But Nobody Came for Hyspia

[Narthok 9213]

But Nobody Came for Hyspia

---

The Hordespeaker overlooked the construction efforts of Orcgrimmar. The Yazgurtan and the Rukagoths were hard at work shepherding Orcish builders and crafters through not only the refit of their city but also the production of war goods for the coming southern campaign. They had smashed the army of eight at Westmark, yet still Grommash was unnerved.

 

His warriors had breached the walls of Aaun. With the men of Veletz they had captured the great shaman of the humans and the Aaunrex. Runners had been sent to the members of the coalition. Grommash had personally written a letter to the army of eight. Silence?

 

Nobody came for Aaun

 

The world confused Grommash. Mortals spoke many words, wove elaborate tapestries with pen and tongue, yet their words rang hollow when compared to their actions. Of what use were words and oaths if they did not bind. Of what use was a warbrother who would not bleed for you? Many times now Grommash, young for an orc, had seen the humans speak venom and lies. The older orcs, Kho and Falum had told him many times that humans would say words that they did not mean. 

 

Grommash could not understand. Though he had on occasion seen such conduct from whitewash orcs or from raiders who had spent too much time around the humans. It was something he had worked hard to suppress amongst the Urukim. To deceive, to play the dance of words, was to stray from the path of Krug. To stray from the path was worse than death.

 

The Rex turned his thoughts to the Hyspians. His warriors had breached the walls countless times. On three separate occasions they had taken the King. On this most recent excursion they had taken not only the king, but significant portions of his court, all while the warriors of Hyspia fled to hide in tunnels. Once more Grommash had sent outriders to the nations of the coalition. Once more silence.

 

Nobody came for Hyspia

 

Again Grom was confused. There existed many who called themselves Rex. Who claimed to be the leaders of their peoples. Yet they were not capable of protecting their people, often they did not even try. What did it mean to be a Rex? A leader of an entire people? What did it mean to be a good Rex?

 

The good sword was strong and sharp. The good arrow would fly straight and true. To be ‘good’ was to fulfill one’s purpose well. A good warrior could not merely be strong, they must also be wise. For the purpose of the warrior was to deal violence for the tribe, whether to secure land and food, or to protect what was already had. If a warrior was merely strong or merely wise then they would be unable to fulfill their purpose. They would be bad warriors.

 

But what of a Rex. What was necessary for a ‘good Rex’. What was a Rex ‘meant to do’. For Grommash the Rex was the father of the nation. He must lead them to the clean oases, he must choose the best paths to follow the herd. The purpose of the Rex was to secure the survival and if possible the thriving of the nation. The Rex must be wise, he must know the signs of danger and how to avoid them. But when danger did arrive, as it always would, a good Rex must know how to protect his people from the danger. 

 

Grommash did not know if he had learned the lessons of the Elders well. Falum and Kho had told him many stories of the great Rexes of the past. And The young Rex had walked in the lands of Stargush’stroh many times, guided by a shaman in search of the dead Rexes, of old. Seeking to learn from their wisdom. 

 

The sacred desert of the Horde had been defiled by foreign boots and hands. The hunting grounds of the Horde were threatened. What was the Hordefather to do? Grommash had made his oaths. He had marched the horde to war. Many had died, Uruk and Hordebrother alike had fed the ground with their blood. They had smashed the coalition at Westmark. But was it enough?

 

The warriors of the Horde had shared battle and death with their allies from the midlands. They had become warbrothers, drinking deep from the wells of defeat and victory, holding to their oaths through thick and thin. 

What motivated these invaders to pursue their path of annihilation then? They refused to bleed or to die for their supposed warbrothers. They danced the tonguedance and told their lies. Is this what it meant to be a ‘good Rex’? 

 

Grommash wasn’t so sure. There was more to being Rex than ensuring mere survival. His people were not cattle, desperately clinging to life for the sake of living. They lived to fulfill their purpose. To follow the PATH of Krug. To live honourably and die well, having overcome the bloodcurse that plagued all children of the Orcfather and honoured the legacy of their ancestors. It was the task of the Rex to enable his people to complete this noble goal. To live well, to die well.

 

Some nights he would wake in a cold sweat, tortured by the thoughts of all the warriors of the horde his commands had sent to their deaths. He had asked the wizened Kho for advice, and had been resoundly punched in the head. Struggling to hold back his bloodrage Kho had firmly informed the Rex that it was not for him to dishonour the dead with second guessing. 

 

Grommash might be Hordemaster, but no Uruk, no Goblin, no Olog, no member of the Horde was bound to follow him. Any were free to leave the horde if they so wished. Those who had died well had brought great honour to Krug, to the Horde, and to their ancestors. Grommash may send the warriors. But it is they who choose to go.

 

The tonguedancers may treat their pacts like the wind. Making them without a second thought. Finding no binding steel in the words they spoke. But that was not the way of the Horde. Unlike the army of eight, the horde would not abandon its war brothers. It would not abandon them to die even if doing so would etch their deaths in the stars.

 

“Loktar’Ogar” he grunted shoving himself to his feet.

 

No one had come for Hyspia, No one had come for Aaun. But come death or glory, the Horde would come for its brothers.

 

With that thought he made his way down the hill. It was not his place to do the thinking of foreign Rexes. Let them care for their own people. He would care for the Horde.

 

[Orlanth 3539]

Drugen Gorkil waited... and waited... and waited. "Yub, deyz nub komin'." He walked home and went to bed, snoring loudly and sleeping well knowing there was no threat whatsoever.

[Kitomine 775]

Mochou observed the war from afar, only approaching to get a closer look. Humans were amusing to her and the orcs only proved that further. 

[olpx 212]

Apek stood there unfazed as he waited for the allies of hyspia to arrive "whub dah zhak"  he would go on his day as if its a normal occurrence for his enemies allies to not come.

[Tide1 1593]

"And no one ever will, it seems." Did Hendrik remark with a solemn sigh, for seeing his very own human race stoop to such lows brought him no satisfaction - only sadness.

[Heartesy 349]

Hearing of the occurrence through word of mouth, Misty would shake her head. The news was unsurprising to the Easworth, but she was disappointed nonetheless.

 

”These who boast their victories, these who celebrate our death and despairs, know not the irony they hold in all their inaction..”

[Pancho 2527]

Ser Jose Fuentes sad by the aviary for hours, awaiting a response from any of the coalition members he had reached out to regarding the late night raid. He looked to his brother Pedro, the only two guards who had even bothered to do guard duty. They had rang the bell, they had tried to warn the guests, but all for naught. 

What was he to do?

[Reckless Banzai Screamer 11594]

"I was never a fan of these mego-alliances with a globalist agenda," commented a second age warlord who felt sympathy for his Farfolk brethren as well as for the orks who had to plough through meat waves of netherite armed descendants.

 

"Owari da..." he lamented, believing and knowing within his heart these fake friends would inevitably turn on each other. Oijin continued to watch the flames for a vision to come...