Chapter 12 Chapter Eleven

"Go on!" growled Doomhammer, turning to look at the Horde marching behind him. "We need to get over these mountains ASAP!" "Why?" Red Blackhand asked.He and his brother Maimoon hated Doomhammer for killing their father and taking his place as chieftain.They were among the few who dared to question Doomhammer's orders.Doomhammer let this go, not only because he knew any explanation would spread throughout the Horde, but also because the Blackfang clan was a large and powerful clan, and they were useful.In addition, although these two brothers may have doubts about some orders, they will never disobey a direct order, even if they don't bother with that order at all.Doomhammer appreciates this, and as such, it's no big deal to have them ask questions.

"What why?" Doomhammer asked back.He was grappling with the steep mountain road before him, most of his attention focused on the rocks beneath his hands and feet.The jungle trolls had passed by them long ago, climbing these cliffs as easily as trees, and throwing ropes to help the orc warriors, but Doomhammer refused to use them.He needs to let his men know that he is still the strongest of them all, and climbing this mountain without any external force is a good proof of that.Reid didn't have such ambitions. He wrapped a strong rope around his left arm and followed Doomhammer's pace slowly.

"Why are we climbing mountains?" Red asked. "We can go around these mountains. Why not take this route? It does shorten the distance, but it's hard to climb. Going over these mountains will only slow me down." speed!" Doomhammer climbed to the top of the cliff, took a breath, wiped his upper arm with his hand, and then wiped the dust off his hand.He turned to Red as the other clan chiefs climbed the hill to join him.His brother and other tribal leaders stood behind the chiefs.They all know they better get to the top of the mountain before Doomhammer. "Those humans think we're stupid," Doomhammer began, making sure everyone could hear him.He doesn't like to repeat what he has said. "They imagined us as uncivilized savages, just like we view those ogres." A group of people turned their heads and looked down, and the ogres were struggling to climb up behind the orcs.Although they have enough strength to climb, they are too clumsy to move well. "I wish humans would think that way." He opened his mouth and smiled, showing his teeth. "Let them think we have no brains. Because their underestimation can make it easier for us to conquer them."

He paused, picked up a small stone, and tossed it between his hands as he spoke. "We've tricked them once, when we got to the Hinterlands we split off some clans," he said. "While they were scrambling to fight a small part of the tribe, we were already on this road, in these mountains. Then when we went through here, they were still exhausted." "But we're heading towards Quel'Thalas, aren't we?" Maimo asked, the strange city name making it a little difficult for Maim to say. "Why don't you use ships to get closer to where you can, so that you can get a longer distance from those humans in the Hinterlands."

"Because the elves won't let our ship pass," Doomhammer pointed out. "Zu'kin said they were good archers, and they'd rain arrows on our heads, and we'd be stuck on board. We'd lose thousands of warriors, whole clans, and we wouldn't even be able to land Fight." After hearing this, some chiefs began to whisper.Although none of this happened to them.The Horde is still not very used to using ships as such, and except for a few like the Stormreavers, others don't think this mode of transportation is fast enough. "But we can move around these mountains." Reid raised it again. "Although the distance is longer, it is much easier to walk."

Doomhammer scoffed at the thought, "Seems like you dread the challenge, don't you?" Some of the chieftains laughed, and Rend was furious. "Of course not!" he yelled, raising one fist, looking ready to fight anyone who dared to laugh at him like that again. "I'm up to the task! I've been right behind you the whole time!" No one dared to point out that Rend was actually climbing on a rope, not counting Doomhammer, of course.The men of the Blackrock clan are fearsome warriors and widely respected, and Doomhammer allows them to ask any questions. "So you wish to challenge?" Doomhammer asked quietly, his voice low.When Reid roughly understood the meaning of this sentence, his face turned pale instantly, and he took a few steps back.If the Black Hand brothers want to lead the Horde, they must first challenge and defeat Doomhammer to achieve their goals.But they also know that even if they go together, he can kill them.Doomhammer kind of wanted them both to do that, because then he could legitimately take their place as Chieftain of Clan Blackfang.So far, though, neither of them has dared to do so.

"It might be quicker to go around," said Doomhammer at last, seeing that Rend didn't have the guts to accept the provocation, "but it would make our actions easier to detect. They suddenly appeared in front of them when they were unsuspecting." He grinned again. "If the humans had survived the battle in the Hinterlands, they would have marched around these mountains and perhaps reached Quel'Thalas before us. By that time, if the elves had allowed them to enter their lands, the humans would have And the elves will gather when we attack." He laughed and crushed the stone in his hand, dust flying from his fingers. "They'll have nowhere to go there. We'll crush them and take that land." He opened his hands and shook the powder and debris from them. "If they fall behind us, when they arrive, they will find that we have conquered Quel'Thalas. Then we will fight them back, drive them to the foot of the mountain and crush them." He went on I patted it to clean it up. "In any case, we win."

