What woke Sal from his coma was the noise around him.

For a while, he was still a little confused, not knowing where he was, but vaguely aware that there seemed to be a lot of people talking next to him. But he didn't make out a single familiar sound, or a word he could understand.

This made Thrall panic for a moment, but as his sanity regained control, he suddenly realized what those gruff, deep voices were saying.

It's orc language.

He opened his eyes without thinking, dragging his stiff body and trying to sit up. This sudden reaction startled everyone around them, and the conversation fell silent in an instant. But by this time Sal had already sat up.

The first thing he saw was an old orc. The jaw is drooping, the teeth are yellow, and many have fallen out and broken. His eyes were a strange cream color, and Sal couldn't find a pupil in them. His back was hunched badly, his limbs were thin, and he looked weaker than a child.

But beneath such a debilitating exterior, there was something that the young warrior couldn't help but feel in awe. Thrall stared at each other until the whispering voice sounded again, and he glanced quickly at the others around him.

They are undoubtedly all orcs. Thrall had only met his people once, when they were loaded in a car as prisoners, looking listless. With the exception of the orc who rushed out to protect him, everyone else was silent and indifferent, like a walking corpse.

But the orcs around him were different from that one. Whether it is an old man with white hair or a childish child, there is a sparkle in their eyes. But what caught the eye was the giant white wolf standing at their feet. These quiet beasts were much larger than the wolves Thrall had ever seen, and they stood up even higher than the orcs' waists.

"You are—" Thrall's voice couldn't help but be a little astringent because of anticipation and nervousness, "Are you the Frostwolf Clan?" ”

He caused a new round of whispering. And the old orc answered him.

"Yes." The other party said, "We are the Frostwolf Clan you have been looking for." ”

Thrall's eyes sparkled with certainty. But at the same time, he realized another meaning in the other person's words: "You know I'm looking for you? ”

"The marks you left behind are as visible as a wild boar on a rampage, outsider." Another adult orc warrior chimed in. He had a bandage around his arm.

Thrall didn't care about the disdain in his voice. He was mentally prepared for this. But he said "you". The word made Sal jerk out of his joy and remember what had happened before.

Ogre sentinels, and that avalanche!

He couldn't help but curse himself for getting carried away, and at the same time stood up and asked eagerly, "Where did you find me?" What about my companions? ”

The orcs gave him strange looks, as if Thrall were a slime monster or something. The previous adult orc roared in disgust, "You call humans companions? Those shameless pinkskins don't deserve to be in the company of real orcs! ”

His remarks provoked a flurry of responses. The gaze that looked at Sal in the bustling voice became more and more unfriendly.

"Those shameless humans don't know what glory is!"

"What tricks are they trying to play this time?"

"Why did you bring those two humans here?"

"Why are you looking for us? To guide humanity? ”

"Want to catch us all? Traitor! ”

Sal didn't expect them to even give him a chance to explain, and for a moment he was a little caught off guard. He didn't want to anger the orcs, but after a moment's hesitation, his concern for his companions prevailed. After all, if it weren't for Dineen and Albert, he would still be in Dunhold.

"It's not what you think—"

But Sal's voice was completely drowned out in denunciations, and no one listened to him. It frustrated and disappointed him a little – it wasn't quite what he had imagined.

At this moment, the old orc raised a hand. He never said a word, but the silent command, with its strange effect, quickly silenced all the orcs. He stared at Sal and said calmly, "We'll give you a chance to explain, outsider." But whether it's true or not, we'll tell. ”

The sudden silence made Sal a little nervous. He took a deep breath to calm himself down.

"My name is Sal."

His opening remarks made the circle around him agitate again, some snorted, some sneered, but none of them interrupted him silently.

"The name means slave. And I was a slave. Sal said frankly, surprised that he wasn't ashamed, "I was raised by humans and never met my parents, or any other orcs. The place where I grew up, as you may have heard of it, was Dunhold. I fought there as a gladiator. Fight, win, next battle...... I used to think that was all there was to it. ”

"But then I found out that it was wrong. In their eyes, I was just an object, a tool for fun. Sal felt a fire burn in his chest, and when he broke free from the obstacle, he realized how stupid his past self was, which made him involuntarily raise his voice, "I don't want to continue to exist as an accessory, I want to be a free person!" ”

He stared into the bandaged orc's eyes, and his voice was low: "—and the 'pink skin' in your mouth, they led me out." ”

"They were the ones who told me the history of the orcs, the power and glory that the orcs had before they were cursed, the Frostwolf Clan was the only tribe that adhered to the path of their ancestors, told me you were here, and brought me here to find my origin and bloodline."

At this point, Sal remembered, and he reached into his arms and pulled out the piece of cloth that he had carefully protected. After seeing the white wolf head on it, the orcs all showed surprised expressions.

"Give it to me." The old orc spoke.

Sal carefully handed the fabric to the other man's hand. The old orc held it in both hands, placed it on his chest, whispered a few words that Sal couldn't hear, and nodded.

"As I guessed." He sighed heavily, "This cloth is indeed the style of the Frostwolf Clan. It's hand-sewn by your mother...... We all thought you were dead. ”

"Do you know who my parents are?" Sal asked eagerly.

