Vol ' jin : The Judgement Vol ' jin : The Judgement is a short story in the " Leaders of the Horde " series by Brian Kindregan that covers Vol ' jin ' s early experiences with Zalazane before they met the Horde . Vol ' jin : The Judgement . The young troll crouched in the rain , staring ahead to where the path faltered in the face of the jungle ’ s dense undergrowth . The sunlight could not penetrate that foliage , nor could the breeze . That part of the island was called First Home , and nobody went there besides shadow hunters and fools . Vol ’ jin was no shadow hunter . He felt the water running in rivulets between his toes . It was a fierce rain , and each drop that hit his back pushed him toward First Home . Sometimes the shadow hunters returned , but the fools never did . Behind Vol ’ jin , another troll sheltered under a great palm leaf . Zalazane was no shadow hunter either . “ We not ready , ” Zalazane said , chewing noisily on hunks of kommu meat . “ De judgment be for older trolls who already done mighty things . We be young nobodies . ” “ I just young ; you the nobody . ” Vol ’ jin chuckled and stood up . “ We got to . My papa , he stared into a fire for many hours last night , and now he actin ’ like his doom be upon him . I think he saw a vision . Change comin ’ , and we got to be ready . ” “ You think the loa goin ’ to make you a shadow hunter ? ” “ They gonna judge me , for sure . Test me . I don ’ t know what dat mean , though . ” “ They say the loa gonna take our minds , ” Zalazane said grimly . “ They gonna warp us and twist us around and make us see visions . ” “ Many tests , I hear . If they find me worthy , I be a shadow hunter , ” Vol ’ jin answered . “ If they find me unworthy … nothing can save us . ” “ Oh , they gonna be impressed with me . ” Zalazane smiled knowingly . “ But they gonna laugh at you . ” He stepped into the mud and ambled over to stand beside his friend . They looked at each other for a moment and broke into wide grins , tusks bared . Throughout their entire childhood in the Darkspear village , this had always been a sure sign that Vol ’ jin and Zalazane were about to do something particularly stupid . With a mighty cry , they ran headlong into First Home . They crashed through grasping vines and roots . The place teemed with death both sudden and slow , but they were young , and they were sure they couldn ’ t really die . But there were loa here . The ancient spirits of those who had transcended death could grant wondrous boons or inflict terrible punishments . Loa could give a troll second sight — or drive him mad so that he would pull out his own eyes . Their judgment was vicious , swift , and unpredictable . Vol ’ jin and Zalazane ran for a time , and both began to wonder if the legends of First Home had been exaggerated . There did not seem to be any great threat . Two huge fronds blocked the path ahead . With a twitch , they slid to either side , exposing a large carnivorous plant : a nambu . Furry lips parted wide , waiting for them . Fibrous teeth writhed eagerly in the gaping maw , and Vol ’ jin could not stop in time . He threw himself to the left , grazing the side of the nambu . Twisting , flailing , he skidded into something hard and scaly . He staggered back , dazed , shaking his head . That something turned , revealing that it was a very angry , very large raptor — by far the biggest Vol ’ jin had ever seen . He fell back farther , aware that the nambu was somewhere behind him . He could hear Zalazane making strange , muffled sounds , but Vol ’ jin had lost track of his friend . The raptor darted its head down at Vol ’ jin , and he tumbled to his left . Immense jaws snapped shut where he ’ d just been standing . Ribbons of saliva flew from the creature ’ s mouth . The nambu reacted to the motion with lightning speed , locking its teeth onto the raptor , funneling poison into the beast ’ s torn flesh . Vol ’ jin had only a few heartbeats to take advantage of the distraction : he drew his glaive and stalked around the nambu , assessing . Zalazane was on the far side of the plant , thrashing in a nest of alchu bugs that had swarmed over him , biting and stinging . He would be no help for a time . The raptor ripped the nambu from the ground , tearing roots and flinging the plant far away . The beast ’ s tiny , enraged eyes settled on Zalazane , attracted to the troll ’ s frantic motions . There was no time . Vol ’ jin let out a war cry , thrusting wildly with his glaive . Flesh parted : Vol ’ jin had given