for you . And I bet you ' re more careful who you trust now . " The gentle curve became a four - way intersection . Shuchun went left without pause , and the goblins followed . " " That aside " , " Ziya growled ( because he was right ) , " you really want to turn over this weapon — whatever it is — to Gallywix ? Knowing how he sucks up to our lunatic warchief ? " " Mr . Gallywix , " Druz said reprovingly . " And between you , me , and our guide , we are seekin ' leverage , not power . Originally , we were after peace between the Horde and Alliance , but after Theramore … " " Peace , " Ziya said . " Gallywix wants the Horde to make " peace " . With the " Alliance " . " " Yeah , " said Druz , eyebrows raised at the anger in her voice . " But they ' re worse than him ! If we go back now , then it ' s all been for — " " Hold on , " Druz said . They had passed a few more intersections without stopping . " Lorewalker , where are we ? " " In a story , " Shuchun said . She was focused on the ground . " Which ? " " Not a happy one , if I ' m right , " she said , slowing to allow the goblins to catch up . " But I want to be sure before I — never mind . " She pointed . " I ' m sure . " Their footsteps stretched before them . Somehow , they had gone in a circle , but there was something strange . There were other footsteps racing along behind theirs , lopsided and horrible . And if they had gone in a circle — " Don ' t turn around , " Shuchun said . " But — " Ziya said , horror scrambling up her spine . Eager feet slapped the stone behind them , getting closer . " Don ' t turn around , " she repeated . " Because this is ' The Maze of Mad Emperor Ku . ' " Emperor Ku , " said Lorewalker Shuchun , " was ruled by his fears . He believed that the mogu would return . Through the haze of his paranoia , he saw treachery behind every smile , a scheme behind every vow of devotion , and cunning traps in the calm prophecies of the jinyu waterspeaker s . " And so , he had a maze built beneath his palace , with a safe room at the center . The next time his fear gripped him , Ku fled for it , shut the door , and waited for the terror to subside . It never did . The maze had been so cleverly constructed that the emperor had forgotten the way out . " Teeth biting his lip , Druz inched his gaze around , reaching for his — Without taking her eyes from the tunnel ahead , Shuchun flicked his ear . " Ow . Don ' t do that again . " " What do you care ? " Shuchun said calmly above the low , crackling groans of the approaching thing . " You clearly aren ' t using it for listening . Do . Not . Look . " " Why ? " " I think she ' s trying to tell us , " Ziya said , eyes closed in either fear or prayer . " Search parties sometimes heard him calling , " continued Shuchun . " But years passed . Occasionally , an explorer went into the maze and ran out screaming , wild with terror , for Ku ' s time in the dark had twisted him into something appalling to behold … " " What do we do ? " Ziya whispered . Claws scraped the walls behind them . Druz ' s mouth was a firm line , and his hand hovered over the holstered rifle . " We mimic the story , " the Lorewalker said . " A cub named Li Tao chased his bandicoon kit into the maze . He soon realized he was being followed . " A massive head hung beyond the corners of their vision . Long , sobbing breaths painted the sides of their faces , sour and hot . " Even though he was too frightened to look , little Li Tao still understood that here was someone even more frightened than he was . So he reached back … " She reached back . A huge , misshapen paw closed gently over her own . " … and led poor Emperor Ku out of the maze . " Sunlight , white and blinding , appeared ahead . Ziya and Druz , both striving for nonchalance , strolled briskly for it . They entered the light . The two goblins looked back and flinched simultaneously . The emperor was gone . So was the maze . Lorewalker Shuchun stared sadly at her empty paw . " Fear and paranoia make monsters of our enemies , " she said softly . " Someone has to reach out first . " They continued to walk through the light , following the Lorewalker . " Where are we ? " Druz said . " In the lorevault , " Shuchun said . " Very helpful , " Ziya said . " Which story ? ' The Light of Eternal Boring ' ? " " I like boring , " Druz said . " It rarely tries to kill you . " " Yeah , I ' m sure you live a dangerous life , " Ziya said . Druz raised an eyebrow . " You have something to get off your chest ? " " Since you asked , yes , " said Ziya , turning on