He was not the only one anxiously waiting for an answer, and some of the orcs also looked puzzled. But others were hesitant and hesitant. They seemed to think of something, but no one spoke.

The old orc looked up at Thrall, but didn't speak immediately, as if in thought. Thrall was anxious in the center of this brief silence, full of anticipation and apprehension.

"Yes." Finally, the other man spoke in a low voice, "You are the only son of our former chieftain Durotan and his brave companion Draka. ”

There was an uproar.

The orcs around him shouted loudly, many shouting in disbelief. But they are more of a shock than a question. Realizing this, Sal let out a slow, long breath in a cacophony of voices, as if he had never gasped for breath in his life. At this moment, he only felt that all the shackles on his body had fallen, and the hollowness in his heart had been filled.

"Dinein—I mean, my companion told me his story." Thrall tried his best to speak calmly, but his voice still trembled uncontrollably, "I know he's a hero who dares to resist Gul'dan's plots. But I never dared to think that he was my father. This is... It is my pleasure, Elder. Thank you for telling me this. ”

"I'm Drektar. Shaman of the Frostwolf Clan. The old orc said, "Now that you know this, what do you want to do next?" ”

As soon as he spoke, the orcs fell silent again. Thrall gave him a puzzled look, "I don't understand what you mean..."

"Your father is our chief." Drektar said, "What about you? Are you going to ask us for the right to rule? ”

"No!" Sal immediately exclaimed in surprise, "How could I possibly do this? I mean...... My father was a chief, so that doesn't mean I'm qualified to be a chief, I didn't even think about that before I came here! ”

Realizing that he was overly excited, Thrall was silent for a moment to calm himself down, then continued, "I just want to ask you to allow me to stay here. Being a parent only motivates me to be a good person like them, but other than that, I'm no different, if not a little bit like everyone here. For I have to learn from each and every one of you how to be a true orc. ”

His humble attitude had brought the frostwolf orcs to each other, and their previous hostility had been greatly reduced. But Thrall waited apprehensively.

Once again, Drektar motioned for the orcs to be quiet.

"If you can do what you say, then we will naturally accept you as one of the frostwolves." His pupilless eyes stared directly at Thrall, "But, before that, I want to know what you plan to do with those two humans." ”

Even with the preparation for this inevitable problem, Sal's heart sank.

"Where are they now?" He asked.

"Our warriors brought them back with you." Drektar replied.

Worst.

Thrall took a deep breath: "I think..... I want you to allow them to leave. ”

Before anyone could oppose him, he quickly added, "These two humans kept their promise and brought me here to find you. I deserve the same in return. ”

"But what if they leak our location?" An orc objected.

"They're going to bring the human army!" Another orc should be in harmony.

"Until then, I'll smash their skulls with my axe! Bah! ”

"There is nothing good about humanity! A coward with one set in front and one set in the back! ”

Everything instantly returned to square one, and the fierce shouting and scolding made Sal a little at a loss: "But... They saved me! Does the glory of the orcs allow us to take revenge? ”

"Humans are not worthy to fulfill the orc code!" The orc with the bandage on his arm growled, and he looked at Thrall coldly, "Besides, you're not really an orc. Hey, raised by humans, are you used to listening to those pink words, so you don't have the guts to slaughter them? ”

"They're my friends!" Sal exclaimed.

"True orcs never associate with humans, just as frostwolves don't walk with rabbits!"

"Yes!"

In desperation, Thrall looked at Drektar, hoping that he would once again appease the enraged Frostwolf Orcs. But the old shaman did not react as if he had heard nothing. And the surrounding orcs became more and more noisy. Either way, they unanimously demanded that the two humans be killed.

Thrall stood still, listening to the insults around him. Most of the hatred is directed towards humans, but there are also a small number of doubts that come from his experience of being raised and enslaved by humans. As he listened, he remembered Dineen's impartial narration and Albert's sincerity.

His human friends didn't care about his race, but his people were as extreme and arrogant as the humans he had seen since childhood.

This is the people I'm looking for? This is the life I look forward to? This is the real orc? Is this what I want to be?

No.

No!

No!!!

"-Enough!"

The long-stored disappointment turned into a sudden burst of anger that erupted from Thrall's chest.

His roar startled everyone, and everything fell silent. All eyes looked at him in disbelief, not knowing what he was going to do.

But Sal didn't feel any crampedness. It was as if he was back in the gladiatorial arena, and the audience's gaze never made him feel cramped and uneasy. He stood there straight, looking at his people, full of determination.

"No matter where I grew up, I'm an orc," Thrall forced his eyes to see if anyone dared to contradict him. But no, "So, let's solve this problem the orc way!" ”

What is the way of the orcs?

At least Sal had only heard of one.

- Duel.

In a strange silence, Thrall's powerful roar echoed through the clearing. The long wind spread his voice and echoed through the valley.

"I am Thrall, son of Durotan, son of Draka! I vouch for my companions with my life and glory, who are equally noble and upright men. Anyone who doubts me, I accept his challenge! ”

"Who questioned me? Who challenged me? ”

He stood in place with his head held high, scanning the eyes of each orc one by one, his blue pupils filled with a daunting surging rage, his bare hands, but he was unstoppable.

Behind him, Drektar smiled a reassuring smile.