9 - Lunk
The young warlock and his father soon went on their way also, portalled by some other mage companion who had alighted the ramp shortly after Theldran and Umrii departed. I stayed in Lunk's company for the remainder of that day, enjoying the "conversations" we shared although the topics were somewhat limited. For all it was a most unusual situation, it felt oddly close to some distant reality, as if talking to someone was the normal way of things for me.
I pondered over this from time to time during our conversing. Lunk seemed to understand there was something going on with me. Yes, the ogre was not particularly bright, but that did not make him insensitive. Truth be told he was perhaps one of the most astute individuals, on that front, I had happened across in my travels so far.
He said he needed to return to Thorium Point, across the plains, beyond the Cauldron. As he shambled down the path of the Iron Summit, I asked why he did not simply take the griffon. He explained he did not particularly like heights and most certainly not the distance between him and the ground if he were on the back of a flying mount. Fair enough, I thought. So, a walk it was, dangerous though it would be.
Understanding his distaste for creatures being harmed, I decided that if we were being attacked, I would fire my frostbolts to the side of any assailants and hope it would serve as enough of a threat to effectively ward them off. If not...
He possessed a slow easy stride, which most would expect of the ogre genus certainly. Along with this however, was his amiable and unassuming persona and that oddly enough seemed to allow him easy passage past the aggressive denizens in the unforgiving territory. At least those that were nature's creations.
The same could not be said for the War Golems which patrolled the area around the Cauldron. These products of the Dark Iron dwarves served as sentinels, guarding against intruders and perhaps some misguided adventurers from infiltrating the mines.
They were enormous stone and metal giants, not unlike the ancient Titans in appearance, if artistic efforts served us an accurate impression. They moved with a menacing and deliberate gait, back and forth, back and forth. The metal armour ground against their stone frames leaving fine trails of powdered rock in their wake.
Quite what lifespan these guardians had was not entirely certain, but I reckoned they would be mass produced regardless, for if they were not disassembled or broken by self acclaimed heroes, then they would surely disintegrate over time. To take one of these on, you had to know what you were doing. They could pulverise you with one heavy swing of enormous hands or stomp of their feet. Even one who could manipulate magic and attack at a distance could not afford to underestimate these loyal and fierce protectors. They simply would not stop coming at you until you put a stop to them.
As it were, Lunk, thankfully had the good sense to head north east and follow the well-worn path which skirted round the Cauldron. It had its own share of problems though and those came in the form of servants of the Twilight Cult. An organisation who, since it was founded, firmly believed in the apocalypse. Followers on all levels still adhered to their sacrosanct beliefs. I had no doubt the latest developments in Azeroth had had them all twitching with excitement. The Void, by what I had overheard in the past few days had near delivered the Twilight's dearest wish.
Bizarrely, as we passed, they seemed indifferent to begin with. Then one of them challenged us, or rather specifically Lunk.
"Yuh betta be one of de broderhood, mon?" the female said as she stepped out from just inside the mouth of a cave. She was odd looking to say the least, but there was an underlying beauty too. Her skin bore a soft blue tone on which markings looked more embossed than etched.
Lunk's small eyes flitted to her and then, with a grunt he looked straight ahead again. I sat on his shoulder, warily eyeing the woman and others close by whose interest seemed piqued now she had drawn attention to us.
"What's wrang wid yuh, ogre?" she moved towards us a little faster. Her stooped posture, slender frame and long arms made her somewhat lanky. She seemed to almost crouch as she walked and yet she maintained a certain poise that was hard to look away from. This, it dawned on me, was a troll. She leveled with us then drew to a halt in front of Lunk. Her yellow eyes traveled up his full height, although, if standing straight, she herself, would have been almost seven feet tall. "Yuh be of Cho'gall's blood. Him ah fi wi leada," she said, tilting her head as she studied his face.
"Lunk follow no-one," my ogre friend said. "Least of all Cho'gall."
The troll hissed. "Yuh a ah traitor to fi yuh own kine?"
I could not fully understand what she was saying but I managed to grasp the general gist of it. As such, this was when I truly hoped Lunk was as dim as he came across most of the time. I soon found out he could be dimmer.
"As are you to yours," Lunk said, a little aggressively.
The troll was incensed at his accusation and with a wave of her hand she cast a fire totem to the side of us. It spat out small jets of fire that aimed at Lunk's ample legs.
He roared out as the heat buried into his skin. He tried to stamp out the totem, but the troll just placed a second one, cackling as she did so. I flapped my wings and cawed loudly, trying to stay in place on his shoulder as the fire jets caused him to dance around in an attempt to avoid the missiles.
