Disclaimer: I don't own Warcraft but I do own a bit of the manga they are coming out with. Hint: don't bother with it. It's crap.

Well here we are again. I still apologize for the last chapter. That was mean! So sorry, but I can't help myself sometimes. I have to get you guys back here somehow, otherwise I'd have to pay and as of late I am sadly broke.

Geolord, nice to see you finally reviewing. I've been on your favorite list for quite some time now but you haven't left one until next chapter. Heh, I know where you live. Sounds strange, doesn't it? The answer to your question is yes, I usually do get a lot of my material from Warcraft because I want it to fit nicely with the game. That's the point of fan fiction anyways, isn't it? Heh, just be lucky Var'Jun punched you instead of going all medieval on your ass with his huge sword.

'Lo again Crimson can't keep you away for long, can I? Guess not. Funny to see all the points of my characters put into their pleas of not dying. Did you have fun at your sleep over, I always love those things. Thank you so much for your compliments. Yes, Gwyn can be a little bossy can't she. I think it comes with being a night elf.

Oh dear Azure is mad at me. .:furious typing:. Don't kill me! Ugh, masochist (are you aware of the other definition of that word? Look it up, you might not want to use it so much ;) is such a strong word. I prefer to be known as the valiant crusader myself. DRAMA!

'Lo Youkai. I bet you're happy you got out of school It's a drag. .:bewares angry mob:. I'm writing, I'm writing! Shoot, I knew it was Abominations. Stupid words that sound all alike and stuff. SNOWMEN! I felt Malchior's last part was a little forced too but hey, we all have epiphanies before we die, eh? .:wouldn't know:. Thankies.

Wow, scary Samus? I didn't think it was scary, creepy if anything and a little foreboding but scary. I guess I'm effective.

And to Kage, it's always good to see new readers who give me such sweet reviews.

Onwards now! Thanks everyone (80+ reviews!)….

Chapter Nineteen: How the Mighty Have Fallen

The prince could be seen standing by the window at least once a day everyday. His face was always troubled then too, sometimes brooding other times just looking infinitely sad. The Darkspear tribe had always supported Meh'rah but her son was said to be sick in the head.

"He misses his mother." some said.

"He has a head illness," other more pessimistic types said.

Neither side knew they were wrong. No one would have ever guessed the prince missed those in the past and longed for a future he could have spent with them.

Var'Jun sighed, two years of thought escaping his lips as it always did. Two years since the terrible fire that devastated the friendship he had made, severed the bonds that he had worked so hard to keep because they meant so much to them. Two years since he had fled from the flames and was found later by a lucky troll troupe out on rounds around Elwynn in search of the latest reports of Murloc migrations.

Two years was a long time. Var'Jun could remember a time when his heart would skip a beat thinking of how long life could be and how beautiful. Now his heart skipped a beat again thinking of how long life would be and how hard it would prove to be to survive with the thoughts of his own happiness in mind.

"Why don't you ever smile?" The voice was a harsh grating one. Var'Jun folded his ears back against the noise of that voice and turned his head slightly so that one eye could focus in on it's possessor. He winced back a slight cough, turning to the troll behind him.

"Crota, I smile. You know I smile." Var'Jun smiled then, something hollow and terrible to watch. It was as if his face would split apart and crack with the brutality shown to him by life.

"No you don't Your mouth smiles with sharp and curling teeth and your eyes hold no warmth. You smiled back at Thunderbluff when I encountered you for the first time in years. Why don't you smile like that now. You commanded I go back to my homeland. I did. You commanded I wait for you. I did. You promised you'd return. You did. Now smile like you mean it." Crota's face was pinched. She narrowed her leering orange eyes at the worn male before her.

"I never told you to wait for me." Var'Jun said softly. He couldn't think of a way to back out of this. He couldn't smile anymore anyhow. His smile was broken. They had took it with them when they died in the fire.

"You did. I swear it. Smile, smile like you mean it. It's not fair that I am your bride-to-be and you won't smile for me." Crota took a menacing step forth. Var'Jun took an involuntary step backwards. This type of situation had happened many times before.

"Crota please. I miss my mother, fear for my kingdom. I can't smile." Var'Jun turned his head away as Crota's hand came up to caress the jaw line of his face. His breath quickened suddenly, pupils narrowed to mere dots on the golden expanse of his irises.

