Chapter 10 - Year 30 Part 2 (SoO)
The sky slowly brightens up. The clouds fade and the sunshine warms the skin. Chromie smiles at Go'el, feeling excited about the upcoming event.
"Shall we?" she rhetorically asks.
"Yes, Chromie. Let us watch the siege of Orgrimmar and its outcome in the other timeline."
"After Vol'jin's recovery, he began to plan the Darkspear rebellion to stop Garrosh with you. Baine still advises him to reach out for the Alliance. To his surprise, Vol'jin already did in that timeline. We saw the meetings in Theramore before, at least the escalated one. There were a few more until everyone was satisfied with the plan. About one month after the assassination attempt on Vol'jin, the rebellion begins.
First of all, Vol'jin and Baine still make their way to free Razor Hill from Garrosh's Kor'kron military. You prepare your move while sailing to Bladefist Bay. On the ship, you tell Jaina to stay behind until the horn is blown and the path is cleared so she does not get killed accidentally if you would not make it. Adding to this, you advised Vol'jin and Baine to take care of your family in case you die. To your surprise, even Tirion joins the rebellion."
"Wait, Tirion joins the other Thrall? He was not there in our timeline. I feel honored," Go'el comments.
"I am as surprised as you. Let us follow the event. The trolls and tauren make their way to Orgrimmar. And so, the assault on your beloved home town begins. I think it is better if we watch the entire scenario together, instead of retelling it for you."
Thrall, Varok, Anduin, Tirion, a small army of moderate Horde members and a first squad of Alliance forces make their way to the front gate of Orgrimmar. Shortly after their arrival, Baine and Vol'jin join them with their own forces. The rebels fight Garrosh's Kor'kron soldiers without mercy, to make way for the leaders. Thrall raises his fist. Everyone looks to the gate now and becomes quiet. Only the sound of battling weapons can be heard. Vol'jin pulls a horn out of his belt and blows it. The first sign for the goblin spies on top of the wall. They wave with their hands, giving signs to their helpers. A loud explosion strikes the area behind the gate. The second sign for the rebels to enter the city.
"Is every gate secured?" Thrall asks Vol'jin, the leader of the rebellion.
"Da city be encircled. Nobody kin escape."
"And the civilians?"
"We got as many out of dere as possible. Only Garrosh's men an' support from wit'in."
Vol'jin turns around and looks at his Darkspear trolls and the other rebels. He nods and starts to run through the gate. Everyone knows what to do. The rebels follow him.
Once inside, Thrall faces the partly collapsed Grommash Hold. He and Tirion enter the building, searching for Garrosh but he is not there. The hold is empty. As they leave the hold again and turn northwards, Tirion spots Eitrigg, badly wounded, kneeling behind the hold.
"Old friend, what happened to you?" he sorrowfully asks and helps him stand up straight.
Eitrigg tells the rebels what happened, Garrosh's genocide plans, the Underhold beneath Ragefire Chasm, his lust for power. Tirion decides to stay with Eitrigg until the assault is over. The leaders of the rebellion accept his decision and move on.
The rebels fight their way up to Ragefire Chasm, making way for Thrall, Vol'jin and other leaders. Shortly before they enter the Underhold, the group splits.
"Thrall an' I gunna go up again, ta end da bloodshed. De others proceed. Meet us in da Valley of Wisdom. An' Anduin," Vol'jin turns to the young prince, "ju an' Baine will lead da troops. Move on!"
Baine looks concerned. The troll speaks to him once more.
"Et's gunna be fine, Baine. Remember de plan."
As they enter the Underhold, Baine confronts his young friend.
"Where is your father? He should be here already."
"I secretly advised Jaina to hold him up for a while. To not cause even more trouble," Anduin replies.
"He certainly will not be amused. Let's go."
The close friends fight their way deeper into the underground vault. While Baine guides the rebels, Anduin secures his back and heals the wounded.
Some areas deeper inside, the rebels are split into small groups. The two friends approach Malkorok in the Kor'kron barracks. He stands on the terrace and awaits the combatants.
"Anduin, control this beast's mind," Baine orders, "and make a step back."
The prince lifts his hand and mentally distracts Garrosh's loyal guard. Baine slowly comes closer, his mien turns angrier with every step. Anduin has never seen him in such anger.
"Malkorok! YOU will not harm my Duran or any other child again!"
Baine begins to punch the deformed orc, the fight is ruthless. The beast first seems to be stronger than Baine. Heavy punches hit many parts of Baine's body, his head, his belly, his back. An aimed hook at his temple misses by a narrow margin. But then, the tauren gains the upper hand and knocks his enemy to the ground. He smashes Malkorok's hand with his hoof. In a lucky moment, Baine grabs his throat and carries him to the edge of the terrace.
