04-15-2005, 12:22 AM
[This is a story I got Kendei to... well, transform one of our chat sessions into. He added quite a bit of detail and essentially worked his 'story magic' on it ^_^ Crossposting this from the server forum so it doesn't vanish forever]
( Before you read this, note that I did this upon request. It's...really hard for me to write upon request, if I don't -feel- the scene...ya know? Well, anyway. That being said, I'm currently working on something that I think, personally, will be quite nice to read. So much that I was thinking about it the entire time I was writing this. So, sorry if this is all jumbled and some of it seems completely pointless. It's all my mistake =\)
"Sentinels! Defend Astranaar with your lives!" the captain called out amongst the chaos. It was, yet again, another Horde attack upon the elven town. Luckily, Kendei had been in the area for some 'rest and relaxation' as many called it. From his perch in a tree across the lake, he could tell that the situation was already under control. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a troll diving into the water to escape. Immediately he persued, removing himself from the limb and diving headfirst into the lake.
The water was crystal clear thanks to the care that the elven inhabitants had put into it. Holding his breath, Kendei was able to find a large branch sat up against a rock to hide behind. The branch would help Kendei to stay underwater, holding onto it to keep him pinned down to the floor. The elf took his dagger within his left hand, holding it in front. Here is where all of his training would pay off. The patience of a rogue was of utmost importance. As the troll swam overhead, Kendei's legs acted as a spring which would propel him up. The elven rogue was able to take the troll by suprise, arms embracing him whilest the dagger slid with deadly accuracy along his jugular. In his mind, he spoke words of forgiveness for killing a kin of his fiance.
Immediately after, Kendei surfaced to take in a deep breath of air. His swimming took him into Astranaar itself, eyes traversing the area to find that most of the attackers had either fled or died. The sentinels already began to remove their bodies while others mourned over the lost loved ones. It was a sad sight, and Kendei frowned behind the safety of his black cowl. From the distance, in the center of the town, he could see a group of rogues gathering a small crowd.
"Death to the Horde!" the main one called out. From the looks of it, he appeared to be rather inexperienced. At least, to Kendei's standard of what an experienced rogue should live up to. The elf continued to banter on about returning an attack on the Horde, their main target being Orgrimmar. One could only take so much before they were angered. Kendei burst through the crowd, grasping the rogue by the hem of his shirt and pulling him close.
"Shut your mouth." Kendei commanded, his golden orbs narrowing out. The rogue smiled, laughing.
"Oh, look boys! It's the traitor!" he replied with a sly grin. In return, as Kendei wished he could do to all those that branded him a traitor, his fist found it rightfully placed along the cheek of the rogue. He fell to the ground, scurrying up and grasping his daggers. Talk of battle between two fellow elves ran throughout Astranaar quickly, forcing the sentinels to intervene.
The two began arguing afterwards, with the Sentinels trying their best to break it up. Little did Kendei notice that while he argued, several of the rogue's followers slipped away. After a good ten minutes of arguing, the rogue spoke up.
"Funny, traitor. The entire time you've been here boasting about peace, you've allowed my cohorts to get far enough away to---"
The elf found himself flat on the floor, Kendei having broken through the sentinals and planting a well-placed right hook along his jawline once again. Kendei would not stop there, but instead bolted across and headed towards the bridge. A sharp whistle called the striped nightsaber to his side. Its head leaned in to help lift Kendei up and over. He rode for what seemed to be hours, reaching Durotar and following the pawprints that the other nightsabers had left behind. His hands gripped tightly upon the reigns of his striped nightsaber. The prints were just proof that what the rogue had said was true. He didn't stop tho think that it could have been some random passerby. Instead, he quickly assumed and continued on as quickly as possible. So quick that the dust kicked up behind the animal in a cloud of smoke. A flick of his wrists would snap the reigns along the saber, forcing it to move even faster. In the distance, along the shore, he saw the body of an orc lying face-first in the sand. His eyes squinted in order to see closer, and immediately he was overcome with horror upon recognizing who it was.
His body lept off the nightsaber, which promptly came to a stop in order to catch its breath. Kendei sprinted the rest of the way, removing the pack from his back and coming into a sliding kneel at the side of the orc. Both hands reached inside, hurridly removing the same type of bandaging equipment that he had previously used on Rexxar. As he examined the body, he noticed many dagger wounds adorning the back area, scraps along the burly green arms. The sand beneath was dark red, indicating that possibly more wounds lie on the chest.
"Kretol... hang in there."
"Kendei..." the orc spoke back, struggling against the pain, "The... peace... they don't.. want..." His breathing had become rugged, but he was doing his best to 'hang in'. "They.. recognized me. Rogues.... attacked.."
He frowned as he worked at the best he could, telling Kretol to hush on several occasions when the Orc tried to speak or explain. The armor adorning his body had been removed. Just as he began to apply the healing salve, that oh-so-familiar stench of poison began to rise from the wounds. Kendei immediately leaned in, knowing that if the poison were allowed to sit any longer it could become rather deadly. With his lips pressed along one of Kretol's wounds, he began to suck in the poison to cleanse the wound. He did this to them all, first leaning in to sniff the wound itself in order to make sure the poison had actually entered it. By the time he was done, Kendei had a rather large spit pile to his side where the liquids taken in had been released. On top of that, his clothing and face was covered in the blood of his friend. Yet, he did not stop here. Kretol seemed to be on the verge of death, and he quickly continued in bandaging him.
