DISCLAIMER: Sure, I own both Pokémon and Warcraft. After all, which person who owns the copyright to something famous doesn’t write fan fiction about it? (If you cannot see the sarcasm, I feel sorry for you =P) AUTHOR’S NOTES: How do you like the story so far? I haven’t received that much feedback, so I don’t know what many of you are thinking as you’re reading. Please start sending me any thoughts you may have. Remember, from the harshest flames to the most elated cheers, I welcome them all. Do not be shy to voice me your open and honest opinions. I use your words to help myself become a better writer over time. ----------------------------------------------------- Through Azeroth – Chapter 3 Written by daBOSS Ash and Misty soon found themselves teleported to another strange land. This time though, the scenery was much more welcoming. They stood in a park decorated with trees and gardens of flowers. In the middle was a large manmade pool of water surrounded by pagoda style architecture. Around the park, tightly aligned white buildings dotted along narrow stone city streets. The sky was clear once more, and although the trees and buildings covered the moon, a thousand stars illuminated the park from above. “This is Stormwind City,” Larien said to the young couple. “Welcome to the human capital of Azeroth. The inn is a short walk away. Let’s head there I’ll see if I can get you a room.” The three strolled on with Ash holding his wife’s hand tightly. Misty was quick to strike up a conversation. “Larien,” she began, “I’d like to know what the deal with this world is. So far I saw a short little thing control two demons, you teleporting us all over the place, and some bearded person half your height heal my husband’s cuts and bruises completely.” Larien gave a small giggle upon hearing Misty’s words. “Ah, welcome to Azeroth,” she said. “Here, the practice of magic is common and almost taken for granted.” “Magic?” Ash jumped in. “Yes, magic,” Larien replied. “Azeroth has been practicing magic for well over ten millenniums. Many of us have mastered different forms of magic. I’m a mage. I specialize in arcane magic.” “Mage?” “Mage,” Larien continued. “Azeroth is full of adventurers who are eager to aid their respective allies. All adventurers are one of nine classes depending on what we’ve been practicing since we were young. I’ve studied the arcane arts from age six onward, and today like many other mages, I’ve mastered much of it.” “What about the other three people who were with you earlier?” Ash asked. “And why did they look so…not human?” Larien laughed again. “That’s because they aren’t humans,” she answered. “The little lady who banished and enslaved the demons was a gnome warlock. The one who healed you was a dwarf paladin. The last one with the long ears was a night elf warrior.” Ash and Misty looked at each other for a few moments, letting the words sink in. “This world is weird,” Ash whispered into his wife’s ear. “Non-humans can act just like humans?” Misty nodded in agreement as the three turned a corner and exited the park, now walking on a road alongside the city’s canals. “Azeroth is home to a multiple number of humanoid races,” Larien continued explaining, having not heard Ash’s whispers. “Humans are only one of them. The dwarves, gnomes, and night elves are three more. They’re our allies. I take it you two are from a world where humans are the only race?” “Yes we are,” said Ash. “We coexist with creatures called Pokémon, but they aren’t really humanoids.” “Yes, I’ve read about such worlds,” Larien acknowledged, “but so far I only know they exist. For us here on Azeroth, they remain a mystery.” “Well we’d be more than happy to tell you about ours,” said Misty. “And I would love to hear more,” said Larien, “but I think it is best that you hold it off until we meet a leader. That way your words would fall into the ears of someone with power and you won’t have to explain yourself twice.” “Wait, a leader?” Ash was once again full of questions. “We’re going to meet a leader?” “Chances are you will,” answered Larien. “When they begin to work on figuring out what the Burning Legion is up to in trying to invade your world, they will almost certainly want your help. After all, you know more about your own world than we do about it, right?” “Yeah, but the leaders here actually call upon normal people?” Ash asked. “Of course they do,” Larien replied. “Adventurers play a critical role in safeguarding the kingdom. Most of our military is fighting in distant lands, so our security falls to us. No matter what race or what faction we belong to, we serve our superiors