grumpywolf

[Orcbane] Chapter 4 - Pact

Added 2024-10-03 05:44:35 +0000 UTC

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Chapter 4 - Pact

A 12-year-old boy with blonde hair and three peculiar pairs of birthmarks on his cheeks sat at a wide oak desk, studying. It was Naruto. Next to him, a pale-skinned woman with medium-length brown hair stood and watched over him. Her long ears and inhuman beauty spoke of her heritage; she was a high elf. She was none other than Lady Liadrin.

“Well done, Naruto. Your rate of improvement is nothing short of astounding!” she said in amazement and ruffled his spiky hair.

The boy grinned happily at her praise.

“I’ll keep doing my best!” he said eagerly. He never got tired of hearing the pretty lady acknowledge his efforts.

Only two months had passed since Naruto rescued the high elves captured by the Amani trolls, but he was already fluent in Thalassian. The high elves’ language wasn’t an easy one, and it wasn’t like he was a genius either, considering that he had been held back at the Academy for 2 years in a row.

The reason for his extremely fast learning (and Liadrin’s surprise) was that he had accidentally discovered the secret of his Shadow Clone Technique during his daring attack on the troll village.

‘Boss is going to be so jealous when he gets my memories!’ he thought gloatingly.

The Naruto who was currently studying with Lady Liadrin was a shadow clone. The real Naruto had left a clone to continue studying while he and the other clones were out training. Clone-Naruto had been pretty bummed out at his situation—being stuck inside, studying grammar, and reading poems—but after Liadrin praised him and patted his head, his bad mood had all but washed away. In the end, that’s what the poor boy had always craved: acknowledgement, encouragement. . . for someone to show that they cared about him.

Alas, Lady Liadrin was an important and busy woman; she could not stay at this side all day long. As a priestess of the Light, she had a duty to support the Farstriders and not only. Even when she was off work, she was not entirely free. Over the past two months, he had seen many people coming to her home, seeking her aid, and it was not always for the sake of having their injuries healed. Sometimes, they merely came to hear a word of encouragement or a piece of advice.

When the doorbell rang and Liadrin left the study room to greet her guest, Naruto figured that it must be one of those cases where someone came to seek her help again, so he did not pay it any mind and continued reading the grammar textbook.

⁂

With white hair so long that it nearly swept the floor, a sharp and well-trimmed goatee, and wearing an ornate white and red runecloth robe, Lidarin’s guest that day was far from ordinary. It was a very old and wise-looking high elf.

“High Priest Vandellor. Welcome to my humble abode.”

“Even after all these years, you’re still teasing this old man.”

The two glanced at one another silently for a few seconds before bursting into laughter.

“Come here,” the old elf said through chuckles and spread his arms.

Liadrin embraced him. High Priest Vandellor was not just Lady Liadrin’s superior and one of the most important people in Quel’Thalas; he was also her adoptive father. After her parents were killed during the Troll Wars, Vandellor adopted her and raised her as if she were his flesh and blood.

Leading him to a comfortable sofa in an elegant living room, Liadrin served him a cup of nectar and took a seat on the smaller couch next to his. Separated only by a small, round coffee table, the two began to chat. Eventually, the subject of their conversation changed to Naruto.

“Word has spread about the human boy that you’ve taken in two months ago.”

“Is there a problem with that?” asked Liadrin.

Unbeknownst to the two of them, another one of Naruto’s shadow clones was present in the living room as well, Henged to look like a tiny ant in the pot of a flower on the window sill.

It was not something that Naruto had done on his own but something that Kyuubi had asked him to do. Now that the two of them were all alone in a dangerous, new world, the bijuu wanted to learn as much as possible about their surroundings. He wanted them to have eyes and ears everywhere for the sake of increasing their survival chances.

“I am certain you are not unaware of how many high elves tend to look down on humans.”

Liadrin put her cup on the coffee table with a bit more strength than it was polite.

“Naruto saved my life! Not just my life; he also saved the lives of Gallel, Lor’themar, and Dar’khan! And it is also thanks to our returning alive that the Farstriders have learned about the plans of the Amani!”

The high priest smiled.

“I am not denying that. Nobody had actually said anything against the boy either, so you can stop worrying.”

