Disclaimer: I do not own WOW. (Teacakes!)
Chapter 5: Skirmish
The delegation from Orgrimmar departed the city in the mid-morning hours, and were quickly exposed to the sun's unforgiving rays. The speed of the convoy was slow going with the lumbering Kodos, yet the great beasts had long since adapted to the sweltering heat. The same could not be said for several of the group's canine members, who beneath their thick fur coats were visibly distressed from the heat. For this reason, the pace was hastened forward until the caravan had reached the relative shade of the Drygulch Ravine, a long, winding canyon which ran the length of northern Durotar. Within the overhanging stone cliffs, the convoy speed increased somewhat, unfettered by the elements present on the open plain. From his place behind Malvon, within the shaded pagoda atop the Kodo beast, Seth took a few moments to analyze the new company he kept.
The delegation was twenty in number. Of those twenty, eleven were orcs, mostly hunters and shaman, though there were two others who looked much like warriors, similar to Torgan and Kazuk. While most of the other orcs treated him with a kind of uneasy neglect, he had caught several seething glances cast in his direction. Joining the orcs were six trolls, each riding one of the majestic raptors. They were all very tall, the shortest one at least six and a half feet. Their skin pigmentation varied from a twilight blue to a striking violet. When they spoke to each other, which was not often, it was in their guttural native language, and it carried with it the exotic accent of the southern islands. Seth could only begin to speculate what they were discussing, but considering the Trolls frequent glances at in the direction of Malvon's Kodo, as well as their chronic habit of fingering the short blades at their waists and thighs, he could guess what most of the conversation was covering. Seth was aware that the Trolls hated the humans even more than the Orcs. Though the Darkspear tribe, (whose history Seth had learned from Malvon) had been exiled from the larger troll empire in the Eastern Kingdoms, apparently some racial hatred carried through the centuries.
The two other members of the convoy were the Tauren, which included Malvon and another warrior, an even more massive bull named Braun. At least fourteen feet in height, and his entire face several different colors from old scars, Braun was truly an imposing individual. However, like Malvon, Braun was very patient, though he was understandably a bit gruffer in his conversations, which normally consisted of a single word, or an imperceptible nod of his gigantic head. Sporting a pair of impressive curving horns, they were surprisingly intact in contrast to his scarred visage. Long, white and smooth, they almost looked polished, as though the warrior took great pride in their appearance. Seth could only guess as to the significance of this, but out of propriety, decided not to ask
The final member of this band was of course Seth himself, and he literally found himself the odd man out. His white tunic and cape was once again wrapped around his entire form, all but his eyes obscured from view. He had drawn the cape closer about him to prevent it from flailing out in the wind, and the white flag of peace which had adorned his staff had been removed and placed within the containers secured to the Kodo beast. That same staff, six feet in length, lay beside him atop the Kodo's back. Seth sat calmly, but was alert, his eyes scanning the horizon. He did not expect any difficulties in reaching Sen'jin, but then again, Durotar was a dangerous land.
"Troubled thoughts, my human friend?" asked Malvon, his deep yet quiet voice breaking Seth out of his area analysis. He turned to see Malvon with his head facing to the west, eyeing him with a slightly bemused expression.
"No, just getting the lay of the land."
"What do you think of this place the Orc's call home?" It was a simple question, but Seth knew Malvon expected more than a simple answer.
"It is dry, dusty, and seemingly barren. The sun is hot, and the land is harsh. Few things will grow without very hard work, and even then, life is hard, for one must fight against the earth just survive. Dangerous things roam freely throughout this land, fighting for supremacy over what seems to be a lost cause." Seth paused in his analysis, and waited for some response from Malvon. When none came, Seth smiled.
"I think it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited."
"As do I, Sethrezin. As do I."
