The Crash - Mazhga

[Rashka]

A little 'bit' delayed story, from the start of BFA. Some of it had been sitting unfinished on my ipad for a while, so I decided to finally finish it, along with a quick drawing.

The Crash

Current

It was early in the morning, the sound of the waves washing upon the shore, and the distant sound of seagulls was all that existed. The waves often brought things ashore, and today was no different. A body lay at the shoreline, the waves washing over the frail, thin, and malnourished looking body. By its side was a large white worg, desperately trying to awaken its master with its whimpers, and licks upon their face, but to no avail. Soon the worg stood, malnourished too by the looks of it, but less than its master. It howled loudly, but the only attention it got was from hungry seagulls, eager to bite into a fresh morsel. They received a warning growl, and the quick snapping of a maw in return, and soon left the body as it was. Desperate as the worg were, it pulled it’s master further ashore, frantically trying to keep them warm by laying itself atop of the body.

2 Weeks Earlier

Mazhga was laying in the bed she had claimed as hers upon the Sea Cucumber, sleeping soundly. Malakai laid by her side, the smaller female barely noticeable from the giant white body of the frostwolf, which never left her side.

Having found respite and comfort in laying in the bottom of the hull where she could hear the waves wash up against the hull of the ship, and even feel them. It was the only place she had found, where she had been unable to become sea sick, oddly enough. Yesterday had been quite wild; the she-orcess had found the rum barrels, and one mug soon became two, then three, and four, before she finally gave in to the alcohol, and fell asleep.

Thus she had easily slept through the ruckus upstairs, and it was first when a loud crash, followed by a splurge of water onto her face, she awakened. ‘Mrhh, just a moment longerâ€"..’ she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. The whining and growling of Malakai soon got her attention, though, and he got her to at least look around, and for a moment she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
A hole?
She thought, as she stared bewildered at the hole which now was right in front of her face. The water was rapidly rising, and panic started to set in within her bones. ‘Shit, shit, shit-..’ She was now frantically fishing around in the water for her stuff, and by the time she had found her satchel, she was standing in water to her waist, cargo and the likes beginning to float around within the bottom of the ship.

Malakai was whining loudly by this point, the staircase blocked by tipped over boxes. ‘Fuck..’ she mumbled, as she slowly realized they were stuck. Gaze frantically shifting around, looking for any way out. They couldn’t die here, not like this-.. not now. The water, continuously rising, quicker and quicker as the ship started to capsize, the water now by her bust. ‘Fuck!’ She shouted panicked. ‘Focus, focus...’ She mumbled, as her eyes settled upon the hole the cannonball had made. ‘No it’s going to be impossible with the waters streaming in-..’

Malakai was now padding in the water, unable to reach the bottom anymore, and Mazhga was starting to loose her footing, as the boat begun to tip over. ‘Gotta try..’ she hissed, as she grabbed the collar of Malakai. ‘Deep breath, we can do this’ she whispered with a shaky voice, before diving down, dragging Malakai with her, which soon followed on his own.

The water was dark and murky, it was near impossible to see, the salt stinging in her eyes. Please.. I can’t die here. Please. Spirits. Please.. She thought, hands finally finding the hole. Frantically she begun trying to enlarge the hole, the splintered wood digging into her skin, as her flesh was torn and ripped apart, dark-red blood soon becoming clouds in the water, as she tried to punch and force herself through the way too tiny hole.

Air.

Swimming to the surface, there barely was any air pockets left. One last chance.. The thought resonating throughout her skull, as she began swimming back down, Malakai right by her side. He began biting and kicking at the wood, helping her, as she closed her eyes. This wasn’t going to work. She knew that. Uttering one last prayer to the spirits, she began bending the water within the ship, forcing it outwards through the hole.
Come on.. ..break!
A dull crack sounded throughout the water, as more of the wood splintered off, the ship was sinking, even more rapidly now, she knew they’d been submerged for a while. There was no air pockets left. She had to make it to the surface with what little air that remained within her lungs.

