Author's note: Well, it's been a year since I updated this… I really have no words to apologize for such long delay. I myself wasn't expecting it would take this long for me to update this story, it's just that I been really busy with my other stories, there's always something that comes up, some idea I want to write about, and before I know it several months have passed. Anyway whatever the case, I had finally the time to focus on this story for a bit and write the next chapter.

Before I start, Let me tell you I'm not particular pleased about this chapter. It's just this next part of the manga I felt it too constricting as to not have much room to wiggle and make changes from canon. So it really irks me that much of this chapter is a copy-paste from the manga, I particularly don't like that since, if you been reading my other stories, you should know I like to be original and implement varied ideas while giving not much screentime to canon. Since most of you I suppose should already be knowledgeable about of that, I decide to skim or even skip over canon whenever I can and keep only the essentials. That was the problem with this section because it's essential but it doesn't give me much space to make changes. Oh well I hope I can be done with this quickly and move to the next thing.

Anyway, despite this, I hope you like this long awaited chapter for this story.

Disclaimer: I don't own either World of Warcraft or Hokuto No Ken. They belong to their respective authors.

CHAPTER 2

In search of an answer

The small group of companions traveled on the back of the dragoness Tyrigosa for around half an hour, Kenshiro was amazed the entire trip, as he was able to marvel at the beauty of the landscape from their vantage point. Enjoying the wonders of Nature that he had thought lost forever on his old world. Eventually, they managed to discern the first traces of their destination at a distance.

"That smoke on the horizon! That must be Tarren Mill." Kalec said, pointing his finger at a pillar of smoke that could be seen at the edge of the sea of trees they were overflying.

The dragoness just grunted in confirmation. "Hmmph! Good!"

"Land in the woods there! We'll walk the rest of the way!" Kalecgos said, indicating towards a small clearing among the dome of trees.

"Of course! Did you think I planned on Landing in the square?" Tyrigosa rebuked with no small amount of sarcasm.

The dragoness landed and the entire group promptly stepped down from her back, to allow Tyrigosa to change back into her elven disguise. Kenshiro was still amazed by the feats that this new magic could accomplish, as he could still not understand how a small and lithe woman could transform in such a big mighty beast. The group then began to make its way through the forest towards the town of Tarren Mill.

"I have never seen so many people! It is amazing!" The girl Anveena said in wonder one they were already walking through the streets of the town, as she had never visited a place like this before in her life.

"This backwater settlement? Amazing?" Tyri said in small disdain with a scoff, not impressed by their surroundings.

Kenshiro however, agreed with the young girl; as he too found it amazing to be able to see again a civilized place. A place where people were happy and lived in peace, something he never thought he would see again. It reminded him of better, happier times, before the war and the destruction of his world.

"They must not see elves often here. We stand out." The voice of Kalec brought him out of his thougths, as he saw his fellow companion commenting about Tyri's chosen disguise.

Said dragoness simply crossed herself in arms and huffed. "I'll not demean myself by taking a human form. At least elves are aesthetically pleasing."

"We'll with this neck ring, I'm stuck like this. That means the sooner we find this Borel, the better." Kalec replied, reminding the group of their objective and exhorting them to redouble their efforts in finding this man.

They spent several hours asking around the town about Borel, with every innkeeper, establishment owner or even random passerbys on the street, yet none knew where this man could be found. Dissapointed on their failure, they decide to regroup on the town's main square fountain.

"Nothing! No one here has even heard of this Borel!" Kalec snapped in frustration.

"I am sorry Kalec…" Anveena said tryig to appease her friend.

"It's all r-right… You c-can't…" Kalec wasn't able to keep speaking as a sudden wave of dizziness struck him. He brought a hand to his temple and staggered on his feet, trying to keep himself from passing out almost passing out. Tyrigosa was immediately by his side and grabbed him by the arm to keep him from falling.

"Kalec!" Anveena exclaimed in distress.

