And so, after stepping off the ship, Karin somehow ended up with a follower.
Still, it was hardly a bad thing. Nathanos was a decent young man without any ill intentions... and he was an excellent shot with a longbow. With him around, Karin had no need to worry about his safety.
Although Valgarde was nominally the largest city in Quel'Thalas, to Karin it was little more than a town! Small wooden houses stood scattered outside the harbor, and a few shops could be seen along the gravel roads... few of their wares interested him.
Following the All-Knowing Eye's guidance, Karin bought a little icethorn, goldclover, and Talandra's rose... herbs that were hard to find in the south. After tossing them all into his pack, he decided to explore the area.
The weather in Howling Fjord was fairly mild, not nearly as cold as Karin had imagined... Cauldros Lake lay a dozen or so miles north of Valgarde, supplying the fresh water people needed for daily life... Suddenly, Karin spotted a mysterious, ancient castle in the distance, standing on the shores of Cauldros Lake in Howling Fjord!
Memories of his previous life began to surface.
This was Utgarde Keep, where the flesh-and-blood Vrykul lay in their long slumber.
The Vrykul were the Titans' first creations, forged from stone! But after the Titans departed, some Vrykul fell under the influence of the Old Gods and suffered the curse of flesh, becoming Flesh Vrykul. When the Titans returned to Azeroth for the second time to seal away the Old Gods, they judged the effects of the curse of flesh to be within acceptable limits and did not eradicate them!
As time passed, the Vrykul, now creatures of flesh and blood, began to multiply across Azeroth. They hunted, built, and lived in communities, the most notable of which was the Dragonflayer Clan. The Vrykul of this tribe excelled at taming Proto-Dragons as battle companions. Occupying southern ancient Northrend, they defeated the Furbolgs and other beasts under King Ymiron's command and soon established a firm foothold in what was now Howling Fjord.
Yet the Titans' seals on the Old Gods gradually weakened, and the curse of flesh tightened its grip on the Vrykul. The women of the Dragonflayer Clan even began giving birth to small, deformed children! King Ymiron witnessed it all. Believing that every misfortune afflicting his clan was caused by the Titans' inaction, he called an assembly in the capital and urged the people of the Dragonflayer Clan to abandon their faith in the Titans and execute the deformed children born among them.
But this proved useless. The curse of flesh continued to spread, and within a few years, it had become impossible to control. More and more of their newborns were small, deformed creatures. In the end, most of the Vrykul, including King Ymiron, were at their wits' end. They could only use magic to put themselves into a deep slumber, hoping to escape the curse of flesh's further effects.
Some female Vrykul, unwilling to see their newborn children condemned to death, chose to betray their people. They secretly fled with their deformed children, traveling south, far from Northrend and their clans. These Vrykul children who escaped to distant lands would become the ancestors of humanity.
That was merely the history of the Vrykul, but Karin also knew their future.
In the future, the story of a human prince's fall would unfold. Arthas Menethil, or perhaps the "Lich King," would need stronger fighters for the Scourge he ruled, so he would awaken the Flesh Vrykul from their long slumber. He would promise King Ymiron that, if they pledged allegiance to the Lich King, they could escape the curse of flesh and gain eternal life and limitless power. Ymiron would then lead his Flesh Vrykul into the Scourge, becoming one of the Lich King's formidable commanders.
"Mr. Karin, that's an abandoned old castle. It's been deserted for at least several thousand years!" Nathanos explained beside him.
"Let's take a look!" Karin said.
The two walked around Cauldros Lake and approached the old castle. Its walls were thick with dust. Karin brushed some away, revealing many strange inscriptions. Were these remnants left by the Titans?
After all, the Vrykul were the Titans' creations, and Utgarde Keep was itself a relic left behind by the Titans. According to the accounts from his previous life, the castle had been built to forge stone into Vrykul.
"Mr. Karin, there's something very strange about this deserted castle!" Nathanos warned quietly. "They say many residents of Valgarde have tried to enter, but none ever came back alive..."
"Is that so?" Karin nodded... The Titan Ruins were bound to contain traps or similar devices. Ordinary people who rushed inside would certainly run into trouble.
Still, Nathanos's warning made Karington think twice about going in.
He was only a First Ring mage, after all, not much different from an ordinary person.
At that thought, Karin could not help feeling wistful. He was far too weak...
If he were a Sixth Ring or even a Seventh Ring mage, he could easily rally Valgarde's residents and lead them south to wipe out the North Sea Pirates' stronghold, earn enough reputation, and become Valgarde's protector... Then, if the Scourge made any moves in the future, or if Arthas wanted to land here, Karin could learn of it immediately and even interfere with his plans!
He could also venture deep into Utgarde Pinnacle, awaken all the Vrykul there, and defeat their leader, King Ymiron! The Vrykul revered strength, so they would naturally honor him as their leader. He could bring the entire Dragonflayer Clan under his command and perhaps even strike directly into the Scourge's heartland in the future...
Unfortunately, all of that was nothing more than wishful thinking. He was only a First Ring mage and could never accomplish such things.
"Let's go, Nathanos!" Karin shook his head and was about to leave.
"Oh, an Elf!" A gruff voice came from behind him. "What a rare sight! To think I'd find an Elf in Northrend!"
Karin turned and saw a yellow-bearded Dwarf who looked quite young... He carried a hunting rifle, and a gorilla almost as tall as him followed at his side. Apparently, it was his pet.
"Is that any way to address Mr. Karin?" Nathanos snapped at the Dwarf, displeased.
"Oh, sorry, sorry!" The Dwarf was quite good-natured. "Allow me to make the introductions. This is Grybe!"
He pointed to the gorilla beside him.
"And I am the great explorer Brann Bronzebeard... Are you two here to explore this castle as well?"