Honorbound: The Tale of Kikuchiyo

by Simonovich

Kikuchiyo (Key-kuh-cho) is a young Orc who has always admired Garrosh Hellscream. Now, Kikuchiyo has been given the chance to prove himself to Garrosh. As the story goes on, the pair become as close as brothers. But dark forces soon begin to influence Garrosh after the Cataclysm ends, and Kikuchiyo needs to choose between his devotion to the Horde, or his devotion to the Warchief.

1. Leaving the Valley

Act I, Chapter 1: Leaving the Valley

"Through my divinations, I see that an item of power - a medallion - hides deep within the Burning Blade Coven, guarded by beasts and black magic. We must have it." Zureetha Fargaze explained as she looked over the gathered recruits. "For too long these demon-worshippers have defiled our homelands. Cleanse the coven of its demonic taint by slaying the fel beasts and their leader, Yarrog Baneshadow. Return with this medallion as proof of your deed. The one who returns with the medallion will be deemed worthy to move on from the Valley of Trials. Now go and make Warchief Hellscream proud! Dismissed!"

Kikuchiyo's heart leapt as he heard the name of the new Acting-Warchief of the Horde. All of the young, aspiring orcs in the Valley of Trials had heard of Garrosh Hellscream, the Hero of Northrend, they all admired him and hoped to impress him. Garrosh was everything an orc should be; powerful, brilliant, fearless, inspiring and honorable. Kikuchiyo could go on and on about him, as could all of the recruits that were amassed at the campfire. Now, they finally had a chance to show their Mag'Hari Warchief that they were ready to join his new and improved Horde. But only one lucky orc would shine among the rest and be given leave of the Valley of Trials. And today, thought Kikuchiyo excitedly, I'll prove that I'm ready!

It was a hot summer day in Durotar, with the harsh sun beating down on the populace. Beads of sweat formed on Kikuchiyo's brow as he sprinted toward the Burning Blade Coven. He wore the uniform of all warrior recruits; a leather harness, boots, and leather pants. He also wore a pair of golden plate pauldrons that he inherited from his father, and wielded an old, worn out axe with two heads. Kikuchiyo's mind was swirling with thought, he just turned 18 a few weeks ago, and he had admired Garrosh Hellscream from afar since Garrosh had first stepped foot into Orgrimmar. He remembered the day as if it had just happened. It was two long years ago, Kikuchiyo's father had sent him into Orgrimmar to buy supplies, and that happened to be the day that Warchief Thrall had brought Garrosh Hellscream to Azeroth. The heat that day had been nearly as unbearable as it was today. Kikuchiyo thought back to how he saw Garrosh's brown skin and found it strange. He also clearly recalled sensing a heroic presence from the young Hellscream. Garrosh had turned to him that day as he walked through Orgrimmar in wonder, and he smiled and nodded at Kikuchiyo. Being acknowledged had nearly made the 16 year old boy drop the supplies he had bought. Soon, he hoped he would stand before Garrosh, now the Acting-Warchief, and be noted as a great warrior of the Horde.

At last, Kikuchiyo arrived at the Burning Blade Coven. He panted a few times and drew a water skin from his satchel, taking a gulp and allowing the cool liquid to run down his face. The swig was enough to replenish his energy, and he observed the entrance to the cave. Felhound corpses... He thought, it looks like I wasn't the first one here. Carefully, Kikuchiyo stepped over the demonic corpses and readied his axe. it wasn't too long ago that he had come to this very cave to retrieve a pickaxe for the Foreman Thazz'ril, who was too busy watching over the peons to retrieve it himself. As a result, Kikuchiyo knew most of the cave's twists and turns. As he climbed over multiple corpses of red and blue-felhounds and imps respectively-he tripped over something that was out of place. It was green, and wore a leather trainee uniform.

It was the corpse of an orcish recruit.

Kikuchiyo recoiled from the sight. He gulped hard; their superiors had told them to be prepared for this, the deaths of brothers-in-arms. Yet despite the preparation, he found himself deeply disturbed by the sight of the fallen trainee. He kneeled down, hoping to say a blessing to the ancestors, when he heard a guttural snarl behind him. Instinctively, Kikuchiyo leapt to his feet and whirled himself in the direction of the sound, axe at the ready. He stood unmoving and ready to fight, preparing for his unseen opponent. Suddenly, the beast leaped out at him from the shadows, and Kikuchiyo roared and swung the butt of his axe, hitting the demonic hound to the cave floor. he took advantage of the moment and swung his axe down hard, cleaving the head of the felhound off of its body. After a few spasms, the demon relaxed, and Kikuchiyo turned to continue the prayers for his fallen friend.

