Ambassadors - A novel based on Warcraft

Chapter 06 - Sorrow

Hatred.

In that moment, there was no better word to describe what they felt in their hearts. The three orc brothers were tired, exhausted after a long and complicated campaign in the cold wastes of Northrend. All they wanted was a well deserved rest among their friends and neighbours, to enjoy the peaceful quietness of the Southern Barrens. But the place they used to call home was now unrecognizable, completely ravaged and razed. Rest didn't seem possible.

"What... Why? How?", Naurosh managed to say. His wolves were sniffing everything around, yipping and sobbing.

"There are no children corpses", Dunris said, trying not to burst in anger. He didn't like to feel that way; all his adult life he had struggled to keep control of himself. But, right now, it was almost impossible.

Camp Taurajo was in ruins, with its tents charred and still smoking and the bodies of its brave defenders lying on the ground. The ones who had performed the attack hadn't even cared for burning the corpses. Most of the Tauren remains were still laying on the ground, slowly decaying. When such a horrible thing had happened? That post was peaceful, away from every war front.

The Scourge couldn't have done it, as its servants would have risen the fallen combatants as Undead minions.

The Grimtotem Tauren, maybe? They had a story of being hostile even to their own people. An attack on Taurajo could be a victory for the malicious Grimtotem.

The Centaurs of the Barrens had been greatly reduced in number and kept at bay thanks to the efforts of brave adventurers and Horde heroes. There was a chance they could have regained some strength and destroyed the town as a revenge.

The Southern Barrens were constantly harassed by the Quilboar. The vicious pigmen assaulted the caravans and travelers that went south, but they weren't clever enough to coordinate an organized attack.

"Alliance!", Korghan shouted with fury in his voice, raising a torn blue piece of clothing with the golden lion. "Dunris, Naurosh, the filthy Alliance is behind this treachery! They killed them and left them to rot! Look! Kulmoo, Dranh, Omusa..."

"Baby brother...", the oldest tried to soothe him.

"Don't Baby brother me! Is this what Wrynn wants? To kill innocents? And for what!", his voice was louder with each word he uttered. "I'll have his head! I don't care if he sits in the middle of Stormwind, surrounded by the entire Alliance army. I'll die again if I must!"

"Revenge... does sound tempting", Naurosh stated. "But we will achieve nothing if we just surrender to it."

"I agree, we must find out what trespassed here", Dunris said, gritting his teeth.

"How? There's no sign of them! Let's ride for Northwatch Hold and beat the truth out of them!", Korghan demanded.

"No. First, we must pay our respects to the fallen ones..."

"Watch out!", Naurosh interrupted Dunris, throwing a light axe to a target behind his brothers. A human dressed in dark clothes fell to the ground with a painful scream.

"Kill them!", a voice yelled.

A group of bandits came out of their hiding places and attacked the orcs. In a heartbeat, human blood was spilled and the gold grass turned red. It wasn't hard for Korghan to annihilate them after what had happened. His hatred was too big, too powerful, unstoppable. Unquenchable.

"Looters", Naurosh said when the fight was over. "They come, they kill everyone, they burn the tents... and they have the courage to loot the spoils?! And then humans say we are the monsters?!", he roared with anger, and his voice resounded through the Barrens. "Winter, Tempest, Night, find their trail!"