Transcendence
Chapter 17: The Puzzle
"Who is the leader of the traitors?" Tarem asked calmly, striking the man in the stomach as soon as he finished.
Balos lurched forward and his forehead met the ground, he remained there coughing hard and trying to gather air. He let out a pained groan as he was yanked back up and brought back up to a kneeling position.
"Who is the leader?" Tarem inquired again, striking again, but holding the man up so he did not lurch forward again.
"I don't know!" Balos wheezed out, coughing hard and actually splattering small droplets of blood on the floor.
"I don't believe you," Tarem replied, grabbing the man's hair and painfully pulling it back.
"Please be careful with him, he still is recovering from having his chest opened up," Tabetha chimed in, watching over her apprentice's monitor the wounded, while Adelina kept her attention on Lynn Hyal.
Of the twenty five Kul Tiras soldiers that had been wounded only eight had survived their injuries, while six more had been captured from the swamps. Although it was not much in terms of how many were alive and unaccounted for, it was better than nothing. They were able to capture the leader of these renegades, Balos Jacken, who more than likely had some information they could use.
Despite having it however, he was less than forthcoming with any information pertaining to the traitors within the Theramore Guard.
"We don't know dammit, all we know is that someone called the Lieutenant is running the show," Bolos barked out; Tarem released him and let him slump forward.
"Reethe?" Tarem inquired.
"That coward!" Bolos laughed, despite his injuries and the pain he actually found that funny enough to let out a bellow. "He doesn't have the nerve to actually do anything like this; in fact, he has been against it for months now."
"How long?" Tarem demanded, folding his arms and waiting for the man to continue talking.
Ichigo watched the exchange for a moment before turning away and walking off, not wanting to look at the people he nearly killed or those that he had. Those that died were laid and covered near the prisoners, and the sight of them turned his stomach. He still didn't know why he did it, why he had nearly killed them.
But there was one thing he knew, and that was the feeling he had when he had done it. He was angry yes, but there was something else, something he never would have expected when fighting like that against them. He felt scared, scared of dying. He didn't know why he felt like that, but he knew he had felt it before, felt it when he was in a place that had actually nearly driven him insane. A place that he had cornered off in the deepest reaches of his mind, hiding it from himself, but with each fight it came back to him slowly.
That Twisting Hell.
Ichigo closed his eyes and shook off the memories; the time he spent there was a nightmare that he would never want to live through again. He wasn't doing himself any favors by remembering that place, and he would do himself a lot of good if he forgot about it. Moving away from the interrogation, along with the disturbing thoughts plaguing his mind, he tried to continue with the investigation.
Ichigo looked to see Pained and Tervosh were looking over several crates, and decided to join them and see if they had found anything. He received a glance from Pained, who kept her gaze fixed on the substitute as he approached. That made Ichigo sigh, it was obvious they did not feel safe around a man that nearly killed everybody in the vicinity. Only Tervosh speaking up was able to end the hawklike stare he was receiving from the Night Elf.
"These are definitely from a Horde Convoy, apart from the Horde crest being on them; this language here is written in Taur-ahe," Tervosh stated. "I can't read it though, we need to get a translator to see about this."
Pained leaned forward and looked over the script.
"It says that it was shipped out from Thunderbluff and was being sent to Thousand Needles, or more correctly, just to the Great Lifts," Pained said, skimming over the text written on the crates side.
"You can read it?" The magi inquired surprised.
"Yes," Pained gave a simple response.
"Anything else?" Tervosh asked.
"The receiver is said to be someone named Nakra, but the sender is someone named Agasham. Odd, those names don't sound Tauren," Pained replied, neither of those names were recognizable, also the way they sounded and were structured seemed off; especially since the Tauren naming scheme had a specific pattern to it and these looked jumbled.
"Could they be someone else? Other than Tauren?" Tervosh inquired.
"Doubtful, otherwise this text would have been written in common rather than Taur-ahe," Pained stated, looking over the text once more and committing it to memory. "I will get my spies out to see who these individuals may be, but if these are assumed names then finding them will be difficult."
Things were starting to make some sense now; the report says the Tauren were the instigators in the attack. Their motives are unclear, but with this evidence here it is more than likely that the attack was carried out by those who were either attacked or did not receive their shipments.
"This is still a lot of arms and armor; it is concerning why so much was being taken to Thousand Needles," Tervosh said.
That was also another factor that contributed to who may have attacked, if the ones wanting this shipment were acquiring weapons then they were likely violent. Meaning that they likely acted out of anger and attacked the closest thing they suspected as the culprits. But still the
"I will look into that, I will also see if the Horde or anyone else has been massing in the area or the neighboring regions for a major offensive," Pained said, although she found it odd that only the Tauren were mobilizing as there were no other arms and armor here suited for any other race.