the raptor a trail of blood down its back . Shrieking in rage , it swung around , head - butting Vol ’ jin into the shrubbery . Vol ’ jin could not see , his face crowded with dewy , sticky leaves . He felt the ground shake as the beast charged . Vol ’ jin staggered back and to the right , feeling the raptor ’ s jaws once again inches from him . He cleared his face of vegetation in time to see the raptor rear back and come for him again . He heard Zalazane on the other side of the raptor , yelling and making noise . Vol ’ jin scrambled backward , not daring to turn away from the beast . He could see that Zalazane was attacking from the other side , but the raptor swung its tail low , taking Zalazane ’ s feet from under him . The maneuver bought Vol ’ jin only a second , but that would have to be enough . He leapt at the raptor and threw his long arms around its neck . For a terrifying instant , his face was pressed against the beast ’ s lower jaw , its breath ruffling his mohawk . Then he managed to wriggle around the neck and lock his knees across the raptor ’ s shoulder blades . The raptor screeched and bucked . Zalazane sprang to his feet and brought his staff down on the beast ’ s clawed foot . Vol ’ jin heard bone shatter . He hugged the neck even tighter and put his glaive to the creature ’ s throat . The raptor had given up on Vol ’ jin and was advancing on Zalazane , dragging its broken foot . Zalazane backed slowly away , but Vol ’ jin could feel the beast ’ s muscles tense and coil . Seconds remained . Vol ’ jin yanked viciously , feeling the glaive dig into muscle and artery . Blood burst forth in a scarlet curtain as he brought the glaive out in a wide arc . The raptor staggered first one way , then another , falling to the ground , its mouth inches from Zalazane ’ s feet . Vol ’ jin scrambled free . “ What was dat ? ” Zalazane panted . “ Biggest raptor I ever seen . ” “ Maybe a loa possess it ? Our first test ? ” “ I don ’ think so , mon . ” Zalazane moved to the raptor ’ s gushing throat , ignoring the beast ’ s death throes . “ We know the test when it come . ” He cupped his hands , catching the raptor ’ s blood , smearing it all over his face . “ Whatchu doin ’ ? ” Vol ’ jin asked . “ Dark magics , mon , ” Zalazane answered , putting the finishing touches on the blood mask and licking his fingers . He gestured for Vol ’ jin to do the same . “ I don ’ wanna smell like blood in this place , ” Vol ’ jin said . Zalazane plucked an insect off himself and threw it at Vol ’ jin . Without missing a beat , Vol ’ jin caught the bug and threw it back . “ We gonna smell like de blood of a big bad thing . We gonna smell like death and danger , ” Zalazane said , throwing another insect . He had recently begun working with Master Gadrin , the Darkspears ’ chief witch doctor , and sounded confident . Vol ’ jin batted the insect away and moved to catch some of the blood that was still pouring from the dead creature . “ Could save us , ” Zalazane commented . “ But not from de loa . ” “ Not from de loa , ” Vol ’ jin agreed , smearing the warm , sticky blood across his face . It smelled sharp . “ But we only gonna survive this judgment by facing the loa anyway . And take what comes . ” “ Ya , mon . ” “ Ow ! ” Vol ’ jin looked down , feeling a sudden pain . While he ’ d had his eyes closed to smear the blood , Zalazane had attached three angry insects to his chest . “ When I become a shadow hunter , ” he told Zalazane , “ I gonna ask the loa to kill you . ” “ I be havin ’ my own powers then . ” Zalazane laughed . Night had fallen . The jungle was dark at all times , and Vol ’ jin only knew it was night from the coolness in the air and the clouds of angry buzzing insects that rolled past in great waves . Mosquitoes as big as his hand searched for prey . Vol ’ jin and Zalazane sat on the crown of a small rise . To one side , a sheer drop ended with jagged rocks . They ’ d walked until their feet were sore and their breath came in choked gasps . The air was thick and still . “ This a strange test , ” Zalazane said in a low , cautious voice . “ We just walk around and kill beasts . Where the loa ? ” Vol ’ jin was about to reply when his spine went cold and he sensed a presence . There was a loa on the rise with them . He could not see it , and he could not smell it , but the hairs on the back of his neck told him it was there . A glance at Zalazane showed the same stark terror mirrored in his friend ’ s eyes . Then there was pain . Worse than the pain of a broken