"I will now hurt you very, very much!" he gnarls, bares his teeth and pushes him off the edge.
The massive body falls and slams to the ground below. One can hear the spine snap from above. Malkorok spits blood, then his head falls to the side.
"Do you feel all right?" Anduin asks. Baine kneels down and lets him heal the wounds.
"Thank you, my friend. I am fine. And… I am sorry for disappointing you in the past. This was not my intention."
"I forgive you, Baine. Do not worry. Shall we move on?"
The bull lifts his head and looks at the human prince. His formerly saddened view becomes relief. Not just because of Anduin's kind words. His wounds are nothing but unnoticable scars anymore.
"Yes, we should. Stay focused. The next one is Garrosh. Rebels! Follow me."
While Baine and the rebels fight their way deeper into the Underhold, the group in the streets of Orgrimmar entered the tauren village. The Kor'kron soldiers were either killed or cornered.
"Everyone, build a large circle. We gunna stay 'ere," Vol'jin orders his troops.
A female Darkspear warrior unbelievingly shakes her head.
"What are we doin' now, Vol'jin?"
"Patience, mon. Dis be all accordin' ta plan. We be waitin' for da rebels ta meet us 'ere."
Now, the remaining rebels stand in front of Garrosh inside his new throne room. He laughs and taunts them. Anduin tries to control Garrosh's mind but fails at first.
"Do you really believe that tiny human twat can control ME?! You are too weak and powerless to do anything!"
The rebels start to battle Garrosh. In a moment of distraction, Baine rushes towards him and rapidly knocks him unconscious with one mighty strike. He throws the motionless body over his shoulders and orders the retreat. The tauren looks to Anduin with a sign of relief in his eyes.
"You did well. I am very proud of you. But this is not over yet."
The prince smiles and realizes their friendship got even stronger today.
Baine frowns, snuffles and wrinkles his nose while walking back to the surface.
"He does not only behave like a monster, he even smells like one."
Some minutes later, the dethroned Warchief finds himself inside the ring. Baine's rebels join the circle and watch the following event. Garrosh quickly regains his senses and stands up.
"Do you remember this place?" Thrall loudly asks while standing next to Vol'jin. "This is where I guided my people with respect and honor. And now, this is the place where your rule finds its end, Hellscream."
"You ALL failed me. All I did, I did it for the Horde!"
"No, you chose your own destiny. You chose to fuel your hatred. You endangered everything I worked for. Even my family. I made a mistake, Garrosh. I should have killed you long ago. A mistake I will make good today. This is something between you and me."
Garrosh, feeling as cornered as his guards, bares his teeth and shouts:
"MAK'GORA!"
"To the death!"
The crowd murmurs. Thrall expected this reaction was coming and adds the rules.
"A full body fight. No weapons. Only our bodies. No clothes besides our pants."
The green orc pulls off his shaman robe and lends it to Vol'jin. He nods to him, turns to his opponent and makes some steps into the ring.
"I will crush you!" Garrosh roars, throws his armor to the ground and dashes towards his enemy.
Their fists clash, their legs collide. An even fight in the beginning. Garrosh draws first blood but Thrall, with countless hours of training in the past weeks, can keep his pace. The fight turns brutal after a while. Garrosh can land a hit, causing Thrall to stagger backwards into the arms of the crowd. Two human rebels catch him and push him back in the ring.
"End him!" they root for the green-skinned orc.
A few punches and kicks later, Garrosh begins to taunt Thrall once more.
"You are weak," he snarls and lands a hit on the chest, "you know nothing about true orcs!"
His fists strike Thrall's arms.
"You behave like a human, you walk like a human, you smell like one!"
Garrosh kicks his pelvis.
"You betrayed us all! You sided with the Alliance!"
Thrall blocks the next punch and counters it with a sidewinder.
"To save the world!" Thrall retorts, turns around, pushes himself against Garrosh's body, grabs his arms and throws him over his shoulders, causing his enemy to land on his back.
"And to not provoke unnecessary war!" he adds and punches downwards. Garrosh can roll aside before Thrall's fist hits him. But then, the brown orc prevails again. He grabs Thrall's face, scratches it and leaves bleeding cuts, while swinging his other fist. He hits the cuts. Thrall groans with pain.
"You and your allies will fall to my power! Die, pathetic piece of scum!" Garrosh shouts and rains blows on his contender.
Anduin cannot stand back any longer. Secretly, he summons a healing spell in his hand. In this moment he feels a giant hand touching his, gently pushing it down again. Baine turns towards his small friend.