"I knew it! He's overextended himself for you! He needs rest!" Tyri stated as she assessed Kalec's condition. Kenshiro simply looked upon the situation grimly.

"But we have no money…" Anveena mentioned.

"A minor, mundane problem." Tyri said as she extended a hand into the air, summoning gold coins into her palm. She then swept her gaze around and focused upon a nearby hotel sign. "And since that seems the only place, it'll have to do."

The group soon entered in the small inn and rented a room where they laid Kalecgos on a bed to rest. Tyrigosa addressed the two humans looking upon Kalec's sleeping form in concern. "He should be fine as long as he gets enough rest. We should continue our search for this Borel while he sleeps."

"Are we simply going to leave Kalec in here alone!?" Anveena said in worry, not willing to abandon her friend while he is helpless.

"Do not worry for our friend, Anveena." Kenshiro said, speaking for the first time since arriving on Tarren Mill. "I'll stay and guard over him while he rests."

"Then it is settled then! We two will continue looking for this Borel while our big friend over here guards Kalecgos." Tyri said to Anveena before walking out of the room, not waiting for the young girl to catch up with her.

Anveena was about to rush after the disguised dragoness, but stopped for a moment to give one last look at Kenshiro. "Please Kenshiro, take good care of him."

The brawny man simply replied with a sharp nod. "I will… You should go now, no need to make our other draconic friend wait." Was all he said to the girl before she finally left.

Kenshiro stalwartly guarded over the sleeping Kalecgos for several hours without moving from his spot. Suddenly, he heard a loud stream of heavy footsteps approaching towards the room from outside the door. Feeling his senses warning him about trouble, he quickly moved and took cover behind the door to spy whoever intruder that dared to enter into the room.

The door soon opened and a short, stubby, bearded man wearing and eye-patch and carrying a blunderbuss on his back entered the room. He was carrying a glowing crystal that shone with a piercing light. The stubby man seemed to turn towards the crystal for guidance, before he looked upon the slumbering from of Kalec and began to approach him with menacing steps.

The stubby man brought an arm behind his back and began to draw his heavy rifle. But Kenshiro moved to intercept him before he tried to do something threatening against Kalec's health. "Why are you breaking into this room without permission!?" He said coldly from behind the stubby man as he loomed over him.

The short bearded man turned around with a gasp at being caught off guard, not expecting for someone else to be in the room. He saw the grim cold stare of Kenshiro, towering over him. The bearded man compleately drew his blunderbuss and aimed it with one hand at the Master of Hokuto Shin-Ken while still carrying the glowing crystal in the other.

"Easy there lad, don't try to do anything stupid. This has nothing to do with you." He said pointing the barrel of his gun at the enourmous man.

Kenshiro was not undeterred in the slightest by the big firearm and kept approaching the short stubbing man with imposing steps. "I'll ask you again… Why have you broken into this room without permission…?"

The stubby man took a step back, readying his gun as he gritted his teeth in nervousness. "Stop! Don't tempt me, lad. At this range, I can't miss. I do not wish to kill an innocent bystander, but I will not allow anyone to get in my way… If you must know the reason why am here, I've been hunting a dragon for several days now and the traces I've been following have led me to this place. This crystal here, say's my Dragon's near… And I've got a hunch it's very near." He said, glancing darkly at the sleeping form of Kalecgos.

Kenshiro simply listened to the man's explanation with grim stoicisim. "I do not know for what reason are you pursuing my friend, but I can't allow you to bring him arm as I have given my word that I would guard over him and keep him safe."

"I see…" The stubby man said in thought. "Too bad for you lad then… You shouldn't have gotten involved with the wrong lot." He stated as he cocked back the hammer of his gun with a loud clank with his thumb and began to exert pression on the trigger with his index finger.