"Do you have any idea who could have done this?" Ichigo asked, both looked at him and gave him a wary glance, similar to the one that Pained had given a few moments before. "Listen, about…"
"Save it, we have a job to do, we will expect an explanation after this is done," Tervosh stated firmly, rising to his feet and examining a large gauntlet. "As for your question, you were right that the Tauren were responsible, but it was only the Tauren that committed this act."
"What does that mean?" Ichigo inquired.
"If this was a simple band of Tauren marauders and the Horde is not involved, that we can meet out vengeance without risk of inciting hostilities with the Horde," Tervosh said, much to the substitutes shock, they were actually suggesting they hunt them down and murder them.
"But if they did this they need to pay for it, what if they are hiding somewhere that we can't get to them, what about the Horde? Shouldn't they do something or answer for this as well?" Ichigo asked.
"Ichigo, this is a delicate operating, if the Horde is involved then they will investigate as well. And if they do, then they will either seek out the evidence themselves and deal with it themselves without our aid or actually keep information from us," The magi said, very serious, the Horde was still full of people who did not like the Alliance and that was the same vice versa.
The chance to basically keep a group of warriors who had done a 'great service' to the Horde is a possibility; even the Warchief wouldn't be able to do anything if the opinion of the people was against him. The Horde was a dangerous thing to lead; anyone could take it over if they felt their current head of state was not up to par. If Thrall tried to help the investigation and bring their own members to justice then there would likely be a few who would try to take advantage of his actions and try to weaken his reputation and hold over the Horde.
"We can't allow that to happen, we need to figure out who was responsible, and we can't let the Horde interfere, especially if they were involved in some capacity with the attack," Tervosh finished.
"But you said the Horde may not be involved." Ichigo argued.
"Yes, but even so the Horde would never allow their own people to be tried for this, not without the risk of appearing to be sympathizing with the Alliance and falling to our demands for justice," Tervosh said, the Horde would never surrender its own people, no matter what the case was. "Whoever did this was a group of Tauren, who were likely looking for whoever stole this stuff, and thought they along with what they stole were in Shady Rest."
"But that still doesn't tell us who did this," Ichigo stated, they have a good theory on whom could have done this and why, but not who aside from two names that may or may not be Tauren.
"That is true, we will need to figure that out, and we just need to know why they thought the town was responsible, it really is just a trading area," Tervosh said, mostly to himself, as if going over some theories in his mind.
Ichigo was silent for a moment, pondering on what he knew and trying to help in some capacity. There was definitely more to this than they knew, he just needed to think over the facts and see the results. There was the weapons and armor, basically stolen from a convoy that was likely being transported through the barrens.
The convoys were being attacked and the contents were being brought here, to a small tower in the middle of the swamp. A tower controlled and being used by an extremist group of soldiers called Kul Tiras who have a fanatical hatred of the Horde. But they didn't have the resources or manpower to actually pull off the raids, so that means they were not the instigators but accomplices.
Then there was the fact that the Tauren seem to be the instigators, makes sense since all this armor was made specifically for them to wear. Then there was the town, a simple town with nothing really in it. Shady Rest made itself rich on trade and offering board to passing merchants and travelers. They were close to the borders of the Barrens that also had several trade routes…
"I know of a town near the borders of the Barrens and Dustwallow Marsh, you can resupply there,"
"Yes, it is a small trading village; they are close to our borders. The Horde has had several disputes with them building close to our territory and even claiming they are building within it. But I can tell you truthfully that it is there."
Did he… know about this?
Ichigo turned to the weapons, the stolen weapons. All made for Tauren, designed and manufactured to be used by Tauren. Maybe the attacker wasn't the ones who had them stolen; maybe it was those who were meant to stop more from being stolen.
"We have had many raiders on our roads, and I will not let you two pass lest you be among them."
"Too many caravans have been lost already, if I must cut down two children then so be it, but I will not allow more acts of aggression against the Horde to go unpunished."
"He knew…" Ichigo murmured to himself.
Drekhve knew about the attacks on the convoys, he knew someone was attacking their trade routes and stealing from it. He also knew about Shady Rest and also the disputes it had with the Horde.
Did he know about Shady Rest, did he actually attack it?
Ichigo slowly walked back, his mind reeling at the sudden revelation on what could have happened. He stopped when he bumped into a crate and he heard a loud clang, looking down he saw a soot covered shield on the ground. Burned and deformed, but he could see that it was no different from the dozens of shield scattered around him, large and made specifically for a Tauren.
Ichigo picked it up and looked at the blackened surface, traces of the silver surface barely seen beneath the black. He looked into his barely visible reflection and scowled, there was no question about it. Drekhve had to know something; he had to have known what happened here.
"He knew…" Ichigo growled.
"What was that?" Tervosh asked, looking at him critically, there was a damn scowl on his face.
