Disclaimer: This disclaimer is going by so fast; you won't even know what's happening! Idontownnarutoorworldofwarcraftmittensbufftonkakungfudogslargeboobsarehotandyoudontknowwhatishappeningtoyoubecauseyourentirerealityiscollapsingasyoureadthisorisitactuallyreality.
Here's the next installment of The Legend of Uzumaki Naruto
It was nearly sundown by the time Naruto and Golbarn got back, both sweating heavily, and neither in the best of moods. It had taken an incalculable number of hours for the ancient goblin to count out the copper pieces, having had to restart several times due to him "forgetting" what number he was on. By the end, Naruto felt like he had fused with the chair he had been sitting on, and Golbarn had managed to plan out every possible encounter with nearly every type of creature that imaginable that wandered the Barrens. After that, they had to lug a huge bag full of copper coins (or rather Naruto had) back across the quickly darkening Barrens, as they had neither the time nor the will to stay in Ratchet for the night.
For several more hours they then hiked across the Barrens, thankfully encountering very little resistance. That wasn't very mysterious, however, as they two were yelling up a storm that was louder than a female orc on her period, and the constant arguing had scared off anything that might have had the courage (or stupidity) to venture too close.
After hours of this, they had arrived at the gates of Orgrimmar, both seething, which caused the guards to hasten in their efforts to open the gates, allowing the Warchief's apprentice and the other orc to enter unopposed.
Naruto, both ferociously hungry and dead tired, had a small internal debate on whether he should drop off to sleep immediately, or get some Loon'des from Sarjak's.
That debate quickly ended, however, as the side for going to sleep was unable to organize their notes effectively, and were crushed into the dust by the side for going to get food. There was a healthy bit of name calling as well.
Naruto said a brief, yawning goodbye to Golbarn, who responded with a grunt, before heading towards Sarjak's, in the heart of the Valley of Strength.
The small restaurant was still open, and Sarjak himself was attending the counter, where two other orcs were sitting, deeply engrossed in a conversation that Naruto didn't really care about. He took a seat at the counter, and Sarjak walked up to him. The older orc's grey eyes softened slightly upon seeing the boy's state of appearance, and so he decided to forgo the usual barbs directed and the blonde.
"What'll it be, brat?" he asked, calmly.
Naruto rubbed his eyes, mumbling, "Bowl of giraffe loon'des please."
Sarjak nodded, having suspected as much. He dropped the noodles in the heavy iron pot along with the spices necessary for it to be considered loon'des. He then added the meat, of a freshly killed giraffe, before he turned back to Naruto.
"Rough journey?" he asked.
Naruto nodded.
"Yeah…didn't help with that bastard Golbarn bothering me the entire time…" the boy said, rubbing his eyes again, making it quite clear that it was taking all he had to stay awake.
Sarjak snorted, briefly turning his attention back to the noodles simmering in the pot, giving them a stir, then turning back to Naruto.
"You sure it wasn't the other way around? You're rather bothersome, in my opinion."
Naruto scowled at him, not really in the mood for jokes.
"Thanks for your kind words…" the boy said in an uncharacteristically sarcastic tone, sticking his tongue out at the old orc.
Sarjak smirked a little in return, which surprised him a little, before he scooped the noodles out and into a bowl, along with the broth, handing it to Naruto. The boy wasted no time in diving in, using the provided chopsticks and eating with gusto. Sarjak turned back and reduced the heat of the stove, not intending to make much more loon'des that night. He didn't expect the boy to hang around long anyways, seeing as he was dead tired, and the bowls were quite large anyways.
Naruto was thinking along much the same lines, and so he tried to eat as fast as he could. When he had first been allowed to eat at the restaurant, he had been ecstatic at how large the bowls were. Orcs were far larger than humans, and thusly they needed far more energy in order for their body to function properly. So, the amount of noodles that Naruto was served was akin to about three or four bowls of regular ramen back in Konoha.
In short, it was perfect for the ramen eating black hole that was Naruto's stomach.
While Naruto was still eating, he heard Sarjak say something to him.
"It is unfortunate that you came back so late, brat. Your old friend, Rexxar, was here earlier today, speaking with the Warchief. I imagine you would have had a few things to say to him, eh?"
Naruto looked up, a little shocked.
"He was here? Dammit! I still gotta beat that bastard into the ground for kicking my ass and making my life a whole lot harder!" the boy roared, his meal temporarily forgotten.
During the first few days after his spectacular loss to Rexxar, Naruto had still been rather raw about losing to the massive half-orc. The fact that Rexxar hadn't been around for Naruto to hound also added to his annoyance of the Champion. He had asked Thrall a few things about Rexxar when he was still delivering messages for the Warchief.