In that moment Kenshiro suddenly dissapeared from all sight, the short stubby could only gasp in surprise for a second, before he gun was punched away from his hand as the Master of Hokuto suddenly reappeared standing practically over him. Kenshiro then stabbed a finger in the stubby man neck who suddenly found himself unable to move. "Wha…? I… can't move? What witchery is this…!?" He exclaimed as Kenshiro suddenly lifted him up in the air with the same finger he had plunged into his neck.

The sounds of the struggle made the slumbering dragon in disguise to wake up. "Ugh! What's all that noise? Anveena, is that you!?" He quickly got out of his stupor and was surprised to find Kenshiro at the feet of his bed, lifting a dwarf in the air with one finger. "Kenshiro! What is going on!?"

"Let me down in this instant, or I'll have my boys deal with you!" The stubby man said trying to threath Kenshiro into releasing him. Obviously, it was a futile effort as the master of Hokuto was not impressed by the little man wails.

Suddenly, a new set of footsteps were heard approaching the room, It was Anveena who walked in through the open door. "Mister Kenshiro, what is happening? Is Kalec alright!?" She asked in worry.

Kalec, still not knowing what was happening but feeling the situation to be quite serious, called at the girl in trepidation to keep her from getting involved. "Run Anveena!"

Suddenly, an Orc appeared behind a confused Anveena and tried to take hold of her. "Oh?" The little dragon she had with her, Raac suddenly flew from his master embrace and bit her assaulter right in the finger.

CHOMP!

Yowtch!

Kenshiro let go of the bearded stubby man, who fell unceremoniously on the floor, and immediatly used his inhuman speed to appear in front of the orc and knocked him out with a single punch.

Before anyone could say something, a scream was heard from outside coming from the town's square. "That's Tyrigosa! She must be in trouble!" Kalec informed, recognizing the voice of his self-appointed mate.

Kenshiro simply walked back over the dwarf sprawled in the floor who was busy trying to get back up and collect his weapon. He grabbed him from behind and lifted him in the air once more. "I assume you must be behind of whatever that just happen to our friend."

The dwarf just smirked with a devilish smile "You better let go of me if you know what is good for your companion. My lads can get a bit rowdy if I don't keep a close eye on them…"

Kenshiro did not reply and simply looked towards Kalec who had already got up from the bed and was preparing to go in help of Tyri. "Are you good enough to move?"

"I'm fine! We better go out there and help Tyrigosa." Kalec said while fastening his sowrd

Kenshiro simply nodded at this reply, he then looked behind him to adress a still worried Anveena. "You better go and find somewhere safe to hide Anveena while we go out there and have a small talk with our little intruder's friends." He said with his usual seriousness.

"Will you two be alright!?" The girl asked in concern.

Kalec just waved her in dismissal. "We'll be fine Anveena. Just go, we'll look for you after we're done saving Tyrigosa."

The young girl just nodded in acknowledgement. "Just be careful ok!" She said as parting words before turning around and disappearing down the hallway.

Kenshiro turned back towards his prisioner. "Well, then… Let's not keep your boys waiting…"

!

Tyrigosa was struggling, trying to break through the net that had trapped her. For some reason, all of her efforts proved fruitless despite the aid of her draconic strenght and Magic.

"It's useless! Magic will not save you, female. This net is protected!" Said one of the Orc thugs that had trapped her as he threatened her with a knife.

"AAAAAAAAh!"

Suddenly, a rough scream drew everyone attention, as the dwarf commanding the orcish thugs was roughly landed in front of his underlings as if he had been thrown. Kenshiro and Kalec appeared, walking calmly towards the thugs and their prisioner from behind the crumpled form of the one-eyed dwarf.

Kenshiro looked around the place briefly to assess the situation, before he began to crack his knuckles intimidatetly. "You better tell your people to let my frined go, before I decide to take matters in my own hands!"

"I would also like to know why are you chasing us so intently? What makes you think we are dragons?" Kalec interjected right after Kenshiro.

The one eyed dwarf simply lifted himself off the ground and dusted himself off with a grunt. "I've heard dragons can change shape and the crystal glows most when it's near you." He said before a sudden growl caught his attention and he took notice of a sight that made him gasp in shock.

