Boy oh boy am I thankful for those who reviewed this last week. My mind has started spinning into wild new ideas for the series, and while I'm still unsure where exactly I will end (currently leaning toward the end of Legion or an intro into Battle for Azeroth but no further, but we shall see as the expansion develops) there are some long reaching plotlines that I have brewing that will be most interesting for our cast of characters. So please, sit back, grab a drink or something to snack on, and enjoy the next installment! until next time... ~F
Edit#2: My bad my peoples, when I posted I was not aware that this chapter had so many grammatical errors, and I have gone through and corrected most of them. I was in a rush, because I depart for the Salt Lake ComicCon tomorrow (If you happen to be there this weekend, look for Darth Sidious, I would LOVE to talk to a fan of any of my stories in person) much love to you all, and please enjoy the now corrected version of the chapter! ~F
Chapter Fifty Nine
The Lord of Blackrock Mountain
Nobu'tan took one look at the massive, two-headed draconic hound, and knew that out of the many traps he had seen in his short life, this one probably was the most devious. Each head bellowed a raucous roar as the beast started toward them, and the orc-raised human warlock leapt backward, calling upon the power of frost to hinder the movement of the lumbering beast.
From the stone floor beneath the massive creatures, spikes of ice shot upward, glancing off the scales that protected the armored body, but slowing it nonetheless as the creature stamped roughly to smash the ice beneath its feet.
Teg'Ramm led the charge of their ogres and Fel Centaur against the beast, even while Aisha Feltalon took her Fel Veela and circled around to attack the hindquarters of the dog-like creature. Lucius took charge of the warlocks and mages, keeping up a steady barrage of magic, which seemed to do little against the chromatic scale armor that the creature bore.
Watching for a long moment as the battle rage, Nobu'tan sought to understand how or why such a beast was here, or what purpose it served aside from acting as a guard dog. He sensed that it had something to do with that heavy protection from magic, but only when he glanced back and spotted all the alchemical equipment scattered through the previous rooms did he understand. The whelplings that they freed... Lord Nefarius was experimenting with combining the abilities of all the dragonflights into one creature.
A true horror against the natural world, even for a warlock. They needed to stop this vile experimentation at all costs. Turning back to face the beast, Nobu'tan called upon the power of pure chaos, and slipped into his demonic form. But instead of charging in to fight with hoof and claw, he stayed back, channeling the raw demonic magic into spiraling blasts of shadow and flame, which bore well beyond the natural elements of the world.
Hailing these demonic bolts down upon the creature, to great effect, he rallied all those under his banner and fought like the Legion that had sent them, eventually crippling the disgusting experimental hound and rending the hide from its form with their weapons.
Once the beast lay dead at last, Nobu'tan was pleased to find that there was a second mechanism in the pen that would open the left side gate for them to proceed, as well as another large bounty of treasure, which he found disturbingly odd, as though someone was planting such items throughout the mountain for them to find.
Shaking aside the strange thought that only served to distract and make his head pound, Nobu'tan allowed his people to gather what they may, and prepare to move on to what felt like the final chamber of the Spire.
Pressing on after a short time of primarily the goblins organizing who was to take custody of what, they found themselves in a wide pillared hall, overlooking the barren landscape of the Burning Steppes. A throne-like seat at the far end was occupied by a human, who looked balefully down at them all as they approached. Lord Victor Nefarius was a strange enough appearing human to Nobu'tan, far too rigid and straight to be real, and his dark black hair offset by strange glowing eyes set him ill at ease regarding the humanity of the man before them. Something was drastically off.
"Ah yes… the Heroes have arrived at last…" the man said, leaning forward in his throne to look at them all over steepled fingers, "I suppose that that fool Blackhand thought you would be enough to dethrone me and return control of his precious Horde to him?"
"That would be enough to sum it up, I suppose," Nobu'tan replied, still on edge because of the unnatural air about this other human, and he kept his weapon solidly in hand.
