Lost Lion

Disclaimer! I don't own Wow. Blizz does, and your soul too.

Volume 3: Chapter 5

*** Stormwind City – New Cathedral of Light ***

It was an interesting couple of days where nothing was required of me, so much so that it was almost as if I was suddenly persona non grata. The king ordered me not to leave the keep; in fact, I wasn't even allowed to go outside the royal wing. They were friendly enough about it, but it still chafed to be confined, even if I had been paraded around after initially waking up. I could only conclude that they were trying to force me to rest, though I didn't like being smothered by the king's goodwill like this. Besides the food being royal quality, there was not much to do.

Well, actually, that wasn't exactly true. Mara did help me pass the time. Just as I was starting to get used to lazing around, orders from the king came. So here I was, getting dressed and ready, with my mind in a pleasant haze as I reflected on what had transpired between Mara and me. Several times during the course of the morning, I found my gaze wandering to her. Initially, she kept things cordial, making me think she would play it cool like Victoria, but when no one was looking, she would shoot me a knowing smile, bringing it all back. While I did smile back, I couldn't help but feel a little awkward. Just what kind of relationship were we in? Still, I didn't voice out my thoughts right now since there wasn't enough time at the moment to fully talk it out.

After equipping my new armor, I was quickly brought outside to a waiting carriage just as dawn broke. The carriage was quite fancy and of noble design, naturally decorated with a lion head motif. It wasn't something a run-of-the-mill merchant could afford, and that wasn't even mentioning its accompanying escort of twenty knights. The knights were split into two groups, ten in the front and ten to the rear which was honestly an impressive show of force. After I entered the carriage with Mara, breakfast was given to me as we pulled out of Stormwind Keep and into the city proper.

While eating the offered breakfast, I turned my gaze to look out the window and took in the peaceful scenery. Combined with the gentle glow of the sun bathing the city's white stone buildings, it gave off a sense of peace and serenity. However, I knew better. Despite how tranquil it may seem, we—the entire human race—were actually in a precarious state of war. Our entire kingdoms stood on a knife's edge.

I was pulled out of my sobering thoughts as we passed through the Military District. Due to their large procession, they could only take the main road and even then, the pedestrians had to clear out to the sides to allow them through. That slowed down the journey, but it still wasn't long before they entered one of the Residential Districts.

This was where the newly constructed Cathedral of Light was. Against my expectations, I noticed that we were not going to the front of the Cathedral but to the side entrance. Slowly, the carriage stopped, revealing a row of robed warriors with greatswords on their backs.

"We're here," Mara said for my benefit. She then turned to the robed warriors waiting for us to disembark. "Callan, might I introduce you to the newest acolytes of our accelerated training course?"

I did a double take, looking at the men again. So these were the newest battle clerics of Stormwind. All in all, they held themselves well. However, I would have to see how well they could perform on the battlefield before I made any judgment calls. With that thought, I took a deep breath and exited the carriage. Without the carriage obstructing my view, I was able to take in the Cathedral in full.

One of the first things I noticed, which I hadn't seen from a distance, was that the Cathedral wasn't completed yet. Upon further inspection, there were obvious signs of construction that had been hastily masked. The scaffolding was covered by white sheets to blend in with the white stone exterior.. Many of the upper windows didn't have stained glass; instead, they were boarded up with white-painted wood.

Heck, now that I got a closer look, the Cathedral seemed a bit different from what I remembered. It didn't have that French feel to it. It was still high, but not as high as it should be, and it also stretched longer. Then the obvious explanation for the change hit me. Alonsus Faol probably had no say in how this one was to be built. This was entirely a Northshire Abbey-inspired endeavor.

"This way, milord," a Stormwind Knight spoke up, shaking me out of my introspective state. He ushered me to the side of the building.

I nodded and followed the knight. Seeing him made me wonder what happened to the knights who stood with me at Stromgarde. Were they promoted or just returned to the Queen's side? The thought preoccupied me even while the holy warriors pounded their chests and gave me a soldier's salute as I passed, one which I returned in kind.

"Out of curiosity." I turned my head slightly to the four women in my wake. "Do you know the name of the overseer builder of this Cathedral?"

"I believe the head mason's name is Edwin Vancleef, Callan," Delilah answered, confirming my suspicions.

