A ring of bystanders had formed around the trio, mostly beggars and refugees from all races.  They formed a solid barrier in a wide oval, smack in the center of the Lower City's largest marketplace.  In the middle of the crowd were three combatants: two sin'dorei and a single draenei.  The two blood elves wielded shortswords, and were dressed in long, flowing robes emblazoned with the sigil of the Scryers.  The draenei crouched on the far side of the ring, dressed in the thick cloth-padded leather commonly worn by adventurers.  She wielded a a barbed mace and a wooden shield covered with the hide of a kodo beast; the mark of the Aldor was clear on its rounded surface.  Waving her cruel looking weapon tauntingly, the outnumbered warrior looked quickly between her two assailants.  She waited.<br/><br/>The taller of the Scryers struck first.  He lunged forward, his shortsword making a light jab at her exposed legs, and his free hand launching a ball of fire.  The draenei deflected his weapon with a drop of her shield, and sidestepped the fire.  The projectile continued past her, splashing quite harmlessly on the steel plated chest of a vindicator.  The massive man shoved the smaller draenei woman aside, stepping forward and bringing his enormous broadsword to bear.<br/><br/>"What madness ails you?" he yelled at the two blood elves.  "Brawling in the streets, throwing fireballs without care?  You seem to forget that the Scryers are only<em>visitors</em>in this city!"<br/><br/>The vindicator reached to the side with one gauntleted hand, pushing his fellow draenei's weapon down.  "Disarm yourself.  This conflict ends now."<br/><br/>The foremost blood elf scowled, straightening his stance and sheathing his weapon.  "That petty adventurer insulted the Scryer order!  Just because she bears the Aldor seal, she feels she's our equal!"<br/><br/>His partner nodded.  "Visitors, maybe, but ruffians that are talked down to by vagabonds?  Never."  With that, the two sin'dorei turned and walked away, their robes twirling in their wake.  The crowd parted in front of them like water before a prow.<br/><br/>High above the scene, another vindicator leaned on the ledge and watched the drama unfold below.  Somewhat reluctantly, she peeled her eyes away and walked across the Terrace of Light to A'dal's sanctum.  Her superiors had been very clear: any conflicts of that nature were to be reported immediately.<br/><br/>To say that tensions between the Aldor and Scryers were ramping up would be a significant understatement.  To the leaders of Shattrath, the conflict had obviously already reached its boiling point, and it was only a matter of time before they would have to take drastic steps to return Outland's sanctuary to peace.  Especially with the presence of an Illidari regiment in Terrokar.  This was the one time that Shattrath needed to stand as a whole city and defend the only sane places left on Outland.<br/><br/>As the vindicator's report of further interfaction aggression reached Khadgar's ears, he sighed and turned to his advisors; draenei commanders and tacticians, dressed in gleaming metal, and A'dal itself, swinging and chiming in the air above the mage.  It was time to take action.<br/><br/>*   *   *<br/><br/>Emrick turned his head, eyeing the new arrival: a draenei woman, standing a good foot taller than himself.  She was dressed in plate armor held together with leather and cloth, designed for mobility and agility, and embedded with all manner of priceless gems.  The complex, even ornate, cuts on the crystals seemed to radiate power; Emrick grinned as he recognized a fellow jewelcrafter.  Given her armor and the weapons slung on her back, he guessed she was a mercenary - self employed and self sufficient.  And prone to chip in her two cents when needed.<br/><br/><em>“There is enough work and killing to be done here human, why do your kind always seek to rush on ahead to the next project before the current one is complete? While you concern yourself with the frozen tundra your world will be over run with demons from this one…”</em><br/><br/>The mage's smile faded quickly, though, as the draenei's words sunk in.<em>Wha--  Where did that come from?</em>he wondered to himself, his face showing slight surprise and bewilderment.  He reflexively glanced at Rommus, but the dwarf was staring intently at their visitor.  Emrick turned back to the draenei.<br/><br/>"Heh, I think you have me mistaken for something I'm not, draenei," he replied casually, one hand rubbing the back of his head.  His other held his satchel against his chest.  "I work for the Explorer's League, not an army.  I'm no demon hunter, if that's what you thought."<br/><br/>Emrick paused, deep in thought.  His eyes darted to her horns, then back to her face.  When he spoke, it seemed partially to himself.  "You're fairly old, compared to most of the draenei I've seen,<em>and </em>you know about Northrend.  Most don't..."<br/><br/>The mage smiled knowingly as something clicked in his mind.  Being the youth that he was, Emrick couldn't help but come off as a bit cocky when he deduced something most would miss.  "Is that why you've come back to Outland, then?  To hold the demons here?  To keep them from the Exodar?"