Nefarius sighed dramatically, and sat back in his seat. "Do you expect me to cower before the mighty legion of Nobu'tan, Chieftain of the Stormreavers?" he asked, suprising them all with how much he knew of their identity, "You are nothing to me. Less than nothing. Had I desired your heads, they would have been presented to me on pikes. You have made the mistake that all mortals make. Time does strange things to those that use it as a form of currency."
Nobu'tan said nothing, but he thought that the man had to be quite mad to think he was anything more than a mortal like they were, unless his suspicions of something being more than a bit off were closer to the truth than he wanted to admit.
Nefarius continued in the silence, "In your rush to glory, you assumed that the pace of the game revolved around your actions. Can you even fathom how preposterous that sounds to a being like me? A being that if so inclined could cause your own insignificant thoughts to crush the peanut sized mass of grey matter floating within your skull."
The other man laughed, a low chuckle that sent chills up the warlocks back, "Well, I rarely was fond of you mortals and your little games… but you know what?" he asked, standing, "I say… let the games begin!"
In a flash of smoke and light, Nefarius vanished, and Nobu'tan turned as a pair of aside doors slammed open at the rear side of the chamber, spewing forth a horde of two legged dragonspawn, wielding spears and rushing to meet the Stormreavers in combat.
Even as they turned to face the coming threat, Nobu'tan felt something, a shimmer in the Arcane energy around them, or something else, it gave him a split second to dodge to the left as a bolt of magic slammed into the pillar he was next to.
Nefarius had teleported back and fired a spell at him, before vanishing again, his laughter echoing around the halls over even the clamor of battle. While Nobu'tan kept watch for the next appearance of their spell-casting foe, the others took care of the dragonspawn. Rapidly things were starting to make sense in Nobu'tan's mind, and he was drawing to a conclusion that he did not like in the least.
Only when the last of the bipedal dragon-like creatures was felled did every fall momentarily silent, until they all turned to the great ledge that overlook the lands around the mountain, where the beating of massive wings could be heard drawing nearer.
"Well done, my minions." Bellowed a voice as a shape descended from above the ledge. "The mortals' courage begins to wane! Now, let's see how they contend with the true Lord of Blackrock Spire!"
Nobu'tan's fears were confirmed, Lord Nefarius was a Black Dragon in disguise. As the massive beast landed with a thunderous crash on the ledge, Nobu'tan could already see the great maw opening, and dark flames building, "Take cover!" he yelled, dodging behind a pillar with Draco and Lucius in tow.
"BURN! You wretches! BURN!" Nefarius bellowed, purple flames shooting through the entire room, only blocked by the pillars they hid behind, or a few who used spells to protect themselves from the flames.
Teg'Ramm roared a challenging reply, even as demons were sent forth from all the warlocks, and their forces rallied against their new foe. Nobu'tan dodged around to the left side of the dragon, staying well away from both head and tail, unleashing a magical array of spells to pummel the obsidian colored scales of the dragon.
"Warlocks…" the dragon called, and Nobu'tan felt something seep into his mind trying to overpower his will and command him to do something against his allies, "you shouldn't be playing with magic you don't understand. See what happens?"
Nobu'tan resisted, throwing off the mental compulsion with a roar of anger. Around the room he saw many also had defended themselves from the control of the dragon, but not all. Those who fell sway to the demanding magic lifted their hands, and as one summoned Infernals down from the sky, which stuck the ground and rose to attack their own allies.
But whatever Nefarius was planning with that turn of event, Nobu'tan smirked, even as many of their people reacted instantly, bending the will of the Infernals and enslaving them to fight for them once again, the stone golems of Felfire pummeling the dragon's hide with their boulder appendages.
The battle waged on, the dragon continuing to try and manipulate their allies abilities against them, once having several of their goblin mages polymorph themselves into various animals, and once frighteningly by inverting the ability for their goblin priests to heal, causing them to harm those they sought to heal of a short time.
