A Way to get Big [Complete]

[Wuvvums]

((OOC Note: This post takes place after the fall of Gnomeregan. This involves the character, Railey, and her training to become a Steamwarrior))

Guide:

Part 1:
Chapter 1: Happy Birthday!
Chapter 2: To Swing a Sword
Chapter 3: Testing, Testing, 1... 2... 3!
Chapter 4: As the Years Pass

Part 2:
Chapter 5: A New Journey
Chapter 6: The Ambush
Chapter 7: In Dangerous Territory
Chapter 8: Life After

PART 1

Chapter 1: Happy Birthday!

Spoiler:

Days had passed, and still the very vivid images of troggs, of radiation, of her brethren changing into lepers were still fresh in her mind. Today would be her fortieth birthday, and today Railey would cross the threshold into adulthood, but it wasn't a happy day for her. She had always imagined that such a day would be a joyous occasion, that family and friends would be there to congratulate her, and she would go on to be her own tinkerer and make them proud. But Railey Boltstopper's birthday would not be like that; she was a refugee from Gnomeregan.

She felt small, not in the literal sense, but on the inside. What was there to be proud of? She couldn't do a thing to save Gnomeregan, all she could do was run. Run across Dun Morough, run to Ironforge, stay where she was safe while she knew well that other gnomes were dying. Never had the gnome felt so insignificant, so helpless to the change. Nothing in her power could have stopped it, and now she was homeless, without family, and only some silver in her pocket. All she could do was sit around and mope, happy birthday indeed.

Railey found herself spending her evening in the military ward, sitting in the corner of the tavern there. As the hours passed the empty mugs were piling into a line in front of her. They did not, however, come from the gnome, but another dwarf who had sat with her. In contrast to her he seemed to be in a jolly mood, and he was covered with the scent of ale. For awhile he had not noticed how bad she was feeling, but he did observe that she had her hand on the same mug in front of her for over an hour now. All she could do was stare into the glass, watching it ripple with every stomp and pound that the rowdy drunks made in the bar.

“Lass, ye been in here all the night, an' ya still haven't touched ye beer!” he said, raising both his hands in disbelief. She would only give a passing glance up to the dwarf that stood over her and shrug her shoulders as if she didn't know what to do. The dwarf looked at her, expecting at least a sip, but noticed the melancholy look on her face. After a moment the silence got awkward, until the gnome felt forced to say something, at least to explain herself.

“Haven't felt good.” she said, each word stifled slightly, constantly taking her grip off the handle and putting it back on. Her hand couldn't keep still, and neither could her thoughts, but the dwarf didn't seem satisfied with her answer.

“Ye be a silly lass. Drink! It'll warm ye toes an' make ya feel better.” he said, giving her a grin and a sly wink. The gnome felt hesitant, but something about his expectations pressured her. With a tight grip she would look to him, then the glass, then back to the dwarf who still kept the same grin. He seemed friendly enough, and probably wanted her to feel good. Eventually she would cave in, lifting it from the table, and tilting her head back.

The bitter, warm ale slid down her throat, gulp after gulp, and yet she didn't stop. It felt like one drink invited the next, and the next, until the very last drops disappeared. She would let her arm and the mug fall back onto the table, wiping her mouth with her sleeve.

“Is that better?” she asked, slumping back into the chair.

“Don't drink fer me, drink fer yourself!” the dwarf burst out, taking his cane and walking away from the table. She was only given a few moments to think before he returned frantically with another mug, placing it in front of the gnome. She would give him a perplexed look, before pushing it away.

“No, it's alright, I feel fine.” she said, sitting straight in her chair.

“Ye don't look fine, lass.” he said, pushing it back in front of her, “Drink, drink and be merry!”

She would stare into the new mug, once again putting her hand on it. It seemed this time, she didn't need as much prodding to gulp it down. The first beer had left her feeling tingly, and already inhibited her thoughts. Somehow before she could tell herself no, the next mug was gone, and another was placed in front of her. Time started to slip away. She couldn't tell one drink from the next, and had even lost count, and as her brain felt light and the room started to spin, Gnomeregan began to melt away. For the first time in days she began to laugh and smile again.

Railey had spun her stool around, leaping from her seat and wobbling on the ground. She was rather light and cheery, and the dwarf looking on seemed amused at how few drinks had set her off. This was a fleeting moment, however, as she was soon staggering to the wall, the ground rocking below her feet. As she started panting heavily, she felt herself hunched forward, the most sickening feeling overcoming her body. As the nausea filled her, she would feel her arms and legs fall limp, and blacked out. Right then and there the night ended for her, everything turning to an unpleasant darkness.

Noises surrounded her, pulling her from her restless unconsciousness. She sat up in a bed, a dim light illuminating the small room she was in. She could hear the noises of clanks and steam, and as she rose from under the sheets, she would grab her pounding head and push the door ahead of her open.

She couldn't believe her eyes!

The room was filled with springs, gears, bolts, bars of metal, wires, tools, inventions, and everything in between! But perhaps the most impressive was what was in the center: a mechanical suit, armed with a buzzsaw and what seemed to be a cannon on the other arm, and valves in the back. It looked like a suit of armor, having been plates at the shoulders, the joints, but where the head would be was a control panel. From her point of view the towering machine had a few levers and such showing, but she couldn't reach further to see.

“Ye like it? I called 'er ol' Betsy. Built 'er from scratch.” a voice came from behind, nearly making the gnome jump. As she turned around to see she caught a glimpse of the same dwarf from last night, leaning against his cane. He didn't seem too old for having a bad leg, in fact, he looked like he was middle aged. But there was something she noticed; on his right leg, from the knee down it was all metal. She couldn't take her eye off it until he came closer to her, approaching the machine, dusting a speck off of one of the panels with his finger. He would then lean on the cane, looking up to it with pride.

The gnome too couldn't help but gaze up at the machine. For some reason, seeing something this grand inspired her. Like any gnome she grew up tinkering, making little toy trains and gadgets for her family. She always wanted to make something that was grand, and now she felt like she was seeing that in front of her two eyes. That was when the dwarf glanced over to her, and she instantly fell to her knees, clasping both her hands together.

“Please! Please let me be your apprentice!” the gnome begged, her wide eyes gazing up at him, her voice babbling like an excited child, “I don't have a place to tinker! I don't even have a silver on me. Please!”

“Calm down, lass.” he said, making a chuckle as he prodded her shoulder lightly with the cane “On ye feet.”

She nodded, instantly standing back up, awaiting his answer.

“So ye wanna tinker up things like this?” he asked, thumbing behind himself to the machine. She nodded her head quickly.

“I do! I do!”

“It's not gonna be easy. Ye think ye'll be up fer it?”

“Oh yes! I won't fail!”

“Then ye can work under me.” he said, putting his hand out for her to shake, “Name's Baude Steelgin.”

Very eagerly she snatched his hand, shaking it back.

“Railey Boltstopper.” she said back, letting out a sigh of relief, glad that she had his approval. As the two let go she would turn back, once more gazing back up at the machine.

“So when will I get to make one of those?” she asked, walking a circle around the steamsuit, putting a hand up to the plate.

“As soon as ye can handle it.” he said “Won't be easy.”

“I wanna start right now!”

“Okay, okay.” he said, putting his hands forward in a gesture, “Wait here.”

