Prologue - He Came From the Sky

Azeroth. A world with a long, convoluted and often painful history, where great and terrible beings alike have fought for dominance or mere survival over thousands of years. A world that has stood up to flame and shadow, haunted by ancient horrors. A world in perpetual flux, shaped by its champions and the shifting pathways of time itself, where even one exceptional being can have the potential to bring about incredible change. And change it would, with events set in motion on a fateful day on the eve of the First War, when a group of exiles made a surprising discovery somewhere in the Alterac mountains...

Durotan gazed upon the horizon as another day drew to a close. Though weary, he did not dare halt his course at such an exposed location. He feared for the safety of his lifemate and the rest of the Frostwolf Clan he had led through the Dark Portal into the unkown new world in an attempt to escape Gul'dan's minions, and he knew it was only a matter of time before someone found them, either the Shadow Council or whatever creatures inhabited this new world. Straining their riding wolves to cover as much ground as possible, travelling night and day and avoiding any signs of civilization, he had followed Drek'thar's guidance and his own instincts and now found himself in an elevated area overlooking Hillsbrad.

Next to him, Drek'thar strained himself attempting to commune with the spirits for guidance. The taint of the Shadow Council's dark magic and the madness of Gul'dan's tampering with the elements had cost him and many of his people dearly, breaking their ancient bond with the spirits and burdening his soul with the many horrors he had witnessed and taken part in. Yet, he had not been completely forsaken, and as he distanced himself from the madness he had left behind, he had slowly begun to regain their trust. And thus, the Frostwolf exiles had made their way into the mountains, guided by the faint whispering of the spirits. He had envisioned a secluded place somewhere nearby, hidden from sight, and he felt they were getting very close. Still, the next stretch of the path eluded him, and he paused for a moment, sensing the presences around him as a replacement for his long lost sight.

"Where do we go from here?" Durotan asked, gazing upon the rocky expanses that lay before him. The changes in his mate had become rather obvious to him, and he was anxious to find a more permanent shelter while she could still move around freely.

Before the farseer could answer him, however, a strange rumbling sound reverberated through the air, shortly followed by the sight of a fiery form plummetting through the sky towards the mountains. It crashed with a thunderous boom, close enough for the impact to startle the wolves and nearly knock Durotan off his feet. He blinked incredulously and, without much thought, he rushed forward to investigate, followed by Drek'thar. Several hundred yards ahead, they came upon the mouth of a cave that seemed to reach deep into the mountains, and right next to it was a smoldering crater of considerable size, where a strange metallic object was resting, its surface already cooling rapidly. It was adorned with a strange insignia that vaguely reminded Durotan of a clan crest, but unlike any he had ever seen.

"What is this...?" Drek'thar muttered as he approached the object, hesitantly touching the strange insignia. Suddenly, startling both orcs, the object hummed lightly and a section of its surface unraveled, revealing a chamber on the inside containing a very small being lying on a protective bed, wrapped in what appeared to be a red blanket. It stared at the two with big blue eyes, appearing just as confused as them. The being, clearly an infant, looked considerably different from orcs in some ways, with its pale, pinkish complexion and somewhat delicate features, but aside from that, it was fundamentally similar. Bemused, Drek'thar picked up the youngling, sensing it as clearly as if his own eyes were functioning.

"A pinkskin...? Is this the manner of beings that live in this world?" Durotan muttered, hesitating to touch such a fragile looking creature as if afraid of accidentally harming it.

"Whatever it is, I can tell you it is a boy." Drek'thar spoke. "I sense that one day he will stand tall and strong, but for now, it would seem that he has come a long way, just like us, and is all by himself."

Memories of the screams of the draenei children came to the forefront of the farseer's thoughts, and he shook his head vigorously in an attempt to ward them off. Another thought soon took form in their place, and for the first time since the beginning of their journey, he smiled.

They were soon joined by the rest of the clan, to whom the perspective of being separated from their chieftain and their farseer for any length of time was definitely troubling. Draka came upon the two as they carried him away from the crater.

"A gift from the spirits?" She mused, eyeing the infant. "Yet another."

Durotan was apprehensive about the prospect of looking after a being they knew nothing about, but regardless of how dire the circumstances, he would not shame his ancestors by abandoning a child in the wilderness. He stepped closer to Draka and allowed himself a smile.

"If he is to join us, he will need a name."

Their musings were interrupted by a clan warrior who had decided to check the cave for any signs of danger.

"Chieftain! This is no mere grotto! I see light! There's a path on the other side!"

Drek'thar gazed upon the infant and lifted it closer to his face.

"Were you sent to show us the way, small one?"