with honor and pride.” “Faction?” Ash continued his chain of questions. “Ah, I haven’t explained that part to you yet,” Larien realized. “There are two major factions in Azeroth. The humans, dwarves, gnomes, night elves, and draenei are all members of the Alliance. Our enemies are the Horde, which consists of the orcs, tauren, trolls, blood elves, and a group of undead known as the Forsaken. Although we have many enemies in common and we are not officially at war with each other, the hatred between our factions is so intense that it has been renewed even after we fought alongside each other during the last invasion of the Burning Legion.” “How did this hatred come about?” asked Misty. “It’s a complicated story and it’ll take me forever to explain,” said Larien. “Besides, I don’t know enough about it. You’ll most likely have to seek out a leader or hit the library to find all the information. Just remember that if you two were to wander into Horde lands, they will try to kill you on sight.” Larien noticed the young couple’s faces turn white with fear and concern. “Don’t worry though,” she tried to ease them. “As long as you’re in Stormwind or another Alliance city, you’re safe.” “Good thing,” Ash sighed. “We don’t want to get killed on our honeymoon.” “Oh you just got married?” the mage turned to them and was greeted with nods. “Congratulations! I’m sorry you have to spend your honeymoon here, but I’ll do everything I can to make sure you enjoy it as much as possible.” “Oh there’s no need for that,” Misty politely assured her. “You’ve already done more than enough for us. You saved our lives!” “Ah, like I said, it was nothing,” Larien blushed again. “Adventurers do it all the time.” By now the three had crossed the canal, walked through the heart of Stormwind’s trade district, and arrived at the doorsteps of the Stormwind inn. “The best part of being an adventurer is that we get to stay in inns without charge,” Larien said beaming. “We’ve already paid for it with our services and all the innkeepers worry about us underestimating the importance of a good night rest. I’m going to head in and get you two a room.” She turned and walked in, giving the Pokémon trainers some time to observe their surroundings. Stormwind’s architecture was incredibly medieval with most houses made completely of stone. The narrow streets were not packed, but there were plenty of people nonetheless considering that the clock almost showed midnight. The inn stood at an L-shaped street corner with a fountain in the middle. On the south side stood a counting house, which was still open and bustling with people. Around a nearby street corner was an auction house with a line that rounded the same corner. Larien walked back out before Ash and Misty could say anything to each other. “Ugh, sorry guys, but there’s no vacancy at this inn,” she informed them. “The innkeeper told me that rooms were still available in Ironforge, so we’re going to have to go there.” “Ironforge?” Ash questioned. “Where’s that?” “Ironforge is the dwarf capital and also the home of the gnomes now,” Larien replied. “It’s quite a distance from Stormwind, but we can get there very quickly if we take the subway.” “There’s a subway here?” Misty piqued, amazed that a seemingly old city would have something so modern. “Yes, it’s technically known as the Deeprun Tram,” Larien explained as the three began their walk across town to the station. “After the last war, the Alliance became frustrated at the slow pace in which supplies were transferred, so King Magni Bronzebeard of the dwarves called upon our trusty gnomish allies, led by High Tinker Mekkatorque, to construct a modern tram that would link our capitals together. A few years later, the tram is complete and travel between Stormwind and Ironforge has never been easier, faster, or safer.” “The gnomes built it?” Ash questioned in near disbelief. “The same gnomes as the one who managed to stop the demons from attacking us?” “Yes, the same gnomes,” Larien confirmed with a humorous smile. “Don’t let their small statures fool you. They’re the brains behind the Alliance. They’re a very peculiar race always obsessed with technology in addition to their mastery of magic. I swear when I speak to them, I can’t understand half the words they say.” “All of them practice magic?” asked Misty. “No, but many do,” said Larien. “Not every race contains members of every class. Only humans and gnomes are mages and warlocks.” “What’s the difference?” Misty continued. “Warlocks were once mages like us, but they delved too deeply into demonic magic and now only practice the darker spells and rely on