The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm (44 page)

“I like to see you smile,” said Aggra, standing beside him.

He opened his blue eyes and gazed down at her, the smile widening. “You should get used to it, for with you, I seem to smile much more often.”

The words were true, but even though Thrall’s heart was full and his mind at peace with his decision, there were many uncertainties and, he was sure, trials yet to come. He took her hand in his and squeezed it.

They had come to Ratchet from Thunder Bluff, sending word ahead to Orgrimmar and the port town while he and Aggra finalized their plans. One of the greatest sailing vessels of the Horde fleet had been prepared at lightning speed for the journey to the Maelstrom. As Thrall and Aggra rode their wolves down to the dock, they were greeted by Gazlowe. He looked a bit bleary-eyed, and Thrall suspected he had not yet seen his bed, but he gave them a wide, sharp-toothed smile nonetheless.

“Your courier told us to get this ship ready, and we did!” Gazlowe said. “Fresh water, a few barrels of beer and grog, plenty
of supplies—you’re all set for your voyage, Warchief!” He did a double take at Aggra and then bowed low. “Hel-
lo
, you must be the lovely young shaman I’ve heard so much about.”

“I am a shaman, and my
name
is Aggra,” she said, eyes narrowing. “And you might be?”

“Gazlowe. Me and that big lug of yours go way back,” the goblin said, beaming. Clearly either he hadn’t noticed Aggra was irritated, or else he simply was unperturbed by it. “Like what you’ve done with his style. Simple brown robes—understated, sharp. It’s a good look for the big guy. Always happy to have the warchief and, now, his lady come to visit.”

“I am not the warchief,” Thrall said, “not for some time anyway. Garrosh will continue as acting warchief in my absence.”

Gazlowe grumbled a bit. “Bad business that, with Cairne.”

Thrall sobered. “True,” he said. “A tragedy that has lessened us all. But Garrosh did not act dishonorably. And that is all I will say on the matter. You say the ship is ready?”

“Ready and waiting,” Gazlowe said. As they approached, Aggra saw the name of the ship.

“Draka’s Fury,”
she said, grinning. “A good choice for our journey.”

“It seemed to fit,” Thrall said. “I wanted to honor the strong orc females who have blessed my life.”

Aggra actually blushed and looked a little flustered. “It will be a long journey.”

“But the right one,” Thrall said. He did not have a second thought. He had been called, and he would go. Not as warchief, but as himself.

As Thrall.

Son of Durotan and Draka.

Shaman.

The story you’ve just read is based in part on characters, situations, and settings from Blizzard Entertainment’s computer game
World of Warcraft,
an online role-playing experience set in the award-winning Warcraft universe. In
World of Warcraft,
players create their own heroes and explore, adventure in, and quest across a vast world shared with thousands of other players. This rich and expansive game also allows players to interact with and fight against or alongside many of the powerful and intriguing characters featured in this novel.

Since launching in November 2004,
World of Warcraft
has become the world’s most popular subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game. The
Wrath of the Lich King
expansion sold more than 2.8 million copies within its first twenty-four hours of availability and more than 4 million copies in its first month, breaking records to become the fastest-selling PC game of all time. More information about the upcoming expansion,
Cataclysm,
which continues the story of Azeroth where this novel ends, can be found on
worldofwarcraft.com
.

If you’d like to read more about the characters, situations, and settings featured in this novel, the sources listed below offer additional pieces of the story of Azeroth.

• Thrall’s intriguing background—depicted in
Warcraft: Lord of the Clans
by Christie Golden—has allowed him to form strong bonds with humans such as Jaina Proudmoore. You can find more information about Thrall and Jaina’s friendship in
World of Warcraft: Cycle of Hatred
by Keith R. A. DeCandido as well as in issues #15–20 of the monthly
World of Warcraft
comic book by Walter and Louise Simonson, Jon Buran, Mike Bowden, Phil Moy, Walden Wong, and Pop Mhan. Additional insight into the lives of Thrall’s ancestors is revealed in
World of Warcraft: Rise of the Horde
by Christie Golden.

• In this novel, Prince Anduin Wrynn struggles to cope with the violent and short-tempered “Lo’Gosh” side of his father, Varian. Further details about Anduin’s relationship with Varian, as well as his life as the prince of Stormwind, are depicted in the monthly
World of Warcraft
comic book by Walter and Louise Simonson, Ludo Lullabi, Jon Buran, Mike Bowden, Sandra Hope, and Tony Washington.

• The headstrong Garrosh Hellscream appears alongside Thrall in issues #15–20 of the monthly
World of Warcraft
comic book by Walter and Louise Simonson, Jon Buran, Mike Bowden, Phil Moy, Walden Wong, and Pop Mhan. In addition, a glimpse into Garrosh’s life before he became a praised hero of the Horde can be seen in
World of Warcraft: Beyond the Dark Portal
by Aaron Rosenberg and Christie Golden.

