Chapter 76

The team, including several wolves, Nosferatu, Elpida and a small squad of Loegrians slipped through a hidden portal onto the surface of Draenoric. The atmosphere of fear had gone; it now simply felt chaotic, at least in the area we could immediately scan.

“Anti-Klarven emitters are on and working,” Dunon stated.

“Good, we’ll head for that parkland and make our way towards the temple complex and see what if anything we can scan,” I replied. The team spread out into a defensive cluster, with the Drow, under Lenna, cloaking up. We began our careful journey towards where we hoped any Orc resistance might be.

There were bodies everywhere; most killed by adelshaut, but a good few by Klarven. These we disintegrated to destroy the eggs of the creatures and so prevent a future spread of them as the Orcs, not being capable of magic, had few ways to defend themselves if caught in the open.

The temple complex was deserted, though showed signs of heavy fighting and it was clear from several score adelshaut bodies that the Vultoqi hadn’t had it all their own way.

“Detecting a group of life signs in that direction,” Róisín announced as she pointed towards the centre of Draenor.

“Let’s go,” I nodded. “Carefully does it. I don’t think we have many friends here.”

We moved as silently as we could; we Mages occasionally destroying a lurking Klarven, though their numbers weren’t that great in the area we were moving through.

‘Barrier ahead, ‘ Lenna warned.

‘Observe only, ‘ I replied. ‘We’re moving up.‘

The defenders of Draenor had been busy; a huge mound of fallen constructs had been piled up to block the way into what appeared to be the local militia station and a few surrounding office blocks and some form of storage depot. The outside of it was crawling ... for want of a better word, with Klarven, though they appeared to be unable to get through the construct, nor climb it. Inside we detected hundreds of Orcs, who, although well armoured and armed, were clearly in despair at their circumstances.

“I’m going to take a chance here,” I stated. “Keep me covered and pull me out if it goes south.”

I moved carefully out into the open, attracting the Klarven, who immediately swarmed towards me, though only to blow apart as the anti-Klarven device built into my armour in a set of wards disintegrated and weakened their carapace causing them to literally explode from their internal pressure. Other than a ghastly smell which permeated the area and made me feel faintly sick I was unharmed and most importantly not being fired upon by the defenders.

“Do you wish to talk?” I stated clearly in Yr’chan.

There was no reply, save only a blast from an Orc energy weapon that missed completely and might only have been meant as a warning. I simply shrugged my shoulders and moved off back to the rest of the team, followed, but not hindered, by the Klarven, determined to try and bring me down, only for the Loegrians to hit them with a focussed blast from the far more powerful emitters built into their powered armour, causing the entire swarm to explode in a wave of foul smelling gunge.

“Not talking to us?” Dunon asked.

“Nope, we’ll leave them to Crnnch’s people when they come through. They probably blame us for the mess anyway,” I shrugged.

“Well ... technically...” he grinned.

“Yep,” I chuckled as Róisín tracked another possible location for us.

“About a mile, that way,” she pointed. “Much smaller group.”

“Let’s go,” I ordered as the Drow led the way (presumably).

A half hour later we were observing some sort of enclosed estate whose walls were almost buzzing with the amount of energy focussed in them which was the cause of the masses of Klarven torn apart in front of them as well as, surprisingly, several adelshaut.

“Energy source?” I asked Tirus who was doing a scan as all we could sense was energy, not the type.

“Some sort of fusion generator,” he finally replied.

“Anyone spot a doorbell?” I asked with a grin.

This time we at least got an answer to my query, shouted over the barrier, though it was not much better than the previous one in a demand that we go away or face lethal force.

“Not feeling the love here,” Clara chuckled.

“Well, at least we know there are survivors,” I shrugged. “I’m pretty sure that Crnnch’s people will find them more reasonable ... well, I hope so, otherwise I suspect it will get very messy, very quickly.”

“The orbital platforms are still in place, though not manned ... Orced ... whatever,” Róisín giggled.

“Their launch facilities are in central Africa. Alice’s team are looking into it,” I shrugged. “Any more potential survivors?”

“That way, about five miles though,” she pointed.

“Well, we haven’t anything better to do,” I chuckled. “So let’s go.”

This time there was a similar barrier, but with two Orcs standing guard as well as some sort of bunker arrangement with an automated weapons system, according to Tirus. Other than the remains of Klarven though, there was no signs of any fighting.

“State your business!” one of the guards demanded.

“We are allies of Athena, seeking information on what happened during the Vultoqi invasion,” I replied.

“The Yr’ch survive elsewhere?”

“Yes, on Vultoq and in the sanctuary of Athena,” I replied, noting their weapons didn’t waver at all.

“What survivors we know of are behind fortified barriers and hostile towards strangers as they hoard resources.”