Barely managing to squeeze herself through the cracked hole, she grabbed onto Malakai, planting her feet against the side of the hull.

So dark. So.. cold.

With some sort of miraculous strength, she managed to break Malakai through the hole too, bits of his snow white fur floating in the water, as his skin was torn.

Swim. ..Swim!

She could feel the burning within her lungs, the last of her air escaping her.

So far.. won’t.. make.. it..

Her world was growing darker and darker... until.. air! Malakai had swam beneath her, forcing her that last bit of ways up to the surface. Gasping for air, she looked around frantically.

It’s storming..

Eyes locking onto a nearby piece of wooden debris, she grabbed onto Malakai, helping the worg up onto it along with herself. ‘Spirits..save us..’
So cold..
The water was freezing. Her hand instinctively went to her bust, holding onto that fiery ember of hers, that she always carried around with her. Closing her eyes, she prayed that it would keep them warm. ‘It has to. We can’t die here, Malakai.. W-we can’t-..’

Struggling to stay afloat between the tall waves, there was no sight of anyone else, and the rain was coming down harshly as if it were a whip. They struggled to stay afloat against the harsh waves, clinging frantically onto that piece of wooden debris, as they were thrown around, for their lives counted on it.

They were at the mercy of nature, and their fate out of their grasp.

2 Weeks Later

They had been drifting for a long time. She had lost track by now. Had it been days? Weeks? ..Months? She didn’t know. What little water and food she had, was gone. Gone with the ship, just like her Clan. Her mouth was parched. Lips chapped and dry, from the continuous amount of saltwater that splashed onto her face. Malakai was no better, his fur sticky and his skin an angry red.

So thirsty..

She had managed this far, being able to bandage the worst of their wounds up, and to collect some of the rain water within a wooden bowl she had carried within her satchel, usually used for stews. Her stomach rumbled.

Stews. Food..

She was so hungry. She shook her head, staring into the depths. She felt unsettled. As if something was ever watching. Observing. Waiting... It sent chills down her spine, as she hid her face in her furry companion’s white pelt. ‘We’ll make it through this. We have to.’ She mumbled into his fur, with a dry voice. A low rumble given in return.
She had given him most of the water, only taking little for herself.

So tired..


She hadn’t slept for days. That unsettling feeling keeping her awake. Out here, in the midst of the ocean, her favoured element, she felt lost. She could not hear the spirits, and all she knew was the darkness of the stormy clouds above, and the cold unforgiving night.

Her lids, heavy with exhaustion, slowly closed, as she gave in to the ever creeping darkness. Malakai whimpered, as he watched his master succumb to sleep.

Current

She had been on this beach for a while now. Stranded, in an unknown land. Too weak to move. Malakai had suffered heavily too, he was on his last legs as well, she knew this. But she could do nothing, except close her eyes and pray. Pray that someone would find her. Pray, that they somehow would make it through this.
Her prayers was heard.
The coming day, a small human girl stumbled upon her in the evening, when she was about to give in to the looming darkness that threatened to claim her soul.

The girl was shocked, she had ever seen an orc before, only ever heard tales of them, told to her by her father before bed time. Malakai gave a weak whimper at her as she approached. A plea for help. The girl stared at the frostwolf with wide eyes, before turning to run away. Malakai stumbled after her a few feet, whining once more, before pacing back too his master, collapsing by her side.

Minutes went by. An hour. Then another. Time was ticking. But before the complete darkness of the night came, she returned, men with lamps in tow. Some discussing was had, Malakai growling weakly, before they grabbed his master, starting to drag her off.

Mazhga limp, and unresponsive. It took little effort from the men, to leash the wolf and then drag it along too. The little girl watching in horror. Perhaps this was not what she had expected.
They were thrown into a fenced area of sorts, Mazhga chained up, whilst Malakai was caged.

Come first light, a woman came into the pen. She tended to what remained Mazhga’s wounds, which she had suffered in the escape from the ship, forced her to drink water, and fed her. The same treatment was offered to Malakai, whom was too weak to fight it. He gave a low growl, a warning.