"Have faith in him."
"But he will kill him," the prince desperately whispers.
"Have faith!" the tauren replies calmly but admonishing.
And he sees his trust rewarded. Garrosh has fought himself tired. This is the moment Thrall was waiting for. He wins the upper hand and now stands right in front of his enemy, hauling off his fists. The punch hits the face straight.
"This is for Vol'jin!"
A second punch to the jaw.
"This is for Jaina!"
A third punch that fractures his own hand.
"This is for Duran!"
A forth punch, causing Garrosh to just stand there, stunned by the heavy impacts, waiting for the final blow. Both his face and Thrall's hand are covered with his dark red blood.
"And this is for me!"
The final sidewinder to the jaw. A loud cracking. Garrosh's jaw shatters. He falls to the ground.
Thrall clenches his fists and roars while walking back to Vol'jin.
"The fight is over, Garrosh. I am done with you."
He stands next to his friend Vol'jin and slaps him on the back, only now realizing that his hand his broken. First unnoticed by him, Garrosh grabs a sharp stone, leaps to his feet again and dashes for a final attack.
"Thrall!" Vol'jin shouts.
With big eyes, turning around and facing the approaching orc, Thrall fitfully raises his arms to the sky and summons the elements. Clouds darken the area, a thunder rumbles above the city.
"DIE!" he shouts and pushes Garrosh's chest with his hands. A lightning bolt strikes him. The impact lifts him off the ground and he flies across the ring. Thrall gets knocked back. Vol'jin notices that his friend's hands are severely burned and helps him standing up again. Everyone looks at the twitching body in the center of the ring. Lifeless jerks. Garrosh died even before he hit the ground.
"Hear me, people of Orgrimmar," Thrall calls with relief in his voice, "Garrosh is no more."
"But who gunna be de Warchief now?" Vol'jin asks everybody around. "Da Horde needs a good Warchief now, more dan ever. Who be dere ta elect?"
The orc turns to his old friend and smiles.
"You."
"But I am not worthy. I am not even an orc."
"Yes, but it was you who held the Horde together during this madness. It was you who made the first step. Not me. And… it was you who made me realize my mistakes, who reminded me of something I should care for."
Thrall looks around, searching for something special. Not able to find it, he turns to Vol'jin again.
"From this day forward, Vol'jin, my brother – if you lead, I will follow."
The orc kneels in front of the troll. Baine is among the first who bows in deep respect.
"I gunna give my all," Vol'jin accepts and thinks for a moment. Then he looks to the crowd.
"My first duty as de new Warchief is… Ta unban Thrall from Orgrimmar. Ju be welcomed 'ere."
After these words, every rebel bows or kneels.
"An' I wish ju to be my first advisor. Together, we gunna rebuild da Horde."
"It would be an honor, Vol-"
Varian storms into the ring, pushing some rebels aside to make himself way. The king looks at the kneeling crowd, at Thrall, at the corpse in the dust. He comes too late to intervene.
"Thrall. I will not let you and the Horde get away with this!" he shouts and points at the dead body.
"I demand a trial for this murder. For everything the Horde did! Face your crimes!"
The people around Vol'jin and Thrall, Horde and Alliance allies alike, step forward to protect them. Some of them try to talk Varian down.
"I will end the Horde. Now, once and for all. You beasts are-"
"Father, no!" a young voice calls from the side. It is Anduin who walks into the ring. The people around him, surprised by his initiative, listen to his defending words.
"Stop hating them! They are my friends," he shouts and walks back to take Baine's hand, "Baine, Thrall. They are honorable men. I like them and they like me."
To Anduin's surprise, Baine does not only hold his tiny hand, he wraps his arm around the chest to protect him and to demonstrate the strong bond they developed this day.
"Varian, he is right!" a female voice from behind prevents him from speaking further. Everyone turns around to see Jaina approaching her king inside the circle.
"Discard your hatred. So do I. There is no reason for it anymore, not after this victory today."
"What did they do to you, father? Look at them. They do no harm to anyone who respects them. If he wanted to," Anduin points up to Baine, "he could crush me just like Garrosh did. But he does not because we are friends. Look in their eyes. They are just as horrified by Garrosh's madness as we are."
"They just ended a bloody civil war and you want to destroy them? Look around you, Varian. See the truth. I do see it now. Garrosh is dead and with him his tyranny is gone."
Vol'jin makes one step forward.
"King Varian, I speak for da Horde. We paid for dis madness wit blood," he says and points at the scarred wound which nearly killed him, "I, as de new Warchief, ask ju ta not take any further action against our Horde. Leave us in peace. Let us rebuild our society."