bone or a stab wound . Thicker and deeper than any pain Vol ’ jin had ever felt , it flooded his mind , making thought impossible . A voice whispered to him . “ De cliff , ” it said soundlessly . “ De rocks below . Dey bring an end to the pain . Quick . Easy . ” Vol ’ jin realized it was true : he could be over the edge in a heartbeat , and the pain would be gone . His only other choice was to endure . Vol ’ jin closed his eyes and endured . After an eternity , his body fell away from him . He floated , free of sensation . A vision dripped into view before him . He was there , older , more confident . He watched the vision from afar and inhabited it at the same time . A file of Darkspear trolls stretched out behind him . They walked through a strange land with little vegetation and orange rocks . A great city rose in the distance , full of sharp edges and spikes . War drums sounded and smoke hung thick over the city . Strange , squat green creatures in elaborate armor were arrayed ahead . A few other creatures , great and shaggy , with hooves , watched from one side . Vol ’ jin approached the leader of the green creatures , who bore a strong , wise visage . They clasped hands as equals and smiled . Words floated into Vol ’ jin ’ s mind . Orcs . Orgrimmar . Tauren . Thrall . The green creatures made welcoming gestures , and the Darkspears put down their burdens , looking relieved … but somehow beaten . “ Why ? ” a voice asked . Vol ’ jin felt the voice in his bones ; it rumbled inside him . “ Why you lead our people to subjugation ? Surely it be better to fight alone an ’ proud , to die alone an ’ proud . ” “ No , ” Vol ’ jin said , thinking it through . “ De Darkspears should always be free an ’ proud . But we got to be alive to be free . If we dead , we lost . Better to bide our time , to endure . We be an ancient race , mon , and we endure . ” He felt the truth of it as he spoke . He had always been the strategist among his friends , the one who thought around the problem . His determination to survive and win was strong . “ You wise for one so young , ” the voice said . “ The Darkspears , they goin ’ to suffer ; they goin ’ to fight . For them , enduring is survival . ” The vision melted before him to reveal what could only be the loa : a glowing sphere emanating ancient wisdom and sadness , something faded and tarnished . Something that had lurked in First Home since long before Vol ’ jin was born . Images and shapes swam and disappeared under its surface . Vol ’ jin barely had time to register the loa , then it was gone . The world changed around him . “ I grant you sight , ” the voice said , fading . Vol ’ jin found himself back on the rise . Zalazane was there . “ We can see loa . We can see dem ! ” Zalazane exulted . The two trolls smiled at each other . “ Maybe we gonna live to see tomorrow , ” Vol ’ jin said . “ Too much hope , you , ” Zalazane said . “ We not done . Gadrin said there be many lessons to learn . The judgment be complicated . The loa , they have more in store for us . ” “ What the loa show you ? ” Vol ’ jin asked . He and Zalazane sat around a fire , turning a kommu on a spit . Fat dripped from the creature ’ s bones and fell into the fire , sizzling and popping . It had been several days , so far as Vol ’ jin could tell , and the fire was a foolish luxury . But the wildlife seemed to be leaving them alone , as if they had been marked by the loa . It was not as reassuring as it should have been . “ I was a big witch doctor to the Darkspears , ” Zalazane said . “ We were in a strange land , struggling . Our survival in doubt , mon . We needed to be strong , an ’ we weren ’ t . Hard times for all , especially our leader . I don ’ t know who the leader was , but he not your papa , mon , ” Zalazane said quietly . Then he smiled . “ I become a witch doctor ! ” “ I lied to you , Zal , ” Vol ’ jin said . He could sense Zalazane ’ s instant attention , even though the other troll simply waited for Vol ’ jin to go on . The two had known each other their entire lives , and neither had ever lied to the other about anything serious . “ My papa did more than act strange . He told me about a vision . Told me I had to go and do the judgment . Told me there was no time . ” “ He told you we had to go ? ” “ Not we . Just me . I never saw him like dis . He wouldn ’ t hear anything but for me to go . He was in such a hurry , but when I walked away … I looked back at him . ” “ Ya ? ” “ An ’ he just lookin ’ at me like he never gonna see me again . Like