Beloved of War

[Vilmah]

Draenor was far more beautiful than many of her people gave it credit for. While they toiled away, practicing their combat abilities and working towards strengthening their defenses against the ever threatening orcish horde, Ya’habibi sat on the ground, fumbling with a wand in her hand. She traced a dark finger across it’s runes, trying to decipher their meaning. Something about fire. Everything she learned so far, had been about fire and ice and their magical properties. As a mage, she wasn’t considered as disciplined or useful as her people’s shamans and light-wielding warriors, so they paid little attention to the slacking off she often did. Dressed in flimsy cloth robes, she wiped a hand across her ridged forehead. The heat was almost unbearable.

“What are you doing, Ya’ha?” Asked a masculine voice, behind her.

Ya’habibi turned to see the forever-serious face of Anwar. His long tendrils twitched slightly, as their eyes met, and she could tell he must have been very hot by the beads of sweat that appeared on his forehead. “Nobody notices if I take a break. You’re the Light warrior, Anwar.”

The masculine Draenai chuckled a bit, and settled down on the ground beside Ya’habibi. The closer he sat to Ya’ha, the more Anwar felt nervous. He was sure he knew why. Although they had been raised together since childhood, Anwar always felt a special connection to Ya’habibi, whom the other members of their race disregarded as a magic-wielding piece of cannon fodder. Since the orcs had begun their mad quest to wipe their once allies, the Draenai, their most powerful warriors and healers had been called upon even more to fight for their survival. Amongst their most valued people were the Light wielding warriors, who stood as a beacon of hope for their kind. The orcs employed the help of demons, through their newly developed warlock magic, but the Draenai kept to their old ways and instead fought with valor in the name of justice.

Unfortunately, the might of the orcs new blood-thirst was keeping them strong, and the Draenai’s numbers continued to dwindle.

Ya’ha waved a hand in front of Anwar’s face. “Hello? Are you there? What are you thinking?”

Anwar shook his head, and smiled at his friend. “You should practice before the elders catch you. I took a break to scold you.”

The young mage giggled. “You mean this has nothing to do with Alliah? Here and I thought you wanted my help to ask her to join you for the evening meal tonight…” She said, slyly.

There was a nervous chuckle from Anwar as he looked out at the horizon. “I am not.. well, Alliah is a bit out of my league.”

“Nonsense!” Ya’ha said, with a reassuring squeeze of Anwar’s broad shoulders. “I am sure she would love it. You are one of the most powerful Light wielders of our camp, how could she say no?”

“Hey! Anwar!” Called one of the elders from afar. “Get back to your studies, boy! And you!” He pointed to Ya’ha. “Stop distracting him!”

Ya’habibi giggled, and got to her hooves. Anwar couldn’t help but look longingly at her beautiful figure as the harsh Draenor sunlight created highlights in her nearly coal-black skin. She extended a hand to him, and pulled hard on his rough callused hand to help him up. He didn’t need her help. He just wanted the feeling of her hand cupped with his to last longer. By the time he stood face to face with her, she had her hand back, and the moment was over.

“Go and study, before he yells at us again,” Ya’ha said, turning away from him and walking towards the tiny river nearby. There, she would practice her magic until the nightly meal came, and Anwar would steal glimpses of her as he practiced wielding heavy weapons.


Gelkis watched with anticipation as the Draenai female approached the river. She was alone, and by the looks of things, unarmed. He readied his totem, and prepared to cast it before her, making her movements slow enough that he might take her by surprise. The orc smiled slyly. She wouldn’t even see him coming…

[Vilmah]

Ya'habibi froze. She heard something nearby, but it didn't seem to be the usual hoof-steps she'd hear from one of her own people. Could it be a wild animal of some sort? Or worse... an orc? She turned around quickly, and saw nothing. Letting out a sigh of relief, she went back to practicing her magic, when she realized that her hooves seemed agonizingly heavy.

"W-what?" She managed to blurt out, before a huge hand wrapped itself around her neck, and dragged her into a huge foreboding body.

"Don't move," said a deep voice.

The Draenai was frozen with fear, but she knew better than to allow this creature to get the best of her. She closed her eyes tightly, and let loose a blaze of fire from her hands and into the enemy. “Argg!!”

Out of his grasp, Ya’habibi turned to see an orc. He was huge, and menacing. He wore flimsy clothes, and no armor. A totem by his side, she recognized him as a shaman, rather than a warlock. This puzzled her for a moment, but she didn’t think on it too long before casting a frost bolt at him. The orc dodged, and send a stream of lightning at her body. Ya’habibi was knocked to the ground, which her enemy took advantage of. He ran to her, and searched her clothes. Finally, he took from her robes the wand she’d been studying earlier. The orc moved to leave, but very suddenly, fell to the ground unconscious.

“…stupid orc,” said a voice.

Ya’habibi looked up, and saw Anwar. He stood with his hammer in one hand, after apparently striking the orc over the head with enough force to knock him out. “What... happened?”

Anwar leaned over, and picked her up. Shortly after, several more Draenai ran from their encampment to take the orc and bind him with ropes and shackles. They dragged his body into one of their buildings, where Ya’habibi assumed he would stay to be prosecuted by their elders. As they pulled him along, she watched as his eyes opened, and he regained consciousness. The orc looked less angered than disappointed, he turned his face away from everyone in shame. Ya’ha looked up at Anwar, as he answered. “He could have killed you. That foul creature will pay..”