Nevertheless, the Stormreaver's endured the onslaught of the dragon's manipulative magic, continuing to fight even when it seem that the dragon had them beaten. A few times, Nobu'tan had to launch in demon form at the dragon to distract him from cleaving through their melee fighters with his razor sharp claws, only retreating when the healers had mended the severe wounds and burns that they endured from being in the dragon's face.
Soon enough the dragon started to stagger back from the blows it was enduring, and roared loudly, stunning them all for a second, "Impossible! Rise my minions! Serve your master once more!"
The charred bodies of the dragonspawn they had slain started to move, and Nobu'tan knew that they had to act fast or be overwhelmed on two fronts. Even as the skeletal forms started to rise, their flesh melting off of them from the level of magic used to animate them, Nobu'tan tore open portals to summon more demons to their cause, forming a protective phalanx of Felguards to cover the rear, even as the members of the Clan continued to fight with Nefarius directly.
Seeing that they had countered him yet again, the dragon reared up, roaring in frustration, "ENOUGH! Now you vermin shall feel the force of my birthright: The Fury of the Earth itself!" before slamming his front claws down on the stone, sending a shockwave throughout the mountain and knocking many of them from their feet.
Even in that moment that they all tried to rise, the dragon turned and brandished its tail, sweeping it in a long arc over them, spikes impaling one of the Fel Veela, as well as a goblin and a Fel Centaur in one blow, sending the creatures flying into the far wall with a sickening crunch.
"Worthless wretchs! Your friends will join you soon enough!" Nefarius taunted, turning back to the rest of them.
Nobu'tan saw red. He would not allow more of his followers to die in pursuit of his adgenda, not now, not ever. Fel energy sweeping through him, he rose and transformed, even as Nefarius rose up again to slam the ground. Nobu'tan rammed the dragon in the exposed chest, catching the beast at the point of greatest unbalance, and sending the pair of them hurtling backward, right over the ledge of the mountain fortress.
Air rushed past them, but the dragon was more than adept in the open air, and turned himself to make use of his massive wings. Nobu'tan knew that this form had them as well, and reached with his mind and his magic to command the shadowy appendages to perform their function, and they extended, slowing his fall instantly and giving him control to chase the dragon before it could make its escape.
Blasts and bolts from the ledge told him that his forces were still trying to hit the dragon as he fled, but Nobu'tan had the advantage of proximity, and bolted upward like a shot, straight into the right wing of the dragon, allowing his Fel claws to tear through the thin sinew that allowed the beast to stay aloft.
The dragon roared in agony, and perhaps fear, rolling to pull the damaged wing away, and swipe at Nobu'tan with claws and tail, but the smaller figure was too swift for the hulking dragon, which while graceful in the air was nothing compared to the warlock.
"This cannot be! I am the master here! You mortals are nothing to my kind! Do you hear me? Nothing!" the dragon shouted, even as Nobu'tan attacked the other wing, severing muscle to the bone and making the limb useless. The dragon plummeted to the ground, out of control and unable to right himself for a proper landing. The echoing crash as he hit the earth was a glorious sound, but Nobu'tan wouldn't leave anything to chance, aiming for the fallen dragon's head, he unleash a torrent of demonic and chaotic spells into the dragon, punching holes in the draconic skull until he was certain that the beast was dead.
Only then did he abandon the corpse and fly back to the mountain to rejoin his forces, knowing that they would need him to make it out of the mountain once more and rejoin the Horde properly, to deal with the aftermath of this event.
Landing back on the balcony and reverting to his natural, albeit illusioned, form, Nobu'tan was quickly rushed at by several of the healers, who all were very keen to inspect him and cure any injury he might have sustained in fighting Nefarius midair. They were disappointed, or rather relieved, to find that Nobu'tan was mostly unharmed, aside from some minor lacerations from the scales as he slammed against the dragon, and burns from residual flame that he almost didn't doge from time to time.
More important to the chieftain of the Stormreavers was the fate of those struck by the dragon during the course of the battle. The healers were saddened to report that of those smashed by the final tail sweep of the dragon, only their fellow priest was able to be saved, the smaller body be cushioned from the blow by the bodies of the others who struck it before him.
