User:Cptgrudge/Torgras and the Druid

(currently a work in progress to fit more accurately with lore)

Torgras and the Druid
Torgras slumped over, exhausted, on all fours as he caught his breath.

"You fight well, warlock, yet you hold back," said the large bear before him in a deep voice.

"Yes," Torgras wheezed, although he was questioning his decision. How could he convey that he was attempting to save his soul, when warlocks were apparently welcomed within the Forsaken and Horde ranks? He heard far off laughing, but not from the bear.

Torgras got to his feet and turned back to the somber Tauren druid, who was still in bear form.

"Where is your imp?" asked the druid. "It will make you stronger."

Torgras squinted his eyes and tried to hide the feeling of revulsion within him that made his skin crawl.

"It is a dirty, nasty little thing," Torgras replied evenly, "I do not trust it in the least."

"No," responded the druid, "It is your ally, and will aid you in battle."

Yes, of course it would, thought Torgras. When he had first summoned it after being taught the skill, he felt the pull of the little imp's mind. All manner of perverse and evil thoughts flowed through its small cunning brain, but whatever the case might be, it would follow his directions and will, even into death.

Torgras had long wrestled with even summoning the imp at all. He knew that with each use of demonic energies, his own soul was being corrupted. The only end result seemed to be the inevitable descent into wickedness and evil. And now he was being encouraged to use it? By a druid, no less?

He thought carefully about the decision before him. On the one hand, he could feel what seemed like a slow corruption of his soul with each use of fel magic. But on the other, Torgras might need to grow more powerful in the days to come to get past his condition. Lack of use could just get him killed in dangerous future situations as he fumbled with spells he was unaccustomed to using.

Torgras studied the Tauren's furry bear face carefully. Here sat a druid which not only did not mind warlocks, but even recommended the use of demonic magics to make them more powerful. Weren't druids normally quite opposed to demons? After all, demons loved chaos, and nothing seemed to make them happier than the simple destruction of life.

Then again, the druid was quite a bit older than he. Perhaps he knew what he was speaking of. Torgras steeled himself, and resolved to use the imp this time.

"Very well," Torgras finally said, "I will use the filthy imp." And he smiled, though the druid couldn't see it since Torgras lacked a lower jaw. Torgras had decided to use all of his powers that he had been avoiding.

"Excellent," said the Tauren, seemingly amused, "Prepare yourself."

Torgras looked at a nondescript patch of dirt next to him, and focused on it intently. He then felt out with his mind to the Twisting Nether, or wherever the wicked little demon made its home, and called to it. He could feel the imp perk up, and become excited as it would soon have new opportunities for sowing chaos and fiery death. His target found, Torgras summoned the certain energies required for the portal, and let them fly toward the ground next to him.

Purple light danced about the unnatural opening, and the little green imp stepped through. It looked over at the druid first, then expectantly back up at Torgras, and then licked its cracked lips with a thin black tongue.

Torgras closed his eyes as the ecstasy of the summoning faded from him, then sighed and opened them again as he spoke.

"Alright, druid, I am prepared," Torgras stated.

"Then let us begin," the Tauren said as he quickly got to his four feet.

Torgras stood a few yards from the druid, and waited for the duel to begin.

After mere moments that seemed like an eternity to Torgras, the druid came lumbering towards him. Torgras had only moments to act, so he thought quickly. He would need some distance between them before he could release his full powers. Even before the spell was cast, Torgras smiled; primal instincts could be his allies too. The buildup of fel power released from Torgras, and the druid knew Fear.

As the Tauren momentarily made a hasty retreat in the opposite direction, Torgras glanced down at the imp he had summoned. It was tossing fireballs at the druid with apparent glee, and although he knew that they likely wouldn't do much damage to the bear's thick hide, Torgras was somehow emboldened by the brazen pursuit of destruction.

He turned his attention back towards the druid and reached down within himself. Torgras felt the buildup of the fel energies from the void and nearly laughed as they coursed through him like a wave of happiness twisted with rage. The magic released again, and Torgras let loose bolts of shadow to strike the druids skin.

Finally, the druid turned, freed from Torgras's initial spell, and ran back towards him. Torgras let fly a curse that would cause his target pain as he moved backwards to hold off the druid's attack for a few precious moments. The druid closed in on Torgras, and brought a massive paw swiping across him. He stumbled, slightly dazed from the sheer strength of the blow, but he was already casting his next spell. Torgras winced slightly from another raking hit, and then druid was fleeing in fear once more.

Quickly tiring, Torgras let fly another bolt, but his opponent had recovered far faster this time. The druid ran in quickly, and although Torgras was casting yet another spell, with a final few hits, the druid brought him to the ground.

Again, he was exhausted, but it was different this time. Though the druid wouldn't be able to see it, Torgras was grinning wide, nearly laughing. The full use of his powers was extraordinarily fun; there was no other way to describe it. After a few moments, he got to his feet once again and looked at the druid, who was now back in his Tauren form. He had cast a healing spell of some sort on Torgras. Was it just him, or did the druid seem to be breathing a bit heavier than before?

"You see?" said the druid, with a half-smile, "Though you still require some training, I foresee you becoming a powerful warlock in the future."

"Thank you for your words, wise druid," Torgras said, with a bow, "Farewell."

With that, Torgras started off on the road that would lead out of the village, his mind whirling with thoughts. As he mused over this new experience, Torgras grew aware of the wicked thoughts of the imp. They all imparted in various ways the revenge that the two of them would visit on this impertinent druid one day, and the humiliation that their opponent would know.

This time, Torgras did laugh. "Of course, little imp," he said, and his imp smiled a sharp, toothy grin. With a thought, Torgras dismissed him, and his imp faded away, still smiling.

Now truly alone with just his thoughts, Torgras felt a twinge of guilt over the full use of his newfound powers. Could the druid possibly have known exactly what he was counseling Torgras to do? The likelihood that a druid would know more than him about the aspects of demonic magics was slim. No, the druid was probably wrong. Then again, after some time had passed, Torgras felt no worse, no more "evil" for having unleashed the fel magics at his command against another living being.

Torgras sighed. He needed to clear his head, and some quiet fishing felt like it would help calm him. As he took out his fishing pole and headed for his favorite fishing spot, Torgras did come to one conclusion. His imp wasn't so bad. Torgras still didn't trust it, but it did seem to have his interests at heart, so to speak. Torgras figured he could use his imp's selfish reasons for loyalty to his advantage in his search for redemption.

As he cast his line into the water, again there was a far off laughing.

Torgras chose to ignore it.