The king looks around once more. All eyes stare at him, waiting for a sign of reason.
"I have to admit. The times of terror are over. You have your redemption. But hear me, Vol'jin. The day the Horde fails to uphold its honor once more, the Alliance will end you without mercy. I will never return to Kalimdor again. Anduin, you come with me now."
With eyes wide open, the prince refuses.
"No. I want to stay with Baine and help them."
"Anduin," his beloved friend speaks up, "listen to your father. We will meet again very soon. Go now."
Disheartened, Anduin feels how Baine loosens the embrace. King Varian takes his son's hand and leaves the place without saying anything else.
While Vol'jin declares his new leading direction to the crowd, Jaina makes some steps towards Thrall. She comes closer and falls into his strong arms. For the first time in months, they cuddle and feel the warmth of their bodies.
"It is over. It is over, Jaina. I did all this… for you," Thrall says in a tender, relieving voice.
"I know."
"I am so sorry for being blind. I will never ignore you again. From now on, I will always care for you. Let us start anew. Like in the peaceful years. No more fighting, no more arguing. I-"
"Shut up, big boy."
Jaina kisses him, regardless of the crowd surrounding them. A long, loving kiss ends years of conflict and tension. They forgive each other's mistakes and reestablish their unusual bond.
Go'el is impressed by the ending.
"This is it?" he asks, surprised by the different outcome of the siege.
"Yes, Go'el. This is the siege of Orgrimmar in that alternate timeline. It ends the war. You see peace and your family restored. And I am sure you want to know how that timeline develops afterwards."
"I expect it to be slightly different. Just like everything else we have seen today. Please, go on."
Chromie smiles as she sees nothing but good moments ahead.
"On the same day, Vol'jin and Thrall decide to ease some Horde rules. For example, you give your people more rights to vote. The zeppelin route between Orgrimmar and Theramore reopens."
"We get rid of ancient Horde rules?" Go'el wonders. "Maybe we should do that in our time as well."
"This is funny. You come back to Theramore in the evening and embrace your son. He only notices how tired you look. 'Pa, you need rest', he says. What a lovely boy. The first thing you do is jumping into the ocean. Not without realizing how much your hands hurt. Afterwards, Jaina guides her visibly exhausted husband to the bed. In the moment you see the soft bedsheet, you tilt forward to fall onto it. Jaina covers you with the blanket and leaves. You sleep for nearly two days."
"And I really needed that sleep as you can imagine."
"Some weeks later, you decide to retire from active fighting. Instead, you shuttle between your old and new home to help and advise Vol'jin. You now work as a diplomat, advising your people in Orgrimmar and Theramore, with Anduin on the other side of the world. Yes, Anduin stays in contact with you, thanks to Jaina. Speaking of him, the poor prince. After the siege, he is in conflict with his father. They do not talk to each other anymore. His father does not allow him to meet his Horde friends. He feels devastated and fears that he will not see his close friend Baine again."
Go'el joins Chromie's cheerful mien.
"It warms my heart to see how much he loves the high chieftain. But what about him?"
"Oh, he also misses his little Anduin but he has a plan. We will come to that later."
The gnome lady halts for a moment to watch the events closely.
"There is still something negative… and the effect is surprising. You get more and more dissatisfied with the Horde when you learn that many orcs and younger Horde people cheered for Garrosh's assault on Theramore. Go'el…"
"Just go on. I know how my people reacted back then. Everyone told me."
"You talk to Eitrigg about your uneasiness because he was in a similar situation after the second war. He reminds you of his story and tells you: 'A new beginning can be good.'"
"I guess I know what this leads up to."
"Enough with the bad stuff. Here comes something wonderful. Theramore is being rebuilt and in that phase expands with more and more neutral people moving there. Jaina uses this opportunity to redesign parts of the city and her own tower, to make it safer, to modernize it and to give Duran his own living area for later years. It looks like a very modern but clean city. And now, let us change the location."
The timewalkers find themselves in Thunder Bluff now, not too far away from Baine's tent. They see a large table and a crowd of people having joyful conversations.
"Some months after the siege, the summer begins to fade, Baine invites his friends to a barbeque."
"We never had a barbeque in our timeline," Go'el remembers.
"That is why I like it. And almost every of his and your very close friends are there. You, Jaina, Pained, Aggra, Duran, Kalec… and Anduin."
"Anduin? He is there? How? And what about Vol'jin?"