"Why do you fear me?" Crota asked sweetly as she cupped his chin in her hand. Her voice was soft but her eyes were hard and icy.

"I don't."

"You don't?" Crota's grip around his chin suddenly tightened and painful twisted so that the warrior's mouth was forced open. A little cry of pain escaped the prince's lips.

"How dare you lie to me?" Crota seethed, " Lie straight to my face will you?" She squeezed harder and let go with a snap that caused Var'Jun to bite his tongue. Blood trickled from the side of his mouth.

Two years ago Var'Jun would have bit back with choice words of his own. He might have even struck the troll if it really came to it. But now his heart was so bitter that he just sat and took the pain. It washed away eventually anyways.

"I'm not lying. Please-"

"Shut up," The next blow was a hard right to his cheek. Var'Jun didn't bother to prevent the fall. He only braced himself as the blow struck him sideways and down.

Var'Jun couldn't fight back. It was his fault Crota beat him. He had once thought he could get used to her ranting, take it with a feeling of masochism and pretend to enjoy the abuse. But the troll had long back learned that Crota taught her lesson with a hard hand.

"Maybe it was that group you were with, eh? Maybe you found someone other than me there. The tauren Var'Jun? Was it her? How could you have?" Crota paused, her eyes opened wide, "Or maybe the human Var'Jun. She was a pretty little thing."

Nothing could have been closer to the truth. Var'Jun closed his eyes and listened with dread as Crota's voice raised to an angry shriek.

He felt her foot connect with his stomach and anguish blossomed from the blow. Var'Jun laid still as Crota punctuated her measured kicks with the words 'smile' screaming from her lips. Her voice was hard and icy as her eyes were.

Finally Crota stopped. His fiancé was satisfied that Var'Jun had been punished enough and he heard her exit the tower's chamber in the form of a rusty hinge's squeal. The silence of the room rang in Var'Jun's ears and for a while all he could concentrate on was the flow of blood from his lip and the thoughts running through his head.

When Var'Jun had returned to the Darkspear's provision camp near Trisfal Crota had been there. Var'Jun didn't know how she ended up there or even why she claimed this was her homeland. All he knew was that she was there and that was that. There were no questions asked.

She was the one who had imposed the marriage. Var'Jun was perfectly content to spend his miserable existence alone anyhow. Most everything he loved had been stolen away from him anyhow. But he had realized that the interests of his people were to be put in the hands of a king and not a prince. Crota would have to make him such a king.

But Crota wanted more than Var'Jun could give. She wanted passion where Var'Jun knew his had died along with Kat. She wanted communication where his had followed Yawna, Gwyn, and the priestess into the flames. There was nothing the troll could give her now but unrequited love.

Var'Jun picked himself off the floor. He raised on weak legs and sighed before straightening himself. His old clothes had been replaced with feathery adornments of leather that traditional troll rulers wore. Var'Jun was not at home in his own skin.

The troll was about to exit the tower for a good drink but was interrupted. Two trolls were making their way down the hall he was currently tumbling down. Both had fiery manes of red, though otherwise they were totally different.

Gar'Ihn and Mitka had been married for a year now. They were currently residing in the tower along with Var'Jun and other select guards. The royals' finest. They were a happy couple, constantly bickering as troll couples often do in that affectionate sort of annoyance. Var'Jun longed for Kat when they were around.

"She's been hitting you again." Mitka snarled bluntly with redemption. As if telling Var'Jun of his abuse would make it all better. Var'Jun already knew what was happening to him though. He was just to heartsick to fight back.

"Why do you let her do that?" Gar'Ihn demanded as the couple steered their prince into a room the adjoined the long hall. It was comfy, one of the only rooms in the tower where Var'Jun could feel slightly at ease. Crota hated this room and did not come in. She claimed it was haunted by a vengeful spirit. Var'Jun couldn't doubt it. There was often snarling heard from the area.

"Because it's my fault." Var'Jun spit, "I can't return her love. The least I can do is take her abuse." The troll seated himself heavily on a chair of skins and blankets. It was exotic, from the troll's homeland before their tribe was exiled. It was comfortable.

"Don't be stupid." Gar'Ihn snorted, "What about when you had that crush on me and I told you off good. What was that? I couldn't return your damn love and I certainly wasn't going to take any abuse from you."