him . " It ' s easy for you to talk about peace . You ' ve been living in luxury with Gallywix for years while I ' ve been on battlefields . " Everyone " I joined up with is dead . Peace isn ' t possible , Druz . If you fought on the front lines at all , you ' d know that ! " The light gently pulsed once . Lorewalker Shuchun stopped walking and sniffed the air . Gripping the ring around her neck until it hurt , Ziya expected Druz to shout at her . She wanted him to . Instead , he sighed . " You remember the Trade Wars , Sergeant ? " he said . " B - barely , " Ziya said . " I was too young . " " I wasn ' t . Cartel fighting cartel . Brother fighting sister . I was workin ' for Mr . Gallywix back then , too , as you know . " And you ' re right . I never saw a front line because the Trade Wars didn ' t have one . We fought for tunnels and storerooms throughout the Undermine . Ambushes weren ' t fancy pincher maneuvers in open fields , but some bastard kickin ' through a wall you thought was solid . Of course , the Peace War was worse . " The light was pulsing faster now . Druz glanced around , then drew his rifle as he spoke . " You can ' t stop war , Sergeant . Not for long . It keeps comin ' . Mr . Gallywix keeps winnin ' ' em , too . Sometimes by the right bomb at the right time . Sometimes it ' s an alliance with a powerful idiot . And sometimes it ' s a scary weapon he can use as a deterrent . " " And now your master strategist thinks peace is the best move , " Ziya said , rolling her eyes . " That ' s right , " Druz said calmly . " Impossible , " Ziya said . " If the Alliance doesn ' t wipe out the Horde piece by piece , they ' ll enslave us like they did with the orcs . " " As it happens , " Druz said , " I agree with you . " " Really ? " " Yeah . I ain ' t ever known Mr . Gallywix to be wrong , but I wouldn ' t give him more than one in a hundred for pulling off peace . He can turn the other trade princes and princesses against each other and come out smellin ' like sugared daisies , but against the pinkskins and their allies ? I think we have to keep on fightin ' . " " Stop , " Lorewalker Shuchun said . As gently as she had said it , the word still had the raw force of an order . The light around them flared like wildfire now , bleeding white . Heat fell on them like a dry , scratchy blanket . The white resolved into dunes curving away in all directions . An infinite desert . A gauntlet carved from sand burst through the nearest dune . Another gauntlet followed . Then seven . " I thought so , " Lorewalker Shuchun said , pleased . " This is one of my favorites . ' Di Chen and the Desert . ' " Proud Di Chen was the finest fighter of his time , " she said . " No monk could best him . He slapped arrows out of the air with ease . Mountains were slight inconveniences that could be leapt over or kicked through . " He was bored out of his mind . In desperation , Di Chen asked the desert witch Lui Ka for a true challenge . " Amused by his arrogance , the witch gave him his wish : he would fight the desert itself . Each grain of sand became a fierce warrior intent on Di Chen ' s death . " The warriors closed in . They looked like mogu in plate armor , gauntleted hands flexing . " So these guys are intent on our deaths ? " Druz said , wrinkling his nose . " Oh yes , " Shuchun said . " Good , " Druz said , and he fired . Three sandy heads exploded . " I was startin ' to think I ' d brought the gun for nothin ' . Sergeant ? " " Already on it , " Ziya said . Druz dropped to a knee to reload , and Ziya vaulted over his broad back and buried both daggers in the nearest warrior ' s chest . It stumbled and collapsed in a mountain of sand . She threw one blade into the snarling face behind it , dove through the disintegrating enemy to catch her weapon , crouched , and pounced into the middle of the remaining three . Steel flashed in a spiral , and the soldiers fell apart joint by joint . A hot breeze coiled over the empty desert . Grinning , Ziya returned , sheathing her daggers … Thirty more warriors burst from the dunes , shrieking in rage and hate . " Get back to me , Sergeant , " Druz said , flicking the rifle ' s chamber shut . Ziya , setting her jaw , stalked to his side and waited , daggers poised . " I never did tell you the rest of the story , " Lorewalker Shuchun said . " With all respect , Lorewalker , " Druz said as he fired another shot . Two warriors fell . Another three rose . " Does this look like the time ? " Shuchun shrugged and went to sit on a nearby dune . Humming , she reached