Flashback:
"I need ta' ask you something," Naruto said, looking up at Thrall, who was sitting upon his throne, reading over a message that Naruto had just returned with.
The orc glanced up briefly, his piercing blue eyes staring calmly into Naruto's own.
"Yes? Ask what you need to," he returned, glancing back down at the message, even though he had long finished it.
"Where the hell is that bastard who defeated me? Rexxar, or something, that was his name, right?" the boy said.
Thrall lowered the message, and looked fully at the blonde by this time.
"Oh, indeed, his name is Rexxar, Champion of the Horde," Thrall said.
"Who is he? And where did he go? He owes me a rematch!"
Thrall chuckled, and said, "You are ages away from being able to defeat him in combat, child. Rexxar is incredibly powerful; he is my equal in many respects, and my superior in many others. Even with your strange and incredible power of the demons, his skill far surpasses anything that you can do currently. I have not even begun teaching you, so how can you expect to be able to fight him so soon?"
Naruto reddened a little, realizing that he was still quite raw about losing to the orc. He hadn't lost once in a battle since he had arrived in Azeroth, and compounding on the fact that he had the only true battle that he had lost since becoming a ninja was to Orochimaru, then Sasuke, it annoyed the boy to no end. He didn't take losses well, and the feelings that he had felt after Sasuke had defeated him at the Valley of the End had been brought to the surface once more. He, even with the power of a demon, had lost to a foe that could have killed him at any time. If he had died, then he would have failed Kira, and Sakura, and everyone in this world and the next.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that he should just buck up and accept his loss, but that wasn't something Naruto could do.
It wasn't something that he had needed to do, ever in the course of his life. He had always fought, and had never simply accepted his losses.
Because that was what Uzumaki Naruto did. He was a fighter, born and bred, and for that reason, could not accept his loss, not when he could fight to rectify it.
Thrall, however, continued, unabated.
"As for where he is…I cannot say. Rexxar is a trusted friend, but I still do not know where he goes. He wanders the land, and does what needs to be done in order for my people to thrive. He returns occasionally to inform me of the news of the world, but those times are few and far between. Wait until you are stronger, perhaps then you might challenge him again, since you seem so keen on fighting the ones that are stronger than you."
Naruto nodded, letting the information settle in. Thrall then lifted up another animal skin scroll, and tossed it to Naruto.
"Here's your next assignment. Take this to Vargris, whom you should find in the Valley of Strength," the Warchief said.
Naruto pocketed the scroll, and left, muttering about how vague instructions would be the death of him.
End Flashback
"Damn…oh well…I'll get him next time…" Naruto muttered, digging back into his noodles.
Sarjak shook his head, smirking. He had to admit, this human brat was interesting. Since the Horde had fallen into disarray, Orgrimmar hadn't been the same. No longer did he see groups of Trolls or Tauren wandering the streets, mixing with the sea of greenish faces that he usually saw. He didn't even see the occasional Forsaken anymore, though he had to admit, he didn't exactly miss them as much as the other two. But for the most part, Orgrimmar just wasn't…Orgrimmar without the other parts of the Horde.
He looked again at the blonde, who was finishing the bowl, gulping down the broth in one continuous stream. This boy was interesting, indeed. He was technically the first human to have stayed in Orgrimmar at all, if you didn't include the multitude of prisoners that had been captured during the bloodier days of the war. There was something different about him, to be sure. He was the first human that Sarjak could effectively call his friend. He didn't know why, but the brat simply had that effect on people. Though the masses of Orgrimmar hadn't truly accepted him, and it was unlikely that he would ever gain favor with all of them, Sarjak could tell that it wouldn't be long before people started to view the boy in the same way he did.
He fought for a group of people who treated him like the lowest form of dirt.
He fought with all of his power, even if it might have been for other reasons than simply to help the Orcish people.
That, in Sarjak's opinion, had to account for something.
Besides, the boy was amusing to talk with, and that was good enough for the old chef.
Upon finishing his noodles, Naruto set the large bowl down in front of him, then dropped a bunch of silver on the counter, before sliding off his seat (which was somewhat tall for him).
"Well, thanks old man! I'm gonna…(yawn) go to sleep…seeya," the blonde mumbled, gradually looking more tired as he spoke.
Sarjak nodded, and waved the boy off.
"Best get some rest boy, I have a feeling that your going to be in for quite a day tomorrow," the noodle chef answered, pocketing the silver.
Naruto nodded wearily, then turned and walked off into the night, back towards Grommash Hold.
Indeed, as Sarjak predicted, Naruto would be in for quite the adventure in the following days; ones that would test him far more than any he had encountered thus far in his adventures within this strange world of Azeroth.
