Ok all, enjoy.
Kal's feet moved him across the desert sand, it was the morning after the night celebrations and the large force was starting to clean up their camp and make way home. This is what left Kal in an awkward position, he knew that Shandris had expected him to go back to Darnassus with her and knew that he should but he also couldn't ignore the opportunity he had now as well, Saurfang and the vast majority of the army would be heading back to the Hordes primary capital city. Orgrimmar.
All around him, everyone was starting the pack up the tents, placing supplies onto wagons and as he walked, he could see a handful of fighters giving each other nods and shaking hands. From what Shandris told him last night, finding humans and orcs shaking hands was an amazing achievement. While the others from the battle drank and celebrated. He spent most of the night listening to Shandris inform of this world's recent history and even some of the old.
He listened to the story of how an enemy called the Burning Legion invaded this world some ten thousand years ago. It remained Kal all to much of Darkseids own invasion on Earth, surprisingly he was even more amazed at the fact Shandris claimed to have been there as a child. He knew that the Night elves where long lived but this was incredible, to have so many people who are so old, how have they not taken over the world?
He listened as she told him about when the Orcs first arrived through a demonic portal and sacked the human capital of Stormwind, how they were eventually driven back and placed in camps. How they escaped those camps and fled across the ocean to the continent they were now on, how an undead plague started to spread across the north of the Eastern Kingdoms led by a former prince. She told him of how the Burning Legion invaded again and nearly wiped them out, that after thrashing the encamped forces of both the Horde and Alliance. How Arch Druid Stormrage finally put an end the battle by sacrificing their home, the world tree Nordrassil.
Kal didn't interrupt her as she spoke, he just sat in silence, taking everything in, wanting to know as much as he could about this world's history. By the time she finished explaining everything, the sun had started to rise.
He continued to walk across the sand and camp until he found who he was looking for. The high overlord was currently speaking to one of the other Orcs, he had taken off the bulk of his armour but that didn't change the sheer size of the large fighter. As he approached, the other Orc nodded at him casing Saurfang to look over to him. The commander nodded to the other Orc who nodded back and turned to leave.
Kal stopped and looked up at the Orc who turned his body to face him "the camps nearly gone. Soon we shall be heading home" he commented.
"I wanted to talk to you about that" Kal said as he noticed a handful of wagons start to head off in different directions, from what he was able to see the Horde forces would be marching north back to their city while the Alliance would be marching North East to a city on the coast called Theramore which is a strong Alliance settlement that they could use to sail back to the their homes across the ocean "I was hoping that I may accompany you to Orgrimmar, I would like to speak to your Warchief"
Saurfang's eyebrows rose at the statement and it was clear he wasn't sure what to do about it, he was quite for a moment before shrugging "normally I would not allow a human to enter our city, only the Warchief has the authority to allow it" he started "but we owe this victory to you, there is no denying that. Before I allow this, I would ask why you would wish to speak to the Warchief Thrall?" he asked as he crossed his arms.
"Truthfully, there are many reasons" Clark started "I would like to learn more of the Horde and its people, your history, your culture and I would also like to help. You will not know this but before I arrived here I had to stop a group of Orcs called the Warsong" based on the way Saurfang sighed, placed his hands on his hips and looked to the ground. He wasn't surprised but he was disappointed by the news "I didn't kill any of them" he was quick to say "but I did drive them off. I wanted to speak to this Thrall in order to make sure the fighting stops, I may be able to help you so the Horde wouldn't need the Ashenvale forests for lumber" he explained.
The commander didn't answer for a moment as he looked down at Kal, eventually he spoke "I will not stop you from joining us in our march north and I will speak for you credibility to the others, but I cannot claim to know what the Warchief will do when you speak to him" he said calmly before he turned to leave not waiting for Kal to respond to him.
Kal watched him leave before he turned back and head towards the Night Elves. The force of the Night Elves was the smallest out of all the species present but based on what he saw they more than made up for it with their skill, which wasn't so surprising. If someone lived for as long as they did, with so much time to hone skills like sword fighting or archery. It's no surprise that one of the Night Elves was equal to a squad of the others in term of skill, at least when it came to the older ones.
Shandris was standing with the leader of the force, Lynore Windstryke. Both were speaking calmly while the last of their own tents and supplies where being loaded. As he neared, they both turned to see him and they both smiled "the hero of Silthus approaches" Lynore spoke first "word of your deed shall travel far. One does not simply defeat an Old God, many will wish to speak to you"
"Indeed" Shandris agreed "at the very least, High Priestess Whisperwind shall have little difficultly convincing the others to allow you to settle your home within our territory" there was a smile on her face as she looked over the sands, the sun shining down on them creating a beautiful yellow colour.
"I'm glad I could help" Clark said as he smiled shyly back at them "but I wanted to talk to you" he added looking to Shandris "I'm not going back with you" he stated.
Both Shandris and Lynore glanced at each other as the smiles left their faces. Shandris looked back him with a small frown "what do you mean?" she asked.
