The Road to Karabor

Author: Janna

approx. 600 Azerothian years ago, Shadowmoon Valley, Draenor

From afar, theirs looked much like any small procession of pilgrims: there were women and men clad in robes and striding in quiet thought and a small number of Elekk burdened with their possessions. At times their voices would ring across the hills as they accompanied their step with hymns of faith and hope. And yet, Atrophus thought, once an observer would be near enough to make out their faces, they would recognise their mistake; these were no mere pilgrims, and their plans were far more substantial than to engage in prayer upon reaching the holy site. The robed figures would reveal themselves as a group of arcanists, wearing not only the traditional garb, but also the jewelled accessories which mark those of the highest skill and learning. Amongst them, others were walking in more practical dress and outfitted with stacked tool belts: artificers, and again they were picked by their rank and name, even though one might not have guessed such from a first glance.

He walked at the rear end of the group, leading one of the animals by its reigns. The animal did not strictly speaking require his guidance, but it allowed him to ease the weight he placed upon his left leg. It was a long road from Shattrath to their destination, and they walked many hours each day. They were getting close now, and he did not wish to slow their progression by asking for a break, thus he had no choice but to silently bear the sharp pain that would erupt from his left knee and flare through the whole limb at every step.

“Why so frowny? Is this not a fine day to walk these beautiful hills?”

He blinked and turned to see who had interrupted his reverie. The voice, light and quick-tongued as a gurgling stream, belonged to the youngest among the artificers. He had noticed her before, and wondered what had earned her the honour to be included in this mission of greatest import. She looked to barely have outgrown her dolls and toys, and yet he'd noticed a number of advanced tools on her belt. She grinned at him playfully now, the silvery hair falling into her eyes.

“Not the most talkative, I see. I couldn't help but notice your leg, brother – is there anything the matter with it? Perhaps you ought to see a healer?”

“It is nothing”, he replied, and he wondered who her parents may be, that she had not learned to appropriately respect her elders. They must be young themselves; only the young were hopeful enough to bear children so soon after settling on a new planet.

“Do you think me a fool? Certainly it is not nothing that makes you lean against your Elekk as if it were a crutch. Though perhaps I could make you a crutch to make things easier until we can find you a healer. I've seen some good trees around, of the sort that will make wonderful piers to bear the weight of our houses' roofs through any weather, not too brittle and not too soft. If you would ask for a break, I will see to it you needn't carry yourself like this anymore, with pain written all over your face and brushing your shoulder against that of the dirty beast.”

He vaguely wondered how she was able to speak so rapidly, and shook his head wearily.

“I am grateful to you, child, but we must not delay this task we have been given.”

The girl came closer to him now, her curious gaze scanning his figure with an intensity that made him strangely uncomfortable. He became aware of the fact that he, too, must stand out within this group. Though he was an arcanist, he did not wear the robes nor the symbols of rank and accomplishment. His garb was simple, as was his task.

He diverted his path a little so to walk on grass rather than the gravel of the road, and as his hooves touched the gentler underground his pain was eased if only slightly. He smiled kindly at the girl who was still walking near him, and reflecting again upon her youth, a thought came to him.

“The temple of Karabor shall become a symbol of hope to our people. In my long life I have not experienced a time such as this, where peace and prosperity prevail and we are able to return to our traditions of old. This here will soon become a new tradition; generations to come will travel this path and the Light will fill their hearts with the knowledge that there is yet a place for our people in this universe. You and I are honoured and fortunate to be a part of this.”

She smiled brightly, and he could tell that she delighted as much in his words as in the fact that she had been able to extract so many of them. He seemed to remember now seeing her chat to several others in much the same manner before. Youth grew weary so easily, and there was little distraction apart from her fellow travellers.

“And honoured I am, brother”, she replied in her usual rapid manner of speech and glowing with unashamed pride. “I am certain you wonder what a young woman such as myself is doing amidst such esteemed company; so let me tell you. I have been chosen for my great talent at architecture, and I am tasked with drafting the archways and windows to adorn this new temple. Of course, I am not the only one and in the end, my designs may not be chosen at all, but I am confident that I can beat all competitors. In fact, I have begun drawing already last night while everyone was asleep.”

He frowned.

“It does not do to miss out on sleep on a journey such as ours, child. Your enthusiasm honours you yet you must take each step as its time comes, lest you stumble and fall.”

But she waved his words away with a dismissive hand gesture.

“I've never needed much sleep. You will see, I have practically got this in my pocket.”

She winked slyly, then pointed her finger at his garb. Truly, she must have been raised neglectfully to have acquired such lacking manners.

“And what are you doing here, if I may ask? Clearly you are not one of the artificers, so you must belong to the arcanists. Yet you keep apart from them, and I have not seen you join the discussion they had two mornings ago when we woke at Auchindoun, interesting though it was to hear about the methods they plan to employ to erect the temple's structures.”

Her fast and high-pitched speech was starting to wear his nerves down, and he felt a headache coming on.

“I am indeed an arcanist”, he replied, wondering for a moment if he should go on entertaining her or ask her to leave him to his own thought. He decided that there was no harm in it; the child was merely looking for distractions from their ceaseless walk through a rarely changing landscape.

“Yet as you so keenly observed, my disability limits me and as such I am not often involved with their work. My study of the art is solitary for the most part.” He paused, running his free hand over his tendrils absent-mindedly. This was not the whole story, of course, but what did a child know of such matters? He would not burden her with the truth of how even the most well meaning of people could at times not find it in their hearts to involve one who was inconveniently different, damaged.

“I am here to oversee and organise this group of workers. There will be others arriving from across the land, each of them bringing their own overseer. Together we shall contrive a plan to organise the project as efficiently as possible, so no village or city will have to miss their workers for any longer than is necessary.”

She looked disappointed at his answer, but smiled and nodded regardless.

“Then there will be time for me to craft you a walking cane, good brother, and certainly at such a holy spot where the Naaru in the sky is closest, we will find a priest to attend to your poor leg.”

He smiled vaguely and gave the indication of a nod, not wishing to curb her unbridled optimism.

He did not learn her name that day.