Disclaimer: I still do not own WoW. (But I would love a few nice T-Shirts from BlizzCON!)
Orcs and Humans: Brothers in Blood
I'd like to thank everyone for your reviews, and I appreciate that this story still draws a few eyes after my long period of neglect.
-Seth
Chapter 8: Confessions and Discovery
The air of the canyon was still as death. The moonlight fell upon the small party, casting dim shadows upon the carnage that had occurred only moments before. Torgan lay prone upon the ground, his burly frame seemingly carved from stone, transfixed by the golden fire burning within Sethrezin's eyes. Shokan and Braun stared in bewilderment at the rigid form of the human as he stared at the small party. Kazuk was the first to recover from the shock, and his scarred face turned livid, letting loose a mighty scream of rage.
"DEMON!" bellowed the old orc, brandishing the obsidian spear. "Treacherous scum! I knew it was wrong to trust you!" He dropped into a low stance, holding his spear like a lance, and rushed at the still figure. At the close range, there was no chance Sethrezin could dodge in time to avoid being skewered.
However, just before the black spear would have pierced his chest, Sethrezin's body seemed to vanish into thin air, reappearing to the left of the extended spear. Lighting-fast, the human's gleaming sword swept down, hitting the spear with the flat of the blade. The impact carried such might that Kazuk stood shaken for a fraction of a moment. Sethrezin wasted no time, and with one hand pinning the spear to the earth, he gripped the spear shaft in the other, and wrenched the weapon from Kazuk's vice-like hands. Caught off-balance by the unexpected move, Kazuk pitched forward, his face coming within inches of the treacherous human. He gazed for only a moment into the amber eyes, and could not believe what he saw.
Sadness…
The altercation shocked Braun and Shokan out of their lethargy. Shokan gripped his sword and rushed at the human, his eye seething with hate. Braun simply stood with his hammer held lightly in his hands, looking on with more curiosity than anger. Torgan began to move, though he still lay upon the ground, his axe held loosely in his hands.
Shokan reached him quickly, and Sethrezin raised his sword to meet the Blademaster's fury. Shokan swung his sword low, attempting to rob the human of his great speed. Nimbly sidestepping, Sethrezin countered with a downward slash from his long blade, keeping the flat of the sword exposed so as not to harm the orc. Pivoting quickly, Shokan swung his blade upward, caught the inevitable parry, and swung two blindingly fast horizontal slashes. The first was knocked aside, and as Sethrezin shifted the blade to intercept the second, he moved forward, putting all his weight upon the blade, knocking the young Blademaster off-balance, and causing him to lean right with the momentum caused by the powerful counterattack. Sethrezin spun quickly, turned his blade and brought the flat edge down upon the back of Shokan's neck with a hard thud. Shokan groaned once, and collapsed to the ground.
Watching Shokan fall snapped Torgan out of his stupor, he gripped his axe, but could not bring himself to attack the human. Through all the anger and shock which now filled his heart, a single thought prevented him from moving to strike Sethrezin.
The human had saved his life.
Kazuk rose to his feet, his large hands scrambling to retrieve his spear. As his hands found the shaft, he felt the cold metal of a sword at his throat. Turning his head to face the human, he looked up at the tall form. His face twisting into a grimace of defiance and disgust, he spat at the human which had betrayed him.
"Finish it then, you lying bastard."
"I have no desire to kill you old soldier. I just saved your life."
From the outcropping of rocks where the spear had been cast, a chittering began to rise from the dark. An instant later, a large scorpid barreled out of the shadows. In a blink, Sethrezin's blade left the veteran fighter's throat, sweeping down and cleaving the huge arachnid in two.
Silence once again filled the canyon. The moonlight began to fade as the clouds moved to shroud the shining orb. The putrid odor of the centaur corpses burned the nostrils of the small party as the wind blew the awful stench in their direction. Kazuk stared at the scorpid's green blood upon the long curve of Sethrezin's sword, mixing with the fresh red and dry black blood of the slain demon centaur. He looked up once more at the silver-haired human, only now the old orc's eyes were filled with wonder rather than hate.