"Rogues...Kidney.... stabbed... several... no chance... Kendei..."
"Kretol, shut the hell up or I'll finish the job for them." he replied before the orc even had a chance to finish the sentence. His tone was harsh, and had Kretol known the elf better he probabl would have thought him to be serious. Finally, the last bandage was placed. Kretol had finally decided to stay silent.. at least, until Kendei broke the silence.
"...Do you know their names? Did you see them?"
Kretol replied in a softened tone, "...Names...elves... didn't recognize them."
Kendei nodded in return, doing his best to roll the Orc over and lay his head in his lap. From his bag, a potion was removed and placed along Kretol's lips. The liquid was allowed to slide in, first by drops. Once Kretol was able to get used to drinking, he allowed the rest to follow.
Kretol continued to speak, his voice becoming stronger now, "Damo... I was looking.. for him. I could.... could sense.. he was here... couldn't find... came here to... rest... to think... was unprepared for the.. attack..."
Kendei frowned, "...See what I told you? Getting involved in my affairs only causes others to get hurt. I need to do these things alone.." His memory faded back to the moment he finally found Crymsan again---Aeoth damning him for being around her, for leaving her alone. The main thing he said...accused him of being the reason all of his friends had been hurt. To a certain point, Kendei thought it to be true. He had killed Arreyona. Mania's soul was gone. Crymsan's, and now he had been unable to protect Kretol. In a sense, he felt...useless.
"Not your affairs..." Kretol replied, extending a hand up to place along Kendei's shoulder, "I had already been.. an advocate of peace from my Warchief's teachings.. These rogues, they try and promote conflict.."
Kendei nodded, "That they do, friend. There are those on both sides that commit such acts.. We can only work to gather theirn ames and stop it. I only wish that I were there... here, to help you."
"That there are, regrettably." Kretol agreed with Kendei's words, wincing slightly and managing a smirk. "Enough of me.. How are you?"
The elf shook his head as he peered down at the orc, smiling all the while. "Bah.. I've been better, of course. I'm..beginning to lose hope, it seems. And I've begun to have strange dreams again, but not of war... this time of the past."
"Never lose hope... and what are these dreams of the past..?"
Kendei frowned almost, peering out towards the ocean. As he tried his best to invision the past once more--a past in which he had hoped to forget---he selfconsciously removed another elixer and nearly forced Kretol to drink it. "Ah.. of an old person I once knew. Back when I was a mercenary and assassin for SI:7."
In turn, Kretol had choked on the elixer due to the rate at which Kendei forced him to drink. He coughed a bit after swallowing it all, then inquired, "Old person? Do... tell."
"Ah... well. He and I were on a mission together, regretably. Needless to say, he died during that mission and I survived. The details are a bit.. erm... well. Let's just say I';m not proud of my actions back then."
"This person.. did you only know him through.. the SI:7?"
".. I did not actually know him, no. He was simply another member of the SI:7. He was a mage."
Several minutes of silence passed before Kretol would speak, "Kendei..."
"..Yes?"
"Thank you."
".......For what?"
"For assisting me." Kretol said with a grin.
"Of course, Kretol.. As I said, you are my friend. I will do whatever I can to assist you.
And, now, you need rest."
Kretol grunted, "Yes.. I need to get to the Hold in Orgrimmar.. see if you can find my nephew.. Kevarn, is his name. Unless.... you think you can carry me inside the city yourself." Kretol smirked slightly.
"I..doubt I can go through myself, Kretol. I will have to find Kevarn. Any..idea where he may be?"
Kretol thought for a moment, "I believe he recently advanced in his traiing.. so he is more than likely in the Hall of Honor, the warrior's bunker in the Valley of Honor in Orgrimmar. He..may also be at the falls nearby, taking a bath. You will have to sneak in and get him. I...have told him of you often. He will know you, though he will not know who you are until you identify yourself. Even then, he may attack without provocation though... so please be prepared."
Kendei nodded, taking a stand and bowing in resepct to the orc. Immediately afterwards, the shadows would engulf his form and he would be off. His lithe form shifted through the darkness, checking along the coridoor to where Kretol directed him. He first was at the waterfall, hiding in the shadows nearby. Kendei was to be lucky, as far as not having to sneak inside the bunker. Kevarn had just arrived at the falls, and was proceeding to remove his armor. He looked remarkably similar to Kretol, same face and features, but looked quite young.. and his skin was more of an ashen color. AS he proceeded to remove his armor, his was whistling aimlessly. Meanwhile, Kendei found himself creeping closer to Kevarn, though he would not move too close. He had heard of the rage the Orcs went through, and did not if Kevarn himself was still in such. He was a good ten feet away when he spoke up, making sure no one else was around and that the shadows still consealed his presense, "Kevarn... you are of Kretol, correct?"
Kevarn blinked, peering around searchingly. "Swo'bu... who talkin'?"
He hadn't considered donning his breastplate and shoulderpads again, but instead picked up his massive battle-axe, flexing his arms slightly at his sides.
"Relax, Kevarn.. it's a friend of Kretol's. He's
in danger, and needs your help."