That dirty bitch…Kira thought, grinding her teeth as she looked at the scene in front of her.
She was sitting at her normal spot at the dinner table, just to the left of the head, where her father currently sat, joking and laughing with the occupant of the seat directly across from Kira.
High Inquisitor Whitemane.
She twitched in revulsion at the thought of the woman, looking at her was almost unbearable.
She had returned the previous week, along with an entourage of Scarlet Crusaders and because of her father's hospitality, now had a room to stay in within the castle.
That just happened to be right next to Kira's.
So, in addition to seeing the shamefully lewd woman every meal time, she had to sleep in the room next to her, fearing that she might be stabbed, beaten, or otherwise maimed or killed while she slept.
All in all, it wasn't a pleasant experience.
It had been almost three weeks since her father's outburst during the Council meeting, and during that time, the Scarlet Crusade hadn't wasted anytime in trying to convince the people of Stormwind that they were a benign force, there to help those in need. Their healers set up in the hospitals and infirmaries, healing and curing patients with the practiced ease that came from years of studying the Healing arts, locked away in a secluded monastery in the mountains. Their soldiers were garrisoned in the Barracks along with the guards of Stormwind, and they would go out into the forest daily, clearing the roads of anything that might pose a threat to travelers. Their mages spent days scouring the library, organizing it, copying or beginning reprints of older books, or inscribing and creating runes on the outer walls, reinforcing them against attack.
The people of Stormwind were remarkable accepting of the Crusaders, something that made Kira ill to think about. Couldn't they see that it was all just a farce?
Benedictus, however, didn't have the faith she had in the people. He believed that they'd even welcome The Syndicate with open arms if they appeared to have good intentions, regardless of the past grievances that they had inflicted. That was the problem, he believed, with Stormwind. In recent years, they had become too trusting of their own kind, and far too untrusting of any others. Though it pained Kira to think like that, she knew it was true.
Something needed to be done to rectify that. She didn't know what, or how, but it needed to be done, and fast. The world was growing darker by the day, and unless the races of the world forgot their pasts with each other, and began anew, then it would continue to darken until it smothered everything, extinguishing the life that flourished like one would a candle.
She knew that her father was on the verge of allying with the Crusade, and that scared her. She had yet to find any reason for why her father was acting as he was, and Benedictus wasn't telling her anything. Unless she could do something to convince her father that the Crusade was completely untrustworthy, the alliance would be sealed.
Then, she believed, everything would go to hell.
"Amazing! Beautiful and a sense of humor! You are quite the lady, my dear Andria!" said Anduin, laughing along with the scantily clad priestess.
"But you can appreciate such a good joke, your Grace, and you aren't half bad looking, to boot," said Whitemane, her brilliant blue eyes shining with mirth.
I'm gonna be sick… she thought, slumping lower in her seat as she glared at the two. They had done the very same thing the past few days, simply chatting away, ignoring everyone else in the room, laughing at their own private jokes, or whispering things in each other's ears that made one or the other chuckle or in some cases, blush. On several occasions when they did those things, Kira had needed to leave the table as fast as possible, so that she didn't accidentally throw up her dinner in front of them.
Though, if she had been sure she could get Whitemane with a stream, it wouldn't be a total loss.
But it was as sickening as it was infuriating. For Kira, it felt like her father was completely forgetting her mother, in favor of a hussy who didn't feel like wearing trousers or at least a dress like most women.
Though Kira hadn't known her mother for long, she still felt a sense of pride when people compared her to her mother. Her father, she knew, had been deeply in love with her mother, and when the news of her death, when Kira was still very young, he had been devastated. So after that, he had thrown himself into his ruling, using whatever means necessary to aid the Alliance, and make the world safe for his people. During that time, he had managed to unite the divided human kingdoms in the area, something that hadn't been done for ages. He had made it his personal mission to insure that his people would be able to live as safely and freely as possible.
But when the gnomes had departed, then the Night Elves, and finally the dwarves, somewhere along the way, her father had changed. Whether it was because of the Alliance's dissolution, or something else, the man that now sat flirting with the skanky leader of the Scarlet Monastery was not her father. The man who had said those things at the Council weeks ago, too, was not her father. It was like there was another person inside of him, one that was released on periodic occasions; occasions that were growing more and more frequent. She saw less and less of her father these days, and far more of this strange man who looked and sounded like her father, but was not.
She finished her breakfast quickly, not really wanting to stay any longer, listening to the pointless drivel that the two were engaging in. She had a lesson with Benedictus, in any case, and so she needed to leave anyways.
She politely excused herself, which fell on her father's deaf ears, before quickly retreating from the room, making her way towards the chapel.
She arrived moments later to find Benedictus pouring over a few scrolls, muttering things under his breath. He looked up as she approached the altar, rolling up the scrolls as he did.
