World of Warcraft – Jaded Divisions
Chapter 1 – Flames Abundant - Prelude
"Times are hard for us all…you do realise that don't you brother?" said Vashni Sorrowtusk to her twin brother Obadhai. "The Horde and the Alliance are at war, the Tauren are still at war with the Centaurs and I have a feeling that our world is not the only one in jeopardy. Are you going to come with me or are you going to sit idle?"
"Vashni this is not our war but I swore to our chief that I would protect you with all my power…if you have set your mind to it then so be it I will come with you." Obadhai replied with contention to try and sway his sister's mind.
"So we are settled then? We will make our way to Thunderbluff in the morning where we will join the horde forces. With your druidic knowledge and my contact with the elemental spirits, we will no doubt be able to help."
"Sleep well dear sister for we leave in the morning." Obadhai bid farewell leaving the tent in his usual fashion of not closing the tents sheath.
Moving over to her backpack and insuring all of her supplies where there, Vashni mumbled to herself, "Mace, Shield, rations and a little bit of copper, let us hope this will be enough." Thunderbluff was not that far away from Camp Narache, a half a days journey at the most, if there where no encounters along the way.
Moving over to her cot, Vashni's eyes streamed with tears at the loss of her mother and father due to the raids of the Alliance that hit her Village when she was but a calf. The reason for the raid was unknown but it was believed to be due to the fact that her Father was a high ranking General for the horde, who was in town for the birth of his twin children. Feeling that it was her fault that her mother and father died trying to protect her and Obadhai, she took in upon herself to train in the way of the elements and of the spirits to atone her folly to her parents and all the other Tauren that died as a result.
Obadhai on the other hand, being the elder of the two, was always the more optimistic, believing that without his parent's death, he and his sister would have surly died and they would not have trained in the ways of nature. He never believed that war was the only way to for Azeroth to exist. Unknowing of what was going to befall his sister and himself in the journey to come.
With morning wavering on the sunrise Vashni, not known for her punctuality, was awoken by Obadhai. "Vashni…Vashni… will you wake up!?" he said nudging his sister.
Vashni seemed to jump awake as if from a really bad dream and galzed at her brother.
"I had that dream again…the demons and the evil." She said shaking.
"You know its all in your imagination don't you? Dreams are a way of dealing with fear and the only way the great mother shows us that we are stronger than almost everything." Obadhai replied confidently trying to console his sister.
"In my Shamanistic training the dreams are given to us by spirits to show us what will come but I am not sure about that one that keeps plaguing me…perhaps you are right my mind is playing tricks on me." She said.
"We leave at sun up. Get ready. We will not be coming back here for quite sometime." said Obadhai at the door of the tent, "I will meet you at the Totem in the middle of the village…try not to fall asleep again, you know you are very difficult to wake up."
Vashni pulled her face and retorted defensively, "Yeah well you know what? You still snore! I can hear you from across the village." Her brother just looked at her and smiled. She paused and realised that it was not her best come back but after all, she was still half asleep.
As the sun broke the horizon, Obadhai was waiting for his sister at the Totem. Being a master of many forms himself and the natural connection of mind between him and his sister, he could feel her staring at him. She had also mastered an art that was very similar to that of the druidic culture. She had been able to change herself into a wolf for quite some time.
"I thought we would be walking and not running the entire way there sister." said Obadhai changing into the closest thing that could keep up with her - a cat-like form. "So we leave then??" he continued in his usual voice.
A low guttural 'Yes!' came from Vashni's now lupine lips.
Running through the Mesa was one of Obadhai's loves. He enjoyed running through the trees and past the animals, with his sister close by. It was all perfect until they spotted the Village in the distance. His eyes focused on the billowing smoke and he stopped suddenly. Vashni almost ran right into him when she too stopped and looked into the distance.
"What is that?" she asked.
"That was Bloodhoof Village. Looks like this must have just happened. Be on the lookout! I smell blood." said Obadhai, "Can you smell it?"
Not having her brothers animal instinct she shook her head in response.
"We have to go and help them!" She said assuming her normal form. "Do you think that it was an Alliance attack?" she asked her brother.
"I don't know. I will get in closer and scout, you stay here." He ordered but Vashni was never really one to take orders.
"Fat chance brother! Let me prepare quick…' she replied but before she could say any more, her bother was gone. "Obadhai? Obadhai!?" she called out softly.
Raising her hands to the heavens and asking the Elements to empower her with the element of nature, three globes of lightning formed around her hands and travelled around her body. Floating in a Shield of Lightning, she again changed form back into her wolf and sped off to the smouldering remnants of the Village.
[Author's Note: Thank you for taking the time to read my first ever World of Warcraft fan fic! Please review with your comments as I'd love to hear from you.