He would hobble off with his cane, heading to another room. As some time passed she would tap her feet, looking up to the machine, seeming a bit impatient. It was only a few minutes, but to the excited gnome it felt like an hour. When Baude returned he had a giant paper held under his arm, standing right in front of her. He would unfurl it, holding it above her, the schematic went over her head. She would gaze at the intricate designs, the notes put down, trying to study each and every part needed for the machine. But before she could reach out he would flick his arm up, the paper rolling back up as he bonked her lightly between the pig-tails with it.

“This isn't the design ye'll be using.” he said.

“B-but why did you show it to me? What is this, I don't-”

He would interrupt her once more with another tap on the head, this time with his cane. He turned around pointed to a table in the corner of the shop.

“Ye'll be makin' the schematic, Railey.”

“M-me?!” she said, jaw dropping “B-but that design, it was so... so complex!”

“I know that.” he said “And I made it maself. Ye can do the same.”

He would press the end of the cane at her forehead, “Ye can do it, yer a gnome, ain't ya?”

She nodded, letting him lower the cane. Glancing back up to the machine she would let out a sigh, before striding over to the work bench. It sounded quite difficult, but she couldn't see any other way to get it done. Baude would come behind, pulling out a huge sheet of paper, and pointing to the stack of others.

“Take yer time, lass.” he said, putting a marker in her hand, letting the gnome set to work.

And so she would draw, draw like she never drew before. Things would be quite different from that day on. While she had lost her home, family, and friends, there was a great gift that was given to her, that of hope. She had faced an opportunity, and would not let it go. It would be impossible to turn back to her past, so instead she would face the future head-on, and take whatever lies ahead.

[Wuvvums]

Chapter 2: To Swing a Sword

Spoiler:

Littering the desk were many crumpled pieces of paper, the pile only growing as the hours passed. With only one light swinging over her head, the gnome found herself losing track of the hours. It could have been night time, and she wouldn't know. All she cared about was drawing out the perfect design. There were very few breaks, and as the day dragged on her mind was starting to tire and her eyes were glazed. She had finally, finally settled on something, and arrived at a point where she wouldn't, in fact, toss the paper away. However, the schematic was far from finished. In fact, this was only the start of it.

Baude would eventually arrive to find the young gnome slumped over, her head resting on the paper in front of her. He would glance over the edges of the paper that weren't blocked out by her face, giving himself a content smile to see such a dedicated gnome. He would lift her out of the seat, and leave the paper there, before lifting her body from the chair and walking off with her.

Railey once more woke to the sounds of machinery around her, in the same bed as before. She would wipe her tired eyes, letting out a yawn as she rubbed her eyes. As she sat up in the bed, she noticed draped at the end was another set of clothes, and a short sword placed on the dresser. It left her a bit perplexed, but she would not touch either, exiting the door and into the workshop. There she would find the dwarf, who this time was out of his tinkering overalls, and in a set of chainmail with a holster to the side.

“So, what's with that getup?” Railey asked, tilting her head slightly.

“What do ye mean getup? Did ye think I wasn't a warrior?” he asked, Railey pausing for a moment.

“W-well, no, it's not like that! I just figured that you'd mostly be tinkering?”

“Neh, this is part of the trainin'.” he said, coming closer with his cane, prodding her back a few steps with it “Now, get in ye new clothes and take ye sword.”

“But what about the schemat-”

She was interrupted with another prod back.

“It'll still be there when we'h done. Now get yeself ready.”

With a sigh she would open the door, and disappear into the room.

Their walk out of Ironforge was quite uneventful. Baude would keep a steady pace despite his cane, and there were only a few short stops to make smalltalk with some of the other dwarves passing by. Railey wished she could have some familiar faces to look at, but the gnome she saw were all strangers that happened to share a common fate. Being a survivor was not always the easiest thing, but hopefully that would change. It had only been a few days, after all, perhaps the situation down at Gnomeregan had changed?

Every time he stopped she felt a bit impatient, but didn't push him to hurry things up. It was only a matter of time before they would leave the gates of Ironforge, and she would be met with the bright and serene snow of Dun Murough all around. From where they were she could squint and see some of the buildings of Kharanos, but Gnomeregan was beyond the reaches of her vision, and it seemed he was leading her down the path and the opposite road heading to the place.

He stopped her in one of the clearings in the snowfield. There was nothing else around but a wandering boar, and the occasional hopping rabbit. It was here that Baude made her stop, walking around her in a circle.

The cane tapped one of her knees, “Spread ye legs.”

She would give him a glance, but did so, planting her feet further apart in the snow.

The cane prodded her back “Lean forward.”

She would do as commanded, bending her back. It felt like an awkward position to hold, but she kept it there.

“Now, hold ye sword level, an' out from ye side.”

When she had done all that he instructed, she had managed her first combat stance, doing her best to maintain the balance. Her muscles were somewhat tensed, and her measly arm felt sore trying to hold the sword up. Baude took several steps back, looking her up and down, making a nod.

“Be ready.” he demanded, the gnome blinking.

“Ready? Ready for wh-”

Before she could finish the dwarf would step forward, swinging the cane horizontally at her. She would immediately cower, flailing her limbs, and somehow by some luck, the sword made contact with the cane, and she avoided the blow. He would then pull back, making a forward stab motion for her gut. Immediately she pushed one of her legs back and did a sidestep, avoiding the next blow. Baude would stand once more, letting her resume the battle stance, the gnome panting heavily from the surprise.

“Good, keep on ye toes. Don't let anything touch ye.” he said, going through a range of motions once more. This would go on for several minutes, and in that time she had evaded well, though every now and then the cane was too quick, and it would smack into her, leaving a painful welt. After another hit to the shoulder she would fall to her knees, grasping it, feeling the sore spot that had been made. The dwarf would tower over her, looking down.

“Ye given up already, lass?” he asked her, the gnome gritting her teeth. She would shake her head, pressing her sword against the ground and making herself stand once more, facing him. Railey wouldn't give up. She didn't understand what this had to do with her tinkering, but if this was what it took to reach her goals, she wouldn't let herself down. The dwarf could see that fierce determination in her eyes, willing to go on.

He would give her a moment to catch her breath, and then walk around the girl, grasping onto her wrist with the sword.

“Ye hold it like this, an' ya swing like this.” he said, demonstrating the practical motions firsthand. He would have her swing from side-to-side, make a jab forward into nothing, and swing vertically. When he had repeated the motions for her he'd let go of the gnome, walking back to face her and the blade.

“Now, try an' hit me.” he said “Don't forget ye motions.”

“You sure? What if I hurt you?” Railey asked warily.

“I'll be fine. Just practice ye swings.”

“Alright...” she would grip the sword, and charge forward. Horizontal swipe, forward slice, diagonal, jab, each blow was either evaded, or caught onto his sturdy cane. It was then that he pushed against one of her blows, causing the sword to lift up, and he would lift his leg, pressing his boot forward and pushing her into the ground. She would fall back into the cool snow, for a moment seeing nothing but the sky, before the dwarf walked along and held a hand down, offering it to her. When their two hands gripped together he would pull her up in one quick swing, before setting her down onto her feet.

“Now, let's do that again.”

The day would alternate between different practice fights and short breaks in between. Often she switches from being the attacker to the defender. As the sun set and the snowy land was bathed in its golden lights the training stopped, and Railey seemed too tired to move. Baude would take her hand, leading her off.

