The sun hit the horizon to the north. The snow-covered mountain peaks glimmered pure lavender as the sun poked through like a newborn infant. Yole lay on the cold dew-encrusted grass. His head swirled for a minute as he regained conscious. He slowly sat up; he felt as if somebody was watching from behind him. Yole looked around but found nothing. He got up and wandered the area for a few then picked up his small brute sword. A sudden cracking of a branched filled his ears; he twirled around swinging his weapon only to find it strike the air. His head still felt groggy as if some drunkard hit him hard in the head with an iron tankard. Another slight crack in the bush alerted him and he dove towards the location of the sound with his sword ready to strike at a potential enemy. His brute blade was only inches away from a shadowy form right in front of him. It yelped as the sword dug into the creature's torso.
"Stop! I'm not them!" hollered a rough tone. The shadowed figure slowly stepped from out of the forest's shadow and into the dim morning light. A tall, sleek human peered into the tauren's bulky visage. His midnight hued hair was tied back in a pony-tail. The human's clothes appeared ripped with what looked more than rags than what was left of his light blue tabard. He wore cured heavy leather pants and bracers with only the right hand gloved. Yole still had his blade directing its pointed end at the man's torso.
"What are you doing here? What happened to the camp?" spoke the death knight as he lowered his weapon.
The human lowered his head and peered back up at the tauren."The camp was destroyed. I'm entirely sure but that fight back there was only the beginning of both our troubles."
"What do you mean for both of us? I have nothing to do with you human." Yole snorted loudly.
"Well then, what do you plan on doing about Arugal and his worgen ilk?"
Yole stepped back and turned back toward the area he last was in."I don't know. I have nothing to do with the archmage and his hybrid pets. I'm only here to eliminate the remaining Scourge in the area, or at least the one who is in charge of the cause here."
The tall human smirked," I think you've not noticed what had happened in the past two days. The worgen are part of the Scourge now that Arugal had his work back in Silverpine notice by the Lich King. His necromancers have reincarnated him and he now serves the Scourge's cause here. He is the one you should be looking to kill, but that'll take an entire army to siege the Bloodmoon tower to the eastern coast. "
"Humph. I can take a little mage with ease. Although... I feel too weak to even lift my two-handed sword. So, exactly who are you?"
The dark haired man grinned as he walked behind Yole and crouched in the middle of the open area. A pile of stones and small sticks piled together. He whispered something Yole couldn't quite hear and a spark of flame popped out of nowhere.
"Are you some mage as well?"
"No. I've learned some spells back in Stormwind when I was a boy from my father. He was quite the man at wizardry back then. I prefer to be a swordsman instead."
"Hmm… No wonder you were good at blocking such blows back in the fight."
The tall human quickly stood up at looked shocked."How did you-you know then?"
The tauren nodded."You think a man like you could wear -to no offense- rags like that of an old blind beggar. But anyways, you must be the one I've heard to be Razzac? Am I right?"
"Aye, but my real name is Will Bradfern. As you see now I'm just a hybrid. This wretched curse binds me to be both a worgen and human. I kind of mastered at shifting throughout both night and day, but I can't help to shift whenever either the moon or sun is up. At least I have control of myself now. I think…"
"Let's hope that you don't lose control or I'll have to kill you."
As evening settled over, Yole began armoring himself in his plate armor and sheathing his swords on the saddle of his death charger. He looked over his shoulder to see Will standing in wait near two maple trees.
"Where's your mount? There's no way I'm letting you ride the charger; you'll slow him down."
Stepping forward near the tauren, Will made a small grin."I'm a hybrid if you haven't noticed and I'm well enough to run my way out of here. You may want to step back a bit."
Yole backed off as the dark haired man tried hard to shift. At first it seemed he looked constipated but suddenly his back grew a pale mane of gray fur. His face took on a shape of a wolf's snout and his ears started to point upward. Skinny-but deadly- gnarled claws appeared suddenly as his hands cracked at the sound of bones reconnected to new sinew and fur too covered his arms. He seemed more muscular and agile than before. His legs stiffened as the hybrid went into a small crouch.
"Better?" spoke the worgen in a deep tone;its upper and lower fangs slipped out from the hybrid's jaws.
"I'd guess but seems uglier the more I look now let's go."
Razzac made a low growl at the comment and dashed past the death charger before it could begin the run. "Show off."