"What in the name of the Spirits are you?"
Seth did not answer right away. His amber eyes flashed momentarily before returning to the sorrow-filled gaze of before. His proud face softened, and he raised his head to the sky to look at the dying light, the wind causing his silver hair to billow out in a flowing cascade behind him.
"A tortured soul, like the orcs. I am like you in more ways than you could imagine."
"I am tired of your cryptic answers Sethrezin!" Kazuk retorted. "I want a straight answer from you now, or I will make certain that you rot out here in the wilderness with the rest of this demon filth!"
Sethrezin gazed long at Kazuk, knowing the veteran would make good on his word, though his effort seemed futile. The human turned his gaze toward the others, Torgan still brandishing his axe, but making no move to attack. Shokan began to stir as he regained consciousness, and Braun's huge frame stood in stolid silence as he waited for events to unfold. With a sigh, he surrendered. He wiped his blade upon the fabric of his cloak, yet no mark was left upon the white material. From the folds of the robe, he drew the staff which he had carried to the walls of Orgrimmar, and with a smooth shlick, returned the long sword to its sheath.
"I know of the bloodlust which once corrupted your people, Kazuk. I know of Mannoroth, the demon which controlled your race with his blood geas. I know much about the Burning Legion, and the evil it spread throughout the universe."
Kazuk drew in a swift breath, and stared shrewdly at the human, with no small amount of skepticism.
"How could you know about the demons! You could not even have been more than a whelp when the orcs came to Azeroth! You know nothing of the bloodlust we felt!"
Kazuk was passionate about this. He was one of the few surviving orcs who had lived within the human interment camps, and one of the very few still living orcs who had come to Azeroth during the time of the First War. He could still remember Draenor, and the dark thrill and pain caused by demonic corruption.
"I know," Sethrezin replied, raising his head to meet the Kazuk's gaze. "Because I once felt the same bloodlust myself."
Kazuk's eyes widened, and Torgan stepped forward to stand at Kazuk's side. Shokan came forward to flank them, and the Tauren clomped forward to hear more of the human's story.
"Yours was not the only race the demons tried to enslave. They once saw some humans who possessed the potential to become instruments of destruction. Needless to say, I was once one of those. I have forgotten most of my humanity, and left the majority of it to turn to dust."
Sethrezin paused here, as if remembering caused him pain. Though his tall figure remained still, Kazuk could feel him shuddering. After composing himself, the human continued.
"I once fought for the Legion, a spy in the mortal world, awaiting the time of their return."
The orcs and Tauren lurched, shocked at this latest revelation. The younger orcs flanked Kazuk, holding their weapons at the ready, but Kazuk silenced them with a single harsh glare. Turning his gaze back to Sethrezin, the old orc waited for him to continue.
"For nearly three hundred years I waited, moving in secret, gathering information, spreading influence among the mortal races, destroying those whom I believed posed a serious threat. I thought there was no other reason for living. I existed only to please my demon masters."
At this point, the sorrow on Sethrezin's face became so defined, it seemed to cast a shadow across his very being. His brilliant eyes lost their fire, and the amber orbs dulled to a shrouded brown.
"Then something happened, and for a time, I forgot my mission, and the evil of my Master. I questioned my purpose, and lost sight of the possibility that the Legion would return. For a short time, I lived a normal life like any man would."
Another pause, and then he continued, anger lacing his normally serene voice.
"Then they did return. Archimonde and the Legion returned to lay waste to the world. Kil'jaeden and his deceptive minions returned to call back his wayward servants. I fought as best I could, but in the end, I could not resist the Demon's fire. Drawn once more to the blood rage, I slaughtered all who challenged me. Nothing could stop the power which flowed through me like wildfire. I was the very Hand of Chaos, and I destroyed all for the glory Kil'jaeden."
