[Orcbane] Chapter 5 - Dawnstar Village

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Lord Verath!” shouted one of the two dragonhawk riders.

“Halduron!” Verath called out his name. “What’s the matter?”

“My lord, you must return to Spire at once!” the other dragonhawk rider, a petite she-elf, said in a rush. “Lady Lireesa has gone into labour!”

⁂

Verath’s face paled.

“But the child isn’t due in more than one month!”

No wasting a second longer, he grabbed Vereesa and placed her in front of Halduron on his dragonhawk. 

The female ranger hopped off her dragonhawk and gave its reins to Verath, who got on it as fast as he could. Although she did not understand what had made her father go into a panic, Sylvanas quickly followed suit, getting on the dragonhawk behind her father and wrapping her arms around his waist.

“I will bring the unicorn and the hawkstrider back by myself,” said the woman. 

“Thanks, Jirri,” Verath replied before commanding his dragonhawk to take flight. 

Children are often far more perceptive than adults give them credit, and Vereesa picked up on the distress and anxiety her father was unknowingly projecting. Sensitive as she was, the little girl started bawling her eyes out, much to Halduron’s secret chagrin and helplessness.

The trip on horseback had been done at a leisurely pace, taking them a few hours, but flying back home by riding dragonhawks only took a few minutes. 

The moment they landed in front of the Windrunner Spire, Verath jumped off his dragonhawk and broke into a run towards the manor. 

Sylvanas ran after him too, and so did Halduron, together with the crying Vereesa in his arms. 

In a manner unbecoming of someone of his stature, Verath climbed three and four steps at a time as he ran up the spiralling staircase. He burst through the bedroom door, cold sweat filling his forehead and his hands shivering from anxiety. 

But when he stepped inside the room, the peaceful image of his wife with a small bundle in her arms made his anxiety vanish like a miracle. He had been afraid that the baby would be stillborn or that it might even endanger his wife’s life due to how much earlier she gave birth. Fortunately, his fears did not come to be true.

He walked to the bed and took Lireesa in a hug, kissing her lovingly on the forehead. 

“It’s alright. Everything is fine,” Lireesa said with a smile, calming the worries of her husband and daughters. “This little boy could simply not wait any longer.”

Sylvanas and Vereesa also came closer to the bed, looking in awe at their newborn sibling in their mother’s arms: bright golden hair, a healthy pink colour in his cheeks, and big, bright blue eyes studying the world around him curiously. It was a beautiful, healthy baby boy. 

Alleria was in the room too, and Sylvanas felt her elder sister’s hands on her shoulders as she came to see her younger brother too. 

It seemed as though the ugly argument from a few hours ago had never happened at all. Lireesa’s anger at Sylvanas and her disappointment at Alleria seemed to have vanished, Alleria’s frustration and bitterness disappeared, Vereesa’s crying stopped, and Sylvanas’ own feelings of being wronged gave way to peace and a feeling of warmth and affection. It was as if the early arrival of this little boy into their world had cast a spell on them. 

While the Windrunner family was having a moment of sublime happiness, a Farstrider walked into the room and whispered something into Halduron’s ear. The smile on Halduron's face receded, morphing into a serious expression.

“Don’t bother the Ranger General with this piece of news. She had just given birth. I will mobilise the Farstriders myself,” Halduron told the Farstrider before leaving the bedroom. 

Alleria, however, had heard a fragment of their conversation and left her family’s side, following Halduron out. 

⁂

Around the same time, on the easternmost part of Quel’Thalas, in the Dawnstar Village, a high elf man with short, spiky blonde hair and bright blue eyes was sitting on a finely crafted bench and watching a group of children playing. 

His simple silk red shirt, blue trousers, and leather shoes was a colourful, commonly seen outfit among the young men in Quel’Thalas. He looked ordinary, not standing out through anything. That high elf man was a clone of Naruto, disguising himself with a Henge to blend in with the rest of the population. The Quel’dorei were a homogenous people, and so was the Kingdom of Quel’Thalas too. A human boy gallivanting around elven settlements would stand out too much. 

In front of him, four girls around his age were taking turns playing hopscotch, their long elvish ears and soft blonde hair flapping cutely every time they jumped. 

To his left, a group of boys and girls were playing a game of Elves versus Trolls, kicking up a huge ruckus as they play-fought each other with wooden swords and shields. 

On the other side of the park, a man and his son were throwing feed in a clear pond filled with colourful fish, and a family of three was sitting on a blanket on the grass, with the mother teaching her young daughter how to make a wreath from flowers.

Naruto sighed wistfully. He was the only one alone in the entire park. 

