Family Values

Family Values is the fourth story in Warcraft: Legends Volume 2.


 * Written by Aaron Sparrow
 * Art by In-Bae Kim
 * Edited by Troy Lewter

Description
Jaruk Bloodfyre is a noble orc caught in the middle of the slaughter of the draenei on Draenor - a campaign of bloodlust led by his very own brother J'argg. Jaruk suffers in silence as the draenei body count grows around him... but that all changes when he saves a little draenei girl named Leena and adopts her as his daughter. The battle that follows pits brother against brother, where the stakes are not just Leena's life, but Jaruk's very soul.

Plot
At least two times, Jaruk tries to help draenei escape, but is always thwarted by J'argg showing up to kill them, who already suspects his brother of what he deems treachery. When J'argg wants him to kill a small draenei girl, Leena, whose parents he has just slain, Jaruk instead attacks J'argg and blinds his left eye, escaping with the girl as the attack of a gronn distracts his brother.

Heading into Zangarmarsh, the pair's travel is delayed by a marsh beast, allowing J'argg's raid party to catch up, but Jaruk is able to stir a hive of fireflies and a spore walker, which attack the approaching orcs. With the help of Jaruk's worg mount Fang'gar, which has followed them as well, they are able to escape again.

This time, Jaruk and Leena seem to have found freedom. Jaruk adopts the girl and raises her, teaching her the old ways of his people. After some years, Fang'gar passes away, leaving Leena in tears of mourning. However, for her next "birthday" (anniversary of the day Jaruk rescued her) he gets her a young pup, which she names Pebbles. That very night, she takes her new pet out to hunt boars for breakfast, but is discovered by J'argg and his men, taking her as hostage and confronting Jaruk in the cave that was their temporary home. Jaruk charges at them, but is subdued and forced to finally drink the Blood of Mannoroth. His eyes turning to a red glow like the others', he is given a dagger to kill Leena, but instead pierces J'argg's throat, and then dispatches the rest of the enemies. But J'argg manages to drive his sword into Jaruk's back, until Leena finishes him. As Jaruk lies dying, the elements return to grant him one final vision: that of his daughter as an adult shaman, working together with draenei, orcs and other races to restore the balance of the elements.

Characters

 * Alius
 * J'argg Bloodfyre
 * Jaruk Bloodfyre
 * Chantu
 * Fang'gar
 * Leena
 * Pebbles
 * Ra'nok

Mentioned

 * J'amogg Bloodfyre
 * Gul'dan
 * Mannoroth

Speculation
The spider that bites Leena is most likely a Skittering Cavern Crawler in Blade's Edge Mountains.

The plant that Jaruk picks in Zangarmarsh to heal Leena from the spider bite might be Dreaming Glory as, in-game, it slowly heals over time the one that has picked it. Additionally, it most likely acquired its name due to its tendency to make users drowsy which can be seen in the story as both Jaruk and Leena fall asleep after its use. However, the story seems to imply that the plant only grows in Zangarmarsh but Dreaming Glory can be found in all zones in-game.