He let out a sigh before continuing:

“It is my personal worry. You are well over 2500 years old -”

At that moment, the clone who was disguised as an ant in the flowerpot had almost choked on his spit from surprise, only a step away from dispelling itself by mistake. 2500 years?!

Even Kyuubi, inside the seal, was speechless: that dainty and frail-looking woman was more than twice as old as he was?!

Lady Lidarin let out a suffering groan. “Not this again . . .”

“- And you’re already not keen on going out and meeting other people. But now that you have taken in a human boy too, your dating opportunities have decreased even further.”

“If romance were to bloom in my life, I would not shun it. But I am not going out of my way for the sake of making it happen. The Light is all I need, Father,” said Liadrin.

“Ah, my days! So stubborn! You truly are your mother’s daughter,” the old priest bemoaned.

Liadrin only smiled at his antics.

“But truly, not a day passes without thanking the Light that you are safe! To think that I had almost lost you. . .” said the old elf. “May I see the child? I wish to speak to him. I want to thank the saviour of my daughter in person.”

⁂

Around the same time, a few kilometres away from Liadrin’s home, three people could be seen riding atop their steeds.

A dashing, elegant, middle-aged man was riding atop a beautiful white unicorn with a black mane and tail. Seated in front of him was a very young girl, no older than 5. Her short white hair and bright blue eyes bore a striking resemblance to those of the man behind her; clearly, they were daughter and father.

Trotting slowly at the side of the unicorn was a very large bird. Its strong, taloned legs and impressive size would make one think of an ostrich, but its vibrant purple and red plumage distinguished it from the aforementioned bird: it was a hawkstrider. Fiercely loyal to their masters and famed for their grace and agility, hawkstriders were the most beloved and frequently seen mounts in the Kingdom of Quel’Thalas.

Riding atop the red and purple hawkstrider was a girl in her mid-teens. Long, platinum-blonde hair billowing softly in the wind, a soft face, a small nose, and a pair of vivid blue eyes, her beauty would stand out even when compared to other high elves. But, at that moment, that pure beauty was partially shadowed by the expression on her face. She was biting her lower lip, and her eyes were wet; she was barely holding back her tears.

“What mother did wasn’t fair. She should’ve told Alleria that her target wasn’t going to be a regular springpaw. She did not even send anyone to watch over her back! And then she also got angry at me for saving my sister’s life!”

Her father nodded.

“You are not wrong. However, do you know why your mother is so tough on your elder sister?”

“. . .I don’t know,” the girl muttered.

“Your mother is the Ranger-General of Quel’Thalas. Other than the monarchy itself, the position of Ranger-General is the only hereditary position. For thousands of years, the Ranger-General always passed their title to their firstborn.”

“I know this already,” the girl said with a huff.

“You do, but you’re not using it to understand the context,” he admonished her gently. “Think of it; what if your mother just let Alleria be and handed her position to her on a platter? What would the other Farstriders say?”

Realisation dawning on her, the girl said in a quiet voice: “They would say Alleria doesn’t deserve it. They would talk behind her back and lose respect for her.”

“Precisely. That’s why your mother has to be tough on her, tougher than she is on you, Sylvanas, or any other of her subordinates; because Alleria can’t just be good. She needs to be the best.”

Other than the King himself, the Ranger-General held the highest authority in the entire kingdom. The Ranger-General was the head of the military, the leader of the Farstriders. It was a position of honour and responsibility that could not be taken lightly.

Verath continued explaining to his daughter the intricacies of what had transpired.

To make a long story short, the Farstriders had all been gathered by Lireesa Windrunner, the Ranger-General, to witness Alleria’s trial.

Alleria, the eldest of the three Windrunner sisters, was tasked with tracking down and hunting a dangerous springpaw nicknamed “the Mauler”. It was a mountain lion of immense size, far beyond the average of its species. Not only was it unusually powerful, but it was also smarter and more cunning than one would expect from a mere mountain lion. More importantly, it was a beast who had gotten a taste of elven flesh; it was a beast that had to be killed as soon as possible.