After learning Thalassian, he had tried going out to play with the rest of the children in Faribreeze Village, but he was not very successful at it. It was not that they hated him or tried to bully him but, other than a few curious children who had never seen a human before and talked to him for a bit, the others did not involve themselves with him. The elves preferred to keep to themselves. It was too hard for a human boy who had popped in out of nowhere like he did to be accepted into their circles.

It was as if, no matter the world, he was bound to remain an outcast. 

‘No, at least I have big sis Liadrin here,’ he thought, smiling at the thought of the kind and pretty elven woman. 

He stood up from the bench and stopped watching the children playing. After all, this shadow clone’s purpose was to collect information, not waste time daydreaming. 

Having listened to Kyuubi’s advice, Naruto had sent Shadow Clones not only here, to Dawnstar Village, but to many other towns and villages in order to learn more about Quel’Thalas and the people living in it. 

Eventually, he also reached the most iconic building in the entire village, the Dawnstar Spire. 

‘So this is where Dar’khan lives, huh? Amazing. He must be loaded.’

Dar’khan was one of the four high elves that Naruto had rescued from the Amani trolls, and the eye-catching spire was his mage tower. The tall, narrow, elegant, pure white building with its golden roof and crimson red adornments shone like a jewel in the bright rays of the sun. 

Naruto was broken out of his reverie when Kurama’s voice rang in his head:

“Naruto. I’m sensing a large number of hostile signatures coming from the mountains. They’re still a fair distance away, but their killing intent is very strong. There must be hundreds of them.”

‘Trolls!? Crap, this isn’t good.’ 

It wasn’t just not good. It was terrible. 

‘We have to warn everyone. We have to evacuate the civilians!’ he thought.

There were dozens of children playing in the park and many other untrained people going about their day with no care in the world. If an army of savage trolls were to attack at that moment, it would be a bloodbath. 

Although he was a Shadow Clone, he formed the hand seal to create another clone before dispelling it in order to transfer his memories to the original. 

After that, he rushed towards the Dawnstar Spire in order to warn Dar’khan of the troll’s impending attack. Dar’khan Drathir was an esteemed Magister. His words carried more weight than Naruto’s. He could order the Farstriders in the village to evacuate the civilians, and they would listen to him. 

⁂

Back in Fairbreeze Village, Naruto put his studying on hold as Lady Liadrin and High Priest Vandellor entered the study room. 

From the beginning, the old elf’s intention had been to give off an affable impression, not to intimidate the young boy. It turned out that his worries were unfounded because Naruto broke the ice right away when he heard that he was Lady Liadrin’s adoptive father. 

“You’re big sis Liadrin’s father?” said Naruto in surprise. “I’m Uzumaki Naruto. It’s nice to meet you, gramps.”

Liadrin’s eyes widened, startled.

“Naruto! You’re talking to the High Priest! Where are your manners?!” she said scandalized. 

Naruto rubbed the back of his head, muttering an embarrassed “sorry” but the old elf burst into laughter. 

“Ohoho! I like him already!” he told Liadrin through his chuckles. “Don’t scold him. Other than Belo’vir, nobody talks to me like that nowadays. It’s rather refreshing!”

Belo’vir was a Grand Magister, one of the highest-ranked and most respected mages in Quel’Thalas. He and Vandellor had been friends for over 5000 years. 

“So, Uzumaki Naruto. Quite the unusual name. I haven’t heard any similar names among the humans of Lordaeron,” said the old priest. “Moreover, you have two names. I assume one of them is your surname.”

“Yes, Uzumaki is the surname I got from my mother,” said Naruto. 

“Interesting. Are you from a noble house?”

Most commoners in the human kingdoms did not have surnames, only a first name. At best, they distinguished themselves from others by using the names of their father, such as Tom son of John, or by using the names of the village they were born in or the name of their profession. 

“I don’t think so. I’ve been told that my father was the ruler of the village I grew up in, but he wasn’t a noble. He was chosen to rule because of how strong he was.”

“A meritocracy-based society. Intriguing. Where do you hail from?” asked Vandellor. 

At that question, a troubled look appeared on Naruto’s face, and he glanced at Liadrin in a silent request for help. 

“You can trust my father as much as you trust me,” Liadrin reassured him. 

“Ah, okay,” he said in relief. “I’m. . . kinda not from around here,” he told the old priest. 

Liadrin giggled at his wording. “That’s an understatement if I ever heard one.”