“And you?”

“This is the domain of higher Adept Esnurr. He says talk costs nothing and information at least is valuable,” the guard shrugged.

“This is true, though the Seeker in charge of Vultoq offers a hand of friendship as well as food and other resources to all who would grasp that hand in honour.”

“He is a traitor!”

“And where are those who, in their loyalty, permitted the god of the Vultoqi to open portals here? Do their actions not stink of true treachery?” I asked mildly.

There was silence; however an older Orc approached the guards who deferred to him with salutes.

“I am Esnurr. Your point on the treachery of the former leaders here is well made. I am willing at least to speak to the Seeker or his commanders if they come here offering friendship.”

“We will convey your message to him. We can also offer anti-Klarven devices which will reduce your energy consumption in your walls,” I replied.

“That at least we will accept. Thank you.”

Dunon then placed a box of several devices at the gate before withdrawing.

“Does this Seeker have a name?” Esnurr asked.

“His name is Crnnch, the former Adept of Nansack,” I replied.

“I thought as much. Tell him his father, Esnurr, and his mother, Parrnt, send our greetings to him.”

“I will,” I nodded, before he withdrew and we went on our way.

That was the only set of Orc survivors that would talk to us; the others either ignored us, or were openly hostile to the point of firing on us. All over Draenor, the survivors had sealed themselves away from the swarming Klarven and were clearly not desperate enough yet to try and find a way out of their predicament, most clearly blaming us for the downfall of their regime and their fall from grace.

“My parents?” Crnnch asked after we’d asked Roxanne to invite him along to the debriefing she gave us.

“Well, we only met your sire, Esnurr, though he mentioned your birth mother, Parrnt,” I replied.

“I have not seen, nor heard of them since my sixth solar cycle. Until you mentioned their names, I’d all but forgotten them as family ties were rigorously severed, by severe beatings if thought necessary,” Crnnch replied in soft tones.

“They clearly remember you,” I answered.

“Apparently so, astonishing,” he mused.

“We can arrange for you to pass through and meet them,” Roxanne offered. “It does sound as if this estate of theirs would make a fairly good initial base for us in returning the planet to normal.”

“I will consider it, Mage Rahksahn. You have given me much to think upon, Jahrn.”

“I’m fairly sure Athena would be happy to meet them,” Róisín added.

“Oh, I would not wish to bother her with trivialities regarding my own life,” Crnnch replied, sounding embarrassed.

“If it’s important to you, my Seeker, then it is not a triviality,” came Athena’s voice from the tent doorway.

“I do not know if it is important to me, my goddess, though it feels as if it should be,” Crnnch replied, looking slightly lost for once.

“I believe we should,” Athena finally said after going over to Crnnch and examining him closely.

“John, could your team escort Athena and Crnnch to this estate,” Roxanne ordered. “I then want you to return to the temple complex and have a root around in the Most High’s quarters, specifically his library and retrieve the books there for study and to be kept as a history of their race, once we’ve ascertained what’s true, what’s lies and what is wishful thinking.”

“Yes, Mage Roxanne,” I formally replied.

“Gregorius will be coming along too, if that’s alright?” Athena added.

“No problem, anyone you feel is suitable is more than welcome,” Roxanne replied.

It turned out Crnnch wanted a few weapon platforms for security under Tenklar, which suited us fine as we got a lift to the estate and a promise of a lift to the temple complex. It was amusing to see the look on the faces of the guards when the ten platforms turned up, particularly when Crnnch and Athena disembarked and approached the gate, Crnnch wearing his full stasis armour that the Seers were finally making headway on making their own for us.

Finally a male and female Orc approached the gates and I recognised Esnurr and presumed from the facial likeness, that the other was Crnnch’s mother.

“Crnnch?” the female asked tentatively.

“I am,” Crnnch replied and dropped his screen.

“Do you not recognise us?”

“Vaguely; the training and conditioning we went through was designed to strip away our past. Forgive me.”

“Who is your companion?” Esnurr asked, though judging by his look of awe, I suspect he knew.

“Again, forgive my manners,” Crnnch replied. “This is the goddess, Ar-Thenna.”

“The Ar-Thenna?”

“Yes.”

“Blessings be upon you,” Athena quietly stated.

“Thank you ... oh, my name is Parnnt.”

“You seem to have missed your son?” Athena queried.

“Yes, it is most unusual for Yr’ch to do this, but I always felt a tie to him and a sense of loss when he was sent to the education camp,” Parnnt replied softly.

“As did I,” Esnurr added.

“Those days are over now,” Athena replied. “I intend for reconciliation between families if I can. Certainly my new converts will be expected to bring up their children and assist in their education. The ancient Yr’ch used to do this, according to Brnnt and Karkol, my advisors in Yr’ch history.”