I had to admit, I was a bit worried about Vancleef. In the future, that man and his daughter became an actual thorn in Stormwind's side. Although, it was early in the timeline so there didn't seem to be any signs of the fake Katrana Prestor pulling off the stunt she did in the original timeline to cheat the builders out of their pay to cause a riot and the formation of a bandit group. Besides, the House of Nobles in the original timeline was different from the current House of Nobles. Still, to be safe, I should talk with my dad to make sure no monetary shenanigans were going on to cheat the masons out of their money, just for my peace of mind.

It didn't take long for them to show me to the clerics' quarters and usher me inside. Having been at the Chapel of Light inside Stormwind before, the difference was like night and day. It was much more spacious than the quarters I had stayed in before.

"We shall return soon, Callan," Mara told me, making me swivel my head to the girls.

"You're all leaving?" I asked.

"We need to get ready for the ceremony," Mara explained patiently.

The Abbess gave me a wry smile. "We need to look our best, after all. Wouldn't want to embarrass our Order Master, would we, ladies?"

"No, Abbess," Laura and Allyson answered in unison.

"I see…" With that, Allyson and Laura gave me a playful curtsy before leaving with giggles. Mara was the last to leave but not before shooting me a heated look that made my blood boil.

Hot damn, all those stereotypes about redheaded women seemed to be rooted in truth. Her face morphed back to one of piety as she turned around and closed my door, leaving me alone. Not even a few seconds into my observation of the room, I noticed that there—sheathed in a fancy scabbard and placed on my bed—was my yet unnamed runeblade. It must have been moved to this room ahead of me.

Walking over to the sword, I grabbed the handle and drew it. The runes etched on it immediately flared to life at my touch. Golden runes, which looked almost Norse in origin, came to life before dimming. Again, I had to marvel at the blade's craftsmanship. In my hand was my first truly magical sword. The others I had wielded up to now, while fantasy-like in design, could still have been made by Earthlings, albeit cosmetically.

Medivh's runeblade, however, was magical in every sense of the word—an epic sword worthy of a high fantasy world, and now, I was its owner. Turning the sword in my hand, I admired its length and shine. It really was an awesome blade, but it still needed a name. Even in my old life, Earth's humans believed names carried weight and power. I couldn't just carelessly give Medivh's runeblade a name; it would require some real thought.

Hefting the blade in my hand again, an old Earth show flitted through my mind because of the sword's size. In a fit of silliness, I held the sword up high.

"By the Power of Grayskull—" I announced dramatically, holding the sword above me. "I. Have. The. POW—"

That was when the door opened. Before the door could even fully open, I tossed the runeblade behind me and heard it land heavily on the bed. I prepared to greet whoever had entered, praying they didn't hear me LARPing.

"Gree—" The words died in my throat as I recognized who it was standing at the door. As beautiful as I remembered, in even fancier armor of white and gold, was a woman I had come to consider a reliable subordinate, if not a friend. "Victoria?!"

I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but her closing the distance was not it. There was a loud sound of heavy metal as our respective armors crashed into each other. I was surprised by the force of her momentum, but I had endured worse. What happened next further surprised me as her plated arms wrapped around me and squeezed me tightly.

"V-Victoria?" I ventured, but all I got was a tighter embrace.

Not knowing what else to do, I returned the hug and patted her back soothingly. I wasn't sure if she could feel it, being armored and all, but it was the thought that counted. We stayed like that, hugging for a full minute, before the silence was broken, though not by me.

"I—that is, we—heard you fell at Stromgarde," Victoria said into my chest. Not knowing how to deal with her statement, I fell back on what I knew best: making light of the situation.

"As you can see, rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated," I said in a teasing tone. "And really, if you think I had it bad, you should see what happened to the other guy."

The mop of straight blonde hair shifted, revealing two intense blue orbs glaring at me, making me wince.

"Too soon?" I asked tentatively. In response, she released the hug and cupped my cheek. Before I could open my mouth to say anything else, I felt her Light enter my body. In response, I let the Light swell within me and encase her Light from all sides, making her audibly gasp as she let go. "See?"

Victoria's expression told me she was half convinced, but her eyes were still searching me. "Forgive me, I had to confirm it for myself; it is not a slight against my sisters' skills."

"Oh," I said.

Victoria shook her head, exhaling softly. "The others will be relieved as well."

I blinked at her statement. "Alonsus?"

