Pyres of the Honoured

[Kozgugore]

In a great display of power, the green wave of battle-clad orcs poured down the meadows of Hillsbrad, the ground not only shaking by the thousands of storming orcs, but by the sheer elements themselves. The air was not only filled with the thundering cracks of the sky, but the screams of pain and fear, as well as cries of blood lust and anger. Tonight, the walls of Durnholde would be reduced to mere bits of rubble.

Somewhere in this green tidal wave of orcs, the Warsong clan led by Hellscream was among the fray. So, too, was Kozgugore protecting his now old, grey father Thorg. He stubbornly refused his son to guard his rear as much as he did in the past, as always. But Kozgugore always insisted. His father was old, but like any orc, never old enough to fight. His cracking bones and weary shoulders, much surprisingly, did not stop him from cutting his human foe in half with his great sword.

“Fool of a son,” the old orc rambled the night before the impending attack, waving his finger at his son like he would so often do. “Do not take -me- for a weak, old fool. Do not forget, it was you who got himself demoted to a mere scouting position in our clan. It is -you- who is to be pitied still.”

“Do not forget it was me who kept us alive in these months with my ‘mere’ snares,” the younger orc snarled back, the crimson, glowing eyes glaring right back at the grey orc. “I kept the clan well fed with hares and rats in our desperate months, even when I was wounded in battle and could not join the raiding. Even I earned my right to-”

“You earned the right to follow the main body into battle, pup!” Thorg growled at his son, his eyes fierce, as he cut the orc short in his words. “But don’t you forget you will never earn a father’s respect. You wasted your chance decades ago. Thrazna was with -you- when she died. And you even dared laying a hand on her son! You did not earn the right.” With a spit in front his son’s feet, who despite his younger age was more than a match for the older orc in both muscle and size, Thorg turned away from the crackling campfire.

With the gates rendered useless because of the earth’s favour, the orcs quickly poured into the inner courtyard of the keep. The orcs easily outnumbered the meagre human resistance, yet that did not prevent a small group of Warsong orcs to separate itself from the main force, quickly disposing of the disheartened humans as they chopped their way through the ranks. The all-too familiar scent of urine, feces and sweat filled the air, as the deafening screams of the Warsong orcs confounded the loud turmoil of clattering blades and shields and of booming cannons. On the rear of the group were Thorg and his undesired protector Kozgugore, both swinging their blades into human flesh and steel alike as they pressed their advantage in their blood-ridden haze.

With a growl, Kozgugore only nearly parried a thrusting sword as he rewarded the human’s bravery with a hit with the hilt of his axe, tumbling the human who seemed so small compared to the burly, green orc off his feet. The orc spared the human a killing blow however; as his attention was already drawn to another human, dodging a lance before he would move in close to return the human the sharp edge of an axe in his flank, mockingly snarling into the pale face.

Despite the orc’s best efforts, the humans kept coming. And even Kozgugore knew it. It was only now that he finally found out just how far the main body was behind them, with a thick line of human steel in between them. The glorious charge of the bloodthirsty orcs made way for a mere fight for survival. Lowering his stance to a defensive one, Kozgugore was soon trying to hold his ground as the other orcs simply raged onward in their lust for human blood.

It took him many parries and dodges to keep his own spirit out of death’s clutches before the others would reach the group. But then, the battered, bloodied orc stumbled over a fallen body. Cursing himself for not keeping an eye on his surroundings, Kozgugore looked up to his attackers, before they were suddenly impaled by orcish steel. Help arrived, but only just in time... Or did it?

Kozgugore looked down to see what it is that he stumbled upon. Thorg’s old, bloodshot eyes stared lifelessly up to his son, his blood-ridden, mud-dirtied face still locked in its expression of surprise and fear of death. The glowing orbs in his eyes that indicated the demon’s fire slowly dimmed as all that was left was the visage of an old, weary orc.

That same day, when the sun slowly disappeared from the foothills, the crimson sky was filled with the red smoke and the stifling smell of many funeral pyres. It was on this night that a son deeply inhaled the scent of the burning flesh of his father, and would forever remember the smell of the honoured dead.

It is with the same suffocating smell that he awakes.

As if awakening from a terrible nightmare, the orc jumps up to search his surroundings, only to find himself lying on the soft grass of the plains of Nagrand. The sight of the rising sun in the distance is clouded by the dark fumes of several funeral pyres in the far distance, yet the ‘Land of the Winds’ once again does its name justice as the scent is carried far and high across the green plains, even reaching the wolf-masked orc who has been resting on a high cliff overlooking the ancestral lands. He drags a hand across the green, sweated face underneath the wolf mask, concluding his mind has once again been playing tricks on his old memories. He looks down to see his mate still fast asleep, no doubt still trying to take whatever comfort in the darkness of her sleep before the orcs are to return to Northrend and face the many dangers the world has to offer in these times of undead crisis.

Kozgugore slowly extends a slightly trembling hand on to the sleeping female’s already slightly bloated belly. Her appearance will soon most likely give away her motherhood. And with that, the chieftain’s reason to keep himself off one of those pyres, like the orcs who died only a day ago.

How would Thorg have felt? Did he ever felt like his son does now, ensuring himself he would never bring any such dishonour or pity onto his own son or daughter? How could Kozgugore ever do such a thing, realizing how this addition to the pack enriched his old, war-torn life? Ever since this warlock, this Morgeth, entered his life, no day has been the same. Not merely the same, old duties for the tribe, but a purpose of his own to live for, after having seen all his blood-brothers and family taken by death’s grip. His heart is filled with pride as the crimson eyes, now long dimmed of its demonic fire, search the peaceful, green face of his mate. Yet for that matter, he can only imagine how furious -he- would be, should his own mate or yet unborn infant ever die and have to be burned by himself, like his old, bitter father once had to.

The world is yet to see anything more dangerous and stronger than the fury of an angry orc parent. Hell hath no fury like an orc enraged.

[Loial]

(( awesome read Koz 

but... WOW Thorg was your old char?! atleast IC your he's son!
i have led Thorg in battle in the old days when i was Rehbandes second in command and Red Guard Captain leading raids... wow, damn koz i'm impressed by that story, werry werry interesting! 6 out of 5 possible points! I WHANTZ MORE!  ))

[Kozgugore]

(( Haha, thanks Loial! Sorry to disappoint you though, but this is not the Thorg we know from OotRB. ;3 I had a part of Koz's story and family figured out before I joined OotRB, and I wasn't aware we had a Thorg in the tribe at that time, or would have. Just a bit of bad luck, I suppose, hehe. Thanks for the heads up though, and the rating. ;3 ))

[Greggar]

(( It's amazing koz I always like reading stories about your orc. As your orc is a book of mysteries you don't even it's there. Awesome work ^^ Even was dissapointed when I already reached the end of your story. Was that good. ))

[Kozgugore]

(( Damn you orcs! Now you're making me want to write even more and lose more time on levelling! *Cacklez* ))

[Greggar]

(( Pfff, I got a brother on my neck making me lose time so no big deal :p ))

[Nazkhur]

((loved it Koz. Lore packed, violent and giving the breaking news that the Chieftain has been busy making a heir ))

[Loial]

(( oh well, many Orc's are bound to have same name i guess  all name's ain't unique aye?
there's probebly "other" orcs out there named Loial kozgugore Akesha and whatnot 
anyway... your leveling time are belong to us! go write more story's!!!  ))