After he had concluded asking the ancestors to accept the dead recruit, Kikuchiyo stood up to continue his mission. With new determination, he easily dispatched the rest of the summoned demons that barred his path, and also found several more trainees that had been killed. He honored each of them before making his way through to the end of the cave. He looked around frantically for Yarrog Baneshadow, intent on sinking his axe into the traitor's flesh, but his ears were drawn to the sounds of nearby combat. Kikuchiyo jerked his head up and saw Yarrog Baneshadow fighting another orc recruit on a ledge above him. It was Jakor, a close friend of Kikuchiyo's, and he was fighting a desperate battle as Yarrog summoned demons to attack the young recruit. Spells of green flame as well as demonic jaws tore at the hopelessly outmatched orc. Kikuchiyo began to scale the jagged cave walls as he yelled to Jakor. "Just hold on! Help is on the way!" Kikuchiyo looked behind him and saw that more of the recruits that had made it this far were running over to climb up and assist Jakor. When he was in reach, Kikuchiyo pushed himself off the walls and jumped toward the area of combat, axe in hand, screaming. "Lok'Tar Ogar! For Hellscream! And for the Horde!"

Jakor looked at Kikuchiyo in relief. "Thank you! They almost had me!" He exclaimed as his daggers sank into another demon. Jakor was a rogue, and Kikuchiyo figured he had been able to make his way to the end of the cave through subterfuge and stealth, essentially skipping over the demons that Kikuchiyo needed to kill himself. Yet despite Jakor's stealth, he couldn't have expected the depths of Yarrog's power. Kikuchiyo dismembered another demon, a felguard, and finished him off. As he parried another beast of the darkness, he glanced at Jakor and yelled hurriedly. "You made it here first, Jakor, go! Take the medallion!" Jakor grinned and nodded gratefully, slipping into the shadows as he made his way toward Yarrog Baneshadow. The warlock looked angry as he searched for the rogue. "Coward! Come out and face me!" Yarrog snarled as Kikuchiyo and his allies were locked in combat with the summoned demons.

A dagger slipped out of the shadows and brushed against Yarrog's neck as Jakor came out from his stealth. "Return the demons to the Nether, Yarrog, and face your death like a true orc!" Yarrog looked surprised at first, but his look of horror soon curved into a devilish smile around his yellow tusks. "'Face death like a true orc...'" He trailed off. "There's just one problem with that," Yarrog stated as a large shadow began to rise behind Jakor, "I no longer serve the orcs!" And with that, the massive stone arm of an Infernal came down upon Jakor, shattering his bones and flesh into mush as the rock-like demon followed its master's wish. Kikuchiyo saw the honorless death and screamed out in anguish as his friend's blood spattered his face. Of all the recruits, Jakor had been the closest to him. Fury and rage built inside Kikuchiyo, and he decapitated an Imp as he looked over at his fellow recruits. They were evenly matched in combat with demons, and Kikuchiyo knew that the battle would soon be lost.

"Jakor has fallen!" He began with disgust in his voice. "The warlock Yarrog Baneshadow is a coward! Rise up, brothers and sisters! He must pay for his dishonor! For the Horde!" The rallying cry renewed his companions' spirits as they echoed the famous war cry of their faction. The boost of morale would be just what they needed to keep up the fight long enough for Kikuchiyo to do what he needed to. He ignored the other demons and ran toward Yarrog, swinging his axe in fury. Yarrog jumped backward and had his Infernal face off against Kikuchiyo. "Honorless fool! You think this giant pebble can stop me!?" He spat out as Yarrog retreated. The Infernal swung at him with a massive arm of rock, clipping Kikuchiyo's shoulder. It was all the young orc could do to continue to parry and dodge the Infernal's attacks. I am slowing. I cannot keep this fight up forever! Then it hit him. Kikuchiyo came up with a plan to defeat both the Infernal and his traitorous master, though if it backfired, it could end in his own death. Just as the Infernal began to swing, he darted left and rolled. Right in the direction of Yarrog Baneshadow.

The giant arm struck and it was all Yarrog could do to avoid being mashed to pulp by his pet. The interruption wasted enough of his strength and focus to break the spell that bound the Infernal. The beast's fel green glow ceased and it crumbled to a pile of stones. Yarrog scowled in anger, but before he even had time to think of summoning another demon, Kikuchiyo was upon him. "For Jakor!" the orc warrior roared as his axe whirled and whizzed through the air. Yarrog, at the very least, was a worthy opponent. He wielded his spiked staff as a spear-like weapon, and he had parried most of Kikuchiyo's blows. The ones that counted, however, found their mark. With visibly bleeding wounds to the stomach and left thigh, Yarrog dropped his staff and grabbed the injury on his stomach, begging his dark masters to mend him. There would be no answer, however, and Kikuchiyo knew it. He marched over to Yarrog Baneshadow, gave him a look of contempt, and raised his axe. "This is for Jakor! And for the other recruits whose blood you've spilled!" he said adamantly.