"I've been thinking" he started "if I'm going to stay on this world then I can't spend all my time in one place, I've spoke to the high overlord and I'm going to accompany him to Orgrimmar. Maybe it's time I saw this Horde up close and personal" he explained and based on the small frowns that came onto their faces, they were not for this idea "who knows" he added with a shrug "maybe I can help ease the tensions between you all"
Lynore was the first to speak up "not an easy thing, the only reason Whisperwind and Stormrage didn't wipe them all out is because they aided us in fighting the Legion. That has bought them some credibility for their past crimes but not much. Healing those tensions may even be more difficult then beating the Old God" she advised.
Kal didn't disagree with what she said, one of the many things Shandris told him the previous night. One of which was how when the Orcs killed one of the Night Elves deity's, at least he thought he was a deity. Though Shandris called him a demigod, this Cenarius did sounded more like an active god that should be prayed too, or maybe now, Diana could do a lot of impressive things that she could be compared to a god. Though what would he know about the issue? For all he knew this Cenarius was still active somewhere, with so much magic in this world. It's not outside possibility, is it?
"It's unlikely" he agreed "but I can try, I have a lot of technology that can make life easier for them. They won't need to keep cutting down the trees in your forest if they won't need wood anymore" he added, yes it wasn't the best argument but it was true. There's only so many things you would need wood for, and he was confident that he could nullify their reasoning for it.
Shandris clearly wasn't happy about but she also knew that she wouldn't be able to stop him even if she wanted too "I would recommend against it but I shall not stop you" she stepped forward towards him and raised her hand "I'll inform Tyrande of your decision when we return"
"How do you plan to return?" he asked back quickly, thinking that since their world tree was north as well, they would have been traveling with the Horde forces but it seems that wasn't the case.
"we'll walk to the coast and sail" she answered "stick as close to the coast as we can and use the wind to guide us onwards"
Kal gave her a small smile before he reached out and grasped her hand and held it in a tight squeeze "thank you, for being good to me" he said to her.
She found herself smiling back "thank you, for not being what we feared" she said before their hands fell back to their sides and the two Night Elves turned away from him and made their way towards the others.
Kal didn't know when he would next speak to them but he hoped it wouldn't be too long. Knowing that he shouldn't stay there for long and he turned around, heading back over to the Horde troops.
Two weeks, that was how long it took to march up most of the continent. Kal knew that he could fly all the way up to where they needed to go in a couple of minutes but that would defeat the point, wouldn't it? He wanted to meet the leader of the Horde and the best way to do that would be with the leader of his forces.
During this time he didn't speak with the Horde members much but he did when he could. He learned much about these races, mainly the Trolls and the Tauren. It was both interesting and annoying to learn that the Trolls where this world's original inhabitants but they some of them somehow evolved into the Night Elves. Interesting because that should be impossible and he wanted to understand how that worked but annoying because when he was told that was due to something called the Well of Eternity he knew it was magic. 'another question that's been answered with 'because magic did it' he thought to himself.
Once that was done he started to ask them about the other things, recent history, culture and traditions. It was an interesting conversation that he was glad he started, he would be lying if he said he didn't find it interesting and from there they started to ask him about where he came from. Kal didn't lie to them, he told them about his upbringing, his birth world and the world he grew up on. He told them about how he helped form the Justice League, how he got the divine tools he wielded. The only thing he didn't tell them was how he got his power, not that trusting of these people just yet. Though he did tell them that it was not magic.
The march itself should have taken longer, he knew that but from what he saw. The further north they went the more forces broke off from the rest and went their separate ways. He asked Saurfang for the reason and the Orc told him that there were many different settlements within the continent that many of those present came from and needed to return too. That made sense for Kal and it helped that they moved faster the less of them there were, less baggage to bring.
And after two weeks they arrived at their destination. When Kal first saw the large gates of Orgrimmar that was built in-between the walls of a large canyon, he was impressed. It was rustic and definitely primitive but the closer he looked at it more he could see that it was a strong wall and gate. He betted that it could withstand quite a bit.
When the force that was primarily Orcs with a handful of the other races started to approach the gates, those that stood guard on top of the wall pulled horns from their belts and blew into them. The sound echoing throughout the valley. They passed many different makeshift buildings on the outskirts of the wall and Kal could see many different Orcs that where not a part of the force look at him strangely. No doubt thinking about why a human was with them.
The gate was already open for them and as they walked Kal got a better look at what lay behind the large wall that seemed to be their primary defence, it was patch work of iron and steel that he could tell was stronger then it seemed.
The guards that stood against the walls all saluted with closing their fists and pounding it on their chests. Then they passed the gate and Kal got his first look at the city of Orgrimmar, he had to admit to himself that while it seemed very primitive, it was well put together. There were no buildings, no stone or concreate, the buildings where mainly tents but these may just be the strongest tents he's ever seen. The foundations and corner walls that the fabric and leather were attached too seemed to be some type of bone and the animal hide that acted as walls and roofs was really strong, stronger than most animals on Earth at any rate.
There must of hundreds of people in the central area of the town just behind the main gate. They stood off to the side of a dirt path clearly there waiting for them to return, the crowd of many different Horde races where all head back by guards who stood on roads edges. The ground didn't cheer for them, no they just roared, many lifted weapons into the air as they did so.