into her pack , selected an apple , took an enthusiastic bite , and watched the fight with interest . A single warrior lurched in her direction , snarling , and she displayed her mostly empty paws . It froze and crumpled into the sand . No more of the creatures troubled her . Eventually she dropped the apple core and frowned . " Something ' s wrong , " she called . " Oh , do you think so ? " Ziya ' s daggers punched sand in quick succession . " Fall down , you ugly lakratz ! Fall down ! " Shuchun scratched her cheek , puzzled , then snapped her fingers . " That ' s right , " she said with satisfaction . " In the story , the desert warriors had weapons . " " What ? Druz ! Down ! " Ziya shouted . A warrior ' s heavy iron hummed through the air and crunched into the sand . " That ' s more like it , " Shuchun said . Now all of the warriors had an exciting variety of swords , maces , and polearms . She settled her chin into her paws and watched . " Did you do that ? ! " Druz roared at her between gunshots . " No , " Shuchun said . " The story did . " " And you ! And you ! " " That ' s probably fair , " Shuchun said . " But I could have mentioned that their weapons were also on fire — " " FWOOSH ! " " Aah ! " " All right , that was careless , " Shuchun admitted , firelight glowing orange on the fur of her upraised palms . " I ' ll keep quiet . Carry on . " Minutes passed , punctuated by grunts , growls , and daring acrobatics . Finally , Shuchun rose and walked down the dune and into the battle . " Each grain of sand became a fierce warrior intent on Di Chen ' s death , " she repeated , absently pushing aside the soldiers . They paused , confused , as if they couldn ' t see her . " The battle would end only when Di Chen admitted that there were some challenges too difficult even for him . " She reached the center of the hundreds of soldiers . Druz and Ziya stood back to back , utterly surrounded . Flaming weapons blotted out the sky . " Are you saying , " Ziya panted , " that we have to surrender ? " " That ' s one option , " Shuchun said . " Good enough for me , " Druz said , and he dropped his weapon . Ziya hastily did the same . Wind howled down from above , rich with the desert witch ' s laughter , and carried the soldiers away grain by grain . The goblins watched them go . " You could have said , " Ziya growled . " She tried to tell the rest of the story , " Druz said , grinning and bending to pick up his gun . " We wanted to fight … " He paused and shot Shuchun a suspicious look . " Hold on . Before all this , we were talking about having to go on fighting . We ended up in an impossible battle . " Ziya ' s jaw dropped . " We were talking about monsters and how there ' s no way back , and we ended up being followed by a monster in a maze ! " " Lorewalker , " Druz said in a tight voice . " When we argue , are we makin ' traps ? " " Of course , " said Shuchun , her face a mask . " I thought you knew . " " How would we know ? " " When my people are embroiled in a divisive argument , they call for a Lorewalker , " Shuchun said . " I ' ll listen to both sides and then tell a story that challenges their opinions . That ' s not what you were doing ? " " No ! " " Oh , " Shuchun said . " We could have died ! " " Never , " the Lorewalker said . " After all , Di Chen wasn ' t even scratched . In the story . " " What happened to him , anyway ? " Ziya said . " Did he surrender too ? " The wind rose again , and the high circle of the sun expanded over them , a spreading blanket of white light . Shuchun shook her head and pointed at a figure atop a faraway dune . As they watched , it swung a weary fist , blasting a warrior into dust . " He battles on to this day , " she said . " There are always reasons to fight . The trick is knowing when to stop . " The goblins stood quietly , shoulder to shoulder , at the center of a small white room . " What ' s happenin ' ? " Druz said out of the corner of his mouth . " The lorevault is waiting for you to speak so it can create the final challenge , " Shuchun said , leaning back against the wall . Druz nodded . " That ' s what I thought , " he said , then fell silent again . Time passed . Eventually , Shuchun took pity . " You could talk about your mutual love of sunsets , " she said . " Any stories that could turn into ? " Shuchun thought . " Several , " she admitted . Silence . " I don ' t understand , " Ziya said . Druz nudged her , and she ignored him . " Why do the pandaren use their stories to solve problems ? " " It ' s not just us , " Shuchun said . " Every race has stories that are told and retold . We enjoy them because they have simple answers that help us find the hard ones . But stories are dangerous . " " You don ' t say , " said Druz . The Lorewalker smiled . " Sometimes , we forget that stories break rules , " Shuchun said . " Simple answers don ' t care about consequences , and there are plenty . " " I get it , " Druz said . " Your artifact is a " simple answer " . But you ' re neutral , Lorewalker . We don ' t have the luxury of … We have to make hard deci — oh , " hell " . " Far beneath their feet , under the previously opaque white of the floor , something dark and terrible stirred . " You knew this was going to happen , " he said . Shuchun shrugged . " I didn ' t force you to enter the lorevault , " she said . " Which one is it ? " Shuchun peered at the uncoiling horror below . " If I had to guess ? ' The Spiders of Te Zhuo , ' " she said . Druz and Ziya closed their eyes . The black cloud beneath them expanded as a thousand tiny — but not tiny enough — bodies scurried toward the light above . " How are you with spiders ? " Ziya said . " Not great . Lorewalker ? Any chance of us skippin ' ahead to the moral of this story ? Something about actions and consequences ? We get it . " " Do you ? " Shuchun said politely . " They ' re still coming . " The white walls whirled away like gray clouds in a high wind . The goblins and the Lorewalker stood on dull stone , a platform in the center of a vast room filled with noise . Thousands of legs skittered up from below , and massive , heavy shadows circled through the darkness around the platform with crushing speed . " Well , tell the end of the story , " Druz said through gritted teeth . " Make this stop . " " That ' s going to be a problem , " Shuchun admitted . " No explorer who entered the lost temple of Te Zhuo was ever seen again , so it ' s more a cautionary tale than a story . " " A cautionary tale about not entering the temple we ' re already in ? " Ziya said wearily . Shuchun beamed . " Wait , hang on , " Druz said . " No one ever came back , yeah ? So no bodies were ever found . " Shuchun cocked her head . " Yes ? " " So , how do we know it ' s a bad place ? " Druz said . " Could be it ' s so wonderful inside that no one wanted to come out . " " That ' s certainly possible , " Shuchun allowed as Ziya buried her face in her hands . " Except the story is named after the spiders for a reason . " " Oh ? " Druz said . He and Ziya moved together , shoulder to shoulder , by unspoken arrangement . " Well , " Shuchun said , " I never said that the explorers were never heard from again . They scream . " " Let me guess . They scream about spiders , " Ziya said . " Oh yes . " A wave of black death on a multitude of hairy legs exploded from the pit below . And froze . Clusters of glittering eyes burned with hunger . " So , if we enter this Te Zhuo place , " Druz said after a deliberately calm breath , " we might find anything . Traps . Very impressive spiders . " " Servants of the Old Gods , maybe , " Ziya said . " They get " everywhere " . " " One action , " Druz said slowly . " One outcome : viz , we never get out . " " We don ' t have a way out of this , do we ? " said Ziya . " Our actions brought us here . We have to deal with the consequences . " " Yes , " said Shuchun , smiling . " Well done . " Darkness flooded over the platform , washing the goblins away . Ziya opened her eyes . The cold against her cheek was a marble floor , long and pale , stretching toward … … a scroll hanging on the far wall of a narrow , doorless chamber . The ghosts of words raced over the scroll ' s surface as fleetingly as thought . It was the blazing white of a pupilless eye , staring at her , waiting . Shuchun stepped over her head and blocked her view of the scroll with a footfall as measured and precise as if it had been foretold . Groaning , Ziya pushed herself off the ground . " This is it ? " Druz grunted . He was easing himself up against the wall , looking worse than she felt . " Yes , " Shuchun said . " What is it ? " " A weapon , some say , " Shuchun said . " Others , a lesson or a punishment . All I know is that the Lorewalkers made it long ago and must bear the burden of keeping the world safe from the consequences . " " What ' s so dangerous about it ? " Ziya said . " A blank scroll — any blank scroll — contains possibilities . It could become the tale of Rakalaz , " Shuchun said , and Ziya looked up . There was a crack in the ceiling , trickling sand . Somewhere above , she had told