The last time he had something like that on him he began killing people, so whatever was getting him mad would need to be gotten away from him. Tervosh slowly approached, being very cautious, he didn't want the boy to lose it when he was a few feet away from him.
"He knew… about the town, he knew it was too close to the borders, he knew about the Horde's dispute with them, he knew about the attacks on the convoys…" Ichigo was rambling to himself, no longer keeping his thoughts within his mind.
Before Tervosh could question him Ichigo turned on his heels and quickly stormed off, leaving a very apprehensive magi to wonder on where he is going. Not willing to find out after he was out of sight, he ran after the substitute. Several calls for him to stop were not listened to, instead he moved faster and with more determination in his stride.
Tervosh was about to teleport himself in front of the boy and make him stop, he was about to cast the spell, when he was halted by a hand on his arm. He turned to see Tabetha standing there with a small frown on her face, her gaze fixed on the boy as he walked off.
"Let him go," Tabetha said, no releasing her hold on Tervosh.
"What? You can't be serious," Tervosh replied, shocked by what she just said. "We don't know where he is going?"
"The Barrens, he likely plans to confront someone," Tabetha replied, the way he carried that shield was anything to go by, then he was likely going to use it for something other than himself.
"The Barrens? No, no he can't, if he does anything he will only make this worse," Tervosh said, planning on stopping the boy before he could even take another step towards that desolate flatland.
"This is needed, I do not know what he will do or who he will meet but it is important that he does, his actions now may actually be what helps us solve this mystery," Tabetha said, her grip on the magi's arm still firm and she forced him back. "Let him play by fates hand, as things are now we still have no solid leads, maybe his actions can shed some light on this."
"Are you mad? He could kill people if he goes berserk again," Tervosh cried out, the boy went mad from seeing Lynn Hyal near death, confronting a possible member of the Horde, even someone he suspects, could lead to a massacre.
"I know, but he has a role to play in this little tale, and I feel that nothing any of us do will halt him from doing his part, we simply need to watch and wait," Tabetha said, moving off and leaving Tervosh to do as he wished.
He remained rooted on the spot for a moment, thinking it over quickly. If he went after the boy he was confident he could bind him and either render him unconscious or possibly keep him magically trapped. From there Tervosh could teleport him back to Theramore then contain him there, either in a cage or in some kind of containment. But then what?
The boy was not thinking clearly and he was also quite distraught, the way he acted here was a clear indicator of that. So keeping him out of this was likely more important than anything, but still there was a problem. He was likely invested in this investigation now; he approached them about it, not the other way around. Ichigo wouldn't stop what he is doing for anything; even if they kept him locked up he would break out and probably do what he was doing right now.
Tervosh grunted before an aggravated growl escaped his throat, he couldn't do a damn thing. The boy was too damn stubborn to listen to reason; there was no way he would back down from this. The only thing he could hope for is that the recent memories of his last slaughter keep him from trying to commit another. One could only hope that happens. Otherwise what came next would be the Horde demanding the boy be punished for murdering their people.
"Where is Ichigo going?" Adelina said, having followed after Tervosh when he left, very worried when the substitute disappeared while appearing visibly angry.
"Who knows, I am not going to waste my time with him, Tabetha said I couldn't do anything and I am inclined to agree for once," Tervosh said gruffly as he walked off, leaving a worried druid to think about Ichigo and where he was off to this time.
"Damn it Ichigo," Adelina said, running off after him.
Tervosh watched her run and simply shook his head; hopefully she could rein him in better than anyone else, after all she was his friend. But for now he needed to figure out where these weapons came from and who they were for. His thoughts were interrupted when he walked back into the tower and overheard Pained speaking with Tarem.
"Are you sure?" Pained asked, Tervosh walked over and joined the conversation, listening in as it unfolded.
"Yes, it seems that Kul Tiras and Traitor Theramore Guardsmen were working with a Third party," Tarem said, by glancing at his bloody gauntlets anyone would have known where he got the information from.
"Who?" Pained inquired quickly.
"The Quarvel Raiders, I don't know much apart from that, but it appears they were involved specifically with the town," Tarem replied.
"I believe I have heard of them, they're a mercenary band that operates in Tanaris, but why would they be here?" Pained said, remembering the name from several pirate and mercenary groups that operate on the southern ends of the continent.
"Anything special we should know about them?" Tervosh asked.
"They specialize in siege warfare and quick raids, mainly on convoys or small compounds," Pained replied, and everyone shared a look.
Everyone realized now that they may have a motive for the attack on Shady Rest. If the Quarvel Raiders were involved in some way with the town and also were notorious for attacking caravans then they had a clear motive for why the town was attacked.
"You think they were the ones getting all this brought here?" Tervosh said, it certainly fit the bill, if the Quarvel Raiders were present in the area and raiding the Gold Road then it is likely that they incurred the wrath of someone they shouldn't have.