"It was not until Grom Hellscream destroyed Mannoroth that I was freed from the bloodlust. But by then it was too late. I had destroyed everything that I had come to cherish as a man. I wandered for months before I learned of the defeat of Archimonde at Mt. Hyjal, and of Kil'jaeden's loss of control over the Lich King. So I left the Eastern Kingdoms, to seek the aid of the Orcish Horde.
Sethrezin gazed again at the solemn faces of his companions, looking for the revulsion he was so used to.
"Why didn't you tell this to the Warchief?" asked Kazuk.
"Would you really have helped me if I had told you I was a three hundred-twenty year old former spy of the Burning Legion?" There was a bitter sarcasm in the human's voice, as if he knew the ridiculous futility of such an explanation.
"No, I guess he would've have." Kazuk measured his words, wondering if he could trust his own voice. Part of him told him to slay the human on the spot for his deception, while another part felt something deeper. For the first time, the old warrior could see the heavy burden upon the human, and almost felt compassion toward this man who had known the pain of the orcs blood curse more heavily than any other of their race.
"So now you know why I desire to destroy the Demonlord. I have my own reasons for wanting to see him dead."
"So you would seek to use the Horde to realize your own vengeance!" shouted Shokan, anger creeping into his voice again.
Sethrezin laughed bitterly, the sound bouncing off the canyon walls. "I will not deny that I want vengeance, but I realized long ago that my own absolution is unimportant. I will never allow another race to be used for the purging of worlds. Human, orcs, or otherwise. The Burning Legion, and all its twisted creations, must be cleansed from existence!"
The silver-haired human drew himself back up, and the fire returned to his golden eyes.
"I ask you, no, I beg you for your help! I cannot defeat both the Lich King and Kil'jaeden alone. They will not stop until they have scoured all life from Azeroth!"
Kazuk stared long at Seth. Both stood on equal level, gazing into each other's eyes. Power crackled in the air, their wills battling each other. There was challenge in the shared gaze, but within, there was understanding, and a desperate plea for help. When the silent war ended, it was Kazuk who spoke first.
"We will help you for now, Sethrezin, but the Warchief is going to know what you are. He will decide what to do with you. Until then, there will be a truce." Kazuk gaze hardened. "But if you betray us, or act in a way that even resembles influence from the demons…" Kazuk trailed off, but gripped his spear more tightly, and the obsidian stone glinted ominously in the moonlight. Next to him, Torgan tightened his grip on his axe, and Shokan lightly stroked the hilt of his katana.
Seth smiled ever so slightly. "I think we understand each other perfectly."
OOOOO
"Why did you run off into the canyons?" Torgan asked as the party resumed their search. "You led us on a chase to retrieve what we thought would be your corpse." Torgan was still a bit peeved at having been saved by a human, but he could no longer bring himself to despise Sethrezin on principle. He was a young orc, but he understood honor, and was not so proud as to downplay something as important as a life debt.
"I wondered what would cause the centaur to become corrupted. Something which carries such an intense demonic influence would not just appear out of nowhere. Something has changed in this area as of late, and I think that when we find it, we will find the cause of the centaur's taint."
Shokan listened in silence, and walked alongside the Tauren warrior. Braun kept glancing at the walls of the canyon, and pausing every so often to press his head against the stones, as if listening for something. The Blademaster stared at the big Tauren and wondered if the warrior had finally lost his mind.
"What are you looking for Braun?" Shokan asked when he could no longer contain his curiosity. "Are there more centaur?"
"Malvon," Braun answered simply.
"Malvon!" Shokan exclaimed, drawing glances from his companions. "I almost forgot about him. Where did he go?" The shaman had been gone much longer than expected. Shokan wondered why he had chosen to stay with the Kodo, but had not said anything against the older Tauren's decision.
"Malvon said he was going to look for another way into the pass," Kazuk offered. "But he should have been back by now."
"When did he leave?" asked Seth, coming closer to the other, halting the search.
