Curse Cipher

Orunok poured the liquid from the green bottle into a chipped bowl and handed it to his savior.

"The water source in Shadowmoon Valley is very precious."

"Thank you." The other person reached out and declined, "I don't need this."

Orunok snorted and Darkhowl down the water, then gave the remaining bit in the bowl to his "companion," a beautiful, young, brown wolf.

"You don't seem surprised at all."

"Because I've seen creatures like you before," Orunok said, pointing at him. "Gul'dan created the Death Knight, who, like you, reeked of death." The Orcs frowned. "What's your name, stranger?"

"Nathanos the Witherer".

"That sounds a bit intimidating. My name is Orunok Heartbreak, from the Shadowmoon Clan, and a former member of the Shadow Council."

"I know you," Nathanos said. "You were once Ner'zhul's servant, and you participated in the War of the Shadowmoon Temple. In the end, your chieftain betrayed you and almost killed you, didn't he?"

Orunok was extremely surprised. He opened his mouth slightly and carefully recalled the battle at the Shadowmoon Temple. He remembered that there were only four people, including himself. Excluding him and Ner'zhul, there was only one wizard and one Paladin left.

"Who are you?"

The Witherer realized the Orcs had misunderstood and explained, "I didn't witness what happened myself; I only heard about it from others."

"I've heard about it? Are you from the Alliance? I've heard that the Dark Portal has reopened and the armies of Azeroth have arrived in Outland."

"I am indeed from Azeroth, but I am not a member of the Alliance." Nathanos shook his head; to be precise, he was even an enemy of the Alliance.

"Can you tell me about the current situation in Azeroth? What happened to the Orcs who remained in that world? Are they still alive?"

"Still alive." Nathanos nodded. He had come to Orunok on business, not for idle chatter, but the old Orcs's appearance touched a lingering emotion deep within him. His father must be just as old now. "There's so much to say..."

The two talked until late at night. Nathanos answered all of Orunok's questions without reservation, and the Orcs learned that Oronok's purpose in coming to him was to find the Curse Cipher.

"It's hard to imagine that after Grommash Execute Mannoroth, Durotan's descendant is still alive and has become the Great Chief of the Horde."

"He not only became the Great Chief, but also the heir to the Doomhammer. The Horde became stronger than ever before."

Such an assessment seemed more credible coming from a non- Horde member. Orunok looked up at the starry sky and sighed silently. "Our ancestors have blessed us." After a moment, the Orcs regained his composure, stared at Nathanos, and asked, "You want to understand the Curse Cipher?"

"Yes, I want to get it too."

"Why? What do you need it for?"

The Witherer's eyes turned elsewhere, "I will use it against my enemies; I will seek revenge."

"Whom should we take revenge on?"

Nathanos paused for a moment, then answered in a low voice, "Ner'zhul."

"What?" Orunok thought he had misheard. "Say it again."

"Avenge ourselves on Ner'zhul!"

The Orcs leaped to his feet, as if regaining his youthful energy. "Ner'zhul! That guy's still alive?"

"Yes, he is still alive." Nathanos closed his eyes in anguish. "He not only led a patriotic Prince astray, but also destroyed a prosperous kingdom and turned victims like myself into what they are now." The Witherer spread his hands so that Orunok could see more clearly.

"That damned bastard, he's just like Gul'dan, a disgrace to the Orcs!" Orunok paced back and forth, cursing loudly, his expression full of disgust. "He tore this planet apart with magic and abandoned his people. Now, he's gone to another world to wreak havoc. He's simply..." The Orcs gasped for breath, no longer knowing how to express his anger.

"Didn't Thrall's Horde stop Ner'zhul?"

"He can't do it for now, because Ner'zhul's power is so great that he has become one of the greatest threats to Azeroth."

Orunok clenched his fists. He still remembered how ruthless the Orcs with the skull-painted face had been when Ner'zhul confronted Turalyon and Khadgar in the Shadowmoon Temple. He had stepped into a portal without even looking back, just like that... just like that, abandoning everything on Draenor. This wasn't just the hatred of the Undead before him, but his hatred, the hatred of all of Draenor.

"I understand." Orunok nodded. "I will help you, but you must promise me that you will tell me about Ner'zhul's defeat in the future."

"It's a deal. Now, can you tell me a clue to the Curse Cipher?"

The Orcs lowered his head and thought for a moment, deciding where to begin.

"The Curse Cipher is hidden deep within Tanaan Jungle, which is now Hellfire Peninsula. Gul'dan began searching for it before the Fel devoured this land. Later, he found it." Orunok stood up, pointing to the majestic mountain to the south, its outline still discernible in the night. "That was Gul'dan's work; it's unimaginable what kind of suffering the earth endured to create this volcano."

"I think the power of Curse Cipher is more than just raising a mountain."

"This is just the tip of the iceberg."

Orunok's words sent a chill down Nathanos's spine. The Orcs continued, "Gul'dan sought the Curse Cipher to deal with the Shaman, who held extremely high positions among the Orcs tribes. But what was truly insane was that Gul'dan's target wasn't the Shaman themselves, but the elements that gave Shaman power. At the foot of that mountain, the leader of the Shadow Council performed a horrific ritual. He used the Curse Cipher's immense power, combined with Fel magic, to completely corrupt the Firelord Senn'Rukhan. He also used its power to destroy the Draenei's defenses, turning the Temple of Karabor into the Shadowmoon Temple it is today. From then on, the connection between the elements and the Orcs was severed, and the Orcs began to crave the power of Fel..." Orunok swallowed hard, a sense of loss washing over him as he recalled these events. So many years had passed, and he had never heard the whispers of the elements again.

"Able to distort the power of the Elemental King?"

"That's not all." The Orcs shook his head. "The Curse Cipher can also imprison elements, tear apart Draenor's Elemental Plane, and alter the surface environment."

"And then what? Where did the Curse Cipher go?"

"It was obtained by Illidan Stormrage, the current ruler of Outland. This demon, known as 'The Betrayer,' divided the ciphertext of the Curse Cipher into three parts to prevent others from obtaining this power, and entrusted them to his subordinates for safekeeping."

"Do you know which three they are?" Nathanos asked hastily.

"The Naga, the demons, and another piece... should be in the hands of the Blood Elf."