Malvon continued to face forward, directing the Kodo, his visage hidden from Seth's view. However, Seth was convinced a grin spanned the length of the shaman's face. Few could see the beauty in such a place as this, and fewer still would understand why a race would choose such an unforgiving place to live. This was a place where the world was still wild, untamed, and filled with adventure. It was perfectly suited to its current inhabitants, a society built upon honor and pride. Malvon knew this, and in some way, because Seth had recognized it, it had made him realize something special about his new friend.
So they continued on, the majority of the journey passing in silence, yet carrying a quiet understanding between the two very different beings.
Though the pace of the Kodos could hardly be called swift, the delegation reached the settlement of Razor Hill several hours before twilight. It displayed the same architecture as the capital city, but there were only two large buildings, surrounded by a number of huts and lean-tos. At either entrance was a watchtower, and a smaller, garrisoned structure near the tower's base. Seemingly more of a military installation than a town, orcs and trolls frequented the central square of the settlement. Yelling and shouting came from what seemed like all directions, while other inhabitants, mostly from the towers and burrows barked orders to their subordinates. Seth's head spun from all the activity. It had not been this busy before!
Kazuk led the convoy toward the outer edge of Razor Hill, where the pack animals were tethered to the city's inner wall. The four Kodos remained outside the city gates, their size too much to be held within the modest settlement. Most of the wolves and raptors remained as well, guarded over by a steely-eyed Orc warrior named Naz'Gresh. The orcs and trolls of the group climbed of their mounts and moved about the city, some heading to the domed hall along the eastern wall of the city, and the rest milling about the square. Along the western side of the city, a large, jagged hole cut into the wall, seeming blown apart by some powerful explosive. A fair number of Orcs, Tauren, and Trolls all scrambled about near the crumbling palisade, fervently repairing the extensive damage.
Seth himself grabbed his staff, climbed down along the Kodo's massive spine, and stretched his legs when he reached the ground. Seth saw Kazuk run of toward the burrow at the southern entrance to the town, where he began conversing with another orc at the top. Malvon joined Seth next to the Kodo, his large frame creating a block from the dimming sun.
"Should we investigate ourselves?" Seth asked the Tauren shaman.
"We could, but I wonder what aid we could offer?"
"Something has the town stirred up, and I don't think it's us."
Malvon glanced down at Seth, and regarded him for a moment. Several seconds later, he replied.
"You can hide your face all you like, but by now, I am sure everyone in this town knows what you are."
"I cannot hide what I am, and I will not try to. How can I win trust from the Horde if I will not walk amongst them?
"I don't disagree with you, but still, be on your guard my young friend."
Without waiting for further prompting from his Tauren escort, Seth began to walk in the direction of the southern burrow. He had a feeling Kazuk would tell the rest of the party any information he had gathered, but Seth thought it better to know firsthand the reason for Razor Hill's increased martial alertness.
As Seth walked across the central courtyard, many of the inhabitants stopped dead in their tracks. He had removed the white cloth wrapping from his face and head, his silver hair tumbling past his shoulders. Seth did not lower his head, but met the stares and glares with open eyes. Though he could feel their hostility like an almost tangible thing, none made a move toward him. Perhaps it was order of the Warchief that held them at bay, but Seth thought it likely his imposing friend was the real reason he was left alone.
When he reached the burrow, Malvon remained outside, while Seth climbed up the steps to the watchpoint, where Kazuk and the other orc were carrying on a discussion which was quickly becoming heated. This orc was not as burly as the others Seth had seen. Instead, he had a lean, wiry frame, and quick darting eyes which were constantly moving, alert and seemingly on edge. He was bald, save for a long pony-tail composed of course, pitch-black hair which grew from the crown of his skull.Though not as physically imposing as Kazuk, this orc carried himself with a kind of repressed fury. He seemed to move like an arc of lightning, evidenced by his expressive hand and arm movements. A long, thin, curved blade slung across the orc's back stated what he was. This was one of the Orcish Blademasters, the legendary warriors who were said to fight like demons. Currently, Kazuk seemed to be getting more agitated with the newcomer, and the conversation was rapidly gaining volume and intensity.
