Bhanuch
October 1st, 2009, 11:34 AM
For weeks, the elemental powers that Varrag drew up for his shamanistic power had been more unpredictable than usual. His spells waxed and waned in strength and duration with no discernible cause. With the Horde's focus squarely in Northrend, the young shaman who had made a name for himself in the frozen north land, suddenly ventured south. As he awaited the goblins to allow him on the zeppelin bound for the Eastern Kingdoms he was confronted by an older orc in dark brown robes that covered his head.
"This is the second time you have appeared to me in disguise, Lord Saurfang, have you come to call me coward for leaving Northrend, like so many of the others?" Varrag questioned the venerable veteran.
"No, young shaman, I see in your eyes a wisdom, keen and focused, like that of the Warchief. You have studied him and learned his lessons well. I know you are not a coward, I have seen your courage on the field of battle, seen your enemies quake at the sound of the storm you wield in battle. I have come to learn why you leave Northrend; what could be so important to draw you away from such glories for the Horde?"
High Overlord Saurfang's reassurance in his abilities helped steel Varrag's resolve even further. This was the right decision.
"Weeks ago, I felt the first ripple, subtle and almost imperceptible to most. Many of the other shamans discounted it as a trick of the Lich King, but I believe it is deeper than that, deep, as the oldest of places in the worlds. Since then, the feeling of dread has grown in me as I notice the elements I control and the elementals that assist me seem more... distant. They still answer my call, but seem less inclined to offer assistance."
Saurfang furrows his brow and lets out a growling hum as he rubs his chin and contemplates the words of the young shaman's words.
"I have no doubt Thrall would wish to hear of your concerns."
Varrag cut him short saying, "I will not go to the Warchief without more information. He has enough to concern himself with already. I will first travel to the Blackrock Mountain and there summon one of the greater fire elementals from the heart of the mountain, where Ragnaros' seat of power once stood. It is there I hope to get the answers I seek."
The reflection of magma at the mountain's core gleamed on the sweat of Varrag's brow while the sulpherous fumes assaulted his large, flared nostrils and stung his eyes. There upon the volcanic stone, Varrag drew out his summoning circle and cast to the fiery inferno his offerings. The wait was short, for the shaman's will was strong and his offerings bountiful, Incendius came to his call.
"Why have you summoned me to this shameful place, shaman? Certainly, you know of my past here and that of my lord," spoke the impassioned fire lord.
"I seek to know why the elements seem restless lately. I feel as if a tsunami is approaching and all of Azeroth will drown in the chaos. It comes in waves, like the echoes of war drums on the wind, like the surge of heat from the magma here beneath the stone."
"There is a calm within the elemental plane. A moment of tenuous peace between Skywall, Abyssal Maw, Deepholm and Firelands, a peace that can only be the prelude to a great war. My lord believes a great reckoning is at hand, shaman. The silence from Deepholm is deafening. It was as if Deepholm itself took in a great breath, it must exhale eventually and when it does, there will be a great rush of destruction in its wake. The other elemental lords all wait to see where the fury is directed."
With those words, Incendius sank back to the magma and returned to the Firelands, leaving Varrag to contemplate his words. Again, the stirring inside the shaman was disconcerting. Were the elementals that so often aid the shamans in danger in their own homes, or was it Azeroth? What if it were both? Incendius' words still smoldered in Varrag's mind as he careful made his way to the surface.
"Thrall will definitely want to hear this information," thought the young orc. "I have to get to Durotar, quickly."
With those thoughts, Varrag climbed atop his wyvern, Steelbarb, and sped for the southern tip of the Eastern Kingdoms, where he could catch a zepplin to Kalimdor. That long ride would allow him plenty of time to consider the depth of what he had heard.
"This is the second time you have appeared to me in disguise, Lord Saurfang, have you come to call me coward for leaving Northrend, like so many of the others?" Varrag questioned the venerable veteran.
"No, young shaman, I see in your eyes a wisdom, keen and focused, like that of the Warchief. You have studied him and learned his lessons well. I know you are not a coward, I have seen your courage on the field of battle, seen your enemies quake at the sound of the storm you wield in battle. I have come to learn why you leave Northrend; what could be so important to draw you away from such glories for the Horde?"
High Overlord Saurfang's reassurance in his abilities helped steel Varrag's resolve even further. This was the right decision.
"Weeks ago, I felt the first ripple, subtle and almost imperceptible to most. Many of the other shamans discounted it as a trick of the Lich King, but I believe it is deeper than that, deep, as the oldest of places in the worlds. Since then, the feeling of dread has grown in me as I notice the elements I control and the elementals that assist me seem more... distant. They still answer my call, but seem less inclined to offer assistance."
Saurfang furrows his brow and lets out a growling hum as he rubs his chin and contemplates the words of the young shaman's words.
"I have no doubt Thrall would wish to hear of your concerns."
Varrag cut him short saying, "I will not go to the Warchief without more information. He has enough to concern himself with already. I will first travel to the Blackrock Mountain and there summon one of the greater fire elementals from the heart of the mountain, where Ragnaros' seat of power once stood. It is there I hope to get the answers I seek."
The reflection of magma at the mountain's core gleamed on the sweat of Varrag's brow while the sulpherous fumes assaulted his large, flared nostrils and stung his eyes. There upon the volcanic stone, Varrag drew out his summoning circle and cast to the fiery inferno his offerings. The wait was short, for the shaman's will was strong and his offerings bountiful, Incendius came to his call.
"Why have you summoned me to this shameful place, shaman? Certainly, you know of my past here and that of my lord," spoke the impassioned fire lord.
"I seek to know why the elements seem restless lately. I feel as if a tsunami is approaching and all of Azeroth will drown in the chaos. It comes in waves, like the echoes of war drums on the wind, like the surge of heat from the magma here beneath the stone."
"There is a calm within the elemental plane. A moment of tenuous peace between Skywall, Abyssal Maw, Deepholm and Firelands, a peace that can only be the prelude to a great war. My lord believes a great reckoning is at hand, shaman. The silence from Deepholm is deafening. It was as if Deepholm itself took in a great breath, it must exhale eventually and when it does, there will be a great rush of destruction in its wake. The other elemental lords all wait to see where the fury is directed."
With those words, Incendius sank back to the magma and returned to the Firelands, leaving Varrag to contemplate his words. Again, the stirring inside the shaman was disconcerting. Were the elementals that so often aid the shamans in danger in their own homes, or was it Azeroth? What if it were both? Incendius' words still smoldered in Varrag's mind as he careful made his way to the surface.
"Thrall will definitely want to hear this information," thought the young orc. "I have to get to Durotar, quickly."
With those thoughts, Varrag climbed atop his wyvern, Steelbarb, and sped for the southern tip of the Eastern Kingdoms, where he could catch a zepplin to Kalimdor. That long ride would allow him plenty of time to consider the depth of what he had heard.