a story . Had the scroll listened ? " Or , perhaps , it could record the legend of an infinite army made of sand , a legion of spiders , " said Shuchun , " or worse . " " So , you ' re sayin ' that it brings characters to life , like Lorewalkers do ? " Druz said . " No , " Shuchun said . " You do not understand . I can call on Di Chen to argue with his desert witch and battle his legendary army . I could not turn him on my enemies . " Druz raised an eyebrow . " It can do that ? " Ziya heard the hunger in his voice . Could Shuchun ? " Perhaps , " Shuchun said quietly . " Our legends say it can change words into flesh . Hopes into reality . " " Sorry , but that just sounds like summoning to me , " Druz said . " Warlocks do it all the time . Nothing wrong with that , minus a few demonic invasions . " " No ? " Shuchun said . A gun cocked . " No . I ain ' t denying it ' s dangerous , " said Druz apologetically , his rifle leveled at Shuchun . " But a weapon ' s a weapon . It won ' t shoot unless you pull the trigger . So to speak . Ziya , get the scroll . " Shuchun gave Druz a look of such sorrow that Ziya wondered how he could bear it . " I told you , " Shuchun said , " I won ' t let you take it . " " This ain ' t a discussion , " Druz said . " Ziya . Scroll . " " You think you can control it when we failed ? " " Me ? " Druz said . " No . Mr . Gallywix wanted whatever was in here . He ' s gonna get it . " " ' And so , the goblins decided to take the scroll , ' " Shuchun said softly . Her words raced across the scroll , and it pulsed like a single ivory flame . The walls of the room cracked , and white light spilled through the gaps . Out of instinct , Druz pulled the trigger . " ' Out of instinct , Druz pulled the trigger , and — ' " " — the bullet flew . " " Bearing the scroll , the goblins left the lorevault and entered the private quarters of Trade Prince Gallywix . " Ziya stumbled , fighting nausea . Druz swayed into her and steadied himself on her shoulder . How had they gotten here ? The last memory she had was of the rifle firing at Lorewalker Shuchun ' s solemn face , which seemed only seconds ago . They were somewhere else now . The muted roar of the uberzeppelin ' s engines throbbed behind the walls . Ziya and Druz stood in a dark , narrow space . A tinker ' s workroom with a simple wooden stool . A workbench . Carefully organized tools . Jastor Gallywix sat at the workbench , drawing a schematic freehand , and Ziya ' s disorientation fled . It had just been a long day . Gallywix was thinner than she remembered , but not by much . His gut spilled through a plain , open vest . Back then , he ' d also had an outrageously oversized top hat , glittering rings , and a megawatt horror of a grin . This Gallywix wore no riches and wasn ' t smiling at all . " " Maybe you don ' t know him like I do " , " Druz had said … Druz straightened beside her . " This is it , boss , " he said thickly , and he tossed the scroll onto the workbench . Gallywix didn ' t touch it . " The Lorewalker ? " he said . Guilt washed over Ziya . She had seen the bullet fly . Shuchun was gone . She had to be . " Dead , " Druz said , but he sounded unsure . " Too bad , " Gallywix said , and he nodded at the scroll . " What is it ? " " Apparently it ' s a kind of portal that makes stories real , " Druz said . " Things got out of control before the Lorewalker could explain more . " The trade prince considered the scroll . Ziya braced herself for whatever terrible thing — " Sounds like bad news , " Gallywix said . " I ' ll put it in the lower vault when we get back to Azshara . " Ziya ' s jaw dropped . " Boss , " Druz said , almost pleading . " If you don ' t use it , someone else will . " " You know what I ' m gonna say , " Gallywix said , glancing at him . " Yeah , " Druz said , sighing . " Good . The last thing we need is another big gun floating around , " Gallywix said . " Get it outta here . " " And that ' s " it " ? " The words were in the air before Ziya realized she had spoken them . Gallywix regarded her . She could see the gears turning in his head . " What did you expect , Sergeant ? " he said . " I expected you to use it ! " Ziya growled . " It ' s what you do . You use things . You ' re a monster ! " To her surprise , Gallywix nodded . " Yeah , I am , " he said . " But not that kind . " " You ' re exactly that kind ! " " No , " Gallywix said . " We ain ' t ever met face to face , Sergeant , so let me explain . I don ' t mind selling you if you get careless . I ' ll send you to die if it ' ll help the