Tuesday, September 22, 2009

The Cost of Peace, Chapter Two

It's time for another edition to The Cost of Peace! What will happen this time as Aruna and Anura jump recklessly into Orgrimmar? Will Jackal and Phoenix find whatever they're looking for? Will the gnomes gain audience with Thrall? And what in the world is in that jar of dirt on that peace of parchment?!

Your questions may be answered, (or not), in the second chapter!

I regret to inform you there is a lack of clumsy rogues or pyromaniacs in the following writing.

“This is... very interesting...”
               
Aruna looked over her shoulder and signaled Anura to be quiet. The death knight grudgingly agreed as both gnomes continued to creep silently across the rooftops of Orgrimmar. Their plate boots made thumping noises as they walked, but the noise was drowned out by the members of the Horde below, conversing, haggling, and loitering.  A cover of shadows, darkness, or night was not on their side, but it mattered little when the Horde took no notice of who, or what, was crawling above the city.
               
A few more minutes passed of traveling, they were nearing the Valley of Wisdom and the sun was almost directly above their heads.  Anura could not seem to keep her mouth quiet for long, but she quietly muttered this time.  Her sister did not seem to mind the near-silent tone, and the two began a conversation as they walked.
               
“What do you plan to do when we arrive at the throne?” Anura mumbled.
               
Aruna let out a sigh before responding, “We ask for an audience before Thrall.”
               
“If they don’t kill us before we can speak.”
               
“Don’t be so negative, Anura.”
               
“Just sayin’”
               
There was a long pause before either said another word, “... it’s fine. You’re right, it’s going to be hard to convince the Horde we aren’t a threat... or just free game.” Aruna glanced at her sister and smiled slightly, “but don’t worry, we’ll convince them.  And hopefully, we’ll finish our goal.”
               
Anura grumbled, “Your goal.”
               
“‘Ey mon!  We haven’t had any of dos Alliance peeps come ‘ere for a while!”
               
“Ya mon, and lookie here some are!  Dese ones are da gnomes too!”
               
The sisters looked from each other to turn their gazes forward.  With hands on their green glowing axes, two trolls in full mail battle armor stared back at them.  They glanced at the gnomes, then looked at one another, and burst into a fit of laughter.
               
“Lookie!  Dey looks so dumfounded that we caught them!”
               
Aruna cleared her throat, “Excuse me... sir... trolls, I do not mean to interrupt your chatter, but I wish to ask what is so funny?”
              
 Both trolls stared at the warrior like the gnome had grown a second head; one of them spoke up, “Oi!  That be Saikai to you!” He paused for a moment, before jabbing a thumb towards his companion, “And that be Vai’sig.  And the funny is the fact you gnomes be in Orgrimmar!  That be funny!”
               
The warrior kept a straight face as she spoke, Anura behind her, a scowl as her expression, “We are here to speak with Thrall, Saikai.”
               
Vai’sig apparently found the idea quite absurd, as he began laughing uncontrollably once again.  Saikai soon followed his friend’s lead, and both trolls looked ready to cry during their chuckle fit.  Aruna tensed, waiting for them to say something more.
               
“You is funny! Very funnah!” Vai’sig managed to say, “Maybeh we should let Thrall see what to do wit them!  Maybeh he’ll let us punt dem!”
              
 Anura leaped out from behind her sister, slamming a plated glove to smack Saikai across the face.  The troll reeled back from the slap as the death knight dropped to the ground, expertly dodging a strike from Vai’sig’s axe.  Aruna called for her to stop, but Anura was ready for action.  A ball of necrotic energy was crushed in the gnome’s palm; sparks of purple erupted from her hand and struck a runed-circle in a certain section of the ground.  From the earth came a rotted body, bits of flesh hanging from blood-stained bones.  The ghoul slobbered as it jumped upon the trolls, and below the rooftops watched the citizens of Orgrimmar, curious as to what the ruckus was about.

---o---

 “Thrall, I see your reasoning, but you hold too tight to believing he is like his father.  The boy is foolish, not a hero.  He has swayed the orcs of Northrend into believing his murderous cause and I believe he prepares for war, even against your wishes.”
              
 Within the circular throne room two aged orcs debated pressing matters.  One was armored in the finest plate armor known, with a wicked two-handed axe resting against his back.  He spoke firmly, yet respectfully, to the other—Thrall, Warchief of the Horde. 
               
