Apostles of Doom

Suddenly, from the middle of the second squad of alvar, a fireball raced through the air and engulfed Zargvarst and Kirak, obscuring the two D’Orcs. As the flames dissipated, the two D’Orcs were still on course heading for the second squad.

“Thanks for the warm welcome, it was like a breath from home!” Zargvarst shouted towards the origin of the fireball.

D’Orcs were obviously fireproof; orcs were not. Tal Gor suddenly worried what would happen if the wizard shot a fireball at his tribemates. He was able to count all of them, so none had been hit by the lightning bolt; however, at some point the wizard would give up on the nearly invulnerable D’Orcs and start targeting his tribe. Fortunately, at the moment, they were all tightly engaged with the alvar; it would be too dangerous for the wizard to fireball the orcs. Other than Tal Gor himself, who was currently some distance away, preparing to circle back.

What could he do to protect his tribe from a wizard in battle? That, technically, was one of the core duties of an orc shaman, something that he was ludicrously underprepared to do. Obviously, he had studied elemental affiliations and elemental chants and rituals. He could start a fire, but there was no way he could launch a fireball, let alone deflect or shield orcs from one.

Shielding would be very impractical; it would require some sort of large magical shield to block the fireball. Deflecting it would be easier, if he knew how to control it. Even so, how would one do that? He could envision attracting a fireball — he understood the idea of using the Laws of Association and Positive Attraction to somehow bring the fire to him — but then what would he do with it?

CRACK! Thunder rolled again as a massive bolt of lightning struck Zerg Fel Far in the back, right between his wings as he was busy dismembering an alfar and its mount. He did not appear to notice until a few moments later when he let go of his prey, allowing them to begin tumbling lifeless to the distant ground below. He looked up and around. “Anyone else noticed the damn mosquitoes around here? I think just got bit!” he called out to his compatriots.

Tal Gor shook his head in amazement. He would need something that could positively attract a fireball or a lightning bolt, both of which were aspects of Fire. Not actually towards him, unless he wanted to be a martyr, but beyond him, to some sort of gigantic fire and lightning magnet that the essence of Fire could return to. Tal Gor blinked. Something like one of Mount Doom’s elemental portals. Lord Tommus had used the Elemental Portal of Fire to suck all the heat out of the Abyss.

Tal Gor frowned. Was that the Law of Positive Attraction or the Law of Negative Attraction? He was not sure it made much sense, but if Lord Tommus could use a Fire portal to suck heat away, surely his lord could use the Fire portal to suck in a fireball or lightning bolt.

But that was Lord Tommus, and he wasn’t here. Here was only Tal Gor, a sorry-ass apprentice shaman of the Crooked Stick tribe. He needed to think.

They were coming up on another alfar and hippogriff. “Schwarzenfürze? Do you want to take this pair, as Zargvarst suggested? I need to try and figure something out.” She nodded and growled in happy agreement. “Okay, I’m going to secure myself and my staff down so you can do your thing.”

Tal Gor hunkered down, securing his staff, similar to what he’d seen his family members do a few minutes ago. He needed to think. He started chanting a calming chant and tried to allow himself to follow his link to his Oath Link through his summoning stone to Lord Tommus; the stone should amplify the link.

Lord Tommus? he queried respectfully.

Tal Gor! Good to hear from you!

With his second sight, Tal Gor found himself standing in a large henge on some material world, definitely not the Abyss. Tamarin was there, as was Vaselle, but neither showed signs of realizing he was present. He wasn't surprised, given that he was technically dream walking, although he might have expected the djinni to notice.

Am I interrupting? Tal Gor asked.

We are rehearsing and preparing for an ascension tonight. Creating a new D’Orc, Tom replied. However, I can spare a few minutes.

Tal Gor’s second sight was suddenly interrupted as Schwarzenfürze crashed into a hippogriff and its rider. Screams and blood flew near and wide and Tal Gor was jostled on the D’Warg’s back as she shredded flesh and gnawed on the bones of her prey.

Suddenly, Lord Tommus was there with him, insubstantially. Holy shit! You are far busier than me! Do you want to create a gateway for me to come through?