"Hello, child. I can't imagine your day has been very good so far, so I won't ask," he said, setting the scrolls aside and motioning her to take a seat. She did so, glancing curiously at the scrolls as she did.
"What are those, master?" she asked, leaning forwards to examine them closer.
He slapped her hand away, however, and chastised her, "Look, my dear, but don't touch. They are very delicate old scrolls. As to what they contain, I am not sure myself, as they are written in a language that I am unfamiliar with. I think it may be some form of Elvish, but it lacks the prettiness that their language possesses, so it makes me think that is older than them, perhaps a very early form of Trollish," he explained, glancing at the scrolls again.
Kira blinked, a little puzzled. What in the Twisting Nethers was her master doing with ancient Trollish scrolls?
"Don't give me that look," he said, noticing her disbelieving stare, "these may contain some information that might be vital to you and me. When I have managed to properly translate it, which shouldn't be too long, I will tell you its contents, but for now, you must listen."
He sat down in front of her, and spoke softly, his golden eyes piercing into hers like arrows.
"I am worried, Kira, very worried. The Scarlet Crusade's efforts to foster goodwill between themselves and the people of our city are going far better than I had hoped they would. To me, this seems as if they are planning something immense, something that will change the lives of our people and possibly the course of history. They are not doing this to help the King's decision to make the alliance; they are doing it for far different reasons, ones that are far more sinister.
"I am terrified because the people of Stormwind are too accepting, too gullible; they do not look past the sugar-coated layer that the Crusaders put up, the one that conceals their true intentions.
"The next few weeks, my dear, I believe will be the most trying in your life. You must be strong, and you must have faith. If you have those two things secured firmly within yourself, I believe that things may turn out all right in the end.
"But…there is something that I must ask you to do…something that may or may not come to pass, but should it, you must do exactly as I say. Do you understand?" he said, in almost a whisper. He was staring directly at her, so hard that it was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain eye contact, for his eyes seemed to glow as bright as miniature suns.
She nodded, "I understand."
He sighed, smiling sadly at her, before his features composed themselves.
"Should anything happen, to myself, or to your father…I want you to leave," he said, causing her to stand up in shock, staring at him wide-eyed.
"What!" she nearly shouted, "Leave? Why?"
"Simple. In anything of that magnitude occur, I would like to leave Stormwind as soon as possible. Whatever happens, nothing good will come of it, and you would be caught in the middle, something that I do not want you to experience. Should something happen to me, then the chances for re-allying with the other races will drop considerably, and the only person aside from the boy who knows of your plan will be dead. If it is your father, then those fools would propose you as the new heir, and you would be made queen well before you are ready. Either way, you would be in a position that will make it exceedingly difficult to accomplish what you need to. Therefore, it would be in your best interests to leave," he finished, still watching her, unblinking.
"Then where would I go?" she asked, worry coursing through every vein in her body. She couldn't bear the thought of something happening to her father, and it would be just as bad if Benedictus were harmed. It was also deeply worrisome that Benedictus was so afraid. She had once rather foolishly believed him to be invincible, a person who omniscient, omnipotent, and could make everything as it should be. She had harbored the same feelings for her father, but those had changed as he had. Her father was not invincible, for if he was, then he would not have changed so much.
Similarly, Benedictus had since proved to her that he was just as human as the rest of Stormwind. He couldn't do everything, he didn't know everything, and he couldn't help everyone. He didn't always know what was right. He didn't always know what to do.
And that scared her.
Benedictus was easily one of the most powerful men in the world. But he was still human. He was not perfect. He was not always unafraid.
His uncertainty of the situation was troubling, and she knew that if he were at a loss of what to do, then she would be no better. But moreover, it was his frightening certainty that something would happen in the next few weeks, something big that would change her life, something that would change everyone's lives.
And it was change that she feared most.
Her father had changed. The world had changed, growing darker and darker. She was changing; everything was continually growing, shrinking, aging, and dying. It was because of change that her father now acted like a perverted schoolboy; it was because of change that she no longer had a mother; it was because of change that the Scourge continued to grow and fester, like a gangrenous wound on the face of the world; it was because of change that the Elves and the Dwarves and the Gnomes no longer allied with them. Everything was changing, and she could do nothing to stop it.
She didn't want things to change. She knew it was stupid and childish, and that it was pointless to even hope, but she didn't.
Yes…it was change that she feared. And in the next few weeks, Benedictus was certain that an immense change would come. So he was preparing.
And so should she.
"It does not matter where you go. Ironforge, Gnomeregan, even perhaps to chase after you future husband," he allowed himself a small smile at her flush, before continuing. " It matters only that you get away from here. Can you promise me this, my dear? Can you promise that should something happen, you will leave?"