The old priest listened with rapt attention to Naruto’s tale, often asking questions and making all sorts of remarks. The boy told him what he learned from Kurama about his parents, about the day he was born, and how the Nine-Tailed Fox was sealed inside of him. He also told him about his world, about the Elemental Nations with their Hidden Villages, shinobi, chakra, and ninjutsu. 

“Fascinating. . . in a twisted, insane sort of way,” Vandellor exclaimed softly. “They were sending children as young as you on the battlefield? Unbelievable.”

Naruto didn’t quite understand the reason for the old man’s indignation. After all, for him, it was common sense for shinobi to start training at a frail age. 

“I’m not that young,” he said with a huff. “Most genins are the same age as I am. But others were much younger. For example, my teacher became a shinobi when he was 5. And then he was promoted to the next rank at 6. I heard he was a genius.”

The two elves exchanged a glance filled with pity. They understood that, due to his upbringing, Naruto did not even realise just how messed up the shinobi system of his homeworld was. 

The world of Azeroth was a world marked by conflicts and wars as well, but, among humans and elves at the very least, it was never the case for 5-12-year-old children to be sent on the battlefield to kill others.

“About the creature living inside you. Would you let me take a look at it?” High Priest Vandellor asked. He could not sense any demonic energy coming from the boy, but he wanted to check it himself directly in order to be sure of it.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders.

“Um, okay, just give me a second to tell him that you’re coming to visit him.”

⁂

A while later, Lady Liadrin and her father finished their conversation with Naruto and let him return to his studies. 

After going back to the living room, the High Priest could not contain his feelings of amazement. 

“You did tell me before, but I did not believe it until I saw it with my own eyes! An actual, real Wild God living inside the body of a human boy!”

Liadrin was just as surprised as her adoptive father but for a different reason. The first time she used the Light to inspect Naruto, his mental space looked like a sewer, and the nine-tailed beast dwelling inside him looked far more menacing and terrifying. 

This time around, Naruto’s inner world was unrecognisable. The sewer had been transformed into a replica of the Eversong Forest. She even saw Thas'alah, the Mother Tree of Eversong Forest in there. 

Upon sharing that fact with the High Priest, he smiled at her. 

“Is it not brilliant how much can a little bit of attention and care mean for a lonely soul starved for affection? It may not seem like much at first glance, but even our most insignificant deeds can build or destroy someone. That is why, as followers of the Light, it is our duty to care for the people and spread the Light’s hope and love to everyone.”

While the two priests started talking about the teachings of the Light, the door leading to the study room abruptly opened, and Naruto came out in a rush. 

“Dawnstar Village is under attack!” he shouted.

For a moment, the two elves did not know how to react. 

“It is not wise nor amusing to make that sort of jokes," the High Priest said in a serious voice. 

“I wouldn’t joke about something like that!” said Naruto. “Please believe me! One of my clones is there now. It’s my jutsu, my spell. It gives me the memories of my clones. I saw the trolls coming down from the mountains! There are hundreds of them!”

Having learned from his daughter that the boy could make clones of himself, Vandellor decided to trust his words. 

Standing up so swiftly that it looked out of place for someone his age, the High Priest said:

“Let’s go together to the Dragonhawk Master! I’ll head straight to the Dawnstar Village. On the off chance that the Farstriders have not been informed of it already, you should go to the Farstrider Enclave.”

“Yes, father.”

“As for you, Naruto-”

“My clones are there now. Boss is heading there now too,” the blond replied. 

Vandellor put his hands on Naruto’s shoulders and said gently, but firmly:

“I meant to say that you should stay out of it. You are but a child. Leave the fighting to adults.”

“No, I won’t just sit and watch! I saw what trolls do to people! They almost ate me too! I won’t let those monsters kill any other innocents!” 

Feeling that the old man would never let it rest, Naruto dispelled himself in a puff of smoke. 

“It had been a clone all along?!” Lady Liadrin and High Priest Vandellor were both startled. They had thought that they had been talking to the original. 

Putting their bewilderment aside, the two elves left the house and started running towards the outskirts of the Fairbreeze Village, where the dragonhawk stables were located. 

⁂

After his conversation with Kyuubi, Naruto stopped struggling with Elemental Manipulation and began training his chakra control. Specifically, water walking. 

It was boring, and he did not like it, so to make his task more interesting, he started playing on top of the water, doing all sorts of unusual movements instead of merely walking. That’s how he came up with the idea of trying to slide on the surface of the river as if he were on top of ice. 

Sliding instead of walking on water was surprisingly difficult but also fun. Thanks to his shadow clones, it did not take Naruto long to get the gist of the technique down. 

And that’s how he and three dozen shadow clones started sliding down the Elrendar River. 