Mitka gave a soft warning growl, standing behind Gar'Ihn's chair he draped a protective arm across her shoulder. Var'Jun blushed and laughed nervously.

"Just a passing fancy Gar. Nothing for you now but friendship. Don't you worry Mitka." The warrior prince shook his head again, "But it's my fault anyhow. I can't blame her for wanting to hit me."

Mitka snorted softly. He wanted to hit Var'Jun himself now because of how stupid he was being. When they were young the two trolls were rivals but had now grown to be good friends. In the best interest of his friend Mitka felt he deserved a good hit, but not one from Crota. The punishments from Crota were breaking the once great troll.

"She's right though. You never smile anymore." Mitka and Gar'Ihn were obviously listening in. Once Mitka had tried to stop Crota from one of her anger induced rampages. He had ended up with a black eye and charges of violence against a royal personnel. It was lucky Var'Jun had been able to bail him out.

"How am I supposed to. I mean, you and Gar are one thing, Mitka. But I have a whole kingdom on m back as well as the fact that Crota and I are to be married tomorrow and that's going to bind me to her for life. And… and…. I…"

"You miss them don't you?" Gar'Ihn queried softly. "That group that you lost. And maybe you miss her too. You liked her, I know it."

Var'Jun had never directly told Mitka or Gar'Ihn of Kat or the others but he has a funny feeling she had already guessed there was someone. She had, after all, guessed the first time he had come back to the kingdom that there was someone. The troll could remember he exact words.

"Draw close to ones you love."

"I miss them." He admitted, "We promised to vanquish Thralk, them and I. Now what do we have? Nothing, and Thralk has everything. The only reason the trolls can hide here is because Thralk fears invading his own homeland in thought that his men will rebel. He won't wait forever."

"Do you still have hope they live?" Mitka asked this time. His eyes were narrowed to small slits as if he couldn't stand what the answer would be. Var'Jun wondered which one he would have favored.

"Yes. By some miracle of chance they may still be there for me."

"What if I could tell you that one might be alive. Remember when you described them to us? Well we found a tauren matching the description you gave." Gar'Ihn pulled a sheaf of paper from her robe, "A white tauren with black spots. She has one broken horn, few burns, and is a hunter. She was wandering in the woods for a while, neighboring places were said to have seen her though no cattle or stock animals disappeared. The occasional excess vegetables and fruits from farms, but nothing much. Supposedly living off the fat of the land. She was crazed though, muttering a poem all the time."

Var'Jun whispered under his breath along with Gar'Ihn as she read the letter. The two voices matched in word for word unison:

"'Bonds of friendship must be made

In order to disprove what lies have been laid.

Where forces of hatred do conspire,

Only rain can quench the fire.'"

"'Scars of past in tattered hope,

Twin Awareness, tight walk rope.

Light and dark. Blood and fire.

See the blindness through the mire.'"

"'Only when Light doth pass,

Through the blindness rain does mass

Darkness wary eye does see,

Untainted victory.'"

"Yawna," Var'Jun said with soft disbelief under his breath.

"This was a pigeon that we intercepted from the undead camps. It was a note sent to Thralk and would not have reached him until today. However, since it took the messenger two days to get here they have probably sent out another a day afterwards. The undead always do that. Which means that you have about two days to get your friend out of there."

"What's the catch. You know I could sneak in without force. I'm a horde member. There's a hook, isn't there?"

"Oh and what a hook it is." Mitka growled, "Thralk's armies have separated themselves from the Horde. They say they are a new side, calling themselves the Holocaust and claiming that everyone owes them tribute. If you go in there it will be under the guise that you are paying the Holocaust homage."

"Ugh," Var'Jun buried his face in his hands, "My head hurts. I need alcohol." This statement would have usually been greeted with a wince. Var'Jun was a heavy drinker before, sure. But it took quite a lot to make a troll drunk, especially this one. But for the past two years Var'Jun had turned into a heavy drinker. He was up to drowning his sorrows every night and waking up with severe hangovers.

But now Mitka and Gar'Ihn smiled. Var'Jun was almost his old self again. It was a severe improvement.

"Crota I need to talk to you." The would-be queen's eyes narrowed. The prince's eyes were unusually bright and his voice was strong and unwavering. It was not what she was used to and this sudden change made her sniff and fear what he would say next.