“I want ye ta see somethin' before we're done ta'day.” he explained, Railey just nodding to him. She would summon her strength to walk, the dwarf keeping at a pace that wouldn't wear her out, returning to the roads.

She didn't pay much attention to where he lead her, but eventually she'd see what was at the end of the path. There were many gnomes and machinery gathered, and vents along the ground, expelling green gas. Baude would steer clear of those vents, letting her look upon the entrance of Gnomeregan. She didn't want to ask, but part of her knew something wasn't right. In fact, there were some gnomes outside the areas, wandering aimlessly, their skins a sickly green color and face covered in welts. Her tired eyes widened, shocked so much at the sight of her homeland that her feelings overpowered her fatigue.

“I saw what ye was drawing, and I knew ye didn't want just a fancy walkin' suit.” he said, Railey looking up to him, keeping quiet through his dialog.

“If ye want ta fight, ya'r gonna be a warrior first, and a tinker second. Tinkerin's important, but at some point ye gonna have ta fight yaself. The suit's not always gonna help ya out. Afta all, how'd ye think I lost me leg?”

She would look down to the metal appendage, nodding her head as she grasped tightly to the sword. She wasn't sure what would happen, or what the future would hold, but she knew that Baude figured her motives. Railey wanted to do something, she wanted to be a hero, and the dwarf was determined to shape her into a fine warrior, no matter what training it took. She turned her back to Gnomeregan, carrying the sword with a new sense of determination. As the two set back off towards home, Railey knew more than ever the stakes of her training. The pain, the fatigue, none of it could hold the small gnome back.

[Wuvvums]

Chapter 3: Testing, Testing, 1... 2... 3!

Spoiler:

The next few days felt like a repeat; schematic, training, swing swords, check up on Gnomeregan and see how it is. It had just started to feel like a routine, and despite all the hardship, Railey found stability in her life. Her mood had been getting better; she was more confident, and things were looking up. Her schematic was even finished, and she was very excited to get started. That morning she had brought Baude to the desk to see her work, tracing her finger over different parts of the elaborate blueprint. The dwarf would scratch his chin and only give a nod.

“So...” Railey asked “You think it'll work?”

“Do ye think it'll work?” he asked rhetorically.

“W-well, I haven't exactly done this before, I thought I should ask you, since you've made one of these.” she babbled excitedly “So what do you think?”

“This'un's different.” he said “Ye gotta test it.”

“Test it?”

“Aye, ye gotta build an' try it out.” he said, turning back, “Ye got most of what ye need here. Ye can start building an' I'll go get the other parts ye need.”

“I suppose..” she said, looking down to her schematic, seeming unsure, “Well, I guess there's nothing to do but to go at it!”

He pat her on the head, nodding as he head out of the shop, leaving the gnome to her own devices. Immediately she went to a rack, pulling back the tools she wanted. The arc spanner, the wrench, the monster wrench, and many more items. She had cleared out a space in the middle of the floor, already starting to busily work away.

The shop was filled with the sound of clanking, Railey shaping each piece on the anvil, the metal curling under the heat, bending to hammer. Holes were then drilled, and pieces were bolted together. Pistons, gears and many more. By the time Baude returned, she had a base with two feet arranged, and metal rods coming out of them to support the structure of the leg.

Baude was tugging a wagon with an array of parts, laying them out along the workbench, before looking over the schematic.

“I'll save ye the work an' put some of these together.” he said “Thorium power cores are tricky, eh?”

“Yeah.” she said, wiping some sweat from her brow, “That should make it less work.”

“Aye, it will.” he said, “I'll get to it inna bit. Just need te get the mail.”

“Oh? Expecting something?” Railey asked, turning away from her work for a moment.

“Always.” he said, grinning. Railey tilted her head, shrugging as he went back out, able to do this errand more quickly. When he returned he had but a single envelope, but seemed to be quite fond of it, opening the edge of it carefully so he wouldn't accidentally tear through. For fingers as thick as his, he seemed to be quite delicate when he needed to be.

“So who's it from?” Railey asked idly, slipping a spring over to the metal rod where the leg was, compressing it behind a joint.

“Me daughter.” he said, “Took right after 'er mum. She's a squire, practicin'. Almost done too.”

“Oh, I see. So she's around Northshire?”

“Naw, went to lend a hand in de war. Gnomeregan isn't de only place suff'rin.” he explained “She'll make a good paladin, help others.”

“Aren't you worried about her?” asked Railey, turning away from her work.

“Naw, she's a toughie. Like I said, took after 'er mum. Now, ye better grab that spring.” he said, pointing back, Railey noticing that she forgot to bolt in the joint. As she scrambled to go after it, the joint would suddenly slip, and the spring went flying into the air. The little gnome ducked for cover, the metal joint and the spring both landing with a clank.

The dwarf let out a jolly laugh as he pulled her up, gathering the two parts.

“Back to work with ye.” he said, placing her back in front of the two mechanical feet, handing her the spring and joint. She would let out a sigh of relief, glad that no one was hurt. Baude would start reading his letter, occasionally glancing over at the tinkering gnome. When he was finished he set the paper down, and took up some tools, joining her in the work.

Time passed with few breaks in between, mostly to eat and rest the sore muscles. The steamsuit had its legs and joints, and wiring in between them. Clapping a hand on Railey's shoulder, Baude began to speak.

“Think'n we should call it a night.” he said, leaning on his cane, “Get te bed; we'll do more tomorrow.”

“Alright...” Railey would rub her tired eyes, letting out a yawn, “Thanks.”

As she made it to the other room she would jump into the bed, rolling in the blankets until she was tightly wrapped, dozing off to sleep instantly.

Building became part of the new routine, replacing out drawing from the schematic. As each day passed, the steamsuit grew bigger, and had more parts placed intricately on the inside and armored to the outside. Eventually the shop became cramped, and Baude had to move his completed machine outside, leaving it to the side of his house. No one seemed to bother it there; there were guards all around the military district who could keep an eye on it.

Railey's machine would end up slightly smaller than Baude's, but it was just about complete. As opposed to his machine, hers was a bit taller and bulkier. Also, instead of being armed with a saw and gun, hers had a hammer and claw. She looked up to it with a grin, instantly climbing up the side.

“Can I test it now?” she eagerly asked, her voice both gleeful and childlike. The dwarf would give her an approving nod, standing over to the side, leaning on his cane. As she pressed a few buttons and turned a key, the machine sputtered to life. It felt so magical and surreal to be in something this amazing, or at least that's how it felt for the gnome. Her heart was beating so heavily with excitement, the rest of her body feeling light from the adrenaline.

She pressed a lever and her machine lurched forward, a heavy leg picking up, and taking a step. However, as it did this, the torso area would rock and spin. She would hold onto the levers as it did so, but this would only swing her, and pull the levers in the other direction, causing it to step back. Railey let out a cry for help, and as Baude watched the machine rock back and forth and spin freely, he would give it a good knock in the knee with his cane, causing it to power down. As the machine bent forward Railey would jump out of it, nearly out of breath from the yelling.

“W-what happened?” she asked between panting, looking up to the steamsuit.

“Did ye think of puttin' stoppers 'round the middle? It didn't 'ave anything te hold it in place.” he said.

