Ambassadors - A novel based on Warcraft

Prologue - War Must Go On

"I hate this world. I hate its people. I hate its cities. I hate its lands. I just hate everything about it."

"Oh... I, on the other hand, love it", the Eredar woman responded to the orc.

"You don't love it, wench. You are obsessed with it."

"What's the difference?", she laughed long and loud, ignoring the insult.

He didn't respond to her. Volrok Irontusk wasn't very fond of the people from Argus, and Dyra, the so-called Eredar Princess, was no exception. However, he wasn't very fond of Azeroth either, a world that had only brought pain to his kin.

He was still trying to understand why so many orcs were so eager to find their place within this pathetic planet. Volrok was certain that Azeroth was meant to be conquered, exploited and enslaved. But weak Chieftains like Orgrim Doomhammer and his successor, Thrall, had led the Horde to believe this world should be preserved, claimed as a new home. A most ludicrous thought, of course.

Irontusk despised this new Horde, and had done everything within his power to sabotage it from within on many occasions, working from the shadows, acting with the highest of subtleties. Many had followed his example and rallied together under the "Irontusk Operation", until they had named him their true leader and thus the Irontusk Clan was formed. Unfortunately, they hadn't been quite successful, but they hadn't lost their hopes.

On the other hand, the Eredar never had to work at a reduced capacity. When the forces of Azeroth invaded the Legion's Homeworld, they had been at their fullest power... and they had failed Sargeras. Thanks to their inability to fight off the Army of the Light and the azerothian heroes, the Burning Legion had been ended. Oh, if he only commanded half of the Eredar forces, he would've conquered Azeroth five times already.

Volrok hadn't been able to send any of his men aboard the Vindicaar, and it was a failure that Dyra would always bring up. She liked to feel superior only because she was a demon, but the Irontusk Warlord had learned to ignore her. She was a strong and useful ally, and it was smarter to keep her close. He did enjoy the company of her personal bodyguard, a silent but clever Eredar called So'Eent who always had the most interesting opinions.

"We don't need to hate it nor love it to fulfill our Master's will", Soratog of the Blade intervened.

In order to bring the Burning Legion back to its former glory, Volrok Irontusk had formed a coalition with every remnant of the Legion's followers. Soratog was a powerful Blademaster who had picked up the pieces of the Burning Blade and Searing Blade Clans, restoring them little by little in secret. Together, they had been approached by Dyra and her Eredar, and by one most curious and unexpected ally: Kalersha Bloodbath, a Warlock who had revived the infamous Stormreaver Clan. This council of Warlords had formed the "Legion Loyalists", and they were willing to bring the orcs to the armies of the demons once and for all.

Many years ago, Kil'jaeden and Mannoroth had chosen their people to be a crucial gear within the Legion's war machine, a privilege that few were truly worthy of receiving. True orcs had understood that the most powerful force within all of the Creation had recognized in them all of their might and their potential. The greatest demons were willing to make the orcish people one of the most fearsome armies in the Universe, but year after year there had been mindless imbeciles who denied them of their godgiven right.

"I see nobody brought any Azerite. Why have we been unable to gather any of the Titan's blood so far?" Volrok demanded to know, finally bringing up the gathering subject. "I'll tell you why: it's that wretched Titanguard. We have enough with the Horde and the Alliance, and now these Titan lovers step in to interfere directly with our plans. How they managed to know of our operation, I don't know, but we have to crush them before they can become any stronger."