"Yes?" her voice dripped with false honey.

"I'm leaving. Tonight." Var'Jun had a steely tone to his voice. Crota first reacted with humor. She began to laugh, a high pitched noise. Her head bowed to the ground as she doubled over, still laughing while tossing her green braids.

"Don't be silly." Crota said with the same humor as she raised to see Var'Jun eyeing her quizzically. He was serious though. Crota's tone grew harsh. "You're not leaving."

"I am," Var'Jun growled back. His fists were clenched, "You don't own me Crota and will never. I am not marrying you. I'm sick of your abuse."

"There's another." Crota hissed dangerously.

"Maybe she's alive. Maybe she's not. But there's a chance. If one can live they all can live."

"Who?" Crota took a menacing step forwards.

"You guessed earlier. The human in the party I was traveling with." Crota snarled as Var'Jun nodded with an understanding look on his face.

"I'm sorry Crota, but I just can't forget any of them. Maybe they are alive, maybe not as I said before. But I have to know for sure. You're best to find someone else. I can't give you what you want."

The troll sprang forth. Her fist was about to connect with Var'Jun's when his own grabbed her wrist. She paused, waiting for him to stroke back or even bend her hand back on it's wrist. But he did not, however, only standing with her arm in a firm grasp. His eyes were closed, his face a picture of stern repose. For a long time no one moved.

"I'm leaving." Var'Jun repeated finally. He let go of the troll's hand and stalked away, his limber body wavering with the strength of someone with a heavy weight removed from their chest.

"I bet she wasn't happy." Mitka sniffed, his heavy hands slipping a harness over the glistening, scaled head of a Raptor. The red mount had been his mother's, a tame and gentle creature but a notorious fighter in battle. Var'Jun had been around the lizard since he was young and the creature felt perfectly at ease with the troll.

"You ready for a long journey, brothah?" Mitka asked in his heavy accent. He was a little more bold spoken than Var'Jun

"Sure am."

"Then go with the protection of your mother's spirit." Gar'Ihn said softly. It was a well known troll blessing, the spirits of the dead.

Yawna stared at the hard ground. Her life was not as happy as it had once been, but then again it could be much worse.

Yawna looked up quickly. There were sounds coming towards her cage, innocent sounds of children playing and talking. The tauren smiled as she saw them, the only remaining hope to what could soon be a peace.

There were three children, one human, one undead, and one troll. They were a happy trio, the female troll leveling the two boys out. Yawna felt a new warmth enter her as they approached. The children of camp often came to her for stories and guidance. When they lasted, that was.

"We came to say goodbye Yawna." The troll girl, Milla as Yawna had called her for she had forgotten her name, reached through the bars to pet the soft fur on Yawna's arm. Her face was bright and sunny but the two boys were looking more wistful and far away.

"Goodbye?" Yawna dreaded what she would hear next. Toni and Alfor, what she had called the two boys, couldn't meet her eyes. All the children in camp could not remember their parents or their names. Yawna was a mother to them, naming them and comforting them what she could through the steel bars.

"We've been chosen as sacrifice." Toni said softly. His teeth were clenched but when he looked at Yawna he smiled.

"No."

"Yes," Alfor affirmed, "They decided we've been trouble makers for too long. Thralk's coming here soon. He's offering us to the Demon Wolf." The children were so calm about this. They knew they were going to die, every one of them knew as soon as they came into the camp. But the horrors of their young minds were pushed away by some of the braver or more optimistic ones.

"Don't worry Mommy," Milla always called the tauren that, "You said we'd see a bright light and the gods would greet us. All of them." Milla smiled at the thought, her young face lit with joy. She was watching the sun.

"Run," Yawna said suddenly, "Run away from this place and save yourselves." The tauren's hand reached out to the youths. Milla grabbed it and held it to her face, Toni and Alfor clutching her other arm. The guard at Yawna's small prison stood stock still, blinking his own eyes against pain.

The guards fabled that you would be touched by the tauren in the cage. They spoke of how peaceful and serene she was. How she would soften you. The soldier had never believed it until now. He couldn't shoo the children away as he was supposed to. He just stood.

"How far we'd run," Toni said softly, "But we can't Yawna. Don't take it on yourself, it's not like you're responsible for Thralk."

Got to go!