Origins. Chapter One. Axia Felblast, Part One

"Axia, stop nosing around, we got business that needs attendin'!" Krick called, his pale green eyes showing a great effort not to roll at her window-browsing. She returned his grimace but hastened to catch up to him, catching the hem of her robe on one of the rickety lamp posts, nearly ripping it clean off.

"Alright, alright, cool your jets." She grumbled, yanking hard on her skirt, satisfied that no real damage had been done. "It's not like an extra two minutes is going to make us that much more moolah."

"So says you." Krick grumbled back, shifting his bag, an audible clinking noise present from the glasses inside. "Time is money, sweetheart." Axia rolled her eyes.

"Yeah yeah, tell it to another goblin." She said lowly, hoisting her bag onto her other shoulder. "I need some time off today to get some practice in." Krick skidded to a stop, his eyes bugging out as he turned to look at her.

"You can't be serious, today's the busiest day of the year!" He exclaimed, nearly jumping to clasp her hands in his. Axia groaned and leaned back on her hip.

"Krick, I know you don't understand, but I'm never going to get better control over the demon's I summon unless I actually get a chance to summon them." She pointed out. "You know I'm right."

"You damn warlocks and your practice." He spat out, dropping her hands. "Whatever toots. I'll see how business is today, and we'll make arrangements based on that. Axia nodded, knowing that really was the best she was going to get out of Krick.

He was a talented businessman, for his age, but in Goblin culture, this was considered the norm. But at the ripe young age of five he'd already calculated the benefits of creating health and mana potions with slightly watered down ingredients, due to the nature of Kezan's altered landscape of course, for high prices for the high demand. (But for what, Axia never could quite figure out.) By the time he was the age he was now, (Which Axia suspected he inflated to impress the ladies, to no avail.) of twenty seven, he'd created a rather large and booming business in selling all sorts of potions to the needy and the greedy.

Axia was only a basic alchemist, but even having the basics down was helpful with Krick. He couldn't mass produce more than a few hundred a week by himself, and he was cheap enough that he didn't want to attempt to hire more help. His shop was his baby. He'd effectively abandoned any notion of training to be anything other than a dedicated alchemist, despite having a pretty good knack for the arcane. He sold his potions, and Axia could tell he was content enough as it was.

They reached the storefront and came to a halt. Axia felt a strange bout of anxiety, and peered over to the corner of the ship, where a yellow-green ear was disappearing around the corner. The jingling of Krick's keyring pulled her out of her paranoid scanning, and watched as Krick pushed open his door, stopping clear in the doorway.

Axia stood on her tip-toes to get a look inside, and gasped in shock.

The shop was torn apart, vials and flashs strewn about the ground and broken, their contents seeping into the floor. His register looked to be forced open, any moolah that he had kept in there gone, and everything on the backshelves had been shoved off. Huge spraypainted letters swept across the wall, spelling out the laughter of the Vandal who had done the deed. His ledgers, books, recipes, any papers and all papers had been torn out and crumpled or torn, stepped on as if they were a part of the floor.

Axia gaped, unsure of how to even respond to the complete decimation of his shop. For his credit, Krick merely stood there open mouthed, his pale green eyes focused on a piece of paper, untouched, sitting right in the middle of his floor. With sudden caution, he reached out and plucked the paper from the ground, scanning it slowly.

The warlock waited patiently for her companion to finish reading so she could ask to read as well, when suddenly, Krick began to laugh. At first it was a low rumbling, and then full out hysterics. The note was crumpled in his hands as he leaned forward, his laugh becoming more and more manic by the moment. Axia tentatively reached a hand forward and touched his shoulder.

"Krick, what-"

"Axia." Krick said suddenly, cutting off his laughter. "I gotta let you go. I'm sorry, I know it's short notice, and I said I needed your help but..." He gestured uselessly to his shop. "It's gonna cost me too much to get this all fixed. I can't keep you on hand." Axia blinked at him in disbelief.

"You're... firing me." She stated, no inflection in her voice. Krick shrugged.