In front of the largest tent by far which could be called a building considering the amount of metal worked into it. Was an Orc who held a large hammer, wearing more clothes than any other Orc he's seen yet, though a lot was still on display. There was Troll standing next to him who with orange hair that stuck up over his head and rudimentary armour that when over one shoulder.
Many of the soldiers behind himself and Saurfang started to separate themselves from the force and soon it was only those two lefts. The High overlord walked up to the War Chief and placed a hand on his chest, giving him a salute "Varok" the Warchief... Thrall if Kal heard the others say correctly said as he placed a hand on Saurfangs shoulder "your return as brought the Horde no short amount of pride and when we received word of your victory over the Old God, the joy of Orgrimmar seemed never ending" he smiled before his eyes moved over his shoulder and landed on Kal who was standing slightly behind him on the right "... You bring a guest back with you?" he asked as he looked to him.
"Warchief Thrall" Kal said as he slightly inclined his head "my name is Kal-El, I requested that the High overlord bring me back to Orgimmar so that I may speak to you" he said calmly and with respect, not completely unexperienced when it comes to diplomacy.
Thrall gave Saurfang another nod before stepping over towards Kal. He could understand why humans would be intimidated by the Orcs, Thrall was easily three times Kal's size in sheer bulk and had muscles that could but Bruce's old enemy Bane down "you look human... yet" he started as he looked over Kal's shoulder and to the golden prongs of the trident.
"Thr'all, perhaps it be good to'a tak inside" the blue troll slightly behind Thrall said as he looked at Kal too before he turned around and moved inside the large building slash tent.
"Yes" Thrall spoke as he stepped back from Kal and half turned to the open door "please, join us" he said as he turned and made his way inside.
Kal looked on for a moment before walking, Saurfang joining him as he did so. Upon entering, Kal's suspicions that this was some type of government building where confirmed as upon entering. Walking across the hard wood floors and the patch work metal walls, they turned a corner and saw a large open area that held a long table that would be no doubt used for meetings and past that, elevated by a few stairs had to be a throne.
The four entered and walked over to the throne, upon which Thrall sat, placing his weapon next to him. The Troll who Kal didn't know the name of moved to stand by his side and Saurfang did not go up the stairs, but he walked to the edge and turned back to look at him. Kal simply remained where he was and waited for the Thrall to speak.
"It is not often that an unknown stranger is allowed to enter our home" he started "yet you have been given permission, I trust Varok's judgment in bringing you here. But I would know why" he said calmly but firmly.
"The high overlord brought me here because I asked him to" Kal started "I asked to come here for many reasons but the most important is because I wish to see peace brought between your people and the Night Elves"
"A'h" the Troll said before anyone else could, though Kal did have time to see the sigh that left Thralls lips "I thought ya description be familiar" he added before turning to Thrall "tha one who'a the Warsong messenger described"
When he finished speaking Thrall looked at him with slightly narrowed eyes, not in anger but in confusion and then understanding "Kal-El, where you the one who drove off an assault by the Warsong clan in Ashenvale?" he asked.
Far from being afraid of answering, Kal simply nodded "yes, I did" he answered "it was one of the things that I hoped put at peace"
"How would you do such a thing?" Thrall asked and Kal found himself surprised that he didn't ask him about his weapons or power or even something like his clothing which he knew was unlike any other that those around him may have seen before.
"From what I understand your forces where in Ashenvale because you need lumber?" he asked and received a nod in response. Kal slowly walked forward until he was at the base of the steps "you don't know me Warchief and but I assure you, we can spend much time with each other and you can any question you like. I will give you the same curtesy I gave High Priestess Whisperwind. For now, what you need to know is that my people were very advanced in terms of science and technology. I believe we can come to an understanding, if you can be convinced to cease the operations for lumber then I give you my word I shall offer an alternative to it" with that peace said he stopped talking and waited for a response.
Thrall didn't speak for a moment and instead glanced at the Troll "we have received word from one of the Warsong about your efforts in Ashenvale, I'm sure Varok shall tell us more of your... abilities at another time. I do not like how we must use those ancient forests in order to get wood, the spirits of the elements are against such action" he looked down and let out a sigh "but I cannot order to Warsong to abandon their post and mission" he added.
"Why not?" Kal asked calmly but it was the Troll who answered.
"I don't know ow much ya know of Orcs" he started "but tha Warsong have bin in Ashenvale for years now. Tha mission unchanged, to change it now will be a great dishonour" he explained to him.
Kal wanted to disagree with them but how would he do that, he doesn't know much about these people or their customs just yet. However, before they could continue the conversation. The sound of a weapon hitting the ground behind him drew their attention, turning around they saw an Orc guard standing at attention "Warchief" he said with a salute "the human female you told us to look out for has arrived"
Thrall looked at the guard before nodding "show her inside" he said with a nod before turning back to Kal "I would like to hear more of what you have to say but Vol'jin is right. For years now, the Warsong clan have made it their mission to provide the Horde with lumber, to deny them it now would be dishonour I shall not give them" he tried to explain.