"We separated just before entering the canyon." Shokan replied. " He didn't want to leave the Kodo outside. You would think a shaman would just be able to split the mountains wide open, but apparently he chose to find another way."
Braun turned his head into the wind, and sniffed the air. His large eyes narrows, and he hefted his war hammer, holding it at the ready. He gestured with his head toward the west, deeper into the canyon a grimace spreading across his scarred face.
"Something down there." he grumbled, stomping the ground with one cloven hoof.
Seth pulled his staff from within his cloak, unsheathing his long sword. His silver hair billowed as the wind picked up. Raising his own face into the wind, he sniffed at the air. The foul, unwashed stench of centaur flesh still filled the air, but there was another odor with it, one that Seth could not identify. Glancing at his Torgan and the others, he waited for their decision.
"Something in here stirred up the centaur enough to attack Razor Hill. We may as well find it now."
With that, The small party began making their way further into the canyon. Oddly enough, the centaur had seemed to disappear, as if they had fled entirely when they had seen Sethrezin destroy their brethren. For some reason, now knowing what he did about Seth's past, Kazuk felt it was more than mere coincidence.It still shocked him to know that the human walking next to him had been a thrall of the Burning Legion, a being who lived only for bloodshed. The implications of such a thing had never occurred to him before, as the ingrained thought had been that humans were nothing more than an inferior race, little more than fodder to sate the demon's hunger for carnage. He had a deeper understanding of the human now, and in some small part of his soul, a flicker of respect for the strange man had begun to take root.
They came then to another open area of the canyon, this one ringed once more by the crude centaur dwellings. However, unlike the one seen earlier within the canyon, this one was better kept, and in a relatively pristine state of repair. The huts were much larger, the animal skins stretched over the tents of luxurious quality. At the far western end of the clearing, one hut towered above all others. It was circular shelter nearly twenty feet tall, and twice that distance wide. It appeared deserted, but a campfire still burned within, the embers smoldering with a dull orange glow.
Sethrezin advanced upon the large tent, drawn there by some unknown force. The unusual scent upon the wind seemed to emanate from the large tent, and Seth moved forward ahead of the rest to investigate. As he moved forward, a heavy hand clamped onto his shoulder.
"Not again, human," came Torgan's gruff voice. "I'm tired of you going ahead of the rest of us. If I have to come chasing after you again, I'll kill you just to rid myself of your annoying presence." There was true annoyance in the young warrior's voice, but something else was barely noticeable beneath it. Frustration yes, but what almost seemed like the smallest bit of… humor?
Seth smiled to himself, and slowed his pace to match that of the young orc. Together, they peered into the darkness of the tent. Kazuk and Shokan entered just behind them, keeping their eyes on any movement in the clearing. Braun stayed behind to guard the entrance, the huge hammer gripped in his massive hands. The scarred Tauren warrior seemed to be growing increasingly uneasy, and intensely watched flickering shadows cast by the moonlight.
Torgan stooped to light a torch from the glowing embers of the forgotten fire, and when the flames caught on the cloth and wood of the torch, the large structure was illuminated for the small party to inspect. Seth had seen many things in his long life, but what he glimpsed before him then was definitely a first.
The torchlight cast its orange glow upon two figures upon a far wall. They were most certainly dead, their skin slashed to ribbons, blood flowing from over a dozen wounds. But what was most baffling was what the bodies were. One appeared to be a blue-skinned male troll, and the other, even more shocking, was undoubtedly a female night elf! They were huddled together, clutching each other, and something lay bundled between the two of them, as if they had died striving to protect whatever they concealed. Seth had never heard of a troll and an elf being in the same region without trying to kill one another, so why did these two appear to be so close even in death. Seth moved closer to the two bodies. Behind him, Shokan drew closer to inspect as well. From the look on the Blademaster's face, he was just as shocked as Seth.
As they drew closer to the figures, the bundle between them stirred. It was wrapped in a blood-stained woolen cloth, and when it moved, it seemed to groan with discomfort. With his katana held at the ready, Shokan waited for Sethrezin to act. Gingerly, the human lifted the edge of the blanket, and threw off the cover to reveal its contents. Once again, he was shocked.