She felt confused. The orc didn’t try to kill her at all, he simply wanted her wand. She wondered why, and more so, why he wasn’t a warlock like their other enemies had all become. Ya’habibi let Anwar carry her back into their home, and lay pondering those circumstances for a long time while he tended to her small wounds.



It wasn’t long before the orc came to terms with his crime. The elders issued a statement, saying that his attempted murder of one of their people was unforgivable, and that furthermore, he should be executed as an enemy of war. Ya’habibi never heard the orc’s testimony. She simply heard the outcome. His execution was set a few days later, when everyone could gather and watch.

“Anwar,” she asked her friend, one morning. “The orc did not try to kill me, you know what. Why execute him?”

He looked at her, puzzled. “He’s an orc, Ya’ha. He’d simply return with reinforcements. In fact, his disappearance will probably spark an attack from the enemy. We should prepare for battle, you especially.”

She shook her head. “It does not seem right,” she muttered. “To kill in battle is one thing, but this orc did nothing but attempt to rob me of my wand. And he is a shaman, like our people… perhaps he is not so bad, like the others?”

“Ya’ha,” Anwar said, rolling his eyes. “You have much to learn. Now, go and study. Leave this to the elders. They know better than you.”

((This is going somewhere, I swear.))

[Rajjah]

((muy bueno!))

[EnheilRas]

(The Draenei were described as "Weak" and ultimately proved "Little resistance" to the maddened Demon-Driven Horde by Gul'dan. The entirety of their civilization was literally wiped out in a month or two. They literally just never expected it until the Ravenous Fel-Orcs were burning down their capital cities.)

[Keraph]

((Which AGAIN contradicts current Burning Crusade lore, which suggests the following:

Smoothly manipulated from a state of wary acceptance into blind rage and bloodlust, the orcs attacked the draenei. This bloody conflict lasted nearly eight years, but the orcs' triumph was inevitable. The draenei were mighty due to their Light-given powers, but the demon-maddened Horde was mightier still. The orcs killed over eighty percent of the draenei race and sent the rest fleeing for safety to the remote corners of the world.


And with the way Blizzard treats new lore as official over old lore.....GG Blizz))

[EnheilRas]

(That woulda made Grom what? 5 years old when it started?)

[Vilmah]

((This bloody conflict lasted nearly eight years, but the orcs' triumph was inevitable. ))

((I'm going with this one. I think it's the most recent info on their conflict.))

[Keraph]

(That woulda made Grom what? 5 years old when it started?)

((Never said they were consistant))

[Vilmah]

It didn’t take long for Ya’habibi to disobey Anwar. She wandered casually to the prisoner’s holding cell, which was made from one of the elders’ homes. It was rarely used, because they weren’t in want of prisoners. They would usually kill an orc on sight. The female draenai came close to one of the guards, and smiled at him.

“So why not kill him?” She asked with feigned curiosity. “Why do they keep him in there?”

The male shrugged. “It is not my decision to make, Ya’ha. Why do you care? He would likely kill you, if given the chance.”

She smiled and chuckled. “No orc can bring me down. I should like to question him myself, if that is alright?”

“Ya’ha,” the guard said with a quiet voice. “Do not make me be rough with you. You are too curious for your own good. I suggest you practice your spells like the elders have told you.”

They stood quietly for a few moments, and Ya’ha studied the guard’s face. It was lined with worry. “Ahknar,” she began sweetly. “Visha misses you, you know. If you would go home more often, she would not be so very sad all of the time. I can relieve you for a few moments. She will appreciate it.”

“What do you know, Ya’ha?” Ahknar said with a frown. “You don’t know the first thing about our problem. She expects too much of me. How can a wielder of the light dedicate so much time to both her protection and.. well, it does not matter. Run along.”

“She is all alone,” Ya’ha said slyly. “And the orc tied up. He can not move. You will only be a moment, and Visha will be happy. Very happy,” she added.

Ahknar looked around. It was nearing midnight and there were few people about, if any. He handed Ya’habibi his glave. “I will not be long. I will trust you,” he said in a whisper, before running off.

Ya’habibi smiled as he ran. It never too much to send others to do what she wanted. She wondered if perhaps her growing mastery of the light should be discussed with her elders, considering that they all considered her a mage.. but she didn’t like that idea. Priests were busied with healing the wounded and tending to personal needs. She was not patient enough for that, although, she wondered if she would need to be, someday…

Walking into the makeshift prison, she found her attacker tied tightly to a wooden pole struck deeply in the ground. His hands were bound and useless, and he looked to be sleeping. Ya’habibi crept close towards him, her curiosity overwhelming. She could smell his sweat the closer she came, and it was obvious he hadn’t bathed in weeks. His long black hair was tied into thick braids, but were tangled at the roots. His beard was likewise in disrepair, as well as his scarred and maimed skin. It was obvious he’d seen many battles, especially when his eyes opened only inches away from Ya’habibi’s.

“…what are you doing here?” He growled.

Ya’habibi smiled, and leaned in forward, brushing her lips against the orc’s cheek, forehead and nose before finally allowing herself to kiss his mouth. His overpowering tongue slipping into her mouth, Ya’habibi stroked it with her own, and reluctantly pulled away. “You were stupid to visit me in the day, Gelkis.”

The orc reluctantly smiled. “I am stupid for many reasons, Ya’ha. Now get me out of this place before your family cuts off my head.”

[Rajjah]

((nooo waaaay aaaaaahahahah!))