• The treacherous events of the Wrath Gate, including the tragic death of the Horde hero Saurfang the Younger, are portrayed in the short story “Glory” by Evelyn Fredericksen (on
www.worldofwarcraft.com
).

• Orgrimmar’s arena has seen many brutal battles, one of which was between Garrosh Hellscream and Thrall. The reasons behind their duel and its outcome are shown in issue #19 of the monthly
World of Warcraft
comic book by Walter and Louise Simonson, Mike Bowden, Phil Moy, Richard Friend, and Sandra Hope.

• Drek’Thar is an aging and absentminded orc shaman in this book, but he once acted as Thrall’s tutor in
Warcraft: Lord of the Clans
by Christie Golden. Drek’Thar’s past is also described in
World of Warcraft: Rise of the Horde
by Christie Golden.

• Jaina Proudmoore strives to mediate conflicts between the Alliance and the Horde in the monthly
World of Warcraft
comic book by Walter and Louise Simonson, Ludo Lullabi, Jon Buran, Mike Bowden, Sandra Hope, and Tony Washington, as well as in
World of Warcraft: Cycle of Hatred
by Keith R. A. DeCandido. You can read about Jaina’s earlier years before she became the ruler of Theramore in
World of Warcraft: Arthas: Rise of the Lich King
by Christie Golden.

• Even before the world-altering events of this novel, King Varian Wrynn’s life was plagued with difficulties.
World of Warcraft: Tides of Darkness
by Aaron Rosenberg,
World of Warcraft: Arthas: Rise of the Lich King
by Christie Golden, and the monthly
World of Warcraft
comic book by Walter and Louise Simonson, Ludo Lullabi, Jon Buran, Mike Bowden, Sandra Hope, and Tony Washington all offer insight into Varian’s background, including his mysterious past as Lo’Gosh and his relationship with his son, Anduin.

• King Magni Bronzebeard plays a minor role in issues #9–11 of the monthly
World of Warcraft
comic book by Walter Simonson, Jon Buran, Jerome Moore, and Sandra Hope. Additionally,
Warcraft: Legends volume 5—Nightmares
by Richard A. Knaak and Rob Ten Pas reveals Magni’s fears about his daughter, Moira, and the Dark Iron dwarves when his dreams are plagued by foul magic from the Emerald Nightmare.

• Before becoming one of Thrall’s most trusted advisors, the orc Eitrigg led a life of solitude. Eitrigg’s intriguing history and the events that led him to join Thrall’s side are depicted in
Warcraft: Of Blood and Honor
by Chris Metzen.

• High Priest Rohan, Anduin Wrynn’s wise dwarven ally in this novel, plays a role as a member of the new Council of Tirisfal in issues #23–25 of the monthly
World of Warcraft
comic book by Walter and Louise Simonson, Mike Bowden, and Tony Washington.

• Further details of Magatha Grimtotem’s tenuous relationship with Cairne Bloodhoof are disclosed in issue #3 of the monthly
World of Warcraft
comic book by Walter Simonson, Ludo Lullabi, and Sandra Hope.

• Archdruid Hamuul Runetotem is featured in issue #3 and issues #23–25 of the monthly
World of Warcraft
comic book by Walter and Louise Simonson, Ludo Lullabi, Sandra Hope, Mike Bowden, and Tony Washington. The venerable archdruid also plays a minor role in battling the foul magic of the Emerald Nightmare in
World of Warcraft: Stormrage
by Richard Knaak.

• The inspirational story of Thrall’s mother, Draka, and her struggle to overcome her own frailty is portrayed in
Warcraft: Legends volume 4—A Warrior Made: Part 1
and
Warcraft: Legends volume 5—A Warrior Made: Part 2
by Christie Golden and In-Bae Kim.

Azeroth’s elementals are in disarray; tenuous political ties among the Alliance and the Horde are on the verge of shattering to pieces, and the very surface of the world has been ripped and torn asunder. The Cataclysm has begun. …

Now that you’ve glimpsed the dire fate that awaits Azeroth, you can play a role in sparing the world from impending doom in
World of Warcraft
’s upcoming third expansion,
Cataclysm.
The previous two
World of Warcraft
expansions,
The Burning Crusade
and
Wrath of the Lich King,
take players to the alien world of Outland and the icy wastes of Northrend. In
Cataclysm,
players will witness the return of the corrupted Dragon Aspect Deathwing as he awakens from his subterranean slumber and erupts onto the surface of Azeroth, leaving ruin and destruction in his wake. The future hangs in the balance, and as the Horde and Alliance race to the epicenter of the Cataclysm, they will require the help of any and all adventurers willing to risk their lives.

To discover the ever-expanding world that has entertained millions around the globe, go to
worldofwarcraft.com
and download the free trial version. Live the story.