Kal looked down in frustration for a moment, he wasn't angry, it was just unsure how what he could do next "is there nothing that can be done?" he asked.
Both Thral and Vol'jin looked at each other, unsure about what to do next but before either of them could speak the sound of footsteps came from behind them. Kal turned and found himself surprised by the sight, there were two heavily armoured Orcs standing on either side on the door, one was holding what looked like a staff that was almost comically small for him but it was who was in the middle of them that surprised him.
In the middle of the two was a woman, human definitely, seemed to be in her mid-twenties, she had long blonde her and beautiful face. The clothes she wore seemed to be very well tailored, it seemed to silk but when he looked closer at the fabric he could see that it was much stronger than that, she had a type of hardened leather around her shoulders. Her stomach was left exposed showing her pale skin and the small outline of abs, above them the robes covered her breasts but gave few to a very impressive cleavage window.
He almost involuntarily compared her to Diana but immediately felt the return of loss within him and the pain that came with not only her death but the others as well "Jaina" Thrall nodded to the woman "return her staff and leave us" the guard on the left returned the staff to the woman and both turned around "it good to see you Jaina but I must admit I'm surprised you came here, much more without invitation" he said as more of a question then anything else.
The woman smiled at the War Chief as she walked closer towards the group "and yet you told your gaurds to watch for me" the woman, Jaina said with a small smile before continuing "I was interested in what your letter said. I started to look into it and came up with nothing, I was about to write back and tell you but then the Alliance forces from the Silithus war effort started to arrive in Theromore telling stories that sounded familiar. When I learned he was heading to Orgrimmar I thought it was best to see him for myself" when she stopped speaking she was standing a couple of feet away from Kal and she turned to look at him "you're exactly as described" she turned fully to face him "you are Kal-El?" she asked.
Kal gave her a shy smile before reaching out with his hand "just Kal please" he said.
Jaina looked at the hand with an inquisitive eye for a moment before reaching out and shaking it "amazing. So... human" she found herself saying as she held his hand for longer than necessary.
Kal looked and the others awkwardly for moment before continuing "and you are..." he trailed off.
Her eyes widened before she quickly let of his hand and regained her composure "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Jaina Proudmore. Arch-mage of Dalaran and the ruler Theromore. It's a pleasure to meet you in person, from what I've been told you're the reason C'thun and his forces where defeated" she spoke with a smile as she starred at him but he could see that her eyes moved over his shoulder to the trident on his back "amazing, I don't think I've ever sensed so much magic from a weapon before" she added.
All Kal could do was give her a small shrug "Well, it is divine in nature" he said calmly.
"Is tha be da truth?" the Troll spoke up and looked "da tha golde'n wepons really be a Loa relic?" he asked as he started to walk down the steps and stopped just short of Kal.
Kal himself was sure that the Troll could be taller than him but with the hunched back that all Trolls seemed to have, his eyes seemed to only reach his neck. He nodded back at the blue Troll "yes, the trident, bracelets and lasso where all created by a god or blessed by one" he confirmed.
"And yet" Jaina piped up as she looked closer at Kal "I can't sense even a little bit of magic from you. None at all" her eyes narrowed in confusion "I've never... that should be impossible, all life needs to have some magic in them" she tried to reason thought this seemed more for herself than anyone else.
Kal calmly shook his head "no it doesn't" he was quick to say "the universe is a very big place, magic is not so common in other places as it is here" he explained to the mage briefly before he turned back to Thrall "there must be some way I can convince the Warsong to leave Ashenvale" he started, wanting to continue to the original reason he was here.
Thrall gave another sigh before he stood from his throne and started to walk down the steps. Large green skinned Orc stopped just short of Kal and looked down at him, having nearly two full head heights over him and Jaina "come with me" he said and everyone present started to follow the Warchief out of the main tent and once again into the city. The dirt road led them down further into a canyon, where he could see much more of the infrastructure that a faction the size of the Horde would need. As they walked many of the Orcs and other members of the Horde gave him a salute as they passed them.
Except for one, when someone simply kept on walking as they passed them. Kal was surprised by the sight, it was a corpse. There was no other way to describe it, the smell, the look, even the way it walked. His head turned to look at it more and by that he means he's looking into it. Its heart wasn't beating but he could see small amounts of brain activity, very minimal firing of the electrical impulses. He knew that the... undead where here due to what Shandris had told him but to see it for himself was something entirely "it's not their fault" Jaina's voice came to him as Thrall led them to one of the walls of the canyon where what looked like a mechanical lift was stationed.
Turning to look at her he raised an eyebrow "what do you mean?" he asked.
She looked at him with a sad face before answering "the Forsaken, every single one of them have been undead for a couple of years now. It's not that they're not grateful to Thrall or the Horde for taking them in, it's just that the necromantic magic that keeps them what they are has started to take away who they are. It's only a matter of time before they become anymore then mindless" she explained to him.
The group stepped onto the lift and when Thrall nodded at the one attending to it, a Tauren nodded back at him and pulled a lever "is there anything that's being done to help?" he asked as they rose into the air.