Falling silent for a long moment, Nobu'tan internally raged at his failure to keep his people safe during this endeavor. Turning away from the others so that they could not see his reaction to what he felt was a personal defeat. Nobu'tan walked toward the back of the chamber, where the small rooms that the dragonspawn had emerged from were located.
Or at least, he had thought they were small rooms, as when he looked up at them, he found that the chamber was actually a corridor leading further into the mountain, and he grimaced at the thought that there was even more yet to be explored and cleared out of this infernal mountain.
"My Lord, what have you found?" Lucius said, walking over and observing the corridor beyond as well, "the next chamber to progress? Excellent, I shall rally everyone once our injuries are fully healed and our magical levels are restored."
The man walked off before Nobu'tan could muster the courage to say that he didn't want them to proceed at this time. It was difficult to watch as his clan, so willing and eager to press onward and claim the entirety of the mountain, would press on into the unknown after such a chaotic battle. But they did, and even if it was against his personal desired to do so, Nobu'tan would continue to protect them with all he had.
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Onyxia widened her eyes as he felt her brother's death. Luckily, it had been hours since her last duty had been discharged, and the night had long fallen, so none would notice of Lady Katrana Prestor suddenly disappeared for several hours or more. She quickly pulled out the small token that would teleport her to her brother's fortress, specifically the chambers that had been prepared for her brood to flourish deep within the mountain.
Having been here more than once during its construction, she barely had to even acknowledge the drakes and dragonspawn that were caring for her eggs as they settled happily near the central chamber, and the volcanic steam vents that rose from the heart of the mountain. Quickly, she took to the chamber that would lead up to Nefarian's throne room, suspecting that something dire had happened, and she might have to make some quick deals to protect her own, or else fight to drive away the intruders. But if they had already defeated her brother, Onyxia was not sure if she could stand up to whatever force had come, be it Horde or Alliance in nature.
What she found was surprising to say the least, as Onyxia had not seen such a gathering of orcs, ogres and goblins since the second war between the Horde and the old Alliance of Lordaeron. Overlooking the large attack force from an upper ledge, she knew that it was a matter of time before they discovered her and the purpose of this inner chamber, so she willing stepped forward into view, and addressed them.
"What do you seek here, adventurers?"
Many of the heads turned, and Onyxia could tell that most were willing to lift weapons and attack on sight, but the leader, a shorter figure with the appearance of an orc held up a hand, seeming to be tired of combat and seemingly willing to talk.
"That would depend, my false human, on what you are willing to offer us…" the magically altered voice stated gravely.
Onyxia could taste the Fel magic upon the majority of the group, and knew that their warlocks alone could summon demons enough to wipe out her brood if they so desired, and because of that fact alone, she was willing to offer a great deal, but that was not part of the concept of negotiation. She would not reveal her desperation unless it was pressed to the surface, which she suspected that it may come to that in the end, and she would lose quite a bit in freedom to secure the safety of her brood.
"Perhaps we ought to be honest with each other, orc," she taunted, throwing the mocking at the deception back at the figure, "and realize that you all are indeed quite powerful, to overcome Lord Nefarian, but can you stand to fight me and mine right afterward? I suspect neither of us wants to endure more loss of life in this conflict, over what I actually do not know…"
The impersonated orc seemed to pause, while those around him grew tense, probably hoping for the order to attack, but instead the leader's form shimmered, and a young human, barely out of his twentieth year appeared, looking up at her, "You would be correct that I tire of this struggle over the mountain. I merely want the fortress back in the hands of those who rightfully conquered it. The Horde of old, which I will aid to become a great world power once more. But what do you seek out of such a suspension of aggression, and what can you offer that would be of use to us?"
The boy surprised Onyxia. It was rare to find such an idealist these days, outside of the royal court where she had much contact with the boy-prince Anduin. In a strange turn of events, she found that brute honesty might earn her more allies than enemies in this instance. "I seek the protection of my clutch, and the continued existence of the Black Dragonflight through it. And I am more than willing to offer you control of the mountain, and perhaps the opportunity for a future alliance between us."