"More than likely, Kul Tiras doesn't have the manpower or the resources to acquire this kind of weaponry, but we need to speak with Lady Jaina and maybe Colonel Lorena, they may know more on these Raiders," Tarem said, finishing up their conversation there.
"Good, we can depart soon, when Ichigo and Adelina return we can depart back to Theramore and give our report," Tabetha said, joining in the conversation.
"You're coming?" Tervosh asked, surprised by the woman's statement, she was a hermit who lived in the swamps and rarely left them. Though she came to Theramore occasionally she never did so more than once a month or two, she was a very secluded person.
"Yes, my apprentices will watch over these men until we can transport them back to Theramore, while I will come and give my own statement," Tabetha affirmed.
"Alright, we can go now, where are Ichigo and Adelina?" Pained asked and watched as Tervosh slumped and groaned, and immediately she knew something had happed. "Where is he Tervosh?"
"He ran off into the swamps," Tervosh replied.
"Again?" Tarem groaned, if this was another one of those damn stunts of his, he wasn't going to go save him this time, and then he realized. "And Adelina?"
"She went to stop him," Tervosh replied. "It clearly hasn't worked."
"Damn it," Tarem groaned aloud, rubbing the bridge of his nose and simply turning away from the conversation and the people speaking in it.
"Ichigo what are you doing?" Adelina said, walking right beside him, trying fruitlessly to get the substitute to stop and reconsider whatever he was planning on doing.
"I am going to the Barrens, I am going to speak with Drekhve," the substitute replied, not stopping in his stride as he walked through the thick ankle deep mud.
"What? Why?" Adelina shouted, not understanding his reasoning, since he gave none and just walked off.
"He knows something, he knew about the town and the attacks on the convoys, he knew something was going on before anything happened," Ichigo said, but to Adelina it didn't sound at all concrete or coherent, but more the ramblings of a paranoid individual looking to place blame wherever he saw fit.
"That doesn't mean anything, it's all coincidental, we don't know anything about who attacked or why," Adelina said, but Ichigo did not halt or even acknowledge her side, instead argued against it.
"No, he was sent to stop more attacks on caravans, he along with a lot of other Tauren were stationed there to stop raiders," Ichigo only stopped then to turn and ask her a simple question. "I remember you telling me about Tauren Braves, a military force composed entirely of Tauren."
Adelina saw what Ichigo was trying to get at; he wasn't suggesting that Drekhve and his Brave's knew something. He was actually suggesting they were the attackers, that they attacked Shady Rest.
"No Ichigo, listen, we have no way of knowing if they are responsible or not, you can't simply go into their camp and start accusing them of massacring eighty people," Adelina said, desperate this time to stop him, he would get himself killed if he tried this. "We have no proof other than they are there and they are Tauren, it makes them suspects at best."
"But I do have this," Ichigo said, tapping the shield he tied to his sash. "I took it from the tower; it had to have belonged to the Tauren whose arm I slashed off."
"That won't mean anything to them, it will be a burnt shield, and there is no proof in that!" Adelina tried to make him see reason in this, but he was being his usual stubborn self and resisting anything that actually contradicts what he was planning on doing.
Ichigo didn't reply as he ducked under a low hanging branch, halting only when he took notice of the two nags he saw grazing nearby. Without waiting the substitute moved forward and untied the horse from a tree, quickly checking the saddle and reins. Adelina continued to try and stop him from going as he lifted himself into the saddle.
"Ichigo, if you go there they will kill you, it doesn't matter what you did for one of them, they will kill you if you make such an accusation and if they are responsible they will kill you to keep you quiet," Adelina shouted at him as he turned the horse down the path, planning on riding the rest of the way.
Ichigo halted for a moment, before he quickly replied.
"Then what do I do? Stay here and let them get away with it, I aint letting that happen, not after all of this," Ichigo replied, a scowl etched in his brow. "I wasn't strong enough to stop the attack and save everyone; if I had fought harder, I should have been able to save everyone there."
Ichigo looked at her.
"I let a lot of people die that day; because of that, their deaths are my hands," Ichigo continued. "But now I have to make sure they receive the justice they deserve, make sure that those who killed them are brought to justice and made to pay for their crimes. I am not going to let anything get in my way, be it how many there are; what laws protect them or if they were simply following orders of another. I will find them and make them answer for what they did."
Ichigo turned his steed and slowly moved off, readjusting to the saddle as he trotted forward.
"Please, don't go, what happened at the tower, don't let it happen again…" Adelina pleaded, and forcing Ichigo to another stop.
"I won't let that happen," Ichigo replied, losing some bite in his tone as he looked at her. "I will come back, and I will tell you what I found out, just trust me okay? I will make this right," Ichigo turned back to her and asked her only one last thing. "Go back to the tower, take care of Lynn and James, and make sure he doesn't have to grow up without his mother okay."