Kira bit her lip, trying her best to speak with certainty.
"I…I-I…promise." She said slowly, looking at him. He stared at her for a few seconds, and then nodded.
"Very good. Then we must get started."
"Yes, master."
Thrall sat upon his throne, his face as composed as ever, his electric-blue eyes betraying no emotion. The huge orc was leaning forward, resting his hands upon the massive Doomhammer that was never far from his reach. He was staring hard at Naruto, who was standing a few yards in front of the throne, watching him.
It was still early morning, and Naruto had only just woken up. The blonde's disheveled appearance was testament to the fact that he hadn't gotten the necessary sleep the previous night. He yawned widely, briefly glancing away from Thrall in order to rub his eyes.
It turned out to be a big mistake.
Half a second later, Thrall had appeared in front of the blonde, startling him, and without a second's pause the huge orc had driven his foot hard into Naruto's stomach. The blonde was launched across the room, but managed to absorb the damage from his inevitable impact with the wall using Kongou. When the impact came, the stonewall cracked and broke under the strain, but Naruto was almost unharmed by the attack.
All that training is really paying off… he thought.
He lowered himself into a fighting stance, but before he could even locate were Thrall had gone, the orc was right in front of him, fist raised, ready to deliver an excruciatingly powerful blow to Naruto. The boy readied himself a second time for Kongou, managing to put up the defense mere milliseconds before Thrall's punch landed. The punch, as hard as the last, slammed Naruto away from Thrall, but this time he managed to reorient himself before he struck the wall, instead landing deftly against it, causing the stone to crack once again beneath the force.
Using the built up energy in his legs, Naruto shot forwards, straight towards Thrall. The massive orc, however, was not there to greet, instead was suddenly at the blonde's side, delivering a series of powerful, lightning-quick blows that Naruto couldn't defend against.
Naruto was once again throne backwards, this time, however, he hadn't readied the Kongou to absorb the damage. Instead, he crashed against the wall, crying out in pain as he did, before landing hard on the ground.
Naruto struggled to his feet, emitting a series of hacking coughs that brought up a significant amount of blood. He lifted his head slightly, only to find Thrall standing in front him, staring down with large, blue eyes.
Too fast…Naruto thought, stunned.
The Warchief watched Naruto for a few seconds, before reaching out a hand, and helping the blonde to his feet. Though dazed, Naruto found the pain in his back and chest ebbing away as a result of the Kyuubi's regeneration. He sorely wished he hadn't told Thrall of that particular ability, because afterwards Thrall had begun testing it to its limits during their spars, leaving Naruto beaten and bruised despite the healing factor.
When Naruto as able to stand unaided, Thrall met his questioning glare.
"Wind…" he said aloud, glancing about him as if he could see something Naruto could not. "Wind is invisible, unable to be caught, fluid and extremely powerful. It is fast, strong and it is what every fighter attempts to emulate in battle. Though none but the Shaman can truly duplicate its power. That is the second style of the Tetra Elemental. Wind. In my opinion, it is the hardest of the styles to master, because ones body needs to be immensely strong to be able to handle the speed that you go when using this style. It also takes the longest to learn, and though you have strengthened your body considerably in the past few weeks, you will need to do so even more in order to handle the power that you will wield with this style."
Naruto felt incredibly giddy. After seeing a monstrously huge person like Thrall move at such an incredible speed, probably even faster than Gai, he couldn't wait to learn this technique. The advantages he'd have in battle would be staggering.
And still two styles to go! He thought, feeling all the more like Jiraiya after having spotted an all-female nudist colony.
Thrall's next words, however, cut through his excitement like a freshly sharpened sword.
"You will not have much time to learn it, seeing as you have to leave soon for your next mission."
Naruto gaped.
How could he do this?
He reveals an extremely powerful, ultra-useful technique to Naruto, and then announces that he won't be able to learn it until after a stupid mission?
It took all of Naruto's willpower to stop from screaming at the huge orc, and he even bit his lip so hard it bled to stop himself from emitting a particularly nasty swearword, one that had already gotten him into trouble before.
Thrall seemed amused at the blonde's reaction, but spoke again, seeing Naruto had gotten himself under control.
"You will be taking Golbarn with you once more. Your mission is simple…far across the Barrens, to the southwest, there is a place called Mulgore. Unlike the Barrens, Mulgore is a rich land, filled with water, grass, and trees. It is surrounded completely by mountains, which protect it from the heat streams that make the Barrens so deserted. It is a place that many of my kind went to in order to either retire, or to simply live away from the hustle and bustle of my city. It is also the native land of the Horde's former members, the Tauren.
