Chapter I

It was a cold morning in Alterac valley, yet the battle shouts could be heard far and wide, the white snow falling over the fields, soon turned crimson with the blood spilled, it hasn't been too long since both the Horde and Alliance turned their backs on the truce done to fight the Burning Legion on Outland and stopping the Deceiver to enter to Azeroth, to renew the hostilities that has been present for years. The battle for the dominion of the Alterac valley is kept into a Stalemate, the orcs of the Frostwolf clan and the Stormspike dwarves have been unable to make any significant advances against each other, the weather and other factors like the kobold infestation in the mines have slowed their progress and each day that passes both side lose soldiers, and with the new threat from the north, reinforcements are running low.

Far from the main fray, in the middle of the valley, laid a human, bleeding badly he crawled near the charred corpse of an orc, he'd come to investigate the origin of some strange shining in that part of the valley, just to find himself with a curious orc. It had been a gruesome fight, the green skinned warrior wielded his axe fiercely toward the human, whom, with a quick movement of his wrist hurled a firebolt inflicting some serious damage on the orc. This one, growled in pain and charged towards swiftly, before the mage could even react he felt a blunt hit on his stomach, and then the blade cutting his skin.

He fell to the floor backwards, gasping, he saw that the orc rose his axe to the air to give the final blow, in a desperate attempt the mage uttered an arcane word, followed by extending his left hand in front of him, directed at the orc, a small explosion covered its face, followed by a desperate roar and the orc fell lifeless to the ground, fire started to extend from his head to the rest of his body.

'By the light… guess I'm not living to tell the tale as well' the mage managed to say to the dead orc, not without coughing some blood 'I… never… thought…' he crawled some distance, the wound and the loss of blood making it harder to move, he stopped, without anymore strength he looked up in the sky, waiting for the unavoidable 'I… never… thought… I'd die like this' his body was getting numb, he'd already lost too much blood, he felt the end coming… a sudden vision of a woman, a beautiful one, wearing strange clothes, an adorned white and blue dress, with several, thin golden bracelets, three strange blue marks, two on the sides of her face and one on her forehead, light brown hair. The strange woman moved towards him, if the woman was Death coming from him, he wondered why some people were afraid of dying, his vision was getting darker, blurry, he could not see the expressions on her face, he felt a warm touch on his skin, then all turned dark…

'Man… wake up!!' the mage could hear some voices, they deemed distant, but kept going stronger, it was dark, there was no pain, he felt warmth, he could hear a feminine voice, sounded worried, it was melodic, beautiful he dared to say, he made an effort to open his eyes, his vision still blurry, he saw the woman from before, looking over him, tears on her eyes, she looked extremely worried, her expression turned soon into one of joy after realizing he was awake, and quickly embraced him. 'Am I dead?' he asked still disoriented.

'Almost, but this miraculous woman saved your life, by your wounds not even our most expert priests could've saved you lad' the other voice, now he could see a dwarf standing next to the woman 'I was about to stop drinkin if you got away from that one' the dwarf laughed in joy 'good you back with us Keiichi… I'd buy some drinks to celebrate but we got a war in here and it would kill the mood' he patted Keiichi's name.

The mage now known as Keiichi looked at the face of his savior, it was obvious she wasn't from this place, her eyes, blue still teary, the smile on her face. 'I owe you my life milady, I could have sworn you were just about a delusion of a dying man, but now I see you are real, and if not all, you brought me back to life' he could still feel the strong embrace of the woman, he felt nervous, he'd never been so close to a woman now, and if this wasn't enough, the woman who just took him away from the claws of his fate.

'Good to see you are still alive' the woman said, with a bright smile, still tears on her face 'I thought… you were already gone, I'm glad you have recovered Keiichi-san' she concluded. Keiichi had to admit that she was even cuter from close, he started to blush slightly.

'Heh, sorry for killin the mood lads but we got a war in here, and we must press on' the dwarf expression turned serious 'It's just matter of time whether the lack of reinforcements and supplies determines the victor, and things gotten even worse with the new threat from the north' the red bearded dwarf was lost in his own reflections 'sorry… I'm starting to rant again…' he smiled, moving aside, he grabbed his axe that was leaned against the door, turned his back ' as soon as you recover lemme know lad… I'll ask me cousin to ready a gryphon fer ya and yer lovely lady… er…'

'Belldandy' the woman beamed, bowing slightly in acknowledgement.

'yeah Bell to Ironforge to see what ye going to do next aye?'

'But the war here in…' Keiichi replied, winced a bit in pain, even though Belldandy's healing magic have taken care of the major wounds, still some minor cuts and bruises remained, still he freed from her embrace and made an effort to get up from his bed and move towards the dwarf ' you said… every single person is needed here… or else…'

'Listen to me laddie!' the dwarf shouted, grabbing his trusted axe with both hands and swinging it menacingly, Belldandy turned in shock, he held Keiichi by the shoulder as he tripped with the wooden floor 'it is true… but, yer not the fighting type… and besides I'd not forgive me self if I lost another friend is this damned battlefield' he was dead serious, but like by magic his expression turned into a goofy grin 'besides if you died you'd never be able to buy that drink ye promised me some time ago' the dwarf laughed, and fell on his back, making all the presents to laugh.

