Chapter 7
The Earth Province
"Beautiful..." Lorkosh look in a breath of the fresh air and smiled as he looked upon the rolling plains.
Truly, Nagrand was the most beautiful place on Draenor. Practically untouched when the planet was torn apart, it thrived with wildlife. Majestic beasts roamed here and there, living in harmony with the spirit of Earth. The grass, a vibrant emerald colour, stretched on for miles as far as the eye could see. There was no other place like it. Draknir too had been admiring the view, standing atop a hill with his mentor at his side and Mogdrog at the other. This wasn't the first time the boy had seen Nagrand, but when you live in Durotar and see nothing but a dry wasteland, Nagrand seemed like a dream.
They had taken rest in Garadar, the Mag'har Orc's familiarity with Draknir had granted them a warm welcome. Mogdrog was left to play with the orphans whilst Lorkosh and Draknir headed far away from the village and sat down next to a tree.
"Draknir, it is tradition for all mentors to see if their pupils are strong enough to go through training before anything. I've seen what you can do, but there is more." A small, glass vial was presented.
"Whilst they are unconscious and beaten, they are given this concoction and... well, this is where they have to figure it out for themselves."
"And without this, that potion in your hand won't work?"
Lorkosh shook his head.
"No. The imbiber has to be severely weakened and unconscious. You will be subject to the power of the elements. You cannot dodge, block, or otherwise prevent the pain.""
The younger Orc let out a deep sigh and began dismantling his armour.
"So be it..." He muttered.
Torture at Gar'muil was bad enough, now he had to suffer it at the hand of his mentor. Still, he could not contest the Transcendent's traditions, and if he were to be broken once more then he would do it whilst remembering it was but another step to take. Earth was first. Draknir had not yet seen their abilities, and now he was about to get a front row seat.
Mighty boulders had crashed into him, bruising his limbs and fracturing his bones. Some parts of his body were struck repeatedly, and blood and began oozing out and the bruises themselves were almost turning black. Draknir was fighting against every instinct to dodge out of the way or to shield himself, but he knew it would only prolong it. Water followed. At first, he thought he was being given a break, for the blasts of water and ice had began to numb his limbs, but the frigid spells had began to seep into his wounds and his bones, which proved he was sorely mistaken. Fire was the worst of them all. His skin and muscles had already been chilled to the bone, and the waves of flames had given this a different name. Crucify was a more suitable word. The rapid change in temperature made it worse, and he was finally plunged into the realm of darkness when the wind came. Powerful gusts of wind and the bursts of lightning thrown at him had eventually knocked him out. It was short, and he was at least thankful for that.
Whilst he was lying still against the ground, the potion was forced down his throat. As his wounds were being mended, he strayed into dream.
* * *
The sky was the first thing Draknir saw when he awoke from his slumber, but his vision was so blurry that the wandering clouds looming over him made it look as if it was just blue and white parchment. He groaned as he got onto his feet, recovering himself as he lost balance for a moment. After his vision cleared up, he called out. No one answered. When he observed his surroundings, however, he wasn't in Nagrand anymore. Or at least, it didn't look like it. The grass had a much darker hue to it, and everywhere there was dozens of mountains so tall they had disappeared amongst clouds. There were great canyons and cliffs, caves and pillars of rock throughout the misty region. Something else that puzzled him was the complete lack of agony screaming in his limbs. He had no new scars or anything. He appeared no different. But then it hit him.
He wasn't awake at all. He was in a dream, and his purpose for being there was something he was about to discover for himself. In one direction, there was nothingness ahead of him. On the other, a large stone wall with an entrance. Seeing more promise of escape, he followed the passage of earth. As he began walking... he suddenly felt slower. Heavier. Like he was burdened by some great, invisible weight and it was pulling him back. What would take less than a minute to get there took about three. As soon as he took a step outside the wall, the ground began to shake violently, and not expecting it Draknir had fallen over. It stopped. He blinked and got up, but the moment he was on his two feet, more tremors came. He was beginning to lose his temper and tried getting up quicker, but this made it worse. This repeated quite a few times before Draknir just laid there, surrendering.
What is going on here...?