“N-no...” she said, letting out a sigh as she got up, “How did you know hitting it in the leg would turn it off?”

“Eh, wirin' wasn't all that great.”

“And you knew this?! Why'd you let me try it out?”

“The thing 'bout tinkering is ye gotta learn from ye mistakes. Do ye think ye'll ever do something like that again?” he asked her, prodding the machine lightly with his cane.

“I-I guess not, that was quite an experience.” she said.

“And ye'll have many more. I'm guessin' that's not te only problem ye'll have.” he said “Just gotta keep tweakin' til ye stamp out the bugs.”

“How long will that take?”

He shrugged his shoulders and raised his brows, looking over to her, “Hell if I know. Ye just gotta keep tryin'.”

“Right...” she said, letting out a sigh “Then, I guess I'll have to tweak it... and update the schematics.”

“Shouldn't be too hard.” he said, taking out a screw driver, “I'll help ye.”

“Thanks, Baude but... I'll do this myself.” she said “I want to know every change made firsthand.”

“If ye say so. Ye can get to it after trainin'.”

“Again?” she asked, letting out a sigh “I-I suppose...”

“Ye can never get enough of it.” he said, “Get on yer gear.”

“Alright.” she said with a bit of a groan, heading off to train once more. Fixing would have to come later.

[Wuvvums]

Chapter 4: As the Years Pass

Spoiler:

Day by day, year by year, the routine of tinkering and training started to feel like a regular thing. Learning firsthand from her mistakes, Railey found herself modifying her machine. Each week a new issue would come up, and be dealt with, and she'd move on to the next. Finding that her machine was just a bit too big to leave the shop set her back even further, because her design needed an overhaul to be more compact. However, each swing of the hammer, each turn of a bolt, every plate and every wire built up her experience even more. Tinkering big and swinging a sword started to become second nature, and finally things were familiar.

Finally it was done. She had a steamsuit that was like Baude's, but done by her own design. Its controls were fit personally for her, and she knew every change and every part that had been put in and taken away. Much different from her first time, and her second time, and her seventeenth time and so on, she could pilot this machine and something wouldn't go wrong. It was bug-free.

When she had come to test it out she had found herself delighted that she could walk it around the shop, before making it over to the door. Its head managed to clear the door by a few feet, and she had found herself standing in the military district of Ironforge. She would turn the cockpit left, then right, and admire her work.

Something about the view felt refreshing. For once she could see over things, and that elevation felt empowering to her. It literally was a different perspective to see things from above, and because of this she wanted to explore with it. Fortunately Ironforge had a lot of space and wide roads. And perhaps because of the machinery they dealt with, and because of the tinkering of the dwarves and gnomes, something about her steamsuit didn't seem too out of place there. It drew some attention, but most of it was positive. It was when she went into Tinker Town that a few gnomes gathered around, one waving to her.

“Greetings!” Railey said excitedly, waving her hand from the cockpit as she made the machine bend forward, putting herself slightly more level with the gnomes. There were three that had come to see her machinery, one poking lightly with a finger, the other bringing a wrench to one of the bolts.

“Hey, hey!” she said, stepping back “What are you doing?”

“Oh, sorry, I wanted to see the internal working.” he said, lifting his goggle up. He would squint his eyes as he looked up to her, giving her a warm smile, “I don't believe I've seen this model around before. Did you refit an existing one?”

“No, it's a unique.” she said with a sigh, putting the leg back in place, “I've been working on the design for awhile now.”

“Really?” asked the other gnome, rubbing his chin, “Then what does it do? I only see a hammer and a claw. No cannons?”

“Well it's not meant for distance combat.”

“Nonsense! You could always add a ranged weapon! Why not some dynamite launcher?” the first one asked, resting the wrench on his shoulder.

“W-well, I figured that explosives wouldn't be all that safe if it's taking blows-”

“What about a torch? A lightning generator?”

“I just want it to beat things, you know, something that can pack a punch.” Railey frantically explained. It wasn't too long before she was bombarded with suggestions. She didn't like them, she didn't want to make changes right when she got something to work. Eventually the third gnome would speak up.

“Quiet, now. It's her invention, not ours. Let her modify it as she sees fit.”

Railey would let out a sigh of relief and say, “Thank-you.”

He would only give her a simple nod, before looking to the other younger gnomes, “A young tinker has taken it upon herself to design her own machine. You should follow her example. Now, back to work!”

“Right!” the two said in unison, picking up their tools and running back to the machinery. The elder gnome would look back up, turning to her.

“Tell me, what is your name?” he asked, stroking at his beard as he took a more calm approach to inspecting the machine, pacing around it in a circle.

“Railey Boltstopper.” she said, giving him a grin of confidence.

“What do you plan to do with this invention?” he asked, raising a brow.

“Well, I wanted to help out with Gnomeregan...” she said “But I'm not sure if it'll be ready, yet.”

“If you do help, it would be appreciated.” he said, letting out a sigh, “It's been nearly three years.”

“Yeah, I know.” her voice would trail off quietly, before she noticed that forlorn tone. When she did she would shake her head, trying to force herself to think more positively, “But I believe we'll take back home someday. We have the technology, right?”

He nodded, “But hope can also go a long way. Do not feel bad, you aren't the only one wanting to help take our city back.”

She would force herself to smile, taking in a few deep breaths and nodding, “It's so hard, but I don't want to give it up.”

“You won't. Just do your best.” and with a wave he was off, heading back to his work. Something about this struck Railey deep down. She was nearly in tears thinking of how good that day would be. Somehow having the invention in her hands made the dream more of a reality to her, and it was a sort of pleasant but shocking thing to think about. As she managed to calm herself she would turn the machine around, walking it back to the tinkering shop, where she walked it through the door. She parked the steamsuit inside, and turn it off, heading through the shop.

“Baude! Hey Baude, I'm home!” she said, looking for him. She would come to his room, the door was left open. She could see the dwarf sitting at his desk, reading a letter once more. She assumed that it was from his daughter, since he got one just about every week, but for some reason he seemed unnaturally still, and bent over, fixated on the paper.

“Baude?”

At the sound of her voice he nearly jumped. Quickly he folded the paper up and tucked it away into his shirt pocket, turning back. He seemed a bit nervous, but she didn't want to prod, instead she would try and tell him the news.

“My machine, it finally worked. I took it through town, even!” Railey cheered, but he didn't seem to share the same enthusiasm.

“So ye sayin' it's ready?” he asked back. Railey paused, seeming quite confused.

“I guess you could say it like that...”

“Good, then ye better start packin'. We're goin' out tommo'ra.”

“Going out? Where?” asked the inquisitive gnome.

“Eastern Plaguelands.” he said, turning back “Gonna help the Argent Dawn.”

“Argent Dawn... wait, we're fighting the Scourge?!” she said, her face starting to go pale from the thought.

“That we be.” he said, “Ye've been trainin' long enough. It's time te put yer skills ta use.”

She paused, feeling a lump form in her throat, and a nervous and heavy feeling at the pit of her stomach. She kept staring into his eyes, trying to see if he would falter, but something about that dead serious gaze made her realize there was something important at hand. She would swallow that feeling and nod stiffly before retreating back to her room. As Baude returned to his seat, he would bend over the desk, taking the letter back out.

Baude Steelgin,

We are deeply regretful to inform you that Sarla Steelgin had been lost in the Plaguelands on one of her scouting missions. She and her party have not returned for days.