"Archbishop Alonsus dedicated his service to praying for your well-being, but it was not only he who held vigil and prayed for you every day," Victoria told me. "After all, he is a very busy man, and matters of the church demand his attention."

My brow furrowed at that. "Who else?"

Victoria gave me a look I did not appreciate—the kind you give a friend when they're being extra stupid. Still, I didn't know who else I knew that was religious in any meaningful sense. Thankfully, Victoria relented, though she did give me a half-lidded gaze before she answered.

"Lady Clannia, you dense fool."

"Hey!" I balked at the insult. Then what she said registered. Oh yeah…I did save her son. I could tell Victoria was going to scold me again so I headed that off at the pass.

"I mean, how did she have time? Wasn't she supposed to attend the queen?" I asked hurriedly.

"I can see why you would think that," Victoria admitted. "While Her Majesty is there as an ambassador, there are times when Lady Clannia is not allowed to attend with her."

"Oh." Well, that was nice of her. I appreciated that, then what Victoria said registered. "I didn't know the queen was that well versed in matters of war."

"She is not," Victoria replied with a shake of her head. "Talks of war have been handed off to lords more familiar with such things."

"Oh? Who did they send?" I wondered aloud. Clearly, it was not my father. Perhaps a lord from Brightwood or Redridge?

"Lord Gavinrad," Victoria answered.

'Gavinrad?!' I thought in shock. 'Why him?'

However, the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. He was a military man who could advise the Queen on military matters. He was also a knight of the Brotherhood of the Horse, which commanded instant respect from anyone in the kingdoms. His potential was also really high, as he was one of the original five paladins. Having fought at his side, I could vouch for his tactical abilities.

"That's actually a great choice," I finally said, noticing Victoria's surprised expression. "What, did you think I would hold a grudge against him for what happened with Medivh?"

I kind of still did, but she didn't need to know that. While I did understand where he was coming from, this was my life at stake. If not for the girls, I probably would have been cut down.

"Should we add 'the Merciful' to your growing list of titles?" Victoria asked in a serious tone.

"Growing? I have even more titles?" I asked in resignation.

Victoria's eyes twinkled in amusement, and she cocked her head to the side. "I do believe they are starting. They will come for you soon. I need to join the others."

With that, she exited the room just as quickly as she had arrived.

Now left alone, I sat heavily on the chair.

Great. Just great. Of course I had more titles. Though now that I thought about it, collecting titles was a thing in WoW, wasn't it? My eyes flitted above my head out of some ludicrous expectation of floating text, but I couldn't exactly see it without a mirror. Not that there was any chance of something that ridiculous existing.

"Yeah, that would have been too easy." I said to the empty room.

I wondered about what other titles I could possibly have. 'Cub of Stormwind' was a play on my own father's 'Lion of Stormwind,' but that was a joke title. There was the whole 'Light of Stromgarde' thing, but...maybe Hordebreaker?

"Ugh..." I flopped onto the bed next to my sword. "What a mess..."

Exhaling deeply, I looked over at the lion's head on my runeblade. Before I could delve any deeper into my thoughts, a knock on the door was closely followed by it opening. I was already on my feet when greeted by the same five priestesses from earlier. They were now dressed in new, fancy silver armors that I had briefly seen at Stromgarde, though theirs looked even more intricate. It seemed like it was showtime.

"Now?" I asked Mara, who was at the head of the procession.

"Yes." Mara nodded, and just like that, she and the other girls stood aside to allow me to lead the way.

Instead of following in a disorganized manner, they surprised me by matching my pace. It dawned on me that I needed to stop viewing them merely as priestesses; they were now legitimate soldiers too.

"Turn right," Delilah instructed, and I complied. I realized we weren't heading to the expected side exit but deeper towards the back. Though puzzled, I went along with it.

As we passed by, I noticed many clerics dressed to the nines, looking at us in awe. Giving them a nod in greeting, we continued until I was fairly certain we were behind the altar room. It was a spacious chamber, with modest iconography of the Light adorning the walls. Even holy words from the scriptures of the Light were carved into the white stone of the walls. However, it was the large wooden door that caught my attention. I didn't recall such a double door existing in the game.

"Wait," Delilah whispered softly, and I obliged.