He was motionless for a few minutes, waiting to see if there would be another tremor. Silence. Deciding it was time for a different approach he began to slowly get up, and once getting onto his two feet, braced himself. Like clockwork it came again, this time however he used his own weight to his advantage and the Orc barely moved. Grinning triumphantly, he basked in victory and began walking forward again. Only to encounter his next problem. He didn't fall over, but when the ground vibrated, massive stone walls began to erect themselves from the ground. A labyrinth had been formed before his very eyes in a matter of seconds. Under normal conditions he'd be impressed, but instead he cursed under his breath and began to trek through.
It was only until he reached the middle that he realised how enormous this was. The middle was just a square clearing with towering stone doors, with 3 stone slabs that were perfectly smooth. He peered closer and stood on it. Nothing happened. He spotted an outline, and considering the object made to fit into it wasn't in the vicinity, he made a safe guess he had to work his way through the maze and locate them.
Throughout the task, he kept reminding himself of patience. After what must have been two hours of aimless wandering, he had located the first object. To his surprise, it was a statue of himself. It was wielding a large blade with a single hand, his head raised to the sky and letting out a warcry. His beard was no longer braided, but it was broad and flowing down to his abdomen. This might have been him in his older years. Draknir recognised the outline at the base and went to pick it up, only to stare in confusion as it began to glow as bright as the sun and become engulfed in white. He shielded his eyes as it began to intensify. When his arm was lowered, it had changed. It was the same person; however he was sitting in meditation with his eyes closed atop a cliff. Instead of being ready for battle, it was seemingly being patient. Waiting for the opportune moment.
A grunt escaped him as he hefted it, still unsure of what had exactly happened. Though, he was in a dream. Anything could happen. He was even slower now, and his memory was struggling to recall the pattern of the intricate walls and paths. Fortunately, he had felt no urge to drink or eat. This place seemed to eliminate hunger and thirst. He advanced through the middle after a couple of hours and put the statue in it's correct place. The terrain shuddered as the statue was sinking into the depths of the earth. One down, two to go.
Nightfall was nonexistent here. The maze was constantly veiled by mist, and the sky couldn't be seen. Time had dragged on, and the second statue was found. It wasn't one of himself this time. There was one Orc and one Human attached to the base, and were both faceless. The Orc was slumped over the Human's sword and his axe had fallen onto the floor. The blinding light came once again as he touched it, and in it's place, stood the Orc holding his ground and parrying the Human's blade with apparent ease. The faceless Orc was a towering force, looking as if he was about to destroy him in one blow. He was strong and overwhelming like an earthquake.
Draknir was exhausted when he put the third statue in it's place. He had nothing to mark his progress, for the floor itself was made of rock. The final one, before the transformation, was a Tauren slumped next to a boulder in fatigue. After changing, it was the warrior holding the boulder over his head with colossal strength. The third square had disappeared into the earth, and the great doors had opened. The weary Orc stared ahead of him to see a great earth elemental approach him. It was easily three times his height, and it's movements were slow and left prints in the stone. It spoke first.
"Greetings, young Blackeye..." It's voice was deep, and it echoed the noise of mountains moving. It was as if he were speaking to a gentle Titan.
"Spirit of earth..." He responded with breathless lungs.
"You set these tasks before me?"
It nodded.
"I did. You are to be an Elemental Transcendent, and you must understand us if you wish to be with us." It stepped closer.
"The slowness of earth is viewed as a flaw... and this is wrong. Earth is patient and endures against even the greatest of threats. Earth does not charge with reckless abandon... it is through being slow and steady that Earth has survived."
Draknir remained silent as he took in the information. The spirit was still speaking, and he would not be so disrespectful as to contest against their wisdom or interrupt them.
"You too, young Draknir, must hold these traits with you. Be slow. Listen and be patient, do not be rash. When acting, endure whatever comes for you and exercise great strength." It was impossible to tell, but it almost seemed as if the elemental was smiling from the tone in it's next words.
"I forsee you becoming a great friend of earth."
"Thank you, spirit." Draknir bowed his head.
"How do I leave?"
Earth was surprised.
"Leave? Oh no, warrior. Fire, Wind and Water await you. These are not just dreams. We are communing with you, and giving you wisdom. You must pass our tests to hear it, however. When you finish with water... you will wake."
A hand was raised towards the opened doors. Nothing could be seen except the white glow.
"Go now. We will see you soon."