"The Tauren have lived in Mulgore for generations, far longer than my race, the orcs, have even inhabited this realm. They are extremely peaceful; it was them who first suggested we ally with the humans against the demons of the Burning Legion. They abhor violence of all kinds, but are willing to use it in order to protect that which they hold dear.
"What they hold dear the most, however, is the very earth that we stand upon now," Naruto briefly glanced at his feet, before meeting the orc's eyes once more. "It was their love for this earth, however, that I believe led them to leave the safety of the Horde. They are a deeply shamanistic people, having trained the majority of the shamans that reside in this city right now. They are also far more in tune with the spirits of this world, and it is for that reason that they needed to leave.
"Cairn Bloodhoof, the chieftain of the Tauren, came to me one day, saying that he needed my help with something. Cairn was, and still is, a great friend and ally. So I listened to what he had to say. He explained that he would explain all it time, and that he knew that the world was in danger, not from the Scourge or the Burning Legion, but from a very different, and unexpected foe…"
"Who?" Naruto asked, his attention drawn in by the story.
'The Venture Company," the Warchief responded, sighing a little.
Naruto blinked; that was the second time in a day that he had heard of the Venture Company.
"I keep hearing about these Venture Company guys…who are they? The goblins in Ratchet seem to hate them, but…"
"The goblins of Ratchet would hate them. The Venture Company has almost a monopoly in the mining, oiling, and wood-harvesting trades. They acquire the majority of their inventions by stealing the blueprints of other inventors, and then usually killing them. They also mine and oil in places extremely lush and fertile areas, such as the Stranglethorn Vale, or the Stonetalon Mountains. They cut down trees by the bunch, they tear up ground in search of oil and other fossil fuels, destroying environments that peoples such as the Tauren hold dear. They then sell the goods at prices that nobody can match, because they have acquired control of all the prime areas in this world.
"Cairn was deeply troubled when the Venture Co. moved into Mulgore, many years ago. He did not concern himself with them for a while, focusing all his power and resources on fighting the humans and their allies. However, they grew in power and strength and number, eventually drilling a hole straight through the mountains to the north of Mulgore, so that they could have easy access to the Stonetalon Mountain Forest.
"By this point, Cairn believed he needed to take action. I sent several of my men along with him, as did the Trolls, so that they could combat and drive them out of Mulgore. But it didn't work."
"Why not?" Naruto asked.
"Because The Venture Co. had hired several mercenary groups…ogres, mostly, to protect the mining operations. Though Cairn and his people were able to fight drive them back several times, The Venture Co. returned with powerful machines, ones that were able to drive Cairn back to Thunder Bluff. He had been unable to drive them away; something that I believe shamed him.
"Nevertheless, I sent more of my people to aid him, despite the heavy strain that I was putting on them. I was already at war with the Scourge, the remnants of the Legion, and the Alliance; I did not have many forces to spare, though I did my best. Cairn fought the Venture Co. for nearly a year like this, doing his best to try and drive them from his sacred homelands. Though he made much progress, he was not able to fully accomplish it when I last heard from it.
"And then…he simply stopped."
Naruto blinked, perplexed.
"What do you mean…stopped?" he asked, staring with one eyebrow raised.
Thrall was hunched over, resting his chin on the back of his hands, which were draped over the Doomhammer; his look was one of depression. He looked much older than he truly was, sitting like that.
"He simply stopped. He stopped fighting the Venture Co., and he sent what was left of my warriors back here. I sent numerous messengers to ask what was wrong, but each one returned with no answer. I even dared to go myself, but found that he would not speak to me, something that he had never done in our entire friendship. His people, devoted to him as they are, stayed with him in Thunder Bluff; I have not heard from him since, though many of his people continue to roam the Barrens, and collaborate with me, they do not fight by the side of my orcs, instead staying cloistered within Mulgore, like monks in a monastery. I had no time to attempt to convince him otherwise, as I had many other things to deal with at the time. But now…I need their help. It seems that they need mine as well.
"That is the premise of your mission, brat. You are to go to Thunder Bluff, and stay there until you can convince Cairn to re-ally with me. You are to offer him any help that he may require, and you will not return until this mission is completed. Do you understand?"
Naruto nodded, not single trace of hesitation in his actions.
"Yeah, I do. Get the Tauren back, die trying, got it. You better teach me that technique when I get back though, cause that'd be seriously useful in the future. Got it?" the blonde said, staring up at Thrall with his eyes gleaming in anticipation.
Thrall sweat dropped.
"Of course, brat."
Naruto grinned cheerfully, before the cheer melted away, revealing the determined, slightly arrogant grin that had become Naruto's trademark.
"That's settled then. I'll go get that bastard Golbarn, and then I'll knock some sense into that old cow. I'm not gonna let any stupid goblins get in my way."