Kevarn blinked, still attempting to discern where the voice was coming from, and why it didn't sound like an orc or any other race belonging to the Horde. "...What wrong with him? Who are you?"
Kendei frowned, not enjoying the fact that he had to trick the young one. Instead, he would take another approach, "..I am Kendei, Kevarn. Kretol was ambushed by a gang of rogues along the coast. He needs to be brought back inside. I cannot do it alone, though I have tended to his wounds."
The young orc snorted and hesitated for a moment. He recalled his uncle telling him of Kendei, but could not recall much. Not wasting anymore time, Kevarn took off running. He was suprisingly fast for an orc, but that was probably attributed to his conditioning, being a warrior. He, again, left the armor he had tkaen off. There was no time for that now, especially if his uncle was in pain. Kendei was left to stare at the armor. Suddenly, a thought entered his mind. If the rogues were still nearby, they could easily ambush Kevarn just as well. "....Oh no." the elf voiced, taking off as quick as one could whilest not being scene by others.
As Kendei approached where he left Kretol, he could see Kevarn kneeling beside him. Seeing the two so close together, it seemed as if Kevarn was already as big, if not bigger, than Kretol himself. On the orc's bare back, one could slightly discern scars as if from many lashings of a whip. Kendei studied these scars closely. It was a sight to see. The elf did not know much of Kevarn, but from the scars and the way he spoke, it was easy to decide that he was once a slave. This angered the rogue. Not only did he dislike races taking other races as slaves---or slavery in general, but he was obviously abused as a slave.
"...Kretol, are you alright?" Kendei spoke as he took a kneel beside the orc. Kevarn turned at the sound of Kendei's voice, and upon seeing him, curled his lip from his teeth slightly but otherwise made no other action. Kretol only nodded.
"Dabu... I am doing well, thanks to your care." He smirked, "I see you found my nephew swiftly enough."
Kendei nodded in return, "I chose the waterfall first, hoping for the easiest. Thankfully you knew your nephew well. I would love to take you myself, but I fear the guards would slay me on sight."
Kevarn growled at Kendei, his hands forming into fists. Kretol immediately turned his attention to his nephew, "Kev...restrain yourself. This elf is a great friend of mine, and I'd like for him to be one of yours as well."
In return, Kevarn growled, eyeing Kendei. After a few moments of thought, he briefly nodded. "Okay. Me will try." He then looked back to Kretol, "You want me bring you in now?"
"Actually.." Kretol began, "I think I'm fine, currently. I'm comfortable... and would rather stay and talk with Kendei. That is, if he wishes to."
Kendei smiled as he watched Kretol, though he did not reply immediately. Kevarn was new to this, he thought, and thus would do his best to get to know the orc. Slowly, and with a hint of gentleness in his eyes, the elf extended his right hand to the young orc. "..I'm Kendei, the elven rogue. Nice to meet you, Kevarn."
Kevarn peered at the offered hand, growling softly again, "I'm Kevarn. Me a grunt." He brings his right hand up, clenching his fist and pounding it against his chest twice, in rapid succession.
Kendei smiled, taking that extended hand and bringing it across his chest, saluting the young one. "I believe you may one day outgrow the strength of Kretol here. Your uncle is a very wise one. I admire him greatly."
Kretol smiled and while he said nothing, Kevarn only grunted. "Me try.. but me not think me gonna get stronger than me uncle. He already really strong." He smiled slightly, "And swo'bu.. me know he wise. He the one who saved me."
"Indeed.." Kendei began, "But never give up hope, Kevarn. One can never reach the peak of their strength. There is always room for improvement within each of us. If anything, I have learned that lesson in life."
The young orc blinked, obviously confused. By now Kretol had closed his eyes, simply content in listening to the conversation.
"What you mean?" Kevarn replied, still having that rather confused tone to his voice.
"Ah.. well. I have lived for quite some time, Kevarn. Us elves have a rather long life span. I've always thought that I was..at my best, and I have not but recently realized how weak I was then. Physical strength is not the only thing that matters in a battle. It's your mentality when you go in. And battling is not all that life is about. There's.. friendship. Love.." His voice almost trailed off and he seemed to enter a trance. Thankfully, he was able to catch himself, "But you will find all of that out soon enough, I am sure."
Kevarn nodded, "Me have a few friends... Vor'tok a really good one. He a shaman, like me uncle." He tilted his head slightly, "But fighting be really important for me, cause me a warrior."
The elf grinned, "Indeed. Sometimes we cannot help but to fight. It seems to be inevitable at this point, especially when so many insist on it.. so you are greatly needed in your ranks." Again, the hand was extended to Kevarn, "I would not mind considering you a friend.. If you would have me, that is."
This time, Kevarn would take the offered hand readily with a firm grip. "Me not have an elf friend before... you not seem that bad. Not like humans. Me hate them. They the ones who kept me as a slave."
By now, Kretol had fallen into a much-needed slumber and seemed...peaceful. He, himself, was not one to attempt to intimidate anyone, but he -was- an orc, and a powerfull shaman in addition to that... but the peacefull look he contained was a rare sight indeed that any non-orc may see. Kendei found himself peering directly at Kretol, admiring the peacefull look. It took a moment to even acknowledge Kevarn's grip, mostly because of the deep thought he was in. Finally, once he snapped back into reality, he spoke.