We would like to remember her for her duties and help she provided fighting the enemy Scourge. Her service will not be forgotten.

The Knights of the Silver Hand

END PART 1

[Wuvvums]

Chapter 5: A New Journey

Spoiler:

Such a restless night! Railey couldn't stop thinking about the trip waiting ahead. Her focus had been centered on Gnomeregan all this time, she hadn't considered what was going on out there in the world. The once proud Stratholme had been ruined by a batch of plagued grain, Lordaeron was full of undead too, but she didn't think much about it because in the end she was in Ironforge and the closest thing to both her and her mind was her home. She felt disappointed that she couldn't enlist with the Gnomeregan exiles and start aiding them in their endeavors.

The night was full of pacing. She would fidget, lay in the bed, get up from the bed, double check to make sure she packed everything she need, go back to the bed, stare at the ceiling, listen to the steam that flowed through the workshop. The anxiety would only build, and every now and then the disappointment felt so shattering she started to cry to herself. Biting her lip she tried to think of what would happen; what if the undead got her? Why did she have to put off Gnomeregan? It'd be less risky, and it mattered more to her.

Railey just couldn't think of Baude and what he was going through. She didn't know his daughter was missing. But he had taken her in, he had given her everything she needed to excel, and her machine was built upon his parts and within his shop. She owed him, and so she had a choice. Either give up her Steamsuit, or help him out. She would hop out of bed, taking out her schematic, unrolling it and spending the time looking over.

Every stroke and every line, each detail represented her trial and error. She just knew this wasn't something she could give up. She poured her soul into this design, it was hers, and nothing could ever change that. As she went to roll it back up again she would sigh, checking the clock up in the room. It was late, and she was tired, but her thoughts and emotions tormented her. The gnome tried to force herself to come to some resolve, climbing into the bed, laying there until the exhaustion forced her to sleep.

When morning came she had been waken by Baude with a quick knock to the door. She dragged herself out of the bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, opening it as she looked to the dwarf. It looked like he hadn't rest at all, his eyes were sunken and had two dark rings around them. And yet his face seemed very stern and serious, more so than she had ever remembered. It was scary to see him like this, and she didn't want to mess around and make him irate. Without even a word she had already retreated back into the room, gearing herself up and taking her bag.

Returning to her machine, she would open a hatch where a small cubby was made to store her belongings. She loaded her travel bag into it, and a few gallon containers of phlogiston. Baude was doing pretty much the same. As she walked out he had put a sign at the door telling they were closed, and he locked the place up. The dwarf climbed up into his steamsuit, and lead the way through Ironforge.

At first they weren't heading to the gates. She wondered how they were going to travel anyways. Were they just going to walk these heavy machines down the mountains and across the Wetlands? She was no expert with geography but she knew she'd at least have to go through that, Arathi, and Hillsbrad. It'd just be so much work. Without complaint though she'd keep to her thoughts, following Baude behind as he stopped at Tinker Town. There there were a few other steamsuits ready, three of them, two piloted by gnomes and one by a human. She perked up, not expecting that they'd be going in a group.

One of the gnomes had waved her over, she instantly recognized him as the one from yesterday.

“So you trained under Baude, I see?” he asked “He mentioned you were coming along.”

“Y-yeah...” she said with a nod, seeming a bit shaken about the turn of events, “What's going on?”

“Beats me.” the other gnome said, this one a complete stranger, “Baude asked for us to come together today.”

“That's right.” her trainer spoke up, “We're headin' out ta'day ta teach 'er ta art of battlin'. We're gonna bash some heads.”

“Well... I suppose.” the human checked her over, frowning “Where are we taking her?”

“Eastern Plaguelands. Gonna fight 'em Scourge.”

“Wouldn't Gnomeregan be better? She said she wanted to help there... and it's such a travel!” the gnome spoke up.

“Ye think she's gonna learn knockin' round some lepers? Bah! Undead all the way. Now, let's get going and blast some deaders!”

Railey looked to the other three steamwarriors, looking down. She could tell they were skeptical and she felt embarrassed, but she didn't fight it. Perhaps they would go along, if that were the case the journey would be less lonely.

“I'm out of this.” the human spoke up, “I'm not dragging myself out there to train a kid.”

“Ah, ta hell wid ya.” he said, “Ye was in the same position yaself once.”

“I don't care.” he said, turning his suit around walking off. Railey frowned, it seemed Baude was so determined. She looked to her other gnome kin, giving them a pleading look as if to say “don't let me go out there alone.”

The older gnome saw that in her eyes, she seemed so insecure, so he stepped forward, nodding his head.

“I'll go with you two. How about it?” he asked, the other gnome giving him a thumbs up in agreement. Railey noticed this one was closer to her age, differing in maybe five or ten years. Something about having their company made her feel better about the trip, and very gratefully she would grin and say, “Thank-you!”

“Just let us prepare.”

“It'll only take an hour or two.” they said.

“Take yer time.” Baude replied, looking back to Railey, “We'll meet ye at the gates.”

“Alright!” they said, piloting off.

Railey would look over to him, scratching the back of her head.

“Hey, Baude.. you think I'll do well?” she asked him, frowning as she twiddled her thumbs, “What if I mess up?”

“We'll be here fer ya.” he said “Don't ye worry.”

“Alright...” she trailed off “I guess we should wait over by the gate.

“Aye, we should.” he said, leading off. He seemed less stern than he was this morning. Perhaps the dwarf realized that he put her on edge, or who knows what? She couldn't get into his head, she just knew he was acting strange, and she had to go along with it. As they made it to the gate she would power down her machine, conserving the phlogiston in it, spending the time thinking to herself. She imagined what this trip would be like, what the battle would be like, how she would do, and all the thoughts were grim. The wait felt like it couldn't be long enough, and when she saw the other two steamwarriors arrive she knew this would only begin their march towards the Plaguelands.

Unceremoniously the group would set out into the snowy mountains of Ironforge. The rest of the day was spent walking with a bit of idle chit-chat amongst the group. She would get to know the other two tinkers a bit better. Their names were Max and Roddy Wrenchit, they were both related, Roddy being the father and Max the son. Max didn't have the experience that Baude and Roddy had, but he seemed confident. Perhaps she should be that way. They had both put a lot in their machines, so she would just have to have faith that things could come together.

And so with the other three steamwarriors she journeyed. They traveled by day and camped by night, encountering little on the way. Anything that did give them a problem were usually wildlife in Arathi or the Wetlands, most of which were easily cut down by the four mechs. It would take a week before they would come down the slope of Alterac, and into the western portion of the Plaguelands. It was here that things would differ drastically from Hillsbrad. Slowly they would venture forth, and it wasn't too long before the novice steamwarrior would see her first bit of action...

[Wuvvums]

Chapter 6: The Ambush

Spoiler:

For awhile the trek felt very still and eerily silent. Even the clanking steps, the winding gears, and the heavy machinery couldn't shake that feeling off. This land was dead. The grass was withered, the pines were a faded color, and even the land and sky felt like it was robbed of life. And it wasn't until they passed that bridge spanning into the Eastern Plaguelands that the landscape changed drastically.