With that Ichigo finished with words continued on with his trot, disappearing into the distance and leaving a still distraught Elven druid to ponder his previous words. Words though while to be applauded for their resolve and conviction, but the actions that were to follow them were sheer idiocy. He was planning on entering a Horde encampment and actually accusing them of genocide and open aggression against the Alliance.
She couldn't let him go, yet at the same time she couldn't stop him. Ichigo was like a force of nature when he wanted to be, no matter what anyone wanted him to do he would do exactly as he wanted to. Never allowing anything to stop him or hinder his goal. But still she felt the need to try and prevent the disaster from coming.
For a moment she remained there and wondered what she should do, go after him and try to bring him back. Or do as he said, and keep Lynn stable and alive. After a full minute of thinking she decided to go back to Lost Point.
Adelina knew that Lynn's life was important to Ichigo, not because of some sort of personal attachment, or even his ideals of saving people were the reason he wanted her to survive. This was because of a deep emotional need, something about what happened to her and by extension James was very difficult for Ichigo to handle. Maybe she should speak with him on it, maybe talk with him, and figure out why he couldn't bear to watch her die in front of her son.
Drekhve watched his opponent closely, keeping his eyes low to prevent the setting sun from glaring into his eyes. He positioned his shield forward and kept his sword back and poised, waiting for his opponent to make the first move. The Tauren, Teranol was his name, the one he faced was larger and older, and likely had more strength and skill than him. Waiting for him to strike was the only prudent thing Drekhve could do for now.
For a few seconds nothing occurred between the two warriors, simply gauging one another and waiting for the other to strike. Without warning Teranol charged towards the younger Tauren like a mad bull, too impatient to wait any longer for him to make a move. Drekhve shook his head mentally at the warrior's foolish charge, he may be older but Teranol certainly did not possess the amount of common sense that came with years of experience.
Drekhve easily blocked the vertical sword strike with his shield, lifting it only enough to block the strike and not sacrifice the protection of the rest of his body. He couldn't risk leaving any opening for him to exploit, Teranol was a fierce and powerful warrior. A single opening could mean the end of the fight, be it a crippling blow that would eventually lead to his defeat or even a killing blow. Drekhve needed to be patient and wait for the moment to present itself where he could strike a decisive blow.
Pushing the blade off his shield, Drekhve countered, slashing quickly at his opponent's leg he forced him to drop his shield low to block the strike. As the blade slid off the steel shield harmlessly he followed up with a downward stab, aiming over Teranol's shield that was still lowered. As expected from someone with many years of battle experience the older warrior was able to quickly raise his shield to block the strike. The blade slid along the top of the shield, and passing harmlessly over the Tauren warrior's head.
"Well done Teranol, you blocked that well," Drekhve said, before quickly pulling back his blade and ducking low.
Teranol had overextended himself and brought his shield to high, leaving his stomach exposed. Drekhve took advantage and quickly smashed the edge of his shield into the older warriors gut, making him stumble away with only a grunt escaping his mouth. But he had little time to recover as Drekhve assaulted the stumbling warrior, moving up to his side and planning on severing his sword hand.
Teranol deflected the attack as it came with his shield, knocking the blade away from its target. Attempting to catch the younger Tauren as he was defenseless, he raised his blade quickly and brought it down, aiming to sever Drekhve's head from his shoulders. But the younger warrior was quick enough to turn on his hoof and block with his shield, swinging it up to punch the blade away before it could connect.
Another flurry of strikes flew between the two, blocking and parrying each attack that came one way or the other. Two or three strikes would occur before they quickly backed off and reassessed their opponent, before jumping back in and attacking in a similar pattern. They continued on like this for several minutes, both trying to gauge the true strength and weaknesses of the other. They each had an idea of their respective strengths and also their weaknesses.
Drekhve was much more agile than the older warrior, able to turn and counter and attack much more swiftly. While Teranol had strength and experience on his side, able to plan out his next three strikes before he made the first. Both were surprisingly even in their battle, neither one having a distinct advantage over the other despite having different strengths.
Another series of attacks blurred together before they eventually locked horns, both had their swords locked and were using their shields to keep them steady. A small struggle for supremacy erupted between them as they tried to overpower one another, but that struggle quickly ended. The older and stronger Teranol forced Drekhve back, pushing the younger warrior back and then shoving him away.
Drekhve stumbled away and momentarily lost his stance, leaving himself open to attack. But luckily in that moment of weakness the older warrior did not pursue, instead he held back and remained stationary. A look of praise was seen on the older warriors face as he gazed at the younger warrior before him.
"You have been practicing youngblood, I almost thought you would have bested me a moment ago," Teranol said, raising his sword level with his shield the elder Tauren took up another stance.