"I understand your distaste for the humans. Not all humans are bad... I've met some good ones and bad ones in my travels. Same for all races."
The two continued to speak, debating on the good points and bad of what they knew of each race. Finally, it was brought up of Kevarn's past..and the orc would explain.
You can probably guess me was a slave..." Kevarn began with a grunt. "Me was a slave for as long as me can remember. Me think me was always a slave... but me not really sure." He shruged slightly. "Me was beaten lots... kept only for... uh... fun. For 'them.' They enjoyed beating me..." The orc sighed for a moment... then thought about what he said, drawing himself up to look intimdating, saying "but me could take it, cause me a tough orc!" He bared his teeth and snarled slightly.
After a moment of silence to gather his thoughts, the orc continued. "Anyway... as me said, me was a slave until kinda recent... that when... uh... er..." He moves backward to sit down. "That when... my mas-... the slaver's wife came in with some guards.... They wanted me to go down into the pit... that was where I fought for their 'pleasure.' Well, that where they took me, and the lady said that they had... er... heard that we orcs were... more rough... and could provide greater pleasure or somethin'.."
Kevarn growled. "I didn't know what she was talkin' 'bout... she seemed kinda woozy though. Kinda hard to explain... not normal. Me could also smell grog... maybe that why she was like that... Anyway, she wasn't wearin' much, like she normally did. She told me that she wanted to see if what she heard was true... she told me to 'strip down,' but me wasn't sure what she was talkin' bout, cause me only normally wore a loincloth. Me didn't wanna, but a couple guards... with their swords at me throat... me didn't have much choice... and it only got worse from there." He growls again.
Kendei nodded, "...I am sorry. They should not have forced you to go through that."
Kevarn grumbled, "Well, she kinda forced herself onto me, and I tried to resist against myself... but soon me own instincts took over... me couldn't help myself..." He glares at the ground. "All me really remember during that was that she was screamin'... but it didn't sound like she was ascared... she was yelling "It's true! It's true!". What she talkin' bout, me not know..."
The elf smiled, chuckling slightly, ""Ah.. I've heard stories about trolls as well, and erm. Mania and I um..er.." He blinked and finally caught the fact that he was blushing, quickly changing the subject. "At least you are away from that, yes?"
Kevarn nodded, "Dabu. Afterwards, when she wsa layin' there and I was still on 'er, I... well, put a hand to her neck and broke it. I knew I had to get outta there, and I certainly didn't want her to get 'way after what she did."
Kendei placed a gentle hand along Kevarn's shoulder, "It.. is alright. I've done things much worse than that in my time, Kevarn. In some ways you were right for what you did. Though vengeance is never the answer, you had to escape. It was self defense."
"Swo'bu. I couldn'ta just stayed there forever, me knew that..."
The two sat there in complete silence, one not knowing what to say to the other. Kevarn felt the need to continue, and did.
"...So I stood up after I did that... the guards looked kinda uneasy and intimidated... me guess 'cause the lady was layin' there. They called out to her, and when she didn't respond, they approached her, more intent on seein' whether she was okay and just tired or what. When they got close enough, when they were more focused on her, I put what training I knew to use and was easily able to overpower them, since they was occupied on her, and not payin' attention to me. After I killed them, I was able to escape..."
"Good.. What next?"
"Well, the place was... is... right by a lake... me think it called Lordamere Lake... anyway, me swam across to get away, cause me knew I had to get as far away as I could before they could find out what happened... "I ended up in a forest... a really scary forest... me could smell dogs... but they smelled kinda different. Me could hear them, too. Then when I turned... I saw... a green... beast. In black mail armor, with... tusks... then, I didn't know what I was. Didn't know what it was... so I ran. I ran without watching where I was goin'... I ran... right into a pack of werewolves. They... tore me apart, almost. Me not really remember much then... but that green monster came and... saved me. He brought me away from there... to the north a bit... where me had heard was haunted... in Tirisfal, right outside that haunted castle place... There, he healed me..." Kevarn's eyes widen. "I saw my skin fix itself... it was... amazing! Me didn't know that sorta thing was possible! Then he spoke... me didn't expect that... and I could understand him, too! He told me that he was named Kretol... and that he was me uncle. He then gave me another loincloth, cause mine was still in that pit before... well..." the orc coughed. "He smirked, sayin' he didn't want me to scare anyone, so I put it on. It was weird, that he was wandering around that forest, cause he said he never ever went there... he just had some sorta feelin' that he shoulda been there at that moment."
Before Kendei could reply, Kevarn let out a huge gaping yawn. "Anyway, me tired.. and it seems me uncle already fell asleep."
Kendei smiled and nodded, "Ah, yes. Sleep well. I will stay here and watch the two of you if you need me."
Kevarn laid down near Kretol, removing his gauntlets, boots and leggings without pause. He then ensured his axe was within close reach, and then glanced at Kendei. "Night, Kendei... it nice havin' you as a friend." He smiled, then closed his eyes and laying back, falling asleep swiftly. Meanwhile, Kendei took a seat beside the two and layed back as well. His eyes peered up at the midnight sky, hands behind his head to act as a cushion. The elf would stay up for some time before actually sleeping. Once a good three hours or so would pass, and he was content, Kendei's eyes came to a close.