Fortunately, the thing that Lord Verath had been worried about did not happen because Naruto and his clones did not stop at the grove of Ancients but continued sliding on top of the river, heading towards the sea. 

He had the time of his life riding the waves and seeing all the wonderful scenery of the Eversong Woods. The red and golden forest, the springpaw lions who tried chasing after him by running along the river bank, the beautiful, wild dragonhawks gliding in blue skies, the river’s crystal-clear water, and the majestic buildings of the villages he passed by made him feel as though he was in Paradise. 

Every once in a while, he would pass by small fishing boats or elves who played and swam in the river, making everyone who saw him stare at his rapidly distancing silhouette with their mouths ajar, much to his amusement. 

The elegant buildings of the Goldenmist Village with their intricately carved white walls and round, crimson-red roofs appeared on the horizon when a sudden influx of memories were transferred into Naruto’s and his shadow clones’ minds. 

All signs of amusement vanished from his face. 

Dispelling the 40 clones who were sliding on the surface of the river alongside him, Naruto rushed to the shore and then leapt into the nearest tree. He threw himself into a mad tree-jumping dash through the forest, heading towards the Goldenmist Village at the fastest speed he was capable of.

⁂

Kael’thas Sunstrider, the son of Anasterian Sunstrider. He was the Prince of Silvermoon, heir to the throne of Quel’Thalas. That alone was enough for most high elves and humans alike to bow and greet him respectfully when they saw him, but, on top of it all, Kael’thas was also one of the most accomplished mages on Azeroth: he was a member of the Council of Six who governed the magical city of Dalaran. Those six were widely considered the six strongest mages in the world. 

Dalaran was the capital of a human kingdom bearing the same name, a city with thousands of years of history. As a result of humans’ alliance with the high elves in the wars against the Amani Trolls nearly 2800 years ago, the high elves shared their knowledge of magic with the humans, teaching them how to control the Arcane. 

In the years to come, Dalaran became known as the capital of magic throughout Azeroth. Although over 2 millennia passed since the creation of the city, the humans and the high elves maintained a cordial relationship up until this day, with humans and high elves living in harmony together in the City of Dalaran. 

Kael’thas, the Prince of Quel’Thalas, also made a trip to Dalaran one day, and he grew to love the city. As years passed, the high elven prince started spending increasingly long periods of time in the magical city, only coming home once every few months for short visits. 

He loved researching and discussing magic with his fellow archmages in Dalaran, but that did not mean he stopped loving his people and his home country. 

Currently, he was on one of those visits too. He was doing a tour of Quel’Thalas, passing through the larger towns and villages, and interacting with the regular people of his kingdom. At the end of the day, before being part of Dalaran’s Council of Six, Kael’thas was, first and foremost, the prince of the high elves. 

‘Father’s age is starting to catch up to him,’ Kael’thas thought. 

The Sunwell blessed the Quel’dorei with a very long and healthy life, but even that had its limits. The high elves were not immortal, and the King of Quel’Thalas seemed like he was approaching the end of his lifespan. 

Accompanied by a group of ten Royal Guards and half a dozen attendants, Kael’thalas rode his pure-white hawkstrider on the wide and clean streets of the Goldenmist Village, waving his hand and smiling at the big crowd of high elves who had gathered to see him off. 

The crowd started thinning as he reached the dragonhawk stables at the end of the village (most of the large high elven settlements had one). Dismounting the noble creature, Kael’thas petted its long neck a few times affectionately and the large bird reciprocated his actions, rubbing its head against his face. 

His attendants grabbed the reins of the white hawkstrider and led it away before bringing him a dragonhawk. It was time for him to return to Silvermoon. He was just about to saddle up when a commotion reached his ears. 

“I’ve told you, sir, the dragonhawks are not available to the public today. Try again later, in the evening.”

The exasperated voice belonged to one of the dragonhawk handlers. 

“I don’t have any time to lose!” came the shout of a different man. It was a very clean Thalassian accent, like that spoken in Silvermoon City. “Many people are in danger as we speak! Every moment you’re making me waste, another life is lost!”

“I’ve been patient with you, but it seems you can’t be reasoned with. For the last time, go away or I’ll call the rangers!” the dragonhawk handler threatened. 

A muffled, thudding sound was heard and then a groan. Intrigued by the unusual occurrence—hardly any crimes ever happened in Quel'Thalas—the prince left the reins of the dragonhawk and went to investigate what happened.

When he arrived at the scene, his Royal Guards had already cornered the assailant and pointed their glaives at him threateningly. 

