Family Anew

[Hunnington]

Part I - Lessons of Wisdom

The winds howled at the peak of the mountain in southern Grizzly Hills, snow obscuring anything more than an inch from a mortal's sight. Footsteps had not been seen on this snow for months if not years and the elements seemingly did not want that to change. Deep within this storm a lone orc traversed the unwelcoming gusts, his crimson robes proving very little resistance against the cold.

Ul'guruk could at any moment request the element of fire to warm his body or the winds to simply spare him, yet he knew such action would mean an insult. This journey to the top of the mountain was a challenge he had set upon himself to be worthy of his new tribe and the elements meant no threat by testing him. These conditions, like the challenge his tutor had set upon him, were meant to harden his resolve, something he knew aswell, which is why he embraced every cut to his arms and every shiver down his spine.

Once he reached the very top, his teeth chattering more than he thought they could ever manage, he sat himself down and opened his satchel with a shaking hand. He lifted the three arrows Kyrazha had granted him to his lap, closing his eyes and mustering his voice before he spoke "Ssspirits of the winds that harden mmme, I have braved you from the fuh... Foot of this mountain to its puh puh puh peak..." he spoke before inhaling sharply "And now I would ask... Emp-power these arrows with the same freezing cuh cold you have made me endure... I will grant them to one who may... Aid me in fighting for you." he pleaded, opening the palm of his hand and presenting the projectiles to the elements.

For a few minutes, which felt like years to the dangerously freezing orc, nothing occured. The winds still howled, though he could hear faint whispers among them debating his request and or they would grant it. Ul'guruk did his best to keep himself awake yet he could feel that at any moment he would slip into a sleep he would not wake up from. He fought hard to keep his eyes open, yet at one point his eyelids became too heavy for any mere mortal to bear, sliding down over his eyes as his vision went black and the winds went silent.

"Your legs aren't spread far enough apart, dear, try to set your right foot forward a little more." A calm, motherly voice spoke in the distance. Ul'guruk opened his eyes, finding himself on a grassy cliff under the soft sun of Draenor. The plains of Nagrand stretched as far as his eyes could see beneath him and a herd of talbuk galloped past snoozing clefthoofs beneath him. The sight of his old home bewildered him and brought both warmth and a chill to his heart. A sad smile decorated his lips as he placed the stump of his left hand on his heart, the view a bit much to take in, yet he found himself truly taken aback by the familiar voice chuckling softly and catching his gaze.

"You look like you're trying to grab the wind, Ul'guruk, it is not simply a weapon you can hold!" Migaraka Cindergale, flameseer of the Burning Blade clan, said to her apprentice infront of her. A younger Ul'guruk, wearing his old yellow robes, stood in a clumsy stance as he tried to call upon the elements of air with little success "This is pointless!" he sneered "They will not speak to me, no element will! I am only fit to wield them, they won't listen anyway!" His teacher shook her head as she eyed him over "Apprentice, to wield and stand on one's own is the way of warlocks. Forcing power to your will works only as long until said power finds enough strength to turn against you and the way of the slaver will forever end in retribution. The true way of the shaman lies within the fact that we stand together with the elements and we stand with them not only as allies or protectors but as family. This is where the very same strength of the Burning Blade lies, Ul'guruk." she said, placing a hand on his heart. The Ul'guruk from the future could feel the same warmth his past self could feel, the younger trainee looking up at his teacher "The strength to open your heart to family. You must find it within yourself to open your heart for the elements aswell. Accept their being, not just their power. That is how you will truly become more powerful and wise than any orc one day."

The younger Ul'guruk appeared bewildered by his teacher's statements, and his older self recognised the slight glint of guilt present in his eyes as Migaraka's lesson struck close to home "Come, my apprentice. I will teach you no more today. Meditate on my words tonight after we have dinner with the others." she spoke, guiding him on as the back of her red robes turned towards the orc reliving these moments. A tear had found its way to his cheek, sliding down towards his chin before dropping to the the ground under his feet. Silence struck around him like a bolt of lightning as the droplet hit the ground, its splash echoeing through his ears just as everything returned to black.

Ul'guruk's eyes slowly blinked as he looked around himself. The winds had completely settled on the mountain top, and the same complete silence from his flashback remained true around him. He looked down at his hand, his frozen fingers clutching tightly to the three arrows he had held out for the blessing of the elements. The clear light of the moon shone down upon his palm as he opened his hand, each arrow now engraved with elemental runes glowing with a soft blue shimmer.

Ul'guruk stood up on his feet, nearly tumbling over as his fatigue had not completely settled yet, before taking a graceful bow "Thank you, spirits of air. I will not fail you and neither will my new family." he spoke, placing the arrows in his satchel before making a slow descent down the mountain.

[Rhonya]

Yay! I love stories! A very good read, very nice to see a bit more of Ul'guruk like this, stories always give that unique perspective of a character which you won't really notice ICly ingame.
So keep writing, loving it!