Rain clapped against the kodo hides that made up the walls of the tent. Numbing cold crept outside while the fire inside made the tent space comfortable. Onokha held his new wife Hallabee while they slept. He woke and listened to the rain, and he thought about his ceremony that would soon take place. It had been a tradition for all initiate shamans. Only, he did not know what this ceremony would be. He was given instructions by the Elders; he would go alone to the top of Sarego Peak, he would perform the Rite of the Earthmother, and then the Spirits would speak to him. However, the Elders were explicit when they warned him not to tell anyone of what the Spirits spoke of. Not anyone, not even Hallabee.
Onokha got up out of the small bed and began dressing himself in the nicest robes that he owned. Hallabee sat up, awake, and squinted at Onokha.
"Halla…"
"No, wait." She mumbled sleepily. She got up and pulled a shawl out of a chest. "I want to see you off."
Onokha smiled and started packing wooden totems into his snakeskin bag. She sat and watched him prepare his things. When finished, he made his way to the tent opening but Hallabee stopped him by putting her hand on his back. Onokha turned to face her. They knew that he was destined as a shaman. The tribe had seen it when he was young. Hallabee did not know what would happen to Onokha, so she hugged him. He rubbed his muzzle into her neck and breathed in her scent. They held each other close for comfort and for warmth before walking outside into the chilling rain.
It was pouring very hard now. Almost immediately, the cold absorbed heat from Onokha. Rain started to soak the tauren's fur. Outside it was dark gray and windy. The village was still asleep, except the three Elders were standing under the only tree near the village. Onokha saw them in the distance and he turned to look at Hallabee. She smiled and nodded. Onokha took a deep breath and walked proudly toward the Elders. The Elders were solemn and said nothing to Onokha. They were old and gray but also majestic. They placed a string of red swoop feathers on Onokha's horns. One of them rubbed the black pollen of Arthas' Tears around his eyes and forehead. Finally, they gave him a cup of a thick dark green soup. Onokha took a sip, and the potion tasted bitter and rotten. He gagged. His throat did not want to let it pass, but Onokha forced himself to swallow. At last, he seemed… okay. The potion had left him dizzy and feeling like he had a fever.
The Elders nodded that they were finished and Onokha began his journey to the top of Sarego Peak. By this time, the rain had soaked Onokha's fur and robes. The feathers hanging from his horns blew in the harsh wind. The green potion made Onokha feel hot and impervious to the stinging cold. This was unusually cold weather for the plains of Mulgore. "Perhaps there was a reason for picking this day to be the ceremony"… Onokha thought to himself. He wished that they would have let him ride a kodo up to the peak, instead of spending all this time climbing up the rocks.
Finally, the tauren heaved his large frame to the flat top of Sarego Peak. The wind blew the strongest up here. The dark rolling clouds made thunder in the distance, and fog covered the slopes so that he could not see beyond the mountains. Onokha had a very disturbing feeling up here. He was alone. The weather was so overwhelming. He felt small and powerless in the face of this great power of the Earthmother. He prayed to her.
Lightning flashed around him and the thunder screamed. He placed six totems in a circle while chanting in Taur-ahe. The mountain shook. Scared, Onokha fell to his knees. Streams of blue came out of his totems; the sparkled and swirled against the gray sky. Onokha thought about his childhood and of Hallabee, as he yelled at the open sky. The blue streams turned into different shapes until they formed two wolves. Howls and yelps echoed around him. The two ghost wolves ran down from the sky towards Onokha. He fell backwards onto his ass, and stared in awe at them.
One of the wolves opened his mouth to speak. "Greetings, young tauren and--."
"Bow down, lowly whelp!" bellowed the other. Quickly, Onokha tried to kneel but he stumbled.
"Why must you always say that?" Asked the first wolf.
"Hahaha! Even after centuries, that still does not get old." Laughed the second. The first wolf grumbled and turned to Onokha.
The wolf cleared his throat and said, "You have come before us as many shamans have in the past, to see what there is to see. See now: the seed of great conflict seeks you out."
Onokha listened in anticipation.
"Young shaman Onokha, the start of your path will be much like others. You will help your kind and travel all of Azeroth. You will defeat many who are corrupted, and save those who are noble." The wolf lowered its voice. "However, on your journey to exaltedness, you will cross paths with someone peculiar."
Onokha raised an eyebrow.
"There is someone that wishes to undermine the Natural order. You will meet him, but be wary. He will try to manipulate you."
"All that glistens aint gold." warned the second wolf.
"You must stop him…Beware of the Forsaken." finished the other wolf.
"Wait… How am I to stop him? What are his plans?" asked Onokha.
"Do you really think we are going to tell you?!" The second wolf mocked.
"We must leave now. We are needed elsewhere." said the wolf.
"Wait! Stay! You have to tell me more, you did not give me enough information." pleaded Onokha.
"Hahaha, we are supposed to be vague!" The wolves turned around, and sprinted up to the heavens.
"Farewell, shaman, and good luck!"
"No! Come back! I do not--" But the wolves had disappeared before Onokha could finish his sentence. He was left standing there alone, thinking of what he should do about this prophecy.
Onokha did know this: He would have to go back to his small village to say goodbye. He had to stop this person, and he was not going to do it by staying in Mulgore.
He began making his way back down the mountain. The only thought on his mind was how much he would miss Hallabee.