And then, the axe descended, taking Yarrog's head.

With Yarrog's death, the demons in the cave disappeared. The other recruits stood silently as a golden amulet affixed with blood stains and amethyst fell from Yarrog's robes. Kikuchiyo picked up the medallion and looked it over, turning to the other recruits and looking at them. One by one they bowed before him, letting him know that the spoils of their battle were his for the taking. He smiled slightly, his heart full of both excitement that he accomplished the task, as sorrow for the fallen. At last he opened his mouth and spoke to the other orcs. "Everyone," he began, "today many of our fellow recruits have fallen to the dishonorable tactics of the warlock, Yarrog Baneshadow. Most notably of them, Jakor, whom we all believed had a bright future ahead of him. We pray that their spirits now dwell with the ancestors." He paused for a moment of silence and watched his fellow orcs bow their heads. "Now, the traitor Baneshadow lies dead, and his crimes cannot hurt any more members of the Horde. You all fought bravely and heroically today, and I know that each and every one of those gathered here will leave this Valley of Trials soon! You are the best that our small Valley has to offer, and I am honored to fight alongside you." Kikuchiyo held up the medallion, "Lok'Tar Ogar!" The recruits repeated the cry, and together they traveled back to the Den where they all dwelled.

"You have done well, Kikuchiyo Sarok." Zureetha Fargaze said as she handed him a set of chainmail armor and a scroll of acceptance into the Horde army. "You are given leave of the Valley of Trials! You have shown yourself to be a true warrior, and a potential hero of the Horde! Hellscream's eyes are upon you, Kikuchiyo, you are dismissed." Kikuchiyo bowed before Zureetha as he accepted the chainmail and the scroll, "Now, go and present this scroll to one of the grunts in Razor Hill. They will provide you with transportation, and you will be assessed by a high ranking general of Orgrimmar! For the Horde!" Kikuchiyo bowed low once again and turned to regard the trainees. He nodded to them and grinned fiercely. "I'll see you all out there. I know it!" He yelled as he waved goodbye and departed.

Kikuchiyo was so full of energy from his passing that he hadn't even noticed how long the trip was taking. Stopping to take a sip of water from his water skin, Kikuchiyo wondered briefly if he would eventually meet Garrosh Hellscream. He also wondered if Garrosh would remember seeing him on the day he entered Orgrimmar. Surely not, Kikuchiyo thought, I was simply another orc who gazed at him in wonderment. Kikuchiyo was desperately excited about the possible opportunity to meet the Warchief in person. Long had he heard of Garrosh's time in Northrend as a hero without equal, and with the horrible event of the Cataclysm shaking and breaking the world to its core, Garrosh had proved himself again by securing supplies for the Horde no matter the cost. Kikuchiyo envied these heroic traits that Garrosh had, and hoped that just a brief meeting with the Warchief would rub something off onto him. Just as he was finishing his thought-filled break from the road, however, a troll ran up to Kikuchiyo, panting and frantic. "Speak, friend!" Kikuchiyo exclaimed.

"Da naga! Dey be preparin' to be attackin' da Echo Isles, mon'! We don't got enough warriors to handle so many! We even be thinkin' dat da Sea Witch gonna rise again to challenge Chieftain Vol'Jin! I been sent by da Chieftain himself as a runna' ta' get help from Razor Hill!"

"Very well! Hurry to Razor Hill! I will get a raft from Sen'Jin Village and do what I can until more help arrives!" Kikuchiyo wasn't originally planning to go himself, but the words tumbled out of their own accord, and Kikuchiyo did wish to test his mettle further. And who better to impress at the moment than the great Shadow Hunter Chieftain Vol'Jin of the Darkspear Tribe? The troll runner nodded, a look of relief crossing his face. "Thank ya, mon'! Da chieftain be pleased with any help he can be gettin'! Especially from a fresh new warrior like yaself! Spirits be with ya, mon'! I be off again!" and without another word, the troll ran toward Razor Hill.

Kikuchiyo looked toward Sen'Jin Village and began to run as fast as he could. He would not want to miss out on the action, and meeting Chieftain Vol'Jin was another fantasy of the young orc. A smile curved around his tusks as he ran, and Kikuchiyo realized that the journey ahead of him was long, difficult, and most likely never ending.

He wouldn't have it any other way.