Warcraft 1. Welcome to the Machine

A deep sigh could be heard throughout the entire blockade, various gazes on him as he mounted the skeletal steed without hesitation, the weeks spent alongside the undead, helping in their war effort against the shape shifters took away any feeling of discomfort or hesitation as he got used to their presence. As he settled himself in the steed's saddle trying to find the right spot, he started to reminisce about the various weeks he spent in that damned forest.

It was an honest surprise to him once he got the missive to head on towards the glades, but who was he to know about strategy, he thought to himself back then. Very soon upon his arrival he was reassigned towards the forest, working his way up the ranks of an entirely different sub-faction's army, and surprisingly becoming its top agent in their war effort against the shape shifters. Comrades were lost too fast and easily in the forest as battles were won and lost, lines were constantly erased and redrawn, supplies lost and regained.

An entire conflict simply for one stretch of forest, one defending their holdings whilst another fought tooth and claw to regain their lost land. As much as he sympathized with the shape shifters in wanting their land back, he utterly supported the undead as he and his people knew what was to be ostracized, and ruthlessly enslaved by others.

He remembered their victory very clearly, their bitter victory against the shape shifters and the circumstances that went through with their victory. He was infuriated just the same as the Banshee Queen and High Lord, and was still saddened by the loss of his comrade-in-arms whose willing sacrifice led to the Banshee Queen's resurrection.

"Stand tall and proud, Rulo. Don't let any of these scrubs give you any trouble. Show them who's boss!" came the voice of the High Executor standing on the other side of the small open tent, Darthalia was her name, and in charge of the entire Southpoint Blockade. He smiled and nodded in her direction before she continued, slightly thankful for her interruption as he focused on the task at hand.

His own personal musings and grieving would have to take a backseat until the appropriate time to do so, beforehand and in duty was a costly mistake. All soldiers knew this, and that's why he was again thankful for Darthalia consideration, having spent a bit of time talking with the High Executor before he was handed the task at hand.

"I see one coming now!" she whispered to him as a male forsaken dressed only in blue overalls ran into the blockade, his dark blue marine boots stepping haphazardly over the cobbled road. "Looks like a real winner. Keep it cool, Rulo. Keep it cool," she whispered, he couldn't help but stare incredulously at her as she righted herself, seemingly standing in place and acting the part of her rank.

"Hi! Hi! Help!" yelled the voice of the blue overall wearing forsaken, running to and fro different forsaken, repeating it a few times before the forsaken approached him. "Hi! I'm new! Big white creature with wings made me alive! I serve the Banshee Queen! Yay! Hi! Help!" the forsaken said without stopping as he blinked and stared.

A few seconds of staring passed before he cursed under his breath, "Go take a nap or sometin', mon. Know notin of work fo ya," he said as the forsaken smiled, a wide smile that he knew would haunt his dreams. "Okay! Thanks! I'll just wait here with you! Ok! Thanks!" said the forsaken as he widened his eyes, he cursed under his breath as he dove a hand into his satchel, his fingers roaming for a mission report to send the disturbing forsaken away.

"Wait a secon', mon. Sometin' just came up for ya," he said as he took out a report, snapping it open with a flick of his wrist before he eyed its contents. "Ya, on dis sheet of paper. Need to head southeast towards Azurelode Mine and report to Captain Keyton. Southeast be dat way," he said as he pointed in the direction of southeast, hoping the forsaken would accept it and get out of his hair.

"North! Got it! Thanks! Bye! Thanks!" yelled the forsaken as he ran down the cobbled road into Hillsbrad Foothills, past the blockade and upwards a small incline, disappearing from the troll's view, hopefully forever. He sighed before turning his gaze on the High Executor, who shuffled her feet slowly and coughed under his harsh glare.

"These new forsaken tend to be a little…um…stupid," she said meekly as the troll snorted, "No shit, mon," he said sarcastically before Darthalia glared at him, "It usually takes them a while to acclimate," she stated before turning her gaze towards the cobbled road, loud flapping of wings could be heard getting closer to the blockade.

He heard the female forsaken sigh in annoyance before muttering something under her breath, her gaze towards him, "I know this orc. He's got no business being here, but since he's a bottom-feeding pansy he likes to hang around here and prey on the helpless. Don't let him bully you," she said before shaking her head and righting herself once more.

"CAN YOU SMELL WHAT THE LOK'TAR IS COOKIN'?"

Damn it by the spirits.


	2. Trouble at the Sludge Fields

"You hafta be fuckin' kidding me, mon."

Were the words spoken by the troll as he stared at the conquered and much in disarray village of Hillsbrad, now eloquently renamed to 'The Sludge Fields'. One of the forsaken in front of him coughed, all of them brandishing a mechanical wand that was attached to two backpack-sized tanks on their backs. The packs were apparently the farm guard's weapon of choice to maintain the monstrosities inside, where various piles and individual corpses were strewn inside the barricaded entrance of the farm.

"It's not much of a choice since the other entrance had to be barricaded after the monstrosities wised up. So if you're going to be entering the Sludge fields, it has to be through here," said a forsaken bluntly as he glared momentarily at the troll, a sneer on his rotting face before he turned his gaze towards the heavily barricaded entrance.