he sendin ’ me to my death . ” “ So you thought you wanna kill me too ? ” Zalazane asked with a mischievous smile . He ’ d always been able to raise Vol ’ jin ’ s spirits . They ’ d always been able to help each other . “ I not ready . I couldn ’ t do it alone . But I thought together we … ” Vol ’ jin could hear his father ’ s voice in his head as he said the words . " Weak , " Sen ’ jin would have said . " Weak and soft . No leader of de Darkspears can be those things . Life be too hard , even here on our island . " “ Together we stronger . It okay , mon . I help you when you weak . ” Zalazane grinned , taking the sting out of his words . “ You always help me . We do it together . ” Vol ’ jin opened his mouth to reply , but froze when he saw a glow in the jungle . Another loa , even more primeval and unknowable , shone through the leaves . It was far away , but it called to him . Vol ’ jin sprang to his feet and stalked out into the trees . “ Where you goin ’ , mon ? ” Zalazane shouted , but Vol ’ jin continued . He could not let the loa leave . As he neared the light , stumbling over branches , the loa blinked out , and Vol ’ jin found himself standing alone in the gloom of the jungle . Finally , he caught sight of the telltale glow to his right . He launched into a run , brushing aside leaves and roots , diving for the loa . As he pulled the last branch aside , the spirit disappeared once more . He waited , panting for a moment , and realized that there was no point in standing still . The loa had left him alone in the steamy dark of First Home . He would not play the loa ’ s game . Let it try to lead him on when he was wandering among the trees . Perhaps he would find it before it found him again . He moved through the dense undergrowth with more caution , stepping carefully . He had no idea where he was in relation to the camp , but he didn ’ t care . Finding the loa meant survival . Failing to find it meant death . The loa was all that mattered . He stopped in a clearing . He could see bits of the sky through the canopy here — darker splotches against the softer dome of the jungle . He paced his breathing , trying to stay quiet , and scanned the trees . He saw nothing . Gradually , like waking from a deep sleep , he became aware of a heat on his back . He spun — the loa was behind him , inches away . So close he could see the movement and play of shining tentacles within its surface . The loa ’ s glow expanded to fill his vision . He found himself in a cave , a tunnel of some kind , and the path ahead forked . In each branch of the path there was a vision of himself . In one he sat upon a throne of purest gold . There were giant roasts wrapped in palm leaves , drafts of the finest jungle brew all around him , troll females dancing for his pleasure . He looked healthy and happy . A tiny golden chain stretched from one ankle to a leg of the throne . In the other vision , he was wounded and bleeding , haggard and surrounded by enemies . The view was cloudy and shifted continually , but he was always fighting , always struggling . Sometimes he led other Darkspears ; sometimes he fought alone ; but the message was clear : a life of constant struggle and strife , no rest , always more slaughter . Vol ’ jin laughed . “ Is dis supposed to be a test , mighty loa ? Dis be easy . I take freedom . I fight and strive , an ’ maybe I never find happiness , but I take freedom . ” From far away , the low , primordial voice of the loa came to him . “ The choice was not the test , little brotha . If you hesitated , if you had to think about it . If you had even one heartbeat of temptation , you would have failed . ” Vol ’ jin shivered at hearing the tone in the loa ’ s voice . It sounded as if failure would have meant death or worse . The cave melted away , and Vol ’ jin found himself in the stands overlooking an arena . He looked down at his hands . They were his , but older ; they bore scars and calluses from many years of hard martial work . Around him were arrayed elders and fighters of the Darkspear tribe . Beyond them were orcs , tauren , and others . All watched raptly as two creatures fought . A brown orc with a mighty axe and a tauren with a spear . Both were clad only in loincloths , oiled for the fight . Once again , words came into his mind : Garrosh and Cairne . Gorehowl and runespear . The two fought back and forth in the arena . The brown orc bled from several wounds , while the tauren was untouched . With his new sight , Vol ’ jin could also see the