"Let me see… Jaina rebukes Varian for his still hateful behaviour and convinces him to let Anduin go. She really is tough in that timeline. And Vol'jin… You invite him but he declines due to his duties. Anyway, the friends rent grills from the goblins and smokers from the tauren. Of course, no steaks are served."
The two spectators laugh out loud.
"You all sit on a long table next to a tree within range of Baine's tent. Bowls and baskets with all sorts of foods litter the table. Everyone present talks and laughs. There is no hatred, no mistrust. But look at this. Kalec has a crush on Pained. Hihi! He is flirting. Where is Baine…? Oh there, on the meadows. He and Anduin play with Duran. They have a lot of fun running around, playing with leather swords and they giggle all the time. Duran lands a hit on Baine's chest and the giant bull playfully falls on his back and makes funny faces at his little friend."
"Attack!" Anduin yells and the boys lunge at the big bull. Only to be lifted by him while grabbing his neck. He roars, playing the resurrected bad guy, stomping with his hooves as he carries them around his tent.
"Can you see how unburdened they behave and interact? The pleasure in their eyes? Even Hamuul and Sunwalker Dezco who just lost his entire family, join the barbeque later. They all laugh and have a good time. But oh… not good. Some time later, while everyone besides the playing boy and Baine have their meal, Duran runs and stumbles over a stone and falls. He cries and holds his knee. Baine fitfully grabs and carries him to his tent."
"Hand me a wet towel," he whispers to a worried Jaina while rushing inside.
"The tears roll down the boy's face while Baine sits him on a log. And he does great as the big uncle. He calms Duran down quickly."
"Look at uncle Baine. Do you know how we comfort our boys?" Baine asks playfully. Then he rubs his muzzle on Duran's chest and moos. The boy giggles and his uncle puts the moist towel on the slightly skinned knee to clean the dirt off. Jaina stands by the threshold, relieved by his loving care.
"Look, Duran. It is not so bad. Only a scratch. And you know what? When you stop crying, you get as much spice bread as you want. Deal?"
The boy nods, rubs the tears off his face and takes Baine's hand to walk back outside.
"This is so sweet," Go'el comments. "Look at Baine. Look at the boy. Look at the harmony, Chromie. I wish I was the Thrall in that timeline. Let us leave them alone. What comes after the barbeque?"
The small lady frowns once again.
"As you might have noticed, there is no trial on Pandaria because you killed Garrosh in Orgrimmar. The reason I frown is because you change drastically in that timeline. In the following months, you reflect on the past years. About what Garrosh said to you in his rage. You question the behaviour of your people, your unusually kind behaviour for an orc. You acknowledge your relationship with Jaina and the humans in Theramore, your general attitude towards other races and the Alliance. You understand them better than your own kind. And you remember Eitrigg's words. After weeks of deep thoughts and after your initial work as Vol'jin's advisor is done, you come to a conclusion. Garrosh was right. Your childhood made you different. Remember when you said you have feeling what all this leads up to? Here it comes: You leave the Horde!"
Go'el's jaw drops. He loses his face and throws his hands up.
"I DO WHAT?! That…"
"Speechless?" Chromie asks with a sly smile.
"You have no idea. I would never do this. I mean, I have no problems with humans or the Alliance. I never had. This, however… no."
"It gets even better. You, among many others, establish a new faction. The 'Guardians of Azeroth', placed in between the Horde and the Alliance, led and joined by many neutral people in this world, including you. As a proof of concept, Jaina calls Tirion to accompany her to Orgrimmar. There, he reunites with Eitrigg. They tell him about the new faction, about their plans and convince the old orc to move to Theramore. He agrees."
Once again, Thrall looks baffled but admits:
"He has always been one of the good orcs. I have blind faith in him. Everyone likes him and in this timeline, we give him the trust back that he has always given us. Wonderful."
"And so," Chromie concludes, "I can see Eitrigg enjoying his remaining years in a small hat near the north-western entrance of the city. Here, he becomes a valued storyteller, cherished by the citizens. Tirion visits his old friend regularly and when he does, they make each other laugh like an old, married couple. They go fishing or tell a crowd of people stories of their past."
"Anything else you can tell me about the new faction?" Go'el asks the narrating lady.
"Oh yes. Many high ranked people join the faction or give their people the opportunity to choose. Among them are you and Jaina, Anduin, Aggra, Baine, Kalec, Tirion, Eitrigg and Velen. The other leaders stay within their faction, such as Vol'jin. He remains the Warchief for good. Aside from that, the new faction signs a non-violence agreement. Similar to the Theramore law. That does not prevent conflict but it is a step in the right direction for the good of Azeroth. And that is the end of this year in the alternate timeline. I have nothing else to show you."