Those nearest to the boy leaned down and spoke in whispers, probably in the attempt to conceal their thoughts from Onyxia, but the Broodmother could hear them more than easily enough. "You cannot trust this one, my Lord." One said, while the other, closer in height to the leader nodded in agreement, "you can tell that she reeks of desperation, and will say anything to cause us to lower our guard, perhaps to spring upon us at the last moment."
"I have no quarrel with you mortals…" Onyxia replied loudly, broadcasting that their hushed tones did nothing to stop her hearing them, "I have far different objectives than my brother, and while his death saddens me, I have duty and responsibilities that supersede even avenging him, so I will willingly forgive the affront to our flight for your word that no more aggression to us will come about, and that these chambers, already prepared by Nefarian for my use to nurse our Dragonflight back to a decent population will remain untouched by your blades or Fel magic."
The dragon could see without needing to use any sort of skill or magic that the pair of advisors were still desperately trying to convince their leader against any sort of peaceful action, from their body language and even the pheromones that their skins released. It was very strange the things that mortals and their bodies did that even they themselves were unaware of.
But she could see that something was gnawing at the young leader, probably the concept of losing his people, if the smell of death in the air was anything to tell of it. "Explain what you mean by future alliance with us," the young human pressed, against the advice of those closest to him.
Straightening her illusioned form to its full height, which was admittedly not nearly as impressive as if she had room to revert to her true form, but Onyxia was proud of what her Brood would be capable of when they were mature at last, "you will never have to worry regarding the skys around this mountain, as my whelplings and drakes will see to its security, as this fortress will become our roost, I would guarantee that you will always be aware of enemies march of your gates, and I can personally provide you with details of the human kingdom to the south, as I am a rather influential member of the high court of the land."
That last point was clearly something that the advisors were not expecting to hear, and they fell silent, trying to determine what she was playing at no doubt, but Onyxia had eyes only for the youthful leader. He was so close to accepting, there needed to just be one little thing more to tip the balance. Utilizing her draconic magic, Onyxia subtly slipped into the boy's mind, not to violently dominate, but just to see what drove the child, where his loyalties truly lay.
What she found surprised her. An image of an orc, grizzled and old came to mind, wielding massive Fel power and spurring an ancient horde onward toward the lands of the north: Gul'dan the warlock.
"You poor child…" she said without thinking, before realizing that she had tipped her hand.
"What?" the leader, Nobu'tan, responded, steeling his resolve, and Onyxia had to act swiftly to preserve what she had already created within him.
"You truly loved the orc warlock, didn't you…" she continued, laying the final piece of bait before the human.
The greed in the emerald eyes was palpable, even as they flashed the crimson of Fel taint, "What do you know of Gul'dan?" he demanded. The truth was that Onyxia knew very little, as the Black Dragonflight only participated toward the end of the war, long after the old orc had perished, but she had some ideas at least.
"I know some, but it will be yours to learn if we have a deal…" she said, giving her terms, and knowing the answer that would follow.
"My Lord, no…" the older of the two advisors countered, stepping forward, "you cannot trust what this one will say or do, it's too risky."
"What's too risky is going to war against every enemy we face, just to lose those closest to us!" the leader snapped back, surprising everyone in his company, but not the Broodmother. It was clear that the pang of loss weighed heavily on this one, clearly still so new to leadership. It was another avenue that she could lend her aid with, and further cement the safety of her brood.
Ironically, it was not betrayal that she was considering, as she may have in previous days of if the boy was more arrogant than he was, but Onyxia had seen into his heart, and it was pure, even among the demonic corruption. He was not a perfect servant of the heartless legion, but a noble soul in a terrible situation. If she honestly aided him, she would become part of his clan, his family, and he would defend her and hers to the very death. It was a fierce sort of love, but one that the Broodmother could intimately understand and approve of. Anything that was of value had to be jealously guarded from harm.
"Do we have a deal, young warlock of the Stormreaver Clan?" she asked again calmly, awaiting his answer, and knowing that many would balk at his inevitable decision.