loa everywhere . They swarmed the air and hovered around the edges of his vision . They were gathered and agitated . This moment clearly held vast implications for Vol ’ jin ’ s people , and perhaps all of Azeroth . As Vol ’ jin watched , the orc brought his axe down in a great arc , the weapon letting out a wild shriek as the air whistled through grooves cut along the side . The tauren held his spear up in a parry , but it was not enough : the axe shattered the spear , grazing the tauren . Both combatants paused for a moment . The orc was almost too wounded to stand , while the tauren was barely scratched . Yet it was the tauren who swayed , his hands falling to his sides . A piece of the spear hung loosely in nerveless fingers . The orc raised his weapon and charged . The shrieking of the axe filled the arena . The orc brought the weapon down into the tauren ’ s neck . Vol ’ jin felt a stab of pain in his heart at the grievous harm done to the tauren . He realized that this was a feeling of true sadness echoing through time from the Vol ’ jin in this vision , sadness at the loss of a friend and respected elder . The tauren collapsed . Before he hit the ground , the world slowed to a crawl . Vol ’ jin ’ s senses came alert , and he felt as if the entire universe had just drawn in its breath in the instant before a scream . The loa raged . They hissed and whispered . They darted back and forth , clamoring in his ears and diving through him . No one else was reacting yet . The other witnesses were motionless . The tauren was still falling toward the ground , blood spurting . Then Vol ’ jin understood . Poison . It came to him suddenly : the axe was poisoned , and this was wrong . This was not the way of these people . The tauren hit the ground with a loud thump . Everything began to move at normal speed again . The crowd roared in adulation and outrage . It all melted away , and a new vision formed . He saw it , and he was in it . He found himself at the head of a line of trolls once more . They carried their belongings and looked determined . He was still in the strange orange landscape . Glancing over his shoulder , he saw the great city from the earlier vision . It was darker , somehow sharper . Orcs lined the top of the wall , watching the departing trolls with sullen menace . Vol ’ jin felt a deeper sense of unease ; there was something else that bothered him about the vision . Then it struck him . Zalazane was nowhere to be seen . Where Zalazane ? Vol ’ jin wondered . I need my friend now more than ever . Vol ’ jin felt apprehension and uncertainty in his heart , overlaid by a cold anger , a determination to bring the Darkspears through the dangerous times ahead . “ You told my brotha that it better to survive , ” the loa said , “ even if it mean bein ’ weak , so you can fight another day . Better to endure than die with glory . ” The voice ripped Vol ’ jin ’ s mind from the vision ; it rattled around in his chest . It was the voice of one who had seen greater glories and horrors than Vol ’ jin would ever know . “ Now you take the Darkspears from the safety of Orgrimmar ; you risk an alliance that represent strength . You can ’ t make up your mind ? ” Vol ’ jin hesitated . He was being asked a very important question , and he had no context at all . Why would he do this ? He looked around . His people were angry , afraid , determined , excited . He looked back up at the wall . Then his eye fell on Garrosh . The imposing warchief watched from the battlements , ostensibly stern , but with a tiny smile of satisfaction playing about his lips . He was framed against the sky in his armor , light striking the stark black tattoo on his lower jaw . He was a brute with a gift for violence and war , but no understanding of diplomacy or compromise . Then Vol ’ jin knew . “ I brought de Darkspears here to protect our bodies , ” he said . “ We live to fight another day . But that just our bodies . One thing the Darkspears can ’ t lose , loa , we can ’ t ever lose , is our soul . The Darkspears have a soul , and if we stay with this orc , do his bidding , we lose our soul . And there be no comin ’ back from that . ” “ Darkspears must survive , but it worth nothin ’ if they lose their souls . Darkspears must be true . Be true , ” the voice said . “ You hear all loa now . You will hear us all the time . You got to learn how to listen . ” Vol ’ jin opened his eyes . He was lying on the always - muddy surface of the jungle floor . Several types of insects were happily