"You mean to tell me," Kazuk growled in a clearly irritated tone, "that the road to Sen'jin has been closed because of a simple Centaur attack?"
"Simple isn't the word for it!" bellowed the Blademaster, his own voice a mid-range bark, fueled by annoyance at Kazuk's continued pushing. "Last night the Centaur attacked from the shadows and blew out the west wall! We spent most of today just putting the stone back in place."
"Centaur don't use explosives." stated Kazuk, some civility returning to his tone.
"That hole wasn't caused by an explosive! They weren't normal Centaur!" The Blademaster's voice now took on a tone of desperation, fueled by what seemed like confusion, and something resembling fear.
"What exactly does a 'normal' Centaur look like then?" asked the old orc, a trace of sarcasm leaking into his tone. Disregarding the condescending remark, the Blademaster continued.
"The ones that attacked last night were unusually ferocious. They just kept coming against the walls, through the front lines. Arrows, axes, spears, everything was leaving marks, but it was taking truly mortal wounds to even slow them down." Here the Blademaster paused, catching sight of Seth for the first time. His attitude instantly changed from annoyed irritation to full-blown rage.
"Human!" cried the enraged orc, his howl carrying through the air like an alarm. "How dare you come to our land! I'LL KILL YOU!
Seth turned his eyes sadly toward the angry orc. The blademaster's three-foot blade flashed out of the sheath at his back, and he leapt toward the defenseless human. Alarmed, Kazuk hurried to reach his spear and ward off the Blademaster. He could not let his charge die so soon! As he watched, he knew he would never be able to intercept the furious swordfighter's attack in time.
Then something truly amazing happened. As the fighter's gleaming sword chopped brutally downward in a glittering arc, Seth stood calmly with the same sad, tired expression on his face. Then, in what seemed the blink of an eye, a ringing sound cut through the air. The Blademaster's sword was parried by the wanderer's wooden staff! Seth held the staff at either end, with the orc's sword embedded ever so slightly in the wood between the human's arms. The blademaster's face was a study in hatred, while Seth was as calm as still water.
Shifting his stance, the human rotated his arms in one swift motion, wrenching the sword from the orc's hands. Following up this attack, Seth pivoted on his right foot, sweeping the staff in a horizontal strike, cutting his opponents legs out from under him. The Blademaster fell to the wooden floor with a heavy thud, and was scrambling to his feet when he felt a hard pressure on his chest. It was the white figure, standing over him, one sandaled foot braced upon his torso, the staff held inches away from his throat.
For several minutes there was only silence. Even the wind seemed to have stopped wailing over the burrow. Kazuk stood nearby, watching with awe and fascination at what he had just witnessed. Seth gazed down at his opponent, his face devoid of any emotion. His opponent lay upon the floor, staring up at him with a mix of outrage, shame, and amazement in his eyes. Even the other orcs within the burrow had gone silent, teetering between assaulting the human themselves or waiting for the Blademaster's response. After what seemed like an eternity, the prostrate fighter looked into his adversary's golden eyes, and spoke.
"I am defeated, human. Take your victory."
"What victory?" Seth replied, removing his staff from the orc's throat and his foot from his opponent"s torso. "I simply defended myself. I have no reason to kill you."
"This was a battle and I lost!" shouted the fighter, his black eyes flashing. "I cannot live with the shame!"
Seth gazed once more at the Blademaster. He was a young orc, not much older than Torgan. His face did not carry as many scars, but he moved like an experienced fighter. Seth could sense in him a great deal of the same Orcish pride he had come to expect since experiencing it firsthand from the society.
"You can live with one loss, though this was hardly a battle. A true fighter knows his limits, and works daily to break them." He offered his hand to the prone orc. The orc did not accept, rising slowly to his feet, and walking away to retrieve his lost weapon.