Now that we had stopped walking, I heard a faint voice emanating from beyond the closed doors. It took me a few moments, but I soon recognized it as belonging to Abbot Winston. I turned to the Abbess and raised an eyebrow in question.

"The High Abbot will give us the signal soon," Delilah said as if that would explain everything. I inferred that there was probably some sort of service underway so we couldn't jump right into the ceremony without any preamble. Still, with this extra time, my thoughts wandered, and there was one question nagging at the back of my mind since I first heard it.

"So, out of curiosity, when did Abbot Winston become a 'High' Abbot?" I turned to the general direction of the group. "Was it a decree passed by the Church of the Light?"

The soon-to-be paladins exchanged looks before Victoria answered me.

"It was because of you, actually," the older blonde said. "What you told the Abbot about the Light, about Blessed K'ara, about the war out there in the Great Dark Beyond, it challenged established doctrine."

I blinked at that. Wait, did I cause a schism in the Church?! Holy shit, are we gonna have a 'Reformation' of our own?!

"Before you came along, the foundation of the Church was inspired by the feats of Holy Tyr," Victoria reminded me. "However, there was a smaller belief that while Holy Tyr was of the Light, he was not its master. How could he fall, yet the Light still remains?"

Ah, the splinter faction that went with my ancestors to create Stormwind. Remembering the history of our own Northshire Abbey, Victoria continued.

"With that, Abbot Winston compiled what you told him about the truth and the evidence from Blessed K'ara. The Order of Northshire decided that, while they were affiliated with the Church of the Light, they could no longer be beholden to it." Victoria shifted in her armor and stared at the wooden door in front of us. "So, with the authority of Blessed K'ara, the Order of Northshire bestowed upon Abbot Winston a new title worthy of representing such a holy being."

"...and the Church of the Light was fine with all of this?" Instead of answering me, Victoria turned to Mara.

"When Lady Aegwynn's portal became active, a delegation led by Alonsus Faol himself came to examine Blessed K'ara," Mara elaborated. "When faced with such evidence, there was no one who could deny the new truth."

With those final words, the room fell silent. I wondered if there was any lingering tensions between the churches now. If there were, maybe I could give them a peace offering, after all, I was pretty sure they would be to stoke to get —

"It's time," Delilah interrupted my thoughts.

The wooden door before us swung open, revealing a bright and massive room. Once my eyes adjusted to the light,I did a double-take when I noticed most of the rows toward the front were filled with people in plated armor. A quick glance estimated their numbers to be at least a hundred, but that wasn't all. They were armed and armored with greatswords, though I spotted a few in chainmail with bows and arrows.

While I had never seen these exact armors before, I knew right away that they were paladin-class armors. Finely crafted, their primary colors were white and gold with trims of Stormwind royal blue. If I had to compare, it resembled a prototype of the 'Judgment' paladin class set. At least it wasn't the stupid banana-looking set, even after all these years, the ugliness of that set stayed with me.

"And here, before you, stand the very first of the newest servants of the Light, the defenders of all Azeroth and the guardians of our very souls!" High Abbot Winston's voice boomed loud and clear. My focus, however, shifted to the sides of the church's nave, where the VIPs from all over the Eastern Kingdoms were seated.

Queen Taria caught my eye and offered a beautiful smile that was filled with relief. It was as if she didn't believe I was actually alive until she saw me with her very own eyes. King Llane stood by her side, his right hand holding hers while his left was resting on young Varian's shoulder. Next to them stood a blushing blonde girl who looked about ten years old, and behind her was Queen Lianne of Lordaeron herself.

To further floor me, little Arthas was also present, positioned on the other side of the Queen of Lordaeron. Next to him was Taretha who was enthusiastically waving at me. Unfortunately, her outburst earned her a cuff on the head from a very cleaned-up Clannia, whom I had only just now noticed.

She looked good, and I wasn't the only one who noticed her change as I spotted many noblemen from Stormwind discreetly glancing in her direction.

After disciplining her daughter, the woman locked eyes with me and gave a short, respectful bow. I acknowledged her with a nod and turned my attention to the other side where the Alliance nobles I had met a few days ago were seated. Unlike before when the Benedictus delegation was seated at the very end, he was the closest to the altar this time.