building mud cocoons over his body . He was still next to the fire , which now burned low . There was no sign of Zalazane . Just as in the vision . Vol ’ jin struggled to a sitting position . A moment later , Zalazane limped from the darkness and sat beside him . They stared into the fire in silence for a few heartbeats . “ I saw … ” Zalazane hesitated . “ I saw meself leadin ’ Darkspear fighters away from de tribe . The leader , he was so weak , he sell us out , mon . I became the new leader , an ’ the tribe split in half . ” Zalazane refused to look at Vol ’ jin . “ Who this leader ? You say it not my papa , but it have to be someone we know . ” Zalazane still would not look at Vol ’ jin . Vol ’ jin picked up a stick and stirred the fire . “ Enough of these tests , ” was all he said . Vol ’ jin paced around the fire . He was restless and angry , ready to kill something . He ’ d been pushed and pulled , torn and spun . His world was making less sense with each passing moment . Now his friendship with Zalazane — the only thing Vol ’ jin had ever really counted on besides the love of his tribe and father — was strained to breaking . “ No more , ” he announced without looking at Zalazane . “ I goin ’ huntin ’ . We be needin ’ food , and I be needin ’ to kill . ” He drew his glaive and slid off into the dark undergrowth . Moving alone into the most dangerous part of the island just felt right . It was strength . At the fire , Zalazane began a low voodoo chant . Ahead , in the gloom , Vol ’ jin heard a twig snap . A large creature trying to stay stealthy . Vol ’ jin grinned , lips pulling against his tusks , fingers pulsing on the glaive . He moved forward , feeling the fine hairs on the large upka leaves brush his face . He heard the sound again , now off to his left side . He turned , circling to keep the creature on his right . Again , he heard movement in the vegetation to his left . Realization struck . The creature was stalking him . There was only one thing to do : he charged . Branches and roots grabbed at him as he hurtled forward with a guttural cry . Ahead , another troll stood up to his full height . Vol ’ jin barreled into him , and they both fell . He brought his glaive around to the other ’ s neck in the darkness . Every troll on the island was a Darkspear and a friend , but Vol ’ jin had grown up with tales of the vicious Gurubashi , and anything was possible in this place . The other troll looked up , his features caught in a ray of light from the distant fire . It was Sen ’ jin , Vol ’ jin ’ s own father . “ Papa ? ” Vol ’ jin asked in shock , taking his weight off the prone troll . Sen ’ jin smiled and shoved Vol ’ jin off . The younger troll landed in the mud , laughing . Sen ’ jin leapt to his feet , twirled his staff , and aimed it at Vol ’ jin ’ s chest . Vol ’ jin read the murderous intent on his father ’ s face and squirmed away , narrowly avoiding a blow that would have crushed his ribs into his heart . Vol ’ jin came to his feet , wary and on guard , but not attacking . “ Papa ? ” he asked . “ What ’ s wrong ? ” Sen ’ jin merely smiled and swung the staff in a deadly , low arc . Vol ’ jin leapt over it , but Sen ’ jin used the momentum of the swing to thrust his head forward into Vol ’ jin ’ s chest . Vol ’ jin landed in a heap , the air rushing out of his lungs . He rolled onto his back , gasping . Sen ’ jin glided toward him , spinning the staff again . “ Papa , why you do this ? Did I fail ? I don ’ understand ! ” Vol ’ jin pleaded . Sen ’ jin paused . “ You don ’ fight because you think you know me ? Weak . ” With that , he brought the staff down on Vol ’ jin ’ s outstretched hand . Every ounce of strength in the older troll ’ s body was behind the blow , and Vol ’ jin ’ s hand shattered . His thumb , trapped against his hand , caught the brunt of the force . Bones splintered , and the thumb curled in on itself like a talon . Vol ’ jin ’ s mind could not make sense of it . He rolled onto his side , left hand grasping at his right ; everything past the wrist was broken , and the thumb was a pulpy mess . He was in shock , and he could feel the reality of his surroundings slipping away . He saw Sen ’ jin ’ s big bare feet moving off into the jungle . “ Papa ! ” he called . Sen ’ jin did not pause , did not slow down , did not even glance back . The bushes moved , and he was gone . “ Papa ! ” Vol ’ jin fell back , eyes squeezed shut , holding his arm . After a moment , he reclaimed control of his mind and looked down at his hand . The