The first thing Railey caught a glimpse of was a giant worm, just merrily crawling about. It would have perhaps looked like a comical thing, had one not considered this was a creature thriving in the land of death. Unfortunately, she would come to know this type of creature as being the only thing in the Plaguelands that wouldn't attack you on sight. It was still dangerous, but as it flopped around it seemed to be minding its own business. Railey decided to keep it at that.

She would turn her focus back to Baude, who led the front of the group. The father gnome took the back, perhaps so the inexperienced Steamwarriors had a barrier of protection from both sides. She would occasionally look over to her new friend. Whenever he looked back she'd turn her face away, feeling ashamed that she was so nervous and scared. She was trying to scope out his feelings, but didn't want him to read hers. There was really nothing she could do to stop that feeling in the pit of her stomach.

It was not too much further along the path that they had heard a noise. It was a small one, the crunching of the dead grass. Railey thought it might had been another worm, but it wasn't accompanied with the globby squishy sound she remembered the first one having. It was all a blur, and in moments something had charged in, and was about to leap to her. It jumped so high, she thought it was going to reach her from where she was. Baude would pivot his machine in the midpoint, whipping around and letting out a heavy round from the barrel of the steamsuit's arm, and immediately it was jettisoned to the side by the impact, and sent rolling onto the ground, steam rising from the newly made hole in the creature.

But that wasn't the only one...

Railey found herself stunned as more of these undead surrounded. They were a mix of skeletons and ghouls. And while they were much too big, and probably stronger, she had been fearfully brought back to the memory of Gnomeregan. She remembered running through the streets, having to claw her way out through groups of leper gnomes, only saved by the fact that others were fleeing with her, and fighting their way through. Once more she had been surrounded by something both dangerous and vile, and like the leper gnomes they probably used to be someone that was good and innocent.

Now it was up to them to put these things out from their misery and suffering.

Railey would shake her head, forcing herself to snap out of the trance. She grabbed one of the levers of her machine, and as the incoming group came, she would step forward into the wave of the skeletons and swing the heavy hammer of her arm. Bones clattered and shattered all around, and she was able to fend back three. The ghouls were sniped from a distance once more by Baude. From behind her Max unleashed a wave of flames. From her right Roddy was letting out a round of rapid fire. The four machines were back to back, in such a way that they made a circle of outward destruction.

And there things began to change. This stopped feeling like Gnomeregan. In fact, things felt like they were going to be okay. Here Railey was sitting from atop a mechanical work of art. She was with three others who were in the same position. They each had a lot of power at their disposal, and it showed. She could only imagine what it would be like if every gnome had one of these. Troggs would have surely never been a problem then.

And so they kept fighting. About a dozen of these undead foes were slain, and it seemed that they would not have a problem in these lands. Railey's flashbacks would cease, the images were starting to fade from her mind as she found the confidence to move forward. Once again Baude took the lead, and they continued the march like nothing happened at all. Railey, however, found herself gripping the controls of her steamsuit a little more tightly than she once had. She was calming down.

“So, how'd ye feel takin' down onna dem rottin' bastards?” Baude asked, looking back over his shoulder to her, “They aren't ta only ones ye'll be dealin' with.”

“I um... I...” she paused, trying to think, “I felt like I was in control.”

“In control? Wot the hell is that s'pose ta mean?” he asked, “Didn't ye feel excited? Wasn't it great?”

“Y-yeah, it's hard to explain...” she said, looking down.

“Don't feel bad.” Roddy told her, looking down, “It was your first time. You'll be used to that feeling soon.”

“I guess.” Railey nodded back, “I had a lot on my mind, but I'm less scared than I was before.”

“Good.” he said, leading along. They were headed north in the direction of Stratholme. Of course they weren't going to head in that place, that would be suicide! But somewhere about a mile or so from it was a camp where the Argent Dawn was. There had been a recent change where the Silver Hand had joined with the Argent Dawn and formed the Argent Crusade, but it seemed they were in Northrend while the Argent Dawn itself stayed here. There was apparently another force stationed on the holy ground of the Light's Hope chapel, but that was very far away.

Railey had to admire their determination. What was there to fight for? There were too many undead to kill off, and places like Stratholme were ruined, and even Lordaeron was in the hands of the Horde. What she did know is perhaps that the Scourge wouldn't stop here, and if they could they'd probably extend and ruin more of the world. Someone had to keep such a force in check, and stop it from consuming more places. It was in her mind a selfless effort. Perhaps some day these places could be reclaimed.

Either way they were good people and they openly welcomed the help of anyone who wanted to fight the Scourge. From what she heard anyone could join the Dawn, and even though she wasn't a paladin or a bringer of light, they were willing to give her a commission badge and fight on behalf of them. While she wasn't as committed to the idea of fighting in the Eastern Plaguelands, she knew she was obliged to by her trainer. She figured so long as she was going to help out, she should take one of their commission badges, especially if they were going to lend a place of safety where they could rest.

As they stationed at the camp the rest of the evening was spent checking the machines to make sure they were running well, that no parts had become too worn, and that they were full on phlogiston. Some people would probably rather fix something when it breaks. They were determined to not have anything break to begin with. This was a strange and dangerous land, they couldn't afford any technical difficulties.

By the time they had sorted out and double checked all four machines, the day had waned, and it was getting to be night time. The camp allowed them to stay. There were a few tents, mostly separating out the males and females of the units. Of course, by Railey's luck, this meant that she had to be separated from her group as she spent the night with a bunch of strangers. They weren't bad, in fact, most of them were the model of goodness that most would strive to follow, but that only left her feeling more out of place, as if she was meager in comparison.

Before bed, however, she decided to open up and talk with some of the Argents there. Between dwarves, gnomes, elf and humans there were people of all shapes and sizes, finding a common purpose of fighting the Scourge. Railey would ask many questions, some of them about the Plaguelands.

“I heard there was war going on, but I haven't seen much battles. Is there an army out there?” she would ask. One would answer:

“There is definitely a war on the Scourge, but it has moved to Northrend recently after the Battle at Light's Hope.”

“And how recent was that?” she asked, another said:

“It was about a week ago. I guess you were probably traveling at the time?”

“I was.” she said, looking down “The steamsuits aren't built for fast travel.”

And then one asked her, “What brings you so far from home? What desire does a tinker have in fighting off undead?”

“Well what reasons have you?” Railey asked, seeming a bit defensive, leaning back.

“I had lost many of my family in Stratholme. I fight to make sure that doesn't happen to anyone else again.” said the human.

“The plague defiles everything I stand for in the natural world.” said the elf.

“I came ta spread the light, and justice all 'round. It's a sacrifice ay'll make ta better this world, just as others 'ave done ba'fore me, and will do even after I'm gone.” said the dwarf.

“I see...” Railey looked down, “To be honest I'd rather be in Ironforge right now. I wanted to help out in Gnomeregan but my trainer said fighting here will help. He wants me to experience the battle.”

“This isn't a battle for kicks.” the human said, looking to her, “Are you sure this isn't some trick?”

“Why would he want to trick me?” she asked, the panic quite clear in her voice. The dwarf clapped a hand on her shoulder, looking down.

“Ye think 'eh might 'ave 'is own reasons, lass?” she asked.

“Well... I know he has a daughter, fighting somewhere out here...” she said, looking down “Maybe he misses her?”

“That might be it. I wouldn't be surprised if he's worried sick about her. She might have moved on to Northrend, a lot of them have...” the human said.

