19. The Story of Paakta
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December 2009
I am Paakta Legionsbane, so named by former and mourned Chief Dromtar of the Sunderedskull Clan. This is my story, as told to me by my surrogate mother, Reva Rainwind, widow of Greaver Rainwind, of the Tauren people of Red Cloud Mesa, where I was raised.
After a grueling battle with pirates at sea and losing her husband. Reva Rainwind was traveling to Mulgore with her two small boys Novma (4 yrs) and Monnaak (2 yrs). As they were passing west of the old Grol'dom Farm, they stopped for noonmeal. When Reva heard crying in the bushes, she went to look. She found a wagon, broken and burned. She also found a female orc baby lying right next to a dead orc female. She found no information as to who they were.
Reva had complications birthing Monnaak and knew she would not be able to birth any more children. She wanted a little girl, but as the boys grew, it seemed unattainable. So, she decided to keep the baby and raise her as her own, and she named the baby, Paakta.
I had the orc rage bursting inside me and it seemed I was more boy than the boys whether fighting, fishing or hunting. Fighting I grew to love, having more than my share of it with them. I loved my mother, but nothing compared to my brothers and I wanted to be with them all the time.
Not only was I different than the rest of the children in the village, I looked different in some standards to the orcs too, the ones I had seen in the village.
At the age of 10, I broke the arm of one of the other boys in the village because of my out of control bloodrage. I could no longer control. As hard as it was for my mother to do it, she sent me to Sen'jin Village to learn to meditate to control it. Barely a year went by before I ran away, thinking to myself that no one wanted me around. For 2 years, I lived in the wilds by myself, alone with my worg, “Baby”.
At the age of 13, I went back home to my mother, only to find out my brother Monnaak had died of a fever three months prior and my older brother Novma had gone to fight at Warsong Gulch and had been killed at 17. So, in ceremony to my brothers, I took their spirit walks for them at the tribal ceremonies (which seemed to finally calm the bloodrage inside me). It was a hard path to walk. Let no one make mistake that the Taurens are a soft people. They are not. That walk is not an easy one. There were a few times when I almost gave up, but, in the end, I won my rights to be named hunter of the people.
At age 15, I went to Orgrimmar for the first time. Not ever having been in a big city before, I was overwhelmed and totally lost as I stood at the beginning of The Drag. I was scare. Me, Paakta. Scared! Scared of what?, you say. Scared of evil witchcraft and sorcery, things that are not seen in most Tauren villages and most certainly not seen by children. You have to admit: The Drag is eerie looking.
So I was standing there, looking so confused when a male orc shaman of the most magnificent form drove up to me on a motor bike. I was in awe. He said, "Hi, Dromtar's the name, Chief Dromtar of the Sundered Skull Clan." He had stopped to ask if I needed help. With my mouth hanging open, I shook my head yes. He said, "Get in the side car." and I did.
Much later, we sat with a few other orcs (Zorag, Xarim and others) around a camp fire while they told me of their Clan of misfit homeless orcs and trolls alike. They had banded together and had made a life there in Splinter Tree Fort. I finally felt I belonged.
Together, we did raids on villages of elves, humans, whatever. Those were hard angry times, you have too understand. Then, to my disbelief, Dromtar stepped down off the throne and gave it to another orc. From then on, it completely disabled us.
Later, I heard a speech made by Thrall himself, a speech that spoke of peace and about everyone helping each other, and he talked about a new war coming.
So I dropped all my tabards and went back to the wilderness alone; only going to the cities for supplies. I still sent foodstuffs to my mother and then one day she sent for me.
When I got to Red Cloud Mesa, the sky was full of early morning clouds. I opened the flap of my mother’s tent to see a female Tauren step away from my mother’s cot. I dropped to my knees beside my mother. My mother, tender as she was, had been attacked by the Brambleblade Razormanes. She had taken them food for their young, and to prove a point of it being their land, she was attacked. She was dying. Crying, I held her hand, laid my head on her chest not realizing the pool of blood I lay my head in, and I cried like the baby she first saw.
"Paakta”, I raised my head. "Listen to me. In times to come, there will be good ones and bad ones. It is in this, you will find yourself. But first, you must learn the truth about yourself. Please forgive me. I hid it to keep you from harm.”
“When I found you, your human mother (yes I said human) had not yet passed through the veil of death. She wanted me to tell you of your making."
"She told me she had been taken as a captive by a tribe of trolls. They sold her to your father, who released her after some months and left her at Ratchet to go where she would. He was a good man and she fell deeply in love with him. I know humans and orcs don't mix, but they did. It was their souls intertwining. So, when he left her free, she was to go back to her people, but she didn't. She stayed there in Ratchet and got a job at the local inn. She saved her money as her stomach grew. Finally, she got a wagon and a guide to take her to your father, but she gave birth to you before she got there. You were born near Razor Hill. The goblin guide, not knowing she was carrying an orc child, ran off blubbering that it was not good for his business. So she finished giving birth alone, and then she bundled you up and set off in the wagon on her own. At Grol'drom Farm, that is where the Razermanes started attacking her. They took all she had and left her for dead and you for hyena food. That happened a day or so before I found you.”
“So you are neither orc or human. You are both. To find your way will be hard but find it you must, because your human side cannot control your orc bloodrage.”
“Your mother never said who your father was but she did say even though he was one of the favored hunters forThrall.”
“You must find yourself, my child, my little girl." She rubbed her hand across my cheek and died.
Laying the same way all night, the women of the village pulled me away to wrap her. I grabbed my bow, axe and whistled for my worg, “Ironjaw”. I went and slaughtered every Razormane in Brambleblade Ravine. Women, children, it made no difference to me. The more I killed, the more I wanted to kill, cause it did nothing to stop the pain and anger raging inside me. Finally all was quiet. It was just me.
Then my mother’s words started going through my head over and over and mixing with the message of Thrall's. I knew what I was meant for now. I looked around and saw what I had done, and I shuddered. I collected my gear and headed to Redbull Lake to wash away all of the sticky blood off of me. Not being able to hide from myself, I now strive to help everyone of every race. Until I die. For I am Paakta, the human orc. And a bane for all lich and legion spawn alike until the day of peace settles over this world of ours.
Guildies:
Paakta (hunter) at level 69. Queen Laara (paladin) at level 75,
Hartok (mage) at level 80, and Sethra (DK) at level 80
(in Dalaran) (December 11, 2009)
Paakta at level 69. Queen Laara at level 75 - talking in the doorway of
the inn in Dalaran
(December 11, 2009)
Queen Laara
take Paakta on a tour around lower Northrend
(Paakta at level 69. Queen Laara at level 75)
(December 11, 2009)
Dec 14, 2009