The eldest Windrunner daughter’s mission was to hunt down this fierce springpaw using only 1 arrow. After that, she was to skin its pelt and present it to the Ranger-General, her mother, as evidence of completing her task. The pelt was supposed to be free of any marks, to serve as proof that she had not used any other means of killing it except for that one arrow.

Suffice to say, things went wrong. As time passed and Alleria had yet to return, Sylvanas grew restless. While the Farstriders were having fun and socializing at their gathering, Sylvanas became sick with worry. She could not bear the thought that her sister was risking her life in the forest, all by herself, while everyone else was drinking and eating.

Grabbing her bow and a quiver of arrows, Sylvanas snuck out of the Windrunner Spire and headed towards the forest in a rush. It did not take long for her to track down her sister; she found Alleria just as she was about to be killed by the Mauler. Instinct taking over, and not thinking about the consequences of her deeds, Sylvanas notched an arrow in her bow and let it loose.

Her arrow flew true and nailed the immense beast straight in the eye, piercing its brain and even protruding through the back of its skull. It was a perfect, one-hit kill.

“The test was never about succeeding or not. Even if Alleria failed to kill the beast in one shot, your mother wanted to see how she would react. It was meant as a test not only for her skills but also for her character. But when you stole her kill, you didn't only ruin her test, but you also humiliated Alleria in front of the people whose leader she is supposed to become.”

“Why did mother not tell me any of that?”

“I agree that she should have told you the importance of the test. You are, after all, not a child anymore but a young woman. You would have understood, wouldn’t you?”

“I would. . . but I don’t regret what I did,” Sylvanas said, meeting her father’s eye boldly. “I still think it was wrong to send Alleria on such a dangerous test unsupervised. You weren’t there, father. Springpaws can climb trees, and Alleria wasn’t high enough to escape in time. I know I did the right thing!”

Throughout their conversation, the youngest of the three remained silent, only playing with the reins of the unicorn she was riding.

Verath smiled at Vereesa before turning his attention back to Sylvanas.

“You acted out of love and with courage. I know that. The rest of the Farstriders know it too, and so does Lireesa. But you know how your mother is: she’s always quick to anger; she has a quick fuse. But she’s just as quick to forget and forgive. Give it a bit of time, and I’m sure she will forgive you.”

Hearing her father’s words, Sylvanas felt as if a weight was lifted off her chest.

During their conversation, the three of them had long since left the Windrunner Village behind them, rode past the Sanctum of the Moon, and even traversed the wide boulevard of the Tranquillien Town.

A few minutes after exiting Tranquillien, Sylvanas revealed a wistful expression when the Fairbreeze Mountains appeared in their line of sight:

“I wish you hadn’t told mother that we were going to Silvermoon. I would have liked to go exploring. The mountains near Fairbreeze Village always have the most beautiful places.”

Ever the tactful diplomat, in order to give Lireesa some space to cool off her anger, Verath took Vereesa and Sylvanas on a trip to Silvermoon.

“She doesn’t need yet another worry on her mind now,” Verath said with a smile.

Sylvanas pouted.

“Can’t we at least stop by at our favourite place?”

Unlike other girls her age, Sylvanas did not like Silvermoon. It was too. . . bright. Too gaudy, filled with gold, crimson, and luxurious statues everywhere. She was a countryside girl. She loved the calm and quiet of the forest.

Whereas other teen girls dreamed about mageweave gowns and brilliant balls, Sylvanas’ dream was to become a Farstrider. Raised to respect the strength, bravery, and self-sacrificing spirit of the Farstriders, she wished to be a ranger, just like her mother and elder sister.

Verath hesitated.

“Yes, let’s go, father! Let’s go!”

With both his daughters turning their soulful gazes to him like that, Verath raised the white flag.

“Alright, you win.”

“Yay!” the two girls cheered.

“Can we stay until the fireflies come out?” Sylvanas pleaded.

“Not today, darling. I promised your mother we’d go to Silvermoon. I intend to keep my word.”

Sylvanas and Vereesa were both disappointed, but they were happy nonetheless.

Making a left turn, Verath and Sylvanas led their steeds off the beaten path, through the gold and red Eversong Forest.

Half an hour later, the three of them reached their destination. It was not far from the Runestone Falithas, just a bit to the south. But they did not set foot into the ancient grove of sapient trees. They stopped on the grassy shore of the Elrendar River.