Staring up at him with wide eyes filled with fear, a small female troll, perhaps no older than seven years, shivered in the chill air. Seth instantly knew that she was no ordinary troll. The hands were normal, having only the thumb and two long digits. The ears were also normal, long and stretching far back behind the head. However, she had no tusks nor fangs, and the eyes were much larger than any normal troll. Her skin was the same color as that of her protectors, the purple color of the sky at twilight. Her iris' were of a strange lavender color, almost pink it was so light, and her shoulder-length mop of scraggly hair was also that same shade of pale lavender. She stared at Seth in fear and wonder, then shrank back in sheer terror as her wide eyes fell upon Shokan and his drawn steel.
"Put it away Shokan," Seth whispered quickly, not wanting to frighten to poor child anymore than she already was. She was one of the most unusual creatures he had ever witnessed, and he was baffled that such a hybrid could exist between two races which held such animosity toward each other. Very slowly, he extended his hand towards the child.
"Don't be afraid little one," he said in a soothing voice. "We won't hurt you."
As he moved closer, the child leaped forward, sinking her small teeth into his extended hand. Seth winced slightly, but did not draw away. Her eyes stayed open as her jaw clamped down. He felt the trickle of blood begin to flow from the bite, but moved his other hand closer to stroke the hair of the young girl. Her eyes were liquid with fright, but past the fear, he could see the strong spirit of defiance.
"Poor thing," he murmured, "I can imagine the evils you have seen. But that is over for you now." All the while, he continued to stroke her head, and kept his voice in a soft whisper. "Don't worry. From this day on, you will be blessed with better fortune."
His amber eyes gazed into the lavender orbs of the girl, and they watched each other. Slowly, she let go of the pressure on his hand, and lifted both her hands to grip his. He watched as the fear gradually left her eyes, replaced by a sort of wary trust. Still, the pressure increased, and he squeezed her hands once for reassurance. Very slowly, the troll child rose to her feet, gingerly pushing aside the arms of her two protectors. As she gazed at them, her eyes filled once more with tears. No sobs escaped her trembling lips, but her small body began shaking uncontrollably. Torgan, Kazuk, and Shokan's normally stoic faces grew solemn as they closed their eyes and silently paid their respects to the fallen. The three orcs were just as shocked at the what the two were, but they had died fighting to protect what was theirs, and that meant they had warrior hearts.
Seth placed a hand upon the troll-girl's shoulder, and drew back in surprise when she turned and buried her face against his waist, clinging to the torn fabric of his robes. Seth smiled to himself, but inwardly he thought "What am I getting myself into?"
"Sethrezin" came the heavy voice of Braun from outside.
"Yes, what is it?"
"Something's coming."
Seth began to move toward the exit, but felt a tug on his cloak. The child stood rooted in place, her liquid eyes staring up at him. He gazed down at her, then raised his head and looked sheepishly at Kazuk. The old warrior lifted a brow, then hefting his spear, moved to join the big Tauren at the hut's door. Torgan rolled his eyes, and Shokan grunted in what almost sounded like a chuckle. Seth knelt down to look into the child's eyes.
"We have to go now. We are going to get you out of here all right?" The troll-girl stared long into his golden eyes, then slowly nodded her head. However, she did not let go of his cloak.
As Seth moved slowly toward the exit, taking small steps with the child in tow, he began to feel a faint tremor. Every few seconds it boomed through the canyon, as of something heavy hitting the ground. With each boom, the child drew closer, until she was holding onto his leg when Seth finally exited the large hut. When he looked around, he saw that his companions were fully armed and ready for battle. The looked to the west, off into the direction of the winding canyon where the moon did not cast it's light. The booming sound seemed to originate from that direction.