“I, I wouldn't know.” Railey replied, “We'll figure things out.”

“Alright. Don't worry too much, you'll be alright.” the human assured her, “Rest for now. It sounds like you'll be having a big day ahead of you.”

“I will.” she said, settling back into one of the sleeping bags. She would rub her sleepy eyes, having some hope that this would be over. After all, how hard would it be to look for Sarla?

[Wuvvums]

Chapter 7: In Dangerous Territory

Spoiler:

Railey had slept well, better than she had in the past few days. Perhaps it was because she knew she wasn't alone, but the more likely reason was peace of mind. All was clear to her, something about going out here had to do with his daughter. Perhaps he really did miss her and wanted to help out. Either way, the gnome had a feeling that Sarla could end this shenanigans, and they would be back home.

When morning came she had arrived from the tent fitted in her gear. She would head towards where her steamsuit was parked, and where the others had waited for her. Baude was sitting in his, his steely eyes gazing at the dead horizon. He didn't say much of anything.

“So...” Railey spoke up, “We're out in the area, did you think about seeing Sarla?”

“Yeh... somethin' like that.” he said, his voice low and gruff, “Ye hear 'bout her?”

“No... I did hear that some of the fighting moved to Northrend.” she said, “Did you ask anyone?”

“Naw. Been havin' the feelin' she's 'round here.” he said, starting up his steamsuit, “We're gonna go find 'er ourselves.”

“Find..? You think she's out on the field?” asked Railey.

“Yep. Now, let's head out!” he said, walking the steamsuit off, leaving the gnome both dumbfounded and confused. Certainly asking someone would make this all easier. Either way, she had found herself once more following behind him, the other gnomes trailing. Each had occasionally glanced to one another, the three exchanging equally perplexed looks as Baude led the way.

Like their first ambush there was a lot of fighting. It would have been a lot more dangerous had they been doing everything by blade and shield, but their massive machines tipped the scales in their favor. By the swing of her hammer and the flames of his machine, and a few rounds of bullets in between, they had cut their way across the Eastern Plaguelands, and yet there was still no sign of another Argent group. Yet Baude insisted this was the way they would find Sarla.

As the day carried on Railey began to worry. They were certainly helping out, and nothing had presented a very major threat, but how long would that be? It was then that the land began to change, from the dead trees and grass to a noxious, mushroom filled landscape. She was worried about the spore that could come up, and the plague all around, but Baude would begin to head in that direction.

“Wait!” Railey called, trying to protest, giving him a frown, “Isn't that the way to Darrowshire? Stratholme? I don't think she'll be there.”

“We won't know 'til we find out.” he said, looking back.

“This is preposterous! That way is filled with banshees, guards, necromancers, abominations!” Roddy said, shaking his head, “I don't care what she's obliged to do. You have no business putting a young one in danger.”

“Then don't go!” he said, shaking his fist at the empty air, “Ye can turn back, but Sarla's out here an' I'm gonna find her.”

He would let out a snort, and then turning, starting his march towards the blighting region. Railey let out a distressed whine, trailing behind him. She was afraid, but she didn't want him to go alone, even if it was a suicide march.

“Baude... Sarla's.. alright, isn't she?” she asked, trying to stall him. But he would give no response, indifferently pressing forward, the worried gnome continuing to follow. Max came after her, and it seemed some cohesion managed to keep the whole group together as the four steamwarriors pressed into the plague-ridden area.

They had set down the road. The gnome felt a cold sweat, her hands trembling at the control as she managed to keep the machine walking. She could feel her beating heart drowning out all other noise. It almost felt like she was walking in emptiness, pulled by this tether of loyalty. She only moved forward because her master moved forward, and heard and felt nothing but her own fear. It was a dangerous path that went downhill very quickly.

A small rock rolled down the hill, what caused it, who knows? In a jittery reaction she had let out a yelp, and started to whip around, panting heavily. Nothing was coming for them, not yet, but her skin was quivering and the hairs along her back bristled. The slightest poke against her shoulder, even though it was caused by a buckle along her chain, felt like a deep sting from her own paranoia. She couldn't help but spaz out and let loose a scream.

And then it happened.

Scourge came, they had heard her cry of terror, and who knows? Maybe they could have smelled that fear in the air. She didn't know undead well, but as they approached these ones were bigger and stronger. The skeletons wore armor, and trudging behind in the back of the group was a giant, abomination, guts hanging out for her to see.

While she swore Baude was flashing her a scornful look, there was no time to tell. They would have to combat these foes. Immediately they would lock themselves into combat. Railey was quickly pulling levers and knobs. She would slam on a button, shift a gear, her machine swinging and hammering into the group. This was not like the others, though. You couldn't just cut through these monsters, and more would come.

Eventually they were fighting and backing up a machine. A skeletal captain had approached, able to stand through the blaze of max. Railey swung forward in a vertical swing, but her hammer only smashed upon empty ground. The captain, having sidestepped, would pass through the zone of her reach, and before she knew it a sword had been wedged into the knee joint of her machine. It was brought lurching forward, the phlogiston starting to pour down the leg. As if he had hit a vein, her steamsuit was dying, and he was coming for her next. She would climb out the back of the steamsuit, jumping down onto the ground. The warrior would pursue, hefting out his sword and chasing after her.

She would then whip around, pulling her blade from her sheath, just as the captain brought his down upon her. The metal would clang and sparks flew as the two blades made a shrieking grind. He would then lift a leg and kick forward, the gnome sent staggering back, and her blade sent up, but still holding on. It was in that moment that he made another swing, and the gnome's eyes became glassy as she was sent in a pain-struck daze.

She fell forward and onto the ground. Her body was limp, and she could do nothing but cough and sputter. The captain was just about to finish the tiny woman, when he was sent back as Baude quite literally tackled him with his own steamsuit.

“Ye keep yer hands off my girl, ye rottin' feck! I'm not losin' anotha!” he yelled out. Railey would try and shake off the nausea as she lost more blood, and before she could crawl back to her steamsuit she was lifted up by the young gnome, Max, and pulled into his machine.

“Take 'er back! I'll hold 'em off!” the dwarf yelled back, having plowed the captain into a pile of bones. The two gnomes nodded, and despite Railey's cries of protest she found herself carried away as the two steamwarriors went back down the road.

Baude Steelgin was left alone. He was letting loose many rounds, swinging his machine, and brawling with as many undead as he could hold off. As they surrounded him hey would eventually start climbing up the front and back of the machine, and a slice from the abomination's cleaver went through the chest, causing sparks to fly. The steamsuit would stagger and fall onto its back, Baude left as easy prey to the machines.

It was then that he lifted a hatch, revealing a big, red button. He would slam down on it, in the same time the cleaver went to sever him in two...

In her last moments of consciousness, Railey saw an explosion and a pillar of flames, before fading away into smoke. He lived as a steamwarrior but died like a sapper, but it was not a sacrifice in vain. It decimated the enemies close by, and scattered the group of undead. This allowed them the opportunity to escape, and make it back to the Argent camp.

Railey would be without a machine, and for some time unconscious, fighting for her life as she tried to recover from the heavy blow. It was a hard recover, but the paladins and priests of the Argent Dawn had ensured her survival. When she woke days later, she had sprung up from her bed, her mind still in the moment from when she last saw her trainer.