nether energies to fuel their powers,” Larien explained. “Many warlocks came about as a direct result of the Burning Legion’s corruption, and while the Legion still possesses a ton of them, we’ve accepted that there are plenty who use their magic to aid us.” “Is that the reason the gnome was able to handle two demons?” asked Misty. “Exactly,” said Larien. “They’re demonic masters. They have enough power to control and enslave demons. In fact, they’re able to bind certain demons’ spirits to themselves, which gives them complete and permanent control over those demons, which they use as combat minions. Their powers are what frighten us, but their own free wills keep them contained and their resistance to corruption keeps them loyal to the Alliance.” “Then what about mages?” Ash questioned. “Where does that leave you?” “We’re certainly not as powerful as warlocks,” Larien answered. “But we have abilities they don’t as well. We deal more damage on average, and we cast both arcane and frost spells along with fire while they only have fire and shadow. Do you remember how your Pokémon stopped crying in pain?” “Yes. How did you do that?” “Mages can remove curses. I noticed how they were wincing and knew that the demons cast curse of agony on them, which slowly drains their health away. Once I removed it, they were fine…short on health, but fine.” Ash and Misty looked at each other astonished. As Pokémon masters, they had believed that they were two of the most powerful figures in the world, but having heard what Larien had been telling them, their mastery of Pokémon seemed so insignificant compared with the mastery of magic possessed by so many of this world’s individuals. Then again, this was not their world, but neither believed that such a place actually existed outside of mythology. “What about the other two who were with you?” asked Misty. “Balstadme is a dwarf paladin,” Larien continued describing. “Paladins are all members of the Silver Hand who swear to uphold and defend the holy light against dark powers. They were once exclusively human, but because of our steadfast alliance with the dwarves, the Silver Hand has welcomed many of them into its rankings. Paladins are Azeroth’s holy warriors who protect honor and justice.” “And do they know magic as well?” “They only do minutely. They can cast a few holy spells and heal the wounded, but for the most part they fight with their weapons.” “Healing,” Misty muttered under her breath but still loud enough for Larien to hear. She turned to Ash and whispered, “It’s just like certain Pokémon who know recover, but they can use it on allies.” “That’s correct,” Larien confirmed. “Four of the nine classes know how to heal, and you may not believe this after seeing Balstadme heal Ash tonight, but paladins are actually the worst of the four at healing.” Misty was about to express shock through her face again, but stopped when she convinced herself that she needed to lower the mental barriers between fantasy and reality that she had learned and come to know from growing up in the Pokémon world. Healing wounds with spells, practicing magic, a high tech subway in a medieval town, and anything else Larien had yet to explain to them were nothing unusual in Azeroth, and if she and Ash were about to spend some time here, they ought to learn to treat much of this as given knowledge. “And Handil is a night elf warrior,” Larien carried on. “Warriors are the ultimate melee combat class. They wear the best armor, use the best weapons, and thrive in face-to-face battle. They’re the best at taunting enemies to keep all enemy attacks focused on themselves so others don’t get beaten up, and rightly so because they can take the most damage.” “So they know no magic and just fight?” Ash asked. “Precisely,” Larien responded. “That’s why Viviane asked Handil to tank the demon earlier. She knew that if he had its attention, she could freely cast her spells while Balstadme healed. Without Handil, the demon would’ve crushed her and Balstadme. Only warriors can take so much damage and thirst for more.” They went through the canal region of Stormwind once again, this time taking a turn into a much smoggier portion of the city. “Dwarven District,” Larien introduced. “This is where all the smelting happens, hence the smoke. The humans and dwarves have always been close allies, since both our races share similar interests in the arts of combat and storytelling.” Ash and Misty followed on, unable to help but stare at the men and women of such short stature. This was after all their first full glimpse at a race other than humans. As if reading their minds, Larien