In another instant it became apparent what the sound was, and more horrific once the reality of it registered. Looming out of the darkness, like some terrible nightmare given life, came a monstrous centaur, nearly as tall as Braun and much broader. His eyes burned with the same crimson fire as the others, but this creature seemed to resonate with evil, pure rage emanating from its massive form. Scraggly black hair covered the entire equine body, while the face was covered with black bristles, twisted into a mask of hate. It fixed the small party with a baleful glare, and its eyes lighted upon Sethrezin and the small child at his side. With a sinister roar it screamed at the human.
"You'll not take my prize from me man-demon. My new master's power shall make me invincible!"
The large centaur began to run toward the party, and the five warriors braced themselves for the attack. However, just as the Centaur Khan was about to enter the clearing, a huge explosion of rock and dust shook the canyon walls. The entire western wall of the canyon collapsed inward, as if the Earth itself was being split asunder. The Khan abruptly halted his charge, surprise momentarily overriding his rage. When the dust cleared, he found himself looking into the scaly open maw of a massive Kodo beast. The Khan had barely enough time to scream as the huge lizard moved forward, and the mighty jaws clamped down on his human portion, and lifted the equine body high into the air. Then, with a toss of it head, the Kodo's jaws opened slightly, gulping down the body.
The dust settled, and as the five members of the small party looked on in wonder, Malvon Windstrider stood atop his mount, gazing down with a grin upon his large face.
"Am I late?" the Tauren called down, his grin growing with each moment.
"On the contrary, good Shaman." Seth shouted back with a laugh. "Your timing couldn't be more perfect!
At that moment, the Kodo let out a great belch which shook the walls of the canyon. Seth held his tongue for a moment, but began to chuckle. Looking around at the others, he saw they were barely holding back laughs of their own. They all looked at each other, and started chuckling together. In a few seconds, each was laughing without reservation.
For that single brief moment, they were comrades.
When the laughter had subsided, Malvon came down to join the others. In tow, following the Kodo, were Wintersbreath and Shadowmane, the wolves which had brought Kazuk and Torgan to the ambush.
"What happened to you?" Kazuk grunted. "We were beginning to worry!"
"I moved along the northern canyon wall, but I couldn't find a larger entry path. When I heard all the commotion below, I tried to investigate, but the Kodo seemed intent on going further north. Something drew him there I guess." Malvon's face split into another wide grin. "I think I was right to listen to him this time?"
"Yes. Of course." Torgan muttered, fixing the Tauren shaman with a wan stare.
"Anyway," Malvon continued, "I followed the Kodo's lead until we got to that spot, and he stopped there. So I opened the rock and let him in."
"Wait." interrupted Shokan. "Why didn't you just do that back when we entered the canyon?"
"The spirits said it was better to open the earth elsewhere." Malvon replied simply.
The three orcs shook their heads simultaneously. Once again, none of them would ever understand mystics. Braun looked at his friend, and a grin was exchanged between the two Tauren.
"You all seem the worse for wear," stated Malvon, his eyes roving over the party, and coming to rest upon Sethrezin and the troll/elf-child clinging to his side. "And carrying a bit of extra baggage it would seem. Tell me, my human friend, who is this new addition?"
"We will answer all your questions later Malvon." Undoing to clasp of his white cloak, Sethrezin draped the long garment over the child's shoulders, and smiling at her when her eyes rose to meet his in surprise.
"I am sure we all have questions to ask of each other…"
Well, there it is! Chapter eight complete, and Whew! Probably the longest yet, but I am making up for lost time. Anyway, big shout-out thanks to Phelgryn for jolting me out of my slump. This chapter had to be sum up the last and answer a few questions, but I felt it would be best to end this chapter by getting out of the Centaur area.
I hope you all enjoyed the Kodo "devouring" sequence. I have had that image in my head for a while. And who is the strange troll/elf hybrid which seems to have latched onto Sethrezin, whose past is now slightly revealed? This story is getting bigger than even I could imagine. Keep the reviews coming, and I promise to keep the story rolling. Thanks again for all your support!
-Seth