"What's going on…? By Grim Batol!" The dwarf said as he discovered they were being surrounded by undead that were suddenly overrunning the town.

"Tarren Mill is under attack by the undead scourge." The dwarf said glancing all around him, looking at all the undead creatures circling them. He immediately took aim with his rifle at the monsters drawing near. "The Scourge! They must haveve followed us here! Blasted shambling corpses! Think you can sneak up on Harkyn Grymstone? I'll blow you to little gobbets of… Eh?"

Once more, the one-eyed dwarf gave an expression of shock, as his body suddenly paralyzed and refused to move. "My trigger finger! My whole body! Can't Move!"

He wasn't the only one suffering from that condition as every single one of the remaining still-breathing individuals in the square found themselves unable to even lift a single finger. Kenshiro included.

A voice known to Kenshiro and Kalec, called from behind all of them. "Your efforts are futile, you know."

The paralysed people struggled to turn their heads in the direction of the voice and found the red-clad elven mage, Darkhan, walking tino view with an arrogant step. "Really, even for a dwarf, you are stubborn. Not to mention a disappointment."

"Disappointment?" The dwarf Harkyn, blinked in confusion.

"All you had to do was keep the dragons away…" Darkhan said with mild-irritation.

"My employer was a human! A former prince of Lordaeron who…" Harkyn exclaimed in shock, trying to set things straigth, but the elven sorcerer quickly interrupted him.

"A simple casting of illusion, more than enough to convince a dwarf." Darkhan explained with condescending disdain. "When I first sensed the nearness off the sunwell's power, I knew that it had not been lost. I sent word to my blessed lord Arthas… Who reminded me that although the wizards of Dalaran might be in disarray… The dragons would be drawn to the Sunwell like moths to a flame… They are creatures of magic you see. You might even say defenders of it. The Blues especially. " He said as he loomed over the still trapped Tyrigosa, who suddenly realized how much Darkhan had been aware of their mission.

"You're a fool, Darkhan!" Kalec spat in anger, drawing all attention towards him. "Arthas will never let you control the sunwell's power for long. You find it, and he'll have Kel'Thuzad take it from you! That's the only reason that he's kept you around."

Darkhan didn't take kindly to those words and reacted harshly. "Enough Whelps! If you cannot give me want I want, I have no need of you. I'm so sorry. Dwarf, you want to slay dragons… Any dragons… I give these to you."

"You…! You used me! You used my hatred…!" Harkyn mumbled in shame an outrage for being played at.

"Hatred is such a wonderful, malleable tool…" Darkhan replied in amusement, he then sobered and turned towards his undead minions. "Kill the female first. He may remember something, then…"

Suddenly, the voice of Anveena called from the distance. "NO! Please! No!" The girl appeared running through the main street and put herself between her frozen friends and the elven sorcerer. "Please! I-I do not know what you want, but I will help you find it if I can… Just don't hurt them!"

"Hmmm… The girl from the cottage… and that thing… the trail led here…" Darkhan said, bringing a hand to his chin in thought as he looked over Anveena. "Could it be? Yes! I sense the power of the sunwell around you! That beast! It is what I seek! It must contain the sunwell's essence!" He exclaimed pretty excited in realization, glancing towards the miniature red dragon in Anveena's embrace.

"Raac?" Both Tyrigosa and Kalecgos exclaimed in puzzlement.

The crimson clad elven sorcerer extended a hand towards the young frightened girl. "Give that creature to me and I promise that your troubles will all be over, little one. You'll never have to fear anything again."

Anveena seemed to consider his words for a moment, and then looked down at the creature between her arms with an expression of sadness. "Forgive me, Raac…"

-RAAC?- The dragonling croaked in puzzlement, before Anveena presented him towards Darkhan.

"Yes… come to me! Be mine at last!" The elven sorcerer said in anticipation as he reached with his hand towards the small creature.