"Do not become complacent, I still have not been bested yet," Drekhve responded, mimicking the older warrior's action with his own.
"We shall see youngblood," Teranol stated, no words were said as he charged forward. His shield raised and acting as a ram as he planned to smash his way through the younger warrior who would most likely attempt to dodge or take the blow. When he did Teranol would strike and finish this match with a single thrust.
Drekhve remained calm and let him approach, waiting for the right moment when he could strike. Waiting as the older Tauren made his approach, and not making a single motion he was going to move. When Teranol was barely a meter away and already pulling his sword back for a powerful thrust, Drekhve remained where he was. He waited even as the blade was moving right for his shield, the blade mere inches from contact.
It was when he felt the blade was just about to touch the surface of his shield that he moved, quickly leaning to the side he stepped forward and towards Teranol. Drekhve stepped over to the older warrior's side and stabbed his blade towards his head, aiming for the side of his temple and a sure kill.
But at the last moment Teranol ducked and continued to barrel forward, turning sharply he attempted a counter attack. Swinging his sword wide and hoping to strike his opponent in the back, Drekhve quickly moved to counter. Teranol expected Drekhve to swing around his shield and block the strike before twisting around and attempting another thrust or swipe. But he was honestly surprised with what he did next.
Drekhve did not block with his shield, but instead blocked with his sword, holding it over his shoulder and intercepting Teranol's sword before it make contact. It was a completely foreign maneuver that he did not expect the youngblood to actually use. In fact it was almost insane to perform, the sword being used to block an attack instead of a shield seemed almost mad when one had a shield.
The momentary surprise that took the Tauren warrior's focus was all Drekhve needed to counter. Stepping closer, keeping his blade behind his back and against Teranol's, Drekhve swung up his shield and into the Tauren brave's snout and sent him sprawling backward. Without waiting for him to recover Drekhve attacked again, now in full control of the outcome of this battle.
Teranol was able to see Drekhve moving towards him, quickly sending a swing at the approaching warrior in an attempt to force him back. But this only helped the younger warrior, who blocked the strike easily enough with his shield before placing his sword over his opponents. With a single twist and turn Drekhve had disarmed the older warrior before tossing away the sword and moving in for the kill.
Advancing for the nearly defenseless warrior Drekhve slashed at him, forcing Teranol to raise his shield in defense. This only set up the next attack, with another quick strike the shield was knocked aside by Drekhve using his own. Continuing his turning motion with his strike Drekhve dropped low and swung right into the back of Teranol's leg, forcing him down onto his knees.
From there he rose up and delivered the edge of his shield into the exposed back of the kneeling Tauren, forcing him fully into the dirt. Drekhve stepped onto Teranol's back and quickly raised his sword and dropped it, stabbing the weapon towards the back of his opponent's neck. Bringing an end to the bout and earning him victory.
"I win," Drekhve said in a monotone, not showing any pleasure in his victory, in fact he felt disappointed.
"So you have," Teranol groaned, brushing the wooden sword off the back of his head and standing back up.
A round of cheering echoed around the two warriors, the rest of the braves cheered at the young warrior Drekhve's victory. The loudest coming from the many Youngblood warriors among their ranks, the victory of a still in training warrior over a full fledge Brave was a grand moment. Few could do the same, and those that could never could do it with such skill and precision as Drekhve had.
But the youngblood did not feel triumphant in his victory; he still could see that his skill was not as good as it should be. His skill was good, that he did not deny, but there was still so much more he could learn and achieve if he put the effort into it. There were many warriors out there who could easily best him, he had seen it only days ago.
Ichigo was someone he would consider the best warrior he had ever faced, and compared to Teranol he was leagues above them both. The only reason he had not lost was because the boy had no intention of actually fighting to kill, only fighting to incapacitate him. He did that and actually succeeded in the attempt without any sort of difficulty. That was the skill of a true warrior, able to achieve any task no matter the struggle without having to put in any extra effort to succeed.
It was something Drekhve could strive towards achieving, a level of mastery that would make him truly a great warrior.
"Incredible, you defeated Teranol, and you're not even a full brave yet," Besuma said, drawing the young warrior from his musing to look at his fellow youngblood.
He could see that she was immensely impressed with his skill; he could almost see the worship in her eyes as she spoke with him. He never understood why she felt so thrilled with his bouts and why she was always so impressed with his victories.
"It was nothing, but my skills are not as sharp as I would have liked," Drekhve replied, showing no interest in the praise the young female warrior was giving him.
"Hah! As expected from you, if you can't acknowledge the prowess of another warrior it is only natural that you would do the same for your own flawless sword skills," Yeruul said, moving up and patting his fellow youngblood on the back.
"My skills are far from flawless, I still have much to learn," Drekhve replied, moving off and placing the training sword and shield back onto their rack.
"How did you do that move, I do not remember us being trained to use our blades in such a manner," Besuma asked, following after him and barraging him with questions.