spoke up. “Hah, if you like dwarves, Ironforge is full of them!” They turned into a circular tunnel that had a giant revolving bolt as an entrance. The tunnel’s walls were just as mobile with each section rotating in alternating directions. Upon exiting the short tunnel, the three found themselves at a very modern subway station. There was a small crowd standing in front of them, no doubt also trying to catch the next train to Ironforge. The young couple observed their settings, marveling at the contrast between where they were now and the scenery just outside the tunnel. It was as if several hundred years had merely flown past them. “Amazing isn’t it?” asked Larien. “When I think about it, I’m still shocked at how the gnomes managed to build this. The Alliance is so fortunate to have them. Traveling between Stormwind and Ironforge used to involve traversing the harshest and most dangerous lands. Now it’s a one minute tram ride.” The tram arrived, coming to a small screeching halt at the station. Larien hopped on followed by Ash and Misty hand-in-hand. They took their seats and waited a few seconds while the other passengers boarded. It wasn’t long before the tram sped off in the direction it came from, sloping deeper underground first, traveling a good distance, and finally angled upward toward the surface. Before they could even utter a word, the tram stopped and the doors opened. Ash and Misty looked out to see the giant sign labeled “Ironforge Station” above the door. “Here we are,” Larien announced. “Fast huh? And this thing never rests. If you ever need to travel between the two cities, just come here and hop aboard.” “Good to know,” said Ash. “First through this tunnel is the Tinker Town portion of Ironforge,” Larien pointed. “The gnomes live here now after their old home, Gnomeregan, was run over by a foul menace from within. I won’t bore you with details, but just know that they scheme here night and day hoping to recover their beloved city.” Ash and Misty nodded as they walked into Tinker Town, where it was clear that technology was the theme. A large room littered with alchemy supplies stood across them toward the left side, while another one piled with engineering supplies lay at the right end. Most of the town was empty, as it was pretty late at night, but directly in front of them, atop a giant semicircle that jarred out of the ground, stood a lone gnome still working on a project. “Larien!” the gnome exclaimed upon seeing her. “Good to see you’ve returned safe and sound. What did you find in Outland?” “Hello Tinker,” Larien greeted. “I’m afraid our fears have been confirmed. The Burning Legion is plotting something huge.” She looked toward the Pokémon trainers. “This is Ash and Misty. They came from the world in which the dreadlords were caught opening the portal to.” “Nice to meet you Ash and Misty,” the gnome hailed. “I’m High Tinker Mekkatorque, the leader of the gnomish race. Please make yourselves at home here in Tinker Town. Any friend of Larien is a friend of mine.” He turned back toward Larien. “That’s not good news. You should report it to King Magni immediately.” “That’s where I’m headed,” said Larien. “You should get some rest. Look at you, you’re exhausted!” “Oh don’t worry, I will once I finish up this latest experiment report,” he assured her. “You take care now!” Ash watched Larien and the gnome bid their goodbyes and followed her as she began walking out of Tinker Town toward the other parts of Ironforge. “That was the guy who built the tram?” he asked. “Yes, that’s him all right,” she smiled as she answered. “I’m revered with the gnomes for much of what I’ve done to help them try and reclaim Gnomeregan, so the High Tinker and I are very familiar with each other.” “Are all leaders this approachable here?” Misty questioned intriguingly. “They are if you’re willing to help your faction,” replied Larien. “As I said, most of the Alliance army is fighting in distant lands, so the leaders are always looking for volunteer adventurers to assist them in defending the home front.” “Strange,” Ash thought to himself, having come from a world where leaders almost never interacted with the public. He remembered how he had never truly come face to face with any particular leaders before he became a Pokémon master except for the rulers of Mirage Kingdom in Hoenn. “Well, I guess it has its benefits.” The three made their way out of Tinker Town, but instead of the night sky, Ash and Misty found themselves indoors with countless braziers illuminating the smoothly paved streets and buildings. The city was much more wide open than Stormwind and