thumb was destroyed . His glaive lay in the mud , the brushed metal splotched with dirt and blood . The hand would heal . But the thumb would be misshapen . Vol ’ jin would never throw a knife with that hand , never hold a glaive . Never hunt , never signal an attack . But there was a way to fix that . He knew there was a way . Vol ’ jin took a deep breath , grasped the glaive in his left hand , brought it high over his head . He would do this with eyes open . He brought the glaive down in a long graceful arc . It whispered through the skin and bone of his right hand ; the broken , misshapen thing that had been his thumb flew off into the darkness . He wanted to scream to the stars above , but he bit his lips till they bled , rocking back and forth . He made no sound . The thumb would grow back cleanly . All trolls were blessed by the loa with some regeneration . They could regrow fingers and toes , even if more complex parts like limbs and organs were beyond their abilities . It would take some time , but he would be whole again . He began to see a bright light at the edge of his vision , and he wondered if he was about to pass out . But the light grew brighter and brighter . Vol ’ jin looked up . A loa shone nearby . Its light was bright and vibrant . Stronger and somehow newer than the ancient , cagey loa he ’ d seen before . It was somehow familiar . He felt as if he ’ d known this spirit before , sometime . Even as Vol ’ jin sensed the new loa , he found himself in a vision . He was on a jungle island , one very different from his current home . He both saw himself and inhabited himself in the dream . He was older , wiser , harder , and infinitely sadder . He led a group of trolls through the leaves . The scene shifted , and he was fighting another troll . A wild - eyed witch doctor adorned with fetishes and a rope necklace of claws . They fought to the death while others battled around them . The witch doctor was Zalazane . The loa spoke . “ You fight your own ? Another Darkspear ? The friend of your childhood ? ” Vol ’ jin said nothing , simply watching the struggle . It slowly faded from sight , colors running and falling like fresh pigment from an idol in the rain . Not Zalazane . They ’ d run and fished and wrestled their entire childhood . They ’ d built mud forts , and their first kill had been the same beast . Zalazane knew things about Vol ’ jin that no one else did . His fears and triumphs . The time he ’ d cried over a dead pet when he was a small child , or the day he ’ d beaten an older bully senseless — Zalazane had been there for all of it . Vol ’ jin looked down . The stump said it all . “ I kill anyone who is a threat to the future of the Darkspears , ” he said . “ It don ’ t matter who . The tribe is everything ; its future … everything . ” “ You are wise , boy , ” the loa said with a familiarity Vol ’ jin couldn ’ t place . “ You didn ’ t cut off de thumb to save your life ; you did it to save you future . The Darkspears must be fierce . Be true . Endure . It never be easy , but it the only way . ” “ Who are you ? ” Vol ’ jin said . He had to ask . The loa ignored his question . “ I grant you the power to commune wit ’ loa , ” it said . “ We not always do what you say , but we give you a fair hearin ’ . You a shadow hunter now , troll . ” It faded away . Later , Vol ’ jin and Zalazane walked through the dense undergrowth . “ The future , ” Vol ’ jin said . “ It not set . We not game pieces on some board . If I kill somethin ’ , it dead by my choice . ” “ Ya , mon , ” Zalazane said . “ In my spirit journey , it all came to me . We seein ’ paths . Not for sure , just possibilities . If one troll is weak when he should be strong , maybe another troll step forward . Maybe den the one that is weak … ” He looked away from Vol ’ jin . “ That one become the villain in the story of the one that is strong . ” “ But what if the first become strong again , Zalazane ? ” “ I don ’ know , mon . Dark voodoo in all that . Maybe both be great leaders . Maybe they friends . Or maybe the second troll become the villain . ” “ Zalazane , we not gonna let that happen . We friends , an ’ we learnin ’ things . You and me , mon , we got to endure , and be true , and be fierce . ” “ Ya , ” Zalazane said , but with little hope . “ We figure it out , Vol ’ jin . ” Vol ’ jin and Zalazane moved through the undergrowth , rapidly leaving First Home behind them . They began to see familiar signs that told them the lands of the Darkspears were close . The visions and