She looked down and shook her head "no. Any study that has been done with the goal of undoing the crime have been met with failure. Everyone's tried to undo it, even me. No luck" she added sadly.
"Then there wouldn't be any harm if I try it myself?" he asked as they reached the top of the wall and walked forward onto the canyons roof which held even more buildings, watch towers and even some pens for animals.
Jaina's head turned to face him as they walked forward across the top of the wall giving them a good few of the main city under them "do you really think you can help?" she asked as they walked.
"I'm going to assume everyone who tried to fix them has only used magic?" he asked the mage who nodded back "well, maybe you should let someone who knows science try and help" he added as the group came to a stop on edge of the wall and looked down to the city. He knew that the chances were slim, it was very rare that you would find magic that is willing going along with science. It works on a completely different set of rules but he has done it before and he's picked up a lot on how magic works from Zatanna. There was no harm in trying.
"Tell me something Kal-El" Thrall spoke up from that front of the group "have you ever been entrusted with the lives of others?" he asked.
That brought Kal up short, it was such a loaded question and it instantly told him where the Warchief was going with his line of thought "yes" he didn't go into further detail, not wanting to bring up those thoughts or memory's.
"Then maybe you do know the burden I have" he turned around to face Kal who still looked at all the people "when I was made Warchief, I made a promise that I would do all I could to protect the people I had left" he looked down and let out a sigh "that is why no matter how much I want those forests to be left alone, I cannot allow my people to be dishonoured in such a way. It would mean more than just an insult, it would be a blow against the very nature of the Horde. I cannot forsake them in such a way" he added with another shake of the head.
As Kal thought about what he was told, he could see that while Saurfang hadn't said anything, he was nodding slightly at his words. Which got him thinking "ok, so you don't tell them to stop. What if you just stop taking the lumber?" he asked "I wasn't lying when I said I could make your use of lumber obsolete" he took a couple of steps backwards and pointed behind the group "just after those animal pens and watch towers, about a square mile of open space. We could use wind turbines but I think solar panels would work too. That means power" he turned around to the War-chief who was looking at him in confusion, along with the others.
Knowing that while the ones in front of him may be primitive by his and Earth standards, they weren't stupid. They just evolved a different level of understanding, not surprising when you consider the amount magic involved in their lives "the more power you have, the more you can do. Artificial lighting, so you'll no longer need torches. Heating, you won't need fires to keep you warm or cook your food. A speaker system so you could speak to the entire city at once. Plumbing, whatever you have now I can make it better. Greenhouses so you can grow crops during the harsh winter" as he listed off what he could do for this city, it was easy to see the unease that was spreading throughout the group. From what he could see they did believe him but they were unsure about what to say.
"All of that, without magic?" Jaina asked with a tilt of her head "Doesn't seem possible, even the Gnomes who live in large machinal cites use some magic" she said trying to rationalize what she was hearing.
Kal tilted his head at what she said "I'm going to need to speak to these Gnomes at some point" he added before turning back to Thrall, waiting for a response.
The man himself looked to Saurfang and Vol'jin before responding. The other Orc gave him a small shrug, knowing that he had very little to contribute on this matter. The Troll on the other hand spoke up "it may not be da worst idea ta try. Orc clans hav changed on tha own before. Tha farmin and tha medicine should not be pushed away to quickly" he said calmly to the Warchief who was quite for a moment before turning back to Kal.
"How would you go about this. A solar... panel?" he asked, clearly not knowing what such a thing was.
Kal gave him a gentle smile "yes" he confirmed, he knew that in terms of power generators, solar energy wasn't the highest yielding or the most powerful but it was appropriate for now, it was a good one to introduce for first timers. And it would work more in the long run, he had no idea if this planet even had something like coal, oil or gas and he didn't have the time to go looking. It's not like he can just build something like a nuclear power plant and just assume these guys would know how to use or maintain it.
But solar panels, they're small, manoeuvrable and not the most difficult to care for and maintain. He briefly thought about using wind turbines but the climate of this place suited solar power far more "think of them like sheets of metal that are placed on the ground and face the sun. They take the sun light and use that to generate power, almost like the plants and trees do" he said. He knew full well that was nowhere near the full explanation as for how the panels work but it would get the point across.
Thrall gave Kal a hard look up and down as he considered his words "I won't commit to this immediately, the only reason I speak to you is because Varok seems to think you've earned the chance to speak to me. However, I will concede that what you offer is something that should be looked into. But not all at once. Set up these... solar panels of yours and we can try these lights that you speak off, if they are as you say then I will start to consider everything else" he took a step forward and offered his hand to him.
Knowing that it would be the best he's going to get. Kal smiled at Thrall before reaching forward, he didn't grab his hand but instead moved further and wrapped his hand around his wrist, Thrall doing the same for him. When he travelled with the army on the way back, one of the things he picked up was how they agree with one another. With a small squeeze they both let go and Thrall gave him a final nod before turning away, his advisers turning with him.
It was just him and Jaina for a moment before she turned to look at him "how will you do it?" she asked.