cartel ' s bottom line . But I won ' t get you killed by stupidity or a big dumb weapon for " nothing " . That ain ' t me . " He glanced at the ring hanging around her neck . Her hands closed protectively around it . An unreadable expression crossed his face . " For what it ' s worth , " he said , " I ' m sorry about what happened to your husband in Hyjal . But I ain ' t sorry about anything I ' ve done . So , yeah , I ' m a monster . But I watch out for what ' s mine . When I can . " And right now , that means hiding this big gun before anyone finds out about it . " " But , of course , someone did , " whispered Lorewalker Shuchun ' s voice , and the room crystallized , slowed around Ziya . " The rumors rippled across the world : Gallywix had found a powerful weapon in Pandaria and kept it for himself . " " In the mind of Garrosh Hellscream , warchief of the Horde , there could be only one explanation for such treachery : rebellion . Garrosh led the fractured Horde against Bilgewater Harbor . " The uberzeppelin melted away . Solid ground rose beneath Ziya ' s feet . From the cold heights of Gallywix ' s palace , she watched her home burn . Druz swayed beside her , exhaustion lining his eyes . " Get your armor on , " an enforcer said behind them . " They ' ll be here soon . " " Garrosh ' s forces descended upon the palace . The goblins fell back along the subterranean corridors , protecting the vault and the secrets it held , " Lorewalker Shuchun said . Her daggers slick in her hands , Ziya retreated . A blood elf raised a crossbow , and Druz thrust Ziya to one side , catching the bolt in his shoulder . He reeled against her with a grunt , and she hauled him along with her . " Soon , the few goblin survivors had nowhere to go , " said Lorewalker Shuchun , calm and relentless . An arrow slammed into Ziya , and she sat down , faintly surprised . Druz leaned on her , struggling for air . The vault antechamber was a large steel room , littered with fallen goblins . The Horde , the invaders , closed in , reluctant now that slaughter was near . She recognized some of them from Hyjal and other battles . If she could just catch her breath , she knew she could convince them they were making a mistake … The vault door opened behind her . A spider - tank leg stepped over the goblins . Another . And Trade Prince Gallywix charged at the massed invaders , roaring laughter . Garrosh shoved through his troops , axe hanging in one gigantic red fist . " Stand down , " the warchief growled . " The traitor is " mine " . " " The duel was not a long one , but neither did it go as expected , " Shuchun said . " Help me , " Druz wheezed , fumbling with his rifle . Reaching from the ground , Ziya propped up the gun barrel , aiming it at … The duel . The mechano - tank stumbled sideways from another axe blow , sparks hissing from its ruined joints . Gallywix was losing . Of course he was losing . Why was he still laughing ? Gallywix ejected himself from the wreckage of the mechano - tank and clung to the muscular orc ' s tusks , ramming his forehead into the warchief ' s face like the street fighter he had once been . Garrosh dropped to a knee . Head hanging , delirious with pain , Druz fired the rifle . His aim was off . Gallywix shuddered and fell . " And Garrosh claimed the treasures of the vault , " Lorewalker Shuchun said . Ziya lay in a spreading pool of blood , unsure if it was her own , watching Garrosh kneel to take the scroll . " Months passed , " Lorewalker Shuchun whispered over her . " And the world changed . " Ziya surrendered to the story , closed her eyes , and … … struggled to open them . Blood was running into her good eye . The helmet had deflected most of the orc ' s blow . Ziya growled , pushing the disorientation away , and rolled to the left . The orc ' s sword crunched into the ground where she ' d been . She lunged into the air and brought both daggers down in a wicked arc . The orc stared dully at her , daggers protruding from his throat , and fell . He would rise again soon . Garrosh believed in a world ruled by the orcs . The scroll had made that reality . The orcs flowed over Kalimdor , enslaved by a different master than the demonic blood that had once dominated them . Nothing could kill them , and the pale void of the artifact that drove them blazed in their empty eyes . Teldrassil had toppled , burning , into the sea . A charred pit was all that remained of the " Exodar " . The tauren and trolls , appalled by the devastation , had fled across the Great Sea , hoping that Garrosh