Ambassadors - A novel based on Warcraft

Chapter 06 - Sorrow

"Wait!", Dunris stopped him. "First things first! Our friends and neighbours were slain without mercy. Let's provide them with the rest they deserve. And... even though these looters aren't worthy of any last rite, we will not be the same than the aggressors. Then," he clenched his fists, "then we find our what happened. We find whoever did this. And we kill them. All of them."

"You are right", Korghan said, trying to keep control of himself. "Every second those assassins walk this world is unbearable, but you are right..."

"The Alliance burned the camp", the Shaman said, kneeling and feeling the ashes with the tip of his fingers. "Maybe the fire spirits can tell us what happened. The wind is just... mourning."

Korghan had mixed feelings about pyres. He hated them, since they reminded him of the Scourge and the eternal rest that was denied to him. But at the same time, they brought him peace, knowing that the burning corpses wouldn't share his fate. He wasn't against burning the fallen, though. He just disliked pyres, the fact of burning all of the dead ones altogether. No rites, no respects, no ceremony, no tradition. Just anonymity.

But Dunris knew better, since he started to name all of the fallen, one by one, using some herbs traditionally used by the tauren at their funerals. It was surprising how he remembered every single one of them. As his brother named the tauren and narrated something about them, an anecdote, a funny feature, Korghan's hatred started to dissipate. As an undead, he wasn't supposed to have feelings at all, but when he was reunited with his brothers his heart had seemed to regain its memory too. And right now, he felt... Sadness? Pain? Despair? He couldn't tell.

"Does anyone have something else to say?", Wolfeye asked. "Would you want to start the flames?"

"No, you do it", Naurosh requested. "It's just too much..."

"Very well. Spirits of Fire, answer my call!", Dunris started. "Purify these unfortunate victims and grant them rest."

The flames started in no time, gently and slowly, as if they were kindly caressing the fallen tauren. When the pyre was big enough, Wolfeye sit down before them and attempted to commune with the Fire Spirits.

"Please, speak to me", he murmured. "We wish to know what events trespassed on this place."

"We were called here before!", a raging voice answered.

"Before? When? By whom?", Dunris wondered.

"By another of your kind, Shaman", the fiery spirit responded, agitated. "A creature by the name of Stormseeker!"

"Stormseeker...", they knew that name. It belonged to a draenei Shaman, who had fought for the Exodar at the Argent Tournament. He retreated from the competition, since he wanted to protect his people back home. At least, that had been his excuse.

"That coward is behind this?!", Korghan asked with a booming voice. "He couldn't muster his courage to face the Lich King, but he is brave enough to kill innocents?", the youngest brother couldn't control his rage; he was walking around tensely, breathing heavily. "Is this", he pointed at the pyre, "protecting his people?"

He stomped the ground as he roared furiously, and his voice resounded with a grim echo. The environment around them turned slightly darker, even though they were standing next to the fire. In front of the Death Knight the air cracked and a shadowy figure manifested out of a dark rift, taking the shape of a horse until an armored skeletal steed was fully formed. Korghan mounted the beast with clumsy haste.

"Show me the way!", he commanded. "Follow the trail of the murderers, feel the scent of Death and lead me to Stormseeker!"

He trusted the child of Darkness he had summoned would know how to find the draenei. He didn't care what could happen to his soul for summoning a servant of the Scourge. To be in direct contact with such dark entity could have dire repercussions on his willpower. It didn't matter; that Shaman had to pay for what he had done. Him, and all the soldiers that had been with him.