"No Anveena! He must not have it!" Kalec yelled bringing a jarring stop to Darkhan's trance and causing the young girl to take a few steps back due to the shock.

Darkhan glowered at being interrupted and turned to Harkyn. "Silence him, dwarf." He commanded ruthlessly. The one eyed dwarf began to lift and aim his rifle against his will. He struggled against the spell controling his actions, but all effort was for naught.

Witnessing the cruelty and evilness unfolding in front of him, Kenshiro was unable to hold his temper anymore. He growled; a loud troathy sound that caught all the people in the square off guard, as the sound seemed more to be that of a dangerous predator rather than a man. The anger of Kenshiro started to become easily visible, as his body began to exhude a malicious dark aura that managed to terrify even the undead creatures that were surrounding the group, making them to uncounciously take several steps back away from the enraged Hokuto master. He was not going to let the ruthless elven sorcerer to lay a hand on the girl, so he fought against the spell that held him with sheer will alone.

As his ire increased, so did his power and with a mighty roar that struck deep into the souls of everyone present, finally breaking through the paralysis, Kenshiro stared at Darrkhan with a dark terrible look. "I will not let you touch, Anveena." He said before his arms blurred as he began to launch almost unseen attacks against the undead surrounding him. Six of those creatures were sent flying into the air, and went they landed they took a moment to clear their heads from the confusion brought by their sudden flights.

The creatures looked back at Kenshiro, believing his attacks to have been useless, but once they stood up again, they found themselves unable to move as a sudden pain spiked from the spots where they were punched. Their bodies began to bloat as sudden painful tumors began to form on their bodies, straining bones and muscles with unbearable pressure, as their bodies seemed to turn into nothing more than inflated ballons of flesh. And after a few excruciating seconds, bursting in a shower of corrupted gore and dark ichor, splashing the cobblestones with putrid and rancid remnants of dead tissue.

Darkhan was not pleased by this new ocurrence. "So, you were able to break through my spell? Clearly you are indeed a formidable warrior if you were to accomplish such feat. However, you will need more than brute strenght if you wish to last more than a few seconds against me…" The elven sorcerer said as he began to raise his hand in preparation fro a magical spell, already sparks of lighting were dancing between his fingers.

They were interrupted again however, by another yell, as an armored man that appeared to be a Paladin suddenly appeared rushing into scene before he decapitated two undead with his sword.

"Who dares?" Darkhan asked in outrage at seeing someone else meddling in his affairs.

The Paladin answer was to throw a dagger at Darkhan, who simply stopped it with a magical shield by extending his arm. Raac then fell upon Darkhan and tried to distract him through scratches and tail lashes.

The patience of the crimson clad necromancer was all but spent at this point. "Slay him! Slay all of them!" He commanded to the dwark still under his control.

Harkyn kept struggling against the sorcerer spell as he lifted his rifle, took aim and shoot it. Only for the round to strike in Darkhan full, who braced himself against the projectile that detonated against him.

"No pasty elf makes a puppet out of Harkyn Grymstone!" The dwarf exclaimed hefting his smoking Blunderbuss before turning to his orcs underlings. "This job's a free one lads! Let's take this walking bone!"

RRRARRR!

One of the Orcs roared in affirmation before he grabbed two undead by the head and smashed them together, while the second orc started tt hacks another undead to pieces.

The Paladin rushed and approached Kalec. "Can you use this boy?" he said as he presented his sword to Kalecgos.

"I've got somethir better thanks!" Kalec replied before summoning his own sword.

"Go to the girl! I'll free the lady!" The Paladin ordered as he pointed at an unprotected Anveena.

The girl was about to be attacked by a couple of lunging undead.

EEK!

Slash!

But Kalec suddenly saved her by cutting both undead in two by the midriff in a single slash.

Darkhan began to raise his magical power and laughed, drawing everybody attention towards him. "Hnnh-hnnh- Ahahahahaha!"

