Duality Risen

Five

Mardruk pulled the oilskin further over his head, trying to keep the rain from soaking into his hair. He was standing outside the village limits of Ratchet, watching the ships moored at the dock. The storm was keeping the ships from leaving the seaside town, which set back Mardruk’s plan by a good day or so. Still, he didn’t even know what he was supposed to do. He was supposed to hunt down Aljei, but what then? What was he supposed to do after he caught Aljei? Ask him nicely to return to the cairn? Yeah, that was about as likely to happen as Arthas suddenly denouncing the Scourge and shacking up with Sylvanas. Mardruk snorted and started down into the neutral village. The least he could do was get out of the rain.

Goblins passed him by, muttering about their horrible jobs and horrible hours, how cold they were in the rain. Mardruk headed for the inn, knowing there would be a huge fire going, and it wouldn’t be crowded, not with this weather.

Mardruk stepped into the warm common room of the inn and headed for a table, sitting down and setting about making a water puddle on the hardwood. A huge fire was crackling in the fireplace, little goblins huddling around the blaze as if it would make their little green bodies toasty. The door swung open before Mardruk could get a closer table, and in walked three people. Alliance people. Mardruk froze as he saw them – a kal’dorei, a human, and a draenei. Granted Ratchet was kind of a neutral town, but it didn’t stop violence. If Mardruk so much as sneezed funny, the trio over at the table closest to the fire could take it as a threat. Which would make Mardruk severely outnumbered, and last time he checked one warrior – an apprentice at that – couldn’t fight against a hunter, a mage, and a paladin at one time and live to tell about it.

And it wasn’t like the hunter and paladin would just stand back and let Mardruk murder their mage friend. Mardruk shivered.
So far, they hadn’t noticed him sitting there. Which suited the young orc just fine, considering having the Alliance on his ass would be a headache to end all headaches. He just wanted clues on how to find Aljei, and then he’d be out of Ratchet and on his way.

And then the human’s eyes locked with his.

They were a pretty shade of green, complimenting the woman’s red hair. Her eyes went wide, as if he were about to lunge toward her and throttle her. She suddenly rose and pointed at Mardruk, shouting something in the human tongue.

On instinct the young orc backpedaled, knocking himself flat on the floor. He wasn’t down long, coming to his feet with his broadsword in hand. Embarrassment was the last thing on his mind as the draenei paladin moved toward him, her hooves pounding a wicked beat on the hardwood. Their blades collided with a shower of sparks, and Mardruk twisted, parrying and quickly riposted to drive the draenei back. The bloodlust sang in his blood when she came at him again, parrying his blow and twisting her blade to lock their swords at the hilt. They pressed flush together for a split second, then Mardruk twisted away with a snarl. The draenei echoed him and lunged forward, only to fall flat on her face with a lion proudly sitting on her back.

The kal’dorei had Mardruk sighted, though, and the arrow nocked to his bow certainly seemed strong enough to punch through chainmail. The hunter’s eyes flicked to the sword Mardruk held. “Sheathe it.” The elf commanded in Common. “Let’s have a peaceful chat.”

Mardruk looked at the paladin on the floor. “She’ll be the first to go for my throat once I put away my blade. I think I’ll keep it right where it is.”

The kal’dorei shrugged as if it was of no consequence drew back on his bow a little more.

“Enough!” the mage shouted. “Serasin, Tyr, put everything away! I am NOT getting kicked out into the rain!” She turned her gaze to Mardruk. “You, too!”

“Who do you think you are, ordering me around?” Mardruk snapped back.

“I think I’m the one who outnumbers you.” The female replied.

“You’ve called your friends to put their weapons away. I’d say you’re in a rough spot.”

“Mage. Warrior. Besides, there’s a lion behind you that’d love to chew your face off, orc.” The mage – insufferable bitch – smirked. “So let’s play nice in the sandbox, eh?”

Mardruk scowled, but the lion quietly snarling away behind him made agreeing to the armistice a good idea. As the draenei got to her feet, Mardruk slid his broadsword into its sheath.

“Good boy.” The mage said with a nasty smile. “Now, why’re you traveling alone?”

“Why’re you traveling with friends?” Mardruk shot back.

The woman scowled. “I asked first.”

“I asked second. You’re the one who instigated contact by shouting whatever it was you said. Therefore, you answer first.”

The mage’s scowl deepened, but she didn’t summon a fireball to make him a crispy critter. “Fine. I said you carry a taint.”

Mardruk shrugged. “All my people carry a taint. Green skin. Fel. Automatically marked for annihilation. Your point is?”

“Not that kind of taint, jackass.” The mage shot back. “You were touched by powerful but dark magic. Warlock magic.”

Mardruk’s stunned look wasn’t all that fake. “You can sense that?”

“Mage.”

Oh. Right. “So what’d you do?” the woman continued. “You screw a warlock’s woman or something?”

“Why do you humans jump to the conclusion all orcs are barbaric, incestuous, woman-bashing dickheads?” Mardruk asked.

“Because you are?” the draenei replied snidely. Mardruk shot her a venomous glare.

“At least my people aren’t slaves to Illidan and his bitch Kael’thas.”

The draenei hissed and started forward. The kal’dorei stopped her with a sword blade at her throat and a shake of the head.

Mardruk scowled and focused o the human woman. “Do you know of Aljei?”

This time the woman’s scowl wasn’t venomous or directed at him. “Aljei the Destroyer? The blood elf warlock who annihilated entire villages because he could?”

“Yeah. That one.”

“He’s dead.”

Mardruk winced and shook his head. “Not exactly.”

“Well, he has to be. The sin’dorei lost their immortality a few years ago. He couldn’t have survived much longer after that.” The mage said.

Mardruk sighed. “He was dead. Sort of. I kind of… brought him back.”

The woman started laughing so hard she had to sit down. “You’re no necromancer.”

Mardruk frowned. “He was alive. I heard him in my head. He killed two human paladins to restore his body. His powers are coming back, and I need to stop him.”

The night elf frowned and stroked his lion’s nose. “He’s not lying, Cassie.”

The redheaded woman sobered. “That strange disturbance I felt, that was Aljei being released, wasn’t it?”

Mardruk cautiously nodded.

“Idiot!” Cassie exploded. “How could you do something so stupid?!”

“Hey, I was fighting for my life! If you were being chased by orcs who wanted to kill you simply because you’re human, you’d have done the same!” Mardruk retorted. “I’m going to stop him, and put him back under those thrice-damned rocks!”

“I’d really enjoy seeing dat.” The draenei, Serasin, said with a smile.

“He’ll kill you before you even get close.” Tyr, the kal’dorei, said. “Aljei is a warlock, no matter how powerful. You’re a warrior. He’d destroy you without a second thought.”

“And you’re all just thinking that’d be awesome, wouldn’t it?” Mardruk asked bitterly.

Cassie shook her head. “I’ll admit seeing you die wouldn’t break my heart, but I won’t let you go up against Aljei alone. Don’t get me wrong, orc. I’m not doing it to help you. Aljei is dangerous to everyone.”

“Oh, I feel so relieved now.” Mardruk replied sarcastically. “I can go up against him with confidence now that I have three Alliance assholes at my back.”

Tyr choked back what Mardruk took for a laugh. Cassie’s eyes narrowed at him before she looked at Mardruk. “At least we won’t stab you in the back until the task is done.”

Mardruk eyed Serasin for a long while. “I wouldn’t be too sure about that.” He muttered under his breath.