Or where the altar should have been. It appeared that they had been removed to create some space for me and the girls. High Abbot Winston motioned for us to come forward, and we did. Despite how impressive and poised the ladies behind me looked, I could sense that all eyes in the room were now focused solely on me. A few months ago, that would have been nerve-wracking, but after Stromgarde, it now just gave me a mild case of butterflies in my stomach. As the old adage goes, once people have seen you at your worst, what else have you got to lose?

"Here they are, the first of the new soldiers of the Light," declared the High Abbot, dressed in ornate ceremonial robes. "These once-simple clerics have taken up arms in the name of the Light to fight for the peace of our kingdoms!"

He turned to look at us then.

"Times have changed, my brothers and sisters," Winston addressed us. "We of the Faith can no longer adhere to our old tenet of nonviolence against our fellow denizens of Azeroth. We must take up arms as you have, fight as you have, and if necessary, die as so many of our brothers and sisters have done to protect our people."

The High Abbot then turned back to the audience.

"For you see, anything less, and these foul orcs would destroy us all," the holy man declared. The nave, as large as it was with as many people as it held, fell into a hush. "They will spare no one—men, women, children, even young babes! They have done it before to another race that worships the Light as we do in their land, and they intend to do it again!"

'Well, not all of them,' I thought. Velen and ten percent were still alive in hiding if I remembered correctly. Judging by the horrified expressions, even Mara and my students seemed unaware of the draenei.

"Their dark magic is unlike that of our conjurers or their brethren to the north," Winston continued. "The orcs' magic is fel, a twisted abomination of the Light's grace and the arcane mysteries. It not only allows them to consume souls but corrupt the very lands beneath our feet."

The Abbot paused, visibly taking a deep breath before exhaling.

"That is why, today, we of the Church of the Light, the people of the Eastern Kingdoms, of Azeroth, will lay the very first foundation to safeguard us from evils like theirs forevermore!" The High Abbot began to raise his voice. "A new order will be formed to combat this evil, one that will cloak itself in our faith and wield the Light as its weapon!"

'What the...' I thought to myself as my attention was taken away from the Abbot speech, something odd was happening. The presence of the Light was beginning to fill the room discreetly at a slow, steady pace. From the corner of my eye, I saw a Northshire bishop coming over while carrying an ornately decorated box on a cushion.

"But know that we are not alone in this," the Abbot addressed the crowd directly. "For today, I shall reveal a new truth to you! One that the Church of the Light has confirmed to be true!"

The bishop stopped beside the High Abbot and stood in place.

"Long has it been believed that Mighty Tyr was the one who brought us the teachings of the Light," the High Abbot began. "And while that may be true, I have discovered that Mighty Tyr alone was not the only one who can bring the Light. The Light, as we have always suspected, extends through all of creation and the Great Dark Beyond itself!"

With reverence, the High Abbot took the box into his hands and opened it. Instantly, I felt a familiar presence wash over me. My jaw dropped as soft, twinkling sounds filled the room. There was a certainty to K'ara now, a clarity that wasn't present when I last encountered her. I wasn't the only one feeling its effects; all eyes were now glued to what lay within the opened box.

Slowly, the High Abbot cupped the Ashbringer orb in his hands and revealed it for all to see. As if knowing she was on display, K'ara shone even brighter, flooding the room with the Light. The people in the front row immediately bowed their heads, while most others, including the VIPs, looked utterly astonished. The presence of Light was powerful yet gentle, imbued with an innate kindness that everyone present could feel.

"In my hands is the remnant of a great being of the Light, whose body was destroyed and twisted by the orcs' fel magic," the High Abbot said softly. The room was now so quiet that his voice reached every corner effortlessly. "They called her the Dark Star in their language, but thanks to Lord Callan Lothar, Holy K'ara has not only been wrested from their grip but revived to her true self."

I felt everyone's eyes shift to me, then back to the mesmerizing K'ara.

"Since her liberation, she has been a true guide for us," Abbot Winston continued, now holding K'ara up to his face level. "She has healed our sick, mended our spirits, and imparted great wisdom upon those who doubted the Light in these dark times."

I blinked in surprise. Was K'ara being communicative?

"Mighty Tyr will always be venerated in our lands, but from now on, it shall be Her Holiness, K'ara, who will be our patron," the High Abbot declared, raising the orb higher. "For while the orcs may call her a dark star, all can see that she is radiant!"

As if to emphasize the Abbot's point, K'ara flooded the room with golden light.

