#76

Malfurion delivered on his promise: magically appearing in her post-box nested a Flameward Hippogryph. She immediately mounted the warm beast, and took it for a quick flight around Stormwind. The faithful Cenarion Hippogryph, placed in the stables to rest, felt at a bestial level, slighted and hurt. "Where was she going without me?" the dusky rainbow bird-beast wondered, in its own language, the language that cannot be spoken, written, or read: only sang.

Matty knew she would have to return again to the Molten Front. Each day, she was given just enough medicine to heal only eight. She would watch the valiant protectors spin, fall, in exhaustion and flame, and heal them as best she could. This particular morning, she remembered a time, after she and Luperci had been playing on an icy pond in Howling Fjord, came inside for a hot drink. As Luperci sat taking off her boots, Matty was about to take a sip from her mug. The tea was boiling hot, and in her shock, spilled it on Luperci’s leg, through her leggings, and causing scar tissue that was there to this day. The healer teased Matty about doing it on purpose, to hurt Luperci because she was an annoying little sister…he thought he was being funny, but even now the memory of the guilt caused Matty to cry. She would never hurt someone like that, and never, ever intentionally cause Lupe pain.

The balmy horizon closed.

She felt the weight of gold in her bags. From the sale of the leggings, she had enough left over to buy a necklace she had been admiring on a friend’s neck, a necklace that would give her an edge of agility…

…but she had promised herself this gold was for Lupe.

Writer's note: That Flaming Hippogryph is pretty damn cool. It comes with seat-warmers, sound system, moonroof, and electronic keypad locks. The airbags have been recalled a few times, and it does take about a month of dailies to obtain one. One complaint I and some other comrades have discussed is that there are a few items in WoW that are unobtainable for the common player/man, and that hits a bit too close to the real world for me. I am not a believer in shades of grey and all flavors as long as they're vanilla, but if I can't afford a new car in real life, at least when I am in my virtual world some fun perks are available. I wish that there were other avenues for the rare mounts. But moreover, it's the gear that gets under my skin. No decent gear should be inaccessible to a player. I can understand a mount or a pet being rare; but finding those is exciting, like a treasure. But only having decent shoulders come from a raid environment is ludicrous. There should be adequate gear available in other ways. Although, for the first time, I noticed a hunter friend with the Pauldrons of Nalorakk, which I didn't know came from Zul'Aman. But, I've never seen them drop.  Look out, trolls. Baby needs some bears on her shoulders. 

So, no more complaining. It's the pursuit of happiness,no guarantees of it, that makes for a healthy world.