( Before you read this, note that I did this upon request. It's...really hard for me to write upon request, if I don't -feel- the scene...ya know? Well, anyway. That being said, I'm currently working on something that I think, personally, will be quite nice to read. So much that I was thinking about it the entire time I was writing this. So, sorry if this is all jumbled and some of it seems completely pointless. It's all my mistake =\)
"Sentinels! Defend Astranaar with your lives!" the captain called out amongst the chaos. It was, yet again, another Horde attack upon the elven town. Luckily, Kendei had been in the area for some 'rest and relaxation' as many called it. From his perch in a tree across the lake, he could tell that the situation was already under control. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a troll diving into the water to escape. Immediately he persued, removing himself from the limb and diving headfirst into the lake.
The water was crystal clear thanks to the care that the elven inhabitants had put into it. Holding his breath, Kendei was able to find a large branch sat up against a rock to hide behind. The branch would help Kendei to stay underwater, holding onto it to keep him pinned down to the floor. The elf took his dagger within his left hand, holding it in front. Here is where all of his training would pay off. The patience of a rogue was of utmost importance. As the troll swam overhead, Kendei's legs acted as a spring which would propel him up. The elven rogue was able to take the troll by suprise, arms embracing him whilest the dagger slid with deadly accuracy along his jugular. In his mind, he spoke words of forgiveness for killing a kin of his fiance.
Immediately after, Kendei surfaced to take in a deep breath of air. His swimming took him into Astranaar itself, eyes traversing the area to find that most of the attackers had either fled or died. The sentinels already began to remove their bodies while others mourned over the lost loved ones. It was a sad sight, and Kendei frowned behind the safety of his black cowl. From the distance, in the center of the town, he could see a group of rogues gathering a small crowd.
"Death to the Horde!" the main one called out. From the looks of it, he appeared to be rather inexperienced. At least, to Kendei's standard of what an experienced rogue should live up to. The elf continued to banter on about returning an attack on the Horde, their main target being Orgrimmar. One could only take so much before they were angered. Kendei burst through the crowd, grasping the rogue by the hem of his shirt and pulling him close.
"Shut your mouth." Kendei commanded, his golden orbs narrowing out. The rogue smiled, laughing.
"Oh, look boys! It's the traitor!" he replied with a sly grin. In return, as Kendei wished he could do to all those that branded him a traitor, his fist found it rightfully placed along the cheek of the rogue. He fell to the ground, scurrying up and grasping his daggers. Talk of battle between two fellow elves ran throughout Astranaar quickly, forcing the sentinels to intervene.
The two began arguing afterwards, with the Sentinels trying their best to break it up. Little did Kendei notice that while he argued, several of the rogue's followers slipped away. After a good ten minutes of arguing, the rogue spoke up.
"Funny, traitor. The entire time you've been here boasting about peace, you've allowed my cohorts to get far enough away to---"
The elf found himself flat on the floor, Kendei having broken through the sentinals and planting a well-placed right hook along his jawline once again. Kendei would not stop there, but instead bolted across and headed towards the bridge. A sharp whistle called the striped nightsaber to his side. Its head leaned in to help lift Kendei up and over. He rode for what seemed to be hours, reaching Durotar and following the pawprints that the other nightsabers had left behind. His hands gripped tightly upon the reigns of his striped nightsaber. The prints were just proof that what the rogue had said was true. He didn't stop tho think that it could have been some random passerby. Instead, he quickly assumed and continued on as quickly as possible. So quick that the dust kicked up behind the animal in a cloud of smoke. A flick of his wrists would snap the reigns along the saber, forcing it to move even faster. In the distance, along the shore, he saw the body of an orc lying face-first in the sand. His eyes squinted in order to see closer, and immediately he was overcome with horror upon recognizing who it was.
His body lept off the nightsaber, which promptly came to a stop in order to catch its breath. Kendei sprinted the rest of the way, removing the pack from his back and coming into a sliding kneel at the side of the orc. Both hands reached inside, hurridly removing the same type of bandaging equipment that he had previously used on Rexxar. As he examined the body, he noticed many dagger wounds adorning the back area, scraps along the burly green arms. The sand beneath was dark red, indicating that possibly more wounds lie on the chest.
"Kretol... hang in there."
"Kendei..." the orc spoke back, struggling against the pain, "The... peace... they don't.. want..." His breathing had become rugged, but he was doing his best to 'hang in'. "They.. recognized me. Rogues.... attacked.."
He frowned as he worked at the best he could, telling Kretol to hush on several occasions when the Orc tried to speak or explain. The armor adorning his body had been removed. Just as he began to apply the healing salve, that oh-so-familiar stench of poison began to rise from the wounds. Kendei immediately leaned in, knowing that if the poison were allowed to sit any longer it could become rather deadly. With his lips pressed along one of Kretol's wounds, he began to suck in the poison to cleanse the wound. He did this to them all, first leaning in to sniff the wound itself in order to make sure the poison had actually entered it. By the time he was done, Kendei had a rather large spit pile to his side where the liquids taken in had been released. On top of that, his clothing and face was covered in the blood of his friend. Yet, he did not stop here. Kretol seemed to be on the verge of death, and he quickly continued in bandaging him.
