The Truth about Akesha

[Akesha]

This is Akesha's story as told by Azubal, the only orc who knows the full truth about her beginning ... and her end.


The time is at hand when the truth can be told. Some of Akesha's life is already known. Some of what I shall write here has been told before, but many details I shall now tell for the first time.

At times like a trickster, at times like a sage, Akesha was an orc who knew secrets and saw forbidden places. She was born out of murder and betrayal, yet came from the noblest of bloodlines. The daughter of a king who stole his throne, she became the lowest of all but then rose to be the leader of a tribe. She sought to bring alive the past and in the end it was the past which destroyed her.

These are the words of Azubal, last of her kin. I who was with her from her birth until she left this world, shall now set down these words for all to read. It is I must tell the tale of her short life, for it is only I who can.



Chapter 1 - Death and Birth.


Born in blood. The story of her birth has been told elsewhere, yet I shall repeat it here, for there are details known only to those few of us who witnessed it. Her father was Akesh, called the poisoner. Akesh was the last Chieftain of Clan Redblade and it was he who led those orcs to drink of the demon's blood and join the Old Horde. A terrifying orc he was. Silent for the most part, a thinker, a philosopher, but when provoked his anger was like a storm and lightning followed him.

Akesh had murdered the old chieftain and now ruled the Redblades through fear and by the strength of his warriors. Some said that he was possessed by a demon spirit. If that were true, then does that make Akesha an pure blooded orc, or part demon? Whatever the truth of it, I was there on the night she was born. I witnessed the storm that battled the mountain peaks that night and the lightning bolt that rent the sky at the moment she came crying into the world. Her mother did not survive.

This was a time of war. The Old Horde had invaded Azeroth and the Redblades fought under Akesh's banner, driven onward by the whips of his demon masters. There was scarcely ever time to wash away the blood of the fallen, before we were once more waist deep in our slaughtered enemies. It was in these days and less than two years after Akesha's birth that a conspiracy was hatched.

In the time since he became chieftain, Akesh had, one by one, done away with the elders of the Clan. It began with those openly opposed to his rule, then those orcs who he regarded as a potential threat started to disappear. In the end all it took was one wrong look, one misjudged word and the offending orc was taken away and executed within the minute. Only three of the elders remained, Ghash son of Groff, Thark Blackfoot and I. In a deep cave, far from the ears and eyes of Akesh's spies we met and made our plans. Thark spoke thus;

'Too long have we suffered this tyrant's rule.' He spoke slowly, measuring every word. 'We must end it for if we do not, then who will dare to stand against Akesh?'

'We lost his trust long ago', said Ghash. 'How shall we get close enough to him to perform the deed? He is watched and guarded day and night by hand-picked warriors.'

'Yet his warriors are of the darkest and foulest character themselves', said Thark. 'I would bet my life that they could be bought for the right price.'

I knew that they spoke the truth. Each time that Akesh had removed an elder, he had seized all of their wealth and possessions and in turn had lavished these same as gifts upon those who remained, in an attempt to secure their loyalty. As the number of remaining elders had diminished, those who remained had grown richer until we last three had become powerful indeed. Yet this wealth had tipped the balance. It had turned us from bought subjects, to a new threat to Akesh's rule. I considered their words for a long time before I spoke.

'Deal with his guards and I shall deal with Akesh,' I said.

So four nights later I found Akesh alone. Some of his guards had been bought off with gold, some had been lured away with ale and whores. Each had their price and those who had no price had been drugged or murdered or assaulted and bound. Akesh was alone and asleep. I crept into his tent on the battlefield and without hesitation, without a thought, I opened his throat and watched his lifeblood drain away. I became the murderer of a murderer. A tyrant killer.

When Akesh was discovered, the Clan fell into disarray. Fighting broke out at once, as some of his guards tried to take power for themselves. Ghash rallied his own loyal warriors around him and they battled against Akesh's supporters. Many orcs died that day and Ghash himself was cut down. In this chaos, Thark took power for himself and ruled the Clan for two glorious days. On the third the demons came. They had heard of Akesh's fall and came to put down the rebellion before it spread to other parts of the Horde. The demons slaughtered Thark and his orcs, before breaking apart the Clan. Each orc that they allowed to live was sent to a different part of the army of the Horde. Clan Redblade was no more. We had freed it from tyranny by causing its destruction.

For my part, I escaped and fled into the wilds. It may sound like cowardice to some, that I did not stay and fight, but my thoughts were not for myself. I took with me two orclings, Akesha and Shuska, her half-sister by another of Akesh's wives. Far from the Horde I hoped to save their lives, so that one day Clan Redblade could be reborn and its noble bloodline restored.

To be continued ...

[Akesha]

Reserved.

[Akesha]

Reserved

[Akesha]

Reserved

[Akesha]

Reserved

[Kozgugore]

(( A great start for a no doubt very interesting series! I'm sure many orcs'll enjoy this! I surely know I will! Hope you keep them coming! ))

[Norv]

(( Nice story! Me likes very much and wants more!
   *prepares a place on the wiki for akesha's stories * ))