“Varok, I—“
               
“He is more like Varian than you think.  Hot tempered, quick to charge, and unable to reason when faced with those of the Alliance.  The younger Hellscream is the reason the humans and their allies continue to judge us as they have from actions in the past.”
               
The Warchief was about to say something more, but the doors to the outer chamber burst open.
               
“Oi! Sorreh to interrupt the talk batween tha Warchief and the Overlord—“
               
“That be High Overlord, mon!” Saikai corrected.
               
Vai’sig gave his partner an angry look, “Whateva!  That Warchief and the High Overlord Saurfang!... but we got something important we think ya would want to see, mon.”
               
Both trolls nodded quickly, and pulled two net and rope bound figures from behind their backs.  The gold armored Kor’kron guards drew their weapons in surprise and took a step forward towards the prisoners.  Thrall and Saurfang looked down as the tied up messes unwound themselves.
               
Anura managed to get herself out first, viciously cutting open the makeshift bounds.  She was an absolute mess, mangled hair, bloody wounds—covered in ice to keep them from dripping—yet her armor looked no worse for wear than it had been before she threw herself into the fray.  Aruna, on the other hand, came out a little later, but was skillfully slicing her way.  The gnome warrior looked completely unharmed from the fight.
               
“I beg your forgiveness for the actions of my sister; they were quick and un-responsible...” Aruna hastily said as soon as she realized the awkwardness of their situation.
               
Saurfang looked from side to side, and made a gesture with his hand.  The elite guards surrounding the area reluctantly backed up, but still kept their weapons ready.  Thrall took a step forward toward the gnomes, Anura flinched.
               
“I wish to ask who you are, why you have come to Orgrimmar, and why I should not deem you a threat.”  Thrall stated bluntly.
               
Aruna gathered her composure and stood up to her full height—not tall enough to make her look imposing—but held an expression that one would find quite courageous, “We, Warchief, are the Twinspark sisters.  Our business here is one on the terms of peace; unfortunately we do not come as ambassadors from King Wrynn himself, therefore our plans deal outside of his mindset.  And why we are not a threat, is because, do you believe two gnomes could best an entire city of orcs by themselves,” She paused for a moment, “Neither do we.”
              
 Saikai and Vai’sig stood by the entrance where they had burst in only minutes before, dumbfounded looks slapped across their faces, “Mon, they be serious...” Vai’sig mumbled.
               
The High Overlord took a step behind Thrall, allowing the Warchief to have full reign of the conversation with the warrior, however, his gaze towards Anura forced the death knight to reconsider the action of starting another brawl.  She crept behind her sister, waiting for anything that would threaten harm to the peaceful gnome.
               
“Varian has noticed the increase in Horde soldiers gathering around the Dragonblight, in response, he has begun to send the elite royal guard to Wintergarde in hopes of countering it.  He thinks you are preparing for all out war.  He believes that ever since the tragedy at the Wrathgate,” Aruna nodded her head towards Saurfang in silent mourning, “that a Scourge presence is almost non-existent in the Dragonblight.”
              
 Thrall narrowed his eyes and sighed, “You were correct, Varok, Garrosh has begun a war because of his mindless zeal for the death of the Alliance.  I had not heard news that he had left Orgrimmar for Northrend, however.”  The Warchief turned his piercing gaze to Aruna, “And how do you propose peace, Twinspark?”
              
 The gnome gulped, being in the presence of such an important leader of the Horde was becoming more nerve-racking then she originally thought, “If the flag of war is raised in the coming weeks in the Dragon Wastes, we will be unable to settle peace as either the Horde or the Alliance.  We will need help from someone greater, and someone whose doorstep is where this war is to be fought.”
               
“You speak of the Life-Binder, the Dragon Queen,” Anura whispered, “Alexstrasza.”
               
Aruna nodded towards her sister, “If the Scourge intervene to conquer while we squabble, then I feel Alexstrasza will be able to help rally both sides together into stopping a greater force.  Maybe after that, maybe then, maybe we can finally have peace.”
               
“Your plan might work; unfortunately it relies heavily on chance.” Varok spoke up, “The chance that Alexstrasza will help us, which I do not doubt she will; The chance that the Scourge will intervene at all; The chance that the Horde and the Alliance will work together at all; and the chance that after the battle the peace will continue.”
               
“What other plan do we—“
               
Thrall! You now allow pink skinned MIDGETS?! Into our city!?

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