"Fool of a dwarf, I'm a servant of the Lich King! I am more than mortal!" Darkhan boasted with a dark smile as he motioned with his hand towards Harkyn's direction.

":Gasp: C-can't breathe…" A choking Harkyn manages to say.

Meanwhile, the unknown Paladin frees Tyrigosa from the net trapping her.

"Quick! Stand away!" She signals him with a hand as she begins to active her transformation with a display of great magical power.

"Look out!" Kalec yelled as he takes notice of Darkhan turning towards Tyri and raising hand to launch a spell, he's stopped by Kenshiro who hurls an undead attacker at him, frocing the crimson clad sorcerer to dodge. The distraction gives Tyrigosa enough time to turn fully into a dragon and she breaths fire upon Darkhan's helpless form.

With the elven necromancer taken care off, everybody starts killing the undead left and right. The paladin smashing their heads with his hammer, the orcs hacking with their axes, Kalec slashing them with great acrobatics, Kenshiro blowing them apart with his Hokuto, Tyri stomping them or burning them with her fiery breath.

The rest of the villagers suddenly appeared armed with farming equipment and began to attack the undead. Anveena even manages to kill one with a borrowed sword.

"Is that all of them? What about the elf?" Kalec asks as he finishes a downed undead, everybody looks at the crumpled burned clothes of Darkhan on the charred cobblestone.

"I doubt you have much to worry about him son." The Paladin mentions as he sets downhis hammer. The battle with the people of Tarren Mill being victorious, and everybody then focus their attention next in helping in the reconstruction and clean-up.

The next morning.-

"It's just as I feared. Only the elf knew how to remove these." Kalec says as he finfingers with the collar around his neck.

"I am sorry Kalecgos." Tyrigosa said trying to comfort him.

Kalec just shakes his head in dismissal. "It couldn't be helped."

"But you can get our lord Malygos to remove it for you." Tyrigosa adviced as a solution.

That actually made the dragon in disguisse to remain in silent in thought for a moment. "Maybe… but not until we found a safe place for Anveena… I will not leave her alone like this, and we also need to find this Borel. He may know something about what's going on…"

"I may know where you can find him." Said the rough looking Paladin entering in the conversation.

"Do you?" Kalec inquired.

"Aye, I met him twice here, a bearded elder with the look of a wizard. He even made mention of this sunwell the elf talked of." The Paladin explained.

"But why would you help us." Anveena inquired, not unkindly but curious nonetheless.

"Yes… Why? Who are you?" Kalec pressed, wanting to know too.

"I was a Paladin once. I swore to protect Lordaeron. I failed. This may be the only way to save what's left. If the Lich king obtains the Sunwell, nothing will be able to stand against him." The worn-traveled Paladin replied with blunt honesty.

Accepting that answer, Kalec got back to the matter at hand. "So… where do you think this Borel is?"

"He mentioned an area around Aerie Peak. I'd go there…" The Paladin began to say, but was suddenly interrupted by someone else butting in their conversation.

"Did someone say they're going to Aeries Peak?" Tha dwarf, Harkyn, said as he walked towards the group. "Lad, I owe you and yours a debt and an apology. I let my vengeance lead me down a path serving the evil one… I've a cousin, Loggi, near Aerie Peak. That collar looks like dwarven work. He may be able to remove it…" The one-eyed dwarf stated humbly.

"Which means we can solve both problems at once…" Kalec exclaimed pleasantly surprised, he then addressed Tyrigosa. "If you'll carry the four of us, Tyri?"

"For you, yes, Kalecgos." Tyrigosa replied happily as she latched herself on Kalec's arm.

"Then it's settled. Tomorrow we're off to Aerie Peak… and hopefully, to the end of all our troubles…" Kalec stated, giving the group their next steps to follow.

Well this all for now, hopefully I will be able to deliver a more creative chapter next time. Don't know when but hopefully it will not take me another year before I update this story again. In the meantime, I have to go back to my currently main story; I still have much work to do…