It was then the troll noticed me. She shrieked louder, obviously amused at the jiggling ogre and frantic bird before her. It was with great restraint that I decided to face the first totem instead of her as I screeched out a frost bolt. The totem was snuffed out instantly. The troll's face was a mask of disbelief. I turned to hit at the second totem and repeated my frosty utterance.
"No!" the troll cried out. "Yuh a ah demon, raven!" She made to conjure more totems, but a deep voice from behind us stopped her. "Yaala!"
Lunk stumbled somewhat as he turned to face the individual who had halted the assault. Another Twilight Cultist going by the garb he wore, but this one was no troll. Half bull, half humanoid I registered this was a tauren. It was an inappropriate time perhaps, but I could not help feeling elated that I was recognising these different peoples.
The tauren stopped a few feet away. His eyes scoured Lunk's physique, checking, I took it, for signs of injury. I glanced down to make my own diagnosis. He was fortunate the fire jets had had not buried deep into his flesh, and although I had no doubt the burns were painful, they were a lot less severe than they could have been. I turned my eyes back to the tauren. He was watching me with interest.
"De ogre, him ah traitor, an him insulted mi," Yaala protested.
The tauren did not look away from me but he conversed with Yaala. "To be a traitor, Yaala, one must first be a loyal follower. He is neither. As for insulting you, learn not to let name-calling upset you, certainly not to the point of foolishness."
"But Muattai, dat bud, him ah demon and..."
"I saw what it did." At that, the tauren looked at the troll for a long time as if daring her to continue. She shook her head, then with a dismissive wave of her hand, she returned to her post within the cave, muttering under her breath.
"Do not utter a word, except what I tell you," I thought to Lunk. "And do not answer me, just grunt that you understand."
Lunk turned his head to look at me. I eyed him from the side. He grunted, then faced Muattai.
"You should get to Thorium Point and have those burns tended to," the tauren said in a quiet, low voice.
"Ask him why he helped us." I instructed.
"Why you help?" Lunk said.
Muattai stepped a little closer, his eyes once more resting on me. "I left my homeland many years ago and chose to walk the path I do now," he explained. "But, some old beliefs still reside within me."
"That still does not explain why you helped us." I coaxed Lunk. The ogre obliged.
The tauren glanced over his shoulder as if to check who was in earshot, before turning his attention back to us. Again, his eyes rested upon me as he spoke. "I know not who you are, but from what I witnessed, I do know you are not what you seem. Whether you are spirit or some cognizant being trapped in this form, I sense your survival is paramount."
Cognizant being? Trapped? My heart beat a little faster. He was implying I had shape-shifted. "Ask what he thinks I might be?"
"What is he then?" Lunk asked. Inwardly I sighed. It wasn't quite how I'd phrased the question.
Muattai now looked at Lunk. He snorted. "He is very clever for one thing," he answered. "For he is the one asking the questions is he not?"
"Yes," Lunk replied without cue.
The tauren nodded and smiled as his suspicions were confirmed. He then gestured for us to walk. He fell into step beside us. "I have seen you passing back and forth on many occasions, ogre."
Lunk grunted in response.
"You have an affinity with the creatures of Searing Gorge. This raven..." he pointed to me. "... is proof of that. It is a gift I miss from back home."
"Ask what tribe he was." I encouraged Lunk.
"You have tribe back home?" the ogre asked. Close enough I thought.
Muattai sighed deeply. "I was of the Skychaser tribe, spiritual leaders to the tauren shamans. That is how I can sense something...unique about your raven." We walked in silence for a while. Then I prompted Lunk to ask another question, one which bordered on effrontery.
"Are you loyal follower of Cho'gall, or traitor?"
The tauren drew to a halt, the incline to Thorium Point only meters away. Soft laughter rumbled in Muattai's chest. He leaned towards Lunk and myself. "Truth be told, I am still deciding on that. Good luck raven. You must do that which we all should do at some point - that is find your way home." Then he turned and ambled back to the Twilight camp.
As I watched his back receding from our view I made a mental note to add to my ever-increasing athenaeum, that not all were what they seemed. Muattai had said that about me, but having listened to his brief consanguinity and tentative allegiance to the Twilight Cult, it was apparent that not everyone we assumed to be on the wrong side, were necessarily so. Although we needed to err on the side of caution at all times, it could also be advantageous to offer the benefit of the doubt on the odd occasion.
Lunk trundled up the incline to Thorium Point where a number of dwarves greeted him amicably and young priest who was merely visiting the settlement tended to the ogre's injuries. It looked like the kindness of strangers would always bless Lunk, and rightly so. He was a kind soul himself, attuned to many things which most of us simply did not see, hear or perhaps want to even acknowledge.
I enjoyed the ease with which Lunk communicated with me that night, and I made yet another note to self, that whatever my destiny or reality was, I would not forget this amiable ogre and I would make a point of conversing with him again one day.