Yole kicked the steed's flank and it began to gallop after the running worgen. The clatter of the charger's hooves sounded the silent forest as the horse came upon the dashing figure of the lupine hybrid. Yole spotted Razzac as he passed the worgen. Razzac seemed to be slowing but suddenly caught up with the death charger.
An hour had passed since the two began the run out of the woods. Both the charger and worgen were tired out. Finally, Yole called for a stop as they reached one of the cliffs at the end of the forest. The view from there was vast. Scores of hills and mountains covered the northern border of the land as the coast to the east stood still. A large opening in one of the large hills looked to be Thor Modan-a large underground city were the fabled race of earthen once lived. Soon Yole peered on what appeared to be Bloodmoon Isle. The island had too much of a misty shore to clearly see everything. Razzac stepped up onto the ledge and pointed at a small visage of a building to the west.
"That there is Amberpine Lodge. We could go there to resupply, but you may not be able to enter so we may need to split up for a day and see if any locals have spotted and worgen activity which I'm sure by now they have."
Yole nodded in agreement."I'll head to Camp Oneqwah then. Whatever happens, don't reveal yourself too much. Buy some supplies and then get the heck out and meet back at this exact spot. If anything happens then contact me on this."
Yole handed Razzac a small violet orb. It radiated with power inside as the hybrid held the sphere before him.
"I got that off the auction house back when I was in Orgrimmar. Anyways you'll be able to speak to me through that and don't worry I will be able to speak with you through my conscience. I learned that trick when I was a pawn for that infidel back then. Whatever you do, don't lose it. That costed me a hundred gold."
Yole mounted the charger and galloped off with saying nothing else. Razzac stood there still looking at the orb and then focused on the small outpost of to the west.
As nightfall approached, the site of the camp came into view as Yole rode towards it. The outpost stood silent as he made his way into the area. Only several tents and a large bonfire made up the camp. Some of the taunka guards looked at him with suspicious eyes; Yole ignored such things as he met up with one particular taunka that had his back turned from the death knight. The difference from taunka and tauren was of the taunka's buffalo like features while the tauren took on a more bullish type figure. Yole stood impatiently behind the taunka as he finally turned to see him there.
"Greetings…death knight… How can this old one help you?" he spoke in a deep tone.
"I need supplies and any reports of worgen in this you know of such?"
Fully facing the tauren, the chieftain took on an emotionless figure as he spoke.
"Aye, the worgen have been pests for the past two weeks. They have been taking our supplies and killing our braves. Since we had arrived here, countless attacks have happened to both us and the Alliance camps nearby. If you're still intrigued with worgen then check out the village to the north-west from here, but I wouldn't travel there now since night is nearly upon us."
"Thank you then."
Yole bowed slightly and took off towards the nearest tent. The only room was either a small corner with only a blanket or behind the tent was a small shelter. Yole took the small shelter and stepped outside. It was freezing but the cold never bothered one who has mastered the art of frost. He set up a small fire and went to check out the rest of the camp. The stables seemed very cramped, for his charger had started to kick at another mount-a large tan talbuk stag. The large male talbuk snorted loudly as the charger kicked at it again near its chest. The stag rear up just in time to miss a jaw breaking rut. Yole ran over to move his charger elsewhere. The talbuk still reared up in defiance. Yole tried to calm it but it only reared up again and knocked him backwards. Finally, the stag calmed as a large bulky figure behind it patted its neck several times.
"Talbuks are such interesting creatures. Such to be similar to elk but much , I hope he hasn't cause you or...your mount… much trouble." Spoke the deep voice. A large tauren stepped forward and let out his hand towards Yole. Grabbing the offered hand he got up and thanked the other tauren.
"Thanks, I'm Yolemato. Sorry for me bothering you.I'm leaving at dawn tomorrow."
"Ah, interesting name. Torntorn Stonehoof I am. I think leaving until a full sunrise is safer than dawn. It's less likely for worgen to approach you during full light, and good herb picking during the day too."
"So you're an herbalist then?"
"Not really. I'm only looking for precise herbs so I can use them for my spells."
"So, you're a druid then. Interesting…" Yole turned away but then a large palm grasped his shoulder.
"Are you ok death knight? Don't think you can hide things from an old druid, even though we have just met."
Yole smirked at that comment but sigh and looked downwards at the dark grass below.