'Thanks Maltic' Keiichi answered, he knew the old dwarf was right, he'd never been the fighting kind, he was more of a researcher than everything else 'Probably I may head to Dalaran one of this days, I heard the Kirin Tor moved the city to some high place in Northrend'

'A flying city?' the dwarf asked 'this old Ironbeard has seen lots o'stuff in this world but never a flying city, perhaps when this mess ends I'll head there and have some drinks with ya, what ye say?'

Belldandy had been hearing the conversation the whole time, for her it was really new to see too different races interact so familiarly with each other, no prejudices, still she held some preoccupation in her heart since that strange anomaly that occurred during the dimensional travel, that had divided the Goddesses exploration team on her charge to this world, she wished them to be fine, and hopefully to be able to interact with peaceful locals, as this world seemed to be in conflict. Other fact that worried her is that she'd lost contact with Yggdrassil and her powers were very limited, fortunately for the young wizard she'd found, her powers were enough to save his life, even leaving her exhausted for some time. There were still so many subjects that ran through her mind, countless questions about this strange world, hopefully the young mage may have some answers for her, but she would ask him later; as she found their conversation quite hearthwarming.

'I hate to say this lad, but I have to take my leave… this battle ain't going to be won by sittin idly here ya know?' he opened the oak door, putting his axe on his back 'When yer fine enough to leave the Stormspike Aid Station, head back until you pass the bridge, in the ledge near one of the bunkers you'll find me cousin Baelin Ironbeard, he's black bear and small eyes, you won't miss him, tell him good ole Maltic said to give ye a gryphon to take you to Ironforge or wherever you want to go, and I will pay him later if I still breathe' he turned and walked towards Belldandy, made a sign to go lower and whispered on her ear 'Keiichi is like a son to me, he's a good lad but his curiosity sometimes gets the best of him… please take good care of him'

'Yes… I will' Belldandy cheerfully answered back.

'Alright then… take good care lads…' he walked out of the room 'And don't rush things!' this last shout, followed by an enormous laugh made Keiichi blush slightly, Belldandy just turned her face to one side, confused.

'Keiichi-san, perhaps you need to rest a bit more' Belldandy turned to him, and said in a concerned tone 'your wounds have not healed completely'

'Maybe your right… I'll go back to the bed' he nodded, and slowly laid into the bed, still reminiscing the past events, after some silence, he decided to break the ice 'What's with that san you use after calling my name?'

'Don't you like it?' she answered, her face looked a bit concerned, still Keiichi could not think that that made her look less beautiful, he turned his face in embarrassment.

'No… it's not that… it's just strange… never heard around here' he was going to add even more strange than his name was to most of the people that knew him, still he'd never knew where his father had taken the idea of naming him that way. His sudden train of thoughts about his name origins was suddenly interrupted by the memory he had of Belldandy appearing to him, blurry vision as it was but he was completely sure that it had been something out of this world. 'You aren't from here as well are you?'

'No, I am not, I am a Goddess…' Keiichi jumped from his bed in shock, it could explain how he was saved from certain death, and the woman didn't seem to be lying, he'd heard legends about the Old Gods, and their tyrannical rule before the arrival of the Titans, creatures of pure evil, but Belldandy didn't seem like on if what she said was truth.

'Is something wrong Keiichi san?' asked a worried Belldandy, she could notice the turmoil inside him, a mix of surprise, awe and fear within him, she was still weak, the loss of contact with Yggdrassil was starting to feel, yet she was able to read part of Keiichi's mind, something about some Old Gods, still it wasn't very clear, Belldandy felt she was getting weaker, dazed, couldn't keep her balance well, she'd spent too much energy saving the young mage's life, she fell on her knees.

'No…' after seeing Belldandy's state, his nervous tone turned into a one of concern 'Are you okay?' he asked as he approached to her, helping Belldandy to stand up.

'I'm just weak right now… I used too much power and with my connection with Yggdrassil getting weaker, I get exhausted very easily… just let me rest for some time and I will be okay…' saying this Belldandy fell asleep, Keiichi carefully laid her onto the bed, and sat on a chair next to her, examining her, couldn't help himself from blushing a bit, but the statement she did before startled him. Perhaps after she'd rested enough, he could ask her to answer his questions during the trip back to Ironforge. Submerged into his own thoughts he could not help but falling asleep as well, still ready to wake up at the minor indication of a Horde incursion near the aid station.

The few weeks he'd spend in Alterac Valley had taught him that no place was relatively safe, not even the main fortress of the dwarves, which helped him to develop light sleep, as several times they've found themselves ambushed by night horde incursions.