"If that's how you want to see it, sure." He said, picking up a few of the intact bottles. "I'd advise you to get out of here. You did say you needed practice. This is your oppurtunity to get it."

"Krick, if this is about the vandal-"

"Axia!" Krick snapped, his eyes harsh. "It's nothing okay. Some practical joke by some teenage freaks. I don't need you here. Go home." He turned away, but Axia wasn't done.

"Hey, you can't just fire me and expect me to disappear!" She said, forcing him around to face her. "What is this really about- Is it that note? What did it say?"

She attempted to grab it from his hands but he crumpled it up and stuck it in one of the vials, where it dissolved into nonexistance.

"Krick..." She said, her voice low and dangerous. "If you wanted me to not be suspicious, that was the opposite of what you should have done." Krick weeled around to face her, tossing the bottle across the room.

"There's nothing to be suspicious of." He said dully. "Get out Axia." He turned away and Axia felt her blood nearly boiling over by his brush off. She turned heel and stalked away, stopping only a few feet away.

"You know Krick, I thought we were friends." She said, watching in satisfaction as he winced at her use of the past-tense. "But I guess you're all you need, huh?" She turned around and walked towards the bulk of town, not bothering to waste any more time on him and his terrible mood swing.

Town was nearly empty, probably a result of the huge party being held up at the Trade-Princess-to-be's house. She'd seen Alstromerea running around a couple times getting various items, she seemed to be more annoyed than anything else, but too busy to greet the little warlock. There was a strange rumbling coming from Mt. Kiljaro, and she noted in slight panic that it almost seemed to be glowing... as if it were going to explode...

"Axia!" Speaking of the girl, Axia turned to see the Azure haired priest running up, her strange fancy getup gone, a sturdy priest's garb in it's place. Her purple eyes were lit up with caution, and she sent a furtive glance at the volcano.

"Sup Merea?" Axia asked tentatively.

"I need your help!" She spat out in a rush. "Mt. Kiljaro is going to explode! We need to get everyone evacuated, ASAP!" Axia blinked at the priest.

"What?" She asked.

"Didn't you hear what she said?" Another voice popped in. Cryzanth, Alstromerea's sister came walking up, her shield and mace strapped to her back. "The mountain's gonna blow. We're gathering up goblin's who have half a brain to evacuate before we all become conincing sculptures."

"It can't blow." Axia said quietly. "We've never had any issues with Mt. Kiljaro."

"Until that Dragon messed it up." Alstromerea said. "A big, black dragon came through and sent a fireball into the mountain. It's been rumbling enough that Cryz could feel it disturbing the elements."

"Maxx Avalanche and a bunch of the other trainers are trying to gather up the party goers and convince them to get off the island." Cryzanth stated. "But we need the houses evacuated too. Help us, Axia?" Axia nodded dumbfounded.

"Er yeah, I'll get right on it."

"Thanks Axia!" Alstromerea said, her glittering smile her reply. "If you find anyone else who can help, grab 'em and go! There's not a moment to lose!" And with that, she and her sister ran away towards the mountain. Axia shook her head, trying to clear her head. She needed to get to her parents and her siblings. She rounded the corner around the Field and walked through the open gate to her modest home. Her mother was standing in the doorway, peering up at the Mountain with unease in her eyes.

"Ma-"

"Axia, where have you been!" She admonished, picking up one of Axia's little brothers as he tried to crawl away. "A dragon flew overhead-"

"I know ma, I'm sorry." Axia said, interrupting her parent. "Where's dad, and the rest of the kids?"

"They're in the house, we're gathering some necessities- Trade Prince Gallywix said he's offerin' passage on his yacht, can you believe it!" Axia narrowed her eyes.

"Hardly." She replied, stepping inside "He's probably up to something. I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him." Axia's mother frowned.

"I think he's too... bulky, for you to life, Axia."

"I know ma." Axia said, rolling her eyes as she scooped up the youngest out of his cradle. "That's the point." She ducked her head into the small staircase.