"Rogues...Kidney.... stabbed... several... no chance... Kendei..."
"Kretol, shut the hell up or I'll finish the job for them." he replied before the orc even had a chance to finish the sentence. His tone was harsh, and had Kretol known the elf better he probabl would have thought him to be serious. Finally, the last bandage was placed. Kretol had finally decided to stay silent.. at least, until Kendei broke the silence.
"...Do you know their names? Did you see them?"
Kretol replied in a softened tone, "...Names...elves... didn't recognize them."
Kendei nodded in return, doing his best to roll the Orc over and lay his head in his lap. From his bag, a potion was removed and placed along Kretol's lips. The liquid was allowed to slide in, first by drops. Once Kretol was able to get used to drinking, he allowed the rest to follow.
Kretol continued to speak, his voice becoming stronger now, "Damo... I was looking.. for him. I could.... could sense.. he was here... couldn't find... came here to... rest... to think... was unprepared for the.. attack..."
Kendei frowned, "...See what I told you? Getting involved in my affairs only causes others to get hurt. I need to do these things alone.." His memory faded back to the moment he finally found Crymsan again---Aeoth damning him for being around her, for leaving her alone. The main thing he said...accused him of being the reason all of his friends had been hurt. To a certain point, Kendei thought it to be true. He had killed Arreyona. Mania's soul was gone. Crymsan's, and now he had been unable to protect Kretol. In a sense, he felt...useless.
"Not your affairs..." Kretol replied, extending a hand up to place along Kendei's shoulder, "I had already been.. an advocate of peace from my Warchief's teachings.. These rogues, they try and promote conflict.."
Kendei nodded, "That they do, friend. There are those on both sides that commit such acts.. We can only work to gather theirn ames and stop it. I only wish that I were there... here, to help you."
"That there are, regrettably." Kretol agreed with Kendei's words, wincing slightly and managing a smirk. "Enough of me.. How are you?"
The elf shook his head as he peered down at the orc, smiling all the while. "Bah.. I've been better, of course. I'm..beginning to lose hope, it seems. And I've begun to have strange dreams again, but not of war... this time of the past."
"Never lose hope... and what are these dreams of the past..?"
Kendei frowned almost, peering out towards the ocean. As he tried his best to invision the past once more--a past in which he had hoped to forget---he selfconsciously removed another elixer and nearly forced Kretol to drink it. "Ah.. of an old person I once knew. Back when I was a mercenary and assassin for SI:7."
In turn, Kretol had choked on the elixer due to the rate at which Kendei forced him to drink. He coughed a bit after swallowing it all, then inquired, "Old person? Do... tell."
"Ah... well. He and I were on a mission together, regretably. Needless to say, he died during that mission and I survived. The details are a bit.. erm... well. Let's just say I';m not proud of my actions back then."
"This person.. did you only know him through.. the SI:7?"
".. I did not actually know him, no. He was simply another member of the SI:7. He was a mage."
Several minutes of silence passed before Kretol would speak, "Kendei..."
"..Yes?"
"Thank you."
".......For what?"
"For assisting me." Kretol said with a grin.
"Of course, Kretol.. As I said, you are my friend. I will do whatever I can to assist you.
And, now, you need rest."
Kretol grunted, "Yes.. I need to get to the Hold in Orgrimmar.. see if you can find my nephew.. Kevarn, is his name. Unless.... you think you can carry me inside the city yourself." Kretol smirked slightly.
"I..doubt I can go through myself, Kretol. I will have to find Kevarn. Any..idea where he may be?"
Kretol thought for a moment, "I believe he recently advanced in his traiing.. so he is more than likely in the Hall of Honor, the warrior's bunker in the Valley of Honor in Orgrimmar. He..may also be at the falls nearby, taking a bath. You will have to sneak in and get him. I...have told him of you often. He will know you, though he will not know who you are until you identify yourself. Even then, he may attack without provocation though... so please be prepared."
Kendei nodded, taking a stand and bowing in resepct to the orc. Immediately afterwards, the shadows would engulf his form and he would be off. His lithe form shifted through the darkness, checking along the coridoor to where Kretol directed him. He first was at the waterfall, hiding in the shadows nearby. Kendei was to be lucky, as far as not having to sneak inside the bunker. Kevarn had just arrived at the falls, and was proceeding to remove his armor. He looked remarkably similar to Kretol, same face and features, but looked quite young.. and his skin was more of an ashen color. AS he proceeded to remove his armor, his was whistling aimlessly. Meanwhile, Kendei found himself creeping closer to Kevarn, though he would not move too close. He had heard of the rage the Orcs went through, and did not if Kevarn himself was still in such. He was a good ten feet away when he spoke up, making sure no one else was around and that the shadows still consealed his presense, "Kevarn... you are of Kretol, correct?"
Kevarn blinked, peering around searchingly. "Swo'bu... who talkin'?"
He hadn't considered donning his breastplate and shoulderpads again, but instead picked up his massive battle-axe, flexing his arms slightly at his sides.
"Relax, Kevarn.. it's a friend of Kretol's. He's
in danger, and needs your help."
