Lothar materialized in a cage. Or rather, a jail cell. He'd been in enough of them to recognize this was a human construction – probably in a village the orcs had overrun.

He moved to the room's lone window, looking out through the bars. Yes, this had definitely been a human village, although he couldn't tell where. There were numerous orcs milling about in what once had been the town square. Now, though, it was obvious that all the humans were gone.

And all of the orcs were green. That couldn't be a coincidence.

One of them noticed Lothar then, and said something in its brutish language to a compatriot at its side. The second one nodded and lumbered away purposefully.

"Commander Lothar," a deep, gravelly voice came from behind him. "You've arrived here earlier than I expected. I have to say, I underestimated you."

"Gul'dan," he replied, turning to face his captor. "I see you've been learning our language."

"I felt it would be useful, knowing the common tongue of the next world that I and the Horde will conquer." Lothar ignored the taunt, and the warlock shuffled closer, leaning on his staff. "You must have been very worried for your colleague, to get here so quickly." He paused, sniffing the air. "Or perhaps you had another reason for rushing to his aid so soon after he'd been taken."

"In my culture, people's lives mean something," he stated loftily. "They're not just fuel for dark magic, or cannon fodder for conquerors."

Gul'dan sniffed again, and a satisfied smirk spread across the orc's face. "It may be a good thing you've come here so soon. I have an interesting…experiment…in mind. Before Khadgar kills you, of course."

Lothar forced his expression to stay neutral. That's what the prisoner at the camp said, before she'd sprung her trap – that it wouldn't be Gul'dan who would kill him, but Khadgar himself. Lothar had suspected there was more to Gul'dan's plan than just kidnapping the mage. "You really expect him to kill me?" he scoffed. "Whatever torture or Fel magic you've inflicted on him, I think you'll find humans to be a very loyal species."

"Yes. Humans are." A twisted smile played over the warlock's features. "Would you like to see him now? He was quite distraught when he was brought in. He continued to call for you even after he reached the point of incoherence."

This time Lothar couldn't keep the scowl from his face. "I'm tired of all the posturing and half-truths and innuendo, Gul'dan. Either take me to Khadgar or kill me, but don't bore me to death."

The warlock mock-bowed to him. "Forgive me, commander, where are my manners? Of course I will show you to Khadgar's cell." As if on cue, three large orcs entered the room from behind Gul'dan. "Now, don't try anything foolish. You can still meet with your friend with broken arms and legs, you know."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Lothar muttered, as Gul'dan unlocked the cell door.

Gul'dan walked ahead, down a sloping corridor and deeper into the jail complex. After relieving him of his sword, the three orc guards had surrounded him, as if they thought Lothar might try to run. But escape was the last thing on the commander's mind right now. First he had to ensure that Khadgar was safe. He could formulate an escape plan afterwards.

"I know you're not sensitive to magical energy fields, but trust me, commander, the area we're entering is very heavily warded. Magic of all types is severely dampened in here. I couldn't have my guest teleporting himself out."

That explained the three guards, then. Whatever the wards were in this place, they must have an effect on Fel magic too. Lothar knew that Gul'dan's physical strength was augmented through the Fel, but a warlock would be much stronger using his magical abilities. So in a prison designed to hold the Guardian Novitiate, Gul'dan would be forced to fall back on brute strength.

Hence, the three hulking orc guards.

Gul'dan continued to lead them down the hall, until it finally opened up into a large room. The walls were high, and the multiple small windows were set close to the ceiling. They were barred and too high to be reachable; and in any case, they would have been too small to pass through anyway. There were bars dividing the room as well, and in the far half was a figure huddled in the shadows of a dark corner.

"Khadgar," said the warlock, the gravelly voice grating on Lothar's ears like steel against stone. When there was no response, Gul'dan struck his staff on the cobbled floor, then ran it back and forth across the bars. "Khadgar, I am your maker and your master, you will obey me!" he roared.

This did rouse the prisoner, whose head snapped up. All Lothar could make out was the glow of Fel-green eyes before Khadgar was suddenly at the bars, snarling like an animal. He'd moved faster than any human possibly could.

Because Khadgar wasn't human anymore.