Chapter 1 - The Canyon
Howling Fjord was a beautiful, although desolate place. The howling winds carried shards of ice and snow like a hail of arrows, while the tall, green trees stood firm against the growing storm. Thankfully, Daggercap Bay was an adequate refuge against the natural onslaught - it's low proximity inside the massive canyon serving to avoid most of the weather. It was perhaps for this reason, Bamington thought, that the Vrykul built their massive castle here.
This, and other thoughts, moved quickly through his head as Bamington tore his axe into his next foe - another massive Vrykul. The Vrykul stood a solid ten feet tall, with massive muscular builds and axes or maces to match their frames. To a human, the Vrykul would seem massive. To a gnome like Bam, they were truly giants, even the shortest of their kind being at least three times his height. Even with his silver, gold, and red armor, Bam still looked like a child among these giant warriors. If it were not for his speed - and his massive axe and mace - he'd not have lasted long against their formidable size.
Come to think of it, Bamingtons armor had to make his look quite formidable. Unlike the other soldiers, who were clad in brown leathers and blue tabards, Bam came dressed in a mix-and-match arrangement he'd collected over the years. His large silver and gold shoulder pouldrons he had found in Blackrock Spire, and were his oldest piece of armor. His helm had been specially crafted by a fellow soldier during the battle at Quel'Danas. Upon his chest he wore the tabard of the Stormpike Dwarves. He'd been given it as a gift during the skirmish at Alterac Valley, where he'd managed to best a high-ranking Orcish general. Unfourtunately, the red and gold tabard was now somewhat soaked in Vrykul blood.
The giant infront of him fell, Bam's axe finishing its swing, severing the Vrykul's leg at the knee. The bohemeths leather skin split apart, spraying a dark red blood like a broken water-skin. Bamington followed his first blow with a second, his opposite hand bringing a massive mace to bear. The mace came down quickly, a loud crunch signaling the end of the warrior-giant.
Bam surveyed the battlefield around him. Behind him lay Valgarde - a small village built next to the bay. The first Alliance expedition had landed here, on the south-eastern coast of Northrend. Why the alliance had deemed fit to build a settlement so close to a Vrykul stronghold Bam couldn't say. Speaking of which, infront of him was Utgarde Keep - the massive Vrykul castle-city built into the mountain. Until a few years ago, the Vrykul had lain dormant inside their massive tomb, hibernating, waiting for something. But now they were awake, and they poured out of their city with a vengeance, bringing their onslaught upon Valgarde like a storm straight from the Maelstrom itself.
In the corner of his eye, Bamington saw another soldier running to his side. There were many human soldiers amongst the battlefield, though most were clad in the blue tabards of the alliance, and the stout leather armor of the Valgarde soldiers. This particular man was instead clad in a bright red robe, his tight ponytail of matching color flowing down to below his shoulders. Bamington was familiar with the man.
"Kazuki!" Bam called, turning and waving his mace in the air, replacing his axe into his back-holster in the same motion "How goes the north flank?"
Kazuki grinned his classic grin, and the fire mage yelled his reply; "These monsters stand little chance, Sergeant! We have the advantage, both in numbers and firepower! They will burn easy!"
Bam simply replied with a nod, turning to survey his own soldiers. He'd known Kazuki for a few years now. They'd first met in Outland, during the initial invasion of Hellfire Peninsula. When Bam had led a small group of soldiers against Hellfire Citadel, the home of the Orcish armies in that region, Kazuki had volanteered to help out. At the time, Bam had asked why the man who shared no military affiliation would help free of charge. His response had been a simple one: "Orcs burn nicely.". Though the statement had been phrased as a joke, Bam wondered if the man was a soldier, or a simply a pyromaniac.
Regardless, he was undoubtedly an asset on the battlefield.
No sooner had Bam finished being thankful for Kazuki's prescence, he heard the unmistakable howl of a worg. The Vrykul had an army of them trained to fight for them, and they were vicious creatures to fight. They were unpredictable and savage, much like the Vrykul themselves. He turned to his left to see the great black beast racing at him, like a black fur meteor. A split second later, the beast was set aflame, from no visible source. It's fur instantly incinterated. The thick skin of the beast charred and roasted, a putrid smell of burned flesh washing over Bam as the now-carcass fell before his feet. Bam turned in time to see Kazuki lower his hand, flickexrs of fire flaring up amonst his body, only to dissapear the next second. Bam gave the man yet another nod, followed with a wide smile.
"I'm heading back to Valgarde. Think you can keep this in order until I return?!" Bam yelled to Kazuki over the roar of battle. Kazuki gave a thumbs-up signal, turning back towards the fight. The firemaster then summoned a massive ball of flame in his hand, the size of Bam himself, and lobbed it like a child would throw a leather ball. It sailed over the warring armies, landing directly in the middle of a group of oncoming Vrykul. The monster-men screamed and burned, their bodies melting away under the magical fire.
Bam turned away from the front lines, looking back toward Valguarde. He pressed a button on his large, armor plated gauntlet. The gauntlet had been a gift from a friend, and the button the best part - as soon as he pressed it, he heard the mechanical cry from the distance. Unlike a traditional mount, such as a horse or large ram, Bam rode what his people called a Mechanostrider. These large, mechanical beasts strode on two legs, much like the striders found in the barrens of Kalimdor, were both sturdy and fast. Bam's own golden mechanical steed was called Cranky. Bam could spot the emu-like mechabeast striding toward him now from the front lines, the modified cannon that Bam had attatched to its torso was smoking from being recently fired. Though most Mechanostriders were unarmed, Bam's history as a tinkerer and a soldier meant that Cranky had undergone a few upgrades.
The yellow and silver strider approached at a run, scrambling to slow down as it arrived, barely managing not to bowl over the gnome warrior. Cranky knelt down, allowing Bamington to hop onto his back. Bam placed his massive axe onto a large magnetic plate on Cranky's side, and climbed aboard. Once in the saddle, he attatched his mace to a similar magnet on the opposite side. Grabbing the reigns of his war-steed, he pulled to turn the strider. Cranky obeyed and the two sped away from the battle, heading toward Valgarde.