Kevarn blinked, still attempting to discern where the voice was coming from, and why it didn't sound like an orc or any other race belonging to the Horde. "...What wrong with him? Who are you?"
Kendei frowned, not enjoying the fact that he had to trick the young one. Instead, he would take another approach, "..I am Kendei, Kevarn. Kretol was ambushed by a gang of rogues along the coast. He needs to be brought back inside. I cannot do it alone, though I have tended to his wounds."
The young orc snorted and hesitated for a moment. He recalled his uncle telling him of Kendei, but could not recall much. Not wasting anymore time, Kevarn took off running. He was suprisingly fast for an orc, but that was probably attributed to his conditioning, being a warrior. He, again, left the armor he had tkaen off. There was no time for that now, especially if his uncle was in pain. Kendei was left to stare at the armor. Suddenly, a thought entered his mind. If the rogues were still nearby, they could easily ambush Kevarn just as well. "....Oh no." the elf voiced, taking off as quick as one could whilest not being scene by others.
As Kendei approached where he left Kretol, he could see Kevarn kneeling beside him. Seeing the two so close together, it seemed as if Kevarn was already as big, if not bigger, than Kretol himself. On the orc's bare back, one could slightly discern scars as if from many lashings of a whip. Kendei studied these scars closely. It was a sight to see. The elf did not know much of Kevarn, but from the scars and the way he spoke, it was easy to decide that he was once a slave. This angered the rogue. Not only did he dislike races taking other races as slaves---or slavery in general, but he was obviously abused as a slave.
"...Kretol, are you alright?" Kendei spoke as he took a kneel beside the orc. Kevarn turned at the sound of Kendei's voice, and upon seeing him, curled his lip from his teeth slightly but otherwise made no other action. Kretol only nodded.
"Dabu... I am doing well, thanks to your care." He smirked, "I see you found my nephew swiftly enough."
Kendei nodded in return, "I chose the waterfall first, hoping for the easiest. Thankfully you knew your nephew well. I would love to take you myself, but I fear the guards would slay me on sight."
Kevarn growled at Kendei, his hands forming into fists. Kretol immediately turned his attention to his nephew, "Kev...restrain yourself. This elf is a great friend of mine, and I'd like for him to be one of yours as well."
In return, Kevarn growled, eyeing Kendei. After a few moments of thought, he briefly nodded. "Okay. Me will try." He then looked back to Kretol, "You want me bring you in now?"
"Actually.." Kretol began, "I think I'm fine, currently. I'm comfortable... and would rather stay and talk with Kendei. That is, if he wishes to."
Kendei smiled as he watched Kretol, though he did not reply immediately. Kevarn was new to this, he thought, and thus would do his best to get to know the orc. Slowly, and with a hint of gentleness in his eyes, the elf extended his right hand to the young orc. "..I'm Kendei, the elven rogue. Nice to meet you, Kevarn."
Kevarn peered at the offered hand, growling softly again, "I'm Kevarn. Me a grunt." He brings his right hand up, clenching his fist and pounding it against his chest twice, in rapid succession.
Kendei smiled, taking that extended hand and bringing it across his chest, saluting the young one. "I believe you may one day outgrow the strength of Kretol here. Your uncle is a very wise one. I admire him greatly."
Kretol smiled and while he said nothing, Kevarn only grunted. "Me try.. but me not think me gonna get stronger than me uncle. He already really strong." He smiled slightly, "And swo'bu.. me know he wise. He the one who saved me."
"Indeed.." Kendei began, "But never give up hope, Kevarn. One can never reach the peak of their strength. There is always room for improvement within each of us. If anything, I have learned that lesson in life."
The young orc blinked, obviously confused. By now Kretol had closed his eyes, simply content in listening to the conversation.
"What you mean?" Kevarn replied, still having that rather confused tone to his voice.
"Ah.. well. I have lived for quite some time, Kevarn. Us elves have a rather long life span. I've always thought that I was..at my best, and I have not but recently realized how weak I was then. Physical strength is not the only thing that matters in a battle. It's your mentality when you go in. And battling is not all that life is about. There's.. friendship. Love.." His voice almost trailed off and he seemed to enter a trance. Thankfully, he was able to catch himself, "But you will find all of that out soon enough, I am sure."
Kevarn nodded, "Me have a few friends... Vor'tok a really good one. He a shaman, like me uncle." He tilted his head slightly, "But fighting be really important for me, cause me a warrior."
The elf grinned, "Indeed. Sometimes we cannot help but to fight. It seems to be inevitable at this point, especially when so many insist on it.. so you are greatly needed in your ranks." Again, the hand was extended to Kevarn, "I would not mind considering you a friend.. If you would have me, that is."
This time, Kevarn would take the offered hand readily with a firm grip. "Me not have an elf friend before... you not seem that bad. Not like humans. Me hate them. They the ones who kept me as a slave."
By now, Kretol had fallen into a much-needed slumber and seemed...peaceful. He, himself, was not one to attempt to intimidate anyone, but he -was- an orc, and a powerfull shaman in addition to that... but the peacefull look he contained was a rare sight indeed that any non-orc may see. Kendei found himself peering directly at Kretol, admiring the peacefull look. It took a moment to even acknowledge Kevarn's grip, mostly because of the deep thought he was in. Finally, once he snapped back into reality, he spoke.