"We do, but I want to know immediately what happened to my old master." Nobu'tan said, stepping closer to Onyxia. The others were shocked, probably thinking that the Broodmother had their leader under a spell or some sort of trance, which almost made Onmyxia lose her composure and chuckle. To think that one so strong willed and noble could be easily dominated by another was laughable. She would have expected such foolishness from her brother, and he probably did try to his folly, but she could tell that this was an alliance that would benefit her greatly.
"The mountain is your then, Nobu'tan, Lord of Blackrock Mountain, your forces need not fear anything that lays within, I will tell my brood that you are our allies and to treat you as members of the black dragonflight from here on. But as to your questions, young one, walk with me…"
Onyxia smirked as she turned to walk further into her nesting chamber, and the boy-leader followed instantly. The Brood Mother knew that the two advisors for the leader were glaring fiery death into her back, and would have followed if not for their leader waving them off, which was good for her. Better for them to distrust her and allow her to prove herself than for it to be too easy for her to manipulate them all into her service.
"So tell me, what happened to Gul'dan…" the boy started, even as they passed into the inner chamber and viewed the large descended heating area, filled with her eggs and monitored constantly by drakes and dragonspawn.
Instinctively sensing their mother's presence, the members of the Black Dragonflight turned to look up at her, tasting the air of the companion she had brought with them, knowing that it would be an ally if she Broodmother accepted him, "It is a long, and somewhat fragmented tale," she began, looking over the progress of her children, "I will admit that even I know little more than you've likely discovered by now, but I know that the Warlock met his end on the Broken Isles, out in the sea, where his own Horde turned on him when he sought the power of the Dark Titan."
Whether the boy understood everything she told him, she couldn't tell, in fact she suspected that he wasn't aware of what schemes that his old master had been up to. "Which clans?" he asked, surprising the Black Dragon.
"Pardon me?" she asked, not understanding what the boy was asking.
"Which clan of the Horde led the attack?" the boy repeated, "what were their colors, the shape of their banner, their symbol. I must know who to punish."
Onyxia thought hard, "Black was their color, and a grinning smile with broken teeth was their symbol," she stated, recalling the banners on the ships sailed toward her father's old lair on the broken isles.
The darkening look on the young face was almost delightful to see. The young man had a darkness within him, even more than the Fel that he wielded.
"The Black-Tooth Grin Clan…" he said, seething, "Rend, betrayed me, used me, and lied to me…" Onyxia stepped back slightly as Fel sparks started to erupt along the boy's arms. "I will destroy him, and shatter the remnant of his clan. The Horde will be mine!" he shouted, startling several whelplings that were nearby.
The raw anger was something of a surprise to even the Broodmother, and all thoughts of manipulation fled in an instant. This child, this human would become extremely violent if even a hint of deception was detected.
The boy turned immediately, uncaring of what Onyxia said or did from that point, heading for the exit of the mountain, and presumable he would only return when this Rend's head was on a pike.
Intrigued she followed for a short distance. Nobu'tan stormed past all of his people to Nefarian's ledge, overlooking the blackened wasteland of the volcano's plains. Even the dragon's eyes widened as the boy simply stepped off the ledge, his form shifting to that of a shadowed demon and took off toward the orc encampment at the base of the mountain.
Both advisors whirled on the dragoness, concern and partially rage in their eyes, "What did you say?" the elder one demanded, and Onyxia was surprised that the human in orc shape had the gall to make demands of her, but at the same time it amused her.
"I told him the truth, and now he will take justice into his own hands, as is his right." She said simply, "and now I will take my leave, but for your leader, I will give you this to keep in contact with me," she added, passing a communication stone, enchanted with her own magic to the elder advisor.
The man was not pleased by her leaving so soon, but he also clearly was aware that he held no power over her, and let her go. Activating her stone once more, Katrana Prestor returned safely to Stormwind, worried about the future for her brood, but at least safely assured that they would not be wiped out, and for the time being that was enough. As the true persona of Onyxia departed behind her mask, her final thought of the blackened mountain was that she would be seeing much more of the warlock Nobu'tan, she would guarantee it.
