An orc shoved past this warrior as they stepped from the portal, snarling at the obstruction. "Out of the way half-breed!" the orc snapped, but the warrior merely shook his head, refusing to be baited at such a time. The wolf, however, snarled at the orc before the warrior silenced it witb a sharp hand gesture. The wolf fell silent, utterly obedient, and the warrior dropped a huge hand on the black head with affection.

"What bas happened here?" Ner'zhul demanded loudly. "You!" The shaman pointed toward one of the unfamiliar creatures. "What manner of orc are you? Why cover your face so? Come here!"

The figure paused, then suddenly shrugged and stepped closer to Ner'zhul. 'As you wish," he said in a cold voice that bad a slightly mocking tone to it. De­spite tbe heat of the land's baked, lifeless soil, Gratar shivered.

A mailed hand slid tbe hood back, and Gratar could not help crying out in horror. Perbaps the being's fea­tures bad once been fine and regular, but no longer. Tbe skin was a pale grayisb green, and had burst open at the juncture where ear met jaw. A thin trickle of ooze glimmered. Swollen, cracked, purple lips drew back in a smile as the eyes glowed with malevolent humor and a fierce intelligence.

The tbing was obviously dead.

Even Ner'zbul shrank back, though he rallied quickly. "Who — what are you?" Ner'zbul demanded in a voice that shook only a little. "And wbat do you want here?"

"Don't you recognize me? I am Teron Gorefiend," tbe figure replied, cbuckling at the shaman's obvious discomfiture.