Their “favourite spot” would not appear to be anything special in the eyes of a stranger, but, for the Windrunner family, it was a place that held many dear memories.

That was the place where Verath and Lireesa had met for the first time. It was also a place that the family visited regularly, spending long, beautiful days having fun by the river.

Taking off her sandals and rolling up the sleeves of her leather trousers, Sylvanas shivered and laughed as she stepped into the cold, crystal-clear water of the river. She splashed water at her father, who was lying down on the ground, making him roll away in a manner greatly contrasting with his elegant and classy appearance. Not one to be left behind, little Vereesa also joined in on the fun. But she was so tiny that Verath couldn’t just let her be, afraid that she would get dragged away by the current. So he walked into the river too, eliciting cries from both girls who knew they could not beat their father in a water fight even if they teamed up against him.

⁂

While his Shadow Clone was studying at home, the real Naruto was somewhere deep in the mountains behind Fairbreeze Village, training.

After his encounter with the high elves two months ago, Dar’khan, the mage, had teleported them all to Quel’Thalas. For the first few days, Naruto randomly pinched himself all over to make sure that he was not dreaming.

As far as his eye could see, he was surrounded by a forest of trees with red, orange, and golden leaves. The weather was pleasantly warm, never too hot, never too cold, and even rain fell at a precise time every two days as if someone had control over it.

And not only that; he had met over a hundred people until then (he learned that they were called high elves), but he had yet to see even one unattractive person. Someone like Sakura whom he used to crush on would not even be considered average among them. They were all ridiculously beautiful.

But, above all that, the warmth and care that Lady Liadrin was showing him every day often left him at a loss for words.

Every time he woke up in the morning, he was secretly expecting Liadrin to come to him and tell him that it was time for him to be on his way. But that moment never came. If anything, Liadrin’s attitude only grew warmer, her behaviour more caring. It was. . . almost like having a mother.

‘Do I really want to go back?’

Two months after meeting Lady Liadrin, Naruto was still asking himself that question.

‘The Chunin Exams ended a long time ago anyway. And Liadrin-san told me that she doesn’t know of any way she could send me back to my world. . .’

As a man of his word, Naruto had wanted to find a way back to Konoha. He had wanted to get back in time to keep the promise he had made: that he would beat the crap out of Hyuuga Neji and meet Sasuke in the finals.

Therefore, in his naivety, he did not hide from Liadrin the fact that he was from another world. He told her the truth from the start and asked for her help.

However, neither the priestess nor the mage had ever heard about the Elemental Nations or any of the places and names that Naruto told him from his homeworld. They did not know what a shinobi was, or chakra, or a Kage, or a Daimyo. They were all foreign terms to them, and Kyuubi had revealed to him the fact that they were not lying; the bijuu would have picked up any lies with his Negative Emotions Sensing.

In the present, Naruto lightly slapped his cheeks to banish his distracting thoughts and went back to his training: trying to slice a leaf in two only using his chakra.

‘Hey, Kurama, isn’t there a faster way? I have 30 other clones doing the same training, but I’m not seeing any progress.’

“Elemental Manipulation isn’t something you learn in just two months, kid,” said Kyuubi. “At the rate you’re progressing, it might take you half a year or longer.”

The boy groaned out loud. ‘Oh, maaan!’

“Your chakra control is a mess too. It was never your forte, but it got even worse after that Orochimaru messed up with the seal.”

‘But chakra control training is sooo boring!’ he whined. ‘I want to cast powerful jutsu, not walk on water again.’

Kyuubi’s sigh was all the answer Naruto needed to understand the fox’s feelings.

“Now listen here-”

‘Alright, alright, stop nagging me!’

But the fox wouldn’t let him off easily this time around. He pulled Naruto’s consciousness into his mindscape.

Naruto blinked owlishly as he looked around himself, not recognising the place.

“O-Oy, Kurama. . . where is this place?”

Sure, the massive gates holding the immense bijuu captive were still there. But everything else was unrecognizable.

“It’s in your consciousness,” said Kurama.

Naruto almost twisted his neck while gawking to his left and right as if he couldn’t believe his eyes.

