> The Exiled One > by jawbreaker36 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > the escape plan > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Draenor, once lush and full of life, is now nothing more than a barren wasteland, this misery, brought upon it's inhabitants; the Orcs and the draenei by the burning legion, who deceived the Orcs to fight against the draenei and use a form of demonic magic called the fel which withered the wildlife away. Food was limited, water was scarce and the remaining resources were at an all time low. The Orcs in they're desperation banded together to form the Horde and built a magic portal in hopes of colonizing a new world. But this story isn't about the Horde, this is a story about an Orc who's defiance in the face of death and overwhelming odds, brought him to a new world unlike anything his kind had seen before. His name was Karpath. An Orc ran across the red and harsh dirt, axe in hand, sweat running down his forehead underneath the demonsteel helm on his head, an army of demons not far behind him, spearheaded by one of their most powerful leaders: Kil Jaedan, the deceiver. "YOU CAN NOT RUN FOREVER INSECT, AND I WILL TEAR YOUR SOUL APART!!!" yelled the demon leader. Ignoring the demon's threat, the Orc kept running, seeing the dark portal, not far away. "I can make it, it is not far" thought the Orc as he drew ever closer to the portal, but the demon's behind were gaining on the lone warrior. Even so, his hopes dwindled as he saw demon foot guards standing by the portal. "Can I ever find a break?!" Karpath thought to himself. Regaining his head, he hefted his axe and charged the guards, cutting them down, with much effort before he was at the foot of the portal, he turned to face Kil Jaedan. "I WILL NEVER AGAIN BE YOUR SLAVE DEMON!!" with that he ran through, but what he didn't know was that Kil Jaedan had lobbed a ball of fel fire at the portal ' s frame, severing it's connection. Searing pain flowed through Karpath ' s body as he sailed across this rift between worlds, but it did end quickly as he felt his body hit solid ground. Pitifully and weakly, he turned himself on his back and lay there for a while, breathing heavily, eyes drifting at the blue sky above through the visor of his helmet . "I am free" he said silently as he got to his feet. Metal hitting the ground reached his ears, he then looked down to see pieces of his armor breaking off, once Ebon black and brass, with green gems, it was now very charred and burned, cracks and holes, spread across the entirety of it. But he did hope his leggings would hold. The Orcs eyes however drifted to the grass under his feet, green and growing. He then looked up to see what almost seemed like a paradise compared to his now barren homeworld; lush trees, a bright blue sky, white clouds, little animals, (he would later find out are squirrels) running around the grass "This world seems...pristine, unspoiled." Karpath thought as he took off what remained of his helmet and dropped it on the ground, inhaled the fresh air, feeling the sun on his green skin. "The path of my new life, begins now". He picked up his axe, which remained intact, hefted it over his shoulders, and made his way to a nearby forest, eager to start his new life on this new world. > Loktar Ogar! > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- T'was a sunny day in Ponyville, the birds were singing, the sky was clear and ponies were walking around cheerfully, amongst the ponies was Twilight Sparkle, the princess of friendship. She was walking towards her castle with her assistant Spike beside her. " So what's going on Twilight?" Asked Spike. "We're heading towards the castle because Pinkie Pie said that while she was in the map room, the map activated itself, which means someplace where we're needed, and now the 6 of us are going over there." Twilight replied with a cheerful tone. A look of excitement appeared on the baby dragon's face. "You think it's something important like when we went to Starlight ' s village? " Spike asked. Twilight immediately had a slight look of sadness at the mention of her apprentice, but re composed herself quickly. "I don't know Spike, but we're going to find out, we're here!" She said as she opened the door with her magic, the 2 stepped inside and made they're way to the map room, inside the rest of Twilight's friends we're either sitting in their respective thrones or chatting with one another. "Twilight! We we're starting to worry where you were." Rarity said with a worried tone on her noble voice when she saw her friend walk in. "Relax Rarity, I'm here now, I'm never miss out on a new friendship mision." Twilight replied while taking a seat in her throne. "Now then, let's see what our next mission of friendship will take us." The map activates itself and the cutie marks of the 6 ponies present in the room started appearing and disappearing across the map. Pinkie spoke up with her optimistic tone as it happened. " Oooh, Twilight and Applejack in Appleloosa, no, Rainbow dash and Rarity in Cloudsdale, no wait, ME AND ME IN YAKYAKISTAN!" Soon enough Twilight's cutie mark appeared over Ponyville but started drifting off. Pinkie spoke up again. "Twilight and..." Fluttershy's cutie mark then appears over the map and going the same direction that Twilight's was. " Fluttershy in..." The 2 cutie marks eventually stop over the eastern edge of an all too familiar forest. "The Everfree Forest " the 6 said in unison. "W-why is this friendship mission t-taking me and Twilight to the Everfree Forest?" Fluttershy asked as she started shaking in fear. "I don't know Fluttershy, but a mission of friendship awaits us in the everfree forest, and we're gonna solve it."Twilight replied trying to hide the fear in her voice. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Twilight and Fluttershy were trekking through the everfree forest, trying to find the place that the map had pointed to, well, Twilight did, Fluttershy simply followed her friend while she shook in terror. "A-are you t-that we're going the right way Twilight?" Asked Fluttershy in a scared voice. "We shouldn't be too far from where we're supposed to go" Twilight said while trying to sound comforting to her timid friend. After a moment, Fluttershy could make something out deep in the tree line. " T-T-Twilight, there's something over there." Pointing her hoof in the direction of the silhouette. " What in Equestria is that? " Twilight asked as she wastrying to get a better look at the silhouette. "Twilight...T-T-Twilight." Fluttershy spoke in terror bopping Twilight's shoulder with her hoof trying to get her attention. "What is it? I was trying..to..." she was silenced by a 4 headed hydra walking towards them on 2 short legs, dragging it's lower stomach an tail behind, it's 4 sets of eyes trained on the 2 ponies, hoping to make a meal out of them. " HYDRA! " Twilight yelled as she began to back up with Fluttershy right beside her. But with each step the 2 took backwards, the hydra moved forward. This went on until the 2 ponies hit something behind them, it was a big boulder behind them, blocking their escape. The hydra brought it's heads down to nab them, Twilight and Fluttershy held each other and closed they're eyes, awaiting the end. "LOKTAR OGAR!!" An unknown voice rung out and from the dense treeline came leaping out a creature neither of the 2 had ever seen, it was massive, maybe 7 feet tall, green skin over large muscles, an large axe in an appropriately large hand, and a head of long black hair pulled back. It also wore a sort of black armor, though it had likely seen better days. The creature leaped towards the hydra and slammed it's fist into it's left most head, this caused a chain reaction with each head hitting the one next to it, this pendulum effect went on for a while until the hydra shook it's heads and turns it's attention towards this new creature. The hydra hissed at this creature, hoping to strike fear in it, but it didn't even flinch. Knowing this new creature would be a better meal then the 2 ponies, it lunged one of it's heads at this new beast, but it jumped out of the way and when clear, tried to bring it's axe down on the creature's skull. The hydra, reacted by swinging it's head towards him like a whip. This new creature went flying towards a tree, the sheer weight of the being almost uprooted the tree, but it got back onto it's feet and a look of fury could be seen in the beast's red irises as it stared down the hydra. The hydra let out a screech as it charged the creature, it in turn let out a war cry of sorts and charged, catching the 2nd left head in it's hands. A power struggle was going down as the hydra head was trying to nab a bite out of it's attacker while the creature was pushing back, trying to keep it away. Exhaustion was pouring from the green creature, but it grit it's teeth and pushed harder, winning the power struggle by kneeling the head's jaw, and while it was disoriented, it brought it's axe down and chopped the top of the hydra ' s horn off. The head recoiled back, and the 3 others all stared at the now sheered off horn tip, at this, the hydra fled, leaving Twilight and Fluttershy to stare at the exploit of this creature, whom was breathing heavily and leaning on his axe handle for support. It was maybe 20 seconds with none talking, it almost looked like the creature had not even taken notice of the ponies staring at him, until it finally spoke. "Hmph, coward." It spoke in a deep voice. > introductions are in order > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "You're calling a 4 headed hydra a coward?!" Called Twilight whom was quite bewildered by this being's statement. Almost like it was nothing. It was something that Twilight found both confusing and crazy. "I have faced worse than that beast." The creature replied, still rather calm despite it's fight. "Though I wouldn't mind asking, just what are you two exactly?" It spoke in it's deep voice, it's eyes fixed on the alicorn and the Pegasus in front of him. "...Well clearly you aren't from around here, so i suppose introductions are in order, I'm Twilight Sparkle, I'm a pony of Equestria, and this is my friend Fluttershy" She points her hoof at Fluttershy, who hides parfait of her face in her mane. "Uh, she can be a bit shy around