With that, Naruto turned, and strode confidently from the room.
Off the coast of the Stonetalon Mountain Forest…
The blast from a massive horn shattered the tranquil silence of the seas, in much the same way that the equally massive ship that had emitted it carved through the calm waters off the coast of Kalimdor.
The ship itself was far larger than any conventional fishing boat, or even a war galley. It was incredibly long, nearly fifty yards in length, half that it width. It had two, sky-scraping masts, each adorned with a crow's nest, at the top of which was a white flag bearing a black dragon that clutched a golden coin in its claws. The sails, which were rolled up, were black and the dark wood of the vessel matched them perfectly. All along the sides, massive oars stuck from small holes in the side, and were constantly moving, back and forth, churning up gallons of water to propel the mighty ship forward. The figurehead of the ship was that of a beautiful mermaid clutching a large, real diamond in its hands.
It was a ship fit for a king, one might say.
Or a prince.
On the deck of the ship there were dozens of goblins, each of them dressed in elegant, finely sewn vestments, speaking lightly to each other, sometimes joking and snickering, but most of the time simply lounging about, acting like seventy year old tourists on a cruise ship.
One might notice, that, with all of these goblins simply lounging about, there didn't appear to be anybody working. However, if one went below the deck, one could see that there were quite a few workers. But if one were sharp, they would notice that none of the workers were goblins, but all different sorts of beasts and beings.
There were gnolls, the ugly, hyena-like beasts that inhabited Elwynn Forest. There were the brutish ogres, with their thick, beige skin and overflowing body fat. Mixed in to the majorities of gnolls and ogres were a scattering of forest trolls; tall, strong, pointy-eared, tusked beings that possessed only three fingers on each hand, and only two toes on each of their feet.
But beneath them, even, tucked away in the back, was a most lavish space. Red carpet had been laid on the floor; the walls had been painted with lush scenes that depicted lands far off, with beautiful forests, gorgeous lagoons, birds of every type flying in view, flowers of every size and shape blooming; upon the ceiling, a large, extravagant chandelier had been installed, with layers of hanging gems, cut to look like teardrops, of every color and size.
At one end stood at door, on each side of which stood a forest troll, and the other, a large, ornate chair. The chair was wood, carved to look as if vines were growing up its legs, with small wooden flowers blooming at small points along the way. However, the flowers soon withered and burnt as they reached the top, where a massive, ornate dragon had been set, breathing flames down up on the life below. The dragon sat atop a pile of carved golden coins.
Sitting upon the chair, however, was neither a dragon, nor a flower. Dressed in the most outlandish, expensive looking garbs one could ever see, a goblin sat, staring in disgust at another goblin who sat trembling in front of him.
The goblin that was looking down in disgust was as bald as any other, and his skin was as green as the one at his feet, and his ears were as pointy. There, however, was where the similarities ended. He had many piercings in each ear, all either made of gold or bedecked with gems. His outlandish clothes, which consisted of a purple tunic, silky black pants and fine leather boots, with a long fur coat, far too long for one of the goblin's stature, and silky leather gloves.
His face was unblemished and smooth, his nose long and pointed; his eyes were a rich silver, and many of his teeth had been replaced with gold copies, making his mouth shine even with the look of disgust on his face.
By contrast, the goblin that sat shaking at his feet was dressed in drab, plain clothes, and he wore no jewelry. One of his ears was half-gone, and the other drooped down, as dogs would when it was depressed. He had more missing teeth than he had remaining, and his eyes were a dull, hollow black, almost grey. His face was slightly emaciated, as if he hadn't eaten for quite a while.
The enthroned goblin spoke, "Now…do you recall what you did, Gurdingle? I would hate for you to have to return to the brig…do you remember? Hmm…?"
The trembling goblin was silent for a time, but it was evident that he as trying to form words.
"I-I…"he said, his voice raspy from lack of water, "I-I….r-remember…m-my l-lord…"
The enthroned goblin smiled.
"There! Now that wasn't so hard was it? Now tell me what you did, and you can return to your cabin, and eat as much as you like!"
The other goblin swallowed, but seemed slightly relieved. He spoke again, this time a little louder, a little more confident.
"I-I…d-did n-not…I-I…was…u-unable to…p-pay…the r-required…e-entry f-fee…" he took a few breaths, then spoke again, "I-I…a-am sorry…m-my lord…it…w-was…w-wrong of m-me to deceive…y-you."
The enthroned goblin gave a nod and a smile, and rose from his throne.
