Irresistible Force meet ... Immoveable Object!

Okay now that I got that level 40 post outta my system, I have one more story to tell from last night. What is that you say? Two posts in one day? Is he crazy?

Maybe. But I'm gonna post it anyway. :)

So after hitting 40, I head to SS to turn in one last quest from STV at Dalaran (did you here that's moving to Northrend in the new expansion pack?). So I mount up on my amazing warhorse and head out. I turn in my quest, when SUDDENLY ... OUTTA NOWHERE! .... absolutely nothing happens and I return to my flight path :)

Then I decide to fly to Loch Modan and ride out to the Badlands. I'd researched a new quest giver out there that has a quest for both horde and alliance to get a nice plate chest piece. Me want it. So me go.

I hit Loch Modan and the local defense looks good. So I head out and on the way, I put the smack down on Ol' Sooty, just to say "remember me!?!?" and I head into the Badlands. From my last trip there I know there are two dwarves, up on a hill on the left, past Uldamaan. Since they are on the way to my quest giver that I need, I swing by to see if they have new quests for me. Even before I reach the top of the hill, I see the promise of experience and riches untold. The yellow exclamation point. ;)

Happily riding up to the quest giver I happen to notice a BE Pally standing right there with them. He's level 43 and already dismounted. Queue the dramatic music (dun dun dun!)

I play it cool. I ride up and don't dismount so as to appear all non-threatening. After all he is 3 levels above me. Then I start to talk with the quest giver. The pally engages. And this is where the title of this post comes in. My first pally to pally fight. Now I've heard of these battles, paladin to paladin - epic struggles of heals and seals. Also, I've fought pallies with Talonfist (they didn't turn out well). So I wasn't expecting much fun. Did I mention he was 3 levels above me?

At first I stayed mounted and thought, he's gonna kill me quick, why bother? So he stuns me and starts swinging and flinging judgements. After the first two or three of these I decide (and to quote Popeye) "I've had all I can stands and I can't stands no more!"

I dismount and enter the fray, albeit rather late. I figure I'm dead but I'm gonna go down swinging the big two-hander.

Suddenly, the words of a much greater pally than Oak, HonorsHammer, ring in my ears. "Judge Wisom, young padawan". So I do and watch the mana start flowing my way. And then begins the battle of my life on WoW.

There were judgements thrown, consecrates laid, heals of desperation, mana pots to slake our thrist and one bubble of hope. The earth shook and the quest givers near us stumbled from the strains of our battle.

I jumped around like a rogue, because that's still how I fight. It throws people off sometimes, I believe, to see a little paladin bouncing around them like super-ball, slinging a web of judgements while an axe fills in the cooldown gaps.

The health bars ran close and as they did my amazement rose. And hope began to turn it's shining face upon me. I stayed for the most part out of his consecrates, and he stumbled into mine a few times. He stunned me twice, and as I sagged there I thought I would certainly lose. Did I mention he was 3 levels above me? Perhaps I have.

But I didn't lose. I took him. As he tried to pull up a last heal, my hammer of justice came up and like an old friend I was very glad to see it. It hit and it was his turn to sag, as I swung my axe while he was stunned, and had Seal of Command running, I noticed that Judgement had just came up too. And with that old friend added to the party, the BE's party was over. I judged him and found him ... wanting. One last swing from the axe (as he began to run down the hill) and it was all over.

I couldn't believe it when I saw him fall. I was at a quarter health, perhaps slightly less. And at half mana. I'd bubbled once, and drank mana but I wasn't ashamed. I felt that I'd handily dealt death to a lvl 43 BE Paladin in world pvp. And as the shining gem of that battle, HE had struck first, NOT me. HE had all the advantages:

• Striking first ...
• I initially decided not to fight and just sat there ....
• He had 3 levels on me ...

It was a great, GREAT way to cap off the night that I hit lvl 40. Literally as I rode away to do what I'd come for in the Badlands, I realized that I'd gotten something far more valueable than a quest for better gear. I'd gained confidence in my playing ability and my classes damage output.

I know there will be time when the battle does NOT go my way. I WILL get owned. I know that. But this victory was sweet although, I admit, a small one.

But I won't soon forget it. And I bet he doesn't either.