"Well, I'm having visions of different things. Like some striped saber charging into undead, a night elf, and worse the sight of some darkness killing this tauren family in the Barrens. All I remember is being some tauren hunter back in some snow covered grove. My memory fails me."
The older tauren seemed to not even pay any attention but suddenly turned his eyes and stared right into Yole's. The druid's emerald green eyes flared for a second and then he backed away a few short ebony beard swayed as a small wind fluttered around him. His darkening gray fur twirled in the wind as it suddenly stopped. He closed his eyes and opened them after several seconds passed.
"Follow me…" he spoke roughly.
Yole pondered for a moment, but couldn't resist moving on with the graying tauren.
They entered a small tent- not as pig as the ones that surrounded the inner camp- and sat across a small unlit fire. The druid started muttering something when his hands flared green and an emerald aura escaped from his palm and onto the fire. A burst of green sparks lit up and the fire came to life. Torn looked around for something and then took in a short triumphant emotion as he found what he looked for. A firebloom flower appeared in his right hand.
"Firebloom, the flower that fires you up when found I'd say. Only little sparks are left in this little one sadly but it will have to do." Torn crouched in front of the small fire, but then he stood back up and glared at Yole."You might want to stand back a bit."
Yole stepped away as Torn crouched and muttered several phrase in some other tongue. The fire began to flare as the old druid stood back up and threw the firebloom into the fire. A burst of flames erupted inside the small tent and an emerald glow came from the fire's smoke."Sit." spoke the druid.
Yole glared at the fire for a moment and then crawled over towards were he sat again.
"Look deep into it and tell me…what do you see?"
Thinking that it would only do nothing, he lowered his head and peered into the dancing flames. Suddenly his eyes began to burn and he couldn't pull back his gaze. His vision went white and revealed what looked to be a snowy grove just like the one from his visions. He could see the large striped saber right beside him as he stood on a large icy glacier. It yawned as it stretched its front legs as its large fangs jutted outwards. Soon his mind moved like he was some wandering lost ghost looking aimlessly for something or someone. A small cave peered through as his uncontrolled conscience moved into its mouth. Several rocks had small candles lit and reflected light onto scrolls that scattered the area around it. A tall slim figure popped into his vision. The night elf woman from before-she walked around checking her dimly lit candles and editing scrolls with a feathered pen. Her long lavender hair was pull back and her feathered robe moved uncontrollable as a swift wind blew into the cave. She looked right at him or what invisible force had his sight in its grasp. Soon she turned back to her scrolls and ignored his presence. His vision recoiled and he was back in his body.
"So?" spoke a deep voice as Yole recovered conscience.
"The same frostsaber, and the night elf, that's all."
"Explain what these figures did in your vision I mean."
Yole nodded and revealed his journey into his vision of both the saber and night elf. After he was done, Torn sat back and stared blankly at the tent's ceiling.
"Well?"
"I think your visions explain parts of which your other self misses. You say you were a hunter once before this… I presume it was you companion. Can you recall his name?"
"I can't really..wait.. I think I do. Kol-Kaldor!" Yole stood up suddenly as his memories flailed and the vision of his frostsaber killed by the group of mindless undead.
",And the night elf whom you also spoke of."
In the past he has had visions and dreams of her the most, maybe a..no it can't ?
"Aliera…yes that's her..no.. why me.."
"Easy, just back then you were hard headed and now you're a lost lover. I'm sorry to say.
"It's been ten years since she entered the dream and now she's back. Great, I'm a walking, dead husk and she happens to return!" Yole silently swore and hastily walked out of the tent. The old druid didn't budge from his spot as Yole stepped back inside.
"Thank you again. At least I know some things from when I was alive."
Torn sighed and turned his head back into the fire.
"What? What's wrong?"
"That vision..I've had one of the same as well..and this elf, she-" The old druid stopped for a second and then peered right at Yole.
", she ignored your presence. That's a bad sign to what I see; an omen that your love has been shattered. Aye she has heard of your death and now accepts that death. Your once past life is with the rest whom have met death and were forcibly reentered to an unholy reincarnation. But it's only me speaking out in concern for a fear or simple possibilities. Its up to you to find out if this is an omen of good or bad luck."
"I'll try and watch out for that then old one."
"Come back if you need anything else. I'll be here all day tomorrow before I leave the next day after. Peace be with you Yole."
After that Yole returned to his small shelter and just laid there for a while rethinking what has transpired. Life never felt the same after that, no life at all really for one who calls himself a death knight.