others." Twilight comments with an awkward look at the stranger. "Equestria, odd name for a world." The creature commented. "But, you have introduced yourselves, it is only fitting that I do the same. I am Karpath Rockmaw, you may call me Karpath." He sheaths his axe on his back. "I am an Orc." Twilight seems surprised. "Orc, never heard of those in my copy of Sentient life in Equestria." Twilight replies while she thinks where in the world this...Orc could come from, but alas, nothing comes to mind. "I do not believe my kind has heard of a...pony before, but this is a new world, so i suppose none of our races have ever encountered each other until now" Karpath replies calmly, trying to ease the tension. This was after all a rather unusual conversation for the Orc, but he tried to not let it show. "You're from another world?!" The sudden question and how loud it was, quite surprised the Orc, he shook his head and placed his hand on his left ear. "Sorry, i guess i took it too far." Twilight replied with a genuine voice. "I understand, I would be quite surprised if a creature we had never seen before ran into one of us." Karpath replied with a calm tone. "I would be willing to answer any questions you might have, but i would rather not do it in this forest." Twilight was quick to respond "Sure, we can do that, we'll take you to Ponyville, nopony really likes being in the everfree forest anyway. Follow me." She started walking away, Fluttershy close behind, clearly relieved to be leaving the forest. Karpath holding up the back. "But Twilight." The timid pegasus spoke. "What about the friendship mission?" She added. "Hmm, perhaps our mission involves him." Twilight said, referencing the large creature behind them. "Maybe by knowing more about him, the purpose of the mission will present itself." "Oh, um..ok then." Fluttershy responded simply. "This is going to be a long remainder of my life." The Orc muttered to himself following the 2..ponies close behind, at first glance they had reminded him a bit of a talbuk, only they didn't have wings, and they had 2 curved horns at the backs of their heads, contrary to the one called Twilight Sparkle, whom had 1 short horn on her forehead. __________________________ Shortly enough the 2 ponies and 1 Orc left the dense treeline, the scenery changing to open fields of grass and flowers. Off to the southwest, Karpath could see what looked like a town, though the buildings were far more sophisticated in both architecture and material than any Orc clan on Draenor. These huts were very large, with a clear material on their windows, and some had very odd shapes, there was one with some sort of white material on the roof in an odd style of decoration. And then they're we're the ponies, none really noticed the Orc, but he could notice differences between the various citizens of the village, some had wings, others had those horns, and some had neither, but one thing they all had was a sort of tattoo on their flanks, and they were some of the oddest tattoos Karpath had ever seen, but soon enough, they came to a very large castle that seemed to be made entirely of crystal. And on a sort of spire of the same crystal. "Incredible, no orc could ever accomplish such feats of construction!" He commented in a very impressed voice. Twilight turned her head to look at Karpath. "Wait till you see the inside." She then opened the front door with her magic, but when she turned around, Karpath was staring at Twilight, seeming quite baffled by what just happened. "What? Don't uh, Orcs practice magic on your homeworld?" Asked Twilight. "Um, I don't think he's ever seen magic before Twilight. " Fluttershy spoke up. "This might be a dilemma for him, since magic is such a common part of our lives." Twilight admitted with a worried tone. "I'm going to assume you have just have as many questions as I do?" She asked the Orc behind them. "Quite many" the Orc admitted, following the 2 ponies inside the castle, maintaining his awe at just how vast this castle was, compared to the simple huts from the various clans on Draenor. They soon reached a room with 6 stone chairs around a circular table. The purple one called Twilight had grabbed a roll of parchment, some kind of feather with a metal tip on it and a bottle of ink. "Do you mind if I write down the information you tell us?" Asked twilight. "You are the lore keeper then?" The Orc asked, this being the best thing he could think of, reminding him a bit of Geyah, the lore keeper of the frostwolf clan. Twilight bore a look of confusion at that question, but was quick to answer. "Well I used to be something like that but, as for writing all your information down, I like to keep record." The alicorn elaborated. Karpath seemed hesitant, he barely knew these creatures, but it wax likely he wouldn't be leaving, meaning he would have to learn what he could, even if it meant sharing what he knew. "Very well, you may. But you will answer my questions first, the is my only condition." He spoke calmly. The purple one took a few seconds to respond. "Alright I can do that." She moved her parchment and feather thing aside. "What do you want to know?" -to be continued-