"I learned it from a human I met along the Gold Road, he showed me that even I need to improve," Drekhve said, taking a water pouch and quickly draining the contents in several gulps. "His skill was terrifying, I could barely face up against him even when he wasn't being serious."
"But you won correct? After all you are here," Yeruul said, expecting the only answer to that question.
"No, I didn't win," Drekhve replied, walking off and leaving two bemused warriors.
Drekhve had found that his defeat at the hands of the Quilboar to be a waking point for him, where he shed away the dream of him being an already great warrior. He could be so much more, that boy was skilled and likely would have easily defeated him. Yet in the end Ichigo did not strike him down when he could have, and he would have guessed that even if he did it would not be for the kill.
That was a form of honor he had never seen before, to actually not kill an enemy, but spare them in defeat. The boy was young, but his skill with that massive sword was frightening, something even he could barely keep up with. But that showed Drekhve that he had a long road to walk before he could consider his skills satisfactory.
"Someone approaches," a sentry called out, pointing off towards the east.
"Who is it?" Teranol asked, looking up at the sentry who stood upon a high mound.
"A Human on horseback, he is coming right this way," the sentry replied.
"One Human? What would one of those fools be doing here?" Teranol said, moving off to retrieve his weapon and shield.
Drekhve along with every other Brave and Youngblood moved up to watch the humans approach; slowly moving closer to their camp at full pelt on his stead. Eventually he came into discernable view at the base of the hill they were situated upon, and it was then that they got a good look of him.
Drekhve watched in muted shock as he recognized the familiar orange haired Human stalk his way up the hill towards them. Rising up the slop that led right into their camp, not even slowing as he saw the waiting Braves who eyed him menacingly. Every warrior quickly converged on the open ground and waited for him to enter the camp.
He stood at the edge of the hill, his eyes looking around at the different Tauren who watched him like a hawk. When Ichigo's eyes landed on Drekhve a scowl formed on his face and he moved with purpose towards him. Drekhve planned to meet him halfway and get an answer from him as to why he was here, but when Teranol took the initiative Drekhve had no choice but to wait to see how it unfolded.
"Why are you here human, why did you come to this camp?" Teranol demanded, his shield and sword in hand.
Ichigo did not answer, his eyes focused solely on Drekhve. Without even acknowledging the warrior ahead of him the substitute continued on as if he didn't exist.
"Answer me!" Teranol demanded again, aiming his sword for the still approaching substitute.
Without hesitation Teranol struck, stabbing his blade forward to pierce Ichigo through the chest. But his attempted did not end as he expected. Ichigo twisted to the side and let the blade pass by him, before he grabbed the edge of the Tauren's shield and pushed it aside to deliver the coup de grace to Teranol chin.
The strike actually sent the Tauren brave's head straight up, leaving him standing there motionless for a few moments. He dropped his sword and then he fell onto his back with a loud thud, leaving everyone to gawk at the quick and brutal takedown of their most seasoned warrior. The surprise only continued as the substitute turned toward Drekhve and spoke to him.
"Drekhve… you and I need to talk," Ichigo said, walking forward and grasping the shield that he tied to his sash.
Many turned to the Tauren youngblood as his name was called, and he walked forward and stood before the angry substitute. Who in turn threw the shield at his feet and glared at the Tauren warrior.
"Why are you here Ichigo?" Drekhve growled under his breath, narrowing his eyes at the boy's actions, was he actually looking for conflict.
"I am here about Shady Rest," Ichigo said, glaring at the harder at the Tauren. "I took that shield from one of the bastards that killed everyone there."
Drekhve didn't react at the words, but the news of the attack did surprise him, he had heard nothing about this. But he glanced at the broken and charred shield and wondered where he was going with this. It didn't look like anything he could recognize, what was the point of this?
"Why does this concern me?" Drekhve questioned, glancing up at the Shinigami whose scowl only deepened.
"Because I took it from a Tauren," Ichigo growled out, actually getting a reaction from the Tauren warrior, his eyes widening at the statement. "I took it from one out of many Tauren who attacked and massacred everyone in that town!"
Everyone looked on in surprise, there was a massacre, and there were Tauren involved. There was no way that could be true, why would their people attack and destroy a town. That was the thought of many around them who were close enough to make out the conversation. But Drekhve had another thought, and he glared at Ichigo for even thinking what he was thinking.
"You suspect us?" Drekhve said, and he narrowed his eyes and growled. "You dare accuse us of such foul savagery."
"The town was attacked because they thought there were raiders there," Ichigo stated, stepping forward threateningly as his glare pierced through Drekhve's. "Exactly why are you and your friends here?"
"We are here to ensure no more convoys are attacked," Drekhve responded without hesitation.