"What is your name, good orc?" Seth smiled slightly as he asked, and was not disappointed. The blademaster turned, scowling at the human, and did not respond for several moments, as if contemplating whether to give even that to the human that had bested him.
"Shokan," he replied, and then walked back over to Kazuk, presumably to continue their earlier conversation. Kazuk chose not to mention the minor altercation, as he knew the matter at hand was passage to Sen'jin. The Blademaster, Shokan, kept tossing glances toward the human in the corner, waiting for the slightest movement.
"What else did you see about these centaur, and why close the road because of them?"
"They didn't look any different at least. We all thought they would be easily dealt with. It wasn't until we started pushing them back that something seemed to change. It was almost as if they went berserk all at once."
"Berserk?" asked Kazuk, not quite disbelieving, but not all convinced. The centaur were viscious, he knew that much, but they seldom attacked a settlement like Razor Hill without some greater leadership. Even then, he had never known the centaur to be particularly bloodthirsty, just aggressively territorial.
"Like I said," continued Shokan, "Nothing seemed to stop them. They just wouldn't stay down. When they reached the wall, one of them just touched it, and he exploded. The body just blew apart. After that, they reatreated. No increased attack, no retaliation, they just dissapeared." Shokan's voice faltered here, as if he were frightened to admit something.
"Go on," prompted Kazuk, knowing there was more to the young fighter's story.
"Their eyes they…they were glowing."
Kazuk's breath caught in his throat, and in the corner, unnoticed by either orc, Seth's eyes sharpened with interest.
"Glowing?" Kazuk cautiously asked. "How?"
"They're eyes were glowing red."
"Where did these Centaurs come from?" shouted Seth, breaking into the conversation, his voice filled with apprehension, and to Kazuk's ears, what almost sounded like anger. From his short time with the strange human, Kazuk had yet to see him show that much feeling. Shokan, seemingly at a loss whether to answer the question or not, glanced in the older orc's direction. Kazuk, with a nod, told the young fighter to continue.
"They come from the Southwest, just to the North of the Valley of Trials."
Without another word, Seth bolted down the stairs, Kazuk yelling after him. In his mind, Kazuk knew very well what had attacked last night, yet he hoped against hope it was not true. He also hoped that whatever vendetta Sethrezin carried, it would not jeopardize their purpose. Turning back to Shokan, he issued terse orders.
"Gather what warriors you can spare. We will take our revenge tonight."
Kazuk was a wise tactician, and he knew that going up against an unknown enemy was more than dangerous. It was suicide. That was the sensible side of him talking. However, there was another part of him, the savage warrior's soul, which quickened his blood with the idea of a fight. Soon he would feel the ebb and flow of battle, the grand screaming of his blood in his ears, and the frenzied excitement of combat.
Kazuk was going to war.
Seth raced past the huge form of Malvon, whose face lit with surprise as the human sped past him.
"Sethrezin, wait!" he called to the shrinking form of his passenger.
Seth did not turn back, and continued to run in the direction of the setting sun. With inhuman speed, he covered the distance of the town in mere seconds, running out through the gaping hole in the western wall. Malvon looked after the human with a confused look on his equine face. Even mounted, Malvon doubted he would be able to keep up with the unusual man rapidly disappearing into the twilight. Behind him, he heard a bustling sound, as Kazuk ran down the stairs after him, followed closely by a young Blademaster's and a furious Torgan.
"Treacherous human!" Torgan bellowed out to the shadows, as they swallowed what remained of Seth. "I knew you had lied to us!"
Malvon looked toward Torgan with a look of bewilderment. Lied? What would Seth have to lie about? He had spoken of his mission to Malvon during the journey to Razor Hill, and Malvon had not doubted the sincerity in the wanderer's voice.
"What's going on?" asked Malvon eager to understand this rapidly developing mystery.