would be content with his victories . He was not . Ziya stood near Stormwind Harbor . A last stand alongside her allies and former enemies . A fight they couldn ' t win . The sound of footsteps jerked her around , daggers ready . " You , " she said . " Me , " said Druz , winding a frayed bandage around a long gash on his arm . " Good to see you , Sergeant . " He carried no weapon . Maybe it had been lost . Maybe he had given up and dropped it . She couldn ' t blame him either way . They stood shoulder to shoulder . The orc fleet poured into the crowded bay , spilling hundreds of howling warriors onto the dock . Tauren died alongside humans , dwarves , and blood elves , but too late , too late . The orc at Ziya ' s feet stirred , his hideous wounds closing . " Good intentions , huh ? " Druz said . " All of this is our fault , " Ziya said quietly . Druz chuckled . " At least we won ' t live to regret it . " Ziya charged into the battle , and Druz followed . " Stormwind fell . The orcs reigned supreme . For a time . " " The Dark Portal , left unguarded , was reclaimed by the Burning Legion . Horrors rose from the sea and found no champions left to stop them . " " Azeroth ' s mountains burned and melted . Its oceans boiled until nothing remained . And all was dark . " All was light . Dimming now , the blank scroll still cast a long , standing shadow before Lorewalker Shuchun and turned the beaded tracks of water on the lorevault ' s walls into a net strung with shining pearls . The bullet hung frozen just in front of Shuchun , the last link between the two goblins and their terrible future . Lorewalker Shuchun reached out , plucked the bullet from the air , and laid it carefully on the ground . " ' Lorewalker Shuchun turned to the scroll , ' " she said . " ' In a way , Druz was correct . The scroll was as simple as a gun . But guns can be fired accidentally . Bullets can hit the wrong targets . So , Lorewalker Shuchun aimed carefully and said … " ' " The images the two goblins saw weren ' t true . " ' " The room twisted , knocking the goblins to the ground . Shuchun didn ' t move an inch . " ' None of the horrors they witnessed had actually happened . ' " Ziya bent her head beneath the sickening , ebbing waves of memory , of the losses and old wounds she no longer had . She heard , " ' And everything was as it was . ' " Ziya looked up in the sudden calm . Shuchun tucked the tightly wrapped scroll behind her shoulder . " Was that real ? " Ziya said . " Any of it ? " Shuchun considered the question . " You will sleep better , " she said , " if I do not answer that . " She held out her paws to help them up . Ziya took one . Druz did not . " You could have used the scroll like that whenever ? " he said . It sounded like an accusation . " Yes . " " Made me do the things I — " " Made you ? " Shuchun said , and there was no gentleness in her tone anymore . " You believe peace is impossible because you haven ' t tried it . You think war will continue because it has never ended , and you make " hard decisions " with no fear of the consequences . " You chose your path , " Lorewalker Shuchun said , and she took a breath . " I saved you from it . " Druz ' s jaw flexed . " Why did you take us through the lorevault at all , then ? Why not make us forget we found anything ? " Ziya realized he was pleading . Shuchun ' s smile was both kind and unnervingly sharp . " Maybe you needed to find out what simple answers cost , " she said . They said their farewells on the beach in the fresh , salty air . " You have a safe place for that thing ? " Druz said , nodding at the scroll . Something had broken in him ; that much was clear . But it had been reforged into something different . Something stronger . " Yes , " Shuchun said . " Good . Sergeant , take some time off . Paid , of course , " he added when Ziya ' s mouth opened . " Make sure the Lorewalker gets where she needs to go . " And he climbed back up the rope to the uberzeppelin without another word , hand over hand . Ziya and Shuchun walked away from the coast along a rising path . The uberzeppelin lurched into the distance as if the pilot were drunk . He probably was . " Where to ? " said Ziya . " This way , " Shuchun said , pointing . " We have a bit of a journey before us . " Ziya twisted the ring hanging from her neck . To her surprise , she was smiling . It would be nice , for a change , to protect rather than attack . To believe that war and all of the horrors it brought could end . They traveled in silence . " Want to hear a story ? " Shuchun said .