much more heavily guarded. Almost every entrance to a pathway or building had two dwarf guards each and numerous others patrolled the roads. “Uh, Larien, why can’t we see the sky?” Misty asked, almost sounding ridiculous for doing so. Larien laughed. “Ironforge was constructed inside the heart of a mountain itself,” she elucidated. “It’s the safest place to be since it’s so difficult for any enemies to penetrate. During the Second War, the dwarves lost many of their forts, but this stronghold, their capital, was never even breached.” “I can see why,” Ash stated almost matter-of-factly. “It does feel safer here with all these guards walking around.” “You haven’t seen the best part yet,” Larien said with a smirk. They rounded a corner and she pointed toward what she meant as soon as it came into view. “Behold, the Great Forge!” The Pokémon trainers could only stare in awe watching colossal pails pouring molten metals from suspended railings high above into pools of lava below. A path cut through the middle where a giant anvil stood, blazing in the heat of its surroundings. “The dwarves have always been skilled at smelting and shaping minerals,” Larien explained. “This city is the ultimate example of their skills.” The three of them continued on along the south side of the Great Forge until reaching the midpoint where the path intersected. Larien turned left into a large room, saluted the guards, and gestured for Ash and Misty to follow. “This is the High Seat,” she described, turning her head to the throne in front of them. “And that dwarf up there is King Magni Bronzebeard, the Lord of Ironforge. Today he told me he’d wait for me to deliver my findings from Outland before retiring to his chambers. Give me a moment to speak with him and I’ll be back to escort you two to the inn.” Ash and Misty nodded, watching Larien walk up to the throne and kneel down to bow before the king. He kindly gestured for her to stand, and she did with thanks. “This is amazing,” Ash whispered to his wife. “Yeah it is.” “And I can’t believe how much Larien has been helping us.” “We’ll repay her somehow,” Misty promised. “It wouldn’t be right if we didn’t.” Ash placed his arm around her waist and pulled her to him, to which she responded by leaning her head against his shoulder. They stood there for a moment in silence, allowing their closeness to comfort each other. As strange as this new world was, they knew that as long as they stood together, they would be able to brave whatever lay ahead before they could find a way home, just as they had done countless times on their Pokémon journey. The young couple broke their embrace when they noticed Larien walking toward them with the king himself. “Ash, Misty, this is His Highness King Magni Bronzebeard,” Larien introduced, presenting the dwarven king to the Pokémon trainers. “I have told him about you and where you came from. He has a few things he would like to discuss with you.” Ash and Misty kneeled down to bow but were met immediately with a quick remark from the king to get up. “No need for that, young lads,” he assured them. “Larien is an exalted member of Ironforge. I consider her and her friends my equals.” Larien’s face turned red slightly before letting out a small chuckle. “I need to be going,” she said to the Pokémon trainers. “I have to deliver another message to the night elf capital of Darnassus before I can rest for the night. His Highness himself has volunteered to escort you two to the inn. He’ll tell you everything along the way.” “Okay,” Misty answered, extending her hand to shake Larien’s. “Thank you so much for everything Larien. We owe you both our world and yours.” “No need Misty,” said the mage. “I’m still looking forward to learning more about your world. We’ll meet again soon.” “Take care of yourself, Larien,” said Ash. “See you soon!” “I will. Have a good night, you two!” With those words, Larien walked out of the throne room, leaving the young couple with the King of Ironforge. “She’s a good lad,” King Magni remarked. “Never turns down an opportunity to aid the dwarves or the Alliance. She’s done so much for us, and I trust her with any task.” “Yeah, she and her friends saved our lives,” commented Ash. “We can’t ever repay her for that.” “She was very humble when she told me about that as well,” added Magni. “But anyway, let’s walk to the inn. I can tell you two are tired.” The three headed out of the throne room and walked toward a narrow pathway. Ash had a thousand questions he wanted to ask the king, but he knew openly speaking with a leader in such a manner would not be wise. He decided to keep silent while