"There now! You see how much better you feel? It was rather foolish of you, in retrospect, to think you could get away with slacking off. Since you didn't pay the fee that all of my other guests did, you were forced to work. Since you didn't like to work, you decided to stop working, and just lounge about, as if you owned the place. But you see how much lighter you feel? You see how the very air you breath is now cleaner? You grow stronger by the second, inhaling this new air, don't you? See how much better honesty is? I hope you remember this in the future, Gurdingle, because it is a valuable life lesson that must be taught to everyone."
Gurdingle nodded, but, as the other goblin had suggested, felt slightly better. After being kept in a cell for nearly a week, with little water and no food, he was half-dead of exhaustion and starvation. But the hope that he now could return and feast on what the workers were eating, which before he had spat out, as if it were slime, now seemed like a banquet to him.
His lord was so kind…
The enthroned goblin then looked up and nodded to the trolls that stood near the door at the other end of the room.
"Now, my friends, escort my new friend Gurdingle, who now knows that lying gets you nowhere, and take him to get some grub, okay?"
The hulking trolls nodded; one of them walked forwards, and lifted Gurdingle off his feet, hauling him towards the other troll, who was standing just outside the open door.
"Oh, and one last thing…" the goblin said, smiling in the same way as before at the trolls, who had stopped just outside the door.
"I want you to cut off an inch of flesh…for every silver that he owes me. He must learn…that you can't cheat me out of anything."
Gurdingle's eyes widened in horror, and he began to scream, which was cut off as the two trolls dragged him away, both grinning fiercely.
The entry fee that was required to join the carousers above was over fifty gold.
Over five hundred silver.
Cyrussian T. Venture smiled coldly at the screams that now echoed his chamber.
Minutes later, another goblin entered, dressed in fine green silks and clutching a spyglass in his hand.
"My lord…we have nearly reached our destination. Are you ready to depart?"
Cyrussian stood, looking disgusted once more. Any trace of joy that the previous event had brought him had been wiped from his face.
"I suppose…I detest these visits. Those cows are even worse then the trolls in Stranglethorn."
The other goblin nodded, but looked a little unsure.
"My lord…do you not possess their…?"
"Oh indeed, but I nonetheless hate visiting this retched place every year, and I hope that this is the last. Once we drain that place dry, I won't have to deal with those cows again."
The goblin nodded, and waited until his lord had passed, before following him from the room, closing the door behind him.
I HAVE SHAMED MYSELF!
I would commit seppuku on the spot, but unfortunately I don't have a second, and that would mean no more updates :(
I am terribly sorry about the wait, and the shortness. I have had a lot of things going on in the past week so I have been a little pressed for time.
The reason I make such a big deal about this is because this is what happened just before the long, 4-month gap in updates. I fall behind, and then I just stop righting all together. I hope that by next week, I can start pumping out chapters regularly again, considering it's only a little over a week until Christmas Break.
I also apologize for the crappiness of this chapter in general. The next few, I promise, will be awesome, action-packed, and all that.
Okay, reviewer answers:
Slimeman- May I ask what was confusing about the Venture Co. overseer part? If you mean you didn't know what's going on, then that's okay, because you aren't supposed…yet. As for the Naruto focus…it is Naruto after all. But Kira was in this chapter, and if you can't see what's coming next…well…I won't comment.
Myojin of Night's Reach- Yes the Trolls moved. To where? You will have to find out!
Katana Haibane- He's half-orc, half-Ogre. I think I included that in the bestiary, but that's ok.
LINKed up- He is going to the Tauren next chapter, I believe. The Scarlet Crusade's goal is somewhat similar, but you need to keep reading to find out. You can count on the gifts; there will be plenty of romance between Naruto and Kira, and the part about him going back will be answered later!
Druss the Legend- A timeline…that's going to be difficult, but I will try to make one for the next chapter. Naruto isn't at jounin level strength, actually. He's almost there, but he still doesn't have the experience, nor does he have the state of mind for a jounin. He attacks head on, rather than using sneak attacks or surprise attacks like a ninja is supposed to. He's strong, and will get stronger, but he's still no match for Kakashi or Asuma, or Kurenai, or Gai (especially Gai). Magni's Pride is simply a powerful, adamantium weapon. Magni didn't put any enchantments on it.
Totems are little things that Shamans get through quests that allow them to cast certain spells. When a totem is summoned, its effects target everything around it, rather than just a certain target. For example, they have totems which makes every monster in range go slower, or increases you and your parties armor or mana regen. It's like that.
As for Tsunade and Thrall…who knows? Let's see what happens. (Grins)
Well that's everything, I think. 'Till next time,
General Grievous.
Next time, The Tauren…really, I sweat it.
Bestiary:
Cyrussian T. Venture (Humanoid)(Boss)- A Trade Prince of the Undermine, and owner of the Venture Co. Not much else is known about him yet, only that he is incredibly cruel…