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Nobu'tan was enraged, not thinking straight, but he didn't care. Warchief Rend Blackhand had something to do with Gul'dan's death, and vengeance demanded answers, and the orc's head for raising his hand against Nobu'tan's master.
He could sense that the leaders of the Horde had not left the camp, nor had they done anything they decided upon previously. Not that it mattered in light of his new alliance with the Black Dragons. Storming into the tent, Rend and the other leaders were right where he had left them, sitting around a fireplace enjoying the same food, hashing out the same stories in their drunken matter.
"Out! Everyone out!" Nobu'tan demanded, his voice rising with the levels of Fel magic wafting off of him. The orc chieftains and commanders looked fearfully back at him, then to Rend for instruction like the fools that they were. Nobu'tan was disgusted at the lack of effective leadership that the Horde had fallen to. No wonder they were no longer a world power, and this Thrall had taken command of the rest of the clans, as well as their very name.
Felfire surged outward onto the table, setting it ablaze instantly, "NOW!" Nobu'tan roared, and the orcs leapt to their feet, dashing past the enraged warlock and fleeing out into the camp. Rend was on his feet in an instant, axe in hand, as though he already suspected what the warlock desired.
Even as the weapon swung at him, Nobu'tan's claw-like hands shot out, knocking the weapon aside and gripping the drunken orc by the throat, lifting him from the ground with the strength of the Fel.
"Now," Nobu'tan demanded, containing his rage for the time being until he had his answers, "You will tell me the truth you drunk pig, what did you and your brother do to Gul'dan, my master?"
The drunken orc, already fearing for his life, became a rush of drunken words, wherein Nobu'tan understood very little aside from the name of Doomhammer. From that alone he could gather a sense of what went on. Gul'dan went for the fabled Tomb of Sargaras, why he went earlier than his original plan Nobu'tan did not know, but Doomhammer was enraged from the departure as the Horde was marching on their final opponents, and in response he sent the Blackhand brothers as executioners.
There was only one last question he had for the Warchief, which would determine if he died right then and there or later, "Who killed Gul'dan, you? Maim? One of your warriors?"
"None of us…" croaked the orc, "he… fled into the Tomb, and demons came out after… we wouldn't chase him after that."
Nobu'tan relaxed enough to let the orc fall to the ground in a heap. Nobu'tan had suspicions since the Naaru told him so long ago that the Legion betrayed his master. He had hoped that he was being lied to by the creature of Light, but he should have figured that it had nothing to gain from that.
But that still did not absolve the drunken mess in front of him from responsibility from driving his master into that tomb unprepared for what lay within. "I declare mak'gora, Warchief." He said solemnly, making sure that the orc was paying attention to understand the importance of what he was listening to.
"Tomorrow, at midday, we will fight for rulership of the Horde, and for my personal satisfaction against your hand in killing the one who cared for me more than any other." Nobu'tan declared, turning to leave, even as the Fel magic fled from him.
Even as he started to leave, so that the warchief could sober up for their duel to the death. Orcs were gathered all around, some bearing weapons, but none dared to approach or hindered him from leaving.
Only one would even make eye contact with him, an orc bearing the white symbol of the Dragonmaw Clan, and Nobu'tan was intrigued to note that the orc was smiling approvingly at the aura of fear that Nobu'tan was portraying. If he was to remember correctly, this same orc was in the inner circle of Rend's commanders, and therefore he suspected that this orc was either the current chieftain or some other leader in the Clan.
A potential candidate for Rend's replacement as Warchief of the Horde, perhaps.
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Lucius waited anxiously for Nobu'tan to return. It had taken quite a bit of time for them to hike back down from the mountain fortress. From whatever that dragon in human form had told their leader, he had taken off like a madman in a rage, and Lucius knew he had to stop Nobu'tan before the boy did something horribly rash and potentially devastating.
