Post by Grokus on Sept 28, 2006 9:30:43 GMT -5
Grokus was staring into the fire, hoping to have his answer, he thought of Zurasha. His eyes glowed with agony, as sometimes happened when he looked deeply into the fire. He was not granted and answer, instead he was reminded of how this all came to be, before Zurasha, before She who burns, before it all.
Grokus was yet to be of full size, but compared to his younger brother, Rhoak, he was vast. Rhoak was one of the first Orc kin to be born free of the curse in fact it had been years since the blood curse had been stripped from his family.
Even so, Grokus and Rhoak always had to be on watch, the pact the war Chief Thrall had made with the Humans, was all but gone. Some humans were having trouble believe that the Orcs were no longer inflamed by their curse, they in turn were know to set entire villages aflame, to rid all the lands of Orcish kind.
Little did Grokus and Rhoak know that they were being followed by one of the humans leading a raid into their village, a small place just outside Orgrimmar. The entire journey back was filled with joyous besting, Rhoak trying to trip his brother, and Grokus besting him. Even so, the joy in his Rhoaks eye never left him, always looking for the new way to bring his big brother down.
Grokus pulling himself away from the vision looked to his Dire wolf, it had the same look, the same eye as his brother, and it had made the choice of which beast to ride easy. It had seemed that this was a sign from she who burns that he was okay; the beast had come to his call the first time he had said his younger brothers name, and yet tried to shake Grokus off as soon as he mounted.
Grokus knew better then to ignore the message of the flames, He stared back into them drinking them in, knowing what was coming.
He could smell the boar of that days supper, he had never again eaten it, but the smell still called to him from the past, He had been passed his haunch from his mother when the yell came out, in deep Orcish, "HUMANS".
It was too late for his family, who lived near the entrance of their village. As Grokus parents ran from their hut, they were caught, his father mercilessly stabbed in the back from a human that seemed to step from the shadows. His mother burned by the dark arts from a human in a dress. Both humans grabbed Grokus and Rhoak and threw them back into the hut along with the lifeless bodies of their parents.
Rhoak was crying as the priest called to the heaven to light their hut afire. Grokus did not waste his time crying, he used it to call for revenge, and he swore to himself that he would kill all who prayed to this god, a god who would do such a thing to his family. That was when it happened.
The wails of his brother, the cackle of the humans outside the hut were paused as if time itself had abruptly stopped. It was the first time Grokus saw her, she appeared to him, a face in a flame, but it was not disguisable what race she was. She spoke in the tongue he had no knowledge of, yet he understood every word, her voice was that of harp, beautiful yet strong. "I am she who burns, she who sees, she who knows."
Grokus at a loss for words "I-i-i-i-i- am" Before she spoke again, in her angelic voice.
"I know who you are, and who you can be, now is your choice" She paused to let Grokus think on her words. "You are unaware of the ancients, but we are everything, we are the Air, the water, the land, and the fire, we make up everything you know, and I have chosen you."
"Chosen me for what?" Grokus said, eyes focused on that of his brothers body, frozen in a scream as the flames had started to flick at him.
"You will follow me, you will know me, you will pray to my name." Again she paused, letting Grokus feel the weight of her words. "You must prove you are worthy to me, through service and sacrifice, and one day you will strike down those who have done this to you." Grokus heart raced, the very thought of seeing this priest on the edge of a blade made his head swim in ecstasy.
"I WILL" He shouted, only meaning to say it.
"There are things you must do, that will not ease your decision Rhoak, will not be with you, I have only the power on this day to save one of you."
Grokus pulled his eye from the fire; it had been years since he had thought on this day, his eye bulging with tears, as he saw his brothers face from that day. Just then Rhoak his dire wolf came and sat by his yawning, a sign that he was bored with the time Grokus prayers had taken. Eyes full of fast drying tears he looked deeply into the fire again.
"I cannot make this easy for you, it will be all the proof I need that I chosen right, you will be safe from the flames, but reach out to your brother and my magic will wane, you will be engulfed along with him." As she said it Grokus felt a coolness run over his body, he knew he could withstand the fire, but he was not sure he could stop himself from helping his brother, that is when he remembered the bow on his back.
"I am ready" was all he said before time was back, and he could hear his brother cry out to him, "GROKUS, HELP ME, PLEASE, IT HURTS, IT HURTS, IT HUR..." He saw the Joy in his brothers eyes drain at the same rate that his blood drained from his chest, and it was over. Rhoaks pain, and his life. Grokus sat and wept for the first time since becoming a man, as he watched his brother and his home be engulfed in flames from inside the flame itself.