“Baude?! Baude?!” she would gasp, and then cringe from her wounds. She would fall back into the pillow, looking around. She was somehow in the bed of her workshop, and Max was there with her. He had fallen asleep at a chair, but her sudden awakening surprised him so much he fell out of his chair. As he got back up he would brush himself off, looking to her.

“Ah! Railey, you're finally awake!” he said, coming to the edge of the bed, seeming a little worried, “Are you alright? You shouldn't get up so fast.”

“I.. I am. Where's Baude?” she asked, her eyes becoming teary, seeming to be in agony from the worry.

“He's...” he paused, looking back. He didn't know how to word it to a gnome so close to Baude, but it had to be said.

“He died, Railey.” he said, holding her hand, “He died to save us all.”

She was shocked, her gaze still for a moment, staring at the wall opposite of her.

“Railey? Railey..?”

She would suddenly burst into tears, burying her head in her hands. Try as the other gnome could, he just couldn't get her to stop. She was grieving the loss of the closest friend she had, her mentor, and the one who had changed her life. Nothing could hold back the steam of tears, but Max would hold onto her in a hug, letting her put her head on his shoulder.

And Railey wouldn't let go...

[Wuvvums]

Chapter 8: Life After

((Sorry for this being my shortest chapter. This is sort of wrapping things up, plus the fact that I am a bit wrung out from college work))

Spoiler:

Recovering wasn't easy. For the first time in years she had felt alone once more. While the young gnome had inherited the shop, it had felt empty without her trainer. He had become her friend, and was practically family, and now it was gone. For awhile she had moped, mourned, and laid about the shop, doing nothing but idly spinning screws and hammering away at metal. It wasn't until her funds dried up that she realized she didn't have Baude to cover her meals and just about everything else she needed. She would have to work.

It served as a good distraction to open the shop back up for business. It forced her to tinker, to think, and pass the hours with her labor. Each moment of work meant one less moment of thought on the sorrow, and even more time was sucked up by her returning to the project of rebuilding her steamsuit.

It was an odd change of pace to run her own business and make her own money. Finally she could pay for what she wanted, and live like an adult, something she couldn't do when she had actually reached adulthood years ago.

One could say that time could heal all wounds. Perhaps it did. Railey found herself mourning less in time, having her own life, and having the business opened her up to a lot of daily visits and new friends. It wasn't long until she stopped feeling as lonely. And yet, each night she would come to Baude's old room, clean away the dust, leave it just as he'd left it before their trip. She would look at the seat and imagine him there, and how he had always been reading his letters. Incidentally he still got letters from Sarla, but for privacy's sake she wouldn't read through them. Instead she would just pile the new ones on his desk.

A year had passed, and Railey had managed to remake her machine, and fix up her life. It was at that time she could finally get to helping out with Gnomeregan, though she realized that she wasn't the only tinker there that could do something big. How was it that the entire gnomish race, filled with their geniuses, inventors, and their explosive arsenal couldn't fend off some troggs and leper gnomes? Railey could only ponder, but she saw little progress. Perhaps it was like the Argent Dawn; a lot of talent and power, but not enough to clear out places like Stratholme, at least not in a short time.

It made her less disappointed to take that perspective. She was a bigger gnome than she had been before, but at the same time, she realized it wasn't the raw power that would take back Gnomeregan. It would have to take something more, more than what one gnome could make. But who knows? One could surely hope once more.

Gnomeregan would always be her home in her heart. Never once did Railey imagine that they could never take it back. It was this that drove her to want to improve herself. She had desired to extend her help beyond the plight of her race. The Eastern Plaguelands, and losing Baude, had seriously opened her eyes to the fact that the world was this way, in a lot of turmoil, but never short of people wanting to fight for something better.

And Railey wanted to be a part of that.

The only problem was that she didn't want to leave the shop. She wasn't sure what to do, it was Baude's legacy, and she couldn't just close the place down, but traveling with her steamsuit would take so long she couldn't hope to run the business at the same time.

It was then that she had heard a knock from outside the door. She would look back around Baude's bedroom, wiping away the last speck of dust, and calling back, “Sorry, we're closed.”

And yet as she left the room she heard another knock again. She figured the person didn't hear. With a sigh she would toss the rag aside, and head to the door, opening it up to face the person.

“Sorry, we're clo-” she paused, finding herself stopping in mid-sentence, having faced a hooded figure in black plate. A pair of blue eyes gazed from beneath the hood, and she felt a deathly chill upon her shoulders. She had heard of death knights before, but they weren't too common around her area, but she would stop stuttering, “Closed, we're closed.”

The figure would pull the hood back, revealing pale skin and orange, flowing hair. Something about her seemed familiar, as if she should have known this person, that was when she had thought about the faded pictures in Baude's room.

“Sarla?!”

The figure nodded, walking past her into the shop. Railey closed the door and trailed behind her, before the dwarf looked down.

“An' ye are?”

“I'm Railey Boltstopper.” she said with a hurried bow, bringing her head back up, “Your dad was training me.”

“Aye see. An' where he be?” she asked, “I figured I'd visit 'im since the Lich King died an' all.”

“Baude...” Railey paused, stepping back a bit, unsure of how to explain. The dwarf would curiously eye her but remained patiently silent, until she would get an answer.

“He died, trying to save me and my friends.” she explained. Railey didn't want to say that he was looking for Sarla; the poor Death Knight would just be finding out that she lost her dad, she didn't need to blame herself on top of it. Either way she wasn't sure what to expect. The dwarf was silent, heading over to his bedroom. If she did feel emotions they were reserved, or at least the gnome couldn't see it on her face.

“Hey Sarla.. umm, were you thinking of staying here in Ironforge?” she asked, looking up to her. The dwarf nodded, looking back over.

“I figa'd I could help out a bit closer ta home.” she said, “I wanted ta be with ma family...”

“I... know what that's like.” Railey kept herself distant. If she hadn't been undead, she would surely give her a comforting pat on the back, but she was afraid to even touch her shoulder. Sarla would pivot on her ankle and turn around to face the gnome, surprising her so that she was stammering back.

“I-If you want, you can have this place back. It was your father's, after all.” she said quickly, wanting to change the subject. She really didn't want to stick around and small talk with her, even if she did have a connection to her dead best friend. Sarla didn't seem offended however, just patting her on the head.

“Of course. That's what ah expected.” she said, “An' don'tcha worry, I'm not alone. But if ye wanna stay, I'm fine with that.”

“Actually...” she paused, “I was thinking of going out on an adventure soon, I just couldn't find someone to look after this place.”

“Ah can do it if ya want.” she said, “Would ye be fine with that?”

“Of course! Of course!” she blurted out, waving her hands, “Then it's settled? You can have your home back and I'll go adventure!”

She would nod her head, then make a chuckle, as if Railey had been acting silly. The chuckle though would make her eyes widen and the hairs on her back bristle. The distortion of her voice made even her cheery tones sound disturbing and scary. There was no one Railey could stick around if a death knight was going to live with her, and it motivated her to pack more quickly, and round up her steamsuit.

It wasn't even a day later that Railey would find herself on the streets yet, without a home. And now she was obliged to travel far, as to not offend the death knight. With a sigh she would turn, walking her suit down the road, before hitting the gates of Ironforge. This would mark a new chapter in her life, full of wonder, adventure, and possibly hitting things with a big robot suit.

END PART 2