Kal turned to face her before reaching behind him into the small, sealed pouch on the small of his back. When his hand neared it, the pouch opened up and gave him access. He grasped the locator crystal in his hand and held in a strong grip, not willing to let any chance of it being taken. When he brought it forward, he could see Jaina's eye widen slightly and she took a step forward "what is that?" she asked with a voice that was calm but also full of a little wonder.
"It's a locator beacon" Kal started "once I find somewhere to call home, I place this in the ground and I home starts to be built around it"
"Wait" she interrupted him "if it's a locater then how does it be build around where you place that?" she found herself asking, her inquisitive mind wanting to understand how it works.
He gave her a small smile at the question "because at the moment, the building itself is completely disconnected from reality. Placed in its own artificially created parallel pocket universe" from the way her eyes widened as he explained how the fortress was being sealed away.
"Artificially created..." she muttered to herself "I would very much like to talk to you about how that works"
He gave her a smile at the request before place the locater back within the small pouch and made sure that it was sealed before letting go "well, once it's back with me I'll be able to use the workshops in there to create the components needed to start the power generators and get some strong lights set up. From there, food storage, green houses, medicine, plumbing" he listed with a smile.
"So, you don't have anywhere to live?" Jaina asked with a small pang of sympathy in her voice.
All Kal could do was give her a small shrug "I haven't been on this world for long, the reason I went to Silithus in the first place was to help Tyrande prove to the other Night Elves that I can be trusted enough to be allowed to move into their territory. Hopefully I've done enough, speaking of" he trailed off as he took a couple of steps backwords. He had to admit he enjoyed seeing Jaina's eyes widen as he stepped off the edge of the cliff put didn't fall down, he still walked backwards as if the floor was still there "I should head back there and see how close I am to being able to put my home down, I don't want to keep these guys waiting" he said.
Though before he could leave Jaina spoke up "you know, you should make your way to Stormwind soon. When the king hears of what you've done he's going to want to meet you" she as she pulled her staff off of her back and began to perform a type of spell.
"I'll be sure to do that" Kal said before she slammed her staff back on the ground and she disappeared. Knowing that it must have been a teleportation spell, Kal made a mental note to reinforce the magical defences of the fortress when he has it all set up, in fact that should be one of the first things he does. Knowing that what was within that fortress was all he had left of both his home and his people, he would need to do over time making sure that it was protected against anything this world may throw at it. It would need to be protected.
But knowing that he needs to place it first, he shot into the sky at top speeds and the air parted for him creating the sound of thunder clapping as he did so.
He felt calm as he flew through the air, he always did feel at peace when he flew. Like he was free, the clouds flowing over him, the currents of the wind being felt around him, even in space the weightlessness made him feel amazing.
Placing both his hands in front of him as he flew, he could see the large trees of Ashenvale come into view and as he didn't slow down, within a few seconds he was flying over them. As he soured over them with a small smile, the magic they gave off naturally rose into the air above them like the smoke from a chimney wood, of course it wasn't visible to others but with his eyes that could see thought the entire spectrum, all he had to do was using the training he went through and his eyes shifted through each one until he saw the one that gave him a few of magic, it was almost like radiation but a little different.
Soon the world tree that the Night Elves lived in came into view across the ocean. He looked down and saw the small docks that were stationed around the tree's roots, and he saw a large group of ships, he assumed that those where the ones that they took to leave the desert. Flying higher into the air until he was far above the tree, he stayed in the air for a moment as he looked at the flattened area on the top that was surrounded by hundreds of large branches and Leaf's.
The reason he stayed was because he didn't want to fly down onto a large crowd of people that would freak out when he arrived just like they did last time, he had a feeling that they weren't used to him yet. The other reason was because he wanted to see if he could find Tyrande before he landed. But he found himself surprised by the sight, there was music being played, large tables full of food, dancing and laughter.
It seems that they were celebrating, he had a very good feeling as to why there where, but he didn't want to assume. Knowing that finding someone in a crowd is difficult at the best of times but finding someone in a crowd that are moving so much and talking loudly is much harder. Knowing by now that he didn't have much of a choice in this matter, he lowered himself to the ground. The large crowd was in the most primary building in the city of Darnassus, the temple of Elune. There were gatherings of groups around the outside walkway of the temple but those seemed to be the people that were taking a break from the celebration or bringing in more food and drink.
When he neared the ground some of the elves looked up at him as he landed. His feet gently hit the ground in front of the temples main entrance. The guards briefly tensed at his arrival but they didn't draw their weapons to which he was grateful. He walked forward slowly and gave a nod to them as he past, something which they returned. Upon entering he was met with what could only be called a party.
The small grass area around the fountain that housed the statue of Elune was full of people who were dancing to the music, some were in groups, some were alone and others were with another person who he assumed they were involved with. Around the walls of the temple where many different tables full of food and drinks, he had to admit, some of them smelt and looked great, on the far side of the temples entrance was a group of elves who were playing musical instruments and in between the dance area and the tables where crowds of dozens of elves who were simply standing and talking to each other.
