Xariona? I hardly knew her.

Late Saturday night, I was farming on my warrior, my friend Thistle was committing mass genocide against Crocolisks to fill her Money Bin with gold, our resident Resto druid was leveling her fishing and our Shadow Priest was leveling his Death Knight in Deepholm.

It was a sleepy night, not much chatter going on, everyone was doing their own thing, as it was close to 2 AM. Suddenly the green chat lights up, "Rare in DH," says the Death Knight, "Get down here now!"



I eeped, swapped to my paladin and took the portal as did our hunter and druid. We were all excited, a rare, a boss level rare, and this late we probably won't have any competition. We quickly formed a party and I started scanning the area, looking, was it Aeonaxx, the drake that drops himself for you to ride? My heartbeat picked up and my droopy eyes were wide with anticipation.

"Xariona," said the Death Knight, "Way up here."

Somewhat deflated, but still excited, I flew high and saw the magnificent beast making slow circles above the floating ring of rocks. I saw the Druid land and look down the way at the Dragon. She was making straight for that same spot. Hitting Crusader Aura, I flew in and leaped onto the rock, the rest of the party landing around me. "Ready," I said, sword out, and threw my shield into the air.

That's when I notice the health pool. 30 million. Trepidation sets in - that's a raid-boss level of health, will she just hit me too hard? Does she have an enrage? But putting these things aside, I keep her kited. Shadow Fissures spawn and we run out of them. Some kind of white goop winds up on the ground under my feet and I scramble. She lifts her head up and I turn tail and run to get out of her range.

Five minutes turn to ten, and suddenly the geometry of the rock and the tedium of the fight sets in. Shadow Fissures spawn inside the rock and become difficult to spot - or so the Death Knight claims as he dies. Our hunter takes time out of her complex rotation, "Failboat has landed."

Maybe it was the hour, maybe it was the line, maybe it was the fact the Death Knight, after that point, could not move out of the Fissues at all and died a total of three times that I just started giggling. This was ridiculous. The rocks where we fought were near the southern edge of the circle and so every so often, Sky Breaker would fly by and I'd wave and gesture, "Dragon, to be shooting, please!" But the bastards ignored me every time and kept making slow lazy circles uselessly.

When Hammer of Wrath lit up, so did my spirits. Maybe my aching fingers would get a rest soon. Maybe the reward would be so great that it would be worth this dull, monotonous fight. 10%. 5%. I've used Avenging Wrath so many times in the duration of this one fight, I feel like wings is just part of my rotation at this point.

1%. Finally, she keels over and I hold my breath.

Achievement?

No. I frown. Less optimistically, I loot the boss.

A single pair of BoE heroic dungeon level mail gloves pop up in the loot window.

Party is silent for a long, long, long minute as nobody moves. I can sense everyone staring with confusion at the reward for twenty minutes of monotony. And then, the Death Knight chimes in.

"Totally worth it."