The Blademaster stepped forward, his namesake clutched in his right hand, his eyes blazing with excitement and anger. However, in their depths there was also the slightest trace of fear, as if something had just shaken him to the core.
"We were attacked last night by centaurs," he said slowly, judging each words and phrase. "Somehow, they were able to destroy the west wall, and they were more ferocious than I have ever seen." Here he paused for a moment, and then said what he had feared to believe, just revealed to him by the older orc at his side.
"Kazuk believes they could have been under demonic influence. That would explain their increased strength during the attack."
"And now that idiot has run out on his own!" exclaimed Torgan, his wrath and fury turning his skin once again that sickly olive green. "Probably now to tell the demons about the Horde! He saw the inside of Orgrimmar!"
"Silence, Torgan. Calm yourself!" shouted Kazuk, his patented glare fixed once more upon the furious warrior. "He has shown no treachery, and you will stop thinking that he will! It was foolish to go out by himself, but we will discuss that later." Kazuk was growing increasingly tired of Torgan's constant bitterness about Sethrezin's prescense. The mere mention of the human's name seemed to enrage him.
"Now we will have to rescue the brazen fool no doubt," Torgan grumbled, cowed by Kazuk's reproach, but still infuriated by Seth's wild flight into Durotar's hills. Malvon chose this moment to interject.
"The Warchief said the human would help us. He said the human was not our enemy. Is this not true?"
"The human does not seem to be our enemy..." started Kazuk.
"But he is not our ally!" Torgan interrupted. He would never call the human a friend, or even an ally.
"Why not simply let the Centaur deal with him?" Shokan offered, though the words rang hollow in his heart. No warrior, even someone as unusual as Seth, could have bested Shokan so easily. While a part of him despised the human for insulting his honor, another side hoped he still lived. Shokan could not believe himself, but he almost felt...impressed by the wanderer's skill.
"No, the Centaur will not kill the stranger," replied Torgan, the words issuing between clenched teeth, but they came through clearly. "The Warchief ordered us to protect him, and so I will." Though it left a particularly foul taste in Torgan's mouth.
Shokan and Torgan hurried to prepare the mounts to journey into the hills. Pursuing Sethrezin on foot would take too long, and by his speed, Torgan knew it would be impossible to catch up. The wolves on the other hand would have no trouble catching the foolish human before he reached the centaur canyons.
Malvon and Kazuk stood side by side, looking out to the rocky horizon where Seth had now all but dissapeared. Kazuk wore an expression of annoyasnce upon his battle-scarred personage, while Malvon's carried a sincere look of concern.
"Do you think he has a chance, old warrior?" asked Malvon, his dark eyes gazing down at the scarred veteran."
Kazuk said nothing for several seconds, contemplating what he was about to say. He had learned more about his charge in the last several hours. He had been bathing in the heat of warfare for over forty years, and had seen many strong and powerful beings in that time. Finally, he turned and looked back up at the Tauren, and answered.
"I don't think we will need to save him from the Centaur, great shaman. I think it is they who will need salvation...from him."
With those words, both turned back to face the night, and gazed long and hard into the deepening shadows.
A few quick corrections and obervations:
1. Yes I know the Kolkar Crag is South of the Valley of Trials. Five words: Rogue groups and enemy translocation.
2. This chapter kind of materialized out of several ideas to connect to the next chapter. I really didn't think I would make Razor Hill into a part of the story.
3. In regards to item #2, one more new character will be introduced in the next chapter. (well, two actually, but its a secret!)
Once again, thanks for the reviews and your patience. It took me a little while to finally decide which direction I wanted to take the next step. The good news is, I have plenty of material for a quick update for the next chapter. ACTION ALERT! Big battle scene coming up! For all you action fans out there, this next one you don't want to miss! Stay tuned, and get ready for some turbulence!
P.S.-Big Kudoes (Not Kodos) go out to everyone who has written me a review. I love you guys!