Gears Roden Copperbolt was a warrior of some renown in the Alliance. He was not famous but the leaders of the various Alliance armies knew he was a gnome that could get the job done. Pilot, engineer and warrior, Gears had fought on many battlefields against the Scourge, the Burning Legion and all other factions that threatened the innocent people of Azeroth, but he did not see the Horde as his enemy but as potential allies and thus stayed out of the cross-faction conflict. Others always wondered why the gnome never wished to attack the Horde and remained neutral in the conflicts between the Alliance and the Horde. He always replied that both sides had common enemies and that fighting together instead of against each other would achieve peace and the defeat of their common foes. This was true and Gears did believe in his theory, however there was another reason as to why he did not wish to fight the Horde: an orc child named Debs which Gears had taken into his care. Taking care of Debs was no easy task for the Gnome, not only did he have no idea how but he also had to keep it a secret from everyone around him. Gears loved Debs as a father would love his daughter and thus wished only a peaceful life, a life he had not been able to fully achieve since the fall of Gnomeregan. He taught her about the history of Azeroth, about his own experiences and even about Debs’ orc heritage; Gears believed she deserved to know who and what she was.
One of the things that Gears noticed about Debs was her natural affinity for the elements; she had innate shamanistic powers and the gnome had to wonder where she could get training from. He doubted anyone in the Alliance would train an orc, so Gears was left with but one choice: take Debs to Durotar and seek training there. He contacted an associate of his, an orc hunter by the name of Ghuk; they had both had the similar view of the peace between there two factions. They had arranged to meet on the edges of Durotar and the Barrens. After getting off the ship in Ratchet, Gears and Debs started making their way towards the rendezvous point on the back of Broon the Ram.
“Why do we have to go to Durotar, Papa?” asked Debs,
“I’m sorry about this Debs but the only way you’re going to get training is to go to the Valley of Trials”
“You will be staying too, right Papa?”
“I’m afraid not, I’m a member of the Alliance army, they won’t let me stick around and they’d most likely attack me on sight.”
“Then I’m not going!” argued Debs, “I’m staying with Papa, forget my training to become a shammy!”
“Shaman”
“Whatever!”
“Your aunt Chenti is being a bit of a bad influence on you I see”
“I DON’T WANT TO GO TO DUROTAR!” screamed Debs.
Gears and Debs were making their way to the arranged meeting point and waited for Ghuk to appear. They had not spoken since the argument and had kept a bit of distance between themselves. “This kind of stupid this is, arguing with Debs just as she is going to leave” thought Gears, “Better apologise before Ghuk shows up.” He turns around to speak to Debs but hears something nearby and quickly loads his shotgun. After all, he was knee-deep in Horde territory with a young orc; they might get the wrong idea and think he kidnapped her. What happened next was to fast for either one to notice; hunters charged out of nearby foliage and warriors soon followed. Gears and Debs were overwhelmed and captured; Debs was cuffed and placed on the back of a giant war wolf while Gears unfortunately was thrown in a sack and tied to a saddle. Embarrassment aside, the two were taken to Ogrimmar and the gnome was thrown into a cage in one of the barracks. “Where’s Debs?!” yelled Gears in his best attempt at Orcish. The guards simply looked at him, slightly surprised to see a small little person with a beard speak their language if poorly. The gnome simply collapsed on the floor, praying to the Light that Debs was ok. What fate awaited him he did not know.
To be continued……