"Oy! Hurry it up in there, we need to leave!" She called up. She handed Wix to her ma, and tossed a few provisions in a sack.

"Don't get on Gallywix's boat." Axia said, handing the bag to her ma, who was looking at her daughter with confusion. "Take any other vessel if you can, but don't get on that Yacht. I have a bad feeling." She watched her pa, two little boy-goblins clinging to his back, walk down the stairs.

"What's this now?" He asked, his thick accent as crusty as his face. Axia looked over her pa.

"Ma will tell ya." She said. "I have to help evacuate more. Will you two be alright with the kids?"

"Yeah, Axia. But will you be alright?" Axia paused, almost unsure, before steeling herself. She had to be strong. For her family.

"I will be if you do as I say. Go." She kissed her ma's cheek, gave her father a quick hug, and rushed out, channeling magic to summon her Void walker, Ventrix. The voidwalker groaned into existance, it's dark navy transluscent form rippling.

"Ventrix, evacuate the civilians!" She demanded, pulling out her tome and scepter, allowing it to concentrate her focus on controlling the demon. "Go!" Whispering expletives beneath its breath, it nevertheless drifted off towards the next housing structure, it's gauntlets gleaming in the reddened sky. Axia shifted out, going the opposite direction of the demon.

House by house, hut by hut, she drove out the citizens of Kezan, seeing Alstromerea and Cryzanth every so often, each looking more and more irritable by the moment, as the sky turned darker and darker with ash and soot.

After what seemed like several hours, Axia found herself gazing towards Krick's shop, when she paused, and her eyes went wide.

"Ventrix!" She shouted, suddenly running as fast as she could. "Ventrix c'mon! We have to go check on Krick! He isn't as close to the mountain as the others!"

The demon trailed behind her and she ran, breathless, towards where she knew his store to be.

Only, his store wasn't there.

Reduced to a crummbling heap of wooden planks and chipped red paint, the building was nothing but smouldering ruins. Axia gasped out, running towards the wreckage.

"Krick!" She cried, heaving at the planks and seething when her hands touched hot embers still smouldering from the fire. "Krick! Are you still here?" She glared at the Voidwalker.

"Ventrix, help me out here!" With deep reluctance, the demon began to catapult wooden planks across towards the beach, lifting them carelessly bit by bit. Axia dug through the rubble, ignoring her protesting fingers as she burned them with each hot twisted piece of metal and broken splintered wooden planks. She heard a low groan towards the back of the wreckage, and scrambled across, suggesting to her voidwalker to follow. They moved the planks aside and after vigorous searching, finally unearthed a soot covered Krick. His eyes were swelled shut and his shoulders and arms were covered in varying degrees of burns and lacerations. He coughed loudly and tried to force his eyes open.

"Axia?" Came his weak voice. She cautiously placed a hand on his cheek, taking a gulping breath agains the lump that seemed to grow in her throat.

"Krick." She said. "It's going to be alright, we're gonna get you outta here." She pointed to Krick's limp body and glared at the Voidwalker, who was observing the scene with decidedly distasteful expressions. It growled, but nevertheless complied, reaching its large hands beneath the alchemist's body, and lifting up.

The sound that came from Krick's mouth was animalistic and pained, a screech Axia couldn't ever recall hearing before. In a panic, she ordered the Voidwalker to put him back down, and scrambled to move a few more planks of wood, gasping when she saw what lie beneath them. Krick's legs were completely crushed, and it looked like they weren't the only things on his body to be so. Blood was pooling, a sick greenish color, around him. Trying hard not to panic, she tried to smooth out the expression on her face.

"Okay... Okay so we won't move you yet." She said, desperately cursing herself for not knowing a single healing spell, not even able to conjour a healthstone. What kind of Warlock was she anyway? A simple healthstone! She could feel the panic welling up inside. Krick coughed again, blood welling to his lips and spilling over.

"I'm a sight, aren't I?" He spoke softly, causing her to jump.