Grokus could see the moment when he knew he would prove himself to she who burns at all costs to get avenge his family. Just as he saw the moment it faded into blackness, and all he could see was a crown. It was not an answer to the question he asked on this night, but it was to a question he had asked, he would prepare for what was to come, and he would have two women beside him.
Grokus was yet to be of full size, but compared to his younger brother, Rhoak, he was vast. Rhoak was one of the first Orc kin to be born free of the curse in fact it had been years since the blood curse had been stripped from his family.
Even so, Grokus and Rhoak always had to be on watch, the pact the war Chief Thrall had made with the Humans, was all but gone. Some humans were having trouble believe that the Orcs were no longer inflamed by their curse, they in turn were know to set entire villages aflame, to rid all the lands of Orcish kind.
Little did Grokus and Rhoak know that they were being followed by one of the humans leading a raid into their village, a small place just outside Orgrimmar. The entire journey back was filled with joyous besting, Rhoak trying to trip his brother, and Grokus besting him. Even so, the joy in his Rhoaks eye never left him, always looking for the new way to bring his big brother down.
Grokus pulling himself away from the vision looked to his Dire wolf, it had the same look, the same eye as his brother, and it had made the choice of which beast to ride easy. It had seemed that this was a sign from she who burns that he was okay; the beast had come to his call the first time he had said his younger brothers name, and yet tried to shake Grokus off as soon as he mounted.
Grokus knew better then to ignore the message of the flames, He stared back into them drinking them in, knowing what was coming.
He could smell the boar of that days supper, he had never again eaten it, but the smell still called to him from the past, He had been passed his haunch from his mother when the yell came out, in deep Orcish, "HUMANS".
It was too late for his family, who lived near the entrance of their village. As Grokus parents ran from their hut, they were caught, his father mercilessly stabbed in the back from a human that seemed to step from the shadows. His mother burned by the dark arts from a human in a dress. Both humans grabbed Grokus and Rhoak and threw them back into the hut along with the lifeless bodies of their parents.
Rhoak was crying as the priest called to the heaven to light their hut afire. Grokus did not waste his time crying, he used it to call for revenge, and he swore to himself that he would kill all who prayed to this god, a god who would do such a thing to his family. That was when it happened.
The wails of his brother, the cackle of the humans outside the hut were paused as if time itself had abruptly stopped. It was the first time Grokus saw her, she appeared to him, a face in a flame, but it was not disguisable what race she was. She spoke in the tongue he had no knowledge of, yet he understood every word, her voice was that of harp, beautiful yet strong. "I am she who burns, she who sees, she who knows."
Grokus at a loss for words "I-i-i-i-i- am" Before she spoke again, in her angelic voice.
"I know who you are, and who you can be, now is your choice" She paused to let Grokus think on her words. "You are unaware of the ancients, but we are everything, we are the Air, the water, the land, and the fire, we make up everything you know, and I have chosen you."
"Chosen me for what?" Grokus said, eyes focused on that of his brothers body, frozen in a scream as the flames had started to flick at him.
"You will follow me, you will know me, you will pray to my name." Again she paused, letting Grokus feel the weight of her words. "You must prove you are worthy to me, through service and sacrifice, and one day you will strike down those who have done this to you." Grokus heart raced, the very thought of seeing this priest on the edge of a blade made his head swim in ecstasy.
"I WILL" He shouted, only meaning to say it.
"There are things you must do, that will not ease your decision Rhoak, will not be with you, I have only the power on this day to save one of you."
Grokus pulled his eye from the fire; it had been years since he had thought on this day, his eye bulging with tears, as he saw his brothers face from that day. Just then Rhoak his dire wolf came and sat by his yawning, a sign that he was bored with the time Grokus prayers had taken. Eyes full of fast drying tears he looked deeply into the fire again.
"I cannot make this easy for you, it will be all the proof I need that I chosen right, you will be safe from the flames, but reach out to your brother and my magic will wane, you will be engulfed along with him." As she said it Grokus felt a coolness run over his body, he knew he could withstand the fire, but he was not sure he could stop himself from helping his brother, that is when he remembered the bow on his back.
"I am ready" was all he said before time was back, and he could hear his brother cry out to him, "GROKUS, HELP ME, PLEASE, IT HURTS, IT HURTS, IT HUR..." He saw the Joy in his brothers eyes drain at the same rate that his blood drained from his chest, and it was over. Rhoaks pain, and his life. Grokus sat and wept for the first time since becoming a man, as he watched his brother and his home be engulfed in flames from inside the flame itself.
Grokus could see the moment when he knew he would prove himself to she who burns at all costs to get avenge his family. Just as he saw the moment it faded into blackness, and all he could see was a crown. It was not an answer to the question he asked on this night, but it was to a question he had asked, he would prepare for what was to come, and he would have two women beside him.