Thinking that her... office? Study? Would be the best place to find her. He started to make his way through the crowds of people and towards the circular ramp that went up to the second floor. He had to move through the crowds as he did so but he was grateful that when they saw him, they didn't say anything, they didn't gush and quickly moved out of his way. No, they simply looked at him, some smiled, some nodded gratefully. All of which simply took a step out of the way and didn't impede him. It was far cry away from how he was treated the last time he was here.
A small smile came to his face as he walked up the ramp, it's been a while since he's felt that he's done some real good. It was no secret that in the last year of the war against Darkseid, he started to save less and less people and even then, those that he did save didn't last much longer after him. But, these people would be ok and... it really made him feel like himself again.
Though that smile faded when the sound of voices hit his ears "I believe I have made myself rather clear on this matter" it was Tryande, no denying that.
"You have and it doesn't matter, I won't allow you to do this" Staghelms voice added, he seemed angrier than anything else.
"You cannot overrule this decision. I'm surprised you want too, I would have thought that you would be the most grateful for Kal's work" she added back calmly despite the anger that was being thrown at her.
"I am grateful" he quickly said back before he let out a sigh "I take back what I said in regard to my suspicions of him" well that was something at least, from what Kal had seen. Staghelm was his biggest opposition amongst the Night Elves, to hear that he was no longer gunning for him was a good thing "but that doesn't mean I support this plan of yours, it is too much"
"I do not see the problem, he needs a place to call home. I gave him my word that if he helped in the war effort within Silithus I would give him two miles of space within are territory, so he may find his home here. Based on how powerful he has proven himself to be, it would be an ideal location to house him" she said listing the reasons why she wanted to him to move to... wherever she thought he should go.
Knowing that he shouldn't be listening in for any longer, he stepped past the open door and onto the small balcony area. He found Tyrande standing on one side of her stone desk, her sabre cat laying down next to her though it's head was lifted up and eyes locked onto Staghelm. The man himself was on the other side of the desk and resting on it with both hands.
Upon entering Tyrande looked over the Druids shoulder and smiled at him "Kal, it's good to see you back with us whole and healthy" she said with a gentle smile.
Staghelm stood up straight from the desk and turned to look at him "am I interrupting something?" he asked already knowing the answer.
"No" Tyrande said before the Druid could "the matter is decided" she added as her eyes starred into the back of Staghelms head. The man himself didn't respond though it was clear that he wanted too. He walked forward and stopped just beside Kal, he gave the Kryptonian a brief nod before leaving the two alone.
"Problem?" he asked as he walked forward towards the priestess who took a breath before sitting down on her chair.
"No, it's been decided" she said before giving him a smile "I'm very grateful for your efforts against the Old God. You truly have helped save this world from darkness"
He smiled back at her gently as he stopped in front of the stone desk "I'm glad I could help"
"I was surprised when I found you were not with the returning forces. You went to Orgrimmar?" she asked with a more hardened face and a tilt of the head.
"Yes, I wanted to see the leader of this Horde and I hoped that I could come up with a plan to help heal the tensions between your peoples" he explained as best he could as he placed his hands behind his back.
Her lips thinned as she heard his reasoning and he exhaled through her nose "yes, that's what Shandris told me. Where you able to succeed?" she asked quietly as she crossed her arms.
His hands moved from behind his back and too his hips as he looked down and took a breath, shaking his head "not as well as I would like, say what you will about the War chief, but this Thrall seems to care for his people a great deal" Tryande found herself nodding slightly as his words "but I was able to start the ground work, I believe I can get Warsong clan to alter their purpose and maybe even get them to leave Ashenvale all together" he started.
Her eyes widened at that little piece of information and despite everything, she found herself doubting it. Though after literal thousands of years of leadership, she was able to compose herself quickly "how would you do it?" she asked him.
He looked at her for a moment before giving her a small shrug "well, that would depend on whether or not you've been able to convince the others I can live within your borders. Have you?" he asked.
At the change of topic, Tyrande gave him another smile "yes" she answered before she gestured for him to come forward and then she leaned forward placing both her hands on the table and Kal noticed that there was a map on the table "this is mount Hyjal, it is where the last war against the legion was won. Shandris said that she told you about the great enemy?" she asked.
Kal crossed his arms as he looked at the map "not completely but she gave me a good idea of what they were" and that was true, Shandris didn't tell him everything but it was enough for him.
"Good" she nodded before turning back to the map "ever since that last battle and the destruction of our world tree Nordrassil. Mount Hyjal has been an important location to my people both historically, spiritually and practically. Ever since the last war ended, we've been unable to live there completely due to the land being too badly damage to grow the crops needed to feed so many. However, what remains of the Well of Eternity is housed there and due to that I've had to keep a constant posting of sentinels present in the area" Kal thought that he started to understand where she was going with this but at the same time he was hoping he could just get a quiet corner at the edge of the Night Elves borders "Kal, I know that you have done much for us with your effort in Silithus and I don't like doubting but I have to know, I can trust you?"
'Talk about being put on the spot?' he thought to himself as he thought about the question. He liked to think he could be trusted but it was way to early to tell if he would agree with Tyrande over everything, for he knew that party down there could end in some weird blood orgy that was important to their culture or something... ok that was strong example but still. Thinking on the best way to go about this, thought that he should just wing it.