"Nah, you're the same as ever." She replied, her heart dropping. She smoothed away some of the soot on his cheek and saw how pale the green of his skin was. The pool of blood beneath him continued to grow. She took a deep, shallow breath and felt it catch. She grasped his hand, but it didn't respond to her touch.

"It's 'kay Axia." Krick said. "I know I'm dead. Or dyin' anyway." He coughed hard, his body spasming. "You gotta get outta here, alright? You don't got time to waste cryin' over me." Axia sniffed, feeling tears pouring over her cheeks.

"I can't leave you here, Krick." She argued, halfheartedly. He chuckled, but it was a sad, mournful sound.

"You hafta, Axia." He admonished. "Listen, the mountain isn't gonna wait on you to figure yourself out. You gotta save yourself. I'm gonna die here soon anyway."

"Krick-"

"Stop, Axia." He said, his voice harsh, cracking. "If we were ever friends at all. You'll do what I asked ya to do." Axia stood up slowly, tears still streaming from her eyes. She wiped it away, the soot smearing across her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry Krick." She said, her voice breaking. "I should have stayed."

"You'd be dead too." He said sadly, coughing. "Take... take the note in my pocket. Please. Then go." She reached into his torn pocket, where a dirty scrap of paper was folded a few times. She leaned down and placed a kiss on his forhead, sniffing before walking off the pile of rubble, banishing her voidwalker to the nether while she wept to herself.

Hearing a large explosion, her eyes moved to the mountain, which was now freeflowing lava at an alarming rate. Knowing she'd officially run out of time, Axia forced herself to run as fast as she could towards the docks, her hear sinking when she saw only two yachts in the water. Praying desperately to whatever deity she could that her parents and siblings weren't on the large, Gallywix's prize ship, she jumped past the grunts who scrambled after her and heaved herself over the side, skidding to a halt on the half deck. Seconds later, everyone turned at a screeching sound coming from the west side of Kezan.

Axia felt her eyes widen when she saw a junkyard jalopy, clearly in better shape then the others she'd seen but still, speeding towards them with three passengers, Alstromerea, Cryzanth, and Sally Hardwrench. The junker swiped the grunts into the water, before squealing to a halt mere inches from the hull of the yacht, and springing the three onto the deck of the boat, sprawled out, covered in soot, blood, and in Sally's case, what looked like vomit. Gallywix, his large belly protruding from his vest, hobbled over to the three, a sneer upon his face.

"Well well, wouldn't you lookie here?" He said, hefting up Alstromerea by the arm and shoving her up against her sister. "My two favorite usurpers. Trade-Princess-wannabe and her bodyguard."

"What is this, Gallywix?" Alstromerea asked, her tone like ice, her stance tense. Cryzanth placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her head imperceptively. Sally Hardwrench looked as if she might be sick. A short but build goblin, one Axia thought was named Chip, walked up. Alstromerea's eyes bugged out.

"Chip?" She said, her voice high pitched. "What... I thought you were..."

"Sorry toots." He said, his smooth voice not sounding sorry at all. "I'm breakin' it off with ya. I'm with Candy now. Shoulda chose the winning side beautiful." Alstromerea gritter her teeth, her ruffled blue hair falling into her face as Gallywix laughed, a boistrous loud chuckle.

"It seems you came just in time." The Trade Prince said, smiling at them maliciously. "And you brought all my moolah... It's fantastic." He turned to his Hob-goblin grunts.

"Lock em up below. Lock em all up below! You've all earned the right to live. As a slave." He cackled as each of the goblins left up on the deck were ushered into the dungeon below, cramped and small. Axia didn't even fight, all fight she had extinguished in that moment that she stepped below, and saw her parents and siblings shivering in the corner, their eyes wide and fear etched on their face.

...

Welcome to the first chapter of Origins, a story which will be a compilation of stories, built upon the foundation of the beginnings of several of my characters, all of which are rooted within the confines of the World of Warcraft Universe. I hope you all can follow this, I tried to stay close to the Goblin story line. But Axia has a long way to go before she's reached her full Destiny.

And this is just the beginning.