walking. King Magni though did not. “So Larien has told me you two are from a world full of creatures known as Pokémon?” he asked. “Yes Your Highness,” Ash replied. “We’re Pokémon trainers ourselves.” “Please, call me Magni,” he said. “Well, I have good news for you. Lady Jaina Proudmoore, leader of the Alliance forces across the Great Sea in Theramore, has a good degree of knowledge about your world. She studies more than any of us and she would be delighted to meet you. You could provide her with valuable information in our battle against the Burning Legion.” Ash looked over at his wife who gave him a smile, knowing exactly what he was thinking. “We’d be delighted to help in any way we can,” he stated. “Fantastic!” Magni exclaimed. “Rest here for tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll have someone escort you two to Theramore. In the meantime, make yourself at home in Ironforge.” “Thank you sir,” the young couple said simultaneously. They walked out of the pathway and across a bridge that spanned across a pit of lava before arriving at the inn. “Make sure you two don’t go outside dressed like that,” Magni remarked, noticing their tropical clothing. “It may be nice and toasty in here, but outside in Dun Morogh, the snow always blankets the ground.” He entered the inn and came back out not a minute later with two keys. “Here is your room,” he said, handing the young couple their keys. “Make sure you get a good night sleep. You’ll need it for your trip to Theramore tomorrow.” “We will sir,” Misty promised him, “and thanks for helping us.” “My pleasure lads,” Magni said beginning to head away. “Come to the throne room when you wake up tomorrow. I’ll be waiting.” “Okay.” They waved goodbye to each other. Ash took his wife’s hand and headed up the stairs. * * * * * * * * * * “Incredible isn’t it?” Misty sighed, making herself comfortable against her husband’s chest. “An hour or two ago, we were in Pommelo. Now we don’t even know where we are.” “Well, we might as well make the most of this situation,” Ash stated, pulling up the covers before wrapping his arms around her waist. “We’re fortunate to have met a few friendly faces. If it were only demons, we would’ve lost our lives by now.” “Yeah that’s true.” A rather uncomfortable silence fell upon them before Misty broke it. “Ash, do you really think we’ll be able to go home again?” Ash froze, thinking for a moment. Was he even sure? He had no idea how this world worked. Yet he knew that he hadn’t lost his faith, and faith was what guided him to a Pokémon master’s title before. “Yes,” he answered her honestly. “I know we will. We’ll return home and we’ll start our new lives together.” “I guess I’m more pessimistic than you.” “Have faith Mist,” he said, giving her a loving embrace. “It’ll happen.” “Yeah, if you say so,” she smiled. “God Ash where would I be without you?” “Living with your sisters in Cerulean?” he teased and was met instantly with a playful slap on his hand. “Don’t remind me,” she giggled. Another silence came. Ash tried to make the ease any tension she may have been experiencing by moving his head downward and planting a few kisses along her neck. He heard a few soft moans coming from her lips and took them as a welcoming message. He tried to intensify the scene, but was slightly surprised when he felt her resist slightly. “Ash,” she whispered, barely audible. “Would you mind if we, you know, wait a few days before making love?” Although her back was turned toward him, she could sense a look of concern in his face as she spoke those words. “I mean, after everything that happened today, it really takes the mood out, you know?” “Yeah, I understand,” he comforted her. “Honestly, I feel the same way.” “I just want our first time to be perfect,” she added. “And if the mood’s not right, then the time probably isn’t either.” “I do too Mist,” he replied. “Don’t worry, I understand completely.” “Thanks Honey.” “Good night Mist.” “Good night Ash.” The young couple fell into a peaceful slumber, their first night together as husband and wife. Yet this did not mean their minds were not full of thoughts about all the events that had happened, and even more significantly, those about to come. Neither knew what lay ahead for them in such a strange world, and neither could be prepared for any of it. ----------------------------------------------------- AUTHOR’S NOTES: Well, so much for the promise of keeping chapters short. Like the previous chapter, I had more for this one planned, but thank god I cut back. I’ll write chapter 4 soon. In the meantime, let me know your reactions! Feedback, feedback, feedback!