A few hours passed, when Keiichi finally woke up, he looked on Belldandy's direction to see if she was fine, apparently it did, but she was still asleep; he could hear the battle cries at the distance, mixed with explosions caused by bombs and siege vehicles, even the clash of steel was audible, he knew that the battle was coming to them, and they had to move fast. He attempted to wake Belldandy, but her sleep was too heavy or so he thought, he carried her bridal style, carefully and headed out of the bunker, the walk was not long, he moved as quickly as he could with the goddess on his arms, a bit exhausting he thought, he'd never been used to carry anything heavier than a couple of books or so, but still he dashed, until he reached the graveyard. There he took breath and rested a bit, they were almost there, they just had to cross the bridge and pass the bunkers and they would find Maltiv's cousin in the stables.

Belldandy had been into a heavy sleep, and she'd regained some of her energy, still she felt very exhausted, suddenly she felt cold, the wind running, touching her skin, she felt two arms holding her, the heavy breath of someone too close. She opened her eyes, she found herself to be in what it looked to be a graveyard, covered by snow, some of the tombs were fresh, probably results of a battle, she could not help but feel sadness, this world seemed to be torn by war, still she hoped in her hear that someday, it would all be peace.

She then looked up and saw Keiichi's face, panting, probably he'd not noticed she had awaken for now, and was still focused on going through the bridge, the goddess had to admit he was rather handsome for a mortal, and blushed when she realized how she was being carried.

'Keiichi-san' she whispered, apparently he had not listened 'Keiichi-san' she repeated a bit louder, Keiichi looked down, curious, suddenly both realized the closeness of their faces, blushing madly. 'Sorry to worry you… it's that I was exhausted…'

'Don't worry… I know you are exhausted for saving me' he said, turning his face to avoid Belldandy's gaze as he still was red, he continued moving 'I apologize for carrying you this way… but we had to move… how do you feel know?'

'I feel much better now, thanks' she beamed at him, the goddess was about to add she could walk, but she could feel his heat, care and tenderness, and just for this time, she decided to keep quiet.

The rest of the trip was short, in a few minutes they passed the bunkers and arrived to the stables, there was a black beard tanned dwarf.

'So you must be Keiichi laddie, and she must be yer bride?' the dwarf laughed, the duo blushed again, Belldandy in a bit of embarrassment got on her feet and stood next to Keiichi 'good ol Maltiv told me about ya and I have yer griphen ready… hours ago… what kept ye from coming sooner?' the dwarf concluded with a silly grin, both of them completely red after hearing the dwarf's accusation 'Don't worry yer here now, and here's the gryphon' He took one of the gryphon that was kept inside the stables, unlike the others that had golden and white feathers this one was completely white, the dwarf placed the reins, and they where ready to go.

'You know how to ride one of these aye laddie?' the dwarf asked.

'I do… I had to learn… well I was forced… Wildhammer… Outland' he stuttered, Keiichi much to his despair still remembered the first time he'd learned to ride a gryphon, his drunken instructor and if it had not been worse, the gryphon hadn't been completely tamed.

'Hah!... those Wildhammer sure are crazy' the dwarf stated ' but well… as I'd like to stay talkin with ye, you must take the gryphon and I must take my leave, I got some wounded to pick up…'

'Thanks Baelin… we are in your debt' the mage politely thanked 'Whenever you see Maltiv… send him some regards and our thanks'

'Thanks so much' said Belldandy

'You could have done that laddie' the dwarf responded with a grim look 'He's been resting for a couple hours now in the graveyard… sorry laddie… we arrived too late' Keiichi was at lost for words, Maltiv even though he met him for a short time, it had been like a father to him, always aiding him when in trouble amidst the battles in the valley. He silently sworn to come back after the battle was over and pay a visit to his friends resting place.

Belldandy felt sorry for Keiichi, she could feel his anguish, she wanted to help him to calm, but for now it was better to leave him alone, perhaps in the trip she would talk to him about this, for know she remained silently and leaned on Keiichi's back.

'Shall we go now?' he asked her, still shocked by the news, he'd lost a good friend, but during the time in Alterac he'd learned that death comes to everyone, at any time, he'd already seen several friends fall in battle, all painful experiences, but that was something he could not stay and look, he had to move on, like everyone has done. He could feel Belldandy silently leaned against his back, he thanked her in an inaudible whisper, he felt more comfortable, probably thanks to her.

Keiichi helped Belldandy to ride the gryphon, the animal, now completely tamed still showed some of his wild instincts, but before the presence of the goddess he showed himself completely tamed, after helping Belldandy, Keiichi sat behind her and grabbed the reins, that way the trip while a bit uncomfortable for him, it would be safer for the goddess in front of him.

'Just tell him where ye want to go and he'll find the way, this is me gryphon so ye better take care of him, and don't worry he'll come back to me once you arrive… safe travel' the dwarf bid them farewell, a silent answer from both of them as the animal took flight.

'To Ironforge!' Keiichi commanded.