"Does that include murdering innocent men, woman, and children?" Ichigo snarled, his eyes momentarily flashing gold. "After all you called me a kid and didn't have a problem with that."
"Do not twist my words boy, I only offer this courtesy because I owe you, but that will only take you so far," Drekhve snarled at Ichigo.
"For a child killer, you have no fucking honor," Ichigo replied, Drekhve stepped close and glared right into Ichigo's eyes, he dared suggest he had no honor!
"I will kill you if you ever say that again,"
There was silence between them for a moment, both glaring at one another with barely contained rage and intent to murder one another.
"You knew about the town, you knew about the raiders, and you said yourself that the Horde has had disputes with them for being close to the borders, what's stopping you from killing everyone there?" Ichigo shouted at the warrior, a fight threatening to break out at any moment.
"Because the Warchief, and my Chieftain, would never condone such barbarism while they live!" Drekhve roared in defiant fury, his fists clenched and his posture tense.
"Yet it didn't seem to stop the ones who killed everyone!" Ichigo yelled back.
"We did not commit this massacre; we are not the ones responsible!" Drekhve retorted, his fury levelled with the substitutes.
"Prove it! You are the only ones who are here and you also knew about the town, knew there were Raiders, and that the town was close to the borders; a tempting target for a roaming warband like yours!" Ichigo shouted.
"We did not commit this! Many in the Horde know of the town, many know that the Gold Road is a target for raiders, and we are not the only band that moves along it," Drekhve replied.
"Yet you are here and now, a few hours riding distance away from Shady Rest!" Ichigo replied.
Both glared at one another for a time, neither saying a word, they simply waiting for one to attack. They both had their own mindsets in this argument, one wanted to find the answers to the massacre, while the other wanted to prove the Hordes innocence in the attack. But neither were able to do either, there was no proof for either side to use in defense of accusation that wasn't conjecture and personal opinion.
So Drekhve suggested something in a moment of clarity.
"I will make one offer, I will prove our innocence along with the Horde in this," Drekhve stated, his words calm and composed and he relaxed his posture and looked at the boy critically.
"How will you do that?" Ichigo questioned, as his stance relaxing like Drekhve's.
"I will search for those who may be responsible, there must be clues left as to who they were and where they went," Drekhve replied, if the attackers only attacked recently then they had to be close to the area.
Also if they came through this area then they could easily locate them, if they attacked the town by foot rather than by mount then finding them would be even easier. They would still likely be trying to leave the area, travelling through the barrens as a party was slower than with only a few.
"I may be able to help you then, we found the remains of a convoy, going to Thousand Needles from Thunderbluff, it was being sent by someone named Agasham," Ichigo said.
"Where did you come by this information?" Drekhve probed, wanting to know where he found this convoy.
"It was on the convoy, and whoever the convoy belonged to may be responsible for the attack on Shady Rest?" Ichigo replied, giving him nothing else on where he had found it, he didn't need any more problems, he needed them to do something other than accuse them.
"Why is that?" Drekhve asked.
"Because they had enough weapons to supply an army," Ichigo said, and Drekhve nodded in understanding, if the ones who attacked were dealing in weapons, then the character of the people was likely violent and ruthless.
"Then to Thunderbluff I will go," Drekhve grabbed the shield and then raised his free arm to Ichigo, offering a hand shake to seal their agreement.
Ichigo took it and they glared at one another once more, telling the other that they expected to have the answers by their next meeting. That meeting would likely be occurring in the very near future. With that done both Ichigo and Drekhve turned their backs on one another and moved off, leaving many others flabbergasted at the strange scene that had played out before them.
Ichigo walked down the hill and mounted his steed and immediately bolted towards the east, his destination being Dustwallow Marsh. While Drekhve moved to the few Kodo's they has grazing at a small watering hole nearby. His destination was to the north, Mulgore, and then to Thunderbluff.
"What are you doing?" Yeruul said, shocked by the sudden argument that erupted and then this. "Are you actually going to Thunderbluff?"
"Yes," Drekhve answered plainly.
"Why?"
"To keep our honor and that of the Horde unsullied," Drekhve said.
"You wouldn't give a damn if this came from a human, what makes that one actually make you want to do what he says?" Yureel demanded, wanting to know why Drekhve didn't just cut him down like he should have for coming in here and attacking one of their warriors.
"Because he saved my life, and I am indebted to him, I will do this to preserve our honor and repay that debt; I will prove to him the Horde is not responsible," Drekhve said, mounting the Kodo and moving off, leaving behind a confused warrior.
"What shall I tell Teranol?" Yureel asked, knowing that he couldn't stop Drekhve, he was too stubborn to listen when he set his mind to something.
"Tell him the truth, and he can do with it as he pleases," Drekhve replied, moving towards the slope.
"He will be angry you left!"
"My honor will not allow me to let this go unanswered. I must do this for all our sakes!"