Instead of a concrete floor flooded by water, there was an emerald grassy ground.

The thick and long sewer pipes were replaced by tall and majestic trees with red and golden leaves, brimming with life.

The cold and the darkness were gone; it looked and felt like a cool breeze blowing on a warm, late spring day.

“. . . Why does it look like this?” Naruto asked when he finally found his voice.

He had not been inside his mindscape ever since he was nearly eaten alive by the trolls.

“Your mental state is reflected in your consciousness,” said Kurama, not standing up from his place. The bijuu was sitting curled up in the shade of an enormous tree, one that was even bigger than himself.

That tree looked vaguely familiar to Naruto. Taking a better look, he realised that it was no different from the immense tree that he had seen outside on the day he arrived in Quel’Thalas. It was Thas'alah. Translated as “the Light of the Forest”, it was the high elves’ Sacred Tree, a lifeform towering over the ancient Eversong Forest.

Naruto remained silent for a while as the fox’s words sank in. He could guess what caused all the changes in his consciousness.

Eventually, Kyuubi spoke:

“We don’t know when or if we’ll ever go back to our homeworld. Even if we do manage to go back, it could be years or even decades before we find a method.”

“Decades?!” said Naruto in wonder. He was only 12 years old.

“We have no way of knowing, do we? So you need to make up your mind. You can’t live in limbo, doing nothing, and just waiting for a solution to drop out of the sky."

“What’s a limbo?”

Kyuubi growled in annoyance. “For a moment there, I had forgotten how stupid you are.”

“Why are you calling me stupid for, you stupid ugly fox?!” Naruto shouted back at him.

“Listen up, moron. And no, don’t argue! You know you’re an idiot! Only an idiot would send himself into another world with a damn Summoning Jutsu!”

Naruto had the decency to drop the confrontational stance when Kyuubi mentioned that and became quiet.

“I know you want to go back. But what if you can’t? What if there really is no way to go back? What then?”

The blond had no answer to that. He had never thought about that possibility.

“So. . . so what?! You want me to give up now? I’m Uzumaki Naruto! I never g-”

“Yeah, yeah, you never give up, yada-yada! Spare me that pep talk. It’s time for you to look at your situation and be realistic. Sure, you can continue searching for a way back home. I never said you should give up. But simultaneously, you should also work towards making a life for yourself here for the off chance that you may never be able to leave.”

Naruto clenched his fists at the way Kurama was mocking him, but as he remained quiet and continued listening, his anger slowly trickled away. Just because he was often loud and impatient, it did not mean he was as brainless as the rest of Konoha thought he was. He could see the truth in the bijuu’s words.

Pleased with the fact that he could sense the rebellious feelings in Naruto recede, Kyuubi continued:

“Remember, my survival is tied to yours, Naruto. If we were back in Konoha, I wouldn’t care all that much if you died because I would reform after your death. I was part of the world, part of nature. But this is a different world. If you die, who knows what will happen to me? I don’t want to die. I want to live and, to that end, you need to become as strong as you can be! Make as many allies as you can! Become untouchable! Become powerful so that you will survive anything this hostile world may throw at you.”

Although he felt his fighting spirit rise, Naruto tried to stay calm as he asked:

“You helped me a lot since we came to this world despite that I was the one who messed up everything. . . is it all truly just because you want us to survive?”

Kyuubi looked as if he wanted to say something but was unsure whether to go through with it or not.

“. . .Make a pact with me, Naruto.”

“What kind of pact?” the boy asked suspiciously.

“I will help you to the best of my ability. I will make you the strongest. I will share with you all my power and my wisdom. . . if you do one thing for me.”

Kyuubi’s red, slit eye bore into Naruto’s as he spoke:

“You are human. You are mortal. When you grow old and reach the limit of your lifespan, I want you to set me free. Don’t take me into the grave with you. Let me live.”

Something in the bijuu’s voice tugged at Naruto’s heartstrings, and he couldn’t help blurting out:

“I would have done that anyway! I'd never let you die with me for no reason after how much you helped me!”

Kyuubi was taken aback by his words, all the more so because his Negative Emotions Sensing did not detect any lies. For the first time since his father and creator passed away, the fox felt an emotion different from hatred or contempt for a human.