"Today marks the beginning of a new era!" the Abbot proclaimed. "A day where the Radiant Star shall shine over all of Stormwind and Azeroth!"

I felt it—faith and Light suffusing the room, almost overwhelming in its intensity. But something even more surprising was happening: it all seemed to be disappearing into K'ara.

"From now on, the Holy Order of the Radiant Star will be Azeroth's sword and shield, and those who would fight under its banner shall be known as its Templars!" Abbot Winston turned to face us. "High Cleric Mara Fordragon of Eastvale, High Cleric Victoria of Moonbrooke, Abbess Delilah of Northshire, Cleric Laura of Westfall, and Cleric Allyson of Lakeshire. Kneel."

As one, the five women stepped forward and knelt in front of the High Abbot. I wasn't sure if I should follow suit. God, I wish someone had prepped me.

"You five were the first to answer the call of the Light," the Abbot said solemnly. "You were the first to take up arms despite our foolish misgivings, and you've saved thousands with your effort and sacrifice."

The five women bowed their heads at his praise.

"You were also the first to see Holy K'ara liberated from the foul orcs," the Abbot continued. "That is why you five shall be the first inducted into this new order. Though you knelt as clerics of Northshire, I bid you now rise as the first Templars of the Order of the Radiant Star!"

The moment the five former clerics got to their feet, a thunderous applause ripped through the room. Caught up in the mood, I too began to clap until I felt K'ara's power suddenly increase a hundredfold. This time, the density of the Light presence did not go unnoticed as everyone's eyes moved to the orb in the Abbot's hand. With another pulse of power, the orb began to float up from the Abbot's hand, and judging by his expression, he was completely taken aback by the whole thing.

The orb—or rather, K'ara—rose a good twenty feet above us before all of the Light in the room was sucked into her. Despite it being daytime, for that one moment, we stood in darkness while K'ara's orb could be seen shining dimly above us. Then, what happened next floored me.

K'ara's orb simply… unfurled from itself, revealing golden crystalline feather-like wings. But it didn't stop there; the moment the wings expanded, light—brighter and purer than anything I had ever seen—lit up the room. It was as if K'ara was returning all the light that she had sucked out of the room. The intensity of the illumination made me shield my eyes until the room returned to normal. I heard gasps before I lowered my hand and got a good look at what had transpired.

My eyes widened as I realized that K'ara had transformed. Gone was the orb; in its place now stood a crystalline figure resembling the symbol of the Church of the Light. But that wasn't all—spread wide from either side were awe-inspiring crystalline wings. A soft, almost melodious chime reverberated softly through the entire room.

'What the...' I thought. This — this never happened in WoW! K'ara was alive; she wasn't as large as A'dal, but a two-foot Naaru was still a living entity. Wasn't she supposed to be dead?

It wasn't until I heard more surprised gasps in front of me that I tore my eyes away from K'ara's new form. The girls were all looking at each other in astonishment. Translucent wings had appeared on the backs of the five newly christened Templars. The wings were made of Light and seemed to move at their command. After a few moments, the wings dissipated, but I couldn't help but think that K'ara had somehow imparted the knowledge of 'Avenging Wrath' onto the girls.

High Abbot Winston was the first to recover, turning back to the clearly stunned crowd.

"The Radiant Star herself has given us her blessing!" His voice drew everyone's attention.

Good luck vying for the audience's attention with the winged symbol of the Church of the Light floating above us.

"Now that the Order of the Radiant Star is formed, it will need an order master, someone blessed by the Light and Holy K'ara herself." I braced myself as the Abbot turned to me. "May I introduce you all to the man who will lead them: Hierarch Callan Lothar, Order Master of the Templars of the Radiant Star!"

Applause stormed through the building, but I was prepared. Closing my eyes, I exhaled deeply before raising a hand in acknowledgment. It was expected, especially now that K'ara was back... Maybe she could teach them how to fight like Vindicators.

Although, I found it odd that the High Abbot called us Templars and not Paladins. I mean, as Templars, shouldn't we have a temple? Suddenly, I felt K'ara's presence touch me, and an image flooded my mind. It was a large, majestic structure adorned with purple crystals radiating power. Yet, despite that, the entire building exuded an aura of peace, where one could easily lose track of time if not careful.

'I know that building; I've seen it before!' At my realization, I felt K'ara's presence leave me, and I looked up at her with wide eyes.