“Don’t do anything stupid, young man,” one of the guards said in a warning tone. “Calm down, go back home, and rethink your actions.”

The elves did not know it, but the young high elf man in front of them was none other than Naruto. He had Henged himself to look like a high elf, thinking that it would be much easier for him to obtain access to the dragonhawks than if he were to show up in his real appearance as a human boy. 

At that moment, Naruto suddenly received the memory of one of his shadow clones from the Dawnstar Village. The Amani Trolls had just begun their assault!

“I’m sorry. You left me no choice,” said Naruto as he formed a cross handseal. 

Kael’Thas and the 10 Royal Guards suddenly found themselves outnumbered as 20 clones of the young man appeared next to him with a plume of smoke. 

But their surprise was only temporary. Steeling their resolve, the high elves swung their glaives at the offenders. 

Naruto’s intent was not to maim or kill those Royal Guards but to distract their attention. While they were busy fighting his clones, he slipped away in the chaos and ran towards the dragonhawk that Kael’thas had been supposed to ride. 

Recognising the fact that the young man who was running towards his mount was most likely the original caster of the “Mirror Image” spell, Kael’thas quickly weaved a spell of his own and raised his right hand in the air. 

Naruto was only 2 metres away from the dragonhawk when a gust of icy wind blew, and he found himself rooted to the ground, his feet and shins encased in blocks of ice. It was a Frost Nova. 

The spell not only captured Naruto but also destroyed his Henge, and Kael’thas stared, stupefied to see that the high elf man was, in fact, a human boy with strange marks on his face. 

“A human? In Quel’Thalas? Who are you, boy? Speak!” Kael’Thalas spoke in a strong, authoritative voice. 

“I told you, I don’t have time for this!” Naruto yelled. “The Dawnstar Village is being attacked by the trolls!” He was at the end of his wits.   

“You dare raise your voice at the Prince?! How insolent!” one of the Royal Guards shouted in outrage. 

“He could even be my grandmother, like hell if I care!” Naruto shouted. “Don’t get in my way! I won’t ask nicely again!”

As he said those words, an aura of crimson chakra burst from his body, blowing apart the blocks of ice encasing his feet and making the high elves involuntarily take a step back from the sheer strength of the ‘magic’ that they could feel coming from him. 

Nevertheless, they were not just random militia who trained in a barn and were armed with pitchforks. They were Royal Guards, elite warriors trusted to protect the prince with their lives. 

Kael’thas raised his hand, making the Royal Guards who were about to lunge at the boy stop in their tracks. 

“Dawnstar Village is under attack by the trolls? How would you know that, boy? It’s all the way to the other side of the kingdom. Do not lie to me if you treasure your life.” 

“Listen to him, Naruto. I sense a very large amount of spiritual energy coming from him. He must be a very powerful mage. It could be dangerous for you to fight him.”

Thanks to Kyuubi’s advice, Naruto didn’t start a fight and attempted to talk to them again. 

“My clones, you elves call them Mirror Images, are a special type of spell. I can see everything my clones see. I have a clone in Dawnstar Village. Please listen to me. Lady Liadrin, Farstrider Lieutenant Lor'themar Theron, and Magister Dar’khan Drathir can vouch for me! I helped them escape from the trolls not long ago. The High Priest Vandellor knows me too!” he spoke quickly and gave out all the names that he thought would give him more credibility.

The high elf prince studied the human boy with his sharp gaze for five long seconds, seemingly weighing in his mind whether he was telling the truth or not. 

‘Why would he have a clone on the other side of the country?’ Kael’thas wondered. ‘Is he a human spy? But humans are our allies; there are no hostilities between us. . . He also looks so young! How is he capable of casting such spells?’

All sorts of questions and suspicions rose in his mind, but, for now, receiving an answer to them could wait. 

“Everyone, saddle up. We’re flying to Dawnstar Village now.”

Both Naruto and the Royal Guards were surprised to hear his decision. 

“You believe me?”

“If my people are in danger, it is my duty to come to their aid,” said Kael’thas. “But if you are lying to me, boy, may the Light have mercy on you. Child or not, your punishment will not be soft.”

“You won’t regret it. I promise,” Naruto said, the tone of his voice betraying his relief.

 

⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂

 AN: I have posted some pics that will help you visualize various things in the chapter better.

1. Dawnstar Spire (2 pics)

2. Windrunner Spire (the ruined version is the only one we have - 3 pics)

3. I have also added the Map of Quel'Thalas once again so that you can check the locations mentioned in the chapter more easily.

4. Royal Guard and their glaive weapons (2 pics)