"I understand your distaste for the humans. Not all humans are bad... I've met some good ones and bad ones in my travels. Same for all races."
The two continued to speak, debating on the good points and bad of what they knew of each race. Finally, it was brought up of Kevarn's past..and the orc would explain.
You can probably guess me was a slave..." Kevarn began with a grunt. "Me was a slave for as long as me can remember. Me think me was always a slave... but me not really sure." He shruged slightly. "Me was beaten lots... kept only for... uh... fun. For 'them.' They enjoyed beating me..." The orc sighed for a moment... then thought about what he said, drawing himself up to look intimdating, saying "but me could take it, cause me a tough orc!" He bared his teeth and snarled slightly.
After a moment of silence to gather his thoughts, the orc continued. "Anyway... as me said, me was a slave until kinda recent... that when... uh... er..." He moves backward to sit down. "That when... my mas-... the slaver's wife came in with some guards.... They wanted me to go down into the pit... that was where I fought for their 'pleasure.' Well, that where they took me, and the lady said that they had... er... heard that we orcs were... more rough... and could provide greater pleasure or somethin'.."
Kevarn growled. "I didn't know what she was talkin' 'bout... she seemed kinda woozy though. Kinda hard to explain... not normal. Me could also smell grog... maybe that why she was like that... Anyway, she wasn't wearin' much, like she normally did. She told me that she wanted to see if what she heard was true... she told me to 'strip down,' but me wasn't sure what she was talkin' bout, cause me only normally wore a loincloth. Me didn't wanna, but a couple guards... with their swords at me throat... me didn't have much choice... and it only got worse from there." He growls again.
Kendei nodded, "...I am sorry. They should not have forced you to go through that."
Kevarn grumbled, "Well, she kinda forced herself onto me, and I tried to resist against myself... but soon me own instincts took over... me couldn't help myself..." He glares at the ground. "All me really remember during that was that she was screamin'... but it didn't sound like she was ascared... she was yelling "It's true! It's true!". What she talkin' bout, me not know..."
The elf smiled, chuckling slightly, ""Ah.. I've heard stories about trolls as well, and erm. Mania and I um..er.." He blinked and finally caught the fact that he was blushing, quickly changing the subject. "At least you are away from that, yes?"
Kevarn nodded, "Dabu. Afterwards, when she wsa layin' there and I was still on 'er, I... well, put a hand to her neck and broke it. I knew I had to get outta there, and I certainly didn't want her to get 'way after what she did."
Kendei placed a gentle hand along Kevarn's shoulder, "It.. is alright. I've done things much worse than that in my time, Kevarn. In some ways you were right for what you did. Though vengeance is never the answer, you had to escape. It was self defense."
"Swo'bu. I couldn'ta just stayed there forever, me knew that..."
The two sat there in complete silence, one not knowing what to say to the other. Kevarn felt the need to continue, and did.
"...So I stood up after I did that... the guards looked kinda uneasy and intimidated... me guess 'cause the lady was layin' there. They called out to her, and when she didn't respond, they approached her, more intent on seein' whether she was okay and just tired or what. When they got close enough, when they were more focused on her, I put what training I knew to use and was easily able to overpower them, since they was occupied on her, and not payin' attention to me. After I killed them, I was able to escape..."
"Good.. What next?"
"Well, the place was... is... right by a lake... me think it called Lordamere Lake... anyway, me swam across to get away, cause me knew I had to get as far away as I could before they could find out what happened... "I ended up in a forest... a really scary forest... me could smell dogs... but they smelled kinda different. Me could hear them, too. Then when I turned... I saw... a green... beast. In black mail armor, with... tusks... then, I didn't know what I was. Didn't know what it was... so I ran. I ran without watching where I was goin'... I ran... right into a pack of werewolves. They... tore me apart, almost. Me not really remember much then... but that green monster came and... saved me. He brought me away from there... to the north a bit... where me had heard was haunted... in Tirisfal, right outside that haunted castle place... There, he healed me..." Kevarn's eyes widen. "I saw my skin fix itself... it was... amazing! Me didn't know that sorta thing was possible! Then he spoke... me didn't expect that... and I could understand him, too! He told me that he was named Kretol... and that he was me uncle. He then gave me another loincloth, cause mine was still in that pit before... well..." the orc coughed. "He smirked, sayin' he didn't want me to scare anyone, so I put it on. It was weird, that he was wandering around that forest, cause he said he never ever went there... he just had some sorta feelin' that he shoulda been there at that moment."
Before Kendei could reply, Kevarn let out a huge gaping yawn. "Anyway, me tired.. and it seems me uncle already fell asleep."
Kendei smiled and nodded, "Ah, yes. Sleep well. I will stay here and watch the two of you if you need me."
Kevarn laid down near Kretol, removing his gauntlets, boots and leggings without pause. He then ensured his axe was within close reach, and then glanced at Kendei. "Night, Kendei... it nice havin' you as a friend." He smiled, then closed his eyes and laying back, falling asleep swiftly. Meanwhile, Kendei took a seat beside the two and layed back as well. His eyes peered up at the midnight sky, hands behind his head to act as a cushion. The elf would stay up for some time before actually sleeping. Once a good three hours or so would pass, and he was content, Kendei's eyes came to a close.