revelations of the past few days were quickly fading . Vol ’ jin tried with frustration to remember the details , but with each step away from First Home , the memories lessened . Perhaps that was how the loa wanted it — just a vague sense of what was needed . Only a few words remained . " Endure . True . Fierce . " Vol ’ jin and Zalazane were different now . They moved with confidence , constantly scanning for danger . They had transformed in First Home . They had entered as cubs and emerged as predators . They were dangerous , proud , strong ; they were of the Darkspear tribe . As they approached the village , they began to see alarming signs . Trampled leaves , splotches of blood . The smell of smoke in the air . Every sense that Vol ’ jin possessed told him that something had changed . Some fundamental part of the ebb and flow of life on the island had been forever altered . He held a hand out , and Zalazane stopped instantly . They stood on the trail a short distance away from the Darkspear village . It was still out of sight , but even the sounds were wrong . Vol ’ jin heard activity , the noise of work crews cutting wood and hammering . Vol ’ jin closed his eyes and breathed deeply , listening to the loa . They whispered to him , but they were still hard to understand . He would learn in time . “ I think our village been attacked , ” he said to Zalazane , trying to decipher the messages of the agitated loa . Zalazane only nodded knowingly . He had his own methods now , and their different perspectives had created a gulf between them . They moved forward again , weapons drawn , taking each step with care . They came through the leaves and saw the Darkspear village before them . Huts had been knocked over , and debris lay strewn everywhere . There were corpses arranged in neat rows along the edge of the village . Trolls moved among the dead , laying them in positions of peace . Females and children knelt over a troll here or there , sobbing and tearing at their hair . A priest rocked back and forth , eyes closed , mumbling . The trolls , living or dead , were all Darkspears . Vol ’ jin and Zalazane broke into a jog , heading toward the center of the village . The wreckage was even more devastating here . They passed many Darkspears , all of them too busy with their own affairs to notice the two . Near the lagoon , they saw crews of Darkspears building ships . Many ships . The organized teams were very foreign to the relaxed island life that Vol ’ jin was used to . His heart began to beat faster . His people had not been conquered , but in the short time he ’ d been gone , they had changed . Vol ’ jin and Zalazane stopped in the village center , two still figures in a sea of bustling activity . A few trolls hurrying past threw them cautious , confused looks . The loa began to clamor loudly . Only Vol ’ jin could hear them , but he knew something was coming . He scanned his surroundings and saw a troll approaching . Vol ’ jin and Zalazane turned to face old Gadrin , the chief witch doctor of the tribe , as he strode up to them . “ Boys , ” he said . “ Where you been ? I thought you be dead . ” “ Whatchu mean , Master ? ” Zalazane asked . “ We been in de jungle for a week . ” “ A week ? Vol ’ jin , Zalazane … you been gone three months . So much happened . Strange green creatures came from across de water — ” “ Orcs , ” Vol ’ jin said . “ Ya , mon , ” Gadrin said , surprised . He became thoughtful as he continued . “ Your father , Vol ’ jin … he fought de sea witch , an ’ he … ” “ He gone beyond . He wit ’ Bwonsamdi now , Master Gad . I know it . ” Vol ’ jin realized the truth of it as the words left his lips . He could tell his father was no longer among the Darkspears . At least , not as a troll . “ We gonna follow de orcs across de sea , ” Gadrin went on . “ The sea witch too strong ; we can ’ t stay here . Your papa , he said we go . It take some time , though . We have to prepare . ” “ I understand , ” Vol ’ jin said , filled with a sudden confidence . “ I take charge of the evacuation . ” “ I help , ” Zalazane said with a smile . Vol ’ jin grinned back at his friend . The smartest thing would be to send Zalazane ahead to prepare the way . Zalazane was his most trusted friend , and he would do the job well . But part of Vol ’ jin balked at the idea . He did not know why , but he felt that he should keep Zalazane close to him now . They would help each other . Together they could do anything . They would be true , and fierce , and they would endure .