"Your choice, we're here to do everything within our power to keep those monstrosities in. Not pamper to outsider trolls," said the forsaken, his gaze and glare still aimed on the barricades. He was tempted to flat out deck the forsaken into blissful unconsciousness, but he controlled himself as any respectable troll would.

He shrugged, "Watever, mon," he said before going through the semi-circle of pack wearing forsaken, slamming his shoulder into the forsaken who called him an outsider as he did. Never let it be said that he was an outsider in the forsaken's army after all his deeds and accomplishments in the Silverpine Forest-Gilneas Campaign, and never let it be said that trolls cannot gain their payback regardless of how miniscule it may be.

The troll let out a whistle as he approached the barricades, seeing firsthand how effective it was in its job, before he noticed a very narrow path through the barricade seemingly devoid of any corpses. He narrowed his eyes, taking out his pair of twin maces from their slings tied around his leather belt, and with a soft spoken prayer to his people's Loa's and the elements for safety he stepped onto the path.

It was hard to traverse through the path Rulo noted, as with every twist he had to dodge multiple spikes and implements of death that haphazardly jutted out from the barricades. They were most likely thrown upon the barricades to slow the monstrosities down should they enter the narrow path, which still was clear of any corpses as he continued on his way.

He froze in place as he heard a shrill scream; a human scream, coming from inside the farm. Seconds passed as he continued to hear the human scream, alongside the disturbing sounds of a creature munching on something. His ears perked upon hearing a different set of sounds, one indicative of heavy clomps on cobbled stone, and immediately crouched down in the narrow path as several monstrosities of disturbing visage climbed the barricades and passed over his head. The second they passed he got up and moved quickly, for the troll thought that the gas was probably lethal to him and had a capable range of effectiveness, where he most likely was still inside of.

He let no sigh of relief or breathed in fresh air upon entering the conquered and turned town of Hillsbrad Foothills, his eyes drinking in the madness and depravity of The Sludge Fields as he gaped openly at the sight.

"May da elements grant me powah to end dis madness." 


	3. A Blight Upon The Land

"I will deliver this head to the Banshee Queen personally. Of course I will make mention of your part in all of this, Rulo," said the forsaken as he held the head of the now dead Warden Stillwater, glaring at it with intense disgust. Said troll was crouched down, balancing himself on the balls of his feet as he gazed on the warden's mutated corpse.

"As for your reward - take from Stillwater's cache whatever you desire. You earned it," the forsaken spoke before gesturing to the small cache that two forsaken Sludge Guards loyal to the Apothecary brought, gently placing it on the cobbled street next to the forsaken's feet.

The troll only covered his face with a three fingered hand, gently shaking his head, "Such monstrosity," he whispered. The blue skinned troll felt a lithe hand on his shoulders, "I know," whispered the dainty voice of the only elf inside the Sludge Fields, Johnny Awesome.

Both troll and elf gazed at the corpse before the troll stood up, breaking his gaze away from Stillwater's headless body. "Wat's to stop anyone else from tryin' dis again?" he asked the apothecary, who only sighed and turned his gaze towards the troll.

"You truly want me to answer that?"

Silence was the only answer the forsaken received before he nodded, "I expected as much, and to answer your next question," said Lydon before sighing once more, "We can only hope that the punishments for breaking the Royal Apothecary Society's strict rules and guidelines within our Queen's directives will suffice."

At this, the forsaken raised a hand stopping the troll's unvoiced counter, "Yes, I know that did not stop Stillwater from committing his atrocities. Hence why I will make sure to advise our Queen to make use of this as an example. Much alike Putress' was made an example but Stillwater will be aimed at those who willingly experiment on fellow forsaken without remorse."

Rulo lowered his hand before slowly nodding at Lydon, "Fine, mon. Just do ya best in makin' sure sometin' like dis neva happens again," the troll said as he grabbed a blue cloak lined with silver thread, his other hand grabbing an intricately made dagger.

The forsaken nodded, "Of course."

The troll turned to Johnny, the elf's gaze still on the dead warden, fists tightened. "Jonny," Rulo called to the elf, making him break his gaze from the rapidly decomposing body and look at the troll, "Come here, mon."

Johnny looked back at the corpse before tearing his gaze away and slowly walking towards the troll, "What is it, Rulo?" asked the elf. The troll simply nodded before handing Johnny the dagger, "It be yours."

"But it's yo-" the elf managed to say but was silenced by the troll.

"Nah, mon, It be as much mine as it be yours," Rulo stated. "Ya be a true blooded warrior now, Jonny. Much as it pains you to have lost 'Twinkles', her loss did teach ya a much needed lesson in life. Harsh lesson it may be, but everyone goes through it, mon," the troll said softly, noticing the elf's tightening fist.

"If ya evah need mah help, mon. Just send a lettah to the Darkspear Isles in Durotar, they'll send it to wherevah I be stationed next," he said before grasping the elf's still outstretched hand by his forearm. "Stay true to ya self, elfie."

The elf sighed before nodding, "Take care of yourself, shaman," the elf said as Rulo pulled away, buckling the blue cloak around his neck before waving at the elf and forsaken, the troll's form disappearing as he turned right at the three-way junction within the Sludge fields.

"That troll... He's going to go towards very high places," muttered Lydon as his gaze lingered on the three-way junction before turning towards Johnny, "Come Jenny, we have a lot of work to do," he said before walking towards the inn, a wide grin on his face as he heard the elf's loud protests.


End file.