Still not breaking eye contact, Kyuubi spoke in a voice deeper than usual:

“Swear it.”

“I swear. I promise,” Naruto said immediately.

“No, not like that. Bite your thumb until you draw blood and press it on the paper covering the seal on the gates.”

“...You aren’t trying to trick me now, are you?” said Naruto. “Just like you don’t want to die, I also don’t want to die. I’ll die if you come out now.”

“Whether you trust me or not, it’s up to you. Whether we become friends and partners or stay as enemies, it’s entirely up to you,” said Kyuubi. “Will you take this leap of faith? Will you trust me?”

Naruto hesitated for 10 very long seconds.

“Damn it. You better not be tricking me, Kurama, or I’ll come back from the dead like a ghost and haunt you for eternity, you hear me? I’ll never let you catch a wink of sleep for as long as you live!” he threatened.

Before the fox could reply, he bit his thumb and ran to the seal. A root grew from the grassy ground under his feet and raised Naruto in the air all the way up to the seal.

He pressed his bloodied thumb on the paper covering the real seal and swore:

“I promise that when it’s my time to pass on, I will let Kurama free.”

A sensation like an arc of electricity travelled through his chakra system, and Naruto felt a pang of pain in the middle of his chest. It was a fleeting sensation, but he knew deep in his heart that he would never be able to break the promise that he had just made.

For the first time since they started talking to each other, Naruto saw the fox break into a smile.

“Thank you, Naruto.”

Embarrassed by Kurama unexpectedly expressing his gratitude, Naruto rubbed the back of his head bashfully.

“You’re welcome. We are friends now, right?”

Kyuubi made a small pause before replying:

“Mhm. From now on, we’re partners.”

As he said that, the fox walked to the enormous gate and raised his fist in front of the bars. Understanding the gesture, Naruto also got closer and bumped Kurama’s fist with his.

The two grinned at each other for a few seconds before Kurama rudely broke that heartfelt moment:

“Now go back to the outside world and start working on your chakra control.”

“Aww, man, come onnnn!”

⁂

After nearly an hour of frolicking in the cool river water, Verath and his two daughters were soaked to the bone.

“Ah, your mother would be fuming if she were to see us in our current state. Come, it’s time to go.”

Sylvanas and Vereesa giggled at the mental image of their father getting scolded by their mother.

The three elves came out of the river, and Verath made a few handsigns and spoke an incantation before a pale red light came out of his hands.

Kneeling in front of his youngest daughter, a warm breeze started coming out of his hands, drying Vereesa’s wet clothes and hair, and making her giggle at the pleasant sensation.

Verath was not a mage, not like Dar’khan or other magisters, but he was still a high elf. Constantly bathing in the arcane blessing of the Sunwell, the Quel’dorei manipulated mana as easily as other creatures breathed.

Verath went to the elder daughter to do the same for her as well, but while he was drying Vereesa, Sylvanas had already dried her own clothes by herself with a spell.

Suddenly, the pleasant tranquillity of the forest was shattered as a chorus of shouts and cheers echoed from the river. The three high elves turned their heads just in time to see a group of what had to be at least 40 perfectly identical human children sliding down the river on top of the water at a ridiculous speed.

That scene was so bizarre that Sylvanas and Verath looked at each other with their mouths ajar.

A human child in Quel Thalas? And not just one, but over 40 of them? And they were all identical?? And, by the Sunwell, how in the world were they sliding on top of the water?!

“Daddy! Daddy! What was that?!” little Vereesa’s shout of amazement brought her sister and her father back to their senses.

Verath, in particular, appeared even more troubled than before because, if that group of human children were not the manifestation of some sort of illusion spell, if they were real, they were going to be in big trouble, for they were headed straight towards the Ancient Grove of sapient trees.

All those worries, however, vanished from Verath’s mind because, merely a few seconds after the disappearance of the group of identical children, the caws of a dragonhawk came from the sky above him.

Sylvanas and Vereesa craned their necks up to look at the source of the noise too. Two beasts that looked like gigantic, red butterflies with the heads of a hawk stirred powerful winds as they landed on the riverbank.

“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!”

⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂

AN: I have attached some pics for you this time as well.