Days went by, once more in a haze, but Mazhga slowly recovered. She was however only fed enough to stay alive,  and the woman who had aided her, she later learnt to be the girls mother. She was grateful, though she never saw her again.
‘Let me out. I’ve done nothing to you.’ She would tell them every time they came to feed her. But she never got a proper answer. At most, she got a grunt or smirk in return.
She could feel her bones through her skin. She had lost so much of her muscle mass, it had been sacrificed in order to keep her organs alive. In order to keep her alive.
Closing her eyes she spent what little energy she had left, focusing. And finally she could feel them. The Elements. They were there, and they were of this world. She could feel them. And it comforted her.

She was sitting as close to Malakai as possible, slumped over asleep, when it happened.
An ear shattering crash, making her bolt upright. Thunder? She wondered to herself, before eyes opened, peering around.

It isn’t raining..

Looking around with furrowed brows, listening.. ears perked.
The sound of ringing steel resonated through the area. Yells and shouting in the distance.

Fighting?

Yes. Fighting.
Another ear piercing crash thundered through the air, and when she peered up, there she saw it. The Horde battle ship. And there were several of them. They were bombing this village, attacking it. Raiding it.
‘Damn it all..’ She mumbled, nose wrinkling as a growl settled upon her features.

Another shell came thundering down, whistling through the air; Exploding right next to the pen where her and Malakai was kept. Fragments of wood, steel, and other bits, came flying through the air, biting into both Orc and Wolf’s flesh.
‘Grah!’
Flames began to lick and bite into the wooden fence of the pen, trapping them.
‘Fuck. Fuck. Not again. Fuck. Shit. ..Shit!’ Her body was weak, and as she tried to stand she stumbled, falling back onto the muddy slick ground.
After all, they had only fed her enough to keep her alive. It was going impossible to break out of these shackles, at least with only raw physical power.
Unable to stand, she closed her eyes, attempting to focus. Trying to shut out the screams of agony and battle all around her.

Earth. Heed my call. Answer my plea! Strengthen me and aid me in this dire situation!

Suddenly, everything went silent. It was as if she had entered an entirely different plain.
Then she heard it, the voice rough and dragged out.
‘Strong. Unbroken. ...Stubborn.’
The words resonated within her skull, bouncing off the walls of her mind. And then she felt it. The connection to Earth. As if it always had been there.
Opening her eyes, the sounds slowly returned, and with it, the light too. It was disorientating. A frown settled upon her features, as she listened.

So much pain. So much grief..

The flames drew ever closer, licking at the skin of both Orc and Wolf.  Malakai whimpered from his cage, growling and struggling, desperately trying to break free.

With a loud growl, she slammed her hands into the ground. The earth rumbled, and forth an earthen spike shot out, between her wrist and cuff.
It tore her wrist bloody, bruised her, but it freed her.

She repeated it. Her other hand freed too, before finally turning her gaze towards Malakai's cage, beckoning forth the Earth to break the wooden and metallic cage.
As it shattered, she grabbed onto his fur. It was no longer white, the salt, mud, blood and otherwise caked into his fur, staining it.

‘I know you are weak. I am too. But please, even if it is the last time we ride together.. Run. Run like the wind, my wolf..’  She whispered into his fur, arms wrapping around him, as she swung herself onto his back. Malakai whimpered, his legs buckling from their combined weight. But he was determined. He knew this was their only chance too.
So he ran.
Straight towards the flaming inferno, leaping through the flames, and landing in the midst of the battle field, as mortar shells came ringing down from the sky, as Human and Horde alike fought for their lives.
He ran, as fast as he could, and as far as his legs could carry him and his master, following the trail of the Horde warband. It led them to a Horde Outpost, nestled between two cliffsides.

When they arrived, both Orc and Wolf collapsed onto the ground, burn marks and wounds littering their broken malnourished bodies.
They were taken to the infirmary, and given medical care.

Here they spent weeks recovering, too weak to move, but finally finding a place of relative safety, and proper care.

During her stay, she learnt of where she had washed ashore.

Kul'tiras.