The others started talking in low tones, and some of them had started laughing too, and Red nodded. "You're very wise," he admitted reluctantly. "It's a great plan indeed." Doomhammer accepted the praise with a nod. "But we must move on now," Doomhammer told the others. "We still have a few more peaks to climb." Then he turned to Zuluhed. "Where are they?" he asked. "On his way," the Dragonmaw chieftain replied, grinning at those who whispered behind him.None of the other orcs knew what the Dragonmaws were planning, only what they were planning at Doomhammer's behest. "They still have a long way to go, but they are fast and will soon catch up with us. The whole world will tremble because of their arrival."

"Very good." Doomhammer then turned to face the tall man standing not far away, his long scarf fluttering in the wind. "How far are we from Quel'Thalas?" "From here, there are still four days' journey," Zukin replied. "But we can get there faster." The jungle troll stared into the distance, unconsciously reaching for the ax hanging beside him. "No." Doomhammer refused, ignoring the troll's obvious disappointment. "You must stay with us and put ropes for the troop to help climb." He grinned reassuringly at the troll leader. "Don't worry, you will get a chance to attack the elves' homeland. But you have to wait until the Horde stands behind you before you can crush them in one fell swoop."

Zu'jin thought for a while, and agreed with the orc. "They're going to be mad. Yeah," he went on, and laughed. "They'll be ready to sting like a swarm of irritated bees. And you'll surround them like a swarm of ants and eat them all at once." "Exactly." Doomhammer liked the metaphor.Ants are not only hardworking workers, but also unexpectedly tough.They can also become unscrupulous, banding together to subdue creatures much larger than themselves.Yes, the metaphor of ants is very appropriate.Now he was signaling for his team to move on, and the horde was marching behind him like an army of ants eager to conquer all.