'The Black Temple was yours?' I thought to her. I had no idea how I knew it, but I instantly felt K'ara's sadness. That was when it came back to me—the origin of the Black Temple. Before it became the Black Temple, it was known by another name.

Karabor.

*** Redridge - The Frostwolf's Settlement ***

Durotan raised his arm to shield himself from the bright light that eerily reminded him of draenei magicks. He felt weaker than he had ever been before, and the ravenous hunger that was gnawing at him only added to his discomfort. Then it all came back to him—the battle, the duel, the shame.

As the Frostwolf chieftain regained his senses, he noticed a female by his bedside, someone not his wife and too small to be an orc. Instinctively, he reached for a weapon, any weapon, when a single word halted his movement.

"Durotan." A soft female voice uttered his name.

The owner of the voice was someone Durotan knew intimately.

"Draka…" His voice sounded feeble, surprising him.

"Durotan," his mate called out again.

Draka sounded both relieved and stressed. He felt her move next to his bedside and turned to see a dark-skinned human clad in a dirtied white robe backing away fearfully.

'A prisoner?' Durotan wondered, judging by the damage to her clothes and how haggard she looked. His view of the female was blocked as his mate entered his vision.

"It brings my heart joy to see you returned to us," Draka said, kneeling by his side and stroking his hair. "I had feared…"

Durotan tried to hold her hand to comfort her, only to find that—while he felt the sensation—his arm did not move. He looked to where his arm should have been and saw only an empty space, a cloth bundled around the stump to hide it. The memory of his loss to the human came rushing back.

"My heart, you must rest. We need you healthy so you can lead us, now more than ever," Draka said with a hint of urgency. "Too much has changed, and I fear we are in danger from your brother."

Durotan blinked. "Fenris?"

His beautiful mate nodded. "He is now the leader of the northern Horde and has sent shamans to demand our clan's loyalty."

"Shamans?" Durotan asked in confusion. "What shamans? And what is this about a northern Horde?"

"Oh, Durotan, much has happened since the massacre at the Charred Hand," Draka said, her voice filled with sorrow.

With all the strength he could muster, he moved his good arm and placed his hand on top of hers. His mate's eyes widened, and he felt her visibly relax. Durotan gave her a look full of understanding, and in turn, she began to inform him of what had transpired.

By the time she finished, Durotan felt numb. So much had happened, and so much had their people lost. If he knew his brother and Doomhammer well, there might be a war among the Horde. The humans would merely need to stand back as orcs kill orcs. He could not let that happen.

All his sacrifices, all that his people had paid for, could not end like this.

"Send a messenger to Orgrim. Tell him I am awake. He will come find me." Durotan knew this for a fact. They were brothers in a way Fenris never was; their bond had endured through a lifetime.

More importantly, with Gul'dan gone, the two of them could save the Horde from its own twisted self.

TBC...

AN:

First of all thanks to Icura and taking the time to polish this bad boy! You da man!

Of course to all of my patron supporter, thank you very much, another chapter in the can thanks to your generosity! :D

Hey everyone! So, the reactions to the last chapter were pretty intense—definitely spicy! But honestly, I kind of expected it. Overall, it seems like most of you enjoyed it, so I'm taking that as a win. For me, it wasn't an issue, probably because of the authors who inspired me from the start. Where you begin as a reader often shapes your style as a writer. I'm not saying I'm on the same level as those authors, but their influence encourages me to embrace the spicier elements in storytelling. Whether it's a fade-to-black moment or something more graphic, I believe it's okay to include those aspects if they fit the story. The dynamics between men and women are a natural part of life, so why not lean into it?

That said, I do understand that some people may have a strong reaction against it, and I respect that. However, I don't plan to shy away from it. If it feels right in the moment, it stays; if not, I'll save it for later. Thanks for understanding, and I appreciate all your feedback!

Now as for this chapter, I had been work shopping the name for a LONG time. It was always my intent to give Stormwind a southern paladin order that rival Lordaeron's. The search for a sufficiently cool name to rival the Silverhand though needed a LOT of thoughts into it. Base on early reaction, its a winner, lets see how it does in public! Thanks for reading!

Once again, please considering supporting us on patron at "icuraandvahn" , Thank you!

Finally, as always, C+C and discussions are always welcomed!