warlords 4

“Yrel? Yrel!” The draenei snapped out of the daze she was in. She found herself staring down at the map of Draenor that the commander used to plan and send out missions. He had been calling her for who knows how long, but she was lost in thought. She was thinking about the goblins in general, and Chazix. How they seemed to answer a lot of problems her race had quite effortlessly. Their stagnation, their constant retreat from the Legion and the insidious overconfidence and arrogance that lead to them having to flee in the first place.

“What?”

“I was asking your opinion about troop positioning. The plan needs some work.” The Commander looked to her encouragingly.

“Why are you asking my opinion?” She bristled at his remark. The dressing down she experienced at the hands of Chazix, both literally and figurative, brought her back to reality and now the human was trying to motivate her to think and offer ideas?

“Because you're intelligent. You know this world better than me.” He thinks for a moment, adding.

“You're also an Exarch candidate. Are you feeling down? Did that goblin say something to make you like this?” He offers a friendly smile.

“You should be more confident.”

“I think I have quite a bit of confidence. Enough, atleast.”

“That's good.”

“But, let me ask you... You have praise but do you have criticism? What in your mind have I done wrong so far?” Yrel asked in an inquisitorial tone.

The man leaned back, staring up at the ceiling in thought. “I don't think you've made any major mistakes.”

“Getting caught.”

“Not your fault.”

“Allowing my village to be attacked.”

“How could that have been stopped?” What immediately came to mind was for her and several others to not get caught.

“My sister being stolen and sacrificed.”

“You shouldn't beat yourself up over these tragic events. They're beyond your control.” Yrel viewed that as a baseless claim. She had no idea if they were beyond her control or not. She does know that the Goblin seemed to have several solutions while the human offered only placation. Perhaps, she thought, she take what the Commander says at face value. They were beyond her control but not the goblins.

“Can I voice my thoughts honestly?” Yrel asked coldly.

“Of course.”

“It seems as though you and the alliance encourage our most destructive natures. You are encouraging us towards remaining the same and away from change.”

“Changing and advancing into what?” The human laughed nervously.

“I am not sure.” She stare down at the map for a moment before shaking her head in annoyance.

“You should figure this out on your own for now.”

“But-” He watched he walk out slowly. The man sighed, resolving to give the woman her space. He found his gaze falling to her shapely rear as she left the room. It really was nice to watch her go, though he did not actually want to see her leave.

“I just do not think we are as smart or advanced as we think we are.” Yrel vented, leaning on the desk of the Mage.

“For all the thousands of years we've been around we haven't come up with anything new. The Legion comes back to find us and they are stronger and now the Orcs are even more powerful due to-”

“Goblin technology, yes.” The mage commented.

“What?” Yrel perked up.

“I had a short chat with your friend. Very brief. It seems like the Iron Horde owes much of its technology to Goblin innovation.”

“Are the goblins working with-” She was about to feel betrayed, but the mage quickly interrupted again.

“That is what I wanted to know. No, apparently it is a few rogue elements.” Yrel sighed with relief.

“But, is that not interesting? Goblin innovation is currently contributing to our destruction.” The mage remarked neutrally, as if she did not actually think it that big a deal.

“They could also contribute equally to our salvation, then?”

“Oh, definitely.” The mage nodded.

“I think we should work with them. Let them innovate for us the way they are innovating for the Horde and the Iron Horde.” When Yrel finished speaking, that was already a strange direction for the conversation to take. She was not interrupted. Beyond that, the mage took some time to think carefully.

“Yes.” She responded simply.

“Yes?” Yrel was surprised by the ease of the admission from someone she viewed to be a bit of a supremacist. The woman was old, after all. Incredibly old. She was more Eredar than Draenei, physically.

“I think that makes a lot of sense, yes. They could cover our blind spots and potentially help us to break through the same way the orcs have broken through from savages to an industrial powerhouse. I can not ignore their sudden advancements.” The woman made a reasoned argument that impressed Yrel and confirmed most of her thoughts on the matter.

“I have ideas.” Yrel claimed.

“I am listening.” The mage offered calmly without looking up from her work. She had been doing so the whole time.

“Well... I think we should de-educate and de-specialize.” Yrel offered nervously, waiting for the shoot down of the idea. The woman was a mage, after all. She was potentially the most educated and specialized among her species. The idea caused the mage to look up but not respond. Yrel continued.

“Goblins can make better decisions and better plans. Their tech is more interesting. We should allow our minds to just kind of-”

“Empty?”

“Until we are just-”

The mages lips parted slightly. “Big... Dumb animals?”

Yrel felt excitement just from having the woman across from her reach the same conclusion. Her tone was not upset or indignant. It was interested.

“You know how our Rengari tame beasts? Perhaps there is a way for the goblins to do the same to us? They must be able to figure out a way.”

The mage's chest rose and fell quite a bit faster than before. She blushed and returned her attention to her work.

“Perhaps. I suppose we shall see. It is an interesting proposition. Keep me updated.”

Chazix held his hand aloft in front of Yrel's face. Most of the time a pet resisted the process but Yrel was actively trying to make it work. She wanted it to. If it did, things would be so much easier. However, after a full minute, and three whole tries later there was nothing.

“You don't feel more submissive?”

“Not any more than usual...”

“Huh.” Chazix crossed his arms loosely over his chest.

“Maybe you're kind aren't as close to animals as we thought.” He remarked casually.

“I think that perhaps we... We just need to bring ourselves closer.” Yrel thought out loud.

“How so? What are you suggesting?” Chaz was sure to lead her without offering anything particularly useful. Useful could be traced back to him and end up counting as interference if it was found out. The Alliance and Horde had come to a light verbal agreement that it would be a bit hypocritical to try and influence their respective allies beyond righting the wrongs of the one figure responsible for altering things to begin with. Altering things in their favor would simply not do. Though, they all had their ways of getting around this rule.

“I believe in my de-education and de-specialization plan. It has some support in places I did not expect.”

“Well that's interesting. Can you tell me about it?” Chaz smiled.

Yrel felt a rush of pride as the goblin seemed to evaluate her idea favorably from the outset.

“I believe that Draenei could last with one function so long as we have partners. We are naturally athletic and enduring. We should be physical beings. We do not need to have ideas or plans, we simply need to partner with someone who does.”

“So the 'I point, you shoot' principle? You'll just be the wrecking ball that I throw into a situation.”

“What do you think of that?” That thought definitely excited her.

“I think you're touching on something we had back home with your kind.” He offered vaguely.

“But we're not quite there fully. You aren't, anyway.”

“I wish you could just tell me.” Yrel whined.

“Me too, doll. Me too. But hey, you're doing great work. I think you should keep trying to go up in the ranks, too.”

“But-”

“No buts. Don't just give up here. If you're up there among the top brass you're gonna be in a way better position to enact your changes, right?”

“That's... True.” Yrel wasn't sure why she did not think of that. She was ready to just give up her thinking capabilities. Perhaps to an extent she already had. Thinking about it carefully, without the goblin to direct her efforts she would have just made a stupid and limiting mistake.

“You really are the best partner.” She leaned down and hugged him tightly.

“That's great, doll.” Chaz pats her on the head gently. But, uh...” He struggled.

“Could you let me go, you big dumb animal? You're squeezing the light outta me! Jeeze...” He groaned as her grip loosened.

“Sorry.” Yrel giggled.

“Don't know my own strength.”

“Good thing I do...” Chaz clicked his tongue.

***

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