Four days later, Doomhammer and his chieftains stood looking down on a knoll between the last peak of the range and the edge of a vast forest.The rest of the tribe gathered behind them, weary from the constant climbing and marching, but they threw off their weariness because a new goal had set before them.Nobody gets more excited than those forest trolls, though. "Shall we go in now?" Zu'jin looked eagerly at Doomhammer, who nodded. "Yes, we're going now," the chief agreed. "Go and defeat these elves, don't let anyone or anything go." The troll leader grinned, tilted his head back, and let out a strange howl.Another forest troll appeared at once, just not far from the two chiefs, as silent and swift as a ghost.Then a third troll turned over from the rock above and stood beside him, then another stood beside the third troll, and more trolls kept appearing behind them until this The valley behind the knoll is full of this tall, lanky forest creature.This number far exceeds the manpower Zul'jin brought with him in Doomhammer's impression.Doomhammer's amazement must have been on display, as the leader of the forest trolls grinned behind the scarf he never left. "Found more guys," he explained with a laugh. "The Witherwood tribe, they have joined us too!" Doomhammer nodded, although the trolls were much taller than him, he was not afraid of them.He has faced taller and stronger opponents before, but he always ends up standing up and walking away.Besides, Zu'jin had made a deep impression on him in the months since their alliance.The forest troll is a wise man and has his own glory.He had promised his people to help the Horde and he would not back away from that.Doomhammer is willing to take a risk to believe this. Of course, the fact that forest trolls hate those high elves also helps Doomhammer to confirm this opinion.All the trolls are in favor of going north to Quel'Thalas, while frantically trying to destroy the forest of elves, looking for, and attacking those elves.Doomhammer insisted that they wait.He wanted the rest of the tribe to be ready before the trolls attacked.Although Zul'jin was as eager to attack the elves as his people were, he managed to control himself and keep the trolls in order. And now, the waiting time is over.With a howl, Zu'jin leaped forward down the hill.When he reached the edge of the forest he didn't slow down, but jumped straight into the tree, swinging lightly from one trunk to the next.His people followed close behind him, leaping into the bushes and disappearing from view, only the rustling of leaves and the occasional whistling to indicate their presence.Doomhammer knew they were well on their way into the depths of the jungle, seeking out any elves they could find and killing them.It won't be long before the guardians of the forest learn of the troll invasion and come out to resist them. That way they would keep the elves scrambling and unable to see other threats to their borders. Doomhammer gave the signal, and the rest of the Horde began to sweep down the hill, charging up the long strip of grass with firm strides, and they finally came to the trees in the front row. "Now, Warchief?" asked an orc warrior nearby, gripping his ax tightly.Doomhammer nodded, and then the warrior turned to the tree behind him. The trunk of this tree was very thick, the surface was still as smooth as silk, and its leaves were lush and green with a breath of nature and life— —then the orc warrior slashed a large chunk of wood from the trunk.Then he raised the ax again, intending to further enlarge the incision. "No, that's not it!" Doomhammer snatched the ax from the petrified warrior, and pushed him back. "Don't cut at the same angle, cut in flat." He made a demonstration, first swung the ax back, mobilized his muscles, and chopped the ax straight into the tree trunk with all his strength.Then he jerked the ax back and continued hacking at the same spot, widening the gap.By the third blow, his ax was almost visible from the other side of the tree, with only a small piece of wood and bark supporting the tree.Doomhammer pulled the ax back, looked up, and pushed the end of the ax against the tree trunk, and the tree fell at an angle. Crackling sound.When the tree fell, the ground shook, leaving leaves and berries all over the ground. "Here, chop like this." He thrust the ax back at the warrior.The latter nodded and walked to another tree.The second warrior had already stood on the felled tree with an ax in hand, and was about to split the big tree into smaller firewood. Not far from him, more orc warriors began the same work.Carrying supplies with an army as large as the Horde is a dreadful job, so instead they take what they need from the lands they conquer.There should be enough firewood from this grove to last the tribe for a few weeks, maybe a few months.And the fact that every tree they fell weakened the elves' defenses was just icing on the cake. When Doomhammer leaned on the hammer to watch the progress of the work, he saw some abnormalities in the corner of his eyes.A short, heavily armored orc with bristling hair was walking towards him, the twisted expression on his hideously scarred face that Doomhammer loathed.It looked like Gul'dan was excited about something. "What?" Doomhammer asked as Gul'dan walked up to him. "You should go and see for yourself, the great Doomhammer." Gul'dan bowed deeply.Cho'gall smirked behind him. "Something that could help the Horde tremendously." Doomhammer nodded and put the hammer on his shoulder, motioning for Gul'dan to lead him.The warlock turned around and walked back with Doomhammer and Cho'gall, and came to a place more than a hundred feet away from where he was originally standing. There was a huge stone, which squeezed out a hole in the forest. The stone's rough surface There were runes painted on it, and even someone as ignorant of mystical abilities and spiritual powers as Doomhammer could feel the energy emanating from this heavy stone. "What is this?" he asked. "I don't know very well." Gul'dan replied, stroking his beard. "But this thing is full of energy. I believe these rune stones and some other rune stones on the edge of the forest are evenly distributed here, forming a spell barrier together." "That didn't stop us," Doomhammer pointed out. "No, because we are only using hands, feet and general weapons now." Gul'dan replied. "I think these rune stones are restricting the use of magic. It is very likely that only elves can cast their spells in this range. I have tried to cast some spells here but failed, and if I retreat 10 steps away, Go to the other side of the mountain, and my magic will be restored." Doomhammer began to look at the stone with a new gaze. "So if we place these stones around our enemies, they won't be able to cast spells?" he mused, considering how many orcs it would take to remove the stones, and how to transport them. "That's a way too." Gul'dan agreed, but his voice already clearly expressed his views on the idea. "But I have another idea, my warchief. You don't mind waiting a moment." Doomhammer nodded.He didn't trust Gul'dan at all, but he also admitted that the warlock was very useful, at least he created the death knight.He was curious now what the short man could come up with. "There is powerful magic in these stones," Gul'dan explained. "I think I can take those powers to my own use." "You mean?" Doomhammer asked again.He knew it was best not to let Gul'dan have more freedom, but now he wanted to know more details. "I can make an altar out of these stones," Gul'dan replied. "A storm altar. By channeling the energy within these stones, I can transform creatures. I can make them stronger and more dangerous, though maybe a little weirder." "I bet none of the orcs will let you experiment on them again," Doomhammer sneered bitterly.He still remembered the night when Gul'dan took out the so-called Chalice of Unity, the Holy Grail of Rebirth, and offered it to all the tribal chiefs and their favorite warriors.Doomhammer didn't trust the warlock at all at that time, so when Blackhand invited him to drink with him, he didn't drink that thing under the pretext that he didn't want to share Blackhand's power.So he witnessed the damage that liquid did to his friends and clan.That thing did make them bigger and stronger, but it also made their eyes glow red, and their green skin became more vivid, which was clearly a sign of demons.The thing made the infected orcs go mad and bloodthirsty, berserk and thirsty.It turned the once noble orcs into beasts, fanatical killers.While some orcs regretted the change, it was evident that this realization came too late. Gul'dan laughed, as if he knew what was going on in his warchief's mind.Maybe he does.Who knows what strange power this orc has now?But he only needs to answer Doomhammer's words, as for other meanings, who cares. "I'm not going to test these altars with orcs," Gul'dan assured Doomhammer. "I will choose a creature that can gain more power from it, and you will hardly notice a decline in their intelligence." The little man grinned, "I will use an ogre." Doomhammer thought for a moment.They don't have many ogres but these guys are far easier to control than other soldiers.If it makes them stronger - well worth the risk. "Okay," he said finally. "You can build an altar. Let's see what happens. If it works I'll give you more ogres, or whatever race you want." Gul'dan bowed to Doomhammer With a bow, Doomhammer nodded, his mind drifting back to logistics as he turned to leave.