But by the time they reached the camp however, Nobu'tan was already storming back from a mob of other orcs surrounding the Warchief's tent. "What did you do?" Lucius demanded, stopping right before the stern form of Nobu'tan.
"I declared mak'gora." The boy responded, which meant nothing to Lucius.
"What?" he asked, confused.
"Mak'gora, a vengeance duel to the death." The younger man responded.
Lucius was flabbergasted. The boy was engaging in a death duel. "And you're going to use what, the Fel to destroy him I presume?" he asked.
"No," Nobu'tan responded, "That's against the tradition. Brawn and steel only, no magic of any kind, aside from a shamanistic blessing upon the weapon of choice."
Lucius couldn't believe his ears. It was madness, "My Lord, with all due respect but this is insane, you have no chance against that brute without your magic, what on earth are you thinking!"
"I must avenge my master, and reassert our domination over the Horde, and the only way to win the loyalty of the orcs is through this method." Nobu'tan explained, "and I am not going at this half cocked, Lucius." Suddenly the young man grew deathly cold and direct, "I've know Rend and his dead brother for a long time, and I know his vices, his weaknesses, and I will defeat him at his own game, long before he has the chance to bash in my skull as I know he wants to, once he's out of his drunken stupor."
"Merlin…" Lucius moaned, trying to understand the madness that this boy, this young man was undertaking. "If you die then all our plans, all our strategies are gone, why would you risk something like this so early in the game? Call forth a champion, do something other than fight yourself."
"It has to be me, I will avenge Gul'dan of his murderers." Nobu'tan responded, his voice steeled to the task.
Lucius knew when he was beat, and the boy was stubbornly set on this course of self destruction. Walking away, he went off to think of what madness he had signed up his family, sold his entire world for. But, there was a way for this to work. Nobu'tan was using himself as potential bait, whether he thought of it or not. Quickly returning, in time to see the warlock removing the out trapping of his raiment and allowing one of the goblin shaman to adorn him with markings of various elemental symbols, as well as a sword from the dwarf kingdom that they had recently plundered.
"I will be waiting to strike down Rend if it looks as though you will fail." He declared, causing Nobu'tan to turn to him.
"We cannot afford you to die, even if it means losing the loyalty of the Horde," Lucius said, overriding the potential storm of complaints against his plan. "You are too important. If that event happens, we will set another to be the Warchief, back away for a time, and later return to take the reins once more, but so help me this will happen, because I did not allow you to destroy our world just to throw everything away in you mad quest to punish everyone that made you unhappy!"
Lucius was raging in a way he had never before felt. The look on Nobu'tan's face clearly suggested that he hadn't even considered that Lucius could be this distraught. "I won't fail, but if it makes you feel better, then I will allow it."
Lucius nodded, satisfied as far as the situation allowed. The orcs were already gathering around a massive pit, seemingly hastily dug and lined with wooden spikes. Lucius was not able to get into the immediate inner circle, but there was an opening large enough for him to have a clear view of the combatants once they entered.
Nobu'tan was already present, his illusioned form stripped to bare clothing, waiting for Warchief Rend to make his appearance. From the murmuring of the orc crowd, they had already been waiting for a short time, and Nobu'tan was riling them up, pointing out how their Warchief was late to his own honor duel, swinging the plundered sword about in a show of strength.
Lucius knew that Nobu'tan was a brilliant actor when it was needed, but he was still concerned when Rend finally appeared, a massive axe in both hands and his body rippling with muscle. The Warchief was no slough when it came to combat, and it was likely that Lucius' wand would be needed to cut down the beast before he dealt a severe blow to their esteemed leader.
Rend leapt down with a roar into the pit, and without words the two started to square off and circle each other, Rend swinging the axe lazily even as Nobu'tan held the sword closer to his frame.
Lucius was on edge when the first clash came, Rend roaring and charging at Nobu'tan, who deftly dodged the axe swing and cut a thin line across the warchief's thigh, drawing first blood and dealing a hefty blow to the reputation of the leader of these orcs.