Reaching for his waist, he pulled his lasso free and wrapped it around his own wrist. The golden rope started to glow with divine energy and Tyrande found herself starring at it when it lit up "I swear that I am not your enemy and I don't want to be your enemy, I don't like fighting, I abhor killing and only do it as a last resort" with that said he pulled the lasso free and placed it back at his waist.
Though it went without saying that was only how he felt now. It was entirely possible that things may change in the future, but he doubted that would happen, from what he's seen there is very little chance of him turning against the Night Elves, they've been good to him and it didn't look like that was going to change. If Tyrande knew what he was thinking she didn't show it. Instead she smiled at him "I'm glad, in that case I can tell you more" she added as she looked down to the map.
"What remains of the Well of Eternity is located here, within the summit of the mountain, just under were Nordrassil's main trunk was located" Kal himself looked closer to the map where she was pointing and had to admit, it was very well detailed "we have a temple there and barracks where the sentinel's station themselves. You said you need two miles of space, correct?" she asked.
"Yes" Kal nodded "but I should tell you that it's not just space, it's also two miles both up and down" he added.
Though her head didn't move, Tyrande's eyes looked up at him as he spoke "well, I hope it won't be too much of an eyesore?" she asked, there was a small smile on her face and while he knew that she was joking he also knew that she was serous. He tilted his head slightly, knowing that the fortress was loved by some a hated by others, though based on what he's seen of the Night Elves... he has no idea. They like magic and white crystal of the fortress walls are something he thinks they'll like but at the same time they also seem to like nature and the fortress really wouldn't fit into a forest.
"I think it'll be fine" he added with a smile.
"I suppose that will have to do" she conceded "there were a couple of things I wanted to talk to you about. As I'm sure you've noticed there are a handful of my people who will not like that but I am giving you both my permission and blessing to set up your new home within Mount Hyjal. That being said it would go a long way to easing the minds of my people if I could relieve their fears and paranoia. Would you be able to tell me of the defences that your home would have?" she asked.
Kal immediately suspected that she had some sort of nefarious purpose to those questions but he shut that down just as quickly. She didn't ask for specifics, just if he had any and most likely how good they were "Once it's set up which in itself will only take a few minutes, the first think I'll do is set up the defences" he started to explain "needless to say, they're very advanced. The walls themselves are as hard as diamonds and all doors can't just be forced open" he didn't want to go into specifics of specially designed molecular structure that made up the walls, nor the door that had some of the most basic defences to the most advanced. A good example being that the density of the wall's atoms would increase making it way a million tons in a moment.
"Then of course we have more advanced forms of defence such a many different layers of shielding" based on the way she nodded at him, she knew what a shield was, not surprising considering all the magic "there are four different layers, the first would be a camouflage that can make the entire structure invisible to all types of detection, the second is an energy blocker that can stop long range attacks, the third is a physical barrier that stops anything physical from passing through it, the last is an electrical barrier that presses up against the walls that shocks anything that touches it" he may have neglected to tell her that when everything was set up, he would immediately be designing and deploying a fifth shield that will protect the fortress from magical attacks and energies.
There was no way he would leave his home so unprotected on world full of so much magical energy "and that's not even going into other things like Rader, security cameras and the drones that will patrol the area" he added with a small shrug.
Tyrande tilted her head at that piece of info so he elaborated on that
"Drones are machines that fly around a select area and watch for threats, if you like I can create a large amount and have them patrol the whole area of Hyjal to watch out for threats, that way you won't need such a large host in the area" he added as he looked back down to the map "I've noticed that this would place my new home almost in the middle between Ashenvale and Orgrimmar" he said with the tone of a question but they both knew it wasn't one.
She was quite for a moment before responding "another reason why I wanted you there" she started as she sighed before walking around the table and stopped next to him "I'm not lying when I say that I do consider you an alley of my people and I do believe you when you said you wouldn't harm us. But as leader of my people I cannot ignore what you could do for us. The Horde is no doubt aware of your capabilities and when they learn that to get to us they must go though you or spend days working around you, I hoped that it would be enough to deter them of approaching are forests" Kal had to admit that he was impressed at her words and that he found that she was being completely honest with him "if it helps, this may make it easier for you to secure a peace between us" she added with a timid smile.
Kal himself smiled back before nodding, he would need to remember that no matter how nice Tyrande seemed to be, she was still a politician. Though to be fair she might just be the most legitimate one he's ever met. He gave her another nod before he took a step back "how soon can we start?" he asked.
Ok guys, I hope you all enjoyed Kal's first meeting with the Horde. I hope I did Thrall justice and that you guys can understand the reasoning for Kal setting up in Mount Hyjal but before you all start freaking out, I just want to say that No, Kal won't be basing the fortress right in the middle of the pool that holds the water from the Well. It will just be close by, so the pool and temple by it could be described as the fortresses front garden.
Anyway, let me know what you all think in the reviews and what you would like to see happen next.
Next story update: Return of Hope.
